International Office News
March 2023

Lama Zopa Rinpoche watching the offerings of song and dance at his arrival at Taplejung, Nepal, March 2, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Newly Published Teachings & Advice

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the fifty-third lamrim meditation course at Kopan Monastery, December 25, 2022.

• “The Effects of Smoking and Living a Healthy and Happy Life” Book Release
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 17: The Benefits of Offering a Long Life Puja
• We Must Practice Patience
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 16: Refuge Ceremony
• Kopan Lamrim Course 2022 Teaching 15: Put All Your Effort into Realizing Dependent Arising

Please enjoy some recently published teachings from the past month, and links to new episodes of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast:

• Recent episodes of the “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast” include, “The Unbelievable Merit of Offering to the Pores of the Guru” and “How to Maximize Your Offerings Through Visualization.” New episodes are released every other Monday and previously published episodes are available on the Essential Extracts Podcast page as well.

All teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche are published regularly, unedited, on our full-length teachings podcast shortly after the teaching finishes.

We’re Rejoicing About:

An Update: Offering 1,000 Buddha Statues to His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Recently we shared the wonderful news that on May 24, 2023 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, on behalf of the entire FPMT organization, is offering a long life puja to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala, India. During this puja we are offering one thousand Buddha statues, as well as two life size statues of Namgyalma and Padmasambhava, to His Holiness. We are so grateful to the many people and centers who have already sponsored statues and made offerings. Thank you so much. We are about half way there and you are welcome to be part of this incredible offering by sponsoring a statue or contributing any amount toward the total amount needed for the one thousand statues.

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What’s New?

New Blogs and Stories from FPMT.org

Ven. Thubten Pemo being offered a birthday party in 2012. Photo courtesy of Land of Medicine Buddha.

You can keep up on all of our latest blogs, featured stories, community news, and teachings by checking in regularly to the What’s New page on FPMT.org. Recent stories include:

• Ven. Thubten Pemo: A Letter to Lama Zopa Rinpoche from Retreat
• Ven. Robina Courtin Once Again Leads Pilgrims to Lawudo

New Publications and FPMT Education News

Materials to Support Your Dharma Study and Practice

New Publications:

Wish-Fulfillment for All Animals: Their Happiness and Liberation
Lama Zopa Rinpoche compiled a list of mantras and buddhas’ names that are powerful for benefiting animals, and the benefits of reciting them, as explained in the Buddha’s teachings. Includes motivation and prayers, with a contemplation on reflecting on the kindness of sentient beings.

Create Skies of Merit by Making Offerings and Circumambulating Stupas
Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent the pandemic, 2020 through 2022, at Kopan, his monastery in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal. From time to time Rinpoche would visit the sacred stupa at Boudhanath, down the hill, where groups of students would join him. The teachings here were given at one such event in 2022, at which Rinpoche taught the benefits of offering and circumambulating, and described how to do these practices.

The Heart’s Utmost Need
This is the advice of the great Gelug lama Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo, which is extremely powerful in destroying the concept of permanence and the evil thought of the worldly concerns. Previously called the Heart Spoon: Encouragement through Recollecting Impermanence, this new version has been extensively revised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 2020 at Kopan Monastery, Nepal.

Innermost Essence of Ārya Mañjuśrī Tantra
Guru Rinpoche bestowed this text to Jomo Shel Da Dron. It is said that each recitation of this text is equivalent to the recitation of the Mañjuśrī Nāmasangīti.

New Translation:

Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī (Skt. Mañjuśrī Nāmasangīti)
The Mañjuśrī Nāmasangīti consists of over 160 verses and mantra sentences, condensing an enormous tantric lore. It is categorized as a tantra, but can be read by anyone without restrictions. This praise of Manjushri was taught by Buddha Shakyamuni at the request of Vajrapani. It is a central text in all Tibetan traditions and is often recited and memorized by students.

For a complete list of FPMT Education Services prayers and practices, please visit our catalogue page. You can also find all new arrivals, updated materials, and translated materials in our Foundation Store.

In-Depth Education Program News

New Guidelines:

Our In-Depth Education Programs—the FPMT Basic Program and the FPMT Masters Program—have long overdue, entirely re-written, new 2023 edition Guidelines for Implementation. The separately provided implementation files are updated and re-worked as well. Center staff and teachers are invited to have a look and download what is useful for them from the MP materials webpage and the BP materials webpage in the Affiliates Area.

Exciting Residential FPMT Basic Program Opportunities:

A five year full-time FPMT Basic Program (BP) is starting this September at Nalanda Monastery in the South of France, and at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK) in Tuscany, Italy. These are extremely rare and precious opportunities to enjoy an in-depth presentation of the BP subjects. In their wonderful residential and inspiring monastic settings, Nalanda offers the BP in English, French, and Spanish; ILTK offers the program in English and in Italian. Online options are also available.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

New Resource to Help Bring UECW to Your Community

FDCW recently offered an online meeting to FPMT affiliates in order to explore different ways to bring UECW to local communities, and to attract new audiences.  This was recorded, and is now available to watch any time (in English or with Spanish subtitles) in the Universal Education part of the Five Pillars of Service section of the Affiliates Area.

Additional Program Support for FPMT Study Groups

We’ve recently added new materials and suggestions for meditations and courses to help FPMT study groups with their program. This resource can also be helpful for FPMT centers that might temporarily be without access to registered teachers. These new resources supplement our Spiritual Program Guidelines for FPMT Study Groups, which is part of the Study Group Start Up Kit in the Study Group section of the Affiliates Area.

New 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: we are looking for a suitably qualified student to serve as FPMT North America Regional Coordinator, Nalanda Monastery, France, needs an English-speaking Teaching Assistant (TA) for its upcoming FPMT Basic Program, and Oseling, Spain has various vacancies.

Impermanence at Work

Contact information for the following, and all FPMT centers, projects, and services can be found in the FPMT Directory.

Institut Vajra Yogini, France
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Annabelle Gaillard
With grateful thanks to retired SPC – Christian Charrier

Land of Joy, UK
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Kirsten Leedham

Mahamudra Center, New Zealand
We welcome new director (previously acting director) – Katrina Robertson

Root Institute, India
We welcome new co-spiritual program coordinators – Annie McGhee and Kunal Majumder

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.