Participants in the recent Foundation Service Seminar Retreat held at Vajrapani Institute from September 10-14.

Led by experienced facilitators Amy Cayton and François Lecointre, the latest Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) held at Vajrapani Institute, USA, from September 10-14, 2024, was a great success, with the 16 participants from seven different FPMT affiliates from the North American Region working joyfully on how to better integrate practice and service. We are pleased to share the following report of this FSS by Nina Highfill, Executive Director of the Thubten Norbu Ling Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 

FSS and the Family Feeling

Lama Yeshe during a family gathering at Vajrapani Institute, California, US, 1983. Photo by Carol Royce, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Yeshe, the founder of the Foundation for the Preservation for the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), believed that the most important thing for us to thrive as an organization, is to cherish and nurture the family feeling among us. How often do we pause to appreciate the connections we forge in our Dharma practice? The Foundation Services Seminar (FSS) reminded me of the profound impact these relationships have on our journey.

I did not know how important this “family feeling” was to Lama. I didn’t know many things when I arrived at the Vajrapani Institute in California, USA, on a sunny September afternoon, to join the 5-day FSS retreat experience.

The aims of the FSS are to support individuals wishing to offer service at any level within our organization, explore how we can serve in ways that are most beneficial to ourselves and others, and review the guiding principles and structure of FPMT. As I walked into the gompa for the opening session, this was exactly what I expected. However, as the days unfolded, I discovered that I was receiving much more than I had anticipated.

Learning Experience

Nestled among towering redwoods and full of holy objects and relics, the serene atmosphere of Vajrapani was imbued with a palpable sense of peace. Together with 15 fellow FPMT volunteers, we were gently and skillfully guided by the seminar leaders, Amy Cayton and Francois Lecointre, through interactive presentations, discussions and a variety of exercises, introducing us to the FPMT history, structure, programs and projects. We also learned many practical skills, like dealing with stress, learning to communicate more effectively and to deal with complaints or mental health issues.

Francois Lecointre leading the FSS at Vajrapani Institute, CA, USA, September 2024. Photo by Nina Highfill.

I was blown away by the richness of the FPMT tradition, culture and program and by the vast scope and huge impact of FPMT’s charitable projects, which not only support the ordained Sangha and provide educational scholarships but also promote social services and animal rescue, all in alignment with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for a more compassionate world. Did you know that in 2023 alone, as FPMT, we offered almost $3.5 million to charitable projects? Isn’t it a reason to celebrate and rejoice?

Personal Insights

Lama Zopa Rinpoche once said, “The big thing is how to always enjoy when offering service, regardless of what’s going on.” When things get busy and stressful, it is easy to forget this and to spiral down the cycle of frustration, annoyance, and disappointment with ourselves and others. Despite our best intentions, we end up falling into our old, well-ingrained patterns of conflict or dissatisfaction. One of the exercises during the seminar brought it home. We were asked to imagine that we have an important and very urgent task to finish and we are running through the center in stress, while a newcomer is requesting help. We played out two scenarios in pairs—one in our “usual” state of mind and one after reflecting on bodhicitta for a few moments before we responded to the stranger. The type of connection we were all able to generate and the quality and pleasure of the conversation in the second scenario left us with new appreciation that bodhicitta is not an ideal we learn about from ancient texts, but a mindset we can cultivate every day, moment by moment, so that we can enjoy the service and show up for others with kindness, compassion, and openness.

FSS participants circumambulating the prayer wheel at Vajrapani Institute, September 2024. Photo by Nina Highfill.

On a personal level, the FSS helped me to better grasp Lama Yeshe’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for the FPMT and for the role of the centers within it. It was very timely, as at my home center, Thubten Norbu Ling in New Mexico, USA, we are currently working on our 5-year strategy. I took fervent notes throughout the seminar and had a few epiphany moments regarding the direction for our center and our guiding principles. I now feel confident that we have a solid foundation and are moving forward toward fulfilling the founding lamas’ vision and benefiting as many sentient beings as possible. 

 Concluding Reflections

It was hard to leave the beauty and the profound energy of Vajrapani and the wonderful group of FSS participants. Somewhere in the process, we have not only learned about the “family feeling.” We started to experience it with each other. However, I left California with a new sense of optimism and energy. FPMT is an amazing organization with a unique and vast vision and beautiful values rooted in authentic wisdom and compassion. But most of all, we are a family of warm-hearted, sincere Dharma practitioners, who have an endless amount of talent and wisdom among us. There is nothing we cannot accomplish, if we put our heads and our hearts together!

As we offer service in our respective centers and services, let us remember that we are helping our lamas to realize their vast visions and that our service is our practice and our offering to sentient beings. Let’s offer it with the mind of bodhicitta and a sense of joy. And if you ever feel in need of inspiration and warm connection, remember to look up and join the next Foundation Services Seminar!

Nina Highfill, currently the Executive Director of The Buddhist Center Thubten Norbu Ling in Santa Fe, NM, USA, is the founder and former director of the Lhagsam Center in Zurich, Switzerland. She is a devoted student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and currently lives in Crestone, Colorado. Originally from Poland, she loves traveling to Nepal and considers Kopan Monastery her spiritual home. She loves reading, studying, running, and being in the nature. 

Chandrakirti Centre, New Zealand, is hosting an FSS from November 6-10. Read more information and reserve your place.

To learn more about the FPMT Foundation Service Seminar:
https://fpmt.org/education/training/#fss

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.