International Office News
January 2015

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Phuntsok Rinpoche at Ganden Monastery, India for His Holiness’ Jangchup Lamrim teachings, December 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:

New Advice and Activities

Excerpts from our blogs on FPMT.org:

“‘Whether You Like It or Not’,” January 20

While Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in the Bendigo-area for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the retreat that followed, he added mantras to statues of an elephant and a kangaroo and wrote text for many signs to be placed next to those statues and others. One sign read:

“… Anywhere with whomever I accompany / I look at myself lowest of all / And cherish others as supreme / Whether you like it or not this is my practice, sorry.” “Blessing the Rabbits at Osel Labrang,” January 9

“It’s very important not only to have human rights, caring for and supporting humans, but also to be helping animals.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blesses rabbits at Osel Labrang, Sera Je Monastery, India, December 2014.

Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“Ambulance, Mosquito Nets and Blankets Offered to Villagers in Kushinagar,” January 13

In early 2014, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, via the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, offered approximately US$16,000 to Maitreya Project Kushinagar to be used toward the incredible humanitarian work they are now undertaking …. Read more and see our invitation to rejoice in all FPMT Charitable Projects below!

Blankets were offered to 30 children in a local Kushinagar orphanage by Maitreya Project Kushinagar, India.

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 in 2015 – details soon to be announced! Teachings in New Zealand in May; Russia in early July; teachings and retreat in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil in September. Please check Rinpoche’s schedule online or subscribe to our FPMT news blog to get updates as soon as they are available.

2016
September 11 – 26 Light of the Path retreat, Kadampa Center, USA

Please contact the hosts directly with any questions regarding the event.

Rinpoche Available Now – Enjoy livestreams and recordings of Rinpoche’s most recent teachings!

International Office News:

Get FPMT News Blogs Delivered by Email!

All posts to our many news blogs are now being distributed together in one email to streamline our ability to keep you up to date with the many aspects of FPMT’s beneficial activities and our international community’s work to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions! If you have already signed up in the past to receive one of our blogs such as “Lama Zopa Rinpoche News,” “FPMT News Around the World,” or “Education News,” by email, you will now receive all posts from all of the blogs, digested into one free email per day. If you would like to sign up for this free service and receive one email from FPMT most days of the week, you can do so on any of our News pages, where it says “Get FPMT News delivered by email.”

Dear Merit Box Practitioners

It’s time for your Merit Box practice to benefit virtuous projects all over the world! Send in your accumulated offerings anytime from now until March 31 and you’ll provide funds to be used for the 2015 Merit Box grant awards!

Want to start doing Merit Box practice? Click here.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering a silver Dharmachakra to His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Jangchup Lamrim teachings at Ganden Monastery, India, December 2014.

Photo by Bill Kane.

Rejoicing in FPMT Charitable Projects

Please take a moment to rejoice in all the incredible and beneficial work happening within FPMT Charitable Projects. There is so much to rejoice in and the ongoing news and updates from all the projects show the extensive reach of this work. Thank you to all the kind donors who enable FPMT to be able to support all these amazing projects.

Education Services – New Materials

• Prostrations to the 35 Confession Buddhas is now available as a standalone PDF.
• Practices to Benefit Pretas, Nagas and Spirits has been updated and is now available as a downloadable PDF.
• Practicing the Five Powers Near the Time of Death is now available for free as part of our growing collection of death and dying resources.

New Online Monthly Feature Stories from Mandala

Professor Jeffrey Hopkins, Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, United States, September 2011. Photo by Marc Sakamoto.

As part of Mandala‘s expanding online presence, we are offering a new online feature each month. Our inaugural piece is an interview with Professor Jeffrey Hopkins, a senior American student and highly respected scholar, translator and editor. In this interview, conducted by Maitripa College student Donna Lynn Brown, Hopkins discusses the topic of honesty.

For daily news updates and stories from the international FPMT community, visit our daily blog, which includes “Lama Zopa Rinpoche News” and “FPMT News Around the World.”

Friends of FPMT

Get free access to FPMT education programs, have Mandala magazine delivered to your door or e-reader, and support the global efforts to fulfill the mission of FPMT all at once! Join Friends of FPMT today.

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.)

Rinpoche’s Thanks for Generously Helping Sentient Beings

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Richard Gere after lunch together on Christmas Day during the teachings of His Holiness at Ganden Monastery, India, December 25, 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

An excerpt from a letter from Rinpoche thanking a benefactor of an FPMT center. Rinpoche has said that you can give his letter to those who are generous to the center, project or service, and through their generosity, are bringing sentient beings to enlightenment.

“The Buddha’s teachings are priceless. Their preservation according to Hinayana and Mahayana is really, really, really important – and within Mahayana, Tantrayana especially is very important. One sentient being even just hearing the Buddha’s teaching not only causes them higher rebirth, but liberates them from samsara. There really is unimaginable benefit – unimaginable, unimaginable, unimaginable benefit. This is something really priceless, something hard to imagine – and this is the result of your kind contribution. That is the real result of your compassion for sentient beings. I give you skies of thanks with my two small hands, putting palms together, with one hand in stroke aspect – my heartfelt thanks to you.”

Find the full letter with other advice from Rinpoche and Lama specifically for FPMT centers, projects and services.

Change to FPMT Registered Teacher Management

A reminder that FPMT Education Services is now responsible for FPMT registered teachers applications and support. Center Services is continuing to handle the appointment of and questions regarding resident teachers and geshes. If you are unclear what this change means for you, please contact Tom Truty.

Help with Publicizing Your Retreats

A reminder to all FPMT centers that we are happy to include your retreats on our Retreat Schedule webpage! For Discovering Buddhism and Basic Program retreats, contact Education Services. For all other retreats (minimum of four days or longer), contact Center Services.

FPMT World:

Rejoice!

CKSL Affiliates and Becomes Center!
Choe Khor Sum Ling (CKSL), Bangalore, India recently affiliated with FPMT Inc. and successfully made the transition from a study group (a probationary center, project or service) to an FPMT center!

This means that there are now 119 FPMT centers, projects and services and 38 study groups in 37 countries.

Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive 2014 Report
Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive has shared a report of its activities in 2014 and plans for the future – lots to rejoice about!

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!

Land of Calm Abiding, USA, urgently needs a caretaker (position could suit a couple); Maitripa College, USA is looking for a development consultant; Milarepa Center, USA, is looking for a spiritual program coordinator (SPC) and for a center manager; the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, UK is looking for a 16 Guidelines program manager.

Impermanence at Work

Land of Joy, UK
We welcome new (first!) spiritual program coordinator – Ven. Kerry Prest

Nagarjuna C.E.T. Granada, Spain
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Antonio Jabaloy
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ven. Gloria Mallol

Panchen Losang Chogyen Centre, Austria
www.gelugwien.at
info@gelugwien.at

With love,
FPMT International Office

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