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As last reported in December 2019, FPMT Inc. has contracted with FaithTrust Institute (FTI) to undertake a fact-finding assessment with a review and report on findings in response to allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of Dagri Rinpoche at FPMT centers. FPMT Inc. takes this matter very seriously. Harm and abuse by a spiritual teacher is antithetical to our community. Further, FPMT Inc. will not tolerate any retaliation against anyone who comes forward.
Anyone who may have experienced or witnessed harm from Dagri Rinpoche in his role as a spiritual teacher at FPMT centers is invited to contact FTI via email at confidential@faithtrustinstitute.org. FTI will continue to receive information for the assessment through March 16, 2020. After that time, they will be working to summarize the findings and complete the assessment report for the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors. The confidential report will be delivered to the Board of Directors towards the end of March 2020. After that time the Board of Directors with the help of FTI will release a summary report on the findings and recommendations for next steps to the community. We strive to be transparent as we respond to these allegations.
During the months of January and February 2020, the staff and Board of Directors of FPMT Inc. has undergone a training program around boundaries and responding to misconduct in spiritual communities. Further, the Board of Directors will be receiving additional training as they prepare to receive the report.
The Board of Directors at its last meeting also received the Summary Review of the Safeguarding Audit that was commissioned from Thirtyone:eight. There will be more information in the coming months about the next steps associated with the Thirtyone:eight audit.
If you want to contact the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors, please email Andrew Haynes: chairofboard@fpmt.org. If you have questions about the assessment process or want to speak with FaithTrust Institute, please contact Emily Cohen via the confidential mailbox listed above or call +1-206-634-1903.
Links to past updates can be found here.
Building Inner Strength graphic by Zoe Butler.
In January 2020, Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), an international FPMT project, published its Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide, a new free resource designed to help more people around the world learn about and benefit from their 16 Guidelines for Life program. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide gives its readers tools that can be used to facilitate a weekly discussion group for a period of sixteen weeks, with participants exploring one of the 16 Guidelines each week.
Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom is one of FPMT’s five pillars of service, and FDCW creates programs based on this system of sharing the essence of Buddhism within a secular context. Victoria Coleman, FDCW director, gives an update about this new free publication.
The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is an easy-to-follow weekly outline for anyone in the world who is interested in exploring universal values such as humility, kindness, compassion, aspiration, service, and courage in discussion with others. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is based on our 16 Guidelines for Life program and draws inspiration from the 16 Guidelines for Life book.
The purpose of the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is to help those who would like to facilitate weekly discussion groups exploring the 16 Guidelines for Life. Each weekly discussion group session lasts ninety minutes and explores one universal value. Participants reflect deeply on the value, then discuss questions that help draw out their own wisdom and their individual experience of that value. The focus is on experiential learning, coming not just from an intellectual perspective but from the heart. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide includes suggested questions to spark discussions, guided meditations, and notes for the discussion leader.
No prior experience of the 16 Guidelines for Life program, training, or certification is needed. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is offered by FDCW as a free resource available to anyone with an interest in exploring these values with others and how they can be applied in daily life. Discussion groups can be formed with a circle of friends, colleagues in the workplace, drawn from the local community, or a mix.
Our aspiration is that this Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide will help to globalize the 16 Guidelines for Life program by sharing the values much more widely and encourage the habit of applying the values to challenges in daily life.
We have already received a big response to the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide. People have shared ideas for using the discussion guide not only for a sixteen-week series, but also for beginner retreats, evening meditation classes, weekend workshops, and social outreach to the community.
Ven. Carolyn Lawler in New Zealand said, “Many thanks for the information you sent. I think you’ve solved a problem for me. The material Building Inner Strength seems to be what I’ve need for a new class. In the past we had classes on The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives by Dr. Thupten Jinpa. These were very successful, but I couldn’t find a follow-on, which was wanted. I think the material you sent could work very well.”
Mikkel Bjelke Kristiansen, SEE Learning Coordinator, Europe, wrote, “Thank you very much for sharing this updated and upgraded version of the discussion guide. I like everything about it: the simplicity, visual appearance, emphasis on personal practice, practical applications in everyday life, and the critical reflections arising from the discussions.”
Lynne Knight in England shared, “Thanks so much to you and all involved for this wonderful resource. I was just looking for something like this to take our fortnightly meditation group forward by opening up the leading of the group to others. This looks to be perfect, and perfect timing! Thanks for making it so freely available. I’ll let you know how we get on with it at the Jamyang Bath Study Group.”
Maureen McIntyre, Langri Tangpa Centre director in Queensland, Australia, said, “I think that I will introduce these discussions to some of my family and friends. They often ask me about Buddhist principles but aren’t interested in studying. Discussing this over coffee would be ‘skillful means.'”
Many thanks to Rasmus Hougaard, Keith Halford, Wendy Ridley, Angela Sanchez, and Michaela Kirchem for their skills and care in creating this.
We welcome feedback from discussion leaders and participants so that we can improve the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide. May thousands and thousands of beings benefit from this free resource!
To receive a free copy of the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide please contact admin@compassionandwisdom.org. No training from FPMT, Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, or familiarity with Buddhism is necessary in order to receive a copy or make use of the free discussion guide. Please share this invitation with anyone you feel would be interested in reading the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide.
To learn more about the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, visit their 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.
Seventh 100 million mani retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM retreats around the world. Rinpoche has said, “[I would like] for the organization to establish 100,000 recitations of 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM mantras. This can be retreats of 100 million recitations, so 100,000 different retreats in different parts of the world and where it is happening, then for it to happen regularly, each year.”
The FPMT center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, organized their first mani retreat in 2013 with assistance from the FPMT Practice and Retreat Fund. Led by Lama Zopa Rinpoche that year, it was the first big retreat he had led since he manifested a stroke in 2011. They have been organizing and self-sustaining a mani retreat annually ever since, completing their seventh annual retreat in September 2019. Center director Ianzhina Bartanova shares the story.
Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling has completed its seventh 100 million mani retreat in a row. In 2019, for some logistical reasons, this major annual event took place in the month of September. It was a surprisingly warm and pleasant month for Mongolia, enabling participants to better concentrate on the practice without experiencing the discomfort of a hot summer or cold winter.
However, we observed that there was a reduction in the number of people who could join us in the Idgaa Choinzinling Monastery gompa because the retreat coincided with the beginning of the new school year. Nevertheless, the average attendance of approximately 100 to 150 people yielded the excellent result of a collective recitation of 108,000,000 OM MANI PADME HUM mantra recitations. These were offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the first mani retreat in Elista, Kalmykia, in October 2019.
Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling center director, Ianzhina Bartanova, paid a visit to Elista and offered congratulations to the abbot of the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni (the Golden Temple) upon the successful hosting of the mani retreat there. Ven. Anja was pleased to know about the annual 100 million mani retreat in Mongolia. Ven. Anja expressed that people from Kalmykia might now be more interested in visiting Mongolia and participating in the mani retreat here.
Ani Thubten Gyalmo, Ani Nyima, and Ani Kunkyen taking part in the seventh 100 million mani retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
Thirty days of retreat passed very quickly at Idgaa Choinzinling Monastery, and new lessons were learned along the way. Although we have some familiarity with how to organize this event, there is always room for improved service and further implementation of skillful ways to overcome obstacles.
The second day of the retreat was marked by the sudden declaration of a state holiday due to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. When the Mongolian government made this announcement they recommended citizens stay home in order to reduce traffic congestion for the two presidents! Fortunately for our staff and retreat participants we followed our normal schedule. The daily schedule was changed only once, when Geshe Thubten Soepa gave special teachings explaining the meaning of the OM MANI PADME HUM mantra.
Seventh 100 Million Mani Retreat at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2019. Photo by Ianzhina Bartanova.
Every year the devoted retreatants touch our hearts with their seemingly magical stories. Retreatants share about experiencing immediate healing with blessed water and other miraculous events that have happened in their lives. We view these stories as further confirmation of the power of the Buddha of Compassion, the power of faith, and the power of merits. We sincerely dedicate our collective merits for world peace and the resolution of the climate crisis to significantly reduce the suffering on this planet.
As we look towards the future and consider how we can continue to improve our offerings, we are discussing the possibility of organizing a strict retreat in 2020. This retreat would conclude with a fire puja for participants who can commit to full participation and the recitation of the required number of mantras. We warmly invite everyone to join us and help in fulfilling Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for Mongolia.
For more information about Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, visit their website:
http://www.fpmtmongolia.org/shedrub-ling-center
The Practice and Retreat Fund provides grants and sponsorships for students engaged in retreats such as 108 nyung nä retreats, 100 million mani retreats, recitations of sutras, and long term retreat:
https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/practice-and-retreats-fund/
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.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kalachakra Teaching Ground, Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India, January 2020. Photo by Cynthia Karena.
Few things are more precious than being able to receive teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India, the location of the Buddha’s enlightenment. From January 2-6, 2020, His Holiness gave teachings at the Kalachakra Teaching Ground on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, conferred an Avalokiteshvera Initiation, and completed The Wheel of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments based on its proximal lineage that he began in Bodhgaya in December 2018. An estimated 35,000 people, including 2,500 people from sixty-seven countries, attended the five days of teachings. FPMT Australian student Cynthia Karena, a regular contributor to Mandala, attended the teachings and now shares the story.
Devotees approaching the Kalachakra Teaching Ground, Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India, January 2020. Photo by Cynthia Karena.
I’m here in Bodhgaya for His Holiness’s teachings. I’m looking forward to them, but it’s super cold and it’s dusty; in fact it’s downright miserable.
Most of the hotels here are set up for the heat of summer, which is most of the year, so for the two or three weeks that is Winter, hotel rooms are like fridges.
So why do I do it? Why do I come back year after (mostly) year? Why go through this suffering?
I suppose I just answered my own question. We are in samsara; we are already suffering. Should I complain, or should I practice? As with any teaching, it’s not just about the teaching. It’s also about transforming what you are going through.
“Integrate the teachings within yourself and gradually transform your mind. This is the way to make your life meaningful,” says His Holiness.
But of course the main draw cards that trump the dust, cold, and inevitable coughing and sneezing are the bright light of His Holiness’s teachings, the energy of the stupa, seeing Lama Zopa and Khadro-la, and being here with Geshe Doga. No contest really.
Steadfast devotees in the rain at the outer edge of the pavilion tent, Kalachakra Teaching Ground, Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India, January 2020. Photo by Cynthia Karena.
His Holiness is teaching on Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, giving an Avalokiteshvara Initiation, and continuing The Wheel of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments he began in Bodhgaya last time in December 2018.
Over the years I’ve been coming to Bodhgaya to hear His Holiness, I must admit the teachings do all sound the same to me. He brings most things around to kindness and emptiness: ‘Focus on others…meditate on emptiness…then ordinary appearances will stop…benefit others as much as possible…understanding the reality of the self is the only way to (remove) self-grasping.’
I keep coming back because it’s Bodhgaya; the place is like a big spiritual magnet. And teachings on emptiness from His Holiness are positively immersive. I’ve heard the words before, but each time I hope I have enough merit for them to sink in even deeper, and make a difference.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kalachakra Teaching Ground, Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India, January 2020. Photo by Cynthia Karena.
Years ago in Bodhgaya, when I heard him say ‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form’, it blew my mind, even though I have heard and recited these words many, many times. Was it his voice, or being in Bodhgaya, I don’t know! So I’m like an addict returning, wanting a little flash of insight here and a blessing there.
However, one sentence this year blew my mind in a more stern and shocking fashion, prompting me to watch myself more closely: “If you are selfish and don’t behave with bodhichitta, then you are deceiving the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.”
I asked the police what they thought of it all, but none of them spoke English so they couldn’t understand my questions. And of course they had no earbuds to hear a translation. But my driver to the airport said that most of the police are Hindus, so believe the Buddha is a reincarnation of one of their gods. They also believe that the Dalai Lama is a great spiritual teacher.
And with that, I’m back in fire-ravaged Australia trying to remember the teachings and transform my anger at our government’s inaction on our climate catastrophe.
Read accounts of each day of the teachings on the website of The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama:
https://www.dalailama.com/news
Watch His Holiness’s January 2, 2020, teaching on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s “Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva” given in Bodhgaya, India, on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/rvo4rkRBFaA
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.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently met with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, with Ven. Roger Kunsang, India, January 2020. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Welcome to the February FPMT International Office e-News.
This month we bring you:
- Warm Losar (Tibetan New Year) Greetings!
- Reminder of Rinpoche’s Schedule
- News of Action Needed with your Merit Box
- FPMT Service Seminar News
- News of an Honour Awarded to an FPMT Director
…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.
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT resident geshe Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi with the traditional Tibetan drum dance performers at Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s 30th anniversary dinner, Jubilee Garden Restaurant at SAFRA Club, Singapore, September 2019. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.
On Friday, September 20, 2019, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, the FPMT center in Singapore, celebrated the center’s 30th birthday at an evening celebration with Lama Zopa Rinpoche as their guest of honor. Lobsang Drolkar (Cecilia Tsong), a long-time student, active ABC member, and volunteer shares the story about Rinpoche’s visit to Singapore and the celebration.
Amitahba Buddhist Centre (ABC) can be said to be one of the most fortunate centers in the FPMT family in that we have been blessed to be able to host Lama Zopa Rinpoche on almost a yearly basis. Just as Rinpoche had graced our 25th anniversary celebrations, so now on our 30th birthday, our most precious Guru was here to celebrate this most happy of occasions with us again.
Center director Tan Hup Cheng offering the mandala to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, September 2019. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.
Much has transpired over the last five years. In accordance with Rinpoche’s extensive advice, the twelve-foot (3.7-meter) high Chenrezig statue was commissioned and completed. A traditional Tibetan style gateway was constructed at the main entrance. It was painstakingly decorated with specially chosen mantras and Buddhist symbols as advised by Rinpoche. And prior to Rinpoche’s visit last year, after thirty long years, Amitabha Buddhist Centre was finally graced with a stunning Amitabha Buddha statue flanked by a pair of dragons at its gateway.
Watch the video “Our ABC 2019,” commemorating ABC’s 30th anniversary on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/4AgHK7pS6U8
Rinpoche’s blessings began with an unexpected early arrival. Rinpoche offered many additional teachings, an extensive commentary on Lama Chopa (Guru Puja), and initiations and empowerments that were not announced earlier. Rinpoche conferred a special jenang of Vajrapani Hayagriva and Garuda, and prior to the long life puja Rinpoche conferred a White Tara initiation. In addition, in response to the unrest in Hong Kong, a group recitation of the Gyaltsen Sema Punkyen was organized.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s 30th anniversary dinner, Jubilee Garden Restaurant at SAFRA Club, Singapore, September 2019. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.
The highlight of the celebrations was a special 30th anniversary dinner. Our very own Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim had compiled a special commemorative video that contained much archival material of ABC’s earliest beginnings. Those present had much fun trying to identify senior students during their salad days! Not only was the video nostalgic for the old timers, but it showed how far ABC has come in the last three decades.
Watch the video “Look Back & Celebrate!” on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/R9ghQETWZq0
In addition, there was live entertainment in the form of dance performances by the adorable little children from ABC’s childcare center, vocal performances by ABC’s very own choral group, Mudita, and a very well-received traditional Tibetan drum dance performed by ABC members and staff, who had rehearsed tirelessly for the past five months. To commemorate the occasion, all those present were given a specially designed hand-held prayer wheel.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s 30th anniversary dinner, Jubilee Garden Restaurant at SAFRA Club, Singapore, September 2019. Photo by Tan Seow Kheng.
To learn more about Amitabha Buddhist Centre visit their website:
http://www.fpmtabc.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.
Drilbu Ri, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.
FPMT resident teacher, staff members, and volunteers at Tushita Meditation Centre, the FPMT center in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, went on pilgrimage to Lahaul (Garsha) in August 2019. The group traveled together in the Tushita bus and two additional vehicles on a route which included crossing the Rohtang Pass on the Leh-Manali Highway from Kullu district to the Lahaul Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. Ven. Tenzin Kunphen, spiritual program coordinator, and Maria Nobuko Corrales, creative project assistant, share the story. This is a short excerpt from the published online story, “Tushita Meditation Centre Staff Went on a Pilgrimage to the Land of Dakinis.”
In August 2019, the Tushita staff did something remarkable following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice. We closed our doors for a week and went on pilgrimage together! Our destination was Garsha, the Land of Dakinis (also know as Lahaul), in northern Himachal Pradesh, India. This spiritual adventure was filled with both trying and recurring obstacles that threatened our safety and caused some to turn back, but it was also filled with powerful blessings for those who endured!
This wasn’t the first time Tushita staff had traveled to Lahaul. In 2013, we were blessed to be invited by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to visit Lahaul, where Rinpoche did a private retreat in Triloknath together with Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche and Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme). Tushita staff traveled with Rinpoche for two weeks. Then in 2015, following Rinpoche’s advice, the Tushita team went on pilgrimage for the first time, making a one-week pilgrimage to Lahaul.
Markula temple, Udaipur, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.
In August 2019, our primary pilgrimage destinations were:
- Drilbu Ri Mountain—revered Chakrasamvara mountain, Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Body
- Phakpa Temple in Triloknath—revered Chenrezig statue and the Milky Chenrezig Lake (Omay Tso), Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Speech
- Markula Temple in Udaipur—revered Vajravarahi temple, Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Mind
On the way we visited:
- Sangam—the spot where the Chandra and Bhaga Rivers meet and unite together as Chandrabhaga River
- Tara Temple and Palden Lhamo waterfall near Sissu
- Padmasambhava caves and statue in Rewalsar (Tso Pema)
At 10 P.M. on August 18, nineteen of Tushita’s staff and volunteers loaded up into a bus and two additional vehicles to begin our long overnight drive to our first waypoint: Manali. Ginger tablets and Dramamine were washed down, strategically timed, along with prayers for effectiveness by those pilgrims susceptible to the destabilizing effect of the twists and turns promised by the road ahead. The hours of winding roads lived up to their reputation as a few meals reversed course, never completing their digestion, and others barely held on.
In the early still-dark hours of the next morning, just outside of Manali, we came to a halt. We were faced with a two-lane road that had crumbled to less than one, washed away by the heavy rains into the river below. Vinod, Tushita’s trusted driver who manned one of the vehicles, assessed the situation, uncertain if we could make it across. With a nagging feeling telling him “no” he reluctantly backed off, allowing the car that had come up behind us to make their choice.
As this new vehicle asserted its confidence in forging ahead, we all felt a wave of both relief and empathy as the car became stuck precisely where Vinod had a bad feeling. Reversing and attempting two hour-long detours before finally finding an alternate way through, all three Tushita cars reconvened in the light of a new day in Manali. …
Read the full online story, “Tushita Meditation Centre Staff Went on a Pilgrimage to the Land of Dakinis,” and view more photos online:
https://fpmt.org/mandala/in-depth-stories/tushita-meditation-centre-staff-go-on-pilgrimage/
For information about Tushita Meditation Centre, visit their website:
http://tushita.info
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.
Tenzin Osel Hita and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Institut Vajra Yogini, France, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
FPMT International Office wishes Tenzin Ösel Hita a very happy birthday and a long, healthy life. May his beneficial activities flourish and wishes come instantly into fruition!
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, turns 35 on February 12, 2020.
During the past year, Osel gave several talks at FPMT centers. Osel visited centers in the Bay Area of California and Florida in the United States, as well as in Italy and the United Kingdom.
Osel also attended teachings with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Spain and France during the past year.
You can follow news and updates about Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita news feed. Find recordings of talks by Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita Videos page.
The Big Love Fund provides financial resources that enable Ösel to continue his endeavors on behalf of FPMT.
Find out more about Osel and his projects on his website:
https://one-big-love.com/
Panelists Colin Wiese, Bahá’í; Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Buddhism; Melanie Baulch, Quaker; Toni Coleman, moderator; Dr. Ata-ur Rehman, Islam; Rev’d Karen Kime, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Gaurav Bodar, Hinduism; Rev’d Gavin Krebs, Christianity in the Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room, New South Wales, Australia, August 2019. Photo by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga volunteers.
Approximately seventy community members gathered together at the Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, in August, for an interfaith event, “End-of-Life Care: A Multifaith Conversation,” organized by Potowa Study Group, the FPMT study group in Wagga Wagga. Interfaith activities are one of FPMT’s five pillars of service. Peir Woon, Potowa Study Group coordinator, shares the story.
Geshe Tenzin Zopa and Mr. Dipak Gondaliya, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga representative, Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room, New South Wales, Australia, August 2019. Photo by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga volunteers.
Potowa Study Group organized a multifaith conversation entitled “End-of-life Care: A Multifaith Conversation” in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. The event, held on August 3, 2019, was organized in conjunction with Dying to Know Day, an annual event aimed at improving the death literacy of people in Australia. Dying to Know Day was founded by The GroundSwell Project, an Australian-based non-profit organization.
This multifaith event was the second of its kind organized by Potowa Study Group; the first one was held in 2017. The 2019 event featured an impressive panel of speakers representing the following communities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Bahá’í, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and Quaker. The Buddhist community was represented by one of our dear FPMT teachers, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, who played an instrumental role in initiating the idea of having multifaith conversations locally.
Despite being a small city with a population of about 60,000, multiculturalism and multifaith groups are very prominent in Wagga Wagga. This creates an opportunity for multifaith dialogues, something we recognized especially after Geshe Zopa’s visit to Potowa Study Group back in November 2016.
The annual multifaith event began with participation from four faith groups back in 2017. By 2019 this had grown to seven groups. All the faith groups showed enormous support for having such multifaith discussion on various topics. This is one of the key strengths offered by Wagga Wagga city, which provides a harmonious and peaceful environment for a multi-ethnic and multifaith community.
“End-of-life Care: A Multi-faith Conversation” in the Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room, New South Wales, Australia, August 2019. Photo by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga volunteers.
In 2019, the multifaith conversation was run in an entirely question and answer style format moderated by a palliative care specialist. Approximately seventy people from all walks of life attended the event in person, and another seventy watched the live-streamed event on our multifaith Facebook page, Our Common Word – Harmony Through Unity.
An analysis of our post-event survey shows that attendees enjoyed hearing from the diverse panel of speakers, who they found very interesting, and that all of the speakers spoke extremely well about death, dying, and bereavement. The event received positive feedback for the harmony it created between religious communities, with attendees noting that having such a broad range of religions and cultural groups coming together for this event really reinforced the sense that we can be united and we can live together. Many were surprised by how many things the different religions have in common, and attendees encourage the community to listen to the things that are eternal. Overall the event was a great success. The audience was extremely engaged for the duration of the two-hour event.
Geshe Tenzin Zopa speaking on the panel in the Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room, New South Wales, Australia, August 2019. Photo by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga volunteers.
The success of this event was due to the support we received from the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, a local community group, and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, a local government agency, as well as the speakers and faith community groups.
Potowa Study Group is honored to be part of this meaningful annual event and will strive to continue to offer a similar service to the local community in the future. The next multifaith event, planned for mid-2020, will be focused on the theme of environment and sustainability.
Stacey Heer, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network project manager thanking Dr. Ata-ur Rehman in the Wagga Wagga City Council Chambers Meeting Room, New South Wales, Australia, August 2019. Photo by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Wagga volunteers.
UPDATE—On February 23, 2020, Rotary Peace Day, Peir Woon was awarded the Rotary Club Award for Community Service by the Combined Rotary Clubs of Wagga Wagga’s Peace Community Committee as a representative of the Potowa Study Group in recognition of the multifaith dialogues the group has organized for the Wagga Wagga community since 2017.
For more information about Potowa Study Group, visit their website:
http://potowabuddhistgroup.simplesite.com/
Watch recordings of the “End-of-Life Care: A Multifaith Conversation” event on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262934810779443/videos/
For advice on death and dying, visit:
https://fpmt.org/death/
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.
Participants in the Third European Tibetan Buddhism Conference, December 2019. Photo courtesy of Tibet.net.
The Third European Tibetan Buddhism Conference met in December 2019 on the issue of how the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be identified. In the January 2020 FPMT Europe Newsletter, Paula De Wijs, director of Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam, wrote about the meeting, which she attended. Here’s a summary of her report:
On December 7–8, 2019, representatives of six FPMT centers in Europe participated in the Third Europe Tibetan Buddhism Conference. This meeting was organized by the Offices of Tibet with the aim of creating a European declaration on the issue of the reincarnation of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The meeting was held in Yeunten Ling, a Kagyu center in Huy, Belgium. More than thirty participants from ten countries attended. At the end of the conference all present signed a three-point declaration, which stated that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the officers representing him, specifically the Gaden Phodrang Trust, have the “sole power and responsibility” in matters concerning the recognition of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
Organizers called the conference because the Chinese government already has measures in place to control the choosing of the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist teachers. China’s State Religious Affairs Bureau Order Number 5 regulates the recognition and training of reincarnations and is being implemented.
These measures go against the wishes of His Holiness, the Tibetan people, and the Tibetan Buddhist community. In addition, having the Chinese government manipulate the Tibetan Buddhist traditions in this way concerns not only Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet, but also could have an impact on the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet, including in the West.
His Holiness has stated in clear terms that he will choose where and how he will reincarnate. In a September 24, 2011, statement on DalaiLama.com titled “Reincarnation,” His Holiness outlines many aspects of reincarnation and the procedure that is to be followed to find his successor. All attending the conference fully support His Holiness in this, while praying that it will not be necessary to put these procedures into place for many years to come.
Conference delegates left the meeting with the task of making this situation known to students at their respective Dharma centers and in the Dharma communities in their areas or countries. And wherever possible, European government officials will be apprised of the situation.
The US government has already declared that they would not accept a successor to the Dalai Lama put forward by the Chinese government. The Dutch government has done the same. Conference attendants look forward to other European governments following suit. Local Offices of Tibet are available to provide further information on this subject.
The FPMT delegation at the Third European Tibetan Buddhist Conference (from left): Ven. Gyaltsen, Teresa Fabbris, Paula de Wijs, Ven. Elisabeth Drukier, Nicolas Brun, Marco Parolin, Ven. Marga Echezarreta, and Carlo Casetti Brach; Huy, Belgium, December 2019. Photo courtesy of Paula de Wijs.
The declaration signed at the Third European Tibetan Buddhism Conference can be found here:
https://tibet.net/3rd-europe-tibetan-buddhism-conference-in-belgium-adopts-3-point-declaration-on-the-reincarnation-of-the-dalai-lama/
For more, you can also read about the November 2019 declaration “14th Tibetan Religious Conference affirms the Dalai Lama’s sole authority in his reincarnation, condemning China’s meddling in religious affairs” here:
https://tibet.net/14th-tibetan-religious-conference-affirms-the-dalai-lamas-sole-authority-in-his-reincarnation-illigitimises-chinas-meddling-in-religious-affairs/
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.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Amitabha Buddhist Centre students, Dharamsala, India, September 2019. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC), the FPMT center in Singapore, organized a tour to India from August 31-September 8, 2019. The highlight of the tour was His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s public teachings given at Tsuglagkhang (the main Tibetan temple) in Dharamsala, India, at the request of a group from Asia. His Holiness gave morning teachings from September 4-6 on The Four Noble Truths and their Sixteen Characteristics (denpa shi, mitak sok chudruk), The Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment (jangchok sodun), and Nagarjuna’s Commentary on the Awakening Mind. Approximately 6,500 people—including 2,000 visitors from sixty-nine countries, of which 855 were from thirty-eight Asian groups—attended the teachings. Lobsang Drolkar (Cecilia Tsong), a long-time student, active ABC member, and volunteer shares the story.
Ever since the start of the series of teachings for Asian students in Dharamsala over ten years ago, except for 2018, Amitabha Buddhist Centre has been organizing trips to these teachings in September every year without fail. The center director, Tan Hup Cheng, feels strongly that the center must do what it can to enable newcomers to the Dharma to make this most precious of connections with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So notwithstanding his crazy busy schedule, Hup Cheng has made it a point to lead these trips himself.
And so it was planned for 2019, until Lama Zopa Rinpoche suddenly decided to arrive in Singapore almost two weeks earlier than the original scheduled date. As a result, Hup Cheng could no longer lead the trip. Fortunately, a senior student, Phuah Soon Ek, who was very experienced in leading such trips, stepped up to the plate.
In 2019, there was a group of thirty-four participants, most of whom have never been to India or met His Holiness before. Our youngest pilgrim was an eleven-year-old boy! As in the past, before the teachings we traveled with some hardship to Tso Pema, the holy lake associated with Guru Rinpoche. Once everyone visited all the holy caves where Guru Rinpoche practiced, all tiredness was forgotten as we did prayers and soaked up the blessings of Guru Rinpoche.
The following day was the visit to our sister center in Dharamsala, Tushita Meditation Centre, where we had the chance to visit Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s private rooms, now further expanded with a new extension. The highlight was the visit to Lama Yeshe’s room—preserved intact with all his belongings—and the opportunity to make prostrations and offerings at his meditation seat, praying that one day, may we become just like him.
The teaching program was most suitable for our group as His Holiness taught the Four Noble Truths and their Sixteen Characteristics, the Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and gave a commentary on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on the Awakening Mind—all foundational topics that will stand us in good stead as we embark on our Dharma studies.
In the past few years, participants have also been granted special access to His Holiness’ private gompa, which houses countless holy objects. One of the most precious of these is the body relic of his senior tutor, His Eminence the Sixth Kyabje Ling Rinpoche. By happy coincidence, on the very same day as our gompa visit, in the afternoon, we were privileged to have an audience with the present His Eminence the Seventh Kyabje Ling Rinpoche at Rinpoche’s residence.
So, within the short span of slightly over a week we experienced both the power of the Dharma as expounded by His Holiness, and saw for ourselves the power of Dharma practice in the palpable energy of Guru Rinpoche and meeting the reincarnation of H.E. Ling Rinpoche.
To learn more about Amitabha Buddhist Centre visit their website:
http://www.fpmtabc.org
Watch His Holiness’s September 4-6, 2019, teachings on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/71HAhhcrAQw
https://youtu.be/3tXSS_gzCFk
https://youtu.be/qDavXnPPk9A
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.
Smoke from the ongoing bushfires in Australia as seen from the International Space Station, January 4, 2020. Photo by NASA ISS, public domain. (Source: https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=ISS061&roll=E&frame=120235)
The ongoing bushfires in Australia are devastating many areas throughout the country, affecting humans as well as billions of insects and animals.
FPMT Australia (FPMTA) has created a new webpage, “Bushfires Across Australia,” with news on the bushfires and on their impact on humans and animals, updates on FPMT centers directly affected by the fires, advice for practices to do, and information on how you can help.
“We have been overwhelmed at the outpouring of compassion and the desire to help that has come from across the globe,” FPMTA writes. “This, coupled with local communities’ and individual’s support and care for each other, has been a source of great emotional comfort at a time of huge loss, fear, and anxiety. FPMT in Australia has been deluged with people wishing to help in practical ways and through prayers and practices.”
Recommended practices that can be done to help dispel bushfires can be found in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s collection of advice for natural disasters on FPMT.org and on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive page “Practices for Natural Disasters.” If you are under threat of bushfire or natural disaster, you can recite “Prayer to Guru Rinpoche to Clear Away Obstacles on the Path.”
FPMTA shared the following about the hardest hit FPMT center:
“FPMT’s De-tong Ling Retreat Centre (DTL) on Kangaroo Island, in the state of South Australia, has suffered greatly from the impact of the fires. DTL was saved, but the neighbous who helped fight the blaze, some protecting DTL, weren’t so lucky – many lost their homes. Fires on the island had been burning for four weeks and intensified, claiming two lives. The total area destroyed by the Kangaroo Island bushfires now stands at more than 200,000 hectares, which is almost half the island. Wildlife such as bees, the endangered glossy-tailed cockatoo and dunnart marsupial are feared to become extinct, and 30,000 koalas are believed to have been killed.”
For more, including how to help, visit FPMT Australia’s “Bushfires Across Australia” page:
http://fpmta.org.au/bushfires-across-australia/
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.