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A monk offering robes, made of best quality cloth, to Buddha statue at Mahabodhi Stupa. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche carefully choosing the cloth that will be offered as robes for the Buddha statue at Mahabodhi Stupa.
Every month Lama Zopa Rinpoche arranges for a new set of robes to be offered to the precious Buddha statue inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, India.
In February, Rinpoche went to the market to choose the exact, best quality cloth for the robes and then offered prayers as a monk offered the robes to the Buddha very slowly and precisely (even though it was a busy evening with many pilgrims). This material, chosen by Rinpoche, will now always be used when offering the monthly set of robes to the statue.
The beautiful cloth Rinpoche chose for the offered robes.
In addition to offering robes every month to the Buddha statue in Bodhgaya, Lama Zopa Rinpoche also offers gold to the Jowo Buddha in Tibet and offer saffron flower petals, white wash, and material for umbrellas to Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal.
Please rejoice in these incredible monthly offerings.
You are welcome to contribute any amount to these ongoing offerings to holy objects in India, Tibet and Nepal.
The incredible and precious Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet.
Every month, on the full moon, the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of gold and robes to the most holy Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet. US$3,000 was recently sent toward this monthly offering. Even if you don’t personally make this offering, you can join in by mentally offering the gold and robes yourself.
The extensive range of monthly and annual practices and pujas that are offered in India, Nepal and around the world through the Puja Fund is astounding. As Charitable Projects Coordinator, Ven. Holly Ansett, commented, “It is like Rinpoche has taken on the personal responsibility to care for all the main holy objects in the world on behalf of FPMT.”
All are welcome to participate in the activities sponsored by the Puja Fund by offering any amount toward these ongoing beneficial pujas and practices which are performed by as many as 9,000 Sangha members:
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.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Scribe Ven. Tenzin Namdrol. Kopan, December 2012.
If you were Sangha but you didn’t wear robes, then people would not know [that you were ordained], but with robes on there is no question. That is how the robes have such incredible benefit for the mind. It is planting the seed for enlightenment when people show respect to your wearing of the robes, or to the robes themselves: This is planting the seed of liberation, and is a way of benefiting sentient beings.…
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Most Secret Hayagriva torma offering.
Every month on the Tibetan 29th day, an important day to offer protector pujas, The Puja Fund sponsors about 40 of the most senior monks of Sera Je Monastery, who specialize in the practice of Most Secret Hayagriva, to offer the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja (Hayagriva Tsog Kong). This is an all day puja with an elaborate torma offering (pictured above) and extensive prayers and meditation.
The Puja Fund just offered funds to cover the last 12 months of these pujas. The total amount for this is US$5,250.82
The Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja is dedicated to all FPMT centers, services, projects; the success of all Dharma activities and removal of obstacles; to all students who are facing obstacles; to the benefactors of the Puja Fund and to all beings.
You are welcome to contribute any amount to these powerful monthly pujas:
Every month on the full moon the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of gold and robes to the most holy Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet.
The extensive range of practices and pujas that are offered in India, Nepal and around the world through the Puja Fund is astounding. As Charitable Projects Coordinator, Ven. Holly Ansett, recently commented, “It is like Rinpoche has taken on the personal responsibility to care for all the main holy objects in the world on behalf of FPMT.”
Every month, the Puja Fund sponsors an incredible array of beneficial activities. Please check the dates that these will be occurring in May and June so you can rejoice as they are offered:
Full Moon
May 14, 2014
June 13, 2014
Prayers and Offerings:
- Offering of white-washing, Bouddhanath and Swayambunath Stupa, Nepal
- Offering new umbrellas to the stupas’ pinnacles, Bouddhanath and Swayambunath Stupa, Nepal
- Saffron flowers offered in each of the four directions. Bouddhanath and Swayambunath Stupa, Nepal
- 16 Arhant puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, Kopan Monastery, Nepal
- A new set of robes of the most precious material with meditation practice is offered each month to the Buddha inside the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya, India
- A new set of robes of the most precious material is offered monthly to the Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokhang, Lhasa Jokhang, Tibet
- Gold is also offered to the holy face of the Jowo Buddha, Lhasa Jokhang, Tibet
- Robes offered to special Chenrezig statue inside Potala palace (when possible), Tibet
Tibetan 8th day
May 7, 2014
June 6, 2014
Prayers and Offerings:
- Extensive Medicine Buddha puja on the 8th day of the Tibetan month to bring success to all one’s activities, and for long life and also when anyone has passed away, Sera Me Monastery, India
- Rs 20 offering to approx. 2000 monks, Sera Me Monastery, India
Tibetan 29th day
May 27, 2014
June 26, 2014
Prayers and Offerings:
- Hayagriva Tsog Kong: all-day puja to Hayagriva with extensive offerings offered by 40 senior monks at Sera Je Monastery
- Rs 150 offering to approx. 40 monks, Sera Je Monastery, India
In addition, the following is offered annually:
- Annual 100,000 Tsog Offerings to Padmasambhava
- Annual recitation of 100,000 Praises to the 21 Taras
- Annual recitation of the Kangyur
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the 15 days of Losar
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the month of Saka Dawa
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Chokhor Duchen
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Lha Bab Duchen
Please rejoice in the incredible ongoing offerings of pujas, practices and prayers sponsored by the Puja Fund and performed by as many as 9,000 Sangha. You are welcome to donate any amount to these ongoing offerings.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering puja.
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Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering puja.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, recently offered US$3,469 to the FPMT Puja Fund to support the ongoing amazing array of pujas and activities that are continuously offered and dedicated for the success of FPMT, the health and long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, as well as all FPMT students, benefactors, and to all beings.
The extensive range of practices and pujas that are offered in India, Nepal and around the world through the Puja Fund is astounding. As Charitable Projects Coordinator, Ven. Holly Ansett, commented, “It is like Rinpoche has taken on the personal responsibility to care for all the main holy objects in the world on behalf of FPMT.”
Supporting the Puja Fund is a high priority for Lama Zopa Rinpoche and he personally donated $65,000 to this project in 2013.
Rinpoche often mentions that much of the success of FPMT is due to the pujas that are happening all the time.
Every month the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of gold and robes to the most holy Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet.
For example, the following are offered through the Puja Fund:
- Annual 100,000 Tsog Offerings to Padmasambhava
- Annual recitation of 100,000 Praises to the 21 Taras
- Annual recitation of the Kangyur
- Monthly extensive Medicine Buddha Puja
- Monthly Extensive Hayagriva Puja
- Monthly offerings to the Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath stupas
- Monthly offering of robes and gold to the Buddha statues in Tibet and Bodhgaya
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the 15 days of Losar
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the month of Saka Dawa
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Chokhor Duchen
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Lha Bab Duchen
Please consider joining with Rinpoche in supporting The Puja Fund:
Geshe Sengye, the past Abbott of Sera Je Monastery in Tibet, and Extensive Hayagriva torma.
Every month on the Tibetan 29th day, an important day to offer protector pujas, The Puja Fund sponsors about 40 of the most senior monks of Sera Je Monastery, who specialize in the practice of Most Secret Hayagriva, to offer the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja (Hayagriva Tsog Kong). This is an all day puja with an elaborate torma offering (pictured above) and extensive prayers and meditation. 150 rs is offered to each monk offering this puja.
The Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja is dedicated to all FPMT centers, services, projects; the success of all Dharma activities and removal of obstacles; to all students who are facing obstacles; to the benefactors of the Puja Fund and to all beings.
The Puja Fund makes a small offering to the 40 monks who perform the puja; offers breakfast, lunch and dinner; and covers the cost of extensive torma offerings for the puja.
Every Tibetan 29th day (This month it is: December 31, 2013), you can remember that there are over 40 monks performing the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja. This is something amazing to rejoice in, to mentally offer and dedicate towards and also something you can participate in by donating any amount … How amazing!
You may donate toward this monthly puja and the entire array of ongoing offerings sponsored by The Puja Fund:
Most Secret Hayagriva torma.
Ven. Tsering writing the Prajnaparamita in pure gold.
Ven. Tsering, a Kopan Monk, has dedicated his life to writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Effort of this magnitude is worth rejoicing in, as this is the eleventh consecutive year he has worked on this project.
Carina Rumrill, on behalf of FPMT Charitable Projects, had the opportunity to ask Ven. Tsering a few questions about this work.
Can you tell me how you began this project? What were you doing before you began this?
[Lama Zopa] Rinpoche told me to work on this project, to write it out in gold. I was doing a translation job in Malaysia, but then, on my second trip to Malaysia, I was about to start a new contract but after a few weeks there was a new letter from Rinpoche saying he wanted me to be here [in California]. The director said, “It is the guru’s wishes,” so we should follow and I went straight to California not knowing what the project would be. I knew that Rinpoche asked me to come, but I didn’t know where, or what. I thought maybe Land of Medicine Buddha. But it was Rinpoche’s house in Aptos [Kachoe Dechne Ling in California, USA]. At first it wasn’t so clear what I would be doing, but after three months Rinpoche told me about this project. That was in 2002. So this is my 11th year.Had you done anything like this before?
No, but maybe [I had] some kind of natural talent in the arts from what I did at Kopan. I had worked with my teacher on Yamantaka three dimensional mandala, some sand mandalas, some art at Kopan. I hadn’t done any calligraphy before. Rinpoche showed me how to do the calligraphy and checked my writing. It wasn’t right at first and had to be corrected. This was a great opportunity to correct my writing and because of Rinpoche’s kindness I could do that.
Finished pages of the Prajnaparamita.
The day starts at six or seven in the morning. Before I start, I make the glue for the gold I am using. I have to mix water, make sure there is enough to stick the gold to the paper. The gold, which is for statues, is from Nepal. I get the gold ready in the morning then I set up my motivation and I do my morning prayers. It takes about half an hour to set up. Then I start and continue until about 11 or 12 noon. Sometimes I make mistakes and have to correct them, but if everything is mostly okay, I stop and take lunch for about an hour or an hour-and-a-half. Then, around 1:30, I start writing about until 4 p.m. Then I do dedications every day, the dedication is very important.
Do your hands cramp? Has sitting like this every day and writing affected your health at all?
Every day I do exercise afterward. I do exercise to keep my movement, so I think that is important. In order to continue for a long time I must be physically healthy. And so far, my health is good, hand is good.
How many hours a day is this work?
Basically regular, eight hours or so. If I did 10 hours or 13 hours, every day, this wouldn’t be good for the long run. This project is not a small project, it is a very big project. If I do like I am, I can stay stable to continue for a long time. I am not rushing and in that way I can take it easy and carry on.
Can you tell me about the supplies required? What do you use for this?
Gold, paper that Rinpoche chooses, calligraphy pen. The paper is supposed to last for a thousand years. It is also multicolored paper.
Jane Seidlitz writing out the Prajnaparamita.
There is another FPMT student, Jane, who is also working on the 2nd volume. I’m on the 4th volume, completed the 3rd. So we are working on the same project but on different volumes.
If I had to do it by myself, this would not be possible in this one life. I believe I will be 80 or so when this is finished. One volume took me five years and when Rinpoche is here [in California], I end up doing other projects for Rinpoche, so maybe not as much work on this at times.
When finished it will go into the heart mandala of the Maitreya statue.
Have you personally seen any change in your own mind after working on this most profound teaching on emptiness for eleven years?
Well now I have a strong wish to do this — perseverance — and this comes from understanding why I am doing it and the reasons. Once you know this you develop sincere interest, then the handwriting comes out because of the wish to make this effort. So you take it as your practice … something like that. So in this way, I don’t have to do retreat, but just having one project you receive from your guru, you take it as your project and carry on. Then if you have an attitude like that, I think that is one reason to be able to carry on.
Do you feel having this one focused project has helped your concentration? I know from working in the centers, there is always so much to do, phones ringing or emails coming through, many ways to be distracted by all that needs to be done. Do you feel having this one project helps to concentrate on what needs to be done?
That’s why in the morning, the motivation is so important. Going into the different centers, motivation is to help others, to benefit others, so no matter what conditions come it is always to help others, to benefit other sentient beings, especially the guru. So if you go with that motivation, then there might be some conditions arise, but sometimes it helps to remind of the motivation, one or two times during the day, in order to calm down. If you carry on like that, watch the mind, it does help, and then conditions arise, maybe anger arises, then, maybe recollect again with the motivation.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche writing out the Prajnaparamita.
Before the stroke, Rinpoche was doing some of this. He did talk a lot about this project and the benefits of writing it out in gold. He was working on the short version, 8,000 verses. I am not sure how far he is on this.
Has Rinpoche ever expressed to you about the benefits of what you are doing or said anything about the work you would like to share with others?
Rinpoche says this project is mainly for accumulation of merit so we can build the large Maitreya statue [in Kushinagar, India]. This is also for world peace and for preserving the Buddhadharma, to preserve the teachings of Buddha. For this we need to make effort to create as much merit as possible.
When you are doing the work, does it feel like practice or work?
I don’t know if it is work or not, but because of this project, I found Dharma and I am surviving. It is so beneficial for me. My heart is getting stronger than ever before.
I feel I have had a lot of purification and accumulation of merit working on this project. These teachings on emptiness, benefit me a lot, they open my eyes and also my heart.
Ven. Tsering has been writing out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold for eleven years.
Very happy. Very, very blessed to be doing the work. So blessed, the most lucky one, the most fortunate one in the whole world to do this. After about 10 years I realized how lucky I am, how fortunate that I got this project. At the beginning maybe I was not so clear what the reason was so questions were coming. Now I slowly start to understand and the more I understand the more fortunate I feel and then the more willingness comes.
When people come and visit they admire this work once they see it. No one visits who doesn’t admire and rejoice. And that is also the practical benefit, a very apparent benefit the people are happy and rejoice about this project. And also that they are happy with me, that my gurus are happy with me, that is an important part to me.
Is there anything you want to express or say about this work? To convey to others, that may be helpful to understand this project?
The gold is getting more expensive; I know it is so hard to get. Maybe others can help to contribute to this so Rinpoche can carry on and I can carry on the wishes of Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And then also to remove all obstacles to building the big statue of Maitreya.
You can learn more about this project, the benefits, and history by visiting the Prajnaparamita Project‘s webpage.
Most precious self-emanating statue of Chenrezig said to be the actual deity itself in Phakpa, Garsha Khandroling, India.
In July 2013 Lama Zopa Rinpoche engaged in retreat with Khadro-la and Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche in the valley of Lahual, India, which is known by meditators as Garsha Khandroling, “Land of the Dakinis.”
The retreat took place in one of the holy places in Garsha, Phakpa (or Triloknath), a small village with an ancient temple that houses a self-emanating statue of Chenrezig said to be the actual deity itself.
The incredible butter lamp offered to Chenrezig, will have light for all time.
During the retreat Rinpoche sponsored one year of butter for the giant silver butter lamp which is in front of this extremely precious statue of Chenrezig. The cost of a year of butter for the light offering is US$430 a year. In fact, Rinpoche has committed to offer light to this statue for as long as the statue exists.
Rinpoche made the prayer when offering the butter light: “I am offering this on behalf of all the six-realm sentient beings, all the animals, birds, fish, cockroaches, ants, every bat, every tiny insect that jumps up when you walk in the grass, every single crab, every spider, every butterfly and all the numberless animals and numberless beings in each of the six realms (hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals human beings, sura, asuras and intermediate state beings).” So this offering became an offering from all of these beings as well.
If you would like to contribute to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s extensive offerings to holy objects around the world, you may donate any amount to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund.
We are not aware of the limitless skies of benefits we achieve from the practice of offering, what we can achieve and enjoy from life to life. Even while you are in samsara, you enjoy good rebirths, wealth, and every happiness. Even just the samsaric perfections are amazing, without adding all those incredible realizations that allow us to offer deep benefit to sentient beings, liberating them from oceans of samsaric suffering and its cause, delusion and karma.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche (from Extensive Offerings, published by FPMT Education Services)
Light Offering Prayer
Composed by Lama Atisha
May the light of the lamp be equal to the great three thousand
worlds and their environments,
May the wick of the lamp be equal to the king of mountains –
Mount Meru.
May the butter be equal to the infinite ocean.
May there be billions of trillions of lamps in the presence of each
and every buddha.
May the light illuminate the darkness of ignorance of all sentient beings
From the peak of samsara down to the most torturous hell,
Whereby they can see directly and clearly all the ten directions’ Buddhas
and bodhisattvas and their pure lands.
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM E MA HO
I offer these beautifully exalted clear and luminous lights
To the thousand buddhas of the fortunate eon,
To all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the infinite pure lands
and of the ten directions,
To all the gurus, meditation deities, dakas, dakinis, dharma protectors,
and the assembly of deities of all mandalas.
From “Extensive Offering Practice,” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Available through the FPMT Foundation Store.
Every year on Lha Bab Duchen (Buddha’s Descent from Tushita) the Puja Fund sponsors an incredible array of pujas and offerings performed by Sangha around the world. This year, Lha Bab Duchen is celebrated on November 24 and the Puja Fund will sponsor over US$5,000 in pujas and practices. You are invited to participate in offering to this incredible array of beneficial activities.
- Sera Lachi (6,000 monks): Druk Chu Ma, Namgyäl Tong Chö, Zangcho (King of Prayers)
- Ganden Lachi (3,400 monks): Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja, Zangcho
- Drepung Lachi (4,200 monks): Druk Chu Ma, Namgyäl Tsechog, Zangcho
- Gyurme Tantric College (650 monks): Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions)
- Gyuto Tantric College (600 monks): Namgyäl Tong Chö, Zangcho.
- 20rs is offered to every monk at these monasteries.
- Kopan Monastery: Druk chu ma, Medicine Buddha Puja, Tsang Cho. 50rs are offered to each monk.
- Kopan Nunnery: Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja, Tsang Cho. 50rs are offered to each nun.
- Offerings to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus (His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Sakya Trizen, Geshe Sopa Rinpoche, Choden Rinpoche, Dhakpa Rinpoche, Jhado Rinpoche, Khongla Rato Rinpoche, Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche).
- Offerings are made to all the Sangha at international Sangha communities: Nalanda Monastery, France; Thubten Shedrup Ling, Australia; Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy; Chenrezig Institute, Australia; and Sangha offering service at Rinpoche’s house, USA.
- White wash and offering four giant saffron flower petals are offered to Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal, as well as new umbrellas to the stupas’ pinnacles.
- A new set of robes of the most precious material is offered to the Buddha inside the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple as well as the Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokang and also gold is offered to the holy face of the Jowo Buddha.
You can learn more about the entire array of yearly and monthly pujas, practices and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund. You are welcome to contribute to this ongoing effort.
Every month on the full moon the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of gold and robes to the holy Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet. This month, the full moon falls on November 17.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently explained some of the benefits of offering gold to holy objects:
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.
Scribe Ven. Tenzin Namdrol. Kopan, December 2012.
You can contribute to this unbelievably precious offering, any amount you are able:
Sera Mey monks performing the monthly Medicine Buddha Puja offered by the Puja Fund.
The Puja Fund recently offered US$2,843.49 for six months of monthly Medicine Buddha pujas performed by the monks of Sera Mey Monastery, South India.
This monthly puja is offered on the Tibetan 8th day of every month. 2,000 monks attend and are offered tea, bread and a small money offering for their participation. The cost of light offerings and torma offerings for the puja is also offered. This month, the puja will be performed on November 10th.
Extensive dedication prayers are made for the success of the entire FPMT organization; FPMT centers, projects, services; all students who are ill or having life obstacles; benefactors of The Puja Fund and to all beings.
Please rejoice in this monthly puja which helps support the monks of Sera Mey Monastery and has immense benefit for the entire FPMT organization.
You can donate any amount to these ongoing efforts.
