Projects

A kind benefactor has enabled the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund to sponsor the building of a new IMI retreat cabin at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France.

Due to the kindness of a generous benefactor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to sponsor the International Mahayana Institute’s building of a retreat cabin specifically to be used by Sangha at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land. 

This new cabin, named “Olka Cholung” after the place in Tibet where Lama Tsongkhapa did extensive retreat. It is run by Thakpa Kachoe and administered by IMI for IMI Sangha wishing to engage in medium-length and long retreats in Europe. 

Beautiful surroundings at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, where a new retreat cabin for IMI Sangha has been built.

Thakpa Kachoe has twenty-two acres of pasture and forest and is located in the amazingly scenic South Alps region at Guillaumes in the hamlet of Villetale; a 1.5 hour drive from Nice. The cabin is a single room cabin with kitchenette, shower and adjacent dry toilet.

Olka Cholung has welcomed its first occupant who has already started a fourteen month retreat. Having recently arrived there she mentioned how easy will be to meditate on dependent arising as well as the kindness of others while in retreat because the cabin “would not have been possible without all the people who support the project.” She continued saying,  “I call it a ‘five star retreat hut’ because it indeed has all the conducive conditions. The surrounding is amazingly beautiful, the valley is quite vast, giving a gorgeous open view. The air is clean and the water pristine. There is silence. The hut is within a forest, isolated from other buildings. All the materials used are the most eco-friendly possible. This is crucial for the environment and also for the people living in it. And last, but not least, the indispensable condition of having good caretakers.”

Please rejoice in the building of this cabin which will benefit FPMT Sangha for years to come. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monks and nuns. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Italy, 2014. Photo by Matteo Passigato.

Over twenty years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested that the FPMT organization offers a long life puja to His Holiness the Dalai Lama every year. This year the annual long life puja will be offered on January 1, 2016 following His Holiness’ Jangchup Lamrim teachings. 

On behalf of all the FPMT centers, projects, services and students, we are offering a silver dharmachakra, silver sets of the seven precious royal objects and the eight auspicious symbols, a right-turning conch shell and a money offering. Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven. Roger Kunsang are both in South India and will be able to present some of the offerings directly to His Holiness during the long life puja.

All are welcome to contribute to this long life puja which is offered to purify any mistakes that occur in relation to our spiritual teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from His Holiness for a very long time. 

 “In Praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” was composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Praise to His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a collection of comments from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book.

Robes offered to the Buddha inside Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya, India. Lhabab Duchen, 2015.

Every month, on the full moon, the Puja Fund sponsors an offering of robes, made of the most precious material, to the most holy Buddha statue in Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya, India.
The offering and prayers and kindly offered by Sangha and students from Root Institute for Wisdom Culture.

In 2014 Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited the market in Bodhgaya and personally chose the best quality cloth for the robes as an example for the ongoing offerings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has taught extensively on the benefits of offering to statues of Buddha. “If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa, or scripture then the benefit extends from then up to enlightenment. Amazing, amazing,” Rinpoche has said. “It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness, liberation from the causes of delusion and karma, and on top of that full enlightenment, all the realizations and omniscient mind.”

This year on Lhabab Duchen, many pujas and offerings were sponsored by the Puja Fund, including the robes offered to the Buddha statue in Mahabodhi temple. 

You are welcome to contribute any amount to these ongoing pujas and offerings.

You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund and the various activities it supports. You can also enjoy an overview of all the FPMT Charitable Projects which contribute to many beneficial endeavors.

Monks of Sera Je Monastery enjoying a meal provided by the Sera Je Food Fund. Photo by Losan Piatti.

Every day, an incredible effort from many individuals, and a large quantity of food and supplies is needed to prepare, cook, and serve three meals per day to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Food Fund. Over the six months, the Sera Je Food Fund has used 52,254 pounds of flour, 39,062 pounds of rice, and large quantities of other foods such as vegetables, fruits, spices, grains, tea, milk, and other ingredients. 

Many volunteers offer their time to make sure the meals are prepared, cooked and served three times per day.

The cost for offering food through the Sera Je Food Fund, including all the operating costs, supplies, maintenance, and utilities is US$280,000 a year. In six months, US$90,908.09 was spent on food alone. 

Recently, a short film on the Sera Je Food Fund featuring Lama Zopa Rinpoche was released. In this video Rinpoche candidly speaks on the importance of supporting the food fund and the role it plays in spreading the Dharma in our world. Scenes from daily life at the monastery, including the logistics of preparing meals for all 2,500 resident monks at a time.

The Sera Je Food Fund is approaching its 25th year, and the support it’s received and the impact the fund has on the quality of life at Sera Je monastery deserves rejoicing and tremendous thanks for all involved.

You can sponsor meals for the monks of Sera Je Monastery as well as keep up on news and updates for this project. 

Renovation work on the Lawudo dining hall.

As reported in July, the Lawudo Retreat Centre, in eastern Nepal, was damaged by the earthquake and aftershocks the area experienced in April 2015. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund offered US$50,000 toward the renovation needed due the kindness of many donors who contributed generously to this fund. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s brother, Sangay Sherpa, who is the director of the retreat center, recently reported that the renovation work is now 90% completed. The remaining work will have to wait until next year due to needing more funds and materials and also because of difficulties due to the winter season. Sangay organized the renovation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s home in Thame, Lawudo’s library, all of the retreat houses and the dining hall. Renovation work on the monastery is also underway. 

Renovation work on the Lawudo Library.

Please rejoice that so much of this work has been completed! Thanks to all donors of the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund and to Sangay for overseeing these projects and ensuring quality in the rebuilding. 

All are welcome to donate to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund. 
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/

You can learn more about Lawudo Gompa and the history of Lawudo. 
http://www.lawudo.com/About

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the incarnation of one of his teachers, Domo Rinpoche.

Domo Rinpoche with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

As a boy, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was ordained and educated at the monastery of one of his teachers, Domo Rinpoche — Drugkar Monastery.  Domo Rinpoche’s incarnation is now being educated at Sera Je Monastery in South India and Lama Zopa Rinpoche supports him in whatever way he is able.

It is a high priority of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s to offer support, directly and indirectly, to the next generation of Dharma teachers who will continue to pass on Buddha’s teachings in an unbroken lineage. By offering support to young tulkus, at pivotal stages in their development, The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund invests in the next generation of lamas by making offerings toward a number of young tulkus’ food expenses, educational needs and accommodation needs.

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund enables Rinpoche’s compassionate service to others to flourish. You can learn more about other beneficial activities this fund supports. 

A beautiful new short film on the Sera Je Food Fund featuring Lama Zopa Rinpoche was released last week. In it Rinpoche candidly speaks on the importance of supporting the food fund and the role it plays in spreading the Dharma in our world. Scenes from daily life at the vibrant monastery, including what it takes to prepare meals for all 2,500 resident monks at a time, weave through the interview with Rinpoche.

The Sera Je Food Fund is approaching its 25th year, and the support it’s received and the impact the fund has on the quality of life at Sera Je monastery deserves endless rejoicing and thanks for all involved.

Sera Je Monastery, located in southern India, is the largest Tibetan monastic university, and therefore is vital to the preservation of the tradition. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche points out in the film, “If this monastery goes down, the education and teaching goes down, if there’s no food, the means of living goes down, then we cannot have teachers around the world, and the opportunity for many sentient beings to achieve higher rebirth… and ultimate happiness.”

Before the food fund was created, the monastery was struggling to provide nourishment for all of the monks. Now with everyone’s support, the food fund offers every single monk three healthy vegetarian meals a day, everyday, totaling over 3 million meals per year.

Please take a moment to rejoice in all the generosity and hard work of all who have supported the Sera Je Food Fund over nearly 25 years, and how it’s helping Sera Monastery cultivate our future teachers and preserve the Buddhadharma. 

If you would like to get involved and offer meals so the monks can excel in their studies, visit the Sera Je Food Fund’s homepage today.  

Many thanks go out also to Matteo Passigato who so kindly filmed and edited the video, and to Lara Gatto for all her kind help.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Western Sangha, Mexico, 2015. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

As part of an array of offerings made through the FPMT Puja Fund on Losar, Lama Zopa Rinpoche sponsored 57 sets of robes for FPMT’s touring teachers and resident geshes. 

“If you were Sangha but you didn’t wear robes, then people would not know [that you were ordained], but with robes on there is no question.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche once commented to a monk about the benefits of wearing robes. “That is how the robes have such incredible benefit for the mind. It is planting the seed for enlightenment when people show respect to your wearing of the robes, or to the robes themselves: This is planting the seed of liberation, and is a way of benefiting sentient beings.” 

Offering robes to these teachers is a gesture of thanks for the incredible service they offer and in recognition of their dedication to upholding the teachings of Buddha. 

Thanks to Kopan Monastery for arranging this offering. Please rejoice that these teachers were able to receive new robes and also in their committed service to FPMT. 

You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund and the various activities it supports. You can also enjoy an overview of all the FPMT Charitable Projects which contribute to many beneficial endeavors.

Progress is being made on the new debate courtyard at Sera Mey Monastery. A grant from the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was given to support this work.

In September we reported that a grant from the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was offered to Sera Mey Monastery, Mysore, India, toward the construction of a new debate courtyard. The old debate courtyard posed problems such as echoing, exposure to rain, hot sun, no classrooms or science lab rooms, among other issues. Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey, the presence of a proper area for debate at the monastery was a necessity. 

The building of this new courtyard has commenced and progress is underway. 

The tradition of debate in Tibetan Buddhism can be traced back to Lama Tsongkhapa, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. With logical reasoning as the governing rule, students practice the art of debate by questioning one another.

The monks offered extensive offerings and prayers from The Victorious Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, the sutra-based ritual of Medicine Buddha. They offered prayers for one week and dedicated especially for the long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all FPMT members and benefactors. 

The FPMT Puja Fund also sponsors a monthly Medicine Buddha puja at Sera Mey by the monks. This has been offered every month since the establishment of the Puja Fund, twenty years ago. Medicine Buddha puja is so important  for the overall success of the organization and all Dharma activities and is dedicated to all FPMT students and benefactors, including those who have died. 

Please rejoice in the building of this new debate courtyard and in all of the beneficial prayers and activities happening at Sera Mey Monastery for the benefit of FPMT. 

You can learn more about the activities of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the FPMT Puja Fund or check out an overview of all of FPMT’s Charitable Projects.  

Residents and two staff members of the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement’s elderly home.

The Social Services Fund recently offered a grant to Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement’s elderly home in south India. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to offer ongoing social services to the elderly. This grant will be used toward the cost of offering food to all twenty residents for 2015. Earlier this year, the Social Services Fund also supported this settlement with a grant to help build their new community hall. 

Residents of the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement enjoying lunch offered by the settlement’s elderly home.

This settlement has a total population of 4,000 people including 380 children. The elderly home’s mission is to provide care to helpless and destitute aging people including those who are neglected by their family and don’t receive the proper care due to poverty. The home strives to provide its residents support in the following areas: food and clothes; health care services; mental, social and spiritual development. Sustainability of the home is a concern for the settlement, so regular, reliable funding is needed to be able to continue offering these services. 

Please rejoice in this offering of food to all twenty elderly residents of the Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement. 

The Social Services Fund has been established to support Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization, by offering benefit to others primarily India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia to help children, elderly, sick and the very poor by offering grants for schools, hospices, health clinics, soup kitchens, elderly homes, orphanages and much more.

Five dakinis in front of Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 29, 2012. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Every year, the Long Life Puja Fund supports a long life puja offered on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services and students to our most kind and immeasurably precious spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The next puja will be offered at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, on December 2, during the one-month November course.

The ritual itself is the extensive Lama Chöpa with an added request to the dakinis, a moving plea by the students for the five dakinis who have come to take away the teacher to a pure land to allow the students’ teacher to remain with them on earth.

The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. Lama Zopa Rinpoche also mentions regularly that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life. 

All are welcome to contribute to this upcoming long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery. Additionally, you may download Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life prayer for use at any time. 

The Kopan Nunnery gompa is now being renovated thanks to grants received by many generous donors and the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund.

Earlier this week we reported on rebuilding which is now underway at Kopan Monastery due to severe damage sustained at the monastery by the earthquake and aftershocks in April 2015. 

Rebuilding has also begun at Kopan Nunnery which also experienced extensive damage. The nunnery is currently renovating the gompa, and several walls are being demolished, rebuilt, and renovated as well.  

Structural damage to Kopan Nunnery was sustained but renovation and rebuilding has now begun.

The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund has contributed to these efforts  thanks to the generous contributions of many kind donors. You can read a recent email report sent to those who have donated to the fund which presents details of money raised and how grants have been utilized. 

Please rejoice in this rebuilding and renovation work happening at Kopan Nunnery which is currently the largest Tibetan nunnery in Nepal with 400 nuns. The nunnery provides full scholarship for the nuns, which includes education, accommodation, health care and food.

To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/

For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,”:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/