Ven. Lekdron with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who granted His blessings for the documentary film project, Five Prominent Historical Mahayana Buddhist Sites in Sri Lanka, Dharamsala, December 2024. 

In 2025, the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund continued its mission to safeguard and share the profound teachings of the Mahayana tradition by awarding a total of US$13,300 in grants. These contributions supported a diverse range of projects – from translation and publication efforts to teacher development and multimedia initiatives – each aligned with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision of making the Dharma accessible, inclusive, and transformative across cultures and generations.

Documentary in Sri Lanka |  The Six Perfections in Italy |  Dharma Teachers |  Revival in Bengal | Thank you

Preserving Mahayana Buddhist Heritage in Sri Lanka

In 2025, the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund contributed US$7,000 to support a landmark initiative led by Ven. Tenzin Lekdron and the Tara Lanka FPMT Study Group, dedicated to preserving and illuminating Sri Lanka’s rich Mahayana Buddhist heritage through the production of a documentary film. This grant funded the pre-production phase of “Five Prominent Historical Mahayana Buddhist Sites in Sri Lanka,” laying the groundwork for a full-scale exploration of Mahayana Buddhism’s presence and influence on the island.

Although widely recognized as a Theravada country, Sri Lanka also nurtured vibrant Mahayana traditions, particularly during the Anuradhapura period (377 BCE to 1017 CE). The documentary seeks to uncover this underappreciated history, bringing together archaeological evidence, and cultural research. Through interviews with scholars, historians, and practitioners, the film will highlight the depth and diversity of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage, offering a broader and more unified view of Buddhist traditions.

The project’s early milestones have already demonstrated its significance. In October 2024, a Medicine Buddha Puja at Mahiyangana Temple drew over 2,000 participants, followed in December by His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessing the Medicine Buddha statue and the project itself.

Buddhas on Rocks, one of the sites featured in the documentary.

Pre-production activities have focused on extensive research, site access permissions, and collaboration with Sri Lankan ministries and cultural institutions, along with engagement of local AV teams and international documentary producers. These efforts ensure that the forthcoming film will be both historically rigorous and culturally sensitive. Featured sites include Rajagala Stupa in Ampara, where unaltered stupas reveal Mahayana architectural principles from the Manjusri Bhasita Vastuvidya Sastra (ancient Buddhist architectural manual); Buduruwagala, home to extraordinary rock carvings of Mahayana deities such as Vajrapani and Manjushri; and Mahiyangana Temple, a site visited by the Buddha and now witnessing a revival of Mahayana practice.

The project has received strong endorsements, including from Senior Venerable Phuoc Tan Thich, Abbot of Quang Minh Temple in Vietnam, who praised its potential to foster healing and unity across traditions while recognizing Ven. Lekdron’s leadership and vision.

Looking ahead, the completed documentary will be screened globally at FPMT centers and broadcast on public television in Sri Lanka and Australia. It is expected to encourage pilgrimages and retreats to the featured sites, support scholarly symposiums between Mahayana and Theravada communities, and contribute to the publication of previously overlooked Mahayana texts.

Bringing the Six Perfections to Italy

The Six Perfections cover.

In 2025, the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund proudly supported a meaningful initiative in Europe: the Italian translation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s profound work, The Six Perfections, with a grant of US$1,500. This project, led by Nalanda Edizioni, is more than a publishing effort – it’s a cultural bridge, a spiritual offering, and a legacy in motion.

Tibetan Buddhism, while growing in popularity, remains underrepresented in Italy. Nalanda Edizioni has long served as a vital conduit for making authentic Dharma teachings accessible to Italian-speaking practitioners – both those affiliated with FPMT centers and independent students seeking spiritual depth.

This year’s focus on The Six Perfections is especially timely. As Ven. Sangye Khadro beautifully put it, the book is: “a jewel… full of practical advice on how we can start working on these six precious practices, even if we are not yet bodhisattvas.” The translation will offer Italian readers a clear, compassionate guide to cultivating generosity, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration, and wisdom – core pillars of the Mahayana path.

The grant from FPMT covers the translation phase, ensuring the text’s spiritual and linguistic integrity. All other phases – editing, typesetting, printing, and distribution – are being self-funded by Nalanda Edizioni or supported through a crowdfunding campaign, a model that has proven successful in their past projects.

With many Italian FPMT centers and growing interest from other Buddhist institutions, Nalanda Edizioni is well-positioned to distribute the translated text widely. Their e-commerce platform and active digital presence (including newsletters and social media) ensure that even those in remote areas can access these teachings.

The project also strengthens the broader mission of FPMT: to preserve and spread the Mahayana tradition. By making Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings available in Italian, this initiative nurtures a new generation of practitioners and honors the enduring legacy of our beloved teacher.

Empowering Dharma Teachers

Ven. Lozang Yönten from Maitripa College.

In July 2025, Maitripa College has hosted the Teacher Development and Support Seminar (TDSS), a transformative gathering for Dharma educators made possible by a US$3,000 grant from the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund. Designed to uplift the next generation of Buddhist teachers, the seminar will combine traditional Dharma transmission with modern pedagogical tools, digital literacy, and cultural sensitivity, ensuring that teachers are equipped to meet the needs of today’s diverse and global community.

Led by Ven. Lozang Yönten and Namdrol Adams, Ed.D., and shaped through consultation with experienced educators such as Don Handrick, Ven. Connie Miller, and Andy Wistreich, the seminar will address the challenges Dharma teachers face in balancing tradition with innovation.

The FPMT grant helped to remove financial barriers for participants, making it possible for dedicated Sangha and lay teachers ( many of whom serve as volunteers) to attend.

Reviving Mahayana Wisdom in Bengal

In 2024, the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund supported the Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Visva-Bharati University in their mission to revive Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal. Led by the late Professor Sanjib Kumar Das, the team translated foundational Mahayana texts into Bengali, including the Prajñādaṇḍa, Jñānasārasamuccaya, and Dharmadharmatāvibhaṅga, as well as Ārya-prajñāpāramitā-vajrapāṇi-mahāyāna-sūtra, Ārya-prajñāpāramitā-vajraketu-mahāyāna-sūtra, and Nagarjuna’s Yuktiṣaṣṭikākārikā. These efforts helped reconnect Bengali-speaking practitioners with their rich Buddhist heritage and laid the groundwork for future scholarship.

The team of Bengali translators at Visva-Bharati University. With the late Professor Sanjib Kumar Das (second from the left)

This year, the department continues its vital work with a new translation project: Ācārya Aśvaghoṣa’s Vajrasūcī, a powerful text that challenges caste-based hierarchies and affirms the universal potential for spiritual awakening. The project is led by Dr. Debajit Chatterjee and Dr. Norbu Gyaltsen Negi, who aim to translate the Tibetan version of the Vajrasūcī into Bengali for the first time.

The Vajrasūcī, a blend of poetry and prose, contains 53 verses and commentary that refute the concept of Brāhmaṇa as a birth-based spiritual elite. Its message is especially relevant in today’s context, offering a timeless reminder of the Buddha’s radical inclusivity and compassion. Despite its significance, the Vajrasūcī has never been translated into Bengali.

The project has received US$1,800 from the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund to support the translation and publication process.

Thank you!

These projects supported in 2025 reflect FPMT’s commitment to preserving the Mahayana tradition and expanding its reach in meaningful ways. From reviving ancient texts in Bengali and Italian, to empowering Dharma teachers, each initiative contributes to a vibrant and compassionate future for Buddhist learning and practice.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all scholars, educators, translators, and practitioners whose dedication continues to bring the Dharma to life for communities around the world!

To support or learn more about the Education and Preservation Fund, and all of our FPMT Charitable Projects that are working to build a more compassionate world.