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Every month, the Puja Fund offers gold to the most precious Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet. Said to have been blessed by Shakyamuni Buddha himself, the Jowo Buddha statue is one of the most sacred statues in all of Tibet. Originally crafted in India, the Jowo was brought to China, and then brought to Tibet by the daughter of the Chinese emperor, Princess Wenchen Kongjo, upon her marriage to Songsten Gampo. The Jowo Buddha statue resides in the central chapel of the Jokhang, among the most holy temples in Lhasa.
Gold is offered every month to the precious Jowo Buddha statue in Lhasa, Tibet.
If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa or scripture, then the benefit extends from then up to enlightenment. Amazing, amazing. It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness – liberation from the causes of delusion and karma – and on top of that, full enlightenment – all the realizations and omniscient mind. After this, then you liberate numberless hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, suras and asuras from the ocean of samsaric sufferings and bring them to full enlightenment. When all beings are brought to enlightenment, only then are all the results of offering achieved. So by offering gold, then wow, wow, wow. Can you imagine the result! From only a tiny offering (of a flower or rice) so much benefit is received due to that statue, etc. So really, holy objects are wish-fulfilling gems – so unbelievably precious.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in a letter to a student who offered gold to 1,000 buddha statues at Kopan Monastery in Nepal
Please rejoice in this monthly offering that is so precious. You are welcome to contribute to this by contributing to the Puja Fund at any time.
You can learn more about the extensive pujas, practices and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund or about any of the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Bouddhanath Stupa, Nepal.
Swayambunath Stupa, Nepal.
Every month, on the full moon, the Puja Fund sponsors offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles of Bouddhanath and Swayambunath Stupas in Nepal. Please rejoice in this incredible ongoing offering.
“All those who offer whitewash, saffron, and offering cloth will achieve perfect brightness and glory, overpowering all devas, spirits, and human beings with magnificence.”
—Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas
Lama Zopa Rinpoche translated Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas and the complete text is available as a PDF download.
You are welcome to contribute to this monthly offering or learn more about the monthly activities of the Puja Fund.
The monks of Sera Je Monastery offering extensive Medicine Buddha puja dedicated to peace between Israel and Palestine.
In November, Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommended for Shantideva Study Group, located in Israel, to arrange an extensive Medicine Buddha puja and to sponsor recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light to help the bring peace to the escalating situation between Israel and Palestine and bring peace to the world.
Due to the kindness of many who contributed, as well as the FPMT Puja Fund which offered US$1,000, the Medicine Buddha puja was offered by the monks of Sera Je Monastery successfully and the monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery recited the Sutra of Golden Light and tea and lunch were offered to the Sangha.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche had said: “To be able to make offerings to the monks, who are living in the higher vows, there will be unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable good results and happiness that you will experience and if the offering is made with bodhichitta, then it becomes the cause of enlightenment.
Every single offering or service done then, becomes the cause of enlightenment – to be able to free numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and achieve the state of omniscient mind.”
Ven. Thekchok Tenzin, Coordinator of Shantideva Study Group, offered the following prayer for all who contributed:
By the virtue of our merits
May all beings everywhere,
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind,
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy, and live in peace and harmony
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also advised what we as individuals can do for ongoing peace, especially regarding the situation between Israel and Palestine.
- Recitation of the Sutra of the Golden Light
- Recitation of White Umbrella Deity Praises in Israel
- Recitation of the Prayer for Peace by the great yogi Tang Tong Gyalpo
Thank you to all who all made offerings that enabled Shantideva Study Group to follow Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for ending the conflict between Israel and Palestine. May peace prevail in the world.
You can learn more about the pujas and practices offered through the FPMT Puja Fund or read about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery offered the pujas which Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommended for the elimination and prevention of Ebola.
Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche checked what pujas could be done to help control and prevent this serious outbreak of Ebola, and requested Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery to offer three recitations of the Prajñaparamita; three extensive Medicine Buddha pujas; and one Drolma Yuldro puja.
Rinpoche sponsored these pujas, the monastery and nunnery offered the tea, and the Sangha did not accept any offerings during the pujas – an extremely kind and precious gesture on their part. The pujas were done with strong prayers to prevent the spreading of the Ebola virus and for success in destroying the disease completely. Thanks to the Sangha at Kopan Monastery and Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery for making these prayers for the benefit of the whole world.
The offering of these pujas are an example of how Rinpoche uses every opportunity to benefit the world wherever there is a need.
You can learn more about the beneficial monthly and yearly pujas offered at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche by keeping up with the Puja Fund News.
Offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles are made to the Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal every month on the full moon and also on Buddha Days when merit is multiplied 100 million times.
Below please enjoy some recent photos taken of these offerings.
All the three realm sentient beings, tormented by the hot, obscuring, disturbing thought.
By offering the umbrella of compassion and bodhichitta,
May the transmigratory beings be satisfied by bliss.
From the root of the virtue of making the umbrella offering,
May myself, the benefactors and disciples achieve the peerless great Dharma King.
—From the forthcoming “Amitabha Celebration Text” translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Offerings made to Boudhanath stupa, Nepal.
Saffron being prepared to be offered to the two great stupas.
Prayer flags and offering banners being offered to the two great stupas.
Saffron and white wash are offered to the two great stupas.
A new umbrella is offered monthly.
The material, personally chosen by Lama Zopa Rinpoche that is offered to the pinnacle of each stupa monthly.
You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund and its monthly and yearly activities, as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
15,650 Sangha participated in the pujas and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund on Lhabab Duchen.
Please rejoice at the amazing array of pujas and offerings sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund this year on Lhabab Duchen (November 13), one of the year’s holy Buddha Multiplying Days. Incredibly, over 15,650 Sangha participated in this activity.
You can read an entire list, as well as descriptions, of the pujas and offerings sponsored, but here are a few highlights of what was offered:
- Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions) offered by the 650 monks of Gyurme Tantric College.
- Druk Chu Ma (64 offerings to Kalarupa to eliminate obstacles), Namgyäl Tong Chö (One thousand sets of offerings to Buddha Namgyälma) and Zangcho (King of Prayers) offered by the 6,000 monks of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monastery.
- Offerings are made to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus.
- Small money offerings made to 15,650 Sangha at the great monasteries of India and Nepal, as well as to Sangha at IMI international Sangha communities.
- Offerings made to holy objects: Bouddhanath and Swayambunath stupas, the Buddha inside Bodhgaya Mahabodhi temple, and to the Jowo Buddha in Lhasa’s Jokang.
Anyone can be a part of these incredible offerings by rejoicing in, donating and remembering and mentally offering them.
You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund and the various activities it supports. You can also enjoy an overview of all the FPMT Charitable Projects which contribute to many beneficial endeavors.
FPMT geshes awaiting the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 2006 FPMT Geshe Conference, Sarnath, India.
On Losar this year, as a token of appreciation and gratitude for the incredibly kind service offered to the FPMT organization and to the teachings of Buddha, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the FPMT Puja Fund sponsored 49 sets of robes for FPMT’s resident geshes and touring teachers.
This offering was kindly facilitated by Ven. Fran and many at Kopan Monastery, who helped with measurements, making and sending of the robes and also by Center Services Director, Claire Isitt.
By offering these soft, light, divine clothes
With indestructible faith in those
Who have attained the indestructible holy body,
May I (and all sentient beings) also achieve the vajra holy body.
—from Lama Chopa Jorcho
Please rejoice in the kindness of these resident geshes and touring teachers whose service enable us to access Buddha’s teachings around the world. This offering of robes allows them to use their limited resources for other necessities.
You can learn more about the Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
For thirteen years, Ven. Tsering has been writing out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Photo by Chris Majors.
Ven. Tsering showing some of his work writing out the Prajnaparamita. Photo by Whitney Dafoe.
Last year we shared a very moving interview with Ven. Tsering, a Kopan monk, who has devoted his life to writing out the Prajnaparamita Sutra in pure gold at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s California residence. As Ven. Tsering is approaching his thirteenth year dedicated to this project, we invite you to rejoice in this incredible effort and to enjoy a small update on this project.
Ven. Tsering is doing well and continues to write out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold, every day. The Prajnaparamita Project has just purchased 10 tolas of gold which are expected to last him about eight months. The cost of this was US$7,079.
There is unbelievable, unbelievable merit in writing this text.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the main ways to create the causes needed to build the Maitreya Buddha statues in India, is to write out the Prajnaparamita in pure gold. One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast visions for FPMT is to build 1,000 large Maitreya statues around the world.
Please rejoice in Ven. Tsering’s amazing dedication. You are welcome to support this project by offering any amount.
You can learn more about the Prajnaparamita Project as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Golden Light recitation at Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, India, March 2014, Photo by Andy Melnic.
Israel’s Shantideva Study Group was recently advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on pujas, practices and offerings to complete in order to help bring peace to the Palestine and Israel conflict and the whole world. Rinpoche advised the study group to do several things:
- Sponsor Ganden Lachi (Ganden Shartse and Jangtse together) to read the Golden Light Sutra
- Ask a realized lama to read a text in Tibetan, in Israel
- Sponsor the extensive Medicine Buddha puja at Sera Monastery or Drepung Monastery
- Recite the White Umbrella Praise
- Read the” Prayer for Peace” by the great yogi Tang Tong Gyalpo
- Build a one-story-high statue of Padmasambhava
Shantideva Study Group is actively raising funds to carry out advices #1 and #3. Please rejoice as The Puja Fund recently made a donation toward the pujas for peace.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised them, “Please tell everyone who contributes to generate bodhichitta motivation and then make the offering, that is, if there are people who want to, and can make the offering; I am not pushing it. The individuals who sponsor the expenses create so much merit.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also said, “Anybody who wants peace in the world should read The Sutra of Golden Light. This is a very important practice to stop violence and wars in the world. The Sutra of Golden Light is one of the most beneficial ways to bring peace. This is something that everyone can do, no matter how busy you are, even if you can read one page a day, or a few lines and in this way continually read The Sutra of Golden Light.” FPMT Education Services has created a page dedicated to resources for those wishing to recite The Sutra of Golden Light.
If you would like to contribute to the Puja Fund, you are welcome to offer any amount:
You can learn more about the FPMT Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering lunch to Choden Rinpoche in Taiwan, February 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kusang.
When Lama Zopa Rinpoche heard that his guru, Choden Rinpoche, was manifesting some health obstacles, Rinpoche immediately sponsored a number of pujas through the Puja Fund.
One puja Rinpoche sponsored, dedicated to Choden Rinpoche’s long life, was the reading of the Kangyur by all the monks at Sera Je and Sera Me monasteries, for this the Puja Fund offered over US$5,000, which included offering tea and lunch to the 3,500 monks during the puja.
Choden Rinpoche’s center, Ananda Center, has an updated list of mantras currently recommend for Choden Rinpoche’s health. Additionally, Ananda Center is requesting that students recite Praises to the Twenty-one Taras a million times, from September 10 to October 10, 2014. Please submit the number of recitations to Ananda Center directly.
A flower from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s garden at Kachoe Dechen Ling, California. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Choden Rinpoche is a virtuous friend who has pacified his mind by living in the training of moral conduct, who has pacified his mind by the training in concentration, and who is extremely pacified due to the training in great insight,“ Lama Zopa Rinpoche said in an October 2002 teaching at Land of Medicine Buddha.
These pujas and sponsorships are among the incredible services that the FPMT Puja Fund is able to offer under Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s guidance.
You may contribute any amount to the Puja Fund to help ensure these beneficial and important pujas and offerings continue.
You can learn more about the Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche reads texts and meditates while flying, November 22, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
In addition to the continuous pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, pujas are also often arranged when Lama Zopa Rinpoche travels internationally in order to ensure health and safe flights and for obstacles to be removed. These pujas are often done on the day of actual travel.
For instance, In June the Puja Fund sponsored the recitation of the Prajnaparamita at Tsawa Khangtsen for the occasion of Rinpoche’s trip to Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy.
The Puja Fund is committed to offering this important “travel insurance” for FPMT’s precious spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
You can contribute to all of the Puja Fund activities which includes sponsoring pujas for Rinpoche’s health, long life, safe travels and all the activities of FPMT, for all the students, volunteers and kind benefactors:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Light of the Path, North Carolina, US, May 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
The Puja Fund is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s heart projects. An incredible amount of pujas are continually offered by as many as 15,650 Sangha and dedicated to the success of the whole FPMT organization (every single FPMT center, project, service, student, benefactor, for every student, person who is sick or who has requested Rinpoche for prayers, etc.). These dedications are personally written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for all the benefit of all.
Monks of Sere Je Monastery offering puja.
An example of the incredible array of pujas and offerings sponsored by the Puja Fund:
- Recitation of the entire Prajnaparamita during the 15 days of Losar
- 100,000 recitations of Praises to 21 Taras during the month of Saka Dawa
- Recitation of entire Kangyur during
Chokhor Duchen -
1,000 Offerings to Namgyalma and Medicine Buddha Puja during Lha Bab Duchen
Thousands of Sangha engage in the prayers and practices offered through the Puja Fund.
- Monthly extensive Medicine Buddha Puja
- Monthly Extensive Hayagriva Puja
- Monthly offerings to the Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath stupas
- Monthly offering of robes and gold to the Buddha statues in Tibet and Bodhgaya
In addition to the above, offerings are also made to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and the FPMT Sangha communities.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently offered US$11,573.32 toward the scheduled 2014 pujas to ensure the continuity and because it is so important for the organization.
You can learn more about the incredible amount of prayers and pujas and offerings that are occurring, and you can rejoice in and also participate in the offerings.