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Rinpoche in the garden at Kopan Monastery, Kopan Monastery, Boudhanath, Nepal; Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
We are pleased to share our July 2022 e-news with you! This issue features news, updates, resources, opportunities, and causes for rejoicing, including:
- An update on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and practices offered for Rinpoche’s long life
- An overview and new photo album of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent activities
- Links to new teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- Social Service grants offered in support of elderly Tibetans as well as vulnerable animals
- New resources for your Dharma study and practice
- Opportunities and changes within the FPMT organization
And much more!
Please read this month’s e-news in its entirety.
Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage.
Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering an oral transmission of the Sutra of Golden Light, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said about the Sutra of Golden Light, “This text is very precious; it brings peace and happiness and is very powerful to stop violence. By hearing this text, one’s karma is purified.” Rinpoche has made a personal vow to propagate the Sutra of Golden Light and give oral transmissions of it in many parts of the world. Having the sutra recited as much as possible is also one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. Rinpoche has said, “I would like to make this request with my two palms together, to please recite the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace as much as you can.”
Flower offering on a river bank in Ukraine where students performed an animal liberation on Saka Dawa despite a bomb landing near their location.
For many years, students around the world have been reciting this powerful sutra to fulfill Rinpoche’s wishes and bring about a better world. So far this year, students in more than thirty countries have been reciting the Sutra of Golden Light. As of June, the sutra has been recited more than 1,250 times in 2022, with more than a fourth of those recitations happening in Ukraine.
When war broke out in Ukraine, a Buddhist student there made a translation of the sutra into Ukrainian. A group of students there then began reciting the sutra daily. This group also held an animal liberation for over 100 crawfish on Saka Dawa. A bomb landed in front of them on the other bank of river as they practiced, but they continued. One of the participants shared, “So this is our life now—hearing bombs and warning alarms, but keeping on practicing.” This practice of animal liberation was inspired by Chapter Seventeen, “The Previous Lives of Jalavahana’s Fish Disciples.” Another student shared, “That chapter told us how Jalavahana saw the numerous hundreds of fish, that had a lack of food and water and helped them. The strength of Jalavahana’s compassion for those fish was so powerful that it touched my heart. Having read this chapter, the seed of bodhicitta emerged in our hearts.”
Ganden Tendar Ling Center in Moscow has also organized a group recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light on Zoom, completing 108 recitations as of late May. Ganden Tendar Ling wrote about the ongoing group recitation practice, “We dedicated the merits to peace in the whole world, to a good rebirth of the killed people, to the leaders of all countries to meet the Dharma and to govern their countries according to the Dharma, to development of compassion in the heart of all people especially of the military people, to generating bodhicitta in the mind of those who were reciting the sutra and in the minds of all sentient beings. We dedicated merits to the long life of His Holiness Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We continue the group recitation and are going to collect another 108.”
Students in Singapore, the Netherlands, and Italy have also contributed significantly to this year’s recitation count. The total count of Sutra of Golden Light recitations done is 54,029 by students in ninety countries. Students doing the recitations have regularly reported experiencing a sense of peace from even reciting a small amount of the sutra.
Please visit our webpage dedicated to the recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light where you will find many resources and links, including:
- PDFs of the sutra in fifteen different languages
- Audio and video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering an oral transmission of the sutra
- Advice from Rinpoche on the benefits of reciting the sutra
- Instructions on how to dedicate your recitations and how to report them
- Stories from students about experiences reciting the sutra
“The holy Sutra of Golden Light is extremely powerful and fulfills all one’s wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment,” Rinpoche said in the advice “Recite the Golden Light Sutra for World Peace.” “It is also extremely powerful for world peace, for your own protection, the protection of your country, and the world. Also, it has great healing power for living beings in the area in which you are reciting.”
Learn more and find links and resources on our Sutra of Golden Light page:
https://fpmt.org/education/prayers-and-practice-materials/sutras/golden-light-sutra/
Related reading: Institut Vajra Yogini Offers Over 1,000 Recitations of ‘Sutra of Golden Light’ to Rinpoche:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt-community-news/news-around-the-world/institut-vajra-yogini-offers-over-1000-recitations-of-sutra-of-golden-light-to-rinpoche/
Currently FPMT Translation Services is overseeing the translation of the 29-chapter and 31-chapter versions of the Sutra of Golden Light as well as reviewing the translation of the 21-chapter edition. You can help sponsor these projects through the FPMT Translation Fund.
FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from 150 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama smiling at guests gathered for a long life ceremony for His Holiness, Dharamsala, India, June 24, 2022. Photo by Tenzin Choejor, courtesy of DalaiLama.com.
Tibetans around the world, along with an international community of students of Tibetan Buddhism, celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 87th birthday on July 6.
FPMT International Office joins the world in gratefully rejoicing in His Holiness’s exceptionally beneficial life and we offer prayers for his good health and long life among us. His Holiness has been an incomparable source of reverence and guidance to the FPMT organization since its inception, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche reminds us continuously that the highest priority for the organization is fulfilling the wishes of and offering service to His Holiness. “This is the quickest and most vast way of benefiting sentient beings,” Rinpoche has explained.
We have compiled resources for all of those wishing to make His Holiness’s birthday as beneficial as possible, as the means to honor a life of unending service to others, marked with extraordinary patience which inspires all.
On behalf of all sentient beings in desperate need of your perfect example of universal love and unending compassion for others—please, please live a very long time, Your Holiness!
For more on His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his beneficial activities, please visit DalaiLama.com.
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.
Illumin8 Festival of Light and Peace, June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa, AUS. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
On June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, in Bendigo, Australia, offered a sold-out Illumin8 Festival for the first time since 2019, enabling them to showcase all of the new Peace Park lighting features onsite. Thanks to funding from Regional Development Victoria and the City of Greater Bendigo, the Peace Park was lit up in a vibrant display of lights and color. The Great Stupa shared the following in a recent newsletter:
“The guests who braved the weather were treated to a fun night of multicultural performances from local talent, local vegetarian food, a chance to explore our Peace Park at night, and the all new fairy light display, as well as enjoy roaming performers, all concluding with a fireworks show and our Burning the Bad. It was such a great experience to be able to hold an event again, we can’t thank all our supporters enough who helped by coming or being a part of our night. We are looking forward to bringing you much more night time entertainment throughout the years to come.”
We invite you all to rejoice in these incredible images of this festival below and the inspiring work and ongoing achievements of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.
Illumin8 Festival of Light and Peace, June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa, AUS. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
Illumin8 Festival of Light and Peace, June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa, AUS. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
Illumin8 Festival of Light and Peace, June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa, AUS. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
Illumin8 Festival of Light and Peace, June 4, 2022, the Great Stupa, AUS. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
Interfaith members joined Maree Edwards MP and Great Stupa Library volunteers following news of the funding for the new Great Stupa Library. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.
We are also rejoicing in the additional news that the Great Stupa has received funding to begin building a library, which will be located inside the stupa, due to be completed in November 2022. Lama Yeshe had a vision that the Great Stupa would include a library, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama encouraged the project to develop the library as a center to encourage wider research, study, and discussion on Buddhism, along with science, other religions, and contemplative philosophies. The Great Stupa offered thanks to the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund and the Victorian Government for providing the funding. More information can be found in a recent article by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
To learn more about the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion and the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, visit the website:
https://www.stupa.org.au
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from over 150 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Tara Lanka Study Group preparing for its one hundredth Medicine Buddha puja, held at Abhayagiri Stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, April 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Lanka Study Group.
Tara Lanka Study Group in Sri Lanka has been organizing Medicine Buddha pujas in accordance with advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The island country, which is currently experiencing many extreme hardships, has a rich Buddhist history dating back two millennia. Ven.Tenzin Lekdron, who is the study group coordinator, shared this story on two big events that took place recently.
On April 9, 2022, Tara Lanka Study Group in Sri Lanka organized their one hundredth Medicine Buddha puja. Despite severe difficulties, more than one hundred Tara Lanka people from different parts of the island gathered at Abhayagiri Temple in the ancient and sacred city of Anuradhapura for this milestone event.
Participants were expecting to hear Lama Zopa Rinpoche offer the Medicine Buddha lung via Zoom to those gathered. An hour before the event, however, he asked Khandro Kunga Bhuma, who was to be arriving in Sri Lanka for a private visit, to take his place. You can imagine that at first there was some panic, but after a few phone calls, a plan was made. Khandro-la agreed to offer an in-person teaching to Tara Lanka students a few days later. Despite the last minute changes, the event at Abhayagiri Temple was a big success.
Offerings for the Medicine Buddha puja at Abhayagiri Stupa, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, April 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Lanka Study Group.
Malintha Perera from Tara Lanka organized all the logistics for the Medicine Buddha puja event, including getting the approval from the head monk at the temple and ensuring technology was available and working in that location. She arranged speakers, shelter, and food along with transport—an almost impossible task given Sri Lanka’s severe shortages. In addition to the onsite participants, many others, including people from outside the country, were able to attend on Zoom.
A monk from the temple led Pali prayers, which is an indication of the expanding interest and understanding between our traditions. Two learned speakers—Prof. Sunil Wijesiriwardana and Dr. Bertram Liyanage—gave introductions to Mahayana Buddhism, addressing key elements relevant to the attendees. Prof. Wijesiriwardana explained Mahayana ideas and their history in Sri Lanka. Dr. Liyanage spoke about the eighteen Nalanda masters and their influence in Sri Lanka.
Medicine Buddha puja event at Abhayagiri Stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, April 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Lanka Study Group.
On April 22, Khandro-la gave an in-person teaching to about thirty Tara Lanka students. Malintha Perera said that Khando-la’s talk was a “very deep teaching on dependent origination, taught in a very practical way, which also encouraged us to develop compassion.” Dr. Liyanage, who also attended, said “I never expected to hear such wisdom.” Of Khandro-la, Ruwan Basnayaka said, “Although I’ve heard about Buddha nature, this is the first time I was able to see the qualities of a Buddha embodied in a human.”
Since May, Tara Lanka Study Group has done two extensive Medicine Buddha pujas, taking Rinpoche’s most recent advice on board. Malintha organized these pujas and is aiming to continue to organize them until conditions change in the country. Dedications of these practices are also being made for the building of a 15-meter (50-foot) Medicine Buddha statue in the future.
Tara Lanka is proud to be giving people the chance to once again practice the bodhisattva path in Sri Lanka.
Tara Lanka students with Khandro-la, Sri Lanka, April 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Lanka Study Group.
You can learn more about Tara Lanka Study Group on their website: taralanka.org.
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.
Screenshot from Online Foundation Service Seminar, June 2022
The Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) is the “FPMT immersion retreat.” It provides essential information and nourishment for all serving, or wishing to serve, in the FPMT organization. The FSS retreat is key to deeply understanding the FPMT organization and the attitude we seek to cultivate as we offer service in the organization. This experiential retreat helps us to actualize the advice that service is practice and to enjoy and rejoice when offering service.
Gilda Urbina, FPMT Mexico National Coordinator, and Martha Portillo—both registered Foundation Service Seminar facilitators—recently led the first pilot of the new Online Foundation Service Seminar in Spanish.
The FPMT Foundation Service Seminar helps develop a shared understanding of the FPMT mission set out by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and a firm basis to serve joyfully and effectively within the organization. We have offered the Foundation Service Seminar Retreat for some years and are now newly offering the slightly shorter Online Foundation Service Seminar. The online FSS does not replace the full FSS retreat—our aim is for it to be helpful if on-site events are not possible or easy; and to provide an additional training format, so that the most students can engage with this fantastic learning experience.
Although Gilda and Mar had to overcome some technological difficulties, and despite the fact that both they and seminar participants were taking time on a Monday evening after a full day of work, all were delighted that they had made the effort.
Gilda comments, “The seminar was very enriching, despite the fact that we did it online, the warmth of participants and the family feeling was felt in an important way. We had a lot of learning.”
Mar adds, “I am still moved by the last session and very grateful to have lived the whole experience. Having taught the course with Gilda was very enriching for me.”
Participants also made the following comments:
“It was a very rewarding and different experience; I learned things I took for granted. Thanks!”
“The FFS course is great. It is not an easy task to lead it, but the way Gilda and Mar combine the theory with the spiritual and practical parts, shows the good heart they share with us in every session. I rejoice.”
We also rejoice and hope that this new format will be a very beneficial addition to our range of resources and support for those serving in the FPMT organization.
For more information on the Foundation Service Seminar and to find out how to register for future events, visit FPMT Service Seminars. You can also read more about past Foundation Service Seminars held around the world.
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.
Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Mission Chapel.
Andrew Vahldiek, 69, died in Santa Cruz, CA, on June 7, 2022.
Long-time student of FPMT, Andrew Vahldiek, became a quadriplegic at the age of 17, following a near-death swimming accident in Wisconsin, US. This experience devastated him both physically and emotionally as his once active lifestyle had to be abandoned for life in a wheelchair, dependent on the assistance of others. Without the benefit of tools to cope with his life-changing injury and following months spent in an acute care hospital, his doctors prescribed him a wide variety of painkillers, to which he became tolerant and subsequently addicted. Isolated and mentally unwell, he decided to quit the drugs “cold-turkey.” This is when Andrew discovered systematic relaxation, breathing mantra recitations, and in time, Tibetan Buddhism.
In an article published in Mandala in 1999, Andrew explained this change in his worldview:
“My personal care assistant who had traveled to India and who was also interested in Zen Buddhism had become good friends with a senior student of Geshe Lhundup Sopa in the University of Wisconsin Southeast Asia Studies Department. He invited me to come to Geshe-la’s private talks that he had begun giving on weekends. He suggested I look at a book entitled The Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development by Geshe Dhargyey. This was very powerful for me, although I had a problem with the concept of the hell realms and using fear as a motivating factor for spiritual practice. But this was the first contact with Tibetan Buddhism.
“Tibetan Buddhism takes a very psychological approach and goes right to the heart of the matter, instead of issuing commandments, rules. Instead of saying what is good conduct and bad conduct alone, it also presents a variety of methodological vehicles whereby one can develop the skills needed to operate in accord with a code of behavior that is positive and beneficial, not only for oneself, but for all other beings. There are so many different aspects of the Dharma that appealed to me the more I studied and went to teachings. I was a very poor student at first – I had little conception of how vast the literature is. For some years I floundered about and wasted a lot of time, but nonetheless used what little skill I had to work with difficult states of mind.
“The concept of emptiness enabled me to gradually see that I was not my body alone, and that was a great comfort to me. Instead of being someone with a concrete physical status, I was a being with consciousness with a body that is impermanent that would not remain, eventually would die, and given my karmic predisposition I could go to a different body. Just the fact of having a way intellectually of seeing myself other than this body, this disability that defines myself and my existence, helped a great deal, even though my understanding of emptiness was very, very modest. The concept alone was very helpful.”
We invite you to read more of Andrew’s inspiring story, “Changing Suffering into Happiness.”
Please also see an obituary for Andrew published in Santa Cruz Mission Chapel.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche requests that students who read obituaries pray that the person mentioned finds a perfect human body, meets a Mahayana guru, and becomes enlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the tantric teachings exist and they can become enlightened.” While reading obituaries we can also reflect on our own death and impermanence prompting us to live our lives in the most meaningful way. More advice from Lama Zopa Ripoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources (fpmt.org/death/).
To read more obituaries from the international FPMT mandala, and to find information on submission guidelines, please visit our new Obituaries page (fpmt.org/media/obituaries/).
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
We are pleased to share our June 2022 e-news with you! This issue features news, updates, resources, opportunities, and causes for rejoicing, including:
- News of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the Kopan November course
- Links to new teachings from Rinpoche
- Rejoicing in an incredibly meritorious array of pujas and prayers offered this Saka Dawa
- An update on the first Foundation Service Seminar in Australia
- Newly available materials from the Foundation Store
- Opportunities and changes within the organization
And much more!
Please read this month’s e-news in its entirety.
Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage.
Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.
Foundation Service Seminar participants, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.
The Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) is the “FPMT immersion retreat.” It provides essential information and nourishment for all serving, or wishing to serve, in the FPMT organization. The FSS retreat is key to deeply understanding the FPMT organization and the attitude we seek to cultivate as we offer service in the organization. This experiential retreat helps us to actualize the advice that service is practice and to enjoy and rejoice when offering service. Tara Institute student Kathryn Gomersal, who participated in the recent FSS at Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, shared the following about the retreat:
Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, hosted Australia’s first FPMT Foundation Services Seminar on May 18–22, 2022. Thirty-two people attended from many Australian FPMT centers, including Atisha Centre (Bendigo), Vajrayana Institute (Sydney), and Langri Tangpa Centre (Brisbane), among others. François Lecointre facilitated the five-day seminar that focused on building and strengthening our Dharma community, based on the story of the Four Harmonious Friends and on the Four Means for Drawing Sentient Beings. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the broader mission and work of the international FPMT movement and to place their own work within the context of this global community.
The retreat was an excellent opportunity for practitioners across Australia who wish to offer service within the FPMT organization. We came together, shared in the vision of FPMT founders Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and built relationships that will support the preservation and growth of Dharma practice in this country.
François Lecointre facilitating the Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.
“This seminar provided a timely opportunity for participants to reconnect with the wider FPMT family,” said François. “It was a real joy to observe the incredible richness of interactions and exchanges. Many thanks to Dave Andrews for his perseverance in organizing the seminar despite the difficult health situation and to his wife, Allys, who was supposed to co-facilitate, but had to step down at the last minute as she and Dave both tested positive for COVID. Without them, this FSS would not have happened.”
The five-day retreat has inspired us all to work together to make our centers warm and welcoming places for members, and the public more generally, who come looking for peace of mind or to learn about Buddhist spirituality. It is our wish that the skills we learned at the retreat will provide a strong foundation upon which the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche will flourish in Australia.
Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.
In recognition of the community building spirit upon which the FSS was designed, I want to share quotes about the FSS from my fellow participants:
“It was a very meaningful discussion about the past, present, and future of FPMT.”—Ven. Tenzin Lekdron
“I found the FSS really inspiring, and it energized me. I found learning about the structure of the FPMT helpful. I loved meeting new friends from around Australia and have made plans to visit Chenrezig and Langri Tangpa soon.”—Kate Danford-Storey
“Tara Institute looked after us very well, especially Ven. Tsering’s kind, hearty lunches. I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know new people and reconnect with others. The presentation and small group exercises helped me to gain a clearer sense of our national FPMT arm that links to the international foundation. I felt revitalized by the shared experience—happy for our strengths and commitment. The FSS presentation emphasized the natural evolution of our organization, through our kind lamas’ guidance and the efforts of students over the decades. François was a good example of the harmonious methods taught in FSS, encouraging openness and addressing needs as they arose. FPMT is a precious jewel in the world and will be what we make of it through our efforts together. How fortunate we are to have so many people with a broad range of skills and dedication, and common aim of universal wellbeing.” —Ven. Tenzin Tsapel
“FSS proved to be a more powerful immersion retreat than I honestly expected. Challenging, evocative, informative, compelling. Beyond this, it is a genuine vehicle to drive knowledge and harmony within the wider FPMT community, all with wisdom and compassion. How wonderful.”—Deb Stokes
“An incredible opportunity to be with members of the broader FPMT family. The FPMT educational programs are excellent. They are a graded path to take students from a raw introduction to the highest levels of Buddhist philosophy. We are part of the FPMT Family. This family has as its head His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There is then the inspiration and leadership from Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which then flows to our resident teachers at the centers. This should give us all a sense of security and faith that what we are doing is the true Buddhadharma in an unbroken tradition from the Buddha himself.”—Alan Molloy
Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.
For more information on the Foundation Service Seminar and to find out how to register for future events, visit FPMT Service Seminars.
You can learn more about Tara Institute in Melbourne by visiting their website:
https://www.tarainstitute.org.au/
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.
Shakyamuni Buddha with offerings, Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, USA. Photo by Chris Majors.
We wish everyone an auspicious Saka Dawa Duchen!
Depending on one’s time zone, a collective effort of merit-making is underway or has already occurred in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world and in the homes of teachers, students, teachers, benefactors, volunteers, and those serving the organization in all varieties of ways.
We invite you to please REJOICE in all prayers, practices, and activities celebrating Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. Karmic results on this day are multiplied by 300 million.
We would also like to remind everyone about the recommended practices for Saka Dawa we shared earlier in the month.
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from over 150 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), an international FPMT project, had a lively year in 2021, as shared in their recently released Annual Review 2021. And the project continues to build and expand on their beneficial and uplifting work in 2022. FDCW’s programs are based on Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom (UECW), which is one of FPMT’s Five Pillars of Service. UECW is a secular system of inner learning that cultivates and explores universal values. FDCW shared the following update of some key activities of 2021 and new offerings for 2022:
The highlight of 2021 was without doubt the Compassion and Wisdom in Action Conference, which followed in the footsteps of the previous year’s Big Love Festival. Seventeen speakers—including FDCW’s Honorary President Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Tenzin Ösel Hita, and Ven. Robina Courtin—shared their wisdom in engaging sessions under the four conference themes: values, mind, healing, and engaged action. Hundreds of participants joined the talks in the spirit of compassion, connection, community, and caring, and made the conference an unforgettable event.
The essence of all these activities is best summarized with a quote from a course participant who wrote, “The gentleness that threads through all of FDCW courses is what I love most.”
2022 will be a busy year, and FDCW hopes that many more people will be able to benefit from the wisdom and compassion that Universal Education offers. FDCW is also keen to hear about Universal Education initiatives from FPMT centers.
“Lama Yeshe’s vision for Universal Education was vast and in the last forty years it has inspired many people and projects around the world,” said FDCW Executive Director Victoria Coleman. “Whether you are running Universal Education activities that you would like to share with the wider world or want to strengthen the UE pillar at your center and are looking for support, please get in touch with us. We would love to hear from you!”
To learn more about the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, visit the FDCW website: https://www.compassionandwisdom.org
FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from over 150 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
We are saddened to share the news that Khyongla Rato Rinpoche peacefully passed away in Dharamsala, India, on May 24, 2022.
Khyongla Rato Rinpoche was a reincarnate lama and scholar of the Gelugpa order of Tibetan Buddhism, who was born in 1923 in the Dagyab region of Kham, in southeastern Tibet. In 1928, senior Gelugpa monks divined that a five-year-old boy living in this remote part of Tibet was the reincarnation of the ninth Khyongla. On his sixth birthday, monks on horseback took him from his parents’ home to a monastery some distance away where he was installed as its spiritual head.
For over three decades, he lived the life of a monk, studying at the most famous monasteries in Tibet and earning the Lharampa Geshe degree. In 1959, along with thousands of monks as well as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he fled the Chinese army on foot over the Himalayas to safety and to a radically different life in India, Europe, and eventually the United States.
In 1975, Khyongla Rato Rinpoche founded The Tibet Center, in New York City, US.
On May 24, 2022, The Tibet Center shared the following announcement:
“Venerable Khenpo Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland is with him and is currently performing prayers along with Rato monks in Rinpoche’s presence. His Holiness’ office has been informed and [His Eminence] Venerable Ling Rinpoche is advising Venerable Vreeland. Venerable Vreeland asks us to kindly say prayers on Rinpoche’s behalf and we will have a further statement in the near future.”
Khyongla Rato Rinpoche was a teacher of FPMT Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who received many oral transmissions from him over the years. In recent years, Khyongla Rato Rinpoche also visited FPMT’s Root Institute and Tushita Meditation Centre, both in India.
On May 24, 2022, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Kopan Monastery offered Lama Chopa puja for the fulfillment of all the wishes of Khyongla Rato Rinpoche.
The passing of this highly respected teacher is a great loss for his students and the world. Please pray for the continuation of his good works far, far into the future.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, 2018. Photo by Khen Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland.
UPDATE: Khen Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland shared photos of Khyongla Rato Rinpoche’s passing in the post “Rinpoche Has Departed” on his website.
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