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Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Maitreya School children and teachers in front of the school, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Root Institute via Facebook.
Rinpoche’s extensive activities in Bodhgaya, India, in January and February have left students overwhelmed with gratitude. Rinpoche recently left Bodhgaya, and Ven. Paldron, director of Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, the FPMT center and guesthouse in Bodhgaya, India, reports on his activities while there:
It was an honor and a privilege to have Rinpoche visit Root Institute for just over a month. Rinpoche’s kind, wise, and compassionate presence has been wonderfully healing for all of us during this time.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche dines with dignitaries, including Tenzin Ösel Hita and Richard Gere, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
During the two weeks of Kalachakra teachings and initiations from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Rinpoche gave his time and energy without reservation to attend to the needs of visitors from around the world. He also visited with many lamas and dignitaries, and kindly found time to circumambulate the Mahabodhi Stupa with students on several occasions.
Khongla Rato Rinpoche (one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus), Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Khen Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche’s foresight had led him some time ago to request Dee Chandrashekhar, a student at Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, India, to come to Root Institute to teach the children of FPMT’s Maitreya School the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit. As a result of the students’ diligence in learning this, they had the incredible opportunity to recite it in front of His Holiness at the Kalachakra initiation. His Holiness was so pleased that he offered funds for all the children from the school to go on a picnic!
Maitreya School students recite the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit to His Holiness, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Bill Kane.
Due to Rinpoche’s great kindness the holy Maitreya land was blessed when Rinpoche requested the Sera Je monks to offer a long life puja there instead of at the Mahabodhi Stupa, as initially proposed. Rinpoche also advised the Kopan monks and nuns to offer Lama Chöpa tsog at the Maitreya land, thus providing immense blessings to help remove obstacles affecting the Maitreya Projects.
Long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Maitreya Project land, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche kindly focused much attention on Root Institute and its projects. He blessed the Stupa Garden of Compassion first.
Root Institute’s new Kadampa stupa, blessed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in January 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Then he visited with the children of Maitreya School and Tara Children’s Project, giving them an opportunity to recite the Twenty-One Tara praises in Sanskrit, and also blessing them with his holy speech. He distributed much needed shoes and socks to the children.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitrey School, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017, Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Rinpoche also kindly spent time at the Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic uplifting the patients with his sage advice and distributing funds and blankets to children with cerebral palsy. The staff of Root Institute, Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic, and Tara Children’s Project were all privileged to listen to Rinpoche’s teachings and advice and to offer him khatas. Our resident geshe, Lharampa Geshe Rabga, and the students of Root Institute’s Basic Program were also fortunate to receive Rinpoche’s blessings and words of wisdom.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche visits a patient at Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
We at Root Institute were blessed to receive a feast of teachings from Rinpoche each day for almost two weeks—on emptiness, on the importance of guru yoga, and on the bodhichitta motivation. Rinpoche stressed over and over again the importance of serving and benefiting others and working on eliminating the self-cherishing ego.
Rinpoche also kindly bestowed a Multicolored Garuda initiation, as well as two great initiations, the Great Chenrezig and Great Medicine Buddha initiations. Thanks to a request from two Nyingma monks, we also received the White Dzambhala oral transmission. Finally, at the request of our resident geshe, Rinpoche also gave the oral transmission of the seven-point mind training composed by Geshe Chekawa, along with a commentary. We were also fortunate to offer Rinpoche Lama Chöpa tsog on two occasions in our main gompa.
We truly rejoice from the bottom of our hearts for all that we received!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Root Institute workers. Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
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.