Participants in the 2023 Foundation Service Seminar Retreat at Kopan Monastery.

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 explores how to best offer our skills and qualities in service. Participants investigate the purpose and mission of the FPMT organization, what it means to be an FPMT center, project or service: and how that vision translates into action for individuals.

We are so pleased to share this report from participants in the 2023 FSS Retreat held at Kopan Monastery from September 21-26, 2023. 

FSS facilitators Annelies van der Heijden and François Lecointre.

The Foundation Service Seminar held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, from September 21-26, 2023, was a great success!

Led by experienced FSS facilitators Annelies van der Heijden and François Lecointre, it was more diverse than usual with about forty participants from countries as far spread as Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, France, Hungary, Germany, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, and USA. These included five senior Kopan monks and five senior Kopan nuns, all of whom were attending an FPMT seminar for the first time. Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long-time assistant and FPMT CEO, and two other FPMT Inc. board members, Dale Davis and Karuna Cayton, contributed to some of the sessions.

The initial sessions of the first day set out the purpose of the seminar itself; the FPMT organization in terms of who we are and what we do as well as how we differ from other organizations, and also briefly introduced the Inner Job Description (IJD). The remaining days were structured around the four means of drawing sentient beings: giving, speaking kind words, teaching according to the level of the student, and practicing what we teach. But the main point of the seminar can aptly be summed up in: “Service as Practice—Practice as Service.” We were reminded that guru devotion (serving sentient beings is serving the guru) is the best way to purify our karma and accumulate merit, and that this is exactly what happens when we work as directors, SPCs, and so forth for the FPMT centers, projects, and services!

Participants engaging in one of the FSS exercises following a presentation.

Annelies’ and François’ presentations were peppered with inspiring quotes by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which participants took turns to read out loud from the screen. After each part of the presentation, participants were divided into small groups or pairs to discuss topics such as how to take karma into consideration when solving problems, how communication works within centers and with the wider community, and how to connect center students with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. These workshops allowed people working in many different kinds of centers and in many different roles to interact with each other and become aware of the variety of challenges our different realities face. The monks and nuns of Kopan listened attentively and actively engaged in the discussions throughout the seminar, with the nuns in particular often sharing their ideas and thoughts. These interactions, which were much appreciated by all, were a highlight of the seminar.

Participants engaging in an activity following a presentation.

In the section on “giving,” we learned about FPMT Ethical Policy and how we can protect people from abuse, how we can be more welcoming in our centers, and the many ways in which we and FPMT Inc. and affiliates can practice generosity, including by supporting the many charitable projects initiated by Rinpoche. In the section on “speaking kind words,” we looked at how to speak kindly and respectfully so as to embody compassion and wisdom, how to give feedback in a constructive way, and how to create harmony in our center.

In the section on “teaching according to the level of the student,” we learned about the many FPMT courses and programs available to host in our centers, the many prayers and practices that have been published according to Rinpoche’s advice, and the many translations available of all these programs and materials.

A Kopan nun packaging incense at the nunny’s incense factory.

In the section on “practicing what we teach,” we looked again at how our service to Rinpoche and the FPMT is our practice, how seemingly difficult people help us practice Dharma, and how to avoid Immersion Aversion—a negative critical mind that has become averse to people and the Dharma.

Apart from our group practice in the mornings and the extensive light offerings in the stupa garden at Kopan we also attended a wonderful Guru Puja at the Nunnery. Their kindness and hospitality, like at Kopan Monastery, is such an inspiring example for all of us. During the Guru Puja we could recognize Rinpoche’s advice, like pausing at the section of rejoicing.

At the end of the seminar we were again invited to visit the nunnery and see their incense factory. This is an excellent example of the fifth pillar (revenue generating activities) as part of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions.

Thubten Kunkhen, Rigsel Rinpoche’s attendant and also the manager of the big stupa project at the nunnery was so kind to update us about this very impressive and special project. On advise of Lama Zopa Rinpoche a big stupa (similar to the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, India) is being built in memory of Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup who has been so instrumental, not only for Kopan but especially for the development of Kopan Nunnery. Thubten Kunkhen expects the Stupa project to be finished around 1,5 year from now. Please rejoice in this most wonderful and amazing project!