International Office News
March 2024

Lama Zopa Rinpoche trying to bow lower than the young monks on the way to the stupa, Kopan Monastery, March 25, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab

Teachings and News About Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Anniversary of Rinpoche Showing the Aspect of Passing Away

Sangha offering prayers in front of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s holy body, April 21, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

April 13, 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away.

We want to remind students about a text translated by Rinpoche, Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away which is a short text that explains the importance of making offerings on the anniversary of the passing away of one’s guru. It sets out the benefits of making offerings, how to make the offerings with six remembrances, and how to offer and dedicate the roots of virtue collected.

As Rinpoche explains in the foreword of this text, “Making offerings on the death anniversary of a guru is an incredible practice in that it brings about the greatest purification of negative karma and collects the most extensive merit.”

A commemoration will occur at Kopan Monastery on April 13. Following the commemoration, Kopan is also hosting a Heart Sutra Retreat (April 15-20). His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa Rinpoche will offer a commentary of the Heart Sutra during the retreat. meditations will be led by Ven. Steve Carlier. There are still spots available for this retreat, and you can contact Kopan Monastery for more information.

Another auspicious opportunity relating to Lama Zopa Rinpoche we’d like to remind about is the Lawudo Pilgrimage happening from April 25-May 9. This is a pilgrimage for students of Rinpoche honoring him as the Lawudo Lama by visiting the main holy places of the area with prayers and practices for Rinpoche’s swift return. There are still spots available in this pilgrimage as well.

Four Kadampa Deities Retreat Teachings from 2003

From April 18 to May 11, 2003 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Four Kadampa Deities Retreat at Institut Vajra Yogini, France. The retreat focused on the four Kadampa deities, however, Rinpoche teaches on a broad range of lamrim topics.

We are so pleased to announce that this entire retreat is now available on our Rinpoche Available Now page! As we work to process all of the legacy videos of Rinpoche’s teachings, we rejoice that this is the first major retreat finished! We have many more videos coming up and we hope students will take full advantage of connecting with Rinpoche’s previously unavailable videos in this way.

Days of Miracles and Days of Prayers for Rinpoche’s Swift Return in Bodhgaya

Livestream of the prayers for Rinpoche’s swift return with the stupa and bodhi tree lit up and changing color in the distance. Photo by Tukba Akil.

Prayers were offered for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return during the Fifteen Days of Miracles in Bodhgaya, India, at the Buddha’s place of enlightenment. Ven. Sarah Thresher shared a moving account of these activities, please read it.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

Making the Most of Your Life

Lama Yeshe teaching at Royal Holloway College, 1975, London, England. Photo by Dennis Heslop, courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

In 1975 during their first trip to Europe, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave a weekend seminar in England, once again demonstrating their charisma and knowledge, and the profound effect of Buddha’s wisdom on Western people. This seminar was published in the book Freedom Through Understanding and covers the purpose of meditation, bodhicitta, the importance of motivation, tonglen and the shortcomings of attachment, among other topics. Produced by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, this is one of the few works that feature both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This short course was also videotaped and is available on the LYWA YouTube channel.

Please read an excerpt from Chapter 3 from Freedom Through Understanding: “Making the Most of Your Life.”  

From the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors

January/February Report

The FPMT Inc. Board of directors shared an update on their activities and developments in the organization over the past couple of months, particularly about the recent FPMT Geshe Conference and the preparations for the upcoming 2025 CPMT meeting. Please read their full report.  

What We’re Rejoicing About

2023 Annual Review Now Available

We are happy to share this year’s Annual Review, “Repaying the Kindness, Looking to the Future.” We invite you to take your time with the various reports as this was an unprecedented year and we have a lot to share and process in the sections below.

As you will read in the many summaries included in the review, we continued to offer access to our lamas’ teachings; kept the international community connected and informed about news and advice following the passing of Rinpoche; offered guidance and structure to FPMT centers, projects, and services; facilitated charitable giving to many beneficial initiatives dedicated to helping others and based on the wishes of Rinpoche; and disseminated the Dharma to all who wish to receive it.

Please read this year’s Annual Review.

First Gelug Monlam at Nalanda Monastery

Participants of the first Gelug Monlam held at Nalanda Monastery, France. Photo by Sonam Sherpa.

Since 1998, the Gelug Monlam—known as the Great Prayer Festival—has been held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in the tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa, who founded the festival in 1409. The Monlam is regarded as one the “four great activities” of Lama Tsongkhapa’s life. It is held on the first Tibetan month of the year, during the “Fifteen Days of Miracles.” It culminates on the full moon, the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, which is the day of Chotrul Duchen.

Because the Monlam Chenmo prayers are so precious and holy, Lama Zopa Rinpoche thought it would be wonderful for the Western Sangha—specifically the Nalanda Sangha—to attend the Monlam Chenmo in Nepal in 2020.

Rinpoche discussed with Nalanda about how they could organize a Monlam Chenmo in France. During their time in Nepal in 2020, the Nalanda monks were introduced to the prayers from Geshe Sherab, Kopan’s umze (chant leader) who has been the Monlam Chenmo umze for many years, and Kopan monks who serve as the second umze.

We are so pleased to share that Rinpoche’s wishes manifested this year at Nalanda Monastery as they hosted their first Gelug Monlam from February 23-25, 2024.

Please read Nalanda’s director, Ven. Thubten Sherab’s account of this momentous event.

Mexican National Meeting

Participants in the recent Mexican national meeting.

Gilda Urbina, our outgoing FPMT Mexico national coordinator, organized a fruitful national meeting on March 9 with 13 participants. Every FPMT Mexican entity was represented and guest speakers from the FPMT International Office joined parts of the meeting. 

Opportunities and Resources for Study and Practice

Newly Available and Revised Materials

With great rejoicing we share the translation of the Sutra of Great Liberation into Russian.

We are happy to share the revised edition of the Heart Sutra Practices and Instructions for Retreat. Based on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings, this booklet presents experiential instructions on how to meditate on emptiness. Rinpoche provides a clear explanation of how to approach this subtle topic, how the experience of meditating on emptiness should feel, and how to avoid mistakes in your meditation. It contains necessary materials for completing a Heart Sutra retreat according to the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

The earlier edition of The Secret Advanced Practices of Vajrayogini eBook & PDF has been recently updated. This is the fourth and final volume of the FPMT’s series of Vajrayogini practice manuals composed by the great Vajrayogini master Kyabje Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo. This volume is intended for experienced practitioners of Vajrayogini Naro Khechari in the Gelug lineage and includes the sadhanas, the fire offering, and the self-initiation ritual.

The following two texts have been recently revised: Drugchuma – Offering of Sixty-Four Parts and The Dharani of Glorious Vajra Claws in Vietnamese.

How to Integrate Universal Education in your Community

More and more FPMT centers are exploring how to expand their secular programming under the UECW Pillar of Service. Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom was appointed by FPMT to manage, nurture and support all secular activities throughout the FPMT mandala. During this 30 minute video, Victoria, Matt, and Angela of FDCW share the effective ways FPMT centers have found for introducing Universal Education into their communities. It includes an interview with one director on how she worked with Conversations That Matter, a new Discussion Guide based on the 16 Guidelines program.

Buddhism and Quantum Physics Course Available Online

Explore the fusion of Buddhist philosophy and Western science in “Buddhism & Quantum Physics,” an academically rigorous online course presented by Science & Wisdom LIVE, a project of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, fulfilling the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to explore the intersection of science and Buddhism. Well suited to teachers, graduates, and students of the FPMT Basic and Masters Programs, this course includes teachings from Geshe Tenzin Namdak and others. The topics include: Reality and the Nature of Mind and From Nagarjuna to Heisenberg and Back, where Geshe Namdak explores the nuances of the Cittamatra and Prasangika views with world renowned scientists.

Students complete the six modules at their own pace. Jamyang is offering a 20% discount to the FPMT community wishing to take this course, use the code (20FPMT24) at the checkout when signing up.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization

Foundation Service Seminar in CA next September

Vajrapani Institute, California, is hosting an FPMT Foundation Service Seminar (FSS), on September 9-14, 2024. The FSS is the “FPMT immersion retreat,” providing essential information and nourishment for all serving, or wishing to serve, in the FPMT organization. Please read more information and reserve your place. Another FSS is also being organized by Maitreya Institute in Holland on August 16-21, 2024.

Changes in the FPMT Organization

Root Institute, India
Grateful thanks to retiring director, Sally Dudgeon and to retiring co-SPCs Annie McGhee and Kunal Majumder

Land of Medicine Buddha, USA
We welcome Michael Falco as new director

Mexico National Office
We welcome new national coordinator – Ramon Hernandez
With grateful thanks to outgoing coordinator Gilda Urbina

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, Nepal, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

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.

If you received this from someone else, or unformatted, visit our subscribe page to receive this newsletter directly.

FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.