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November 2007
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continuing opening the eyes of the Buddha statue in the International Office lobby.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang |
- Lama Zopa Rinpoche Discusses the Heart Shrine Relic Tour
- FPMT Snippets
- Opportunities to Offer Service in FPMT
- Impermanence at Work – Center Details Changes
To find more information as it becomes available, and for details of how to contact the center and book for these events, please go to Rinpoche’s Schedule.
2007 –
Rinpoche will teach at the Kopan November course in December.
Rinpoche will then teach at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India from Dec 24 – 27 and give Great Chenrezig initiation on Dec 28- 29.
Schedule for 2008:
- Feb 16 – 17 Teachings at Choe Khor Sum Ling, Bangalore, India
- March 18 – 31 Teachings at Mahayana Buddhist Association, Hong Kong
- April 1 – 13 Mitrugpa initiation and retreat, Mexico
- May 17 – June 2 Teachings in Colombia and Brazil
- June 5 – 7 Mahamudra teachings and Medicine Buddha initiation, Crestone, USA
- August 21 – Sept 20 Enlightened Experience Celebration (EEC) 5 in Mongolia
- Sept 23 – 30 Teachings at Do Ngak Sung Juk Centre, Japan
- Dec – Teaching at November Course, Kopan Monastery, Nepal
CPMT will be in late April 2009! More details coming soon.
Rinpoche at the opening of Amitabha Buddhist Center’s new building, Singapore; May 2007.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang |
New Advice from
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Rinpoche recently wrote this advice: OM THRE TSA RAGHANA HUNGHRI SOHA You recite this 7 times and blow under your shoes. It is mentioned in the text to blow under your feet but I think shoes have the direct contact to the creatures. Anyone who died that day under your feet gets reborn in the Deva realm of the 33. But of course this does not mean you go to step on every insect you see in the sky or under the ground, on the ground, in the water, HA HA HA HA. [This advice] is for if it only happened unconsciously, not intentionally. It is good to do this when going for walk also because there are our dear precious ant aunties, other even smaller mother sentient beings. You can do the same for the car wheels; you can spit over them after the recitation. Spit all way around. |
My dear Dharma brothers, sisters, friends,
I wish everyone to have happiness and success. Remember everyday Buddha, Dharma and Sangha with strong devotion from the heart. Try to abandon all negative thoughts.
Every day check your mind and what thoughts are there and then think: “I will never develop jealousy, pride, attachment and anger. Especially I will not criticize others; in particular I will not criticize Sangha.” Criticizing Sangha generates more negative karma than anything else because Sangha represents Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, everyday.
Let’s try everyday to be honest and kind, to have always the thought in the mind to serve Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and to serve all mother sentient beings.
These are my news.
Lama Lhundrup
Bringing the total number of FPMT centers, study groups, projects and services worldwide to 152!
Namgyalma Study Group, USA
165 W Oak St
Elko, Nevada 89801
Tel: (1) (77) 753 8414
juliecaldwell11@gmail.com
Coordinator Julie Caldwell
Closed FPMT Study Group
Sadly, Losang Chogyel Study Group in Guatemala has closed. Thanks to all who helped the group during its 5 years of benefiting beings!
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Mystic Tibet – An Outer, Inner and Secret Pilgrimage
At long last, the documentary DVD Mystic Tibet is in the final leg of production. To preview the trailer, go to FPMT Streaming Videos. This spiritual adventure follows Lama Zopa Rinpoche and fifty pilgrims as they visit many sacred sites in Tibet, including Milarepa’s meditation cave and the Jokhang in Lhasa. This intense journey explores the culture of Tibet and the spiritually rich landscape in a way that is not often seen. This film is a must-see for all students and disciples of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and is a wonderful opportunity for centers to share an |
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experience of Rinpoche with their members. The DVD will be available through the Foundation Store soon. Please watch for an announcement in the Foundation Store newsletter. Go to the Foundation Store newsletter subscription webpage if you are not already receiving this monthly update. Wholesale discounts are available to authorized wholesale distributors.
All Basic Program and Basic Program Homestudy information on the FPMT website has been updated this month. New BPs include Oseling, Spain, starting next January with Ven. Nerea Basurto, a Masters Program graduate as resident teacher, and the BP homestudy courses to be offered by Liberation Prison Project and the Czech Republic’s Dompipa Study Group!
The first Basic Program homestudy completion cards have been sent out to students of this program who are motivated to make use of the certification option. They received a digital version of their cards with their first subjects signed off!
The second Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign was a tremendous success! At this point over $112,000 has been donated. FPMT Taiwan combined the efforts of all the Taiwanese centers and projects to raise $30,000. Please join us in rejoicing in the tremendous generosity and support demonstrated by everyone connected with the campaign. Thank you again for your wonderful support and kindness. To view a partial list of the more than 2,400 supporters, please see the Donors Page. There will be an announcement concerning the disbursement of the funds following the collection of all donations.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche reading the latest issue of Mandala magazine at home in California.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang |
Mandala Magazine
The December 2007-January 2008 issue has a behind-the-scenes look at what else went on in that historic week in October, when President Bush presented the Dalai Lama with the US Congressional medal. In other stories, a doctor tells how he practices Emergency Buddhism; advice for the ‘new adult’; and Jan Willis talks about how one faith can enhance another. Look for your issue this week! Merit Box Update
The Merit Box Project for the current year is quickly drawing to a conclusion. The collection day is December 4, Lama Tsongkhapa Day. Please see our Collection Information page for all of the options for sending in your 2007 offerings. If you aren’t |
currently participating in this wonderful program, there is still time to practice Merit Box generosity for 2007! Visit the Merit Box Webpage for information.
We would like to send a heart felt Thank You to all the coordinators from the different centers and to all the people participating in this program of generosity. Your actions will preserve the Mahayana tradition long into the future.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends that all FPMT centers and projects fly the Lama Tsongkhapa prayer flag and the Gyaltsen Tsemoi Phugen prayer flags. The prayer flag of Lama Tsongkhapa is especially auspicious; it prolongs the stainless teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa. The prayer flag of Gyaltsen Tsemoi Phugen removes obstacles and promotes harmony.
Rinpoche also recommends that all FPMT centers have a statue of Lama Yeshe, the kind and peerless founder of FPMT, on the center altar. This statue and the protection of these prayer flags will help obstacles to be dispelled and the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa to flourish.
During the recent FPMT Inc board meeting at International Office, Portland, USA, Rinpoche commented:
“I didn’t know the [Heart Shrine] Relic Tour would be of such great benefit to the world, create such devotion.
For example, a child went to see the relics; the father was Christian and waited at the door, looking negatively at the relics but didn’t stop his child going in. Then the child pushed him in and at the first relic this father had some great experience, really changed his mind in a positive way, which is what is needed for the world.
I think this is Buddha’s action, working through the relics to benefit sentient beings, Buddha giving blessings to people through the relics. People enjoy the relics so much, generate so much devotion. Devotion is the source – from devotion you get blessings, from blessings you get realisations, the strength to engage in the path.
The Relic Tour is one way to bring world peace, through people changing their mind. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, outer peace through inner peace. So the relics take a very important role in world peace. That’s the purpose for the Buddha leaving relics.”
Exciting News from Spain!
From Ven Fabio, our Spanish national coordinator writes: “Buddhism has been recognized by the Spanish government as an official religion. About the implications for centers….it means that we will start official negotiations with the state in order to get financial benefits and to recognize Sangha as “religious ministers/priests”.
Keep checking https://fpmt.org/jobs.html for interesting opportunities to offer service in FPMT centers around the world.
New opportunities include Director of the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program; Spiritual Program Coordinator at Mahamudra Center, Coromandel, New Zealand and Manager at Milarepa Center, Vermont, USA.
NB: center details are always most up to date in the directory on the FPMT website, https://fpmt.org/centers/
Aryatara Institut, Germany
New resident teacher – Ven. Fedor Stracke
(Geshe Soepa is teaching at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London while Geshe Tashi is on retreat, and will then move to Lama Yeshe Ling in Canada)
Centro Yamantaka, Columbia
New Spiritual Program Coordinator – Martha Morales
With grateful thanks to outgoing SPC Ana Maria Wiesner
Do Ngak Sung Juk Centre, USA
New director – Claude Ito
With grateful thanks to outgoing director Shoko Harding
Guhyasamaja Center, USA
New director – Lorne Ladner
With grateful thanks to outgoing director Betty Rogers
Kurukulla Center, USA
Fax: (1) (678) 868 4806
Mahamudra Centre, New Zealand
New director – Ven Nangsel (Bernice)
With grateful thanks to outgoing acting director Roy Fraser
Milarepa Center, USA
1344 US Route 5 South
PO Box 51
Barnet, Vermont 05821
Shantideva Study Group, USA
Mailing Address Only
1230 Amsterdam Ave
Apt # 813
New York, NY 10027
New coordinator – Aliki Nicolaides
With love,
FPMT International Office