Lama Yeshe at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, 1983. Photo courtesy Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, donated by Merry Colony.

In 2025, Lama Yeshe would have reached the age of 90 years. To honor his profound legacy, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK), Italy, invited his students from across the globe to share their treasured memories and life-changing teachings with present and future generations. A special puja was held on May 15 at ILTK celebrating what would have been Lama’s birthday.

Carlota Pinhero shares the story:

Lama Yeshe

May 15, 2025, marked what would have been the 90th birthday of Lama Thubten Yeshe. Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa gathered to celebrate his impact on countless lives. With profound gratitude for his jewel-like teachings available in these challenging times, we reaffirm our commitment to manifest Lama Yeshe’s vision through our actions and practice. He consistently emphasized cultivating a sense of family within the FPMT community. Honoring this wish, we gathered as part of this international family united in dedication to the Dharma and the ultimate welfare of all sentient beings.

Lama Yeshe was the beginning of the transformation of the minds of many westerners; the eye-opening key to the freedom that is possible to achieve in ourselves; the pointer to how all the suffering we’re experiencing is created by nothing but our minds. As his previous incarnation, abbess Achè Jampa, prayed over and over again “May I be able to bring the Dharma to those who have never met it and who live in suffering, their wisdom eyes are blinded by the darkness of ignorance.” And that is what Lama did! Lama Yeshe lived in a time of cultural revolutions and joked about his own revolution, the “Dharma Cultural Revolution.” He inspired and continues to inspire countless people to truly investigate what it means to be a human being. 

As we have been conducting the interviews with his earliest students to celebrate 90 years since his birth, new ways of viewing reality have been unfolding, just by merely listening to Lama’s words through the mouths of those who were once very close to him, just as if he was here speaking himself. The way Lama shaped people’s lives and completely changed them from very negative states to very happy ones, is unique in this world. Even those new to Buddhism can feel his influence so present here in the center. Lama Yeshe knew how to deeply love each individual, listening attentively, healing without judgment and even smiling at the shadows of the mind. His “Big Love” gave new light to those blinded by ignorance. His faith in human potential brought many students to believe in themselves and bring a positive impact to the world.

Community Celebration of the 90th Anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s Birth

The altar at ILTK for the Lama Yeshe ninetieth birthday celebration. Photo courtesy of ILTK.

Cleaning Lama Yeshe’s Stupa

As the sun reached its zenith, a small group of us gathered in the gardens of ILTK, around Lama Yeshe’s sacred stupa, built many years ago as a testament to his enduring presence. Volunteers, intrigued by our festive environment, would go by and join us. This stupa has been a silent witness to the full spectrum of human emotion; from the grief of his passing, to the excitement of a reincarnation, and now hundreds of people each week come to circumambulate it, walk their pets, or encounter the Dharma for the first time during retreats.

Geshe Lhundrup guiding and cleaning Lama Yeshe’s Stupa, ILTK, Photo courtesy of ILTK.

With a screwdriver in one hand and silicone in the other, clothes and sponges at the ready, we began chanting mantras while spending the next four hours meticulously cleaning every sacred detail of the stupa—polishing the ornate silver that frames Lama Yeshe’s image and the Buddha seated within, removing the weathered cloths and offering it fresh khatas and flowers. Geshe Lhundrup, a monk from Kopan now resident at ILTK, and Thubten Sherab, raised by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spent the day guiding us on the best way to do this. The sun was shining the whole afternoon, and the environment felt exactly like what we are here to do in this life: work with intention, remain aware of our actions, rejoice and help each other in whatever ways we can. 

There is something special about coming together as a community to honor one’s teacher, to honor the legacy that allows us to be here today, working on our afflictions and, together, discovering how to cultivate happy minds and a happy family. This was Lama’s wish. In 1978, visiting ILTK, he said, “Each one of us can become a disaster when we go through difficult times, so we must try to help each other.”

Guru Puja

The day culminated in a special Guru Puja with a beautiful cake inscribed with “Big Love” at its center, offered by ILTK president, Lucia Landi, and director, Valerio Tallarico. The gompa was filled with practitioners, including some of the direct students of Lama Yeshe who shaped the center into what it is today. For him, ILTK had the function of being a refuge: “It has to be friendly, because everything is dedicated to sentient beings.”

Big Love cake offered during the puja. Photo courtesy of ILTK.

The puja was conducted by Geshe Gelek and, in the end, some of Lama’s first students shared memories and funny stories, among them, Massimo Corona, founder of the Institute, former executive director of FPMT International Office, and former publisher of Mandala magazine; and Susanna Parodi, who, in the words of Lama, was, “the first lady on this earth to become Italian Mahayana Buddhist nun.” Voices united in chanting and in gratitude as we spoke about the true source of it all: The boundless compassion of our precious Lama.

Lama Yeshe joked, “There are three types of Buddhism: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Italiana!” He made this comment due to the unique passion and distinct attitude of the first Italian students. It is also thanks to this dedication that the Institute is one of the biggest in Europe and one of the doors through which the Dharma continues to spread around the world.

Direct Students Interviews

Throughout 2025 ILTK will be interviewing Lama’s direct students to share how his teachings impacted on their lives through short video. These interviews will be treasured and shared through the Institute’s social channels and with the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Massimo Corona speaking about Lama Yeshe and the origins of ILTK. Photo courtesy of ILTK.

 Listening to the stories of those who had their minds completely transformed by Lama Yeshe and feeling this strong sense of family, devotion and, above all, deep gratitude, is deeply inspiring and has sparked the wish of keeping his legacy in any way possible. The way future generations can, especially now, benefit from his teachings, his timeless wisdom and compassion, is inconceivable. This is what the path to enlightenment is, caring for our own minds and also caring for this rare family that we build through our devotion to the Dharma and the lamas, from the single intention of leading all beings to a state free of suffering.

 If you wish to help keep Lama’s legacy alive for the future generations, and were fortunate enough to have known Lama Yeshe,  please consider taking part in the project 90 Students for 90 Years. If interested,  please contact ILTK directly. The short video interview series will continue through 2025.

All quotes shared here are from Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe. With grateful thanks to Carlota Pinhero and  Fabiana Lotito for this story.

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.