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FPMT International Office News
June 2014
You can have this translated into your preferred 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 e-News translated
each month in the “Bienvenue” and “Bienvenidos” tabs on the FPMT homepage!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche speaking with His Holiness the Dalai Lama Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK), Pomaia, Italy, June 11, 2014. ILTK hosted His Holiness for six days during June. Filmmakers have documented the visit in many beautiful short videos available on the Dalai Lama Italy YouTube channel.
Photo courtesy of
Matteo Mangherini/Dalai Lama Italia. |
New Advice: Taking Care of Sentient Beings Is the Most Meaningful Life
An Occasion to Rejoice:
The FPMT Puja Fund
News from Mandala Publications
2014 Work a Day for Rinpoche Campaign
E-Friends Level for Friends of FPMT
Twelfth FPMT International Sangha Day
New High-resolution Photos of
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:
New Advice:
Taking Care of Sentient Beings Is the Most Meaningful Life
Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote a thank-you letter to the volunteers who had made the recent Light of the Path retreat go so well. Rinpoche’s focus on how meaningful it is to serve sentient beings is relevant to us all at all times!
“My very dear, very precious, very kind wish-fulfilling ones,
Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for your really beautiful, amazing, joyful dedication; really beautifully done, all your service, well done!
Taking care of sentient beings from the heart: so this is the really most meaningful life. Cherishing sentient beings and serving them as well as serving the teachings of Buddha to educate sentient beings to practice and actualize the path, in order to free them from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, not only that, but to achieve the peerless happiness, the state of omniscient mind. … Therefore, what you are doing is most pleasing to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, by cherishing sentient beings and taking care of them and serving them … wow … wow … wow.”
Read the full advice.
Find Rinpoche’s teachings during the Light of the Path retreat in English, French and Spanish.
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Aptos, US, June 2014.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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Rinpoche’s Schedule
Please contact the hosts directly with any questions regarding the event. Subscribe to our RSS feed on Rinpoche’s Schedule to receive updates automatically as soon as they are available.
June 28 Teaching on the Wheel of Sharp Weapons, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy
June 29 Amitayus (Tse Pagme) long life initiation, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy
July 5 – 6 Making Life Meaningful: Teachings on the Stages of the Path, Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds, UK
July 10 Enlightened Courage: The Buddha’s Path of Wise Compassion, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK
July 11 – 13 Heruka 5 Deities initiation, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, UK
July 16 Long life puja, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, UK
September 6 Purification, Healing and Joyful Living (part of 40th anniversary celebrations), Chenrezig Institute, Australia
September 7 – 9 Great Chenrezig initiation, Chenrezig Institute, Australia
September 13 – 19 CPMT meeting, Bendigo, Australia
September 20 Public talk on The Bodhisattva Attitude, The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia
September 25 – October 23 Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia
November/December Teachings during the one month lam-rim course, Kopan Monastery, Nepal
Enjoy daily news about Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the FPMT homepage!
International Office News:
News from Education Services
Basic Program News:
Several elements for program completion for the Basic Program (BP) have been added to the Online Learning Center. This is a big step forward in facilitating BP completion, and provides support for the three-month review, the retreat requirement, and the BP final exam (now available online in English, and forthcoming in Italian, Spanish and French).
New Materials:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice on Circumambulation
This short practice can be done to make one’s practice of circumambulating holy objects as powerful as possible. Available in eBook, a4, and letter booklet formats.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice on Guru Devotion
In this short and poetic composition, Lama Zopa Rinpoche outlines the essence of guru devotion and includes a beautiful dedication. Available in eBook format.
Living in the Path, Seven-Limb Prayer Module – FREE
This new module from the Living in the Path program is composed of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings from the 2010 Light of the Path retreat in North Carolina. In this course, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches the benefits related to each limb of this well-known prayer and how to practice each of the seven limbs in the most effective way. Available as a free module from the FPMT Foundation Store or via the Online Learning Center.
Newest Namgyälma mantra card available from The Foundation Store.
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Namgyälma Mantra Card
The Namgyälma mantra is extremely powerful. This new Namgyälma mantra card is a colorful modern take on our original card and is now printed on shimmery smooth pearlized paper.
The Essential Nectar Now Available!
The Foundation Store is very happy to have available, after many years out of print, The Essential Nectar, translated by Martin Willson. The root text, by Yeshe Tsondru, is one of the 18 great lam-rim texts. This book contains the root text and a commentary by Geshe Rabten, one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
Now Available for FREE on fpmt.org!
Calling the Guru from Afar, chanted by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Reciting the Names of Buddhas for Great Benefit from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Offering gold to Jowo Buddha, Lhasa, Tibet.
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An Occasion to Rejoice: The FPMT Puja Fund
Each year on Saka Dawa (which this year was on June 13), the FPMT Puja Fund sponsors as many as 9,000 Sangha members to offer a range of pujas and beneficial activities, dedicated to you and all other living beings!
Some of the offerings and practices:
- Offerings were made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to all the Sangha at international Sangha communities.
- Up to 9,000 monks offered Druk Chu Ma, Namgyäl Tong Chö, and Medicine Buddha pujas.
- Gyurme Tantric College recited three versions of the Prajñaparamita.
- Kopan Nunnery offered 100,000 recitations of Praises to 21 Taras.
- White wash and four giant saffron flower petals were offered to Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal, as well as new umbrellas to the stupas’ pinnacles.
- A new set of robes of the most precious material were offered to the Buddha inside the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple as well as the Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokhang and also gold offered to the holy face of the Jowo Buddha.
You can read more about all of the incredible offerings, practices and pujas sponsored this year and also participate by mentally offering and dedicating all of these activities or donating any amount to the fund.
Cover of Mandala July-September 2014: Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving the oral transmission of the Vajra Cutter Sutra on Vulture’s Peak, Rajgir, India, March 2014.
Photo by Andy Melnic.
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News from
Mandala Publications
The new issue of Mandala magazine, July-September 2014, has been published! This issue features stories on how Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent the Days of Miracles in Bodhgaya, India, and also highlights the work some FPMT centers, projects and services are doing to help children and cultivate the seeds of compassion in the minds of the young.
In addition to the print magazine, Mandala published a dozen new online stories and continues to add new stories to our daily blog, which includes “Lama Zopa Rinpoche News” and “FPMT News around the World.”
2014 Work a Day for Rinpoche Campaign
Thanks to all who made this year’s Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign a success through their donations and practice. There were contributions from over 32 different countries! It means a lot and we rejoice in all the benefit it will bring to FPMT activities and our supporters. And, it’s not too late to join in!
E-Friends Level for Friends of FPMT!
Friends of FPMT has a new e-Friends level, which offers a year’s subscription to Mandala magazine online for your e-reader or as a PDF, for a smaller, one-time contribution. Join here 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.)
Twelfth FPMT International Sangha Day
Celebrate the Sangha on July 31, Wheel Turning Day: Choe Khor Due Chen, which commemorates Buddha’s first teaching and is also FPMT’s International Sangha Day!
Read more here.
NB: Consider using the helpful update on IMI sent by director Ven. Chantal Carrerot via the CPMT e-group to find inspiring information to help promote your group’s celebration of International Sangha Day.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Sarnath, India, March 2014.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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New High-resolution Photos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche
We’ve added four photos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche which Rinpoche recently chose as examples to give to students to the selection of high-resolution photographs of Lama Zopa Rinpoche available for FPMT centers, projects and services to download and use.
FPMT World:
CPMT 2014: Update
We’re currently fine tuning the agenda and planning how to facilitate discussion on the key points during the meeting. Don’t miss this special opportunity – book now! Further information and the draft agenda.
Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT
Please check out the regularly updated exciting opportunities to offer service as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects and services around the world!
FPMT International Office, USA is looking for a media resources manager; Root Institute, India has a variety of volunteer positions; Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand and Vajrapani Institute, USA are looking for center managers.
Impermanence at Work
Bengungyal Center, Mexico
centrodemeditacionbengungyal@gmail.com
Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, New Zealand
We welcome new – first! – spiritual program coordinator – Kala Dostal
Chenrezig Institute, Australia
We say farewell and thanks to resident geshe, Geshe Losang Jamyang, who resigned at the end of May
Centro Yamantaka, Colombia
We welcome new co-director – Amparo Mejía, working with continuing director, Olga Lucía Sierra Santos
Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom
We welcome new director – Linda Gyatso
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Alison Murdoch
Guhyasamaja Center, USA
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Ven. Dondrub
With grateful thanks to outgoing spiritual program coordinator (now assistant director) – Gabe Mata
Gyalwa Gyatso (Ocean of Compassion) Buddhist Center, USA
We welcome new director – John Boley
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Gay Bachmann
Land of Joy, UK
Congratulations on affiliating with FPMT, Inc. and becoming a fully-affiliated FPMT project!
Latin American region
Thanks to those who corrected the label from “South America” to “Latin America” regional coordinator!
With love,
FPMT International Office
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