Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings. We provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
Die Stiftung zur Erhaltung der Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) ist eine Organisation, die sich weltweit für die Erhaltung und Verbreitung des Mahayana-Buddhismus einsetzt, indem sie Möglichkeiten schafft, den makellosen Lehren des Buddha zuzuhören, über sie zur reflektieren und zu meditieren und auf der Grundlage dieser Erfahrung das Dharma unter den Lebewesen zu verbreiten.
Wir bieten integrierte Schulungswege an, durch denen der Geist und das Herz der Menschen in ihr höchstes Potential verwandelt werden zum Wohl der anderen – inspiriert durch eine Haltung der universellen Verantwortung und dem Wunsch zu dienen. Wir haben uns verpflichtet, harmonische Umgebungen zu schaffen und allen Wesen zu helfen, ihr volles Potenzial unendlicher Weisheit und grenzenlosen Mitgefühls zu verwirklichen.
Unsere Organisation basiert auf der buddhistischen Tradition von Lama Tsongkhapa von Tibet, so wie sie uns von unseren Gründern Lama Thubten Yeshe und Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche gelehrt wird.
La Fundación para la preservación de la tradición Mahayana (FPMT) es una organización que se dedica a preservar y difundir el budismo Mahayana en todo el mundo, creando oportunidades para escuchar, reflexionar, meditar, practicar y actualizar las enseñanzas inconfundibles de Buda y en base a esa experiencia difundir el Dharma a los seres.
Proporcionamos una educación integrada a través de la cual las mentes y los corazones de las personas se pueden transformar en su mayor potencial para el beneficio de los demás, inspirados por una actitud de responsabilidad y servicio universales. Estamos comprometidos a crear ambientes armoniosos y ayudar a todos los seres a desarrollar todo su potencial de infinita sabiduría y compasión.
Nuestra organización se basa en la tradición budista de Lama Tsongkhapa del Tíbet como nos lo enseñaron nuestros fundadores Lama Thubten Yeshe y Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
A continuación puede ver una lista de los centros y sus páginas web en su lengua preferida.
L’organisation de la FPMT a pour vocation la préservation et la diffusion du bouddhisme du mahayana dans le monde entier. Elle offre l’opportunité d’écouter, de réfléchir, de méditer, de pratiquer et de réaliser les enseignements excellents du Bouddha, pour ensuite transmettre le Dharma à tous les êtres. Nous proposons une formation intégrée grâce à laquelle le cœur et l’esprit de chacun peuvent accomplir leur potentiel le plus élevé pour le bien d’autrui, inspirés par le sens du service et une responsabilité universelle. Nous nous engageons à créer un environnement harmonieux et à aider tous les êtres à épanouir leur potentiel illimité de compassion et de sagesse. Notre organisation s’appuie sur la tradition guéloukpa de Lama Tsongkhapa du Tibet, telle qu’elle a été enseignée par nos fondateurs Lama Thoubtèn Yéshé et Lama Zopa Rinpoché.
L’FPMT è un organizzazione il cui scopo è preservare e diffondere il Buddhismo Mahayana nel mondo, creando occasioni di ascolto, riflessione, meditazione e pratica dei perfetti insegnamenti del Buddha, al fine di attualizzare e diffondere il Dharma fra tutti gli esseri senzienti.
Offriamo un’educazione integrata, che può trasformare la mente e i cuori delle persone nel loro massimo potenziale, per il beneficio di tutti gli esseri, ispirati da un’attitudine di responsabilità universale e di servizio.
Il nostro obiettivo è quello di creare contesti armoniosi e aiutare tutti gli esseri a sviluppare in modo completo le proprie potenzialità di infinita saggezza e compassione.
La nostra organizzazione si basa sulla tradizione buddhista di Lama Tsongkhapa del Tibet, così come ci è stata insegnata dai nostri fondatori Lama Thubten Yeshe e Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Di seguito potete trovare un elenco dei centri e dei loro siti nella lingua da voi prescelta.
“护持大乘法脉基金会”( 英文简称：FPMT。全名：Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) 是一个致力于护持和弘扬大乘佛法的国际佛教组织。我们提供听闻，思维，禅修，修行和实证佛陀无误教法的机会，以便让一切众生都能够享受佛法的指引和滋润。
護持大乘法脈基金會”（ 英文簡稱：FPMT。全名：Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition ）是一個致力於護持和弘揚大乘佛法的國際佛教組織。我們提供聽聞，思維，禪修，修行和實證佛陀無誤教法的機會，以便讓一切眾生都能夠享受佛法的指引和滋潤。
When Lord Buddha spoke about suffering, he wasn’t referring simply to superficial problems like illness and injury, but to the fact that the dissatisfied nature of the mind itself is suffering.
The Foundation Store is FPMT’s online shop and features a vast selection of Buddhist study and practice materials written or recommended by our lineage gurus. These items include homestudy programs, prayers and practices in PDF or eBook format, materials for children, and other resources to support practitioners.
Items displayed in the shop are made available for Dharma practice and educational purposes, and never for the purpose of profiting from their sale. Please read FPMT Foundation Store Policy Regarding Dharma Items for more information.
October 2011: When Rinpoche heard how hundreds of thousands of animals in Nepal would be sacrificed during Dashain (a yearly, 15-day Hindu religious festival), Rinpoche immediately started to check what prayers and pujas should be done to help all the animals have a good rebirth as well as to help those who perform the sacrifices. Rinpoche then requested over 10,000 Sangha members from the three great monasteries and many other monasteries and nunneries to do extensive Medicine Buddha puja as well as nyung näs with strong dedications for all animals that are killed, especially those being sacrificed during Dashain as well as for those who do the killing. The cost of all the pujas was over US$15,000, which Lama Zopa Rinpoche and students sponsored.
June 2011: The Animal Liberation Fund donated US$25,000 to liberate two million lives, dedicated especially for the health and long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This animal liberation was organized by Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore.
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 2012. Photo courtesy of Sakya Drolma Phodrang.April 2012: The Preserving the Lineage Fund sponsored initiations given by His Holiness the Sakya Trizin to many high lamas including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Dhakpa Rinpoche, Dagri Rinpoche and others from the Sakya tradition, as well as many of the Sangha of the Sakya Monastery and Nunnery.
This is the fifth year of a series of initiations given by His Holiness the Sakya Trizin at his monastery in Dehradun, India. This is a rare and utterly precious opportunity to receive the entire collection of initiations from His Holiness the Sakya Trizin called Wangya Norbu Tangwa (Garlands of Jewels of Hundreds of Initiations).
The Preserving the Lineage Fund offered breakfast, lunch and dinner to more than 800 Sangha (including about 65 Gelug lamas) attending these most critical initiations, as well sponsorship of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin’s household and attendants.
An elaborate long life puja for His Holiness the Sakya Trizin is part of the event and offered at the end of the teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Preserving the Wangya Norbu Tangwa has become a matter of urgency as the lineage of the initiations had completely died out in the Gelug tradition. Initially, Rinpoche with other Gelug lamas, including Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, received the first half of these initiations from His Eminence Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche in 1991, but age and poor health stopped him from giving the transmissions in their entirety.
14-foot Auspicious Stupa of Many Doors at Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA.
“Building stupas helps develop so much peace and happiness for numberless sentient beings. As a result, wars, disease, and desire will all be pacified. Instead of feeling hopeless, people will gain courage.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 stupas around the world. The following advice was given by Rinpoche regarding this vision:
“Since there is unbelievable benefit such as liberating sentient beings, then I thought that the whole organization could aim to build 100,000 stupas (minimum size of one storey up to the distance from the earth to the moon) in different parts of the world and for FPMT to do this as a whole.
Kadampa Stupa at Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, USA.“[I would] especially [like] to build in countries where there are no holy objects and in countries where people have no opportunity to see holy objects. Just by seeing holy objects it purifies the mind and one collects extensive merits.
“We can still build in countries where there are alot of holy objects and monasteries like Nepal and India, but [I would] especially [like] to build them in the countries, where they have no holy objects. It is very important every time a stupa is built that it has the Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras inside, as well as the Namgyalma mantra.
Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel’s stupa at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. “The plan is to build stupas all over the world, individual people or centers [can do this], no matter how many years one puts effort into building stupas, the benefit that this gives to sentient beings every day in so many ways is unimaginable. For instance, when wind touches a stupa that has the Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras inside, when that same wind touches sentient beings it liberates them. Or dust that lands on the stupa then falls off and touches the earth, then the earth is blessed. Rain that touches the stupa and then flows into the ground, this purifies all sentient beings that come in contact with that ground, including the worms. Even if someone sees the stupa from the distance, it purifies them and plants the seed of enlightenment. So this is unbelievable. Everyday the stupa liberates so many beings and brings them to enlightenment. So making the effort for the stupa, even after you die, then wherever you are in the six realms, still you are creating merit because the stupa continues to liberate so many sentient beings and bring them to enlightenment .
“Each stupa must have, as many as possible, The Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras, also 100 Stainless Pinnacle mantras … if possible, even more like 100,000.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his Vast Vision for FPMT, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, March 2007
Enlightenment Stupa (9 meters, 29.5 feet) at De Tong Ling Retreat Centre, Kangaroo Island, Australia.
Eight stupas at Centro Muni Gyana, Palermo, Italy.
Stupas Completed/In Progress
To date, fifty-five stupas have been completed, or are in progress, at FPMT centers and by FPMT students toward this goal of 100,000 stupas around the world.
“Wherever a stupa is built will become a powerful place for healing and a cause for the success of whatever visitors to that place are seeking.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Northern & Central America
Kalachakra Stupa at Kurukulla Center, Massachusetts USA.Kadampa Stupa (10 feet) at Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, USA
Descent from Tushita Stupa (10 feet from ground, 6×6 feet base), containing 15 relics, in all I think, many of 26 different mantras including the Four Dharmakaya Relic mantras. Cozumel, Mexico.
Europe
Kadampa Stupa at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.Kadampa Stupa built for Lama Yeshe and International Year of Tibet (1991) at Institut Vajra Yogini, France
Lama Yeshe Enlightenment Stupa at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK (Built in 1988, contains, Lama Yeshe’s bone relic, and was consecrated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche)
Kadampa Stupa at Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Spain
Kadampa Stupa with Geshe Thubten Tsering’s ashes at Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Spain
Or simply send your check in US dollars payable to FPMT Inc. and write “Stupa Fund” on the memo line.
FPMT Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702
USA
The Stupa Fund is 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.
The Sera Je Food Fund began in 1991 when Tenzin Ösel Hita, the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe, entered Sera Je Monastery in southern India at age six. It is customary for a monk’s sponsor to make offerings to all Sangha on the day of officially entering the monastery and Lama Zopa Rinpoche wanted the offering to be of the greatest practical benefit to the monastery itself. After discussion with the abbot of Sera Je Monastery, it was determined that the most beneficial offering would be to create a food fund whereby all of the monks at Sera Je Monastery could be offered quality meals for free. Out of his incredible compassion, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was not simply offering lunch on the day of Lama Osel Rinpoche’s entrance to the monastery but, without precedent, taking on the responsibility of providing meals to every monk at Sera Je for the rest of their lives.
Initially, the fund offered money to each monk for lunch. At that time there were 1,300 monks and the annual cost was about US$25,000.
It became apparent that it would be much easier for the monks to have the meals cooked and offered, so in 1997, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$25,000 for a new kitchen and began paying the salary of seven fulltime cooks. At that time there were 1,900 monks and the annual cost was about US$175,000.
In 1997, six years after starting the fund, Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited Sera Je Monastery. At that time, many of the older geshes, some with tears in their eyes, thanked Rinpoche and spoke of how the fund was benefiting the monastery. Monks could now attend all the morning debate sessions instead of taking time out to prepare meals. Additionally, the fund alleviated the great burden teachers carried while providing for students who had no resources.
In 1998, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Sera Je Food Fund took on the responsibility of offering dinner to each monk.
The Sera Je Food Fund supports 2,500 monks at Sera Je Monastery.
In 2003, in addition to offering lunch and dinner, breakfast began to be sponsored by the Sera Je Food Fund three months a year. At that time there were 2,300 monks receiving meals and the annual cost was US$240,000.
In 2008, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Sera Je Food Fund took on the responsibility to offer three meals a day to all monks of Sera Je. Osel Labrang took over management on the ground, ensuring the quality of the food and managing all aspects of buying and preparing the food.
In 2012 In addition to offering all the meals to all the monks at Sera Je Monastery the Sera Je Food Fund also took on the responsibility to offer breakfast to the 800 monks who attend the Sera Je school.
In 2017 the fund became self-sufficient through an endowment fund. At the beginning of the year, the abbot and monks of Sera Je Monastery offered a long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to thank Rinpoche and the FPMT organization for this incredible offering made over a quarter of a century. At that time we discussed with the monastery that the endowment and ongoing management of the food fund now be managed entirely by Sera Je Monastery.
We have been in discussion to ensure that this transition is smooth and that the endowment and ongoing interest raised will be used exclusively for the food fund. The official handover of the project began in May 2017 and the endowment will be transferred over a period of a few years to ensure the transition is going well. Therefore the Sera Je Food Fund is now closed as an FPMT charitable project.
Supporting monks and nuns is one of the highest priorities for Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT organization, because the preservation of the Buddhadharma is dependent on the existence of Sangha.
We invite you to join us in developing the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund which is offering support to monasteries, nunneries, and individual monks and nuns for food, accommodation, health care and education. This fund is not limited to any one institution and able to benefit many nunneries, monasteries and Sangha in need.
Every five seconds, one person in the world goes blind. 37 million people in the world are blind, yet with access to quality eye care, 80% of the world’s blindness would be totally avoidable.
The first patients to have cataract surgery at the Amdo Eye Hospital.The province of Amdo (called Qinghai in Chinese) is home to people of both Tibetan and Chinese descent. Many are nomads living far from modern health care facilities, and due to the terrain and scattered population, mobile eye care providers cannot always reach them. As a result, the prevalence of blindness in Amdo is four times higher than the national average for China. The need is urgent for accessible eye care in Amdo. That is why Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to help with the building of Amdo Eye Hospital.
Modeled on the already successful Lhasa Eye Clinic, the Amdo Eye Hospital provides high quality cataract surgery. Dr. Sanduk Ruit – who founded the highly successful Tilganga Eye Center in Kathmandu, the Lhasa Eye Clinic and the Nepal Eye Program – will be training the Amdo Eye Hospital staff and is committed to oversee operations for the next two years, ensuring the highest standards (Please read a letter of support from Dr. Sanduk Ruit).
The Simplest Miracle
Dr. Sanduk Ruit performing cataract surgery.Intraocular surgery can be performed in minutes. First the eye is washed to reduce the risk of infection. A local anesthetic is injected below the lower eyelid, blocking sensation in the eyeball. After the clouded interior of the lens is removed through a tiny incision on the side of the eyeball, the intraocular lens is inserted into the empty lens capsule. Dr. Ruit calls this surgery, “The best thing a human can do in five minutes.”
For the past six years FPMT has been committed to raising the funds to build the Amdo Eye Hospital along with the the kind contributions of many benefactors, in particular The Tanoto Foundation and Compassion Paris. The land the hospital was built on was offered free of charge by the local government and the total cost to build the hospital was US$605,970.
The annual cost to run the Amdo Eye Hospital is US$125,313 (800,000 CNY).
By offering to the Amdo Eye Hospital you are benefiting others who are in great need, in particularly the people in Tibet who are blind, helping them to open their eyes and see, what an incredible joy and happiness you are giving them! However many hundreds and thousands of people who receive help from the Amdo Eye Hospital, for as long as it exists, they receive this unbelievable benefit because of your kindness and generosity. From this you are creating unbelievable causes of happiness and success that will be achieved in this life and in future lives. This is the nature of the karma: from one cause you experience the result for hundreds and thousands of years.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is for FPMT centers to display large thangkasand host festival days where these thangkas can be enjoyed.
Large Padmasambhava thangka at Kopan Nunnery, Nepal, December 4, 2015.
Thangkas are painted or appliquéd depictions of deities, venerated spiritual figures, or common religious symbols, usually framed by colorful brocade.
“My wish is for the big centers in FPMT to have these large thangkas.” Rinpoche explained. “This is a way to leave imprints for all these people [who see them], for enlightenment.”
About holy objects, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said, “You may think that a statue or thangka is just a statue or thangka, but it is the transcendental wisdom of dharmakaya, which understands and directly sees absolute truth, as well as conventional truth.”
Chenrezig Institute, Australia, large 1,000-Arm Chenrezig thangka is displayed at the Festival of Tibet each year and seen by over 5,000 people and is the backdrop to political discussions, meditations, concerts, and dharma talks.
Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, has a large Maitreya thangka which they show during Buddha multiplying days (weather permitting) and during any great occasions at the center.
Medicine Buddha Festival Day with large thangka (24 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA. Painted by Peter Iseli.
Ksitigarbha Festival Day with large thangka (9.5 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA.
Vajrasattva and consort thangka (11.5 ft), Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA. Painted by Peter Iseli.
Pamtingpa Center, Washington, USA, has a large Tara thangka to which they offer 21 Tara dance.
Losang Dragpa Centre (LDC), Malaysia. LDC unveiled a large Medicine Buddha thangka as part of their 1,000 Offerings Event, with Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi presiding. This thangka will be featured in an annual festival and offerings event.
21 Tara thangka at Institute Vajrayogini, France, 14 meters (46 ft) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide.
35 Buddha thangka, Kopan Monastery, Nepal painted by Peter Iseli. Several smaller copies of Peter’s are also used for display at Kopan.
Amitabha Buddha in his pure land accompanied by the eight great bodhisattvas (50 feet x 31 feet), sewn entirely by hand by Tibetan artists in south India. Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore.
21 Tara thangka, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Painted by Peter Iseli.
Please enjoy a photo gallery of many of these large thangkas being created around the world.
Large Thangka Workshop
Having a workshop to create huge thangkas has long been one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. After many years of planning and discussions with Swiss artist Peter Iseli, this project has become a reality at Institut Vajra Yogini in France. The workshop is 8.5 meters (28 feet) tall. Rinpoche’s first order was a 21 Tara thangka that is 14 meters (46 feet) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide.
Peter Iseli working on a large 21 Tara thangka in the workshop that Lama Zopa Rinpoche had built for large thangka painting in France.
Peter Iseli: Helping Manifest Rinpoche’s Vision
Peter Iseli, master thangka painter, has made huge contributions to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision. Peter Iseli is responsible for painting many of the large thangkas listed above. The thangkas themselves are massive, matched only by Peter’s generosity – he offered to paint these for free!
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund supports the creation of large thangkas around the world. If you would like to contribute to Rinpoche’s Vast Vision you may contribute any amount to this fund.
Or simply send your check in US dollars payable to FPMT, Inc. and write “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund” on the memo line.
FPMT, Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702
USA
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is 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.
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