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International Office News
December 2014
French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage! Or you can have this translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page.
“Enjoy a meaningful life with bodhichitta!” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Warm season’s greetings to you –
with our best wishes for peace, happiness and joyous compassion through 2015 and beyond. May all the holy wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche be fulfilled perfectly without delay.
We send our heartfelt thanks to everyone who is serving and who has served the FPMT in the past year –
you make a difference!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014.
Photo by Steve Alberts.
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New Advice: Help at the Time of Death
New Issue of Mandala Magazine!
Pujas Offered to Prevent the Spread of and Eliminate Ebola
Education Services – Basic Program News
Benefit FPMT with Your Holiday Shopping
Foundation Store Holiday Dates
Update on FPMT Advisory Council
Rejoice: 2015 Calendar Coming from Liberation Prison Project!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching during the one-month Kopan course: “This life is so, so, so precious; your death is definite, it can come at any moment.” Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2014.
Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
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New Advice:
Help at the Time of Death
“I tell people that the FPMT organization is here to help. I think it is so fortunate that we, the FPMT, are able to provide help at the time of death, because death is really a most difficult, most hard time. So the benefits provided by the organization to help at that time are so good. It’s very good to do, it helps people in the world very much, and especially students. In the world, especially in Western countries, I don’t think there are other organizations who put together all the ways to help with death, to help people who are dying.
Of course those who have realizations, who have good heart, they don’t go to the lower realms, they have happy mind, they know where they’re going. But for most people there’s only suffering.
If you are able to help the person dying, not only to save the person from the lower realms, but also help the rest of the living family, it’s big, it makes them so happy. Wow! Somebody able to help.”
Excerpted from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s comments about FPMT’s Prayers for the Dead service, made while Rinpoche was visiting FPMT International Office, Portland, USA, in April 2014. Read the full advice.
Find more advice from Rinpoche and how FPMT helps at the time of death.
Find a wide range of advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Rinpoche’s Advice page. Go to the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive for lots more advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Keep up to date with Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
Rinpoche’s Schedule
2015
Hosted by Maitreya Institut, Loenen, the Netherlands:
July 11 – 12 Teachings on the Essence of the Kadam by Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen
July 13 – 19 Heruka 5 Deities initiation
July 20 Long life puja
More teaching dates in 2015 will be announced soon.
2016
September 11 – 26 Light of the Path retreat, Kadampa Center, USA
Rinpoche Available Now – We are working to give you livestreaming and recordings of Rinpoche’s ongoing teachings. Find the most recent teachings on our new Rinpoche Available Now webpage!
Please contact the hosts directly with any questions regarding the event. Subscribe to our RSS feed on Rinpoche’s Schedule to receive updates automatically as soon as they are available.
International Office News:
New Issue of Mandala Magazine!
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The new issue of Mandala magazine, January-March 2015, has been published! This issue features stories on the CPMT 2014 meeting that took place in September at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Australia as well as teachings from Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the purpose of FPMT.
In addition to the print magazine, Mandala published exclusive new online stories and continues to add new stories to our daily blog, which includes “Lama Zopa Rinpoche News” and “FPMT News around the World.”
Mandala magazine is offered as a benefit of the Friends of FPMT program. If you’d like to receive Mandala, please consider joining our Friends program, which supports the education, web streaming, communications and other work of FPMT International Office.
Pujas Offered to Prevent the Spread of and Eliminate Ebola
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche checked what pujas could be done to help control and prevent this serious outbreak of Ebola, and requested Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery to offer three recitations of the Prajñaparamita; three extensive Medicine Buddha pujas; and one Drolma Yuldro puja.
Rinpoche sponsored these pujas, the monastery and nunnery offered the tea, and the Sangha did not accept any offerings during the pujas – an extremely kind and precious gesture on their part. The pujas were done with strong prayers to prevent the spreading of the Ebola virus and for success in destroying the disease completely. Thanks to the Sangha at Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery for making these prayers for the benefit of the whole world.
The offering of these pujas is an example of how Rinpoche uses every opportunity to benefit the world wherever there is a need. You can learn more about the beneficial monthly and yearly pujas offered at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche by keeping up with the Puja Fund News.
Education Services – Basic Program News
Basic Program (BP) students who have completed their BP subject of “Middling Lam-rim” have a wonderful and unique opportunity to do their three-month lam-rim retreat during the summer of 2015 in Kopan Monastery in Nepal. The retreat is guided by BP teacher Ven. Fedor Stracke from July 2 to October 1.
Benefit FPMT with Your Holiday Shopping
The AmazonSmile program will automatically donate 0.5% of your purchases to FPMT every time you shop on Amazon anywhere in the world. Click here for an easy way to sign up.
Foundation Store Holiday Dates
The Foundation Store will be operating with limited staff from December 23 to January 2. We look forward to answering your emails as soon as we are able. All orders placed on or after December 22 will be promptly filled beginning on January 5, 2015. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
For Center, Project and Service Directors, SPCs, Board Members, Registered Teachers and Coordinators:
(This advice is specifically for those offering service in the roles listed above.)
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Nepal, December 2014.
Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
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The Five Pillars of Service
Please find details about FPMT’s Five Pillars of Service in the FPMT Affiliates Area to help you develop each pillar at your center, project or service.
Update on FPMT
Advisory Council
We hope you saw FPMT Inc. board member Paula de Wijs-Koolkin’s update on the FPMT Advisory Council sent via the CPMT e-group. Read the article in the current print edition of Mandala magazine or find it together with other information about the FPMT Advisory Council in the FPMT Affiliates Area.
Death and Dying Resources
In addition to the advice from Rinpoche mentioned above, further practical information and advice for FPMT hospice services and for centers, projects and services can be found in the Death and Dying Resources area of the FPMT Affiliates Area.
Interestingly, Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently asked whether FPMT hospice services were using the tools that he created for helping at the time of death: FPMT’s Prayers for the Dead service and the Liberation Box, Protection Tool for a Fortunate Rebirth. We encourage all centers, projects and services to make use of these!
Rejoice:
2015 Calendar Coming from Liberation Prison Project!
Liberation Prison Project is kindly mailing each FPMT center, project, service and study group their 2015 calendar.
FPMT World:
Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT
Please check out the regularly updated meritorious opportunities to offer service as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects and services around the world!
Impermanence at Work
Gendun Drubpa Centre, Canada
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Dianne Noort
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Linda Jonke
Lama Yeshe Ling, Canada
We welcome new director – Deborah Klassen
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Deborah Seigel
Nagarjuna C.E.T. Granada, Spain
We welcome new director – Juan García Lázaro
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Lola Parras
Tara Institute, Australia
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Amelia McCulloch
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ven. Lhamo
With love,
FPMT International Office
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