Ordained Sangha

By Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Why Offering to the Sangha Is So Powerful

In the past, there was one man who had nothing, but he offered medicinal food just one time to four fully ordained monks. (These were not monks who were aryas and had wisdom directly perceiving emptiness; these were just ordinary Sangha.) Due to the karma of that offering, after he died, he was born as a most powerful wealthy king in India called King Ashoka. That was the result from offering just one time.

Karma expands, and so from one action of charity, the result that one will experience goes on for many lifetimes, many eons. The karma from making charity one time is not just resultant happiness that is received one time and then is finished. This is maybe what many people think, but that’s not correct. One experiences the resultant happiness for eons. It is amazing. Then, depending on your motivation – especially if it is done with a bodhichitta motivation – this one action of making charity can create the cause for you to go to enlightenment.

According to the Tengyur, Buddha said:

For any sentient being, who during the period of my teachings
Makes charity well (even if the material is the size of hair),
For 80,000 eons will experience the great result of great enjoyment;
No pain, no disease, and enjoyment of happiness.
Like that, one will be enriched with all the desirable things.
At the end you can actually achieve the result – the peerless cessation and completion (enlightenment).
After hearing of this great result, who wouldn’t want to collect merit?

The monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered three nutritious meals every single day through the Sera Je Food Fund, one of FPMT’s Supporting Ordained Sangha funds.

The Power of Offering to So Many Sangha

In the very beginning, Sera Je Monastery had approximately 4,000 monks, then 3,000 monks, now maybe there are about 2,500 monks. Making offerings to them is amazing. There are so many monks – wow, wow, wow, wow, wow – and therefore so many causes of enlightenment one can collect!

The Power of Offering to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha

This is also an offering to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. By offering to the Buddha – wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

In Buddha’s teachings, it is mentioned in the Mantra of Undying Drum Sound:

If you devote yourself to the Unimaginable Ones (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
who have unimaginable qualities),
The ripening aspect of the result of that devotion has unimaginable benefits.

Also, it is mentioned in the Compassionate Buddha Sutras:

The Tathagata Buddha has immeasurable qualities.
Offering to the tathagatas also has immeasurable benefits that are endless,
Inconceivable, incomparable, unfathomable, and numberless.

Offering to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha is an unbelievable act. It is important to remember this when you make an offering to the Sangha. Think that you are also offering to the Buddha and Dharma simultaneously.

The Power of Offering to the Guru

Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Photo by Edward Sczudlo.

This is also an offering to the guru. From this you collect the highest amount of merit – the most merit – more than offering to numberless Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as well as numberless statues, stupas, and scriptures in the ten directions. No matter how many extensive offerings you make – even filling the whole sky – all that merit becomes small when compared to the merit of offering to the guru.

Additionally, this 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.

Even giving one rupee or one cent to the Sangha has all these benefits.

Then, of course, it has the benefit of also preserving the Dharma and helping to spread the Dharma.

How This Offering Benefits All Sentient Beings

The ultimate point is that this offering also benefits all the six-realm sentient beings. Any practice that the Sangha do in the monastery, they do for all the six-realm sentient beings, to benefit them. 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.

Through the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund FPMT offers essential needs directly to individual Sangha as well as to monasteries and nunneries.

The nuns rooms at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery had to be completely rebuilt following earthquake destruction.

Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery (also known as Bigu Nunnery), located in a remote area of Nepal, is still rebuilding following devastation from the April 2015 earthquake. All of the buildings at the nunnery were destroyed and there was no safe housing for the seventy-five nuns. Additionally, there was no accessible health care facility or place for the nuns to study as all roads were blocked due earthquake destruction. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund offered immediate aid to the nunnery following this destruction, to help with food and health care needs while the nuns occupied their temporary shelter in Khatmandu. 

Some of the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal who were displaced following earthquake destruction.

These nuns have been offering two 100 million mani retreats every year. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been supporting this through the Practice and Retreat Fund for over seven years and a very kind benefactor has sponsored one of their retreats this year as well. 

The sponsorship of 100 million mani retreats is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization. The nuns completed the first 100 million mani recitations while in temporary housing in Khatmandu, but they have now returned to the nunnery and will complete the second part of the retreat there. Sixty-five nuns are engaged in the mani retreat approximately six hours per day. They dedicate their practice to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for all of Rinpoche’s Dharma wishes to be successful, and for the entire FPMT organization and projects to bring the most benefit to all sentient being. 

The damage to Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery was severe and the entire nunnery needs to be rebuilt.

By sponsoring the retreat, FPMT directly supports the nuns through funding the cost of their daily meals. The nunnery is further supported by this grant because any funds not used directly for the cost of the retreat can be used for the overall development of the nunnery. Additionally, the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund has offered another grant for the rebuilding of a new kitchen for the nuns. This is an immediate need as the nuns need a proper kitchen facility to support the nuns who are in retreat as well as those who are not. 

The nunnery has a long way to go before it is rebuilt in proper condition. In addition to the kitchen, they are now building the nuns rooms and a puja hall for group practice. This work will be essential for reestablishing a safe and conducive environment in which the nuns can live, study, and practice Dharma. 

The Practice and Retreat Fund provides grants and sponsorships for students engaged in retreats such as 108 nyung nä retreats, 100 million mani retreats, recitations of sutras and long term retreat. 

Teenage Tenzin Ösel Hita with the monks at Sera Je Monastery.

We’d like to invite you to rejoice in twenty-five years of the Sera Je Food Fund offerings meals to the monks of Sera Je Monstery! 

The Sera Je Food Fund began in 1991 when Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized incarnation 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. In this way, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was not simply offering lunch on the day of  Ösel’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.

Sera Je monks help prepare meals for in the Sera Je Food Fund kitchen.

In 2003, in addition to offering lunch and dinner, breakfast began to be sponsored by the Sera Je Food Fund three months a year. 

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 young monks who attend the Sera Je school. This has been the practice of the fund since 2012.

Since 1991 the Sera Je Food Fund has offered millions of meals. We currently offer approximately 700,000 meals per year, 2,900 meals per day. 

Healthy and hearty vegetarian soup is often offered, through the Sera Je Food Fund, as dinner to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.

There are, on average, 1,600 monks benefiting from the food fund and the annual cost is US$200,000.

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.

Over 22,000 bananas are offered in a typical month to the monks of Sera Je Food Fund.

In one month, nearly 22,000 bananas, 120 bottles of soy sauce, and an incredible 5,500 pounds of flour, among many other ingredients including vegetables, rice, noodles, and tea, are utilized in preparation for this offering of daily vegetarian meals. 

Please rejoice in this incredible service which has been offered without interruption for twenty-five years and will continue far into the future. All are welcome to participate in this offering by donating  to the fund. 

On behalf of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT International Office would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to all of the kind benefactors who have been contributing to this project over the years and supporting Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision.

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund or support this project with a donation of any amount. 

Top scholars from Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries arrive to participate in the annual Gelugpa exam.

Each year the foremost scholars from Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries come together for the annual Gelugpa exam and the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund covers the expenses of those who participate. 

“The continuity and spread of Buddhadharma throughout the world depends upon highly qualified teachers. The three great monasteries are the only place in the world where the entire, complete teachings of the Buddha are studied and practiced with deep logic.”
— Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This year, 677 monks participated in this debate and the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund offered a grant for the travel and food costs of all participants and facilitators.

677 monks participated in the Gelugpa exam this year.

FPMT would like to congratulate all the monks for their commitment and dedication to their studies. These scholars are the future of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition and it is a high priority for FPMT to support them at this level of their education. Due to this grant each year, all qualified monks are able to participate in the debate, rather than being exempt due to prohibitive costs. This is an incredibly precious opportunity for the monks to engage in the long standing tradition of debate, but also an opportunity for the FPMT organization to help ensure that we have the best Buddhist teachers for future generations. 

Additionally, the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund also offers a monthly stipend to the current abbots, past abbots and main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa lineage as a way to invest in the the Mahayana tradition on which FPMT was founded. 

US$22,328 was needed from the fund for these offerings and an additional US$25,905 was granted in 2015 for the sponsorship of the annual winter jang debate, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. 

These offerings are due to the kindness of many benefactors who make it possible. All are welcome to participate by donating any amount. 

Since its inception, the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund, an extension of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund, has supported up to 150 senior teachers each year of the main monasteries, plus hundreds of monks attending the traditional winter debate and annual Gelugpa exam. 

Ngari Khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery.

While at Sera Je Monastery recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was requested to help Ngari Khangtsen raise money needed to build extended accommodation for this community. Each khangtsen (hostel in Tibetan) is linked to a region in Tibet and has to accommodate the monks that originate from a particular area.  The khangtsen functions independently from the main monastery with each house having the responsibility to provide the living necessities for their own monks including housing, medical care, and educational needs. Each khangtsen has its own prayer hall where all the monks gather to do prayers, pujas, and practices. 

Ngari Khangtsen was originally founded in Western Tibet. In 1970 it was reestablished at Sera Je Monastery in South India. Currently Sera Je’s Ngari Khangtsen has over 140 monks who are mostly ethnic Tibetans from the Himalayan regions of India, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. 

Ngari Khangtsen is very dear to FPMT. Khensur Jampa Tegchok, former abbot of Nalanda Monastery and resident geshe of many FPMT centers over the years, lived in Ngari Khangtsen while receiving his education at Sera Je Monastery. FPMT also supports school children of Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics by offering daily meals. This school was started by the monks of Ngari Khangtsen.

A new prayer hall is needed for the Ngari Khangtsen as their current gompa can only accommodate 50 monks.

Due to the kindness of donors, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to issue a grant to Ngari Khangtsen to help with the building projects needed to support the monks of this community. 

With this grant and other money raised, Ngari Khangtsen is currently building a new prayer hall as the old 1983-built gompa cannot adequately accommodate all of the monks during puja. The new prayer hall will provide more room for the monks to practice together. Having the right conditions for study and practice is essential support to these monks who are helping to preserve the most precious tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa. 

The monks of Ngari Khangtsen are on tour, actively fundraising for this project. All are welcome to support the monks directly. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monks and nuns. 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, June 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Recently when Lama Zopa Rinpoche was visiting Sera Je Monastery, he was requested to help with a new elevator at Sera Lachi.  Sera Lachi is made up of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monasteries in southern India. 6,000 monks study between the two monasteries. 

The Sera Lachi monks. Photo courtesy of the Sera Lachi Facebook page.

Entrance to the new elevator at Sera Lachi.

The elevator will be used to bring His Holiness the Dalai Lama up to his rooms at Sera, which are located on the top floor. As His Holiness is now eighty years old, climbing all of those stairs has become difficult, and the monks wanted to have an elevator to easily bring His Holiness to his rooms and also to facilitate elderly monks getting to different levels of the building to access offices, rooms, etc. 

Rinpoche was very happy to make an offering of US$69,000 toward the cost of the elevator through a grant issued from the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund. 

“Proper devotion to the guru, or virtuous friend, is the root of all success, from success in this life up to enlightenment, just as the trunk, branches, leaves and fruit of a tree depend upon its root,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches in The Heart of the Path. 

The new elevator installed at Sera Lachi.

“Or we can think that guru devotion is like the fuel in a car or a plane, without which the vehicle cannot take us where we want to go. Without guru devotion, nothing happens – no realizations, no liberation, no enlightenment – just as without the root of a tree there can be no trunk, branches, leaves, or fruit. Everything, up to enlightenment, depends on guru devotion.

“Guru devotion is the root not only of ultimate success, achieving full enlightenment and bringing sentient beings to the ultimate happiness of liberation and enlightenment, but also of temporary success and happiness. This practice is the foundation of the development of the whole path to enlightenment, as well as the foundation of all happiness. Since everything comes from the practice of guru devotion, it is called the root of the path. …”

You can read more of Rinpoche’s teachings on guru devotion in “Why Do We Need a Guru?,” the first chapter of the book The Heart of the Path: Seeing the Guru as Buddha by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, published by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish. All the offerings from the fund are used toward the creation of holy objects around the world; sponsoring young tulkus, high lamas and Sangha in India, Nepal, Tibet and the West;  supporting FPMT centers, projects and services; sponsoring Dharma retreats and events; funding animal liberations, and much more.

The monks and lay students of Idgaa Choizinling College are offered lunch every day through the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund with help from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

For the last few years Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been offering the food for the monks studying at Idgaa Choizinling College in Mongolia.

Recently US$5,564 was offered to cover the costs of offering lunch to all of the thirty-five monks and young boys studying at the college for the next 13 months. The community is made up of two monks who have taken gelong vows, ten monks who have taken getsul vows, two monks who have taken rabjung vows, and twenty-one lay students awaiting ordination. 

Offering food to those studying at Idgaa Choizinling College contributes to the goal of helping to re-ignite and preserve Buddhism study in Mongolia.

US$503 is needed every month to make this offering and there is a current gap in what is raised each month for this. Lama Zopa Rinpoche kindly covers the US$428 needed each month, as the sponsorship of lunch to this community is important to the goal of re-igniting and preserving Buddhism in Mongolia. 

The Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was recently established to support to ordained Sangha (monks and nuns) as well as monasteries and nunneries. The fund is an essential component in helping to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization. This year we are very happy to be able to support Rinpoche and to take on this offering and hope that as the fund grows more support can be offered to more Sangha in need around the world.

The main mission for this fund is to provide support for food, accommodations, education and health care for Sangha and will also provide the necessary resources for Sangha who wish to engage in retreats.

By supporting this fund you enable more support to monks and nuns in need around the world. Thank you for all who make this possible.

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monks and nuns. 

Since 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has been offering three meals a day to every monk studying at Sera Je Monastery. Some monks do not need to rely on this service due to various reasons such as having personal benefactors who sponsor their food directly, but the food offering is available to every single monk who would like to receive it. 

Three meals are offered every day to any monk studying at Sera Je Monastery.

Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT CEO Ven. Roger Kunsang, and Charitable Projects Coordinator Ven. Holly Ansett spent a month at Sera Je Monastery with the Sera Je Food Fund team and attended a number of meetings with Ven. Ngawang Sangye who has been working for the food fund since 2007 while completing his geshe studies degree in 2016. He does an incredible job helping to manage this massive operation with the help of Vens Kalden and Rabten. They work with FPMT International Office on budget and cost analysis, which can become quite complicated when shopping and cooking for up to 2,500. 

In these recent meeting, the team discussed improvements that could be made to the program, advice and recommendations from a dietitian who was consulted last year, how to utilize seasonal produce, and the general food preferences of the monks. Recently, the entire menu was redesigned based on feedback from the monks and discussion with the kitchen management. The food fund will continually assess and make adjustments and improvements to operations, procedures, and services offered to help ensure that this project is bringing the most benefit to those it serves.The Sera Je Food Fund not only covers the cost of all food, it is also responsible for the entire kitchen operation, paying cooks, utilities, and equipment upkeep. 

8,700 pounds of flour and 6,500 pounds of rice are offered every month through the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen.

Every day each khangtsen (monastic house made up of monks from the same regions) informs the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen how many monks will be joining for meals so the cooks can always prepare the right amount of food. There is almost no waste from the kitchen because any leftovers are offered to monks who engage in evening debate or classes allowing the monks to enjoy a second dinner if they are studying or debating late. Any food bought by the kitchen that is not used is sold back to the market making the waste for the kitchen extremely low. This is quite impressive when considering the volume of food being prepared and cooked.  An incredible 8,700 pounds of flour and 6,500 pounds of rice are used every month in addition to large quantities of other foods such as vegetables, fruits, spices, grains, tea, milk, and other ingredients. 

Typically, about 50 monks are assigned to kitchen duties every day.  They help ensure that the ingredients are top quality, that the kitchen is always hygienic and efficient, and that the food is tasty for the monks. Lunch is often eaten as a group in the Sera Je gompa when there are pujas or practices happening. 

The monks gather in the gompa for lunch when there are prayers and pujas organized around lunch time.

Twenty-five years ago Lama Zopa Rinpoche initiated the Sera Je Food Fund as a way to offer daily benefit to all of the monks studying at Sera Je, enabling them to focus on their studies without having to worry about meals or the burden of food expenses and preparation. Since that time Ven. Roger has worked with support from Ven. Holly to help actualize this vision through continual work with the monastery and the benefactors who make this fund possible. 

Please take some time to rejoice in this incredible daily offering and the kindness of all the extremely generous donors who contribute to the success of this program. From the prep cooks, to the dishwashers, to those who do the shopping, to those who help manage the operation, to the accountants, to the food vendors, the Sera Je Food Fund is a massive collective effort on the part of many.

You are welcome to join in on this offering by donating any amount, or by following the news and updates of this beneficial daily offering of food to hundreds of monks. 

A monk from the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen helps with flour needed for bread for 30,000.

Over 30,000 people, including monks from surrounding monasteries, packed into Tashi Lhunpo Monastery for the last of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchup Lamrim teachings in South India in late December 2015. 

The Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen prepared rice and bread to accompany the lunch offered by the teaching event, for every single participant. To accomplish this astounding offering, 150 monks woke up at 2 a.m. at Sera Je Monastry every morning to begin cooking. They then had to transport all of the bread and rice for 5.5 miles to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in a sanitary way, every single day. Remarkably, they managed to serve the bread and rice steaming hot at lunch time. It is almost inconceivable to consider how they did this! 

Volunteer monks help kneed the dough required for massive amounts of bread.

All of the bread had to be cooked on the grill before transporting it to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

Bread for 30,000 getting carefully packed for transport to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

The bread is carefully packed and ready to be transported.

Rice for 30,000!

Giant pots were needed to prepare so much rice.

The rice is carefully loaded into a truck for transport.

This is just one way the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen is utilized as a way to benefit ordained Sangha and students of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Huge thanks to all of the monks who volunteer their time to make this possible, and to Ngawang Sangye and the Sera Je Food Fund team who made this offering of time and effort so joyfully, as evidenced by the photos above. Please rejoice in this tremendous effort!

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

Healthy and hearty vegetarian soup is often offered, through the Sera Je Food Fund, as dinner to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.

Since its inception in 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has strived to assess and make adjustments and improvements to operations, procedures, and services offered to help ensure that this project is bringing the most benefit to those it serves. In 2015, two major changes were implemented which will not only benefit the monks as they partake in their daily meals, but also will benefit those who work very hard in the kitchen to get three vegetarian meals out every single day to all of the 2,500 monks.

in March of 2015 a dietitian visited the monastery and gave suggestions on how to improve the monks’ nutrition through the food offered. Changes include: an increase in protein, an increase in the amount and variety of vegetables and seasonal fruit, less oil and salt, wheat has been introduced to the white flour used in breads (most prefer the white flour so this is a gradual transition), more variety of healthful dishes are now being offered as well. The dietician also spoke to all the monks regarding healthy food and diet. 

The monks have to work very hard with big equipment and huge quantities of food to help offer three meals every day.

In October of 2015 a wage increase has also been granted to the Sera Je kitchen staff. The kitchen staff work incredibly hard for the Sera Je Food Fund; monks can be expected to work from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on a rotating basis. This increase in salary will help increase staff morale with the hope that this will encourage experienced kitchen staff to stay in these jobs for longer periods of time. Having experienced staff is key to maintaining the standard of food served by the kitchen.

Please rejoice in the ongoing improvements to the operations of the Sera Je Food Fund which, for twenty-five years, has been offering meals to the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. 

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

A kind benefactor has enabled the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund to sponsor the building of a new IMI retreat cabin at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France.

Due to the kindness of a generous benefactor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to sponsor the International Mahayana Institute’s building of a retreat cabin specifically to be used by Sangha at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land. 

This new cabin, named “Olka Cholung” after the place in Tibet where Lama Tsongkhapa did extensive retreat. It is run by Thakpa Kachoe and administered by IMI for IMI Sangha wishing to engage in medium-length and long retreats in Europe. 

Beautiful surroundings at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, where a new retreat cabin for IMI Sangha has been built.

Thakpa Kachoe has twenty-two acres of pasture and forest and is located in the amazingly scenic South Alps region at Guillaumes in the hamlet of Villetale; a 1.5 hour drive from Nice. The cabin is a single room cabin with kitchenette, shower and adjacent dry toilet.

Olka Cholung has welcomed its first occupant who has already started a fourteen month retreat. Having recently arrived there she mentioned how easy will be to meditate on dependent arising as well as the kindness of others while in retreat because the cabin “would not have been possible without all the people who support the project.” She continued saying,  “I call it a ‘five star retreat hut’ because it indeed has all the conducive conditions. The surrounding is amazingly beautiful, the valley is quite vast, giving a gorgeous open view. The air is clean and the water pristine. There is silence. The hut is within a forest, isolated from other buildings. All the materials used are the most eco-friendly possible. This is crucial for the environment and also for the people living in it. And last, but not least, the indispensable condition of having good caretakers.”

Please rejoice in the building of this cabin which will benefit FPMT Sangha for years to come. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monks and nuns. 

Monks of Sera Je Monastery enjoying a meal provided by the Sera Je Food Fund. Photo by Losan Piatti.

Every day, an incredible effort from many individuals, and a large quantity of food and supplies is needed to prepare, cook, and serve three meals per day to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Food Fund. Over the six months, the Sera Je Food Fund has used 52,254 pounds of flour, 39,062 pounds of rice, and large quantities of other foods such as vegetables, fruits, spices, grains, tea, milk, and other ingredients. 

Many volunteers offer their time to make sure the meals are prepared, cooked and served three times per day.

The cost for offering food through the Sera Je Food Fund, including all the operating costs, supplies, maintenance, and utilities is US$280,000 a year. In six months, US$90,908.09 was spent on food alone. 

Recently, a short film on the Sera Je Food Fund featuring Lama Zopa Rinpoche was released. In this video Rinpoche candidly speaks on the importance of supporting the food fund and the role it plays in spreading the Dharma in our world. Scenes from daily life at the monastery, including the logistics of preparing meals for all 2,500 resident monks at a time.

The Sera Je Food Fund is approaching its 25th year, and the support it’s received and the impact the fund has on the quality of life at Sera Je monastery deserves rejoicing and tremendous thanks for all involved.

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