Rinpoche receiving the oral transmissions from Geshe Thupten Rinchen, April 23, 2022. Photo by Ven. Thubten Tendar.

Since our last update, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has remained in Nepal before traveling to Singapore for a simple medical procedure, engaging in a variety of auspicious activities, including maximizing every moment of merit-multiplying Saka Dawa and continuing to offer teachings to a variety of audiences. Rinpoche ordained new Sangha at Kopan Monastery in May, offered a mandala at the inauguration of a new building for the Nepal Buddhist Gelug Association on June 8, and visited the Karuna Hospital on June 21 offering advice on death and dying to the staff. Rinpoche met with Telo Rinpoche at Kopan May 9 and with the incarnation of Trulshik Rinpoche on May 16.

We invite you to read more about some of these activities below and to join us in rejoicing in the compassionate service Rinpoche offers every day, inspiring us all to live a full and beneficial life. 

Rinpoche’s Health Update

Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche for his long life, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, June 24, 2022.

Earlier this month, Rinpoche traveled to Singapore for a simple medical procedure. Rinpoche is recovering well from this procedure and students around the world participated in the advice given by Khandro Kunga Bhuma for Rinpoche’s health at this time. We also invite you to rejoice in the various practices that have been done and planned for Rinpoche’s health this year:

• A White Tara long life puja was offered on March 11, 2022, at Kopan Monastery. This special long life puja involved seven days of preparation led by Khandro-la with the Kopan monks.
• In March, Khandro-la advised that students recite Chenrezig and White Tara mantras for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health, for the fulfilment of all their wishes, and for the benefit of all in the FPMT organization. Incredibly, during the most meritorious period from Losar up to and including the last of the Days of Miracles, Chotrul Duchen, a total of 12,719,479 mani mantras and 1,759,396 White Tara mantras were offered by FPMT students and centers around the world. 
• In May, Khandro-la advised FPMT students to recite refuge and bodhicitta prayers, and FPMT students and centers around the world have been offering these prayers.
• An all-day Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong, was offered by the Kopan Lama Gyupas and senior monks and nuns of Kopan on June 24, 2022.
• 17,417 pounds of cockles were liberated for Rinpoche’s health by Ven. Drachom at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore.
• Three separate long life deity thangkas were painted and consecrated in one day in July 2022.
• Painting for the three main stupas in Kathmandu was offered in July 2022.
• One horse and ten sheep were liberated in Mongolia in July 2022.
• Lama Chopa long life puja will be offered at Kopan Monastery at the end of the November lamrim course.
• Guru Rinpoche bum tsog and raising of the great thangka of Guru Rinpoche at Kopan Nunnery will happen at the end of 2022. 

Teachings

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering Milarepa initiation, April 6, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

On April 6 Rinpoche offered a Milarepa initiation and teachings to a small group of senior Kopan monks, senior Khachoe Ghakyil Ling nuns, Western sangha, and some lay students. We invite you to watch the teaching that Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered prior to the initiation. A full transcript of this teaching is also available. 

Rinpoche gave four teachings to students attending the 2022 Vajrasattva retreat at Kopan Monastery: an introductory teaching on March 30 and three subsequent teachings on April 26–28. You can find all the videos and a combined transcript of these teachings on our page “Teachings for 2022 Vajrasattva Retreatants at Kopan Monastery.

In May the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast was launched. This podcast captures the essence of Rinpoche’s teachings and each fifteen-to thirty-minute episode is edited and condensed from a longer teaching by Rinpoche and focuses on a single topic. New episodes are released every other Monday and previously published episodes are available as well.

Rinpoche continued offering teachings on refuge to a group of Chinese students via Zoom from Kopan Monastery in June and we will offer these teachings on video with transcripts as soon as they become available.

Rinpoche offered two teachings to Russian students via Zoom from Kopan Monastery at the end of June and we will offer these teachings on video with transcripts as soon as they become available. A third teaching is planned for this group and Rinpoche has indicated that these are complimentary to and a condensed teaching on the thought transformation series that Rinpoche has been giving for the last two and a half years.  

Following Rinpoche’s discharge from the hospital in Singapore for the medical procedure, Rinpoche joined the Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) community in Singapore for their special celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 87th birthday with puja. Prior to the puja Rinpoche shared, “So thank you very much. Due to all your prayers I’m feeling better. The operation was like a short sleep. I fell asleep, then finished! It was very efficient.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche meeting Russian neuroscientists at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Scientists Studying Meditation 

A group of Russian neuroscientists spent time at Kopan Monastery conducting studies on the monks with respect to meditation and brain waves. Rinpoche met and spoke with them as well. We will be sharing details about this interesting study very soon! 

Geshe Thubten Rinchen Lungs

Rinpoche had requested precious oral transmissions (lungs) from Geshe Thubten Rinchen—a great hidden yogi and the main teacher of Sera Mey and Tashi Lhunpo monasteries—several times for the benefit of the Kopan community. From April 15—May 9, 2022, Geshe Rinchen fulfilled Rinpoche’s request and several hundred Kopan monks and nuns, as well as a few others from various locations, received the lungs which were a transmission of parts of the five great texts that are the curriculum of Sera Je Monastery and some of the other great monasteries. You can read more about these lungs.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche watching His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings on Saka Dawa, June 14, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Saka Dawa

On the merit-multiplying day of Saka Dawa, celebrated on June 13 this year, Rinpoche filled every moment with the opportunity to be as beneficial as possible. He attended a teaching with His Holiness via Zoom, attended tsog at Namgyal Jyangchub Choeling Monastery, turning two prayer wheels at once, with 3 trillion mantras in each. He also blessed water and Vaseline with mantras, for those who are sick and continued writing out the Prajnaparamita sutra late into the night.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Khandro-la, and Kopan Sangha doing Palden Lhamo puja at Kopan Monastery, May 30, 2022. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Circumambulating the Kopan Monastery Altar, Boudha Stupa, Swayambhunath

Lama Zopa Rinpoche circumambulating the stupa at Kopan Monastery. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Often Rinpoche circumambulates six times, dedicating each circuit to each of the six realms. Rinpoche also has explained this essential advice when circumambulating: Visualize that all the numberless buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha in the ten directions are in front of you in the form of the stupa as well every single holy object—statue, stupa, scripture, relic, etc.—that exists in every universe anywhere and think that all of these are your root guru integrated into one. You can also visualize the stupa taking the form of the Guru Puja merit field, or a deity such as Chenrezig or Vajrasattva, with the awareness that this is your root guru. The most important thing, Rinpoche stresses, is to always keep the mind in devotion seeing all the holy objects you are circumambulating as a manifestation of your root guru. This is the most skillful meditation for the purification to become most powerful and to collect the most extensive merit. It’s the same meditation whether you are circumambulating a stupa or in your shrine room.

 Pujas and Practices

Rinpoche participated in many pujas and practices with others including:

• Yamantaka sadhana recitation with Kopan Lama Gyupas and Geshe Rinchen for the benefit of all beings and to remove all obstacles.
• Tara puja at the special Tara Temple in Kathmandu in April with Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Geshe Thubten Sherab, and the Kopan monks and nuns.
• Lama Chopa Tsog was completed several times at Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery.
• Palden Lhamo Puja was done with Khandro-la and Kopan Sangha twice in May
• Lama Chopa Puja was done on the occasion of Khyongla Rato Rinpoche passing away on May 24.

We invite you to see more photos of Rinpoche in our April–June 2022 photo album:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/gallery/nepal-april-june-2022/

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.