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Pamtingpa Center’s nearly complete stupa, Tonasket, Washington, US, January 2014. Photo by Su Ianniello.
Su Ianniello, spiritual program coordinator at Pamtingpa Center, a small FPMT center in north central Washington in the United States, shares in the April-June 2014 issue of Mandala the story of how the students there came together to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice to build a stupa.
“A few years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche came to the land. As we were all leaving, Rinpoche turned and looked out over the mountains and said, ‘A stupa here.’ That’s how our stupa building project began,” Su writes. “We were still trying to figure out how complete the project two years later. When Lama Zopa Rinpoche came back to town, he told us to build the gompa first, giving us some funds to begin this new project. However, a few weeks after Rinpoche left, we got a message to go back to the stupa project, using the funds for the gompa. These were some good lessons in flexibility.”
Read the complete story with our online edition for Mandala April-June 2014.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Dagri Rinpoche offering to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Ven. Sarah Thresher provided us with the following report on a beautiful long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India.
Losar started very early morning with Yamantaka and Palden Lhamo prayers before dawn. Dagri Rinpoche stayed over at Root Institute to join Rinpoche for the prayers. Before dawn the monks served early morning Tibetan tea and kapse.
After breakfast people began arriving for the long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested by Dagri Rinpoche and Root Institute. Representatives from various Indian centers and the two Maitreya Projects in Bodhgaya and Kushinagar led Rinpoche into the gompa. Rinpoche went first to offer body, speech and mind to the decorated throne of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and then the throne of Lama Yeshe. This Losar was the 30th anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s passing away.
Dagri Rinpoche and Keutsang Rinpoche both took part in the Losar long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Dagri Rinpoche and Keutsang Rinpoche both took part in the puja along with several rows of monks from Sera Je Monastery. Even though Bodhgaya is not busy now, the gompa was full with people showing up from all over to pray for the guru’s long life. Following the tsog offering, Rinpoche took the microphone and began teaching. First, he explained how important these fifteen days of Losar are, the days that commemorate Buddha displaying miracles to subdue the Tirthika teachers, because at this time merit multiplies many 100 millions of times. Rinpoche commented that for lazy people like himself (!) it was an opportunity to make up for time lost the rest of the year when no practice was done.
Rinpoche then continued with a beautiful talk about the qualities of Lama Yeshe and the importance of the guru. He quoted Padampa Sangye who advised, “Cherish the guru more than the Buddha and realizations will come in this lifetime.” Rinpoche described some of the obvious qualities of Lama Yeshe, his always loving aspect that attracted everyone to him, his humility, his wisdom, and Rinpoche explained that Lama was known by all to be a great scholar. Rinpoche then mentioned that Lama Yeshe was also a great yogi who had the tantric realizations of clear light and illusory body but that he hid these profound practices by meditating while lying down during his regular afternoon “nap.” Rinpoche said that whatever benefit the FPMT had been able to offer and however much we ourselves had been able to learn and practice, it was all due to Lama Yeshe’s kindness because it was Lama who set up the organization.
Then Rinpoche praised the director of Root Institute, Ven. Trisha, for her devotion to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and compassion, which meant the center was harmonious and able to benefit sentient beings greatly.
Following the puja, lunch was offered on the lawn and the three lamas sat outside for a long leisurely lunch discussing Dharma.
Please rejoice that another sincere request for Rinpoche’s long life has been made on behalf of FPMT.
All of the walls of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion are now built. Please rejoice! Photo courtesy of Ian Green, Twitter.
Rising 26 meters (85 feet) above the bushlands of central Victoria, Australia, the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion has grown well past the half-way point. Project Director, Ian Green told Mandala magazine during a phone call in January, “We have another 20-21 meters (66-69 feet) to go to reach the complete
height.”
Mandala reports in the April-June 2014 print issue, “Most recently the steel framework for the two-story high bumpa was erected on top of the six-level concrete structure. The bumpa level of the stupa will contain the stupa’s collection of holy relics. It will also be the highest level that the general public will be able to visit and take in the impressive view of the area. More progress will be made between now and September 2014, when the Great Stupa hosts the CPMT meeting, which will bring FPMT representatives together from around the world. Following the week-long meeting, Lama Zopa Rinpoche will present a month-long course inside the Great Stupa, beginning on September 25 .”
In January Ian Green announced, via Twitter, “All walls of Great Stupa of Universal Compassion are now complete and we have started on many of the doors. The large holes are for windows.”
Please rejoice in this amazing progress!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently finished a brand new translation of a teaching on the benefits of offering to stupas, Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas. The monumental work took Rinpoche more than two months to complete in 2013. The text, which Rinpoche would like to be used far and wide, details the benefits of circumambulating and prostrating, making offerings and offering service to stupas. It begins:
King Trisong Detsen requested, ‘Hey, Great Master, what are the benefits of prostrating to, circumambulating, making offerings, offering service and so forth to the great stupa, which in nature embodies all the buddhas of the three times?’…
—Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas
—
Dusum Sangay Guru Rinpoche statue, February 2014. Photo courtesy of Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre.
My wish is for FPMT to build many holy objects everywhere, as many as possible. Making it so easy for sentient beings to purify their heavy negative karma and making it so easy for sentient beings to create extensive merit. Which makes it so easy to achieve the realizations of the path and so easy to achieve liberation and enlightenment.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, CPMT 2002, Taos
A 2-meter (7-foot) Padmasambhava statue has been built at New Zealand’s Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre. This statue is of Dusum Sangay Guru Rinpoche, the manifestation of Guru Rinpoche who dispels all obstacles and brings amazing success.
The statue was crafted in Nepal and Gen Tenpa Choden la and Ven. Ani Fran at Kopan Monastery coordinated the production of it.
This brings the number of large Padmasambhava statues around the world, in accordance with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision for FPMT, up to 15!
You can offer any amount to the Padmasambhava Project for Peace, which is dedicated to offering support to the building of many large statues of Padmasambhava around the world in order to create the cause for peace for all beings.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering puja.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, recently offered US$3,469 to the FPMT Puja Fund to support the ongoing amazing array of pujas and activities that are continuously offered and dedicated for the success of FPMT, the health and long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, as well as all FPMT students, benefactors, and to all beings.
The extensive range of 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.”
Supporting the Puja Fund is a high priority for Lama Zopa Rinpoche and he personally donated $65,000 to this project in 2013.
Rinpoche often mentions that much of the success of FPMT is due to the pujas that are happening all the time.
Every month the Puja Fund sponsors the offering of gold and robes to the most holy Jowo Buddha Statue in Tibet.
For example, the following are offered through the Puja Fund:
- Annual 100,000 Tsog Offerings to Padmasambhava
- Annual recitation of 100,000 Praises to the 21 Taras
- Annual recitation of the Kangyur
- Monthly extensive Medicine Buddha Puja
- Monthly Extensive Hayagriva Puja
- Monthly offerings to the Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath stupas
- Monthly offering of robes and gold to the Buddha statues in Tibet and Bodhgaya
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the 15 days of Losar
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during the month of Saka Dawa
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Chokhor Duchen
- Incredible array of pujas and offerings during Lha Bab Duchen
Please consider joining with Rinpoche in supporting The Puja Fund:
Many people are responsible for helping actualize this amazing stupa.
Land of Medicine Buddha, located in Soquel, California, USA has undertaken yet another ambitious holy object project! They are building a 39-ft stupa replicating the holy Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Recently Land of Medicine Buddha received the permits for this amazing stupa! Please rejoice in this incredible accomplishment! Many people have worked incredibly hard for years to actualize this project.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, via the Stupa Fund, has pledged US$50,000 toward the creation of this magnificent stupa.
Land of Medicine Buddha’s stupa plans. This 39 foot stupa will be a replicate of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 stupas around the world.
You can learn more about this stupa or make a donation directly to support this project:
The plan is to build stupas all over the world, individual people or centers [can do this], no matter how many years one puts effort into building stupas, the benefit that this gives to sentient beings every day in so many ways is unimaginable.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, March 2007
Fred Cheong (now ordained as Ven. Drachom) is offering Rinpoche a medallion with 1,000 Namgyalma mantras on it. Photo: Ven. Roger Kunsang May 4, 2013.
Earlier this year, Ven. Drachom (Fred Cheong), vice president of Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s (ABC) executive committee, pledged to liberate 10 million beings for the long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and a team of ABC volunteers are involved in making all of this happen. Ven. Drachom first began doing animal liberation practice when Geshe Lama Konchog became ill with cancer in 2000. He pledged to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to liberate one million animals for Geshe Lama Konchog, which he did and then some. When Rinpoche manifested a stroke in 2011, Ven. Drachom and his team liberated 10 million animals in four months, dedicating the merit to Rinpoche’s complete recovery and long life.
About once a month at ABC, sea creatures are purchased at a seafood market to liberate. Then they circumambulate the animals around center, which has 100 sets of the Kangyur and Tengyur as well as more than 300 stupas and many holy objects, including prayer wheels and statues. They do the animal liberation practice in the FPMT Prayer Book. Then, using a boat, the animals are taken to a place where they can be released. “We have good conditions to do this,” Ven. Drachom explains. “We are close to the sea and have a good place to release them, where they are in the correct environment.”
Strong prayers and dedications are made for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life and to stay with us and guide us, and for all of His Holiness’ prayers and wishes to come true as well as for the long life and perfect health of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and for all of Rinpoche’s wishes and prayers to succeed.
“At ABC, our intention is to continue doing animal liberation practice and benefiting beings forever – life after life,” Ven. Drachom said. For the future, he envisions that those who know about doing liberations and who have liberated many animals will teach and share that knowledge with others.
Please rejoice in all the lives saved and thank you to all the kind donors, Ven. Drachom and the students of Amitabha Buddhist Center who help to make all this possible.
The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal, are sponsored to complete two 100 Million Mani Retreats each year through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund.
Every year since 2009, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has sponsored the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery to complete one and now two 100 Million Mani Retreat (100 million recitations of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM). This is offered through the kindness of a benefactor and the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund. To date the following has been sponsored:
- 2009: One retreat was sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2010: One retreat was sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2011: One retreat was sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2012: Two retreats were sponsored over Saka Dawa
- 2013: Two retreats were sponsored beginning on Lama Tsongkhapa Day
In addition to the 100 Million Mani Retreats taking place over the next six months, the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is offering all the cost of food to all the nuns for this period as well as the cost of a very qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lam-rim teachings. This is very important for the nuns’ studies. The retreat lasts three months and about seventy nuns participate. Each nun doing the recitations receives a small offering and the nunnery also receives an offering. This is the main means of support for the nuns and the nunnery.
The nunnery has also managed to save a little from the last five years of offerings to rebuild the nunnery kitchen.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote a letter to the nuns encouraging them in their efforts and explaining why these retreats and their other Dharma practices are so imperative and beneficial.
“My concern is that the Dharma knowledge alone and experience to tame the mind does not produce a good heart. One does not get realizations of paths and grounds that is needed through meditating on the path along with collecting merits and purification of obscurations. Even if one does get a little education and then leaves the nunnery, then goes on to work for money. Then one gives up the ethics of the individual liberation vow that leads one to the state of liberation. I hope it won’t happen like that….
“Since the start of reciting 100 million mani mantras, because of this all the surrounding areas will have rain on time and good harvests. It happens just like the story of the four harmonious friends. This is the sign that you all did good practice by reciting the 100 million mani mantras. And also it is the blessing of Arya Avalokiteshvara [In Tibetan: Chenrezig]….
You are welcome to contribute to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Fund which supports these yearly retreats.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche making offerings for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life at the conclusion of this year’s Jangchub Lam-Rim teaching event at Sera Je Monastery.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche had a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Sera Je Monastery on January 2, 2014. Ven. Roger Kunsang shares that during the interview, His Holiness highly praised the three great monasteries (Sera, Ganden and Drepung) for their learning and for preserving the teachings of the Buddha in their entirety. Then His Holiness said that even the Buddha had to eat so that he could teach, and it was the same with the great Indian pandits – they needed to eat in order to be able to teach others. The monks need to rely on food in order to be educated in these great establishments of learning and His Holiness said that this is why the food fund that Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT has established and offered for many years[the Sera Je Food Fund] is so very important.
What is Offered?
Every month an incredible amount of food is bought, prepared and offered through the Sera Je Food Fund in order to provide food for the 2,500 monks of the monastery.
For example, over three recent months US$11,458 (712,243 rs) was spent on food purchases for breakfast. Food is offered to 3,300 monks for breakfast. This included:
- 8,631 pounds of flour
- 6,831 liters of milk
You can see more details about what is offered daily for breakfast.
For lunch, US$16,111.26 (1,001,502 rs) was spent on food purchases over three recent months.
This included:
- 51,380 bananas
- 4,432 bundles of green vegetables
You can see more details about what is offered daily for lunch.
US$11,287 (701,620 rs) was spent on dinner over three recent months. This included:
- 97 bottles of soy sauce
- 5,260 pounds of rice
You can see more details about what is offered daily for dinner.
The Sera Je Food Fund provides three nutritious meals to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery.
During His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchub Lam-Rim teaching event at Sera Je Monastery
The Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen offered dry food to all of the monks as the kitchen was not able to prepare food due to some restraints associated with this massive event. However, during that period the kitchen made sure all the monks had the food to prepare themselves.
Thank you
This ongoing offering is possible due to the incredible kindness of so many who supported the Sera Food Fund over the last twenty-two years, as well as the team at Sera Je Monastery: Ven. Ngawang Sangye, Ven. Rabten, Ven. Kelden; the amazing cooks and monastery staff and administration including the monastery manager, Geshe Thubten Monlam. On behalf of all the monks: Thank you for your incredible support and please rejoice in this amazing offering that we are able to make every day of the last twenty-two years to over 2,500 monks.
You are welcome to offer any amount at any point to this incredible daily offering of food to Sere Je Monastery’s most precious Sangha.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the Vajrapani Institute family, November 2013.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently pledged, through the Prayer Wheel Fund, US$10,000 toward a giant prayer wheel which Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, is building once funds are raised.
Vajrapani Institute is planning for the prayer wheel to house one trillion OM MANI PADME HUM mantras, the mantra of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has given extensive advice regarding the benefits of prayer wheels in relation to this powerful mantra.
From The Peerless Wish-Granting Jewel Tantra: “The person who turns this wheel which possesses OM MANI PADME HUM will be blessed by all the gurus, the deities will grant realizations, those gone to bliss will pay attention to him or her, and the Dharma protectors will eliminate all obstacles.
—- Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel California has finished three impressive prayer wheels. They contain: over 170 billion mantras as well as many sets of texts, 12 billion mantras, and 64 billion mantras respectively.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 prayer wheels around the world. The following advice was given by Rinpoche regarding this vision:
“[I would like] for the whole organization to build 100,000 prayer wheels in different parts of the world, a minimum height of six feet. Prayer wheels are a great blessing for each country….The idea is to get as many people involved as possible. If you are personally going to build a one-storey stupa, you can’t afford it. But if many people, help by offering $100, $10 or $20, then also you become part of the building. It is incredible. Even children can help, each child donate $1 or $5. This is a very good way of doing it. This way it benefits so many sentient beings, liberates and brings them to enlightenment, even including the insects and mosquitoes landing on the stupa or the worms on the ground, because the rain comes, touches the stupa and flows down on the ground and purifies the worms.”
You can read more of Rinpoche’s explanation of the benefits of making prayer wheels.
To date, approximately eleven prayer wheels have been build, only 99,989 to go!
You can learn more about Vajrapani Institute’s prayer wheel and donate directly to their project. As Rinpoche says, if many people get involved, this amazing prayer wheel can be actualized.
You are welcome to donate at any time to the Prayer Wheel Fund which contributes to Rinpoche’s wishes for large prayer wheels around the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche making offerings for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life at the conclusion of this year’s Jangchub Lam-Rim teaching event at Sera Je Monastery.
FPMT had the incredible fortunate to make offerings for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the conclusion of this year’s Jangchub Lam-Rim teaching event at Sera Je Monastery. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was present and offered a giant silver Dharmachakra, a beautiful White Tara thangka made of pearls, and over US$20,000 on behalf of all FPMT centers, projects and services.
Each year FPMT is committed to arrange or be an official benefactor for His Holiness’ long life puja. Over twenty years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested for this to happen annually. Please rejoice!
Lama Zopa Rnpoche with the exquisite long life thangka made with pearls which offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Tremendous thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful long life offering. You can donate anytime to the Long Life Puja Fund for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the children from the Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Sera Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
In January, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave many oral transmissions and teachings to school children from the Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Ladakh, India. The school was set up by the monks of Ngari Khangtsen at Sera Je Monastery in South India. The children were brought to Sera Je for the recent Jangchup Lamrim teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, is offering food to all the children (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) this year. The cost is 10,000,000 rs ( US$15,873). This is the second year that Rinpoche has been able to make this offering.
The children at the Ngari Institute are orphans or have come from very poor families. They follow the standard government educational curriculum during the day and learn about Tibetan Buddhism and culture during after-school hours.
Rinpoche’s assistant Ven. Roger Kunsang reported that the children have memorized many prayers and Lama Chöpa and “they know all the tunes!” (See video below.)