International Office News
May 2018

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering to pretas and doing Dzambhala practice at the lake near Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Bendigo, Australia, April 2018. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. Read about and listen to the recordings of the teachings given by Rinpoche during the retreat.

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!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche News:

Schedule

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s schedule – find newly added teachings in Spain.

Enjoy livestreams of Rinpoche’s current teachings and recordings of recent teachings via Rinpoche Available Now!

Advice:

Highlights from our blogs:

Be Mindful That Everything Is Imputed by the Mind

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Dharamsala, India, February 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Mindfulness of how things exist as merely labeled by the mind can bring peace and happiness, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained while teaching at the 100 Million Mani Mantra Retreat in Italy. “What you see, what you hear, what you think, what you taste, what you touch—all the six objects—are merely labeled by your mind.” Read in full …

By Cherishing Sentient Beings You Will Achieve Enlightenment

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bendigo, Australia, April 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

“Achieving enlightenment by depending on Buddha, Victorious One, is exactly the same as achieving enlightenment by depending on sentient beings,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches during a session of the 2017 Light of the Path retreat, captured in this six-minute video clip. Read in full …

Find a wide range of advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Rinpoche’s Advice page. Subscribe to our FPMT news blog to get updates as soon as they are announced.

International Office News

Now Complete!
Steps on the Path to Enlightenment Series

For over 20 years, Wisdom Publications, an FPMT publishing service, has been working on publishing a series of commentaries by Geshe Lhundub Sopa on Lama Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo titled Steps on the Path to Enlightenment. Volumes 1 (The Foundational Practices), 2 (Karma), 3 (The Way of the Bodhisattva), 4 (Śamatha), and the final in the series, 5 (Insight), are now available through Wisdom’s website or via the FPMT Foundation Store.

A US$500,000 grant for this series was made possible by a kind benefactor and offered through the FPMT Education and Preservation Fund to Wisdom Publications as the project progressed, resulting in the longest and most detailed lamrim commentary available in English. Learn more about this decades-long project, which began in 1976, when Geshe Sopa first offered these lamrim teachings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in front of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, May 2018

Work a Day for Rinpoche

As Saka Dawa approaches, consider joining our annual Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign and help spread the Dharma. How can you help? Participate by making a financial offering of a day’s wages in support of the efforts of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s International Office or offer your voice by reciting the Sutra of Golden Light for peace and happiness … or do both! All offerings will be dedicated on Saka Dawa, May 29, a merit multiplying day. Learn more!

New from Education Services

• The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment) with Additional Practices, now available in print. Students will also benefit from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s commentary on the practice, available in ebook format.
• A Daily Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha, now available in print format, was specifically compiled by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for beginner Buddhist practitioners to use as the basis of a formal meditation practice.
• Refuge in the Three Jewels, now available in ebook format, includes the practice of taking refuge, the commitments of taking refuge, the vows themselves, and explanations of how to receive a downfall as well as the benefits of protecting these precious vows.
• Prayer to the Six-Syllable Great Compassionate One, now available in ebook format, includes eloquent praises and mantra recitation to Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, to help develop the mind of compassion, with teachings on the benefit of such practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
• The Preliminary Practice of Tsa-Tsas, now available in ebook format, contains all the instructions needed for creating tsa-tsas, including the actual practice and practical advice.
• Medicine Buddha Sadhana, now available in ebook format, was translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the benefit of all wishing to be healed of their mental and physical ills.

For Center, Project and Service Directors, SPCs, Board Members, Registered Teachers and Coordinators:

(This advice is specifically for those offering service in these roles.)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2017. Photo by Bill Kane.

Rinpoche Says “Live with Compassion”: In the Affiliates Area

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently reminded us that this is what FPMT centers, projects, services—and our practice—should be all about. Rinpoche said:
“I think the students are more compassionate, they are becoming more compassionate: this is a real sign of the success of FPMT. This quotation I did for remembering compassion is so important to have at the centers where it can be seen easily, so important to remember! You can also put it up at your home!”

You can find Rinpoche’s quotation “Live with Compassion” beautifully formatted for printing in the FPMT Display Pack, which is in the ”For Display in Centers, Projects, Services and Study Groups” section of the Affiliates Area.

FPMT World:

Rejoice!

IMI Sangha on Retreat with Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and IMI Sangha, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, May 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

IMI director, Ven. Tendar writes: “Many FPMT International Mahayana Institute (IMI) monks and nuns recently participated in the retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Australia. As IMI recognizes how important it is to support FPMT Sangha to learn well from Rinpoche, the IMI helped with paying the retreat fees for eight monks and nuns. As you may have read in our recent 2017 financial report, the IMI sponsors about 35-40 monks and nuns a year worldwide in their studies, retreats, or service to FPMT monasteries/nunneries.”

New Study Group

We welcome Palden Chodarg Study Group (probationary center), in Lisbon, Portugal.

This means that there are now 165 FPMT centers, projects, services, and study groups (which are probationary centers, projects and services) in 40 countries!

New Date for the Foundation Service Seminar in the USA

It is now July 19-23, 2018, at Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA.

Opportunities to Offer Service in the FPMT Organization

Would you like to spend your days in a very meaningful way? Have a look at the regularly updated meritorious opportunities to offer service as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world.

Newly added: Atisha Center, Australia, urgently needs a café/kitchen manager.

Impermanence at Work

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

Buddha House, Australia
We welcome new director – Lyndy Abram

De-tong Ling Retreat Center, Australia
We welcome new director – Rebecca Geisler

Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom
We welcome new director – Victoria Coleman
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Grace Gyatso

Ksitigarbha Center, USA
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Eloise McAllister
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Sara Hanlon

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