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Practice and Retreat Fund News
Geshe Sengye and the elaborate tormas for Most Secret Hayagriva puja.
For twenty-five years the Puja Fund has been sponsoring ongoing prayers and practices dedicated to the success and longevity of the entire FPMT organization. One puja that Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises as particularly important for FPMT, due to the organization’s close connection with the deity and also as this is FPMT’s main protector, is Most Secret Hayagriva Puja (Tamdin tsokkhong).
Every month, on the Tibetan 29th day, the Puja Fund sponsors about 40 of the most senior monks of Sera Je Monastery, who specialize in this practice, to offer the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva Puja. This is an all-day puja with an elaborate torma offering and extensive prayers and meditation. Even during the pandemic, this monthly puja has been happening with strong prayers for the organization and all beings.
Dagri Rinpoche, Bakula Rinpoche, Geshe Sengye, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Jhado Rinpoche, and the incarnation of Kwetsang Rinpoche in Tushita Meditation Center, 1985.
Most Secret Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Chenrezig and is also the main protector deity of Sera Je Monastery. Lama Zopa Rinpoche received the lineage of Most Secret Hayagiva from Sera Je Abbott Geshe Sengye, and in 2006 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this initiation at Sera Je Monastery.
The practice of Most Secret Hayagriva is extremely powerful to grant help and support and quickly pacify obstacles. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said that one of the reasons that Sera Je Monastery has been so successful and able to produce so many qualified teachers, who have very good understanding of Dharma, good hearts, and subdued minds, is due to the blessings—or holy actions—of the deity, Most Secret Hayagriva. Not only outwardly, but also inwardly having great success, this is due to this deity.
Geshes offering Most Secret Hayagriva Puja.
At this time of global crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and political unrest, these monthly powerful pujas are particularly important for the FPMT community, those serving the organization, the monks of Sera Je Monastery, and all beings.
Thank you to all the donors who support the Puja Fund. This enables pujas and practices to be happening continually. The pujas and practices, including the monthly Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva puja, are always dedicated to all the donors of this fund, as well as for all the FPMT center, services, projects, and all beings. The annual cost for just this puja is approximately US$6,800 and for all the pujas offered each year by the Puja Fund totals US$85,000.
You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.
The beautiful nyung nä altar at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.
One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor people who make a serious commitment to practice such as doing 1,000 nyung näs. Nyung nä practice is an intensive 2-day purification retreat that includes fasting, precepts, prostrations, prayers, mantra recitation, and offerings. Nyung nä is based on the deity Thousand-Arm Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, and is extremely powerful for healing illness, purifying negative karma, and opening the heart to compassion. Lama Zopa Rinpoche highly praises this practice as a supreme method for transforming the mind. One does four 2.5 hour sessions of well-structured practice that includes meditation, prostrations, and mantra recitation each day. It is a powerfully effective experiential practice that can be done by anyone with respect and faith for the practice.
Upon hearing about Rinpoche’s vision, Institut Vajra Yogini (IVY), France, quickly picked up the project of hosting these retreats which take more than nine months to complete. Amazingly, in 2020 IVY completed the nine consecutive year of hosting 108 nyung näs and is now planning the tenth set from mid-November 2020 to mid-June 2021.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IVY had to face a big challenge as the nyung nä retreats were becoming more popular and the wish to continue was strong as these retreats are at the heart of the annual agenda. Before the lockdown, the sessions included 20 to 25 people who had the option to come and practice for a session. Unfortunately, the external conditions forced IVY to announce the end of this option because of the safety measures decided by the government.
Nyung nä retreat leader Ven. Charles with retreatant Diana Secuya at Institut Vajra Yogini.
Everyone was asked to leave the center during the recent set of 108 led by Ven. Charles. In order to not completely stop the retreat, and also because some of the long-term retreatants were not able to go back home due to the airport shutdown, the IVY team offered some of the retreatants a safe place to stay and included them in the lockdown plan. Five long-term retreatants stayed and have continued with three sessions a day during this difficult period in the world, using the time to do this powerful practice practice and pray for all beings. Incredibly, 1,093 individual nyung näs have already been accumulated during this set of 108 that started in mid-November. On average, 10 to 18 people have been participating in each session. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been sponsoring up to ten people each year, and through the Practice and Retreat Fund we have been able to do this for the last nine years.
Please enjoy this video of three retreatants from the previous years sharing their experience about the life-altering retreat hosted by IVY:
The next set of 108 Nyung-Näs is scheduled for November 15, 2020. The Practice and Retreat Fund is again offering sponsorship for up to 10 people who are able to commit to 100 nyung näs through IVY. The retreat will be led in French but people can follow simultaneously in English or any other language.
Everybody is welcome to join for one or more nyung näs and can contact Institute Vajra Yogini to enter any number of these retreats (1-100) when they begin the next set.
Contributing to the sponsorship of these retreats or completing one or more yourself is directly contributing to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision.
“Nyung näs are a most powerful, most beneficial and quickest way for you to develop bodhichitta, to collect extensive merit to quickly achieve enlightenment, to become Chenrezig, to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsara suffering,and bring to enlightenment. This is an extremely powerful practice, it is an incredible way to develop bodhichitta.” —Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You can learn more about the news and activities of Practice and Retreat Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Ven. Tsering in Kopan Monastery writing out the 12,000 Verse Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold for over fifteen years.
The Prajnaparamita Sutra contains the highest teachings of the Buddha and is among the most precious texts available in the world today. Due to the power of this text, writing it out is a way to generate tremendous merit, remove obstacles, and create peace in the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently explained in a teaching in Bendigo, Australia, his clear wishes for the Prajnaparamita Project– which for over fifteen years has been sponsoring this most precious sutra to be written out in gold ink. Rinpoche’s wish is for this to continue for as long as FPMT exists. Even when completing the twelve volumes of the sutra currently in process, Rinpoche asked that this project begins again and in this way the sutra is continually being written out as it is a powerful holy object.
Rinpoche has explained that holy objects benefit us greatly. Creating holy objects (such as statues, stupas, and writing out of sutras), as well as sponsoring the holy objects, rejoicing in the holy objects, and even seeing them (including the birds and flies and anyone else who looks at the holy objects), brings incredible benefit. Even after passing away, benefit to the being will be generated for as long as the holy object remains. Rinpoche explained that the writing of this sutra is exactly the same as creating a holy object, and all those who support this project– those who actually write out the sutra, donate toward the materials, or even rejoice in it– from life to life, those sentient beings will receive benefit, and after this life, wherever they are reborn, they will continue to receive benefit up to their enlightenment. Rinpoche explained this is why he wants the Prajnaparamita Sutra it to be continually worked on and for this to be one of the projects that continues for as long as FPMT exists.
Even writing one letter or syllable from the Prajnaparamita, the benefits you receive are unbelievable, unbelievable, more than making skies of extensive offerings to all the buddhas for so many eons. The merits are far more greater than that. — Lama Zopa Rinpoche, 2018
Watch Ven. Tsering writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra and discussing this project:
For over fifteen years Ven. Tsering has been writing out this sutra in gold ink on archival quality rainbow paper. For years, Ven. Tsering was based in California, USA, but recently he returned to Kopan Monastery in Nepal, where he spent his time as a young monk until graduating from the tantric college there. He continues his work on the Prajnaparamita Sutra and is now on volume six of twelve. It is planned that Ven. Tsering will also train other Kopan monks and nuns to help with the writing of this sutra, but that will take time, in order for them to perfect their calligraphy. Currently, Jane Seidlitz, a long-time student located in USA, is also writing a volume of the Prajnaparamita and in the past Ven. Tsenla wrote the Vajra Cutter Sutra in silver ink.
Every year, the Prajnaparamita Project disburses approximately US$25,000 each year to cover the costs associated with this project. The majority of the money is used to sponsor the real gold used in the calligraphy ink. Tremendous thanks to Ven. Tsering who has taken on this incredible task for the benefit of all and also thank you to all who contribute to this fund, making it possible to continue this project for world peace until the final verse is completed.
You can learn more about the Prajnaparamita Project as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Some nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal, engaged in retreat.
Since 2009, sponsorship has been offered to the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal, from the Practice and Retreat Fund. Funds have been offered to complete two 100 million mani retreats (100 million recitations of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM) every year. In addition to the 100 million mani retreats, offerings are made to cover the cost of food for all the nuns during this period as well as an offering for a qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lamrim teachings. Over the past eleven years, the nuns have completed twenty-one 100 million mani retreats. They have nearly completed the first 100 million Mani retreat of 2020.
Light offerings at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.
This year the nuns also performed a Nyung Nä retreat on Saka Dawa. During this retreat they prayed for the good health of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and especially for universal peace and to dispel the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and for the quick recovery of those who are infected.
The nunnery is following all the safety regulations for the nuns to stay safe during this time, and there are currently no regular classes being held for the young nuns because of the enforced lockdown in Nepal.
You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries.
Extremely precious Arya Lokeshvara statue offered gold in Potala Palace on behalf of the entire FPMT organization, Saka Dawa 2020.
Gold offered to the Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet on Saka Dawa 2020.
Please join us in rejoicing in a most precious offering that occurred on Saka Dawa (June 5, 2020): Gold was offered to two statues in Tibet! The offering was made on behalf of the entire FPMT organization—including all students; volunteers; benefactors; teachers; those working in all FPMT centers, projects, services; and those offering service in any way to the organization—and for all beings.
The extremely precious statue of Arya Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) located in the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, was offered gold. This statue is one of the Self-Arisen Arya Avalokiteshvara Brother statues dating back to the seventh century. Gold was also offered to the most precious Jowo Buddha in the Jokhang Temple, Tibet.
While we may not be able to physically travel to Tibet and make these offerings ourselves, we are honored to be able to facilitate these offerings on everyone’s behalf on this powerful multiplying day of Saka Dawa (and this year Lunar Eclipse).
Praise to Chenrezig
Incredibly precious Arya Lokeshvara statue dates back to the time of Songtsen Gampo, seventh century.
O Arya Avalokiteshvara, treasure of compassion,
Together with your retinue, please pay attention to me.
Please quickly free me and all mother and father sentient beings of the six realms from the ocean of cyclic existence.
Please enable the profound and extensive peerless bodhichitta to quickly grow in our mindstreams.
Please quickly cleanse our delusions and actions accumulated since beginningless time, with the water of compassion.
And, with your compassionate hand, lead me and all migrators to the blissful pure land.
May Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara act as our spiritual friends in all lifetimes, show us the excellent unmistaken path, and quickly place us in the state of buddhahood.
You can read about all of the prayers and activities offered on Saka Dawa on behalf of the entire FPMT organization and you can join in all of these offerings by strongly rejoicing.
All are welcome to offer any amount to the Puja Fund so that these beneficial activities can continue long into the future.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading puja at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 2020.
Saka Dawa falls on June 5 this year and is one of the four great holy days of the Tibetan calendar commemorating Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment and parinirvana. June 5 is also an eclipse day this year.
The Puja Fund is sponsoring prayers and practices on behalf of FPMT for all students, volunteers and benefactors, and the entire world, on Saka Dawa. Normally we would be sponsoring a lot more pujas, but due to the current restrictions in South India, many of the monasteries are not able to offer the pujas at this time. We are so thankful that Kopan Monastery and Nunnery will still be doing pujas on Saka Dawa. These are the activities we are sponsoring this year:
PUJAS
- 100,000 recitations of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras
- Druk Chu Ma (sixty-four offerings to Kalarupa)
- Medicine Buddha Puja and King of Prayers
SUTRA PRINTING
Golden Light Sutra (6 x), Arya Sangata Sutra (10 x), Vajra Cutter Sutra (200 x) and Amitayus Long Life Sutra (20 x): printing will be done during the actual eclipse time with specific prayers that Rinpoche has recommended.
OFFERING TO HOLY OBJECTS, GURUS, AND SANGHA COMMUNITIES
The precious Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet.
Offerings of gold, robes, saffron, and umbrellas are made to holy statues located in Lhasa, Tibet; and the Boudhanath and Swayambunath Stupas. Also offerings are made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, and to all the IMI Sangha communities.
Using Saka Dawa to Create Merit in a Suffering World
Saka Dawa is such an incredibly auspicious and powerful time to practice and make prayers, especially right now with all the suffering in the world. This is a great opportunity to utilize this time in the best possible way, for the benefit of all beings. Anyone can mentally join in any of these pujas and offerings, by remembering them and rejoicing in them. Merely remembering what is happening and rejoicing in the offerings is so beneficial: the existence of the holy objects, the Sangha making prayers and students all over the world who are also are making prayers, as well as the activities and offerings happening in so many of the centers and online on Saka Dawa. By rejoicing in this you create so much merit and it is multiplied 100 million times. How fantastic! What an opportunity!
Thank you for your support to the Puja Fund. It is due to the kindness of so many that these ongoing prayers, pujas, and offerings can happen and in this way, hopefully bringing more peace and happiness in the world.
All are welcome to offer any amount to the Puja Fund so that these beneficial activities can continue long into the future.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent advice for practice on Saka Dawa: https://fpmt.org/edu-news/recommended-practices-for-the-fifteenth-day-of-saka-dawa-june-5/
Advice for eclipse days and Buddha multiplying days: https://fpmt.org/edu-news/advice-for-eclipse-days-and-buddha-multiplying-days/
Jhado Rinpoche leading wrathful fire puja at Sera Je Monastery, January 29, 2020.
Recently Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised on particular pujas for those suffering due to the coronavirus. According to Rinpoche’s advice: a wrathful fire puja was offered by Jhado Rinpoche in South India at Sera Je Monastery, Hayagriva tsog kong was offered at Kopan Monastery and in Sera Je Monastery, and a number of other pujas were arranged in India and Nepal.
In addition to this, many pujas, prayers, and practices were arranged by the Puja Fund during the 15 days of Losar (one of the four great Buddha multiplying days). These prayers were offered by as many as 15,650 Sangha. Extensive offerings were made to specific powerful holy objects in Nepal, India, and Tibet; and offerings were made to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus as well as IMI Sangha communities around the world. All of these activities are dedicated to the success of the entire FPMT organization and all beings.
Monks at Sera Je Monastery offering puja as requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
May these extensive prayers and practices benefit all beings.
Individuals can read Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice to protect from the coronavirus.
All are welcome to offer any amount to the Puja Fund so that these beneficial activities can continue long into the future.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in front of very precious Gur Rinpoche statue with continuously burning butter lamp, Chailsa, Nepal.
The FPMT Puja Fund sponsors continual butter lamp light offerings at Thubten Chöling and in front of a very precious Guru Rinpoche statue in Chailsa, Nepal.
The butter lamp offered at Thubten Chöling Monastery is in front of a shrine of Tulshig Rinpoche. Tulshig Rinpoche (1923-2011) was one of the main teachers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in 2010 became the official head of the Nyingma tradition.
Continuously burning butter lamp offered at Thubten Choling, in front of Tulshig Rinpoche.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche often explains the benefits of offering to holy objects and encourages extensive offerings around the world. “We are not aware of the limitless skies of benefits we achieve from the practice of offering, what we can achieve and enjoy from life to life,” Rinpoche has advised. “Even while you are in samsara, you enjoy good rebirths, wealth, and every happiness. Even just the samsaric perfections are amazing, without adding all those incredible realizations that allow us to offer deep benefit to sentient beings, liberating them from oceans of samsaric suffering and its cause, delusion and karma.”
Please rejoice in this continual offering at these holy places in Chailsa, Nepal.
The Puja Fund was established by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to provide resources for pujas and offerings dedicated to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the success of all the FPMT centers, projects, services, students, benefactors and those serving the organization in any way. You can learn more about the Puja Fund, or FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.
Nuns and lay children attending the school at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery in Nepal.
Since 2009 sponsorship from the Practice and Retreat Fund has been offered to the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery, Nepal, to complete one 100 million mani retreat (100 million recitations of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM) every year and a kind benefactor sponsors a second.
In addition to the 100 million mani retreats, offerings are made to cover the cost of food for all during this period as well as an offering for a qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lamrim teachings. Additionally, in 2019, two nuns were also given funds necessary for important medical procedures and associated expenses.
There are currently eighty-five nuns living at the nunnery receiving a traditional Tibetan Buddhist education, as well as a modern western education in science, math, English, etc. Most of the nuns are under the age of twenty. The school at the nunnery is attended by forty nuns and twenty local children. Teachers include: three nuns, two lharampa geshes, and five lay teachers.
The nunnery sent the following message of thanks to FPMT International Office for the ongoing support: Thank you for the kind support so far and continuing to do this. Without your help, the nunnery will not last long.”
The nunnery has now completed nineteen 100 million mani retreats. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization is to sponsor these retreats around the world.
Rinpoche explained, “[I would like] for the organization to establish 100,000 recitations of 100 million OM MANI PADME HUM mantras. This can be retreats of 100 million recitations, so 100,000 different retreats in different parts of the world and where it is happening, then for it to happen regularly, each year.”
Please rejoice in another year of these very precious retreats being completed at this nunnery in Nepal.
The Practice and Retreat Fund provides grants and sponsorships for students engaged in retreats such as 108 nyung nä retreats, 100 million mani retreats, recitations of sutras and long term retreat.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, August 2019. Photo by Neal Patrick.
Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
From time to time Lama Zopa Rinpoche checks what different practices and pujas that can be done and offered for the health and long life of his gurus. Rinpoche also often does this for students, when needed. Recently, Rinpoche checked and concluded it was beneficial to offer a recitation of the Kangyur for the health and long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la). The Kangyur is comprised of 108 volumes of the sutras taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. Rinpoche requested the 4,200 monks of Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India to recite the 108 volumes of the Kangyur with strong prayers and dedications to His Holiness and Khadro-la.
Understanding how incredibly important this offering is, it was a great pleasure and honor to cover the cost of this (US$8,567) from the FPMT Puja Fund. This is also a way to make offerings to the ordained Sangha of the monastery, who are all disciples of the same guru (His Holiness the Dalai Lama). The merit from the recitation of such an important collection of sutras, as well as making the offerings to the Sangha and dedicating well, can have great benefit. This is one of the functions of the FPMT Puja Fund, to generate merit to for the entire FPMT organization.
Thank you so much to everyone who donates to this fund and makes it possible for us to arrange these practices and pujas.
You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.
Monks of Sera Mey Monastery offering a puja sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund.
Every month on the Tibetan 8th day the Puja Fund sponsors all the monks of Sera Mey Monastery to offer the extensive Medicine Buddha puja composed by the Fifth Dalai Lama dedicated FPMT centers, projects, services; all students who are ill or having life obstacles; benefactors of the Puja Fund, and to all beings.
The Puja Fund offers a small money offering, tea, and bread to each of the approximately 2,000 monks performing the puja as well as the cost of light offerings and torma offerings.
A grant for US$12,030 was offered to cover the expense of these pujas and offerings for the last two years.
Please rejoice in this monthly offering that brings so much benefit to the entire FPMT organization. Every Tibetan 8th day, please remember that this puja is happening and you can mentally join in. This is something amazing to rejoice in, to mentally offer and dedicate toward, and also something you can contribute to by donating any amount.
You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.
Sangha participating in a puja at Kopan Monastery.
Lhabab Duchen, one of the four great holy days of the Buddhist calendar when merit is multiplied by 100 million times, took place this year on November 19. We invite you to rejoice in the many beneficial activities sponsored by the Puja Fund on this auspicious day, on behalf of the entire FPMT community.
Practices Offered by Over 15,650 Ordained Sangha
- Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions) offered by 650 monks of Gyurme Tantric College.
- Druk Chu Ma, Namgyäl Tong Chö, and Zangcho offered by 6,000 monks of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monasteries.
- Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja and Zangcho offered by 3,400 monks of Gaden Jangtse and Shartse Monasteries.
- Druk Chu Ma, Namgyäl Tsechog and Zangcho offered by 4,200 monks of Drepung. Gomang, Loseling and Deyang Monasteries.
- Namgyäl Tong Chö and Zangcho offered by 600 monks of Gyuto Tantric Colleges.
- Druk Ch Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja and Zangcho offered by the 370 monks of Kopan Monastery.
- Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja and Zangcho offered by the 400 nuns of Kopan Nunne
Offerings are made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus
Offerings are made to Sangha at IMI communities
Offerings were made to the Boudhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal on Lhabab Duchen.
Offerings Made to Holy Objects in Nepal, India and Tibet
- Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas: Offering color and new prayer flags
- Buddha inside the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple: Offering a new set of robes of the most precious material
- Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokang: Offering gold and robes to the holy body of the Jowo Buddha
These activities are advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and dedicated to the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and to the success of all the FPMT centers, projects, services, students, benefactors and those serving the organization in any way, as well as all beings.
All are welcome to donate to the Puja Fund and directly support these most precious offerings.