International Office News
February 2026

Ven. Dekyong and Urgyen Shola (Director) of Root Institute at the seat of enlightenment under the bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, February 18, 2026. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Welcome to this month’s e-newsletter!

We at FPMT International Office wish all of our dear friends and supporters a most happy and healthy Tibetan New Year of the Fire Horse! We have entered an incredibly powerful period through March 3, 2026. 

Below you will find news, advice, resources, and opportunities that we hope will be useful and inspiring to you, including how to make the most of these Fifteen Days of Miracles. 

Today, we are also sharing a new Update from the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors. In this update, you can read about their progress on developing the Strategic Plan, appointing a new Executive Director, recruiting new Board members, and their 5-day face-to-face Board meeting in December 2025 at Kopan Monastery. 

As always, we welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Please see below for specific requests for stories and topics of interest. 

Teachings and News Regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Change Your View of Others by Practicing Patience

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia April 3, 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In 2018, during a teaching at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Lama Zopa Rinpoche shared advice on how to see those who harm you as your virtuous friend of patience.

Rinpoche explains that if somebody makes you angry, then by seeing the opportunity to practice patience, you get closer to enlightenment. So, using logic and quotations will help you to see this person who makes you angry as your spiritual friend, you learn to see pure from your side. Then, you are able to free numberless sentient beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment.

Please watch Rinpoche offering this teaching, as well as access additional advice from Rinpoche about how to change one’s view of someone when we are in conflict.

Valuable Resources for Students

We would like to draw your attention to some valuable resources for students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Compendium of Precious Instructions: A Catalog of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Works
is a collection of Rinpoche’s literary and graphic works which are available electronically and/or in print, with particular emphasis on key teachings that Rinpoche especially wanted his students to take note of and put into practice, as well as a guide on where to find the audio and video.

Life Practice Advice is a resource based on Rinpoche’s essential daily practice and lifetime practice advice. This is his essential advice, and by following this advice, students can feel confident they are following and practicing according to Rinpoche’s heart advice.

FPMT.org offers a collection of practical advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Students can also find Rinpoche’s advice on a wide range of topics in the form of short talks and letters at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

The Cycle of Death and Rebirth

Portrait of Lama Yeshe, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 1974. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives offers a growing index of teaching excerpts from Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe. In addition to the fascinating historical narrative from students of Lama Yeshe, Big Love is also filled with Dharma teachings.
Here we share an excerpt in which Lama Yeshe discusses cyclic existence during the Seventh Kopan Meditation Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in November–December 1974. Edited by Nicholas Ribush. This teaching is published in chapter 12 of Big Love:

After death we do not disappear. The energy of our consciousness does not disappear. Even though this physical body, these five aggregates, this physical energy, may disappear, our consciousness still keeps going continuously. It doesn’t depend on whether you believe in this or not; your consciousness energy keeps going continuously. It’s natural. Energy is a natural phenomenon. So after death, your consciousness is functioning, continuously, continuously. If you are able to go beyond the ego’s wrong conceptions before you die, then you will not have to go to an uncontrolled suffering realm. On the other hand, as long as you possess an ego and its resultant wrong conceptions, you’ll automatically go to an uncontrolled situation. No one else can make you go there. Your uncontrolled circumstances are not just an idea; and no one has pushed you in that direction. It’s your own wrong-conception mind that pushes you into that uncontrolled channel.

Excerpted from a teaching given by Lama Yeshe during the Seventh Kopan Meditation Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in November–December 1974. Edited by Nicholas Ribush. This teaching is published in chapter 12 of Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe.

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What We’re Rejoicing About

The Fifteen Days of Miracles

The Fifteen Days of Miracles commemorate the special time when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed miraculous powers in order to subdue six tirthikas, or non-Buddhist teachers, who lacked faith in him, and to inspire more faith in his followers. It began on Losar (February 18, 2026) and will culminate on Chotrul Duchen (March 3, 2026), the full moon on the lunar calendar. 

Powerful activities around the world are currently underway, and we have many resources for all who would like to take advantage of these merit-multiplying days, opportunities to join the worldwide community in praying strongly for Rinpoche’s swift return, as well as advice for observing the anniversary of Lama Yeshe’s passing away on Losar, 1984.

Root Institute is currently organizing prayers for the return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the seat of enlightenment under the bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, and all are welcome to join the daily prayer sessions, which are being livestreamed. 

Geshe Thubten Sherab’s Long Retreat After Years of Service to Thubten Norbu Ling

Geshe Sherab with Thubten Norbu Ling SPC, Ven. Losang Dondrub, during Geshe-la’s farewell at Thubten Norbu Ling. Photo courtesy of TNL.

For the majority of Thubten Norbu Ling’s twenty-five-year history in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, Geshe Thubten Sherab has served as joint-resident teacher. After a world teaching tour, Geshe Sherab will enter three year retreat at the beginning of 2027. We recently shared a short biography of Geshe Sherab, and some words of thanks and praise from the team at Thubten Norbu Ling.

50 Years of FPMT: Ven. Elisabeth Drukier’s Story

As FPMT has reached 50 years as an organization, we are taking the opportunity to celebrate the stories and contributions of all who have helped Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche establish centers, projects, services, and study groups around the world, reaching far beyond the Western scope.

In 2021 Nalanda Monastery, located near Lavaur, France, celebrated its 40 years of existence from humble beginnings as an old farmhouse in 1981 to a leading Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the West, home to around 30 monks, as well as a growing lay community dedicated to the study and practice of the Dharma. As part of this celebration, and to preserve their rich history, Nalanda organized special talks and Q&As via Zoom of all former directors and others who played an important role in Nalanda’s history. These talks offer such an intimate look into the very special history of the FPMT organization, told from those who were there and helped establish centers at the very beginning.

We recently shared the story of Ven. Elisabeth Drukier. Ven. Elisabeth is the director of Kalachakra Centre, Paris, and an early student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche who came to Kopan Monastery in 1974 and stayed for the next five years, ordaining in 1976. Ven. Elisabeth was instrumental in establishing Institut Vajra Yogini, Nalanda Monastery, and Kalachakra Centre. Please watch Ven. Elisabeth share her story.

Resources and Opportunities for Study and Practice

Ling Rinpoche Tours FPMT Centers in Europe in 2026: Save the Dates!

We are delighted to share that His Eminence Ling Rinpoche will offer a teaching tour in Europe this Spring from April-June, including many FPMT centers. Please take a look at the full schedule and save the dates to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Reciting Sutras: Powerful Benefit for Oneself and Others

Sutras are records of teachings given by the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. The Buddha’s discourses were memorized by his disciples and later written down in various languages, the most complete collections of teachings being in Pali and Sanskrit. Because sutras contain the actual words spoken by the Buddha, by reproducing that speech ourselves during recitations, our voice becomes a conduit for the spread of Buddha’s teachings in the world. A special set of sutras called dharmaparyayas or “transformative teachings,” including the Sanghata Sutra, function to transform those who hear, recite, or write them out in particular ways, in the same way as meeting a Buddha in the flesh.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche said about the Sutra of Golden Light, “This text is very precious; it brings peace and happiness and is very powerful to stop violence. By hearing this text, one’s karma is purified.” Rinpoche made a personal vow to propagate the Sutra of Golden Light and give oral transmissions of it in many parts of the world. Having the sutra recited as much as possible was also one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. Rinpoche has said, “I would like to make this request with my two palms together, to please recite the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace as much as you can.”

At this time, with the world in trouble in many ways, actions taken toward world peace are desperately needed.

Please continue to find resources for reciting the Sutra of Golden Light, plus access to all the powerful sutras we make available.

Foundation Store Resources

You can order printed copies of a selection of Foundation Store titles through Amazon’s print-on-demand service in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA. In the item description, click on the Amazon market that is closest to you. Foundation Store also has a selection of prayers and practices that are made available for 1-click download.

Retreat Opportunities

Please check our retreat schedule page for group retreat opportunities upcoming in your area.

Call for Stories, Interviews, and Submissions!

Early Students: Your Stories Are Needed!

The FPMT organization celebrates fifty years since its formation in 1975. We are working on putting together some of the rich history of this time, as a way to rejoice in how far we have come! Were you an early student of the FPMT organization, particularly, were you part of the activities and developments in the beginning? We’d love to hear your story and ask you a few questions, please be in touch!

FPMT Community News Stories

We want to hear from you! Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international FPMT community. Have something to share? Reach out and let us know!

Announcements, Opportunities, and Changes

International Office Warmly Welcomes New Executive Director Peeyush Agarwal

FPMT International Office’s new Executive Director, Peeyush Agarwal

We are pleased and excited to inform you that Peeyush Agarwal has been appointed as the new Executive Director (ED) of the FPMT International Office.

Peeyush has excellent qualifications for this extensive position from a Dharma perspective, from his impressive professional and academic experience, and we feel his style of working and communicating is a wonderful fit for leading our existing team.

Please join us in welcoming Peeyush to this very important role within the FPMT mandala!

Changes in the FPMT Organization

Centro Nagarjuna Granada, Spain
Grateful thanks to outgoing spiritual program coordinator Juan Martinez

Atisha Centre, Australia
We welcome Nick Redmond as new spiritual program coordinator
With grateful thanks to outgoing spiritual program coordinator, Ven. Lhawang

Land of Medicine Buddha, USA
We welcome Diane Sturgeon as the new spiritual program coordinator
Grateful thanks to outgoing spiritual program coordinator Liah Gilver-Park

Land of Medicine Buddha, USA
Grateful thanks to outgoing director Michael Falco

Opportunities to Offer Service

Read about the amazing benefits and importance of offering service in the FPMT organization, and have a look at these meritorious opportunities to offer service as paid staff or as a volunteer in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world, including opportunities in Australia, France, India, Italy, Mongolia, North American Region, Nepal, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, UK and the USA. Newly added: Kopan Monastery (Nepal) is looking for a spiritual program coordinator; Ocean of Compassion (California) is looking for an assistant spiritual program coordinator. FPMT Mongolia, Buddha House (Australia) and Land of Medicine Buddha (California) are looking for a new director. North American Region is looking for a regional coordinator and a teacher tour coordinator.

Foundation Service Seminar in Italy

The Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) is the “FPMT immersion retreat,” providing essential information and nourishment for all serving, or wishing to serve, in the FPMT organization. This is a wonderful opportunity for centers, projects, and services to invest in the future by training the next generation of directors, SPCs, volunteers, board members, etc.

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, is organizing an FSS on June 10-14, 2026. Reservations are not open yet, but please save the dates.

Please note: The FSS previously announced for next October at Land of Medicine Buddha, California, has been cancelled.

Become a Friend of FPMT

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

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.