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Supporting our Lamas
Ven. Roger Kunsang offering a mandala to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a long life puja, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, May 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
The official annual long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, offered on behalf of the entire FPMT organization will take place on January 22 at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. All are welcome to participate in this auspicious event by offering prayers from your heart on the day of the puja, or offering any amount toward it that you are able.
Ven. Roger Kunsang, assistant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the CEO of FPMT, Inc. also consulted Rinpoche’s gurus about prayers and practices that should be done for Rinpoche’s long life in 2020 and those recommended pujas were immediately arranged in Nepal.
Long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bendigo, Australia, May 2018. Photo courtesy of Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim.
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.
Rinpoche also regularly mentions that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life.
The Long Life Puja Fund always contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover the many ways the various funds and projects are benefiting others.
Bird’s eye view of the progress on the Compassion Wheel at Vajrapani Institute.
In December 2016, Vajrapani Institute, an FPMT retreat center in Northern California, launched the 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project. The prayer wheel, called the Compassion Wheel and standing 7 ft x 10 ft when completed, will contain 5 trillion (5,000,000,000,000) copies of OM MANI PADME HUM, the mantra of Chenrezig, the Buddhist deity who embodies universal compassion. This request came from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund recently disbursed a final grant of US$40,000 for this project.
Ven. Gyatso from Nalanda Monastery is helping to fill the Compassion Wheel.
Director Heidi Oehler reports:
“It’s quite a sight to see the Compassion Wheel come to life as this magnificent vision starts to become a reality. This special prayer wheel will be spun at the heart of the land at Vajrapani Institute, blessing all who visit the center, as well as the surrounding area.
“The basic structure has been framed out by our amazing carpenters. Engineers have designed, built and installed a new structurally reinforced frame and bearings system to hold the weight of the mantras and spin it with the force of one hand. We are now focused on putting together the wheel and getting it filled. As fortune would have it, a past staff member and current Nalanda monk who has been studying the Basic Program and helping Nalanda to fill it’s statues and prayer wheels recently returned to help us here! We are so grateful to Ven. Gyatso for helping to take on the project of filling the amazing compassion wheel.
Geshe Sherpa painted the painted the sky and earth mandalas which will go inside the wheel. Sky mandala is pictured here.
“Gelek Sherpa from Land of Medicine Buddha, painted the sky and earth mandalas which go inside the wheel. Ven. Tsering from Kachoe Dechen Ling will paint the mantras on the center poll. Microfilm with the OM MANI PADME HUM mantra are being printed and gradually shipped to Vajrapani now.”
Rinpoche has explained that every time you rejoice in an offering, the construction of the prayer wheel, and in the effort of all those who are working to actualize it, the merit doubles. When you rejoice the second time, the merit is multiplied by four. The third time, it is multiplied by eight. Lama Tsongkhapa said that to collect merit, the best way is through rejoicing.
“Each time you rejoice you collect skies of merit, making it such an easy way to achieve enlightenment.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please join us in rejoicing about the progress of this one-of-a-kind prayer wheel that will benefit Vajrapani Institute, all who visit, all beings in the area; contribute to world peace and compassion; as well as bless and benefit anyone who helps make it a reality or even cultivates a warm thought about the project.
Supporting the creation of prayer wheels and other holy objects is part of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/vast-vision/#pw
Find out more and give your support to the 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project:
http://www.vajrapani.org/prayerwheel/pw/index.php
To help ensure grants like this continue toward holy objects, all are welcome to offer a donation of any amount to the Holy Object Fund.
1,000 tsa-tsas of Lama Tsongkhapa when in progress at Chenrezig Institute’s art studio, Garden of Enlightenment.
Lama Tsongkhapa Day commemorates the anniversary of Lama Tsongkhapa’s parinirvana. It is observed on the 25th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar and, this year, which marks the 600th anniversary, falls on December 21. The Geluk International Foundation has proclaimed 2019 to be the International Year of Tsongkhapa.
Finished tsa-tsas of Lama Tsongkhapa.
In 2018 the Executive Director of the Geluk International Foundation requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to arrange the creation of 1,000 Lama Tsongkhapa tsa-tsas to be offered to Ganden Tripa Rinpoche to offer to others.
Rinpoche happily accepted this and due to the kindness of some sponsors was able to completely cover the cost of the materials, gold leafing, and shipping of the 1,000 small statues.
The Ganden Tripa or “throne-holder of Ganden” is the head of the Gelug school. Before passing away, Lama Tsongkhapa gave his robe and staff to the first Ganden Tripa to preside over Gaden Monastery which was originally founded by Tsongkhapa in 1409 in Tibet and destroyed in 1959, then re-established in Karnataka, India, in 1996 by the Tibetan population in exile.
Garrey Foulkes and the amazing volunteer artists at Chenrezig Institute’s, art studio, Garden of Enlightenment in Australia, took on this tremendous task over the last year. First they cast the 1,000 14-centimeter tsa tsas, repaired, rolled the required mantras, filled them, painted them, applied gold-leafing to the hats of each, and then packed and shipped them.
We really thank Garrey and all the volunteers for this incredible effort and offering.
Please rejoice in the creation of these 1,000 holy objects in celebration of the 600th anniversary of Lama Tsongkhapa’s parinirvana.
FPMT Education Services recently published a list compiled by Lama Zopa Rinpoche of various prayers authored by Lama Tsongkhapa or written in his honor to help students engage in this most auspicious celebration as meritoriously as possible.
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 many other worthy projects.
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Bylakuppe, India. Photo courtesy of Tashi Lhunpo Facebook page.
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, located in Bylakuppe, Southern India, and seat to the Panchen Lama, has been growing significantly over the last few decades. A courtyard was added in 2012, a new prayer hall was completed in 2015, and construction of a new expansive library began in 2016.
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund offered US$36,412.50 toward the completion of this library which will be equipped with the latest computer technology in order to educate, encourage, and inspire monastic community as well as the needs of the Bylakuppe region in general. The mission of this library is to emulate the legacy of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery of Tibet which was once a leading center for learning. You can read more about this monastery’s rich and extensive history.
Please rejoice in the completion of this library which will benefit the monks of Tashi Lhunpo as well as the entire area.
You can learn more about the many beneficial activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fundor other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Water bowls and extensive offerings at Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling Center, Mongolia, offered by a dedicated group of elderly volunteers.
Since 2000, a group of very dedicated volunteers have been offering over a thousand water bowls plus extensive offerings of flowers, incense, candles, and food daily at Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling Center, Mongolia. In August, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered these volunteers lunch to thank them for their incredible kindness and perseverance.
Most of the volunteers are retired women who have been providing this service every morning for a number of years. The average volunteer is 60-75 years old and there are two ladies who are 86. Despite hardships of weather (temperature lows can reach -20 °F) or physical challenges, the volunteers complete the offering practice daily. If 10-15 people participate, they finish in approximately 1.5-2 hours; if just a few participate, they need 2-3 hours to complete. At the conclusion of the daily offering activity, they all enjoy breakfast together. This is remarkable dedication on the part of these extraordinary volunteers.
Volunteers enjoying lunch offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche as thanks for their dedication.
This is one of a few places in the world where extensive offerings like this are happening every day. The only other locations are at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, (in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s rooms); Root Institute, India, (in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s room); Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, USA; and Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington State, USA. Extensive light offerings occur at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore; and Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Penang, Malaysia.
“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
Please rejoice that these daily offerings are occurring in Mongolia and the other locations mentioned around the world. Lama Zopa Rinpoche often advises students, whenever making offerings ourselves, to visualize places around the world where extensive daily offerings are made, in order to greatly increase our own effort. In this way, all are welcome to participate. Lama Zopa Rinpoche personally makes these offerings daily in his prayers before meals.
Thanks to each of the dedicated volunteers who have committed to offering in this way daily despite external complications or obstacles. Truly amazing!
Long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, December 17, 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Every year, Ven. Roger Kunsang, assistant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the CEO of FPMT, Inc., checks whether any practices need to be done to contribute to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la, February 2018. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang
This year, Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Namsel Dronme) advised that a 16 Arhat Long Life Puja, with additional recitations of Tenden Dukpa, would be beneficial.
This long life puja will be offered at Kopan Monastery on April 6. Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi is flying in from Singapore to preside over the ceremony.
All are welcome to participate in this puja by offering any amount toward the costs, or doing prayers during the day while this is happening.
Additionally, you may download one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life prayers to use at any time.
The official long life puja offered every year on behalf of the FPMT organization and students will take place at Kopan Monastery on December 7.
The Long Life Puja Fund contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover the many ways the various funds and projects are benefiting others..
Lama Zopa Rinpoche outside of The Great Stupa visiting the Peace Park, Bendigo, Australia, May 2018. Photo courtesy of Ian Green’s Twitter page.
In May of 2018, Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent six-weeks teaching on Bodhicaryavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) and offering Rinjung Gyatsa Retreat at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.
At the conclusion of this teaching event Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$30,000 to the FPMT entities in the area in support of their work: The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Machig Labdron Nunnery (a new nunnery at Atisha Center), Thubten Shedrup Ling, and Atisha Center. Rinpoche also offered the incredibly beautiful White Tara statue, which had been offered offered to him during the long life puja, to the new nunnery.
The retreat was attended by a cross section of FPMT students, traveling from near and far, including more than sixty-five ordained Sangha.
Please rejoice in Rinpoche’s kindness in offering these teachings and investing in the precious Dharma activity of the area.
“It is said in the teachings that among the virtues, or good karmas, the best one to practice is rejoicing. In other words, if we want to create good luck, rejoicing is the best way. People usually think that luck is something that comes from its own side. That’s completely wrong. It is not that luck suddenly comes from outside, without our having to create it. Luck comes from our mind. If we experience good luck, it’s luck that we have created with our mind.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Rinpoche gave an unprecedented number of teachings during this Australia retreat, all of which were streamed live online and are now available to watch as streaming video.
You can learn more about the many beneficial activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Offering tsog at the long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the last day of the 2016 Kopan November course. The five dakinis are also shown. Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Every year, the Long Life Puja Fund supports a long life puja offered on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services, and students to our most kind and immeasurably precious spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The next puja will be offered at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, on December 17 following Rinpoche’s teaching during the one-month lamrim course.
The ritual itself is the extensive Lama Chöpa with an added request to the dakinis, a moving plea by the students for the five dakinis who have come to take away the teacher to a pure land to allow the students’ teacher to remain with them on earth.
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.
Extensive Long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, April 23, 2017.
By maintaining harmony, following Rinpoche’s advice and offering long life pujas, FPMT students are accumulating the merits so that our precious guru will stay in the world with us for a long time. Having the continued guidance of the guru depends on the merits of the disciples. We need to create the cause for us to keep meeting with the precious guru in future lives until we attain the highest goal of enlightenment, for the benefit of all.
Rinpoche also regularly mentions that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life.
All are welcome to participate in this long life puja by making a donation toward it. For your name to be included in this incredible offering, donations must be received no later than December 12th.
Additionally, you may download one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life prayers to use at any time:
- “Bestowing Supreme Immortality” by His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche
- Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche by Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme
The Long Life Puja Fund always contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover the many ways the various funds and projects are benefiting others.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing respect to a Hayagriva statue on the altar at Idgaa Choizinling College in Mongolia.
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund sponsors the electricity for lotus light offerings to all the holy objects on the altar at Idgaa Choizinling College in Mongolia. The lights are offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Among the holy objects on this altar is an incredible Hayagriva statue (pictured on the right).
Additionally, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund offers sponsorship of daily lunch for the young monks studying at Idgaa Choizinling; and has recently offered a grant to cover the cost of a complete renovation of the monastery so there are more rooms and accommodation for the monks.
Idgaa Choizinling was established in 2003 through Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling due to the kindness of many benefactors. Idgaa is strongly connected to Sera Je Monastery in India and serves as a focal point of Buddhist learning in Mongolia. Since its inception, FPMT has been offering food to the monks studying there.
The monks of Idgaa Choizinling enjoying lunch.
The annual 100 Million Mani Retreat, which is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions, is also held in the Idgaa Choizinling gompa.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, quoting the Buddha, explains:
Any sentient being who, during the period of my teachings, makes charity well
(even if the material is the size of a hair),
For 80,000 eons there will be great results of great enjoyment:
No pain, no disease, and enjoyment of happiness.
Like that, one will be enriched with the desirable things.
At the end, you can actually achieve the result: the peerless cessation and completion (enlightenment).
Please rejoice in this continuous offering of light to these incredible holy objects, the daily lunches for the young monks, the renovation of the monastery, and the annual 100 Million Mani Retreat in Mongolia.
You can learn more about the many beneficial activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fundor other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Ven. Roger Kunsang offering a mandala to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja. Photo by Ven. Sherab.
On May 12 a moving long life puja was offered by over four hundred students to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia, following the conclusion of an incredible six-week-long retreat.
Beautiful White Tara statue made by Bertrand Cayla, painted by Sonam Sherpa and offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja. Photo by Bertrand Cayla.
During the puja, which lasted six hours, Rinpoche was offered a White Tara statue, sculpted by Bertrand Cayla over a year and a half, and intricately painted by Sonam Sherpa and Bertrand over a period of several months at Nalanda Monastery in France. The life-sized statue was shipped to Bendigo and filled by Geshe Thubten Rapten and Ven. Gyatso and made on advice of one lama who advised that a life-sized Tara statue should be made for Rinpoche’s health and long life. Students of FPMT Taiwan sponsored this holy object and it was offered to a new nunnery being established in Bendigo called Machig Labdron.
Vens. Thubten Dechen and Gyalten Wangmo offered the long life prayer to Rinpoche composed by Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) which was sung to a Bhutanese tune, during the long life puja, as the statue was being offered. You can watch a video of this:
At the end of the puja Rinpoche gave all of the offerings that were made to him to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Machig Labdron Nunnery, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, and Atisha Centre.
Proceedings of the long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Photo by Ven. Sherab.
Many materials and prayers are available and can be used for creating the cause for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life. Students are also welcome to watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings from the precious recent retreat in Australia.
The Long Life Puja Fund contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. All are welcome to contribute to this fund.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche having lunch at Vajrapani Institute with staff, members, and others, California, US, November 2015. Photo by Ven. Sherab.
Vajrapani Institute, an FPMT retreat center, is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek, CA at the end of a five-mile dirt road on the border of Castle Rock State Park. Being entirely off-grid has been an ongoing challenge for a busy operation like Vajrapani Institute’s. The logistics in terms of production and distribution of power, water, gas, and communications are complex. After forty years of managing with this difficult infrastructure, last year an overhaul of these systems commenced. Everything is being redone and the entire project is costing approximately US$800,000.
Construction at Vajrapani Institute. Photo courtesy of VPI.
Construction at Vajprapani Institute. Photo courtesy of VPI.
For example, last year five miles of conduit was installed underground. According to director Fabienne Pradelle, this is the biggest construction project the center has undertaken but essential for the future growth and safety. Fabienne explained, “Once the new infrastructures are in place, there’s a level of emergency and stress that won’t longer be there. Much more reliable. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved on a shoestring budget all these years. Our carbon footprint is impressively small.”
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund invested in the electricity wing of this considerable project. Please rejoice that this important retreat center is able to make these improvements to the infrastructure which will benefit students, teachers, and staff for years to come.
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 many other worthy projects.
New tracksuits offered to the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project.
The charitable mission of Root Institute, located in Bodhgaya, India, is to provide support to impoverished children, adolescents and adults in neighboring areas through three focused projects. Maitreya School is a primary school providing free education for local children; Tara Children’s Project is a safe, nurturing environment for HIV-affected orphans; and Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic is a free hospital serving impoverished, local people via a variety of medical systems.
For the past six years, due to the kindness of one main benefactor, the FPMT Charitable Projects has been able to offer substantial grants toward this amazing work. Additionally, Lama Zopa Rinpoche personally offers support to these beneficial activities. Recently Rinpoche offered new tracksuits to all of the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project.
Children receiving new tracksuits.
In January, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama was teaching in Bodhgaya, the children offered him three recitations of the Heart Sutra as well as “Praise to the Seventeen Nalanda Masters” in Sanskrit and His Holiness was visibly moved receiving this. (The video above shows the children reciting the Heart Sutra to His Holiness in 2017.)
Please rejoice in the ongoing support offered to the children of the Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project.
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.