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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News
Lama Zopa Rinpoche before flying in a helicopter to Kushinagar for Maitreya Project ceremony, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was flown by the Uttar Pradesh State Government from Lucknow, India, to the site of the future Maitreya Buddha statue at Kushinagar for the foundation stone laying ceremony. Rinpoche and Akhilesh Yadev, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, addressed a crowd of 100,000 during the ceremony. The event marked the handing over of approximately 275 acres of land to the Maitreya Project Trust for the Maitreya Buddha statue.
Aerial view of ceremony site and Maitreya Project land, Kushinagar, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
In addition to building the Maitreya statue, the project plans to engage in a range of social programs aimed specifically at providing employment, education and healthcare to the local community. His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent a letter of good wishes that was read at the event.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitreya Project ceremony, Kushinagar, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Sangpo Sherpa.
For more, see the December 2013 Announcement from the Maitreya Project Kushinagar and Mandala’s coverage.
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his sister Ani Ngawang Samten, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s older sister Ani Ngawang Samten visited with Rinpoche after his return to Kopan Monastery in November. Ani Samten came down to Kathmandu from Lawudo Retreat Centre, in the mountainous Solu Kumbu region of Nepal. Ven. Roger Kunsang, Rinpoche’s assistant, described Ani Samten as ”the ’mother’ of Lawudo. [She] looks after everything … except the recent building work which Rinpoche’s brother Sangay Sherpa does as the director.”
Lawudo is where Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation meditated. Ani Samten was key to the development and buidling of Lawudo Gompa and has taken care of the students, teachers and retreaters who have visited Lawudo since the early days of FPMT. Read more about her amazing contributions and work in the Mandala January-February 1998 article, “The Keeper of Lawudo.”
Learn more about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s homepage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Kopan Monastery on how important it is to serve others, Nepal, December 1, 2013. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang.
“… When you abandon harm to others, you receive so much happiness from others, from life to life, for 100 lifetimes,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised. “Just by abstaining from harm to others one time you receive benefit for 100 lifetimes. By practicing the morality of not stealing, you receive wealth for 100 lifetimes. By practicing charity one time, you will enjoy good results in hundreds and thousands of lifetimes. In the Arya Sanghatasutra it is said that by practicing generosity once to a sentient being you will gain enjoyment for 80 or 80,000 eons. With a good heart, if you benefit somebody, you will receive enjoyment for 100 lifetimes, since karma is expandable. From one virtue, you experience the result for so many lifetimes or for so many times in one life.
“Firstly, you should think that sentient beings are wish-fulfilling jewels. Secondly, you should be the wish-fulfilling jewel to other sentient beings in daily life. This is very important. Even if you are not working or you are in a cave, not seeing anybody, not even an insect, you should editate on bodhicitta. You should think how precious sentient beings are. And think, “I must do the same.” This is an excellent way to live life, especially living a busy life with others. By living life with this attitude, it is the happiest life and most meaningful life. There will be nothing to be scared of in the future. Life is like sunshine in the future.
“I presented the above in relation to Dharma and Buddhism – how others will feel if you are a wish-fulfilling jewel to others. If you become a wish-fulfilling jewel to others, as a result, others will become a wish-fulfilling jewel to you. This can be explained on this basis. …”
— Excerpted from “Attitude for Offering Service,” a letter written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 2008
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an organization dedicated to preserving Mahayana Buddhism through offering the Buddha’s authentic teachings and to facilitating reflection, meditation, practice and the opportunity to actualize and directly experience the Buddha’s teachings. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche playing a damaru, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT, shared that “Rinpoche [is] playing the damaru with his right hand. [It’s] a little difficult, but managing. The right leg and arm continue to improve.”
Rinpoche manifested a stroke in 2011, which affected his right arm and leg. His recovery continues to progress. Rinpoche is able to do many activities with his right arm and hand such as writing mantras and playing cymbals (and damaru) during puja.
VIDEO: Rinpoche playing cymbals
Learn more about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s homepage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more. Visit “Rinpoche’s Health — Official Updates and Practices” to learn more and receive updates on Rinpoche’s health.
Tsog offering during long life puja with five dakinis for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 9, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
The annual long life puja for FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services and students took place at Kopan Monastery in Nepal on December 9. Hundreds of people attended the puja, which took place at the end of the month-long meditation course at Kopan. Rinpoche was offered a total count of the prayers and practices done for Rinpoche’s health and long life.
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.
Each year FPMT offers a long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, you can learn more about long life pujas and how to support future pujas by visiting the Long Life Puja Fund page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering a butter lamp upon arriving at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 22, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: The purpose of the FPMT is to teach Dharma, to end the suffering of living beings.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Kopan course, Nepal, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: We need to destroy our ignorance that grasps at true existence. Thru reasoning, understand the extensive kindness of living beings.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche buying plastic flowers while doing circumambulation at Swayambhunath with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and Geshe Jangchub, Kathmandu, Nepal, November 24, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: Thinking the problem comes from outside is the source of all the delusions. The problems are created by the mind, our mind.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on December 2, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and others reading the Vajra Cutter Sutra while circumambulating at Swayambhunath Stupa, Nepal, November 24, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: Your life has great meaning when you use this life to practice compassion.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
At the end of the three-kilometer (two-mile) circumambulation of Swayambhunath Stupa, Rinpoche offers five colored khatas and a Dharmachakra to the stupa with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, Gen. Tenpa Choden and Kopan monks; Nepal, November 24, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: World peace depends on how much one can practice compassion.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
View of the Himalayas from an airplane window, taken during Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent journey to Kathmandu, Nepal, November 22, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
FPMT Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently returned to Kopan Monastery in Nepal, the country of his birth. Rinpoche comes from the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal. He was born not far from where his previous incarnation, Lama Kunsang Yeshe, known as the Lawudo Lama, meditated.
Today the Lawudo Lama’s cave is part of Lawudo Gompa and Retreat Centre, an FPMT retreat facility known to be a very special place by all who visit. FPMT has several centers and projects in Nepal in addition to Lawudo Gompa and Kopan Monastery. You can see photos online from these many activities, featured in Mandala January-March 2013. You can read more about Lawudo on FPMT International Office’s and Mandala’s websites.
Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche checking texts the night before departing for Nepal, Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, November 19, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“The night before departure to Nepal, Lama Zopa Rinpoche is searching through his texts to make sure all is there,” said Ven. Roger Kunsang, Rinpoche’s assistant, describing the scene at Kachoe Dechen Ling. “These texts we have to pack, and there are more! Most of the luggage is texts – six suitcases – then ritual items for initiations and then miscellaneous items. We will be packing well into the early morning … when we leave.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an organization dedicated to preserving Mahayana Buddhism through offering the Buddha’s authentic teachings and to facilitating reflection, meditation, practice and the opportunity to actualize and directly experience the Buddha’s teachings. Sign up to receive news and updates.