The 102nd Ganden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche. Photo courtesy of Drepung Loseling Monastery Facebook page.

The 102nd Ganden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, passed away on December 8, 2022 at Drepung Monastery, Karnataka, India, at age 94.

Ganden Trisur Rizong Sras Rinpoche was born in Ladakh, India in 1928, to an aristocratic family, his father being a prince of Ladakh. At age four, he was recognized as the previous Sras Rinpoche by the thirteenth Dalai Lama, who had founded the well-known Rizong retreat hermitage. After being recognized, Rinpoche entered monastic life. In 1948, Rinpoche moved to Tibet to continue his studies at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Lhasa. He remained there in Tibet until the Chinese invasion in 1959, when he fled back to India.

Back in India, Rizong Rinpoche would later be named the abbot of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in 1984. Rinpoche later became abbot of Gyume Tantric Monastery, and then served as Ganden Choje, the position held before becoming Ganden Tripa (Ganden Throneholder). In 2009, Rinpoche was appointed as the 102nd Ganden Tripa, the spiritual head of the Gelug lineage, and served the traditional full-term of seven years, retiring from the position in 2016.

The 102nd Ganden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche. Photo courtesy of Voice of Tibet Facebook page.

The Central Tibetan Administration offers some of Rinpoche’s biography:

“Rinpoche …made the practice of meditation his principal focus in life, and has conducted numerous extensive retreats, including a three-year tantric retreat on the Yamantaka mandala in a remote hermitage in Ladakh. Through his achievements in practice and scholarship, he represents the pinnacle of the Sutra and Tantra traditions.

Rinpoche was renowned for his Tantric powers, and [was] frequently called upon by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to lead ceremonies for healing and other similar purposes.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama shared some words on December 9, 2022, the morning after Rizong Rinpoche’s passing, while at a conference on secular education:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Ganden Trisur Rizong Rinpoche. Photo courtesy of Drepung Loseling Monastery Facebook page.

“Today, many old friends have gathered here. It’s with sadness that I’ve heard this morning that Kyabje Rizong Rinpoche, the former Ganden Throneholder, passed away last night. Although his passing away is a natural part of life, I’m sad because he was one of my teachers.

“I once visited him in Ladakh at a time when he was completing a long meditation retreat. He received me sitting on the very seat where he had been meditating so long and gave me the transmission of Nagarjuna’s Six Collections of Reasoning. His death reminds me of the Four Seals:

All conditioned phenomena are transient.
All polluted phenomena are unsatisfactory or in the nature of suffering.
All phenomena are empty and selfless.
Nirvana is true peace.

“Unless we cut the chains of ignorance, we will be unable to stop the cycle of suffering. We have to understand that no matter how they appear, things have no independent or absolute existence.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, and the Kopan Lama Gyupa monks offered Yamantaka self initiation upon the news of this great lamas passing. 

We are profoundly sad at the incredible loss of this remarkable meditation master, scholar, and teacher, who was one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus. We hope this outline of his life will be cause of rejoicing in his many good deeds and deep impact. 

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, May 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

FPMT International Office wishes you a most joyous holiday season and new year. We are very pleased to share with you our December 2022 e-news which is packed with news and teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, causes for rejoicing, resources for your Dharma practices, and opportunities within the organization. 

Please explore this issue in full including:

• News of an upcoming long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Information about Rinpoche’s teachings at Kopan Monastery
• Completion of a 42-foot stupa in South India
• Details of grants offered to ordained Sangha in 2022
• Materials for your study and practice

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.

Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with brother Sangye Sherpa (left), and sister Ani Ngawang Samten (right), Lawudo, Nepal, June 2008. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

This letter below by Frances Howland was originally published in the Love Lawudo Newsletter #14, November 2022. It celebrates the service of Sangye Sherpa, the brother of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the development of the Lawudo Gompa and Retreat Center during his time as director. Lawudo is a small and remote village in Nepal, and was the home of the Lawudo Lama, a hermetic yogi who spent most of his life in retreat in a cave above the village. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, so the village holds a special connection with the FPMT organization.

By Frances Howland

Sangye is the younger brother of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his sister Ven. Ngawang Samten. He was born in 1948 in the village of Thame in Solu Khumbu, one month after their father died. They were a poor Sherpa family, and the early years were filled with many hardships due to their father’s untimely death.

In 2008 Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested Sangye to become the director of Lawudo Retreat Centre and for the next 13 years he worked hard raising money and maintaining and developing Lawudo Retreat Centre in accordance with the wishes of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

The immediate advice from Rinpoche was to tear down the old monastery and build a new, larger gompa that could accommodate 500 monks. Built in 1968 it was in an extremely poor condition and at risk of collapse at any time. The building was sinking into the ground, the front pillars were crooked, and the walls were visibly leaning outwards. However, the senior Lama from Thame monastery, Lama Zopa’s uncle Ashang Yonden, and other Lamas recommended that the old gompa should be preserved as a pilgrimage site because Lama Zopa and Lama Yeshe themselves had supervised and planned the construction and carried some of the stones used in the building. Following this input, Sangye decided to reinforce the foundations with concrete while adding concrete beams and pillars in strategic places, while keeping the original building.

Lawudo Gompa, Nepal, April 2019. Photo by Harald Weichhart.

The difficulties of building in the Khumbu region cannot be stressed enough. In 1976 the Khumbu region became the Sagarmatha National Park and was declared a World Heritage Site. Everything must be carried or flown into the area. Even wood used for building cannot be cut from local trees. Sangye had to organize cargo helicopters to carry all the materials he used for all the projects he undertook. This also increased the cost substantially with each helicopter costing around 3,000 US dollars plus the porter charges to carry the goods from the Syangboche airstrip to Lawudo. Despite these challenges, new guest rooms, a new kitchen, major renovations and extensions to the existing buildings plus the construction of a library with a balcony overlooking the valley were all completed. The logistics of all of these projects are mind-boggling.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lawudo Retreat Center, with sangha and his brother Sangye Sherpa (with hat), Lawudo, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

In late March 2015 a group of us accompanied Rinpoche to Lawudo. Sangye and Ven. Ngawang Samten hosted everyone and there was a big opening ceremony for the new library building, with a procession of monks from a nearby monastery. On April 25th, Lama Zopa Rinpoche had just left Lawudo to return to Kathmandu when a major earthquake measuring 7.6 shook Nepal. No one in Lawudo or the surrounding villages died but most buildings and many stupas on the trails were damaged. At Lawudo the impact was severe. There were cracks in the gompa, the dining room roof fell down, the toilets collapsed, the stone walls of every building cracked open, and the new library where we had just had the opening ceremony was cracked with many stones fallen. Sangye immediately organized an Earthquake Relief for Damage at Lawudo to help fund the repairs.

The 22-foot statue of Padmasambhava arriving to Lawudo by helicopter, with Ven. Tashi Nyima, pictured.

Another task that Lama Zopa gave his brother was to install a 22 feet-high Padmasambhava statue in the gompa at Lawudo. In the standing aspect of Sampa Lhundrup, it was to face eastwards and be surrounded by seven life sized manifestations, all cast in copper with gold finishing. Sangye commissioned the statues from the skilled Sakya artisans of Patan down in the Kathmandu valley. On 27 June 2016 the statues were helicoptered into Mende, the hamlet closest to Lawudo. 35 Sherpas were needed simply to carry the main statue up the steep mountainside to Lawudo.

The 22-foot statue of Padmasambhava residing in Lawudo Gompa.

In May 2021 a pilgrimage to Lawudo was organized for Lama Zopa and a group of students. Sangye and Ven. Nyima Tashi spent months in Lawudo making sure all the building work was completed and the statues were ready to be consecrated. By then the COVID pandemic was in its second year, and by May the Delta variant was claiming lives in Nepal and India. Once again Nepal went into a total lockdown and the visit to Lawudo was cancelled. Nevertheless Sangye and his team continued undaunted with their extensive program of repairs and upgrades. These included introducing a damp course for the Lawudo cave, building a support wall behind the monastery building, and installing safer steps and walkways for the increasingly elderly Lawudo family.

Another extraordinary achievement from Sangye’s time as Lawudo director was to bring fresh running water to Lawudo and 38 other households in the valley. Anyone who has been to Lawudo will know what an extraordinary feat of engineering would be necessary for such a project. The water is piped at 1.7 litres per second from a height of 4500m through a pipe clamped to the vertical rock faces above. The pipeline was inaugurated in November 2019 and is making an incalculable contribution to the health and well-being of the local population and its livestock. The budget was millions of rupees, much of which was fundraised by Sangye.

Before dedicating his time to Lawudo, Sangye was a successful businessman, and was also involved in the trekking and tourism business. He lives in Chabhil not far from the Boudha stupa with his wife Nyima, his airline pilot son Pemba, and his daughter-in-law Sarita Chhetri and two grandchildren. His other three children are married and live in the UK and US.

Please join us in rejoicing at the amazing contribution that Sangye has made to fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for Lawudo, and in making prayers for his health and long life.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with his brother, Sangye Sherpa, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

We recently announced that the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) will now serve as the FPMT organization’s official hub for the Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom (UECW) Pillar of Service, to provide secular tools inspired by Dharma for those people who are not drawn to religion. FDCW is an FPMT-affiliated project which has developed programs and resources based on inner learning that cultivates and explores universal values such as humility, kindness, courage, compassion, and empathy.

Following the tradition of FDCW’s Big Love Festival in 2020 and the Compassion and Wisdom in Action 2021, the Big Love Summit 2022 was successfully held from November 14-19 as a six-day online conference.

FDCW’s executive director, Victoria Coleman, shares the update.

FDCW hosted its third annual conference in November this year celebrating Big Love. After a successful series of six Compassion Webinars held throughout the year, we wanted to examine how can we open our hearts more fully; what biases and judgments separate us from others; how can we find pathways for more connection in our lives; and how can we deepen and strengthen our compassion while remaining joyful.

It all starts with our own mind. Paula Chichester opened the summit with guidance on experiencing “Love, Presence, and Embodiment” as a basis for developing our compassion. She said, “Cultivate an inner landscape of nourishment, love, and acceptance. Once we feel safe and connected, awareness naturally arises. Then genuine compassion can grow.”

In “Reclaiming Joy,” Tenzin Chogkyi challenged the idea that spirituality is all about striving and pushing, never resting. If we skip resting, we quickly become joyless, even resentful. She led a meditation to show us ways to reconnect with our joy. “Use joy as a litmus test for your work to benefit others,” she said. “If there’s no joy, it’s time to give yourself permission to rest.”

In “Embodying Loving Awareness in Difficult Times,” Claudia Van Zuiden offered a life-affirming presentation, full of hope, sharing techniques for connecting with our heart and our true nature of love. When we forgive (ourselves and others) the heart softens, it is no longer tight. She asked, “Can I let go of all the labels I have about myself and if I do, what is left?”

During “Breathing In Equanimity,” Dr. Joey Weber said our compassion goes up or down depending on how the object of our compassion is relating to us. Equanimity can help us by relating to others in a healthier way and bringing more emotional balance. Equanimity is not just an intellectual idea, but has to be practiced, familiarized, internalized, so you feel it and it heals you and others.

In “Heart Practices for Difficult Times,” Paul Wielgus offered a session rich in inspiration, practical advice, and joy. He began by quoting Thich Nhat Hanh on interbeing: “We are all connected by the sheer fact of our human existence”. He spoke of resonance—within our own heart, with one another, and with Mother Earth. He shared a joyful video of children transforming a concrete parking lot in Oregon into a forest with fruit-bearing trees inspired by the Global Tree Initiative.

In “Compassionate Activism,” Ven. Robina Courtin said wisdom begins in our own mind, which is also the source of all our unhappy emotions. By recognizing this, we can begin to feel compassion for ourselves. We can go beyond the narrow sense of self and realize we’re all in the same boat. This brings optimism and confidence that even the smallest action we can do to help others, counts. We develop the courage to never give up. All our actions, from lending a hand to our next-door neighbor to helping stop the destruction of our planet, need to be grounded in wisdom. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Compassion is not enough; we need wisdom.”

In “We Are All One Family,” Niv Agam, Ofir Levit, and Mairan Broadbar from Dreamers Home (a non-profit in Israel) shared how FDCW’s tools for wisdom and compassion are transforming the lives of people in Israel, especially those experiencing loneliness, living in poverty or struggling with sickness. We heard about the Jaffa Balcony, a place that brings together women from Christian, Judaic, and Islamic traditions to share their common values and yummy food. The non-religious framework provided by FDCW’s 16 Guidelines proved essential for these women to explore values openly and without fear. Ofir shared, “A pair of good eyes, a smile, and a willingness to know the other person can be a seed of a true friendship.”

In “Spreading Joy and Gratitude in Your Community,” Alison Murdoch offered a beautiful meditation on kindness. She described organizing a week-long Kindness Festival in her hometown. Local people found all sorts of creative ways of sharing kindness: painting inspiring quotes about kindness onto rocks and scattering them around town, knitting hearts and toys and leaving these to be “found” by children, kindness assemblies in local schools, and a public meeting debating kindness in politics. There was no budget or funding. And it all began with a few people sharing ideas over hot chocolate on a Sunday afternoon.

In “The Power of Resiliency,” Ceci Buzon identified the 16 Guidelines and its four wisdom themes as a key way to develop our resilience. We need to train ourselves to think in a more flexible, less rigid way. She explained the Giants and Dwarves game for children to learn flexible thinking. Can we see problems from several different perspectives? She emphasized the importance of focusing on what we can do to help rather than what we cannot do. This gives us courage and combats feelings of depression or overwhelm. Resilience brings us hope and lets our children feel hopeful too.

In “We Are All Connected,” Pam Cayton shared her Seven Steps program for awakening kindness in children. The first step involves a simple “centering” process where children go inside and ask deeply, “What do I want?” What emerges is that we all want to feel happy and to be treated with kindness. This is the beginning of empathy—an understanding that if I want to feel happy, so do others. Then the “how” to be happy is explored. This involves feeling grateful for what we have and seeing how everything we enjoy is dependent on others. Pam shared ways that we can help children understand that our perceptions of the world are relative. How no-one can “make me angry.” Nobody makes your emotions, you are in charge of them. She also spoke about the lost art of listening—how connection and communication feels good—deepening our empathy and developing our compassion.

To watch the presentations (in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, French and Italian), please visit The Big Love Summit 2022.

To learn more about Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom:
fpmt.org/education/secular/universal-education-for-compassion-and-wisdom

His Holiness the Dalai Lama giving public teachings in person, McCleod Ganj, H.P., India, September 2022. Photo by Jean-Luc Castagner.

Buddhist students around the world have learned to appreciate technology and the blessings of Zoom since the Covid-19 pandemic halted travel and large events or gatherings for most of us for nearly three years. In September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered an in-person teaching in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, at his monastery, Namgyal Monastery.

We are so happy to share two moving reports of these teachings – one from long-time French student Jean-Luc Castagner, who was able to speak to other students from around the world about their experience with His Holiness’s teachings, and one from Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim, on behalf of a group from Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, who attended these teachings together.

Return to McLeod: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teachings in a Post-COVID World

By Jean-Luc Castagner

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama has been giving public teachings for decades in the little town of McLeod Ganj above Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh, India), and the flow of Injis (English speakers/Westerners, in Tibetan) that marks the streets here is a constant indicator of the importance and relevance that His Holiness’s message is always touching a wide audience.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, September 2022. Photo by Jean-Luc Castagner.

The pandemic that has put these public teachings on hold is now almost behind us and we are now able to attend in person and be in the presence of His Holiness again. In the mornings of September 15 and 16, 2022, His Holiness gave a two-day teaching on Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way, a prominent text written as a commentary to Nagarjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (The Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way). It clarifies Nagarjuna’s Middle Way approach with respect to the lack of intrinsic existence as propounded by the Madhyamika Prasangika school of thought. The auto-commentary was further written to clarify its meaning for Chandrakirti’s students. His Holiness has given similar teachings on these texts many times in the past.

Two and a half years have passed since my return to McLeod Ganj. March 21, 2020 was my last day there. That morning, all the students of the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translation Program (LRZTP), of which I was a part, formally graduated. I remember that time very clearly because of the commotion that the newly emerging virus, now famously known as Covid-19, was causing havoc all over the planet, and the prospect of being stuck in India for a long period of time, in probably dire circumstances, was daunting to me and many other people. My friend and classmate, Lola, and I decided to travel back to France together quickly, after experiencing a few plane cancellations and delays. It turns out that we were on one of the last planes that were allowed to leave India on the morning of March 22, as all of Indian air travel was to be shut down at 6 am on that day. A handful of my classmates had decided to stay in India, thinking that this situation would not last long, that it too would come to pass. Little did they know about the dreadful duration of the restrictions they would be submitted to during the lockdown, but somehow most of them experienced it with a happy mind and made the most out of it. Had it not been for the then-unknown health troubles that my late father was in a year later, I think retrospectively it might have been better to stay there and continue improving my Tibetan skills, which during the next two years in France took a hard hit.

Indeed, Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on our lives. However, for those lucky ones like myself who could stay in the countryside during the various lockdowns, it was a very pleasant experience. For others less fortunate, the restrictions impacted not only their physical health but also their mental health.

During the two years of the LRZTP, one of the perks of staying in McLeod Ganj was of course to be able to attend His Holiness’ teachings, during which he put more and more emphasis on climate change and how the Buddhist view articulates the interdependent nature of our existence at a personal, individual level, but also on a global, world scale. This has now become a global phenomenon and will hopefully create some sense of urgency, but the notion of interdependence and responsibility, fused within the framework of a compassionate view of our world, is now needed more than ever.

Attendees of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teaching, McCleod Ganj, H.P. India, September 2022. Photo by Jean-Luc Castagner.

These teachings were requested by a group of Southeast Asians and the majority of the foreign participants who attended were from Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. However, this time there seemed to be less Westerners, as the space on the ground floor outside had plenty of room left for sitting. This was contrasted with the June 2022 teachings for which the doors were shut by 7a.m. as it had very quickly reached full capacity.

For those who had attended the teachings in previous years, not much change is actually visible. Externally of course some improvements have been added in the temple, such as the new elevators that allow His Holiness to access the teaching hall. The video cameras used to stream the teachings are increasing in number it seems, with even a wireless feed that follows His Holiness closely as he slowly makes his way to the temple from his residence.

Mimi is a young teacher from Singapore, who came here to be able to learn and develop insights about herself and others, and also to be as close to His Holiness as possible. The profound impact that these teachings had on her, in her own words, “Really, it’s all about being loving and affectionate. That was mainly something that encouraged me, to be fearless in overcoming selfish delusions and have courage in the heart. Any negative situation is an opportunity to practice more love and affection toward my mind and others, and see the transformation from within. The study of emptiness is to really be able to investigate over and over the cause and effect of an object you have been obsessing about, and then to be disciplined in the mind, to be able to bring reasoning, and not conclude simply.”

Dharma can be understood at many levels and used unconditionally in various areas of our lives. Whether we are full-time at work, have the leisure to travel the world, supporting our family, or living a celibate life; the teachings apply to all situations, because we experience it all with our mind. Alessia, a Russian girl from Moscow who has been studying Tibetan and Buddhist philosophy at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives for five months now, said, “The most important is what is in my mind, if I have bad things from which I suffer, I have to work with myself. So it is not outside of me, it’s only my mind. This is the most important part.”

Change is also an inevitable part of our existence. Personally, my first visit to McLeod Ganj was in 2007, and for sure it was different than now, the number of hotels was considerably lower, eating out was restricted to a few good options, and the garbage situation was very difficult. Since then, McLeod Ganj has banned plastic bags, and there are now a few locations where waste can be left to be disposed of. Compared to then, the town is much cleaner, and the variety of dining options (Tibetan, Indian, Japanese, Italian, Korean, etc.) reflects well its cosmopolitan atmosphere. As a French person, I especially appreciate the famous cakes that made the reputation of a few places such as Coffee Talk near the temple.

For some like Dimitri, who has been living in McLeod Ganj for 10 years now, his take on the evolution of McLeod Ganj is double-sided, “It became more comfortable to live here, I know from before. If you want to study it’s good, but if you want to do practice or meditation, the atmosphere has changed for the worse, because there are a lot of tourists coming, a lot of distractions. Before it looked like a monk’s village, with monks doing prayers and reciting mantras, but now it’s a tourist place and the atmosphere is different. If I want to do meditation or go deeper into my practice, I move from here for a short time and I come back. But before it was not like this”

While staying in McLeod Ganj during the two years of the LRZTP, I remember noticing that the Tibetan community here had become very proactive with various environmental projects and regular demonstrations. If one reflects on the current state of our planet, it appears that mundane interdependence is not even valued nor considered at government levels. His Holiness’s timeless approach of the Buddha’s teachings manages to integrate and support the various issues that affect us all, such as how to deal with anger, stress, climate change, war, and epidemics within our minds. It is our duty as responsible Buddhists, who, like all sentient beings, do not wish to suffer and only wish for happiness, to uphold his message and advice and implement it in our daily lives to the best of our abilities. It is such a precious opportunity to attend these teachings and to see His Holiness directly. If you have the resources and time to visit McLeod Ganj, this will be very worthwhile. But be mindful as the cakes here are atrociously delicious.

Jean-Luc has been a student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche since 1998 and has been volunteering in various FPMT centers over the years, particularly in Institut Vajra Yogini and Nalanda Monastery near Toulouse, France. He recently graduated from the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program in Dharamsala and is now pursuing his study of the Tibetan language in Nepal.

Southeast Asian group with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, September 2022. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Amitabha Buddhist Centre Students from Singapore Attend His Holiness’s Teachings

By Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim

An air of enthusiasm and excitement accompanied 33 of us on our Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) tour to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings for Southeast Asian students in Dharamsala, India. Our week-long trip from September 11-19 was joyfully welcomed by all. In the interim, we had been thankful to be able to receive His Holiness’s precious teachings online and even through Zoom. However, nothing could compare to sitting in the gompa of Namgyal Monastery itself as His Holiness continued teaching from where he had left off previously in Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way.

The majority of the ABC travel group are very new to the Dharma and to ABC, or are engaged with other traditions such as the Chinese Mahayana tradition or another religion. However, the rare opportunity to be able to actually see His Holiness in person was what drew many of them to sign up with our tour. We also welcomed back a father and son duo who were ABC members from 30 years ago!

Some of the attendees for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teaching, McCleod Ganj, H.P. India, September 2022. Photo by Jean Luc Castagner.

Besides attending the two-day teachings at the main temple, our group had the opportunity for a pilgrimage to Tso Pema at Rewalsar, the sacred lake where Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, is said to have been miraculously born from a lotus. The full-day road trip included visits to three holy caves where Guru Rinpoche had meditated. These included a cave where Guru Rinpoche had planted his footprint. We also sat in the first cave to meditate on Guru Rinpoche, recite the Sampa Nyurdrupma prayers, the mantra of Guru Rinpoche, and dedicate strongly for the peace and happiness of all beings in the world in these troubled times. One of the first-timers later shared that the experience of being able to do these prayers was very meaningful and special to her as she had never performed such prayers before. She was very grateful to be guided in this practice, saying that it was a memorable experience for her.

Another side tour for our group was a visit up to our sister center, Tushita Meditation Centre. Everyone showed themselves to be very good sports in taking the steep hike up the walking trail to Tushita – albiet puffing and panting here and there, but everyone made it! We were warmly welcomed by Tushita Centre’s Spiritual Program Coordinator, Ven. Kunphen. After a comprehensive briefing and tour of Tushita’s holy objects provided by Ven. Kunphen and her assistants, we were treated to a generous and sumptuous buffet that included momos, a variety of cakes and steaming cups of chai.

Other highlights for our participants included an audience with His Eminence Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, observing a post-teaching fire puja at Namgyal Monastery, and a visit to Gyuto Tantric Monastery and Norbulingka. Many also got to view the holy relics of the previous incarnation of Ling Rinpoche in a museum inside His Holiness’s private residence. To celebrate the end of our visit, we all sat down to a dinner together at the newly-refurbished Pema Thang Guesthouse restaurant.

His Holiness giving teachings, McLeod Ganj, H.P., India, September 2022. Photo by Jean-Luc Castagner.

Very positive comments and feedback were heard all round, and there were many happy, beaming faces. One participant who was on her first visit to Dharamsala rated her experience as “5-star” and “A-plus!” It is remarkable that impermanence and our past accumulation of merit brought us over to Dharamsala and back, safe, sound, and filled with special memories and countless blessings. We look forward to receiving the next round of His Holiness’s teachings, so kindly and efficiently organized by Tibetan Buddhist Centre, Singapore.

Camaraderie, open-mindedness, warmth and understanding accompanied us throughout our nine-day tour. Besides the coordination efforts supplied by Executive Committee member Vincent Koh, Sangye Quek and myself, several of our group, older and newer members alike, stepped up readily to help where needed. Everyone contributed to making this a peaceful, happy journey!

Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim is regional representative for IMI Southeast Asia and a long-time member and student at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore.

To view the current teaching schedule of His Holiness, we invite you to please visit the official website of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Most of His Holiness’s teachings offer a live webcast so please check the website regularly for opportunities. 

Group photo from the first meditation course held at Kopan Monastery, April, 1971. Left to right, front row: Zina Rachevsky, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Tashi, Age Delbanco (Babaji), Lama Yeshe, Gen Wangyal. Fred Von Allmen is at far left, Claudio Cipullo second from the end on the right, and Mark Shaneman is standing directly behind Babaji. Photo provided by Fred von Allmen, courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said, “Coming to a Kopan Course is the most important education of your Life.” On November 25, 2022, after a two year break due to the COVID restrictions and safety concerns, 175 students started the fifty-third course at Kopan Monastery with Geshe Tenzin Namdak serving as retreat teacher. A more restricted amount of attendees were admitted than usual due to ongoing concerns of contagion and risks.

The organizers report that the flow has been smooth and things are going well and harmoniously so far. Geshe Namdak has started the teachings with a scientific approach. His teaching manner has been described as relaxed yet enthusiastic. In attendance are a combination of senior students, including eight nuns, three monks, and complete beginners from all around the world, including a large group of Spanish speaking students and a smaller Portuguese group. 

Many of FPMT’s senior students first met Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche attending one of these retreats and over the years, thousands of students have made a connection with FPMT through the education they received at Kopan Monastery. For three years in the seventies, two courses were offered every year, and since then, the November Course—as it is affectionately referred to—was offered every year until 2020. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2017. Photo by Bill Kane

In 2017, Rinpoche told the 200+ attendees of the course, “So it is really of the utmost importance, you coming here to learn not just meditation but lamrim, lamrim meditation. … Only then, you can understand how to live life, how in the past how you live, and how you should live now, in a positive way to benefit not only yourself but all the numberless beings. So I want to say, your coming to Kopan to do meditation course, oh, this is the best! If you want to help the world, to bring peace, your coming here is the best. Your coming here to do the meditation course, to learn, that is the best. You have to bring peace in the world by your mind, by your good heart. You yourself have to have a good heart to bring perfect peace and happiness in the world. That is the best.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught that very first course in 1971 and has offered teachings at the courses almost every year since. In addition to Rinpoche’s teachings, which usually begin a couple of weeks into the course, Rinpoche selects a course teacher to lead the course every year. Geshe Namdak, who was requested this year, is resident teacher at Jamyang London Buddhist Center. Geshe Namdak is a  Dutch senior monk who completed his Geshe Degree at Sera University in India in 2017. Geshe Namdak is the first Westerner to complete the full course of studies at Sera Je Monastery and also to sit for the final geshe examination there, a tremendous achievement.

The 42-foot stupa at Rabagayling Tibetan Settlement in Hunsur, India, October 2022. Photo by Ven. Lhundrup Tsundu.

The Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement in Hunsur, South India is home to the Rabgayling Old Aged Home, a care facility serving approximately twenty residents. FPMT Charitable Projects, through the Social Services Fund, has been supporting this home since 2015, providing grants for annual operation costs, the construction of living accommodations, medical assistance, and a community hall for the elders.

In addition to this critical support for the basic needs of the residents and facilities, Lama Zopa Rinpoche sponsored the construction of a magnificent forty-two foot stupa close to the elderly home at the settlement, which was recently completed. The stupa will provide the elders and all other residents of the Tibetan settlement an easy opportunity to create merit and purify negative karma.

Padmasambhava taught in Instructions on Offerings to Stupas:

“Since all the three-time buddhas and bodhisattvas have actually absorbed into the holy object of the mind and are abiding in it, any request or prayer done to this great stupa will spontaneously and effortlessly succeed, for it is like a precious wish-granting jewel. The benefits received by any transmigratory being with a pure special attitude who does prostration or circumambulation or makes offerings are incalculable and cannot be expressed even by all the past, present, and future buddhas.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche presiding over the consecration ceremony for the stupa at the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement, joined by the abbott and monks of Gyudmed Monastery, Hunsur, India, October 16, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lhundrup Tsundu.

On October 16, 2022, during his visit to South India, Lama Zopa Rinpoche presided over the consecration and opening ceremonies for the stupa, which included the planting of a juniper tree in front of the stupa. Alongside Rinpoche was the abbot and monks of nearby Gyudmed Tantric Monastery, who oversaw the building and planning of the stupa throughout its construction.

In addition to the consecration, Rinpoche offered blessings to the elder residents of the Rabgayling Old Age Home; a teaching on the benefits of seeing and circumambulating stupas and other holy objects, and the benefits of reciting mantras; plus the oral transmission of some mantras. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the consecration for the stupa at the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement, Hunsur, India, October 16, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lhundrup Tsundu.

Vast Vision for Building Stupas

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization includes the construction of 100,000 stupas around the world, including in countries where there aren’t yet any holy objects present. Rinpoche explains, “Since there is unbelievable benefit, such as liberating sentient beings, then I thought we should aim to build 100,000 stupas (minimum size, one story, up to the distance from the earth to the moon) in different parts of the world and for the organization to do this as a whole.”

While this vision will take generations to fully accomplish, many stupas have been completed to date. To support this amazing endeavor, one of FPMT’s Charitable Projects  is the Holy Object Fund which provides grants for holy objects such as this one at the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement, and the impressive Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, which stands 164 feet (50 meters) high, in Bendigo, Australia.

We invite you to please rejoice in the actualization of this beautiful new stupa which took three years to complete and came through the generous legacy offering of an FPMT nun, and the great benefit the stupa will bring to many beings. We would like to especially thank Geshe Tsundu, who oversaw the whole building of the stupa and beautiful decorations, as well as the abbott and monks of Gyudmed Tantric Monastery, who helped to fill the stupa and participated in the consecration. Please enjoy this short video of the actual stupa consecration with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the abbott, and monks of Gyudmed Tantric Monastery.

To help support to the creation of stupas around the world, we invite contributions of any amount to the Stupa Fund.  We also invite you to read more about all of our FPMT Charitable Projects.

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 Friends of FPMT member, which supports our work.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Ven. Roger Kunsang, Dharamsala, India. November 2, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Our November 2022 e-news is now available. 

This issue features news, updates, resources, opportunities, and causes for rejoicing, including:

• Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• Recently published teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• News from the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom
• New blogs and stories from FPMT.org
• Newly available materials to support your Dharma study and practice
• Opportunities 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.

Geshe Thubten Soepa sitting with some friends near Vulture Peak Mountain, Rajgir, India. Photo courtesy of Geshe Thubten Soepa Facebook page.

Geshe Thubten Soepa. 67,  passed away at a hospital in Mysore, India, on November 2, 2022 from a heart attack.

Geshe Soepa was well regarded as a scholar with extensive knowledge about both sutra and tantra, and not only well versed in the Gelugpa texts, but also in those of the Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu schools. A cremation ceremony occurred on November 7, 2022. We share a brief account of his life below for rejoicing and inspiration:

Geshe Thubten Soepa was born in Zanskar, India in 1955. As a young child he and his mother were advised by His Holiness Ling Rinpoche and His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche that it would be good if he ordained, and he soon followed their guidance. Geshe Soepa began his Dharma studies at age 14 at Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s monastery in Kalimpong, India, where he studied and learned ritual for four years. From there he transferred to Sera Je Monastery in Bylakuppe, India, where he would complete his geshe studies 21 years later, earning the highest honor of Geshe Lharampa, in 1993.

In his first three years serving as a geshe, he taught philosophy and Tibetan grammar at Sera Je and Dzongkar Chose monasteries.  Geshe Thubten Soepa then received a request from Lama Zopa Rinpoche to teach in the West. Geshe Soepa agreed to Rinpoche’s request and moved to Munich, Germany. For ten years he continuously taught at FPMT centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while also traveling to other centers around Europe to offer teachings. After his time in Europe, the next decade of his life was mostly spent in North America, offering teachings at FPMT centers in Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

Geshe Thubten Soepa meditating at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India. Photo courtesy of Geshe Thubten Soepa Facebook page.

Recognized as a Tulku

In his short autobiography, Geshe Soepa shared that he was told that he was the reincarnation of a high lama on three separate occasions. The first declaration was made by His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche in 1974, then again by His Eminence Zong Rinpoche in 1978. The last affirmation came from the great yogi Choden Rinpoche, during a public teaching Rinpoche was giving on the Six Yogas of Naropa in Munich, 2004. Geshe Soepa shared his shock and disbelief at hearing the news each time, even asking Choden Rinpoche if he was teasing him. Choden Rinpoche looked at Geshe Soepa and forcefully confirmed it was not a tease! Despite being recognized, Geshe Soepa was never formally enthroned or named after the particular teacher. In 1974, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche shared with Geshe Soepa that a formal enthronement would not be necessary, foretelling that Geshe Soepa would “spontaneously be doing well at Dharma, and that [he] would like it.”

Promoting Vegetarianism and Protecting Life

Geshe Thubten Soepa was deeply passionate about promoting vegetarianism, especially to those living a monastic life. He would go on to write a number of books and articles on the practice of not eating meat, relying on sources such as the Lankavatara Sutra, Great Cloud Sutra, Great Nirvana Sutra, and the Anguli Mala Sutra, to communicate the Buddha’s teachings. His first book was titled Protecting the Lives of Helpless Beings: The Udamwara Lotus Flower, which is now available as an ebook through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. In 1996, while His Holiness the Dalai Lama was visiting Munich, Geshe Soepa was able to offer His Holiness a copy of his book. His Holiness told Geshe Soepa that he read the whole book, was very pleased by the text, and encouraged Geshe Soepa to continue his efforts on the topic. 

In the years following, he would write four texts on vegetarianism that were translated in five languages and distributed freely. In 2012, Geshe Soepa published a short text on the Hinayana Vinaya teachings on monastics refraining from eating meat. During the 2017 Kalachakra initiation offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, India, Geshe Soepa was able to meet with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and offer Rinpoche this short text. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was also quite pleased by Geshe Soepa’s writing. Geshe Soepa told Rinpoche that he was planning to write another text to clarify further points, and Rinpoche expressed that the text should be translated into English, in order to be easily translated into many languages later. Geshe Soepa would go on to publish another text in Tibetan in 2018 for monastics. The text included teachings on performing animal liberations and advice for working to free people who were wrongly imprisoned.

Geshe Soepa concluded the short telling of his life story with the message: “I sincerely wish that all of our mother sentient beings be free from suffering and being killed.”

Geshe Thubten Soepa at the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya, India. Photo courtesy of Geshe Thubten Soepa Facebook page.

Read Geshe Thubten Soepa’s short autobiography, dictated to Robert Baptist, from which the above obituary was based, courtesy of Land of Compassion and Wisdom FPMT study group in Austin, Texas, who had a strong connection with Geshe Soepa and have hosted him often. 

We invite you to download the ebook, Protecting the Lives of Helpless Beings: The Udamwara Lotus Flower, through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, and read an article by Geshe Soepa called “Protecting Animal Welfare“. A French translation of his text Heart of Joy, Message of the Buddha, is also available as a free PDF.

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/).

Shakyamuni Buddha statue at Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre Delhi, India. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

We rejoice in all of the virtuous and merit-multiplying activities happening in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world during this special time of Lhabab Duchen, November 15, when the entire FPMT mandala is creating extensive merit for others. 

Lhabab Duchen celebrates Shakyamuni Buddha’s return to Earth from the God Realm of the Thirty-Three after teaching Dharma for several months to the gods, including his mother, Mayadevi, who had died a week after Buddha’s birth and been reborn there. As a merit multiplying day, the karmic results of actions done on this day are multiplied 100 million times.

You can learn more about Lhabab Duchen and practices recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for this auspicious day.

Please also rejoice in the offerings being made to thousands of ordained Sangha engaged in extensive practices for the benefit of the entire FPMT organization and all beings today.

From all of us at FPMT International Office, thank you for all you are doing for others today and every day.

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 Friends of FPMT member, which supports our work.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s essential advice – available as a poster from the FPMT Foundation Store

We’re delighted to announce that the FPMT organization now has a hub for its Universal Education activities!

The development of compassion and wisdom are at the heart of the FPMT organization. We aim to provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service (as described in the FPMT Mission Statement).

The goal of our Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom (UECW) Pillar of Service is to provide secular tools inspired by Dharma for those people who are not drawn to religion. The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) is an FPMT affiliated project which has developed such secular UECW programs and resources.

We are therefore happy to announce that FDCW will now serve as the FPMT organization’s official hub for the UECW Pillar of Service! FDCW will provide guidance and support to centers, projects, services, and students, to help further develop the UECW Pillar of Service, all with a particular focus on developing compassion. This is very much a co-creative process: FDCW and centers sharing ideas to find solutions that can work locally.

FDCW offers collaborative discussions, a wide range of audio, video and downloadable resources, courses, facilitator training, marketing materials, webinars and general support. FDCW will be the global FPMT UE parasol, with the individual UE projects as the spokes in that parasol, connecting these projects, and spreading the compassion at their heart. As the hub, FDCW will track and share successful ideas and initiatives. This will allow us to further build and develop secular resources to benefit more and more people around the world.

The Big Love Summit is an online conference organised by FDCW taking place from November 14-19, 2022. FDCW Director Victoria Coleman says, “You are warmly invited to join the Summit to learn more of what FDCW has to offer.”

To learn more about Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom:
fpmt.org/education/secular/universal-education-for-compassion-and-wisdom

Lama Zopa Rinpoche on a group outing in Singapore, September 19, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Our October e-News is now available!

This issue features news, updates, resources, opportunities, and causes for rejoicing, including:

• Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent activities in Singapore and India
• Recently published teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Long life puja and gratitude award offered to Rinpoche at Sera Je Monastery
• Opportunity to support 10,000 Sangha on Lhabab Duchen
• New blogs and stories from FPMT.org
• Newly available materials to support your Dharma study and practice
• 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.

Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.