International Office News
September 2013

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche doing his first session at the Mani Retreat in Mongolia, August 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News:

New Advice:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Wish for Us to Actualize Realizations

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at an arts center in Darkhan, Mongolia, September 2013. Photo Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been commenting very specifically this year about the need for FPMT students to actualize the lam-rim teachings and achieve realizations. Rinpoche’s main wishes are to organize a special group of lam-rim retreatants and to encourage others to follow a year-long lam-rim meditation schedule:

“Now what is needed are people who will sacrifice their lives, as they did in India, Tibet and Nepal, not just to study the Dharma like at a college or university, but to actualize the teachings in a monastery or isolated place. In Tibet, the mountains were full of caves like ants’ nests, where people would go to practice without distraction. This is how Buddhism really comes alive – when it is not just words, not just scholars, but really living Buddhism. When study and realization come together, Buddhism will really last. Wow, then like an ocean in the heart and the mind, it will spread and be preserved. Otherwise, if it is just like learning in a college, it won’t last long. That’s like throwing tsampa on water: It stays on top and doesn’t sink – it is shallow. For Buddhism to really be preserved in the West as it was in Tibet and India, we need people who will sacrifice their lives to completely actualize in the heart what was explained by the Buddha. We need to realize all of this in our hearts in the West.”

Read the full advice.

From Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive: “Rinpoche’s advice about gaining realizations of the lam-rim is why we are publishing our FPMT Lineage Series, a series of detailed commentaries drawn from Rinpoche’s four decades of lam-rim teachings. Up next: perfect human rebirth, then impermanence and death. Already done: Heart of the Path (guru devotion) and How to Practice Dharma. The main purpose of this series is to serve as a resource for people meditating on the lam-rim and those teaching it.”

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.

Rinpoche’s Schedule

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

International Office News:

News from FPMT Education Services

Nalanda Monastery’s first Masters Program (MP) started auspiciously on September 4, 2013. The gompa was filled with attendees of Abbot Geshe Jamphel’s start of the Ornament teachings, including FPMT Education Services’ MP coordinator Olga Planken. Daily meditations and tutorials, including discussion sessions, are being led by MP graduate and scholar Toh Sze Gee. This Masters Program follows the MP Guidelines completed in 2012, based on the experience of the two previous Masters Programs at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa and feedback from staff, students, and visiting teachers, in addition to many years of input and advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

New Materials:
Gyalwa Gyatso Self-Initiation eBook
As Gelong Tenzin Namdak explains in his introduction to Chenrezig Gyalwa Gyatso Self-Initiation by Jampal Gyatso, “Self-initiation is a powerful practice in which you take the four empowerments on your own, thereby renewing your bodhisattva and tantric vows.”

Buddha’s Teaching on Our Lives card
New artwork from Lama Zopa Rinpoche! Lama Zopa Rinpoche composed and translated this card as a reminder about the central role karma plays in our lives and experience.

The monks of Sera Je Monastery work together to prepare and serve three meals a day to all 2,500 studying at the monastery. Photo courtesy of Sera Je Food Fund.

News from FPMT Charitable Projects: Sera Je Food Fund

This month the Sera Je Food Fund launched a campaign to help raise funds for its yearly US$280,000 operations. 3,029,500 meals are offered every year to the 2,500 monks studying at Sere Je Monastery, an essential service that enables the monks to focus on their studies without the burden of sourcing and preparing their own meals. We are happy to provide you with three inspiring pieces which illustrate the scope of this amazing project.

“Sera Je Food Fund’s Dramatic Impact on the Monks of Sera Je Monastery” is a moving report by Geshe Thubten Jinpa on the profound effect the Sera Je Food Fund has had on the lives of the monks who study at Sera Je Monastery.

“Cooking with Bodhichitta: The Sera Je Food Fund” is a fantastic overview of the daily kitchen schedule for the Sera Je Food Fund by Ngawang Sangye, complete with some recipes of the healthy vegetarian meals offered to the monks.

“A Community of Monks Help Serve One Another” shows just how much food is offered monthly through the Sera Je Food Fund and how this is truly a collective effort by many for the benefit of all.

News from Mandala Publications

Mandala October-December 2013 has been mailed out to Friends of FPMT and FPMT centers, projects and services. This issue of the magazine features Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s new advice on actualizing the stages of the path, a never-before-published teaching from Lama Yeshe and reflections from FPMT registered teachers on applying lam-rim teachings to daily life. Also in this issue, we offer inspiring stories of study, practice and devotion from the international FPMT community.

By signing up now to become a Friend of FPMT at the Foundation Friends level or higher, we will send you this issue of Mandala as well as an email with a link to the electronic version, which you can read right away. For more, visit us online at fpmt.org/mandala.

Foundation Store Offer: Discovering Buddhism DVD

Discovering Buddhism Series is a two (2) DVD set featuring the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan lamas and Western teachers. This wonderful series briefly explores 13 subjects, and each of the thirteen 30-minute segments is introduced by Richard Gere or Keanu Reeves.

By getting these DVDs today, you’ll get a 30% discount and receive Meditation 101 at no cost, an online program that introduces a variety of meditation techniques and describes the kinds of skills you can develop through meditation and their usefulness in daily life.

Promotion valid while supplies last.

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.)

Tendil Nyersel prayer flags at Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, USA Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Please Hang Prayer
Flags for Rinpoche

Many FPMT centers, projects and services have reported hanging these gorgeous prayer flags for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life – thank you. Those who haven’t yet done so, please do! Ordering details are online.

Ongoing: Practices specifically requested for students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do.

Rejoice in practices done so far!

Updated Basic and Masters Program Materials

English Basic Program (BP) materials update: Part One of the new BP Guidelines is available in the Basic Program Guidelines section of the FPMT Affiliates Area. The remaining four updates to these important guidelines are forthcoming.

Masters Program Study Manual update: Maitreya’s Ornament for Clear Realization Volume 1: Introductory Section of the Ornament, Chapters 1 & 2 of the Ornament is now available on the MP materials page, accessible from the MP Materials page of the FPMT Affiliates Area under “Ornament: Review class notes & study materials.”

FPMT World:

Rejoice!

Successful Mani Retreat in Mongolia!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche talks with patients at FPMT Mongolia’s free health clinic in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

108,939,500 mani mantras were recited – worthy of much rejoicing!

All Rinpoche’s teachings during the Mani Retreat are available to watch on FPMT’s livestream page.

We received some lovely feedback about the livestreaming of these teachings from a student in Mexico:

“I just want to share with you my joy to be able to follow the Mani Retreat in Mongolia. It is just by the kindness of this great being who is our Precious Guru that many sentient beings around the world, like me, could received these VERY PRECIOUS AND INSPIRING TEACHINGS and to have the opportunity to join in the mantra recitation at a distance.

I appreciate very much the effort that FPMT does on the internet to benefit the world in these difficult times and all the students around the world; but, it is very clear that all this is just by Rinpoche’s kindness … THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.”

Taiwan’s FPMT Sangha Gather for Prayers

From Ven. Thubten Dechen:

“All three resident geshes and all the Taiwan FPMT Sangha gathered to do prayers at Jinsui Farlin, Taipei before it was torn down for renovation. That was a sojong day, so the Sangha did the sojong in the morning. After that we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch together, thanks to three hard-working ladies! It feels very nice to see many Sangha coming together and doing something in common.”

New Video of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The development of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Victoria, Australia has been captured in an impressive new video. The video was shot by a camera attached to a mini-drone, providing amazing aerial views of the grounds and stupa, which when completed will be the same size and design as the Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet and will house a gompa, many large holy statues as well as sacred relics.

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!

Atisha Centre, Australia, needs a director; Kushi Ling, Italy, is looking for an experienced gardener/farmer; Vajrapani Institute, USA, is looking for a full-time community relations coordinator.

Impermanence at Work

Aryatara Institute, Germany
We welcome new SPC – Robert Schwabe
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Inge Siebenwurst

Centro Studi Cenresig, Italy
Via della Beverara, 94/3 – 96, 40131 Bologna

Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center (Ocean of Compassion Buddha), USA
We welcome new SPC – Urs von Matt
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Sunitha Bhaskaran

Lama Yeshe Ling, Canada
4305 Fairview Street, Suite 246
Burlington, ON, L7L 6E8

Land of Compassion and Wisdom, USA
P.O. Box 9262, Austin, TX 78766

Thubten Norbu Ling, USA
We welcome new resident geshe – Geshe Thubten Sherab

FPMT UK National Office
4 Havercroft, Off Cross Lane, Old Farnley, Leeds LS12 5AB, UK
Tel: +44 7966 792184
We welcome new national coordinator – Jay Simpson
With grateful thanks to outgoing coordinator – Kay Cooper

Yeshe Gyaltsen Center, Mexico
We welcome new SPC – Luis Miguel Perez Martin
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ven. Nyingje

With love,
FPMT International Office