FPMT European Meeting at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy. Photo courtesy of ILTK.

On March 14, 2026, a deeply meaningful and joyful occasion unfolded at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Pomaia, Italy. The center hosted the FPMT European Regional Meeting and celebrated the blessing of the new Stupa of Enlightenment’s throne, dedicated to Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. New Associate Editor Fabiana Lotito was in attendance and shares the story. 

Morning:  FPMT European Regional Meeting

The weekend began in the gompa, where the Institute’s resident geshes warmly welcomed representatives from FPMT centers and monasteries across Europe. Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek invited everyone to begin the meeting by developing a pure motivation.

Geshe Tenzin Tenphel, in particular, recalled the importance of serving in a Dharma center or monastery as a continuous opportunity to practice the Dharma and benefit numberless sentient beings. In the course of daily work, disagreements may arise, but by working with one’s own mind, these difficulties can be diminished, and harmonious relationships can grow. With a positive mind, the quality of the work and the environment improve, benefiting the visitors and students who, feeling welcome, are happy to return.

Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek at the FPMT European Meeting at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy. Photo courtesy of ILTK.

Geshe Jampa Gelek then reminded participants of the profound responsibility that comes with serving within the FPMT. He emphasized that it is thanks to the tireless work of FPMT — founded by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche — that the Dharma has flourished in the Western world. Those serving today carry the responsibility of continuing this precious work: benefiting others through our centers, monasteries, and projects, especially at a time when the Dharma is so deeply needed, and supporting one another in this shared effort.

The meeting, facilitated by Steph Hill, European Regional Coordinator, and Lisette Reek, SPC at Maitreya Instituut, was attended in person by 30 representatives from 10 centers and monasteries across Europe, with an additional 7 participants joining online — plus Peeyush Agarwal, FPMT Executive Director; Ven. Roger Kunsang, Senior Advisor, and Paula de Wys, member of the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors, welcomed participants and shared very positive news for the entire FPMT community to rejoice in together.

Afternoon: Blessing the Throne of The New Stupa of Enlightenment

In the afternoon, a very special puja was offered in the courtyard of the Institute. The Yaksha ritual – males and females – to consecrate the throne and fill it with all the precious substances. The ceremony was led by Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek and held with the strong prayers of the Sangha, the Institute’s director Valerio Tallarico, trustees, volunteers, and the representatives from FPMT European Centers. Their collective presence made this occasion all the more meaningful and joyful — as the Institute’s director highlighted in his speech.

Blessing of the throne of the new Stupa of Enlightenment, dedicated to Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy. Photo by Fabiana Lotito. 

The entire community came together around the stupa dedicated to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return, placed in his most beloved spot — directly in front of Lama Yeshe’s Stupa — where he would usually circumambulate during his visits to the Institute.

As the geshes began the puja, a strong wind arose, sweeping through the grounds and giving many present the profound sense that Rinpoche himself was near — surrounding and supporting the wider FPMT family in this auspicious moment.

During the puja, Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek filled the throne with precious substances: holy relics, cereals, sacred images, dried flowers, medicinal herbs, incense, crystals, precious stones, relics of holy beings, coins, and much more — all lovingly gathered by the communities of the Institute and the other FPMT European Centers. These precious substances increase the merit generated through the building of the stupa, multiplied by the countless molecules that form this holy monument.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Immeasurable Benefits of Stupas

Wherever a stupa is built will become a powerful place for healing and a cause for the success of whatever visitors to that place are seeking. —Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche often highlighted the unbelievable benefits of the stupa. He taught that the main purpose of building stupas is to make the lives of all beings, young and old, meaningful. In the book, Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, he explains: “Every day, when sentient beings see stupas and statues, this plants the seed of enlightenment…. It purifies their negative karma … It is so unbelievably powerful!” [Read more: Even Dreaming of a Stupa Plants the Seed of Enlightenment].

The Journey So Far

This sacred project began in 2025, when a representative group of the Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa received the blessing for the stupa directly from His Holiness the Dalai Lama during a visit to Dharamsala. His Holiness also offered holy relics for the stupa. Shortly thereafter, in November 2025, at the Institute, the work started with Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek offering Sa Chog rituals to require the permission to build the stupa, consecrate the land and remove any obstacles.

Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek with Stupa Onlus’ Volunteers Sherab and Rinchen, filling the stupa’s throne at ILTK.

The construction began with excavation, and since then, the dedication of the community has been extraordinary: volunteers have rolled tens of thousands of mantras and carefully prepared the fillings for nine treasure vases; monks from Nalanda Monastery in France have offered tsa-tsa statues for placement within the stupa; and the volunteers of Stupa Onlus have constructed the initial platform, which symbolizes the ten virtues of body, speech, and mind.

The project, overseen by Geshe Tenzin Tenphel and Geshe Jampa Gelek, has been managed by Stupa Onlus, which built the first stupa at the Institute of Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1985–1986 and has now built 8,250 new stupas and restored 73 in Ladakh.

Looking Ahead

Each step in the construction of the stupa is a powerful practice, generating merit and purifying karma for all involved. Auspicious milestones continue on June 5, with the consecration of the steps of the stupa and on July 29, with the consecration of the vases. The community is working with great joy and dedication toward a deeply meaningful completion date: December 3, 2026 — Lama Tsongkhapa Day, the 50th anniversary of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s 80th birthday. On that most auspicious day, the full consecration of the stupa will take place.

A Renewed Commitment

Inspired by a unique weekend of prayers, shared experiences between centers, and the energy of the stupa, representatives from across Europe concluded the regional meeting strengthened in their shared purpose — to preserve what has been so preciously created by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Together, they renewed their commitment to continually benefit others through the FPMT European centers, finding new ways to make the Dharma accessible in our contemporary world so that more and more people may study, develop wisdom, and cultivate compassion. A responsibility that, in these turbulent times, feels more important than ever.

Written by FPMT International Office Associate Editor Fabiana Lotito. We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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