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The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund offering food to the top scholars who are participating in the recently held Annual Winter Debate.
The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is one of FPMT’s longest running charitable projects. Established in 1997 at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this fund has three main objectives:
- Offering stipends to the 150 most senior teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition
In December 2014, US$20,296 was offered to senior teachers at Sera Je, Sera Mey, Drepung Loseling, Ganden, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo, and Rato monasteries.
- Supporting the annual Gelugpa Exam
652 students took part in this annual exam. The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund covers the basic expenses for all participants including food.
- Supporting the annual Winter Debate in India and Nepal
The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is the primary sponsor of this debate where the best Buddhist scholars gather to sharpen their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. The annual Winter Debate in Nepal also includes debates with nuns.
Preserving the Mahayana tradition is the primary objective of the entire FPMT organization and the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is one substantial way to help continue this work.
Participants in the 2014 Gelugpa Exam.
Tremendous thanks to all the donors who make these offerings possible. You are welcome to offer any amount to the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund to contribute to the support being offered to the current and future teachers of the Mahayana tradition.
You can learn more about the activities of the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund or about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT.
It takes a tremendous amount of food and collective work to offer 8,300 meals every day to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.
Over the past year we have reported details about the incredible amount of food required to offer three nutritious meals daily to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery (3,300 for breakfast, 2,500 for lunch and dinner).
The Sera Je Food Fund thrived in 2014. An incredible 3,029,500 meals were offered . This is due to the kindness of many who contribute to the US$280,000 needed every year to continue this project.
In 2014, interest amounting to 4% of the annual budget was accumulated from fixed term deposits and this interest was put back into the Sera Je Food Fund to help offset 2015 food expenses. Additionally, an annual wealth vase puja was offered and dedicated to the continued success of the project.
In December, 125 monks were not able to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Mundgod, but dry food was left for these monks so they would still have food even though the typical meal service was not offered during his Holiness’s teachings.
Please rejoice in this incredible offering that is provided every single day to the monks of Sera Je Monastery. You are welcome to offer any amount to this beneficial project.
- US$10: Provides three vegetarian meals a day to one monk for one month
- US$120: Provides three vegetarian meals a day to one monk for one year
- US$780: Provides three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks for one day
- US$5,460: Provides three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks for one week
- US$280,000: Provides three vegetarian meals a day to all the 2,500 monks for one year
You can keep up on all the news from the Sera Je Food Fund or learn more about the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Every month, the Puja Fund offers gold to the most precious Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet. Said to have been blessed by Shakyamuni Buddha himself, the Jowo Buddha statue is one of the most sacred statues in all of Tibet. Originally crafted in India, the Jowo was brought to China, and then brought to Tibet by the daughter of the Chinese emperor, Princess Wenchen Kongjo, upon her marriage to Songsten Gampo. The Jowo Buddha statue resides in the central chapel of the Jokhang, among the most holy temples in Lhasa.
Gold is offered every month to the precious Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet.
If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa or scripture, then the benefit extends from then up to enlightenment. Amazing, amazing. It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness – liberation from the causes of delusion and karma – and on top of that, full enlightenment – all the realizations and omniscient mind. After this, then you liberate numberless hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, suras and asuras from the ocean of samsaric sufferings and bring them to full enlightenment. When all beings are brought to enlightenment, only then are all the results of offering achieved. So by offering gold, then wow, wow, wow. Can you imagine the result! From only a tiny offering (of a flower or rice) so much benefit is received due to that statue, etc. So really, holy objects are wish-fulfilling gems – so unbelievably precious.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in a letter to a student who offered gold to 1,000 buddha statues at Kopan Monastery in Nepal
Please rejoice in this monthly offering that is so precious. You are welcome to contribute to this by contributing to the Puja Fund at any time.
You can learn more about the extensive pujas, practices and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund or about any of the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Animals being circumambulated around the stupa at Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, USA.
Benefiting animals in any way possible is a high priority for FPMT and one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the organization. The Animal Liberation Fund helps carry forth this work.
In 2014, approximately 77,100 animals were liberated by Sangha at Rinpoche’s house in USA. Not only were the animals saved from untimely death but they were also taken around an incredible amount of holy objects, mantras were recited and blown on them and they were carefully placed where they could live out the rest of their life. Please rejoice!
Additionally:
- US$2,000 was offered toward a large animal liberation in Hong Kong where over 14,500 animals where liberated
- Sangha at Rinpoche’s house in California engage in weekly blessing for the sentient beings in the Pacific Ocean with large Namgyälma mantra boards
- Weekly blessing and charity to at least 17 ant nests in Washington State, USA are offered
- US$3,000 was offered to MAITRI Charitable Trust in Gaya, India to help feed 45 goats and 25 chickens that had been saved from death.
Please rejoice in the different ways we were able to benefit animals in 2014. This is an incredible service to all sentient beings that FPMT sponsors every year.
Animal liberation practice is an incredible practice for anyone who has illnesses or is experiencing life obstacles. Anyone who donates to the Animal Liberation Fund is contributing directly to the saving of animals and dedications and prayers are made for all donors during the animal liberation practice.
You can learn more about the activities of the Animal Liberation Fund or about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Bouddhanath Stupa, Nepal.
Swayambunath Stupa, Nepal.
Every month, on the full moon, the Puja Fund sponsors offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles of Bouddhanath and Swayambunath Stupas in Nepal. Please rejoice in this incredible ongoing offering.
“All those who offer whitewash, saffron, and offering cloth will achieve perfect brightness and glory, overpowering all devas, spirits, and human beings with magnificence.”
—Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas
Lama Zopa Rinpoche translated Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas and the complete text is available as a PDF download.
You are welcome to contribute to this monthly offering or learn more about the monthly activities of the Puja Fund.
An amazing assembly of top scholars from Sera, Drepung, Gaden, Tashi Lhunpo, Gyuto, Gyudme, Rato and Dhakpo Shedrup Dhargeyling monasteries participate in the annual winter debate at Sera Je Monastery.
Monks from various Gelugpa monasteries participated in the extensive month-long debate on Buddhist logic at Sera Je Monastery, India, this January known as the Winter Jang Debate.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche enjoyed dinner with the Abbot of Sera Je Monastery during a break from the winter debate.
This annual debate dates back to the time of Lama Tsongkhapa and was continued each year until 1959. In 1981 the present and former Abbots of the 3 great monasteries met to revive the annual winter debate, however due to costs the monasteries were only able to sponsor about 200 monks to attend the annual winter debate.
Seeing the incredible importance of the winter debate, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings, due to the kindness of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund, became the primary sponsor for this debate. In January 2015 Lama Zopa Rinpoche was able to attend part of this debate and enjoy dinner with the Abbot of Sera Je Monastery.
Tremendous thanks to the many donors who support the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund and enable FPMT to sponsor this powerful annual debate. This is something very incredible in which to rejoice. You are welcome to participate in this offering at any time.
You can learn more about the activities of the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund or the many Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Lama Jamyang Garpo. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang, September 2014.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, recently made a substantial offering toward the costs associated with a young Mongolian tulku, Lama Jamyang Garpo, said to be an emanation of White Manjushri, entering Sera Je Monastery.
Traditionally, on the first day that a tulku enters Sera Je Monastery, offerings and food and tea are given to all the 2,500 monks of Sere Je. This offering from the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, was put toward those costs.
Please rejoice that this auspicious offering has been made. This is an incredible opportunity for this young tulku to study at Sera Je Monastery.
Making offerings to the Sangha is a way of collecting unbelievable merit because all the Sangha are the pores of the Guru. They are all disciples of the same Guru – His Holiness the Dalai Lama. By offering to pores of the Guru one collects more merit than offering to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, as well as numberless statues, stupas. If you offer with the recognition that they are the Guru’s pores then that is an unbelievable way to collect merit. When you offer to many Sanghas who have the same Guru then you are making offerings to that many pores of the Guru. So this is the easiest way to collect skies of merit by offering. By offering even just one candy, flowers or even one grain of rice to a statue of Buddha or even a visualized Buddha you collect skies of merit but here it is much more powerful than offering to the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) as well as all the statues, stupas and scriptures existing in all directions, so no question if offering to really the same Guru’s disciple. These benefits should be understood so that when you make offerings to the Guru’s pores you think correctly. This is the best business.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Lama Jamyang Garpo. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang, September 2014.
About Lama Jamyang Garpo
Lama Jamyang Garpo’s twenty-first reincarnation, Dorjsuren Dashbaljir, was born August 24, 2005 in Asaat, Jargalant sum, Arkhangai Province, Mongolia.
On April 2, 2014, His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognized Dorjsuren Dashbaljir as Lama Jamyang Garpo’s twenty-first reincarnation.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, the Sera Je Food Fund which supports the monks of Sera Je Monastery every day with three nutritious meals, or the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la, November 2011, India. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Example of an enlightenment stupa. De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre, South Australia.
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche met with Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) in India. As a result, a number of details regarding the Stupa to Minimize Harm from the Elements have changed. According to what is most beneficial now, the type of the stupa to be built is an enlightenment stupa and the material must very strong, such as concrete or stone. The stupa will be built off-site and then assembled and blessed all at the same time. The blessing and filling of the stupa is extremely important and utmost detail is being paid to collecting the correct substances.
Khadro-la has been checking many different areas in San Francisco to make sure this stupa is located in the most beneficial area and Teresa Mia Navarro has been working diligently for many months to help locate the correct property and the wish is that this aspect of the process will be established very soon.
You can learn more about the Stupa to Minimize Harm from the Elements as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Please keep this hugely important project in your prayers. You are also welcome to donate any amount toward this stupa’s completion.
The dance of the five dakinis is offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life pujas.
Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) advised that FPMT centers include the dakinis’ request to the lama in the long life pujas arranged for Rinpoche
In the January-March 2015 print edition, Mandala magazine published a piece about the two long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche following the 2014 CPMT meeting in Australia this past September.
A tremendous amount of work, supplies and service goes into the organization of a long life puja and Mandala has done a wonderful job capturing some of the behind-the-scenes effort involved. In particular, you can read about what is needed for the dakinis’ request to the lama, which is offered with five dancers in full costume. Following Lama Zopa Rinpoche manifesting a stroke in 2011, Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) advised that FPMT centers include the dakinis’ request to the lama in the long life pujas arranged for Rinpoche.
Please enjoy this piece, complete with photos, from Mandala magazine.
You can follow the news of other long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, or offer any amount to future pujas offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Blankets were offered to 30 children in a local Kushinagar orphanage by Maitreya Project Kushinagar. In December 500 blankets were offered to poor villagers.
An ambulance was offered to help very poor villagers in Kushinagar with basic medical help.
In early 2014 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, via the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, offered a donation to Maitreya Project Kushinagar to be used toward the incredible humanitarian work they are now undertaking.
Some of the money was used for a much needed ambulance that helps villagers in very poor areas of Kushinagar with basic medical help. Other funds were used to distribute mosquito nets in the Summer to villagers to protect them from malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes, and was a big problem in the area during Summer months.
Mosquito nets were distributed to villagers to help with the spread of malaria.
Currently Maitreya Project Kushinagar is fundraising for a blanket drive so they can offer blankets to very poor villagers who suffer in the Winter. In December, the first 500 blankets were distributed. This past week, 30 blankets were distributed to a local orphanage which is home to children who were mostly picked up from the streets and very desperate. These children had no decent blankets to protect them from the Winter cold.
Please rejoice in this amazing humanitarian work being offered by Maitreya Project Kushinagar. You can offer directly to this beneficial work.
You can learn more about the work of Maitreya Project Kushinagar as well as other beneficial activities being supported by the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund.
21 Taras thangka is 14 meters (46 feet) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide. This thangkha is being painted by artist Peter Iseli at a workshop at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund sponsored the creation of a workshop where large thangkas can be created at Institut Vajra Yogini in France. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to create many large thangkas around the world.
Artist Peter Iseli with the amazing 21 Tara thangka.
The workshop is 8.5 meters (28 feet) tall. Rinpoche’s first order was a 21 Taras thangka that is 14 meters (46 feet) high and 9 meters (30 feet) wide which is being painted by artist Peter Iseli.
The first third of the giant 21 Taras thangka is now finished, the canvas has been rolled up, and Peter Iseli has already started to draw on the second third of the canvas. This giant 21 Tara thangka is going to go to Tara Institute in Australia when it is finished.
“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.”
Please rejoice in the amazing work of Peter Iseli manifesting incredible holy objects that can be used by all to make merit.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT.
8,300 meals are offered every day to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery.
The Sera Je Food Fund offers 8,300 meals every single day to the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. 3,300 monks are offered breakfast and 2,500 monks are offered lunch and dinner.
65,900 pounds of rice is needed every year to offer lunch and dinner to 2,500 monks.
Amazingly, approximately 65,900 pounds of rice are needed for one year of daily lunches and dinners. Additionally, 1,300 pounds of tea are required for breakfast for one year. An incredible amount of other fruits, vegetables, starches and other ingredients are also required to offer this ongoing commitment o three nutritious meals daily. You can see more details about what the monks are offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The cost of offering all the food to all the monks is currently US$280,000 yearly. If you would like to contribute to the Sera Je Food Fund, you may offer any amount you are able.
You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund or the other Charitable Projects of FPMT which offer support to many beneficial activities around the world.