International Office News
January 2026

Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Losar, 2021, Kopan Monastery, Nepal. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Teachings and News Regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Practicing Compassion is Taking Care of Your Life

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during 1000-Armed Chenrezig initiation, Elista, Kalmykia, Russia, October 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

On October 4, 2019, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered a teaching on the benefits of practicing compassion at the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. Particularly moving from this talk is Rinpoche discussing the incredible compassion of his mother who recited 50,000 MANI mantras every day even though she wasn’t able to read or follow texts, and the result was she had incredible compassion.

Please watch this full video and learn more about Rinpoche’s time in Russia in 2019.

Purification is the Answer

As we enter 2026, 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 methods 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.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught in April 2023 from Kopan Monastery, “There are so many problems in the world—what should we do? Doing Vajrasattva practice is the answer; doing purification is the answer. You are purifying negative karma, from where all the sufferings came. Purification is the answer to war, famine, disease, and the dangers from fire, water, earth, and air. That is the answer.” Please continue to find more advice and resources for purification practice.

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 Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

ILTK’s Remembering Lama Yeshe Project

Lama Yeshe holding a cheesecake shaped like a mandala, offered to him by Kalleen Mortensen at the teachings at Deer Park Buddhist Center, Wisconsin, US, 1978. Photo by Morgan Groves, courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Over the course of 2025, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) in collaboration with Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (LYWA) celebrated what would have been the 90th birthday of the FPMT’s co-founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe. To honor his profound legacy, ILTK invited Lama Yeshe’s students from across the globe to share their treasured memories about the first time they met Lama, as well as the most important teaching or life lesson they received and would like to pass on to the next generation. Through social media and personal networks, 101 students were contacted and 44 kindly agreed to be recorded. The full interviews have been donated to the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. From each interview, a short clip was created and shared on ILTK’s Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels. These have been viewed by thousands, continuing the Dharma cultural revolution started by Lama Yeshe over fifty years ago. Fabiana Lotito and Carlota Pinheiro from ILTK recently shared the story, please continue to read it and access clips of the interviews.

What We’re Rejoicing About

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Attends Winter Debate

His Holiness watching the debates during the final session of the Winter Jang Debate at Drepung Monastery, January 18, 226. Photo by Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL; courtesy dalailama.com.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended the annual Winter Jang Debate, held this year at Drepung Monastery, South India. Two-thousand monks participated from over twenty monasteries. Sera Jey Monastery recently released a paper, written by the monks about the history of this powerful tradition. For over twenty years the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund has been supporting this annual debate.

Sera Jey Monastery recently released a paper, written by the monks, about the history of this powerful tradition and the schedule and activities during the program. The letter also includes a gracious thank you to FPMT for the years of sponsorship:

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the generous financial support that has been continuously provided over many years to promote and strengthen monastic education, including the Winter Debate Program. This support has been of great benefit to the study centers and the monastic community.

“We also continually offer prayers and take refuge during our assemblies, sincerely wishing that all the activities of the FPMT may proceed smoothly and without any obstacles.”

Please continue to read their full letter and more details about the annual Winter Debate. Join us in rejoicing in this tremendous blessing of His Holiness’s presence to all participants of the Winter Debate program.

Long Life Puja for His Holiness at Drepung Monastery

His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessing Tara Institute resident teacher Geshe Doga at Drepung Monastery, December 24, 2025. Photo is a still shot of a clip from video taken by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

On Christmas Eve 2025, a long-life puja was offered to His Holiness at Drepung Monastery in Mundgod, India, this year’s host of the Annual Winter Debate. Several thousand (mostly monks) attended this event. Cynthia Karena of Tara Institute (TI), Melbourne, was in attendance with Resident Teacher Geshe Doga and others from TI, and shared details and reflections from those there.

FPMT Celebrates 50 Years!

December 2025 marked 50 years since Lama Yeshe famously said, “We need an organization to keep this together.” Lama was reflecting on the success of a recent eight-and-a-half month tour of nine countries, the most extensive Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche would ever make. Lama asked nine of his senior students to discuss how to coordinate the rapidly growing collection of centers and students what would soon be known as the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).

What an unbelievable achievement the last 50 years have been for everyone who has served the FPMT organization in any way. We invite all of our friends in the FPMT Mandala–old students, new students, centers, projects, services, study groups, donors, teachers, board members, volunteers, and anyone who has benefited from FPMT in any way or offered their very kind service–to please join us over the next year to truly rejoice in what has been accomplished from the most humble beginnings. We have compiled resources for celebrating this achievement, along with invitations to please share your story!

Dr. Nick Ribush Remembers 50 Years of FPMT

We recently shared a personal history from Nick Ribush, early student and pioneer of the FPMT organization, who wrote about some of the rich history of FPMT, as well as this accompanying photo gallery to help illustrate the story. Please read Nick’s full story including the formation of the FPMT organization, the beginnings of Wisdom Publications, and how Nick ended up giving up his career as a doctor to offer a lifetime of service to Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the FPMT organization.

Resources and Opportunities for Study and Practice

Newly Available and Updated Materials

This month we have updated two important sutras: Vajra Cutter Sutra and Sutra of Great Liberation.

We are also delighted to share a precious commentary on the practice of the six yogas of Naropa by Gyume Khenzur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa.

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 select 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 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. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? We would love to hear from you!

Stories and Photos of “Mummy” Max Mathews

Author of Big Love: the Live and Teachings of Lama Yeshe, Adele Hulse is now writing a biography of “Mummy” Max Mathews, who passed away in 2024. Mummy Max contributed greatly and financially assisted Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in establishing Kopan Monastery and the FPMT organization. Adele is requesting stories, anecdotes, photos, and any other information FPMT students may have on Max. If you have something to share, please reach out to Adele directly.

Opportunities, and Changes within the Organization

Staff Changes at FPMT International Office

After almost 13 years of dedicated service, Justin Jenkins, our Donor Services coordinator, has decided to move on and has left the team of the FPMT International Office mid-January. We are immensely grateful to Justin for benefitting the Office with his many skills during all these years. We wish him the best for his new career as a therapist. A warm welcome in her new role to Zarina Osmolieva, who will now work full-time for the Office, taking over from Justin as Donor Services coordinator while continuing to manage the Foundation Store.

Our office team will also miss Jeff Highfill who after two years serving our FPMT community as Education Services Director, has decided to leave his position to pursue a new opportunity in Switzerland. We are very grateful for Jeff’s contribution to our mandala in this transition time. In particular, Jeff played an instrumental role in the preparations of the successful CPMT meeting in Kopan last April. We will soon share details of our efforts to replace Jeff with a suitable new director.

FPMT Charitable Projects Grant Application Now Open

The FPMT Charitable Projects Grant Application process is now open (1 Jan-28 Feb). This year we have limited funds available, but FPMT Centers, Services and Projects as well as other initiatives that fit the grant requirements are welcome to apply.

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), Chandrakirti Centre (New Zealand) and Land of Medicine Buddha (California) are looking for a spiritual program coordinator; FPMT Mongolia, Buddha House (Australia) and Land of Medicine Buddha (California, USA) are looking for a new director; FPMT North America Regional Office is looking for a regional coordinator and a teacher tour coordinator.

Foundation Service Seminar in Italy and the United States

FSS participants playing an Inner Job Description game, Nalanda Monastery, September 2021. Photo by Marine Cecilia.

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.

Land of Medicine Buddha, California, is organizing an FSS on October 26-30, 2026. Reservations are not open yet, but please save the dates

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.