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Osel Tenzin Hita. Photo courtesy of Tsanka Petkova, Institut Vajra Yogini., July 2022
On behalf of the entire FPMT organization, FPMT International Office wishes Tenzin Osel Hita a very happy early birthday (February 12) and a long, healthy life. May his beneficial activities, including his Global Tree Initiative, flourish and may his wishes manifest without delay!
There are upcoming opportunities to connect with Osel, all of which offer an online option:
“Heart of the Guru” – The 40th Anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s Passing into Parinirvana
With Tenzin Osel Hita and Yangsi Rinpoche
February 9-11, Vajrapani Institute, CA, US
Please read more about this event, including the option to join via Zoom.
“Creating Compassionate Cultures” – The 40th Anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s Passing into Parinirvana
With Tenzin Osel Hita and Venerable Robina Courtin
February 16-18, Land of Medicine Buddha, CA, US
Please read more about this event, including the option to join via Zoom.
“Dharma in the Twenty-first Century”
With Tenzin Osel Hita
February 23, Shantideva Center, NY, US
Please read more about this event, including the option to join via Zoom.
Information about the Global Tree Initiative:
https://plantgrowsave.org/
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.
Osel Tenzin Hita. Photo courtesy of Tsanka Petkova, Institut Vajra Yogini.
https://one-big-love.com/
Tenzin Ösel Hita and his son, Norbu. Photo courtesy of One-Big-Love.com.
On behalf of the entire FPMT organization, FPMT International Office wishes Tenzin Ösel Hita a very happy birthday and a long, healthy life. May his beneficial activities, including his Global Tree Initiative, flourish and may his wishes manifest without delay!
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, turns 37 this year. He shared this on his Facebook page:
“For my birthday this year, February 12, I am asking for donations to the Global Tree Initiative! This is the best present you can offer.
“We are entering a new age. I feel that the One Universal Family, through the Global Tree Initiative (PlantGrowSave.org) is going to unite people from all religions into a harmonious whole as we participate and collaborate around this life-generating activity. This is one of the pillars of the Dalai Lama—religious harmony.
“We are living a non-sustainable, consumerist life. Therefore, the least we can do is collaborate in planting a few trees. Individually but together, we will make a difference in the next two hundred years. The trees that we plant, now, will bring benefits for hundreds of years, long after we are gone.”
Learn more about Ösel and his projects on his website:
https://one-big-love.com/
Osel with his son, Norbu. Photo courtesy of Osel’s Facebook page.
On behalf of the entire FPMT organization, FPMT International Office wishes Tenzin Ösel Hita a very happy birthday and a long, healthy life. May his beneficial activities, including his Global Tree Initiative, flourish and may his wishes manifest without delay!
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, turns 36 on February 12, 2021.
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/
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/
Tenzin Ösel Hita at Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, US, August 2019. Photo by Liz Chisler.
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT co-founder Lama Yeshe, visited California, US, in August 2019, touring the four FPMT Bay Area centers. Osel visited Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek, where he gave a talk and participated in the center’s Big Love Annual Community Celebration. Then he led a five-day retreat, “Being Your True Nature: A Meditation and Yoga ‘Being Experience,'” at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel. Ösel also gave public talks at Gyalwa Gyatso (Ocean of Compassion) Buddhist Center in Campbell and Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco. Heidi Oehler, Vajrapani Institute center director; Catherine Graham, Vajrapani Institute spiritual program coordinator; Urs von Matt, Ocean of Compassion center manager; and MaryEllen Kirkpatrick, Tse Chen Ling spiritual program coordinator, all contributed to this story.
A remarkable energy of harmony and open-heartedness permeated the air at Vajrapani Institute during the events Tenzin Ösel Hita attended in early August. Many older students of Lama Yeshe joined a handful of relative newcomers to connect with Lama’s reincarnation on Saturday, August 3. Some appeared to be visibly sparkling by the end of the day and many seemed deeply moved by Ösel’s presence.
Then on Sunday, August 4, more than a hundred people gathered around the Enlightenment Stupa at our “Big Love Day” annual summer festival, and soaked up the wisdom, honesty, and humor Ösel Hita shared with the crowd.
The day-long event held here on August 3 was created to offer a container for Ösel’s vision of creating “being” experiences for others. Attended by 32 people, the day’s theme was “Reconnecting with Your Authentic Nature and Healing into Wholeness.” Participants were led through a variety of meditation, yoga, movement, and self-expression activities. This prepared them for the day’s highlight: an afternoon talk delivered by Ösel, also attended by staff and community members.
Many present were struck by the courageous and deeply authentic way Ösel spoke, and some former students of Lama Yeshe’s remarked afterwards upon the uncanny similarities between some of Ösel’s comments and those Lama used to make.
Afterwards there was an opportunity to offer khatas. Ösel seemed to really enjoy connecting personally with everyone in this way, and the atmosphere was light and joyful. Ösel even needed a little prodding towards the end to persuade him to leave on time so as not to be too late for his next appointment!
Ösel returned the next day for Vajrapani’s “Big Love Day” festival. Once again his talk was a highlight of the day. At the end many lined up to meet him individually.
Tenzin Ösel Hita at Ocean of Compassion, Campbell, California, US, August 2019. Photo by Urs von Matt.
Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center was honored to host Tenzin Ösel Hita during his inaugural Bay Area tour. His visit on Saturday, August 10, was arranged on very short notice, and thanks to the many volunteers we were able to take advantage of this unique opportunity. We were pleasantly surprised to see a lot of new faces at the center. It seems that many people were intrigued to see a young recognized reincarnation of a Tibetan lama.
Ösel was very happy to answer questions about his lineage and his place in the Buddhist world. Ösel showed a genuine humility. He gave hugs to people and made them feel welcome. We had to lower his teaching seat as he didn’t want to sit higher than the audience. Ösel was able to connect very well with people. He treated the event as a workshop and encouraged people to ask questions, acting as a bridge between Buddhist philosophy and the modern Western mind. The event was also live streamed on Facebook and reached a large worldwide audience.
Tenzin Ösel Hita at Ocean of Compassion, Campbell, California, US, August 2019. Photo by Urs von Matt.
What a wonderful gift it was to have Ösel come to Tse Chen Ling on Sunday, August 11, and give a talk called “Taste of Buddhism: ‘One Big Love.'” Some people came because they had a personal connection with Lama Yeshe; some had a connection through familiarity with the archives of Lama Yeshe’s precious teachings; others were drawn to the charismatic presence of this young man, this “radical free thinker.”
Ösel pointed out that each of us has our own perspective, and from that place we project the world around us. He remarked that it has been a challenge for him to be able to differentiate between who he really is, what people have projected onto him, and who they expected him to be. He emphasized, “I am not going to fall into a box for you. I am not going to play your game.” Remarking that he was making himself very vulnerable, he encouraged us to really try to get to know him. Rather than delivering a Dharma talk Ösel asked the audience for questions, promising that he would do his best. He impressed on us that we should see him not as a lama but as a friend.
When someone asked about his needs and what we as a community could do to help him he responded that the best thing that we could do for him is to really put the Dharma into practice. Ösel described this as a lifestyle and personal responsibility. He encouraged us to follow the examples set by the holy beings in human form: our gurus His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and so on. We have to help ourselves and adapt the Dharma to our lives. We must put into practice what we are learning, and we should not separate learning and meditation. We must be aware and conscious.
Tenzin Ösel Hita at Tse Chen Ling, San Francisco, California, US, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tse Chen Ling.
He shared that what he studied in the monastery for nearly half of his life really helped him when he “dove head-first into samsara.” Ösel expressed that he sees Dharma as a lifestyle and ourselves as a process: “You are happening; you are being.” Without an active and dedicated commitment to confront ourselves, he compared the Dharma to a light bulb without electricity. “It’s about your own experience; you have to walk it.” He challenged us to share only the best of ourselves with others. Be patient with ourselves but be responsible. “Don’t follow your thoughts wherever they take you,” he said. Thinking “I have no choice is very cowardly.” We need to recognize that “circumstances don’t make us; we make the circumstances.”
At the end of the program Ösel recommended that if we just try to be kind, we will all be happier. He stood up and greeted us as we approached to say goodbye: embracing each of us in turn, seeing each of us, and not rushing.
Watch Tenzin Ösel Hita’s talk at Ocean of Compassion or listen to the audio recording:
https://www.gyalwagyatso.org/2019-08-10-tenzin-osel-hita.html
Watch Tenzin Ösel Hita’s talks at Vajrapani Institute:
https://youtu.be/Is1iG5DeY5g
https://youtu.be/pZWQ0w-5-T4
FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events fromover 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 Ösel Hita giving a talk at the Wotel, Miami, Florida, US, August 2019. Photo by Marcelo Paez.
On Thursday, August 15, 2019, Tenzin Ösel Hita gave an evening talk “A Taste of Buddhism: One Big Love” at the Wotel in Miami, Florida, US, hosted by the FPMT study group in Miami, Namdrol Ling Study Group. On Saturday, August 17, Ösel gave an afternoon talk “Inner Creativity: How to Overcome Attachment” at Thubten Kunga Ling Center, the FPMT center in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Maria Cersosimo, Namdrol Ling Study Group co-founder and coordinator, and Nicole Zito, Thubten Kunga Ling Center director, share the story.
We rejoice in the visit of Tenzin Ösel Hita to Miami! The event was a huge success with seventy-five people registered, a record for our little study group! The majority of the crowd were non-Buddhists, and the event took place in the totally secular environment of an advertising agency.
Ösel gave a very sincere, straightforward talk, covering Buddhist values, the importance of a daily meditation practice, and simple tips in order to lead a happier life. His sense of humor was present during the talk, and overall his joyful and humorous energy kept the crowd hooked, even the children in the audience. There were questions from the audience, including some from the kids, that he answered very truthfully and humbly.
As the co-founder and director of Namdrol Ling Study Group, this has been such a precious and memorable experience. I received many messages and thanks from the attendees, telling me how grateful they were for the opportunity to have met him. We hope Ösel can come back soon!
Tenzin Ösel Hita with volunteers Cynthia Zak, Alejandra Paez, co-founder and director Maria Cersosimo, co-founder Ana Paula Ruano, and volunteer Claudia Regazzio at the Wotel, Miami, Florida, US, August 2019. Photo by Marcelo Paez.
The auspicious visit to Thubten Kunga Ling by Tenzin Ösel Hita was surely one to remember and will go down in our center’s history. We were sold out and had reached our building’s maximum capacity within a few weeks of announcing this precious visit, and we had less than two months to prepare. We worked together to make this a most special day for the center and the community, and to honor the lives, service, kindness, and love of Lama Thubten Yeshe and Tenzin Ösel Hita.
Tenzin Ösel Hita with Anthony Sherbondy at Thubten Kunga Ling Center, Deerfield Beach, Florida, US, August 2019. Photo by Carly Zito.
Teams of volunteers began mentally and physically preparing for the big event weeks ahead of time. We invited two Lynn University film students from nearby Boca Raton, Florida, to record the event. We are very grateful to Yaren and Brian for volunteering their time and efforts. Adrienne donated and arranged an abundance of flowers, and Sonny offered dinner to Ösel, both of which were lovely offerings of generosity and kindness.
Ven. Lhundub Tendron, the FPMT resident teacher at Thubten Kunga Ling, opened the August 17, 2019 event at 1 p.m. with a meditation on interdependence and emptiness. Ösel arrived at 2:30 p.m. and spoke for one-and-a-half hours on “Inner Creativity: How to Overcome Attachment.” He walked into a room packed with enthusiastic students, both old and new, of different backgrounds and ages, but with one thing in common: a very strong connection to Dharma and to him.
Tenzin Ösel Hita with George Propps at Thubten Kunga Ling Center, Deerfield Beach, Florida, US, August 2019. Photo by Nicole Zito.
Ösel shared about the insight and wisdom he has gained along his path. He spoke about his time spent in the monastery, how he puts the Dharma into practice in his daily life, and how his teachers continue to have a major influence in his life.
The talk was very light and humorous, and his words touched the hearts of everyone who attended this special event. The energy at the event was slightly euphoric. Many beings came together that afternoon as strangers and left as friends.
We had seventy-one guests, twenty-six volunteers, three board members, and five sponsored students attend the event. Many of our guests came from out-of-town: two students came from Washington, DC, two students came from North Carolina, three from the west coast of Florida, five from central Florida, and over ten students from Miami. A handful of these visitors were students of Lama Yeshe’s in the 1970s.
Tenzin Ösel Hita with Nicole Zito at Thubten Kunga Ling Center, Deerfield Beach, Florida, US, August 2019. Photo by Carly Zito.
We received such positive feedback from this event. Everyone said they were honored to meet Ösel, that they look forward to staying connected with him, hope he will return again, and wish him the best along his journey ahead. Students loved his humor, the way he addressed “spiritual bypass,” his way of sharing life’s lessons, and his Bob Marley and Bruce Lee quotes!
Ösel’s unique style—the way he shares his own experiences and wisdom to bridge the gap between the East and West—helped us connect with our own experiences. We were reminded that our own inner wisdom and disturbing emotions serve as a constant platform for introspection, reflection, and self-growth. Change is possible and is up to each individual person.
Watch Tenzin Ösel Hita’s talk at the Wotel:
https://youtu.be/qzc4DAz1IYw
Watch Tenzin Ösel Hita’s talk at Thubten Kunga Ling Center:
https://youtu.be/pjqXZnbHZXM
FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events fromover 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.
Director of Vajrapani Institute Heidi Oehler, Director of Tara Redwoods School Pam Cayton, and Osel at Lama Yeshe’s cremation Stupa at Vajrapani Institute. August 4, 2019. Photo by Jacie Keeley.
This summer Tenzin Osel Hita (the recognized incarnation of Lama Yeshe) gave a number of Dharma talks in FPMT centers and study groups in the United States. Starting in August Osel visited and spoke at Vajrapani Institute, Land of Medicine Buddha, Gyalwa Gyatso, and Tse Chen Ling, in California; and then traveled to Florida where he spent time at Namdrol Ling, in Miami, and Thubten Kunga Ling, in Deerfield Beach.
Osel Hita has long had the ambition to create intentional ecovillage communities fostering a sustainable lifestyle where community living is valued and practiced.
Osel speaking at Thubten Kunga Ling in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Photo by Jacie Keeley.
Land of Medicine Buddha, which has established itself as an environmentally conscious meditation and retreat center, was chosen as the host site for Osel to pilot some of his signature concepts in August. A four-day event (August 4-7) that Osel called “Being Your True Nature: A Being Experience and Habit Alignment” was a balance of personal reflection and renewal through connection with nature, meditation, Dharma talks, body movement, and healthy eating. Each participant was encouraged to connect with their true nature and innate wisdom in order to be of greater benefit to the whole world, or what Osel calls “collective consciousness.”
Osel was able to connect to hundreds of students while on this tour in the United States, and reports from those in attendance shared a common theme of transformation and elevated energy.
Osel is offering the following talks in England:
- November 28, 7pm-9pm: “Creating a Better Future” at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, England.
- December 1, 2pm-4pm: “A Chat with our Virtuous Friend” at Land of Joy, Northumberland, England.
- December 4, 6:30pm-4pm: “We are Bigger than our Problems” at Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, Leeds, England
Please enjoy this public talk Osel gave at Gyalwa Gyatso in August:
The Big Love Fund was established to provide financial resources to support the educational endeavors of Osel. All are welcome to contribute any amount to this fund.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Tenzin Ösel Hita and his son, Tenzin Norbu, Madrid, Spain, October 2018. 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 34 on February 12, 2019.
While Lama Zopa Rinpoche was giving teachings in Madrid, Spain, in October 2018, Tenzin Ösel Hita visited Rinpoche with his son Tenzin Norbu.
In December 2018, Ösel and Norbu visited Institut Vajra Yogini (IVY) in France. Ven. Robina was teaching at IVY at the time. Ösel also gave talks during his visit there.
For Losar last week, Ösel celebrated at Centro Narajuna Valencia in Spain.
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. Find recordings of talks by Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita Videos page.
Tenzin Ösel Hita giving a talk at Aryatara Institute, Germany, February 2017. Photo by Hermann Wittekopf.
The international FPMT family 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 33 on February 12, 2018.
Tenzin Ösel Hita and family
Ösel’s 32nd year was a full one. In addition to giving talks at eleven European FPMT centers and one Brazilian center, Ösel and his partner Indila Dora welcomed their son, Tenzin Norbu, into the world!
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. Find recordings of talks by Ösel on the Tenzin Ösel Hita Videos page.
Tenzin Ösel Hita giving a talk at Centro Shiwa Lha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 2017. Photo courtesy of Centro Shiwa Lha.
Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe, gave a talk at Centro Shiwa Lha in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in September 2017. (At the beginning of 2017, Ösel toured European FPMT centers giving talks to hundreds of Dharma students.) Neyl Soares, director of Centro Shiwa Lha shared this update from Ösel’s visit:
Recently renovated and opened just six months ago, the building that houses Centro Shiwa Lha is a historic 19th-century house. Due to construction work, the center’s teaching and events calendar has been a work in progress. But a benefit of the remodeling process is that all activities can now be accommodated more comfortably in the new meditation and talks room, which has a capacity of up to sixty people. Upstairs in the building are guest teacher accommodations and outside there is a small yard with a guava tree and two papaya trees.
When we learned of Ösel Hita Torres coming to Brazil, we hurried to invite him for an informal visit and a talk. As we prepared for the talk, we were surprised to see that the projected audience numbers had quickly surpassed our permitted capacity. So, we moved the venue to a conference room in the neighborhood that would accommodate a large crowd.
While preparing the hired conference room, we noticed that there were resources to broadcast Ösel’s talk live to several FPMT centers, Facebook pages, and other social media platforms. To help in our desired broadcast of the talk, FPMT International Office put us in touch with Alexis Benelhadj, IT manager at Istitut Vajra Yogini in France. Alexis provided access to a streaming server, which allowed us to stream video to many destinations—our Facebook page and YouTube channel, the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive page, and Ösel’s own website—allowing us to reach even more people than we had initially imagined possible. The streaming connected people in various parts of the planet, benefiting many people.
Ösel arrived a couple of days in advance of his scheduled talk, so we had the chance to show him some of the sights and sounds of Rio.
Tenzin Ösel Hita giving a talk at Centro Shiwa Lha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 2017. Photo courtesy of Centro Shiwa Lha.
During the event, the venue was packed with people of various ages and from different Dharma communities, all curious to listen Ösel talk. He was surprised by the number of people in attendance who were able to understand Spanish, but promised that since now he lives in Brazil, his next talk would be without translation.
After warming up the audience with a meditation focused on breathing and prayers, Ösel was clearly at ease. He quickly dismissed his notes and conducted the talk as if seated in the living room with family. Mostly the talk was in English with translation for the Brazilian attendees, but Ösel also used Spanish and a little Portuguese to clarify a number of points.
Overall, a highly successful event was delivered with lightness, and a keen spirit, which has resulted in giving us a sense of preparedness for the new season, and encourages us to engage in future responsibilities.
During his talk Ösel revealed that now he will live in Curitiba, southern Brazil, with his wife, who at the time was pregnant and expecting in one or two weeks. He told us that Centro Shiwa Lha will be his home in Rio de Janeiro. And baby Tenzin Norbu arrived within days!
Congratulations on your new baby, Indila and Ösel! ¡Enhorabuena por el bebé nuevo! Bem-vindo, Tenzin Norbu! May many benefit!
Watch Tenzi Ösel Hita talk at Centro Shiwa Lha in Rio de Janeiro:
https://www.youtube.com/Z3sC9Y-7uco
Find more information about Tenzin Ösel Hita on his resource page on FPMT.org, including news, photos, videos, and links to his official Facebook page:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/osel/
Learn more about Centro Shiwa Lha in Rio de Janeiro.
The Big Love Fund provides financial resources that enable Tenzin Ösel Hita to continue his endeavors on behalf of FPMT.
Indila Dora with Tenzin Osel Hita.
Osel with baby Tenzin Norbu.
On September 15, 2017, a tsog day, Tenzin Osel Hita and partner Indila Dora welcomed Tenzin Norbu into the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was offering prayers during Tenzin Norbu’s birth.
Warm wishes for much happiness in this new chapter for Osel, Indila, and precious Tenzin Norbu.