International Office News
January 2024

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, July 2021, Kopan Monastery, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Teachings and News About Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Construction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Stupa of Complete Victory Has Begun!

The excavation site for the Stupa of Complete Victory.

We are very pleased to share the news that the Stupa of Complete Victory being built at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return is well underway. Please read details about this progress, and rejoice in the photos and videos we have documenting this incredible project.

Perseverance: The Determination of the Bodhisattva

We are so pleased to share that Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s newest volume from Wisdom Publications, Perseverance: The Determination of the Bodhisattva is now available! “When we have perseverance, we will have no obstacles,” Rinpoche taught. “Which means obstacles to any happiness, especially to ultimate happiness, the freedom from the oceans of samsaric suffering, and most importantly to peerless happiness, the state of the omniscience that is enlightenment.” Please read more about this new release and how to obtain a copy.

Purification Practice Advice

At the start of the new year, many of us are reflecting on the past year— rejoicing in the blessings we received, and also assessing mistakes we have made in relation to ourselves and others. Fortunately, we have a plethora of advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche at our disposal to help us purify negative karma we have created. We can utilize these practices daily, and also as a way to enter the new year with a renewed sense of resolve to be the best versions of ourselves, so we can be of most benefit to others. Please learn more about Rinpoche’s advice on purification practice.

Prayers Offered for Rinpoche’s Swift Return on Lama Tsongkhapa Day

On Lama Tsongkhapa Day, December 7, at Kopan Monastery, extensive candle lights were offered, Kopan Lama Gyupa monks offered Guyasamaja Puja and constructed a sand mandala over three days, Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri was recited continuously for the swift return of Rinpoche as well as many other prayers, and visitors offered prayers in front of Rinpoche’s holy body. We were also very moved to receive notice of Tibetan communities and Sangha engaging offering prayers in this way. As an example, at Sera Je Monastery Drati Khangtsen, India, as the monastery was illuminated with light offerings and with all monks in congregation, the Sangha recited prayers for Rinpoche’s swift return. Please read more about these offerings of prayers.

Swift Return Prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Bodhgaya on New Year’s Eve

Prayer session for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Bodhgaya, India, under the Bodhi tree, December 31, 2023. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Michael.

A powerful prayer session was held in Bodhgaya, India, under the Bodhi tree on December 31, 2023 for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Incredibly, 2,500 ordained Sangha participated in this important and auspicious event. Please read more about this event and watch an inspiring video of all the activity.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

The Experiential Nature of Lord Buddha’s Teachings

Lama Yeshe, Waikanae, New Zealand, 1975. Photo by Ecie Hursthouse, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

This discourse. “The Experiential Nature of Lord Buddha’s Teachings,” was given by Lama Yeshe in New Zealand on June 14, 1975. Here Lama offers advice on how to understand the different schools and traditions of Buddhism and discusses how different people need different methods. This talk has been published in the LYWA book Knowledge-Wisdom: The Peaceful Path the Liberation which is available in multiple formats. Read this teaching.

What We’re Rejoicing About

FPMT Geshe Conference at Kopan Monastery

Participants of the 2024 Geshe Conference at Kopan Monastery.

With great rejoicing we share that a truly auspicious meeting occurred on January 9-14 at Kopan Monastery which has incredible significance for the FPMT organization.

More than thirty FPMT geshes and geshemas from around the world, joined by five FPMT Inc. board members, convened at Kopan, the very heart of the FPMT organization, for three days of sharing, rejoicing, problem solving, and prayers for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche (including Chanting the Names of Manjushri and Rinpoche’s swift return prayer in front of Rinpoche’s holy body). At the conclusion of the conference, the group engaged in an all-day Most Secret Hayagriva tsog and then a two-day pilgrimage together around Kathmandu. We will offer a full report of this important conference very soon. 

Activities of the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund in 2023

2023 Winter Debate Participants. This debate is sponsored by the Lama Tsongkhapa Teacher’s Fund.

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund (LTKTF) is dedicated to upholding the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism and has been instrumental since its establishment in 1997 at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is named after the Gelug lineage founder Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419).

Please read about the activities that the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund supported through a total of US$174,162 in grants in 2023.

Large Padmasambhava Thangka Display at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling

Large Padmasambhava thangka at Kopan Nunnery, December 16, 2023. Photo courtesy of Kopan Monastery.

For the eighth year in a row, a very large (75 feet x 85 feet) thangka of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) was displayed and an auspicious 100,000 tsog offering event took place at Khachoe Ghakyil Ling (Kopan Nunnery) on December 16, 2023. Prayers were offered for all beings and for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the actualization of all of Rinpoche’s holy wishes, and for peace in the world.

This will now be an annual event at Kopan Nunnery on December 3, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s birth date, to commemorate Rinpoche’s life and fulfill Rinpoche’s wishes. Students of Rinpoche are encouraged to plan to come to this extremely joyous and auspicious event. Please read more about this thangka and event.

Indian National Meeting

Ven Tashi Choedup, our FPMT India national coordinator, organized a fruitful national meeting on January 2 with thirteen participants and one FPMT Inc. board guest speaker.

Obituaries and Remembrances

Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested that “students who read these obituaries pray that the person mentioned finds a perfect human body, meets a Mahayana guru, and becomes enlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the teachings exist and they can become enlightened.” Reading these obituaries also gives us an opportunity to reflect on death and impermanence and to make the determination to live life in the most meaningful way. Rinpoche continuously reminded us to meditate on death and impermanence in order to motivate ourselves to practice Dharma right now! If we put off Dharma practice for when we are older or less busy, we assume that we will wake up tomorrow morning, and there is no promise of this.

More advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources. To submit an obituary for an FPMT student, please see our obituary submission guidelines.

Venerable Thubten Gelek (Max Redlich)

Ven. Thubten Gelek (Max Redlich) in Dharamsala, 2022. Photo courtesy of Tara Institute Facebook page.

Venerable Thubten Gelek (Max Redlich) passed away on November 26, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Ven. Gelek was an IMI sangha member who offered many decades of service to the Dharma, starting in the early years of the FPMT organization. Please read words from friends, and passages from Big Love: The Life & Teachings of Lama Yeshe, to celebrate Ven. Gelek’s devoted service to Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the FPMT mandala.

Sim Hong Boon

Sim Hong Boon passed away of cancer on August 13, 2023 at age 76 in Singapore.
Sim Hong Boon was a longtime member of the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors and helped the Maitreya Project. He was an ardent supporter of Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, since its founding in 1989. ABC Director, Hup Cheng, shares some details about Mr. Sim’s contributions and enduring legacy. Please read Hup Chen’s reflection.

Lee Chung Han

Lee Chung Han passed away at age 43 on October 22, 2023 in Malaysia from leukemia. Please read an obituary for Lee Chung Han and also a special interview with Gomo Tulku Rinpoche detailing the close friendship and mutual support he shared with Chung Han right up until the time of his passing.

Opportunities and Resources for Your Study and Practice

Precious Opportunities to Visit Lawudo and Holy Places of Rinpoche in 2024

Lawudo Retreat Centre, photo by Ven. Tenzin Michael.

The Lawudo Retreat Centre, situated high in the Himalayan mountains of eastern Nepal, holds particular significance for FPMT as this is the location of the cave where Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in his past life as the Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe, spent the last 30 years of his life in intensive meditation retreat. We are happy to share information about two upcoming guided opportunities to visit Lawudo:

1. A pilgrimage for students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche honoring Rinpoche as the Lawudo Lama by visiting the main holy places of the area with prayers and practices for Rinpoche’s swift return following the anniversary puja and Heart Sutra Retreat at Kopan Monastery (April 25-May 9).

2. The Lawudo Trek, open to anyone with interest, occurring the month prior (March 18-April 1) which is a lamrim retreat and visit to Lawudo and also a fundraiser for the completion of one of Rinpoche’s wishes– a Guru Rinpoche Pure Land at Lawudo.

Please read more about these two opportunities.

Mantras Available

The FPMT.org website offers so many resources, including prayers and practices, for students wishing to begin or enrich their Dharma practice. Our Mantras Page offers a complete list of mantras available to you, as well as some information on how particular mantras are commonly used in various situations. Additionally, please feel very free to peruse all that is available on our Prayer and Practice Materials Page.

Newly Available and Revised Materials

The Four Verses pays homage to the buddhas in their corporeal and non-corporeal manifestations, and to the places where the historical Shakyamuni Buddha had displayed his twelve deeds or visited. Seeing the immense benefit of reading and making offerings to the Four Verses, Rinpoche recommended for FPMT centers to have it nicely framed for display on the altar, and also to give away printed copies of it to their students. All are welcome to download this printable card for display on one’s altar.

A recent important update of the FPMT Essential Prayer Book is now available for all to download.

Patience Is of Utmost Importance is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for a center director written in 2022. Rinpoche offers an unmissable teaching on why patience is critically important, and how to protect and cultivate it through applying conscientious effort. Rinpoche says patience protects our hard-won merits, which are necessary for our liberation from samsara but which are easily destroyed through our acts of anger and heresy. Rinpoche then advises us on how best to dedicate our merits in order to protect them.

The 2022 edition of Six-Session Guru Yoga was recently updated. For the ease of use, hyperlinks were also added when skipping sections for the second and third repetitions of the practice.

We are happy to share that corrections have been added to the 2010 edition of the long sadhana of Gyalwa Gyatso.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization

Changes in the FPMT Organization

Centro Luz de Nagarjuna, Spain
We welcome Luis Gutierrez as new SPC

Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa, Italy
We welcome Heather Fox as spiritual program coordinator

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: Newly added: Yeshin Norbu Center, Sweden, is looking for a resident teacher; Jamyang Buddhist Centre London, UK, is looking for a Business Admin Manager; Land of Medicine Buddha, US, is looking for an assistant SPC; MAITRI Charitable Trust, Bodghaya, India, is looking for an administrative manager; Chenrezig Institute, Australia, is looking for a Centre Director.

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.