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The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund sponsored 673 monks to participate in this year’s Winter Debate.
The Lama Tsong Khapa Teachers Fund was very pleased to offer US$22,570 for the 2013 Winter Debate (Jang Gun-choe). 673 of the top debaters from Sera Je traveled to Drepung Monastery to participate with 8,000 monks from 11 different monasteries. The main participating Institutes were Sera, Drepung, Gaden, Tashi Lhunpo, Gyuto, Gyudme, Rato and Dhakpo Shedrup Dhargeyling monasteries and they met to debate two sessions a day for a minimum of seven hours.
The Lama Tsong Khapa Teachers Fund covered the cost of travel and food for the 673 monks from Sera Je Monastery to attend the month-long debate. Please rejoice in this incredible offering!
The Great Winter Debate has been an integral part Tibet Buddhism and dates back to the time of Lama TsongKhapa. The debate mainly consists of the most earnest and competent scholars from the great monasteries. The primary course of study during the Winter Debate is Pramanavartika (Tsema Namdrel) by Acharya Dharmakirti on subjects such as epistemology, valid cognition, dialectics, and the Art of Liberation.
You can learn more about the annual Winter Debate here.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche received the following note of thanks from the Committee for Sere Je Philosophical Studies for this contribution:
“We are extremely thankful and grateful for your generous help and we pray for your long life of lovely compassion for the sake of all sentient beings in the universe.”
You can learn more about the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
One of the statues being consulted as a prototype for the Five Dhayani Buddhas being created.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, is sponsoring the creation of Five Dhyani Buddha statues, a Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) statue and a number of other Buddhist statues which will go inside a large stupa that is being built in India. Rinpoche recently offered the first payment toward this holy object project, US$54,452
The statues are 4-ft high with full gold plating and will take two years to complete. They are being made by one of the best statue makers in Nepal. Rinpoche has been involved with the artist to make sure the art is best quality.
Holy objects purify karma just by seeing [them]. It purifies the mind, plants seed for the path to liberation. That’s how stupas liberate each day.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You are welcome to offer any amount toward this incredibly holy object offering.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
For thirteen years, Ven. Tsering has been writing out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Photo by Chris Majors.
Ven. Tsering showing some of his work writing out the Prajnaparamita. Photo by Whitney Dafoe.
Last year we shared a very moving interview with Ven. Tsering, a Kopan monk, who has devoted his life to writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s California residence. As Ven. Tsering is approaching his thirteenth year dedicated to this project, we invite you to rejoice in this incredible effort and to enjoy a small update on this project.
Ven. Tsering is doing well and continues to write out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold, every day. The Prajnaparamita Project has just purchased 10 tolas of gold which are expected to last him about eight months. The cost of this was US$7,079.
There is unbelievable, unbelievable merit in writing this text.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the main ways to create the causes needed to build the Maitreya Buddha statues in India, is to write out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 1,000 large Maitreya statues around the world.
Please rejoice in Ven. Tsering’s amazing dedication. You are welcome to support this project by offering any amount.
You can learn more about the Prajnaparamita Project as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja with Geshe Doga, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.
Five dakini dancers entering the gompa, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.
Each year, a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche is offered on behalf of the entire FPMT organization. This puja takes place at the close of the yearly Kopan lam-rim course, or at the end of a CPMT meeting. This year, it was offered following the CPMT 2014 meeting.
A long life puja with the five dakinis was offered on Friday, September 19, in the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. A video recording of the puja is available on the CPMT livestream page.
A beautiful collection of praises and requests from FPMT centers, projects and services around the world were read aloud to Lama Zopa Rinpoche by regional and national coordinators who were present:
“We offer this praise to you Rinpoche, on behalf of all of your disciples throughout the world. We offer this praise on behalf of all sentient beings, who wander like blind children at the edge of the perilous cliffs of samsara, certain to fall to our deaths without your guidance….”
You can read this entire, moving collection of praises and requests here.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered an extensive dedication at the end of the puja, including all the people working within the FPMT organization and all FPMT centers, projects and services around the world.
The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. Please rejoice that we can make this offering and may it create the cause for our most precious Guru to have a very long long life.
You can contribute anytime towards future long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
You can learn more about the Long Life Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Golden Light recitation at Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, India, March 2014, Photo by Andy Melnic.
Israel’s Shantideva Study Group was recently advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on pujas, practices and offerings to complete in order to help bring peace to the Palestine and Israel conflict and the whole world. Rinpoche advised the study group to do several things:
- Sponsor Ganden Lachi (Ganden Shartse and Jangtse together) to read the Golden Light Sutra
- Ask a realized lama to read a text in Tibetan, in Israel
- Sponsor the extensive Medicine Buddha puja at Sera Monastery or Drepung Monastery
- Recite the White Umbrella Praise
- Read the” Prayer for Peace” by the great yogi Tang Tong Gyalpo
- Build a one-story-high statue of Padmasambhava
Shantideva Study Group is actively raising funds to carry out advices #1 and #3. Please rejoice as The Puja Fund recently made a donation toward the pujas for peace.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised them, “Please tell everyone who contributes to generate bodhichitta motivation and then make the offering, that is, if there are people who want to, and can make the offering; I am not pushing it. The individuals who sponsor the expenses create so much merit.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also said, “Anybody who wants peace in the world should read The Sutra of Golden Light. This is a very important practice to stop violence and wars in the world. The Sutra of Golden Light is one of the most beneficial ways to bring peace. This is something that everyone can do, no matter how busy you are, even if you can read one page a day, or a few lines and in this way continually read The Sutra of Golden Light.” FPMT Education Services has created a page dedicated to resources for those wishing to recite The Sutra of Golden Light.
If you would like to contribute to the Puja Fund, you are welcome to offer any amount:
You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Italy earlier this year.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, recently offered US$50,000 toward a new place for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to stay when in Bylakuppe, India. This new accommodation is being built by the Tibetan Settlement Office in Bylakuppe.
Please rejoice that FPMT is able to offer service to His Holiness, in this way.
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche composed a beautiful prayer, “Remembering the Kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan People.”
You are welcome to donate any amount to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund toward the cost of this offering.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Sera Je monks help prepare meals for 2,500 in the Sera Je Food Fund kitchen.
Every day, 8,300 meals are offered to all the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. 3,300 monks join for breakfast and 2,500 monks are offered lunch and dinner. Every three months, approximately 750,000 meals are offered through the Sera Je Food Fund. An astounding amount of food is required for this ongoing offering.
Just to give a glimpse of the amount of food that is offered over three months to the monks of Sera Je Monastery:
64,300 bananas are offered in a three month period through the Sera Je Food Fund.
Breakfast:
- Butter: 289 pounds
- Flour: 8,433 pounds
- Cooking Oil: 170 gallons
You can read more about a typical day’s breakfast offering.
Lunch:
- Bananas: 64,300 pieces
- Dal: 10,417 pounds
- Rice: 11,217 pounds
- Green Vegetables: 5,570 bundles
You can read more about a typical day’s lunch offering.
Green vegetables being prepared and cleaned for 2,500.
Dinner:
- Cooking Oil: 165 gallons
- Soy Sauce: 115 bottles
- Cheese: 432 pounds
- Potato: 1,000 pounds
You can read more about a typical day’s dinner offering.
Many other ingredients are used for the monthly meals, the above numbers are merely examples of certain foods and ingredients used. Please rejoice in this incredible offering.
You are welcome to offer any amount toward the US$280,000 needed each year for this project:
You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Simulation of the large Maitreya Buddha statue to be built by the Maitreya Projects.
In October 2014, Maitreya Project Kushinagar published an update regarding the project. You can read this update which includes details on the history of the project as well as its current and future aims.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build 1,000 large Maitreya statues around the world and the two Maitreya Projects (Bodhgaya and Kushinagar) are helping to actualize this vision.
Who is Maitreya Buddha by Lama Yeshe
You can make a donation to support Maitreya Project Kushinagar.
Holy objects and extensive offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling. Photo by Chris Majors.
It takes Sangha many hours each day to offer waterbowls as part of the extensive offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling. Photo by Chris Majors.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has requested Sangha at Kachoe Dechen Ling to make extensive offerings daily including the extensive offering practice. These offerings have been done every day for 16 years and include water bowls, light offerings and flower offerings outside in the beautiful gardens. The waterbowl offerings alone can take many hours to perform each day.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche personally engages in the extensive offering practice daily, no matter where he is. The offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling and also at other centers and students’ homes around the world are used as a basis for the offerings that Rinpoche then offers in his daily practice.
Extensive Offering practice is very important to Lama Zopa Rinpoche who engages in this practice daily, usually before lunch. Photo by Chris Majors.
All of these offerings and the practice are dedicated to the success of all FPMT centers, projects and services, and that they all may be of most benefit, to all the kind benefactors, students, volunteers, to those who are sick and have passed away, for world peace, and to all beings everywhere.
Please rejoice in these offerings and please also use them in your practice. You can enjoy a gallery of photos documenting the beautiful extensive offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling and Amitabha Pure Land.
You are welcome to contribute to these daily extensive offerings by donating to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Rejoice…
Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing an elephant in Bodhgaya, India, 2012. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Since 2011 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, has been covering the cost of food for a large elephant Rinpoche named “Bodhichitta” who lives in Bodhgayga, India. Rinpoche gave one condition to the owner of this elephant: He must circumambulate the elephant regularly around the Bodhgaya Stupa or the holy objects at Root Institute. This, of course, is to help the elephant create merit and ultimately bring to enlightenment.
When Rinpoche met Bodhichitta the elephant for the first time, as Rinpoche was reciting mantras to it, the elephant was observed having tears running down its face. Please enjoy this moving video of an incredible sweet moment.
You are welcome to donate to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and contribute to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others:
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering lunch to Choden Rinpoche in Taiwan, February 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kusang.
When Lama Zopa Rinpoche heard that his guru, Choden Rinpoche, was manifesting some health obstacles, Rinpoche immediately sponsored a number of pujas through the Puja Fund.
One puja Rinpoche sponsored, dedicated to Choden Rinpoche’s long life, was the reading of the Kangyur by all the monks at Sera Je and Sera Me monasteries, for this the Puja Fund offered over US$5,000, which included offering tea and lunch to the 3,500 monks during the puja.
Choden Rinpoche’s center, Ananda Center, has an updated list of mantras currently recommend for Choden Rinpoche’s health. Additionally, Ananda Center is requesting that students recite Praises to the Twenty-one Taras a million times, from September 10 to October 10, 2014. Please submit the number of recitations to Ananda Center directly.
A flower from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s garden at Kachoe Dechen Ling, California. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Choden Rinpoche is a virtuous friend who has pacified his mind by living in the training of moral conduct, who has pacified his mind by the training in concentration, and who is extremely pacified due to the training in great insight,“ Lama Zopa Rinpoche said in an October 2002 teaching at Land of Medicine Buddha.
These pujas and sponsorships are among the incredible services that the FPMT Puja Fund is able to offer under Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s guidance.
You may contribute any amount to the Puja Fund to help ensure these beneficial and important pujas and offerings continue.
You can learn more about the Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Guru Rinpoche statue at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia. Photo by George Manos.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build many large statues of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) around the world in order to create the cause for peace for all beings. To date, 27 statues have been built, one measuring 70 feet [21 meters] high!
The Padmasambhava Project for Peace was established to fund the creation of Padmasambhava statues built in accordance with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. Please enjoy a photo gallery of some of these amazing statues.
Padmasambhava Statues Completed/In Progress
- Large statue at a Sakya Monastery in Asia
- Large statue at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia
- Lifesized statue at Milarepa Center in Vermont, USA
- (11 total) 13.5-ft and nine large statues in Lawudo, Nepal
- (9 total) 70-ft statue with two consorts, each 25 ft; includes also Eight Aspects of Padmasambhava over 6 feet (2 meters) high
- 7-ft statue at Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, New Zealand
- 9-ft statue at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre on Kangaroo Island, Australia
- 3 ft statue in Nepal which will go inside a large stupa in India (in progress)
- 6.5-ft statue in Spain at Osel Ling, Spain.
Offer Your Compassionate Support
The Padmasambhava Project for Peace a project of FPMT Inc. and is administered by FPMT International Office located in Portland, Oregon, United States. All donations made to this 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.