International Office News
February 2021

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a wonderful art book, Murals of Tibet, recently offered to him, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2021. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

How to Accept Suffering: Everything Becomes Easier with Acquaintance

In his recent book, Patience: A Guide to Shantideva’s Sixth Chapter, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives advice on practicing patience, via a commentary on the verses on patience in Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Here’s an excerpt from the book: “Shantideva next explained that whatever we do will become easier the more we practice it. This is very important advice. Whether something is easy or difficult depends on how acquainted we are with it. It all depends on training.” Read in full.…

Purify Now Because You Can Die Anytime

Lama Zopa Rinpoche prostrating to the giant Guru Rinpoche thangka during the Guru bumtsok at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, January 2020

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that the solution to our problems is to do purification practice every day. In this short video excerpt from Rinpoche’s video teachings on thought transformation, Rinpoche emphasizes that if we know these practices, we should do them now because we can die anytime. Read in full….

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We’re Rejoicing About:

Recent Teaching from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Lama Zopa Rinpoche thanking His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the conclusion of his online teaching from his residence in Dharamsala, HP, India, February 8, 2021. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Jamphel, courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We are so honored and delighted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered a teaching on dependent arising and emptiness on February 8, at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT organization. His Holiness also took the opportunity to conduct a ceremony for generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, since, as His Holiness explained, it is almost the Tibetan New Year (Losar). A few of the big study communities within FPMT were also able to delegate a person to ask His Holiness a question. At the conclusion of the teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed his gratitude to His Holiness on behalf of the FPMT organization for this teaching and others over many years.

In response, His Holiness declared, “Zopa Rinpoche and I have known each other a long time. We are trusted friends. You and your teacher Lama Thubten Yeshe founded many centers around the world to help others. Rinpoche, you have done your best, thank you. Please be determined to keep up your efforts. What you have achieved cannot be overlooked. Thank you and Tashi Delek.” Read in full….

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering a mandala to His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the recent teaching, February 2021. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

Lama Yeshe standing in a field of a daffodil farm while visiting the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia, 1976. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

We particularly remember Lama Thubten Yeshe, one of the founders of the FPMT organization, at Losar (Tibetan New Year), as Lama Yeshe passed away on Losar in 1984. Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends especially sharing remembrances of Lama Yeshe at this time of year. Here’s an excerpt from a teaching given by Lama Yeshe in Australia, in July 1976:
“…Through meditation, you can learn to tell the difference between right and wrong mental attitudes and, in particular, you can see how your dissatisfied mind makes you miserable. By understanding that, you can liberate yourself from confusion—you don’t need to believe in something. That’s why in his teachings Lord Buddha said that understanding knowledge-wisdom is the path to liberation.” Read in full….

News about the Sutra of Great Liberation

The world is full of problems, including contagious diseases, wars, and disasters of the elements such as fires. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises in his Teachings on Thought Transformation during the Time of COVID-19 that “the Sutra of Great Liberationis exactly what you need at this dangerous time.” Rinpoche emphasized a number of its many incredible benefits, including that just by holding the sutra you will not fall into the lower realms. Due to its enormous benefit, we’re pleased to share a new PDF of the Tibetan pecha pages of the Sutra of Great Liberation suitable for printing and placing on your altar. Also, students wishing to receive the oral transmission of the Sutra of Great Liberation can find the videos in which Rinpoche gives parts of the oral transmission collected online. The translation into English of the Sutra of Great Liberation is underway.

Rejoicing in Vast Offerings to Ordained Sangha!

Supporting monks and nuns is one of the highest priorities for the FPMT organization, because the preservation of the Buddhadharma is dependent on the existence of Sangha. In the last few months we have been able to make these incredible offerings on behalf of the whole FPMT organization:

• Offerings were made to 20,000 Sangha in twenty-four Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug monasteries and nunneries in India and Nepal, due to the kindness of a benefactor. The offering was made on Lhabab Duchen, a merit multiplying day, when karmic results of actions are multiplied 100 million times .
• Offerings were made to the Sangha of Maratika Monastery, Nepal, for the expansion of the monks’ accommodation that will allow an extra fifty-four new monks to join the monastery. This offering of US$166,394 was thanks to a kind grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana.
• Through the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund we offered US$19,766 as part of an annual commitment for a monthly stipend offered to all the main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, and to cover food and travel expenses enabling top scholars to attend the annual Gelug exam.

LRZTP Online Tibetan Language Program

The FPMT Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program (LRZTP), well-known for its rigorous two-year Tibetan language and interpreter training course which has produced many gifted Dharma interpreters for FPMT centers since its conception over twenty years ago, is now launching a fully online Tibetan language study program: Foundations in Tibetan Language. Read more….

Foundation Store Offering Items for Free

We have almost completed our transition to distributing digital-only materials, so we are providing some of our remaining physical inventory for your Dharma practice free. Order now, while supplies last.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

Opportunities to Offer Service in the FPMT Organization

Would you like to spend your days making a meaningful contribution? Have a look at the various meritorious opportunities to offer service providing the opportunity to serve as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world.

Newly Added: Jamyang Buddhist Center, UK, is recruiting an Operations Manager.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a new book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2021. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Impermanence at Work

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

Ocean of Compassion (Gyalwa Gyatso) Buddhist Center, USA
We welcome Kim Nguyen as sole director
With grateful thanks to Nadezhda Wein-Duffy, outgoing co-director

Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa, Italy
We welcome new director – Andrea Serena

Kurukulla Center, USA
We welcome new director – Bryce Schintzius
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Sean Gonzalez

Thubten Norbu Ling, USA
Grateful thanks to Don Handrick, outgoing resident teacher.

For Those Offering Service in FPMT Affiliates:

Merit Box Grant Applications Now Being Accepted

As explained in the Financial, Business and Fundraising Guideline section in the Affiliates Area, the Merit Box is one of the ways in which International Office helps FPMT centers, projects, and services fulfil their fundraising goals. Like last year, we are extending the scope of grant opportunities to include relief for financial hardship caused by the pandemic. The deadline to submit an application for funds from the 2021 Merit Box fund is March 31st. Submit an application online.

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.