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International Office News
November 2017
Announcing the Inner Job Description App!
News from FPMT Education Services
News from Two FPMT Charitable Projects
Who Friends of FPMT Help: Part 3
For the Holidays, Give a Gift That Helps Others
News from the Foundation Store
Affiliate Area Highlight: People Development and Management
Rejoice—LRZTP Congratulations and Next Course!
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 for 2017 and 2018.
The official long life puja, offered on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services, and students to our most kind and immeasurably precious spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, will be on December 14 at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. If you would like to donate to the long life puja and have your name included in the list of donors, please make your donation no later than December 10.
Enjoy livestreams of many of the teachings above and recordings of Rinpoche’s most recent teachings via Rinpoche Available Now!
Advice:
Highlights from our blogs:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Offers Advice on Lama Chöpa
During the recent retreat in Italy, Rinpoche offered advice on the importance and benefits of Lama Chöpa. Rinpoche said that students are so incredibly fortunate to be able to do Lama Chöpa, to hear the words and to do the practice; Lama Chöpa has all the vital points. Rinpoche stressed that if students can integrate their lives into the practice of the lamrim, then this is the key that opens hundreds of doors of hundreds of teachings. Read in full…
The Buddha Has So Much Compassion for You
Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing rabbits at Osel Labrang, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2016. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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A student who had tried to commit suicide several times and was very depressed wrote to Lama Zopa Rinpoche about being mistreated as a child and that her only friends are animals. Rinpoche responded to her with a long letter with stories about his own family and advice on karma and reincarnation, and he advised some ways of benefiting animals. Read in full….
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Makes Apple Strudel
Following the Light of the Path retreat, and a long flight from North Carolina, United States, to Austria, Rinpoche rested for a number of days with the Igel family at their home in Vienna. During his stay, Rinpoche was offered an apple strudel, which the mother of the family had made. The dish was so good that Rinpoche asked if he could be shown how to make the dessert. During the filming of an instructional video Rinpoche offered advice on how to cook for the benefit of others. Read in full and watch the video …
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:
Announcing the Inner Job Description App!
The Inner Job Description is a tool designed to help you understand how you can transform your service and daily work into Dharma practice. Initially produced as a card, you can now practice the Inner Job Description (IJD) via an app!
The IJD app is a modern tool for developing mindfulness of our thoughts, speech, and actions. By using the IJD daily, our increased awareness of self-defeating mental habits can allow us to change our minds in positive ways. We invite you to use the IJD Mindfulness Practice App to become an inner professional.
Download the Inner Job Description app for free from Google Play and the Apple App Store (search for Inner Job Description).
News from FPMT Education Services
- Did you know Amazon.com carries over 70 ebook and paperback titles from FPMT Education Services? Find them all …
News from Two FPMT Charitable Projects
- Due to the kindness of a generous donor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to award a grant to build a monastery in Maratika, Nepal. The small monastery was built adjacent to the entrance of Maratika Cave, which is where Padmasambhava achieved immortality. Supporting ordained Sangha through investing in monasteries and nunneries is one of FPMT Charitable Projects’ key priorities.
- We invite you to rejoice with us that 15,650 Sangha were sponsored by the Puja Fund to offer extensive prayers and practices recently on Lhabab Duchen. Additionally, offerings were made to two stupas in Nepal, robes were offered to the Buddha statue inside Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, real gold paint was offered to the full bodies of the Jowo Buddha in the Jokhang and the Chenrezig statue in the Potala Palace in Tibet, and offerings were made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and IMI Sangha communities.
Who Friends of FPMT Help: Part 3
The generosity of our Friends of FPMT is benefiting beings all over the world. Our Friends of FPMT supporters help students who don’t have a Dharma community study the path online. Friends also benefit students at centers and study groups by funding FPMT education programs and materials. They help those who serve in FPMT communities by helping us provide community leaders with resources, assistance, and training. The generosity of our Friends of FPMT reaches beings in many other ways by helping us manage over twenty-five compassionate charitable projects. Learn more about joining Friends of FPMT …
For the Holidays, Give a Gift That Helps Others
Our compassionate gift alternative for the holidays is back! Here’s how it works: you can make a donation to one of four FPMT charitable projects and we’ll send you a rejoicing card to offer as a present to a friend or family member. Liberate animals, build holy objects, support ordained Sangha, or provide for compassionate social services on a dear one’s behalf. Then, send your friend an e-card or printed card from us that highlights how their gift is helping others. Learn more …
News from the Foundation Store
We’re happy to announce that the 2017 shipment from Nepal, carrying beautiful holy objects and other inspiring Dharma items to support your practice, has arrived in our warehouse! Please take a look at our superior statues and thangkas; fragrant incense; authentic ritual items; beautiful brocades; and inspiring prayer flags, among other quality Dharma items from Nepal.
For Center, Project and Service Directors, SPCs, Board Members, Registered Teachers and Coordinators:
(This advice is specifically for those offering service in these roles.)
Affiliate Area Highlight: People Development and Management
Lama Zopa Rinpoche met with three Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) registered facilitators recently to review the FSS and give new advice.
Rinpoche commented that the FSS is very good and very important in helping train existing students and the next generation of students offering service, and that the FSS “makes the organization more clear.” When Wendy Ridley explained that each FSS gives participants the opportunity to discuss issues, Rinpoche commented that this was very good. “It’s always good to consult if some things you don’t know, some other students know—so it’s good to consult. The more you know, then you know how to deal with your mind, so you don’t let yourself completely burn out.” Rinpoche also commented that correct rejoicing is “very, very important—so important.”
The FSS schedule is in the Affiliates Area as part of the Offering Service: People Development and Management section. Please contact your regional or national coordinator if your center, project, or service would like to schedule an FSS.
FPMT World:
Rejoice—LRZTP Congratulations and Next Course!
Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program (LRZTP) director Yaron Bahir writes:
“A few weeks ago the seventh LRZTP two-year interpreter training program finished successfully. After two years of hard work, thirteen students passed their final exams. Our committed group of classroom graduates comprises students from Thailand, Mexico, Guatemala, Germany, Italy, USA, Australia, and Spain. Several of them already have an FPMT center to go to work in as Dharma interpreters. We met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently, who advised on the three benefits of learning Tibetan.
So, do you want to understand and speak Tibetan? Do you want to translate and interpret Dharma from Tibetan? The Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translators Program is starting its eighth two-year Tibetan language course in March 2018. This is a unique, tried-and-tested opportunity to learn Tibetan with skilled teachers in the Tibetan community in Dharamsala, India. For more details visit the LRZTP website.”
New Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT
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: Vajrapani Institute, USA, needs a new director; Land of Calm Abiding, USA, needs a caretaker (would suit a couple or an individual); Jamyang Buddhist Centre, UK needs a plant-based sous chef.
Impermanence at Work
Buddha House, Australia
We welcome back as resident teacher – Ven. Dondrub
Centro Ewam, Italy
We welcome new director – Alessandra Malaspina
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Paolo Mori
Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar, India
We welcome new director – Marcel Bertels
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Ven. Kabir Saxena
Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Denmark
With grateful thanks to outgoing resident teacher – Ven. Sangye Khadro
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