International Office News
February 2023

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, McLeod Ganj, India, November 2022. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Newly Published Teachings & Advice

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the fifty-third November Course at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Please enjoy some recently published teachings from the past month, and links to new episodes of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast:

• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teachings 13 & 14: Rinpoche Offers the Oral Transmission of Essential Nectar
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 12: Even Offering a Little Help to Others Is So Important
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 11: The Special Qualities of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Teachings
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 10: Use Your Body and Bear Hardships to Practice Dharma
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 9: Look at Your Problems as Hallucinations
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 8: Experiencing Others’ Suffering Comes from Understanding Their Kindness
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 7: Relate Your Own Experiences to How Everything Comes from Your Mind
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 6: Giving Rise to Virtuous Thoughts Is the Best Preparation for Death
• Recent episodes of the “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast” include, “Every Moment Is an Opportunity to Practice Dharma,” and “Experience Harm in a Positive Way.” New episodes are released every other Monday and previously published episodes are available on the Essential Extracts Podcast page as well.

All teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche are published regularly, unedited, on our full-length teachings podcast shortly after the teaching finishes.

Save the Dates!

Long Life Puja for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, May 24, 2023

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kalachakra Teaching Ground, Bodhgaya, India, December 29, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

On the morning of May 24, 2023, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT organization will be offering a long life puja to our greatest source of inspiration, His Holiness the Dalai Lama! This long life puja will be offered to His Holiness at the Tsuglhakhang, His Holiness’ temple in Namgyal Monastery, McCleod Ganj, India.

During this long life puja, Rinpoche is planning to offer one thousand statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, as well as two beautiful life-size Padmasambhava and Namgyalma statues.

All are invited to make an offering towards, or sponsor, one of these Shakyamuni Buddha statues (US$300 each), which will then be offered directly to His Holiness. Offerings are being accepted for the long life puja for His Holiness as well.

Please read more about this incredible offering of one thousand Buddha statues. 

Light of the Path 2023 Retreat, September 3-17, 2023 (New Dates and Host)

This year’s Light of the Path retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche is moving to Kopan Monastery, Nepal. The dates have changed to September 3-17, 2023. The changes had to be made due to visa obstacles and in order to avoid the main summer heat in Nepal. We very much hope that students will be able to travel to Nepal instead of North Carolina, US. And all can connect with Rinpoche’s teachings given during the previous Light of the Path Retreats anytime!

We’re Rejoicing About:

FPMT Annual Review 2022 Now Available to View

His Holiness the Dalai Lama meeting with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, November 2, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We are happy to share FPMT International Office’s Annual Review 2022: Rejoicing in a Year of Offering the Methods for Peace and Happiness. 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.

Pujas and Offerings Happening During Fifteen Days of Miracles

Beginning on Losar (February 21) and during the Fifteen Days of Miracles (through March 7), when the merit is multiplied 100 million times each day, The FPMT Puja Fund has arranged for an array of pujas and activities, as well as a monastery offering to ten thousand Sangha who are so kindly undertaking the practices. All the pujas and offerings listed below are dedicated to all the FPMT centers, projects, and services; all students, volunteers, and those who offer service in FPMT in any way; and to all beings:

• Recitation of the three different Prajnaparamita Sutras (100,000 verses, 25,000 verses and 8,000 verses).
• One Thousand Sets of Offerings to Buddha Namgyalma, Namgyalma long life ritual, Medicine Buddha Puja and Sixty-four Offerings to Kalarupa.
• Offerings to over ten thousand Sangha (including those residing in IMI Sangha communities), and to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
• A new set of robes are offered to the precious Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya.
• New parasols are offered to the top of the Bouddha and Swayambhu stupas, as well as offering new paint to the both stupas.
• Printing of holy texts such as The Golden Light Sutra , Arya Sanghata Sutra, Vajra Cutter Sutra, Amitayus Long Life Sutra  and Sutra of Great Liberation.
  
• Up to 1,500 animals will be liberated and the making of many tsa tsas, including Kadampa stupas which will also be filled and consecrated.

Please take a moment to rejoice in all these incredible practices and offerings that have been arranged. You can also participate in any of these pujas and offerings by contributing any amount.

Forty Years of Dharma in Madrid, Spain

Ven. Wangchen from Casa del Tibet in Barcelona joining the fortieth anniversary celebration at Nagarjuna Centre, Madrid.

Nagarjuna Centre in Madrid, Spain, celebrated its fortieth anniversary recently, with a joyful get together of center staff and students spanning the years. Please join us in rejoicing in four decades of Dharma activity at this center, and in offering our grateful thanks for all of the hard work, dedication, devotion, creativity, and tenacity of those—past and present—who have made this milestone possible.

Fourth FPMT Masters Program Started in Italy

Participants in the fourth FPMT Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia, Italy.

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) started its fourth FPMT Masters Program in Italy, with Geshe Jampa Gelek presenting the first festive teaching on February 1. The program is offered residentially and online in Italian and English, with the online option also available in Spanish. After intensive preparation by the ILTK education coordinator and administration in close cooperation with FPMT Education Services, a wonderful staff consisting of teaching assistants, tutors, interpreters and translators, is taking on the challenge of engaging, educating and guiding the more than 20 residential and more than 135 online students.

Become a Friend of FPMT

What’s New?

New Blogs and Stories from FPMT.org

Lama Yeshe teaching at Chenrezig Institute, 1979. Photo courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

You can keep up on all of our latest blogs, featured stories, community news, and teachings by checking in regularly to the What’s New page on FPMT.org. Recent obituaries, In-depth stories, and blogs include:

• Rejoicing in the Life of David Williams, A Hidden Gem of a Practitioner
• Refuge is a State of Mind, By Lama Yeshe

Publications to Support Your Dharma Study and Practice

Advice for Losar and the Fifteen Days of Miracles 2023

Losar was February 21 and the Fifteen Days of Miracles continue through March 7, 2023. We have compiled all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for this auspicious merit-making period.

Study & Practice Materials Available in Non-English Languages

FPMT is now present in 36 countries and in order to meet the study and practice needs of non-English speaking FPMT students, many practice resources, texts, study programs, and teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche are now translated by volunteers. You can read more about resources available to you.

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 translated materials in our Foundation Store.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

New Opportunities to Offer Service

Read about the amazing benefits and importance of offering service in the FPMT organization, and have a look below at these meritorious opportunities to offer service as paid staff or as a volunteer in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world. Newly added: Chenrezig Institute, Australia needs a center director; while Vajrapani Institute, USA and Yeshin Norbu, Sweden, are each looking for a spiritual program coordinator.

Impermanence at Work

Hayagriva Center, Australia
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Susan di Bona
With grateful thanks to retired SPC – David Thomas

Land of Calm Abiding, US
We welcome new director – Kolby Graham
With grateful thanks to retired director – Ven. Namgyal

Nagarjuna Centre Granada, Spain
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Juan José Martínez Pinteño
With grateful thanks to retired SPC – Charo Tutau

Nagarjuna’s Wisdom Center, Spain
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Elena Escudero
With grateful thanks to retired SPC – Rosario Azcorbebeitia

Yeshin Norbu Centre, Sweden, welcomes Tara Liberation, Finland, as its satellite group.

The Tibetan Buddhist Study Group of Longdol Lama, Czech Republic has closed.

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.