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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Robbie Solick, Santa Cruz, California, US, September 30, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
How far are we ever from our guru? Lama Zopa Rinpoche by chance met Robbie Solick, an early student of Lama Yeshe and Rinpoche, while out on the street in Santa Cruz. Rinpoche’s assistant Ven. Roger Kunsang said that Robbie took the Vajrasattva initiation in 1972, the first time Lama Yeshe gave it.
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 at Land of Medicine Buddha, California, US, September 21, 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.
From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on October 5 and September 15 respectively:
Lama Zopa: your Guru gives you teachings and then puts you in the situation so you have to practice that… Lojong.
Lama Zopa: In samsara always difficulties arise, the cause has been created, so take hardships as ornaments and have courage and endurance.
Ven. Roger is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc. He regularly shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Twitter. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
Flowers offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, California, October 18, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Beautiful flowers and gardens surround Kachoe Dechen Ling, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s home in California. The flowers are part of the many, many offerings at Rinpoche’s home and are due to the inspiring vision of Rinpoche, the work of gardener Nancy Davis and the daily care of resident Sangha, especially Vens. Anet and Namgyal.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Nancy Davis, Aptos, California, September 30, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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.
Dagri Rinpoche making offerings to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja, Land of Medicine Buddha, California, September 29, 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.
You can watch video of the entire long life puja offered to FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche, including the special dance of the five dakinis (begins at 53:00). The long life puja was held on Sunday, September 29, 2013, at Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB).
According LMB’s news page: “Lama Zopa Rinpoche said in a conversation with Dagri Rinpoche that he enjoyed the long life puja very much and was very pleased for several reasons. Firstly, the dakini dance was very good, unlike anything he has seen before. Secondly, a lot of old students came. It is very good they were there.”
The offering of the long life puja with the five dakinis is one of the practices that centers can undertake according to advice given by Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life.
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, attended the long life puja and offered Rinpoche praises that Tenzin Ösel had composed.
The long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche was offered by FPMT Inc. Board of Directors and FPMT North America with logistical support from local FPMT centers and projects.
Thanks to Ven. Tenzin Jangchub for doing the live stream of this event and providing the recorded video to FPMT.
Photographer Chris Majors captured the long life puja. You can see all of his photos from the festive and beautiful day on Chris’ Flickr page.
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.
Image: Dreamstime
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at long life puja, Land of Medicine Buddha, California, September 29, 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.
With bushfires raging in New South Wales, Australia, one can turn to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice page “Disasters of the Elements.” The advice includes Rinpoche’s practices for dispelling fire, a “Letter Regarding the Disasters of the Elements,” a PDF of the heart mantra of Arya Vairochana and a story about a fire at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s house.
The FPMT-affiliated Kunsang Yeshe Retreat Centre in the Blue Mountains is currently closed due to fires burning in the area. The Liberation Prison Project Australia office is also under threat.
Kunsang Yeshe Retreat Centre shared on their Facebook page: “We hope that a worst-case scenario will not eventuate but in preparation we have packed up all our holy objects, images, shop stock and Centre admin papers etc which will be relocated to a safe location on Tuesday morning. … For now, please continue to offer your prayers for those who have lost homes, the creatures who have lost their lives, for those who will continue to battle the fires and for those who offer hope and inspiration to all of us.”
Conditions are expected to worsen on Wednesday, the BBC reported.
You can find more advice from Rinpoche concerning fires in the “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Online Advice Book” on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive website.
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, Aptos, California, September 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continues to rebuild strength and skills that were affected by the stroke he manifested in 2011. Rinpoche practices writing to improve his right hand dexterity.
Rinpoche is writing the mantra that is on the “Buddha’s Teaching on Our Lives Card,” which is available in the FPMT Foundation Store.
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 at Land of Medicine Buddha, California, US, September 21, 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.
Lama Zopa: Once you know Buddhism you become wish fulfilling to the world.
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on September 22, 2013
Ven. Roger is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc. He regularly shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Twitter. (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 for Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pithy advice, reported by Ven. Roger Kunsang (@rogerkunsang) via Twitter:
“What makes death very difficult – worldly concerns, the 8 worldly dharmas , attachment! What helps – good heart!”
“Don’t let personal problems become center problems or other’s problems!”
“When someone is making you angry, don’t put the practice off to later, practice patience now! Later may never come.”
“Your Guru gives you teachings and then puts you in the situation so you have to practice that… lojong.”
Dagri Rinpoche with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kachoe Dechen Ling on the morning of his departure back to India, Aptos, California, October 7, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Dagri Rinpoche wrapped up a tour of the United States, visiting Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the morning of October 7. Dagri Rinpoche offered Lama Zopa Rinpoche the double dorje with mandala offering before departing for India. Dagri Rinpoche is an FPMT touring lama and taught at three FPMT centers during his visit: Milarepa Center in Vermont, Kurukulla Center in Massachusetts and Land of Medicine Buddha in California.
Kurukulla Center offers video and audio of Dagri Rinpoche teaching on the Three Principles of the Path. And Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) shares many photos of Dagri Rinpoche’s visit on their Facebook page. While at LMB, Dagri Rinpoche gave a Most Secret Havagriva empowerment and gave 10 full days of Lama Chöpa commentary.
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 preparing for Amitabha long life initiation at Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center, Campbell, California, October 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center in Campbell, California, hosted Lama Zopa Rinpoche who gave teachings and Amitabha long life initiation on Sunday, October 13. The preliminary teachings were streamed live over the internet from Gyalwa Gyatso. The video of the teachings can still be watched online for four more weeks.
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 with Tenzin Ösel Hita, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, California, October 7, 2013. Photos by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s home in California is Kachoe Dechen Ling in Aptos. While he’s staying there, Rinpoche has many visitors. Tenzin Ösel Hita, who is studying at a nearby college, visited Rinpoche recently and the two of them kicked around a soccer ball. Rinpoche’s assistant Ven. Roger Kunsang commented, “It’s exercise time with the soccer ball … you have to be creative to get Rinpoche to exercise!”
Tenzin Ösel Hita and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, kicking the soccer ball for exercise, Kachoe Dechen Ling, October 7, 2013
Ven. Roger shared some more photos of a just a few of the people that Rinpoche has been seeing at his home in Aptos, California.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Dagri Rinpoche at lunch, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, California, US, September 24, 2013
Dagri Rinpoche gave Lama Chöpa commentary September 27-October 6 at Land of Medicine Buddha in nearby Soquel, California. During his time in California, he saw Lama Zopa Rinpoche often.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Dr. Don Brown and Dr. Robbie Watkins, director of Kadampa Center in North Carolina, US, Kachoe Dechen Ling, October 5, 2013
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Dunia Cárcamo Pérez, director of Khamlungpa Center in Zapopan, Mexico, Kachoe Dechen Ling, October 2, 2013
Lama Zopa Rinopche checks out Tenzin Ösel Hita’s new car, Aptos, California, US, October 7, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Tenzin Ösel Hita recently visited Lama Zopa Ripoche to show Rinpoche his new car. This autumn, Tenzin Ösel moved to California to continue his studies and needed a car to get to class. Rinpoche and many others helped sponsor the car for Ösel.
When Rinpoche came to see the vehicle, he had several Namgyälma mantra decals ready to put on it. Once the decals were in place, Rinpoche pretended to take the car for a test drive. (In actuality, Rinpoche doesn’t drive.)
About the photos, Rinpoche’s assistant Ven. Roger Kunsang said, “Rinpoche getting the feel of the car … for the first time this life. Rinpoche said he would never drive this life … if he did … the next life would come very quickly!”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche pretends to drive Tenzin Ösel Hita’s new car, Aptos, California, US, October 7, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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