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Lama Zopa Rinpoche in front of Ksitigarbha statue at Land of Medicine Buddha, September 2012. Photo courtesy of LMB's Facebook page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche joined the fourth Ksitigarbha Day celebration at Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) in California on Saturday, September 15. Rinpoche gave explanations on Ksitigarbha and a lung of the mantra in the garden area around LMB’s Ksitigarbha statue, upon which Rinpoche bestowed the name Ksitigarbha Pure Land.
Rinpoche stayed at LMB for lunch, talked to many students and watched the day’s entertainment. LMB has posted many photos of the day on their Facebook page.
“Rinpoche shone with delight at all of the offerings, food, light, gold to the statue, water bowl and prayer … so, so beautiful,” shared Denice Macy, LMB’s director. Rinpoche has been on the West Coast of the United States since June 2012, visiting California, Oregon and Washington states.
On Sunday, September 30, Rinpoche offers a Vajrasattva initiation at Vajrapani Institute in California. This is Rinpoche’s last scheduled public event in the United States during this visit. Rinpoche returns to India and Nepal in October. He is scheduled to give a Most Secret Hayagriva oral transmission at Drati Khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery, India, on October 27 and a Vajrasattva initiation at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in December.
To receive news on where Rinpoche is offering teachings and initiations, you can sign up to get updates in your email inbox by visiting Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Schedule page.
Ksitigarbha Day, Land of Medicine Buddha, September 2012. Photo courtesy of LMB's Facebook page.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Thubten Soepa, who has been a visiting teacher at FPMT’s Land of Compassion and Wisdom in Austin, Texas, U.S., for several years, recently created videos available on YouTube. One video features Geshe Soepa giving instruction in English on OM MANI PADME HUM meditation. He also has a 20-minute video in Tibetan talking about vegetarianism. (There is a 10-minute version of the talk as well.)
Geshe Soepa traveled to Alaska in the United States to teach for a few weeks during the summer. Over the next several months, he will be teaching in Ohio, New York, California, and Mexico before he returns to Austin in January 2013, where he will stay and teach a little more before going to Delhi in February 2013.
Geshe Soepa served as a resident geshe at Aryatara Institut in Germany for 10 years. He was born in Tibet, but fled at age 19 for Sera Je Monastery in India, where he received his Lharampa Geshe degree.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Wednesday, September 12, 2012, is the second annual Mindfulness Day. All are encouraged to participate in this secular celebration by generating a more peaceful, compassionate mind and cultivating awareness and presence in daily life. Wisdom Publications, the sponsor of Mindfulness Day, is offering a discount on its ebooks on mindfulness, including The Mindful Writer by Dinty W. Moore. You can read Mandala’s recent interview with Dinty in this issue’s online content. To learn more about the day, visit the Mindfulness Day website.
For practitioners of Mahayana Buddhism, mindfulness practice also includes generating a strong attitude to benefit all beings. For those interested in reading FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice on ways to increase and deepen your bodhichitta practice, visit Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s page on the Bodhisattva Attitude: How to Dedicate Your Life to Others by Lama Zopa Ripoche.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Khadro-la at Kushi Ling Retreat Centre, Italy, July 2012. Photo by Sirianni.
Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme, who is more commonly known as Khadro-la, recently offered teachings at Nalanda Monastery in France as part of a retreat on “Guru Yoga of Chenrezig, Developing a Compassionate Heart.” The retreat, Khadro-la’s second at the monastery, took place August 20-29, 2012.
During the retreat, Khadro-la took time to speak with representatives of FPMT’s European centers. They requested that she return to Europe for another teaching tour and rejoiced in Khadro-la’s affirmative answer.
“Yes, this year impossible; next year, yes,” Khadro-la told the representatives. “If it is beneficial, it’s good. But if it is not beneficial, there is a lot of money involved, a lot of work, many people make arrangements – and if a lot of money is spent and it is not beneficial, I do not feel comfortable coming. Some people really like to go to the West, to visit many countries, but I don’t have this kind of interest. What is my major interest? To be of benefit to people. So if there is benefit, then I like to come, despite hardships. We will see for next year when is good. And I already asked His Holiness about it and he said that he was happy that I visit the centers of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. And also Lama Zopa Rinpoche insisted a lot: ‘Please visit the centers.’ If it is beneficial, I will definitely come. If it is not beneficial, I will close the door, practice inside and not come!”*
During July and August 2012, Khadro-la visited several FPMT centers in Europe, including Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Nagarjuna C.E.T. Barcelona and O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros in Spain; Centro Tara Cittamani, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa and Kushi Ling Retreat Centre in Italy; Longku Center in Switzerland; and Institut Vajra Yogini and Nalanda Monastery in France. Many other European centers had also hoped to host her on this visit, but were unable to. It was good news for all that she agreed to return.
“The fact that the doctrine of the Buddha, the Buddhadharma, is remaining and still present and developing in this world, is due to the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Vajradhara himself, holder of the doctrine, who makes the doctrine of the Buddha flourish, like a lake in a rainy summer (not here – it is dry here) and the lake becomes huge,” Khadro-la told the European center representatives. “The FPMT centers are born from the kindness of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, and their great activity. There is no way to forget this great kindness, and also there’s no way to repay this kindness. … Due to the existence of these centers many sentient have had the opportunity to create a lot of merit. And also many holy beings, enlightened beings themselves, have been able to come, and in this way to create a connection, and many sentient beings have been able to meet those holy beings. … So we can see directly and indirectly in different ways, thanks to the work in FPMT centers, so much merit has been able to be accumulated. And that is really amazing.”
*Khadro-la speaking to FPMT representatives, August 23, 2012, Nalanda Monastery, France. Transcript provided by FPMT European Regional Office. Lightly edited for publication by fpmt.org/mandala/.
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With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Thubten Gyatso at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre
De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast offers serious Dharma students an ideal space for retreat. Thubten Gyatso, a long-time student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, talked about his three years spent in retreat in De-Tong Ling’s pristine coastal wilderness with Mandala magazine in 2009.
“Meditation retreat gives deep insight into one’s own mind, warts and all,” Gyatso reflected. “Actual experiences are only discussed with one’s teacher but, as we all share the same psychological processes, retreat makes it easy to understand where people are coming from and how to help them.”
Upcoming events at De-Tong Ling include a 10-day retreat in October with Ven. Thubten Dondrub. Information on the retreat can be found on De-Tong Ling’s website. Also visit, Mandala’s retreat resource page, which offers with many helpful links on retreat, including advice and more interviews with students about their retreat experiences.
Since Gyatso’s retreat, De-Tong Ling has completed an Enlightenment Stupa, which can be seen in this video.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel, Kopan Monastery, March 2011. Photo by Jo Hathaway.
On September 7, 2011, the beloved abbot of Kopan Monastery Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel showed the aspect of passing away. On Sunday, August 26, in accordance with the Tibetan calendar, Kopan Monastery is commemorating the first anniversary of Lama Lhundrup’s passing with a day of pujas and practices. Kopan is inviting all FPMT centers and students to join in prayers on that day and to make strong requests for his incarnation to return soon.
You can read Mandala’s tribute to Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, an account of his last days, photos, videos and reminiscences from students on our page dedicated to Lama Lhundrup. This page includes the prayer for his quick return, which is auspicious to recite many times on this occasion.
During the morning of August 26 at Kopan, the monks and nuns will perform extensive Medicine Buddha puja, with many additional prayers such as the eight Monlam prayers. During the day, the tantric monks will do Yamantaka self-initiation and senior nuns will do Vajrayogini self-initiation. In the late afternoon, an extensive Heruka Lama Chöpa tsog will be held with extensive offerings.
Stupa for Lama Lhundrup, Kopan Monastery, April 2012. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kukhen.
Based on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice, several stupas will be built to commemorate Lama Lhundrup. The first one, built quickly to make it auspicious for the incarnation to return soon, will be finished by Losar 2013. It is on the grounds of Kopan Monastery and Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been invited for the consecration after the Tibetan New Year. In addition, a large stupa will be built in front of the new gompa at Khachoe Ghakyil, the Kopan nunnery. Offering for the anniversary puja and/or the stupa being built at the nunnery can be made through Kopan Monastery. (Click this link and mention in the comment box what the offering is for.)
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
The Cheese Plate PDX, started by Carina Rumrill and Nick Dickison after reading Lama Zopa Rinpoche's message in the 2011 FPMT Annual Review
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s message to students in FPMT Annual Review 2011: Cherishing Life inspired Carina Rumrill – former editor of Mandala and present editorial support for FPMT International Office – and her partner, Nick Dickison, to take their extensive experience in fine dining, combine it with Portland, Oregon’s increasingly popular food cart scene, and create The Cheese Plate PDX. The high-end-style food cart has a carefully thought out vegetarian menu that reflects the importance Rinpoche places on a vegetarian diet.
One of The Cheese Plate PDX's picnic plates: soft boiled eggs with seaweed caviar, mushroom & kale pâté, cheese-stuffed olives, watermelon with ginger sea salt
In the letter, Rinpoche, who manifested a stroke in April 2011, reflected:
When I was in the hospital, I saw a program about animals that were sold to be killed in Indonesia and other countries for live export … It didn’t show how they were killed, but it showed one cow that was on the platform, with the head tied, being pulled down to be killed. The cow didn’t want to go and the man was pulling it. I thought, “I don’t have power to stop all this killing, but what I can do is to try to inspire people to become vegetarian.”
“As is often the case with Rinpoche’s students reading Rinpoche’s advice,” Carina shares, “I immediately felt the letter in the annual review was written for me. Suddenly, I realized that what we could do was not merely just make a living for ourselves and our family, but that by offering a wonderful vegetarian menu, we could actually be helping to fulfill one of Rinpoche’s wishes and requests.”
Nick Dickison (chef) and Carina's son (and employee) Alex Knowlton at The Cheese Plate PDX. Photo by Behind the Food Carts (http://behindthefoodcarts.com).
Carina and Nick’s cart focuses on local cheese from creameries that can prove commitment to the humane care of their animals; any eggs used are organic and cage-free; and a large portion of the menu is vegan. The business is a family affair as well, employing the talents of Carina’s two oldest children.
The cart and its tagline (itself inspired by Rinpoche’s letter’s closing) – “enjoy yourself. cherish others.” – is already getting attention from popular food blogs like world-famous Zagat and local up-start Behind the Food Carts (check out their stunning photos!)
“It is wonderful to enjoy yourself,” Carina remarks. “Just make sure that your enjoyment benefits others. That’s what I learned from Rinpoche, and so far, it’s working out really well!”
You can find The Cheese Plate PDX on Facebook. See photos of their yummy food and chat with the owners directly.
Two other International Office staff members also initiated a vegetarian business recently: former office manager Ugyen Shola and former director of finance Sarah Pool. Their business, Pacific Northwest Kale Chips offers delicious vegan chips made from kale.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Khadro-la at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, United States, June 2012. Photo by Marc Sakamoto.
Mandala is putting the finishing touches on its next issue, which features a new interview with Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la). While Khadro-la was visiting the FPMT International Office in Portland in June, she agreed to a second interview with us. (The first can be found in the January-March 2009 issue.) Managing editor Laura Miller asked Khadro-la to talk about her connection with and service to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, offer advice to female practitioners and share her thoughts for the development of FPMT.
Khadro-la also spoke briefly on a project she is working on with Lama Zopa Rinpoche to build two stupas on the West Coast of the United States. Her hope is that the stupas will minimize any potential damage from earthquakes that may possibly occur in the region. It has become an utmost priority for FPMT to support this project, and anyone can help through Stupas to Minimize Harm from the Elements.
Other stories in the October-December 2012 issue include a profile of Geshe Kelsang Wangmo, the world’s first female geshe; an excerpt from the just released book How to Practice Dharma: Teachings on the Eight Worldly Dharmas by Lama Zopa Rinpoche; and news of events and activities important to the international FPMT community.
If you are not already receiving Mandala but would like to, please consider becoming a Friend of FPMT. Sign up by August 26 to receive the next issue.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Sherab at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Meyers Flat, Victoria, Australia, August 2012. Photo by Hirani Chambers.
Geshe Thubten Sherab, former head master for Kopan Monastery’s school and long-time supporter of FPMT in various capacities, kicked off his first Australian tour August 3-5 at Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery in Myers Flat, Victoria, teaching on The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas.
“I enjoyed my time very much at Atisha Center and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery. The place is beautiful, clean and quiet and a very nice place to do retreat,” Geshe Sherab reports. “The retreat on the 37 verses of bodhisattva practices was attended by around 35-40 people and we enjoyed and had a good time. The retreat went very well as far as I am concerned, and I hope that those who have attended have enjoyed and benefited equally.”
Geshe Sherab took the time to visit The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, scheduled to be the largest stupa in the Western world, in nearby Maiden Gully. “I was very excited and inspired to see the progress of The Great Stupa,” he shares. “My wishes and prayers are with it for a quick completion so it can inspire and bring lots of peace and benefit to all sentient beings. I am looking forward to visit when completed.”
Geshe Sherab will make his way through “Oz” over three months, visiting over eight centers in six different states. FPMT Australia, the country’s regional office, has played a huge role in supporting the tour, organizing a master schedule and providing updates via Facebook as the tour progresses. Geshe Sherab’s unquestionable qualifications (he received his Geshe degree from Sera Je Monastery and completed tantric studies at Gyumed Tantric College) coupled with English-Tibetan bilingualism, natural warmth, and ability to connect openly with Western students, are sure to make the rest of his tour a huge success.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Tashi Tsering under Olympic rings, London, England, July 2012
By Mike Murray, Director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre
What does a Dharma center do when the Olympic Games come to town? Join in of course!
Team FPMT GB (Jamyang Buddhist Centre London’s homage to the UK’s Olympic team name), headed up by team leader and head coach Geshe Tashi Tsering, has won four golds so far.
Geshe Tashi Tsering stands outside Olympic Park, London, England, July 2012
The first gold goes to Geshe Tashi Tsering who is one of the members of the Buddhist Chaplaincy team at the Olympic Village and in the Olympic Park. This is the first time a member of the Tibetan diaspora has been involved in the games in such a way. He is thoroughly enjoying meeting people and talking with them and helping them, even if for us it seems a bit odd to see him in the Olympic volunteers uniform rather than the usual maroon robes. In between volunteering at the games, he led a retreat just outside of Graz in Austria. A very busy geshe!
Second gold goes to the monks of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery who started their five-day residency at Jamyang London on August 6. As part of our contribution to the London Cultural Olympiad running alongside the Olympics, they have very kindly agreed to create a sand mandala of the Buddha Akshobhya with Eight Goddesses of Good Fortune.
Why that one? His Holiness the Dalai Lama has given that initiation in UK and the Tashi Lhunpo monks created the sand mandala then. Also, the practice of Akshobhya, the seeing of the mandala and the recitation of his mantra is said to be a very powerful purifier of and antidote to anger. The monks are also giving a workshop, a talk and a performance of Cham, the famous costumed monastic dance of Tibet.
Jamyang has a particular link with Tashi Lhunpo as one of their key and highly revered teachers, Sera Mey Tsangpa Geshe Thubten Rinchen, is also one of the main teachers of Geshe Tashi Tsering and the uncle of Lobsang Palbar who works at the center.
The third gold goes to the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (LYWA), one thousand of whose free books we are distributing in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to UK and for the Olympics. There is something extraordinarily joyous about being able to freely give high-quality, accessible Dharma books to people who show an interest, and the kind people at LYWA make this possible. At His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent teachings in Manchester, it was particularly noticeable that the FPMT UK stall handing out books for free meant that youngsters with not so much money were able to pick up a book and open their minds. An abiding image of our time at His Holiness’ teachings was the broad smile that came across one lurky teen’s face when in answer to his suspicious “So how much are you selling this for then?” we could say, “Nothing. It’s free. Please take it.”
The fourth gold goes to the Courtyard Garden Cafe, the community interest company set up by Jamyang to provide quality wholesome tasty vegetarian food in an inner city area not known for quality vegetarian food. The cafe team does an extraordinary job bringing a fun relaxing atmosphere to cafe-courtyard eating and getting the message out that eating healthy and veggie can be tasty and fun! Every meat eater we entice to have a veggie meal, cut down on meat eating, or cut it out altogether is a success for us.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Amitabha Buddhist Centre students offer a birthday cake to Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi. Photo courtesy of ABC's Facebook page.
On July 22, Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) in Singapore offered a long life puja based on the deity Amitayus for their resident teacher Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi in honor of his 50th birthday. Khen Rinpoche also serves as abbot of Kopan Monastery. During the puja, center members meditated on Amitayus, recited mantras, made a mandala offering and prayed for the long lives of Khen Rinpoche, all their other gurus and for all the students in attendance. ABC has shared photos of the festivities on their Facebook page.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre was founded in 1989 in Singapore, but the center’s origins go back to Lama Yeshe’s 1984 visit to the country. Today, ABC is a thriving center with a rich educational program including the FPMT Basic Program, led by Khen Rinpoche. In addition, the center has a busy calendar offering regular pujas, classes and animal liberation practices.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the Light of the Path retreat, North Carolina, USA, 2009
Going on a meditation retreat can be an amazingly rewarding experience for a Dharma practitioner, but sometimes the conditions for an extended break from daily life aren’t there. The FPMT Online Learning Center, however, offers students a variety of educational programs to support their home study and also their stay-at-home retreats. Even if you have only one free day or afternoon, consider finding a quiet space and following one of the free modules offered on the Online Learning Center.
Students inspired by FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche might try the first module of the Living in the Path program called “Motivation for Life.” In five separate sessions, students receive guided instruction aimed at developing their appreciation of precious human birth, the truth of impermanence, karma and the power of bodhichitta. The sessions include video teachings from the 2009 Light of the Path retreat, readings, meditations, mindfulness exercises and service activities all to help make daily life and practice most meaningful.
August 2011 eZine
“The Diamond Cutter Meditation” is another course freely available from Living in the Path. This course feature instructions from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to meditate on the well known verse on emptiness and impermanence from the Diamond Cutter Sutra (also known as the Vajra Cutter Sutra). In two sessions, students receive instruction, accompanied by readings and activities, to help them learn to apply the verse’s meaning in daily life.
Read more about Living in the Path in a feature from the August 2011 issue of Mandala‘s eZine. (You can also find it by clicking the archive tab from the eZine page.)
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.