Charitable Activities

Through the Sera Je Food Fund, 8,300 meals are offered every day to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.

The Sera Je Food Fund offers three meals, daily, to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. Over three million meals are offered every year, a massive and collective effort of many volunteers at the monastery (who shop for, prepare, and clean up after each meal) as well as many kind donors who contribute to this fund.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche started this project in 1991 and has committed to making this offering every day, every year, for as long as possible. Please rejoice that another year of food for this project has been successfully sponsored. Funds offered, together with local interest earned, is used to sponsor food for the entire year. 

Many volunteers at the monastery shop for food, prepare meals, and clean up after each meal. This is a huge collective effort which must happen every single day.

Why a Food Fund?

In the Tibetan tradition, it is customary for monastics to support themselves. In addition to providing for their own housing, individual monks are responsible for purchasing and preparing all of their meals. As many of the monks are refugees from Tibet or from refugee families living in India, they have very little money for quality food and, consequently, were often malnourished and ill. Before the Sera Je Food Fund, most monks at the monastery never had a full stomach. Now, for the first time, they are well-nourished, and this makes a dramatic difference in the energy they are able to devote to their studies. Additionally, group preparation of meals and use of a communal kitchen allows more time for the monks to apply themselves to their studies without the added worry of cleaning up and preparing individual meals, monitoring their individual health for adequate protein and nutrition, etc.

Please read about the benefits of the Sera Je Food Fund and the benefits of making offerings to the Sangha by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund, read an overview of the food offered daily, or support this project with a donation of any amount. 

Jangchup Lamrim teaching event, December 2013, Sera Je Monastery. Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be seen with his teacher, the late Choden Rinpoche in the fourth row of this photo. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained, “Making offerings to the Sangha is a way of collecting unbelievable merit because all the sangha are the pores of the guru. They are all disciples of the same guru – His Holiness the Dalai Lama. By offering to pores of the guru one collects more merit than offering to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, as well as numberless statues, stupas.” 17,000 students of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be offered food during a three day teaching event at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery this December.

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Bylakuppe, India, will be welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama to their monastery December 19-29, 2015. During the visit, His Holiness will inaugurate the monastery’s new assembly hall and give teachings on Dharmakirti’s commentary on Pramana-samuccaya over the course of three days. Following this teaching event, His Holiness will continue his teachings on the Jangchup Lamrim (18 Treatises on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) at the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. This teaching series began in 2012.)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the 2014 Jangchup Lamrim teaching event, South India. Photo by OHHDL.

To support this visit from His Holiness, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has offered, through the Preserving the Lineage Fund, to cover the cost of food for lunch for the more than 17,000 people attending the three days of initial teachings with His Holiness. This is an incredible offering as all 17,000 attendees are also students of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained:

“Making offerings to the Sangha is a way of collecting unbelievable merit because all the sangha are the pores of the guru. They are all disciples of the same guru – His Holiness the Dalai Lama. By offering to pores of the guru one collects more merit than offering to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, as well as numberless statues, stupas. If you offer with the recognition that they are the guru’s pores then that is an unbelievable way to collect merit. When you offer to many Sanghas who have the same guru then you are making offerings to that many pores of the guru. So this is the easiest way to collect skies of merit by offering. By offering even just one candy, flowers or even one grain of rice to a statue of Buddha or even a visualized Buddha you collect skies of merit but here it is much more powerful than offering to the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) as well as all the statues, stupas and scriptures existing in all directions, so no question if offering to really the same guru’s disciple. These benefits should be understood so that when you make offerings to the guru’s pores you think correctly. This is the best business.”

Please rejoice in this offering of food to more than 17,000 pores of the guru. 

You can learn more about the Preserving the Lineage Fund and how it has supported His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchup Lamrim teaching event in previous years. 

Between 500-600 people joined together to offer 30,587,000 mani mantras in celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday.

In July of this year, between 500-600 residents of Tsum Valley, Nepal, close to the Tibet border, recited 30,587,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantras over the course of a one-week-long retreat in celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday.

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains:

“Even if you don’t have much intellectual understanding of Dharma, even if the only thing you know is OM MANI PADME HUM, still the happiest life is one lived with an attitude free of the eight worldly concerns. If you live your life with the pure attitude free of attachment clinging to this life and simply spend your life chanting OM MANI PADME HUM —this six-syllable mantra that is the essence of all Dharma—that’s the purest Dharma.”

Additionally:

“It is said that up to seven generations of that person’s descendents won’t get reborn in the lower realms. The reason for this is that due to the power of mantra, the body is blessed by the person reciting the mantra and visualizing their body in form of the holy body of Chenrezig. Therefore, the body becomes so powerful, so blessed that this affects the consciousness up to seven generations and has the effect that if one dies with a non-virtuous thought, one is not reborn in a lower realm.”

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions is for the FPMT organization to support 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM retreats around the world. Please rejoice in this incredible offering of mani mantras from the people of Tsum. They also recited 6,820,000 Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) mantras during this retreat. Amazing!

You can learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization or discover the ways that the Practice and Retreat Fund supports students engaged in retreats such as 108 nyung nä retreats, 100 million mani retreats, recitations of sutras and long term retreat

Cooking and food staples, such as flour, were offered to 2,973 monks at Sera Je Monastery over the Summer break.

The Sera Je Food Fund is responsible for offering three nutritious meals to all the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. As the monastery closes for the Summer (and thus, the kitchen closes), the fund makes other arrangements so the monks at the monastery have meals while the monastery is on break. 

Basic dry food staples are distributed to 2,973 monks ensuring they are able to provide meals for themselves until the monastery and kitchen are back in full operation. 

Without support from the Sera Je Food Fund, the monks of Sera Je Monastery would have to struggle to adequately feed themselves when the monastery closes for Summer break.

In 2011, Lama Zopa Rinpoche said the following, “Regarding the Sera Je Food Fund, this is making offerings to Sangha … wow … wow! Can you imagine the merit of that? Even making small charity the size of a single strand of hair? Can you imagine? In the monastery there are Sangha living in the five vows, but the majority of the Sangha are living in higher vows such as getsül (36 vows) and gelong, a fully ordained bhikkshu (253 vows). Most of the Sangha are gelongs and living in highest number of vows … wow … wow … wow! One creates so much merit by making offerings to Sangha due to the power of the object.” You can read Rinpoche’s complete advice, “Benefits of the Sera Je Food Fund.” 

All of this is possible due to the kindness of many donors contributing in large and small ways. If you would like to get involved, to help ensure that the monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered food long into the future, you are welcome to contribute any amount to the Sera Je Food Fund. 

You can sponsor meals for the monks of Sera Je Monastery as well as keep up on news and updates for this project. 

View of the property where the new debate courtyard is being built for the monks of Sera Mey Monastery.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very happy to offer a grant to Sera Mey Monastery, Mysore, India, toward the construction of a debate courtyard. Due to the kindness of an extremely generous benefactor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to offer a substantial contribution for this project. 

Progress on the debate courtyard. September, 2015. Photo courtesy of Sera May Monastery.

The tradition of debate in Tibetan Buddhism can be traced back to Lama Tsongkhapa, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. With logical reasoning as the governing rule, students practice the art of debate by questioning one another. 

Without a proper debate courtyard, the monks of Sera Mey cannot engage in debate under the best conditions. The old debate courtyard was very small and had other problems such as echoing, exposure to rain, hot sun, no classrooms or science lab rooms, among other issues. Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey, the presence of a proper area for debate at the monastery will have lasting benefit. 

Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey Monastery and will benefit from the new debate courtyard being built.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is extremely pleased to be supporting Sera Mey Monastery in this way. Please rejoice in the construction of this new debate courtyard which will benefit many Buddhist scholars now and far into the future. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the many ways which it is able to make offerings to Sangha. 

Medicine Buddha statue at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

The Sangha living at  Buddha Amitabha Pure Land (BAPL), located in North Central Washington state in the United States, engage in weekly practices for animals and make extensive offerings to holy objects. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche often explains the benefits of offering to many holy objects and encourages extensive offerings around the world. 

We are not aware of the limitless skies of benefits we achieve from the practice of offering, what we can achieve and enjoy from life to life. Even while you are in samsara, you enjoy good rebirths, wealth, and every happiness. Even just the samsaric perfections are amazing, without adding all those incredible realizations that allow us to offer deep benefit to sentient beings, liberating them from oceans of samsaric suffering and its cause, delusion and karma.

—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, (from Extensive Offerings, published by FPMT Education Services)

Extensive offerings at BAPL, Washington, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

Weekly animal liberation practice and charity for ants, extensive daily offering practices, and nightly dharma protector practices and sur are offered. All of this is done with extensive dedications and prayers for the entire FPMT organization and all beings, as requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, BAPL, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said that by having as many holy objects as possible, when you enter the room then you can put your palms together in the mudra of prostration to all the holy objects, looking at each tiny holy object and prostrating. You can look around the room with your hands in the mudra of prostration and think “I am prostrating to all the buddhas.” When you do this you collect eight benefits in that second so for however many thousands or hundreds of pictures of buddhas, statues, tsa-tsas etc. you have, merely by placing your palms together respectfully you receive these eight benefits, the last benefit is that you will be enlightened.

Some of the many holy objects such as tsa tsas’s at BAPL, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

In this way, in just one second, it is so easy to collect merit because there are so many pictures of deities and buddhas; even in one photo there are many buddhas, such as the Guru Puja merit field or the thirty-five buddhas, even in one picture there are so many merit fields. Each time you prostrate to them you collect that many causes of enlightenment, that many causes of liberation from samsara and, by the way, happiness of future lives.

Extensive offerings to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas. Photo by Chris Majors.

So you can see that it is very helpful to have many pictures and statues for prostrations, it helps the visualization and also with each prostration you do to just one holy object you create incredible causes, so the more holy objects the more causes you create.

When you prostrate you can think of all the ten direction buddhas, Dharma, sangha, statues, stupas, scriptures, tsa-tsas etc.; if you have many, many pictures of holy objects it makes it very easy to visualize the ten directions actually filled with buddhas. This is also very good if you can’t visualize very well.

When you are not prostrating, but even just entering the room where you have all the holy objects (the gompa or your meditation room), if you put your palms together to the holy objects every time, then in that second it is an unbelievable easy way to collect extensive merit.

Extensive Offerings to holy objects and the Dalai Lama lineage. Photo by Chris Majors.

Amitabha Buddha statue at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

Extensive offerings to 21 Tara, BAPL, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

It is explained by Buddha in the Sutra of the Mudra of Developing the Power of Devotion:

The minute you see a holy object you create infinite merits, so no question, if you actually make prostrations, offerings and so forth, you create far greater merit.

Holy objects and extensive offerings at BAPL, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.

Please rejoice in the offerings and practices that take place daily at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land and the beautiful photography of Chris Majors which shows the extensive offerings to the holy objects. 

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish. You can learn more about other beneficial activities this fund supports. 

FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund supports Namgyal Rinpoche’s efforts to provide short and long term aid to those devastated by the Nepal earthquakes. Photo courtesty of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.

Losang Namgyal Rinpoche, a Rinpoche from Kopan Monastery and a high lama of the Tamang people, has been coordinating relief aid and leading efforts to provide much needed short and long term aid to victims of the earthquakes in Nepal which destroyed lives, property, and holy objects in 14 districts. 

Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation worked with Kopan Helping Hands in August to distribute food to villagers in need in Dhading District, Nepal. Photo courtesy of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.

The first phase of relief offered to those devastated by the earthquake was in the form of essential food and medical supplies to 5,000 families. The Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation has been working with Kopan Helping Hands since the very beginning to provide food staples to families. This collaboration continues and with both organizations putting resources together, more benefit is offered to those in need. 

The second phase of aid was offering temporary shelter to villagers rendered homeless by earthquake destruction. The monsoon season brought great need, and also new challenges, in terms of providing temporary shelter so desperately needed by villagers who had not received any government assistance at the start of the heavy rain season. 

The Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation offering bundles of zinc sheets to Bhanjyang and Phedeghau villages in the Kavre District, Nepal. Photo courtesy of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.

The third phase will be providing permanent shelter and helping to rebuild structures such as homes, gompas and schools. 

The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, due to the kindness of many generous donors, has been able to contribute to these efforts, and will continue in the future if possible.  Please rejoice in the ongoing work of many from the Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation to provide this incredibly compassionate aid to those in need. 

To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/

For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,”:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/

Khangtsens are hostel sections of monasteries where monks share living quarters with those who share their language and cultural background.

During the 2014 Jangchup Lamrim teachings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche stayed at Ganden Samlo Khangtsen at Ganden Monastery. While there, Rinpoche discovered that essential repairs were needed and Rinpoche wanted to help. Due to the generosity of an extremely kind benefactor, US$19,600 was raised and offered to this khangtsen so the repairs could be made. Specifically, a damaged roof was able to be replaced and extended to protect from the heat. 

Khangtsens are hostel sections of monasteries. Each monk is affiliated with one khangtsen according to their region of origin. This is so monks can live with others who share their language and cultural background, thus helping to limit hardships and confusion within the community.

Please rejoice in this offering. It continues to be a high priority for FPMT to support ordained Sangha.

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund

//fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/supporting-ordained-sangha-fund/

Explore FPMT’s many charitable projects and social service activities: https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/

The monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered three nutritious meals every single day through the Sera Je Food Fund.

Since 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has offered meals to the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery in southern India. Today, the fund sponsors 8,300 meals every single day for all 2,500 Sera Je Monastery monks (3,300 monks are served breakfast). This offering allows the monks to concentrate on their studies without the constant worry of sourcing and preparing their next meal.

This hour-long video shows the Sera Je Monks practicing in retreat and offering puja, engaging with the local community, and toward the end (45 mins 22 seconds) we see a behind-the-scenes look at the food fund’s operation in action. 

In a recent letter from Sera Je Monastery, the abbot expressed, “The monastery is indebted to offer our devout prayers and ritual ceremonies in dedication of sponsors and supporters of Sera Je Food Fund program, its founder the ever compassionate Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and his esteemed FPMT.” 

Please enjoy this short video of the monks sharing one of these meals together.

This most precious offering of food is made possible due to the kindness of many donors and benefactors. Tremendous thanks to all who have contributed to the fund. Donations of all sizes make a difference and allow the following to be provided: 

• US$10: three vegetarian meals a day to one monk for one month
• US$120: three vegetarian meals a day to one monk for one year
• US$780: three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks for one day
• US$5,460: three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks for one week
• US$280,000: three vegetarian meals a day to all the 2,500 monks for one year

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund:
https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/seraje

Explore FPMT’s many charitable projects and social service activities:
https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/

9,135 families and many individuals in the eleven most affected districts of Nepal have been assisted so far by Kopan Helping Hands.

Kopan Monastery and Nunnery have been actively involved since the very beginning with relief efforts for those devastated by the Nepal earthquake and subsequent aftershocks through Kopan Helping Hands. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund has been able to offer grants to assist with this aid due to the kindness of many generous donors. 

Essential food items, shelter, blankets and clothing, along with medical attention have been offered to those in need by Kopan Helping Hands.

Incredibly, 9,135 families and many individuals in the eleven most affected districts of Nepal have been assisted so far by Kopan Helping Hands. Geshe Thubten Jinpa recently sent the below inspiring report of some highlights of aid and service that has been offered:

• 4,280 pieces of tarpaulin and zinc sheets have been offered for temporary shelters
• 580 tents
• Blankets and clothing for warmth
• 19,7200 kg of rice have been offered
• 20,010 kg of dahl have been offered
• 11,310 liters of cooking oil have been offered
• 4,390 packets of salt have been offered
• 3,840,000 packets of noodles have been offered for sustenance
• Many of the Sangha donated their blood at local hospitals and also Kopan set up a blood bank
• Sangha members were mobilized around Kopan to clear the debris which blocked the road so that the rescue operations could be performed
• Cooked meals were served to the patients and the families in the local hospitals following the earthquake
• Drinking water was supplied to the various parts of the city where the normal water supply had been disrupted
• Sangha members were mobilized to keep the surroundings free of garbage in order to eliminated post-earthquake health hazards
• Special prayer sessions were held every evening at the monastery for those who had lost their lives and for the grieving family members. (The first week of prayer prayer was led by Lama Zopa Rinpoche every evening.)
• An emergency medical team was airlifted to treat patients in critical condition. 
• Medical and sanitation facilities were provided to various temporary resettlements around Kathmandu
• Food and other facilities were offered to the Sangha community who came to resettle in Kathmandu after their monasteries were destroyed in the villages

In spite of danger and difficulty, Kopan Helping Hands has continued to offer aid to the eleven most affected districts of Nepal.

Kopan Helping Hands was able to reach eleven of the most affected areas:

1. Solukhumbu
2. Dolakha
3. Ramechap
4. Sindupalchok
5. Kavre
6. Nuwakot
7. Okhaldunga
8. Gorkha
9. Kathmandu
10. Lalitpur
11. Rasuwa

This aid was offered despite incredible challenges and potential danger and difficulty due to landslides, destroyed roads, heavy rains and constant aftershocks. For example, the Kopan Sangha traveled for many hours on the back of open trucks that were fully loaded with supplies to help. 

Please rejoice in the incredible and compassionate aid that has been offered by Kopan Helping Hands and thank you to the many people who have supported and made it possible for so much assistance to be given.

This aid will continue and now with the onset of monsoon season new challenges are presented. Repairs and rebuilding of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery have also started and support is still needed to complete these essential projects. 

To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/id.

Kopan Monastery is accepting donations for their ongoing work, mention “Kopan Helping Hands” in the comments: http://www.kopanmonastery.com/earthquake

For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/

For continuing updates and news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, please visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake”page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/

Ganden Yiga Chozin in Pokhara Nepal

On Saka Dawa this year, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$6,000 to FPMT’s Ganden Yiga Chozin in Pokhara Nepal. The center was negatively impacted by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks which occurred right before the center’s busy tourist and visitor season. Fortunately, no structural or property damage was sustained by the center. However, due to damage in surrounding areas, and due to general fear among would-be tourists of Nepal, the center has experienced a drastic loss in visitors. Without the anticipated income from courses and teaching events, the center has struggled to meet immediate expenses. When Rinpoche heard about this he was immediately inspired to do something to help the center survive until visitors started returning to the area. Thubten Drolkar, the center director, said the following about this donation, “It was so unbelievably kind of Rinpoche to offer the money, kind of overwhelming, really.  I’d been so worried about how we were going to keep the center open and worrying that the staff would lose their jobs (which would be devastating for them, and us, as they are very good staff!) and then I heard that Rinpoche was coming to the rescue.  I still feel like I can’t believe how fortunate we are!” 

All are welcome to offer a donation of any amount directly to the center to help with this unexpected loss of income. 

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish.You can learn more about other beneficial activities this fund supports. 

Robes offered to the Buddha statue in Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya, India, through the Puja Fund. July, 2015. Photo by Andy Melnic.

Every month on the full moon, the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of robes, made of the most precious material, to the most holy Buddha statue in Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya, India.

During the robe offering, students and Sangha from Root Institute offer prayers and practices including verses like this from the Nyung Nä sadhana:

In order to purify my mind, I offer an exquisite precious garment,
Multicolored like Indra’s variegated bow,
That when touched becomes the cause of bliss
May I be adorned with the holy garment of patience.

Please rejoice in this monthly offering that is so precious. You are welcome to contribute to this by offering to the Puja Fund at any time.

You can learn more about the extensive pujas, practices and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund or about any of the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.