Charitable Activities

Root Institute in Bodhgaya, India, has been offering ongoing charity to the destitute of the area since 1991. Three onsite projects are now administered, bringing incalculable benefit to others. 

The Maitreya School currently educates 169 children.

Maitreya School 

• Free school benefiting local children from Bodhgaya and neighboring villages. 
• Currently educating 169 students and employing nine full-time teachers including a principal.
• The subjects taught are English, math, Hindi, buddhist principles, social science, arts & crafts, computer principles and physical education including Yoga. The main language medium for the school is English.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting the Tara Children’s Project and making offerings to the children.

Shakyamuni Buddha Health Programme

• Currently visiting six villages.
• Exercise education to villagers.
• Health education to patients and villagers.
• Seven community health workers were trained for six months with health educators.
• Provides care in the medical clinic to nearly three thousand people monthly.

Tara Children’s Project cares for twenty-five children who are HIV-affected.

Tara Children’s Project

• Care for HIV-affected orphan children.
• Currently providing twenty-five children a safe and loving home, full medical care, and education.
• Children help with a vegetable garden.

Please watch this video about one boy’s journey to Tara Children’s Project. 

Due to the kindness of donors, the Social Services Fund was extremely happy to recently offer grants to all three areas of Root Institute’s charitable projects. This is the fourth year that the Social Services Fund has been able to offer grants to each project. 

Please rejoice in the amazing work Root Institute is doing for those who desperately need this level of compassion and care. 

You can learn more about the work of Root Institute and get involved today.
http://www.rootinstitute.ngo/

If you would like to help make sure the Social Services Fund is able to continue to offer beneficial grants to charitable activities like those of Root Institute, you may offer any amount to this fund. 

Participants from November 2014 through June 2015 completed 1,028 individual nyung nä retreats at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.

Six dedicated individuals have just finished 108 nyung nä retreats at Institut Vajra Yogini (IVY), France. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor others to complete 1,000 nyung nä retreats. Institute Vajra Yogini (IVY), France, upon hearing this incredible vision of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, immediately started hosting 108 nyung näs retreats a year. 

About this retreat practice Rinpoche commented, “Nyung näs take such a short time, but bring strong purification. So many eons can be purified in this life; it makes it so easy to have attainments.” 

Nyung nä practice is an intensive 2-day purification retreat that includes fasting, precepts, prostrations, prayers, mantra recitation, and offerings. Nyung nä is a practice based on the deity, 1,000 armed Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, and is extremely powerful for healing illness, purifying negative karma, and opening the heart to compassion.

This is the fourth round of 108 nyung näs to be completed at IVY. 123 different participants in total have completed one or more nyung näs from mid November 2014 to the end of June 2015 and 1,028 individual nyung näs have been accumulated. On average they had between seven to twelve people participating in each single session of the nyung näs. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is sponsoring ten people to do nyung näs and recently 6,125 euros toward the sponsorship of food and lodging for individuals undertaking this practice was offered through the Practice and Retreat Fund. The students are dedicating the merits of their practice to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, good health, and for the immediate fulfillment of all of Rinpoche’s wishes.

Tremendous thanks to Francois and Violette and all at Institute Vajra Yogini for helping make the 108 nyung näs Vast Vision a reality, and also for supporting all the nyung näs participants who have dedicated their time to this practice.

You can learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for the FPMT organization, or about other beneficial activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and the Practice and Retreat Fund. 

Please download a free PDF, Praise and Prayer to Noble Avalokiteshvara in celebration of these amazing accomplishments by so many dedicated students who wish to support Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision.

You can read more about this from Mandala Publications’ recent article, “Institut Vajra Yogini Completes Fourth Annual Nyung Nä Retreat.” 

Mother Tara’s Children’s Camp, Mongolia. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Lamp of the Path NGO, part of FPMT Mongolia, offers social services to some of the poor and homeless living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It has three main programs: a soup kitchen, which offers about 80 meals five days a week; a health clinic, which offers free health services to the very poor; and a children’s program, which offers quality education to children. 

Lamp of the Path identifies its aims as:

• Supporting education, social development, the relief of poverty, health and environmental protection.
• Providing basic human requirements of food, clean water, shelter, medical care and clothing for the marginalized strata of the population.
• Fund raising among supporting donor organizations for charity and welfare activities dedicated to the poor and destitute.

To help with Lamp of the Path’s operating budget for 2015, the Social Services Fund recently offered US$39,200 for their extremely important charitable work in Mongolia.

The Soup Kitchen

Five days a week, The Soup Kitchen offers between 50 – 80 free meals to homeless and destitute individuals as well as warm clothing, footwear and bedding in the Winter when temperatures drop below freezing, and other resources for in-need families.

The Health Clinic

The Health Clinic provides free medical consultation and treatment to patrons of the soup kitchen as well as a hot shower for the homeless to use. 

Children Development Program

The Children Development Program incorporates the 16 Guidelines for a Happy Life to foster the development of moral values and self esteem in children. 

Community Center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In 2004, the services offered by the community center were reorganized and are now overseen by Lamp of the Path NGO. Photo by Ueli Minder.

You can watch a video about the conditions of homelessness in Mongolia, to better understand how essential the Lamp of the Path services are for destitute families. 

This is the third year the Social Services Fund has been able to offer support to the incredible charitable work happening in Mongolia thanks to Lamp of the Path NGO. Thanks to all of the kind donors and supporters who make this offering possible.

The Social Services Fund contributes to many beneficial charitable projects as funds allow. You can learn more about these activities, or make a donation of any amount. 

You can offer directly to FPMT Mongolia to help ensure services such as these continue in Mongolia in the future. 

You can read an article from Mandala Publications, “A Day in the Life in Mongolia” by Massimo Corona, which outlines the importance of the Lamp of the Path NGO activities. 

Geshe Jampa Gyatso, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 1979. Photo courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

The Masters Program (MP) is the FPMT’s most advanced study program. Based on Lama Yeshe’s unique vision for a comprehensive education, inspired by the traditional geshe studies at the great Gelugpa monastic universities, it was developed with the help of Geshe Jampa Gyatso. Integrating behavior, training and service components, the program offers in-depth study of five great texts and extensive retreat experience, providing a thorough grounding in sutra and tantra.

Due to the kindness of a generous benefactor, the Education and Preservation Fund recently offered US$54,625 to Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa for their latest Masters Program in Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra  which commenced in March. 

The full-time residential program consists of just over six years of study (nine months per year) and a total of one year of retreat after the conclusion of the studies. The study portion of the program will conclude in mid-2021. 

In addition to teachings with the geshes, students will be supported by review classes with tutors, in which they will deepen their understanding through debate and discussion of the material. Students’ progress is measured by a combination of written and oral exams, research projects, and presentations, and they will also receive instruction in meditation and develop the skills to guide meditations and lead retreats.

Students will also have opportunities to study the classical Tibetan language as well as to participate in seminars by visiting Western Buddhist scholars and academics. Talks by practitioners with extensive retreat experience will also be arranged in order to provide guidance and support for contemplative practice.

To provide opportunities for integrating the teachings into practice and for students to acquire retreat experience in preparation for the final one-year retreat, students will have regular opportunities to engage in lam rim retreats during the program at the end of each of the principal subjects. They will also be required to participate in regular meditation sessions during the week, and will receive instruction in leading meditations for others.

This grant from the Education and Preservation Fund will enable the current program to be offered successfully. You are welcome to offer any amount to this fund so that grants such as this can continue in the future. 
https://fpmt.org/support/educationandpreservation/

The Masters Program Online (MPOL) offers the opportunity to study the MP to those who are unable to join the residential program, making use of the latest online educational tools available, in an online learning environment.
http://www.iltk.org/en/online-course

On World Leprosy Day 2014, Adriana Ferranti (at right with blue bag) works with MAITRI staff and volunteers, January 2014. Photo courtesy of Adriana Ferranti.

For over twenty-five years, Adriana Ferranti, through MAITRI Charitable Trust, has provided essential education, medical care, aid to mothers and children, animal care, and various forms of charitable service to the destitute in Bodhgaya, India, which is the poorest and most densely populated area in India. 

You can learn about the the history of MAITRI and some of the work offered in this informative video. 

The Social Services Fund was very pleased to recently offer US$78,400 to MAITRI toward annual expenses and to assist with the purchase of a new jeep needed to assist with the services offered. This is the fourth year that the Social Services Fund has been able to support the work of MAITRI at this level. 

Aid, education and medical care from MAITRI is offered to India’s poorest and most densely populated area in Bodhgaya. Photo by Adriana Ferranti.

The accomplishments and charitable aid offered by MAITRI in 2014 was astounding. Some of the assistance offered to leprosy and tuberculosis patients included:

• Five leprosy patients were offered reconstructive surgery for deformities with five additional patients assessed for surgery and scheduled.
• 617 new leprosy patience were registered
• 440 disabled patients were given care at the hospital
• 320 pairs of sandals and 250 blankets were offered to leprosy patients
• 485 tuberculosis patients were assisted through outreach
• 187 tuberculosis patients were offered food and supplements
• 297 tuberculosis patients were offered blankets
• Sputum collection and testing was performed on over 1,300 individuals at the MAITRI campus, lab and in the field
• Plastic surgery was offered to individuals with cleft lip and/or cleft palate

As MAITRI explains, “The provision of support to patients is an important component of their recovery, particularly to the very poor. Blankets help reduce the risk of illness and food and medicinal supplements ensure that poverty, a poor diet and other health issues will not hamper recovery. In order to stop drug resistance it is imperative that patients take the full course of medication and keep their health up and MAITRI provides constant monitoring of patients and hospitalization if required.”

Destitute children (this child’s mother passed away from TB when she was two months old) are offered powdered milk and supplements by MAITRI Charitable Trust.

MAITRI specializes in several areas of programming. You can learn more about the services offered in each area by clicking on it:

• Leprosy Program
• Physical Rehabilitation for Disabled People
• Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program
• Mother and Child Care
• HIV/AIDS Awareness
• Education in Villages
• Environment
• Humanitarian Aid
• Animal Care

In this short video, “Seven Days of MAITRI,” you can see a brief outline of the services offered every day of the week. Please rejoice in twenty-five years of this amazing and compassionate work for those who truly need it. Tremendous thanks to all who have contributed to MAITRI over the years and enabled this ongoing charitable activity to continue. 

You can donate directly to MAITRI’s incredible work:
https://my.fpmt.org/donate/maitri

By offering to the Social Services Fund, you help enable the continuation of essential grants, such as the recent offering to MAITRI.
https://my.fpmt.org/donate/socialservices

Samadhi the goat at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary being held by the caretaker (who’s from Tsum) while Pema (the manager) treats him, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 28, 2015. Photo by Phil Hunt.

In June the Animal Liberation Fund was happy to offer a US$9,800 grant to the Animal Liberation Sanctuary in Nepal in support of their incredibly compassionate work providing shelter and care for animals rescued from being killed, so that they may live out their natural lives in peace and attain a higher rebirth. The Sanctuary benefits rescued animals, not only by freeing them from impending death, but also by exposing them to the Dharma. The animals regularly hear mantras and are led around holy objects. This way they create merit and gain the opportunity to escape the lower realms. they are cared for by a manager and a veterinary assistant, with an experienced vet on call when needed. 

This goat, Dzambhala, benefited from Animal Liberation Sanctuary until his death in March 2013. Photo courtesy of Animal Liberation Sanctuary.

Since the Nepal earthquake, animals have been suffering in unimaginable ways and the need for injured animals is great. The Animal Liberation Sanctuary has been working hard to offer support to these animals and also with  compassionate disaster relief.

You can watch a short and moving video about the Animal Liberation Sanctuary. 

You can donate to the Animal Liberation Sanctuary or learn more about the work being done for animals in Nepal.
http://kopanmonastery.com/charitable/animal-sanctuary-nepal

The Animal Liberation Fund supports weekly animal liberations and extensive dedications offered by Sangha at the residences of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. When funds allow, additional animal liberations conducted in Singapore and Hong Kong are supported, as well as efforts to save the lives of animals at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary in Nepal, MAITRI Charitable Trust in India and elsewhere. You are welcome to offer any amount toward this ongoing work. 
//fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/alf/

Lama Yeshe with children and students in California, 1983. Lama Yeshe’s proposal for education was to draw on the “heritage of wisdom” that resides in the great religious and philosophical traditions of the world to create a new kind of Universal Education. Photo courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

FPMT’s founder, Lama Yeshe, established what he called “Universal Education” which was an education of human hearts focusing on the universal language of compassion and wisdom, rather than emphasizing a strictly Buddhist approach. 

Lama Yeshe’s view was that the aims and methods of many modern education systems over-emphasize intellectual achievements and are too limited in their scope. As a result, they fail to enable children, young people and adults to fully develop their potential, to lead a fulfilled and meaningful life, and to play their part in creating a more peaceful world.

Lama Yeshe’s proposal was to draw on the “heritage of wisdom” that resides in the great religious and philosophical traditions of the world to create a new kind of Universal Education. 

You can watch a video of Lama Yeshe discussing the purpose of Universal Education in 1982. 

The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDWC) brings Lama Yeshe’s message of Universal Education forward through programs and resources which promote:

• mindfulness and self-awareness
• emotional intelligence and resilience
• empathy, kindness and social responsibility
• harmonious and caring relationships
• a greater sense of well-being and purpose

The Education and Preservation Fund was pleased to recently offer US$50,000 toward the incredible ongoing work and annual budget of FDCW. 

You can learn more about the work of FDWC, get involved, or explore the resources available to you. 

The Education and Preservation Fund supports Dharma study and contributes to the development of homestudy programs, online Buddhist education programs and the preservation of the Dharma through the publication of Dharma practice materials and translations. 

School children and staff of the Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School.

After receiving an appeal (below) from the Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School, the Social Services Fund raised $US39,200 to assist with a desperately needed hostel for young Nepali school  children. After raising this money to help, Nepal suffered the 7.9 magnitude earthquake and the school also endured considerable damage. The grant offered to the school will now, not only need to assist with the hostel, but also to help with repairs needed elsewhere on the property. 

The school put together a beautiful video about the school, its history, aims, and needs.

Report from Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School

In the remote mountainous areas of Nepal, such as Rolwaling, many children are sadly deprived of a crucial and empowering education. Ngawang Lapsam Rinpoche was inspired to address this problem, establishing a free school with a special philosophy for children in the remote Dolakha District to attend. The school aims to provide a quality education, covering general academic and life skills through a traditional Buddhist education.

Starting with six children and one teacher in 2010, the school now successfully educates 15 children from poor families across the Dolakha District of Nepal at the primary school level and provides free boarding, medical attention, clothing and other needs to its students.

Children living as far away as Kathmandu (three days walk and 10 hour bus journey) where schools are numerous, live away from home in order to receive this special education which follows a curriculum approved by the government enables them to pursue further studies if they wish.

The school is currently managing its operation using limited Nepalese Government support which covers only staff wages, donations from the villagers, and some other support from sponsors.

However, these funds only cover the children’s food, clothing and medical care, leaving the school and its community with huge challenges while trying to provide an education to these children who are attempting to break the cycle of poverty.

The building for the Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School is need of a hostel and repair due to the earthquake.

Initial funding for building work only covered the school building itself. By adding the classrooms, an office and a very small (and cramped kitchen/dining hall) there is currently nowhere for the children to sleep as all but one live away from home to attend the school.

Arrangements for them to sleep with local families and then in a local house sadly didn’t work out for a number of reasons, so the children now need to sleep on classroom floor and kitchen floors if they wish to continue to receive a quality education.

These children and their families know this is the best education they can receive in the district so the children endure these difficult circumstances to keep their dreams of a better future for themselves and their families alive.

Besides the obvious discomfort caused by needing to sleep on floors while living in such a harsh remote Himalayan environment, it also poses other problems for the school. Girls are currently unable to attend if they don’t live in the nearest village (which no primary school age girls currently do) as there is no room for them to have their own private space in which to sleep, essential at their age and when living away from home.

In addition to the school being unable to teach girls, using two classrooms as bedrooms with mats on the floors for sleeping means they cannot be used for teaching. In turn, this limits the number of students which can be accepted by the school despite a current waiting list of over 20 children from across the district wanting to attend.

The school aims to provide a quality education, covering general academic and life skills through a traditional Buddhist education.

The inability to accept new students also poses the risk of being unable to meet government targets of a new intake of students each year. If this target isn’t met, staff funding could be stopped resulting in closure of the school.

A new hostel and kitchen/dining hall will solve many of these problems providing the students with a warmer, and therefore more comfortable and safer place to sleep while freeing up classroom space to enable the school to accept new students. This can mean a quality education for girls in the district while accepting new students from their waiting list each year helping to ensure government the continuation of government funding, securing the future of the school.

You can support the Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School directly:http://www.rolwalingmonastery.org/support-us

The Social Services Fund contributes, as funds allow, to many charitable and beneficial activities, particularly in India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia. You can support this work or learn more about previous grants and support offered. 

Extensive damage to the Lawudo Gompa was sustained due to the 7.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks of April.

For students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lawudo, which is situated high in the Himalayan mountains of eastern Nepal, holds particular significance. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, Lama Kunzang Yeshe, who lived and practiced in Lawudo until his passing at age 81. The Lawudo Retreat Centre was built over several years and completed in 1972 under direction from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The gompa was built so that young monks in the area could receive a good education with favorable conditions. Since that time, Rinpoche’s mother (who passed away in 1991), sister Anila Ngawang Samten, and brother Sangay Sherpa have cared for the Lawudo Lawudo Retreat Centre and welcomed pilgrims, retreatants and locals to this extremely blessed and remote place. 

The Lawudo Library is in desperate need of repair.

The property, which includes the gompa as well as a retreat houses, a library and prayer wheel, suffered extensive damage from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks in April of this year. Fortunately, those living at Lawudo are all okay. They have been living in tents outside. However, it is getting very cold and proper accommodation will be required as soon as possible. 

Renovations need to be completed as soon as possible so that those living in Lawudo have protection from the monsoon season’s extreme weather.

When Sangay Sherpa surveyed the damage at the end of May he reported:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s brother, Sangay Sherpa in Solu Khumbu, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Katy Cole.

I have inspected all the damages in Lawudo and am ready to start renovation work. Due to damages from the earthquake it is very difficult to find workers but I luckily found a builder and carpenter so I have booked them. 

I am rushing to do the renovation work because in monsoon season, due to heavy rain, the damaged parts will be made worse and may collapsed more. Then, after monsoon season, the Winter starts and as you know in Winter no work can be done in Lawudo. So I should finish the renovation work as soon as possible. I have targeted to finish the renovation of retreat houses. I am planning to renovate all damages very finely so it cannot be damaged by upcoming normal disasters. So we don’t have any problems in future. Due to the remoteness of Lawudo we can’t organize renovation work again and again. We should be confident about the strength of this renovation work.

The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund offered US$50,000 toward this much-needed renovation work in Lawudo. So many generous donors have contributed to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund making this offering possible. Additionally, Australian nun Ven. Katy Cole recently traveled to Lawudo to help facilitate this work and thanks to the kindness of Effie Fletcher and Amber Bamjan Tamang, a kitchen tent, tarp and rope were brought to Lawudo by helicopter. Please rejoice in the kindness offered by many to help rebuild from damages sustained. 

All are welcome to donate to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund. 
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/

You can learn more about Lawudo Gompa and the history of Lawudo. 
http://www.lawudo.com/About.html

Twenty years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche established the Puja Fund as a way to sponsor ongoing prayers and practices dedicated to the success and longevity of the entire FPMT organization. One puja that Rinpoche advised was particularly important for FPMT is the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva Puja. 

Every month, on the Tibetan 29^th day, the Puja Fund sponsors about 40 of the most senior monks of Sera Je Monastery, who specialize in the practice of Most Secret Hayagriva, to offer the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja (Hayagriva Tsog Kong). This is an all day puja with an elaborate torma offering and extensive prayers and meditation. Please rejoice that twelve months of sponsorship for this monthly puja was just offered to Sera Je. 

The Puja Fund makes a small offering to the 40 monks who perform the puja; offers breakfast, lunch and dinner; and covers the cost of extensive torma offerings (pictured above) for the puja.

Every Tibetan 29th day, you can remember that there are over 40 monks performing the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva Puja as they have for over twenty years. You are welcome to contribute to this ongoing offering which benefits the entire FPMT mandala of centers, projects, services, students, volunteers, benefactors, and all beings. 

You can learn more about the ongoing activities of the Puja Fund, or FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity. 

IMI Sangha members at Maitreya Instituut, Loenen, Netherlands, July 2015. Photo via IMI on Facebook. A Merit Box grant provided support for IMI Sangha to attend the teachings with Lama Zopa Rinpoce at Maitreya Instituut.

With a special thanks for all those who submitted or helped coordinate Merit Box offerings over the past year, it’s time to rejoice! A new set of 14 Merit Box grants have been awarded for 2015. Disbursements will be sent out this month to support a number of Dharma endeavors.

Here are some highlights of Merit Box grants awarded this year:

• One grant provided support for IMI Sangha (FPMT nuns and monks) to attend the retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitreya Instituut Loenen, Netherlands in July.

• Buddha House, an FPMT center in Australia, is building statues of Ganapati and the 16 Arhats following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice. The project will be partially funded by their forthcoming grant.

FPMT Europe regional meeting group photo, Maitreya Instituut, Loenen, Netherlands, July 2015. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

• FPMT Europe will receive much-needed support to further the coordination efforts between their very active regional and national offices. There are 50 centers, study groups, projects and services in Europe, including long-term retreat centers and two centers offering the FPMT Masters Program!

• A grant was awarded to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive for the publication of Lama Yeshe’s Gyalwa Gyatso teachings given at a course in Italy in 1983. They will be transcribed, edited and prepared into a print book and ebook for interested students around the world.

Dr. Thupten Jinpa speaking at Maitripa College in May 2015, the first event of the Mindfulness and Compassion Initiative, Portland, Oregon, USA. Photo courtesy of Maitripa College.

• At Maitripa College in the USA, grants have been awarded for two projects. One will fund the need for expanded shelving to house the immense collection of texts bequeathed to the Maitripa Library by their dear late professor, Buddhist scholar Dr. James Blumenthal. 

  The second grant will be applied for the development of a new Mindfulness and Compassion initiative. Yangsi Rinpoche, president of Maitripa College, comments, “This initiative is a major development towards incorporating the advice given to Maitripa College by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in May 2013. We are so grateful to be within the FPMT family. We recognize that the Merit Box grants are a result of incredible generosity from every angle, and we are so appreciative for the awards we received this year.”

Eight other great projects will also receive funding support through the Merit Box Project. Please see the complete list of grants here!

Becoming a Merit Box practitioner is easy! Order a free Merit Box kit for your altar, and start making offerings throughout the year into your Merit Box. Collection for the 2016 grants will take place from December 2015 through March 2016. Please contact meritbox@fpmt.org with any questions or requests.