Center Harmony
Rinpoche visited Hayagriva Center in Perth and said "it touched His heart seeing such harmony, everyone helping and supporting each other, working so well together"... |
FPMT International Office News:Education Department The Education Department will again be hosting an FPMT training, October 8-14 at Mahamudra Center, NZ. |
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New - Connecting our Dharma Practice with our Life in the World
First tip |
FPMT WEBSITE
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FPMT NEWS AND EVENTS
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IMPERMANENCE AT WORK
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Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Milarepa posture in a cave near Sera where Milarepa meditated Rinpoche has now completed his teaching tour of Australia, and is now in New Zealand. The Australia tour began in Perth at Hayagriva Center, where Rinpoche said "It touched His heart seeing such harmony... everyone helping and supporting each other.. working so well together". Claire asked John Waite, director of Hayagriva, for his comments on Rinpoche's comments: "The only comment I can make quoting Rinpoche is that harmony is the key to a centre's growth. I have certainly seen this at Hayagriva; for the last few years the focus has been on harmony, which is so difficult because our individual karma causes us to see things from each individual's side as substantially real. For harmony to exist we always need to allow that our views might not be valid for everyone. Many people would have areas they would be critical of myself for example but if they are kind enough to see that I try and act with good motivation this then allows us to be tolerant and grow together. The real turning point in Hayagriva came when people started to volunteer to do things in whatever capacity they had to help. It is hard to create systems that enable this to be used as effectively as possible and we're still working with that one. We spend many years wondering how to realize Rinpoche's vision for FPMT but the answer is simple if not always easy or instant; we must have strong guru devotion and create the merit to allow us to progress. I apologised to Rinpoche while he was here for being slow to carry out a commitment I made to him in Adelaide about three years ago but he kindly said it required great merit to carry out such a project and to be patient while working to create the merit required. All the projects we undertake in FPMT require great merit, and many sentient beings are dependant on us creating that merit, so we must take every opportunity to create that merit. The best way to create it is to practise whatever Rinpoche requests immediately to the best of our ability. Rinpoche requested the centre get a large Hayagriva statue this weekend; it is our intention to order it this week. He is very kind to us here in giving us something we can achieve right now; I admire the people in FPMT that take on projects that are so vast it will take years to complete. We all need to help these people as much as we can to achieve these projects. I certainly don't want to create a view that Hayagriva is some Shangri-La; difficulties always arise in how people interrelate. However we have focused on trying to overcome difficulties and achieving outcomes that the majority are happy with. Carrying out the teaching of Lam Rim is the best way to achieve this." Ven Dondrup, resident teacher at Hayagriva Center, added: "Rinpoche seemed very impressed by the harmony at the Centre. I think we may now hold the world record for latest start for an initiation. The gektor didn't get out the door until about 1.45 am, but then the Chenrezig empowerment sped along at an amazing rate and we were done by about 3.00am. There was a rainbow over the plane as Rinpoche left Perth airport. What more can I say." |
International Office director Kim was very relieved when our very heavy Buddha statue was safely placed in its new home! Education Dept News Programs: The Education Department will again be hosting an FPMT training, October 8-14 at Mahamudra Center, NZ. The new training format will combine the popular SPC and Foundation trainings, while adding an additional element: "the Inner Job Description". This will be the only training hosted in 2006, though requests are being accepted for 2007!! To encourage you to book now, some feedback on the Foundation Training in Compassionate Service, Kopan Monastery in July 2004, from Selina Foong, who was at that time SPC at Losang Dragpa Centre, Malaysia: "In the last week of July, I travelled to Kathmandu to participate in FPMT's first "Foundation Training in Compassionate Service" course. One might well wonder why I was doing things back to front - "2 years as SPC and now she is going for foundation training? Has she gone nutty from all the work?!" Sanity intact, I can now happily report that the course was both invaluable and enjoyable. So much so, I would highly recommend that ANYONE interested in serving FPMT in even the smallest capacity (and I don't just mean officially!) should attend when it is offered again. 
International Office staff bond on the Portland Spirit boat trip What were the great things about this course? There were the course leaders & participants. What a highly inspiring group of people - such different backgrounds, yet with the same, single-minded purpose. All serving our guru in some manner or other, an easy camaraderie developed between us almost instantly. As the days went by and we got to know each other better through discussion groups, tea breaks & mealtimes, the feeling of being part of a huge and close-knit family grew even stronger. And, last but not least, there was the course itself! Led by FPMT stalwarts Kendall, Merry & Allys, it was 5 and a half days of pure immersion into the FPMT mandala. By the end of it, I was so energized my head was spinning with all sorts of (hopefully not too crazy) Dharma aspirations! FPMT Foundation training: Highly recommended. Be sure to give neither a miss when an opportunity comes up again!" Materials: NEW! Ready for this... you will now find on the FPMT members page, (education/DB updates) the written transcripts of all the Discovering Buddhism at Home modules. These transcripts are being made available to centers strictly as a resource to help your DB teachers prepare for their classes. These transcripts are NOT intended for distribution or printing. Please honor the copyright! Hopefully this new resource will be a beneficial aid for your DB teachers so be sure to let them know of this: https://www.fpmt.org/members/education/dbmaterials!/default.asp Also, PLEASE remember to keep Merry informed of any and all DB retreats being hosted at your center. Many people refer to the DB retreats page of the FPMT web site and without up-to-date information from you we cannot direct students to your center! NEW! The "must-have-must see", Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Part 2 is out! This wonderfully researched volume provides the essential hands-on instructions for how to bless the land, build a stupa, fill a stupa etc. Also, at the request of Rinpoche, we have included more than 27 color photographs of stupas built throughout the FPMT mandala. NEW! As well, volume 2 of our 4 part Vajrayogini series, The Pacifying Burning Offering Ritual of Vajrayogini: An FPMT Manual to Complete the Approximation Retreat, is now at the printer and will be on the shelf no later than July 6. Everyone rejoice!!!! We have found a benefactor who will pay for the printing for 1200 copies of the beautiful new edition of Essential Buddhist Prayers, Volume 1. Thus, we will be sending out free copies of this FPMT prayer book to all centers in early August. Centers will receive copies appropriate for their size and country. Large English-speaking countries will receive up to 30 copies, while study groups and non-English-speaking centers will receive two copies for the gompa. With huge and grateful thanks to our most kind benefactor!! And rejoice some more!!! Because we've also found a benefactor who will pay for the printing of Essential Buddhist Prayers, Volume 2. Ven Mindrol will be changing the formatting as per the new look of volume 1 (on Rinpoche's advice) and once done, this too will be going to the printers. You can expect your copies around October. Check out the new packaging on all our audio CDs. If your center has a shop has hesitated until now to carry Education Department CDs, rest assured our new packaging meets the mark and can now be beautifully displayed in any center shop. THANK YOU to Mandala Books, Australia for starting a new phase in distributing Education Department materials throughout Australia! Translations: Non-English speakers don't despair!! In October, we had a meeting of all our new translation coordinators for French, Spanish German and Italian. Rest assured these coordinators are gathering the momentum and resources they need to provide you most quickly with the essential education and center services materials that you need. Following the translator meeting, Merry and Olga toured through Spain with our new coordinator, Ven Nerea, to gather support for Nerea's particularly challenging new role as coordinator not only for Spain, but for Mexico, Central, and South America as well. For anyone who missed out on the first announcement, the new and final English translation of Sanghata Sutra is still being made available, free of charge, through the Foundation Store. Hopefully no later than August will be also offering you, free of charge, the new and final English translation of Sutra of Golden Light NEW! Sanghata Sutra in Russian! Breaking news!! It seems that Diamant Verlag, Germany will be the first country to be publishing under one cover all three sutras; Golden Light, Sanghata and Diamond Cutter. The translation of Education Department materials is reaching further every day. 3000 copies of our children's book, Tales of a Good Heart are being printed in Bhutan for distribution in the public school system. The Discovering Buddhism DVDs, now translated into Russian, are being shown throughout the republic on TV. From the tour organizer responsible: "We are in the Russian city of Samara now, and started showing "Discovering Buddhism" to our numerous guests. We are showing one film every day, which is followed by Question and Answers session led by our senior monk Thupten Shakya la. The film is 26 minutes, as you know, but the following session lasts forever as the people become so exited and full of enthusiasm after they saw both high Tibetan masters and their Western followers on the screen. I want to thank you personally and FPMT in general for allowing us to show this wonderful series in the Russian cities which is a great gift for our people. From Samara we are going to another Russian city Krasnodar where people are longing to see the series as well. From there we will go the Buddhist republic of Kalmykia where the series had been already shown on the TV during the opening ceremony of their new temple. The temple now has an outstanding conference hall, so we think about showing the series there during our program in June, as many people will come there from small villages. We want to arrange another screening on the local TV. Now His Holiness the Dalai Lama's possible visit to Russia is widely talked about - so it would be nice if people are reminded of the Buddhist teachings. Our last place will be the Buddhist republic of Tuva, where we are also going to show the series both on TV and in our "sand-mandala hall". I found Q&A session organized after the film to be very fruitful, and we want to continue with that. All our screenings are free of charge as we want as many people as possible to get in touch with the Buddhist teachings." Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to let us know how we can better serve you! - Merry and Mindrol Mandala Magazine: Lots happening in the Mandala office. We are busy collating more than 500 responses to a reader survey we conducted by email recently. It is good to know what our readers think of us and how we can improve; and it is especially heartening to know that in many respects we are fulfilling readers' expectations and sometimes even surpassing them. Our slightly provocative June-July cover of a rock band was very well received, even by some of the die-hards. And newsstand distributors began to contact us to ask for more, which is a very good sign. We have found an enthusiastic local Portland printer who can print Mandala in color throughout at no more cost than the current versions in which color was reserved for the ads. Journal Graphics is an environment-conscious printer - they recently installed state of the art air pollution control that feeds on fumes from ink; instead of venting a volatile toxin into the air, the oxidizer consumes it completely and in doing so actually generates power. Our designer Melody Swan (she's been helping us to create Mandala since 2000) has entered into the spirit of things, and is coming up with a fresh look. So watch out for the August-September issue which should be out in the second week in July. FPMT Website: NEW - FPMT EVENTS We would like to invite you to send Claire a brief description and photo of exciting upcoming or successfully completed events at your center or project so that we can add a juicy FPMT Events page on the FPMT website, which will be regularly updated so that we can all rejoice, get ideas, and be informed about interesting things going on in the FPMT Mandala. See the news below of ILTK's International Meeting of Stupa Builders, and Land of Medicine Buddha's Dharma Trail for good examples! Send your news and photos now to claire@fpmt.org! RETREAT INFORMATION Don't forget that the FPMT website is happy to advertise your center's retreat program - helping students around the world know what retreats are available. Have a look at the Retreat webpage (and send Claire your new retreat info) and for Discovering Buddhism Retreats (and send Merry your DB retreat info). DONATE NOW to FPMT International Office |
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NEW - CONNECTING OUR DHARMA PRACTICE WITH OUR LIFE IN THE WORLD
We've asked Elaine Brook and Paul Swatridge of FPMT's Shen Phen Thubten Choling, a centre for socially and ecologically-engaged Buddhism, to contribute some advice for us in each FPMT General Newsheet to help us connect our Dharma practice with our life in the world. Go to http://www.gaiacooperative.org/shenpen for more information! First tip These practices also save us money, but we should focus on the mind of compassion for others! |
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FPMT NEWS AND EVENTS
STUPA REBUILDING PROJECT - International Meeting of Stupa Builders From Laura Pellati, director Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa. "This is a project to rebuild all the stupas existing in Asia including those in Tibet, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Ladakh, India and Sri Lanka. In Asia there are about 24,000 stupas abandoned and in ruins. This project aims to restore all these stupas with teams of local artisans who will also develop these areas to increase interest in cultural tourism, develop local schools, and medical and hygienic services. Initially the project will be involved in restoring stupas in China, Tibet, Nepal and Ladakh.. All the stupas will be restored in honour of the people who built them and the Holy Mind of Enlightenment. The project will dedicate all the positive energy generated by the rebuilding of the stupas to world peace and to the purification of all external and internal circumstances which cause about 24,000 human beings to die of hunger each day in the world.. To begin the Stupa Rebuilding Project an International Meeting with Living Stupa Builders has been organized on November 10th - 11th - 12 th 2006 at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia, 56040 Santa Luca - PISA - ITALY.
The meeting is supported by many Tibetan Lamas and Geshes and there will be a discussion of opinions and proposals of projects with the aim of beginning this initiative as soon as possible. The first meeting will be in English and only people who have built a stupa can attend. At this time, the organizers are engaged in directly contacting all stupa builders, and to participate in the meeting the only requirement is to send in a Curriculum Vitae and a photo of any stupas you built. Lama Tsong Khapa Institute will contribute to this event providing hospitality to participants, offering food and board. To enter a name on the list of participants or for more information please contact:
ENCHANTED DHARMA TRAIL From Sally Barraud, director of Land of Medicine Buddha: "We finally have almost all the 8 Verses up around the loop trail at LMB, each one with a little landscaped area around it, and a nice teak bench for people to sit on and read each verse. Some of the verses already have nice flowering daffodils and other plans growing underneath them. Each verse and bench will have a plaque with who sponsored it as well. Last Sunday Erick and I did a walk around to check on the verses and I was amazed at how many people were wandering around up the loop trail, and in and out of the enchanted forest in general - many people enjoy LMB on the weekends. We came around one corner in the loop trail to where one of the verses is, and there were two ladies sitting on the bench, and a man with his dog standing behind the bench and they were all in silence reading the verse. We got chatting to them, saying how happy we were to see people enjoying the verses and benches, and one of the ladies said she had been walking around the loop trail, feeling very angry with the American government, so angry she had the thought "why doesn't someone kill him". Then she came upon the verse something about anger not being okay, and she realised that she had been thinking wrongly and needed to transform her mind! So from virtually the first day the Verses were erected, they have benefitted the beings walking around and seeing them. And we are in the process of having the deities to go above each verse printed on the same sign material as the verses as Rinpoche advised. When they are printed, they can be attached nicely to the existing signs." NB: Slogans selected by Rinpoche to be displayed in centers are available in English, Spanish, French and Italian - just go to the FPMT Members Area FEEDBACK ABOUT DB RETREAT "It has been three weeks since I returned from the DB retreat and my life is probably better than it ever has been. We do not get paid vacations where I work and when I first asked for the time of to go to Vermont for two weeks my Boss said no way! Four days away from when I would need to leave to get to Milarepa Center on time he came to me and said I could go, that he would pay me for one week and when I got back he had given me a raise. Spiritually I am growing, sometimes it seems by leaps and bounds, I get along with all my coworkers and not just with in our company but with all the trade workers. I feel more confident less arrogant much more Loving much more Compassionate less irritable much less selfish. I listen a lot more than I speak, or a lot more than I used to anyhow. Thubten Yeshe (aka T.Y.) is an excellent teacher, very well spoken, very articulate with a huge reserve of knowledge and wisdom! Go to the DB retreats if you are able." 
Treats in Holland MORE ICECREAM EATEN IN HOLLAND From Maarten at Maitreya Institute: "We posted your update about the Amitayus mantra count on our notice board at the Maitreya Institute here in Emst, Netherlands. This inspired some students to go out and get ice cream for Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen and everyone. Pictures attached. Thanks, both doing the mantras and the ice cream were a treat!" |
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IMPERMANENCE AT WORK
FPMT STAFF CHANGES Buddha Maitreya Study Group, USA
Chengawa Study Group, Australia
Kadampa Center, USA
Nagarjuna Center, Alicante, Spain
Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling, Denmark
Tubten Kunga Center, USA
Shantideva Meditation Group, USA
With grateful thanks to the outgoing directors and coordinators. NEW RESIDENT TEACHER Bay Area FPMT Centers: Emily Hsu (Emily is a Masters Program graduate) Some lovely feedback about a Masters Program graduate - Merry and I are becoming very familiar with this sort of feedback about Masters Program graduates! "They led the first 3 review sessions of the teachings - they expected 10-20 people and 120 !!! came for this first session (we didn't tell them that we always have a full gompa). They handled it very very well, everybody was very impressed - if all Master program graduates are like this one - WOW amazing!" CHANGES OF ADDRESS Australian National Coordinator - Helen Patrin
Buddha Maitreya Study Group
Chagtong Chentong, Tasmania, Australia
Chengawa Study Group, Australia
Dompipa Study Group, Czech Republic
FPMT Taiwan - their new Chinese-language website with many translations of Rinpoche's advice.
Himalayan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Nepal
Institut Vajra Yogini, France
Kopan Monastery, Nepal
Kushi Ling Retreat Centre, Italy
Lama Yeshe Ling Study Group, Canada
Losang Dragpa Center, Losang Dragpa Center
Losang Chogyel Study Group, Guatemala
Naropa Meditation Center, Tahiti
Shantideva Meditation Group, USA
Shenphen Thubten Choling, UK
Shinč, Italy
Tubten Kunga Center, USA
Yeshe Norbu Appello Per Il Tibet, Italy
OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFER SERVICE IN FPMT CENTRO KUSHI LING, Laghel 19, 38062 Arco, Italy
Impegno: circa 20 ore a settimana
Per favore contattare Claudia o Franz al numero 347-2113471 oppure 0471-964183, o visitate il nostro sito www.kushi-ling.com CHENREZIG INSTITUTE, Queensland, Australia
FPMT RADIO
Please apply to Roy Harvey (founder of FPMT Radio) at roy@lamrim.com MILAREPA TIBETAN BUDDHIST CENTER, Barnet, Vermont, USA
The Center Manager is expected to work with the Director and Spiritual Program Coordinator to support the vision of Milarepa Center with the full engagement of center staff, board, and community. This position will require full time hands on work. Compensation includes room and board, monthly stipend, access to regular Dharma teachings and programming, vacation time, time and place to develop personal Dharma practice, and the joy of working for the happiness of others by helping the Dharma to flourish. Qualifications: Candidates should ideally have devotion to Lama Zopa Rinpoche as well as familiarity with the FPMT, either through having studied or holding an official role at an FPMT center regularly for more than two years. Devotion to the Buddha's Teachings and commitment to benefiting others is a minimum. The ideal candidate would also have management experience in business, nonprofit, or religious organizations. Applicants should have exceptional one-to-one and group communication skills and be able to enthusiastically create harmony and a sense of unified purpose. Strong written communication skills are important. Experience with budget preparations, financial statements, and donor-tracking systems are useful as well. This position is open immediately. For more information on responsibilities, or to apply, please contact Wendy Hobbs, Center Director, Milarepa Tibetan Buddhist Center, 1344 US Route 5 South, Barnet, VT 05821, USA. (802) 633-4136, milarepa@milarepacenter.org. Resumes and letter of interest can be emailed. - AND - Work opportunity from April to November 2006
For more information go to: http://www.milarepacenter.org to download our application form for volunteers.
ROOT INSTITUTE, Bodhgaya, India
Volunteering at Root Institute is a wonderful opportunity to live in the blessed environment of Bodhgaya while benefiting others! Join our team of dedicated FPMT students working to fulfil Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wish for students to meet and practice the Dharma in Bodhgaya! Position 1: Office / reception
Position 3: Graphic Design Volunteer
Position 4: Health Programme Nurse
All on-site volunteers receive a private room, three delicious vegetarian meals per day and a great deal of satisfaction and merit from benefiting so many people! Interested? For position 1 - 3: please email your response to director@rootinstitute.com and spc@rootinstitute.com by July 15th 2006, outlining briefly why you would like to offer service here, references, if you offered service in an FPMT centre before, and if you have a current connection with an FPMT centre. For position 4 & 5: Please email your response to health@rootinstitute.com. OSEL STUDY GROUP, Goa, India
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