Sutra of Golden Light

At the beginning of the Sutra of Golden Light, Buddha Shakyamuni, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened, calls to anyone experiencing misery and affliction, bad health, poverty, loss, abuse, ill will, fear, nightmares, or other harms. He says to make the mind virtuous and to come and listen. This “King of Glorious Sutras,” contains everything needed, from daily happiness to complete enlightenment. It contains a heart-rending practice of confession and rejoicing, profound teachings on dependent arising, reliable assurances of protection, guidelines for ideal government, and awe-inspiring stories of the Buddha’s previous lives, in which the Buddha shows how, even before he had completely eliminated the delusions, he liberated countless beings from the ocean of suffering through compassion and personal courage. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is for this powerful sutra to be recited around the world for world peace. On July 10, 2007, while attending the Deer Park Summer Course, student Beth Simon (now known as Ven. Lobsang Tendron) made this request to Lama Zopa Rinpoche: “Please tell me what would please you”. Rinpoche told Beth to recite the Sutra of Golden Light and to tell her friends to recite it. Rinpoche said, “This is what I want. This is what I ask. This will make me happy.” With that, Beth began to organize many helpful resources for those wishing to engage with Rinpoche’s request to recite this sutra.

Receive the Oral Transmission of the Sutra of Golden Light from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

During a retreat in Australia September-October 2014, Lama Zopa Rinpoche agreed to allow those who listen to a recording of Rinpoche giving the oral transmission to receive the transmission in full. You may receive this oral transmission by listening to the audio or from watching and listening to it on video. Below you will find the sutra broken up into three parts with audio and video for each part. You may also download it from the “Audio” section at the bottom of this page. You must listen to the entire sutra in order to receive the full transmission from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Part 1 Chapters 1-7

Part 2 Chapters 7-17

Part 3 Chapters 17-21

 

 

To these sentient beings I shall reveal this sutra called Sublime Golden Light, which rids one of every harmful misdeed, and expounds upon the profound.