FPMT Community News

Rinpoche teaching and giving the Great Chenrezig Initiation, Elista, Kalmykia, Russia, October 5, 2019. Photo by Ven. Losang Sherab.

We hope you enjoy our October FPMT International Office e-News.

This month we bring you news about:

• Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice about Changing Our View
• Big Love in the New Issue of Mandala magazine!
• New Practice Materials
• Protecting the Environment Every Month

Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage.

The FPMT International Office e-News comes from your FPMT International Office. Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email box.

David Machles. Photo courtesy of Dimensions-OHC Inc.

In 2008, David Machles completed the 16 Guidelines for Life Level 1 course, an initiative of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), and later completed Levels 2 and 3. David is part of FDCW’s Universal Education community. Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom is one of FPMT’s five pillars of service. David’s exploration of the 16 Guidelines for Life methods and tools inspired him to develop a program based on the 16 Guidelines for Life for prisons in 2010. David worked with adult and juvenile prisoners as well as staff and volunteers. Victoria Coleman, FDCW executive director, asked David about about his experience with Universal Education in prisons over the past nine years. Victoria shares David’s story.

David Machles, from North Carolina, US, began his journey into the 16 Guidelines for Life in 2008. He felt inspired to offer the 16 Guidelines for Life program in prisons working with adult and juvenile prisoners as well as staff and volunteers. He developed a 16 Guidelines for Life for prisoners curriculum called “Building Inner Strength.”

David explained, “We chose the course title ‘Building Inner Strength’ with the help of the chaplain at the youth prison center. We felt that this was more of a macho name, yet still reflects the spirit of the 16 Guidelines for Life. Sometimes the class is referred to as ‘Meditation Class.’ Other names may be appropriate in different settings, including ‘Anger Management,’ ‘Guide to Happiness,’ ‘Well-Being,’ etc.”

One of the teenage participants of David’s program had a very difficult relationship with a prison guard. David suggested using the 16 Guidelines for Life pre-framing tool to see how it could influence the next encounter with the guard. David kept it light: “Just try this to see if it makes a difference; it can’t make it any worse.” The teenager was surprised at how his relationship with the guard gradually changed. He saw that the 16 Guidelines for Life actually worked.

David said, “We have taken a very secular approach to using the 16 Guidelines for Life. We have been accepted by the managers, administrative staff, and parents because we take this secular approach. Throughout the program we keep this neutrality and encourage the students to find examples of the 16 Guidelines for Life within their own spiritual upbringing. Certainly the role models used in the 16 Guidelines for Life book represent a variety of spiritual backgrounds.”

To learn more about the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom and the 16 Guidelines for Life visit the FDCW website:
https://www.compassionandwisdom.org 

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Brocade Dharma Text Case

Students can ornament and protect Dharma texts with brocade covers from the Foundation Store, most offered at cost!

• Brocade Dharma Text Case, Dharma text holder with a velcro strap for quick and easy access. Each case comes with a text wrap.
• Brocade Bamboo Sadhana Cover, brocade Dharma text cover with bamboo frame.
• Brocade Book Covers, prayer book covers with cotton lining, velcro closure, and internal pockets.

This Dharma item will only be available until December 31, when the Foundation Store goes digital-only.

Brocade Bamboo Sadhana Cover

Brocade Book Covers

Find book covers and other meditation supplies in the Foundation Store:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Meditation-Supplies_c_170.html

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Tara Liberation Study Group members Matt Linden, Kari Suomalainen, Hanne Iyars, Maria Suominen, and Joona Repo at VEF Kvartāla Kamerzāle, Riga, Latvia, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Tara Liberation Study Group, the FPMT study group in Helsinki, Finland, benefits the community by offering Dharma teachings in the country’s most widely-spoken language, taught by native Finnish speaker and FPMT registered teacher Joona Repo. Matt Linden and Maria Suominen‎ from Tara Liberation Study Group share the story.

Nowadays Dharma teachings are widely available across the globe in a variety of major languages. Smaller countries like Finland, however, often have to make do with teachings in English. But learning the Dharma is a matter of the heart, not only the mind, and we all know the power of hearing and studying the Dharma in one’s own mother tongue. Since 2017, the precious possibility of receiving teachings in Finnish has been available thanks to the hard work of Tara Liberation Study Group staff and FPMT registered teacher Joona Repo.

Some of you might have heard of Joona from his role as translation coordinator for FPMT Education Services. Joona encountered the Dharma during his mid-teens and since then has accumulated an enormous amount of wisdom, which he doesn’t hesitate to share with anyone who wishes to learn the precious Dharma.

Joona Repo standing on the frozen sea in Helsinki, Finland, February 2018. Photo by Matt Linden.

A native speaker of both Finnish and English, and with a strong grasp of classical and colloquial Tibetan, Joona relays the Buddhist teachings in a detailed and inspiring way. Holding a PhD in Buddhist art history and with several years’ experience of living in Tibet and Nepal, Joona possesses extensive knowledge of Tibetan customs, culture, and history. This helps to bring the teachings alive and opens up the sometimes cryptic Tibetan Buddhist rituals to a wider contextual understanding, bringing meaning and depth to practice.

During the regular Monday sessions at the Tara Liberation Study Group, Joona has been focusing on the lamrim teachings, which he says are the backbone of all Tibetan Buddhist practices. He has thus far taught up to the great scope and the methods to generate bodhichitta. From this autumn, Joona will continue teaching on the lamrim and will be giving an explanation of the six perfections, mainly focusing on the development of the fifth perfection, concentration. Many students have been attending Joona’s teachings for a long time, and the increasing numbers of students shows the benefits of providing the Dharma teachings in the Finnish language.

Other topics that Joona has covered include an inspiring introduction to the “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras,” as well as in-depth instructions on the Thirty-five Buddhas purification practice. Tara Liberation Study Group has also benefited from Joona’s ability to lead a wide range of pujas and practices in the traditional Gelug fashion.

The group feels incredibly privileged to have a regular teacher with such a vast capacity, and we were very touched when Lama Zopa Rinpoche publicly thanked Joona for his contribution to spreading the Dharma in Finland, during the teachings in Riga, Latvia, in June 2019.

We are enthusiastic about the current semester and eagerly look forward to Monday evenings when we get our Dharma dose in the Finnish language. May this be of benefit to all beings.

For more information about Tara Liberation Study Group, visit their website:
https://taraliberation.fi

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak with Chrissy, Ven. Barbara, Catia, Radek, Sue, Rhona, and Alison at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, May 2019. Photo by Robin Bath.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak, the new FPMT resident geshe at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, the FPMT center in London, UK, led the center’s annual summer retreat from July 7-14, 2019, on “The Buddhist Path to Happiness.” In August Jamyang London welcomed new center director Ven. Fabienne Pradelle. Rhonwen Sayer, a member of the center’s spiritual program sub-committee, shares the story.

In March 2018, His Holiness the Dalai Lama appointed Geshe Tashi Tsering, Jamyang Buddhist Centre’s former resident geshe, abbot of Sera Mey Monastery in South India. Everyone was delighted for Geshe-la but also concerned for the future. We were very fortunate that in September 2018 Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked Geshe Tenzin Namdak to take up the role of resident geshe at Jamyang Buddhist Centre and give teachings here for six months each year.

Geshe Namdak  completed the entire twenty-year geshe program at Sera Jey Monastic University in 2017, and the traditional one-year vajrayana study program at Gyudmed Tantric Monastic University in January 2019, the first Westerner to do so. Geshe Namdak accepted Rinpoche’s request and arrived in May, starting teachings on meditation, Buddhist philosophy and psychology, and the art of emotional intelligence. These teachings ran until July. 

Watch Ven. Fabienne Pradelle and Geshe Tenzin Namdak introduce themselves to the community in this video:
https://youtu.be/cQRgI798Ovk

Geshe Tenzin Namdak with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Sera Je Monastic University, Bylakuppe, India, November 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Geshe Namdak rounded off his teaching program by leading an eight-day retreat on “The Buddhist Path to Happiness.” Each day consisted of teachings on the lamrim based on Je Tsongkhapa’s “A Hymn of Experience” followed by question and answer session, group discussion, and meditation.

“A Hymn of Experience” is a wonderful overview of the whole lamrim. Geshe-la expanded and explained each verse, providing his deep insight to Je Tsongkhapa’s experience of the path to enlightenment.

The entire retreat had a great atmosphere generated by Geshe-la’s enthusiasm and the interactions among the students.

Everyone at Jamyang is delighted that our center has a resident teacher again, and we are looking forward to Geshe Namdak’s autumn teachings. Geshe-la’s enthusiasm and engagement are especially appreciated by our community.

For more information about Jamyang Buddhist Centre London, visit their website:
https://www.jamyang.co.uk/

To read His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s commentary on “A Hymn of Experience” (also known as “Lines of Experience”) visit the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive:
https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/illuminating-path-enlightenment

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Namgyalma and Lama Atisha Protection Amulet

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends several mantras for various forms of protection and the purification of negative karma and obscurations. This Namgyalma and Lama Atisha Protection Amulet contains:

Namgyalma and Lama Atisha Protection Amulet

• The Namgyalma Mantra Wheel, which is the main mantra to purify and liberate beings from the lower realms, purify negative karma, and help those who are dying or have died.
  
• Lama Atisha’s Protection Stupa, which protects against mental pollution.
  
• The Phagpa Chulung Rolpai Do Mantra, which upon seeing, purifies 100,000 eons of negative karma and obscurations.
• The Wish-Granting Wheel Mantra, which purifies 1,000 eons of negative karma for anyone who passes beneath it.
• The Six Syllables of Clairvoyance Mantra, which after fifteen days upon seeing, purifies any heavy negative karma created in the past.

Students may place the amulet in a protective cloth or pouch and wear it around the neck.

This Dharma item will only be available until December 31, when the Foundation Store goes digital-only.

Find the Namgyalma and Lama Atisha Protection Amulet in the Foundation Store:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Namgyalma-and-Lama-Atisha-Protection-Amulet_p_3021.html

Katrina Smith, Janis Dougherty, and Gary Mickey making offerings to the Twenty-one Taras at Kadampa Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Kadampa Center.

The Light of the Path, an annual retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche that began in 2009, is organized by Kadampa Center, the FPMT center in Raleigh, North Carolina, US. Donna Seese, spiritual program coordinator, shares the story about prayers and practices being done to create the causes for the next Light of the Path retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, scheduled for August 23-September 20, 2020.

At Kadampa Center, we always look forward to the Light of the Path retreats when we have the opportunity to spend so much time with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and students from all over the world. Before each retreat Rinpoche kindly advises us about prayers and practices to do to remove obstacles and create the causes for the retreat. His advice for the next Light of the Path retreat includes reciting 100,000 “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras” and to organize our own members and others to do these recitations in support of the retreat.

Wow! This was a bit daunting, but we dived right in. We added reciting “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras” to our dedication prayers at Kadampa Center events and special Saturday practice days each month when we focus on reciting “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras.”

We quickly realized that, just like the Light of the Path retreat itself, creating the causes for the retreat is much bigger than Kadampa Center. So in the spring we sent word to our North American FPMT brothers and sisters, and to Rinpoche’s students all around the world who had attended earlier Light of the Path retreats, inviting them to participate in this amazing spiritual endeavor. Within days of sending our emails, the numbers on our website counter jumped by hundreds and then thousands. We also received emails of support from many of our Light of the Path friends!

In early August, with help from our friends around the world, we reached 25,000 recitations of “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras”!

Mini-Tara Retreat with Geshe Gelek Choda at Kadampa Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Kadampa Center.

One of the blessings of Rinpoche’s advice is that it has introduced Tara practice to newer students who might be unfamiliar with Tara. In April 2019 and again in August, we held a Tara mini-retreat. For those who want to deepen their Tara practice at home, Geshe Gelek Chodha, one of our FPMT resident geshes, taught us how to do retreat on our own. Many students who were new to Tara came and took part, not just with the prayers and recitations, but also pitching in to set up the altar and the offerings, and staying after the dedications to take it all down.

We will hold another two-day Tara mini-retreat October 19-20, 2019. Anyone who wants to join in from home can tune into the livestream.

We’re looking forward to seeing old friends and those new to our FPMT family at the 2020 Light of the Path retreat! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Visit the Kadampa Center’s webpage to contribute your recitations and check the running total of recitations:
 https://kadampa-center.org/count-your-praises-21-Taras

For more information about Kadampa Center, visit their website:
https://kadampa-center.org/

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blesses at kitten, Sera Je Monastic University, Bylakuppe, India, November 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Be prepared for the moment of death and get a Liberation Box today! This tool will only be available until December 31, when the Foundation Store goes digital-only.

Of the thousands of items offered by the FPMT Foundation Store, the Liberation Box is one of the most unique and special. It is a collection of materials to assist sentient beings at the time of death. Assembled according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s specific advice on what a loved one—person or animal—should hear, see, and have placed on their body, the Liberation Box contains powerful methods for ensuring a fortunate rebirth for those who have died or are in the process of dying.

The Liberation Box includes:

• printed instructions for how to use the Liberation Box
• a Kadampa stupa filled with the four dharmakaya relic mantras
• a powa pill
• a cord blessed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• various mantras and a copy of Shetor to place on the dying being’s body
• the Liberation Card for a Dying Person
• a Namgyälma mantra card
• the CDs Recitations to Alleviate Pain and Recitations for the Time of Death
  

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s book Heart Advice for Death and Dying can be added to the package optionally.

Order while supplies last and receive the Mystic Tibet DVD as a special thank-you gift!

Liberation Box

Learn more about the Liberation Box on FPMT.org:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/ensuring-a-fortunate-rebirth-the-liberation-box/

Find the Liberation Box in the Foundation Store:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Liberation-Box-Protection-Tool-for-a-Fortunate-Rebirth-_p_872.html

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, USA, August 2019. Photo by Chris Majors.

We invite you to read our September FPMT International Office e-News.

This month we bring you news about:

1,000 Buddhas for His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Training the Mind in Generosity
The Incredible Benefits of Working for the Center
Next Foundation Service Seminars

…and more!

Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage.

The FPMT International Office e-News comes from your FPMT International Office. Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email box.

Geshe Tashi Tsering teaching at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, May 2018. Photo by Orsola Luca.

On June 7, 2019, it was announced in the London Gazette, official journal of record of the British government, that the Queen of England awarded a British Empire Medal to Geshe Tashi Tsering, former resident geshe at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, the FPMT center in London, UK, “for services to Buddhism in the UK.” Ven. Barbara Shannon, FPMT UK National Coordinator shares the story.

Geshe Tashi Tsering when enthroned as abbot of Sera Mey Monastery, Bylakuppe, India, June 2018. Photo by Andreas Fring.

Geshe Tashi Tsering has been recognized on the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honors List. Geshe Tashi Tsering was given a British Empire Medal “for services to Buddhism in the UK.” Geshe Tashi Tsering was the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London from 1994 to 2018. In 2018, he was asked by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the abbot of Sera Mey Monastery, where in 1987 he received his Geshe Laramapa degree.

Geshe Tashi Tsering was one of the first Tibetan lamas to spread Buddhism in Europe, teaching first in France and then London. In 2017, he received an M.A. in Social Anthropology at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies. He is the author of the six-volume series The Foundation of Buddhist Thought.

The British Empire Medal was created in 1922 and is awarded twice a year, once as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honors and once at the New Year. It recognizes “hands-on service to the local community.”

To read the official announcement visit the London Gazette website:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3295670

To read Geshe Tashi Tsering’s response to receiving the British Empire Medal visit:
https://www.soas.ac.uk/blogs/study/soas-alum-receives-british-empire-medal/

FPMT.org 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Nyung nä participants at Nying Je Kunkyab Study Group, Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, June 2019. Photo by Josue Fuentes.

In June 2019, Nying Je Kunkyab Study Group, the FPMT study group in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, organized a nyung nä retreat that took place over two weekends: June 11-14 and June 14-17, 2019. Valeria Arroyo, study group coordinator, shares the story.

In celebration of Saka Dawa, thirty-one students from Nying Je Kunkyab Study Group completed two sets of nyung nä. We had the invaluable support and guidance of FPMT registered teacher and Mexican nun Ven. Thubten Norbu (Lourdes Castro).

Ven. Thubten Norbu making tormas at Nying Je Kunkyab Study Group, Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, June 2019. Photo by Alejandra Arroyo.

Our teacher Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche has advised us to do this practice to promote peace and harmony in our country. This is the second time we organized a nyung nä retreat.

Our study group operates in one of the most dangerous cities in the country. We receive great joy from offering activities that allow participants to cultivate the seeds of compassion.

Benefactors, volunteers, and participants expressed their joy and gratitude for being part of this event. We invite all national and foreign practitioners to set aside the Saka Dawa dates—June 2020—so you can join us next year!

We received the following comments from participants: “I experienced this nyung nä as if I was with my family, with much love and tranquility;” “For me it was an incredible experience, and I hope to see you again;” and “Happy to have been able to share this invaluable experience.”

For more information about Nying Je Kunkyab Study Group, visit their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Grupo-Budista-Nying-Je-Kunkyab-Afiliado-a-la-FPMT-628759533948347/

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, April 2019. Photo by Andreas Fring.

In April 2019 His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Ling Rinpoche made a first visit to the UK. The visit included nearly a week in London followed by two days in Leeds, where Rinpoche participated in the opening of FPMT center Jamyang Buddhist Center Leeds’ new location. Jamyang Buddhist Centre London and Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds share the story.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche and Rinpoche’s attendants Ven. Tenzin Khentse and Geshe Lobsang Yonten arrived in London on Saturday evening, April 20, 2019, after an eventful day of travel delays coming from Valencia, Spain. They were met by members of the Office of Tibet; the nonprofit Tibetan Community UK; and representatives of FPMT UK and Jamyang London. Representing FPMT UK was Jay Simpson, the FPMT UK National Coordinator, and representing Jamyang London were Jamyang board member Jan Andresen and the organizer of the London part of the tour, Jackie Yip.

Rinpoche’s visit to London was jointly organized by the Office of Tibet; Tibetan Community UK; Tibet House Trust; and Jamyang London. For us this was the first “big” visit we had organized on a shared basis, so it was a massive learning curve.

On Sunday H.E. Ling Rinpoche spent all day with our friends in the local Tibetan community and the Office of Tibet, who put on a delightful day of activities, including a visit to the Tibetan Peace Garden to bless and re-energize the place.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche teaching at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, April 2019. Photo by Andreas Fring.

Monday morning, April 22, saw our main event when Rinpoche offered a White Tara long life initiation to around seven hundred people in the Kensington Conference Centre in the center of London. The Jamyang volunteers and our Tibetan friends worked so hard to set up the place, but the crowning glory was the loving presence of Rinpoche holding the space as Rinpoche offered us the opportunity to break free and discover our Buddha potential. In the afternoon Rinpoche gave a general talk to around three hundred people in the same space but in a far more informal setting.

Geshe Kelsang Wangmo kindly translated Rinpoche’s talks into English throughout the whole UK tour. With her animated and engaging delivery, we were both delighted by her clean, clear, and warm presentation of Rinpoche’s words and slightly sad that her role as German translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama makes opportunities for her to teach in Europe so rare, while also rejoicing in the good fortune of the German students in having such a fine translator practitioner.

On Tuesday evening, April 23, Rinpoche gave a warm and personal talk to a small group of students at one of London’s major Nyingma centers, Rigpa. On Wednesday Rinpoche visited Jamyang Center and taught the great Sakya master Sachen Kunga Nyingpo’s short text Parting from the Four Attachments to about 140 students. The text is only four lines long, but the way Rinpoche taught it seemed to cover every aspect of the path to enlightenment. At the end there was a precious opportunity to offer khatas in person to Rinpoche.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche with Jane Moore; Ven. Frank Dahmen; Geshe Kelsang Wangmo and her mother; Robin Bath, Jamyang trustee and doyen of Jamyang; Alison Murdoch, chair of the Jamyang Trustee Board; Jan Andresen; Francesca Sanchez, deputy chair of the Jamyang Trustee Board; Jackie Yip; Mike Murray; Ven. Robina Courtin; and Mike Gilmore at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, April 2019. Photo by Andreas Fring.

Rinpoche then toured Jamyang Centre and was fascinated to know which images and more were still there from the time of Geshe Namgyal Wangchen, our first resident teacher, who was appointed by Lama Thubten Yeshe. When Geshe Wangchen went back to Drepung Loseling, he became a tutor to some of the most significant incarnate lamas of the monastery, including becoming senior tutor to H.E. Ling Rinpoche himself. Rinpoche said that Rinpoche felt a particular warm connection to the London center because of this link.

On Friday, April 26, we waved Rinpoche off on the train to Leeds for the opening of our sister center there, Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche arriving at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, Leeds, UK, April 2019. Photo by Jay Simpson.

Auspicious beginnings at the new home of Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, as our first event was welcoming H.E. Ling Rinpoche to the new building for a weekend of teachings, blessings, and initiation.

The opening day began with Rinpoche meeting the Tibetan/Himalayan community from across the North of England at a special event in the morning. Rinpoche offered advice about practice and preserving culture, and enjoyed some cake and food specially prepared for the event by the Tibetans.

Members of the local Tibetan community offering H.E. Ling Rinpoche a traditional greeting ceremony with flour and rice at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, Leeds, UK, April 2019. Photo by Jay Simpson.

We then held some opening speeches from center director Kerry Prest, patron David Lascelles, and others, plus a specially recorded video message from long-time UK teacher and supporter of Jamyang Leeds Geshe Tashi Tsering.

Rinpoche then blessed the center and its gompa, before commencing a public talk on “Developing a Peaceful Mind in a Turbulent World.” In the late afternoon Rinpoche began teaching from master Shantideva’s text Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Chapter 1.

The following day Rinpoche continued the text, and during lunch we took Rinpoche on a tour of the rest of the building, most of which still needs to be renovated. (We’re only using about fifteen percent of the space at present!) Rinpoche’s exact words were “Wow.”

H.E. Ling Rinpoche reading Shantideva’s text Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, Leeds, UK, April 2019. Photo by Jay Simpson.

Rinpoche then finished the visit to our center visit with a Chenrezig initiation, which was a wonderfully auspicious way to start the new activities in our new home, thinking about compassion for others, with as many arms as possible!

We give huge thanks to all who made this event a success: volunteers, staff, donors, members, trustees, local residents, contractors, and teachers; the list of people to thank is massive. We were especially blessed to welcome Geshe Kelsang Wangmo as the translator of the event in her visit to Leeds; we hope she’ll visit us again. A wonderful beginning of a new chapter for Jamyang Leeds.

For more information about H.E. Ling Rinpoche’s schedule, visit Rinpoche’s website:
http://lingrinpoche.info/

For more information about Jamyang Buddhist Centre London, visit their website:
https://www.jamyang.co.uk/

Watch the opening speeches given at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/e-VN-eDaQMo

For more information about Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, visit their website:
https://jamyangleeds.co.uk/

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications 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, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.