FPMT Community: Stories & News

Pema Tsering, Oi Loon Lee, Khusboo, Ceci Buzón, Nanda Devi, Samten Dolma, Sapna Pradhan, Sonali Kumari, Sanjeev Kumar, Ven. Anshu Negi, Ajit Mishra, Rohan Kumar, and Amar Kumar at Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India, April 2019. Photo by Katherine Demsky.

In 2018 Maitreya School—a project of Root Institute, the FPMT center in Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India—began partnering with Cecilia (“Ceci”) Buzón, a Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) accredited 16 Guidelines for Life Level 2 facilitator; teacher; and co-founder of FDCW national group Fundación Educación Universal Patagonia-Argentina to bring the 16 Guidelines for Life to Maitreya School. Ceci and Pema Tsering, Maitreya School principal, share the story.

“I traveled to India in 2018,” Ceci said,” and by chance visited Maitreya School while in Bodhgaya and met Pema. Within ten minutes of conversation we already knew we wanted to work together. Maitreya School needed a 16 Guidelines for Life facilitator, and so we started organizing the first online 16 Guidelines for Life level 1 course.”

Pema shared about that July 2018 online course. “Every  Saturday for two hours, we got an opportunity to have face-to-face interaction with Ceci and peer groups among the teachers. It provided a platform for us to exchange our views, discuss, and reflect on the lessons.”

“Pema and I met again in August 2018,” Ceci shared, “for a 16 Guidelines for Life for children workshop at the 16 Guidelines Retreat Gathering hosted by FDCW national group Education Universelle France held at Institut Vajra Yogini, the FPMT center in Toulouse, France.”

Sapna Pradhan, Ceci Buzón, Khusboo, Ven. Anshu Negi, Nanda Devi, and Ajit Mishra at Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India, April 2019. Photo by Katherine Demsky.

“Ceci facilitated a really wonderful workshop about how we can teach the 16 Guidelines for Life to children by using art,” Pema said. “It was very important for our school because we very rarely use art and different activities to teach lessons. I found this was a very exciting and enjoyable way to teach. Also, children enjoy learning the lesson; it is fun and entertaining. Ceci used lots of activities during the workshop. This gave us new ideas to create our own activities suitable for our children’s mental levels.

“It was also very interesting to learn how each of the 16 Guidelines for Life is linked with its wisdom theme,” Pema said. “There are a lot of thinking and reflection exercises we never thought of before. These exercises give us the chance to see within ourselves and transform our minds. It keeps our minds healthy and stable.”

Pema continued, “We must practice and habituate it in our daily life. When thinking, reflecting, and contemplation become our habits, it will be easier for us to face emotional difficulties like anger and jealousy. So, it is very important for ourselves and our children to become more happy and peaceful people. We can more effectively implement these different methods into Maitreya School’s teaching process in the future.

“I was so thankful to Education Universelle France and Fundación Educación Universal Patagonia-Argentina, who organized the workshop and invited me to France, and to Institut Vajra Yogini for giving me accommodation and delicious food. It was an amazing experience.”

Ajit Mishra, Samten Dolma, Ven. Anshu Negi, and Kushboo at Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India, April 2019. Photo by Katherine Demsky.

Ceci and Pema continued to collaborate to benefit Maitreya School. Ceci said, “We met in Bodhgaya in April 2019 to train the whole Maitreya School staff not only on the 16 Guidelines for Life and the four wisdom themes (How We Think, How We Act, How We Relate to Others, How We Find Meaning) but also on how to implement them with each age group. During the three-day workshop each teacher learned and planned how to take the 16 Guidelines for Life into the classroom through different school subjects like math, language, and social studies.”

Pema said, “The aim of the Maitreya School curriculum is to bring a good heart into our children and harmony into society. 16 Guidelines for Life teaches about universal values such as humility, patience, kindness, and gratitude. It helps to develop social and emotional skills in children, which are important for their well-being, learning, and life skills. We have committed to make the 16 Guidelines for Life the first priority for the school.

“Maitreya School is thankful for Ceci who has offered us her precious time and energy in order to share her knowledge, experience, and skills with our teachers,” Pema continued. “We also thank FDCW board member and co-chair Oi Loon Lee for visiting our school and helping with the workshop. Our teachers appreciated this workshop very much. We will integrate the 16 Guidelines for Life into the teaching process at our school more effectively in comings days.”

For more information about Maitreya School, visit the Root Institute for Wisdom Culture website:
https://www.rootinstitute.ngo/social-service/maitreya-school

For more information about 16 Guidelines for Life, visit the Foundation for Developing Wisdom and Compassion 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.

H.E. Zong Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Tushita Meditation Center, Dharamsala, India, February 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

His Holiness the 3rd Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachers. His Eminence the 4th Kyabje Zong Rinpoche—born in north India in 1985—visited Maitreya Instituut Loenen, an FPMT center in Loenen, the Netherlands, in April 2019. Maarten de Vries, Maitreya Instituut Loenen assistant director, shares the story.

After a teaching event in Germany, His Eminence Zong Rinpoche visited Maitreya Instituut for the third time. Our guest of honor arrived in the early evening and was greeted by Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen, our FPMT resident geshe; staff; and volunteers. The participants of a dance workshop at our conference center stopped what they were doing and eagerly joined the queue to offer khatas.

H.E. Zong Rinpoche and Geshe Sonam Gyalsten, Loenen, the Netherlands, April 2019. Photo by Willem van Steijn.

This time, Rinpoche added extra days to his stay in Loenen so he could spend more time together with Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen. His Holiness the 3rd Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was one of Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen’s main gurus.

Rinpoche had looked forward to spending time with Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen, and over dinner both engaged in animated conversation about the finer points of Buddhist philosophy. They had a few lively debate sessions during Rinpoche’s stay in Loenen, but both claimed the other one had won the debate.

The next day, a record breaking hot and sunny Easter Monday, about eighty attendees flowed into the center for the afternoon’s public talk. The theme—Community: Living and Working Together in Harmony—clearly seemed to have struck a chord. In his characteristic style, Rinpoche first approached the topic from various angles, then gradually zooming in on a number of key ideas. Rinpoche also shared some entertaining stories about life in the monastery.

H.E. Zong Rinpoche offering a khata to Maarten de Vries, Maitreya Instituut, Loenen, the Netherlands, April 2019. Photo by Willem van Steijn.

Rinpoche expressed his preference for informal and open communication and sincerely connected with the audience. He gave lots of personal attention to those seeking his advice during the tea break and even until long after the event was over. He spoke thoughtfully, as if thinking out loud, always carefully choosing his words. With great skill he balanced Western psychological approaches with Buddhist philosophy.

Rinpoche invited us to ask questions and share our thoughts, which led to a detailed and personal reflection on guru devotion. The key message was to investigate a teacher well before entering a formal relationship. The main criteria—or “safety check” as Rinpoche called it—has to be the teacher’s ethical conduct. Similar to buying a car, our main concern should be safety, not the reputation, brand, or color of the car.

He then shared a little about a personal encounter he recently had with Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche in India. He praised Rinpoche highly and remarked that the Vajrayogini initiation and retreat in France (which recently concluded) is a very rare opportunity. H.E. Zong Rinpoche congratulated those of us lucky enough to be able to attend this retreat. 

We are very grateful for the opportunity to make a connection with H.E. Zong Rinpoche, and we hope to meet and receive teachings from Rinpoche again soon.

For more information about Maitreya Instituut Loenen, visit their website:
https://maitreya.nl/index.htm

Listen to H.E. Zong Rinpoche’s teachings at Maitreya Instituut Loenen in 2016, 2017, and 2018 on the center’s website:
https://www.maitreya.nl/studie-studenten-downloads-loenen-mp3-index.htm#z2

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.

FPMT International Office is continuing to follow the two approaches outlined below in terms of assessing and updating our safeguarding and grievance procedures, and responding to the concerns raised by the allegations regarding Dagri Rinpoche.

1. Approach of providing spiritual advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche to students of Dagri Rinpoche, based on the lamrim practice of guru devotion.

2. Approach of assessing and addressing any allegations in the context of worldly conventions.
This involves following normal procedures for investigating any allegations. FPMT International Office takes accusations of abuse very seriously, and are actively reviewing the existing procedures we have in place for managing allegations, grievances, and disputes, assessing any gaps that we may have, and improvements we can make.

Since our last update on May 24, 2019, we have followed these steps:

• We have continued to communicate with some of the alleged victims and also with numerous students and others, and are carefully reviewing all input and suggestions received.
• We have added some additional links and pathways to our Safeguarding and Problem Solving and our Ethical Policy pages on fpmt.org.
• We have become a member of a UK safeguarding charity called Thirtyone:eight and are reviewing their templates, audit tools, and resources on safeguarding to assess any gaps in our current procedures and to identify areas for improvement.
• We are exploring what options are available to commission a suitable professional body to conduct an independent review of our current polices and procedures, to identify any gaps or areas for improvement.
• We are assessing what options are available to allow us to increase awareness of, and ensure priority is given to, safeguarding and implementation of a clear grievance procedure in the FPMT network of centers, projects, and services around the world.

FPMT International Office remains committed to continue to improve our policies and procedures to ensure we have robust systems in place for protecting against abuse, and to provide a safe environment for teachers to teach and be supported. We continue to require and assist FPMT center, service, and project directors to stay up to date with, and implement, our policies and guidelines.

Earlier updates, and advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, concerning Dagri Rinpoche are available here.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and pilgrims at Hotel Vajra, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In February 2018 a group of FPMT students traveled together from Australia to Kathmandu, Nepal, for a pilgrimage led by Gen Thubten Dondrub*, FPMT resident teacher at Buddha House, an FPMT center in Australia. In addition to encountering Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Nepal, the pilgrims visited many holy places: Boudhanath Stupa; Namo Buddha Stupa; Swayambhunath Stupa; holy sites in Sankhu, Pharping, and Patan; Nagi Gompa; the Maratika Caves; and ancient city temples associated with the deities Tara and Vajrayogini. This is a short excerpt from the online story, “FPMT Students Experienced that FPMT Family Feeling in Nepal,” compiled by some of the Buddha House pilgrims.

On February 3, 2018, twenty-two students from four FPMT centers in Australia—Buddha House; Hayagriva Buddhist Centre; Tara Meditation Centre; Vajrayana Institute; and the FPMT study group in Broome, Gyalwa Ensapa Buddhist Study Group—flew into Kathmandu, Nepal, for the beginning of what turned out to be very auspicious twenty-one days of pilgrimage.

Snow in the mountains, a view from Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Arriving at Kopan Monastery, the FPMT monastery in Kathmandu, around midnight, the group was greeted the next morning with a thrill—they discovered Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in residence at Kopan for Losar (Tibetan New Year) and would be there through to the Day of Miracles.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised in Practices for Pilgrimage: “How do we make pilgrimage as meaningful, useful and beneficial as possible? The main point of pilgrimage is to subdue our minds. By eliminating mistaken thoughts, not allowing the mind to be under the control of delusion, the mind is better able to actualize the lamrim realizations, from guru devotion up to enlightenment.”

Gen Thubten Dondrub leading a short retreat on Orange Manjushri in the Tantric College Gompa at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Gen Thubten Dondrub began the pilgrimage with a strict pre-warning to those about to join him, saying, “You are not on a holiday.” We would be visiting the holy sites in Kathmandu, the Kathmandu Valley, and Maratika Caves where we would recite prayers, mantras, and engage in practices including tsog offerings.

Gen Thubten Dondrub leading practices and tsog offerings, Sankhu, Nepal, February 2019. Photo by Peter Wagner.

Due to the kindness and great effort of Judy Wagner, Buddha House spiritual program coordinator, a portable altar, water bowls, and offerings were set up at each holy site—even if the tsog had to be guarded from cunning monkeys!

To fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice of not wasting time, Gen Thubten Dondrub made the most of our lengthy bus and jeep rides through Kathmandu traffic, leading Tara and Vajrasattva practices in the morning and dedications during the rides home. …

Read the Buddha House pilgrims’ online story in its entirety, “FPMT Students Experienced that FPMT Family Feeling in Nepal,” and view more of their photos online:
https://fpmt.org/mandala/in-depth-stories/buddha-house-pilgrims-experiened-that-fpmt-family-feeling-in-nepal/

* In 2019 Gen Thubten Dondrub requested Buddha House students formally refer to him as “Gen Thubten Dondrub.” He shared, “Usually monks and nuns of the FPMT are referred to as ‘Venerable.’ I have always found this term uncomfortable as it is a very exalted term and is used in the Catholic Church to refer to someone who is in line to be canonized as a saint. When I was in Taiwan I learned that every monk and nun was addressed as ‘Fa Shr’ from the moment they were ordained. The term means ‘Dharma teacher.’ The closest Tibetan equivalent is ‘ge.gen,’ often abbreviated to ‘Gen’ or ‘Gen-la.’ It is polite and friendly. So when people ask how to address me, I suggest using that term. It seems much more appropriate than ‘Venerable.'”

For more information about Buddha House, visit their website:
http://buddhahouse.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, France, May 2019. Photograph by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

The FPMT International Office e-News for June is out now!  This month we bring you:

• Updates about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Schedule
• FPMT Ethical Policy in More Languages
• New from Mandala Publications
• Registration Date for Kopan Monastery’s One Month Lamrim Retreat

…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.

Sufi dervish dancers during Compassion Retreat, Maitreya Instituut Loenen, November 2018. Photo courtesy of Maitreya Instituut.

Maitreya Instituut in the Netherlands hosted an interfaith dialogue that transcended the usual exchange of words. Buddhist and Sufi students came together to learn about each other’s traditions and to practice during a four-day retreat focused on compassion.

Interfaith activities are one of FPMT’s five pillars of service. Maarten de Vries, assistant director of Maitreya Instituut Loenen, describes the special event that took place in late 2018 in the online story, “Maitreya Instituut’s Interfaith Retreat Creates a Community Experience Focused on Compassion.” Here’s a short excerpt:

In November 2018, Maitreya Instituut Loenen in the Netherlands organized a four-day retreat lead by Sheikha Nur Artıran, president of the Şefik Can International Mevlânâ Education and Culture Foundation in Istanbul, Turkey, and Ven. Losang Gendun, FPMT resident teacher of Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam. The purpose of the interfaith retreat was to create a space for a participatory dialogue between Islamic Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism, not through mere theological debate, but through the sharing of spiritual practice and bonds of friendship.

The theme “compassion” was approached through Buddhist meditation, Sufi contemplations, mantra and dhikr recitation, discussions, and aspirational prayer. Moreover, Nur’s group of dervishes performed sama, the famous swirling ritual done by Mevlevi Sufis following their founder Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī. The retreat was attended by thirty-five people from both communities and interested others.

“Nur and I met six years ago in Toulouse, France. We were invited by the Sufi organization Association Internationale Soufie Alâwiyya (AISA),” Ven. Gendun said. “Where many interreligious dialogues tend to carefully tread around sensitive subjects or become apologetic, our first conversation was uninhibited and frank. During Nur’s lecture I was struck by the amount of citations from Rūmī that have counterparts in Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavattara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life). That realization set the tone of our ensuing and enduring conversations.” …

Read the complete story “Maitreya Instituut’s Interfaith Retreat Creates a Community Experience Focused on Compassion”: 
https://fpmt.org/mandala/in-depth-stories/maitreya-instituuts-interfaith-retreat-creates-a-community-experience-focused-on-compassion/

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.

Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi and retreatants, Tahiti, French Polynesia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Centre de Méditation Naropa.

Students from Centre de Méditation Naropa (Naropa Meditation Center), the FPMT center in Papeete on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, hosted French nun and FPMT registered teacher Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi (Chantal Carrerot) from March 13-27, 2019. Annie Green, spiritual program coordinator shares the story.

The Naropa Meditation Center invited Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi to teach the Dharma in Tahiti. She came for the first time in February 2012, then came for two weeks in March 2019.

We began with a five-day retreat on calm abiding, held in a privately-owned home on Fare Mahora Point, Teahupoo, a beautiful place on the peninsula of Tahiti. Thanks to the kindness of the homeowner and the staff, we all benefited from the good conditions.

The retreat began on Friday, March 15, 2019, and ended on Thursday, March 20. Twenty-seven people came only for the weekend. Seventeen people stayed for the entire retreat.

Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi and students enjoying lunch at the market, Tahiti, French Polynesia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Centre de Méditation Naropa.

The following weekend, Saturday March 23, and Sunday, March 24, Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi taught “Introduction to Buddhism—Introduction to the Lamrim” at our center in Papeete. Then on Monday she taught “How to Manage Our Emotions.” We appreciated the knowledge, compassion, and joy she shared with us while teaching and and answering questions.

In French we say, “Everything comes in three.” We hope that Ven. Chantal Tenzin Dekyi will come again to spray a rain of Dharma on Tahiti for the benefit of sentient beings.

For more information about Centre de Méditation Naropa visit their website:
http://naropatahiti.over-blog.com/

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.

Ven. Amy Miller with students at Shantideva Center, Brooklyn, New York, US, February 2019. Photo by Jennifer Kim.

Shantideva Center, an FPMT center in Brooklyn, New York, US, celebrated Losar with FPMT registered teacher Ven. Amy Miller. Board member Jennifer Kim shares the story of the center’s ongoing connection with Ven. Amy Miller.

The students at Shantideva Center have experienced a special connection with Ven. Amy Miller for several years now. As time flies by quickly, reminding us of impermanence and the inevitability of death, Ven. Amy has been there to help ensure that our journey through this life is a good one.

It’s a bit of paradox that such an enthusiastic meditator would flourish in the noisy City of New York, and that her trips to the land of tall skyscrapers would be interspersed with her trips to the high Himalayas of Lawudo.

Ven. Amy Miller and students, Shantideva Center, Brooklyn, New York, US, February 2019. Photo by Jennifer Kim.

Yet somehow this arrangement has worked, with Ven. Amy sharing the deep wisdom of the Dharma in a highly practical and accessible way, touching the lives of people from all walks of life as we practice tonglen on the subways, practice patience in the office, and learn to shift our habits from Facebook to the five powers.

The last few months were a huge gift to students, as she led a variety of activities and teachings to help us understand the Dharma, accumulate merit and purify negativities. These activities culminated on Chotrul Duchen (the Day of Miracles), where we did Prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas; Vajrasattva purification practice; recitation of The Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels and In Praise of Dependent Arising; and the Shakyamuni Buddha Puja.

Ven. Amy Miller and students, Shantideva Center, Brooklyn, New York, US, February 2019. Photo by Jennifer Kim.

As usual, Ven. Amy helped bridge the gap between esoteric practice and meaningful relevance, helping us understand the purpose of these practices while connecting us with their powerful blessings. Her last teaching that night was a very quiet yet powerful one of selfless service, as she made the two-hour drive late at night to return home to a family member, who she has been helping to take care of.

Holidays such as the Day of Miracles allow us to reflect on the monumental impact of Shakyamuni Buddha, and teachers such as Ven. Amy allow us to receive this enlightening influence in our modern lives normally fraught with confusion. The Dharma has somehow survived due to deeply dedicated practitioners like Ven. Amy and our lineage masters, and our ability to practice is a miracle that we can truly celebrate with gratitude.

For more information about Shantideva Center, visit their website:
https://shantidevanyc.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.

Geshe Tenzin Wangdak teaching LRZTP8 students, Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program, Dharamsala, India, March 2018. Photo by Alex García.

Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program, an FPMT project in Dharamsala, India, welcomed their newest cohort of students in March 2018. Six months later the students and teachers had the opportunity to meet with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Dharamsala. Yaron Bahir, international director, and Filip Majkowski, local director, share news about the growth of the two-year Tibetan language translation program.

Our current cohort of students—known as LRZTP8—joined the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program (LRZTP) in March 2018. LRZTP8 students have three main teachers: Geshe Tenzin Wangdak, Dr. Filip Majkowski, and LRZTP7 graduate Alex García.

Our students learn Tibetan vocabulary words used in everyday life and in Buddhism; they participate in grammar classes where new structures are introduced and explained in English and practiced in Tibetan; and they attend listening and reading comprehension classes covering Tibetan customs and traditions, environmental awareness, honorific language, human rights, and more.

Students also learn through pronunciation drilling classes; group-work; translation assignments; weekly quizzes; and end-of-module exams. Students are permitted to translate their assignments into English, Spanish, or Polish.

LRZTP8 students studying in the classroom at Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program, Dharamsala, India, March 2018. Photo by Alex García.

Each day the students learn for two hours with conversation partners, where eighty percent of the class time is made up of students speaking. Each conversation class is based on currently discussed grammar and topics, and students are provided with conversation sheets, which they can use during classes as well as for later revision.

Our beloved teacher Thubten-la guides and instructs them with his experience teaching in a one-on-one setting. Thubten-la has been working in our school since 2012. He is also the main voice of the listening comprehension materials recorded and edited by Alex García.

In addition to classes, we do our best to provide students with excellent study resources. We have been using study and exam materials from previous LRZTP courses—most notably LRZTP former teacher Franziska Oertle’s excellent book The Heart of Tibetan Language, which was published in print and online by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA).

We have worked hard to develop a great number of new materials, primarily for our reading and listening comprehension exercises. At the end of each module, we also give students study guides summarizing the grammar they studied in that module.

Teacher Mr. Alejandro M. Garcia, students, and dog during Wednesday Debates at Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program, Dharamsala, India, July 2018. Photo by Filip Majkowski.

We were very blessed that Lama Zopa Rinpoche kindly accepted our invitation to visit the school in September 2018. It was a beautiful day.

In 2018 we began collaborating with the University of Virginia (UVA) in the United States. LRZTP Tibetan teachers provided assistance to the UVA Summer Language Program so that UVA students could have online Tibetan language conversation classes with our Tibetan teachers using the video conferencing tool Zoom. This collaboration with UVA continued into the fall 2018 semester.

LRZTP8 students took their first-year final exams in March 2019. First-year final exams consist of Classical Tibetan, Speaking, and Writing. We film some of the final exams so students can assess their progress.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with LRZTP8 students and teachers, Dharamsala, India, September 2018. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

In April 2019 the students of LRZTP8 started their second year of studies. This year they have all their classes taught in the Tibetan language and they study Dharma. Their intensive program began with the study of lamrim and dudra (collected topics). One day of the week is devoted to grammar revision, also with Tibetan language as a teaching medium.

In April 2019 a group of six students—two Indian nationals, one Korean, one Mexican, one Russian and one Italian—joined our two-month intensive Tibetan language for Dharma course taught by Ms. Julia Wilson, interpreter at LTWA. We would like to thank the Khyentse Foundation for a grant we were awarded that allows us to offer scholarships to Indian students who demonstrate financial need. We would also like to thank our long-term donor, one of Rinpoche’s students, who has supported LRZTP from the very beginning.

For more information about the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program in Dharamsala, India visit their website:
http://www.lrztp.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.

FPMT International Office has received considerable correspondence regarding the alleged misconduct by Dagri Rinpoche and the decision to suspend Dagri Rinpoche from the FPMT Tibetan Teachers List. (See the timeline below for details.)

International Office acknowledges the very real suffering experienced by the women who have made allegations of misconduct by Dagri Rinpoche, and understand how difficult it is to speak out publically about this. We appreciate their courage in speaking out.

We also want to recognize Dagri Rinpoche’s service to the FPMT organization as a teacher for more than fifteen years. We have received no complaints about his actions over the past eight years.

International Office remains committed to helping local FPMT centers, projects, and services in creating a supportive and respectful environment for the students who study and practice there, and for the teachers who teach there. We continue to emphasize the FPMT Ethical Policy as a way to ensure these positive conditions.

The FPMT Ethical Policy is available for all to read on the FPMT website, and has been since it was first created in 2000. Allegations of misconduct are received with an open mind and a warm heart. In response to any complaint, the FPMT organization follows the guidelines described in Problem Solving within the FPMT Organization. We understand the importance of supporting and protecting teachers, and students, while any allegations are investigated.

Since 2011 (see our timeline below), International Office, relying on input from professionals and stakeholders, created and updated guidelines to support interactions between teachers, students, and staff, as a supplement to the FPMT Ethical Policy. Clauses within the Ethical Policy itself also have been updated on several occasions in order to capture and insist upon improved understanding of best practice.

In addition, the FPMT Ethical Policy and problem solving guidelines are regularly taken up and discussed at FPMT regional and national meetings, and at meetings of ordained FPMT Sangha. This is to keep the importance of abiding by the Ethical Policy in the minds of all in positions of authority within the FPMT organization.

There has been a lot of misunderstanding as to what the FPMT organization has done after becoming aware of Jakaira Perez Valdivia’s allegation. In order to clarify, and to prevent further misunderstanding, here is our timeline:

2010

• International Office was alerted by a student who had said she was inappropriately touched by Dagri Rinpoche in 2010 during an FPMT event. At that time, we contacted the student directly to learn more. The student—who wished, and continues to wish, to remain unnamed—decided to not make any public allegation nor take the matter further, and so it was not possible to make a formal investigation at that time. *

2011

• International Office was alerted by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama about an allegation of sexual assault made by a Western nun (Jakaira Perez Valdivia) against Dagri Rinpoche. The alleged assault did not take place at an FPMT center, and the communication from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was the first we had heard about it. Therefore, FPMT International Office felt that the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was the appropriate body to investigate the allegation.
• The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama informed us that they had investigated the allegation and that it was resolved. They informed us that Dagri Rinpoche understood the seriousness of the allegations and committed to avoiding situations that could give rise to similar allegations in the future.
• Based on the outcome of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s investigation, International Office decided that Dagri Rinpoche should remain on the list of FPMT Tibetan teachers. We talked directly with Dagri Rinpoche to ensure that he understood the seriousness of this allegation.
• We alerted FPMT regional and national coordinators, who organize teacher tours, of the allegation of misconduct and the outcome of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s investigation. We asked the coordinators to alert centers that had invited or were planning to invite Dagri Rinpoche of this information.

2012

• Jakaira Perez Valdivia emailed International Office, asking us to provide her with an apology from Dagri Rinpoche as she had heard that Dagri Rinpoche was defaming her in FPMT centers. We looked into the matter and were able to respond that we found no evidence that Dagri Rinpoche had spoken negatively about her and that he had considered the matter closed since the meeting with the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

2018

• International Office reminded FPMT regional and national coordinators of the outcome of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s investigation into Dagri Rinpoche in 2011, as part of our ongoing safeguarding process.

2019

• As of the beginning of May 2019, International Office had received no other complaints about the conduct of Dagri Rinpoche, nor heard any public allegations of misconduct by Dagri Rinpoche.
• On May 3, an American woman filed a police complaint in India, alleging that Dagri Rinpoche sexually harassed her during a flight from Delhi to Gaggal. The Indian police began an investigation. We verified this directly with the police station involved.
• In response to the May 3 allegation, International Office suspended Dagri Rinpoche from the FPMT Tibetan Teachers List.
• On May 14, International Office posted the public statement “Update Regarding Dagri Rinpoche.”
• On May 14, International Office posted “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice to Students of Dagri Rinpoche.” (This letter is advice specifically for students of Dagri Rinpoche, to help them.)
• We were informed that a Korean woman had made an allegation against Dagri Rinpoche on Facebook. On May 15, that woman, Youngsun Shin, reached out to us directly to inform us of her allegation of inappropriate physical contact by Dagri Rinpoche in Dharamsala in 2008.  We are in correspondence with Youngsun Shin.
• On May 24, International Office created the page “Updates Regarding Dagri Rinpoche,” where updates and links on this issue will be shared.
• On May 24, International Office posted “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Additional Advice to Students of Dagri Rinpoche.” (This is a second letter of advice specifically for students of Dagri Rinpoche.)

Next Steps

While we await the results of the Indian police investigation, we are continuing a correspondence with Jakaira Perez Valdivia.  We are also seeking professional assistance, and committed to continue to improve our current policies and procedures.

* In our original timeline which was posted in May 2019 we entered the dates for the timeline using the best information available to us at the time. An update was done to this timeline in July 2021 based on additional information sent to us in June 2021 with a correction of the date from 2013 to 2010 for when one complaint was reported to us.

Statue of Red Tara in FPMT International Office, Portland, Oregon, US. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

The Board of Directors of FPMT, Inc., has three new members: Ven. Lhundub Chodron, Peggy Bennington, and Debra Ladner. 

Peggy Bennington was appointed to the board on March 5, 2019; Venerable Lhundub Chodron and Debra Ladner were appointed on May 5, 2019. They will serve three-year terms, which may be renewed.

“The board has been actively searching for new members for about a year. In particular we wanted to have people with long term knowledge of the FPMT organization, who also have professional skills and good knowledge of U.S. non-profit organizations,” Board of Directors Chair Andrew Haynes wrote in a recent announcement. “As with all new board members, the choices are ratified by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and approved by the current board members.”

“It is an exciting time for the board, and we are all looking forward to working with our enlarged team! I trust you will all join me in welcoming them to their new roles in offering service to the FPMT,” Andrew Haynes wrote. 

You can read more about the new, and existing, board of directors members on fpmt.org.

Foundation Service Seminar facilitators Sarah Brooks and Drolkar McCallum at Milarepa Center, Barnet, Vermont, US, July 2018. Photo by Dawn Holtz.

Milarepa Center is located in rural Barnet, Vermont, in the United States. In July 2018, the center hosted the Foundation Service Seminar, the ‘FPMT immersion retreat’. Milarepa Center director Dawn Holt recently shared this update.

I am happy to say that Milarepa Center is doing well after a few years of financial challenges. We have further to go, but we are making huge strides every day!

I was appointed as center director in November 2017, and since then I have of course been following the advice given to the center by our dearest, most precious spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for Milarepa Center to provide space for students to engage in retreat, and to offer teaching programs when possible.

With its 275 acres of pristine forest, rolling meadows, and multiple cabins on the land, Milarepa Center offers students an opportunity to conduct solitary retreat in a serene and blessed environment with no distractions.

This past year we have hosted many students from all over for private retreat, offered several public programs and retreats, upgraded a retreat cabin with a Merit Box award, and are now preparing for the arrival of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche in August! So many wonderful blessings and causes being created for Milarepa Center and the teachings to flourish, I rejoice!

Losar card featuring Milarepa, created by LPP student Raven Jones for the Year of the Earth Pig 2019

Due to feeling a strong connection with Jetsun Milarepa, Milarepa Center has also been receiving many letters this past year from inmates in prisons all over the United States. Milarepa Center answers letters when we can and also puts inmates in contact with the Liberation Prison Project, so that they may receive additional books and study materials.

An extra bonus for the center has been the Losar (Tibetan New Year) cards we have received for the last two years created and sent to us by Raven Jones, the first person to fully complete the FPMT Masters Program while being incarcerated. In his letters to us, Raven has expressed his overwhelming respect for Jetsun Milarepa as a personal role model as well as making beautiful and most kind wishes for the center to grow and have continued success. Many inmates feel a strong connection to Milarepa as role model and as an example of the possibility of total transformation reaching all the way up to enlightenment. The letters are such a beautiful and humbling reminder of the Buddha-nature within us all.

For more on Milarepa Center, visit their website:
http://milarepacenter.org/

You can learn more about the Liberation Prison Project here:
http://www.liberationprisonproject.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.