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Prajnaparamita Project
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If even as many buddhas, blessed ones as there are grains of sand in forty-eight Ganges rivers are unable to express the mass of merit of the one writing it out, what need is there to mention that whoever writes it out or reflects on it or reads it will become a treasury of the Dharma?
–Sanghata Sutra
Writing the Prajnaparamita for World Peace
The Prajnaparamita Sutra contains the highest teachings of the Buddha and is among the most precious texts available in the world today. Due to the power of this text, writing it out is a way to generate tremendous merit and receive blessings.
According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the main ways to create the causes needed to build the Maitreya Buddha statue in India, is to write out the Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold. The completed sutra will be enshrined in the heart of the statue. The Prajnaparamita Project provides the material resources needed to support the efforts to write out this precious text.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche works on writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra with Ven. Tsering at his side, Aptos, California, United States, June 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche had been writing the 8,000 verse Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold for several years, but since 2011 Rinpoche hasn’t been able to write, as Rinpoche feels his handwriting is not stable enough, since manifesting the stroke. Under Rinpoche’s guidance several students have been writing out the Prajnaparamita on archival quality rainbow paper. Ven. Tsering, a Kopan monk, and Jane Seidlitz, a long-time student, are both writing out different volumes from the 12,000 verse Prajnaparamita in pure gold. In 2013 Ven. Tsering was interviewed about his eleven years working on this project. Among many inspiring remarks, Ven. Tsering commented, “….having one project you receive from your guru, you take it as your project and carry on. Then if you have an attitude like that, I think that is one reason to be able to carry on.” You can read more of Ven. Tsering’s interview here.
The benefits that come from writing out sutras such as the Prajnaparamita are extensive.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said: “There is unbelievable, unbelievable merit in writing this text. The benefits are spoken of in the sutra The Condensed Jewel Quality where it says: Building a Stupa of The One Gone to Bliss, making the stupa of the Seven jewels, and making as many of these to fill many thousands of ten millions worlds, that equaling the number of sand grains in the river Ganges and then making offerings to these stupas by many sentient beings (infinite sentient beings of all the existing worlds making offerings of lights, incense and flowers etc. three times a day for eons). Consider the merit obtained from this compared with of the following: If one writes this Sutra – the Mother Prajnaparamita taught by the Buddha having the ten powers, keeps this text and makes offerings to it and pays respect to it, the merit of the later is infinitely greater!”
If the whole of the great three thousand worlds were completely, entirely filled with stupas, the size of Mt Meru, made of the seven types of jewels, comparing to that, if one writes the Prajnaparimita, in the duration of a finger snap, at least, one achieves the patience of the profound Dharma – great inconceivable exhalted merits. To clarify, one universe of one thousand world systems is a great thousand world; one thousand great thousand worlds is a great two thousand universe or world, while one thousand of these (great two thousand worlds) is a great three thousand world. One stupa directs the mind to Enlightenment and creates inconceivable merit, and with that merit, one can meditate on emptiness without fear.
—From the Sutra Kuntse Jampa Sengyey Chenpoi Do
Ven. Tsering, a Kopan monk, spends eight hours every day writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold on archival quality paper.
Writing Out Sutras
Money from this fund is also used for writing out the Arya Sanghata and Vajra Cutter Sutras in pure gold and silver, dedicated to the completion of the Maitreya Buddha statues for world peace.
Sutras are records of teachings given by the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. The Buddha’s discourses were memorized by his disciples and later written down in various languages, the most complete collections of teachings being in Pali and Sanskrit. More….
Prajnaparamita Project News & Updates
Writing Out the Prajnaparamita for as Long as FPMT Exists
Budget
We are inviting individuals to generate merit and receive the blessings of these sutras by contributing to this fund. The cost of the ongoing work on the Prajnaparamita Sutra is approximately $25,000 per year and any additional funds will go toward writing out the Arya Sanghata and Vajra Cutter Sutras.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the completed first volume of the Prajnaparamita in Kachoe Dechen Ling, California.
Offer Your Compassionate Support
The Prajnaparamita Project is a project of FPMT Inc. All donations made to the fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(C)(3) to the extent allowed by law.
For larger donations, wire transfers, or check donations, contact FPMT Donor Services.
For questions about the Social Services Fund activities, please contact the Charitable Projects Coordinator.
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