Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel’s second stupa being built at Kopan Monastery.The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and the Stupa Fund recently donated US$10,000 toward the completion of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel’s second stupa being built at Kopan Monastery.

Photo: Early stages of the construction of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup’s stupa.

From the Sutra Essence of Earth:

While there are the three rare sublime ones
Fulfilling the hopes without any effort
Like the unimaginable wish-granting tree and wish-granting jewel;
[But] believing the method to achieve happiness is something else

Friend, by realizing this body, this life is like a water bubble
And material enjoyments like the dew on the tip of the grass
Attempt the white (virtuous) actions, offer to the three rare sublime ones (Buddha Dharma, Sangha)
And take the essence from this essenceless body and possessions.

Due to this merit may I and each and every sentient being respect
And make offerings to the three rare sublime ones;
By the happiness of the joyful occasion of listening, reflecting, meditating and practicing
May all the transmigratory beings’ wishes be completely fulfilled.

Colophon: Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche regarding having many holy objects. Scribe Ven. Holly Ansett, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, USA, November 2003. Lightly edited by Ven. Thubten Labdron, May 2004.

The 5-by-7-foot (1.5-by-2.1-meter) Namgyälma mantra board is made from resin and fiberglass cast from a mold.Several year ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested long-time student Pam Cayton to help get a Namgyälma mantra board made that could be used to bless the oceans and waters of the world (and thus all of the sentient beings living there-in!). While Pam has been fundraising for this important project, Rinpoche heard about a shortfall of funds needed for its completion. Upon receiving this news, he immediately donated US$10,000 toward the board’s completion.

You can read more about this Namgyälma mantra board and Pam Cayton’s efforts in this recent Mandala blog post.

In 2012 The Stupa Fund sponsored the cost of Sangha at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s house to make over 1,000 small kadampa stupas (filled with the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras as advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche). Each stupa is dedicated with prayers for those who have recently passed away.

These small stupas are then placed around other stupas so that people can circumambulate this collection of stupas and create merit. 

You can learn more and view some beautiful photos of this project in “Stupas in Everyday Life, Advice From Lama Zopa Rinpoche,” published on the Mandala “FPMT News Around the World” blog.

Photos: Vens. Anet (above) and Chosang (below) creating kadampa stupas at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s house. Photo by Whitney Dafoe.

Prayer wheel at Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, CA.

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 prayer wheels around the world. The following advice was given by Rinpoche regarding this vision:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche does prostrations at Vulture’s Peak, the site of Buddha’s first teaching, India, February 2, 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“[I would like] for the whole organization to build 100,000 prayer wheels in different parts of the world, [including prayer wheels under the ocean], a minimum height of six feet. Prayer wheels are a great blessing for each country.

“The prayer wheels should have a very beautiful painted roof, like a house or temple over the prayer wheel with Tibetan or Chinese art.  But not like Pizza Hut’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken’s roof and not like a jail.

“The reason why I’d like to build as many as possible is because in the texts it says: If you do prayers as a group, then it is a hundred times more powerful than doing it alone in the room.

“That is why I am suggesting that when we build a stupa etc, if as many people as possible can participate. This can mean by funding or giving time. People can do different ways, either with money or other ways.

“If we do it as the whole organization, as a project, then if everybody offers $10 or $5 pr even smaller thinking that you are contributing to building a stupa, then in this way it becomes everyone’s project. In this way the karma is very powerful if we do it with many people, all together.

“This is the same thing when building statues. If you do it like this it is amazing, it can be funded quite easily. The people think that this is also their project, and even if they only have $10 to offer, this way everybody gets benefit.

“It does not mean to build these in a time limit, I am just expressing here a general plan. There is no limit of time. I also don’t mean for the centers to do this, I don’t mean to be giving burden to the centers.

Roger commented that the cost of building 100,000 would cost about one billion dollars.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the prayer wheel at Root Institute, Bodhghaya, India.

“You shouldn’t think like that. There is no limit of time to build them. If you think of all the things that we have built and spent in the organization so far, if at the beginning you added it up, it would not have seemed possible. It doesn’t help to think like that. It is better to rejoice!

“A billion dollars is nothing when you compare to not being born in the lower realms, to have pure rebirth up to enlightenment. A million dollars, even a trillion dollars is nothing compared to the benefit. We are talking about liberation and enlightenment.  It has no meaning when compared to the benefits. Even temporary benefits of building a stupa.

“We need to have an organizer for each project. We should set this up before we put it in Mandala magazine, so it is more professional.

“The idea is to get as many people involved as possible. If you are personally going to build a one-storey stupa, you can’t afford it. But if many people, help by offering $100, $10 or $20, then also you become part of the building. It is incredible. Even children can help, each child donate $1 or $5. This is a very good way of doing it. This way it benefits so many sentient beings, liberates and brings them to enlightenment, even including the insects and mosquitoes landing on the stupa or the worms on the ground, because the rain comes, touches the stupa and flows down on the ground and purifies the worms.

“I would also like to build prayer wheels under the different oceans of the world, to bless all the sentient beings in the oceans.”

– Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his Vast Vision for FPMT, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, March 2007

Prayer Wheels Completed/In Progress

 To date, approximately 13 large prayer wheels and many smaller prayer wheels have been built. Please rejoice!

Northern & Central America

• Prayer wheel containing over 170 billion mantras as well as many sets of texts, Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA
• Prayer wheel containing 12 billion mantras, designed by Jim McCann, Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA
• Pagoda prayer wheel containing 64 billion mantras, designed by Jim McCann, Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA
• Prayer wheel at Vajrapani Institute, CA. In progress.

Europe

•  5.56 ft x 9.94 ft prayer wheel containing 24,660,651,040 mantras on paper and more on microfilm, Maitreya Institute, The Netherlands
• 8.2 ft x 6.5 ft prayer wheel containing millions of mani mantras, the other mantras advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as a set of the Kangyur and the collection of Lama Tsongkhapa’s writings, Kushi Ling Retreat Center, Italy.
• 8 feet 2 inches x 3 feet 11 inches diameter containing 108 billion MANI mantras. Completion planned for September 2014. Institut Vajra Yogini, France.
• large prayer wheel and prayer wheel house at O.Sel.Ling Retreat Center, Spain. 

Pacific Region

• Prayer wheel at Dorje Chang Institute, New Zealand, containing 111 billion OM MANI PADME HUM mantras, over 500 Buddhist texts (2 Kangyur, 1 Tengyur, 2 Je Sungbum and others), as well as 5 million other prayers and mantras including Guru Rinpoche prayer and mantra, Five Powerful Deities Purifying Mantras and Vajrasattva and Medicine Buddha mantras as advised by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
• Prayer wheel at Chenrezig Institute, AUS
• 10 ft x 7 ft prayer weel at Chandrakirti Meditation Center, New Zealand, containing over ten billion mantras completed by late 2017. 
• large prayer wheel at Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand. 
• Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Australia. 1.8 meters tall x 1.8 meters diameter contains approximately 250,000,000 mantras including copies of the Dharmakaya Relic Mantras. Also inside the wheel is the complete set of kangyur and half of the tengyur.

Asia

• large prayer wheel and surrounding smaller wheels at Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement, a Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe, South India. The large prayer wheels contains 100,000,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantras and nearly 400,000 are included in the smaller prayer wheels. 
• Gigantic prayer wheel, contains: kangyur, 1 set of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, Sutra of Long Life; Chenrezig longest mantra, Kurukulla mantra, Padmasambhava mantra; five powerful deity mantras; Root Institute, Bodghaya, India.
• Prayer wheel, Lawudo Gompa, Nepal
• Prayer wheel at Kopan Monastery, Nepal
• 14 ft prayer wheel with over 100  million mantras at Hetauda, Makwanpure District, Nepal (built by Losang Namgyal Rinpoche)
• In progress: 12 feet in diameter x 15 feet high. Rinchen Jansem Ling, Malaysia. 

Prayer Wheels inspired by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

• 32 1 ft prayer wheels surrounding the Ksitigharba Statue at Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, USA.
• 10 14 inch x 10 inch prayer wheels, Milarepa Center, VT, USA
• 22 prayer wheels 2 ft x 1.5 ft, contain about 12.000.000 mantras in each wheel, Garden of Enlightenment, AUS
• 10 prayer wheels, 10 more ordered from Nepal, 18 inches x 12 inches, Garden of Enlightenment, AUS
• 200 prayer wheels, 2 ft x 1 ft, mounted directly onto the walls of The Great Stupa, AUS. In progress.
• 7 prayer wheels, 2.1 ft x 1.9 ft, Hayagriva Buddhist Centre, AUS
• 4 ft x 1 ft, filled with microfilm, Nagarjuna Valencia Center, Spain
• Universal Peace Wheel, Elko, Nevada. 5 ft x 3.5 ft. This wheel houses billions of traditional mantras and thousands of handwritten peace statements

Further Resources

• “The Benefits of Making Prayer Wheels” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• “Wheel of Great Compassion: The Practice of the Prayer Wheel in Tibetan Buddhism” Edited by Lorne Ladner, Foreword by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Microfilm for Stupas and Prayer Wheels
• Prayer Wheels Available through the FPMT Foundation Store
• Information on how to fill a prayer wheel.

How Can I Make a Donation?

To make a tax-deductible donation generally to the Prayer Wheel Fund

DONATE

Or simply send your check in US dollars payable to FPMT Inc. and write “Prayer Wheel Fund” on the memo line.

FPMT Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702
USA

The Stupa Fund is a project of FPMT Inc. and is administered by FPMT International Office located in Portland, Oregon, United States. All donations made to this fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(c)(3) to the extent allowed by law.

For more information please contact: Charitable Projects Coordinator.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche had the following to say about the Stupa to Minimize Harm from the Elements project:

Khadro-la and Lama Zopa Rinpoche performing puja at Heruka holy place.

This is a very important project that we have started, it has incredible importance. We all know there will be another earthquake on the west coast of the USA, it is overdue and it could be a huge earthquake where so many people could die and there could be huge damage to buildings, houses and structures. There is also the danger of a tsunami and the serious effects that will have.

If people were told it was going to happen beforehand, in many cases it would be hard for them to believe. In many respects the mind is not familiarized in the nature of impermanence and karma, or in change that is happening all the time: rising and ceasing, birth and death, collecting and dispersing. Everything is continuously in a state of change but mostly we are unaware and when it happens it is a great shock and surprise.

I am thinking that of course the government does have certain expertise and technical ability to deal with disasters, but it is limited, they have little understanding and knowledge of the help that can come from other sources of understanding reality. The human mind has enormous potential, that potential could have positive or negative outcome. For example, one person who has great power over many could kill millions of people. This we can see in our history. It is also that the human mind can cause unbelievable happiness in the world; the human mind has this potential.

We do have a way that we can help minimize the danger, not completely eliminate it, but at least reduce the danger to living beings. There are methods that the normal world does not understand yet, there is a way we can reduce the effects of a big earthquake on the west coast of the USA and therefore it is wise to do something about it before it is too late. Otherwise it is like trying to prevent your death after you die.

This method to reduce the earthquakes has been used before in the Himalayan region and was quite successful. It was initiated by a very special woman [Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme] who is not a normal woman, she is a “sky-goer.” “Sky” means shunyata and “goer” means realized. She is a person who is beyond normal, she is able to meditate in equipoise meditation in shunyata. In that state she is able to see things in the future and understand the methods to prevent them. She was able to build certain holy structures, what we call stupas around the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in certain places of the Himalayas to minimize the effects of an earthquake that she saw coming. This happened a few years ago and the stupas really helped. His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked her to help in this way and gave her the responsibility to at least minimize the effects of the earthquake that was predicted in the Himalayas in recent years.

Not long ago I asked her about the west coast of the USA and she went into a certain state of meditation and poured forth a prediction of this great earthquake, that it will happen on the west coast, and she also immediately said what could be done to minimize its effect. She said for about three years there is no danger but after that there will be a serious earthquake. She said that certain pujas needed to be done and then in certain places to build these holy structures called stupas. One stupa needs to be built near Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

If anyone can help with this project it will be greatly appreciated and could save incredible amount of lives and damage to buildings and other types of structures.

With much love and prayer,

Lama Zopa

Scribed by Ven. Roger Kunsang, November 2012.

Donations of any amount are welcome for this critically important project:

DONATE

First day of Nyung-Nä Retreat at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is sponsoring 10 people to do 108 Nyung-Nä retreats at Institut Vajra Yogini, France, from November 18, 2012 to June 20, 2013. This sponsorship is the commencement of one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT which he explained in 2007.

[I would like to] sponsor people doing 1,000 Nyung-Näs and then I think people who have completed 1,000 Nyung-Nä in their life, should have a special title, something to do with Chenrezig. Main thing is for the Nyung-Näs to be sponsored by the organization.The idea is to start as a project and then for the whole organization to sponsor. Or to sponsor the food or lodging. This of course would depend on the fund how much to be given to each person etc. Maybe as well as a title they could be given something as a sign of appreciation, when they complete the 1,000 Nyung-Näs, something from the organization, maybe some money, for a pilgrimage, or to attend the teachings or for a retreat.

—Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his Vast Vision for FPMT, Aptos, CA, March, 2007

UPDATES:

Please read a November 2013 update about this retreat.

Please read a August 2013 update about this retreat.

Please read a March 2013 update about this retreat.

Benefits of Nyung-Nä Practice

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “Nyung-Näs are a most powerful, most beneficial and quickest way for you to develop bodhichitta, to collect extensive merit to quickly achieve enlightenment, to become Chenrezig, to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsara suffering and bring them to enlightenment.

This practice is a trillion, billion times greater than becoming an Olympic champion. Doing so many Nyung-Näs you become an unbelievable champion, this is what makes numberless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas most happy and brings sentient beings to enlightenment as quickly as possible.

This is an extremely powerful practice, it in an incredible way to develop bodhichitta.”

The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.From December 2012-  June 2013 the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is offering US$14,000 for two 100 million mani retreats at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery in Nepal. The fund has sponsored 100 million Om Mani Padme Hum retreats at this nunnery every year since 2009.

The fund sponsored two 100 million mani retreats in 2012, one of which was dedicated to Rinpoche’s long life.

The Tashi Chime Gatsal Nuns working on constructing a school.

In addition to the 100 million mani retreats taking place over the next six months, the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is offering all the cost of food to all the nuns for this period as well as the cost of a very qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lam-rim teachings. This is very important for the nuns’ studies. The retreat lasts three months and about seventy nuns participate. Each nun doing the recitations receives a small offering and the nunnery also receives an offering. This is the main means of support for the nuns and the nunnery.

100 Million Mani Retreats Sponsored

• 2009: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
• 2010: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
• 2011: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
• 2012: Two retreats sponsored over Saka Dawa
• 2013: Two retreats sponsored from December 2012-June 2013 beginning on Lama Tsongkhapa Day

UPDATE April 2013: Lama Zopa Rinpoche just received this message from the Tashi Chime Gatsal Nuns who are currently doing their 2^nd 100 million mani retreat. More….

If you would like to contribute to to Rinpoche’s ongoing commitment to sponsor these 100 million mani retreats:

DONATE

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for 100 Million Mani Retreats

This is the beginning of actualizing one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT which he explained in 2007: Sponsoring 100 Million Mani Retreats.

As Rinpoche explained:

“[I would like] for the organization to establish 100,000 recitations of 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum. This can be retreats of 100 million recitations, so 100,000 different retreats in different parts of the world where it can happen regularly, each year.

There are two ways to count this. One way is once it is established for it to happen regularly each year. Or it can happen in different places, one time, and you count it like that. Maybe they are unable to do regularly but able to do one time or a few times.

So to establish this in different parts of the world such as Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Australia, China etc.

We should create a plan on how to lead the retreat of 100 million Om Mani Padme Hums: What practices to do, a plan on how to schedule the retreat, the whole structure. Once you have a structure then it is easy for people to lead the retreat.

Also you can make mani pills in the retreats.

During the retreat it is a great thing if you also take the 8 Mahayana Precepts during the retreat. You can have lunch and breakfast, but no dinner. People can take precepts for the whole time or every alternative week. So this depends on the different places. I think to combine these two is extremely great.

Then it would be very good if the retreats are sponsored by the organization. Sometimes it can also be sponsored privately, all the expenses. But the idea is to start as a project and then for the whole organization to sponsor. Or to sponsor the food or lodging. Like a center hosting, making the retreat free for everyone. The idea is for it to be sponsored so people do not have to pay. Also if an individual person is doing 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hums then still the organization can sponsor the person.

There is one story about Geshe Thubten Sopa, he led 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum retreat in the monastery. I think he is regarded as an incarnate Lama, this is not known in Sera, but actually he’s an incarnate Lama.  The monastery in Ladakh respect and regard him as an incarnate Lama.

What happened is during the retreat, the mani pills multiplied and that inspired so many people, to have faith and because of that there are now many monasteries in Ladhak that are doing 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum Retreats. So this is a great thing.”

– Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his Vast Vision for FPMT, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, March 2007

November 2012

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Abbot of Sera Je Monastery during puja.Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT Puja Fund sponsored a special one-day Hayagriva “Tsog Kong” puja on November 25, 2012 which was performed by all the high lamas, geshes and monks of Sera Je Monastery. Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Chenrezig and the protector of Sera Je Monastery. This powerful puja was requested by Rinpoche to remove obstacles in the coming year and for the benefits of all sentient beings, particularly all the students, benefactors and sponsors of FPMT centers, projects and services.

Sera Je Gegu reading the dediction for the whole day.From Sera Je Food Fund team in India: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank and dedicate this puja for all of Sera Je Food Fund sponsors and their family members. May all their wishes be fulfilled according to the holy Dharma!”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the monks at IMI House at Sera Je Monastery, November, 2012. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.November 2012: The Stupa Fund recently donated US$1,200 for a marble stupa which will be built at the IMI House in Sera Je Monastery in India. This stupa will stand approximately 1 meter high and be made out of solid marble.

October, 2012: Lama Zopa Rinpoche made a rare visit to the Sera Je Kitchen.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting the Sera Je Food Fund kitchen.

Rinpoche enjoyed the evening’s dinner that was was prepared for the 2,600 monks of Sera Je Monastery.

Letter from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

My dear kind friends, those who like to benefit other sentient being through the teachings of the Buddha.

I would like to announce that the Maitreya Project director is changing from the current director, the precious kind Peter Kedge, to the precious kind Nita Ing.

Also, the Maitreya statue will now be built in Bodhgaya, but due to restrictions there, the statue won’t be as tall as originally planned (500 feet); now it is going to be 150 feet in height. For the past nine years we have worked hard with Uttar Pradesh state government to locate the Project in Kushinagar but because of very difficult issues regarding land acquisition, with the approval of His Holiness the Dalai Lama we have now decided to build the Maitreya Statue in Bodhgaya.

For the last fifteen years Peter Kedge has dedicated his life to the Maitreya Project, working really, really hard. He has travelled to many countries such as China, Japan and so forth where other large statues have been built, to check the statues, meet the organizers and find out what difficulties they encountered with different aspects of the project, gathering as much information as possible so that our planned 500-foot Maitreya statue would be a great success, last for a thousand years or more and bring vast benefit to sentient beings and the world.

Peter also worked for many years in India, bearing many hardships and experiencing problems and difficulties there. The key difficulty, however, has been acquiring sufficient land together in one parcel.

There have also been other significant setbacks, such as major donors being unable to fulfill their commitments through difficult economic conditions and untimely death.

Once the Maitreya Statue has been built it will benefit the world and the sentient beings of the six realms, particularly those in this world, not only for a thousand years but also for a very long time after that. Any sentient being who remembers, sees, touches or hears about the statue—and of course, no question, those who actually build the statue, who offer time, life, money and all the different things needed to actualize the statue—all those sentient beings will ultimately achieve full enlightenment. By the way, they will also achieve ultimate happiness, liberation from samsara and temporary samsaric pleasure while still in samsara. So it is unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, most unbelievable, the benefits that the Maitreya Statue will bring. It will bring happiness to numberless sentient beings; this is what they will receive from the statue.

Because of the inconceivable benefits that the statue will bring sentient beings, then of course we have to expect there will be many obstacles. As you know, you have to have good karma and unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable merit to be able to finish building such a statue and then for it to last for such an incredible length of time, benefiting so many sentient beings. Even many ordinary companies in India that are only doing work for this life have to stop all their work and close down after some time because it is too difficult or there are too many obstacles. Of course, for us, there is no way that we will close down the Maitreya Project.

Thank you

I want to thank from my heart all the people who have dedicated so much of their life trying to help us build the Maitreya statue—those who have made offerings and given their time and energy. All the merit you have created will become the cause of enlightenment, to fully awaken your own mind. Even though we have not yet actualized the statue, helping in the various ways you have still becomes the most unbelievable purification, purifying negative karma and defilements created from beginningless rebirths, and an unbelievable way to collect skies of merit, especially if your help has been offered with bodhicitta motivation. In that way, every single action becomes a cause to actualize the Maitreya statue, every single action becomes highly meaningful, and so you have already collected immense, immense merits. So don’t have any regret at all. You should have not one single regret—if you do, you will harm the merit that you have already collected.

The benefits

Just to briefly mention the benefits of this statue, not only for those who have dedicated their time and made donations, even one rupee, but for anybody who touches, sees, remembers, makes offerings to or circumambulates the statue and so forth. Such actions immediately become the cause of full enlightenment for sentient beings and, by the way, an unbelievable, unbelievable cause of temporary pleasure and, after that, ultimate happiness, total liberation from oceans of samsaric suffering. But the main benefit is the ultimate one, full enlightenment for sentient beings—the total cessation of all defilements, even the subtle ones, and the completion of all qualities; full enlightenment, where there is not one sentient being left and all beings are enlightened by you, through all those actions done in relation to the Maitreya statue. Then the ultimate goal is reached.

Even if you offer just one grain of rice to the Maitreya Buddha statue, that will be the result—all temporal and ultimate happiness up until every single sentient being has been brought to full enlightenment. When that happens, the benefits of having offered that single grain of rice to the Buddha have been realized. So you can see that the benefits of the statue are really incredible.

A sutra states that even if you look at a drawing of the Buddha on a stone wall with anger, that still creates the cause to eventually see ten million buddhas.

There are five Mahayana paths to enlightenment: the paths of merit, preparation, right seeing, meditation and no more learning. The first path, the path of merit, has three categories: small, middle and great. When you achieve the great path of merit, wherever you are, you see an unbelievable number of buddhas in nirmanakaya aspect.

Just like the Kadampa Geshe Chayulwa, who was following his guru Chengawa, doing service with great devotion. He cleaned his guru’s room every day, collecting the dirt in his robes and throwing it outside. One day, when he was going down the stairs with all the room’s dirt gathered in his robes, upon reaching the third step he achieved the great path of merit and right there saw innumerable buddhas in nirmanakaya aspect.

So the benefit is not just seeing countless buddhas but ultimately achieving the total cessation of both gross and subtle obscurations and completing all qualities: full enlightenment.

The Sutra of the Mudra Entering, Generating the Power of Devotion mentions another benefit:

Buddha said to Manjushri, “Of any son or daughter of the race (lineage) or other person offering every day divine food of a hundred tastes and divine clothing to self-buddhas (solitary realizer arhats) equaling the number of atoms of the entire universe for eons equaling the number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean and, Manjushri, any son or daughter of the race or other person seeing a drawing of the Buddha or other material representation such as a painting or statue, the latter (seeing the image) collect infinitely greater merit than the former (making the offerings). So there’s no question that those putting their palms together or offering flowers, perfume, incense or light collect infinitely greater merit than those (merely seeing a drawing, painting or statue of the Buddha).”

Another common example of this comes from ancient India, where an extremely poor person who had nothing offered medicinal food to four fully ordained monks—not arya beings who have direct perception of emptiness but just ordinary sangha. The result of just this one time offering to the sangha was that in his next life he was reborn as the very powerful worldly king, Kashigar. That was the result of this very simple karma.

The quote above mentions solitary realizer arhats, who are liberated from karma and delusion. You can’t imagine the karma of making just one offering of food and clothing to solitary realizer arhats equaling the number of sand particles of the Pacific Ocean and offering one hundred devas’ food and clothing every day for one hundred eons. You can’t imagine; you can’t imagine. If you think about it, you might completely faint; you can’t imagine it. But this merit becomes miniscule compared to the merit of merely seeing a statue of the Buddha. Therefore, any sentient being who sees the Maitreya statue or just a picture of the Maitreya statue, you really can’t imagine! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! By merely seeing it once in their lifetime they receive an incredible amount of merit.

The Piled Flower Sutra states,

The benefit you experience from offering just one flower to a stupa is as great as all the happiness you have experienced since beginningless rebirths up to now.

If you think well about the benefit of making just this one offering, it’s amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing! You receive all happiness up to ultimate happiness, liberation from samsara, nirvana, and then ultimate full enlightenment for all sentient beings. Then, as I mentioned before, the final result is to free everybody—numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings—from oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to full enlightenment. That is the result of offering one flower to a stupa just once. The sutra says a stupa, but it means a statue, stupa or scripture; basically any holy object. So, whether it’s a statue of the Buddha or a painting of Buddha, it’s the same.

Here you can see that the benefits are unbelievable, unbelievable. It really is most amazing, most amazing, most amazing how building this Maitreya statue will benefit sentient beings!

This is really what the world needs. The real need is the good heart, the ultimate good heart—bodhicitta and compassion for all living beings: for numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings. Great compassion is needed more than anything else.

That is beginning of bodhicitta. From the five Mahayana paths to enlightenment, that is the root of all success up to enlightenment, all happiness; the root of temporary and ultimate happiness, full enlightenment, for the numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless suras, numberless asuras and numberless intermediate state beings. Developing bodhicitta is unbelievable, most important, even without talking about buddhas in the world; the most important thing to bring peace and happiness. So we need to develop the good heart, if not bodhicitta realization, as much as possible. With simply a good heart we give no harm and only benefit to sentient beings. In that way we can be the cause of happiness for other sentient beings. As much great compassion as possible is what is really needed in the heart of everybody in the world.

To create the cause, talk is not enough. To generate compassion and bodhicitta we need a great deal of merit. Therefore you can see how important it is to build the Maitreya statue and to actualize bodhicitta.

The great holy being Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo wrote on a stone in Ladakh that building Maitreya statues helps decrease famine all over the world. Every year, countless people all over the world die from famine, sickness and weapons, so the more Maitreya statues we build, the less this happens.

So it is my dedication and plan to build large Maitreya statues, not small, like tsa-tsas, but one story or more than one story high, as many as possible, in this world, so that such problems become fewer and all the benefits that I have mentioned accrue. So building the Maitreya statue also has this last benefit that I mentioned.

Even the name Maitreya, Gyalwa Jampa, means Victorious Loving Kind One. One of my main aims in building the Maitreya statue is for as many people as possible in the world to generate the good heart. That will bring much more peace and happiness in the world and at the same time all undesirable things will decrease: economic problems, disease, war and tsunamis and so forth; all such things will be pacified.

The need for merit

The main thing people need to have all comfort and freedom from all such problems is good karma; it is impossible to experience all comfort, success and so forth without good karma. For example, even though many people are trying to help others in Africa and other countries where they are homeless and dying of starvation and sickness, they receive very little aid. Either it is confiscated by officials or stolen by other people, so ultimately they do not receive the help. This is because from their side they haven’t created the good karma to receive the comfort and success.

Many years ago there was a severe drought in Africa and some countries tried to help by providing water by airplane, but the minute the planes arrived in Africa the water diminished in quantity and got contaminated and could not be used for drinking. This happened because they did not have the karma to receive it.

We always hear stories of how people are missing this and that, but from their side, what they really need is good karma. That’s what is actually missing. Even generating a good heart is not easy because even for that we need a lot of merit. If we want to generate a good heart, as a preliminary cause we need to create much merit.

The Maitreya Project

Regarding the Maitreya statue, it’s true that we made some mistakes. This was due to karma. We discovered much later that we made some wrong decisions with respect to expecting more money for Maitreya after we spent some or hoping to get a big amount and so forth. That didn’t work out. So we did make some mistakes along the way.

However, there are no words left to thank Peter Kedge, the past director of the Maitreya Project. For the past fifteen years he has sincerely dedicated one hundred percent of the efforts of his body, speech and mind to the Maitreya statue. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! It is amazing the way he has dedicated his life to this. From the depths of my heart, I really, really want to thank Peter and express my appreciation for him. There really are no words left to thank him.

He never wasted his life, his perfect human rebirth. He never wasted it; he made it so meaningful. Even though the statue has not yet been actualized, all the work Peter did has laid the groundwork for the statue to be built. It has also served as a way for us to gain experience and has helped us prepare to actualize the statue.

I also want to thank from my heart all the past directors of the Maitreya Project and Ven. Pende Hawter, Marcel Bertels, all the kind benefactors, and the many other people and companies who dedicated their time and energy as well.

All their work and our many years of experience will serve as the basis for building the statue in Bodhgaya. Also, I hope that we will be able to build large Maitreya statues in other countries. So all that has happened has been very useful, very important experience, for the future and for the many other large statues that I hope will be built in this world.

Now the responsibility for the Maitreya Project passes to our most kind Nita Ing. She has been a great supporter of the FPMT organization for many, many years and through her immeasurable kindness Nita is going to actualize the Maitreya statue. So I rejoice and I ask you to please rejoice too.

Finally, I request anybody who wants to achieve the benefits I have mentioned above and especially wants to benefit sentient beings in this world to please continue helping the Maitreya Statue Project in whatever way you can so that this time we will be able to overcome the obstacles and actually see the statue.

Thank you very much.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Scribe Holly Ansett, Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, USA, 26–28 August 2012, Edited by Dr.Nick Ribush Nov 2012.

Letter from Nita Ing

Dear Friends,

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our most beloved  precious Rinpoche, for Rinpoche’s patience and guidance which has brought me to The Maitreya Project. I promise to dedicate all my efforts in fulfilling Rinpoche’s Holy Wish, to actualize this Statue of Maitreya in Bodhgaya.

I wish to thank Peter Kedge for his assistance in bringing clarity to the years of the most difficult and intricate work carried out by himself and so many others. Peter and all those who were involved had tirelessly devoted over fifteen years of their lives, overcoming enormous obstacles with their devotion to Rinpoche and the Project. My deepest appreciation for Peter’s assistance in this transition, my admiration for all of his team’s dedication to the Project. I am humbled by their endeavors.

At this time the Project is in the re-organization phase, it is my wish that in the very near future we will be able to provide an update, and be able to re-open new channels for donation.

The Maitreya Project cannot succeed without your support. I wish to thank you for your patience and understanding,  I also  earnestly  request for your future support in fulfilling Rinpoche’s Holy Wish together.

Sincerely with love,

Nita Ing

Letter from Peter Kedge

November 2012

Dear Friends and Supporters of Maitreya Project,

As you now know, we are delighted to announce a major reorganization within Maitreya Project.

Nita Ing, a long time student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, is now taking over from myself as Director of the Maitreya Project. With Nita’s vast and highly successful commercial and construction experience, we are confident the goal of building Lama Yeshe’s vision in Bodhgaya will quickly succeed.

As Director, Nita kindly takes responsibility for the construction of a Maitreya Buddha statue in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India. This will now be the principal focus for the Maitreya Project.

In addition to design and construction, Nita also takes on responsibility for fundraising for the Bodhgaya Statue Project. Fundraising will be coordinated through FPMT Inc. in Portland USA. 

The Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour continues as a standalone FPMT project based in UK, and dedicated to the promotion, support, and success of, Maitreya Project.Maitreya Project was the vision of Lama Thubten Yeshe more than 30 years ago. The Project began with the wish to build a Maitreya Buddha statue symbolizing loving kindness, the root cause of fulfillment and peace.

Carrying this forward this has been a herculean task. Over time, the specification was developed to one that demanded the boundaries of technical, architectural, and engineering skills to be pushed to the very limit.

At times the legal, social, financial, technical, and logistical, challenges have seemed overwhelming and insurmountable. A succession of truly fearless directors and project staff have faced and overcome difficulties and situations which, without any exaggeration at all, have been unthinkable and unimaginable.

In the meantime I thank most sincerely, those who have worked directly for, and with Maitreya Project over these 30 years, and during the 15 years of my own involvement.

Thank you to those who have carried forward the vision. I thank all those who have volunteered in so many ways with time, energy, ideas, and skills, to bring the project to this point.

Each stage of the Project’s development takes place, “on the shoulders” of those who have carried the vision this far – my predecessor Project Directors, our wonderful and dedicated Project staff, our exceptional international architectural and engineering team, our fund raisers, donors, volunteers, sculptors, accountants, legal advisors, spiritual advisors, contractors,  printers, webmasters, lamas, monks, and monasteries who performed pujas, drivers, cooks, those who have supported the Project in unimaginable ways – where the Project is today has been made possible by the efforts of thousands of people all over the world. I thank all those who have sincerely donated in order that the Project could continue. Lama Zopa has expressed the fact that building Maitreya Project is not just the job of those on the construction site. Every person who has played any part whatsoever in the process over the last 30 years and who will do so into the future, is building Maitreya Project even though the physical statue has not yet appeared.

Some of the great monuments existing today have stood for centuries, even millennia, but they took hundreds of years to complete. We expect things to happen fast in today’s world – we don’t build buildings to last more than about 100 years. The Maitreya statues are being designed and built to last like monuments of old.Thank you to Lama Zopa Rinpoche for allowing me the privilege of participating in Maitreya Project, and thank you all for your belief and patience. You will not be disappointed.

With very best wishes to Nita and her team,

Peter Kedge
Maitreya Project Director 1997 – 2012

October 2012: For the past fifteen years the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund has been offering a small monthly stipend to 136 of the most senior teachers, and secretaries, of Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries.

In addition, the fund sponsors the travel of the top students from Sera, Gaden and Drepung monasteries to the annual Gelug exam and provides the food and tea to the 600+ monks in attendance.

In 2012 USD$25,400 was offered for the exam and stipends.

How Can I Make a Donation?

DONATE

To make a tax-deductible donation simply send your check in US dollars payable to FPMT Inc. and write “Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund” on the memo line.

FPMT Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702
USA

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is a project of FPMT Inc. and is administered by FPMT International Office located in Portland, Oregon, United States. All donations made to this fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(c)(3) to the extent allowed by law.

For more information please contact: Charitable Projects Coordinator.