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International Office News
July 2015
Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama
News from the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund
New Materials from Education Services
Friends of FPMT and Education Services
News from Mandala Publications
Prayer for Installing New Padmasambhava Statues
It’s Almost FPMT’s 13th International Sangha Day!
Deadline Approaching to Register for LRZTP 7
High-Resolution Photos of Our Lamas
Resources to Assist Students with Dying and Death
Rejoice: New FPMT Study Group in Australia!
Le Yoga du Maître en six sessions
Have this translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page. French and Spanish speakers will find the FPMT International Office News translated each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage!
Celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Many very inspiring celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday have taken place around the world. On June 21 in Dharamsala, India, a huge long life puja was offered to His Holiness. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was invited to attend the long life puja and left his Australian teaching tour early in order to be present. On behalf of the entire FPMT organization, Lama Zopa Rinpoche made offerings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the long life puja.
Read Rinpoche’s 1996 praise to His Holiness.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:
News, Activities and Advice
Help at the Time of Death
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche reiterated how important it is that Dharma students help each other at the time of death. At the time of our death we need help the most, and we rely on fellow students to help us by doing practices as advised by Rinpoche. Learn how to support your Dharma sisters and brothers at this critical time by reading Rinpoche’s heart advice and practices for death and dying, conveniently collected together and ready for use.
 Group photo during the European Regional Meeting, Maitreya Instituut, Loenen, The Netherlands, July 2015. During his talk given to the 100 people participating in the meeting, Rinpoche said: “FPMT’s purpose is bigger and more important than [that of] governments. Our purpose is to benefit all beings and bring everyone to enlightenment, the highest everlasting happiness.”
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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Highlights from our blogs on FPMT.org:
Ven. Roger Kunsang shared this from one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings in Moscow: “Kadampa geshes say … Think far, long term, very extensive study with big mind, at the same time relaxed, not squeezed.”
Compassionately Saving Insects
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khadro-la, Lama Yeshe’s room, Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, India, June 2015.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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Before the long life puja for His Holiness in Dharamsala, India, Rinpoche met with Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) at Tushita Meditation Centre. During the visit, Rinpoche showed Khadro-la his implements for saving insects. Ven. Roger Kunsang shared that Khadro-la was really thrilled seeing the attention put into saving insects compassionately and thoughtfully. The insect are not only saved, but blessed by the mantras on the insect liberation tools. Read more …
Keep up to date with Lama Zopa Rinpoche News. 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.
Rinpoche’s Schedule
Full details
July 11 – 20: Heruka 5 Deities initiation and long life puja, The Netherlands
July 24 – 25: Great Medicine Buddha initiation, Denmark
September 5 – 12: Lam-rim retreat in Mexico
September 18 – 20: Teaching, lam-rim retreat and initiation, Centro Yamantaka, Colombia
September 25 – 27: Teaching, lam-rim retreat, Centro Shiwa Lha, Brazil
Nov/Dec: Teachings during the one-month lam-rim course, Kopan Monastery, Nepal
September 11 – 26, 2016: Light of the Path retreat, Kadampa Center, USA
Please contact the hosts directly with any questions. Subscribe to our FPMT news blog to get updates as soon as they are announced.
Rinpoche Available Now – Enjoy livestreams of many of the teachings above and recordings of Rinpoche’s most recent teachings!
International Office News:
News from the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund
Please rejoice that US$200,000 has been given for aid relief in Nepal from the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund for those affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25, 2015 and subsequent 7.3 magnitude aftershock which occurred in May.
Recent contributions include: US$50,000 to help support the ongoing work of Losang Namgyal Rinpoche; US$50,000 to support the essential aid offered through Kopan Helping Hands; US$50,000 to help rebuild Lawudo following extreme damage to the library, old gompa and prayer wheel; and US$50,000 in grants to provide essential relief to several Nepal villages.
Thank you to all the kind donors who are making this level of support possible. You are welcome to contribute any amount to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund so that grants and offerings such as these can continue.
New Materials from Education Services
The Preliminary Practice of Vajrasattva eBook, also available on Amazon.com along with other titles.
Armor Protection Wheel and Black Manjushri PDF: This is a collection of two practices composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche intended to remove obstacles and offer protection from harm.
Friends of FPMT and Education Services
The Friends program provides key funding support for the success of FPMT Education Services, and we’re glad to be able repay some of the kindness to our Friends of FPMT supporters with free and easy access to hundreds of FPMT education materials. FPMT Online Learning Center courses, prayer books, sadhanas, eBooks and all the rest, available instantly to download! Learn more and join here …
Merit Box Grants Awarded
The collected offerings from our generous Merit Box practitioners and supporters have been turned into a new set of grants for 2015. US$52,000 has been awarded to 14 different projects, including support for Sangha to attend retreats, a new Mindfulness & Compassion initiative, construction of holy objects at centers, and more. See the full list here!
News from Mandala Publications
Mandala’s online feature for July answers the question: “How Do Holy Objects Work?” Ven. Tenzin Legtsok, an American monk in his 12th year of geshe studies at Sera Monastery in India, discusses the power of stupas and other sacred objects. Looking for more good stuff to read online? Don’t miss Mandala’s online content for our July-December 2015 issue. Copies of the new, redesigned Mandala can still be ordered from the FPMT Foundation Store.
Foundation Store News
After a long delay due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, we’re happy to announce that a shipment of holy objects and other items to support your Dharma practice has finally arrived. We realize that many of our most popular items have been out of stock for a long time and we thank you for your patience and continued support. Please take a look at our superior incense selection, authentic ritual items, beautiful brocades, and inspiring prayer flags, among other quality Buddhist accessories from Nepal.
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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.)
Prayer for Installing New Padmasambhava Statues
Rinpoche would like all centers, projects and services to use the “Requesting Prayer to Padmasambhava” when inviting Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) statues into their new homes.
It’s Almost FPMT’s 13th International Sangha Day!
FPMT International Sangha day celebrates FPMT Sangha on Chokhor Duchen, when Buddha first turned the wheel of Dharma, which this year falls on July 20, 2015. Please join us in showing respect for and appreciating the work and devotion of FPMT’s nuns and monks!
Deadline Approaching to Register for LRZTP 7
From Yaron Bahir, director of LRZTP:
“The next course of LRZTP is about to start this coming October. For this course we have only 20 places and more than half of them are already taken. Registration is still open until the beginning of August. So, if you are considering offering Dharma teachings in Tibetan at your center with a qualified geshe and interpreter in two years’ time, now it is the time to look for a suitable candidate from your community and send them to train in LRZTP 7.
If you don’t find anyone from your Dharma community who wants to be a Dharma interpreter, please connect with us to find out if any of our pre-registered students are hoping to create a connection with an FPMT center.”
High-Resolution Photos of Our Lamas
A reminder that we have made available portrait-style photos of our lamas in high resolution for use by centers, projects and services – including newly added photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as part of our celebrating his 80th birthday!
Resources to Assist Students with Dying and Death
In addition to Rinpoche’s heart advice at the time of death, we have put together a list of suggested resources which would be helpful for a center to have available in order to assist individuals as they plan for death practically and spiritually, and assist and comfort the dying.
FPMT World:
Rejoice: New FPMT Study Group in Australia!
We welcome new FPMT study group, Potowa, in Wagga Wagga, Australia!
Le Yoga du Maître en six sessions
L’équipe du Service de traduction francophone de la FPMT est heureuse de vous annoncer la publication d’un nouveau livret : Le Yoga du Maître en six sessions.
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!
FPMT International Office, USA needs a part-time administrative assistant; Tushita Retreat Center in Spain needs various volunteers.
Impermanence at Work
Ganden Tendar Ling, Russia
We welcome new director – Andrey Kudashov
With grateful thanks to outgoing director (now assistant director) – Sergey Mesheryakov
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Pavel Zamotorin
With grateful thanks to outgoing co-SPCs – Andrey Lomonosov and Katya Khruleva
Kasih Hospice Care, Malaysia
We welcome new director – Dr. Pik Pin Goh
With grateful thanks to previous co-directors – Dr. Chih-Peng Siow and Pat Ramakrishnan
Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Sarah Brooks
With grateful thanks to previous SPC – Hedwig Bakker
Nagarjuna C.E.T. Granada, Spain
Compás de San Jerónimo, 2
18001 Granada
O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros, Spain
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Iris Morales
With grateful thanks to previous SPC – Ven. Fabio Poza
Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, Malaysia
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Ven. Sonam Yeshe
With grateful thanks to previous SPC – M. Jayabalan
Spanish National Coordinator
We welcome new national coordinator – Paloma Fernández García
With grateful thanks to previous national coordinator – Isabel Arocena
Closed FPMT study group: Manjushri Study Group, USA – we rejoice in their efforts to serve sentient beings.
With love,
FPMT International Office
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