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Charitable Activities
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the Abbot of Sera Je Monastery during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent teachings in Italy.
Since 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has offered meals to the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery in southern India. Today, the fund sponsors 8,300 meals every single day for all 2,500 Sera Je Monastery monks (3,300 monks are served breakfast). This offering allows the monks to concentrate on their studies without the constant worry of sourcing and preparing their next meal.
It is difficult to imagine the sheer volume of food it takes to offer 8,300 quality vegetarian meals daily.
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2,187 pounds of flour are required for one month of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Rice and vegetables is typically offered as part of the nutritious vegetarian lunch provided to 2,500 monks through the Sera Je Food Fund.
- 46 pounds of tea leaves are needed for a month’s worth of breakfast tea.
- For lunch alone, 5,300 bananas, 460 bundles of green vegetables, and 772 pounds of rice is offered during a typical month.
- Dinner for one month requires 23 bottles of soy sauce, 2,780 pounds and 50 bundles of vegetables and 34 gallons of cooking oil.
These examples are just small fraction of the ingredients needed to offer about 250,000 meals every single month.
The annual cost of the meals offered through Sera Je Food Fund is US$280,000. You are welcome to donate any amount toward this most incredible offering to the monks of Sera Je Monastery who are studying very hard to be able to be of most benefit to the world.
Sangha from all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism participated in this year’s Rime Chirim Tendo Chenmo festival at Tharlam Sasang Namgyal Ling Monastery, Bouddhanath, Nepal.
In 2006, for the first time in the history of the Nalanda Tradition, Nyingma, Kagyü, Sakya and Gelug traditions have formed an umbrella organization called Nepal Buddhist Federation (NBF). Since then, NBF has been engaging in many activities, including organizing the Rime Chirim Tendo Chenmo Monlam, a prayer festival for Saka Dawa dedicated to the healthy and long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the heads of the four Tibetan Buddhist schools, all other great masters, as well as for world peace.
The Sangha enjoyed three meals together.
The festival, now in its sixth year and taking place at Tharlam Sasang Namgyal Ling Monastery, Bouddhanath, Nepal, is a great historic achievement and a sign of growing harmony within the four schools of the Tibetan Buddhism. Four hundred Sangha members were invited from each of the four schools. In addition to the pujas and prayers offered, breakfast, lunch and dinner was also offered to each Sangha member as well as a small offering.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund, was happy to offer US$6,187 toward this year’s festival.
You are welcome to donate any amount to support this project which directly supports the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to build 1,000 statues of Maitreya, the future Buddha, around the world including the two substantial Maitreya Projects in Bodhgaya and Kushinagar, India.
Life-sized gold leafed Maitreya statue, Kachoe Dechen Ling, California.
About these statues, Lama Zopa Rinpoche commented:
“The minimum size of the 1,000 statues should be 6 feet. Within the 1,000 statues, this includes the statue being built in Kushinagar and the statue being built in Bodhgaya. My aim is that the large statue in Kushinagar will last a minimum of 1,000 years. That means that for every day for at least 1,000 years, infinite sentient beings will receive unbelievable benefit, the causes for enlightenment. Another special thing about contributing to Maitreya, whether it be money or time or energy, is that it makes a connection with Maitreya, and the result is that one becomes a direct disciple of Maitreya Buddha when Maitreya returns to manifest enlightenment as Shakyamuni Buddha did.”
Maitreya Statues Completed/In Progress
- Maitreya Buddha Kushinagar Project
- Maitreya Project Bodhgaya
- 100 life sized statues from Maitreya Project, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered 26 statues to FPMT centers
- Two 24-foot statues from Maitreya Project, one is now at Land of Medicine Buddha in California, the other is on Maitreya Project land in Bodhgaya
- 2 story statue built in a Monastery in Tibet
- 1 story statue built in a Nunnery in Tibet
Maitreya Buddha is the embodiment of each buddha’s loving kindness, and the symbol of all the bodhisattvas’ loving kindness for all sentient beings.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You can donate directly to the Maitreya Buddha Kushinagar Project being built in India.
The Holy Objects Fund contributes to the building of other Maitreya statues around the world.
Holy Objects Fund is a project of FPMT, Inc. and is administered by FPMT International Office located in Portland, Oregon, United States. All donations made to this fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(c)(3) to the extent allowed by law.
For more information please contact: Charitable Projects Coordinator
All of the monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered three nutritious meals daily through the Sera Je Food Fund.
Every day, 8,300 meals are served to all 2,500 monks studying at Sera Je Monastery through the Sera Je Food Fund. Before each meal, all of the monks offer prayers and dedications to all of the many kind sponsors of the Sera Je Food Fund which provides an annual operating budget of US$280,000 in order to provide 3,029,500 meals every year.
This video shows the monks offering prayers, before lunch. The prayers are always dedicated for the supporters of the Sera Je Food Fund.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Sera Je Monastery Abbot are also seen enjoying the same nutritious vegetarian lunch offered to all the other monks.
You may donate any amount to this incredibly beneficial project which provides one of the most fundamental needs for life – food – and allows the monks to focus on their studies without the burden of sourcing and preparing their own meals.
The site of the new temple for Ngari Khangtsen.
Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Thegchok.
Ngari Khangtsen, the khangtsen of Khensur Rinpoche Jampa Thegchok in south India, has recently begun their new Temple Project.
In their own words, “We have outgrown the old 1983 prayer/ assembly hall made to house a maximum of 50 persons. In the new quarters, there is room for a brand new spacious prayer hall. Today, we have over 150 monks ranging from the very young to the very old. And we have definitely outgrown the old prayer hall. On hot summer days, the hall just does not accommodate enough oxygen for the number of praying and reciting participants!”
The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund recently offered support to this important project. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was inspired to support this project and help it achieve fruition.
US$100,000 was offered to this project which has an estimated budget of over US$500,000.
Geshe Ngawang Sangye, one of the main teachers of Sera Je Monastery.
Nagri Khangtsen also has a school in Ladakh and The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodchitta Fund is also sponsoring, for the second year, the entire cost of a year’s food offering for the children studying at Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics.
Please rejoice in the building of this new temple for the monks of Ngari Khangtsen.
The death of these fish was certain but they were offered animal liberation practice by Cham Tse Ling in Hong Kong.
The Animal Liberation Fund was incredibly pleased to offer $2,000 toward a very large animal liberation which was organized by Hong Kong’s Cham Tse Ling Center. This center recently purchased $20,000 worth of fish and other animals that were intended to be killed, and liberated them. The number of animals in this liberation totaled 14,500!
This animal liberation was dedicated to all beings and specifically to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and all the holy kind gurus; all the donors of the Animal Liberation Fund; all those who have sent in their names requesting prayers; as
well as all the students, benefactors, and volunteers
of all FPMT centers, projects and services.
After the animal liberation, the dear animals were released back to their homes.
Complete animal liberation practice was offered to the animals who were taken around many holy objects and blessed with blessed water before being released. This is according to the specific advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to offer charity the animals in the best way, ensuring their long term benefit.
Thank you so much to Ven. Pemba, Esther and all the students of Cham Tse Ling and please rejoice in this incredible practice. Saving 14,500 sentient beings, how incredible!
If you would like to offer any amount the Animal Liberation Fund, your donation will be used for large animal liberations such as this, as well as weekly animal liberations offered.
A monk offering robes, made of best quality cloth, to Buddha statue at Mahabodhi Stupa. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche carefully choosing the cloth that will be offered as robes for the Buddha statue at Mahabodhi Stupa.
Every month Lama Zopa Rinpoche arranges for a new set of robes to be offered to the precious Buddha statue inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, India.
In February, Rinpoche went to the market to choose the exact, best quality cloth for the robes and then offered prayers as a monk offered the robes to the Buddha very slowly and precisely (even though it was a busy evening with many pilgrims). This material, chosen by Rinpoche, will now always be used when offering the monthly set of robes to the statue.
The beautiful cloth Rinpoche chose for the offered robes.
In addition to offering robes every month to the Buddha statue in Bodhgaya, Lama Zopa Rinpoche also offers gold to the Jowo Buddha in Tibet and offer saffron flower petals, white wash, and material for umbrellas to Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal.
Please rejoice in these incredible monthly offerings.
You are welcome to contribute any amount to these ongoing offerings to holy objects in India, Tibet and Nepal.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, has a beautiful 50 feet high thangka that they unfurl for celebrations.
Amitabha Buddha Centre (ABC), Singapore, has undertaken several projects which are in alignment with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for the FPMT organization.
Recently, they commissioned a 50 feet high x 30 feet wide large thangka depicting Amitabha Buddha in Sukavati pure land accompanied by the eight great bodhisattvas. Sewn entirely by hand by Tibetan artists in south India, it took over one year to complete the detailed applique work. Rinpoche requested ABC to arrange this thangka so the center could hold regular festival days where many offerings and practices could be done in front of the thangka as an incredible way to create merit and for people to connect with Amitabha Buddha.
Other centers are also contributing to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision for FPMT centers to display large thangkas and host festival days where these thangkas can be enjoyed. Please rejoice in the incredible large thangkas currently being utilized in FPMT centers around the world!
Please enjoy this video of ABC hoisting up their large thankga for the 2014 Vesak Celebration.
The incredible and precious Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet.
The extensive range of monthly and annual practices and pujas that are offered in India, Nepal and around the world through the Puja Fund is astounding. As Charitable Projects Coordinator, Ven. Holly Ansett, commented, “It is like Rinpoche has taken on the personal responsibility to care for all the main holy objects in the world on behalf of FPMT.”
All are welcome to participate in the activities sponsored by the Puja Fund by offering any amount toward these ongoing beneficial pujas and practices which are performed by as many as 9,000 Sangha members:
If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa or scripture then the benefit extends from then up to Enlightenment. Amazing, amazing. It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness – liberation from the causes of delusion and karma and on top of that full Enlightenment – all the realizations and omniscient mind. After this, then you liberate numberless hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, suras and asuras from the ocean of samsaric sufferings and bring them to full Enlightenment. When all beings are brought to Enlightenment, only then are all the results of offering achieved.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Scribe Ven. Tenzin Namdrol. Kopan, December 2012.
If you were Sangha but you didn’t wear robes, then people would not know [that you were ordained], but with robes on there is no question. That is how the robes have such incredible benefit for the mind. It is planting the seed for enlightenment when people show respect to your wearing of the robes, or to the robes themselves: This is planting the seed of liberation, and is a way of benefiting sentient beings.…
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Monks at Sera Je Monastery after lunch sponsored by the Sera Je Food Fund.
“Path to Geshe” by William Judge and Bodhi Leaf Productions tells the story of monastic life at Sera Je Monastery. You can learn more about this wonderful film on the Bodhi Leaf Productions website. You can also view the trailer below.
Sera Je Monastery is the learning institution of many of FPMT’s teachers. Nearly all of the 46 geshes teaching in FPMT centers around the world come from Sera Je Monastery. Since 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has been offering meals to all the monks studying at this monastery. The fund currently offers three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks studying at Sera Je.
This film is now available to the public and can be purchased via Amazon.
Most Secret Hayagriva torma offering.
Every month on the Tibetan 29th day, an important day to offer protector pujas, 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 (pictured above) and extensive prayers and meditation.
The Puja Fund just offered funds to cover the last 12 months of these pujas. The total amount for this is US$5,250.82
The Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja is dedicated to all FPMT centers, services, projects; the success of all Dharma activities and removal of obstacles; to all students who are facing obstacles; to the benefactors of the Puja Fund and to all beings.
You are welcome to contribute any amount to these powerful monthly pujas:
Land of Medicine Buddha’s stupa plans. This 39 foot stupa will be a replicate of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche had previously pledged to support Land of Medicine Buddha’s planned 39-ft stupa which is a replication of the holy Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
We are happy to report that $50,000 has now been offered, through the Stupa Fund, to this incredible stupa project.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 stupas around the world. Please rejoice that yet another stupa will be completed toward this long-term aim!
You are welcome to offer any amount directly to the completion of this stupa.
If you would like to support the Stupa Fund, to help ensure that pledges like this continue, you may do so at any time.
Land of Medicine Buddha will be building a Mahabodhi stupa, dedicated to the promotion of peace.