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FPMT News Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during Vajrasattva initiation, Boulder Creek, California, September 30, 2012. Photo by Dionne Wilson.
By Fabienne Pradelle, Director
It came and went like a dream.
We got “the call.” A date was set the following week. We posted it on the web and registrations started pouring in. Fast. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was going to give a Vajrasattva initiation [on September 30, 2012] at Vajrapani Institute and students were booking flights from all around North America.
Osel Hita and Yangsi Rinpoche at Vajrasattva initiation, Boulder Creek, California, September 2012. Photo by Dionne Wilson.
Then Yangsi Rinpoche got confirmed. And Osel Hita. And of course, Lama Yeshe is always there, present in all our doings. We had a bit of a Big Love Day déjà vu. The kind of déjà vu that is most welcomed.
Within days it became clear we couldn’t hold the event in Vajrapani’s gompa. Registration exceeded our hall capacity. We so wanted the blessings of the land so we let go. In the end, our local village, Boulder Creek, got the blessings.
Those of you who’ve been involved with organizing events with Lama Zopa Rinpoche will know what I’m talking about. There is a magic that happens, a blessing which manifests in a lessening of mental afflictions before and during the event. The mind is joyful and the heart warm. The team work is at its best and volunteers are fabulous.
Rinpoche was “wow wow wow!” We were told the event would end around 11 p.m. or midnight but Rinpoche kept having second, third and fourth winds. He motivated us with singular urgency not to waste our time and slay the demon of self-cherishing. From his lips it is heard and seen, that even “playing drums” can be turned into an activity that leads self and others to enlightenment.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Fabienne Pradelle at Vajrasattva initiation, Boulder Creek, California, September 2012. Photo by Dionne Wilson.
When thanked for manifesting as Vajrasattva for our benefit, Rinpoche laughed and laughed telling us he was only Mickey Mouse. No wonder Lama Yeshe visited Disneyland!
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
FPMT Around the World
Enlightenment for the Dear Animals' Tania Duratovic and Nyingje, who was rescued from death, at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, Nepal
October 4 is World Animal Day. Many FPMT students and centers are doing things to benefit animals. If you’d like to do something to help, Enlightenment for the Dear Animals shares the following ideas:
Sangpo, meaning "good hearted," rescued from a pound, and recently re-homed at Kunsang Yeshe Centre, Blue Mountains, Australia
- Go to a local animal shelter and adopt a pet and give it a home and Dharma for the rest of its life;
- If you can’t actually re-home an animal, you can visit a shelter and (perhaps surreptitiously) recite texts and mantras;
- Join your local Dharma center for a pet blessing;
- Recite many mantras, blow on water and then sprinkle or spray the water on insects and animals around your house;
- Sponsor a rescued animal (such as a goat at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, Nepal, or a dog at MAITRI Charitable Trust, India);
- Change your diet and lifestyle to reduce the market for harming animals — go vegetarian, go vegan, give up fur products, promote non-meat meals for functions at family and work celebrations.
“World Animal Day commemorates St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment. He saw the suffering of animals and did not turn a blind eye to their misery,” EFDA writes. “Our own kind Lama Zopa Rinpoche [spiritual director of FPMT] is a most incredible inspiration in showing us how we can actually benefit these sentient beings caught in the lower realms. For this day, at least, we can do prayers and practices specifically dedicated for them.”
To learn more, visit the World Animal Day webpage.
Vajrayana Institute pet blessing on October 1, 2012, Sydney, Australia
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
FPMT News Around the World
Children visiting the Heart Shrine Relic Tour. Photo courtesy of Heart Shrine Relic Tour Facebook page.
The Maitreya Heart Shrine Relic Tour has a new website, featuring quick links to the tour’s schedule and media coverage.
The Heart Shrine Relic Tour displays dozens of relics from Buddhist masters, from Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples up to 20th-century accomplished masters familiar to FPMT students. According to the tour’s website, “The purpose of the Relic Tour is to inspire people of all spiritual traditions and paths to come together to experience the blessings of the relics.”
On Friday, October 5, the North American tour visits Plymouth, New Hampshire, for three days while the European Tour is in Manchester, UK, for three days. The relics recently visited Israel for the first time, making stops in three cities. They were also on view earlier this year in Australia and Mexico as well as several other locations in the Western and Midwestern United States.
The relics have been touring the world since 2001 and have been seen by 1.6 million people. You can see photos from recent event’s on the Relic Tour’s Facebook page.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
If you like what you read on Mandala, please consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
FPMT News Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Lama Yeshe, with babies and Italian students, 1976. From the series of group photos taken at the end of a lam-rim course held at Taceno, Italy. Photo courtesy Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
The latest Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives newsletter reports “editing work continues in earnest” on Lama Yeshe’s biography Big Love. For the past several years, Mandala has published excerpts of Big Love on our website. Now, the Archive has set up a Big Love blog, where they are posting more excerpts from the comprehensive account of Lama Yeshe’s life, compiled and written by Adele Hulse.
In other Lama Yeshe news, the Archive has also just posted Lama’s address to FPMT Center Directors in 1983, where he describes his thoughts about the organizational structure of FPMT centers and the Central Office (now known as International Office).
In the talk, Lama Yeshe sketches out some communications goals for FPMT, which Mandala has taken as inspiration over the last three decades. Both in print and online, we strive to support Lama Yeshe’s vision by sharing stories from different FPMT centers, projects and services.
Here’s what Lama Yeshe had to say:
[The Central Office] facilitates communication both between the centers and me and among the centers themselves. You see, we do have the human tendency to shut off from each other: “I don’t want you looking at me; I can see my own point of view, I don’t want to share it with you.” Each center has its own egocentric orientation: “We’re good enough; we don’t need to take the best of other cultures.” This is wrong. We have reached our present state of existence through a process of evolution. Some older centers have had good experiences and have learned how to do things well. Doing things well is not simply an intellectual exercise but something that comes from acting every day and learning how to do things until you can do them automatically. Thus it is good that the Central Office has a pool of collective experience so that all our centers can share in it and help reinforce each other.
Mandala hopes to continue to support FPMT centers, projects and services through publishing accounts of successes and hard-earned knowledge, offering inspiration as well as concrete information, so that process of evolution can continue.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
If you like what you read on Mandala, please consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
FPMT News Around the World
Osel Hita at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, April 2012. Photo by Sirianni.
Osel Hita Torres – the person recognized as the reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe and a current member of the FPMT board of directors – was featured in a recent BBC Radio 4 broadcast. Osel and his mother Maria Torres were interview by BBC in Ibiza, Spain, for a half-hour story called “The Reluctant Lama.” Osel, now 27 years old, talks a little about his experiences growing up, whether he thinks of himself as Lama Yeshe’s reincarnation and what he sees himself doing in the future. (You can listen to the story at this link.)
Over the years, Mandala has also featured Osel in interviews and stories. In 2010, he participated in a roundtable discussion on the future of FPMT with other young FPMT notables. In 2000, Mandala interviewed a teenaged Osel, who at the time was living a relatively sheltered life as a monk at Sera Je Monastery in India. When read next to the recent BBC story, the archive articles reveal how far Osel has come in his life and how much he has developed as his own person.
You can learn more about Osel on fpmt.org, including listening to an audio recording of a talk given by Osel at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy in April 2012 as well as reading a 2009 letter from Osel and other articles and information.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Members of Choe Khor Sum Ling Study Group and Ven. Tenzin Namdak meet with Geshe Tashi Tsering, abbot of Gyume Tantric Monastic University, India, July 2012
Choe Khor Sum Ling (CKSL), the FPMT study group in Bangalore, India, recently wrote Mandala about some of the highlights of their summer program.
“We had a beautiful and especially blessed Saka Dawa,” CKSL writes. “During the lunch break we got an unexpected phone call: H.E. Ling Choktrul Rinpoche was in Bangalore and wanted to come to one of the local temples or centers to do prayers and offerings. We were very humbled that His Excellency chose to come to CKSL for Saka Dawa.” With three hours’ notice, a Shakyamuni puja to do, members to alert, a center to prepare, and offerings and khatas to gather, students did not waste any time getting things done and were ready to welcome Ling Rinpoche when he arrived.
FPMT News Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Nalanda Monastery, France, October 2011. Photo by Philippe Garric.
The community at Nalanda Monastery in France recently completed 1,020 sessions of the 16 Arhat puja in order to benefit the health of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
The monastery reports that they began doing the pujas after the Chenrezig retreat with Khadro-la in late August. They each did five daily sessions and recited the “Panacea of Pure Nectar” and long life prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche after almost every session.
“It was very nice and an honor that we could do it for Rinpoche’s health,” said Ven. Tendar, monastery director. “[We] hope Rinpoche will fully recover very soon, and we hope he might be able to teach again as much as he wants, in the way that he wants and wherever he wants. And of course we hope he will have a very long life, and that we may be able to fulfill all his wishes.”
You can keep up-to-date on Rinpoche’s health by visiting the “Rinpoche’s Health – Official Updates and Practices” page.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in front of Ksitigarbha statue at Land of Medicine Buddha, September 2012. Photo courtesy of LMB's Facebook page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche joined the fourth Ksitigarbha Day celebration at Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) in California on Saturday, September 15. Rinpoche gave explanations on Ksitigarbha and a lung of the mantra in the garden area around LMB’s Ksitigarbha statue, upon which Rinpoche bestowed the name Ksitigarbha Pure Land.
Rinpoche stayed at LMB for lunch, talked to many students and watched the day’s entertainment. LMB has posted many photos of the day on their Facebook page.
“Rinpoche shone with delight at all of the offerings, food, light, gold to the statue, water bowl and prayer … so, so beautiful,” shared Denice Macy, LMB’s director. Rinpoche has been on the West Coast of the United States since June 2012, visiting California, Oregon and Washington states.
On Sunday, September 30, Rinpoche offers a Vajrasattva initiation at Vajrapani Institute in California. This is Rinpoche’s last scheduled public event in the United States during this visit. Rinpoche returns to India and Nepal in October. He is scheduled to give a Most Secret Hayagriva oral transmission at Drati Khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery, India, on October 27 and a Vajrasattva initiation at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in December.
To receive news on where Rinpoche is offering teachings and initiations, you can sign up to get updates in your email inbox by visiting Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Schedule page.
Ksitigarbha Day, Land of Medicine Buddha, September 2012. Photo courtesy of LMB's Facebook page.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Thubten Soepa, who has been a visiting teacher at FPMT’s Land of Compassion and Wisdom in Austin, Texas, U.S., for several years, recently created videos available on YouTube. One video features Geshe Soepa giving instruction in English on OM MANI PADME HUM meditation. He also has a 20-minute video in Tibetan talking about vegetarianism. (There is a 10-minute version of the talk as well.)
Geshe Soepa traveled to Alaska in the United States to teach for a few weeks during the summer. Over the next several months, he will be teaching in Ohio, New York, California, and Mexico before he returns to Austin in January 2013, where he will stay and teach a little more before going to Delhi in February 2013.
Geshe Soepa served as a resident geshe at Aryatara Institut in Germany for 10 years. He was born in Tibet, but fled at age 19 for Sera Je Monastery in India, where he received his Lharampa Geshe degree.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Wednesday, September 12, 2012, is the second annual Mindfulness Day. All are encouraged to participate in this secular celebration by generating a more peaceful, compassionate mind and cultivating awareness and presence in daily life. Wisdom Publications, the sponsor of Mindfulness Day, is offering a discount on its ebooks on mindfulness, including The Mindful Writer by Dinty W. Moore. You can read Mandala’s recent interview with Dinty in this issue’s online content. To learn more about the day, visit the Mindfulness Day website.
For practitioners of Mahayana Buddhism, mindfulness practice also includes generating a strong attitude to benefit all beings. For those interested in reading FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice on ways to increase and deepen your bodhichitta practice, visit Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s page on the Bodhisattva Attitude: How to Dedicate Your Life to Others by Lama Zopa Ripoche.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Khadro-la at Kushi Ling Retreat Centre, Italy, July 2012. Photo by Sirianni.
Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme, who is more commonly known as Khadro-la, recently offered teachings at Nalanda Monastery in France as part of a retreat on “Guru Yoga of Chenrezig, Developing a Compassionate Heart.” The retreat, Khadro-la’s second at the monastery, took place August 20-29, 2012.
During the retreat, Khadro-la took time to speak with representatives of FPMT’s European centers. They requested that she return to Europe for another teaching tour and rejoiced in Khadro-la’s affirmative answer.
“Yes, this year impossible; next year, yes,” Khadro-la told the representatives. “If it is beneficial, it’s good. But if it is not beneficial, there is a lot of money involved, a lot of work, many people make arrangements – and if a lot of money is spent and it is not beneficial, I do not feel comfortable coming. Some people really like to go to the West, to visit many countries, but I don’t have this kind of interest. What is my major interest? To be of benefit to people. So if there is benefit, then I like to come, despite hardships. We will see for next year when is good. And I already asked His Holiness about it and he said that he was happy that I visit the centers of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. And also Lama Zopa Rinpoche insisted a lot: ‘Please visit the centers.’ If it is beneficial, I will definitely come. If it is not beneficial, I will close the door, practice inside and not come!”*
During July and August 2012, Khadro-la visited several FPMT centers in Europe, including Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Nagarjuna C.E.T. Barcelona and O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros in Spain; Centro Tara Cittamani, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa and Kushi Ling Retreat Centre in Italy; Longku Center in Switzerland; and Institut Vajra Yogini and Nalanda Monastery in France. Many other European centers had also hoped to host her on this visit, but were unable to. It was good news for all that she agreed to return.
“The fact that the doctrine of the Buddha, the Buddhadharma, is remaining and still present and developing in this world, is due to the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Vajradhara himself, holder of the doctrine, who makes the doctrine of the Buddha flourish, like a lake in a rainy summer (not here – it is dry here) and the lake becomes huge,” Khadro-la told the European center representatives. “The FPMT centers are born from the kindness of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, and their great activity. There is no way to forget this great kindness, and also there’s no way to repay this kindness. … Due to the existence of these centers many sentient have had the opportunity to create a lot of merit. And also many holy beings, enlightened beings themselves, have been able to come, and in this way to create a connection, and many sentient beings have been able to meet those holy beings. … So we can see directly and indirectly in different ways, thanks to the work in FPMT centers, so much merit has been able to be accumulated. And that is really amazing.”
*Khadro-la speaking to FPMT representatives, August 23, 2012, Nalanda Monastery, France. Transcript provided by FPMT European Regional Office. Lightly edited for publication by fpmt.org/mandala/.
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With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Thubten Gyatso at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre
De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast offers serious Dharma students an ideal space for retreat. Thubten Gyatso, a long-time student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, talked about his three years spent in retreat in De-Tong Ling’s pristine coastal wilderness with Mandala magazine in 2009.
“Meditation retreat gives deep insight into one’s own mind, warts and all,” Gyatso reflected. “Actual experiences are only discussed with one’s teacher but, as we all share the same psychological processes, retreat makes it easy to understand where people are coming from and how to help them.”
Upcoming events at De-Tong Ling include a 10-day retreat in October with Ven. Thubten Dondrub. Information on the retreat can be found on De-Tong Ling’s website. Also visit, Mandala’s retreat resource page, which offers with many helpful links on retreat, including advice and more interviews with students about their retreat experiences.
Since Gyatso’s retreat, De-Tong Ling has completed an Enlightenment Stupa, which can be seen in this video.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.