Supporting our Lamas

The children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project attending a talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche about the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. January, 2017.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in Bodhgaya, India, for several weeks from late December 2016 through February 2017. During that time Rinpoche attended the Kalachakra initiation offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, went on pilgrimage to many holy sites, met with students and other lamas, and visited and made offerings, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, to three very important FPMT social projects of Root Institute: Maitreya School, Tara Children’s Project, and Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving gifts to the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project. January, 2017.

Maitreya School is a free school benefiting impoverished children from Bodhgaya and neighboring villages. The children not only have the chance to obtain a traditional education but, more importantly, they receive life skills in compassion, honesty, and loving-kindness presented through Buddhist study. This is the core of the training and vision of the school: making lives meaningful.

Tara Children’s Project (TCP) is the only children’s home caring for HIV-affected orphaned children in the state of Bihar. Currently there are twenty-one children living there. 

Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic began in 1991 as a home for the destitute and has evolved into a diverse community health program encompassing a wide range of medical and rehabilitative services and health promotion activities. Services included allopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, health promotion and education, and patient care.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing a very sick patient of Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic. January, 2017.

While at Root Institute, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered new shoes, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and new towels to all the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project. Rinpoche also met with the children and gave a talk on Eight Verses for Thought Transformation. 

At the Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic Rinpoche offered INR₹500 plus a blanket to mothers who have children with cerebral palsy. While there Rinpoche also blessed everyone in the clinic on that day and offered extensive prayers for a number of people who were extremely sick. Rinpoche also thanked all of the doctors and nurses of the clinic who offer such an incredible service to those in need. 

Please rejoice in the incredible social services offered by Root Institute which benefit so many in need in the area. For the past six years, due to the kindness of one main benefactor, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been able to offer substantial grants toward this amazing work. 

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 and extensive offerings 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 blessings, and much more.  

Lama Zopa Rinpoche prostrating to a precious Guru Rinpoche statue during visit to Chailsa. Rinpoche sponsors the butter in the butter lamp in front of this statue 365 days a year.

Chailsa is in Solu Khumbu, north-eastern Nepal, the district where Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born. Chailsa is in the southern part of the district.

In May, Lama Zopa Rinpoche stayed at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery for a month and visited the Sagarmatha Secondary School which is located there. More than two years ago, the Social Service Fund took on the commitment of sponsoring this school which has about 120 students and is managed by Kopan Monastery.  

While in the area, Tsipri Lama approached Rinpoche about the need of these retreat houses in the area, specifically for geshes from the monasteries of Kopan, Sera, Drepung, and Ganden who have completed their studies and then wanted to engage in retreat. Rinpoche was very inspired by the project and immediately wanted to help actualize it and Rinpoche now has offered the full amount to complete this project: US$80,000. 

The sloping land below the buildings is where the new retreat area will be located. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Tsipri Lama was once a Kopan monk and is also the recognized reincarnation of a lama from the Tsipiri region of Tibet. Tsipri Lama fled Tibet and settled in the Solu Khumbu region in Nepal. The offering is to fund the building of retreat huts and a gompa for geshes who have finished their studies and want to meditate on the path in isolation. There are currently five geshes on the property who are engaged in retreat, occupying very temporary and inadequate housing. 

Providing the conditions needed for sincere practictioners to actualize the path to enlightenment is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization. 

Please rejoice in this offering which will enable many precious geshes to engage in retreat in a meaningful way in a blessed place. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries, nunneries, and individual ordained Sangha. 

The extensive offerings at Rinpoche’s residences consist of hundreds of saffron-filled water bowls that are offered daily, thousands of light offerings as well as an extensive flower garden. Photo by Chris Majors.

Resident Sangha at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s residences in Washington State and California, USA, offer weekly animal liberation practice and charity for ants, extensive daily offering practices, make tsa-tsas and stupas daily, and engage in nightly Dharma protector practices and sur offering. All of this is done with extensive dedications and prayers for the entire FPMT organization and all beings, as requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Sangha blessing Lake Omak, Washington, USA, November 2016. Photo by Ven. Holly Ansett.

Last November Rinpoche blessed several lakes located near his Washington State residence, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land (BAPL), using a variety of methods to bring the most benefit. Rinpoche asked the Sangha, in his absence, to keep going out on the lakes regularly, in order to continue to benefit all of the fish and other living beings. They were unable to do this over the winter months, but have picked up these practices again now that the ice and snow has thawed. 

Approximately 70,400 animals were liberated at Rinpoche’s houses in 2016. Not only were the animals saved from untimely death by Sangha, 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 lives. When Sangha finish these liberations, they make strong prayers for all those who are sick, have recently died, or who have requested prayers. This is one of the most beneficial aspects of this practice as the merit is shared among so many. 

Buddha statue with extensive lights at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land. Photo by Chris Majors.

Resident Sangha make thousands of light and water offerings daily. Gorgeous flowers adorn Rinpoche’s garden. About the benefits of offering to holy objects, Rinpoche has said, “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,” in Extensive Offering Practice to Accumulate the Most Extensive Merit. “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.” Rinpoche encourages extensive offerings around the world.

Please rejoice in the ongoing beneficial activity of the Sangha at Rinpoche’s residences. This is an incredible offering on behalf of the entire FPMT organization enthusiastically maintained by the resident Sangha. 

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 and extensive offerings 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 blessings, and much more.  

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Chief Representative Chophel Thupten.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is an organization based in India with the stated goals of “rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet.” The CTA attends to the welfare of the Tibetan exile community in India, who number around 100,000. It runs schools, health services, cultural activities and economic development projects for the Tibetan community as well as assists with legal issues which might arise for Tibetans in exile. More than 1,000 refugees still arrive each year from China, usually via Nepal.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, recently offered a grant to the CTA office in Bangalore (known as the CTA South Zone). Chief Representative Chophel Thupten explained that it is quite difficult to fundraise for administrative and upkeep needs of the office, but the needs are vast. Rinpoche was very happy to help in this way and offered half of the amount needed for upcoming expenses.

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. 

Extensive Long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, April 23, 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

An extensive White Tara long life puja was offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery on behalf of the entire FPMT organization on April 23, 2017. 

White Tara long life statue offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja. April 23, 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Earlier this year, Ven. Roger Kunsang received advice from Khadro Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Nangsel Dronme (Khadro-la)  on what pujas and practices are needed for Rinpoche’s health and long life. Khadro-la advised for there to be an extensive White Tara long life puja which was completed at Kopan. A beautiful White Tara long life statue was also offered to Rinpoche during the ceremony by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and Ven. Roger Kunsang. Prior to the puja Kopan monks completed a seven day White Tara retreat as part of the puja and offering. Extensive offerings were made to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the puja on behalf of all the FPMT centers, projects, and services as well as all students.

Khadro-la also advised practices that can be done by students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to help create the conditions for Rinpoche to have good health for the coming year.

The prayers advised are the Vajra Cutter Sutra, and the Dependent Arising: A Praise of the Buddha (Tendrel Topa).

All are welcome and encouraged to join in the recitation of these prayers during the rest of this Tibetan year, and keep track of your recitations.  At the end of the Tibetan year FPMT International Office will request students to report on the number of prayers recited, and then all of the accumulated recitations will be offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Please use the following dedication (ideally in addition to the usual FPMT dedication prayers):
For Lama Zopa Rinpoche to always have perfect health and to always be free of obstacles; and for all Rinpoche’s Dharma projects around the world to be highly successful, including all FPMT centers, projects, and services.

All are welcome to contribute to the expenses associated with the long life puja and statue offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Long Life Puja Fund. 

Tenzin Osel Hita requesting Lama Zopa Rinpoche to live for a very long time. Photo by Paolo Regis Photography.

On January 18th, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was offered a long life puja with the dance of the five dakinis by nuns and sponsors at Yulo Koepa, (Tara Pure Land) in Sarnath, a project of Kopan Nunnery. The main purpose of Yulo Koepa Nunnery is to facilitate Tara practice. Praises to the Twenty-one Taras is recited twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in the gompa of the nunnery with each nun taking a turn.  Every morning Four Mandala Offerings to Chittamani Tara is performed.  During the day the nuns attend language classes and study philosophy. In this way the nuns stay ahead of their studies and can participate in the annual exams at the nunnery. After a two year period the nuns return to their mother nunnery and a new group of nuns take their place. 

The nuns of Yulo Koepa Nunnery with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and some of the very kind benefactors. Photo by Paolo Regis Photography.

Recently, due to the kindness of many benefactors, a new accommodation building was constructed for the nuns. The nunnery requested that when it was completed Lama Zopa Rinpoche would visit and bless the building. They also requested for Rinpoche to accept their offering of a long life puja during this visit. Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi attended to preside over the puja. Tenzin Ösel Hita and a number of benefactors of the new building were in attendance. Ösel gave a moving speech requesting Rinpoche to live for a very long time. 

Offerings being made to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja. Photo by Paolo Regis Photography.

A delicious lunch was enjoyed by everyone after the puja. Later that evening Rinpoche granted ordination to a new nun from Bangladesh. 

The new accommodation for the nuns can be seen in the background here.

Please rejoice in this long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). 

You can learn more about Yulo Koepa, (Tara Pure Land). 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja he was offered on the last day of Kopan Monastery’s November course, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

The 2016 one-month “November course” at Kopan Monastery came to an end in early December with a birthday celebration and a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Cake being offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche by November course participants while young monks sing ”Happy Birthday,” Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birthday celebration was a fun and auspicious occasion. While cutting cake, Rinpoche explained how to think while doing this, that the knife is cutting all the delusions and self-cherishing. With every cake presented to him, Rinpoche did extensive offering prayers. Kopan’s young monks sang “Happy Birthday” to him as well, and put cheerful displays and messages wishing him a happy birthday around the monastery. It was Rinpoche’s 72nd Tibetan birthday (71st Western birthday).

Offering tsog at the long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the last day of the Kopan November course. The five dakinis are also shown. Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

On the last day of the course, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was offered a long life puja with the five dakinis on behalf of the entire FPMT organization. The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. Lama Zopa Rinpoche also mentions regularly that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life. 

After the puja, which was attended by 1,000 people, a picnic was offered for everyone, and lama dances and Sherpa dances were offered to Rinpoche. As is traditional, Rinpoche was presented a money offering at the end of the puja and Rinpoche chose to offer this toward the Sagarmatha Secondary School in Chailsa, Nepal. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche watches a lama dance at the picnic after his long life puja, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In the final days of the course, Rinpoche offered refuge to November course participants who sought it, gave a long life initiation to Rowaling people at Rowaling Gompa in Bouddhanath, just outside Kathmandu, and made light offerings at Bouddhanath Stupa, which had recently been reconsecrated after being damaged in Nepal’s April 2015 earthquake. He also gave course participants a special short teaching on 14th-15th century Tibetan yogi and iron bridge maker Thangtong Gyalpo, showing them a relic related to him.

FPMT Education Services offers a number of long life prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche on FPMT.org, all of which can be used in personal practice. Rinpoche has suggested that “Bestowing Supreme Immortality” is particularly effective as it was composed by Rinpoche’s root guru, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.

Light offerings around stupas at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Read more about Kopan Monastery and its courses and activities:
http://www.kopanmonastery.com/

Donations to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Long Life Puja Fund, which sponsors this yearly long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, are welcome.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a long life puja offered at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, January 2016. Photo by Bill Kane.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and the greatest source of inspiration for the FPMT. Service to His Holiness is the primary aim of FPMT. Lama Zopa Rinpoche calls His Holiness “the great treasure of infinite compassion embracing all sentient beings, the sole source of benefit and happiness of all sentient beings, and the sole refuge of all sentient beings.” 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking during celebrations honoring his 80th birthday at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, HP, India on June 21, 2015. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL via dalailama.com.

As the spiritual guide for six million Tibetans, as Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s guru, as a recipient of the Noble Peace Prize, and as an advocate of each individual’s universal responsibility toward humankind and the environment, His Holiness serves as a living symbol for world peace.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Lama Yeshe during His Holiness’ visit to O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros, Spain, 1982. Photo courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Since its inception, FPMT has turned to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for inspiration and guidance and attempted to promote and actualize His Holiness’ vision as much as possible and to create the cause for His Holiness’ long life. Over the years, His Holiness has visited many FPMT centers, including Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, FPMT International Office and Maitripa College, Kurukulla Center, and Chenrezig Institute. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that “[I would like] for FPMT to offer service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as much as possible and to be able to fulfill His Holiness’ wishes. This is the highest priority for the organization.” Rinpoche has further stressed that he would like “the organization to support His Holiness, offer service to His Holiness. This is the quickest and most vast way of benefiting sentient beings.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a visit to FPMT International Office, Portland, Oregon, US, May 2013. Photo by Leah Nash.

Throughout the past several decades, FPMT centers, projects, services and students have been involved in organizing and sponsoring His Holiness’ public talks and tours, supporting His Holiness’ projects, helping the Gelug monasteries in India and creating interfaith dialogues around the world, among other activities.

In 2006, His Holiness said this about Lama Zopa Rinpoche: “Rinpoche is someone who follows my guidance sincerely, very expansively and with one hundred percent trust. He possesses unwavering faith and pure samaya; not only has he pure samaya and faith, but whatever I instruct, Zopa Rinpoche has the capability to accomplish it. So whatever dedications Lama Zopa Rinpoche makes, I also pray to accomplish this and you should do the same thing.”

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

FPMT Charitable Projects in Support of His Holiness’ Vision and Long Life

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained, anything FPMT does to promote and preserve Tibetan Buddhism is an offering to His Holiness and the Tibetan people. In this way, all the activities in FPMT centers, projects, and services that are educating others in the practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism are in service to His Holiness. 

The monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered three nutritious meals every single day through the Sera Je Food Fund.

Through offering daily meals to ordained Sangha studying at Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries, such as is done through the Sera Je Food Fund, which offers three meals daily to all of the monks of Sera Je Monastery, FPMT is helping preserve Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. 

Procession of offerings during the long life ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dharamsala, India, June 21, 2015

Lama Rinpoche requested the FPMT organization to offer a long life puja to His Holiness the Dalai Lama every year. FPMT International Office has taken on this responsibility for over 20 years, and will continue to do so, on behalf of the entire organization.

The tradition of debate in Tibetan Buddhism can be traced back to Lama Tsongkhapa, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings.

His Holiness requested FPMT to establish the The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund in 1997. The purpose of the fund is to preserve the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and cultivate the teachers of tomorrow. This fund supports up to 150 senior teachers each year, including the current abbots, past abbots, and main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, with monthly stipends.

His Holiness explaining the importance of establishing the Geluk International Foundation and offices.

At a meeting held in South India in December 2014, His Holiness the Dalai Lama stressed the extreme importance of establishing the Geluk International Foundation and offices for the long-term preservation of the Gelug tradition. Lama Zopa Rinpoche immediately responded to this advice from His Holiness and offered a grant toward the construction of the building needed for this project.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Jangchup Lamrim teachings, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, India, December 2015. Photo by Cynthia Karena.

During the 2015 Jangchup Lamrim teachings, a transmission and teaching on 18 important lam-rim texts and commentaries, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the newly inaugurated Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, FPMT offered tea to 32,000 participants and money offerings to the 18,100 Sangha members present. Rinpoche composed the dedication that was made during these offerings. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Italy, 2014. Photo by Matteo Passigato.

Please rejoice in some of the ways that FPMT Charitable Projects is able to follow His Holiness’ most precious advice, create the cause for His Holiness’ long life, and offer support to His Holiness and the Tibetan people. 

May all the wishes succeed of the one savior of all sentient beings – His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
May Tibet gain autonomy immediately.
May the pure Dharma shine fully in Tibet and China and the rest of the World and may there be perfect peace and happiness.
May no one experience war, famine, sickness, or dangers of the elements, such as earthquakes.
May all beings live with bodhichitta – cause no harm and only benefit others.
May FPMT, its students and benefactors, always fulfill His Holiness’ wishes in all the future incarnations and become wish-fulfilling for all sentient beings.

– Dedication offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kalachakra for World Peace Event 2011 in Washington, D.C., USA 

Please enjoy “In Praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Praise to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a collection of comments from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has offered a grant for the translation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler’s Art of Happiness series from English into Tibetan. These translated books will be offered to the Tibetan community free of charge, thus giving Tibetan-speaking students access to His Holiness’s practical and universal teachings which are very well suited for lay students and will appeal very much to the younger generation of Tibetans who may not have had the opportunity to engage with the teachings in this format. 

Making His Holiness’s teachings available in this way is also one critical way we can help preserve Tibetan culture and support its relationship with the West. 

We will update on this important project as it progresses. 

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.

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.

Lifelike statue of Lama Yeshe, FPMT’s founder, residing now at Vajrapani Institute, CA, USA.

Since 2011, Vajrapani Institute has been working with others to create a lifelike statue of FPMT’s precious founder, Lama Yeshe. In 2013, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$10,000 toward the completion of his statue. 

In November of 2015, after an unusual array of obstacles and difficulties, the finished fiberglass statue arrived at Vajrapani Institute from Thailand, just in time for a visit by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Director Fabienne Pradelle explains, “When we opened the crate [after picking it up from the airport], Lama’s head appeared peaking up from the packing foam. Elaine Jackson burst into tears. We unpacked it and placed it in the Geshe House.” About the appearance of the statue, which depicts Lama Yeshe in a young aspect, Lama Zopa Rinpoche commented, “It is extremely good. He has become very young! In Mongolia there were statues made in China, very young looking, of Buddha Shakyamuni. The geshe said that it was very auspicious, looking young like this, so I think the young [appearance] is very auspicious.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche meets the new statue of Lama Yeshe at Vajrapani Insitute, November 2015.

Two years previously, when Fabienne was checking the progress of the statue with Rinpoche, Rinpoche told her that the statue should go in Vajrapani Institute’s new gompa (yet to be built) surrounded by 999 smaller replicas to make a total of 1,000 Lama Yeshe statues. This will form the main altar of their new gompa. The smaller statues will be made from a mold which comes from a 3D scan of the main statue. With the 3D scan, they will be able to reduce the size of the statue to whatever height they determine. From that mold, they can also create smaller replicas (either in fiberglass or possibly bronze) to offer to benefactors.

Members of the Vajrapani community with the new statue of Lama Yeshe.

About building statues of one’s guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche commented, “When you build a guru statue, you get the merit of having built numberless Buddha statues. Whether you build small or big you get unbelievable merit, the same merit as numberless statues of Buddha.” While Rinpoche offered to cover the cost of half of the smaller statues, he suggested that students should also join in the incredible merit of the statue creation by helping sponsor the other half. That is 500 opportunities to create the merit of building numberless Buddha statues! Vajrapani isn’t actively fundraising for this project yet, as they have to first build a prayer wheel, then a gompa, then an altar, in addition to other tasks before they will create the statues. But when the time approaches, all are welcome to join in and help fulfill this incredibly auspicious request from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Vajrapani Institute wishes to thank Ven. Jamyang Wamgo who initiated the project and Elea Mideke who helped see this project through to completion and traveled to Thailand twice to work with the local artists. 

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish. You can learn more about other beneficial activities this fund supports. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Italy, 2014. Photo by Matteo Passigato.

Over twenty years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested that the FPMT organization offers a long life puja to His Holiness the Dalai Lama every year. This year the annual long life puja will be offered on January 1, 2016 following His Holiness’ Jangchup Lamrim teachings. 

On behalf of all the FPMT centers, projects, services and students, we are offering a silver dharmachakra, silver sets of the seven precious royal objects and the eight auspicious symbols, a right-turning conch shell and a money offering. Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven. Roger Kunsang are both in South India and will be able to present some of the offerings directly to His Holiness during the long life puja.

All are welcome to contribute to this long life puja which is offered to purify any mistakes that occur in relation to our spiritual teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from His Holiness for a very long time. 

 “In Praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” was composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Praise to His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a collection of comments from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book.