receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
FPMT Community: Stories & News
We invite you to read the February edition of the FPMT International Office e-News.
You’ll find some lovely photos, and news including:
- Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
- FPMT Annual Review 2015 out now!
- New Flower Offering Card from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- New Materials from FPMT Education Services
- Puja Fund activity on Losar
and more!
Subscribe to the FPMT International Office eNews today and receive important updates about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT International Office, and the broader FPMT organization directly to your email box.
The teachers, students and staff of Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Programme 7 (LRZTP 7) –FPMT’s Tibetan-language interpreter training program – wished to share their Losar (New Year) greeting with the wider FPMT community. The card reads:
“The upcoming year is called ‘The Year of the Fire Monkey’ and we pray and wish that all your aspirations will be fulfilled this year as quickly as it takes a monkey to climb a tree. May the warmth of happiness, wealth, good health and love follow you wherever you go and may the fire of bodhichitta in your heart warm the world with compassion.”
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 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 Tenzin Ösel Hita at Chenrezig Institute, Australia, 1991. Photo by Thubten Yeshe, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
FPMT International Office wishes Tenzin Ösel Hita a very happy birthday and a long, healthy life. May his beneficial activities flourish and holy wishes come instantly into fruition!
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, turned 31 on February 12, 2016. Ösel was born in Bubión, Spain.
The Big Love Fund provides financial resources that enable Ösel to continue his endeavors on behalf of FPMT. You can follow news and updates about Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita news feed.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in California, US, October 2015. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
More than 1 million recitations of the Kshitigarbha long mantra have been accumulated as part of an effort to accomplish the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche for preventing and pacifying earthquakes in California and the rest of the world. In addition, the rest of the practices advised by Rinpoche have been completed, reflecting the dedication and generosity of hundreds of students around the world.
“Lama Zopa Rinpoche said that due to all the prayers and practices that students have done, the danger of a devastating earthquake has lessened and [is] not so imminent. That is a great cause for rejoicing!” wrote Ven. Tsomo, spiritual program coordinator at Land of Medicine Buddha, who helped coordinate the effort. “Rinpoche also said that we need to keep on with the recitation of the long Kshitigarbha mantra until 1.8 million mantras are accumulated. But no pressure, [we] don’t need to do as intensely as before, but just to keep going, no matter how long it takes.”
Mantra recitations continue to be collected at the website created in support of the effort: http://www.pacifyearthquakes.org.
New people are welcome to join the effort and can find more information and links to the practice at the above link. “Quite a number of students have commented that the practice has been powerful and joyful!” Ven. Tsomo said.
Here is the update on all of the accumulated practices as of February 11, 2016:
1. The long Kshitigarbha mantra has been recited 1,115,374 times, which is well over half-way to the 1.8 million times advised by Rinpoche. Students and centers all over the world have contributed to this count, including ten centers contributing over 10,000 recitations and ten individuals contributing over 5,000.
2. The eight Mahayana precepts were taken more than 2,436 times, far exceeding the advice of accumulating 300. Participants of the November Kopan Course in Nepal and courses at Tushita Meditation Centre in India contributed greatly to this number.
3. Six extensive Medicine Buddha pujas were performed: four were done at Land of Medicine Buddha and two at Gyalwa Gyatso (Ocean of Compassion) Buddhist Center, both located in the Bay Area of California.
4. Four Tengyur readings were completed by monks of Sera Je Monastery. The first reading was done on Lama Tsongkhapa Day in December 2015. The last session finished on February 2. They made dedications to all the sponsors of the reading – more than 210 names – as well as for the prevention of earthquakes in California, Nepal, and all over the world and for all sentient beings to be free of suffering and its causes and to attain enlightenment. US$31,100 was raised and offered to the monks at Sera Je doing the readings.
Kshitigarbha statue at Land of Medicine Buddha, US, January 2015. Photo by Laura Miller.
Students contributed other practices to the effort too, including 382 recitations of the Kshitigarbha Sutra of Past Vows in Chinese and English; 110,800 short Kshitigarbha mantras; and 2,198 medium-length Kshitigarbha mantras.
“As many of you know, His Holiness the Dalai Lama received medical treatment in the States recently. Lama Zopa Rinpoche commented a few days ago that, as so many people are doing Kshitigarbha mantras to pacify earthquakes, please make sure to also dedicate this practice to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s health and long life. This is in order to purify our karma,” Ven. Tsomo wrote.
The practices may already be helping people around the world. “A few days ago, there were earthquakes in Nepal and Tainan, Taiwan,” Ven. Tsomo wrote. “Students in Taiwan recited over 161,000 long Kshitigarbha mantras collectively. We hope that their practice, plus our mantras, helped give protection to the many affected.”
Please rejoice in all these practices done by so many people all over the world!
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 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.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Jangchup Lamrim teachings, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, India, December 2015. Photos by Cynthia Karena.
FPMT student Cynthia Karena shared with Mandala observations from the final teachings in the Jangchup Lamrim series given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the four-year series, His Holiness transmitted and taught on 18 important lam-rim texts and commentaries:
There’s a long line of monks and nuns on the horizon with their maroon robes flowing in the breeze, making their way through the fields towards Tashi Lhunpo Monastery for the last of the Jangchup Lamrim teachings in South India in late December 2015.
Over 30,000 people, including monks from surrounding monasteries, are here. Nothing like the hundreds of thousands that were expected for the cancelled Bodhgaya Kalachakra event in January 2016, but the upside is attending a more comfortable event, with the freedom to move about without being too squashed and being able to find a clean toilet relatively quickly and easily (a necessity for most of us in India).
30,000 people attended the Jangchup Lamrim at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
Older Tibetans in traditional dress, Sangha, plus us Westerners do korwa around His Holiness’ quarters each morning before teachings start, which surprisingly settles my mind. This also turns out to be where VIPs arrive, and is a wonderful opportunity to greet Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche, Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) and others as they arrive each morning.
Attendees at the Jangchup Lamrim, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, December 2015
Dotted in among the audience are beautifully wrinkled and grey haired old women with long plaits interwoven with ribbon, and old Tibetan men who know how to sport a felt hat.
It’s wonderful and inspiring to see so many Sangha listening, praying and chanting. Every molecule in my being feels like it is vibrating along with the sound of the deep resonant chanting, especially at the end when the chanting becomes louder and stronger.
Twice a day, monks run through the crowds with large hot teapots – amazingly, people don’t get hit in the head or burned by spilled tea. Butter tea in the cool mornings fortifies us, and sweet tea in the afternoon provides a sugar rush to wake us up for the last part of the day.
Generosity is a hallmark of these teaching events, with not only tea but a delicious lunch generously provided to – amazingly – over 30,000 people every day, as well as free consultations by Tibetan doctors. His Holiness also spoke of being generous to beggars, and importantly to give with respect.
Monks with teapots during Jangchup Lamrim
However, as always at these large events, seeing mountains of empty plastic bottles around the monastery is depressing. Isn’t there another way to distribute water? Perhaps huge filtered water stations where we can fill up our own bottles, for a price, might be a good start. I’m hoping someone who knows more about environmentally sound water distribution will think of a solution.
His Holiness with the five dakinis during long life puja
The long life puja for His Holiness brought the unexpected delight of seeing dakinis – monks dressed in elaborate brocade costumes.
One evening at Sera Je, we were briefly chatting to His Holiness’ translator. His mobile phone rang and I thought, Wow, he would have the Dalai Lama’s number. But apparently His Holiness doesn’t use a mobile phone, or surf the net.
There are many profound concepts His Holiness spoke about, from attachment and karma to tenets and emptiness, but looking at my notes, the last thing I write before the teachings finish is: “The most important thing is to give up self-centeredness.” Despite traveling all the way to India to hear amazing teachings by His Holiness, I take this as a sign to keep going with the basics.
With the support of the Preserving the Lineage Fund, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was able to offer tea to 32,000 participants and money offerings to the 18,100 Sangha present during the teaching event.
Cynthia Karena is a member of Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, who regularly travels to India. She is also a journalist, researcher and contributor to Mandala.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, New York, New York, US, August 2015. Photo by Edward Sczudlo.
Happy Tibetan new year to all our dear friends!
With love from Lama Zopa Rinpoche and
everyone at FPMT International Office
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche, July 2015
“Happy Losar” by Raven Jones
Liberation Prison Project student Raven Jones recently wrote Mandala to share his annual Losar (New Year) greeting card. Raven hand drew and colored the card and sent it in the mail to Mandala.
In celebration of the year Fire Monkey 2143, Raven illustrated a monkey on roller skates circumambulating Four-Arm Chenrezig. Raven included this prayer:
“May this be a year we all can joyfully attain Dharmic realizations and move – if not to enlightenment – closer to it!!!”
Raven holds the unique distinction of being the only FPMT Masters Program Homestudy student to complete the program entirely from prison, which he discusses in the interview “Liberation through Education.”
Read more about the relationship between Liberation Prison Project (LPP) students and volunteers in “One Letter at a Time: Liberation Prison Project Transforms Prisoners and Their Dharma Friends,” an article from Mandala July-December 2015. Find more Mandala archive stories about LPP online.
Geshe Dorji Damdul teaches at Choe Khor Sum Ling, Bangalore, India, November 2015. Photo courtesy of Choe Khor Sum Ling.
Student Ven. Gyalten Rabten shares the latest news from Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, India:
Around 25 people attended an intensive 10-day teaching program November 6-15, 2015, organized by Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore. It was taught by Geshe Dorji Damdul, an eminent scholar and translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and current director of Tibet House-New Delhi. The teaching was on chapter two of Pramanavartika, a commentary by Acharya Dharmakirti on Acharya Dignaga’s salutation verse in his Pramannasamuchaya (Compend
Geshe-la, with his exceptional combination of superb knowledge in Buddhist philosophy, teaching and communication skills, was able to dissect and clarify for us the logical reasons and meanings behind many of the nuances contained in the text. He interspersed his teachings energetically with many personal anecdotes, practical experiences and examples to simplify various complex theses and concepts for our easy understanding. Despite the long hours with few breaks in between, most students attended all the sessions and participated enthusiastically in the teachings. Geshe-la patiently answered the various questions, doubts and qualms which arose, often due to his constant challenge for us to think beyond the norm. The participants were extremely fortunate and grateful to Geshe-la for his translation of the text into English.
It was due to his kindness that probably for the first time ever ordinary people like us had the rare opportunity to study this precious text outside Tibetan monastic institutions. The teachings concluded on an auspicious note with the reading of an extract from the first Gaden Tripa Venerable Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen’s commentary on the text and the center’s request for Geshe-la to visit and teach us again very soon!
Choe Khor Sum Ling students receive teachings from Geshe Dorji Damdul, Bangalore, India, November 2015. Photo courtesy of Choe Khor Sum Ling.
FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 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 during the long life puja offered to him at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2015. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
UPDATE: The FPMT Education Services’ booklet How to Offer a 1,000 Tsog Offerings is now available to help complete this advice.
Ven. Roger Kunsang is the assistant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and CEO of FPMT Inc. He shares this message with the entire FPMT community:
Dear Friends,
In talking with Rinpoche recently it has become more clear regarding the importance of this long life puja we are having in Singapore at Amitabha Buddhist Centre on March 13. Rinpoche has been quite subtle, but has indicated that there are obstacles for himself this year. Rinpoche also said recently that one of the main things that will help is this long life puja in Singapore with all the FPMT centers and students participating, and prior to the puja, the 100,000 tsog offerings – this was advised by Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme).
Please try to be at the long life puja or participate at a distance wherever you are.
We have to continue to create the karma for Rinpoche to be with us for a long time and to purify our karma for Rinpoche not to be here. It is in our hands.
FPMT – so many students around the world – have done so much to benefit others under Rinpoche’s patient and compassionate guidance, as well as under Lama Yeshe’s compassionate guidance. We need Rinpoche to live a very long and healthy life so we can continue to benefit sentient beings as much as possible.
Sincerely,
roger
Here are the details on the long life puja in Singapore:
The official long life puja on behalf of the entire FPMT will be offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore on Sunday, March 13 as part of Rinpoche’s teaching event there. The puja will start at 9 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8).
During the long life puja Rinpoche will be requested to give teachings on lojong (thought transformation). These teachings and the long life puja will be webcast live on FPMT’s Livestream page so that all can participate live or by video later.
How You Can Participate:
Help your local center to offer prayers and practices for the health and long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a long life puja and by performing 100,000 tsog offerings with Lama Chöpa.
Donations to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Long Life Puja Fund are welcome.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service. For more, visit FPMT.org, where you can also find more information for FPMT centers, projects, services and study groups.
On World Leprosy Day 2014, Adriana Ferranti (at right with blue bag) works with MAITRI staff and volunteers, January 2014. Photo courtesy of Adriana Ferranti.
Every year MAITRI Charitable Trust participates in World Leprosy Day, founded in 1953 by French writer and humanitarian Raoul Follereau. Director Adriana Ferranti serves some of India’s poorest people in the state of Bihar and has worked for 25 years to eradicate Hansen’s disease (leprosy), a treatable bacterial infection, and to reduce the stigma against physical disability associated with the disease. World Leprosy Day 2016 is on January 31.
Last year, for World Leprosy Day 2015, Adriana and her staff decided to share a brief video to illustrate the work they do daily.
Watch “MAITRI World Leprosy Day” on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/UFe1FQQ71CA
MAITRI Charitable Trust invites all FPMT students and supporters to participate in World Leprosy Day with donations and with prayers and practices dedicated to eradicating leprosy and its stigma, to the prevention of new leprosy-related disabilities, and to the the rehabilitation of those already with disabilities.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, South India, January 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang
We hope you enjoy our January E-News – out now!
In it you’ll find:
- News about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Official Long Life Puja
- It’s Merit Box Collection time!
- Updates from FPMT Education Services
- Photos from the Long Life Puja Offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
and more!
Subscribe to the FPMT International Office eNews today and receive important updates about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT International Office, and the broader FPMT organization directly to your email box.
Ven. René Feusi, 2010
“In the 1990s, I went to Bodhgaya to do two months’ retreat. I had rented a cabin in Bodhgaya and one of the texts I had with me with was Bodhicharyavatara. It was Stephen Batchelor’s translation. While doing retreat there, they started to build a cabin just in front of mine. There were 20 or 30 Indians from early morning into late in the afternoon building and talking, and I started getting quite annoyed and angry. I was supposed to do retreat and was expecting quiet surroundings. I realized I could leave and try to find another place or try to make the best out the situation. And that’s when I remembered Shantideva’s chapter on patience,” FPMT registered teacher Ven. René Feusi shared in the January-June 2016 issue of Mandala while describing the evolution of his newest book, The Beautiful Way of Life, a distillation of Shantideva’s seminal work.
“I read it again and again, and liked it very much, but found that the way it was written was so flowery that I had difficulty following the stream of reasoning. So I said to myself, ‘Let’s attempt to write out what he actually says,’ taking away all the embellishments. What is his stream of ideas on how to remove anger? That’s how I started. It was enjoyable work. I discovered Shantideva’s text in a more intimate way. I worked on a few chapters there in Bodhgaya, and over the years, each time I would be in retreat, I would take it up again and do some more of the text.
“I went over it many, many times because new translations of Bodhicharyavatara would come out. I used at least five different translations to write The Beautiful Way of Life, each time seeing if there were some words that would be more appropriate from here or there. I lived at Vajrapani Institute in California for seven years and once showed the director, Fabienne Pradelle, what I had done and she said, ‘Oh, that’s great, you should finish it.’ Slowly, slowly over the years I finished it. She and another friend, Judith Kondo, went over the manuscript to polish up the English. We worked on it together. …”
Read the complete interview as a PDF.
First published in the January-June 2016 print issue of Mandala available through the FPMT Foundation Store or as a benefit of the Friends of FPMT program, you can now read the entire interview plus an excerpt from The Beautiful Way of Life as part of Mandala‘s January-June 2016 online content.