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FPMT News Around the World
The Cheese Plate PDX, started by Carina Rumrill and Nick Dickison after reading Lama Zopa Rinpoche's message in the 2011 FPMT Annual Review
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s message to students in FPMT Annual Review 2011: Cherishing Life inspired Carina Rumrill – former editor of Mandala and present editorial support for FPMT International Office – and her partner, Nick Dickison, to take their extensive experience in fine dining, combine it with Portland, Oregon’s increasingly popular food cart scene, and create The Cheese Plate PDX. The high-end-style food cart has a carefully thought out vegetarian menu that reflects the importance Rinpoche places on a vegetarian diet.
One of The Cheese Plate PDX's picnic plates: soft boiled eggs with seaweed caviar, mushroom & kale pâté, cheese-stuffed olives, watermelon with ginger sea salt
In the letter, Rinpoche, who manifested a stroke in April 2011, reflected:
When I was in the hospital, I saw a program about animals that were sold to be killed in Indonesia and other countries for live export … It didn’t show how they were killed, but it showed one cow that was on the platform, with the head tied, being pulled down to be killed. The cow didn’t want to go and the man was pulling it. I thought, “I don’t have power to stop all this killing, but what I can do is to try to inspire people to become vegetarian.”
“As is often the case with Rinpoche’s students reading Rinpoche’s advice,” Carina shares, “I immediately felt the letter in the annual review was written for me. Suddenly, I realized that what we could do was not merely just make a living for ourselves and our family, but that by offering a wonderful vegetarian menu, we could actually be helping to fulfill one of Rinpoche’s wishes and requests.”
Nick Dickison (chef) and Carina's son (and employee) Alex Knowlton at The Cheese Plate PDX. Photo by Behind the Food Carts (http://behindthefoodcarts.com).
Carina and Nick’s cart focuses on local cheese from creameries that can prove commitment to the humane care of their animals; any eggs used are organic and cage-free; and a large portion of the menu is vegan. The business is a family affair as well, employing the talents of Carina’s two oldest children.
The cart and its tagline (itself inspired by Rinpoche’s letter’s closing) – “enjoy yourself. cherish others.” – is already getting attention from popular food blogs like world-famous Zagat and local up-start Behind the Food Carts (check out their stunning photos!)
“It is wonderful to enjoy yourself,” Carina remarks. “Just make sure that your enjoyment benefits others. That’s what I learned from Rinpoche, and so far, it’s working out really well!”
You can find The Cheese Plate PDX on Facebook. See photos of their yummy food and chat with the owners directly.
Two other International Office staff members also initiated a vegetarian business recently: former office manager Ugyen Shola and former director of finance Sarah Pool. Their business, Pacific Northwest Kale Chips offers delicious vegan chips made from kale.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Khadro-la at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, United States, June 2012. Photo by Marc Sakamoto.
Mandala is putting the finishing touches on its next issue, which features a new interview with Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la). While Khadro-la was visiting the FPMT International Office in Portland in June, she agreed to a second interview with us. (The first can be found in the January-March 2009 issue.) Managing editor Laura Miller asked Khadro-la to talk about her connection with and service to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, offer advice to female practitioners and share her thoughts for the development of FPMT.
Khadro-la also spoke briefly on a project she is working on with Lama Zopa Rinpoche to build two stupas on the West Coast of the United States. Her hope is that the stupas will minimize any potential damage from earthquakes that may possibly occur in the region. It has become an utmost priority for FPMT to support this project, and anyone can help through Stupas to Minimize Harm from the Elements.
Other stories in the October-December 2012 issue include a profile of Geshe Kelsang Wangmo, the world’s first female geshe; an excerpt from the just released book How to Practice Dharma: Teachings on the Eight Worldly Dharmas by Lama Zopa Rinpoche; and news of events and activities important to the international FPMT community.
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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
Geshe Sherab at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Meyers Flat, Victoria, Australia, August 2012. Photo by Hirani Chambers.
Geshe Thubten Sherab, former head master for Kopan Monastery’s school and long-time supporter of FPMT in various capacities, kicked off his first Australian tour August 3-5 at Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery in Myers Flat, Victoria, teaching on The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas.
“I enjoyed my time very much at Atisha Center and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery. The place is beautiful, clean and quiet and a very nice place to do retreat,” Geshe Sherab reports. “The retreat on the 37 verses of bodhisattva practices was attended by around 35-40 people and we enjoyed and had a good time. The retreat went very well as far as I am concerned, and I hope that those who have attended have enjoyed and benefited equally.”
Geshe Sherab took the time to visit The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, scheduled to be the largest stupa in the Western world, in nearby Maiden Gully. “I was very excited and inspired to see the progress of The Great Stupa,” he shares. “My wishes and prayers are with it for a quick completion so it can inspire and bring lots of peace and benefit to all sentient beings. I am looking forward to visit when completed.”
Geshe Sherab will make his way through “Oz” over three months, visiting over eight centers in six different states. FPMT Australia, the country’s regional office, has played a huge role in supporting the tour, organizing a master schedule and providing updates via Facebook as the tour progresses. Geshe Sherab’s unquestionable qualifications (he received his Geshe degree from Sera Je Monastery and completed tantric studies at Gyumed Tantric College) coupled with English-Tibetan bilingualism, natural warmth, and ability to connect openly with Western students, are sure to make the rest of his tour a huge success.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
Occasionally Osel Hita shares his thoughts and experiences on his Facebook page. In this update, he details his recent visit to California, USA, where he attended an FPMT Board of Directors meeting.
So again, I wanted to thank all of you for your hard work, your perseverance, and your Big Love!
Very happy to be part of this amazing movement for humanity’s improvement as a whole, starting from each individual!
Onelove family!
Thank you!
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Tashi Tsering under Olympic rings, London, England, July 2012
By Mike Murray, Director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre
What does a Dharma center do when the Olympic Games come to town? Join in of course!
Team FPMT GB (Jamyang Buddhist Centre London’s homage to the UK’s Olympic team name), headed up by team leader and head coach Geshe Tashi Tsering, has won four golds so far.
Geshe Tashi Tsering stands outside Olympic Park, London, England, July 2012
The first gold goes to Geshe Tashi Tsering who is one of the members of the Buddhist Chaplaincy team at the Olympic Village and in the Olympic Park. This is the first time a member of the Tibetan diaspora has been involved in the games in such a way. He is thoroughly enjoying meeting people and talking with them and helping them, even if for us it seems a bit odd to see him in the Olympic volunteers uniform rather than the usual maroon robes. In between volunteering at the games, he led a retreat just outside of Graz in Austria. A very busy geshe!
Second gold goes to the monks of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery who started their five-day residency at Jamyang London on August 6. As part of our contribution to the London Cultural Olympiad running alongside the Olympics, they have very kindly agreed to create a sand mandala of the Buddha Akshobhya with Eight Goddesses of Good Fortune.
Why that one? His Holiness the Dalai Lama has given that initiation in UK and the Tashi Lhunpo monks created the sand mandala then. Also, the practice of Akshobhya, the seeing of the mandala and the recitation of his mantra is said to be a very powerful purifier of and antidote to anger. The monks are also giving a workshop, a talk and a performance of Cham, the famous costumed monastic dance of Tibet.
Jamyang has a particular link with Tashi Lhunpo as one of their key and highly revered teachers, Sera Mey Tsangpa Geshe Thubten Rinchen, is also one of the main teachers of Geshe Tashi Tsering and the uncle of Lobsang Palbar who works at the center.
The third gold goes to the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (LYWA), one thousand of whose free books we are distributing in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to UK and for the Olympics. There is something extraordinarily joyous about being able to freely give high-quality, accessible Dharma books to people who show an interest, and the kind people at LYWA make this possible. At His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent teachings in Manchester, it was particularly noticeable that the FPMT UK stall handing out books for free meant that youngsters with not so much money were able to pick up a book and open their minds. An abiding image of our time at His Holiness’ teachings was the broad smile that came across one lurky teen’s face when in answer to his suspicious “So how much are you selling this for then?” we could say, “Nothing. It’s free. Please take it.”
The fourth gold goes to the Courtyard Garden Cafe, the community interest company set up by Jamyang to provide quality wholesome tasty vegetarian food in an inner city area not known for quality vegetarian food. The cafe team does an extraordinary job bringing a fun relaxing atmosphere to cafe-courtyard eating and getting the message out that eating healthy and veggie can be tasty and fun! Every meat eater we entice to have a veggie meal, cut down on meat eating, or cut it out altogether is a success for us.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Amitabha Buddhist Centre students offer a birthday cake to Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi. Photo courtesy of ABC's Facebook page.
On July 22, Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) in Singapore offered a long life puja based on the deity Amitayus for their resident teacher Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi in honor of his 50th birthday. Khen Rinpoche also serves as abbot of Kopan Monastery. During the puja, center members meditated on Amitayus, recited mantras, made a mandala offering and prayed for the long lives of Khen Rinpoche, all their other gurus and for all the students in attendance. ABC has shared photos of the festivities on their Facebook page.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre was founded in 1989 in Singapore, but the center’s origins go back to Lama Yeshe’s 1984 visit to the country. Today, ABC is a thriving center with a rich educational program including the FPMT Basic Program, led by Khen Rinpoche. In addition, the center has a busy calendar offering regular pujas, classes and animal liberation practices.
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the Light of the Path retreat, North Carolina, USA, 2009
Going on a meditation retreat can be an amazingly rewarding experience for a Dharma practitioner, but sometimes the conditions for an extended break from daily life aren’t there. The FPMT Online Learning Center, however, offers students a variety of educational programs to support their home study and also their stay-at-home retreats. Even if you have only one free day or afternoon, consider finding a quiet space and following one of the free modules offered on the Online Learning Center.
Students inspired by FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche might try the first module of the Living in the Path program called “Motivation for Life.” In five separate sessions, students receive guided instruction aimed at developing their appreciation of precious human birth, the truth of impermanence, karma and the power of bodhichitta. The sessions include video teachings from the 2009 Light of the Path retreat, readings, meditations, mindfulness exercises and service activities all to help make daily life and practice most meaningful.
August 2011 eZine
“The Diamond Cutter Meditation” is another course freely available from Living in the Path. This course feature instructions from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to meditate on the well known verse on emptiness and impermanence from the Diamond Cutter Sutra (also known as the Vajra Cutter Sutra). In two sessions, students receive instruction, accompanied by readings and activities, to help them learn to apply the verse’s meaning in daily life.
Read more about Living in the Path in a feature from the August 2011 issue of Mandala‘s eZine. (You can also find it by clicking the archive tab from the eZine page.)
With 158 centers, projects and services around the globe, there is always news on FPMT activities, teachers and events. Mandala hopes to share as many of these timely stories as possible. If you have news you would like to share, please let us know.
FPMT News Around the World
Geshe Ngawang Tenley, a new U.S. citizen, celebrates at Kurukulla Center near Boston (hence the Boston Red Sox baseball cap), July 26, 2012. Photo courtesy of Kurukulla Center’s Facebook page.
Members of Kurukulla Center in Medford, Massachusetts, gathered on July 26 to celebrate the naturalization of resident teacher, Geshe Ngawang Tenley. The center hosted tea and refreshments after Geshe Tenley became a U.S. citizen in a ceremony held in the historic Faneuli Hall in Boston. Michael McGlynn, the Mayor of Medford, stopped by the late afternoon event to share in the festivities. The celebration continued with a Tara puja and a late dinner afterwards. Visit Kurukulla Center’s Facebook page to see more photos of the day.
Kurukulla Center has been busy with activities, including marking Chokur Duchen (Wheel Turning Day) with a Sangha and community lunch. The center is also preparing for a visit and talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in October. To learn more about the regular Dharma teachings, education programs, pujas, meditation sessions and yoga classes happening at the center, visit Kurukulla Center’s webpage.
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
Lam-rim course at Atisha Centre with Thubten Gyatso, April 2012. Photo by Liam Chambers.
From Cherry Rattue, Director of Atisha Centre
In April 2012, over a dozen students participated in the extraordinary and beneficial nine-day Lam-rim Retreat led by Thubten Gyatso. Thubten Gyatso traditionally leads an annual retreat at Atisha Centre and details of his next retreat will be posted on the website. Julie Sloan shares this experience from the retreat:
With Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s increased emphasis on retreat and practice, I was so fortunate to participate in the Lam-rim Retreat to work towards meeting Rinpoche’s wishes right here in Bendigo at Atisha Centre, our very own retreat, meditation and education center. Thubten Gyatso’s loving kindness, peerless retreat guidance and stainless teachings on the Graduated Path to Enlightenment had a profound impact on my mind, deepened my understanding of Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings and helped clarify life’s direction. To be on retreat with a group of like-minded people, supported by a precious team of staff and volunteers is like finding a treasure of jewels and gold in a field of mud, a rare event indeed. Thank you everyone. May I create vast benefit for all beings by any virtue I have accumulated on this beautiful, precious and glorious retreat.
Retreats like these happen frequently at various FPMT centers around the world. In addition to the retreat schedule available on fpmt.org, contacting your local FPMT center is a great way to see what other courses are available.
Find dozens of articles related to retreats on Mandala’s “Subduing the Mind, Actualizing the Path” Retreat Resource Area.
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
New altar at Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Spain. Photo by Erwan Grey.
By Steve Milton
Centro Nagarjuna Valencia in Valencia, Spain has just completed construction of a new altar. Center director Steve Milton recently shared with Mandala the inspiring story of the altar’s creation. The center has created a photo gallery documenting the construction process.
During the puja for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday in 2009, Dagri Rinpoche, who was visiting our center at the time, said that he was very pleased with the emphasis on in-depth study at the center and that we were very lucky to have such a learned resident lama as Geshe Lamsang. Dagri Rinpoche said that he would like to offer the center the complete collection of Buddha’s teachings and their commentaries (Kangyur and Tengyur) to have on the altar as this would be very beneficial.
Dagri Rinpoche during visit to Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, July 2009. Photo by Erwan Grey.
We were all very moved by Dagri Rinpoche’s generosity and kindness. It became clear we would need to make a new altar in order to place all these sacred texts. We started fundraising right away. I researched advice on making altars from Lama Zopa Rinpoche [information on this is available in the FPMT Affiliates Area]. Fernando Sanz, a member of our center who is a professional designer, drew up a plan for an altar that would fit along the wall of our gompa and be able to hold the hundreds of texts. Geshe Lamsang also gave us his advice and input. And as soon as we had a design we were happy with, local carpenters set to work.
As the altar is so large, it was made in modules that would all fit together in the center. When the day came to assemble the altar, the carpenters took pride in doing the best job possible as it was obvious to them that this was something that was of great importance to the center. While we were working, I mentioned to the main carpenter, Luis, that what he had built will hold many holy objects and will inspire the many people coming to the center and that for him it will create a lot of positive energy. He said he hoped so as business had been really bad and he had to lay off people. There had also been a break-in at his workshop and to top it off, he said, the other day someone had smashed his car side window and stolen his mobile phone.
The next day Luis came later than the other workers. Arriving by taxi, his glum mood had changed. “I think your right, Steve,” he said. “You won’t believe it, but last night I got the go-ahead on a big job that I’d put a quote in for a long time ago. And then this morning, on the way here chatting to the taxi driver, he asked me to give him a quote for a job. I think my luck is changing at last!”
“Luck” for a Buddhist practitioner is explained by merit and karma; how skillful the lamas are in encouraging us to have holy objects in order to create merit! Even someone who comes to the center for a yoga class and sees all those texts, statues and stupas, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, purifies “countless eons of negative karma!”
We have just received one of the life-size Maitreya statues offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and we plan to put it in the reception area so it will be the first thing you see when you come into the center. Luis, the carpenter, is making Maitreya’s throne, and if you want a share of the good merit, you just need to rejoice!
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
Creative Compassion Day Cake enjoyed at Lama Yeshe Ling’s potluck dinner celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 77th birthday, Canada, July 6, 2012.
On July 6 our Compassion Day celebration included a potluck dinner where members were engaged in many ways to honor the 77th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the spirit of the day.
The community was invited to bring a new friend, compile a list of books on compassion, participate in a book exchange and offer gifts for His Holiness.
Three dozen people ranging from youth to seniors enjoyed a vast array of delicious food and the friendship found in our community.
Dekyi-Lee, Deborah K., Beverly and Alana designed, baked and iced the birthday cake which was enjoyed by all! Dave Gould led our dedication to His Holiness with OM MANI PADME HUM and long life prayers. Our youngest guest, the around-seven-years-old Maeve, read aloud her heartfelt message for His Holiness to all in attendance who discovered this child truly is wise beyond her years!
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
Resident teacher Geshe Lamsang greets Khadro-la at Centro Nagarjuna Valencia, Spain, July 2012. Photo by Erwan Grey.
Khadro-la visited Centro Nagarjuna Valencia in Spain July 10-12, giving two-hour public teachings during two evenings. Topics included practicing the good heart and the wisdom realizing emptiness. The students were so moved by the teachings and Khadro-la’s presence that the center was filled to capacity, with over two hundred people squeezed together. However, during her teachings, there was a stillness and silence that I have never seen before, all the more suprising as it was so hot and cramped. There were tears in the eyes of many students, especially at the end when Khadro-la began to sing the dedication prayers.
The teachings were translated by our resident translator Karen Molina and the photos were taken by our official photographer Erwan Grey.
Karen Molina, Steve Milton, Khadro-la, Geshe Lamsang, Ven. Paloma (SPC) and Teddy, Valencia, Spain, July 2012. Photo by Erwan Grey.
The visit was very important for our center as we have been inviting Khadro-la for a few years now. She nearly came last year, but it was canceled right at the last minute. This time there was a lot of uncertainty right up to a few days before the scheduled teachings, but it seems in the end we had enough merit, and there was a great sense of relief when finally she arrived.
The sense of relief soon changed into a sense of awe as even our lofty expectations were surpassed. Khadro-la taught with such clarity and a confidence that only comes from someone who has experienced the truth, and it was clear that she really wanted us to see reality as well.
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.