Foundation Service Seminar participants, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.

The Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) is the “FPMT immersion retreat.” It provides essential information and nourishment for all serving, or wishing to serve, in the FPMT organization. The FSS retreat is key to deeply understanding the FPMT organization and the attitude we seek to cultivate as we offer service in the organization. This experiential retreat helps us to actualize the advice that service is practice and to enjoy and rejoice when offering service. Tara Institute student Kathryn Gomersal, who participated in the recent FSS at Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, shared the following about the retreat:

Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, hosted Australia’s first FPMT Foundation Services Seminar on May 18–22, 2022. Thirty-two people attended from many Australian FPMT centers, including Atisha Centre (Bendigo), Vajrayana Institute (Sydney), and Langri Tangpa Centre (Brisbane), among others. François Lecointre facilitated the five-day seminar that focused on building and strengthening our Dharma community, based on the story of the Four Harmonious Friends and on the Four Means for Drawing Sentient Beings. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the broader mission and work of the international FPMT movement and to place their own work within the context of this global community.

The retreat was an excellent opportunity for practitioners across Australia who wish to offer service within the FPMT organization. We came together, shared in the vision of FPMT founders Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and built relationships that will support the preservation and growth of Dharma practice in this country.

François Lecointre facilitating the Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.

“This seminar provided a timely opportunity for participants to reconnect with the wider FPMT family,” said François. “It was a real joy to observe the incredible richness of interactions and exchanges. Many thanks to Dave Andrews for his perseverance in organizing the seminar despite the difficult health situation and to his wife, Allys, who was supposed to co-facilitate, but had to step down at the last minute as she and Dave both tested positive for COVID. Without them, this FSS would not have happened.”

The five-day retreat has inspired us all to work together to make our centers warm and welcoming places for members, and the public more generally, who come looking for peace of mind or to learn about Buddhist spirituality. It is our wish that the skills we learned at the retreat will provide a strong foundation upon which the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche will flourish in Australia.          

Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.

In recognition of the community building spirit upon which the FSS was designed, I want to share quotes about the FSS from my fellow participants:  

“It was a very meaningful discussion about the past, present, and future of FPMT.”—Ven. Tenzin Lekdron

“I found the FSS really inspiring, and it energized me. I found learning about the structure of the FPMT helpful. I loved meeting new friends from around Australia and have made plans to visit Chenrezig and Langri Tangpa soon.”—Kate Danford-Storey

“Tara Institute looked after us very well, especially Ven. Tsering’s kind, hearty lunches. I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know new people and reconnect with others. The presentation and small group exercises helped me to gain a clearer sense of our national FPMT arm that links to the international foundation. I felt revitalized by the shared experience—happy for our strengths and commitment. The FSS presentation emphasized the natural evolution of our organization, through our kind lamas’ guidance and the efforts of students over the decades. François was a good example of the harmonious methods taught in FSS, encouraging openness and addressing needs as they arose. FPMT is a precious jewel in the world and will be what we make of it through our efforts together. How fortunate we are to have so many people with a broad range of skills and dedication, and common aim of universal wellbeing.” —Ven. Tenzin Tsapel

“FSS proved to be a more powerful immersion retreat than I honestly expected. Challenging, evocative, informative, compelling. Beyond this, it is a genuine vehicle to drive knowledge and harmony within the wider FPMT community, all with wisdom and compassion. How wonderful.”—Deb Stokes

“An incredible opportunity to be with members of the broader FPMT family. The FPMT educational programs are excellent. They are a graded path to take students from a raw introduction to the highest levels of Buddhist philosophy. We are part of the FPMT Family. This family has as its head His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There is then the inspiration and leadership from Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which then flows to our resident teachers at the centers. This should give us all a sense of security and faith that what we are doing is the true Buddhadharma in an unbroken tradition from the Buddha himself.”—Alan Molloy

Foundation Service Seminar, Tara Institute, Melbourne, Australia, May 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute.

For more information on the Foundation Service Seminar and to find out how to register for future events, visit FPMT Service Seminars. 

You can learn more about Tara Institute in Melbourne by visiting their website:
https://www.tarainstitute.org.au/

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation, and community service.