International Office News
May 2022

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with senior monks and nuns doing Tara puja at Tara Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the Milarepa initiation in Shivapuri Village, Nepal, April 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Continued Prayers for Rinpoche’s Health

Every year FPMT CEO Ven. Roger Kunsang, on behalf of the FPMT organization, checks with Khandro-la (Khandro Kunga Bhuma) to determine what practices should be done to help create the conditions for FPMT’s Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, to have a long life and good health for the coming year. In addition to the pujas and practices already advised, Khandro-la’s recent observation is that there are still obstacles to Rinpoche’s health.

Ven. Roger shared, “Khandro-la is therefore strongly advising students to continue to offer practices dedicated for Rinpoche’s good health, and now specifically to recite refuge and bodhicitta prayers. We sincerely request students to start this now or as soon as possible, and to continue over the coming two months. Individual students can offer this practice themselves, and we encourage centers to organize group practice sessions for this.”

“Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta” can be found in FPMT Education Services’ Daily Prayers.

Light of the Path Retreat Update

The Light of the Path Retreat has been rescheduled to August 20–September 3, 2023, and will be onsite in North Carolina, US.

New Podcast!

We launched the new Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts Podcast on May 2! This podcast series captures the essence of Rinpoche’s teachings. Each fifteen- to thirty-minute episode is edited and condensed from a longer teaching by Rinpoche and focuses on a single topic. New episodes are released every other Monday.

Teachings and Advice from Rinpoche

• In April, Rinpoche offered a Milarepa initiation in Shivapuri Village, Nepal. During the event, Rinpoche gave a teaching with commentary on “Milarepa’s Hymn,” which is available to watch as a video. Rinpoche’s teaching includes the benefits of taking the Milarepa initiation and the advice that the way to really enjoy happiness in this life is by giving up desire.
• In “Everyone Needs the Chenrezig Mantra,” you can read an excerpt about OM MANI PADME HUM from Rinpoche’s new book The Power of Mantra, Vital Practices for Transformation.

We’re Rejoicing About:

Ksitigarbha Statues Offered to FPMT Centers

Offered Ksitigarbha statue now residing at Tara Mandala Centre, Germany.

In late 2020, a generous benefactor offered a statue of Ksitigarbha to every FPMT center, project, and service. Sixty-six centers requested a statue. With much rejoicing, the first statues began to arrive at centers in October 2021. The benefactor will continue to ship statues to centers until all have been safely received.

Free Books from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive has just shipped a pallet of free books to Jamyang London Buddhist Centre and is about to ship another pallet of free books to FPMT centers in Australia. The Archive is reprinting several of their most popular titles. If centers would like free books to offer to students and visitors, please contact the Archive.

Blessing Beings in Phewa Lake, Nepal

Namgyalma mantra board used for blessing sentient beings in Pokhara Lake.

Ganden Yiga Choezin, a satellite group of Kopan Monastery, has been blessing beings residing in a local lake in Pokhara, Nepal, using Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s unique methods. Please read more about their auspicious activities and get inspired to incorporate animal blessings into all of your aquatic activities.

In-Depth Story: Geshe Tenzin Namdak Encourages Students with Innovation and Patience

Geshe Tenzin Namdak teaching at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, UK. Photo courtesy Jamyang Buddhist Centre.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak, a Dutch monk who spent more than two decades studying at Sera Je Monastic University in India, combines a traditional Buddhist monastic education with a modern Western sensibility, making him a profoundly qualified teacher for students at FPMT centers. Read more in our recently published story “Bringing the Teachings Alive: Geshe Tenzin Namdak Encourages Students with Innovation and Patience,” by Kamlo Chen-Duffy, spiritual program coordinator at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre.

Become a Friend of FPMT

Resources for Your Practice:

Newly Available in the Foundation Store

Khandro Kunga Bhuma and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 2021. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Khandro Kunga Bhuma spontaneously composed a long life prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 2016. This prayer is available as a PDF in several languages:

• A Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche (English with Tibetan and Tibetan phonetics)
• Oración para la larga vida de Kyabje Lama Zopa Rimpoché
• Una preghiera per la lunga vita di Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche
• Langlebensgebet für Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche
• A Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche PDF (Chinese)
• A Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche PDF (Tibetan)

You can learn the tune for chanting this special long life prayer for Rinpoche by listening to A Long Life Prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche – MP3 Download.

There are several new audio recordings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting popular mantras. The following are now available as MP3 downloads:

• White Tara Mantra
• Green Tara Mantra
• Vajrasattva Mantras
• Clouds of Offerings Mantra

Other new and recently updated materials:

• Flower Offering Practice PDF
• Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away PDF
• The Way to Perform an Extremely Abbreviated Command Ritual PDF (This practice is restricted to those who have received a highest yoga tantra initiation, completed a retreat and concluding fire puja of the deity, and have received instruction from a teacher to do the practice.)

Additional practice materials newly available in other languages:

• Vajra Cutter Sutra (Sinhalese)
• Samsara y Nirvana PDF & eBook
• Lamrim Mediano PDF

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 materials in translation in our Foundation Store (shop.fpmt.org).

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

Opportunities to Offer Service in the FPMT Organization

Newly added:
Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India, and Yeshin Norbu Center in Stockholm, Sweden, are both recruiting directors. The International Mahayana Institute needs a bookkeeper.

Impermanence at Work

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

Centro Muni Gyana, Italy
We welcome new resident teacher – Ven. Olivier Rossi

De-tong Ling Retreat Center, Australia
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Kimball Cuddihy

Dharmakaya Center, US
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Cyndy Mowbray
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Anne Ligon

Sera IMI House, India
We welcome new director – Ven. Namjong
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Ven. Legtsok

Togme Sangpo Study Group, UK, has become Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds’ satellite group.

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.