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Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
The FPMT is an organization devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings. We provide integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. Our organization is based on the Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
- Willkommen
Die Stiftung zur Erhaltung der Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) ist eine Organisation, die sich weltweit für die Erhaltung und Verbreitung des Mahayana-Buddhismus einsetzt, indem sie Möglichkeiten schafft, den makellosen Lehren des Buddha zuzuhören, über sie zur reflektieren und zu meditieren und auf der Grundlage dieser Erfahrung das Dharma unter den Lebewesen zu verbreiten.
Wir bieten integrierte Schulungswege an, durch denen der Geist und das Herz der Menschen in ihr höchstes Potential verwandelt werden zum Wohl der anderen – inspiriert durch eine Haltung der universellen Verantwortung und dem Wunsch zu dienen. Wir haben uns verpflichtet, harmonische Umgebungen zu schaffen und allen Wesen zu helfen, ihr volles Potenzial unendlicher Weisheit und grenzenlosen Mitgefühls zu verwirklichen.
Unsere Organisation basiert auf der buddhistischen Tradition von Lama Tsongkhapa von Tibet, so wie sie uns von unseren Gründern Lama Thubten Yeshe und Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche gelehrt wird.
- Bienvenidos
La Fundación para la preservación de la tradición Mahayana (FPMT) es una organización que se dedica a preservar y difundir el budismo Mahayana en todo el mundo, creando oportunidades para escuchar, reflexionar, meditar, practicar y actualizar las enseñanzas inconfundibles de Buda y en base a esa experiencia difundir el Dharma a los seres.
Proporcionamos una educación integrada a través de la cual las mentes y los corazones de las personas se pueden transformar en su mayor potencial para el beneficio de los demás, inspirados por una actitud de responsabilidad y servicio universales. Estamos comprometidos a crear ambientes armoniosos y ayudar a todos los seres a desarrollar todo su potencial de infinita sabiduría y compasión.
Nuestra organización se basa en la tradición budista de Lama Tsongkhapa del Tíbet como nos lo enseñaron nuestros fundadores Lama Thubten Yeshe y Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
A continuación puede ver una lista de los centros y sus páginas web en su lengua preferida.
- Bienvenue
L’organisation de la FPMT a pour vocation la préservation et la diffusion du bouddhisme du mahayana dans le monde entier. Elle offre l’opportunité d’écouter, de réfléchir, de méditer, de pratiquer et de réaliser les enseignements excellents du Bouddha, pour ensuite transmettre le Dharma à tous les êtres. Nous proposons une formation intégrée grâce à laquelle le cœur et l’esprit de chacun peuvent accomplir leur potentiel le plus élevé pour le bien d’autrui, inspirés par le sens du service et une responsabilité universelle. Nous nous engageons à créer un environnement harmonieux et à aider tous les êtres à épanouir leur potentiel illimité de compassion et de sagesse. Notre organisation s’appuie sur la tradition guéloukpa de Lama Tsongkhapa du Tibet, telle qu’elle a été enseignée par nos fondateurs Lama Thoubtèn Yéshé et Lama Zopa Rinpoché.
Visitez le site de notre Editions Mahayana pour les traductions, conseils et nouvelles du Bureau international en français.
Voici une liste de centres et de leurs sites dans votre langue préférée
- Benvenuto
L’FPMT è un organizzazione il cui scopo è preservare e diffondere il Buddhismo Mahayana nel mondo, creando occasioni di ascolto, riflessione, meditazione e pratica dei perfetti insegnamenti del Buddha, al fine di attualizzare e diffondere il Dharma fra tutti gli esseri senzienti.
Offriamo un’educazione integrata, che può trasformare la mente e i cuori delle persone nel loro massimo potenziale, per il beneficio di tutti gli esseri, ispirati da un’attitudine di responsabilità universale e di servizio.
Il nostro obiettivo è quello di creare contesti armoniosi e aiutare tutti gli esseri a sviluppare in modo completo le proprie potenzialità di infinita saggezza e compassione.
La nostra organizzazione si basa sulla tradizione buddhista di Lama Tsongkhapa del Tibet, così come ci è stata insegnata dai nostri fondatori Lama Thubten Yeshe e Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Di seguito potete trovare un elenco dei centri e dei loro siti nella lingua da voi prescelta.
- 欢迎 / 歡迎
简体中文
“护持大乘法脉基金会”( 英文简称:FPMT。全名:Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) 是一个致力于护持和弘扬大乘佛法的国际佛教组织。我们提供听闻,思维,禅修,修行和实证佛陀无误教法的机会,以便让一切众生都能够享受佛法的指引和滋润。
我们全力创造和谐融洽的环境, 为人们提供解行并重的完整佛法教育,以便启发内在的环宇悲心及责任心,并开发内心所蕴藏的巨大潜能 — 无限的智慧与悲心 — 以便利益和服务一切有情。
FPMT的创办人是图腾耶喜喇嘛和喇嘛梭巴仁波切。我们所修习的是由两位上师所教导的,西藏喀巴大师的佛法传承。
繁體中文
護持大乘法脈基金會”( 英文簡稱:FPMT。全名:Found
ation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition ) 是一個致力於護持和弘揚大乘佛法的國際佛教組織。我們提供聽聞, 思維,禪修,修行和實證佛陀無誤教法的機會,以便讓一切眾生都能 夠享受佛法的指引和滋潤。 我們全力創造和諧融洽的環境,
為人們提供解行並重的完整佛法教育,以便啟發內在的環宇悲心及責 任心,並開發內心所蘊藏的巨大潛能 — 無限的智慧與悲心 – – 以便利益和服務一切有情。 FPMT的創辦人是圖騰耶喜喇嘛和喇嘛梭巴仁波切。
我們所修習的是由兩位上師所教導的,西藏喀巴大師的佛法傳承。 察看道场信息:
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Each one of us is responsible for all other living beings’ happiness besides our own. As a result, your loving kindness is the most wish fulfilling thing in life, more precious than anything else in the world. That makes for a most satisfying, fulfilling life.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
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The Foundation Store is FPMT’s online shop and features a vast selection of Buddhist study and practice materials written or recommended by our lineage gurus. These items include homestudy programs, prayers and practices in PDF or eBook format, materials for children, and other resources to support practitioners.
Items displayed in the shop are made available for Dharma practice and educational purposes, and never for the purpose of profiting from their sale. Please read FPMT Foundation Store Policy Regarding Dharma Items for more information.
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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
25
Updates from Ven. Roger Kunsang at Kopan Monastery:
27 April 2015, 10am (Kathmandu time) Lama Zopa Rinpoche, all the Kopan monks and nuns (approximately 800) and about 25 foreigners who are at Kopan slept outside for a second night, tremors continued, many people piled in tents and outside, trying to keep dry from the rain. No one wants to stay inside the buildings while tremors are still happening. The situation is unclear, so we are conserving water and food.
Many of the 800 monks and nuns are very young (7-15 years old) so the older sangha are trying to look after them, help them not to be scared and try to answer their questions on why the earth moves.
Please continue to do prayers for all those affected.
From Ven.Sarah Thresher: From shortly after the earthquake began the main center at Kopan has been the garden of enlightenment where the big stupas of Geshe lama Konchog and Lama lhundrup are built. Rinpoche has been living there, daytime and nighttime, leading prayers, teaching, greeting people who come up, keeping people relaxed and in a positive state of mind. The very first day Rinpoche told us there is no point being worried and afraid, we must pray. So we have been doing prayers to control the earthquake, prayers for the people who have died, prayers to destroy the self-cherishing and self-grasping minds from where the negative karma as arise that cause all the suffering. With Rinpoche always present and the two great stupas as well, it feels like we are in a tranquil oasis of calm protected by all the BUDDHAS.
Last night was cold and wet and many more people slept in the tents. I heard they could hear Rinpoche chanting mantras loudly all night for sentient beings, for all sentient beings.
26 April 2015, 7pm (Kathmandu time) Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all the monks, nuns and students staying at Kopan are still sleeping outside (some in tents) as there continue to be aftershocks, some as big as 6.7.
There is still no internet, phone lines jammed and no electricity (although once a day generator at Kopan is turned on so phones can be charged).
Rinpoche is well and has been in the Kopan garden all day doing prayers, right now doing the King of Prayers dedicated for all those who have died in the earthquake.
Earlier today Rinpoche requested the monks and nuns to recite the Golden Light Sutra many times to prevent the continuing aftershocks and also the recitation of the Kangyur.
There is substantial damage to Kopan Monastery and Nunnery, a number of buildings are seriously damaged.
Ven.Sarah Thresher reports: The earthquake happened yesterday around lunchtime. It was Saturday and a holiday. Many people were gone. We were in the dining room when everything started to shake and most people ran out. In Rinpoche’s room there are many things and they were falling down. Rinpoche was sitting in the main room doing tonglen, taking the suffering of others and giving happiness. Rinpoche said this is the best practice, lojong, using whatever negative situation arises to destroy the self cherishing. After a while the attendants carried Rinpoche down to the stupa garden and everyone gathered around him. For hours Rinpoche led us in prayers. We did the prayers for earthquakes and we did tonglen. As we prayed the earth was shaking, sometimes quite strongly. Then Rinpoche began to teach and also give lungs for thought transformation practice. We were all so fortunate that Rinpoche, Osel and Khen Rinpoche were here along with the senior monks who took full control of the situation. Amongst the damage at Kopan is broken pipes. The internet also became very scarce and electricity off. We were fortunate we could get dinner and then many people slept outside. Rinpoche also was outside.
This morning again people were outside. The monks did prayers and also relaxed a bit. Rinpoche had lunch out in the garden and we listened to chanting and spent time with him. This evening Rinpoche led prayers for all the people who died until it started to rain heavily. There are still tremors and there has been a lot of destruction and deaths. But at Kopan we are all safe. Now it is raining and people are outside. Thankyou all for your concern and prayers.
Please continue to do prayers for all those affected.
26 April 2015, 10.30am: Last night everyone slept outside, there were many aftershocks. There is substantial damage to a number of buildings at both Kopan Monastery and Nunnery (the Chenrezig gompa, guest house, Norbalinka, Nunnery old gompa and kitchen) exact details will come later. Kopan Monastery and Nunnery will need our support soon. Currently there is no electricity, no internet and limited lines open for calls. So this is just a short update.
25 April 2015, 4pm: Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Tenzin Osel Hita and all at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery are fine after the strong earthquake that hit Nepal today. There has been some damage in Kopan (to buildings). Rinpoche’s sister – Ani Ngawang Samten and those in Lawudo are also fine (also some damage).
Please hold all those who have been affected by the earthquake in your prayers.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has given advice on practices to do after earthquakes and also always recommends Medicine Buddha practice, Golden Light Sutra and King of Prayers.
24
Practice Patience!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was at Root Institute in Bodhgaya, India, during February and March 2015. On March 20, Ven. Roger Kunsang shared this on his Twitter page:
Lama Zopa; we need to cherish the one who is causing us most difficulties, see as most kind! … practice patience!
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.
- Tagged: lama zopa rinpoche, twitter
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23
Motivation Is More Important than Korwa
When Lama Zopa Rinpoche stays at Root Institute in Bodhgaya he frequently goes to circumambulate the Mahabodhi Stupa. Long-time student Ven. Sarah Thresher recounts an excursion to the stupa in 2014 when Rinpoche’s actions taught an important lesson.
“The day before Losar we had a lot of rain on and off all day. Rinpoche mentioned in the early morning that he would like to go to the stupa to offer robes,” Ven. Sarah wrote. “Twelve hours later when the driver and everyone else had given up on the trip, Rinpoche got up and started walking to the car. With just over an hour till the stupa closed and everyone caught by surprise, we drove off.
“Rinpoche gave a teaching to the driver, who is Spanish, about how to solve the problems in Spain – people have to change their minds and realize happiness does not come by changing things outside but from the mind, by changing the mind.
“When we arrived, Rinpoche took a few steps towards the stupa and then began to teach on the importance of generating a bodhichitta motivation. By this time it was raining again, but a small group began to gather around Rinpoche standing in the middle of the walkway still a short walk from the stupa entrance. Rinpoche gave a beautiful and inspiring teaching on how we simply do not realize how amazing bodhichitta is, how amazing it is to take responsibility for the happiness of every single ant, mosquito, fly, bug, etc., for all living beings. Not just saying blah blah blah, but really feeling this bodhichitta in the heart.
“Then Rinpoche moved to the subject of emptiness and the correct view according to the Prasangika school. Then back to bodhichitta again as more people joined to listen – Tibetans, Westerners, Indians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolians and so on, monks, nuns and lay people.
“As the talk continued I had the feeling we were not actually going to do any korwa (circumambulation); the bodhichitta motivation and intention were more important. But with 20 minutes left till the stupa closed, Rinpoche began walking towards the main gate, which by now was closed. A Vietnamese nun asked the security guards to let us in for five minutes. Miraculously they pulled back the gate. We walked in at high speed and around the stupa with Rinpoche pausing from time to time in the prayers to lead us in chanting or give some more teaching.
“As we finished the korwa and Rinpoche stood by the gate to dedicate, Tsoknyi Rinpoche appeared and came up to greet him. They chatted for a while and walked out together. Tsoknyi Rinpoche accompanied Rinpoche and entourage to the car and then watched as they all drove off.”
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.
- Tagged: bodhgaya, kora, lama zopa rinpoche, mahabodhi stupa, ven. sarah thresher
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22
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Gives Long-life Initiation to 1,000 Sherpas
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave the Amitabha long-life initiation to about 1,000 Sherpa people at Lawudo Gompa and Retreat Centre on Tuesday, April 21. Before the initiation, Sherpa women offered a dance to Rinpoche. Lawudo is in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal, which is home to the Sherpa, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born not far from Lawudo. Rinpoche’s previous incarnation Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe meditated in a cave at Lawudo for 20 years. Rinpoche’s last visit to Lawudo was in 2008.
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 Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
- Tagged: lama zopa rinpoche, lawudo
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21
Reading Sutras Has So Much Meaning
“I am very happy to hear that you immediately rushed to read the sutras. That made me so extremely happy. That means you are truly a very devoted student, maybe not quite truly existent. Please keep reading the sutras, even one line or one page a day. It has so much meaning,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote to a student, who had written to Rinpoche after he sent her three sutras (the Sutra of Golden Light, the Sanghata Sutra, and Vajra Cutter Sutra).
“Reading the sutras will help you so much. It is the easiest way to direct your life toward enlightenment and toward enlightening all sentient beings, so it has so much benefit, even benefit for your nose.”
FPMT Education Services has created the “Sutras” webpage, which is full of links to various sutra texts and advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on reading sutras plus other resources: https://fpmt.org/education/prayers-and-practice-materials/sutras/
Read more advice from Rinpoche on sutras in “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book,” part of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. The text above can be found at: http://bit.ly/various-sutras
Learn more about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s webpage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more.
- Tagged: lama zopa rinpoche, sutras
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20
Destroying Delusions
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered the following advice on the value of retreat during lunchtime at one of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings on “The Wheel of Sharp Weapons”:
You should always remember retreat means making war on delusions. You have to always remember this – this is inner war, but this is a one-time war. Once you defeat delusion by eliminating the cause, the seed of delusion, by actualizing the remedy, the path, it doesn’t come back again; once the seed is removed, delusion never comes back, so this is just a one-time war. The outside, external wars are endless, because you have to fight them again and again.
In Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacaryavatara, he mentions that the outside enemy never ends, never finishes, however much you are able to kill him or her. Shantideva used the example that if the whole earth is covered by thorns, there is not enough leather to cover the whole earth with leather, but if you have leather under your foot, it’s like the whole earth is covered by leather. Shantideva said that the meaning of this is that once the inner enemy, the delusions are destroyed, all the outside enemies are destroyed.
You can read more about this topic from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive‘s “Retreat Advice” page: https://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=326#sthash.Y9xAoI1w.dpuf/.
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 Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
- Tagged: lama zopa rinpoche, retreat
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17
Making Homage to the Relics [Video]
In the Sutra of Golden Light, Chapter 18, it says:
“Then the Tathagata struck the surface of the earth with his hand, whose palm was soft as the newly bloomed lotus and marked with a thousand-spoked wheel. As soon as he struck it, the earth shook in six ways and there arose a stupa made of silver, gold and jewels. Then the Tathagata said to the Venerable Ananda: ‘Ananda, open this stupa.’ Heeding these instructions, the Venerable Ananda opened the stupa. Inside he saw an urn covered with gold and inlaid with jewels and pearls. Having seen this, he said to the Tathagata, ‘O Transcendent Lord, there is an urn made of gold.’ The Tathagata said, ‘Open these seven urns.’ Accordingly, he opened them. He saw relics whose colors were like snow and white lily. Seeing this, the Venerable Ananda said to the Tathagata, ‘O Transcendent Lord, there are relics.’ Then the Tathagata said, ‘Ananda, bring here the relics of the great being.’ Then the Venerable Ananda took those relics and brought them to the Tathagata. Taking the relics to the thousand bhikshus and holding them in his hand, the Tathagata addressed them in this way:
Here are the bones of one endowed with excellent virtue and supreme intellect,
Humility, meditation, delight through patience and sublime fame;
One who continually strove for the wisdom of his enlightenment;
Intelligent and possessing steadfast joyous perseverance,
He always delighted in giving.
“Then the Tathagata said this to the thousand bhikshus: ‘O bhikshus, offer homage to the bodhisattva’s relics fully charged with ethics and virtue, which are a field of merit and extremely rare to see.’ Then, their hearts filled with aspiration, those bhikshus paid homage to the relics with hands folded in reverence.”
Watch a short video clip of Lama Zopa Rinpoche doing prayers in front of the relics at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.
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.
- Tagged: golden light sutra, great stupa of universal compassion, lama zopa rinpoche, relics, sutra of golden light, video
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16
Lawudo Family Reunion
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s current visit to Lawudo Gompa and Retreat Centre in Solu Khumbu, Nepal, is special for many reasons. Lawudo cave was the meditation cave of Rinpoche’s previous incarnation Kunsang Yeshe, more commonly known as the Lawudo Lama. Rinpoche was born not far from Lawudo and has a close affinity with the Sherpa people in the area. But also, Rinpoche’s sister and brother are integral to Lawudo’s continued existence and they are all together during Rinpoche’s visit.
Ani Ngawang Samten, Rinpoche’s older sister, has overseen all of the development at Lawudo and has taken care of the students, teachers and retreaters who have visited Lawudo since the early days of FPMT. Back then, she carried stones and helped build the gompa at Lawudo. And for four decades, she has cooked the food and made sure that visitors have what they need. Ven. Roger Kunsang, CEO of FPMT and Rinpoche’s assistant, has called her the “mother” of Lawudo.
Anila also lovingly takes care of the cows. One day during Rinpoche’s visit, he went to the dining room at breakfast and talked to all gathered there about the benefits of not killing and of a vegetarian diet. Then Rinpoche went out and blessed all of the cows until lunch time.
Rinpoche’s brother, Sangay Sherpa, serves as the director of Lawudo and has been responsible for the recent building work, which includes building a new library and restoring the old gompa. The harsh environment and high altitude create many challenges for construction. Materials must be flown in from Kathmandu to Lukla by plane or to Syangboche by helicopter and then brought up to Lawudo on the backs of yaks and Sherpa porters.
Rinpoche’s visit to Lawudo is truly a homecoming and a rare opportunity for a reunion with his family, who continue to quietly keep the fires burning at this very special place.
Anila’s amazing contributions and work at Lawudo have been celebrated and described by Merry Colony, long-time student and former director of FPMT Education Services, in the Mandala January-February 1998 article, “The Keeper of Lawudo.”
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.
- Tagged: ani ngawang samten, fpmt history, lama zopa rinpoche, lawudo, sangay sherpa
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15
Practice Awareness of Karma When You Walk Outside
“When you are working outside and see a beautiful flower that pleases you, that is your karmic view,” said Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the 16th Kopan course in 1983. “That view comes from your own mind, from virtuous thoughts. Anything which is disagreeable and disturbing to you is the result of bad thoughts in the past – negative karma. Whenever you experience sense objects – good smells, bad smells, when eating food, when looking around at views, practice awareness. When you see people or animals: when you see one person it makes you happy, another makes you unhappy. If one person is helping you, think, ‘This is the result of my good karma, of having the right attitude.’ If somebody makes you unhappy, think, ‘This is the result of my negative karma, the bad thoughts.’ It is so obvious, so clear, how liking or not liking, seeing something as nice or not nice, is dependent on your mind. When some people look at a particular person, they find him so nice, beautiful, good and so on; at the same time when others look at him they find him completely ugly, not worth being attached to! They see the one person in different ways.
“Let’s say you’re in prison and somebody unknown helps you get free. You see that person afterwards but you don’t see him as kind, you don’t have a warm feeling; but when you hear that he is the one that helped when you had troubles, suddenly you see him in a different way. You see him as having a warm beauty, as kind. For your mind, the person becomes nearer. Similarly, when a person is disturbing you, you see him as ugly, very bad, negative, black; but if you think of his kindness in destroying your selfish attitude, your bad thoughts, the view changes. He becomes closer and you feel warmth and kindness from the heart. Now you can see how it’s dependent on the mind. When you change your way of thinking, you will see things in a different way. With one way of thinking you see in one way, with another way of thinking you see in a different way. Some people see one place as very beautiful and like it, some see it as very ugly and undesirable.
“Like this, practice awareness of karma when you walk outside. When pleasure turns into suffering think that is the result of wrong attitudes, of negative karma. Also, you can maybe do meditations on all your past lives. Sometimes you had a good life, sometimes a horrible, terrifying, suffocating life, wanting to kill yourself. Then think, ‘All this came from the wrong attitude in my own mind.’
“We should use this awareness for something, for progressing the mind. We should use this awareness for more happiness, to decrease suffering, to lessen confusion. So, make the decision frequently, ‘This is the result of right attitudes. Therefore, what I should do from now on is renounce the non-virtuous mind as much as possible and practice the right attitude, a good heart, as much as possible.'”
Excerpted from the transcripts of Lecture 3 of the 16th Kopan course (http://bit.ly/16th-kopan-course) made available by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Edited by Mandala 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.
14
An Easy Way to Benefit Animals
“When Lama Zopa Rinpoche was traveling from Gaya airport to Root Institute on the day of his arrival in early February 2015, he noticed the roadside shops that sell live chickens,” said long-time student Ven. Sarah Thresher. “The chickens are crammed into small wire cages and sold to customers by the weight, either alive, or beheaded and ready to be eaten. Rinpoche immediately expressed his wish to liberate the chickens and gave instructions for a large coop to be built so they could wander around freely, but still be prevented from eating other creatures. While the coop was being constructed, Rinpoche wrote out by hand the Lotus Pinnacle of Amoghaspasha mantra (FPMT Education Services’ makes available a brief commentary on the mantra by Geshe Ngawang Dakpa; a pre-printed version with a short commentary by Lama Zopa Rinpoche is available through the Foundation Store) to be photocopied and pasted inside, covering the entire ceiling. The Namgyälma mantra was also included so that the birds would constantly purify their negative karma day and night. Lotus Pinnacle of Amoghaspasha mantra – OM PÄDMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT – is usually hung over doorways and purifies eight trillion eons of negative karma by passing under it. By placing the Namgyälma mantra in a high place or in a room, it also purifies and blesses the people, animals or insects in that area, liberating them from the lower realms. Rinpoche has spoken extensively the Namgyälma mantra’s benefits.
“Over the course of the two months spent at Root, Rinpoche liberated 62 chickens and blessed all the animals – goats, cows, chickens, dogs, etc. – at Root and nearby MAITRI Charitable Trust by reciting prayers and mantras. Not just the chicken coop, but also the cow shed ceiling were covered with Lotus Pinnacle of Amoghapasha and Namgyälma mantras – such an easy way to benefit animals!”
Benefiting animals in any way possible is a priority for FPMT and one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the organization. Both the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and the Animal Liberation Fund support animal liberation activities around the world.
FPMT Education Services makes a variety of mantra-related resources available 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.
13
A Hundred Eons Is Nothing
“How can you recover completely from the heavy disease of the disturbing, unsubdued mind, which has been there from beginningless previous lifetimes?” Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked during the 12th Kopan course in 1979. “How can you recover within one month, within seven days or several years? For an ordinary, chronic disease like cancer and T.B. – which the person wasn’t born with – even for those diseases, the person should have treatment for many years, has to be very careful and should have powerful and long treatment.
“To completely make non-existent the disease of the disturbed, unsubdued mind, which has been there from beginningless previous lifetimes, which has no beginning, the treatment, listening to the holy Dharma and practicing the holy Dharma, of course, is extremely worthwhile. It is necessary to have powerful treatment, the powerful Dharma practice, even if it takes hundreds of lifetimes or a hundred eons. Even it if takes that much to take treatment, to completely make non-existent the heavy disease of the delusions, of course, it is extremely important. It is extremely important and it is worthwhile, even though it takes a hundred lifetimes, a hundred eons, which is nothing.
“Even if it takes a hundred eons to completely eradicate, to completely recover from the disease of the delusions and to be free from samsara, even though it takes a hundred eons, that still is very quick, very short if you think how many eons one has been sick with the delusions of the disturbed, unsubdued mind.”
Excerpted from the transcripts of Section Three of the 12th Kopan course (http://bit.ly/12th-kopan-course) made available by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Edited by Mandala 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.
10
Rinpoche’s Pillar Altar
“When Rinpoche’s room at Root Institute in Bodhgaya, India, was expanded, a support pillar was left exposed in the middle of the room,” said long-time student Ven. Sarah Thresher, who has been sharing news of Rinpoche’s activities in Bodhgaya. “Rinpoche promptly designed a special altar with levels surrounding all four sides of the pillar that could hold many holy objects and be circumambulated every time anyone walks around the room.
“The finished altar also has the eight auspicious signs all around, offering bowls on each side and cupboards to store incense and other items. Each of the small metal Buddhas is filled with many mantras and blessed. On Rinpoche’s instructions, holes were drilled into the bottom of each golden stupa for the four dharmakaya relic mantras to be inserted. Rinpoche particularly wanted the Stainless Beam mantra [Zung of the Exalted Completely Pure Stainless Light] to be put inside the small stupas since the benefits are so great. The idea is that people can carry these stupas with them as they circumambulate.”
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.
- Tagged: lama zopa rinpoche, root institute, ven. sarah thresher
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*powered by Google TranslateTranslation of pages on fpmt.org is performed by Google Translate, a third party service which FPMT has no control over. The service provides automated computer translations that are only an approximation of the websites' original content. The translations should not be considered exact and only used as a rough guide.Right understanding is the only solution to both physical and mental problems. You should always check very carefully how you’re expending your energy: will it make you happy or not? That’s a big responsibility, don’t you think? It’s your choice: the path of wisdom or the path of ignorance.