Lama Zopa Rinpoche at long life puja, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

A student asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche for advice after having a mastectomy and experiencing great physical difficultly while on chemotherapy.

My very dear, precious, kind, wish-fulfilling student,

Please recite the Vajra Cutter Sutra a few times. Also, I will do some prayers and recitations for you now.

Also, please recite Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s name mantra. If you have a thangka or statue, think that Buddha is actually there. Buddha sends nectar with much loving kindness and it purifies you completely. All your disease and spirit harm and where all sickness comes from – delusions and karma – gets purified totally. What has been collected from beginningless rebirths gets completely purified. Recite the name mantra and think this very strongly.

Also, think strongly about the quotations from the Kadampa Geshes, such as the quotation that the bad conditions one is experiencing now are like one’s virtuous friends. Look at it that way, think of it that way.

Then, the next one is “This suffering is a manifestation of emptiness.” Meditate on emptiness. “The ‘I’ is not truly existent” – that is the meditation.

The next meditation is “It is a dependent arising.” (Mainly think about subtle dependent arising, the Prasangika-Madhyamaka view.). So this means: “What is ‘I’ is nothing, except for what is merely labeled – what exists in mere name – by the valid mind on the merely labeled aggregates.”

You can do other meditations on emptiness that are effective for you. Spend a little bit of time on each point. Meditate on how the “I” exists in mere name, merely labeled by the valid mind on the valid base – the aggregates – that is also merely labeled by the mind. Meditate on that.

Then, experience this cancer that exists in mere name, merely labeled by the mind.

Nothing exists from its own side. No cancer exists from its own side. The object also – the cancer itself – exists in mere name, merely labeled by the valid mind. “What I believe as real cancer does not exist at all from its own side; it’s totally empty from its own side.” Meditate on that.

The other thing is to do tong-len. You have probably already received teachings and advice on this, so you can use the Lama Chöpa verse [v. 95] or Nagarjuna’s verse or other different ways.

This is the best meditation to purify from where cancer comes, from the obscurations collected from beginningless rebirths, and to collect more than skies of merits. Each time when you take the suffering of others and the causes with compassion and with loving kindness, and then give away one’s body, possessions, three times’ merit and all the results up to enlightenment, you collect more than skies of merit. Numberless times! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! That’s very, very good. It makes you achieve enlightenment in the quickest way; it makes you able to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings quicker. It means that it’ll be much faster for you to bring sentient beings to full enlightenment: sangye, the cessation of all the obscurations and the completion of all the realizations.

If you can come to India, there is geshe who used to live in Dharamsala called Geshe Tobgye. He is very old and he used to heal many people of cancer by giving mantras. In the meantime, do this practice.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, India, January 2016. Edited for inclusion on FPMT.org.

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 a teaching organized by Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Panang, Malaysia, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has arrived in Malaysia and over the weekend taught at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center in Penang on the “Three Principles of the Path.” Through April 19, Rinpoche will teach and give initiations at the three FPMT centers in Malaysia, including Losang Dragpa Centre in Kuala Lumpur and Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre in Triang. 

Unfortunately, there will be no livestreaming video of the teachings with Rinpoche in Malaysia. (The teachings from Singapore, however, are available on FPMT’s Livestream page for Singapore.)

Rinpoche travels to Hong Kong after Malaysia to give teachings organized by Mahayana Buddhist Association (Cham Tse Ling) beginning on April 28. These teachings are expected to be livestreamed.

To receive updates on the video livestreaming of Rinpoche’s teachings, visit FPMT’s Livestream page and click the green “Follow” button in the upper right hand corner:
http://livestream.com/FPMT

More information about Rinpoche’s teaching schedule can be found here:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/schedule/

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s webpage on FPMT.org. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT via email, sign up to FPMT News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la making prayers at Boudhanath, Nepal, February 2016

A student in prison wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche to ask Rinpoche to be his guru.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,

Thank you very much for your kind letter. I accept. I am not qualified, but I accept to do what I can.

Please find enclosed the practice that is my advice to do every day. Also, I am sending you some past advice I have given to people in prison, maybe you have read this already.

The way to think is that being in prison can be like being in retreat. People live outside of prison, with all the opportunities and having freedom, but they often don’t practice Dharma. You should think that even though you don’t have freedom, it can be like being in retreat. Being in prison gives you time to meditate on the path to enlightenment; to do purification practices, to purify past negative karma collected since beginningless time; to collect extensive merit; and to meditate on the lam-rim – the graduated path to enlightenment – such as renunciation, the sufferings of samsara, the six realm sufferings, bodhichitta, emptiness and so forth. It gives you time to understand that we have to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and to do that we must purify our defilements, which are the causes of suffering, which have caused one to be in prison. Also, we need to collect extensive merit and actualize the path. To do that, we need to meditate on the lam-rim and to have experiences of the lam-rim, such as the six realm sufferings, especially the sufferings of the lower realms and so forth.

The idea is to spend your time in prison practicing Dharma; then there will be great success as it becomes a place of retreat and gives you the opportunity to have mental freedom for yourself. In this way, there is not just the happiness of this life, but the happiness of future lives and liberation and enlightenment.

The main thing is to have peace of mind wherever you practice Dharma and to achieve happiness now and in future lives for oneself and for the numberless sentient beings. This is not just temporary happiness, but ultimate happiness – liberation from the oceans of samsaric sufferings in the six realms, ultimate freedom. And not only that, but the peerless happiness, the total elimination of all the obscurations and completion of all the realizations. You will be able to free them from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and, not only that, bring them to full enlightenment, the peerless happiness.

This is the purpose of being in prison, the ultimate purpose of one’s life in prison. You should know this. It gives yourself, by your mind, total freedom – freedom to achieve enlightenment.

If you can get some Dharma books to study (maybe you can ask Liberation Prison Project if they can send them to you) such as books on the lam-rim, lojong, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, a commentary on the Heart Sutra, a commentary on the “Eight Verses of Mind Training” and on the “Seven-Point Mind Training” and so forth – read and study these books. [Note: These specific links are offered by the editors.]

The main thing is for you to not see all this – not having freedom – as an obstacle. You should think that you have the best freedom to free yourself and all beings from samsara by practicing the path. This is the BEST OPPORTUNITY!

Please try to think this way.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, United States, November 2015. Edited for inclusion on FPMT.org.

Liberation Prison Project (LPP) is an FPMT international project dedicated to supporting students in prison who wish to study Dharma. Find more Mandala archive stories about LPP online. 

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 long life puja, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 13, 2016

Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) is consulted every year for advice on practices to clear obstacles for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life. This year she advised that all the students in all the FPMT centers, projects and services come together and offer a long life puja to Rinpoche and do 100,000 tsog offerings. This advice resulted in the beautiful long life puja held March 13 at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore. Khadro-la was not physically present at the long life puja, but the day before she spontaneously composed a prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which was offered during the puja. The English translation of the prayer, which follows, was read for all to hear, while Rinpoche received the prayer in Tibetan. 

Long Life Prayer for Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Spontaneously composed by Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme

Your holy body’s presence dispels all ignorance
The power of your holy speech overshadows the 84,000 afflictions
Your holy mind is clearly aware of the meaning of the 84,000 teachings of Buddha
By teaching dependent arising you conquer the ultimate truth
Supremely kind Vajradhara, I place you on the top of my crown.

You clarify the instructions and realizations of Buddha’s teachings
Turning the Dharma wheel where it’s never been turned before
Your practice of patience is evidence of Bodhisattva’s deeds.
Your realization of the perfection of subtle dependent arising and
With the precious jewel of your loving kindness, countless sentient beings are liberated.

You liberate countless sentient beings by guiding them
With the understanding of the interpretative and definitive teachings of Buddha,
And the supreme meaning of Buddha’s teachings: emptiness and compassion.
Holy spiritual master, may you live forever.

Due to the blessings of Arya Tara, who liberates from the fears of the three times
May the holy masters live long and their Dharma activities flourish
And always be protected by her spontaneous activities without separation.
Due to the infallible deities of the three roots, may all be auspicious.

Colophon: This long life prayer for Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche was written by Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Kandro-la) on March 12, 2016 and presented to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a long life puja held at Amitabha Buddhist Centre on March 13, 2016. Translated by Yangsi Rinpoche and Fabrizio Pallotti on March 12, 2016.

PDFs of Khadro-la’s long life prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in English with Tibetan phonetics and Tibetan script, Italian and Spanish are available on the “Long Life Prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche” page on FPMT.org:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/prayers/

You can watch the prayer being read at 1:35 of this YouTube video of the long life puja.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche reading Khadro-la’s prayer in Tibetan, while Ven. Holly reads aloud the prayer’s English translation at the long life puja, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 13, 2016

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s webpage on FPMT.org. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT via email, sign up to FPMT News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent several days at Kopan Monastery in February. Arriving from India, he stopped over at Kopan one day and night before going to Maratika Caves. During that day Rinpoche met with Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) and did practices at Boudha stupa with her.

Tenzin Ösel Hita was also at Kopan on his Revive Nepal project trip. Rinpoche was at Kopan the day after Ösel’s birthday. So Rinpoche had lunch with both Khadro-la and Ösel that day.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la at Boudhanath, Nepal, February 2016

After spending six days at Maratika, which is a 10-hour drive from Kopan, Rinpoche returned to the monastery. Because of needing to delay his travel to Singapore, Rinpoche spent five additional days at Kopan. 

During this time he went to Kopan Nunnery (Khachoe Ghakyil Ling) and did the ground-breaking ceremony for the new memorial stupa for Lama Lhundrup, which is going to be 110 feet tall. Rinpoche did puja on the site of the stupa and dug the first hole. (For more information and to offer support, click here).  Afterwards, Rinpoche had lunch at the nunnery and did extensive offering practice in the nunnery gompa, offering lights and khatas to the holy objects there.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche breaking ground for the memorial stupa for Lama Lhundrup, Kopan Nunnery, Nepal, February 2016

Rinpoche then went to Swayambhunath and circumambulated the mountain it sits atop, doing many practices, including extensive offerings of wish-fulfilling jewels. The offerings conventionally appear like rice grains, but are visualized like wish-fulfilling jewels and are offered to the many holy objects around the Swayambhunath mountain. Rinpoche also did extensive rejoicing for each holy object there – first rejoicing in the person who had the idea to build it, then in the person who offered money to build it, and then those who worked on making the holy object, and so forth – creating enormous merit.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche having lunch with Tenzin Ösel Hita, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2016

Ösel came back from the mountains where he is helping to rebuild a school and demonstrating sustainable building methods. He stayed at Kopan and met Rinpoche a number of times. 

Also during his time at Kopan, Rinpoche met with David Lascelles, the 8th Earl of Harewood. Lord Lascelles, a television and film producer with a long-time interest in Tibetan Buddhism and the Himalayas, had a Buddhist stupa built on his estate, Harewood House near Leeds, UK. During Rinpoche’s most recent visit to England in 2014, Rinpoche visited the stupa and also blessed the penguins in the Bird Garden at the estate.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with David Lascelles, the 8th Earl of Harewood, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2016

From Kopan, Rinpoche traveled to Singapore at the end of February and taught at Amitabha Buddhist Centre through mid-March. Rinpoche teaches next in Malaysia, where he will first visit Chokyi Gyaltsen Centre in Penang and teach on the Three Principles of the Path, March 19-20.

For more on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching schedule see:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/schedule/

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 during long life puja at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 13, 2016. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

On Sunday, March 13, the official long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered by the entire FPMT organization took place at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) in Singapore. About 750 people attended the beautifully arranged puja in person, with hundreds, if not thousands, more students participating from afar. 

The long life puja was offered to Rinpoche to dispel any obstacles for Rinpoche this year. More than 100 representative from FPMT centers, project, services, and national and regional offices worldwide attended the puja and participated in the offering procession. In addition, 43 FPMT centers offered a local Lama Chopa puja with the prayer to the 16 Arhats for Rinpoche over the weekend and 24 centers gathered together to watch the live webcast of the puja in Singapore. (Some centers did both.) Plus more than 200 additional computers streamed the live webcast, bringing the puja into many, many students’ homes around the world.

Watch the YouTube video recording of the long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Singapore.

Ven. Roger Kunsang at the long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Singapore, March 13, 2016. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

On behalf of the FPMT organization, Ven. Roger Kunsang, CEO of FPMT and assistant to Rinpoche, offered to Rinpoche 1,142,515 tsog offerings made for Rinpoche’s health and long life by FPMT centers, projects, services and study groups!

This far exceeded the advice from Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) that prior to the puja, FPMT centers and students were to make 100,000 tsog offerings. Ven. Roger said that the tsog offerings were done during the 15 Days of Miracles and so the merit was multiplied 100 million times.

Geshe Ngawang Tenley, the resident geshe at Kurukulla Center, brought with him an unexpected message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Geshe Tenley met with His Holiness on March 10 in Boston and then convey His Holiness’ advice to Lama Zopa Rinpoche in person during the long life puja. 

“While it goes without saying that Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s continuous waves of activities are of immense benefit to the Buddhadharma and countless sentient beings all over the world, it is important for Rinpoche to think of staying for a long time for the benefit of the Buddhadharma and all sentient beings,” His Holiness’ message said. (You can watch this at 1:25 in the YouTube video “Livestream of FPMT Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Singapore part 2.”)

Khadro-la, who was not physically present in Singapore, spontaneously composed a prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche the day before the puja. The English translation of the prayer was read for all to hear, while Rinpoche received the prayer in Tibetan. (Watch at 1:35 of the YouTube video.)

Tenzin Ösel Hita at long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Singapore, March 13, 2016. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, also attended the puja. He offered heart-felt praises to Rinpoche.

“We know how each and every action you do is dedicated to helping sentient beings—every thought, every breath; every sip of water you take is dedicated to sentient beings. We are so lucky to have you in our midst. You inspire us to be better people, and your presence gives us motivation to follow your example. You are constantly helping so many sentient beings from so many different dimensions. It is amazing to see your work in this world.

“Please stay with us for as long as it takes all sentient beings to reach enlightenment. We are willing to follow your advice and work hard to accomplish your dreams, which, of course, are always focused on benefiting in the greatest way, in this life and the next,” Ösel said as part of his praises for Rinpoche. (Watch at 1:40 of YouTube video.)

Then the praises for Rinpoche compiled by Ven. Robina Courtin based on submissions from many centers around the world was read by FPMT board member Paula de Wys. (Watch at 1:48 of the YouTube video.) The last verse of the praises, drawn from the Lama Chopa, was recited by everyone together:

You are the Guru, You are the Yidam,
You are the dakinis and Dharma protectors.
From now until enlightenment we will seek no refuge other than You.
In this life, the bardo, and all future lives,
Hold us with Your hook of compassion;
Free us from samsara and nirvana’s fears,
Grant all attainments,
Be our constant friend and guard us from interferences.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 13, 2016. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very humble during the long life puja, saying that he’s not of much benefit, but he does what he can. Ven. Roger offered to debate Rinpoche on the point “not being of much benefit.”

“To each of us, it seems like a huge benefit,” Ven. Roger said. He also made the request for Rinpoche to keep teaching a long, long time and to teach on lo-jong (mind training), which had been advised by Khadro-la.

Rinpoche took time to thank many people within the FPMT mandala for their decades of hard work and dedication. Rinpoche offered thanks to Ven. Roger, who has been serving Rinpoche for 30 years, recognizing Ven. Roger’s skill and kindness. Rinpoche also praised the peaceful development of FPMT. 

Rinpoche thanked many others as well, including (but not limited to) Ven. Holly Ansett, who has served Rinpoche for 20 years; Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, ABC’s resident teacher and abbot of Kopan Monastery; Hup Cheng Tan, ABC’s director of 26 years; all the staff and volunteers at ABC; FPMT center directors, national and regional coordinators, and spiritual program coordinators; and all the people watching Rinpoche on the video stream.

Rinpoche said that there is so much to rejoice in in one’s life and with all the activities going on at FPMT centers, projects and services. He said there is no place for depression with so much to rejoice in. Referring to the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” Rinpoche suggested, “Rejoicing a day, depression good-bye!” 

Rinpoche with the five dakinis during the long life puja, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 13, 2016. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

Other lamas and geshes present at the puja include Yangsi Rinpoche, founder of Maitripa College in the US; Lama Felix (Thubten Namdrol Dorje) from Singapore; Geshe Jampa Tsundue, resident geshe at Losang Dragpa Centre in Malaysia; and Geshe Jangchub. Plus more than 70 ordained Sangha attended the puja. 

ABC’s Ven. Tenzin Drachom liberated 1 million animals for Rinpoche’s long life during the long life puja, which lasted 11.5 hours. 

Rinpoche gave the appearance of being very touched by so many FPMT students coming together and making strong prayers. He also seemed extremely happy with the long life praise from Khadro-la and message from His Holiness. 

Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching given in Singapore on FPMT’s Livestream page:
http://livestream.com/FPMT/SGP2016

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s webpage on FPMT.org. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT via email, sign up to FPMT News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

A student wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche because he was having a hard time after breaking up with his partner and was finding it hard to practice.

My very dear, precious, kind, wish-fulfilling student,

Thank you very much your kind email some time ago. This time I want to share some quotations with you, so that you can understand more clearly now.

It is said in the teachings [from The Thirty-Seven Practices of the Bodhisattva, v. 9]:

The happiness of the three existences (samsara)*
Is like the water dew on the grass: it is in the nature of phenomena; it perishes momentarily.
That which never changes is the sublime state of liberation.
Seeking this is the bodhisattva’s practice.

What this verse is saying is that in the desire realm, form realm and formless realm (i.e., “samsara”), the happiness there is temporary, not ultimate, not everlasting. Why temporary? Because it is in the nature of suffering: the suffering of pain, suffering of change and pervasive compounded suffering (the suffering of pain and change arise from pervasive compounded suffering). This happiness doesn’t last. The example here is “water dew on the grass.” It can drop down anytime. It can disappear at any moment.

We have to realize that. Otherwise, if we don’t realize the nature of impermanence, then the concepts believing in true happiness and permanence then cheat us, cheat our life. That attachment to the wrong concept doesn’t allow us to achieve liberation from samsara: everlasting happiness. Instead, we’re always hallucinating and then always suffer in samsara.

Please recognize what Buddha has taught in the Dharmapada:

The end of all the collections is finished, the end of rising up is falling down (even a mountain has to fall down, like the highest towers in the world – at the end – disintegrate),
The end of meeting is SEPARATION,
The end of living is death.

Then, from the Dharmapada [v. 182]:

This human body is extremely difficult to achieve.
For those who are definitely dying, so difficult to be alive,
(Even more so,) it is so difficult to hear the holy Dharma (because it’s so difficult for Buddha to descend to the world).

Also it is said, perhaps by Milarepa:

The connection of relationships – one always wants company without separation,
But it is definite one will be separated.

Even desiring to abide always in this comfortable bedding without separation,
But it is definite one will leave from here.

Even desiring to enjoy always the enjoyment of happiness/pleasure without separation,
But it is definite one will lose it.

This is my advice for you to not forget in your daily life and normal-life mindfulness meditation.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

*The words in parentheses were added to the verses by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, Aptos, California, United States, October 2015. Edited for inclusion on FPMT.org.

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 teaching at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been in Singapore since February 26, when he was welcomed by hundreds of people at the airport. The next day, Rinpoche began his spring teaching tour at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) where he led a refuge ceremony and gave teachings to more than 400 people filling four floors of ABC’s seven-story building. 

The following day, Rinpoche led the puja of 1,000 offerings to Maitreya Buddha, which again drew more than 400 people. Beginning on March 2, Rinpoche gave preliminary teachings for the Solitary Hero Yamantaka Great Initiation, recordings of which can be watched on FPMT’s Livesteam page.

Rinpoche continues to give teachings this week. For the most up-to-date information and most recent teachings, please check the FPMT Livestream page:
http://livestream.com/FPMT/SGP2016

On Sunday, March 13, Amitabha Buddhist Centre is hosting FPMT’s official long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which will have representatives attending from many FPMT centers, projects and services. The puja is schedule for 9:30 a.m. local time (GMT+8) and will be webcast live on FPMT’s Livestream page.

About the importance of this puja, Ven. Roger wrote, “Rinpoche has been quite subtle, but has indicated that there are obstacles for himself this year. Rinpoche also said recently that one of the main things that will help is this long life puja in Singapore with all the FPMT centers and students participating, and prior to the puja, the 100,000 tsog offerings – this was advised by Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme).”

FPMT International Office’s Ven. Holly Ansett shared, “ABC is doing an incredible job arranging and preparing for the long life puja. There are many volunteers, all smiling and happy to help!”

Rinpoche teaching at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

NOTE for FPMT Centers, Projects and Services: There has been an update in the instructions for centers, projects, services, and study groups that are planning to host a long life puja with prayers to the Sixteen Arhats for the benefit of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life this weekend. Center staff can access the updated instructions and find the new booklet with the prayers to the Sixteen Arhats in the Member’s Area of FPMT.org.

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s webpage on FPMT.org. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT via email, sign up to FPMT News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Before traveling to Singapore, Rinpoche spent six days at Maratika Caves (also known as Haleshi), during the 15 Days of Miracles. This holy site is where Guru Rinpoche, with the wisdom-mother Mandarava, achieved immortal life through the practice of Amitayus.

Rinpoche has a strong connection with the Maratika Lama, Khenpo Karma Wangchuk, who takes care of the area. The Maratika Lama is the son of Lama Ngawang Chophel, who was a close disciple of the Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation. (For more on this important pilgrimage site, see “The Caves of Maratika,” published in Mandala June-July 2008.)

Rinpoche went to Maratika to do some personal retreat. He did several session as well as other practices in the main cave at Maratika and circumabulated the mountain that contains the caves two times.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Sangha doing practice at Maratika Cave, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

There were several Kopan monks and a Kopan nun also at Maratika, doing long life retreat. Every year Kopan sponsors long life practice dedicated to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long lives. The monks were able to do a lot of practice with Rinpoche, who joined a number of the retreat sessions as well as led Lama Chöpa with them several times and at night led them in his room in protector prayers, “King of Prayers,” and so forth. Rinpoche gave much advice to them in Tibetan and it was very precious for them to have so much time with Rinpoche.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Osel Dorje Rinpoche at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Osel Dorje Rinpoche, a Nyingma lama, was at Maratika during Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit and spent some time with Rinpoche.

Three Western FPMT nuns also were doing long life practices for Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika. They completed 100,000 butter lamp offerings over 21 days for Rinpoche’s long life along with many hundreds of Rinpoche’s light offering prayer as well as completing 1,000 tsog offerings, hanging prayer flags, and doing long life sutra recitation and Amitayus long life practice. 

Rinpoche also liberated three goats, two of which were sponsored by Ven. Roger Kunsang. Rinpoche took time to explain the motivation for liberating goats, and he blessed cords to go around the goats’ necks.

Rinpoche seemed very happy during his stay at Maratika. Since the visit was during the 15 Days of Miracles, the merit generated due to all the practices was multiplied a hundred million times. We can all rejoice in this!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Sangha at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s webpage on FPMT.org. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT via email, sign up to FPMT News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

A student close to passing away wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche saying she didn’t get to finish her preliminary practices and was not clear what to think and practice.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,

Please read Practicing the Five Powers Near the Time of Death. Not only read, but really try to understand it.

Regarding your question: it’s OK that you haven’t finished the practices. Focus now on practicing rejoicing, doing a mala of rejoicing in yourself, your own merit, and also a mala rejoicing in others, in all sentient beings’ merit. When you rejoice in all your merit, this means all your past, present and future merit. Then, the second one is all sentient beings’ past, present and future merit. The third is numberless buddhas’ and bodhisattvas’ merit – all their past, present and future merit. Rejoice!

Do one mala of rejoicing for each or even three malas. Do not only do them in the morning, but, if you can, also do them in the afternoon and evening time. You can do it like that three times a day or at least two times a day or at least once a day.

You mentioned you were reciting Migtsema mantra (Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra). When you are doing this, do the whole Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga with a lam-rim prayer, such as “Foundation of All Good Qualities.”

Don’t worry about not completing the other practices, but try to keep any commitments you have taken from initiations.

The other most essential practice at this time is reciting the names of the 35 Buddhas and Vajrasattva practice. Pay more attention now to purifying negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths from having broken pratimoksha, bodhisattva and tantric vows (if you have taken them). It is so important to purify and the 35 Buddhas are very powerful. You can have your hands just in the mudra of prostration and then, if you have received the initiation, visualize your body as Thousand-Arm Chenrezig. Your body as the deity then fills the whole earth. Numberless Chenrezigs doing prostrations to the merit field. However many there are in the merit field, this is all one’s root guru. With that awareness, recite the names. It’s very, very important, as well as with Vajrasattva practice, to do the four opponent powers; it becomes very powerful purification. Without doing with the four opponent powers, then the practice is not so powerful.

In regard to rejoicing: without merit, there is no success, no happiness. There’s no enlightenment – the ultimate happiness – liberation from samsara, but also there’s not even temporary happiness in this life and the next life. Therefore, merit is sooooo precious, unbelievably precious. Think: “I have collected merit from beginningless rebirths up to now.” Rejoice how wonderful it is! How wonderful it is! Rejoicing means your mind feels happy.

You have to know that this human rebirth comes about just one time and this opportunity to rejoice comes almost just one time. Rejoice in the collected merit. It is also extremely rare, so rejoice in all the collected merit from beginningless rebirths up to now so that your mind feels happy. How wonderful it is! How wonderful!

The first time, when you rejoice in all the merit collected from beginningless rebirths up to now, it doubles. When you rejoice the second time, the merit is multiplied by four. The third time, it is multiplied by eight. All the merit collected from beginningless rebirths up to now – wow, wow, wow! So amazing! When you do one mala, can you imagine? When you do two malas or three malas? Wow, wow, wow, amazing, amazing, amazing! Many people may not know how rejoicing is so important. Even most Buddhist people may not know. Even those who practice Mahayana teachings may not know how important it is.

Lama Tsongkhapa said that to collect merit, the best practice is rejoicing. This was in Lama Tsongkhapa’s “Hymns of Experience of the Path.”

When you rejoice in your own merit, it is like this. So in daily life, we should rejoice. One is able to collect more merit. During the second time, when you rejoice is other sentient beings’ merit, by rejoicing in the merit of those whose level of mind is lower than you, you collect double the merit. If your level of mind is the same as theirs, then you collect the same amount of merit. If their level of mind is higher than yours, then however much merit is collected by them, you get half.

For example, I used to explain to people that there is the Maitreya Project that would be 50 stories high if it were built. And there would be not just that large statue, but there would be many statues inside and so many statues outside. If somebody comes along and rejoices in the merit and if that person’s level of mind is higher than ours, then that person collects double the merit. So however much merit we collect, that person collects double the merit. If that person has the same level of mind and then she rejoices, she gets the same merit as we get having built the main statue and all the other statues. If her level of mind is lower than ours, then that person collects half the merit that we collect having built the statue.

For example, if one who doesn’t have bodhichitta rejoices in one bodhisattva, one gets half of the merit that bodhisattva collects in one day in that one second of rejoicing. Without rejoicing, if you are going to try and collect that much merit, it takes 13,000 years. This is according to Dechen Pabongka Rinpoche in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. So, by rejoicing for one second – even if you don’t have bodhichitta – you collect so much merit. It’s unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable!

There are numberless sentient beings whose level of mind is lower than yours, numberless sentient beings whose level of mind is the same as yours, and numberless sentient beings whose level of mind is higher than yours. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! When you rejoice, so much merit is collected so quickly and that means more purification; it means quicker freedom from the oceans of samsaric sufferings – not only from cancer – but from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and delusion and karma, and quicker achievement of peerless happiness, the total cessation of all the obscurations and completion of all the realizations: full enlightenment.

It is so important to know how to practice Dharma. I am only talking about rejoicing, explaining how to practice – it is so, so important. For example, there could be one person who lives 100 years – even a Buddhist who relied on Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and practiced the Mahayana teachings – but who doesn’t know about the important practice of rejoicing. However, even if you only live one day but know how to practice rejoicing – wow, wow, wow! The merit collected in that day is so precious. It’s unbelievable, unbelievable, most unbelievable – like skies filled with a billion dollars, filled with wish-granting jewels. It’s more than that. Skies filled with gold, filled with wish-granting jewels is nothing compared to the merit created. It is unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable – can you imagine? Merely owning gold, wish-granting jewels, and zillions of dollars cannot help you to be free from the oceans of samsaric sufferings.

Please think about this and read this over and over so that you are really familiar with it.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, Tso Pema, India, January 2016. Edited for inclusion on FPMT.org.

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 teaching at the Light of the Path Retreat, North Carolina, US, 2014. Photo by Roy Harvey.

“The daily activities that you are doing, the point is to make them most beneficial for sentient beings, a cause for enlightenment, a cause for oneself to attain omniscience so that one can liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment. Make the activities that you normally do in daily life, anyway – for survival and so forth – make them most beneficial. Make them not only become Dharma, but the purest Dharma, the cause of enlightenment to achieve the cessation of all mistakes of mind and complete all the qualities, the highest success,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches in Living in the Path, an FPMT online and center-based program drawn exclusively from Rinpoche’s lam-rim teachings.

Living in the Path draws many of its teachings from Rinpoche’s Light of the Path retreats. Registration for the next Light of the Path retreat, scheduled for August 14-28, 2016, and organized by Kadampa Center in the United States, has just opened. 

In order to prepare for the Light of the Path retreat, which will be made available thought FPMT’s Livestream channel, FPMT centers and students are encouraged to start doing the Living in the Path program via FPMT’s Online Learning Center. Many modules are available for free. If an FPMT center would like to offer the Living in the Path as a facilitated course, they can contact FPMT’s Foundation Program Coordinator at fpc@fpmt.org for more information.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Cave in Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

On February 27, Lama Zopa Rinpoche began teaching at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore by giving teachings in preparation for giving refuge. The next day, Rinpoche gave teachings while leading a puja of 1,000 offerings to Maitreya. 

Rinpoche’s public teachings and motivational talks are being webcast live on FPMT’s Livestream page. Rinpoche will teach and give initiations at Amitabha Buddhist Centre on the following days:

• March 2-4, at 7:30 p.m. Singapore time (GMT+8)
• March 5-6, at 4:00 p.m.
• March 9-11, at 7:30 p.m.
• And on March 13, at 9:00 a.m., Rinpoche’s Singapore visit concludes with FPMT’s official long life puja for Rinpoche

Recordings of Rinpoche’s recent teachings in Singapore are already available. Please check the FPMT Livestream page often to find the most up-to-date schedule.

Before arriving in Singapore, Rinpoche had been in Nepal, where he visited Maratika Cave and Kopan Monastery.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.