receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund News
2010 Meeting of Geluk Committee in Nepal.April 2013: The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is very happy to be able to offer US$11,500 towards 2013 Special debate held in Nepal in August 2013.
This year the special debate will be held at Kopan Monastery for fifteen days. There will be 450 monks attending from ten different Gelug 
2010 Meeting of Geluk Committee in Nepal.monasteries in Nepal. These are the top debating students from each monastery. In addition this is the first time ever that nuns are participating in the special debate and there will be 90 nuns participating from two Gelug nunneries in Nepal, one of them being Kopan’s own Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery.
This is the fifth year the special debate has been held in Nepal for the Gelug monasteries. Each year a different monastery hosts the actual debate.
For more information on the annual winter debate, its history, the texts debated and the overall incredible importance of the debate please read more here.
Please rejoice that we can make this offering and thank you to all the kind donors of the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund. The support given by FPMT’s Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund ensures that the Mahayana teachings are preserved for the benefit of all sentient beings and is critical to FPMT’s mission of transmitting and preserving the Mahayana Buddhist teachings worldwide.
Kitchen helpers working hard. Please visit Sera Je Food Fund Office’s Facebook page for a photo gallery of a typical day in the Sera Je Kitchen, which is sponsored by the Sera Je Food Food.
You can also read Geshe Thubten Sherab’s account of a typical day at Sera Je Monastery here.
Buckets of vegetables and tofu.
Monks returning to their own quarters.
A look at a typical week’s worth of dinners provided by the Sera Je Food Fund to all the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery.
You can also view a typical day’s menu including breakfast and lunch.
Please take a moment to rejoice in this incredible offering of which you can be a part by donating any amount to the Sera Je Food Fund today.
Monday: Rice with vegetables.
Tuesday: Noodle soup.
Wednesday: Rice with tofu and vegetable. 
Thursday: Noodle soup. 
Friday: Vegetable biriyani with soup.
Saturday: Vegetable buns and soup. 
Sunday: Fried rice with soup.
Have you ever wondered how to offer food to the 2,600 monks studying at Sera Je Monastery?
By donating any amount to the Sera Je Food Fund, you contribute to the daily offering of three healthy vegetarian meals prepared for and offered to all of the monks of Sera Je Monastery.
Please take a moment to rejoice in this incredible offering of which you can be a part by donating any amount to the Sera Je Food Fund today.
What Does a Meal for 2,600 Look Like?
Buckets of soup to be offered to the monks.
Making giant pots of vegetarian dahl. Photo by Losan Piatti.
Monks cutting the vegetables. Photo by Losan Piatti.
The monks recite prayers together and dedicate to all the donors of the Ser Je Food Fund before the food is offered. Photo by Losan Piatti.
Making bread dough.
Monks enjoying cutting the vegetables together.
Rejoice! The 3,000 monks of Sera Je Monastery are offering 9 days of prayers and pujas dedicated to all our kind and generous benefactors.
We have just received this letter from the Abbott of Sera Je Monastery thanking Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT and all the benefactors of the Sera Je Food Fund project.
Due to the kind and generous support of so many, FPMT has been able to offer food to all the Sangha at Sera Je Monastery now for the past 22 years. THANK YOU.
The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund was very happy to support the Geluk International Foundation which is establishing an office at Ganden Monastery, Tibet, as well as accommodation for Ganden Tripa by donating $4,518 for two computers and office equipment and furniture.
Please read a letter of thanks from the President of the Geluk International Foundation.
The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.From December 2012- June 2013 the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is offering US$14,000 for two 100 million mani retreats at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery in Nepal. The fund has sponsored 100 million Om Mani Padme Hum retreats at this nunnery every year since 2009.
The fund sponsored two 100 million mani retreats in 2012, one of which was dedicated to Rinpoche’s long life.
The Tashi Chime Gatsal Nuns working on constructing a school.
In addition to the 100 million mani retreats taking place over the next six months, the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund is offering all the cost of food to all the nuns for this period as well as the cost of a very qualified geshe to stay during the retreat in order to give lam-rim teachings. This is very important for the nuns’ studies. The retreat lasts three months and about seventy nuns participate. Each nun doing the recitations receives a small offering and the nunnery also receives an offering. This is the main means of support for the nuns and the nunnery.
100 Million Mani Retreats Sponsored
- 2009: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2010: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2011: One retreat sponsored during Saka Dawa
- 2012: Two retreats sponsored over Saka Dawa
- 2013: Two retreats sponsored from December 2012-June 2013 beginning on Lama Tsongkhapa Day
UPDATE April 2013: Lama Zopa Rinpoche just received this message from the Tashi Chime Gatsal Nuns who are currently doing their 2nd 100 million mani retreat. More….
If you would like to contribute to to Rinpoche’s ongoing commitment to sponsor these 100 million mani retreats:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for 100 Million Mani Retreats
This is the beginning of actualizing one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT which he explained in 2007: Sponsoring 100 Million Mani Retreats.
As Rinpoche explained:
“[I would like] for the organization to establish 100,000 recitations of 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum. This can be retreats of 100 million recitations, so 100,000 different retreats in different parts of the world where it can happen regularly, each year.
There are two ways to count this. One way is once it is established for it to happen regularly each year. Or it can happen in different places, one time, and you count it like that. Maybe they are unable to do regularly but able to do one time or a few times.
So to establish this in different parts of the world such as Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Australia, China etc.
We should create a plan on how to lead the retreat of 100 million Om Mani Padme Hums: What practices to do, a plan on how to schedule the retreat, the whole structure. Once you have a structure then it is easy for people to lead the retreat.
Also you can make mani pills in the retreats.
During the retreat it is a great thing if you also take the 8 Mahayana Precepts during the retreat. You can have lunch and breakfast, but no dinner. People can take precepts for the whole time or every alternative week. So this depends on the different places. I think to combine these two is extremely great.
Then it would be very good if the retreats are sponsored by the organization. Sometimes it can also be sponsored privately, all the expenses. But the idea is to start as a project and then for the whole organization to sponsor. Or to sponsor the food or lodging. Like a center hosting, making the retreat free for everyone. The idea is for it to be sponsored so people do not have to pay. Also if an individual person is doing 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hums then still the organization can sponsor the person.
There is one story about Geshe Thubten Sopa, he led 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum retreat in the monastery. I think he is regarded as an incarnate Lama, this is not known in Sera, but actually he’s an incarnate Lama. The monastery in Ladakh respect and regard him as an incarnate Lama.
What happened is during the retreat, the mani pills multiplied and that inspired so many people, to have faith and because of that there are now many monasteries in Ladhak that are doing 100 Million Om Mani Padme Hum Retreats. So this is a great thing.”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his Vast Vision for FPMT, Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, CA, March 2007
October, 2012: Lama Zopa Rinpoche made a rare visit to the Sera Je Kitchen.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting the Sera Je Food Fund kitchen.
Rinpoche enjoyed the evening’s dinner that was was prepared for the 2,600 monks of Sera Je Monastery.
October 2012: For the past fifteen years the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund has been offering a small monthly stipend to 136 of the most senior teachers, and secretaries, of Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries.
In addition, the fund sponsors the travel of the top students from Sera, Gaden and Drepung monasteries to the annual Gelug exam and provides the food and tea to the 600+ monks in attendance.
In 2012 USD$25,400 was offered for the exam and stipends.
How Can I Make a Donation?
To make a tax-deductible donation simply send your check in US dollars payable to FPMT Inc. and write “Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund” on the memo line.
FPMT Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702
USA
The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is 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 more information please contact: Charitable Projects Coordinator.
- US$17,427 was offered for the monthly stipends of the current abbots, past abbots and main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, including the Ganden Tripa.
- US$8,036 was offered for the annual Gelug examination that was attended by over 602 of the foremost scholars from Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries. In 2011, the exam was held at Drepung Monastery. This money covered the cost of travel for the monks traveling from Sera Je and Sera Me, as well the cost of offering food and tea to all the 602 monks attending the exam.
June 2012: We are delighted to present you with new videos which help illustrate the many benefits of this project.
“A Brief Introduction to the Sera Je Food Fund” is a short introduction and overview of the project.
“The Making of Food” is 23-minute video providing a virtual tour of how the food is prepared for all 2,600 monks at Sera Je Monastery.
All Sera Je Food Fund videos can be found on our new video page on the Sera Je Food Fund web page.
June 2012: We are delighted to present you with new videos which help illustrate the many benefits of this project.
“A Brief Introduction to the Sera Je Food Fund” is a short introduction and overview of the project.
“The Making of Food” is 23-minute video providing a virtual tour of how the food is prepared for all 2,600 monks at Sera Je Monastery.
All Sera Je Food Fund videos can be found on our new video page on the Sera Je Food Fund web page.