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Holy Objects Fund News
The Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony, Spokin Lake, B.C., Canada. Photo courtesy of Gendun Drubpa Centre.
Dianne Noort from Gendun Drubpa Centre in Williams Lake in central British Columbia, Canada, sent Mandala some news about their stupa, their public programming, and their support of Tibetan refugees in the country:
Gendun Drubpa Centre is delighted to announce that the decorations on our Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony are completed! Thank you to all who assisted in hosting Gelek Sherpa, who painted the stupa, for one month. Visiting the stupa at the Spokin Lake location is now truly an inspirational experience.
Resident teacher Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi has begun teaching “Cultivating Emotional Balance” to a group of 24 students.
In November, we completed a weekend intensive seminar on “Awakening Compassion: Teachings on the Bodhisattva Vows.”
A new day-long silent retreat format has been well received and the next topic is the four immeasurables on December 6.
About 10 of our students, plus family members, drove in support of the Tibetan Resettlement Project in British Columbia to Vancouver to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Avalokiteshvara empowerment and teachings in October. At the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Canada’s Tibetan community, the Canadian government is facilitating the immigration of up to 1,000 Tibetans living in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, an impoverished and remote region of northern India that borders on Tibet. In this region, displaced and stateless Tibetans live with the threats of illness, deportation, and intensifying military tensions between China and India. This humanitarian program allows them the chance to start a new life and pursue their dreams in Canada. To assist those who are most in need, His Holiness himself directed that Tibetans from this region be chosen as candidates to come to Canada.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Su visiting the stupa under construction at Pamtingpa Center, Washington.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Stupa Fund, just offered US$5,000 toward a new stupa that is under construction at Pamtingpa Center in Washington State. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions is for the creation of 100,000 stupas around the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is also sponsoring the Medicine Buddha statue that will go in the stupa.
By building a stupa, without words we are continually liberating so many sentient beings. Every day, the stupa plants the seed of enlightenment and purifies anybody who sees, touches, remembers, talks or dreams about the stupa. This includes insects that touch the stupa. The stupa is meaningful to behold, and it liberates many sentient beings, insects and humans, every day.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please rejoice in this offering and in the creation of another incredible holy object which will benefit many.
You can learn more about the projects funded by the Stupa Fund, how to get involved, and also about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT.
One of the statues being consulted as a prototype for the Five Dhayani Buddhas being created.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, is sponsoring the creation of Five Dhyani Buddha statues, a Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) statue and a number of other Buddhist statues which will go inside a large stupa that is being built in India. Rinpoche recently offered the first payment toward this holy object project, US$54,452
The statues are 4-ft high with full gold plating and will take two years to complete. They are being made by one of the best statue makers in Nepal. Rinpoche has been involved with the artist to make sure the art is best quality.
Holy objects purify karma just by seeing [them]. It purifies the mind, plants seed for the path to liberation. That’s how stupas liberate each day.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You are welcome to offer any amount toward this incredibly holy object offering.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Simulation of the large Maitreya Buddha statue to be built by the Maitreya Projects.
In October 2014, Maitreya Project Kushinagar published an update regarding the project. You can read this update which includes details on the history of the project as well as its current and future aims.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build 1,000 large Maitreya statues around the world and the two Maitreya Projects (Bodhgaya and Kushinagar) are helping to actualize this vision.
Who is Maitreya Buddha by Lama Yeshe
You can make a donation to support Maitreya Project Kushinagar.
Guru Rinpoche statue at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia. Photo by George Manos.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT is to build many large statues of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) around the world in order to create the cause for peace for all beings. To date, 27 statues have been built, one measuring 70 feet [21 meters] high!
The Padmasambhava Project for Peace was established to fund the creation of Padmasambhava statues built in accordance with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. Please enjoy a photo gallery of some of these amazing statues.
Padmasambhava Statues Completed/In Progress
- Large statue at a Sakya Monastery in Asia
- Large statue at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia
- Lifesized statue at Milarepa Center in Vermont, USA
- (11 total) 13.5-ft and nine large statues in Lawudo, Nepal
- (9 total) 70-ft statue with two consorts, each 25 ft; includes also Eight Aspects of Padmasambhava over 6 feet (2 meters) high
- 7-ft statue at Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, New Zealand
- 9-ft statue at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre on Kangaroo Island, Australia
- 3 ft statue in Nepal which will go inside a large stupa in India (in progress)
- 6.5-ft statue in Spain at Osel Ling, Spain.
Offer Your Compassionate Support
The Padmasambhava Project for Peace a project of FPMT Inc. and is administered by FPMT International Office located in Portland, Oregon, United States. All donations made to this fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(c)(3) to the extent allowed by law.
For larger donations, wire transfers, or check donations, contact FPMT Donor Services.
For questions about the Social Services Fund activities, please contact the Charitable Projects Coordinator.
Teresa Navarro with Geshe Dakpa in San Francisco.
In June of this year, Teresa Mia Navarro joined the team in the search for a site for the Stupa to Minimize Harm from the Elements. This stupa was recommended by Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) to help minimize the disastrous effects of earthquakes and other natural disasters such as an upcoming earthquake which Khadro-la saw in a vision. The probability of such an earthquake has been prognosticated scientifically.
Khadro-la at Kushi Ling Retreat Centre, Italy, July 2012. Photo by Sirianni.
The area designated by Khadro-la as the most beneficial for the building of the stupa is the northwestern region of San Francisco. Unfortunately, the relevant trusts representing the area have denied the project a site on public land. A variety of alternatives are being explored including for sale parcels and long-term leasing, as well as public and private land.
The search is in full swing and has been expanded to neighborhoods surrounding the initial target area. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has emphasized the need to do more prayers and practices specifically to prevent earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Representatives from each of the bay area centers meet monthly to do the practices. In July, FPMT and the Stupa Team sponsored a Medicine Buddha puja lead by Geshe Ngawang Dakpa, in San Francisco.
As news of the stupa project grows, more and more San Francisco individuals and organizations, including interfaith groups, are demonstrating active interest in the success of the project.
Please check back for news on this project as it develops.
You can learn more about the Stupa to Minimize Harm from the Elements as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Please keep this hugely important project in your prayers. You are also welcome to donate any amount toward this stupa’s completion.
The Kadampa Center community with the finished stupa which took two years to complete. Photo by David Strevel.
Building a large holy object, like the 18-foot tall Kadampa Stupa now finished at Kadampa Center in North Carolina, requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication from many.
Lead volunteer David Strevel carefully documented every stage of the process of building this stupa. Please enjoy a photo gallery of some of the major milestones along the way to completion.
Learn more about FPMT Charitable Projects and all of the beneficial activities which they support. You can find further information about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s webpage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more.
9 ft Padmasambhava statue at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre, Kangaroo Island, Australia
A beautiful new 9 ft tall statue of Padmasambhava has manifested at De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre on Kangaroo Island, Australia.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build many large Padmasambhava statues around the world. Please rejoice that 16 statues have now been built with Rinpoche’s wishes in mind!
Creating large holy objects like this 9 ft Padmasambhava statue require the help of many. Congratulations to the team at De-Tong Ling who made this happen.
Congratulations to De-Tong Ling and all who helped bring this project to fruition.
Listen, beautiful one having the form of a goddess,
For those sentient beings who have not met me,
Statues of me in the future
Will become the light eliminating the darkness of ignorance.
Whoever builds such statues of me,
Which become objects of offering and so forth,
All their future lives will become meaningful
And they will establish the banner of the teachings
—Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava)
Land of Medicine Buddha’s stupa plans. This 39 foot stupa will be a replicate of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche had previously pledged to support Land of Medicine Buddha’s planned 39-ft stupa which is a replication of the holy Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
We are happy to report that $50,000 has now been offered, through the Stupa Fund, to this incredible stupa project.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 100,000 stupas around the world. Please rejoice that yet another stupa will be completed toward this long-term aim!
You are welcome to offer any amount directly to the completion of this stupa.
If you would like to support the Stupa Fund, to help ensure that pledges like this continue, you may do so at any time.
Land of Medicine Buddha will be building a Mahabodhi stupa, dedicated to the promotion of peace.
Please enjoy this short video of Land of Medicine Buddha’s Great Prayer Wheel being turned by many. This incredible prayer wheel contains over 170 billion mantras as well as many sets of texts.
The Great Prayer Wheel at Land of Medicine Buddha.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche circumambulating the stupas on the way to front door of Kachoe Dechen Ling, October, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Every day, Sangha at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s residence in Aptos, CA, make three long life and 13 Mitukpa tsa-tsas as well as three small Kadampa stupas which are filled with a roll of the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras. These are dedicated to any person who is sick with prayers that they may immediately recover, be liberated from samsara, and may achieve enlightenment quickly. In addition, on the eighth day of the Tibetan month, three Eight Medicine Buddhas tsa-tsas are also made. On the thirtieth, one 12-inch (30-centimeter) tall Padmasambhava tsa-tsa is made.
After the tsa-tsas and stupas are made they are used in other stupas that many people circumambulate when visiting Kachoe Dechen Ling. All the stupas and tsa tsas that are made are utilized in this way, given to others to use, or they go inside larger stupas that are being built. As each tsa-tsa is an image of a buddha it is created and cared for with utmost respect at all times.
Rinpoche has commented often on the benefits of holy objects and how stupas can be used on the path to enlightenment.
You can offer any amount to the daily holy object creation at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s residence.
The Benefits of Building Stupas
- Help purify their mind
- Help collect merit, which is the cause of all happiness and all success
- Help heal their body and mind through purification specifically due to the power of the stupa, meditating on and seeing the holy object
- Help to preserve Tibetan Mahayana culture