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Support at the Time of Death
Requesting Prayers for the Recently Deceased
We are very happy to offer support to FPMT students at the most crucial time of death, by giving the names of students who have died to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and FPMT Sangha communities, with the request for their prayers. In addition a stupa tsa tsa is created and dedicted for each person who has passed away. This is a service which Lama Zopa Rinpoche specifically requested International Office to offer to all FPMT students, because death is the most critical time when students need help.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2017. Photo by Bill Kane
This Service is Available for FPMT Students
FPMT students are also welcome to request prayers for family members or close friends.
This service is only available for those who have died within 49 days of the request being made. This is because the prayers are for the deceased person while they are in the bardo (intermediate state), which lasts for up to 49 days after the time of death.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept prayers for deceased pets, in order to keep the service manageable. Learn more about how you can help animals by clicking on the Animals topic on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Advice page.
What Happens With Your Request for Prayers
The names of the recently deceased are given with a request for prayers for their fortunate rebirth to:
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama**
- Nalanda Monastery, who make a stupa tsa tsa dedicated for anyone who has passed away
- Kopan Monastery
- Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery
- Chenrezig Nuns’ Community
**Our friends at Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India, give the name of the deceased to His Holiness the Dalai Lama via his office. At International Office’s request, in order to create merit for the deceased, Tushita accompanies each request for prayers for the individual with a khata (offering scarf) and a small donation. The Dalai Lama’s office kindly provides a packet of mani pills and a blessing cord. Tushita staff then mails these the person who requested the prayers (naturally there are postal expenses to send these).
If You Would Like to Make a Donation
After submitting your prayer request, if you would like to do so you are welcome to make a donation to the Prayers for the Dead Fund on behalf of the deceased person, as a means of creating merit for them.
How Your Donation to the Prayers for the Dead Fund is Used:
The donations collected in this fund are given as offerings to:
- The Dalai Lama Foundation.
- The FPMT Sangha communities listed above.
- Tushita Meditation Center to help cover their direct costs,
- The Stupa Fund, to contribute to the cost of the materials for the stupa tsa tsas mentioned above.
Submit Your Prayer Request
The Prayers for the Dead e-Group
We add the name of the deceased, their age and cause of death to the FPMT Prayers for the Dead e-group. This is a free list service for anyone who would like to make prayers for all the recently deceased. We include the age of the deceased at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request, in order to see that death can happen at any time, and thereby to help us reflect on death and impermanence. If you would like to subscribe to this mailing list, simply send a blank email to start the subscription process, so that you can receive the list of names of the recently deceased via the FPMT Prayers for the Dead e-group.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Heart Advice for Benefiting the Dead
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for benefiting the dead, and preparing for death, are available at: Death and Dying: Heart Practices and Advice.
Although this service is only available for FPMT students and their family and friends,
daily dedications are made for all sentient beings who have passed away.