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Lama Zopa Rinpoche talks to staff and patients of Shakyamuni Buddhist Health Care Centre, Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, March 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived at Root Institute in Bodhgaya, India, on February 2. Ven. Sarah Thresher recently shared news of some of Rinpoche’s beneficial activities during the first 15 days of Tibetan New Year:
Following another all-night prayer session, Rinpoche went early to bless the patients in the Shakyamuni Buddha Community Health Care Centre, Root Institute’s free clinic that takes care of over 3,300 patients a month and provides a mobile clinic to serve the poor villages around Bodhgaya.
Invited by clinic coordinator Dr. Sanjay to bless all the clinic’s medicines, Rinpoche brought with him a short medicine blessing prayer by Panchen Lama Chokyi Gyaltsen that he has recently translated. Rinpoche began with a talk to the patients and workers at the clinic, made prayers for all those who come to the clinic now or will come in the future, and then blessed each person present with powerful mantras and prayers while blessed water and protection cords were distributed.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche holds a bag filled used to bless the chickens at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, March 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Dr. Sanjay expressed how very excellent Rinpoche’s visit was and described how delighted the patients were to have seen him: “In my 20 years at the clinic, I have come to see how heartfelt is Rinpoche’s wish and caring to help others. Many people come to this clinic as a last resort. They have been suffering for a long time and already seen other doctors, but when they come here, they get the help they need and recover. We believe this is because Rinpoche has blessed the medicine.
“Today, Rinpoche explained to the people how all their problems can be solved by having a good mind and a good heart. Often people think their suffering comes from outside, but Rinpoche explained how by purifying and collecting merit they can achieve happiness. When we are happy, we can make others happy, so it is very important to think positively. If we hurt others, this only results in suffering for ourselves and is not the purpose of this human life, which is to bring happiness to others. The patients who came today expressed how fortunate they felt to have come to the clinic today, to see Rinpoche and receive his blessing.”
Behind the clinic is the new chicken house with over 60 chickens. After exiting the clinic, Rinpoche went to bless all the birds. Following Rinpoche’s instruction, mantras have been pasted all over the roof of the chicken coop so that the birds are continually being blessed. Both the clinic and animal houses on the property have sutras and mantras playing aloud round the clock as an additional continual blessing. Each bird was blessed with a bag full of mantras while Rinpoche recited powerful mantras and prayers.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent time blessing the chickens at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, March 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
FPMT Education Services offers many prayers and practices that can be done during Monlam, which continues through March 5 this year, as free PDF downloads. You can find Rinpoche’s advice on Monlam collected here (on Rinpoche’s Advice page, under Buddha Multiplying Days), specific advice for practices to do on the Buddha Multiplying days here, and a calendar of all the dates here.
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.