Projects

January 2013:The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and the Stupa Fund recently donated US$10,000 toward the completion of Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel’s second stupa being built at Kopan Monastery. Donations such as this contribute directly to the Stupa Fund’s mission of building 100,000 large stupas around the world.

The stupa will be consecrated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche May 3, 2013.

 
From the Sutra Essence of Earth:

While there are the three rare sublime ones
Fulfilling the hopes without any effort
Like the unimaginable wish-granting tree and wish-granting jewel;
[But] believing the method to achieve happiness is something else

All the activities one attempts become only negative karma
And this precious human rebirth with qualified freedoms and richnesses,
Which is rarer than a wish-granting jewel, becomes meaningless and empty;
It becomes only a cause of harm;
This is more foolish than an animal.

Friend, by realizing this body, this life is like a water bubble
And material enjoyments like the dew on the tip of the grass
Attempt the white (virtuous) actions, offer to the three rare sublime ones (Buddha Dharma, Sangha)
And take the essence from this essenceless body and possessions.

Due to this merit may I and each and every sentient being respect
And make offerings to the three rare sublime ones;
By the happiness of the joyful occasion of listening, reflecting, meditating and practicing
May all the transmigratory beings’ wishes be completely fulfilled.

Colophon: Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche regarding having many holy objects. Scribe Ven. Holly Ansett, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, USA, November 2003. Lightly edited by Ven. Thubten Labdron, May 2004.

First day of Nyung-Nä Retreat at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.March 2013: In November, 2012 we reported that Lama Zopa Rinpoche was sponsoring students to do 108 Nyung Nä retreats at Institut Vajra Yogini, France, from November 18, 2012 to June 20, 2013. We are happy to provide you with an update on this retreat!

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhicitta Fund has just offered 4,800 EUR toward the first half of the retreat. The students are now halfway through the 108 Nyung Näs. Nine students registered at various points but several canceled due to various reasons.

Nyung-Nä thangka painted by Peter Iseli. There are now five students completing this retreat and others continue joining the retreatants for one Nyung Nä or more, sometime even for only one session.

Four people did 16 Nyung Näs including Madeleine Maso who is 90 years old.

Five other people did 8 Nyung Näs and about 50 others did one or more Nyung Näs.

In short: 65 participants in total have participated in one or more Nyung-Näs and almost 500 individual Nyung Näs have been accumulated since mid-November!

Please rejoice in the merit created and because this contributes to one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for the entire organization!

You can read about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice regarding the incredible power of doing Nyung-näs on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s Online Advice Book.

The Tashi Lhunpo Health Care CenterFebruary 2013: The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and the Tibetan Health Services Fund donated US$5,677 (300,000 irs) towards the Tashi Lhunpo Health Care Center. The Tashi Lhunpo Health Care Center is extremely important in providing quality health care since 1992 to the monks of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and local Tibetans and Indians in the area.

 Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very inspired by their work and wanted to make this donation.

We just received this kind message from Tashi Lhunpo Health Care Center regarding how the donation is being used:

 “First of all we would like to convey our heartfelt greetings and gratitude for your kind support. Because of your financial support we were able to buy sufficient medicine, and also hepatitis syringes which are very expensive.”

Young monks waiting in line at the health care center.	Doctor giving check-up to the oldest monk, 105 year old Kachen Laktho, tantric teacher of the monastery.
Allopathy doctor giving check-up to monk patient.

The roof of Kopan Hostel being repaired. February 2012: The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund donated US$22,709 toward a much needed new roof for Kopan Hostel under Tsawa Khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery, India. Kopan Hostel is where all the monks of Kopan Monastery stay when they are studying in Sera Je Monastery.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan House, offering light.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with all of the monks at Kopan House, December 2012.

Rejoice! The 3,000 monks of Sera Je Monastery are offering 9 days of prayers and pujas dedicated to all our kind and generous benefactors.

We have just received this letter from the Abbott of Sera Je Monastery thanking Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT and all the benefactors of the Sera Je Food Fund project.

Due to the kind and generous support of so many, FPMT has been able to offer food to all the Sangha at Sera Je Monastery now for the past 22 years. THANK YOU.

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

A long life puja was offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery on December 29, 2012. Mandala Publications reported on this puja.

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund sponsors the electricity for lotus light offerings to all the holy objects on the altar at Idgaa Choizinling College in Mongolia. The lights are offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Light Offering Prayer

Composed by Lama Atisha

May the light of the lamp be equal to the great three thousand
worlds and their environments,
May the wick of the lamp be equal to the king of mountains –
Mount Meru.
May the butter be equal to the infinite ocean.
May there be billions of trillions of lamps in the presence of each
and every buddha.
May the light illuminate the darkness of ignorance of all sentient
beings
From the peak of samsara down to the most torturous hell,
Whereby they can see directly and clearly all the ten directions’
Buddhas and bodhisattvas and their pure lands.
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM
E MA HO
I offer these beautifully exalted clear and luminous lights
To the thousand buddhas of the fortunate eon,
To all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the infinite pure lands and
of the ten directions,
To all the gurus, meditation deities, dakas, dakinis, dharma protectors,
and the assembly of deities of all mandalas.

From “Extensive Offering Practice,” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Available through the FPMT Foundation Store.

“Building stupas helps develop so much peace and happiness for numberless sentient beings. 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

Please rejoice in the recently completed Enlightenment Stupa at Detong Ling, Kangaroo Island, Australia. The Stupa Fund contributed toward the building of this beautiful stupa.

In 2012 the Animal Liberation Fund liberated over 33,000 lives!

Sangha living at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s residence performed three animal liberation practices every month, with extensive prayers and dedication to all who are sick or need prayers.

Please rejoice as the Animal Liberation Fund has now liberated well over 2,183,100 animals of varying sizes!

Please read this touching short story about Lama Zopa Rinpoche carrying 400 of his “fathers and mothers” on his back, as seen in the photo on the left.

Sera Je Monastery monks are pictured here performing pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund and dedicated to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the success of all FPMT centers, projects, services, students, benefactors and those serving the organization in any way.

Each month, pujas are performed by as many as 9,000 Sangha. The enormous number of Sangha engaged in these practices is an extremely powerful means to overcome obstacles and create merit for the entire organization. 

Ven. Roger Kunsang, FPMT’s CEO, recently commented, “It is really quite an inspiring list [of pujas offered] and thousands of monks are involved. They are all disciples of the one Guru so the merit is vast. You can’t get enough zero’s on the biggest calculator [to show how much merit]!”

January 2013: Ven. Roger Kunsang and Frances Howland met with Dr. Ruit to discuss FPMT’s Tibet Heath Services Project and its ongoing aims, as well as reviewing the Amdo Eye Hospital and future plans for possible eye camps.

Due to the situation in the area we are not able to arrange a big scale eye camp at this time, but within a year we hope to be able to arrange this with Dr. Ruit. These eye camps provide up to 500-700 surgeries. The cost to arrange an eye camp of this scale is US$40,000 and we are currently raising funds for this.

In the meantime, the Amdo Eye Hospital is still able to do smaller scale remote eye camps where up to 30-35 eye surgeries are performed every three or four months.

In 2012 the Amdo Eye Hospital was able to perform over 578  eye surgeries and it is envisioned that 2013 will bring much more.

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund was very happy to support the Geluk International Foundation which is establishing an office at Ganden Monastery, Tibet, as well as accommodation for Ganden Tripa by donating $4,518 for two computers and office equipment and furniture.

Please read a letter of thanks from the President of the Geluk International Foundation.