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Some of the young monks of Samtenling School.
Samtenling School is part of Samtenling Monastery and provides the young monks of the monastery a modern, progressive, secular education in Boudhanath, Nepal. Out of 140 monks, 120 are age 6-26. The school provides education from kindergarten through eighth grade. Most of the monks are from Nepal and are primarily Sherpa and Tamang, but Tibetan monks also attend the monastery and school.
The school has been operating without classrooms or even a debate courtyard since it started. Education and activities have been held under tin sheets without windows, walls, and doors. Due to the climate, classes regularly have to be cancelled. During Summer, it is extremely hot under the tin roof and in Winter, it is extremely cold, with only one wall providing protection from the elements.
Samtenling monks performing ground blessing during the building process for success.
Seeing the incredible need for this small school to be able to provide basic needs for education for these young students, in 2020 FPMT’s Social Services applied for a grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.), to build the school. In October we shared an update on the project, rejoicing that they had received permissions to start the building.
Work begins on the new classrooms.
In November 2020, many of the COVID19 restrictions were officially lifted in Kathmandu Valley and Samtenling School also received the final permissions from the building department to begin the school construction. As soon as the building was able to begin we issued grants in the amount of US$66,432. We will continue to administer the grants based on updates of the building work and work progress. The construction of the school is now well underway and the foundations have been poured.
Foundations are poured and construction begins on the new Samtenling classrooms.
Please rejoice that we are part of providing the students of this monastery with a much needed school building so that they can study and practice to the best of their ability. We look forward to sharing continued progress as this project reaches completion.
All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants to schools can continue.
Building the 35-foot stupa at Rabagayling Tibetan Settlement, Hunsur, India.
Since 2015, FPMT Charitable Projects has been supporting Rabgayling Old Aged Home in Hunsur, India, which is part of the Rabagayling Tibetan Settlement and serves 20 elderly residents. Over several years, funds have been offered for daily food for the residents, for the annual operating costs of the elderly home, the building of accommodation for the residents, medical needs, and a community hall. Most recently, a 42-foot stupa has been sponsored near the elderly home on the settlement.
Writing mantras on the life tree of the stupa in pure gold.
This stupa is being built for the all the people in the Tibetan settlement, but in particular for the elders, as it is close to the elderly home and they can circumambulate it without much difficulty. This is an easy way for the elders to collect merit and purify negative karma by going around the hold object.
“Circumambulating holy objects [such as stupas] purifies negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths that are obstacles to happiness—temporary and ultimate happiness—and especially to actualizing all the realizations on the path to enlightenment. And it creates the cause to achieve the path to enlightenment—to actualize the teachings that you have heard and read in your heart.”
— Lama Zopa Rinpoche
This stupa is dedicated to an FPMT nun who passed away. This nun left her assets to FPMT and Lama Zopa Rinpoche wanted to use her offerings in the most beneficial way for her and therefore suggested to build this 42-foot stupa. For as long as the stupa is there, it will continually benefit her, even in her future lives, and all of the elders can use the stupa and it will benefit them. All the funds for the stupa have come from her offerings. Please rejoice!
Auspicious items being blessed for filling the stupa.
“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. This is about peace – for the beings who see it, for the whole country, for the entire world, for all sentient beings.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
We are very grateful to Geshe Ngawang Sangye, Ngagramba Lhundrup Tsundu, and the monks of Gyudmed Monastery, who have been arranging all of the mantras for filling this very large stupa.
Wealth vases for the stupa.
An original grant of US$99,591 was offered for this project, but recently the project ran over budget due to price increases of materials and supplies, so another grant of US$7,155 has also been offered to bring this project to completion. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown the stupa building had a delayed start. The projected date of completion is now October 2021.
Please rejoice in the progress of this stupa, the huge blessing to the entire area and all those who circumambulate it, as well as the merit generated by anyone who visits or supports this holy object which is part of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization.
“My wish is for FPMT to build many holy objects everywhere, as many as possible. Making it so easy for sentient beings to purify their heavy negative karma and making it so easy for sentient beings to create extensive merit. Which makes it so easy to achieve the realizations of the path and so easy to achieve liberation and enlightenment.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund which contributes to the creation of stupas, prayer wheels, and statues.
2020 participants in the Gelug Examination.
Every year the best scholars from the main Gelug monasteries come together for the annual Gelug Examination. Since 1997 the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund has offered annual grants for daily food, travel expenses, and teacher stipends for all the main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition.
This year was unlike others due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held under the guidelines of both medical experts and regional government. This year 517 monks participated and the actual examinations were scattered in three different locations. The monthly stipends were offered to the 141 current abbots, past abbots, and main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition. This small offering of money supports these teachers’ basic needs and allows them to be able to focus more of their time on transmitting Dharma to their students at the monasteries and strengthening their own practices.
In 2020 we were very happy to offer US$19,766 toward the teachers’ monthly offerings and costs toward the Gelug examination expenses.
“Taking responsibility for supporting these practitioners is extremely worthwhile because they are preserving and spreading the entire teaching of the Buddha.” –Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Monks during the 2020 Gelug Examination.
Rinpoche recently commented about the benefits of debate (which is one of the main components of the Gekug examination): “Debate is a very special way to develop wisdom and explore different subjects. It is like an inner science of the two truths: absolute truth and conventional truth.”
The geshes and monks participating in these exams are some of the top scholars coming from the monasteries at this time and will become many of the future teachers, benefiting so many. We are honored to be a part of this process and make these offerings. Thank you to all who make it possible.
Since its inception, the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund, an extension of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund, has supported senior teachers each year of the main Gelug monasteries, plus hundreds of monks attending the traditional winter debate and annual Gelug exam.
Some of the monks in front of Maratika Monastery.
Maratika Monastery, Eastern Nepal, is located above Maratika Cave which is the sacred cave associated with Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) and longevity. This holy site is where Guru Rinpoche, with the wisdom-mother Mandarava, achieved immortal life through the practice of Amitayus. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a close connection with the Maratika Lama, Khenpo Karma Wangchuk, who takes care of the area. The Maratika Lama is the son of Lama Ngawang Chophel, who was a close disciple of the Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation, and the child of the Maratika Lama is the recognized tulku of Trulshik Rinpoche. The previous Trulshik Rinpoche passed away in 2011, and was revered as one of the most learned and respected living masters of the Nyingma tradition and is one of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachers and one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
The Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was very happy to offer US$166,394.66 thanks to a kind grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana, towards the expansion of the monks’ accommodation including three additional floors and a roof, which will not only allow adequate housing for the fifty-four current monks of the monastery, but also will enable fifty-four new monks to join the monastery as well.
“Offering to Sangha is the most powerful purification. It purifies defilements and negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths. It is the most powerful purification. This is the quickest way to achieve realizations, the quickest way to be free from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, and the quickest way to achieve buddhahood, the total cessation of all the obscurations and completion of all the realizations.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Monks of Maratika Monastery studying.
The current main building, which houses accommodation and classrooms for the monks, was less than half completed when the funds ran out four years ago, and now, since the COVID-19 lockdown, the financial situation has become worse.
The monks are living in very basic conditions, packed into small dorm rooms and even sleeping on the floor. Around the premises, one can observe evidence of unfinished electrical and construction work. Food is very simple too, the monks mainly eat rice and dhal for lunch and plain noodles for dinner. The young monks happily volunteer to cook for themselves.
Young monks studying at Maratika Monastery.
Despite the hardships, the monks are joyful, harmonious, and content. From a young age, in addition to learning Tibetan, Nepali, and the monastic rituals, the monks study Buddhist philosophy and memorize texts.
“Offering even one cent to the Sangha community brings uncountable benefit and merit. As long as the Sangha community exists your merit exist. It will not be exhausted.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please rejoice in the construction of this new addition which will benefit the current monks of Maratika Monastery, new monks that will now be able to join the monastery due to increased accommodation, and everyone in the area who will benefit from the presence of sincere Sangha studying and practicing Buddha’s teachings.
Please learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries around the world.
The monks of Sera Je Monastery, India. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has impacted so many people around the world including ordained Sangha living in monastic communities (monasteries and nunneries) who have been faced with many new challenging realities due to the pandemic.
One way that monks and nuns are able to supplement their food, medical needs, or provide for other basic care items for themselves, under normal circumstances, is through offerings received during pujas. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, large groups of monastics are currently not able to gather for pujas in many monasteries and nunneries. One very kind benefactor and student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche was deeply concerned that due to reduced pujas, the monks and nuns may have been negatively impacted from the loss of these offerings and was moved to make a vast offering to over 20,000 Sangha, as well as to the abbots and abbesses, in twenty-four Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug monasteries and nunneries in India and Nepal. The offering was made on Lhabab Duchen (November 7, 2020), a merit multiplying day, when karmic results of actions are multiplied 100 million times.
The nuns of Kopan Nunnery, Nepal. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
Please take a moment to rejoice in this offering and also in the kindness of the benefactor. FPMT was so honored to be able to facilitate and arrange these offerings (as the logistics of sending twenty-four international wire transfers can be complicated). Lama Zopa Rinpoche also composed a one page dedication to be read out in each monastery and nunnery when the offerings were made.
In addition to the abbotts and abbesses of each monastery and nunnery, offerings were made to the 3,500 monks of Sera Je Monastery; 1,600 monks of Sera Mey Monastery; 1,350 monks of Ganden Shartse Monastery; 1,800 monks of Ganden Jangtse Monastery; 520 monks of Gyumed Tantric College; 2,500 monks and nuns of Namdroling Monastery and Tshogyal Shedrup Ling Nunnery; 140 monks of Rato Monastery; 370 monks of Kopan Monastery; 400 nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery; 80 nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery; 1,830 monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery; 250 monks of Namgyal Tantric College; 413 monks of Tashi Lhunbo Monastery; 270 nuns of Jangchub Choeling Nunnery; 650 monks of Tawang Monastery; 40 monks of the Nyingma Monastery in Mundgod; 40 monks of Shang Gaden Choekhor Ling Monastery; 45 monks of Gaden Tharpacholing Monastery Kalimpong; 410 monks of Tergar Monastery; 265 nuns from Tsoknyi Nunnery; 143 monks and nuns from Singdak Rinpoche Retreat Center; 87 monks from Zigar Drukpa Kargyud Monastery in Tsopema; 75 monks and Nuns from Zigar Drukpa Kargyud in Darjeeling; 60 monks and nuns from Mu Monastery, Rachen Nunnery in Tusm, and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery in Chailsa; 500 monks of Gyuto Monastery; and 2,500 monks of Drepung Loselling Monastery.
Some of the monks of Thame Monastery, Nepal. Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently explained that the “value of Sangha is more than the whole sky filled with wish-granting jewels.” This is because living in morality is the most important way to achieve liberation from samsara and enlightenment, and benefit sentient beings by freeing them from the lower realms and bringing them to enlightenment. Supporting Sangha is investing in the benefit of all sentient beings.
Some of the young nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal. Photo taken prior to COVID-19.
“Any practice that the Sangha do in the monastery [or nunnery], they do for all the six-realm sentient beings, to benefit them,” Rinpoche has explained. “Every sadhana or practice starts with the motivation for ‘mother sentient beings,”’ which means all the six-realm sentient beings. Every dollar offered, even just one dollar, even the smallest amount of money offered, has all these benefits. And the benefits go to all sentient beings: every mosquito, every fish, every pitiful chicken that is taken by a truck to be killed, every sentient being in numberless universes receives these benefits.”
It is due to the kindness of so many that we can make these incredible offerings to Sangha. Thank you for everyone who makes it possible.
Please learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries around the world.
Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong puja that was offered for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, the entire FPMT organization, and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, October, 2020, Kopan Monastery. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
The FPMT Puja Fund was established so that pujas and prayers, offered by as many as 15,650 ordained Sangha, would continuously be sponsored for the benefit of the entire FPMT organization. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, large groups of monks are not able to gather in South India monasteries, so over these months smaller groups of monks have offered the pujas.
Pujas and offerings are sponsored on all of the holy Buddha merit-multiplying days: Losar, Saka Dawa, Chokhor Duchen, and Lhabab Duchen.
This year on Lhabab Duchen (November 7, 2020) the following pujas were arranged:
- Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions) by the monks of Gyurme Tantric College
- Namgyäl Tong Chö (One thousand sets of offerings to Buddha Namgyälma), and Zangcho offered by the monks of Gyuto Tantric College
- Druk Ch Ma (64 offerings to Kalarupa), Medicine Buddha Puja and King of Prayers offered by the 370 monks of Kopan Monastery
- Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja, and King of Prayers offered by the 400 nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery)
- Printing of the Sutra of Golden Light six times, Arya Sangata Sutra ten times, Vajra Cutter Sutra two-hundred times, and Amitayus Long Life Sutra twenty times
- Offerings to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to all of the International Mahayana Institute sangha communities
Sangha at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa enjoying dessert sponsored by the Puja Fund on Lama Tsong Khapa Day.
On Lama Tsong Khapa Day (December 10, 2020), Lama Zopa Rinpoche made offerings to all the monks and nuns of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery, and offered nice lunches and dessert to all the IMI sangha communities.
Rinpoche also recently sponsored 100,000 Buddha names recitation by the nuns of Kopan Nunnery. This puja was dedicated to all the animals killed during Darshain festival in Nepal, the tens of millions of turkeys killed during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, as well as the 17 million minks that were killed due to fears that they were spreading COVID-19 in Denmark.
Puja at Kopan Monastery, June 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
After a pause in these offerings for a few months due to COVID-19, we are happy that the following Puja Fund activities have now resumed every month on the full moon:
- Offerings to the holy Boudhanath and Swayambunath Stupas in Nepal. Offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles are made to the Boudhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal every month on the full moon and also on Buddha Days when merit is multiplied 100 million times.
- Offerings of gold for the entire holy body and robes to the Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet and robes are offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya.
Additionally, every month the Puja Fund sponsors: Medicine Buddha Puja and Most Secret Hayagriva Puja offered by the monks of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monastery.
The Puja Fund is also now sponsoring a number of Hayagriva tsog kong pujas at Kopan Monastery, as advised by Khadro-la, for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, the health and success of the entire FPMT organization, and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are just a few of the many activities sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund. It is due to the kindness of so many that these ongoing prayers, pujas, and offerings can happen in this way, hopefully bringing more peace and happiness in the world. The annual expense for the pujas is over US$85,000 and all are welcome to contribute.
You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.
Long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, December 25, 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
On December 25, 2020 a White Tara Long Life Puja was offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on behalf of all FPMT centers, projects, services, and students. For seven days leading up to this puja Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la), Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, thirty-five senior monks, and fifteen senior nuns completed many hours of preparation practices at Kopan Monastery in order to make the long life puja as powerful as possible. There were two sessions of White Tara practice a day during which the forty-five to fifty individuals in attendance recited many White Tara and Tara mantras to eliminate obstacles to Rinpoche’s long life. They also recited a special mantra that combines the White Tara mantra with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s name mantra:
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA MUNI SHASANA KSHANTI SARVA SIDDHI AYUR PUNYE JNANA PUSHTIM KURU SVAHA
For the actual puja, the Kopan gompa was decorated with victory banners, long hanging banners, and smaller triangular banners, along with garlands of flowers hanging between the pillars. The thrones of His Holiness and Rinpoche were covered in garlands of marigolds. Before the puja, the Kopan monks and about fifty to sixty of the older nuns from the nunnery attended and participated in White Tara practice that had been done all week. This was followed by the actual long life puja, during which many offerings were visualized and offered to the guru in the form of White Tara.
Request to the Dakinis was offered, which is part of the usual long life puja when done together with Lama Chopa. During the Request to the Dakinis, Rinpoche was offered the traditional long life offerings of a double vajra, monk’s robes, pandit’s hat, monk’s seat cover, begging bowl, monk’s staff, seven precious royal objects, and eight auspicious signs. He was also offered some very beautiful statues of White Tara, Namgyalma, and Amitayus. Those in attendance also offered part of the short Sixteen Arhats Puja and the Prayer to Amitayus in addition to the various long life prayers and requesting and thanking mandalas.
Ven. Joan Nicell, who was in attendance said, “The whole event was beautiful and went smoothly. Rinpoche seemed very happy with the puja. From my side, it was one of the most special ways to celebrate Christmas that I have experienced since becoming a Buddhist.”
Long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche. led by Khadro-la, Kopan Monastery, December 25, 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Please enjoy this short video of highlights from this most auspicious event:
https://youtu.be/-juSPvEPU3g
Another upcoming long life puja will be offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the third Tibetan month (actual date still to be determined). This will be an Amitayus Long Life Puja and will also be preceded by seven days of preparation practices at Kopan Monastery, led by Khadro-la.
Ven. Roger Kunsang offering body, speech, and mind mandala to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja held at Kopan Monastery, December 25, 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
All are welcome to participate in this upcoming puja by offering prayers from your heart on the day of the puja or offering any amount towards the puja. We also invite you to rejoice in the completion of the December 25 long life puja, with strong prayers of dedication for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life.
The Long Life Puja Fund always contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover the many ways the various funds and projects are benefiting others.
Center of White Mahakala an FPMT study group in Romania is building a 7.5-foot Kadampa stupa in Tranisu, Transylvania, fifty miles from where the study group is located. This will be the first stupa built in Transylvania!
The final plan is for two retreat cabins to be built on this land. This project will bring immeasurable benefit to the area: people who may not have had an opportunity to engage with holy objects previously will learn what a stupa is, connect to the study group and the land of this holy object, cultivate appreciation for this holy object and retreat space, and everyone in the area will benefit due to the power of the stupa.
Rolled mantras for filling the new Kadampa stupa in Romania.
The Stupa Fund was delighted to offer US$1,000 toward the completion of this historic holy object that is now in phase two of three phases. Phase three (completion) is anticipated for April 2022.
Included in the work of phase two includes finalizing the architectural and structural drawings of the stupa, rolling all of the mantras for filling the stupa which was undertaken by twelve volunteers, and wealth vases have been ordered from Kopan Monastery. They continue fundraising for this project.
Stupas are powerful symbols of the mind’s limitless potential as they represent the mind of enlightenment. Stupas are filled with sacred images, mantras, and the relics of holy beings. Building or sponsoring a stupa is a very powerful way to accumulate merit and purify negative karma.
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.
—the Sutra of the Mudra of Developing the Power of Devotion
Please join us in rejoicing that Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for building 100,000 stupas around the world continues toward fruition. We are delighted to participate in offering toward holy object creation around the world including remote areas not previously blessed with such powerful objects of peace.
To learn more about or support this project:
gogetfunding.com/building-the-first-stupa-in-transylvania
If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund which contributes to the creation of stupas, prayer wheels, and statues.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la enjoying tea after the Sixteen Arhats puja on Rinpoche’s seventy-fifth birthday, Kopan Monastery, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
There will be two official annual long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services, and students this year. The first puja will be offered at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, beginning on December 25. It will be a special White Tara Long Life Puja. For seven days leading up to the actual puja on the 25th Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la), with senior Kopan monks, will do many hours of preparation practices at Kopan Monastery in order to make the long life puja as powerful as possible.
The second long life puja will be an Amitayus Long Life Puja, and this will be offered to Rinpoche during the 3rd Tibetan month (actual date still to be determined). It will also be preceded by seven days of preparation practices at Kopan Monastery, led by Khadro-la.
These pujas are similar to the extensive puja offered in July 2020 by Khadro-la. We are so incredibly grateful to Khadro-la for taking care of Rinpoche in this way, advising, guiding and actually offering these long life pujas so carefully and with so much preparation.
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.
By maintaining harmony, following the gurus advice and by offering long life pujas, students accumulate the merit needed for our precious guru to stay in the world with us for a long time. Having the continued guidance of the guru depends on the merit of the disciples. We need to create the cause for us to keep meeting with the precious guru in future lives until we attain the highest goal of enlightenment, for the benefit of all.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche also regularly mentions that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life.
All are welcome to participate in this auspicious event by offering prayers from your heart on the day of the puja, or offering any amount towards the puja.
The Long Life Puja Fund always contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover the many ways the various funds and projects are benefiting others.
Ngari Institute’s new magnificent temple.
Ngari Institute is located in the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh in a small village called Saboo. The main vision of Ngari Institute is providing a modern education for underprivileged children from different regions of the Himalayas. The Institute, which is spread over 20 hectares of deserted land, provides free education, a hostel, meals, and other basic necessities. Since 2014, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been sponsoring daily meals for eight-three students and staff members at this campus.
Inside the beautiful new temple at Ngari Institute with 1,000 buddhas painted. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
Blossoming apple trees at Ngari Institute. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
In 2016, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$100,000 toward the magnificent new temple being built and recently we also offered US$63,048, thanks to a kind grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana. This new temple includes incredible and inspiring artwork on the walls, such as the painting of 1,000 Buddhas. The temple will have solar panels and include a new kitchen and dining hall.
In coming years, Ngari Institute will also be building a new children’s kitchen, dining hall, and extension for the girls hostel. In the future there are plans for an elderly home and animal sanctuary that Rinpoche is hoping to offer some support toward.
In 2019, in honor of Lama Tsongkhapa’s 600th anniversary, Ngari Institute planted 600 apple trees as a little contribution toward freedom from the causes of suffering due to global warming.
Ngari Institute started building this new temple in 2015, but it took much longer than expected as they had to raise the funds for such an ambitious big vision. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very happy to offer support to Ngari Institute to actualize this new temple. The inauguration for the temple has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but hopefully will happen soon. 104th Gaden Tri Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin has been invited for the inauguration, as well as requested to offer a few days of teaching afterward.
Inside the gompa of Ngari Institute temple. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
Rinpoche has said about the benefits of supporting places such as centers and temples where people come to listen to the Dharma, study Dharma, meditate, collect merit, purify defilements, and come there to take Refuge, generate bodhicitta, and dedicate their practice for all sentient beings:
“Each time one practices there, by dedicating to sentient beings, it helps the six-realm sentient beings, without even one being left out, not even one ant, or one maggot, not even one slug is left out. So all the practices are dedicated for them, you practice Dharma for them. So the centers, monasteries, and temples are places to develop Dharma wisdom and compassion for all sentient beings as well as the whole gradual path to enlightenment, to learn the essence, to learn the middle and to learn the elaborate teachings, according to the intelligence of the people.”
Thank you to all who made it possible to offer the support toward this new temple at Ngari Institute in Ladakh, and especially thanks to Unione Buddhista Italiana. May this temple be a place of great learning and benefit for all beings.
If you are inspired by grants such as this, you are welcome to contribute to the Social Service Fund and help ensure that work like this can continue.
Lelung Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Richard Gere, Bodhgaya, India, January 2018. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lelung Rinpoche was born in 1970. When he was twelve years old he visited Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and following Ling Rinpoche’s advice, he went to study at Drepung Monastery, India. Two years later, he went to Dharamsala to receive teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During this visit, His Holiness recognized him as being the eleventh incarnation of Lelung Pema Zhepai Dorje.
Lelung Rinpoche completed his studies at Drepung Monastery at the age of 24 when he received a Geshe degree. In 1993, Lelung Rinpoche met the only master alive who held the complete teachings of Dakini Sangwa Yeshe before they were forever lost. Rinpoche received the oral transmission from that master. To carry on this lineage of teachings, he founded Lelung Dharma Trust.
One of the very important projects of Lelung Dharma Trust is the Geden Phacho Bhucho Preservation Centre (GPBPC). This was conceived of by Lelung Rinpoche and has been widely applauded and endorsed by many great masters and tulkus of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the Supreme Patron of the project and Professor Samdhong Rinpoche is the Honorary Patron. The goal of GPBPC is to preserve the sanctity and purity of the teachings of the Buddha for present and future generations. Since its inception in 2006, the following objectives have been realized:
- Establishment of main office and reference catalogue. In August 2006, an office was established in Dharamsala, India, to act as a base for the huge task of collecting data and vital research so that the initial stage of the project could begin.
- Conferences and programs of rare oral transmissions and teachings.
In the broader framework of the project, two phases remain:
- Phase One. Identification of the lineage holder/master, the disciple, and the transmission of lineages. Rare teachings held by authentic lineage holders will be prioritized.
- Phase Two. Completion and follow-up. Once the existing lineages are successfully transmitted from their holders to qualified students, the project will be said to be complete, but ongoing maintenance will be required to keep the reference catalogue up to date.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a close connection with Lelung Rinpoche and recently has received a number of oral transmissions from him. Lama Zopa Rinpoche considers the work that Lelung Rinpoche is undertaking, especially under Geden Phacho Bhucho, as very important for the preservation of Mahayana Dharma.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Lelung Rinpoche. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang in Singapore, 2019
Recently Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered, through The Education and Preservation Fund, sponsorship for the printing of an extremely rare commentary on the Prajñaparamita in 8,000 Verses that Lelung Rinpoche found and then arranged to be printed and distributed in India.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche also has committed to sponsor the salary of two geshes for two years. These geshes are undertaking an extremely important task under GPBPC. They are are researching the Senyigs (List of Hearing Texts) by different masters in order to find out existing rare empowerments, oral transmissions, personal instructions and then to find the living masters who hold these lineages.
They will also search for the texts if they are not commonly available. If the texts are not in common font (Ume) then they will transcribe the texts into the common font (Uchan). Once all this has been completed then the GPBPC office will organize teachings in order to pass on the lineages to the younger generation. Also, if there are very rare texts they will organize the publishing of these in order to make them more widely available.
In addition, the geshes will add more information to the current index (which GPBPC has created) which holds information on the texts, authors, oral transmissions, personal instructions, who possesses the empowerments, whether those teaching lineages are still alive or extinct and also a list of the names in the teaching lineage.
The importance of pure lineage transmission in the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet is immense. It ensures a stream of undiluted blessing from the Buddha himself to contemporary students and is considered essential for the ultimate realization of Buddhahood. If a lineage is broken, then the teachings themselves are threatened. Without qualified teachers giving correct personal oral transmissions, the extraordinary blessings, enlightened understanding, and spiritual energy of previous masters cannot be passed on effectively.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been offering support when he can to the important undertakings of Lelung Rinpoche, that preserve Lama Tsongkhapa’s lineage for future generations, and are vital for the continuation of the Buddha Dharma in an unbroken form.
Thank you to the kindness of a generous donor who made many of these offerings possible, and please rejoice that FPMT is able to offer support in this way to such important projects benefiting the Buddhism.
The Education and Preservation Fund supports Dharma study and contributes to the development of Buddhist education programs and the preservation of the Dharma through the publication of Dharma practice materials and translations.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche prostrating in front of the large thangka of Guru Rinpoche at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
For the fifth year in a row, a very large thangka of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) was displayed and an auspicious 100,000 tsog offering event (Guru bumtsog) took place at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal, also known as Kopan Nunnery on January 23, 2020. The thangka, which is 75 feet (23 meters) high and 87 feet (27 meters) wide depicts, in stitched appliqué, the Padmasambhava merit field in the center. Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) attended this offering festival and the monks accompanying her, led the chanting for the puja.
Construction of the display area for the Guru bumtsog offering events. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
Last year, due to the kindness of a benefactor, the nunnery was able to build a stable permanent structure for displaying the thangka. This will also help protect the thangka long-term and is a lot safer than the previous set up.
Giant Guru Rinpoche thangka displayed at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.
Guru Rinpoche is perhaps the most universally cherished realized being in all of Tibetan Buddhism. Guru Rinpoche came to Tibet from India in the 8th century and helped establish a pure lineage which is still practiced today by all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism around the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that displaying large thangkas is an auspicious way for anyone in the area to make a Dharma imprint and connection to the deity depicted. “You may think that a statue or thangka is just a statue or thangka,” Rinpoche has said, “but it is the transcendental wisdom of dharmakaya, which understands and directly sees absolute truth, as well as conventional truth.”
Rinpoche also expressed that it is his wish for many FPMT centers to have huge thangkas and once a year to display the thangka and have a festival day for the public based around the holy object. During the festival day, Rinpoche requested for there to be many thousands of offerings in front of the thangka, as well as offering banners. There could be some introduction to Buddhism offered to those in attendance, and then a puja, that is based on the deity of the thangka. Then, people can offer music, dances, and so forth to the thangka (and also for everyone to enjoy). People can also circumambulate the thangka. For example, the center could have a horse and carriage and children can ride along. In this way, even the horse collects merit, as well as any animal that comes on that day and goes around the thangka. This makes their life so meaningful! The main goal is to think that all are offering to Buddha. By offering to Buddha this becomes such a beneficial event.
The Padmasambhava for Peace Project sponsored the puja (offerings, lunch and small offerings to all the Sangha).
Please rejoice in this auspicious yearly event which is fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions and has profound effects on those in Nepal and the the entire world.
The Holy Objects Fund offers grants to the creation of holy objects around the world. All are welcome to donate to this fund to ensure grants like this continue long into the future.