New Padmasambhava statue at Nagarjuna Madrid, Spain, which received a Merit Box grant for the statue project in 2022. Photo courtesy of Nagarjuna Madrid.

The International Merit Box Project began in 2001 as a generosity practice for the international FPMT community. For many years, students and centers kept Merit Boxes close by so they could gradually make offerings throughout the year, before sending them in as offerings to help support the  mission of the FPMT organization. These offerings become grants awarded annually through International Office for a wide range of projects within the FPMT mandala and beyond. We rejoice in the latest cycle of Merit Box grants awarded in 2023 and reports of completed projects from 2022 grants below:

Although we are now in a digital age and no longer distributing new physical Merit Boxes for student use, the Merit Box Project continues to receive generous support from FPMT students and communities around the world.

To date, an amazing US$1,239,580 in funding has been distributed through 354 Merit Box Project grants. This year marked the 21st annual grant cycle, with US$22,800 in funds going out to twelve Dharma projects. Support was awarded for center repairs and improvements, staffing support, relocating a stupa due to local zoning conflicts, the first Italian translation of Lama Yeshe’s Becoming Vajrasattva, and others. We invite you to see the full list of 2023 grant recipients for rejoicing!

Progress on 2022 Merit Box Grant Recipients

We recently received progress reports from last year’s Merit Box grant recipients. In 2022, there were twenty-eight grants awarded, totaling US$61,875 in support. Some project highlights include:

Tushita Meditation Center in Spain completed a dramatic transformation of a building into a beautiful new Dharma center and gompa, thanks to a lot of generous volunteer help and funding from a number of sources, including a 2022 Merit Box grant. Another Spanish center, Nagarjuna Alicante, completed much needed repairs to their building with partial support from a Merit Box grant.

The transformation of the new Tushita Meditation Center, Spain. Photos courtesy of Tushita Meditation Center.

Chandrakirti Center in Australia is working to complete one of the first large prayer wheels in the world to be utilizing a new zinc polyester foil microfilm technique, which dramatically increases the potential to have trillions of mantras included inside the prayer wheels. The technology was pioneered by FPMT sangha member Ven. Tenzin Drachom of Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore. With some support from a Merit Box grant in addition to other funding, Chandrakirti center was able to obtain all of the needed microfilm, bearing trillions of printed mantras, and is nearing completion of the large prayer wheel now.

Left: the microfilm that holds trillions of mantras for the large prayer wheel. Right: the prayer wheel house and base. Photos courtesy of Chandrakirti Centre.

Nagarjuna Center in Madrid, Spain was able to raise the funds needed for a large Padmasambhava statue that was recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The statue has arrived at the center and will be filled. Another holy object-related grant in 2022 helped fund a new altar at Nalanda Monastery that now displays a striking collection of Sixteen Arhats statues.

Three centers received Merit Box grants last year for the purpose of supporting retreats. Kalachakra Retreat Center in France received aid to complete new retreat cabins, which are now fully built and have already been used by practitioners. A grant contributing to the retreat scholarship fund established at Milarepa Center, US, helped several students in need to be able to attend retreats at the center. Land of Calm Abiding, US, a center supporting long-term and private retreat, received funds to purchase vital propane for heat.

One of the new retreat cabins at Kalackhakra Retreat Center, France, which received a Merit Box grant in 2022. Photo courtesy of Kalachakra Retreat Center.

Some publication projects receiving grants last year reached their goals, including one by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, US, which published a new text of Lama Yeshe earlier this year, titled Knowledge-Wisdom: The Peaceful Path to Liberation – Collected Teachings, Volume 1. The FPMT-affiliated publishing service, Editiones Mahayana in France, published their translation of the classic lamrim text Essence of Nectar by Lama Yeshe Tsundru. Other publication projects continue to progress, including Tara Lanka Study Group sponsoring a translation of the Pearl Garland anthology, which will be the first lamrim texts to be published in Sinhalese and distributed in Sri Lanka. Shiwa Lha Center in Brazil is continuing to oversee a Portuguese translation of Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand by Pabongkha Rinpoche, which is in progress.

Repaying the Kindness (RTK), a unique social service project created by students of Jamyang Buddhist Center, London, has been offering local caregivers a free community program for respite, fun, connection and support. Caregivers are often under-supported in the compassionate work they do, and for many years now the RTK project has been bringing caregivers together for community activities, and have received a number of Merit Box grants.

Participants of the Repaying the Kindness program organized by Jamyang Center, London. Photo courtesy of Repaying the Kindness.

Collection of Merit Box offerings has begun for the next cycle of grants to be issued in May/June of 2024. We invite you to rejoice in the immense generosity received from thousands of students around the world, as well as all of the compassionate hard work of those who have helped bring hundreds of wonderful Dharma projects to fruition since 2001!

The International Merit Box Project is a charitable project of FPMT International Office. You can learn more about the Merit Box Project or offer support for future grants, or explore our many other FPMT Charitable Projects.