Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Singapore, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

“It’s also mentioned in the Meeting of Father and Son Sutra that compared with the merit of practicing the five paramitas – patience, charity, morality, perseverance and concentration – for ten eons, listening to teachings on emptiness collects much greater merit,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche says in “Teachings on the Heart Sutra,” an excerpt of a March 2000 teaching now available through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

“It is unbelievable to practice the paramita of morality for ten eons or even for one lifetime, even for one year, to live in pure morality. To practice the paramita of morality is so difficult. To live in pure morality, the paramita of morality, not just in one life but even for one year it’s very difficult. By examining our own mind, by looking at the world, at others, by even examining our own mind, it’s very difficult.

“Now here, practicing all five paramitas for ten eons, if we just think of how hard that is and of course also how much merit we collect, no question, there is so much merit, inconceivable merit, just with each practice – charity, morality, patience, perseverance and concentration – with each one, we collect inconceivable merit, no question. But when we compare practicing these paths for ten eons, that itself is unbelievable, inconceivable merit that we collect, but if we compare just listening, just hearing, just listening [snaps fingers] to teachings on emptiness, this collects far greater merit than those previous ones, practicing the five paramitas for ten eons.”

Read more from “Teachings on the Heart Sutra” on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive:
https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/teachings-heart-sutra

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 teaching at Losang Dragpa Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

“It is said that even rising a doubt about emptiness, even rising a doubt, even that breaks samsara in pieces,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche says in “Teachings on the Heart Sutra,” an excerpt of a March 2000 teaching now available through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

“It’s so powerful, unbelievably powerful, even rising doubt, when you do analysis into emptiness thinking that this may be empty but not completely. Thinking maybe this is empty, so even arising a doubt like this, even not completely thinking it’s empty, not generating full faith that it’s completely empty but even thinking that maybe it’s empty. Even rising this thought, this doubt in the emptiness, even that breaks our suffering realm, the samsara, the circling one, circling from this life to the next life, then circling from that life to the next life. This circling, this samsara, this container of all these life problems and foundation of the next life problems, this samsara that we have now, the container of all the problems of this life and the foundation of all the future life problems.

“Even rising a doubt like this is so powerful that it breaks our samsara into pieces. Even the rising doubt in emptiness harms our samsara. It harms the root of samsara, the ignorance, even just thinking, without full faith that it is empty, but thinking that it may be empty.”

Read more from “Teachings on the Heart Sutra” on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive:
https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/teachings-heart-sutra

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 teaching in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote a letter to to one old student who had broken her arm:

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

How are you? I hope you are well. I am sorry your arm is broken; I will pray for you.

Your breaking your arm is to remind you of the shortcomings of being in samsara – it is exactly like a teaching that you must be free from samsara, liberated from samsara. It is another form of teaching. It is like the guru explaining suffering; it is like the guru reminding you of the suffering of samsara.

It is said in the Kadampa teachings [by Geshe Kharag Gomchung] that:

Bad conditions – these are the guru explaining the nature of samsara and how you need to be free.
The obstacles are persuading you to create virtue.
Sicknesses and spirit possession are the broom cleaning away negative karma.
Suffering is the manifestation of emptiness.

Thank you very much! Take care of your life with bodhichitta, to make it the most beneficial for sentient beings. Even if you have only an hour to live or one day to live, make it the most beneficial for sentient beings.

Thank you very much, I hope to see you soon!

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, Sera Je, 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 leading extensive Medicine Buddha puja during lunar eclipse at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center in Penang, Malaysia, March 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

On March 25, Ven. Roger Kunsang shared on his Twitter page this brief teaching from Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Lama Zopa; Merely thinking of helping someone! … Is far, far, far greater, infinitely greater, than making offering to buddhas!

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 webpage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to receive FPMT News.

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.