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This Grand Hayagriva Puja was dedicated to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s quick recovery by all of the Sera Je Monastery monks in April 2011.
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.
Please watch a short video on the 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
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.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is for FPMT centers to display large thangkas and 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.”
Large Thangkas & Festivals Around the World
- In 2011-2014 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, commissioned a 55 ft x 40 ft high stitched appliquéd thangka of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). More info on this project….
- 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
To make a tax-deductible donation:
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.
For more information please contact: Charitable Projects Coordinator.