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FPMT Community: Stories & News
Cover of “Una rivoluzione spirituale: La storia dell’Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa di Pomaia”
In December 2016, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) published A Spiritual Revolution: The History of the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute of Pomaia (in Italian, Una rivoluzione spirituale: La storia dell’Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa di Pomaia). The 120-page hardcover coffee table book features the story of ILTK’s 1976 founding and dozens of photos. Author Massimo Corona shared with Mandala some early memories of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa’s founding in celebration of the new book:
When I met Lama Yeshe at Kopan in Nepal I was twenty-four years old. It was April 1971—forty-six years ago. I had without a doubt met my root guru. His words were, using an expression he himself coined, like “an atomic bomb entering [my] heart.”
The energy of the early days is unmatched. I remember working through the night to prepare the old rooms at ILTK for Lama Yeshe’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s first meditation course. In those first three years as a director I learned a bit also about plumbing and plastering, although not always very successfully. In fact, I think around ’83 or ’84, a pipe in the Lamas’ residence broke and the house was completely flooded.
Lama Yeshe, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia, Italy, 1983. Photo by Merry Colony, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
A Spiritual Revolution captures the evolution of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa after that first meeting in Nepal. Now that I’m back in Pomaia after spending many years in the United States and Mongolia, I’m amazed to see the progress the center has made. Every weekend there are at least one hundred people attending courses. During the week there are the Masters Program and the Basic Program, both being hosted for a third time. Between the residential and online participants, there are more than 400 people studying the Dharma this way. (As for myself, I’m not doing much, besides rejoicing!)
A Spiritual Revolution: The History of the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute of Pomaia is available by donation only. For people outside of Italy, please email Massimo Corona (max@synergicinc.com) directly to arrange orders.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Enjoying a bowl of food provided by Ven. Gyalten Lekden on the roof of House 999, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2017. Photo courtesy of Ven. Gyalten Lekden.
Ven. Gyalten Lekden
Ven. Gyalten Lekden, an International Mahayana Institute (IMI) monk who studies at Sera Je in South India, reports on some of his most beloved housemates. Cats. And more cats. The cats are strays that Ven. Lekden has taken to feeding and watching over, in keeping with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions, which include caring for animals.
Usually between four and eight cats spend part of each day playing and lounging on the roof of House 999, where Ven. Lekden lives. Since they turn up their noses at local brands, he buys them imported cat food, and every day feeds the “clowder” (the official name for a group of cats) a few bowls of dry food, along with some eggs mixed into milk. He adds, smiling, “I spend more money on cat food than on my own food! But I feel happy doing it.” While setting out the food, he recites mantras and rubs bellies, meeting the kitties’ needs both in the moment and, hopefully, for the long term.
Cat napping on the robes of an unidentified monk, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2017. Photo courtesy of Ven. Gyalten Lekden.
It started with just one, as these things do. Tom the Unnamed Tomcat arrived, and when it was cold Tom used to doze on Ven. Lekden’s lap while he recited or studied. When Tom got badly injured in a fight, Ven. Lekden cleaned his wounds and saved his life. Tom was later joined by a small female, Mama. After she had kittens, Ven. Lekden tried to save the weakest one, who Mama had abandoned, feeding her and naming her Tamdrin (Hayagriva), but she died after a few days. “She wouldn’t have lasted one night if I hadn’t taken her in,” says Ven. Lekden, “so hopefully she got some imprints and benefit. I gave her a fierce name so she could have a fierce spirit.”
Little Tamdrin wearing a coat made for her by Ven. Lekden, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2017. Photo courtesy of Ven. Gyalten Lekden.
Soon other kittens started coming around. Says Ven. Lekden, “In addition to Mama and Tom we then had Mary Jane and her brother Sneaky Pete. My teacher, Geshe Chenga Tsering, who runs the house, advised I start feeding them on the roof. I moved their bowls up there, and when I got back from class one day he showed me a small lean-to he had built to keep them out the rain. I then made a small bed to put inside. Shortly thereafter, Mama had more kittens. These four are now my main customers. The boy is Big Red. The girls are Squeak, Pipsqueak, and Einstein. Tom still comes most days too. He just wanders around making noise until someone gives him attention or food.”
The “clowder” enjoying a meal at the feet of Ven. Lekden, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2017. Photo courtesy of Ven. Gyalten Lekden.
The monks all like the cats, but the cats are wary of anyone but him, their main benefactor, says Ven. Lekden. Do they protect the house? “Not really,” he laughs. “Mice aren’t a problem here, and the rats are too big for the cats. I can’t see them going after the black cobras either. These guys are not very formidable foes … I don’t take care of them because they are useful. They’re hungry, and I have the means to help them, so I do.”
Watch Ven. Lekden on YouTube as he feeds and converses with the cats—and listen to them explain their side of the story too!
https://youtu.be/iqqTuiJiISo
Benefiting animals is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/vast-vision/#animals
For more about FPMT’s activities to benefit animals see:
https://fpmt.org/tag/animals/
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja offered by the Kopan nuns in Sarnath, India, January 18, 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Warm good wishes for Losar (Tibetan New Year) from Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all at Rinpoche’s FPMT International Office!
Our Losar greetings are part of our February FPMT International Office e-News, in which you’ll also find:
- An Overview of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Schedule
- Invitations to our Annual Review 2016; and to Rejoice in our Year of Charitable Giving
- A Feature on His Holiness’ 34th Kalachakra Initiation
- Why it’s a Special Time to Become a Friend of FPMT
… and more!
The FPMT International Office News comes from your FPMT International Office. Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email box.
Geshe Pema Tsering
On February 11, 2017, Geshe Pema Tsering, who served as resident teacher at Buddha House in Adelaide, Australia, for nine years entered into clear light meditation after passing away. Mandala received this tribute to Geshe-la from Buddha House director Gabe Edwards on February 16, while Geshe-la was in his fifth day of clear light meditation:
It is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of most precious Geshe Pema Tsering, who was our resident teacher here at Buddha House from September 2001 to December 2010. He returned to Sera Je Monastery in December 2013 and remained there until his passing.
Geshe-la was born in 1939 in Dhargye Village in Kham province, Tibet, the only child of farming parents. He became ordained as a monk in Dhargye Monastery at the age of seven and at seventeen went to Sera Monastery in Lhasa where he met his spiritual teacher, Kyabje Khensur Kangyur Lobsang Thubten Rinpoche, who was also Buddha House’s former resident teacher, and continued his studies with the aim of getting his Geshe degree. He escaped to India at twenty years old following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s departure from Tibet. Despite the hardships of traversing the snow covered mountains of the Himalayas, Geshe-la said his mind remained happy and buoyed by the positive spirit of his companions.
After ten years in a refugee camp in Buxa Duar, India, Geshe-la traveled to Karnataka in South India and for three years cleared the jungle and assisted in the re-establishment of Sera Je Monastery. He was thirty-three years old when he resumed his geshe studies under Khensur Rinpoche and Geshe Torche. In 1980 he achieve the highest level Geshe Lharampa degree.
Geshe-la had many students in Adelaide and India, and despite his high qualifications, he was widely known for his exceptional humility, kindness, and compassion.
Geshe Pema Tsering with friend and colleague the late Geshe Tsulga
As expressed by student Wendy Cook: “Geshe Pema Tsering passed away four days ago. Although he is considered clinically dead, he is, however, still in meditation, as his most subtle consciousness continues to reside in his body at his heart. The great yogis of Tibet who have committed their lives to deep practice and inquiry manifest this at the time of death. It is considered a very powerful time as one resides in the clear light with great wisdom and motivated by compassion for all beings. Geshe-la is in his final meditation at Sera Je Monastery in South India where the monks are engaged in practice, meditation, and chanting around the clock to support him in his transition. When his consciousness leaves the body, there will be signs, and then the monks will cremate Geshe-la’s body. This is how a great master of Tibet passes. Extraordinary. Without these precious lineage holders, the treasure of Tibetan Buddhism would not have been reestablished in India and then brought to the West.”
Ruth Gamble, scholar and translator for Geshe Pema Tsering while at Buddha House, so eloquently and poignantly expressed: “Gen-la always talked about impermanence. His mother died when he was young. In 1959 an artillery shell hit the room next to him killing his friend. Minutes later, he walked out of his home, and weeks later, he walked out of his country. He lost teachers and friends in refugee camps, and almost lost his thumb clearing the jungle in South India building a new monastery.
Geshe Pema Tsering with Ruth Gamble
“But even in the midst of all this, he maintained a startlingly sharp sense of humor, fun, and wonder. His hero was a senior monk who told him that ‘the only things a monk needs are a sack and a rope, so it’s easy to get rid of his body when he dies.’ He thought this was a hilarious line. I guess his dark humor explains why he also found former prime minister John Howard and former president George W. Bush amusing: he seemed to think they were personally responsible for keeping the streets clean and the toilets flushing, so they can’t be all bad. He was fascinated by garbage trucks, sewerage works, and construction sites. They seemed to him, a farmer’s son who helped carve a monastery out of a jungle, as an ingenious magic show. He also loved soccer, but rather than barracking for a team, he barracked for a particular score: 3-3. That way, he said, no one felt sad about losing, but there were lots of goals.
“None of this (especially finding John Howard funny) is why he is my hero, though. He’s my hero because I saw him change his state of mind again and again. Rather than let anger, frustration, and jealousy—or even physical pain—shape his mind, he could transform his thoughts in an instant (or sometimes two). His anger would evaporate, his frustration would turn to patience, and his habitual compassion would reassert itself. The good thing about impermanence, he would say, is that it allows change.”
A complete obituary for Geshe Pema Tsering will be included as part of the July-December 2017 issue of Mandala.
His Holiness talks with students from Maitreya School after their recitation, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Bill Kane.
Mandala has just published “His Holiness the Dalai Lama Gives His 34th Kalachakra Initiation,” an online feature—with plenty of great photos—about the Kalachakra initiation held recently in Bodhgaya, India, and FPMT’s involvement in it. This was the 34th such initiation His Holiness has granted and the fifth one in Bodhgaya, and more than 220,000 people attended, including students from FPMT centers around the globe. FPMT’s Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, set amidst beautiful grounds overflowing with statues and stupas, was filled with guests including Lama Zopa Rinpoche; Tenzin Ösel Hita; Yangsi Rinpoche; Cherok Lama; Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche; Tenzin Rigsel, the three-year-old reincarnation of the late Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup; and other lamas and geshes, as well as many FPMT Sangha. Even actor Richard Gere was among the guests. A special team was put in place by Root Institute to coordinate FPMT’s involvement.
Kalachakra sand mandala, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Cynthia Karena
One particularly exciting moment for FPMT: students from FPMT’s Maitreya School in Bodhgaya were given the opportunity to recite the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit to His Holiness.
Ven. Tenzin Paldron, director of Root Institute, explained: “Dee Chandrashekhar, FPMT India’s national coordinator, had developed a tune for the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit and a couple of years ago Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked her to come and teach it to the Maitreya School children. She came last summer, and the children learned it. With their teacher they reviewed it on a regular basis, to the point where they felt confident. They were ready. Twelve girls and one boy sat in front of His Holiness and the whole audience and recited the Heart Sutra. They also offered a handmade placard with wishes for a happy 34th Kalachakra puja. It was historic; I don’t think children have recited the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit for His Holiness before. And they are very devoted when they recite—they do it with their full heart. His Holiness was deeply moved; he called it ‘wonderful’ and ‘inspiring.’ And he offered one hundred thousand rupees (US$1,500) to be used to take all 190 of the Maitreya School children on a picnic. The children were so happy!”
Hi Holiness examines the placard offering best wishes from the children of Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Bill Kane.
Read “His Holiness the Dalai Lama Gives His 34th Kalachakra Initiation,” Mandala‘s newest online feature:
https://fpmt.org/mandala/in-depth-stories/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-gives-his-34th-kalachakra-initiation/
Mandala is offered as a benefit to supporters of the Friends of FPMT program, which provides funding for the educational, charitable, and online work of FPMT.
Gelek Rinpoche with Lama Yeshe at Rinpoche’s house. Lama Yeshe would go there to buy texts. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
It was with great sadness that we at FPMT International Office learned of the passing of Gelek Rinpoche (often spelled Gelek Rimpoche), founder of the Jewel Heart centers, on February 15, 2017. Rinpoche was a close friend of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe and spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Long-time student and director of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive Nicholas Ribush shares a personal reflection and some historical photos of Rinpoche from the Archive:
In January 1977, Lama Yeshe sent me to Delhi to start Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre “in order to help repay the kindness of the Indian people to the Tibetans.” Lama explained that the Buddhadharma had come to Tibet from India, had largely been lost in India, had been preserved and developed in Tibet, and now was the time to reintroduce it to its land of origin.
It took a couple of years to find the right place but I eventually found a great house to rent in the lovely New Delhi suburb of Shantiniketan. During this period, in 1978, I first met Gelek Rinpoche at his home in Defence Colony, which was the base for his publishing many important Gelug texts and was where Lama Yeshe went to buy sets of these for his developing Western centers.
Gelek Rinpoche with students at Tushita. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
After we found the house for Tushita in 1979, Lama suggested I ask Gelek Rinpoche to teach, and he kindly accepted. That was the beginning of a seven-year collaboration between Rinpoche and Tushita. He was a wonderful teacher and connected with both Indian and Western students. I think it was as a result of the connections that Rinpoche made with some American students staying at Tushita (one of our functions was as a guest house for Westerners passing through Delhi) that led to Rinpoche being invited to the USA to teach and later to the establishment of his own organization, the Jewel Heart centers, starting in the late 1980s.
Tushita’s First Dharma Celebration. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
Rinpoche also actively participated in Tushita’s Dharma Celebrations. The first was held at the Oberoi Hotel and Rinpoche was one of the featured panelists. The guest of honor was supposed to be His Holiness the Dalai Lama but he couldn’t make it, so we got the home minister Giani Zail Singh, who later became president of India. Rinpoche was also a prominent guest at our Second Dharma Celebration, held at the Hotel Ashok.
Tushita’s Second Dharma Celebration. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche used to pass through Delhi at least twice a year and would stay at Tushita. Most times Gelek Rinpoche would visit them on at least one of those visits and they would enjoy meals with him at the center or take him to one of Lama’s sister’s restaurants or to one of the five-star hotels around town.
Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche pushing Gelek Rinpoche into the top seat. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
After Rinpoche moved to the USA and I arrived soon after, I would meet him only occasionally and sometimes speak by phone, but I always felt a strong connection with him and rejoiced at the success of his Dharma work. Gelek Rinpoche’s passing is a great loss to his students, the Dharma, and the world.
Rinpoche’s official biography may be found on the Jewel Heart website.
An interview with Rinpoche appeared in Mandala in 1999:
https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/older/mandala-issues-for-1999/may/gelek-rinpoche/
Rinpoche also talks about his early life in his book Good Life, Good Death. If you “look inside” the book on Amazon, you can read Robert Thurman’s very interesting introduction online.
A complete obituary for Gelek Rinpoche will be included as part of the July-December 2017 issue of Mandala.
Fabrizio Pallotti, Indila Dora, Tenzin Ösel Hita, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Richard Gere, Alejandra Silva, Ven. Roger Kunsang, Bodh Gaya, India, January 2017. 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 32 on February 12, 2017.
Tenzin Ösel Hita with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bodh Gaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
The Big Love Fund provides financial resources that enable Ösel to continue his endeavors on behalf of FPMT.
You can follow news and updates about Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita news feed.
Student make prayers during Longku Center’s 15th anniversary, Bern, Switzerland, December 2016. Photo courtesy of Longku Center.
In December 2016, the students of Longku Center in Bern, Switzerland, celebrated their 15th anniversary. In attendance were a mix of old and new students, spanning Longku’s history. Director Jutta Mathä Dec shared the news with Mandala:
Although we were in the midst of a typical Swiss winter, the atmosphere was warm and bright inside our gompa. The day was a mixture of stories, reminiscences, sutra recitations, delicious food, amazing musical performances as well as the sharing of the work we have done on our website and logo.
Ven. Tsultrim (Ruth Hofer) offered a video message to students during Longku Center’s 15th anniversary, Bern, Switzerland, December 2016. Photo courtesy of Longku Center.
The center has its roots with Ueli Minder, who started a mixed-use Dharma space in Bern in 1993 that eventually became Longku Center. Several students unable to attend in person sent video messages, including founding director Ven. Tsultrim (Ruth Hofer); long-time students Gudrun Mathys and Heidi Haltmeier; previous directors Francesca Paoletti and Marianne Frischknecht; and Ven. Rita Riniker, who continues to both find the time to benefit us and teach throughout Europe and Israel. These messages were compiled by Eva Fuhrer (who also organized the celebration) with the help of Hanspeter Lut.
Also, present during the celebration were members of the other FPMT center here in Switzerland: director Jean-Paul Gloor of Gendun Drupa, with his ever-present smile, and of course a group of students from our satellite group in Zürich led by the tireless Nina and Jeff Highfill.
Marianne Müller gave a wonderful audio-visual presentation in the form of rhyming verses about her time at Longku, both as a student and current board member.
A wonderful treat for all of us were the celebratory musical performances! Our current joint SPCs, Lea Boesch and Manuel Oswald, are professional concert musicians, and with the addition of Marianne Müller on the recorder, we received a performance one would normally reserve for a classical concert.
Manuel Oswald, Lea Boesch, and Marianne Müller offer music during Longku Center’s 15th anniversary, Bern, Switzerland, December 2016. Photo courtesy of Longku Center.
The highlight of our day was a surprise personal message form Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who recorded a video for us in which he shared his vision of the role of the center in the modern world. He even sung us all “Happy Birthday,” a beautiful surprise for everyone.
Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birthday message (Part 1) to Longku Center on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/-f4itzCtcHk
Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birthday message (Part 2) to Longku Center on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/QX3ie6QOB48
To cap off the celebration day there was a lively presentation from the FPMT European coordinator Rafael Ferrer, who shared details of the Dharma and philanthropic activities of the FPMT organization. It was a good reminder that we are a part of a huge mandala of benefit in the world.
Anniversary cake, Bern, Switzerland, December 2016. Photo courtesy of Longku Center.
It has been such a fruitful 15 years shared together at Longku, spreading the vision of Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama for all numberless sentient beings. May we continue to create the causes and conditions for an eternity of blessings!
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Tenzin Ösel Hita, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, January 2017. Photo by Natasha Sturny.
On January 28, the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) hosted a talk by Tenzin Ösel Hita on “Educating the Heart.”
“And what a sweet treat it was,” said FDCW student Esther Garibay. “The last time I had the opportunity to spend time with Ösel was precisely at the 2011 Universal Education gathering, where he was mostly filming what later became the Being Your True Nature film. So I hadn’t really had an opportunity to hear him talk. Before the talk I felt curious and excited to hear this person I have been following on Facebook for years, but don’t really know that well.
“The atmosphere was electric as people gathered at the Jamyang lobby in expectation. Once the introductions were over and Ösel started to speak, I felt as if a magnet had pulled my attention toward him. His style is so direct and personal. Filled with anecdotes, stories, and wisdom that felt so relevant to my life and today’s world.
Students participate in a conversation with Tenzin Ösel Hita, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, January 2017. Photo by Natasha Sturny.
“The talk started with a short meditation on gratefulness. ‘Everyday of our life, every morning that we wake up is like a rebirth, so everyday is a new life … but do we ever thank our heart or our lungs? Are we aware of the work they do?’ Ösel asked.
“With lightness and humor Ösel connected so easily to people, leading the talk as a conversation and inviting people to comment and answer questions. He covered such a wide range of themes: urban live, everyday kindness, forgiveness, inner values, the self-cherishing mind, and self-love, to name a few. He introduced us to the concept of inner gold: the more we have, the more we receive, and when we share it, that gold multiplies. And we don’t have to be afraid of losing it as it can’t be take from us.
Students participate in a conversation with Tenzin Ösel Hita, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, January 2017. Photo by Natasha Sturny.
“He ended the talk on the importance of believing in our potential and the importance of compassion: ‘If we have compassion then we would have no problems. Through compassion we can really transform problems. It is very important to have the wisdom but also the method, and that is what FDCW does, it brings out the compassion, the empathy we already have.’
“I felt so inspired and energized after his talk, and this sentiment was shared with every person I spoke to afterwards.”
Watch a recording of the live streamed event, courtesy of The Meridian Trust:
https://www.facebook.com/themeridiantrust/videos/10156055085419852/
https://www.facebook.com/themeridiantrust/videos/10156055085419852/
In 2016, Ösel attended Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life puja in Singapore; gave talks in Singapore, Malaysia, and Spain; and attended His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Italy.
Ösel is currently giving talks at various FPMT centers in Europe. His schedule is: February 5—Aryatara Institut, Munich, Germany; February 11—Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Copenhagen, Denmark; February 15—Centre Kalachakra, Paris, France; February 17-19—Institut Vajra Yogini, Marzens, France; and March 25—Centro de Retiros O.Sel.Ling, Órgiva, Spain.
Please contact center directly for specific event information.
FPMT continues to support Ösel in all of his Dharma and educational endeavors through the Big Love Fund. All are welcome to be part of this offering.
You can learn more about Ösel including his biography, photos, videos and more
Vajrpani Institute’s 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project. Image courtesy of vajrapani.org.
In December 2016, Vajrapani Institute, an FPMT retreat center in Northern California, launched the 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project. The prayer wheel will contain 5 trillion (5,000,000,000,000) copies of OM MANI PADME HUM, the mantra of Chenrezig, the Buddhist deity who embodies universal compassion. The construction of the prayer wheel and its gazebo are scheduled for the end of 2018. The prayer wheel will be filled with 5 trillion mantras on microfilm in 2019.
In a short video, director Fabienne Pradelle articulates the vision of the 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project, sharing how prayer wheels inspire students and help sentient beings “purify and dissolve the negativities of [their] minds.”
Watch “5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project” on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t06PB_KMjvo
“I feel really deeply grateful to have the opportunity to actually be part of this project,” Fabienne expresses in the video. “How often in your life do you have an opportunity to be part of something that you know is going to bring about benefit to so many beings? This is really a major contribution that Vajrapani Institute can offer to the wider community and the world at large.”
Supporting the creation of prayer wheels and other holy objects is part of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/vast-vision/#pw
Find out more and give your support to the 5 Trillion Mantra Prayer Wheel Project:
http://www.vajrapani.org/prayerwheel/pw/index.php
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
From the facilitator training retreat, Land of Joy, UK, July 2016. Photo courtesy of FDCW.
Seven months ago, the International Merit Box Project awarded twenty-one grants to a variety of Dharma projects, made possible solely from the collected offerings of Merit Box practitioners around the world.
One of these grants funded a retreat to train the first group of facilitators for the a.r.t. of Fulfillment, a new education program created by the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW).
According to FDCW, the a.r.t. of Fulfillment program “is a systematic inquiry into how you can lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life in the 21st century.” The international team of educators that designed the a.r.t. of Fulfillment program drew upon their expertise in a number of modern Western disciplines—including psychology, philosophy, and experiential learning—in addition to the wisdom tradition of Buddhism. It is designed both for a general audience and for those who have been involved in previous Universal Education courses.
The a.r.t. of Fulfillment program map. Image courtesy of FDCW.
The flagship July 2016 training was held as a week-long retreat at Land of Joy in the UK, and consisted of a selected group of FPMT-registered teachers. Those at the retreat were offered the course first as participants before then training in facilitation methods. It is thought that experiencing the program from the perspectives of both student and instructor can better inform how to teach it.
In addition to learning how to facilitate a.r.t. of Fulfillment courses, one of the broader training outcomes of the retreat was to expose participants to modern teaching methods that they could use in any class setting. “[The training was designed] to develop and experience new teaching skills, using modern, experiential methodologies,” says Grace Gyatso, director of the FDCW. Such skills could make for more effective learning for students taking traditional Buddhist courses in FPMT communities.
From the facilitator training retreat, Land of Joy, UK, July 2016. Photo courtesy of FDCW.
Because of this training, which was supported by the generosity of Merit Box practitioners, there are now eleven certified a.r.t. of Fulfillment facilitators living in seven different countries. With facilitators spread out around the world, the program can potentially be offered on at least three different continents.
So far, there are a number of a.r.t. programs scheduled in the UK in 2017. Ven. Tenzin Chokyi and Don Handrick are scheduled to the lead the first of these programs in the United States at Vajrapani Institute in California from June 30–July 9.
You can view the full calendar of scheduled a.r.t. of Fulfillment courses:
http://compassionandwisdom.org/news-and-events/calendar/listings/range.listevents/-?catids=88&year=2017&month=01&day=17
This is just one of the twenty-one Merit Box grants awarded to Dharma projects last year:
https://fpmt.org/wp-content/uploads/projects/fpmt/merit-box/International-Merit-Box-Project-Distribution-2016.pdf
Collection season for 2017 Merit Box grants is happening now through March 31. If you have a Merit Box and want to send in your offerings, contact https://fpmt.org/fpmt/iofstaff/donor-services/. Get a free Merit Box today:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Merit-Box-_p_619.html
Lama Zopa Rinpoche discussing Dharma with a student, Bangalore, India, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Welcome to the January edition of our monthly FPMT International Office e-News!
This month we invite you to read about:
- Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Schedule for 2017
- Please Rejoice with Us!
- Time to Count your Merit Box Offerings
- 2017 Practice Calendar Available Now
… and more!
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