International Office News
April 2022

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a picture of Lama Tsongkhapa that Rinpoche likes very much, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2022. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Recent Activities

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja offered to him, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, March 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Since our last update, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has remained in Nepal, engaging in a variety of auspicious activities such as receiving a long life puja offered by the entire FPMT organization, meeting with important people and lamas, offerings prayers and pujas during the Fifteen Days of Miracles, creating merit in relation to holy objects, attending the inauguration of a new dialysis clinic, and offering two new teachings. We invite you to read more about these activities and enjoy a new photo album of this time period.

Teachings and Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

We are pleased to share two recent teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

• The Western Sangha Are the Real Heroes, a teaching Rinpoche offered at the beginning of a three-month course on the Vinaya being held at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa.

• Why Buddhism Is So Important, a teaching Rinpoche offered to Vajrasattva retreatants at Kopan Monastery.

• Guru Puja is the Heart Practice is a free LYWA multimedia series in which Lama Zopa Rinpoche emphasizes that the Guru Puja is the very heart of our practice, just as it has been for generations of great masters and yogi-practitioners of the past.

We’re Rejoicing About:

Annual Review 2021: Sharing and Preserving the Dharma in a Changing World

Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche near Lawudo Retreat Centre, Nepal, 1970. Photo by Terry Clifford and courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

We are happy to share FPMT International Office’s Annual Review 2021: Sharing and Preserving the Dharma in a Changing World. Please take some time to enjoy this year’s online annual report, which includes details about activities such as offering access to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s precious teachings, helping keep the international community connected and informed, providing guidance and structure to our affiliates, facilitating charitable giving to many worthy initiatives, and disseminating the Dharma around the world.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche walking around the stupas at Kopan, with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, Ven. Tenpa Choden, and Ven. Thubten Tendar, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, March 2022. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Mantra Recitations Accumulated for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In February, we requested students to recite the mani and White Tara mantras for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and the fulfillment of all their wishes, and for the benefit of all in the FPMT organization. This was following advice from Khadro-la, Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme, which she gave in response to Ven. Roger Kunsang’s annual request for advice for Rinpoche’s health and the success of the FPMT organization.

We now invite you to join us in rejoicing in the efforts of so many students—reciting individually or as part of a center group—during the most meritorious period from Losar up to and including the last of the Days of Miracles, Chotrul Duchen. The total is 12,719,479 mani mantras and 1,759,396 White Tara mantras. These were dedicated using the FPMT dedication prayers, including the long life prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Ven. Roger offered that accumulation of meritorious activity to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on behalf of us all. Lama Zopa Rinpoche responded with the following thanks:

My Most Very Very Dear Friends,

Billions and billions of times thank you! Especially for doing all these mantras, that is also for your greatest purification and your good health and long life, and for removing sicknesses now and the future. Thank you very much for listening to Khadro-la’s advice, which is Tara’s advice. Please rejoice!

With Love and Prayers,
Lama Zopa

Driving with Lama: An excerpt from Big Love, plus an Opportunity

Lama Yeshe driving to Reno, Nevada, 1980. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

We recently published a blog that included a wonderful short story from Big Love about Lama Yeshe driving in Australia, and an opportunity from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive to receive a copy of this two-volume authorized biography of Lama Yeshe. Read more …

Offering Food to the Monks of Gyudmed Monastery

Some monks of Gyudmed Tantric Monastery, Hunsur, India, enjoying a meal offered through the new Food Fund.

Since 1433, Gyudmed Monastery has been providing the highest education to many of the top Buddhist scholars and teachers. Through the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the kindness of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, we are pleased to now be supporting this monastery’s new Food Fund, which will provide quality meals to 575 monks studying at this extremely important monastery. The Food Fund has also created an endowment fund to cover annual costs from the interest of this fund. Please read more about the history of this important monastery, as well as details about their food fund and how we are supporting it.

Become a Friend of FPMT

Resources for Your Practice:

Rinpoche leading prayers at Boudha Stupa, Nepal, March 2022. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Newly Available in the Foundation Store

• Offerings to the Boudha Stupa PDF—Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this short advice on how to collect “the most unbelievable merit” when making offerings, originally in relation to offerings to Boudha Stupa. This advice is applicable whenever offerings are made to holy objects.
• A Song to Recall the Kindness of Father and Mother Sentient Beings Combined with the Mani Mantra PDF—This twelve-page booklet was arranged by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the basis of the Third Gungthang Rinpoche’s A Song to Aid the Recollection of Parental Kindness and Encourage the Recitation of the Mani Mantra.
• Vajrayogini Commentary PDF—This fifty-page book contains a 1980 commentary on Vajrayogini practice by Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche. Please note this text is restricted to only those with the appropriate tantric empowerment.
• Milarepa Mantra MP3—This brief audio is of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Milarepa mantra.
• Ten Powerful Mantras for the Time of Death MP3—This audio contains Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recitation of the Ten Powerful Mantras for the Time of Death.
• Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) Mantra MP3— This brief audio features Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Padmasambhava mantra.

Practice materials now available in eBook format or recently updated:

• Lama Chopa and Tsog Offering eBook & PDF
• Complete Dedication Prayer Book eBook & PDF
• The Sun Illuminating the Profound Meaning of Emptiness (German) eBook & PDF
• Nyung Na eBook & PDF
• Amitayus Long Life Sutra eBook & PDF
• A Daily Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha eBook & PDF

Practice materials newly available in other languages:

• Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away (German) PDF
• Oración y mantra de Buda Shakyamuni PDF
• Offrande d’arôme aux esprits (Offrande de Sour) PDF

For a complete list of FPMT Education Services prayers and practices, please visit our catalogue page. You can also find all new arrivals, updated materials, and materials in translation in our Foundation Store (shop.fpmt.org).

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

Opportunities to Offer Service in the FPMT Organization

Newly added:
Director opportunities at Root Institute, India, and Land of Joy, UK.

SPC opportunities at Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Nepal; Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand; and Land of Medicine Buddha, US.

UK national coordinator opportunity.

Nalanda Monastery, France, is recruiting a chef.

Impermanence at Work

Contact information for the following, and all FPMT centers, projects, and services, can be found in the FPMT Directory.

We rejoice in the service offered by Samten Gorab to FPMT International Office from 2007-March 2022. Samten was assistant manager to the Foundation Store until 2019 when he transitioned to administrative assistant. Samten was reliable, hard-working, and was known by all as kind-hearted, supportive, and positive. We wish Samten all the best in his future pursuits and thank him so deeply from our hearts.

Chandrakirti Centre, New Zealand
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Julia Ryan
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Bengu Korkmaz

Nalanda Monastery, France
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Ven. Rigchog
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ven. Losang Tenzin

Longku Center, Switzerland, has a new address:
Colombstrasse 40a, CH-3027 Bern

Centro Tara Bianca, Italy, has a new address:
Via Bernardo Castello 3/9, Genova 16121

For Those Offering Service in FPMT Affiliates

First Online Foundation Service Seminar Pilot Scheduled!

The FPMT center Rinchen Zangpo, in Mexico, is hosting the first pilot of an online Foundation Service Seminar in May! The two Mexican Foundation Service Seminar-registered facilitators, Gilda Urbina and Martha Portillo, will facilitate. For more information, contact Rinchen Zangpo Center.

Feedback about the FPMT Protecting from Abuse Policy

We recently sent FPMT affiliates an update about this essential policy and received some lovely feedback, including this from an FPMT resident teacher:
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all your hard work and persistence with regard to the Protecting from Abuse Policy. The policy is an essential ingredient in which our organization upholds the Buddha’s uncompromising ethic of non-harmfulness. It protects not only students, but also teachers, centers, the organization, and the precious legacy of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe. I’m sure that what you are doing is not easy. It’s not only legally complicated, but touches on sensitive topics like devotion, allegiance, trust, and so forth. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.