International Office News
November 2023

Consecration of the Victory Stupa for Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lawudo. November 4, 2023. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Michael.

Teachings and News About Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Fulfilling the Guru’s Wishes: Amoghapasha Above Lawudo

Ven. Roger Kunsang joining others at the 100-foot high cliff that now is blessed with the 31-foot painting of Amoghapasha.

Twenty-five years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche began expressing the wish for a large painting of 1,000-Armed Chenrezig to be painted on a 100-foot high cliff named Drak Karma above Lawudo in Nepal, approximately 4,200 meters above sea level (over 13,000 feet) so everyone in proximity could see it. In the last few years Rinpoche specifically said for the painting to be of Amoghapasha—an emanation of Chenrezig.

With huge rejoicing, we share that this 31-foot high by 21-foot wide (9.5 meters high by 6.4 meters wide) painting is now complete! It has been painted directly on the cliff face overseeing the whole area. Funds for this project were raised by the Thamichowa community; Anila Ngawang Samten (Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s sister) provided all the necessary materials and tools needed for painting; and Ven. Nyima Tashi, Ven. Thubten Tendar, and Pasang Dekyi helped to actualize this incredible project.

Please read more about this project, view some beautiful images, and watch a short video by Ven. Tenzin Michael which really shows the magnitude and difficulty of accomplishing this.

Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri

In October we shared the very precious advice we received from His Holiness the Dalai Lama to recite Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri continuously for a few months, for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s reincarnation.

With great rejoicing we share that the FPMT Puja Fund sponsored over 10,000 recitations of this text on Lhabab Duchen by sangha of the great monasteries (Sera Lachi, Gaden Lachi, Drepung Lachi, Gyuto Tantric College, and Gyudmed Tantric University) in India as well as by the monks and nuns of Kopan Monastery.

Also with rejoicing we share that IMI has arranged continual recitations of this text for Rinpoche’s swift return by students around the world in all the various time zones! Please read about how to sign up to join.

Please read more and find the materials you need to continue following His Holiness’s advice for Rinpoche’s swift return. 

Prayers for the Swift Return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche

We are happy to share that the English translations for the Swift Return prayers composed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other distinguished lamas with whom Rinpoche had a connection in this lifetime, including Khenzur Jhado Rinpoche, Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Tseringma, and Lelung Rinpoche, have now been updated and are available at the Foundation Store. The PDF file is available for a quick one-click download.

White Tara Practice: Oral Transmission and Visualization

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, April 8, 2023.

On April 8, 2023, five days before showing the aspect of passing away, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered a White Tara oral transmission and visualization at Kopan Monastery to Glen H. Mullin and a group of his students.

This was one of Rinpoche’s last recorded teachings in this life and offers timeless advice on benefiting and cherishing others.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche Interview on Universal Education, 2005

In June 2005 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave a three-hour long interview to Christina Lundberg on the benefits of Universal Education. Lama Thubten Yeshe began formulating the idea of Universal Education in 1983: “The world needs a new system of education because the old one is too dated for the intelligent people of today and produces a great deal of conflict and dissatisfaction in the present generation. […] We have to get rid of people’s old concepts and give them a new imagination; a new, broad way of looking at themselves and the world. That’s what I mean by ‘universal.’”

“Everything comes from the mind and to transform the mind from negative (from where all the suffering comes), into positive (from where all the happiness comes), is not only for your happiness but for all other living beings’ happiness,” Rinpoche says in this interview. In addition to providing instructive advice for the advancement of Universal Education, which is now carried forth by The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), Rinpoche also shares a plethora of practical advice for students who wish to cultivate the good heart—an attitude of loving-kindness and compassion.

We are so happy to share this interview in three one-hour parts.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

Universal Love: Compassion and Emptiness

Lama Yeshe, Yucca Valley, California, US, 1977. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Universal Love is a collection of Lama Yeshe’s teachings on the yoga method of Maitreya, which he taught at Maitreya Institute, Holland, in 1981. Also included are some introductory lectures on Buddhism from Lama’s 1975 teachings in the USA.

In Chapter 3 of this collection, “Compassion and Emptiness” Lama Yeshe discusses the importance of analyzing the actions of our body, speech, and mind; an overview of the lamrim and bodhicitta; and how all of our problems come from ego and attachment. A lively (and humorous!) Q & A session follows the teaching. Read Chapter 3 of Universal Love.

The print copy of Universal Love is now available for free and a free PDF of the whole book can be downloaded.

What We’re Rejoicing About

Auspicious Activities at Lawudo on Lhabab Duchen

Consecration of the new Victory Stupa for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, between Mende and Lawudo, November 4, 2023. Thame Lama, Charok Lama, and Kyarok Lama join the Thame monks. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Michael.

Lhabab Duchen, one of the four great holy days of the Buddhist calendar, took place this year on November 4 and meritorious activities occurred around the world.

At Lawudo Gompa, Nepal, an incredible day of auspicious activities occurred including the reception of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s holy tooth relic, consecration of the Victory Stupa built by Anila Ngawang Samten for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, consecration of the Lawudo Lama Stupa which was recently renovated, and consecration of the amazing 31-foot Amoghapasha painting on Drak Karma Cliff above Lawudo. We invite you to read more about these activities and view some inspiring photos of the events.

Support Offered to Six Homes Serving Tibetan Elders in 2023

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the elders of Lugsam Samduling Home for the Aged and Disabled, Bylakuppe, India.

Since 2016, FPMT’s Social Services Fund has been offering vital support to elderly homes in India and Nepal that provide care for Tibetan refugee elders who have no one else to care for them.

In 2023, we granted US$169,067.19 to six different elderly homes. This support has benefited over 250 Tibetan senior citizens and includes a contribution for the renovation of three destitute families’ homes in Tibetan settlements in Himachal Pradesh and near the border of Assam and Bhutan.

Offering support to the elderly has been guided by the profound vision of our beloved teacher, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Rinpoche’s vision continues to inspire us to help create a meaningful and compassionate environment for our elders and senior citizens and we are committed to continue to offer support as we can. Please read about the grants offered to homes caring for Tibetan elders in need this year.

Continued Impact of the Merit Box Project

To date, an amazing US$1,239,580 in funding has been distributed through 354 Merit Box Project grants. The International Merit Box Project began in 2001 as a generosity practice for the international FPMT community. For many years, students and centers kept Merit Boxes close by so they could gradually make offerings throughout the year, before sending them in as offerings to help support the mission of the FPMT organization. These offerings become grants awarded annually through International Office for a wide range of projects within the FPMT mandala and beyond. We rejoice in the latest cycle of Merit Box grants awarded in 2023 and reports of completed projects from 2022 grants. Please read about all of these beneficial activities that were funded through Merit Box grants.

Milarepa Center’s Solar Project

In October 2023 Milarepa Center, situated on 276 acres of land in Barnet, Vermont, on the northeast coast of the US, completed a 500 kW AC solar array project in cooperation with Norwich Solar, a local clean technology company. In October, mounting of the system was completed. This new ground-mount system will generate enough renewable clean energy equivalent to powering approximately 135 homes per year, and offset the carbon emission equivalent of almost 150 cars per year! The project took approximately 16 months to complete. Milarepa Center will host the array on their land for the next 25 years. Please read more about this center’s initiative toward a sustainable future.

Resources for Your Study and Practice

New Life Practices Page

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering advice to a group of Vietnamese students, Ganden Monastery, India, 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s highest priorities was responding to students’ inquiries on daily practice and preliminary practice advice from him. For 25+ years, Rinpoche refined this advice, referring to it as “Life Practices.”

We are so pleased to offer students a new resource on fpmt.org, a page full of the recommended life practices from Rinpoche.

This advice always followed a general structure, but was also specific to each student. As Rinpoche is no longer able to provide this personal correspondence to each student, we created a page of Rinpoche’s most essential life practice advice, based off of thousands of letters Rinpoche offered to students for nearly three decades.

By following this advice, students can feel confident they are receiving Rinpoche’s personal guidance and blessing on their path to enlightenment.

Advice for Practice during Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Lama Zopa Rinpoche often spoke about solar and lunar eclipses, which are considered auspicious for practice and provide opportunities for accumulating merit by multiple folds. As stated in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, the karmic results of actions are multiplied by 700,000 times on lunar eclipses, and 100 million times on solar eclipses.

We have created a new page which contains all of Rinpoche’s most essential advice for solar and lunar eclipses, a resource we hope students will find very valuable.

Newly Available and Revised Materials

An image of Ksitigarbha that Lama Zopa Rinpoche traveled with and kept with him.

For the benefit of students, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised the translation of the Ksitigarbha Ten Wheels Mahayana Sutra from the Great Collection into English, kindly sponsored by Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore. This 292 page translation is now available according to the wishes of Rinpoche!

In the wide-ranging discourse the Buddha expounds on the “ten wheels” that define a just king’s rule; the knowledge and qualities of a tathagata; the ethics, conduct and practices to be adopted by the Buddha’s ordained followers; the features and qualities of the three vehicles; the practice of confession; the ten virtues and their ripening results; and the ten perfections.

The Tibetan text in the Kangyur is a translation of the Chinese rendition; there is no extant Sanskrit edition. The masterful and uplifting English translation quoted below and available to all was undertaken by Gavin Kilty.

We are so happy to make this precious translation available to all.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche often advised that prayers to Ksitigarbha were much more powerful than those made to other bodhisattvas, emphasizing in this text, Ksitigarbha Practice, “This mantra dharani is the best one to do for any problems in any situation. Even reciting four or five times, just a few times, is very powerful.

The recitation of the 108 names of Ksitigarbha and the associated dharani bestows good qualities, removes obstacles and ultimately acts as a cause for the attainment of liberation.

We are happy that the Vietnamese translation of all three volumes of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo) by Lama Tsongkhapa are now available at the Foundation Store: Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3.

Please find updated versions of Practices of Arya Sitatapatra (White Umbrella Deity) and Six-Session Guru Yoga.

Wisdom Dialogues 2023: Understanding Mind and Emotions

In February, FDCW launched the Wisdom Dialogues: Deepening our understanding of mind and emotions. This series provides practical strategies for transforming emotions. Four Dialogues have taken place so far:

Becoming Your Own Therapist by Ven. Robina Courtin explainins the importance of cultivating both wisdom as well as compassion. The first step is to gain some sort of control over the mind, at the very least making the determination each day not to harm anyone with our speech and actions. So, following ethical conduct is important.

The Nature of Mind by Martin Strom examines the nature of our mind and our experience of it with strategies to help understand more deeply how we perceive ourselves and our world. How we tend to exaggerate things and become upset easily. How we can manage that interaction better.

Weaving our View of the World by Kabir Saxena who courageously shared his challenges with depression and ways to investigate our mind, deepening our insights, and tapping into our innate goodness allowing a more peaceful, compassionate, wiser mind to flower.

Make Your Mind an Ocean with Ven. Thubten Wangdu explores how our repeated experiences of dissatisfaction and frustration do not have external conditions as their root cause, but all mental problems come from the mind. Therefore, if we aspire for true satisfaction in our lives we have to investigate and recognise the nature of our own mind and discover how our minds interpret reality.

Recordings of all events are uploaded onto the FDCW website. The next Dialogue takes place on November 30 with Paula Chichester: Navigating Our Inner Landscape: Creating a Relaxed and Spacious Mind and registration is open.

Opportunities and Changes within the Organization:

Impermanence at Work

After 22 years of dedicated service, Claire Isitt, our Center Services Director, has decided to move on and will leave the team of the FPMT International Office at the end of December.

We are immensely grateful to Claire for her invaluable service for the organization during all these years and we will share news about her replacement very soon.

Changes in the FPMT Organization

Jamyang Buddhist Centre of Leeds, UK
We welcome Lee Howson as new director

Tara Institute, Australia
We welcome Kim Looi as spiritual program coordinator

Sera IMI House, India
We welcome new director – Ven Tenzin Gache
With grateful thanks to retiring director – Ven Tenzin Namjong

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. Newly added: Vajrapani Institute, US, is looking for a spiritual program coordinator.

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.

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FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.