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International Office News
December 2016
Warm season’s greetings to you—with our best wishes
for peace, happiness and joyous compassion
through 2017 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 standing—as students, friends, benefactors, supporters
and staff—with the FPMT mission. We rejoice in the
great collective efforts of the entire FPMT family.
“Don’t harm yourself and don’t harm others—practice the good heart towards others. This will bring peace and happiness to all living beings in this world, to your own family and lastly, to you yourself.
You are the last one.”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche, November 2016
Collection Season for International Merit Box
Support to Elementary Students in Chailsa, Nepal
Mandala Magazine: New Online Feature!
There’s Still Time to Give a Gift That Helps Others!
Have You Used the New Affiliates Area Yet?
Offering Service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Centro Shiwa Lha Has a New Home
New French Translations Available
Have this translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche News:
Activities and Advice
Highlights from our blogs:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was greeted with great excitement when he arrived at Kopan Monastery in Nepal in November. His first day of teaching there was November 26. “The teachings have been incredible,” reported Ven. Holly Ansett two days later. Read more …
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Blesses Lake-Bound Beings
In the autumn of this year, Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessed several lakes located near Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, in Washington State, USA. Rinpoche asked for a raft in order to go out on the lakes, and blessed beings in a variety of ways. Read in full …
Find a wide range of advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Rinpoche’s Advice page.
Schedule
Rinpoche showing the relic of the self-emanating Chenrezig, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
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2016
December 18 – 26 – Teachings and long life initiation at Choe Khor Sum Ling, Bangalore, India
2017
January 18 – Long life puja will be offered to Rinpoche by the nuns at the Tara Temple, Sarnath, India
April 1 – 30 – Teachings and celebration in Korea for the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, a project of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
May 6 – 14 – Teachings and initiation, Golden Light Sutra Center and Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, Mongolia
May 20 – June 5 – Teachings and initiation, Ganden Tendar Ling, Russia
August 20 – September 17 – Light of the Path retreat, Kadampa Center, USA
October 4 – November 5 – Mani retreat, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy
Subscribe to our FPMT news blog to get updates as soon as they are announced. Enjoy livestreams of many of the teachings above and recordings of Rinpoche’s most recent teachings via Rinpoche Available Now!
International Office News:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his 72nd birthday according to the Tibetan system (71st Western birthday), Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 3, 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
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Collection Season for International Merit Box
Collection season for Merit Box offerings begins on December 23, Lama Tsongkhapa Day. This is the best time to count up and send in the Merit Box offerings you have been accumulating throughout the year. Merit Box donations will go to fund grant opportunities in 2017 for Dharma projects around the world. Learn how to submit your offerings here.
News from Education Services
New Ebooks Available
Basic Program (BP) News
Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Denmark, will start their first Basic Program in January with FPMT registered teacher Ven. Sangye Khadro. The program will be offered in English and will also be available online. Nalanda Monastery and Centre Kalachakra in France have each completed their second BP. In Dorje Chang Institute, New Zealand, four students of the first BP completed the three-month review and passed the BP final exam while the second BP is already in progress.
Support to Elementary Students in Chailsa, Nepal
For the past two years, Kopan Monastery has taken on the responsibility of supporting Sagarmatha Secondary School in Chailsa, Nepal. The school is located on what was once a Tibetan refugee camp and currently serves 120 young students.
Parents of the children, who are ethnically Tibetan or Sherpa and come from meager means, requested Kopan to accept management of the school when funding for this school was no longer available. Understanding that education is key for breaking the cycle of poverty, Kopan accepted the request to take on responsibility for the school as well.
We invite you to rejoice with us that the school was funded during 2016 by a grant from the Social Services Fund. Read more about the plans for this school and the details of this recent grant.
Mandala Magazine: New Online Feature!
Please enjoy Mandala’s newest online feature, “Dhi! Ven. Tenzin Namjong on Debate, Study, and Life at Sera Je.” In it, Sera IMI monk Ven. Tenzin Namjong (Matthew Pasion) discusses with Mandala how debate fits into the geshe program at Sera and its power for transforming practitioners.
Also, find our three most recent online features—“Strasbourg, France Hosts His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” “Human Spirit: Bridging Buddhism and Psychoanalysis in Israel,” and “Cultivating Compassion: Geshe Thupten Jinpa Brings Dharma into the Secular World”—in our online features archive.
Foundation Store Discounts
The FPMT Foundation Store carries a full range of meditation supplies and holy objects including offering bowls, vajras and bells, bumpas, mandala sets, statues, thangkas and more for your practice needs. Check out our end-of-the-year special discounts!
There’s Still Time to Give a Gift That Helps Others!
If you are still looking for holiday gifts, FPMT’s Give a Gift That Helps Others could be the perfect gift! You can choose to donate to one of four FPMT charitable projects as a gift for your friend, then we send you an e-card or a printed card that you can give to them. The cards beautifully highlight how their gift will benefit beings. Learn more …
Friends of FPMT
As 2016 comes to an end, the support from Friends of FPMT continues to be one of the most vital funding sources for International Office activities. Friends supporters are creating huge amounts of merit year after year, while benefiting from open access to hundreds of FPMT Education materials, online study programs, and Mandala’s publications. Learn more …
For Center, Project and Service Directors, SPCs, Board Members, Registered Teachers and Coordinators:
This advice is specifically for those offering service in these roles.
Have You Used the New Affiliates Area Yet?
The Affiliates Area is for FPMT directors; board/executive committee members and trustees; spiritual program/regional/national/study group coordinators; registered teachers; Basic and Masters Program teaching assistants and coordinators; and FPMT Service Seminar registered facilitators.
It has been designed with a powerful search function and intuitive links throughout to make it much easier for you to find the information you need.
If you have any questions or have not received your invitation, please contact Justin Jenkins.
FPMT World:
Rejoice:
Offering Service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
The FPMT organization is continuing to help to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision of offering service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Recently, Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre hosted His Holiness at their Delhi Dharma Celebration! And Amitabha Hospice Service requested His Holiness to be their Patron—and His Holiness accepted!
Centro Shiwa Lha Has a New Home
Congratulations to Centro Shiwa Lha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as they inaugurate their new center building!
New French Translations Available
Le Editions Mahayana vient de publier Méditation sur Manjoushri orange disponible en papier et ebook. Les Amis de Service de traduction peuvent télécharger leur ebook dans la Zone Amis.
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. Jamyang Buddhist Centre, UK, has an opportunity to serve as spiritual program coordinator; Land of Joy, the UK retreat center, is looking for volunteers in 2017.
Impermanence at Work
Centre Kalachakra, France
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Ven. Deunyeu
Centro Khamlungpa, Mexico
We welcome new director – Ricardo Perez Corona
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Dunia Cárcamo
We also welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Dimitri Limberopulos
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ramon Lara
Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Nepal
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Holly Guy
Lama Yeshe Ling, Canada
We welcome new director – Arunas Antanaitis
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Deborah Klassen
Nagarjuna C.E.T. Madrid, Spain
Calle Miguel Angel, 7 – 1º B
Madrid 28010
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