FPMT News Around the World

Ani Baljid, Ani Gyalmo, Ani Nyima, Ani Kunkyen, and Ani Dechen taking part in the fifth 100 Million Mani Retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 2017. Photo courtesy of Ianzhina Bartanova.

Throughout the month of June 2017, the fifth 100 Million Mani Retreat was held at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and hosted by Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling (GDNSL). Center director Ianzhina Bartanova and resident teacher Ven. Thubten Gyalmo shared their reflections of the retreat:

This year marked the fifth major annual retreat event for the center, so staff and volunteers are now very familiar with what needs to be done to help enable the event to run smoothly and harmoniously. Just two weeks prior to the commencement of the event, we were extremely fortunate to receive the Great Chenrezig initiation bestowed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the venue, which brought many rich blessings to the retreat and its participants.

In any one session, approximately 200 people were in attendance, appearing to be inspired by the knowledge of the incredible merit in doing the Chenrezig practice.

The gompa filled with participants of the 100 Million Mani Retreat, Idgaaa Choizinling Monastery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 2017. Photo courtesy of Ianzhina Bartanova.

Even though the schedule was quite full and demanding, people were happy to come, participate, and make consistent effort in order to accumulate 108,548,100 mani mantras.

Tireless in their service GDNSL staff and volunteers provided conducive conditions to all participants—from a 7 a.m. morning welcome breakfast, to a vegetarian lunch, to four servings of tea through to the evening, to a daily gompa cleaning at night. Other essential daily tasks included providing information to all participants, answering visitors’ requests, and the writing down, counting, and safe recording of the dedications from a constant stream of people offering mani mantra accumulations.  

This annual event is one of FPMT Mongolia’s significant contributions to the revival of Buddhism in Mongolia, and it is interesting to note that apart from one Australian student and several casual tourist visitors lured to the monastery by the loud and melodious chanting, the participants were all Mongolian, a large percentage of whom were females forty years and older.  

Refreshments being served during the 100 Million Mani Retreat, Idgaa Choizinling Monastery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, June 2017. Photo courtesy of Ianzhina Bartanova.

The previous four retreats were held in the cooler August-September months. However, this year and for the first time, the retreat was held in June before the July Naadam holiday—the long national celebration when people travel to the countryside for horse racing and camping. The weather was rather hot, and temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit) presented some extra challenges to keeping the mind focused on prayers and sustaining long periods of mani recitation.

The real heroes of the retreat were the Sangha to whom we are deeply grateful—especially Lharampa Geshe Thubten Zopa, who oversaw the preparation and decoration of the beautiful tormas, supervised the entire altar set-up, and who gave an inspirational public talk at both the opening and closing ceremonies. Also, we’re grateful to the nuns of Dolma Ling Nunnery, who were leading the retreat, and the monks of Idgaa Choizinling Monastery, who were ever-ready to help serve tea and food, clean the temple, and offer assistance where needed.

Looking to the future, we are already discussing the possibilities of next year’s event, including organizing a strict retreat that concludes with a fire puja for participants who can commit to full participation and reciting the required number of mantras. For further information on next year’s event, please watch this space!

Learn more about the work of the FPMT in Mongolia: http://www.fpmtmongolia.org/. Read more about the 100 Million Mani Retreats in Mongolia in 2013, 2014, 2016. See photos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s May 2017 visit to Mongolia: https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/gallery/mongolia-may-2017/.

The 100 Million Mani Retreat at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy begins on October 4! Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings from Italy, as well as from Vienna on September 29-October 1, will be live streamed:
https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/lama-zopa-rinpoche-live/

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Lighting the inauguration lamp for the Liberation Prison Project in Bangalore, August 2017. Photo courtesy of Choe Khor Sum Ling.

Rashmi Krishnan, a student and volunteer of Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, India, shares news about the center’s encouraging expansion of its prison outreach through the Liberation Prison Project (LPP) to women:

For over two years, students at Choe Khor Sum Ling have been visiting male prisoners at a facility as part of their work with the Liberation Prison Project. Over the last year, the program has been expanded to include the female inmates’ section.

Between fifteen to twenty women attend the sessions, which are held every Saturday, except for second Saturdays and public holidays. As part of a session, teachings of the Buddha, which include the subjects of impermanence, karma, forgiveness, and compassion are discussed. It is very encouraging to note that the discussions are very participatory and interactive. Techniques like analytical meditation and calm abiding are also imparted during the classes.

The impact of the teachings has been heart-warming. Patience levels have improved considerably among inmates, and the willingness to be equanimous through forgiving oneself and others is eagerly implemented.

Between discussions on karma, faith, and equanimity, there are times when inmates acknowledge the improvement that has occurred in those who used to be very angry.

A drawing by Sadhana Nagendra depicts the teaching of the Liberation Prison Project run by the Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, August 2017.

One of the inmates very profoundly said that regardless of whether she is inside or outside the prison, she is constantly worried and wanted to learn how to put an end to her worries.

Our work with the inmates clearly showed that it doesn’t matter whether one is at the tenth floor of a posh high-rise or in a dreadful nine-to-five, working endless hours of a soul-numbing job or in prison—the mind that is not at peace is imprisoned and undergoes punishment.

The path of liberation is practiced by both the volunteers and the inmates as discussions and the lessons on impermanence and equanimity are internalized. During the process, the mind gradually shifts gear to higher levels of acceptance. We’ve especially begun to internalize the lesson that we may not be free to change our external circumstances, but we can use the mind to utilize present circumstances to become a better human.

Read student testimonials, program details, and teacher information on the Liberation Prison Project:
http://www.liberationprisonproject.org/

FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds new building concept drawing, August 2017. Image by Martijn Prins.

Over twenty years, Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (JBCL) in the United Kingdom has grown to become a significant focal point for practitioners, hosting an increasing number of classes and retreats, including those with Geshe Tashi Tsering from Jamyang Buddhist Centre London. Center director Kerry Prest recently shared an update of an encouraging building project at the center and news of an offering that carries the center closer to a new home:

Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds celebrated its twentieth birthday last year and marked the occasion by launching in September 2016 a fundraising campaign to find their new home in Leeds. Within the first five months, it had raised £20,000 towards its target.

The center has just received a matched funding donation of £50,000 from an anonymous donor and is re-launching their campaign in a renewed bid to find a permanent larger home within the city, having reached physical capacity in their current site.

JBCL has a long history in Leeds, having been established in 1996 under the spiritual direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. FPMT UK coordinator Jay Simpson praises the center’s continuous efforts to develop:

“JBCL continues to offer a wonderfully varied program of Buddhist and secular teachings and outreach work to the local community, schools, and hospitals, in accordance with the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

“It is fantastic news that Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds is looking to create a permanent home after twenty years of development. The Building a Community campaign is an amazing way to help preserve and spread the Dharma in the north of England, helping establish the heart of Buddhist practice in the heart of the United Kingdom. The team at JBCL have great plans for the future, and I would encourage everyone to get involved to help create a more caring and compassionate society.”

Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds altar, August 2017. Photo by Tsanka Petkova.

Last year saw a record number of visitors using the center, with over 2,000 individual visits recorded. This year looks set to increase those numbers still further, with the number of visits made to the center so far already standing at 1,500, a higher figure than that recorded over the same period in the previous year. The number of unique visitors to the center looks set to increase by over 20 percent in 2017 than was recorded in 2016, meaning that by December, there will have been a substantial increase in the use of the center by the local community for another consecutive year.

In keeping with their being the home of Tibetan Buddhism in Leeds, the center regularly hosts highly respected Buddhist teachers, both laypeople and ordained monks and nuns. Ven. Robina Courtin, Geshe Tashi Tsering, Tenzin Josh, Paula Chichester, and Ven. Amy Miller have all given teachings in 2017, on topics as diverse as ego-grasping, emptiness, kindness, and meditation.

Fiona Oliver is spiritual program coordinator at JBCL and believes the varied programming to be one of the key contributing factors of the center’s continued success and growth:

“JBCL plays a large part in many people’s lives here in Leeds and across the north of England. Our community of practitioners really value the Dharma, and appreciate the wonderful opportunities we offer to meet and receive teachings from eminent lamas such as Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Dagri Rinpoche.

“As a center, we work hard to offer a program that reflects the spiritual aspirations of all the people who visit us, and that inspires even more people to benefit from the Dharma and the wonderful visiting teachers. We hope to continue to do so for many years to come.”

With hundreds of people regularly attending their events, the team at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds look to expand into new areas, such as hosting courses on mindfulness for businesses, providing neutral spaces that can be rented out to third parties, enlarging their bookshop area, having a café area that is open to the public daily, and providing accommodation that can be used for visiting teachers or rented out to raise further income.

Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, new Tara statues. August 2017. Photo by Fiona Oliver Photography.

“Our target of £750,000 (just under $1 million US dollars) could be considered a tall order,” said center director Kerry Prest, “but we firmly believe that the commitment that has got the center so far already will continue to grow and enable this to happen. In the first two months after launching the Building a Community appeal, we had raised £4,500 to purchase 21 Buddha Tara statues on the advice of Dagri Rinpoche during his visit to the center.

“We have been astounded by the generosity being shown to us by the community, and in return we give back as much as we can. We are currently a guiding center for three FPMT groups in the north of England, plus mentoring three other groups not yet part of FPMT.”

JBCL has a number of events coming up over the next few months to raise awareness of the Building a Community campaign, including holding a sponsored 24-hour Sutra of Golden Light recitation from September 20-21, 2017, which will be live-streamed worldwide.

More details about the Jamyang Buddhist Center Leeds, and all developments in the building project can be found at www.jamyangleeds.co.uk/building-a-community or contact smile@jamyangleeds.co.uk.

Learn more about how to participate in JBCL’s worldwide Sutra of Golden Light recitation on September 20-21: http://jamyangleeds.co.uk/goldenlight/.

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Sarah Brooks and François Lecointre facilitated the April 2017 Foundation Service Seminar, Mahamuda Centre, Colville, New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Mahamuda Centre.

Sarah Brooks, spiritual program coordinator at Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity in New Zealand, shared news from the April 2017 Foundation Service Seminar—a training for those offering and wishing to offer service within FPMT centers, services, and projects. 

Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity welcomed FPMT family from Tahiti, Australia, France, New Zealand, and Mongolia for the Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) in April 2017. Initially mother nature threw up some obstacles with Cyclone Cook and significant mud slides closing the main road into our side of the peninsula. The start of the seminar was delayed so that travelers still stuck in Auckland could take the long way around (once the cyclone had passed) to get to the center. They were determined to take advantage of this precious opportunity— the last time it was offered in New Zealand was in its earlier form Training in Compassionate Cultures in 2006—so they caravanned together and made it just in time!

Group presentations at the April 2017 Foundation Service Seminar, Mahamuda Centre, Colville, New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Mahamuda Centre.

The seminar was led by FSS registered facilitators François Lecointre, director of Institut Vajra Yogini in France, and Mahamudra Centre’s spiritual program coordinator Sarah Brooks. The result was a lively international discussion about FPMT as an organization and how we can work together in harmony, provide excellent customer service, and support each other in our efforts and region.

We can all rejoice in the eleven attendees who graduated and the efforts of everyone who participated and helped make it happen, as well as Mahamudra Centre for offering it on a donation basis to make it completely accessible to anyone who wanted to come. Graduates went home inspired by Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision and wisdom, and the amazing efforts of the FPMT family over the years to build and strengthen our organization to continue to fulfill the wishes of our dear founder, Lama Yeshe.

Foundation Service Seminar attendee Jane Lewis receives her certificate of completion and gifts, Mahamuda Centre, Colville, New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Mahamuda Centre.

FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 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 Service Seminar participants at Losang Dragpa Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2017

Attention student offering service in the FPMT organization: Opportunities for developing your skills and deepening your Dharma practice await when you attend an FPMT Foundation Service Seminar! 

What Is the Foundation Service Seminar (FSS)?

The Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) is a five-day retreat that has been especially designed, following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice, for students committed to offering service within the FPMT organization. The FSS offers participants:

• Opportunities to learn, meditate on, and practice applying Dharma to their service in centers, projects, and services. 
• Exercises in team building, skillful management and people development, effective communication, stress management, and more, all delivered within an explicitly FPMT Dharma context.
• Information on how to effectively draw strength, inspiration, wisdom, and guidance from the Dharma during difficult times to help prevent and alleviate burnout.
• Introduction to Inner Job Description (IJD), a  helpful tool for integrating the Dharma into work life.
• A showcase of the vast activities and resources available within the FPMT organization.
• Immersion in FPMT Wisdom Culture.
• Opportunities to make long-lasting connections with other FPMT students, what Lama Yeshe called “family feeling.”
• An entry point to other in-depth FPMT service seminars, including the Teacher Development Service Seminar and the Rituals Service Seminar.
• Preparation for those wishing to be come registered FSS facilitators.

Foundation Service Seminar participants at Losang Dragpa Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2017

When and Where Are FSS Held?

The next scheduled Foundation Service Seminar takes place in December 2017 in Spain. Other seminars are being planned for 2018 in the UK, Switzerland, and Mexico. Interested students should contact your area’s regional or national coordinator to find out more about upcoming Foundation Services Seminars.

What Do Participants Have to Say?

“Having seen how challenging life in a Dharma center can be, how easily good intentions can get blown away, I believe it is essential that everyone working or wishing to work in the FPMT does this seminar-retreat,” one participant recently said. “So much suffering could be alleviated if people were more aware of the toolkit available to them, and even more importantly, how working in a center positively helps to develop a deep understanding of wisdom and compassion in action.”

“I definitely recommend to new directors to go to an FSS!” encourages another student. “It’s very informative. An FSS could fill any gaps of knowledge the new directors might have. Plus it’s a very inspiring seminar! I rejoiced a lot! As well, it’s a good team-building activity. New directors will learn something just by listening others’ experience; it’s indeed precious knowledge. Plus, through sharing information and representing their own center, the new directors plant the positive seeds for the future. Definitely the FSS practices will help me to be a better manager!”

Foundation Service Seminar participants at Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, California, USA, February 2017

Learn more about Foundation Service Seminars on FPMT.org. Next week, we’ll share a first-hand report from the Foundation Service Seminars held in New Zealand and in Malaysia earlier this year!

Geshe Tenzin Namdak. Photo by Deepthy Shekhar.

“Finishing the whole study program [at Sera Je Monastic University] gives an opportunity to rejoice,” Geshe Tenzin Namdak told Ven. Gyalten Lekden in the just published interview “‘Something to Rejoice In’: Geshe Tenzin Namdak In His Own Words.” In the interview Geshe Namdak, who grew up in the Netherlands, talks about meeting the Dharma, studying twenty years at Sera Je in India, helping develop Choe Khor Sum Ling, the FPMT center in Bangalore, and other topics. In his characteristically humble way, he explained, “I didn’t do much, but at least there was some Dharma activity involved for the last twenty years, so that is something to rejoice in, and that makes the mind happy.”

Geshe Namdak was formally awarded his geshe degree during a three-day ceremony in May 2017, becoming the first Westerner to complete the full course of studies there and also to sit for the final geshe examination. Towards the end of the interview, Ven. Lekden asked Geshe Namdak, “Other than the actual Buddhist philosophy, what have you learned the most over the last twenty years here at Sera?”

“I don’t know. I mean, to develop the mind takes a long time, right? It’s the same with learning a language, it takes a long time. And you don’t really notice if you progress or not because it is a very slow process,” Geshe Namdak replied. “I have learned a lot from the Tibetans: to be more relaxed, to do things in a relaxed manner. Some of the monks are very relaxed, but at the same time they work very hard. Keep the mind in that relaxed state—that’s what the gurus show us all of the time. I learned quite a bit from the Tibetans to be serious, to work as hard as you can—but keep a kind of relaxed state of mind. Sometimes that’s not always easy, though!

Read the entire interview, “‘Something to Rejoice In’: Geshe Tenzin Namdak In His Own Words”: 
https://fpmt.org/mandala/online-features/something-to-rejoice-in-geshe-tenzin-namdak-in-his-own-words/

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 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 the media team and the French translation team from the 2016 Light of the Path retreat, North Carolina, US, August 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

The month-long Light of the Path retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins on Sunday, August 20, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, US. The retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center, was inspired by a “significant and auspicious” dream that Rinpoche had to teaching Lama Atisha’s Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment. 

The first Light of the Path retreat took place in 2009. Because FPMT Education Services had plans to base a new education program, Living in the Path, on the retreat teachings, a media team and translators capture the teachings in high quality video and in multiple languages. In 2010, at the second Light of the Path retreat, the media team expanded its capacity and streamed Rinpoche’s teachings live in five languages. This practice continued and improved over the following years.

This year, students can find links to the live video streams in multiple languages of Rinpoche’s Light of the Path teachings at: 
https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/lama-zopa-rinpoche-live/

Bookmark the page as it is where you will find links to the live video streams of Rinpoche’s teachings from around the world.

This weekend the English language streams (on YouTube and on FPMT’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Facebook pages) will livestream a teaching from Sante Fe, New Mexico, US, hosted by Thubten Norbu Ling. Saturday’s teaching is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (UTC-7).

Read about the Light of the Path retreat and the Living in the Path program in an article from the new issue of Mandala:
https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-for-2017/july/living-in-the-path-an-education-program-to-capture-the-essence-of-fpmt/

Find video from all of the Light of the Path retreats on the “Rinpoche Available Now” page:
https://fpmt.org/rinpochenow/

Learn about the Living in the Path education program at:
https://fpmt.org/education/programs/living-in-the-path/

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi leading the Kopan monks and hundreds of participants in light offering and circumambulation, Singapore, May 2017. Photo by Tan Seow Kheng.

Student Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim shares news from the the 20th Vesak Celebration hosted by Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore:

The 2017 Vesak Celebration at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) carved out a special milestone for us this year. The four-day festival from May 7 to 10 marked our twentieth consecutive year of celebrating Vesak at the same location—an open space right by the Aljunied MRT Station in eastern Singapore, just across the main street from the center building.

Vesak Day is a public holiday in Singapore and every year since ABC was established in 1989, the center has held a celebration to commemorate the Buddha’s day of conception, enlightenment, and parinirvana. The first year the center ventured into the public with the Vesak celebrations was 1996, organizing it at a vacant lot behind the famous Kuan Yin (Chenrezig) temple on Waterloo Street. The following year, we took our event to the Aljunied site. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering bath to a statue of the infant Buddha at ABC’s 1998 Vesak Celebration, Singapore, 1998. Photo courtesy of ABC Archives.

ABC director Tan Hup Cheng clearly recalls the intensive preparations that went into organizing that first event at Aljunied:

“The land beside the Aljunied MRT Station was at that time vacant, so we decided to apply and have the Dharma celebration held there. The first year we applied was 1997, and we got approval so we decided to have the tentage set up on the Aljunied MRT open ground. In 1998, I think during one visit, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave Fred Cheong (now Ven. Tenzin Drachom) the task of constructing a huge Enlightenment Stupa to be draped by one million small fairy lights. That project was realized with the help of Fred’s commando friends at Changi Camp, who constructed the nearly three-story high Enlightenment Stupa by welding a steel frame inside and cladding it with plywood. It was done in three months, a record.”

The Enlightenment Stupa built from scratch at the 1998 Vesak Celebration Singapore, 1998. Photo courtesy of ABC Archives.

Hup Cheng added: “The stupa with the one million lights attracted a lot of attention. It was in the press throughout Singapore so it attracted huge crowds to the Vesak celebrations that year. Rinpoche came and he made offerings to all the buddhas with the one million lights.”

The Enlightenment Stupa set the tone for the years to come as it became a tradition for large eye-catching holy objects to form the centerpiece in our subsequent Vesak events. Giant replicas of Mount Kailash, the Mahabodhi Stupa, and a statue of Maitreya Buddha were filled with precious mantras and provided our visitors the chance to accumulate merit through the acts of circumambulating and making offerings. Since 2014, our 50-foot-tall thangka of Amitabha Buddha Pure Land has formed an inspiring focal point of our festival. All these displays of magnificent holy objects went according to advice obtained from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

The final dedication prayers recited in front of the 50-foot-tall thangka of Amitabha Buddha Pure Land at Vesak Celebration 2017, Singapore, May 2017. Photo by Tan Seow Kheng.

Besides receiving the far-sighted guidance of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for many years our Vesak celebrations enjoyed the warm and reassuring presence of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup. From 1996 up to his final visit in 2010, the late former abbot of Kopan Monastery came to Singapore every year accompanied by a team of Kopan monks to preside over a range of events, from leading pujas to giving refuge and precepts.

Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup leading light offering and circumambulation, Singapore, 2010. Photo by Yew Kim Guan.

Our Vesak celebrations have always relied on the efforts of our students and volunteers. At this twentieth anniversary juncture, it was heartwarming to look around and recognize more than a few familiar faces from the early years as well as to spot a new generation of volunteers who have sprung into their pre-teens or transformed into young adults!

Over 400 volunteers helped to organize and host Vesak Celebration 2017, which drew interest and participation from thousands of visitors throughout a four-day program. The Vesak Celebration at ABC continues to be a precious opportunity that we offer to the public to create heaps of merit and to make a connection with the Dharma. Through the years, the event has served as an important resource for funding the operating costs of our center as well as a channel to welcome new faces into our circle.

Some of the 400 ABC volunteers at the 2017 Vesak Celebration, Singapore, May 2017. Photo by Tan Seow Kheng.

In terms of the impact that our Vesak Celebration has had in supporting the center, Hup Cheng said: “The Vesak event brought many unexpected big sponsors, and brought forward many sponsors and helpers who allowed us to complete the payment of the land in the beginning, and the new center building, and even the Thousand-Arm Chenrezig statue. We should be very thankful that we paid for this land and have this building through the Vesak Day celebrations, where many donors and benefactors made contact with us and contributed.”

To commemorate our twentieth anniversary at Aljunied, we rolled out a two-part video, “20 Years @Aljunied” that recalls the origins and development of our annual celebration, and the people involved.

Watch “20 Years @Aljunied” on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCFPMT?ob=0&feature=results_main

In 2016 the United Nations recognized Vesek with an International Day of Vesak celebration on Friday, May 20 in New York City. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a message that said in part, “the sacred commemoration of the Day of Vesak offers an invaluable opportunity to reflect on how the teachings of Buddhism can help the international community tackle pressing challenges.” Read more on Lion’s Roar.

FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Smoke from the 2017 British Columbia wildfires. Photo by 150 Mile Fire Department, via Facebook.

In early July, massive wildfires in central British Columbia, Canada, broke out forcing tens of thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes, including some students from Gendun Drubpa Centre in Williams Lake. They were relieved to hear on July 27 that they could return home. Spiritual program coordinator Dianne Noort reported that for now “Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre is fine and we will be assessing the smoke damage.” The condition of the center’s Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony, which is on private property at nearby Spokin Lake, is unknown. Dianne shared some of her experiences as the south Cariboo wildfires got worse:

We carried on with our usual daily tasks and practices, but with an awareness of the wildfires. At first, everything seemed to be under control until an overnight wind and lightning storm blew out our power and then our phone, pushing us to a more alert state. Our telephone was restored first, and we received calls from close friends and family, telling us of the alarming increase in fire activity. …

We live in the Cariboo, an area on a vast plateau in southcentral British Columbia with lots of wilderness. Our daily mindset is one of rural living among trees and thick-tangled underbrush, wild animals, ranging cattle, resource extraction, and dirt roads. The commercial centers, Quesnel, Willimas Lake, and 100 Mile House, were all under threat of wildfire. So, abruptly our daily activities were less pressing, and it was more important to prepare for possibly having to leave the area. As we packed our two vehicles, three categories of possessions became evident: 1) what was needed on the road if we had to spend a night or two somewhere without food or facilities; 2) ourselves and our two large dogs, some clothing, and leashes; 3) important papers, laptops, and a few of our most valued objects. I watched my mind categorize what was important. I’m generally a minimalist; yet even so, I’d never had to think this way.

On the fourth day, our power was restored and we learned that our village gas station had reopened—a $30.00 limit per vehicle and a $20.00 limit to fill gas cans. Our usually stalwart neighbor appeared really worried about how much gas we all had and mentioned several times how long his generator had to run to get the freezer level up. He and another neighbor had also set up their fire pumps in the lake and were hosing down their roofs and the perimeters of their houses. That night we watched the TV news and the seriousness of the situation sunk in. The Williams Lake Airport was even closed. That we had phone and electricity seemed nothing short of a miracle!

Although our village of Horsefly was still safe, two days later we decided to try and get out. The smoke was very thick. Exact information on which roads were open was difficult to ascertain, partly because things were changing so quickly and partly due to no cell service in the area, making it challenging for even emergency service providers to communicate with each other. We set off in our two vehicles with our two dogs and worked our way through the back roads, taking a wrong turn, back-tracking to correct it, and eventually arriving at a Cariboo Highway checkpoint, where we were told that there was no going south as the highway had been closed only ten minutes before. 100 Mile House was evacuated. The earnest young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer informed us that he had just lost his house near the Williams Lake Airport.

It was uncanny, with burning fires on the both sides of the road, burned telephone poles being replaced by a dozen crews from the power company, smokey haze, emergency crews everywhere. Only two gas stations in Williams Lake had power, and we lined up for gas. The young couple behind us were part of the hundreds that had just been evacuated from the community adjacent to the airport. After filling up, we went to check on Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre, let the dogs out of the vehicle to feed them, and sent some text and email messages out to friends and family. Perhaps bizarrely, I watered the plants. After, we high-tailed it home, arriving just before dark.

I called as many of our Gendun Drubpa members and associates as possible in Williams Lake and surrounding areas to see how they were doing and pass on important wildfire practice information from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s “New Advice on Wildfires.” Barrie and Marilyn, owners of the beautiful property where our Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony is located, were still at their home and reported that helicopters were using the lake to fill their buckets with water. Bulldozers at the southeast corner of lake had pushed through and built a fire-guard.

A smokey haze covers Williams Lake, July 30, 2017. Photo courtesy of Dianne Noort.

At one point, I received an email from center director Colleen O’Neill:

“Once the evacuation alert was issued, I packed the thangkas and bigger statues and altar items [from the center] into my car along with a small amount of my personal belongings. The next day, I decided to evacuate due to very poor air quality. I left all our valuable and holy objects in the care of one of our members further away from the city. I was not able to remove our extensive library, our Maitreya statue, or our other ritual items or supplies because I drive a small sedan. I had to leave a bit of room for my personal precious items, and at that point in time, was not sure if I would have take my grandchildren as well because they were in my care.”

A state of emergency was called by our government. Life was surreal. It was like we were under house-arrest; our main preoccupation was to keep abreast of the ever-changing situation. The road going north to Quesnel and Prince George reopened, but on a permit-only basis. Before the week drew to a close, Williams Lake was also evacuated and everyone was directed south to Kamloops. The whole city shut down as the fires were only 7 kilometers [4 miles] away from the center of town. Now, supplies were really getting scarce. The smoke rolled in even thicker. I continued my Medicine Buddha practice and posted updated wildfire news on the Gendun Drubpa Centre Facebook page. I teach a yoga class in my community and to lighten the mood I offered a free “stress-busting” session. It was well attended!

As of July 27, residents of Williams Lake were welcomed back, but are still under an alert order. They are advised to have their cars packed, with a full tank of gas and be ready to leave again in thirty minutes. We have no updated news of the stupa and ask for everyone’s prayers and support.

Read Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for dispelling natural disasters, including fires:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/#disasters

Updates on the 2017 British Columbia wildfires is available online:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation

Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read in Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

George Manos with Vens. Pemba Norbu Sherpa and Phende, Chailsa, Solu Khumbu, Nepal, September 2016. Photo courtesy of Project Yeti.

In September 2016, long-time student and former FPMT center director George Manos and a team of three volunteers journeyed from Australia to Chailsa, Nepal, to offer dental care to the villagers living there. With the help of four porters, the team organized a shipment of over 330 pounds (150 kilos) of dental equipment and supplies. George described to Mandala the evolution of this undertaking, called Project Yeti, and what he and his team was able to accomplish on their last visit:

In 2012, my wife Helen and I established a fully equipped dental clinic in the Lama Yeshe Medical Building at Kopan Monastery. We started with an empty room and the equipment that I brought from Australia. Five years later, there are three dental units in the room fully fitted for modern restorative dentistry. Over twenty dental personnel have given up their time to treat the monks and nuns of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery.

Over the years, Kopan Monastery has helped support Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and nearby Sagarmatha Secondary School, unique because it provides Buddhist teachings for the village children living in the impoverished villages of Solu Khumbu. The school is expanding and plans to educate up to 200 children from primary school through to high school. Kopan’s Ani Fran suggested that the villagers would benefit if I was willing to go there to provide dentistry. We currently visit Chailsa once a year.

Sherpa porters load supplies at Salleri before traveling to Chailsa, September 2016. Photo courtesy of Project Yeti.

During our last visit, we worked for five days from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., examining over 100 patients and completing 150 restorations, fifteen extractions and eleven scale and cleans. We were moved by the experience and the awareness that many villagers had never previously had dental treatment. I examined one elderly monk, for example, who was concerned that his teeth were too sharp—every tooth in his mouth was decayed and broken. Quickly realizing that it would serve little purpose to extract his teeth, I picked up the drill and rounded off every sharp edge. He was so grateful that his teeth were no longer cutting his mouth.

People walked for two days for treatment. When we learned that, we knew that we had to come back. My fellow dentist John Denton drew up a five-year plan to ensure that we established a clinic there.

Our next trip is in September 2017, when we will take up equipment that will remain at the settlement. By the time of our April 2018 visit, we hope to have sufficient equipment there for future dental teams to utilize.

None of this of course would have been possible without the assistance and support of both Kopan Monastery and Thubten Shedrup Ling. And we are so grateful for the hospitality provided by Geshe Yonten.

John Denton, Ven. Pemba Norbu Sherpa, Jude Allsopp, and George Manos, Chailsa, Solu Khumbu, Nepal, September 2016. Photo courtesy of Project Yeti.

Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read in Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Patrick McGinity touches up paint on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s throne, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, July 2017. Photo courtesy of Kadampa Center.

From August 20 to September 17, Lama Zopa Rinpoche will teach in Black Mountain, North Carolina, US, at the fifth annual Light of the Path retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center. This massive Dharma undertaking requires the support of dozens of volunteers over months. Communications coordinator Patti Pandya and spiritual program coordinator Donna Seese shared this report:

In a few short weeks, Rinpoche will begin teaching at the fifth Light of the Path Retreat, and the energy at Kadampa Center in Raleigh is rising!

Some three dozen people—not just in North Carolina, but also the media team who will come from France to oversee the livestreaming of the event—have worked for months to prepare. In the coming weeks, more folks will team up to fill goodie bags for participants; clean, organize, and touch up supplies; and pack a moving truck to haul the entire retreat from Raleigh to Blue Ridge Assembly, the event site.

After an afternoon spent organizing, boxing up and labeling altar and gompa supplies for the retreat, Susan Daniel stores the boxes ready to be packed and trucked to the event site, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, July 2017. Photo courtesy of Kadampa Center.

“Supporting conditions for the teachings—oh, my gosh—it’s like a jackpot service opportunity,” said student Rebecca Z. “When Rinpoche arrives at Kadampa Center and we see our membership turn out in force, you get an experience of how profound the retreat is for people. To help be a part of that is unreal.”

Connecting to the larger FPMT family gives student Susan Daniel a quiet sense of satisfaction. After last year’s retreat she went on pilgrimage with Ven. Robina Courtin, and was delighted to encounter new friends that she had made at the Light of the Path 2016 retreat.

Some Light of the Path supplies are stored in members’ homes. Sandy Carlson checks on mugs for Sangha, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, July 2017. Photo courtesy of Kadampa Center.

For Sandy Carlson, serving Rinpoche and the Sangha puts her in a whole new zone throughout the retreat. “When you give yourself over to service like this, it’s a different mindset,” she said. “I see Rinpoche working with people, see the love that he has for people. I’ve just seen his true wisdom.”

Learn more about how you can prepare for the Light of the Path 2017 retreat on FPMT.org:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/preparing-for-the-2017-light-of-the-path-retreat/

Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read in Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Debate in the courtyard at Sera Je Monastic University, 2009, India. Photo courtesy of Ryan Matsumoto.

In the twenty-minute video below, Sera Je International Mahayana Institute (IMI) monks Vens. Tenzin Gache and Tenzin Legtsok give a demonstration of monastic debate in English, introduced and explained by Ven. Gyalten Lekden.

As the monks and nuns in geshe studies programs in Tibetan monastic institutions normally debate in Tibetan only, no matter what their first language, debate in English is rarely seen, and this video has been made by Claudio Curciotti and the Western monks to show English-speakers how debate works.

Ven. Tenzin Gache (standing) debates with Geshe Thupten Zopa on the grounds of the ancient university of Nalanda, near Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Zarina Osmonalieva.

Debate is a crucial part of monastic education. In a Mandala online article published in 2016, geshe studies student Ven. Tenzin Namjong explained, “By far the main avenue of learning at Sera is debate. Some people are surprised to hear that we have only two or three hours of classes per week. But we debate several hours a day. As we advance, there is even less class time. Once you know how to study, you read a text and then settle your doubts on the debate courtyard … Debate is analytic meditation in action. It isn’t primarily about defeating an external opponent. Rather, we need to recognize and refute our mistaken ways of thinking using reasoning. The answer in and of itself is not that helpful if you haven’t arrived at it through first identifying and then refuting the wrong view … the debate process definitely helps.”

Watch a brief explanation of debate and two short debates on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkRkF_9zcgs&feature=youtu.be

To learn more about debate and other aspects of geshe studies, and watch a short video of debate in Tibetan, see “Dhi! Ven. Tenzin Namjong on Debate, Study, and Life at Sera Je,” a Mandala online feature.

Watch a video, including some samples of debate in Tibetan, showing FPMT registered teacher and native of the Netherlands Ven. Tenzin Namdak graduating from geshe studies here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge_g4YfXza0&feature=youtu.be

Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read in Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.