International Office News
September 2017

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a child attending the Kadampa Center family camp, who had made this buddha statue for Rinpoche, North Carolina, USA, September 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News:

Schedule:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s schedule for 2017 and 2018.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching during the Light of the Path Retreat 2017, North Carolina, USA, September 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Long Retreats with Rinpoche:

The Light of the Path Retreat with Rinpoche ends on September 16—you can watch all the teachings recorded here. The next long retreat with Rinpoche will be the 100 Million Mani Retreat at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, in October 2017.

Next year there are two long retreats with Rinpoche:

• Registration is now open for the Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia. Read why this retreat came about, and why it is special.
• Then in September 2018, Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Malaysia, is hosting a Most Secret Hayagriva retreat.

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:

Without the Good Heart, There Won’t Be Peace, Happiness

Lama Zopa Rinpoche meeting local dignitaries at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, January 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

During a party he hosted at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, Rinpoche spoke briefly about why he wants to build statues of Maitreya Buddha. The statues, he said, help people develop a good heart. That good heart in turn will help create peace and happiness in the world. Read in full …

Living in Vows Affects the World

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven. Sangpo Sherpa watch balloons with mantras written on them float up into the sky and spread blessings, Black Mountain, North Carolina, US, August 2017. Photo by Kalleen Mortensen.

“How does taking vows or Mahayana precepts helps end famine and war?” a student asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the Light of the Path 2016 retreat. Rinpoche’s reply was captured in a video. Read in full …

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:

News from FPMT Education Services

A new Living in the Path module, “Turning Kaka into Gold” is now available from the FPMT Online Learning Center. In this module, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the essence of lojong, a Tibetan term often translated as “thought transformation” or “mind training,” which refers to practices for training the mind to use suffering and problems in the path to enlightenment, whereby we become able to transform kaka (suffering and problems) into gold (a method for attaining the lasting happiness of full enlightenment).

Lama Zopa Rinpoche making charity to ants, Taos, New Mexico, USA, July 2017. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Investing in Holy Object Creation Around the World

The Holy Objects Fund provides the resources to create holy objects for world peace. The creation of holy objects for world peace is a very high priority among Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization. We invite you to rejoice in some recent grants given to large holy object creation:

• Prayer wheel at Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement in Bylakuppe, India
• Stupa for Geshe Gendun Choephel
• Stupa in Thame, Solo Khumbu, Nepal

If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund.

News from Mandala Publications

Mandala’s newest ebook, “Creating the Sacred”

Mandala’s latest ebook, Creating the Sacred, dives into the world of the artists and organizers creating the beautiful and inspiring sacred art of FPMT. This soon-to-be-published collection of interviews and stories includes a history of Buddhist art, discussions of the benefits of holy objects, and an inside look at what goes into making Tibetan Buddhist thangkas, prayer wheels, and statues. Creating the Sacred will be available September 19!

All five Mandala ebooks are offered to Friends of FPMT at the e-Friends level and higher and to Mandala magazine’s center packages subscribers. In addition, Mandala ebooks can now be purchased individually through the FPMT Foundation Store and are being made available through Amazon’s Kindle store, Apple’s iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Aldiko, Overdrive, and other ebook outlets.

The Many Ways Friends Help: Part 1

Friends of FPMT are helping International Office share the Dharma through the FPMT Online Learning Center, which has thousands of students across the world. The Online Learning Center is especially vital for those who don’t live near a Dharma center and want an opportunity for genuine study and practice. Learn how to offer your support as a friend of the FPMT mission! 

Foundation Store News: Mantra Hat Back in Stock!

We’re excited to announce that the Precious Mantra Hat, designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, is available to order today! FPMT centers, projects, and services get a special discount!

Get a Free Merit Box

There are plenty of free Merit Boxes waiting to be placed on altars in homes around the world! With a Merit Box, you can join in the International Merit Box Project, which over the past fifteen years has provided over US$1 million in grants for new holy objects, support for retreaters, Dharma libraries, repairs to FPMT center buildings, and much more. Order a Free Merit Box here.

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: Find Your Next FSS

Foundation Service Seminar participants at Losang Dragpa Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2017

Find the schedule of upcoming Foundation Service Seminars (FSS) in the Affiliates Area (log in before you click on the link). The Foundation Service Seminar is a five-day retreat that has been especially designed, following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice, for students committed to offering service within the FPMT organization. The FSS is the entry point to other FPMT service seminars, including the Teacher Development Service Seminar and the Rituals Service Seminar. Read our blog about the deep benefit offered by Foundation Service Seminars!

FPMT World:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Thubten Norbu Ling, Santa Fe, USA, August 2017. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

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: Chenrezig Institute, Australia, is looking for an FPMT registered teacher to become their new resident teacher; Chenrezig Institute is also looking for a gompa manager and has other volunteer opportunities. In the USA, Land of Medicine Buddha needs a spiritual program coordinator and a kitchen manager.

Impermanence at Work

Ganden Centre, Latvia
We welcome new director – Inese Zelmane
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Agnese Bisofa

Vajrapani Institute, USA
We welcome new spiritual program coordinator (SPC) – Shankha Mitra
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Steve Mutzig

Closed Study Group: Jetsun Drolma, Indonesia – we rejoice in their efforts to serve sentient beings.

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