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Lama Zopa Rinpoche during his thought transformation teachings, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, August 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Since our last update, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has remained in Nepal, engaging in a variety of beneficial activities for others. We invite you to rejoice in Rinpoche’s constant compassionate service to others!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been continuing his thought transformation teaching series with specific teachings for ordained Sangha. Rinpoche emphasized that while these teachings were given for Sangha, everyone is encouraged to listen and benefit from the advice. Rinpoche also has continued teaching in Tibetan for Kopan monks and nuns—and for anyone else who speaks Tibetan. Additionally, Rinpoche put together some essential practices in Tibetan, which are freely available. Recent additions are Motivation for Tibetan Elders as well as Sur practice.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Khadro-la, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche during puja at Namo Buddha, Nepal, July 6, 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
In June and July Lama Zopa Rinpoche and other lamas offered several powerful pujas in holy places around Kathmandu and nearby. These pujas were done to benefit all those affected by the pandemic in all ways, and to mitigate the continued spread of the virus. Additionally in August, Rinpoche and the Kopan monks offered Most Secret Hayagriva Elaborate Tsog Puja to benefit the entire FPMT organization and to remove obstacles related to the pandemic. Prayers to Hayagriva are especially beneficial in these degenerate times when sufferings and illnesses are uncontrolled. As a manifestation of Chenrezig, Hayagriva practice also helps develop compassion and is very powerful for generating merit as well.
The consecration of the new stupa in Thame happening at the same time as Rinpoche’s consecration of it from Kopan Monastery, Thame, Solu Khumbu, Nepal, June 2021
On June 21, Rinpoche consecrated a stupa that the Holy Objects Fund is sponsoring in Thame, Nepal. The new stupa stands nearly 46 feet (14 meters) tall with a base measuring 54 feet (16.5 meters) across. It took two years to complete and is larger than the previous stupa, which was destroyed as a result of the 2015 earthquake. Due to travel restrictions, Rinpoche wasn’t able to attend the consecration so he offered the consecration remotely from Kopan Monastery.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering prayers to a rescued water buffalo Rinpoche named Bodhichitta, August 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Demonstrating, yet again, his compassionate service to all beings, Rinpoche recently liberated and blessed a water buffalo, which are often butchered for meat in Nepal. The buffalo appeared to have a strong connection to Rinpoche and shed tears while Rinpoche was reciting various mantras and Three Principal Aspects of the Path. You can read more about this heart-warming story.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering puja from a restaurant overlooking Boudhanath Stupa, July 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche regularly circumambulates Boudhanath Stupa, often late at night, reciting the multiplying mantra while making extensive visualized offerings. On one of these occasions of visiting the stupa to offer prayers, Rinpoche stopped at a restaurant and offered an elaborate tsog puja with auspicious objects to the stupa. Rinpoche also visits Swayambhunath and stops in front of places where the bodies of those who have died are being cremated, spending a long time making prayers and reciting the requesting prayer to Chenrezig.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche watching His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings online from Kopan Monastery. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche has watched His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent teachings from Kopan Monastery via livestream from www.dalailama.com/live.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche writing out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
In two recent video teachings Rinpoche talks about the history of the project to write out the Prajnaparamita in gold, which Rinpoche and a few others have been working on for the past sixteen years. Rinpoche discusses the benefits of writing out this precious sutra, giving extensive commentary on the sutra’s incredible benefits. He also talks about the process for writing it out, including the need for precise calligraphy and high quality supplies.
These are just a few of the many auspicious activities Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been engaged in over the past two months in Nepal. We invite you to enjoy the new online gallery of photos, which show even more of Rinpoche’s recent activities, in which we can all rejoice:
Visit the July and August 2021 photo album:
https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/gallery/nepal-july-august-2021/
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.
Watch the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation during the Time of COVID-19 and find links to videos in transcripts, MP3s, additional practice advice, and more:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/announcements/resources-for-coronavirus-pandemic/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche-for-coronavirus/