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Puja being offered at Kopan Monastery, April, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab
Chokhor Duchen (commemorating Shakyamuni Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma) occurs on July 21, 2023. Based on the wishes and advice of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, on that day, we are making a monetary offering to over ten thousand sangha, while they are engaged in offering pujas and prayers for the entire FPMT organization.
The pujas we have arranged on Chokhor Duchen are:
- Recitation of the Kangyur (108 volumes of the sutras taught by Shakyamuni Buddha) by Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery.
- Recitation of the Prajnaparamita Sutra by Gyudmed Tantric College.
As Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained:
Even memorizing four lines of the teachings of the perfection of wisdom has unbelievable, mind-blowing benefits. The Buddha explained that the benefits are equal to the number of worlds equaling the number of sand grains of the river Ganges. Just memorizing four lines – one stanza – of the teachings on the perfection of wisdom collects far greater merit than if you were to fill that many worlds with precious jewels, gold, diamonds, and silver and make offerings of these to the Buddha. Even though the offering is unbelievably mind-blowing, extensive, it is very small if you compare it to the benefits of memorizing just four lines of the teachings on the perfection of wisdom.
The Buddha said, “Wherever this Prajnaparamita teaching is, I am there.” The Buddha said to Kunga (Ananda) one should not degenerate or allow even a little bit of the teaching of the Prajnaparamita to be destroyed. The Buddha asked Kunga to look after and protect the teachings of the Prajnaparamita. Sponsoring the recitation of the Prajnaparamita is also a service to the teachings of the Buddha – to preserve and spread them. It is a very important service to the Buddha – this is what Buddha cherished so much, the teachings on the Prajnaparamita.
Monks offering puja at Sera Lachi Monastery.
In addition to these two incredible sutra recitations there will be:
- One Thousand Offerings to Namgyalma and Sixty-Four Offerings to Kalarupa by Sera Lachi Monastery and Gyuto Tantric College
- Medicine Buddha puja and Sixty-Four Offerings to Kalarupa by Gaden Lachi Monastery
- Namgyalma long life ritual and Sixty-Four Offerings to Kalarupa by Drepung Lachi Monastery
- Offerings will be made to the ten thousand sangha who are undertaking these pujas, to all the IMI sangha communities, and to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
- The stupas of Boudhanath and Swambyunath in Nepal will be freshly painted, and the umbrellas at the pinnacle of each stupa will be replaced with the best quality cloth.
- A new set of robes will be offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya.
- Sangha will also be printing various sutras, making stupas and Buddha tsa-tsas, and liberating animals.
All these practices are dedicated to the swift return of our most precious Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for the success of the whole FPMT organization, and to all the kind donors.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this advice during a FPMT Board Meeting in September 1990:
There is nothing compared to making offerings to the sangha in these monasteries, because all these sangha are disciples of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other gurus. Offering tea to one disciple is better than making offering to all the Buddhas.
“Since these pujas are to be performed for as long as the monasteries exist, somebody can, if they want to participate, put in one dollar in the fund. The fund is then used to benefit all the monasteries and nunneries engaged in the pujas, including Kopan Monastery and Nunnery. I thought that setting up these things might help to create good karma for success.
Thank you to all who make this possible and especially the Sangha who undertake these prayers and practices on behalf of us all. To join in the offerings taking place on July 21.
“The merit that is created from all these pujas is also your merit. So, you can dedicate all these merits to having realizations and to achieve enlightenment.” —Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The Puja Fund was established by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to provide resources for continuous pujas dedicated to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the success of all the FPMT centers, projects, services, students, benefactors and those serving the organization in any way. You can learn more about the Puja Fund, or FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.