Projects

Residents of Lugsung Samdupling Home for the Aged and Disabled in Bylakkupe, India.

The Social Services Fund sponsored five new rooms for elderly Tibetan refugees residing at the Lugsung Samdupling Home for the Aged and Disabled in Bylakuppe, India.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited this home in 2016 and spent time with the forty-six residents who are living in extremely modest conditions, many with health issues due to the advanced age. 

The work begins on five much needed rooms at Lugsung Samdupling Home for the Aged and Disabled.

Please rejoice that these new rooms are now being built and will be finished in approximately six months. Without homes and accommodation like this, many elderly first-wave Tibetan refugees have very little prospect of accommodation or support as many are without families of their own. Offering support in this way is one way that FPMT can help repay the kindness and bravery of the Tibetan people. Lama Zopa Rinpoche avows the profound importance of His Holiness, the Dharma Kings, Shantarakshita, Padmasambhava and the Tibetan people in general. He has said that, because of them, the “sun of Tibetan Buddhism has now risen in the West.”

FPMT Charitable Projects is honored to support the homes of the eldest and destitute Tibetan refugees. You can show your support by making a donation to the Social Services Fund. 

Construction of the new Khumjung Gompa.

The Nepal earthquake and aftershocks of 2015 devastated much of Nepal including many parts of Khumbu region where Khumjung Gompa is located. At 12,400 feet near Everest, this monastery is a 400-year-old monastic center of Sherpa culture and Tibetan Buddhism. Over its lifespan, Khumjun Gompa was extended several times. Its original small size and weak foundation required much renovation and restoration. The last renovation was completed in 2000. The 2015 earthquake worsened the condition. Following the earthquake,  the property was assessed for overall damage. The concluding report was clear that there had been major cracks and distortion of structures at multiple sites, which required reconstruction of the whole building. At this point two committees were formed (Samten Choling Gompa Management Committee and Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee) to raise funds and organize all aspects of rebuilding the gompa.

You can watch a short video of some of the initial damage and rebuilding efforts:

Approximately 4,000 local Sherpas live in the area. There are about 300 households which share this gompa for religious festivals. 

The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, a sub-fund of the Social Services Fund, offered US$50,000 toward this important rebuilding project. 

Khumjung Gompa Reopening Ceremony.

The rebuilding was successfully completed in August of 2017 and inaugurated by the abbot of Tengboche Monastery, Nawang Tenzing Jangbu, who reported, “Cultural Restoration especially after the April 2015 earthquake has become more important than ever before. It is our duty to preserve our cultural heritage for our future generation. We deeply appreciate all our friends and donors who have generously contributed towards the rebuild of Khumjung Gompa”

Welcoming guests during the reopening ceremony of Khumjung Gompa.

You can read a full report on this project completed by the Khumjung Gompa Welfare & Development Committee. 

Please rejoice on this incredible effort by many in the Sherpa community and many kind and generous donors who contributed to the completion of this important restoration project. 

If you would like to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants such as this can continue, you can read more about the charitable projects this fund supports or donate any amount to the fund itself. 

Sera Lachi Sangha participating in the long life puja offered to Lama Zopa earlier this year.

Earlier this year when Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in Bangalore, he was requested to help with a desperately needed new sewage system at Sera Lachi.  Sera Lachi is made up of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monasteries in southern India. 6,000 monks study between the two monasteries. 

Rinpoche immediately said he wanted to help and then during a long life puja which Sera Je Monastery offered to Rinpoche after, Rinpoche offered all of the cash offerings made to him which totaled about US$2,988. Recently an additional US$2,156 was offered toward the completion of this project which has an estimated total cost of US$71,112.

The Sera Lachi monks. Photo courtesy of the Sera Lachi Facebook page.

This grant contributes to making the environment at Sera Lachi clean, hygienic, and conducive to thoughtful study for the Sangha on the grounds. The monasteries are still raising money for this important project. Grants such as this are just one way the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund is working to care for monks and nuns. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries. 

Students, staff, and guests welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Ngari Institute in August 2016.

For the forth year, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Social Services Fund, has offered food every day of the year to the school children and staff of Ngari Institute in Ladakh, India. This year, 53 school children in addition to teachers and young monks will benefit from this offering. The cost for 2017 is US$23,124.95. 

Supporting those in need (such as children, the elderly, poor, and sick) is one of the main priorities of Social Services Fund and Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also indicated that in addition to offering for material needs, we must help in the ultimate way as well by offering Dharma education or creating holy objects as this creates the cause to change the karma and bring real lasting benefit. 

Students of Ngari Inistute studying together.

Ngari Institute is located  in the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh in a small village called Saboo. The campus is spread over 20 hectares of deserted land. The main aim of this school is to empower and enrich the poor and needy remote-area students by imparting a combined learning of both modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom. It was founded by the Ladakh alumni of Sera Je Monastery in South India.

Students of Ngari Inistitute.

Thanks to all who donate to the Social Services Fund enabling the offering of important grants such as this. If you would like to contribute to the offering of grants such as this, you are welcome to donate any amount you can. 

The Social Services Fund has sponsored the food for Ngari Institute for the fifth year in a row and hopes to be able to continue long into the future. If you are inspired by grants such as this, you are welcome to contribute to the Social Service Fund and help ensure that work like this can continue. 

Most precious Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet.

On full moons and during Sakadawa the Puja Fund sponsors special offerings to the Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet. Gold is offered to the statue’s face (and will soon be offered to the whole body on Buddha days) and robes are offered to the body. The cost of the precious robes is US$28 and the cost of offering gold to the whole body is approximately US$1,528. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has indicated that he wants this offering to continue as long as possible, for many lifetimes. 

Also said to have been blessed by Shakyamuni Buddha himself (making it approximately 2,500 years old), the Jowo Buddha statue is one of the most sacred statues in all of Tibet. Originally crafted in India, the Jowo was brought to China, and then brought to Tibet by the daughter  of the Chinese emperor, Princess Wenchen Kongjo, upon her marriage to Songsten Gampo. The Jowo Buddha statue resides in the central chapel of the Jokhang, among the most holy temples in Lhasa.

Gold offered to Jowo Buddha statue.

About the power of statues of Buddha, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said, “The benefit we get each time we see a statue of Buddha, a picture of Buddha, or a stupa is like the limitless sky. It causes us to achieve all the realizations from guru devotion up to enlightenment and to achieve all the numberless qualities of the Buddha’s holy body, speech and mind.” 

Please rejoice in this ongoing offering which will continue as long as possible to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. 

All are welcome to donate to the Puja Fund and directly support these most precious offerings. 

Completed construction on the headquarters for the Geluk International Foundation in South India.

The Geluk International Foundation was established to preserve and promote Buddhist heritage in general and the Gelug tradition in particular. The vision of the foundation is to promote, propagate, develop, enrich and preserve the Gelug tradition established by Lama Tsongkhapa. The foundation seeks to unite and harmonize all Gelug monasteries and Dharma centers throughout the world under a single umbrella in order to improve and maintain coordination, cooperation, development, function, and friendship.

At a meeting held in South India in December 2014, His Holiness the Dalai Lama stressed the extreme importance of establishing offices for the long-term preservation of the Gelug tradition. Lama Zopa Rinpoche immediately responded to this advice from His Holiness and over a few years offered US$421,400 toward the construction of the building needed for this project. The construction of the foundation’s main building is now complete.

His Eminence Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche, the 104th Gaden Tripa.

The tradition of the Gaden Tripas (the throne holders of the Gelug tradition) began with Lama Tsongkhapa (1357 – 1419). Before passing away, Tsongkhapa passed the leadership of the newly established Gelug tradition to Gyaltsab Je (1364-1432), who then passed it on to Khedrub Je (1385-1438). Since then the precious legacy established by Tsongkhapa has continued up to this day. His Eminence Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 104th Gaden Tripa on June 24th, 2017. The offices of Gaden Tri Rinpoche are located at the Geluk International Foundation headquarters in Mundgod, South India.

Member monasteries include: Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo, Sera Mey, Sera Je, Rato, Namgyal, Gaden Shartse Norling, Drepung, and Drepung Gomang.

Moving forward, the foundation will establish programs which will include the running of educational centers such as schools, colleges and universities, science education centers, meditation courses, meditation centers, medical centers, hospitals and medical colleges. The foundation will establish publications and engage in research and development in the fields of humanity, religious harmony, interfaith dialogue, relief activities, devotional activities, vocational training, environmental preservation and ecological care.

Activities of the Geluk International Foundation will be extended all over the world through the creation of administrative hubs in different continents and nations.

To support the development of this important foundation, The Lama Tsongkhapa Teacher’s Fund is offering US$40,000 annually for the next two years which is approximately half of the operating budget. This is a tremendous investment in the future and preservation of the Gelug tradition, and an offering of support toward His Holiness’s wishes for a unified Gelug tradition.

You can learn more about the Geluk International Foundation’s important work and future plans.

Some of the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.

Young nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.

Since 2009 sponsorship has been offered to the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal, to complete two 100 million mani retreats (100 million recitations of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM). In addition to the 100 million mani retreats, funds are offered to cover the cost of food to all the nuns for this period as well as the cost of a very qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lamrim teachings. With the help of donors, we are hoping to offer this again in 2017. US$14,000 is offered each year for these two retreats.

Progress on the new accommodation continues at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.

Nuns planting a garden on the grounds.

In 2014 a grant was offered for new accommodation needed for the resident nuns. Progress is being made on on the housing and the last row of rooms is now finished and the nuns have moved in. Construction is still in progress and the nuns quarters is expected to be finished by the end of the year. 

In a recent note of thanks, Geshe Lobsang Gyaltsen passed on the following from the nunnery: “Thank you [Lama Zopa] Rinpoche all FPMT members who kindly support the nunnery. Our sincere prayers and dedications are offered for the long lives of our gurus and good health for all friends, benefactors, donors, and well-wishers.” 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries.

“My wish is for FPMT to build many holy objects everywhere, as many as possible. Making it so easy for sentient beings to purify their heavy negative karma and making it so easy for sentient beings to create extensive merit. Which makes it so easy to achieve the realizations of the path and so easy to achieve liberation and enlightenment.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Large and smaller prayer wheels at a Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe, South India, sponsored by the Holy Objects Fund.

The Holy Objects Fund was pleased to donate US$5,262.71 toward the creation of a large prayer wheel and surrounding smaller wheels at Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement, a Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe, South India. 

The large prayer wheels contains 100,000,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantras and nearly 400,000 are included in the smaller prayer wheels. 

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor 100,000 large prayer wheels around the world. Rinpoche has explained, “Prayer wheels are a great blessing for each country.”

Please rejoice in the creation of these precious holy objects which bless all the residents of the Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement and all who come in contact with the prayer wheels. 

If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund which contributes to the creation of stupas, prayer wheels and statues. 

Some of the work in progress on the new construction at Kopan House at Sera Je Monastery to accommodate the monks of Kopan Monastery who study there.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund, issued a grant for US$85,400 to assist with much needed construction, maintenance, and repairs at Kopan House at Sera Je Monastery, India. Kopan House is occupied by sixty monks from Kopan Monastery including incarnate lamas (Charok Lama, Lama Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche, Lama Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Lama Lobsang Rigzin Rinpoche, and Lama Kundrol Rinpoche), geshes, monks who are part of the Geshe Studies Program, and younger monks who attend the school there and will eventually enter the Geshe Studies Program. Kopan House is part of Tsawa khangtsen. Generally, the monks reside at Kopan House until they finish the Geshe Studies Program which extends over a period of twenty-six years.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at  Kopan House Tsawa khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery. January 20016.

Kopan House was built in 2000. At that time there were about thirty monks in the hostel. Over time the number of monks residing in the hostel doubled and the capacity of the residential building needed augmentation. There are currently forty-nine rooms including sixteen new units that are in the process of being built. 

The cost of this expansion and improvements will be approximately US$156,130 and will include expenses incurred from painting the premises, relaying of electrical wires, installation of a new electrical transformer necessitated by the increase in the projected consumption of electricity by the addition to the hostel’s capacity, relocating of the generator to a new generator room, maintenance of the lawn and garden.

To date a total of thirty-six geshes have graduated from Kopan House including Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi, Geshe Lobsang Sherab, Geshe Thubten Gyurmey, Geshe Lobsang Yeshe and Geshe Lobsang Jamyang.

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries.

The children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project attending a talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche about the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. January, 2017.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in Bodhgaya, India, for several weeks from late December 2016 through February 2017. During that time Rinpoche attended the Kalachakra initiation offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, went on pilgrimage to many holy sites, met with students and other lamas, and visited and made offerings, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, to three very important FPMT social projects of Root Institute: Maitreya School, Tara Children’s Project, and Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving gifts to the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project. January, 2017.

Maitreya School is a free school benefiting impoverished children from Bodhgaya and neighboring villages. The children not only have the chance to obtain a traditional education but, more importantly, they receive life skills in compassion, honesty, and loving-kindness presented through Buddhist study. This is the core of the training and vision of the school: making lives meaningful.

Tara Children’s Project (TCP) is the only children’s home caring for HIV-affected orphaned children in the state of Bihar. Currently there are twenty-one children living there. 

Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic began in 1991 as a home for the destitute and has evolved into a diverse community health program encompassing a wide range of medical and rehabilitative services and health promotion activities. Services included allopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, health promotion and education, and patient care.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing a very sick patient of Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic. January, 2017.

While at Root Institute, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered new shoes, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and new towels to all the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project. Rinpoche also met with the children and gave a talk on Eight Verses for Thought Transformation. 

At the Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic Rinpoche offered INR₹500 plus a blanket to mothers who have children with cerebral palsy. While there Rinpoche also blessed everyone in the clinic on that day and offered extensive prayers for a number of people who were extremely sick. Rinpoche also thanked all of the doctors and nurses of the clinic who offer such an incredible service to those in need. 

Please rejoice in the incredible social services offered by Root Institute which benefit so many in need in the area. For the past six years, due to the kindness of one main benefactor, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been able to offer substantial grants toward this amazing work. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish. All the offerings from the fund are used toward the creation of holy objects and extensive offerings around the world; sponsoring young tulkus, high lamas and Sangha in India, Nepal, Tibet and the West; supporting FPMT centers, projects and services; sponsoring Dharma retreats and events; funding animal liberations and blessings, and much more.  

Completed stupa for Geshe Gendun Choephel.

Earlier this year we announced that a new stupa was being built at Sera Je Monastery for Tenzin Ösel Hita’s teacher, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Gendun Choephel, who passed away on July 31, 2016. Ösel requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to assist with this precious stupa, and Rinpoche, through the Stupa Fund, offered US$20,000 toward its completion. 

We are delighted to report that this special stupa is now complete.

Building stupas helps develop so much peace and happiness for numberless sentient beings,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained. “As a result, wars, disease, and desire will all be pacified. Instead of feeling hopeless, people will gain courage. This is about peace – for the beings who see it, for the whole country, for the entire world, for all sentient beings.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche translated “Padmasambhava’s Instructions on Offering to Stupas,” which details the benefits of prostrating to, circumambulating, making offerings, and offering service to stupas. Also available is, “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice for Circumambulation.”

Please rejoice in the completion of this stupa for Geshe Gendun Choephel which brings so much benefit to his students, the world, and all sentient beings.

If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund which contributes to the creation of stupas, prayer wheels and statues.

New robes were offered to 213 scholars who memorized texts.

For seventeen years the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund sponsors an oral examination of Sera Je Monastery’s top scholars who have shown a propensity for memorization. This year, 213 monks were awarded new robes for their successful memorization of particular texts. Please rejoice in these incredible accomplishments!

• eighty-nine monks memorized Commentary Clarifying the Meaning by Haribhadra
  
• seventy-three monks memorized Essence of the Good Explanation by Lama Tsongkhapa
• thirty-six monks memorized Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds by Shantideva
• seven monks memorized The General Meaning of the First Chapter by Lama Jetsunpa
• five monks memorized The General Meaning of the Middle Way by Lama Jetsunpa
• two monks memorized Six Scriptures on Reasoning by Nagarjuna 
• one monk memorized Five Treatises of Maitreya’s Doctrine

Please rejoice in the offering of robes to these future teachers who contribute to the preservation the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in the monasteries. Supporting the Sangha of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition is the main objectives of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund.

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains: “The continuity and spread of Buddhadharma throughout the world depends upon highly qualified teachers. The three great monasteries are the only place in the world where the entire, complete teachings of the Buddha are studied and practiced with deep logic.”

All are welcome to join in on this offering by contributing any amount to the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund. 

You can learn more about the many activities of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund including support given to the most senior teachers of the Tsongkhapa tradition, the annual Gelugpa Exam, and the annual Winter Debate in India and Nepal.