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Sangha and students rented a truck and transported a large Namgyalma mantra board to bless beings in the ocean. Photo by Troy Stafford.
Sangha at Kachoe Dechen Ling offer a weekly blessing of all sentient beings in the ocean by submerging large Namgyälma mantra boards into the water. The Namgyälma mantra is embossed and by entering the ocean, it blesses all beings who come in contact with the water.
While the mantra board is in the water extensive prayers are made, including visualizing Chenrezig over the ocean with nectar coming from Chenrezig which blesses all beings in the ocean.
Sangha and students braved the cold Winter beach weather to bless beings in the ocean. Photo by Troy Stafford.
Other practices are offered, such as reciting the long Namgyälma mantra and generating strong compassion. As the the mantra is recited, nectar beams being emitted are visualized which purify the negative karma of every sentient being since beginningless rebirth. They all receive the blessings of Namgyälma.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has requested this practice be done each week by the Sangha in addition to the other animal liberation practices they do.
In November Sangha and local students (including Rinpoche’s dog Uma Jangsem) took the giant Namgyälma mantra board (5 x 7 ft) out for this practice. This particular board is a little more difficult to bring regularly due to the size of the board. To use it, they had to rent a truck and accompany it into the ocean. Since it is winter in California, the freezing water was quite intense! But still, some took the board out into the ocean, swimming beside it to stabilize it, while other students and Sangha did prayers on the sand.
Ven. Namgyal and others spent many months repairing the mantra board and making it strong enough to withstand the rough Pacific Ocean. Tremendous thanks to all who make this happen and please rejoice in this incredible practice that is benefitting so many beings in the ocean.
You can learn more about the Animal Liberation Fund, or about other Namgyälma mantra blessings and ideas for how you can use this powerful mantra to bless beings in water.
The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.
Due to the kindness of a very generous benefactor, a full set of robes are being made by tailors in Kathmandu and then will be offered to the 75 nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery and three monks (the abbot, a geshe and a teacher). The robes will be offered during Chinese New Year.
During Lhabab Duchen the nuns offered Guru Padmasambhava Bumstok (100,000 tsog offerings to Padmasambhava). These pujas were dedicated to the good health of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, students of FPMT, the sponsors of the 100 million mani retreats, and all the kind donors of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.
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. 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.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The geshe of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery sent the following message to Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently:
“On Lama Tsongkhapa Day, the nuns started seven days of Amitabha Bumtsok here at nunnery. These pujas organized are dedicated to all sentient beings and particularly for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life and members of FPMT.”
Please rejoice in this offering to the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery and also in their amazing practice and dedication to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the students of FPMT.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, or about the 100 million mani retreats that the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery have offered in alignment with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being led into the long life puja offered by Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, November 23, 2014.
The dance of the five dakinis was offered in this elaborate long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s 25th anniversary celebrations culminated with a very extensive long life puja with the five dakini dance offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on November 23, 2014.
Follwing the puja, Rinpoche commented that he felt the students were sincerely praying for his long life and that there was a heart connection between him and the students.
Please rejoice in ABC’s 25 years of offering the Dharma and offering this beautiful and elaborate long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja offered to him at ABC, November 23, 2014.
You can enjoy more photos of this celebration and the auspicious long life puja on ABC’s and student Stephen Ching’s respective Facebook pages.
You can read more about this year’s other long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the Long Life Puja Fund’s News archive, and you can learn more about the various Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery offered the pujas which Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommended for the elimination and prevention of Ebola.
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche checked what pujas could be done to help control and prevent this serious outbreak of Ebola, and requested Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery to offer three recitations of the Prajñaparamita; three extensive Medicine Buddha pujas; and one Drolma Yuldro puja.
Rinpoche sponsored these pujas, the monastery and nunnery offered the tea, and the Sangha did not accept any offerings during the pujas – an extremely kind and precious gesture on their part. The pujas were done with strong prayers to prevent the spreading of the Ebola virus and for success in destroying the disease completely. Thanks to the Sangha at Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery for making these prayers for the benefit of the whole world.
The offering of these pujas are an example of how Rinpoche uses every opportunity to benefit the world wherever there is a need.
You can learn more about the beneficial monthly and yearly pujas offered at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche by keeping up with the Puja Fund News.
Daily Sutra of Golden Light recitations at Institut Vajra Yogini.
The students of Institut Vajra Yogini, France, have committed to engage in yet another one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. This is the third Vast Vision they are actively supporting. In addition to hosting yearly Nyung-Nä retreats and building a large studio so that large thangkas can be painted, they will now recite the Sutra of Golden Light every day as a group with each participants’ recitation counted toward the accumulation of recitations. They organize two sessions daily to complete the entire sutra: 12pm-1pm and also 6pm-7pm. Students are also encouraged to recite from a distance. In the first nine days of beginning this new commitment, 35 full recitations of the sutra were accumulated and about 80 different students have taken part.
Institut Vajra Yogini decided to take on this commitment once they heard Lama Zopa Rinpoche advise about the benefits of the Sutra of Golden Light.
The holy Golden Light Sutra is the king of the sutras. It is extremely powerful and fulfills all one’s wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment. It is also extremely powerful for world peace, for your own protection and for the protection of the country and the world. Also, it has great healing power for people in the country.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please rejoice in these recitations. Anyone can join in this accumulation of merit and support of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions by reciting this incredible sutra which you can download freely in several languages.
After five weeks of recitations, Institut Vajra Yogini’s students have accumulated 160 full recitations of the Sutra. Almost 200 people have taken part in these recitations! Please rejoice!
FPMT Education Services has created a resource page to help you learn more about and start reciting the Sutra of Golden Light. You can download the sutra in 12 languages, report completed recitations, share your experiences, and ask questions about the text itself.
The Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony, Spokin Lake, B.C., Canada. Photo courtesy of Gendun Drubpa Centre.
Dianne Noort from Gendun Drubpa Centre in Williams Lake in central British Columbia, Canada, sent Mandala some news about their stupa, their public programming, and their support of Tibetan refugees in the country:
Gendun Drubpa Centre is delighted to announce that the decorations on our Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony are completed! Thank you to all who assisted in hosting Gelek Sherpa, who painted the stupa, for one month. Visiting the stupa at the Spokin Lake location is now truly an inspirational experience.
Resident teacher Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi has begun teaching “Cultivating Emotional Balance” to a group of 24 students.
In November, we completed a weekend intensive seminar on “Awakening Compassion: Teachings on the Bodhisattva Vows.”
A new day-long silent retreat format has been well received and the next topic is the four immeasurables on December 6.
About 10 of our students, plus family members, drove in support of the Tibetan Resettlement Project in British Columbia to Vancouver to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Avalokiteshvara empowerment and teachings in October. At the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Canada’s Tibetan community, the Canadian government is facilitating the immigration of up to 1,000 Tibetans living in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, an impoverished and remote region of northern India that borders on Tibet. In this region, displaced and stateless Tibetans live with the threats of illness, deportation, and intensifying military tensions between China and India. This humanitarian program allows them the chance to start a new life and pursue their dreams in Canada. To assist those who are most in need, His Holiness himself directed that Tibetans from this region be chosen as candidates to come to Canada.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, September 2013. Photo by Andy Melnic.
From September 13-October 23, a successful CPMT meeting was held and followed by a retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. These events were jointly hosted by three Australian FPMT entities: The Great Stupa, Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery.
Following the moving long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which came after the CPMT meeting (there was also a second long life puja offered to Rinpoche following the retreat), Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered over $24,000 to The Great Stupa, Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery towards their incredible work.
Please rejoice in this kind offering towards these amazing beneficial activities happening in Australia.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or the Long Life Puja Fund, which funds annual long life pujas for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The Tashi Chime Gatsal nuns planting vegetables at the nunnery.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, continues to support the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery (also known as Bigu Nunnery) by sponsoring the 100 million mani retreats which the nuns continue to offer at least two times a year.
The Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery nuns cleaning around the existing and new hostel.
This includes funding for a geshe to teach the nuns lam-rim and there are also funds offered to help the little nunnery grow and improve.
The sponsorship of 100 million mani retreats is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization, something so precious to rejoice in as well as the nuns’ ongoing effort toward the advancement of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision.
During the 100 million mani retreats extensive dedications are made for the FPMT organization, all the centers, services and projects, benefactors, students, volunteers and all beings.
The improvements to the nunnery also helps to create a conducive environment in which the nuns can continue to live in and offer their practices.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s collective Vast Visions for the FPMT organization.
Offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles are made to the Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal every month on the full moon and also on Buddha Days when merit is multiplied 100 million times.
Below please enjoy some recent photos taken of these offerings.
All the three realm sentient beings, tormented by the hot, obscuring, disturbing thought.
By offering the umbrella of compassion and bodhichitta,
May the transmigratory beings be satisfied by bliss.
From the root of the virtue of making the umbrella offering,
May myself, the benefactors and disciples achieve the peerless great Dharma King.
—From the forthcoming “Amitabha Celebration Text” translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Offerings made to Boudhanath stupa, Nepal.
Saffron being prepared to be offered to the two great stupas.
Prayer flags and offering banners being offered to the two great stupas.
Saffron and white wash are offered to the two great stupas.
A new umbrella is offered monthly.
The material, personally chosen by Lama Zopa Rinpoche that is offered to the pinnacle of each stupa monthly.
You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund and its monthly and yearly activities, as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Ian Green thanking Rinpoche on behalf of the entire retreat and the three centers hosting, and requesting Rinpoche to continue the teachings.
At the conclusion of the recent retreat in Australia, inside the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, all of the participants and many others offered a beautiful and moving long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on October 23.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being led into the long life puja.
At the beginning of the puja Rinpoche was led into the stupa by a local aboriginal elder playing the didgeridoo and two geshes, Geshe Doga from Tara Institute, Melbourne and Geshe Wangchen from Dorje Chang Institute, New Zealand.
The entire stupa was filled with people and it was a very joyous occasion and ending to an incredible retreat.
Amitabha Buddha Center will be offering a long life puja to Rinpoche in Singapore later this month and at the end of the annual November course at Kopan Monastery a long life puja will be offered to Rinpoche in December.
The five dakini dance was offered to Rinpoche.
Please rejoice in all of these recent long life pujas offered and planned for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
To understand why a long life puja is essential, we must understand the value of the Guru. He is our guide in this life, the bardo, and future lives. He is immensely important. It is not a case where if we ask him to live he will, and vice-versa, but that to offer such a ceremony purifies our own broken samayas.
—Geshe Lama Konchog
You can learn more about the Long Life Puja Fund and offer your support to long life pujas for Lama Zopa Rinpoche as well as His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
15,650 Sangha participated in the pujas and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund on Lhabab Duchen.
Please rejoice at the amazing array of pujas and offerings sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund this year on Lhabab Duchen (November 13), one of the year’s holy Buddha Multiplying Days. Incredibly, over 15,650 Sangha participated in this activity.
You can read an entire list, as well as descriptions, of the pujas and offerings sponsored, but here are a few highlights of what was offered:
- Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions) offered by the 650 monks of Gyurme Tantric College.
- Druk Chu Ma (64 offerings to Kalarupa to eliminate obstacles), Namgyäl Tong Chö (One thousand sets of offerings to Buddha Namgyälma) and Zangcho (King of Prayers) offered by the 6,000 monks of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monastery.
- Offerings are made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
- Small money offerings made to 15,650 Sangha at the great monasteries of India and Nepal, as well as to Sangha at IMI international Sangha communities.
- Offerings made to holy objects: Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas, the Buddha inside Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple, and to the Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokang.
Anyone can be a part of these incredible offerings by rejoicing in, donating and remembering and mentally offering them.
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.
The foundation for a new prayer hall at Ngari Khangsten is complete.
Earlier this year we reported on a $US100,000 donation that was made by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, toward the building of a much-needed new prayer hall at Ngari Khangtsen, at Sera Je Monastery in south India.
We are pleased to report that the foundation is now finished. The project is employing a “small army” of local laborers who are working hard to build this wonderful new prayer hall.
There is not yet a projected date of completion as they have not yet acquired funds necessary to begin the next stage of construction. You are welcome to contribute directly to this next important phase of building.
This time of year, the monks of Ngari Khangtsen are pleased to have finished their annual exams. It was reported that the monks did very well this year.
Please rejoice in the completion of the foundation for this important project which will benefit so many monks studying Dharma so sincerely.
If you would like to learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and how you can contribute to the many worthy projects which it supports, or if you’d like to know more about other charitable activity within the FPMT organization, you can see a list of the FPMT Charitable Projects and their descriptions.