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FPMT Community: Stories & News
Prayer wheels at the entrance of O.Sel.Ling, 2014. Photo by Ruud van Arhem.
Ven. Fabio Poza, spiritual program coordinator at O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros in Órgiva, Spain, sent Mandala some photos of the center’s 11 new prayer wheels, located at the main entrance. “With these 11 prayer wheels, O.Sel.Ling wants to contribute to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wish of constructing 100,000 prayer wheels around the world.”
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Embossed detail on O.Sel.Ling prayer wheels, 2014. Photo by Ruud van Arhem.
Dr. Steve Line gave a lecture during a death and dying workshop hosted by Heruka Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan, July 2014. Photo courtesy of FPMT Taiwan.
Ven. Thubten Osel, director of Jinsiu Farlin, reported on the events happening at the three centers – Heruka Center, Jinsiu Farlin and Shakyamuni Center – that comprise FPMT Taiwan:
Heruka Center
Buddhist Education – Satellite Program
Last year, Heruka Center expanded its education program to neighboring city Tainan, where we continue to have a steady and thriving group of students attending the weekend class on tenets taught by Geshe Tashi Tsethar, resident teacher of Heruka Center in Kaohsiung.
Together with FPMT Taiwan, Heruka Center launched an annual 100 million Tara mantra marathon from May 24 – July 4, 2014, covering the entire Saka Dawa month, with specific dedications for Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What was originally meant to be just an individual center’s Saka Dawa practice ended up to become an international FPMT endeavor, with more than 900 people from 22 countries and 14 FPMT centers taking part. Together we accumulated 9,780,941 Tara mantras.
Even though what had been achieved was less than 10% of our goal, it still caused goose bumps to think of how more than 900 people from across the globe did the same practice with the same motivation and dedicated for the very same purpose during the auspicious month of Saka Dawa! On behalf of all of us who participated in the Tara mantra marathon, FPMT Taiwan presented a letter to His Holiness on July 6 and another letter on July 7 to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, explaining and offering our Saka Dawa practice completely dedicated for them.
Death and Dying Seminar
On July 19, 2014, Heruka Center organized a full-day death and dying seminar in a lecture hall in National Cheng Kung University which was attended by over 150 people. Dr. Steve Lin, chairman of FPMT Taiwan and director of the medical research department in Kaohsiung Medical University, presented the process of birth and reincarnation with plenty of medical data and visual aids which were both informative and entertaining. Geshe Tsethar spoke on the dying process, the intermediate state, taking rebirth, as well as the practice of the five powers. The seminar was so well received that Heruka Center is now planning a second one in October 2014, when both speakers will touch on issues such as terminal diseases, karma and Buddhist healing meditation.
Jinsiu Farlin
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the newly renovated gompa of Jinsiu Farlin, Taipei, Taiwan, April 2014. Photo courtesy of FPMT Taiwan.
Jinsiu Farlin received news on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s arrival on April 2014 on very short notice. Rinpoche’s short visit was not only a big surprise to everyone, his arrival in the airport – an hour earlier than scheduled – was an even bigger surprise! There were only a few students waiting in the airport at that time. The bouquet to welcome Rinpoche was not there, the car to pick up Rinpoche was not there, and the transport to pick up Rinpoche’s entourage was not there too! News about Rinpoche’s early arrival started to spread, and we began seeing students running toward the lounge from the arrival hall entrances and car park. It reached the point that whenever we saw someone running in the hall, we could be quite sure that that person was coming to receive Rinpoche! There were only about 10 students in the beginning, but slowly as people rushed in, we ended up having nearly a hundred students greeting Rinpoche in the airport.
Vens. Drolkar and Gyaltsen painting the wall during minor renovations at Shakyamuni Center, Taichung City, Taiwan, 2014. Photo courtesy of FPMT Taiwan.
During Rinpoche’s one week’s stay in Taipei, he met the members of the FPMT Taiwan board, gave Hayagriva long life Initiation, conducted the opening ceremony for the completely renovated center and did a few private pujas for the center. Both the initiation and opening ceremony were attended by nearly 250 people. Many old students returned, and there were many new faces too. Rinpoche was very pleased with the renovations, spending time going through each floor and checking out every corner.
During the opening ceremony, Rinpoche emphasized the importance of the existence of a center. “There is a BIG difference between working in a center and working in a company,” Rinpoche began. “When you work in a company, even though you make money, it doesn’t become purification unless you work with compassion. But, when you work in a center – the center gives teaching, educates people about reincarnation, karma, taking refuge, avoiding negative karma, practicing good karma, abiding in vows, keeping precepts, or gives Mahayana teachings, like generating compassion for sentient beings, practicing bodhichitta and so forth. When you work in a center, which educates sentient beings by giving teachings, it purifies the past negative karma to be born in the lower realms. It purifies that. And it makes serving sentient beings and serving the teachings of Buddha with compassion happen. So through the center, it helps to create morality and practice; it helps to achieve higher rebirth.”
Even though it was a short visit, Rinpoche’s presence itself rejuvenated and inspired everyone to want to practice Dharma and attend Dharma classes and prayers. These days we continue to see more members attending the center’s activities and more people are inspired to serve the center.
Shakyamuni Center
Geshe Gyatso leads lam-rim meditation at Shakyamuni Center, Taichung City, Taiwan, 2014. Photo courtesy of FPMT Taiwan.
In March 2014, Shakyamuni Center in Taichung thanked its outgoing director, Ven. Gyalten, a Taiwanese monk ordained by Choden Rinpoche, for his two years of service. During his stay, he did a minor renovation and adorned the main prayer hall with newly framed thangkas of the 16 Arhats and Pandits.
The center then welcomed on board its new director Ven. Drolkar, a Taiwanese nun ordained by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1995. Ven. Drolkar recently initiated a monthly lam-rim meditation weekend retreat led by the resident teacher, Geshe Ngawang Gyatso, and commenced yarne (summer retreat) with three other nuns in the center.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Geshe Sherab blessing a kangaroo, Australia Zoo, Brisabane, Australia, March 2014. Photo courtesy of Langri Tangpa Centre.
“Langri Tangpa Centre near Brisbane, Australia has had a feast of amazing international teachers and events this year,” reports student Carolyn Mason. “Maybe it is the blessing of the center’s wonderful new altar put in last year, carefully following advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on design and statues, which has been much appreciated by all attending these activities.”
Ven. Robina Courtin teaches to 130 at Langri Tangpa Centre, June 2014. Photo by Kerry Murphy.
“Ven. Robina Courtin was here in June and presented to a packed gompa – over 130 on her first night. Her directness, compassion and humor on practicing in everyday life was appreciated by many who had come to the center for the first time. Attracting new people, many of who are younger, is a very encouraging trend noted this year.
“There were very young people in the gompa for the center’s first ever Family Pageant to celebrate Saka Dawa. There was storytelling and rejoicing at the birth of the Buddha and bath offering to the baby Buddha by the children.
“The center’s baby Buddha had been blessed by Khadro-la [Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme] on her visit in April when she spontaneously provided special advice on how to do the water offering ceremony. Her visit and one-evening teaching was followed by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Tashi Tsering giving a Great Chenrezig initiation and then Ven. Thubten Chodron giving a one-night teaching at the center, all within the space of six days!
“In late March, Geshe Sherab provided the center with the opportunity to offer the eight Mahayana precepts from a qualified lama for the first time. His teachings, including on the four immeasurables, were given to audiences of over 100 people. The director took him on a visit to Australia Zoo, founded by the late Steve Irwin, where Geshe Sherab made new friends (see photo above).
“In mid-March the Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour was very well attended and the talk on the nature of the relics provided a wonderful perspective on their significance and power. In mid-February the artisan Tibetan monks from Tashi Lhunpo monastery created a spectacular Medicine Buddha sand mandala, commencing with a Medicine Buddha puja.
“After a short mid-year break, the center will then contribute to the Australian visit of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, with the Great Chenrezig initiation at our sister center, Chenrezig Institute, and then teachings and initiations in Bendigo.”
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Bathing the baby Buddha, Berlin, Germany, May 2012. Photo by Andy Melnic.
“So far, 2014 has proved a busy year for Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour [a collection of over 1,000 Buddhist relics],” reports the tour’s Michael Fouts. ”There have been relic events throughout Mexico, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Belgium, France, Denmark and Finland.
“The relics were displayed in Rennes, France at the Centre Culturel Bouddhique de Rennes, which is a very special and unique place because all of the Buddhist schools in Rennes – Zen, Drukpa, Rigpa and Kagyü – take turns each week to use the center for group practices. When the holy relics came to Rennes in July this year, it was the very first time that all Buddhist traditions worked together in a joint simultaneous effort.
Students circumambulating Maitreya Loving Kindess Tour relics, July 2103. Photo by Erika Banszky.
“At every relic event around the world visitors are invited to offer bathing water to a small statue of the baby Buddha. As they offer the healing water, they think of healing and purifying the bodies and minds of themselves and others. There is a visualization prayer they can use as a guide. Lama Zopa Rinpoche first advised this practice for events back in 2005 and since then, thousands and thousands of visitors around the world have created this pure imprint in their minds.
“While in in Oregon, US, the team squeezed in a trip between scheduled relic events to a high-security prison in Salem, the state’s capitol. Around 50 prisoners came to view the relics, read the Golden Light Sutra, offer bathing water to the baby Buddha and write the Sanghata Sutra in gold ink. Some prisoners left the room completely overwhelmed by the loving energy emanating from the holy relics.
“In Malaysia, there were events in both Penang and Kuala Lumpur, hosted by local FPMT centers. All events were very well attended. Volunteers at both centers all worked very hard to create beautiful displays and offerings.
“On July 29 we launched a new blog so that the many inspiring stories and photos from around the world may be easily shared. Rejoice!”
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche wished to update the FPMT Mission Statement in order to make it clear that FPMT’s mission of preserving the Mahayana tradition includes listening to correct teachings of the Buddha, then reflecting, meditating on, practicing and actualizing those teachings – and then with experience spreading the teachings to sentient beings.
The FPMT Inc Board has finalised the updated FPMT Mission Statement, and we are delighted to share it with you here:
FPMT Mission Statement
The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings.
We 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. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion.
Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe and our spiritual director, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering all the flowers in the park to the guru, Leeds, UK, July 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
New Amitabha Buddha statue Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, US, July 2014. Photo by Merry Colony.
In early July, the residents of Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, the FPMT retreat land in Washington State in the United States, students of the near by Pamtingpa Center welcomed a large Amitabha statue to the retreat land property welcomed a large Amitabha statue to their property with a procession of incense and music. Students from near-by Pamtingpa Center also participated in the festivities. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised the students to do many specific prayers both when the statue was installed and after the statue was filled with mantras for consecration, including Lama Tsongkhapa’s “Praise to Amitabha.”
The 13-foot (4-meter) tall statue is made of highest-quality white marble from Vietnam and weighs 16 tons (14,790 kilograms). It took over two years for the sculpting to be completed.
The Amitabha Buddha statue arrived in a shipping container and had to be unloaded with a crane, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, US, June 30, 2014. Photo by Merry Colony.
Long-time student Ven. Yarpel (John Jackson) constructed a throne for the new Amitabha, which was filled with tsa-tsas and other precious items, such as ceremonial wealth vases. He also prepared the grounds for the statue’s throne and made room for the crane that lifted the statue out of its crate. Traditional Tibetan artist Gelek Sherpa has been invited to paint Amitabha and his throne.
The crane was also necessary for placing the white marble statue on its throne, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, US, June 30, 2014. Photo by Merry Colony.
When Rinpoche arrived at the land later in July, he spent time buying incredible flower offerings, describing how he wants the grounds around Amitabha to be like a “pure land” filled with trees and flowers. Already, in the gardens of Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, there are recordings playing the Sanghata Sutra and the Sutra of Golden Light 24 hours a day, blessing any beings that hear them.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
When it comes to advice for combating sickness and poor health, Lama Zopa Rinpoche always recommends Medicine Buddha practice, and advises using “sickness for the path.“
FPMT Education has compiled some resources for students around the world who either suffer from physical or mental obstacles to their health or want to help others facing these challenges.
- Medicine Buddha Puja
- Medicine Buddha Sadhana (short)
- Medicine Buddha Mantras
- Benefits of Medicine Buddha Mantra and Practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
More Medicine Buddha resources can be found on the FPMT Foundation Store.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being greeted, Kushinagar, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Andy Melnic.
FPMT has more than 20 centers and study groups in four Spanish-speaking countries and Mandala features several articles translated into español, available for free online.
Student and coordinator of Thubten Kunkyab Study Group in Mexico Alejandro M. García recently translated “La Gran Estupa de la Compasión Universal” and “Progreso Gigantesco Para Los Proyectos Maitreya,” which appeared in English in the April-June 2014 issue. Spanish-speaking students can now read about the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Australia, slated to be the largest stupa in the Western world and the venue of the CPMT 2014 meeting in September, and about the progress of the Maitreya Projects, among the largest FPMT holy objects currently being planned and built in India.
In addition to what Mandala offers, FPMT education and practice materials, including advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, are available in Spanish through the FPMT Foundation Store, FPMT Hispana, and Ediciones Mahayana. You can find links to Spanish-language books by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, published by Ediciones Dharma, on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. In addition, Spanish translations of many sutras can be found on fpmt.org via the search function.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Sutra of Golden Light at Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, India, March 2014, Photo by Andy Melnic.
Chokhor Duchen, one of the four great holy days of the Tibetan calendar, is just around the corner. Also known as the Festival of Turning the Wheel of Dharma, Chokhor Duchen commemorates the anniversary upon which Shakyamuni Buddha first began teaching the Dharma. For seven weeks after his enlightenment, the Buddha did not teach. After this period, Indra and Brahma offered a dharmachakra and a conch shell and requested Shakyamuni to teach. Accepting, Buddha Shakyamuni turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time at Sarnath by teaching on the Four Noble Truths.
Chokhor Duchen takes place this year on Thursday, July 31. As a Buddha Multiplying Day, karmic results of actions on this day are multiplied one hundred million times. This amazing result is sourced by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.
You can find Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recommended practices for this special day here (on Rinpoche’s Advice page, under Buddha Multiplying Days), and a calendar of all the holy days here.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with FPMT Sangha at the Light of the Path Retreat, NC, USA, May 2014.
Chokhor Duchen also commemorates FPMT’s TWELFTH INTERNATIONAL SANGHA DAY
Here is how you can celebrate monastics on Sangha Day, July 31, 2014:
- Show respect for and appreciation of Sangha
- Generate deeper awareness of the Sangha jewel
- Donate to the Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund
Please keep in mind: According to Ven. Choden Rinpoche, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachers, observation of auspicious days should be according to the date in India, not the date in one’s home country. Therefore, when Lama Zopa Rinpoche is not in India, Rinpoche celebrates Buddha Days and other auspicious dates according to the time in India.
Special thanks to the Liberation Prison Project for preparing the Tibetan Calendar.
If you choose to recite the Sutra of Golden Light on this special day, you might like to report your recitations using the facility on the FPMT website – which you can find on the Sutra of Golden Light reporting page. You can also find many other sutra texts available for free download on the FPMT Education Services’ Sutras page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the card “Compassion Is of the Utmost Need,” created by FPMT Education Services, Land of Medicine Buddha, California, September 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.
To help FPMT students around the world access the resources they need, FPMT Education Services have been working to restructure the pages, links and downloads on the FPMT Education Services sections of fpmt.org. You can find links to prayers and practices, sutras and mantras, advice, teachings and much more under the “Education” tab on fpmt.org.
FPMT Education Services has been called “the heart” of the FPMT organization because it creates high quality study programs suitable for all levels in accordance with the wishes and guidance of FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche. These programs are available in FPMT centers, as homestudy materials, or via the FPMT Online Learning Center. Education Services also publishes various practice materials in hard copy and digital formats, and works with a global network of educators, trainers, translators and publishers to develop valuable training programs and translations.
“If you look, then you can understand how fortunate we are having the opportunity to study [Dharma], Lama Zopa Rinpoche said. “With our Dharma knowledge and practice we can give the light of Dharma to others, in their heart. I think that’s the best service to sentient beings, the best service to the world.”
Please take a look at all the education resources that are available to you and share your suggestions (education@fpmt.org) for the continued improvement of the FPMT Education pages.
The work of FPMT Education Services is supported in part by donations to the FPMT Education Fund and Friends of FPMT.
The 2014 International Merit Box grant award winners have been chosen! Fifteen projects which further the mission of FPMT have gotten much-needed funding support thanks to the generosity of Merit Box practitioners.
$54,743 in grants have be distributed for the following projects:
Hayagriva Statue for Gendun Drupa Center in Switzerland
Retreat support for IMI Sangha who attended Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Light of the Path retreat in May 2014
Repaying the Kindness program to support carers in the United Kingdom
Gompa prayer book expansion project at Kadampa Center, USA
Developing a spiritual carer training program through Karuna Hospice Service in Australia
Feeding the homeless at the Soup Kitchen of Lamp of the Path Mongolia
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Lamp of the Path Mongolia staff and beneficiaries, September 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Providing Mandala magazine subscriptions for prisoners through the Liberation Prison project
Support toward the publishing costs of Big Love Lama Yeshe: The Official Biography of Lama Yeshe, through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, USA
For the ongoing operations for Osel Labrang, and the recent distribution of Long Life Prayer Flags for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund
Developing the Research Library and Tibetan language program at Maitripa College, USA
Construction work on a vulnerable roadway at Milarepa Center, USA
IMI Sangha at the Light of the Path retreat, May 2014
Funding the live webcasts of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings
Work on the Lama Yeshe statue shrine at Vajrapani Institute, USA
If you would like to become a Merit Box practitioner and support the 2015 grants, please click here. With a Merit Box practice kit, you can start collecting your spare change over the next year to help virtuous projects like these come to fruition!
Tenzin Ösel Hita and Lama Zopa Rinpoche after having lunch together, Italy, June 16, 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Tenzin Ösel Hita both attended His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent public teachings in Livorno, Italy, June 14-15. The following day, Ösel joined Lama Zopa Rinpoche for lunch.
Rinpoche was in Italy through the end of June. He gave teachings at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa June 28-29. Rinpoche taught on June 28 and conferred the long life initiation of White Tara on June 29.
Ösel recently finished the semester of studies in Hawaii, and later in 2014 will be taking teachings from Geshe Gendun Chomphel at Sera Je Monastery.
More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.