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Obituaries
Lama Zopa Rinpoche requested that “students who read these obituaries pray that the person mentioned finds a perfect human body, meets a Mahayana guru, and becomes enlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the teachings exist and they can become enlightened.” Reading these obituaries also gives us an opportunity to reflect on death and impermanence and to make the determination to live life in the most meaningful way. Rinpoche continuously reminded us to meditate on death and impermanence in order to motivate ourselves to practice Dharma right now! If we put off Dharma practice for when we are older or less busy, we assume that we will wake up tomorrow morning, and there is no promise of this.
More advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources. To submit an obituary for an FPMT student, please see our obituary submission guidelines.
Bearing the Pain for Others: Rejoicing in the Life of Jody Galt
Jo Marie Galt, 71, died in Santa Cruz, US, on September 1, of cardiac arrest resulting from various contributing health factors. By Elaine Jackson Jo Marie Galt (Jody) was loved by her Dharma family at Vajrapani Institute where we met ... Read more »
Rejoicing in the Life of Gen Ngawang Namgyal
Gen Ngawang Namgyal died in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 5, 2022. Gen Ngawang Namgyal was one of the first monks at Lawudo and Kopan Monastery. Before his passing on July 5, Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited him at Karuna Hospital, offering ... Read more »
Khyongla Rato Rinpoche Passes Away
We are saddened to share the news that Khyongla Rato Rinpoche peacefully passed away in Dharamsala, India, on May 24, 2022. Khyongla Rato Rinpoche was a reincarnate lama and scholar of the Gelugpa order of Tibetan Buddhism, who was born ... Read more »
Rejoicing in the Life of Dr. Giorgio Armato: A Man of Few Words and Many Actions
Dr. Giorgio Armato, 74, died at home in Genoa, Italy, on January 21, of cancer. Dr. Giorgio Armato graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in Genoa, Italy, and specialized in oncology. He met Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1975 ... Read more »
Rejoicing in the Cheerful Perseverance and Loving Concern of Rowena Mayer
Rowena Mayer, 81, died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, on January 26, 2022, of cancer By Don Handrick Rowena Mayer met the Dharma for the first time in the early 1980s when she attended a teaching with His ... Read more »
Rejoicing in the Life of Eléa Redel Who Benefited Others by Mere Sight
Eléa Redel, 74, died of rheumatoid polyarthritis, on January 7, 2022, in Lavaur, France By Christian Charrier Eléa Redel was finally released from her long-term physical suffering on January 7, 2022, at Institut Vajra Yogini, France. Geshe Loden, our resident ... Read more »
The FPMT Community Celebrates the Life of Thich Nhat Hanh
Buddhist monk, Vietnamese Zen Master, engaged-buddhism proponent, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on January 22, 2022, at the age of 95. Spiritual leaders as well as FPMT students and centers around the world have been sharing the ... Read more »
Ladakhi Lama Passes Away
We are saddened to share the news that Ven. Thupten Tsewang (also known as Ladakhi Lama and Baling Lama), born in Ladakh, India, passed away at the age of 92, at Kalpataru Buddha Vihar, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, on April 25, ... Read more »
Chandramani Kumar Passes Away
Chandramani Kumar, 55, died in Patna, Bihar, India, on May 17, 2021, of COVID By Root Institute for Wisdom Culture former director Ven. Tenzin Paldron and former volunteer Ven. Tashi Choedup Chandramani Kumar, fondly known as Chunnu ji, was one ... Read more »
Determined, Persistent, and Hard-working Friend of the Maitreya Project Atul Chopra Passes Away
Atul Chopra, 61, died in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, on May 7, 2021, of COVID-19 By Marcel Bertels, director of FPMT project Maitreya Buddha Kushinagar I met Atul in 2001. After deciding to relocate the Maitreya Project from Bihar, India, ... Read more »
Naresh Sahai Mathur Passes Away
We are saddened to share the news that Naresh Sahai Mathur passed away at the age of 67, in New Delhi, India, on April 25, 2021, of COVID-19. Naresh was an early student of FPMT founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and ... Read more »