FPMT Community: Stories & News

Brian Rae at Dorje Chang Institute, New Zealand, at end of year potluck lunch, December 13, 2020.

Brian Rae passed away suddenly of a heart attack on September 12, 2025 in Taupo, New Zealand.

The following words celebrating Brian’s qualities, interests, and years of service in the FPMT mandala were prepared by Simon Harrison, a FPMT-registered teacher, with input from Brian’s sister Susan, his wife Paula, and Ven. Gyalten Wangmo, the spiritual program coordinator of Dorje Chang Institute.

Brian can be best summed up with 3Hs: hats, hugs, and happiness. He was a big-hearted, big-chested, big-smiling man, for whom nothing was too much trouble. He filled many roles around Dharma centers in New Zealand. He served on the board of Mahamudra Centre and was a trustee of Dorje Chang Institute from 2021 until he passed away on Friday, September 12, 2025, with no warning signs, shortly after completing his morning prayers.

Brian first connected with Dorje Chang Institute (DCI) around 2009, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited New Zealand and has been a constant support for both DCI and Mahamudra Centre ever since.

Brian Rae with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New Zealand, 2013.

He took on the role of national coordinator for FPMT New Zealand in 2014 to coordinate the visit by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche the following year. He continued in the role until after His Eminence Ling Rinpoche visited in 2020, after which Covid kept us all in our own little bubbles.

Brian loved his family: his wife Paula; three daughters, Ella, Lucy (husband Jake) and Georgia (husband Oliver); and three grandchildren, Luca, Fleur and Leah. There were many times the family would gather with Brian at the heart of it, building Legos with the kids and regaling the rest with extensive stories of the latest “new” thing. He and Paula had just completed building their retirement retreat overlooking Lake Taupo, close to the grandchildren, when he was so suddenly taken from us.

His Dharma journey was infectious. Joined by his sister, Susan, together they would appear for teachings or to offer service at Mahamudra Centre or Dorje Chang Institute. Always humble, his passion for the centers and his devotion to his teacher defined him.

At DCI, he recently oversaw the refurbishment of the stupa. He expressed his love of trees as groundsman supervisor. His memory stays with us in the trees and other greenery around the property, as well as being the star of the training videos for groundskeeping equipment.

DCI Stupa Refurbishment Project, with Brian Rae assisting Geshe Wangchen, April 6, 2024.

While managing the house build, fulfilling a demanding job with Auckland Airport, sharing his loves for family and trees, and serving on DCI’s board, Brian managed to complete a full round of the FPMT Basic Program with Geshe Thupten Wangchen at DCI.

His final lesson to us all is the fragility and impermanence of this precious rebirth, and the manner of making it happy and useful.

We pray that all of his merit through service, study, practice, and warm-heartedness will serve him well into the future up to his enlightenment.

Please pray that Brian may never ever be reborn in the lower realms, may he be immediately born in a pure land where he can be enlightened or to receive a perfect human body, meet the Mahayana teachings and meet a perfectly qualified guru and by only pleasing the guru’s mind, achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. More advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources (fpmt.org/death/).

To read more obituaries from the international FPMT mandala, and to find information on submission guidelines, please visit our new Obituaries page (fpmt.org/media/obituaries/).

Foundation Service Seminar participants at IVY, France, September. Photo by Capucine Reddon.

FPMT International Office staffer Zarina Osmonalieva attended her fist Foundation Service Seminar at Institut Vajra Yogini in France this September. Here she shares her experience joining this FPMT immersion retreat. 

Led by Francois Lecointre and Wendy Ridley, the latest Foundation Service Seminar was held at Institut Vajra Yogini, France (IVY), from September 24-28, 2025. Around 40 participants from different FPMT affiliates from Europe joined. We had the pleasure of sharing the FSS with Sangha members and a new team of volunteers and directors, Venerable Tendar and Christophe Rotiel, of Vajrayogini Institute. What a great start it must be for them, I thought, as FSS with its rich content about the history and values of FPMT, teachings of lamas, Vast Visions for the next thousand years set out by Lama Zopa Rinpoche could be a great boost of energy and motivation!

Many conditions made this FSS a harmonious and safe space to learn about the culture and significance of service within FPMT. Vajrayogini Institute’s team of volunteers offered their best to make everyone feel welcomed and comfortable and nourished by tasty meals. Wendy and Francois, with their many years of service as center directors and FSS trainers, skillfully facilitated the process of internalizing the values and learning the ways of serving at centers and study groups and igniting the “family feeling.”

FSS facilitators, Francois Lecointre and Wendy Ridley, leading a session at IVY. Photo by Capucine Reddon.

The format of FSS reminded me of the creative methods used in the 16 Guidelines workshops, where group exercises and playful activities do some magic – they open hearts to new encounters and friendships and allow space for collective wisdom to emerge. I am sure we all made meaningful connections and found new friends!

All participants were gifted a set of Inner Job Description cards, a tool that helps developing mindfulness of our thoughts, speech, and actions. A few participants mentioned they would be happy to use them in their services at centers. One participant shared, “Lots of aspects (of IJD) are practical and I will put them into practice personally.”

One very important message that we were all reminded of was that when offering Dharma service, we do not focus on the outcome only, but on how we do things. We also discussed how understanding our dependence on each other guides us in doing things in a more holistic and sustainable way.

My personal takeaway from FSS this time would be the importance of how we offer service versus getting things done. Very often we may focus on our to-do lists more than creating spaces for spiritual maturation. We may ignore the needs of others because we are busy ticking off completed tasks, or we may ignore our own needs for reflection and rejuvenation and forget that rest and joy are also important ingredients of success.

As Acharya Shantideva says: “The supports when working for the sake of living beings are aspiration, steadfastness, joy and rest.”

We all left IVY feeling immense gratitude and joy. As one of the participants said, “Thank you very much for your tireless preparation and presentation. Thank you also to all those work so hard for FPMT providing resources, archiving teachings, fundraising, but above all, practicing sincerely the Dharma and Wisdom Culture.”

I felt that FSS is not limited to the service within FPMT, it is about cultivating the mindset of offering our best to our family members, friends, and the world at large.

Zarina Osmonalieva worked for Yeshin Norbu Center in Stockholm, Sweden, between 2018 and 2023, first as social media person, then as SPC. Zarina joined the team at FPMT International Office in 2023 and offers service across several departments, including the FPMT Foundation Store, which she manages.

A Foundation Service Seminar is scheduled at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa, Italy, June 10-14, 2026. 

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. 

Dancers from Indonesia performing for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Main Tibetan Temple courtyard during the long life prayers and cultural performances in Dharamsala, India on September 20, 2025. Photo by Tenzin Choejor

On September 20, more than a thousand people from Korea and several South-east Asian countries gathered in the courtyard of the Main Tibetan Temple, Dharamsala, India,  to make prayers and offer praise and cultural performances for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life, in celebration of His Holiness’s ninetieth birthday which occurred July 6. During the ceremony, a joint statement was read on behalf of all the participants by Thich Nhat Tu, Vice Head of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. This joint statement affirmed that His Holiness has devoted his entire life to strengthening Buddhist traditions while at the same time fostering interfaith dialogue. The statement praised his steadfast commitment to nonviolence, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of Tibetan culture has inspired generations and unanimously declared His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be “The Universal Supreme Patriarch of the Buddhist World.” 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Main Tibetan Temple courtyard during long life prayers and cultural performances in Dharamsala, India on September 20, 2025. Photo by Tenzin Choejor

His Holiness addressed the crowd, offering a detailed history of his studies and arrival in India in 1959. “Anyway, my main practice throughout my life has been cultivating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the altruistic aspiration for enlightenment, and the view of emptiness,” His Holiness said. “Today, you have all gathered here to offer prayers for my long life. I would like to thank you all, especially the monastics, for coming to make these prayers. We haven’t gathered for the sake of amusement, but for spiritual reasons. As I said before I make it a point to cultivate bodhichitta and the view of emptiness on a daily basis. I also observe and uphold the Vinaya vows of a Buddhist monk. In addition, I reflect on the Perfection of Wisdom and Middle Way philosophy that I studied for so many years.”

Please continue to read a full report on his joyful event and enjoy many photos, and join us in rejoicing in this wonderful declaration from the participants of this celebration. 

For more on His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his beneficial activities, please visit DalaiLama.com.

H.E. Ganden Trisur Rinpoche speaking at CPMT 2025, Kopan Monastery, April 11, 2025. Photo by Capucine Reddon.

With deep sadness and reverence we share news of a great loss for Tibetan Buddhism and the world. His Eminence the 104th Ganden Trisur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin, showed the aspect of passing away on September 26, 2025 at his residence at Sera Je Monastery, Bylakkupe, India. 

H.E. Ganden Trisur Rinpoche was teacher to thousands of Sangha and disciples worldwide and many within the FPMT organization, particularly from Kopan Monastery, offering tremendous support to Kopan over the years. Participants of the 2025 CPMT Summit at Kopan were blessed to receive Rinpoche’s wisdom and presence during a very special visit to Kopan during the meeting in April.

His Eminence was appointed the 104th Ganden Tripa by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 2017, and he successfully served in this seat until November 2024. The position of Ganden Tripa, which can be translated as “holder of the Ganden throne,” is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Unlike reincarnation lineages, the Ganden Tripa is an appointed position, held for seven years, and alternately filled by the Jangtse Choje and the Sharpa Choje. 

H.E. Ganden Trisur Rinpoche with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, January 14, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Many FPMT centers have shared information about prayers and pujas offered at this time, please do check with your local center for opportunities to join. Kopan Monastery immediately arranged to offer The Eight Prayers and will be offering Lama Chöpa on September 27 at 8:00 a.m. local time. 

In 2017 His Eminence visited Maitripa College and FPMT International Office in Portland, OR, USA, and was interviewed by staff of both, accompanied by Yangsi Rinpoche, who served as translator for the interview. We invite you to read this inspiring conversation where His Holiness discusses his life as a young monk in Tsang, Tibet, the impact of Chinese military activities on his studies, his decision to flee Tibet, and his thoughts regarding the current state of monastic education in India. 

His Eminence was always incredibly available, supportive, and kind to the FPMT organization and willing to offer advice and guidance, including at the recent CPMT Summit at Kopan Monastery.

The loss of such a highly regarded teacher with such obvious qualities will be felt deeply by students around the world.  We join all students of His Eminence the 104th Ganden Trisur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang in praying for his swift return and deep rejoicing in this truly beneficial and inspiring life of kindness, service, and humility. 

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. 

Jhado Rinpoche in front of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, September 2025. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion.

On September 14–15, 550 people received the Kalachakra initiation from His Eminence Jhado Rinpoche at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised Ian Green, Director of the Great Stupa, that this initiation should occur once a giant Kalachakra mandala was completed on the ceiling of the Great Stupa. Following the initiation, a Kalachakra Mind Mandala retreat  began with 50 participants on September 16 with Jhado Rinpoche conducting the preliminary rites and leading the first three days of the retreat. This retreat will continue through October 19. On October 17, a public talk and consecration of the Kalachakra Mandala ceiling will occur, followed by a concluding fire puja for the retreat and long life puja for Jhado Rinpoche on October 18.  

Please read more on the history of Kalachakra at the Great Stupa along with details on the impressive mandala on the 65.5 ft x 65.5 ft (20 meters x 20 meters) ceiling of the Great Stupa. 

“Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche first talked about a Kalachakra mandala on the ceiling of the Great Stupa during his 2014 visit,” Great Stupa of Universal Compassion Director, Ian Green explains. “In 2018 we spoke to Rinpoche about various ways of making the ceiling which included radical ideas such an illuminated LED ceiling or even a stained-glass window. No decision was made at that time, but we continued to explore options until a decision was made in 2021 to create the mandala out of a polycarbonate that offered rigidity, longevity, lightness of weight, precision of colors, affordability, and low maintenance as well as meeting fire regulations. We made Lama Zopa Rinpoche aware that we had started work on the ceiling which made him happy that this project was underway.” 

Kalachakra ceiling mandala at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. Photo courtesy of the Great Stupa.

Associated with the promotion of world peace, the Kalachakra—or “Wheel of Time”—tantra is one of the most detailed and encompassing systems of theory and practice within Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lamas have had a strong interest in Kalachakra over the centuries and carry on the initiation lineage of the Gelug tradition. All the main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism practice Kalachakra. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has given the Kalachakra initiation 34 times throughout his life, with the first initiation occurring in 1954 in Lhasa, Tibet, and the most recent  in 2017 in Bodhgaya, India. 

“Lama Zopa said that this [Kalachakra mandala] ceiling would be very important for world peace and that we should have a Kalachakra initiation as soon as the ceiling was complete,” Ian shared. “Rinpoche requested His Holiness the Dalai Lama to lead a Kalachakra retreat on two or three occasions but, on each occasion, His Holiness responded that Australia was too far for him to travel especially as the preparations for a Kalachakra initiation were very involved. Rinpoche then requested Kyabje Jhado Rinpoche to conduct the Kalachakra initiation inside the Great Stupa. Jhado Rinpoche said during the recent initiation that Lama Zopa spoke extensively to him about the Great Stupa and about the Kalachakra initiation. Jhado Rinpoche said that by holding the Kalachakra initiation on September 14–15 inside the Great Stupa he was very happy that he had fulfilled his commitment to Lama Zopa.”

An estimated 25,000 hours of collective work over three years was required to complete the Kalachakra Mandala Ceiling. “The project has been advised by Jhado Rinpoche, Karma Phuntsok, and Andy Weber,” Ian said. “It was led by Artistic Supervisor Garrey Foulkes, Project Manager Guy Lawson, and Works Manager Finn Mathews. Lead artists Garrey Foulkes, Krissie Foulkes, and Guy Lawson were supported by resident artist Lucy Wang and a team of 60 volunteer artists. Panels were the responsibility of Raph Venn, printing by Mike Korsos, and computer art by Michael Gardner.” 

What an unbelievable achievement due to the effort of so many! We truly rejoice in this accomplishment which was an expressed wish of Lama Zopa Rinpoche!

The FPMT  organization invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama to confer the Kalachakra initiation in Sydney, Australia in 1996. This was Australia’s first elaborate Kalachakra initiation. Please read the story from the 1996 Mandala archives, “Beyond Extraordinary: His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Australia” written by Ven. Robina Courtin. 

New Kalachakra Sadhana Available

We are also very happy to share a new sadhana related to the practice of Kalachakra.

The Excellent Vase of All Siddhis: A Mind Mandala Sadhana of Glorious Kalachakra, composed by the Seventh Dalai Lama, Lozang Kalzang Gyatso is a sadhana of the Kalachakra Mind Mandala, complete with the very extensive protection circle and complemented with the ritual texts and prayers that are useful for engaging in the mind mandala retreat.

We also have made updates to The Kalachakra Six-Session Guru Yoga together with An Extensive Review of the Three Vows and An Extensive Prayer and the Six-Session Guru Yoga.

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. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the garden at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, October 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Our September e-News is now available and we are sharing news, resources, and causes for rejoicing including:

• Sutra of Golden Light for World Peace
• Teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe
• An update from the FPMT Inc. Board
• Grants offered to health care and essential services
• Grants offered for animal blessings and rescue from untimely death
• Resources and opportunities for study and practice
• Job opportunities in the FPMT organization including FPMT International Office’s search for a new Executive Director

and much more! 

Please read this month’s e-news in its entirety. 

Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page.

Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.

Participants in the calm-abiding and lamrim retreat led by Ven. Rene Feusi at Nalanda Monastery in August. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

Sixty-eight participants attended a calm-abiding and lamrim retreat led by Ven. René Feusi at Nalanda Monastery, France, from August 15-30, 2025. Based on his own extensive  meditative practice, Ven. René explained various topics such as guru devotion, various levels of emptiness, bodhicitta, and calm-abiding and awareness in daily life. “By his mere presence,” Ven. Sherab of Nalanda Monastery shared, “he also directly shared his own experience beyond the intellect: just being that stillness of the mind for a while and feeling the freedom—once the heavy burden—of the hallucination of inherent existence slightly dissolve, like the morning fog slowly disappearing in the rising sun.”

Most of the participants who had followed a ten day retreat with Ven. René at Nalanda in 2024 said that during this longer retreat, Ven. René went deeper and deeper into the topics. “We all have requested Ven. René to come back next year, maybe for a bit longer period of time, hopefully for an even deeper experience,” Ven. Sherab shared. 

From the Archive: We also want to take the opportunity to share an interview Ven. Robina Courtin conducted with Ven. René Feusi in 1996 for Mandala magazine, regarding his 2.5 year retreat in Spain. 

We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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. r

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to establish 100 Million Mani Retreats (100,000 recitations of 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM) around the world.

For the thirteenth year, FPMT Mongolia is currently hosting a 100 Million Mani Retreat and online participation is welcome! This retreat started August 23 and will continue through September 21. 

The sessions are livestreamed on FPMT Mongolia’s Facebook page, and you can tune in anytime. Any level of participation is wonderful, but you are encouraged to complete at least one Chenrezig sadhana per day for the duration of the retreat if you are able, but this of course is not compulsory. However, please only include the mantras you recited within the practice of the sadhana, in your final mantra count.

A short Chenrezig sadhana as well as precious virtual Mani Retreat teachings are available to all. 

Please check the FPMT Mongolia Facebook page for information on how to report your mantras once this becomes available. 

Please rejoice in the incredible effort to generate unbelievable merit for the FPMT organization, for the fulfillment of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions, and for the cultivation of loving-kindness in the hearts of all. 

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. 

Members of the UBI/ILTK debate class meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India, 2022, who expressed his joy that we were learning Nalanda debate in their own languages.

The tradition of Buddhist debate originated in Nalanda University in the 5th century CE in Bihar, India. The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, famously encouraged students to investigate the teachings through reasoning, saying, “Do not accept what I say on faith, but test it as a goldsmith tests gold—cutting it, rubbing it, melting it—and only then accept it as valid.” Nalanda Tradition Debate is a framework designed to expose inner doubts and contradictions as one tests the Buddha’s teachings with one’s own experiences, with the intention of leading both oneself and others to valid cognitions of reality and the realization of emptiness. It is dynamic, relevant, and practical in everyday life —and only recently became available in languages other than Tibetan. 

Two current students of the Nalanda debate course offered by The Italian Buddhist Union (UBI) in cooperation with Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Ven. Thubten Chöying and Henrik Frölund share with us some insightful perspectives on the topic below:

Is Nalanda debate for me?

 If you’re familiar with Nalanda Tradition Debate, you might not have gotten involved because it seems like something only done in monasteries or only in Tibetan. Maybe you didn’t know there are growing opportunities to learn in English and other languages. Or maybe it just seems too intellectual and complicated. Perhaps you’re not familiar with it at all, and aren’t sure how to learn more.

 We thought we could help address those concerns along with our fifth year international classmates in the online Nalanda debate program originally created by Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa and taught by Dr. Atisha Mathur with the help of tutors Ven. Tenzin Drolma, Ven. Tenzin Kunsang, and others. While we are mostly describing this program, many of us have participated in other additional shorter debate programs, and so are including those experiences as well.

 Is Nalanda debate needed when I’ve done Buddhist study already?

Consider the benefits of learning debate with an excellent teacher, as described by Bee Lan Lim (USA): “Joining the ILTK debate course was one of the best decisions I made in studying Buddhism. I realized then I had done it backwards, and the class filled a major gap, especially when it was taught by Atisha Mathur. Atisha-la has a brilliant mind and a brilliance with words. His debate classes trained me to properly investigate Buddha’s teachings before accepting them. I think everyone should learn debate as a way to learn critical thinking. It is a basic skill to debunk lies that we tell ourselves and others.”

 Also, Shmuel Ruppo (Israel) said, “I study debate in general, and with Atisha specifically, because it enables me to be challenged on my understanding of Dharma. Often, my understanding is lacking—whether uncertain, vague, imprecise, just plain wrong, or even contradictory to what the texts say or to basic facts about reality! Putting my understanding on the spot, with me trying to defend it and others challenging me, makes it much more likely for me to change my understanding …

“For example, I can find out that I hold a position strongly, but for no reason at all – just by virtue of it being said often enough by my teachers. It requires help from the outside to make this crystal clear to me, and actually begin to seek necessary reasons for my views.”

Rimpi Jindal (India) tells us how, after many years of studying the Dharma: “It changed a lot. Before, I thought Dharma was mostly about learning the teachings and trying to follow them. But through debate, I realized it’s actually a very investigative process. You’re encouraged to question everything, analyze, and reason it out for yourself. That gave me so much confidence because it’s not blind faith – it’s about understanding deeply. Now I see Dharma as something alive, something you can really test and apply in everyday life.”

Celebrating another successful debate retreat with students from three different years at Thösamling Nunnery, Dharamshala, 2024. Photo courtesy of Thösamling Nunnery, Institute, and Retreat Center.

 Is Nalanda debate only for Buddhists?

The practice and topics of debate are both used to engage with reality and question our assumptions regarding what we perceive, which is important regardless of whether someone is Buddhist or not.

 “As a non-Buddhist,” Sabrina Zanetti (Italy) explained, “I can recommend debate to anyone interested in fostering a clearer, more critical mind. It is not necessary to have studied Buddhist topics previously: all the necessary information is provided gradually by the teachers. Step by step we grow to understand that a large part of the information normally used to make decisions or make judgments is taken for granted. What seemed like solid ground becomes unstable, and people look for different reasons to support their beliefs. We gain a method to give ourselves a more conscious orientation in the bombardment of information to which we are subjected. And on top of all this, Atisha Mathur is a teacher who presents topics that have been studied in depth for a long time with great passion and enthusiasm, with the help of valid tutors and sharing a path in a climate of great collaboration with the other students.”

Is Nalanda debate too intellectual to be helpful to me?

 While words like “logic,” “reasoning,” “valid cognition,” and even “debate” sound like topics that would only interest intellectuals and erudite scholars, in the Tibetan monasteries and nunneries, even young teens learn Nalanda debate.

 Karen D.C. (Belgium) found that debate helps in all her decision-making. “Debate is helpful for those who, like me, overthink and doubt a lot about small or large decisions in life. I used to desperately want to give ‘the right answer’ and then be undecisive, but through debating I have noticed that it is better to give a ‘wrong’ answer than to not answer. When an answer doesn’t work, that will become clear as the debate continues and then I can change my mind. But if I don’t answer, nothing becomes clear. Experiencing that in debate, made it easier for me to take other decisions more lightly as well…Also I find [I’m] learning to really think for myself and not be swayed just because many other people say otherwise.”

 “For me,” Rimpi added, “the most rewarding thing has been noticing little changes in how I respond to life. I still have ups and downs, but things that used to really upset me don’t feel as heavy anymore. I pause more before reacting and sometimes I actually choose patience or kindness when before I would’ve gotten annoyed. It’s those small shifts that feel so powerful because they show that the practice is working, it’s not just theory, it’s changing how I live.”

Is Nalanda debate just like having a discussion?

 It is amazing how many arguments start with two people having different definitions of the same term – which means that they are actually discussing two different things. On top of that, they have no structure where these discrepancies come to light and thus frustration and anger develop.

 Naga Dhoopati (USA) sees it like this: “In normal society or in our political debates, we see [discussions and] debates become one person making statements to please their audience or oppose the other person, without any valid reasoning. In Nalanda debate, one is not trying to win over the other person or get cheers from the audience by making a statement. Here you are taking the responsibility of pulling the other person out of samsara through valid reasoning and making them look at a statement, a syllogism, with different possibilities.”

 Is Nalanda debate too conceptual? I like to meditate.

The connection between meditation and debate is perhaps not clear to everyone, and some even believe them to be in contradiction. Common misperceptions about meditation are that the purpose is simply to empty the mind of thoughts, or that liberation can be attained through only concentration meditation. According to the Buddha’s teachings, to realize emptiness, it’s necessary to combine concentration and analysis. In order to understand why this is necessary for liberation, one needs to use conception to analyze the teachings. Nalanda Debate is a powerful and effective method designed exactly for these purposes.

 Elroy Fernandes (India) expressed how debate benefitted his meditation. “My debate practice has enhanced my ability to grasp the object of meditation. While I don’t claim full understanding, it has become easier for me to identify the object when contemplating non-self. I credit this clearer insight to my experience with debate.”

 Sabrina agreed that “The conceptual mind must be overcome. But,” she continued, “for me it is an indispensable tool for analyzing how to overcome it. Choosing the right path to obtain a result is not an easy choice: the aspects of the path itself and its object must be clearly identified. The best tool to do all this is a detailed analysis, and the debate teaches me exactly this. In a second moment, once I have identified the object, I will be able to make it an instrument of my meditation. Without forgetting that the debate, requiring concentration on its object, is already a form of meditation. They are not two separate paths, two different and contradictory ways of obtaining a result. Instead, they are in close collaboration, indeed. In my opinion, debate is really necessary, because it helps to identify errors and eliminate them.”

 Henrik (one of the authors), shares his view on the subject: “In the end, all meditation will be an effect of some form of reasoning since you need to have a reason to sit there in the first place. Faulty reasoning with regards to the goal of your practice will at some point produce a doubt in your mind and at that point the debate starts again. We can’t just suppress the doubts with ‘Buddha said so’ or some ready-made statement from a teacher – it might distract your doubting mind for a while, but in the end only correct reasoning resulting in inferential valid cognition will be enough.”

 As Zarina Osmonalieva (Sweden) puts it: “I really recommend everyone who is studying Dharma to understand the basic principles of debate and put aside fears that it is too intellectual or too conceptual. Without changing the rational mind, according to Buddhist psychology, it is very difficult to develop deep realizations.”

Ven. Lobsang Kunsang tutoring students in the ILTK tea garden during an in-person retreat. Photo courtesy of Ven. Thubten Chöying.

Do I need Nalanda debate when I already have excellent teachers?

No doubt there are excellent teachers giving precious and complete teachings, but are we always the best listeners?

 Karen D.C. describes an interesting analogy from His Holiness. “Over the course of the years, I have noticed a gradual change in the way I was listening to dharma teachings. Even though I didn’t really notice at that time, I used to accept quite a lot of what was said blindly. I investigated in some ways, but I lacked the ability to properly question and investigate. His Holiness often makes the analogy of eating without teeth.

 After learning debate for some time, I started to notice how many things actually weren’t clear to me during Dharma teachings, how many doubts I had, how many open questions were remaining. I really started to miss the debate approach when it wasn’t there. I felt uncomfortable leaving all these doubts unaddressed. His Holiness compares approaching the Buddha’s teaching using debate to having teeth to eat food, one is able to chew the teachings and investigate them. This is how I felt and still feel, and I am really grateful for that.”

 Seeing it as the key to staying with her studies, Patrizia Miroballo (Italy) said, “As for the study of the Dharma, I probably would not have continued for a long time without logic and debate, because I feel that, for me, it is the only way I can have the opportunity to understand things correctly and in a deeper way.”

 Erez (Israel) sees a marked difference in his engagement with the Dharma. “My personal experience is you get to develop the ability to understand the philosophical debates way deeper than before. Now I’m able to actually dissect parts of text and argue for and against its meaning rather that just memorise what Geshe-la said and hope not to forget it. Highly recommended but bring patience with you.”

 Is Nalanda debate real practice? I want Dharma experiences.

 Whether our practice is working or not comes down to how it affects our daily life, and students have seen very practical results. The real work is in the mind, and speaking candidly, Shmuel shared how, “If a view feels emotionally rewarding, it is easy to strongly hold it without good reason. But if something is true, it does not follow that it will necessarily feel pleasant – the interaction in debate can act as bitter medicine to realize that one’s understanding is actually wrong.”

 Patrizia found that, “At the beginning, the debate was a real surprise: such a fun way to study difficult topics and at the same time to train the mind in becoming more sharp and clear!

In ordinary life it happened that I had a better ability to evaluate situations in detail and quickly find the best solutions.”

 Naga saw many positive changes in her daily life. “In my out-of-the-classroom experiences, I realized how the debate study has helped me articulate right speech in work environments, improve my listening skills, analyze better, and help others in their health and well-being…It has been a wonderful opportunity to study with so many wonderful students, who became best of friends through these debate courses.”

 Rimpi related a personal change in her view that happened during debate: “One of my best memories is from a debate session where I learned about the concept of ‘isolates.’ While debating, I realized that a person can have many different roles or identities at the same time. We often have high expectations from our friends and family, but we don’t always understand the different roles they might be juggling. Learning about this concept and applying it in real life helped me see things more clearly and helped me to improve my relationship with friends and family. That moment was both exciting and humbling, and it truly changed the way I approached debates after that.”

 Maybe Nalanda debate is not for me.

In a way, that is exactly right, because it is the best method for realizing selflessness – there’s no inherent “me” that it’s for. On the compassion side, if we are developing a genuine understanding of emptiness, it will only help to soften our hearts as well, and bring us closer to others.

Venerable Tenzin Paldron (India) shares: “Although I still feel very much like a novice trying to find her feet in the marshy swamp of my afflictions, I am very grateful for the opportunity I received over the years, to develop this essential tool of logic and reasoning to see things more clearly and compassionately.

 It has also enhanced within me a willingness and a determination to do whatever it takes to continue to hone this skill to attain fearlessness and happiness for myself and for others, thus fulfilling the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and my teachers to become a genuine 21st century spiritual practitioner.”

Exploring Nalanda Debate Further

Here are some ways you can learn debate and see if it benefits your practice in the ways discussed above. 

Karen De Causmaecker challenges classmate Paola Zuin while debating in ILTK’s tea garden. Photo courtesy of Ven. Thubten Chöying.

The Art of Reasoning in the Nalanda Tradition, Italy

The course created by ILTK is now offered by The Italian Buddhist Union (UBI) in cooperation with ILTK, Italy and offered in both English and Italian, online with annual in-person retreat.

When: Online open day on September 5/6; classes start October 2025

Teacher and Tutors: Dr. Atisha Mathur, Ven. Lobsang Kunsang, Duccio Pescini, Henrik Frölund

Please learn more about this course. 

Exploring the Fundamentals of Reasoning and Debate at Ocean of Compassion, CA, USA

 This course offered by Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center is available online and in-person

When: Starting September 15

Teacher: Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

Please learn more about this course. 

 Debate School at Sera Je Monastery, India 

Programs available online and in-person. 

Teachers and Coaches: Geshe Thabkhe, Ven. Losang Donyo, Ven. Lobsang Kunzang, Ven. Tenzin Lekzom, Archhana Kombrabail, and other monk coaches and mentors. 

Please learn more about the Sera Je Debate School.

We gratefully thank Ven. Thubten Chöying and Henrik Frölund for this thoughtful piece about Nalanda debate!

 Ven. Thubten Chöying (Sarah Brooks, USA) is an IMI nun, a current student of UBI/ILTK’s online debate course and ILTK’s FPMT Masters Program, board member of Associazione Monastica Sangha Lhungtok Choekhorling, former Foundation Service Seminar and Inner Job Description trainer, and has served in FPMT centers and projects since 1998.

Henrik Frölund (Sweden) is a student of UBI/ILTK’s Debate Course since 2021, and is also a tutor for the newer students of that program.

We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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. 

Some of the participants of the first Heart Sutra retreat in Europe, with retreat leader Stefano Gaviglio, center, in the Chenrezig Gompa at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, July 27, 2025.

In July 2022, Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed his wish to lead a Heart Sutra Retreat, but did not do so before showing the aspect of passing away in April 2023. To honor the first anniversary of Rinpoche’s parinirvana and to fulfill his wishes, the first Heart Sutra Retreat was offered at Kopan Monastery, Nepal from April 15-20, 2024. The momentous retreat was attended by over 200 students, with Ganden Trisur Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche providing commentary on the text, and Ven. Steve Carlier guiding meditations on the topic. Short video recordings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching on emptiness were shown in the evening sessions. Continuing on in this spirit, the first European Heart Sutra Retreat, following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s instructions, was held at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) in Italy in July 2025. Below is an inspired report from two staff members of ILTK.

By Carlota Pinheiro and Fabiana Lotito

The Innovative Retreat

On Sunday, July 27, 2025 at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) in Pomaia, Italy, the first European Heart Sutra meditation retreat was completed, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s instructions.

FPMT registered teacher Stefano Gaviglio, who attended the first Heart Sutra Retreat in April 2024 at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, led by Ven. Steve Carlier, proposed this retreat, creating an innovative structure that honored the lineage instructions while accommodating modern learning needs—modulating it into two long weekends separated by approximately two months, interspersed with six weekly online meditations. The result was a unique program that would guide approximately 40 participants through the profound depths of the Heart Sutra’s teachings on emptiness over several weeks. This format allowed participants to deepen their understanding progressively, moving from the correct recognition of the object of negation to Chandrakirti’s sophisticated seven-fold reasoning on emptiness.

The Traditional Program

The first weekend, after providing essential theoretical context for newcomers, began with sharing Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s oral transmission of the sutra, followed by intensive meditation on the “four profundities” up to the aggregate of feelings. As an auspicious conclusion, participants received explanations of the Heart Sutra’s mantra and its embedded five paths of realization.

The intervening weeks proved crucial to the program’s success. Six online sessions maintained momentum and allowed participants to integrate their weekend experiences into daily practice. These sessions specifically focused on meditations providing the foundation necessary for the more advanced practices that would follow.

The second weekend built upon this groundwork, beginning with meditations on the emptiness of the person’s inherent existence before expanding to explore the four profundities in relation to all five aggregates. The program culminated in meditations on the Eight Aspects of Emptiness as they relate to the Three Doors of Liberation, before completing the sutra to Buddha’s final expression of joy. Throughout both weekends, even break periods were conducted in awareness of emptiness, following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s specific instructions for maintaining contemplative focus.

Each day of the retreats began with preliminary practices including the Guru Yogas of Lama Tsongkhapa and Avalokiteshvara, incorporating the “All-encompassing Yoga Mind” meditation as recommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Formal recitation sessions were preceded by traditional prayers, including Praise to Manjushri and invocations to the lineage lamas, ensuring authentic connection to the unbroken transmission of these teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Retreat leader Stefano Gaviglio, center, with some of the second Heart Sutra retreat repeating participants, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, July 27, 2025.

Community Impact

The retreat attracted a remarkably diverse group of practitioners, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Among the 32 core participants were five complete beginners who had never encountered fundamental Buddhist concepts. This diversity reflected the retreat’s appeal but also highlighted the need for prerequisites in future programs. The teacher’s ability to accommodate such varied experience levels while maintaining the integrity of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s instructions demonstrated both pedagogical skill and the teachings’ inherent accessibility when properly presented.

“There would be so much to say! But if I wrote them down, the words would be like a jar trying to contain the breeze… So the best to say is an infinite thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for these precious teachings and for having fostered a beautiful sharing environment,” said participants Sonia and Anna.

he first weekend group contributed over 10,800 mantras toward the global accumulation for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebration, with the final count reaching 47,600 mantras. Both groups completed the recitation of Manjushri’s holy names, dedicating these accumulations to the swift recognition of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s perfect reincarnation. Each evening concluded with viewing carefully selected videos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings on emptiness from the original Kopan retreat, maintaining direct connection to the source of these instructions.

Looking Forward

“This week I’ve meditated daily on the Heart Sutra, reading it, praying and reflecting. I truly believe it has changed something in me. It has created a beginning, it has lit up something. It is astonishing,” expressed Eleanora, one of the participants.

A print of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit, Tibetan, English, and Italian sponsored by Stefano Gaviglio for the occasion of the Heart Sutra Retreat at ILTK.

The retreat has already generated momentum for future programs. ILTK has scheduled another intensive Heart Sutra meditation retreat for October 2026, fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s expressed wish for the continuation of these teachings as shared by Ven. Roger at Kopan.

On the occasion of such an important retreat, Stefano Gaviglio sponsored the printing of 1,000 Heart Sutra booklets translated into Sanskrit, Tibetan, English, and Italian, ensuring these precious teachings remain accessible for altar practice and study. They are now offered for free at ILTK. This offering embodies the retreat’s ultimate purpose: not personal accomplishment, but the benefit of all sentient beings.

While not every participant could remain for group photos, each contributed to creating a mandala of practice that honored the lineage while adapting skillfully to contemporary needs. As these teachings continue to spread through future retreats and individual practice, they carry the potential to transform countless lives through the profound understanding of emptiness—the Heart Sutra’s ultimate wisdom to our suffering world.

With grateful thanks to Carlota Pinheiro and Fabiana Lotito for this story!  We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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. 

The 1.5 meter Medicine Buddha statue arriving to Sri Lanka in October 2025, which is a prototype of the five-story statue advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for Sri Lanka. Photo courtesy of the 5MB Project website.

Tara Lanka study group is committed to fulfilling the wish of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to build a five-story high (approximately 15 meters/50 feet) Medicine Buddha statue in Sri Lanka. Ven. Tenzin Lekdron has led this initiative and a 1.5-meter high prototype statue has been completed and will be formally offered and received in Sri Lanka in October 2025. We share a report from a friend of Tara Lanka, Srishtaa Aparna Pallavi, of the upcoming event.

By Srishtaa Aparna Pallavi

This Historic Initiative Will Be Gifted to the People of Sri Lanka in a Landmark First

In what promises to be a landmark moment for Buddhism in Sri Lanka, a 1.5-meter high statue of the Medicine Buddha—venerated in Mahayana Buddhism as the embodiment of healing and compassion—will be formally offered to the Sri Lankan people at a special blessing ceremony at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo on October 29, 2025.

This newly built statue from Nepal marks the first time an image of the Medicine Buddha will be enshrined for public worship and ritual at a major temple in Sri Lanka. This event carries profound historical significance, bridging a centuries-old divide between the Theravada and Mahayana traditions.

Healing Beyond Sects: A Courageous Offering

Gangaramaya Temple has long been admired for its inclusive spirit, quietly housing images of Mahayana deities without actively engaging in rituals around them. The upcoming ceremony marks a turning point—it will be the first time pujas are formally conducted for a Mahayana deity at the temple, with blessings offered jointly by Theravada and Mahayana monks. This act of shared devotion stands as a powerful symbol of mutual respect, unity, and healing.

Six monks from Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, will travel to Sri Lanka for the event. They will lead the country’s first-ever Guru Bhumtsok Puja as well as a Medicine Buddha Puja.  In the days following the ceremony, they will journey across the island performing pujas in collaboration with the Tara Lanka study group.

Ven. Tenzin Lekdron leading Medicine Buddha puja in Sri Lanka. Photo courtesy 5MB Project website.

The Vision Behind the Effort

This historic initiative is the vision of Venerable Tenzin Lekdron, the only ordained Mahayana nun from Sri Lanka. Inspired by her teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, she launched the project in 2021 in response to Sri Lanka’s ongoing political and economic challenges, which have brought immense suffering to its people.

“Lama Zopa Rinpoche had initially envisioned a 15-meter statue,” said Ven. Lekdron, “but given the financial constraints and the delicate inter-sectarian climate, I chose to start with a one-meter prototype to gently prepare the ground.”

That ground now appears fertile. “It is extremely auspicious that a temple as prominent as Gangaramaya has not only agreed to house the statue but has also chosen to open it for public veneration,” she said. Local monks will conduct daily prayers and offer blessings before the statue.

Ven. Lekdron expressed deep gratitude to the many donors who contributed to the statue’s cost, with special thanks to Frank Brock and Gen Tenpa Choden for their meticulous oversight of its creation.

Acknowledging Courage and Openness

Ven. Lekdron offered heartfelt respect to the Abbot of Gangaramaya Temple, Ven. Kirinde Assaji Thero, and the senior monastic community for their openness and courage.

“It takes great bravery to support a Mahayana initiative in a predominantly Theravāda context,” she said. “Even more so when it is led by a nun—especially given that nuns often do not receive equal respect or recognition in Sri Lanka or elsewhere.”

Since 2016, the Tara Lanka FPMT study group has been quietly conducting Medicine Buddha pujas across the country, gradually cultivating familiarity with the practice as if in anticipation of this moment.

Speaking to a gathering of local devotees, Ven. Assaji Thero reflected:

“This is a Theravada country. However, the three vehicles taught by the Buddha are like different trails leading to Sri Pada Mountain. Each path offers its own experiences, but all reach the same summit. We respect all three traditions. What truly matters is healing hearts and minds.”

Ven. Lekdron with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Prof. Sunil Senavi, and Tara Lanka member Dr. Sunil Wijesiriwardana. Minister Senavi will visit Tara Lanka in October to discuss plans for further healing practices in Sri Lanka, inspired by the 5MB Project.

Rediscovering What’s Already Here

Ven. Lekdron noted that many traditional healing rituals in Sri Lanka already incorporate Mahayana elements—often unknowingly.

“Healers and herbalists commonly use Mahayana mantras without realizing their origin,” she explained. “So, rather than introducing something foreign, we are helping the people reconnect with what has always been part of their spiritual heritage.”

By formally integrating these practices under the compassionate presence of the Medicine Buddha, Ven. Lekdron hopes to support reconciliation, foster unity across traditions, and promote a national healing that extends beyond individual well-being.

An Invitation to the FPMT Family

Ven. Lekdron warmly invites members of the global FPMT community to take part in this historic event. Join the Guru Bhumtsok Puja and receive the blessings of the six Kopan monks during their journey across Sri Lanka, from October 28 to November 5. A full itinerary of pujas and locations will be shared upon request. You can learn more and contact Ven. Lekdron through the 5MB Project website.

With grateful thanks to Srishtaa Aparna Pallavi and Ven. Tenzin Lekdron for sharing news of this inspiring development!  We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

Please learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization to have hundreds of thousands of holy objects around the world: fpmt.org/fpmt/vast-vision/#hobjects

Sunrise at Lawudo Gompa. Photo courtesy of the Lawudo Trek Facebook page.

A wonderful opportunity to trek to Lawudo is upcoming—a trek and retreat from Kopan Monastery to Lawudo Gompa and back will take place October 6-21, 2025 this year.

Ven. Katy Cole will be joined by special guest Charok Lama to lead this powerful experience of teachings and practice. Since 2017 this trek has served as a fundraiser for Lawudo, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for a Guru Rinpoche Pure Land at Lawudo (Zangdok Palri), as well as flood relief last year for the people of Thame following the devastating glacial flood, and other contributions to the local community. Please see a recently published report about the 2024 Lawudo Trek with beautiful photos and details of the adventure. 

Please visit the Lawudo Trek website to learn more and reserve your spot! 

Please read other stories about the history and magic of Lawudo on our website. 

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.