The News Roundup is a digest of short community highlights from FPMT centers and individuals around the world, as part of our ongoing effort to nourish the “family feeling” and bring back the “News Around the World”  and “News in Brief” sections previously featured in the print Mandala magazine that so many of us have missed! This list of stories is not exhaustive, —just a sample of all the great activities happening in the FPMT family worldwide. 

We hope that reading these highlights will inspire you to rejoice in the family feeling and good works happening in our global FPMT community!  If you would like to share photos or details from your center, we would be happy to include them in the upcoming edition.

Holy Objects  | Prayers & Practices | Teaching Tours & Visits | Dialogue & Discussion | Compassion in Action| International

Holy Objects

Land of Medicine Buddha, 2026, Medicine Buddha Festival. Photo Courtesy of LMB Facebook Page

(USA) Land of Medicine Buddha, on June 27, displayed the 24-foot (7.3 meters) Medicine Buddhas thangka and the Eight Great Bodhisattva thangkas during their ‘Medicine Buddha Festival’. Festivals with large thangkas are a cultural tradition in the Himalayan regions of Tibet and Nepal. On special occasions, these large thangkas are displayed for veneration and for attendees to receive blessings. Lama Zopa Rinpoche brought this custom to the FPMT centers as one of his Vast Visions. We rejoice with all who helped bring it to life!

Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Center, working at the steps of the Prayer Wheel. 2026, Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Facebook page.

(Malaysia) Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Center is continuing to make wonderful progress on its massive prayer wheel project. Having completed the rotation base—the first sacred milestone—in May (read more in the previous news roundup edition), the community is now building the steps. The prayer wheel project started in 2018, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche once noted that the diameter of the prayer wheel is the width of twelve children’s hands joined in a circle—a measurement that teachers and children together calculated at approximately five meters, which proved to be exactly the width of the delivery truck. The construction has been challenging, but sustained by perseverance and blessing, the community is moving steadily forward. We rejoice in this dedicated effort for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The large printed thangka at Nalanda Monastery, 2026. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Center Facebook page.

(France) Generous sponsors from Amitabha Buddhist Center (ABC) in Singapore, have offered a large printed thangka of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s statue in Bodhgaya measuring 10.3 × 15.7 feet (3.15 × 4.80 meters), to Nalanda Monastery. The thangka will be presented in the monastery on auspicious days, offering the community an opportunity to purify the mind and accumulate merit. It will be displayed publicly for the first time during the Great Monlam in Paris on the occasion of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s ninety-first birthday, July 6–8, 2026. The same printed thangka of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has been donated by ABC to FPMT Nagarjuna Alicante, Spain and a slightly smaller version, measuring  12.4 feet (3.78 meters), was donated to Chenrezig Institute, Australia, last month. We are deeply grateful for this generosity and rejoice in the merits accumulated.

(Romania) The Garden of Maitreya, in collaboration with Nalanda Monastery, began building a stupa in Bucharest in May (read more in the previous news roundup edition) and on June 14, held the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the stupa, a puja led by Geshe Sherab. During his time in Romania, Geshe Sherab also visited the FPMT White Mahakala Study Group for a weekend of teachings. We rejoice in this new auspicious beginning. 

Prayers & Practices

 (Malaysia) Losang Dragpa Center celebrated, Zamling Chisang (World Incense Puja Day) on June 29, a significant Tibetan Buddhist festival observed on the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar. Regarded as an auspicious occasion for purification and the accumulation of merits, the day traditionally sees practitioners make their way to hilltops and mountain peaks to offer incense and raise prayer flags. The festival also commemorates Guru Rinpoche’s subjugation of local deities and the establishment of Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.

Chenrezig Institute practitioners who successfully completed all eight sets of Nyung Nä, on June 2, 2026. Photo Courtesy of CI Facebook Page.

(Australia) We rejoice with Chenrezig Institute practitioners who successfully completed all eight sets of Nyung Nä, on June 2,  led by Venerable Ailsa. Their dedication, perseverance, and sincere practice throughout the retreat series are truly inspiring. 

(Sweden)  Yeshin Norbu Center’s practitioners, following the precious visit of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, — during which he bestowed the Vajrasattva jenang,— gathered on June 12–17 for a six-day Vajrasattva retreat. The retreat unfolded in an atmosphere of sincerity, quiet effort, and mutual support, with a shared wish to purify obscurations and create the causes for transformation. Each morning began with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s practice How to Make My Lives Wish-Fulfilling, setting a heartfelt motivation for the day, followed by prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas. Throughout the day, sessions of Vajrasattva practice alternated with calm abiding (shamatha) meditation, a rhythm that allowed both purification and the settling of the mind to develop side by side. 

Langri Tangpa Center Participants of their first Yamantaka self-initiation in 30 years – an auspicious start to a new era! Photo Credits of LTC Facebook page.

(Australia) Langri Tangpa Center on June 14 held their first ceremonial of Yamantaka self-initiation since 1997,—a meaningful milestone! The six hour ceremony was led by Venerable Tsewang, and was attended by fourteen practitioners, and took several hours to prepare and dismantle. May their practice continue to flourish!

Teaching Tours and Visits

(Europe) In June, Nalanda Monastery and Vajrayogini Institut, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa welcomed the final dates of the European tour of His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, which began in April.

His Eminence Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, began his European tour in May, with teachings at Centro Muni Gyana, in Sicily on June 6-9, followed by Vajrayogini Institut in France on July 2-4. The full schedule is available on Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche’s website.

We deeply rejoice in the kindness of all the involved in these extensive Dharma tours and the careful preparation they require. We look forward to sharing stories from these visits in the coming months.

USA) We rejoice with the Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center (Gyalwa Gyatso) for their new center space. On June 14, the community was deeply honored to welcome Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, one of the last generations of Tibetan Buddhist scholars to begin their educational careers in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. He played an instrumental role in the reestablishment and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist and spread it to the Western world. Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa for the occasion led the Cittamani Tara Puja and blessed the new center space, with powerful practices that are designed to clear obstacles, cultivate success, and bring prosperity to the new location and broader community. Congratulations!  

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa at Ocean of Compassion Buddhist

Also continuing in Europe is the teaching tour of Geshe Zopa, who has been visiting for the first time several FPMT centers, including Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelug-zentrum (Austria), Longku Center and Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center (Switzerland), Tara Mandala Center (Germany) Nalanda Monastery (France) and Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (Italy).

Nagarjuna Center— Alicante, on June 14, was honoured to welcome the monks of Gaden Jangtse Khamtsen Monastery. Photo courtesy of NC Facebook Page.

(Spain) Nagarjuna Centro— Alicante, on June 14,  was honored to welcome the monks of Gaden Jangtse Khamtsen Monastery. The visit was made even more meaningful by the deeply moving reception of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s relics and the powerful puja offered by the Gaden monks. The monks offered extensive dedication prayers for the center’s community and their families—that they may have the favorable conditions to continue supporting a place where the Dharma flourishes—and expressed deep gratitude for all the kindness they have received.

Dialogue & Discussion

 (Italy) Centro Tara Bianca, in partnership with the UBI (Unione Buddhista Italiana), local civic institutions, and national bookseller partners, is spreading the Dharma beyond the centers’ walls, through the project “On Dharma’s Route.” Inspired by The Art of Happiness – A Handbook for Living by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Geshe Konchog Kyab, the center’s resident teacher, has given public talks followed by question-and-answer sessions, throughout bookstores in the region. Since its launch, the project has engaged hundreds of people, entirely new to Buddhism who have shown remarkable openness and interest. May these Dharma seeds continue to thrive!

Bridging Perspectives: Buddhism and Science in Dialogue

In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, science and spirituality together can better serve the needs and well-being of humanity. “I hope both science and spirituality may develop to be of better service to the needs and well-being of humanity,”  His Holiness says in, The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality (2005). In recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s outstanding contribution to fostering dialogue and collaboration between Buddhism and Science for the benefit of humanity, several FPMT centers have been actively working to bridge these two fields. We rejoice in their efforts to bring this vision to life and to serve others through this meaningful work. Here are some highlights of this work taking place within the FPMT mandala.

Jamyang Buddhist Center London, with Science & Wisdom LIVE, June 20, a dialogue between Geshe Tenzin Namdak and Professor Murray Shanahan. Photo courtesy of JBCL Facebook Page.

(London) Jamyang Buddhist Center, with Science & Wisdom LIVE, hosted on June 20, an inspiring dialogue between Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Jamyang’s resident teacher, and Professor Murray Shanahan, Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Imperial College London and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind, moderated by Chris Scammell of the Buddhism & AI Initiative, titled “Can Thinking about AI help us understand our selves?” We will be covering this event more extensively in an upcoming article. 

(Italy) Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in collaboration with the University of Pisa, and Prof. Bruno Neri, has just completed a video documentary, titled “Clear Light’” which investigates the connection between meditation and subtle states of consciousness, thanks to the rare collaboration of the monks and geshes of the Sera Jey Monastic University. We will share more details on this documentary soon. 

We look forward to sharing more about Buddhism and Science in the coming months. Do let us know if something is happening at your center!

Compassion in Action

(India) Maitri Charitable Trust in Bodhgaya distributed 454 rations of food and supplements over the past three months, including pulses, milk powder, and infant cereal, in monthly rations to 137 people and provided care for seventy-seven mothers, ninety-five children and young girls, and thirteen elderly women for treatment. They also detected sixty-five leprosy cases and fifty-three TB patients, carried out three Prevention of Deformities camps with fifty-eight leprosy patients, and distributed fifty-two pairs of sandals to disabled leprosy patients. They also vaccinated seventy-four dogs against viral diseases, rescued five animals, treated forty-one animals in their clinic, and cared for eighteen more. 

The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) has released its 2025 annual report. During the year, FDCW shared the 16 Guidelines program with communities worldwide through partners in Nepal, Italy, Russia, Israel, and India. FPMT Mongolia also adapted the program for people with visual impairments and introduced it at the National Association for the Blind. We rejoice in this far-reaching work.

International FPMT Family 

In celebration of our fiftieth anniversary, the entire FPMT community has been participating in an unprecedented Global Mani Retreat – an inspiring collective offering of practice, harmony, and dedication to the awakening and benefit of all beings, helping to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision of accumulating 100 Million Mani mantra recitations worldwide.

We Want to Hear Your Story! 

How did your center celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday (July 6) and how will it observe the upcoming holy day of Chökhor Düchen (July 18)? Reach out and share your plans to be included in the next FPMT News Roundup edition.

These highlights are sourced from the social media, newsletters, annual reports, websites, and WhatsApp groups of FPMT centers, projects, and services. If you would like to share your news and highlights with the wider FPMT family, we would be so happy to hear from you! 

In addition to these highlights, please also read longer community news stories and news from around the world!

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.