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Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s News: Rinpoche’s Schedule New Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche Experience the Lam-rim His Holiness the Dalai Lama Expresses His Happiness International Office News: Education Services Programs Materials Translation Mandala Publications Staff Changes Friends of FPMT For Center, Project and Service Directors, SPCs, Teachers and Board Members		Rinpoche with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dharmasala, India, July 2010. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
Rinpoche’s Advice for Centers to Offer Sur Regularly FPMT, Inc. Board Minutes International Office Social Networking Policy Foundation Store Benefits FPMT World: Welcome to the New FPMT Study Group in Mauritius Rejoice – Geshe Doga Benefits FPMT for 33 Years Rejoice – His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Visit Chenrezig Institute Excellent Use of FPMT Handbook Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT Impermanence at Work

To find more information as it becomes available, and for details of how to contact the center and register for these events, please go to Rinpoche’s Schedule.

2010

September 2 – 5 Milarepa initiation and retreat at Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA

September 8 Blessing the stupa at Kurukulla Center, Boston, USA

September 11 Teachings on Shakyamuni Buddha’s mantra and the four immeasurables at Kadampa Center, North Carolina, USA

September 12 – 25 Light of the Path, USA – registration now open!

POSTPONED (was Oct. 1-3) – Teaching and retreat at Tubten Kunga Center, Florida, USA

2011

April 2 – 30

 Teachings on

Bodhicaryavatara

and Rinjung Gyatsa initiations at

Atisha Centre

, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia.

Ven Roger Kunsang reports that Rinpoche has mentioned several times in the last few months:

“Within the FPMT organization we are doing well studying the words. Now students need to experience the lam-rim.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Expresses His Happiness Excerpted from Ven. Roger Kunsang’s blog Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche (posted on July 23, 2010). Ven. Roger’s very entertaining blog enables us all to keep up with Rinpoche’s activities.

His Holiness with Rinpoche, Ven. Kunsang and Ven. Sangpo, Dharamsala, India, July 2010.

“Rinpoche is in retreat which started about 10 days ago. Prior to the retreat, Rinpoche met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It was a relaxed meeting (meetings with His Holiness in recent times are quite brief and to the point because of the very demanding schedule that His Holiness has, but, the occasional more-relaxed appointments do occur) and His Holiness expressed his happiness with Rinpoche and the activities of FPMT.”

Living in the Path: If you are attending the Light of the Path (LOP) retreat in September 2010 in North Carolina, USA, the best way to honor the effort that Rinpoche put into teaching in 2009 is to review what was taught as completely as possible prior to the start of this year’s teachings.

At the end of the teachings in 2009, Lama Zopa Rinpoche reflected on their importance as a preparation for the teachings in 2010:

“What I spoke about this time is mindfulness. Next time, this is the beginning that everyone has to know. This is what retreat is. Then, on the basis of that, there is renunciation, bodhichitta and right view. This is what I want to say. Next time, I will go straight through the commentary.

These talks are the preparation. Because this time I spoke about this subject, next time I don’t need to speak about it. These talks have been the preparation. Next time, I can start without preparation – of course, there is the motivation. Next time, somebody can explain the way of doing retreat, ‘This is the foundation of retreat, the fundamental practice of retreat.’ At the beginning, they can introduce how you should practice mindfulness. They can introduce this at the beginning as the beginning preparation, so that I can go straight through the commentary.”

There are three ways to prepare:

• BEST – Review Modules 1-3 of Living in the Path (LP) Online. Go through the reading packets of each module and review the meditations and mindfulness exercises. Both Module 1 and Module 2 have compiled all the relevant practices into convenient booklets.       

NB: The advantage to following LP Online is that it packages the teachings in the practice-oriented way that Rinpoche presented them, with meditations and mindfulness exercises. To really understand the mindfulness that Rinpoche was encouraging us all to cultivate, LP Online is your best option.
Note: We hope to make available a brief introduction to the root text, Lamp of the Path, by mid-August.

• BETTER – Review Module 1, acquire a copy of the glossy booklet Taking the Essence and read the 2009 transcripts.

Note: Module 1 is free. Just login and use enrollment key: motivation03.

• GOOD – Simply read the 2009 transcripts.

On the Online Learning Center:

• NEW! Discovering Buddhism Module 2 in French! Click the Français tab on the homepage of the Online Learning Center and there it will be: en français!
• NEW! Heart Advice for Death and Dying: five teachings and five meditations by Ven. Sangye Khadro
• NEW! Buddhism in a Nutshell: five teachings and five meditations by Ven. Amy Miller
• COMING SOON! Basic Program Module 1, Awareness and Knowers, Mind and Cognition Part 1

Discovering Buddhism: Encouragement to centers to offer DB completion certificates! Newsflash from Ven. Glenda Gyalmo in Mongolia: “We recently completed DB Module 1 at the Golden Light Sutra Centre and we managed to do the one-day retreat having a good attendance considering it was the last Sunday before

Nadaam, Mongolia’s National Festival, when everything grinds to a halt! All participants received a completion certificate for the module.”

YEAH! PDF downloads from the Foundation Store now available in Kindle and Ipad “Reader E-book format”

NEW! Prayer Wheel Card can be downloaded from Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This simple explanation on prayer wheels from Rinpoche can be posted near your center’s prayer wheel.

For all those asking how to consecrate your Samantabhadra Protection Card (or other holy objects), a short consecration ritual advised by Rinpoche is now available under the section “Protection from Harm.”

COMING SOON! Revised and updated Intermediate Practices of Vajra Yogini

NEW! 108 Names of Tara, just completed by Corey Jackson. PDF download available from the Foundation Store.

Meditation 101 now available in Portuguese!

From Mandala Publications: Please enjoy the latest Mandala eZine, Guru Devotion As The Source Of All Happiness. This issue takes advantage of video and audio content to deliver various teachings and perspectives on the importance of establishing a healthy relationship with a qualified spiritual guide. The Mandala eZine is a benefit of the Friends of FPMT program, a worldwide program composed of students and friends working together to support FPMT’s global activities. Please get involved in order to stay connected to all that FPMT has to offer.

Sherri Rita has resigned as Development Director, and we wish her well in her new job.

Heather Drollinger joined the International Office team on August 2 as Donor Services Coordinator, working on Friends of FPMT, the International Merit Box Project and other projects. Heather has offered service for five years in many ways to many of International Office’s departments, including Education Services, Center Services (Heather was one of the key editors of the revised FPMT Handbook), Finance and the Foundation Store. International Office is very happy to welcome Heather back into the team!

Becoming a Friend of FPMT means that you can stay connected to all that FPMT has to offer: from free resources, to Mandala Publications, to the FPMT Online Learning Center, to keeping informed about FPMT news, activity and opportunities worldwide. Please consider becoming a Friend of FPMT today. Together we can make a difference. (This advice is specifically for those offering service in the roles listed above. If you have any questions about anything mentioned below, please feel free to contact Center Services directly.) Please check that you received Rinpoche’s advice sent out on July 27 via the CPMT e-group regarding Sur offering practice, the practice of aroma charity. Minutes from the meeting held May 14-16, 2010 are in the FPMT Affiliates Area.

Osel Hita was an invited guest at the board meeting, and stressed the importance of gratitude. He made the following suggestion:

“It is really important for each center to make a display about its history that can be seen by everyone who visits the center. The display should include the names of the key people who have contributed to the development of the center: at the beginning, and on the [center’s] board.”

Many centers responded to the email announcing that International Office had created this policy for its own use. It is now available in the FPMT Affiliates Area, under Center Management, in case it can be of help to your center, project or service in developing your own policy. The FPMT Foundation Store would like to remind all FPMT centers and study groups that wholesale discounts are available to you. Wholesale discounts are 40% on most education materials, 10% -20% on most meditation supplies. Discounts are combined with generous 60 to 90 day payment terms. If you need assistance, please feel to contact the Foundation Store directly.

Check the latest Foundation Store Newsletter for new product arrivals and monthly specials!

A warm welcome to the newest FPMT study group – Dharmarakshita Study Group, named after one of the gurus of Lama Atisha. Vimla Koonja is the study group’s coordinator.

This means that there are now 159 centers, projects and services in 37 countries worldwide under the spiritual direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT.

Rejoice – Geshe Doga Benefits FPMT for 33 Years Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, recently celebrated Geshe Doga’s 75th birthday – and also the fact that Geshe-la had been resident teacher at Tara Institute for 25 years! Before TI, Geshe-la taught for two years in Atisha Centre, Australia and for six years at Kopan Monastery, Nepal – making his current total years of service to FPMT students a wonderful 33 years.

Geshe Doga at his birthday party on July 11 with Ven. Michael Losang Yeshe. Photo by Damien Busby.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote and sent gifts to thank Geshe-la for his service on behalf of the entire FPMT organization.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Chenrezig Institute in Queensland, Australia on June 16, 2011 to bless the Garden of Enlightenment, officially reopen the gompa following its renovation and to give a teaching! Rasmus Hougaard, director of Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling in Denmark, shares his excellent approach with us:

“I have been studying the FPMT Handbook regularly for the last five years. Especially to be able to introduce it to new board members, etc. For us, the Handbook is a very well used and helpful tool on a daily basis.

My mission for the time I will be director is to create a closer sense of relation to FPMT within TNL. It is already good, but can always be better. I have discussed this with the board and everybody agrees on this.”

 

Please check out the many exciting opportunities to offer service in FPMT centers, projects and services around the world!

Tushita Meditation Center in Dharamsala, India is looking for a financial assistant and a kitchen supervisor.

Maitreya Project Relic Tour is looking for a happy, energetic and grounded person to travel with the holy relics in the USA and South America beginning September 15, 2010.

Aryatara Institut , Germany   
New director – Eva März
With grateful thanks to outgoing director – Harald Weichhart

Centro Yamantaka, Colombia
informacionbudismobogota@gmail.com

Chenrezig Institute, Australia
New SPC – Nathalie Meriaud
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Lisa Perry

Longku Center, Switzerland   
New (and first!) SPC – Ute Eggert

Maitri Charitable Trust, India
ferranti@ndc.vsnl.net.in

Land of Calm Abiding, USA
Tel: +1 303-945-4977

Losang Dragpa Centre, Malaysia
New SPC – Yuyin Khor
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Yeo Puay Huei

Pamtingpa Center, USA
pamtingpa@gmail.com

Shantideva Meditation Group, USA
New coordinator – Mary Esbjornson
With grateful thanks to outgoing coordinator – Ven. Yangchen

Tekchen Chö Ling, Spain
centrobudistaontinyent@hotmail.es

Tse Chen Ling, USA
New SPC – Charles Smith
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC – Ven. Chokyi

Yeshe Norbu Study Group, Sweden
Tel: +46 0707 321 793
http://wishfulfillingjewel.bloggspace.se/
yeshenorbustudygroup@hotmail.com

With love,
FPMT International Office