International Office News
October 2013

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, USA, September 2013. Photo by Chris Majors.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche wishing us all “Big Love!” Aptos, California, USA, September 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

NEW! Enjoy daily news about Lama Zopa Rinpoche on fpmt.org!

New Advice:

Pithy advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, reported by Ven. Roger Kunsang (@rogerkunsang) via Twitter:

“What makes death very difficult – worldly concerns, the 8 worldly dharmas, attachment! What helps – good heart!”

“Don’t let personal problems become center problems or other’s problems!”

“When someone is making you angry, don’t put the practice off to later, practice patience now! Later may never come.”

“Your Guru gives you teachings and then puts you in the situation so you have to practice that … lojong.”

Find a full range of advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Rinpoche’s Advice page. Go to the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive for lots more advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Tenzin Ösel Hita, Aptos, USA, September 2013. During the long life puja offered to Rinpoche by the board of FPMT Inc. and FPMT North America at Land of Medicine Buddha, USA on September 29, 2013, Tenzin Ösel Hita read words of praise to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Annual Long Life Puja

The official annual long life puja offered to our most kind and immeasurably precious spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche, source of our inspiration and guidance, on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services and students will be offered at Kopan Monastery on December 9, following the one-month November course.

FPMT centers, projects and services can make their annual donation via the secure site listed under Further Resources in the FPMT Affiliates Area.

Individuals can donate here.

If you would like your name or center’s name to be included in the list of donors, please make your offering by December 5.

Rinpoche’s Schedule

Please contact the hosts directly for any questions regarding the event.

Subscribe to our RSS feed on Rinpoche’s Schedule to receive updates automatically as soon as they are available!

2013
November/December Teaching during the one-month course (Nov. 9 – Dec. 9), Kopan Monastery, Nepal

December 17 – 22 Continuation of the Most Secret Hayagriva transmission and
long life puja, Drati Khangtsen, Sera Je Monastery, Bylakuppe, India

2014
May 3 – Teaching on 8 Verses of Mind Training, Kadampa Center, USA

May 4 – 18 Light of the Path retreat, Kadampa Center, USA

September 13 – 19 CPMT meeting, Bendigo, Australia

September 25 – October 23 Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat,
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia

Lama Zopa Rinpoche sorting through his texts, all of which are carried in four big heavy suitcases everywhere Rinpoche goes! Aptos, USA, September 2013.

Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

International Office News:

News from FPMT Education Services

Lam-Rim Resources for Achieving Realizations of the Path:
Last month’s e-news shared Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent advice wishing that students would actualize realizations. Rinpoche is encouraging students to follow a lam-rim outline and meditate on each subject for two weeks or one month for a year until all subjects have been studied. To help students fulfill this request, FPMT Education Services has put together a list of lam-rim resources.

New Materials, all available on the Foundation Store:
Long Shakyamuni Buddha Puja eBook
This puja, by Ngawang Paldan, translated by Martin Willson, is an extensive puja including elaborate offerings, praises to Shakyamuni Buddha, and homage to Shakyamuni Buddha’s previous lives and detailed biography.

Lama Chöpa without Jorchö eBook
This edition of the Lama Chöpa without the Jorchö practices contains the essential additional prayers recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Updated Lama Chöpa Commentary – FREE eBook
This commentary on Lama Chöpa Jorchö by Lama Zopa Rinpoche includes three short teachings on the practice: “The Importance of Practicing Guru Puja,” “The Purpose of Doing Guru Puja,” and “The Meaning of Tsog.”

Adornments on the 14-foot [7-meter] Auspicious Stupa of Many Doors at Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA. Photo courtesy of Milarepa Center.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for 100,000 Stupas

In 2007, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave advice about several of his Vast Visions for the FPMT organization spanning lifetimes into the future. One of these wishes is for the organization to build 100,000 stupas around the world. About this initiative Rinpoche said, “The plan is to build stupas all over the world – individual people or centers [can do this]. No matter how many years one puts effort into building stupas, the benefit that this gives to sentient beings every day in so many ways is unimaginable.”

The Stupa Fund is very pleased to present you with a new page on fpmt.org dedicated to showcasing and keeping count of this incredible effort happening around the world to fulfill Rinpoche’s wish.

Merit Box Collection Coming Up Soon!

Start counting up your Merit Box donations! Or if you haven’t started yet this year, consider becoming a Merit Box Practitioner! On Lama Tsongkhapa Day, December 27, we will begin collecting contributions for the International Merit Box Project.

Mandala online

News from Mandala Publications

Our daily blog features fresh news and updates from FPMT centers, projects and services in 36 countries worldwide as well as stories from the latest issue of Mandala and our rich archive of 30 years of FPMT coverage. Or if you would rather get our latest blog posts delivered by email, subscribe to our RSS feed.

Friends of FPMT

Sign up now to Friends of FPMT. Get connected with the international community, support the organization, and get lots of resources for your Dharma path. Learn more!

Foundation Store New Arrival: 2014 LPP Calendar

The redesigned 2014 Liberation Prison Project calendar features a CD-style jewel case that converts from carrying case into to display stand suitable for desk or altar. This year’s calendar also makes use of unbound pages, so there’s no cutting required to make use of the holy images on the back of each page!

FPMT centers, projects, services and study groups are eligible for a wholesale discount.

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

(This advice is specifically for those offering service in the roles listed above.)

Key Organizational Advice 2013

A compilation of key organizational advice given between October 2012 and September 2013.

This and the previous year’s compilation are available in the FPMT Affiliates Area/Further Resources/Key Advice Compilations.

Prayer Flags for Rinpoche’s Health and Long Life

We are putting together a photo story of all centers, projects and services that have hung the Tendil Nyersel prayer flags as requested in April as one of the practices for Rinpoche’s health and long life.

If you would like the prayer flags at your center, project, service or study group to be included in Mandala, please send one to three high-quality and high-resolution photos of your prayer flags with full caption information, including the photographer’s name. We would also love to hear a little about how the prayer flag hanging happened, particularly any juicy stories, with good quotes from the people involved.

If you haven’t already, you can order the prayer flags from Kopan Monastery or from the FPMT Foundation Store.

Lama Yeshe on the Importance of Retreat

Lama Yeshe gave wonderful advice in 1983 on the importance of retreat centers and the importance of doing retreat. Lama also gave crucial advice for those working for a retreat center.

Read the full advice on Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. The advice is also in the retreat section in the FPMT Affiliates Area.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, Lake Arrowhead, 1975. This photo is from a three-week retreat the lamas taught at Camp Arrowpines on Lake Arrowhead, east of Los Angeles, USA, 1975. Photo by Carol Royce-Wilder.

New High-Res Photos of Lama and Rinpoche!

Enjoy wonderful photos of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche together, courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (LYWA)! These prints are available to download from the FPMT Affiliates Area – or you can order high-quality prints from LYWA.

FPMT World:

Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT

Please check out the regularly updated exciting opportunities to offer service as a volunteer or as paid staff in FPMT centers, projects and services around the world!

Chenrezig Institute, Australia is seeking a director; Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Denmark is seeking an FPMT registered teacher as their new resident teacher.

Impermanence at Work

Centro Yeshe Gyaltsen, Mexico
20 Av. Sur bis #1198, casi esq. con 19 Sur,
Cozumel, Q. Roo 77600

De-Tong Ling, Australia
New mailing address: PO Box 16, Glenside, SA 5065, Australia.

Heruka Center, Taiwan
We welcome new director – Mr. Chang
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Mrs. Chen

Institut Vajra Yogini, France
We welcome new resident teacher – Sixte Vinҫotte

Kurukulla Center, USA
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Erika Nagy
With grateful thanks to outgoing co-SPCs – Sarah Frederickson and Devin Jones

Tse Chen Ling, USA
We welcome new director – Lisa Nystrom
With grateful thanks to outgoing co-directors – Ven. Carol Corradi and Teresa Navarro
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator – Ven. Carol Corradi

Farewell and grateful thanks to the following as they move on:
Maureen Walshe – previously director at Chenrezig Institute, Australia
Elizabeth Prather – previously co-director at Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center, USA

With love,
FPMT International Office