International Office News
November 2020

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a puja break, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Studying Masters and Basic Programs is Preliminary Practice

In Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s amazing ongoing online thought transformation teachings, Rinpoche advises:
“Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche said the best practice is studying Prajnaparamita. Many people might think that studying and doing preliminary practice are separate—that studying is not really purifying the mind and collecting merits. So then you think the mandala offerings you do are separate. It is not like that. You have to recognize that by studying Prajnaparamita you are doing the best preliminary practice. You have to know that. Those who are studying the FPMT Basic Program and Masters Program have to know this.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche prostrating before teaching at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, Nepal, October 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Find more advice from Rinpoche on a wide range of topics

Change to Rinpoche’s Schedule

Kopan Monastery, Nepal, has regretfully cancelled the one month lamrim course previously scheduled for January 2021, due to the continuing lockdown in Nepal.

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We’re Rejoicing About:

The Big Love Festival

The FPMT project The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), will celebrate nearly 40 years of Universal Education with the online Big Love Festival from November 23-28, 2020. Lama Yeshe first shared his vision for a “universal education” in the mid-1970s, and since then his unique and innovative approach has inspired many individuals and projects around the world. The Big Love Festival is a celebration of what has been achieved, and also an opportunity to gather ideas and inspiration to shape the next 40 years of Universal Education in response to the pressing challenges of today. FDCW‘s Honorary President Lama Zopa Rinpoche will open the festival. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the patron of FDCW, has sent a written message which will be shared with festival participants. Register for the online festival for free.

The Community Service of an FPMT Center

MD Shahid and Binod packaging food at Root Institute, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

Mandala shares a new online story about Root Institute, the FPMT center in Bodhgaya, India, which has been distributing daily staples and food to their local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Root team have packed more than 1,400 bags of food and distributed them in more than ten villages. Read this inspiring account of community service, one of FPMT’s Five Pillars of Service, in our recently published online story which also includes the message Lama Zopa Rinpoche sent to Root Institute, rejoicing in their service to their community.

Auspicious Inauguration of Nalanda’s New Land

Outgoing and incoming directors of Nalanda Monastery, Vens Gyaltsen and Tendar, receive the keys to the property from its previous owner, Didier Leyrisse, Lavaur, France, October 2020. Photo by Ven. Losang Chodrak.

Ven. Tendar, director of Nalanda Monastery, France, writes:
“I wanted to share with you the beautiful day we had with the inauguration of Nalanda’s new Maitreya Pure Land. After a windy and rainy week, the day of the inauguration we enjoyed sun and a blue sky. In addition to 50 Nalanda residents, including our abbot and second resident geshe, we hosted 60 invited guests. There were speeches and auspicious prayers before the mayor formally opened the building. Many visitors then accepted lunch hosted by us, followed by Lama Chopa and prayers to the Twenty-one Taras offered on the new property. It was a day you dream of: A beautiful setting, nothing went wrong, a beautiful start … We are very grateful.”

Offering to a Sky Filled with Wish-Granting Jewels: The Sangha

Some of the monks of Shalu Monastery.

The Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund offers support to nunneries and monasteries around the world. Due to the kindness of so many we were able to make these annual offerings in 2020: for the seventeenth year offering all food expenses for the 60 monks studying at Idgaa Choizinling Monastery, Mongolia; sponsorship of six months of retreat (two 100 million mani retreats) for 85 nuns at a small Drikung Kagyu Nunnery in a remote part of Nepal (Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery); offering of daily food to more than 50 monks studying at Shalu Monastery, Himachal Pradesh, India; offering three meals per day to the 22 monks of Thame Monastery, Nepal. In addition, substantial individual offerings were also made such as: a grant for the new retreat land of Nalanda Monastery, France; offering five months of food to Gaden Shartse Monastery, India, which was experiencing hardships due to COVID-19 and the communal kitchen being closed; offerings to the Sangha of Zigar Thupten Shedrupling Institute, India, a Drikung Kagyu Monastery, and offering toward the food fund of Sera Mey Monastery, India.

New and Updated Practice Materials

• Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently found an even more accurate source text for the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras (formatted for rolling) and is encouraging students to utilize these updated mantras from now on for filling holy objects such as statues, stupas, and prayer wheels.
• After consulting Rinpoche’s personal notes, updates have been made to the Mantra to Stop the Pollution of Consuming Offerings Made to the Three Rare Sublime Ones and Miscellaneous Mantras.
• New audio recording of Mahasiddha Thangtong Gyalpo’s Prayers: students can now find this as an MP3 download, bundled with supporting digital materials, freely offered in the Foundation Store. Part of the bundle is The Blessed Prayer Known as “Liberating Sakya from Disease, which Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends that students recite to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Announcements, Opportunities and Changes Within the Organization:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing the life tree to go in a stupa, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, October 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Statement Regarding Conclusion of Dagri Rinpoche Investigation

In January this year we announced the opening of a fact-finding assessment into complaints against Dagri Rinpoche. On November 13^th we released a statement updating our community on the result of that assessment.

Opportunities to Offer Service in the FPMT Organization

Would you like to spend your days in a meaningful way? Have a look at the various meritorious opportunities to offer service providing the opportunity to serve as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world. Newly added: Jamyang Buddhist Centre, UK, is recruiting an Inclusivity Project Coordinator.

Impermanence at Work

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

Atisha Center, Australia
We welcome new director – Ven. Dondrup
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Frank Brock

Land of Joy, UK
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Julia Weitz

Langri Tangpa Center, Australia
We welcome new director – Laura Laakso
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Maureen McIntyre

Yeshin Norbu Center, Sweden
We welcome new resident teacher – Venerable Michael Losang Yeshe

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.