Ven. Roger Kunsang offering a mandala to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the April 19, 2021 long life puja at Kopan Monastery

Every year Ven. Roger Kunsang, on behalf of the FPMT organization, checks with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and/or Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la), to determine what practices should be done to help create the conditions for Lama Zopa Rinpoche to have a long life and good health for the coming year. 

The first offering to Rinpoche arranged this year will be a White Tara long life puja on March 11, 2022, at Kopan Monastery. This special long life puja will involve seven days of preparation led by Khadro-la with the Kopan monks. At a later date there will be a Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong and a Guru Rinpoche bum tsog also offered according to the advice received. 

Khadro-la making an offering during a long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Our prayers have tremendous power and we invite you to join us by rejoicing in the puja being offered, generating your own prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life, or making an offering toward the expenses associated with the pujas and practices for Rinpoche’s health and long life.

For additional recent advice from Khadro-la on mantra recitations to do for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the entire FPMT organization see: fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/mantra-recitations-for-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-lama-zopa-rinpoche-and-fpmt

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

The Long Life Puja Fund always contributes to long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can also learn about the many Charitable Projects of FPMT and discover how the various funds and projects are benefiting others.

Monks of Sera Mey Monastery offering a puja sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund, prior to local restrictions.

The Puja Fund was established in 1995 as an expansive way for the organization to clear obstacles and generate the merit needed to be of most benefit in the world.

Incredible Opportunity This Lhabab Duchen

On the auspicious day of Lhabab Duchen (October 27), when the merit is magnified one hundred million times, the Puja Fund will be making and extensive monetary offering to 10,000 ordained sangha in India and Nepal. The sangha will be engaged in the recitations of the Prajnaparamita, Golden Light, Arya Sanghata, Vajra Cutter, and Amitayus Long Life sutras and will dedicate the merit of reciting these incredible sutras to all beings and in particular for the FPMT family, for all of the Dharma activities to succeed, and for all the kind donors of the Puja Fund. 

In addition there will be robes offered  to the Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, and saffron and umbrellas offered to the Boudhanath and Swayambunath stupas. These offerings happen monthly throughout the year and always on merit-multiplying days.

If you would like to join in this vast offering, please offer any amount to the

Puja Fund

The monks of Sera Je Monastery.

An Increase of Offerings Due to Pandemic Difficulties

Current pandemic regulations prohibiting large gatherings have impacted monks and nuns in monasteries and nunneries all over India and Nepal who rely on support from offering the service of pujas and other prayers for individuals who request this from around the world. Due to this, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has increased the offerings we make to each sangha member eight-fold this year. We are honored to directly support sangha in this way. With this increase the amount being offered this Lhabab Duchen is US$40,000. 

The Buddha described the vast benefits that arise from making offerings to ordained sangha, the Sangha Jewel, who are living in pure morality. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that the sangha are the “real heroes” among us because they are working to defeat the delusions and thus living the best lives as human beings. Also, offering to those who are disciples of the same guru, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, becomes offering to the most powerful object of devotion, one’s own guru.

Making Merit Wisely

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has encouraged students to create merit wisely in order to generate the greatest success and fulfill our wishes. The upcoming Buddha multiplying day offers us one of those wise opportunities because merit is multiplied by 100 million times. And if one generates a bodhichitta motivation—the thought to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings—while making an offering, this becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings and is the most powerful way to purify all the defilements you have accumulated since beginningless rebirths. This is very smart business and the best way to create the most extensive merit for yourself and others.

If you  would like to make an offering to the Puja Fund for this purpose, please remember on the actual day (October 27) to rejoice in the offering you have made, to rejoice in the activities of the sangha who are engaged in the recitations, and to dedicate all the merit generated. 

You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity.

It takes Sangha many hours each day to offer water bowls as part of the extensive offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling.

Since 1999, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has arranged to have continual extensive offerings of water bowls and lights offered twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year to create merit for the FPMT organization. Since this began over two decades ago, these offerings have been increasing and are now happening in various parts of the world. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained, “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. 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.”

Rinpoche personally incorporates all of these actual physically made offerings in his daily practices and when doing food offerings he sometimes leads an extensive practice where all of the offerings are visualized and multiplied and then mentally offered to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and all the holy objects around the world.  

Rinpoche advises students, whenever making offerings in our practice, that we can also remember all the other arranged offerings in Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, US; Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, WA, US; and also in all the FPMT centers around the world, by using these actual offerings as a basis and then visualizing and multiplying them. In this way, we can join in the merit from those having made these extensive offerings every day.

Extensive offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, US.

Please Rejoice in Some of the Extensive Offerings Around the World

• Thousands of light offerings, hundreds of water bowls, and a garden full of flower offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling, CA, US. 
• Thousands of light offerings, hundreds of water bowls, and a garden full of flower offerings at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, WA, US.  
• Thousands of light offerings, hundreds of water bowls, and gardens full of flowers offerings at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India.
• Thousands of lights, hundreds of water bowls and gardens full of flower offering at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. 
•  100,000 lights continually offered at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC), Singapore.
•  100,001 lights continually offered at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Malaysia.
• Thousands of water bowl offerings, extensive light offerings at Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling Center, Mongolia. These offerings are made daily by a group of very dedicated elderly volunteers.
• Continually burning butter lamp in front of precious stupa with Trulshik Rinpoche’s holy body in Chailsa, Nepal.
• Continually burning butter lamp in front of Guru Lhakang, Thubten Choeling, Chailsa, Nepal

Please rejoice and remember all these extensive offerings that happen every moment of every day!

Water bowls and extensive offerings at Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling Center, Mongolia, offered by a dedicated group of elderly volunteers.

The Actual Offering Prayer

Through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund Rinpoche supports a number of Sangha to make many of these offerings daily, as well as covering the cost of electricity for the extensive light offerings at Kachoe Dechen Ling, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Kopan Monastery in 2021, and Root Institute, as well as the butter for the continual light offerings in Nepal and also occasionally the meals to the kind volunteers of  Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling Center, Mongolia.

Extensive offerings at Kopan Monastery, Nepal.

You can learn more about the many beneficial activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or other Charitable Projects of FPMT.

Through the FPMT Puja Fund we have arranged for an incredible vast array of pujas, practices, and offerings for Saka Dawa May 26 when any merit created is multiplied 100 million times.

The pujas and offerings are being undertaken with strong prayers by up to 10,000 Sangha and every practice is extensively dedicated to all the donors of the puja fund, and in particular for all those affected by the pandemic.  By contributing any amount to the Puja Fund, not only will you be a part of all these prayers and practices but also every single puja arranged throughout the year, will be dedicated to you.

“If you make offerings, please remember on the actual day that the pujas are happening, rejoice in them and dedicate the merit. This is the best business and the best way to create most extensive merit.”  – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Monks at Kopan Monastery engaging in puja.

Some of the prayers, pujas, and offerings happening on Saka Dawa*:

• Recitation of the Prajnaparamita.
• 100,000 Praises to Twenty-one Taras offered three times by over 9,000 ordained monks and nuns.
• One thousand sets of offerings to Buddha Namgyalma, Namgyalma long life ritual, Medicine Buddha puja and Sixty-four Offerings to Kalarupa.
• One Hundred Million Mani Retreat by Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery in Nepal.
• Offerings are made to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all of Rinpoche’s gurus and to over 10,000 ordained Sangha around the world.
• Offering paint, gold, and new robes to stupas in Nepal, and Buddha statue in BodhGaya and Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet.

• See the complete list  of all the pujas, practices and offerings that will be happening on Saka Dawa. 

The nuns of of Kachoe Gyakyil Nunnery, Nepal, offering puja.

Thank you to all the donors who make it possible to arrange these continual pujas, prayers, and offerings.

*We are closely monitoring the most current COVID-19 restrictions and will adjust the practices and pujas offered on Saka Dawa according to the safety of all.

You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity. 

Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong puja that was offered for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, the entire FPMT organization, and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, October, 2020, Kopan Monastery. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

The FPMT Puja Fund was established so that pujas and prayers, offered by as many as 15,650 ordained Sangha, would continuously be sponsored for the benefit of the entire FPMT organization. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, large groups of monks are not able to gather in South India monasteries, so over these months smaller groups of monks have offered the pujas.

Pujas and offerings are sponsored on all of the holy Buddha merit-multiplying days: Losar, Saka Dawa, Chokhor Duchen, and Lhabab Duchen.

This year on Lhabab Duchen (November 7, 2020) the following pujas were arranged:

• Recitation of the Prajnaparamita (three versions) by the monks of Gyurme Tantric College
• Namgyäl Tong Chö (One thousand sets of offerings to Buddha Namgyälma), and Zangcho offered by the monks of Gyuto Tantric College
• Druk Ch Ma (64 offerings to Kalarupa), Medicine Buddha Puja and King of Prayers offered by the 370 monks of Kopan Monastery
• Druk Chu Ma, Medicine Buddha Puja, and King of Prayers offered by the 400 nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery)
• Printing of the Sutra of Golden Light six times, Arya Sangata Sutra ten times, Vajra Cutter Sutra two-hundred times, and Amitayus Long Life Sutra twenty times
• Offerings to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to all of the International Mahayana Institute sangha communities 

Sangha at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa enjoying dessert sponsored by the Puja Fund on Lama Tsong Khapa Day.

On Lama Tsong Khapa Day (December 10, 2020), Lama Zopa Rinpoche made offerings to all the monks and nuns of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery, and offered nice lunches and dessert to all the IMI sangha communities.

Rinpoche also recently sponsored 100,000 Buddha names recitation by the nuns of Kopan Nunnery. This puja was dedicated to all the animals killed during Darshain festival in Nepal, the tens of millions of turkeys killed during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, as well as the 17 million minks that were killed due to fears that they were spreading COVID-19 in Denmark.

Puja at Kopan Monastery, June 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

After a pause in these offerings for a few months due to COVID-19, we are happy that the following Puja Fund activities have now resumed every month on the full moon:

• Offerings to the holy Boudhanath and Swayambunath Stupas in Nepal. Offerings of white wash, four giant saffron flower petals and the best quality cloth to the umbrellas at the pinnacles are made to the Boudhanath and Swayambunath stupas in Nepal every month on the full moon and also on Buddha Days when merit is multiplied 100 million times.
• Offerings of gold for the entire holy body and robes to the Jowo Buddha statue in Tibet and robes are offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya.

Additionally, every month the Puja Fund sponsors: Medicine Buddha Puja and Most Secret Hayagriva Puja offered by the monks of Sera Je and Sera Mey Monastery. 

The Puja Fund is also now sponsoring a number of Hayagriva tsog kong pujas at Kopan Monastery, as advised by Khadro-la, for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, the health and success of the entire FPMT organization, and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These are just a few of the many activities sponsored by the FPMT Puja Fund. It is due to the kindness of so many that these ongoing prayers, pujas, and offerings can happen in this way, hopefully bringing more peace and happiness in the world. The annual expense for the pujas is over US$85,000 and all are welcome to contribute.

You can learn more about the beneficial prayers, practices, and pujas sponsored by the Puja Fund, or about FPMT’s other extensive charitable activity. 

Hayagriva tsog kong puja offered at Kopan Monastery on October 26, 2020, for the long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all beings, Nepal

Following the advice of Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drolma (Khadro-la), a Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong puja was offered at Kopan Monastery in Nepal on October 26 for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life. In addition, this puja was dedicated for the health and success of the entire FPMT organization, an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for a number of individuals and geshes within the organization who were specifically advised to have this puja done for life obstacles.

Hayagriva tsog kong torma.

This is the third Hayagriva tsog kong offered at Kopan Monastery, following the advice of Khadro-la for pujas needed to remove obstacles to Rinpoche’s health in 2020. Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. This puja is very powerful as a means for removing obstacles and generating merit, and is very important for FPMT, due to the organization’s close connection with the deity as this is FPMT’s main protector.

Please enjoy this short video of various scenes from this powerful puja:
https://youtu.be/APW_NSlxn54

Lama Zopa Rinpoche attended this puja as well as Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, the Lama Gyupas, and senior monks of Kopan Monastery. The puja took many hours with extensive prayers and meditation, and elaborate tormas were made by the Kopan Lama Gyupas and offered within the puja.

Please rejoice in the successful completion of this third Hayagriva tsog kong for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, the removal of obstacles and creation of merit for the entire FPMT organization, the end of the coronavirus pandemic, and the benefit of all beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Every month, 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 for the success and longevity of the entire FPMT organization. 

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 29^th 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. 

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! 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently gave new advice on what practices to do on Saka Dawa, and also offered the lineage, commentary and tunes of the eight Mahayana precepts to students via video so it is very easy to receive the eight Mahayana precepts on Saka Dawa from Rinpoche directly, an incredibly precious 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. 

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.