Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund News

Since 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has been offering three meals a day to every monk studying at Sera Je Monastery. Some monks do not need to rely on this service due to various reasons such as having personal benefactors who sponsor their food directly, but the food offering is available to every single monk who would like to receive it. 

Three meals are offered every day to any monk studying at Sera Je Monastery.

Recently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT CEO Ven. Roger Kunsang, and Charitable Projects Coordinator Ven. Holly Ansett spent a month at Sera Je Monastery with the Sera Je Food Fund team and attended a number of meetings with Ven. Ngawang Sangye who has been working for the food fund since 2007 while completing his geshe studies degree in 2016. He does an incredible job helping to manage this massive operation with the help of Vens Kalden and Rabten. They work with FPMT International Office on budget and cost analysis, which can become quite complicated when shopping and cooking for up to 2,500. 

In these recent meeting, the team discussed improvements that could be made to the program, advice and recommendations from a dietitian who was consulted last year, how to utilize seasonal produce, and the general food preferences of the monks. Recently, the entire menu was redesigned based on feedback from the monks and discussion with the kitchen management. The food fund will continually assess and make adjustments and improvements to operations, procedures, and services offered to help ensure that this project is bringing the most benefit to those it serves.The Sera Je Food Fund not only covers the cost of all food, it is also responsible for the entire kitchen operation, paying cooks, utilities, and equipment upkeep. 

8,700 pounds of flour and 6,500 pounds of rice are offered every month through the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen.

Every day each khangtsen (monastic house made up of monks from the same regions) informs the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen how many monks will be joining for meals so the cooks can always prepare the right amount of food. There is almost no waste from the kitchen because any leftovers are offered to monks who engage in evening debate or classes allowing the monks to enjoy a second dinner if they are studying or debating late. Any food bought by the kitchen that is not used is sold back to the market making the waste for the kitchen extremely low. This is quite impressive when considering the volume of food being prepared and cooked.  An incredible 8,700 pounds of flour and 6,500 pounds of rice are used every month in addition to large quantities of other foods such as vegetables, fruits, spices, grains, tea, milk, and other ingredients. 

Typically, about 50 monks are assigned to kitchen duties every day.  They help ensure that the ingredients are top quality, that the kitchen is always hygienic and efficient, and that the food is tasty for the monks. Lunch is often eaten as a group in the Sera Je gompa when there are pujas or practices happening. 

The monks gather in the gompa for lunch when there are prayers and pujas organized around lunch time.

Twenty-five years ago Lama Zopa Rinpoche initiated the Sera Je Food Fund as a way to offer daily benefit to all of the monks studying at Sera Je, enabling them to focus on their studies without having to worry about meals or the burden of food expenses and preparation. Since that time Ven. Roger has worked with support from Ven. Holly to help actualize this vision through continual work with the monastery and the benefactors who make this fund possible. 

Please take some time to rejoice in this incredible daily offering and the kindness of all the extremely generous donors who contribute to the success of this program. From the prep cooks, to the dishwashers, to those who do the shopping, to those who help manage the operation, to the accountants, to the food vendors, the Sera Je Food Fund is a massive collective effort on the part of many.

You are welcome to join in on this offering by donating any amount, or by following the news and updates of this beneficial daily offering of food to hundreds of monks. 

A monk from the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen helps with flour needed for bread for 30,000.

Over 30,000 people, including monks from surrounding monasteries, packed into Tashi Lhunpo Monastery for the last of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchup Lamrim teachings in South India in late December 2015. 

The Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen prepared rice and bread to accompany the lunch offered by the teaching event, for every single participant. To accomplish this astounding offering, 150 monks woke up at 2 a.m. at Sera Je Monastry every morning to begin cooking. They then had to transport all of the bread and rice for 5.5 miles to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in a sanitary way, every single day. Remarkably, they managed to serve the bread and rice steaming hot at lunch time. It is almost inconceivable to consider how they did this! 

Volunteer monks help kneed the dough required for massive amounts of bread.

All of the bread had to be cooked on the grill before transporting it to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

Bread for 30,000 getting carefully packed for transport to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

The bread is carefully packed and ready to be transported.

Rice for 30,000!

Giant pots were needed to prepare so much rice.

The rice is carefully loaded into a truck for transport.

This is just one way the Sera Je Food Fund Kitchen is utilized as a way to benefit ordained Sangha and students of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Huge thanks to all of the monks who volunteer their time to make this possible, and to Ngawang Sangye and the Sera Je Food Fund team who made this offering of time and effort so joyfully, as evidenced by the photos above. Please rejoice in this tremendous effort!

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund: fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/seraje

Healthy and hearty vegetarian soup is often offered, through the Sera Je Food Fund, as dinner to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.

Since its inception in 1991, the Sera Je Food Fund has strived to assess and make adjustments and improvements to operations, procedures, and services offered to help ensure that this project is bringing the most benefit to those it serves. In 2015, two major changes were implemented which will not only benefit the monks as they partake in their daily meals, but also will benefit those who work very hard in the kitchen to get three vegetarian meals out every single day to all of the 2,500 monks.

in March of 2015 a dietitian visited the monastery and gave suggestions on how to improve the monks’ nutrition through the food offered. Changes include: an increase in protein, an increase in the amount and variety of vegetables and seasonal fruit, less oil and salt, wheat has been introduced to the white flour used in breads (most prefer the white flour so this is a gradual transition), more variety of healthful dishes are now being offered as well. The dietician also spoke to all the monks regarding healthy food and diet. 

The monks have to work very hard with big equipment and huge quantities of food to help offer three meals every day.

In October of 2015 a wage increase has also been granted to the Sera Je kitchen staff. The kitchen staff work incredibly hard for the Sera Je Food Fund; monks can be expected to work from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on a rotating basis. This increase in salary will help increase staff morale with the hope that this will encourage experienced kitchen staff to stay in these jobs for longer periods of time. Having experienced staff is key to maintaining the standard of food served by the kitchen.

Please rejoice in the ongoing improvements to the operations of the Sera Je Food Fund which, for twenty-five years, has been offering meals to the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. 

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund: fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/seraje

A kind benefactor has enabled the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund to sponsor the building of a new IMI retreat cabin at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France.

Due to the kindness of a generous benefactor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to sponsor the International Mahayana Institute’s building of a retreat cabin specifically to be used by Sangha at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land. 

This new cabin, named “Olka Cholung” after the place in Tibet where Lama Tsongkhapa did extensive retreat. It is run by Thakpa Kachoe and administered by IMI for IMI Sangha wishing to engage in medium-length and long retreats in Europe. 

Beautiful surroundings at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, where a new retreat cabin for IMI Sangha has been built.

Thakpa Kachoe has twenty-two acres of pasture and forest and is located in the amazingly scenic South Alps region at Guillaumes in the hamlet of Villetale; a 1.5 hour drive from Nice. The cabin is a single room cabin with kitchenette, shower and adjacent dry toilet.

Olka Cholung has welcomed its first occupant who has already started a fourteen month retreat. Having recently arrived there she mentioned how easy will be to meditate on dependent arising as well as the kindness of others while in retreat because the cabin “would not have been possible without all the people who support the project.” She continued saying,  “I call it a ‘five star retreat hut’ because it indeed has all the conducive conditions. The surrounding is amazingly beautiful, the valley is quite vast, giving a gorgeous open view. The air is clean and the water pristine. There is silence. The hut is within a forest, isolated from other buildings. All the materials used are the most eco-friendly possible. This is crucial for the environment and also for the people living in it. And last, but not least, the indispensable condition of having good caretakers.”

Please rejoice in the building of this cabin which will benefit FPMT Sangha for years to come. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monks and nuns. 

Monks of Sera Je Monastery enjoying a meal provided by the Sera Je Food Fund. Photo by Losan Piatti.

Every day, an incredible effort from many individuals, and a large quantity of food and supplies is needed to prepare, cook, and serve three meals per day to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Food Fund. Over the six months, the Sera Je Food Fund has used 52,254 pounds of flour, 39,062 pounds of rice, and large quantities of other foods such as vegetables, fruits, spices, grains, tea, milk, and other ingredients. 

Many volunteers offer their time to make sure the meals are prepared, cooked and served three times per day.

The cost for offering food through the Sera Je Food Fund, including all the operating costs, supplies, maintenance, and utilities is US$280,000 a year. In six months, US$90,908.09 was spent on food alone. 

Recently, a short film on the Sera Je Food Fund featuring Lama Zopa Rinpoche was released. In this video Rinpoche candidly speaks on the importance of supporting the food fund and the role it plays in spreading the Dharma in our world. Scenes from daily life at the monastery, including the logistics of preparing meals for all 2,500 resident monks at a time.

The Sera Je Food Fund is approaching its 25th year, and the support it’s received and the impact the fund has on the quality of life at Sera Je monastery deserves rejoicing and tremendous thanks for all involved.

You can sponsor meals for the monks of Sera Je Monastery as well as keep up on news and updates for this project. 

A beautiful new short film on the Sera Je Food Fund featuring Lama Zopa Rinpoche was released last week. In it Rinpoche candidly speaks on the importance of supporting the food fund and the role it plays in spreading the Dharma in our world. Scenes from daily life at the vibrant monastery, including what it takes to prepare meals for all 2,500 resident monks at a time, weave through the interview with Rinpoche.

The Sera Je Food Fund is approaching its 25th year, and the support it’s received and the impact the fund has on the quality of life at Sera Je monastery deserves endless rejoicing and thanks for all involved.

Sera Je Monastery, located in southern India, is the largest Tibetan monastic university, and therefore is vital to the preservation of the tradition. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche points out in the film, “If this monastery goes down, the education and teaching goes down, if there’s no food, the means of living goes down, then we cannot have teachers around the world, and the opportunity for many sentient beings to achieve higher rebirth… and ultimate happiness.”

Before the food fund was created, the monastery was struggling to provide nourishment for all of the monks. Now with everyone’s support, the food fund offers every single monk three healthy vegetarian meals a day, everyday, totaling over 3 million meals per year.

Please take a moment to rejoice in all the generosity and hard work of all who have supported the Sera Je Food Fund over nearly 25 years, and how it’s helping Sera Monastery cultivate our future teachers and preserve the Buddhadharma. 

If you would like to get involved and offer meals so the monks can excel in their studies, visit the Sera Je Food Fund’s homepage today.  

Many thanks go out also to Matteo Passigato who so kindly filmed and edited the video, and to Lara Gatto for all her kind help.

Progress is being made on the new debate courtyard at Sera Mey Monastery. A grant from the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was given to support this work.

In September we reported that a grant from the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was offered to Sera Mey Monastery, Mysore, India, toward the construction of a new debate courtyard. The old debate courtyard posed problems such as echoing, exposure to rain, hot sun, no classrooms or science lab rooms, among other issues. Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey, the presence of a proper area for debate at the monastery was a necessity. 

The building of this new courtyard has commenced and progress is underway. 

The tradition of debate in Tibetan Buddhism can be traced back to Lama Tsongkhapa, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. With logical reasoning as the governing rule, students practice the art of debate by questioning one another.

The monks offered extensive offerings and prayers from The Victorious Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, the sutra-based ritual of Medicine Buddha. They offered prayers for one week and dedicated especially for the long life of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all FPMT members and benefactors. 

The FPMT Puja Fund also sponsors a monthly Medicine Buddha puja at Sera Mey by the monks. This has been offered every month since the establishment of the Puja Fund, twenty years ago. Medicine Buddha puja is so important  for the overall success of the organization and all Dharma activities and is dedicated to all FPMT students and benefactors, including those who have died. 

Please rejoice in the building of this new debate courtyard and in all of the beneficial prayers and activities happening at Sera Mey Monastery for the benefit of FPMT. 

You can learn more about the activities of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the FPMT Puja Fund or check out an overview of all of FPMT’s Charitable Projects.  

Sera Je Monastery monk receives new robes sponsored by the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund in recognition of his memorization.

Every year the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund sponsors an oral examination of Sera Je Monastery’s top scholars who have shown a propensity for memorization. This year, 212 monks were awarded new robes for their successful memorization of particular texts. Please rejoice in these incredible accomplishments!

212 Sera Je Monastery monks were offered new robes in recognition of their memorization of important texts.

• One monk memorized Five Treatises of Maitreya
• One monk memorized Six Treatises on the Middle Way by Nagarjuna
• One monk memorized commentary on the Middle Path by Lama Jetsunpa
• Six monks memorized commentary on the Prajnaparamita, Part One, by Lama Jetsunpa
• Thirty-one monks memorized Bodhisattvacaryavatara (Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) by Shantideva
• Seventy-four monks memorized The Essence of Eloquence on the Art of Interpretation by Lama Tsongkhapa
• Ninety-eight monks memorized a commentary on the Prajnaparamita

Please rejoice in the offering of robes to these future teachers, who contribute to the preservation the gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in the monasteries. Supporting the Sangha of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition is the main objectives of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund.

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains:

“The continuity and spread of Buddhadharma throughout the world depends upon highly qualified teachers. The three great monasteries are the only place in the world where the entire, complete teachings of the Buddha are studied and practiced with deep logic.”

All are welcome to join in on this offering by contributing any amount to the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund. 

You can learn more about the many activities of the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund including support given to the most senior teachers of the Tsongkhapa tradition, the annual Gelugpa Exam, and the annual Winter Debate in India and Nepal. 

Through the Sera Je Food Fund, 8,300 meals are offered every day to the monks of Sera Je Monastery.

The Sera Je Food Fund offers three meals, daily, to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. Over three million meals are offered every year, a massive and collective effort of many volunteers at the monastery (who shop for, prepare, and clean up after each meal) as well as many kind donors who contribute to this fund.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche started this project in 1991 and has committed to making this offering every day, every year, for as long as possible. Please rejoice that another year of food for this project has been successfully sponsored. Funds offered, together with local interest earned, is used to sponsor food for the entire year. 

Many volunteers at the monastery shop for food, prepare meals, and clean up after each meal. This is a huge collective effort which must happen every single day.

Why a Food Fund?

In the Tibetan tradition, it is customary for monastics to support themselves. In addition to providing for their own housing, individual monks are responsible for purchasing and preparing all of their meals. As many of the monks are refugees from Tibet or from refugee families living in India, they have very little money for quality food and, consequently, were often malnourished and ill. Before the Sera Je Food Fund, most monks at the monastery never had a full stomach. Now, for the first time, they are well-nourished, and this makes a dramatic difference in the energy they are able to devote to their studies. Additionally, group preparation of meals and use of a communal kitchen allows more time for the monks to apply themselves to their studies without the added worry of cleaning up and preparing individual meals, monitoring their individual health for adequate protein and nutrition, etc.

Please read about the benefits of the Sera Je Food Fund and the benefits of making offerings to the Sangha by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

You can learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund, read an overview of the food offered daily, or support this project with a donation of any amount. 

Cooking and food staples, such as flour, were offered to 2,973 monks at Sera Je Monastery over the Summer break.

The Sera Je Food Fund is responsible for offering three nutritious meals to all the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery. As the monastery closes for the Summer (and thus, the kitchen closes), the fund makes other arrangements so the monks at the monastery have meals while the monastery is on break. 

Basic dry food staples are distributed to 2,973 monks ensuring they are able to provide meals for themselves until the monastery and kitchen are back in full operation. 

Without support from the Sera Je Food Fund, the monks of Sera Je Monastery would have to struggle to adequately feed themselves when the monastery closes for Summer break.

In 2011, Lama Zopa Rinpoche said the following, “Regarding the Sera Je Food Fund, this is making offerings to Sangha … wow … wow! Can you imagine the merit of that? Even making small charity the size of a single strand of hair? Can you imagine? In the monastery there are Sangha living in the five vows, but the majority of the Sangha are living in higher vows such as getsül (36 vows) and gelong, a fully ordained bhikkshu (253 vows). Most of the Sangha are gelongs and living in highest number of vows … wow … wow … wow! One creates so much merit by making offerings to Sangha due to the power of the object.” You can read Rinpoche’s complete advice, “Benefits of the Sera Je Food Fund.” 

All of this is possible due to the kindness of many donors contributing in large and small ways. If you would like to get involved, to help ensure that the monks of Sera Je Monastery are offered food long into the future, you are welcome to contribute any amount to the Sera Je Food Fund. 

You can sponsor meals for the monks of Sera Je Monastery as well as keep up on news and updates for this project. 

View of the property where the new debate courtyard is being built for the monks of Sera Mey Monastery.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very happy to offer a grant to Sera Mey Monastery, Mysore, India, toward the construction of a debate courtyard. Due to the kindness of an extremely generous benefactor, the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund was able to offer a substantial contribution for this project. 

Progress on the debate courtyard. September, 2015. Photo courtesy of Sera May Monastery.

The tradition of debate in Tibetan Buddhism can be traced back to Lama Tsongkhapa, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. With logical reasoning as the governing rule, students practice the art of debate by questioning one another. 

Without a proper debate courtyard, the monks of Sera Mey cannot engage in debate under the best conditions. The old debate courtyard was very small and had other problems such as echoing, exposure to rain, hot sun, no classrooms or science lab rooms, among other issues. Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey, the presence of a proper area for debate at the monastery will have lasting benefit. 

Approximately 2,000 monks study at Sera Mey Monastery and will benefit from the new debate courtyard being built.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is extremely pleased to be supporting Sera Mey Monastery in this way. Please rejoice in the construction of this new debate courtyard which will benefit many Buddhist scholars now and far into the future. 

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the many ways which it is able to make offerings to Sangha. 

Khangtsens are hostel sections of monasteries where monks share living quarters with those who share their language and cultural background.

During the 2014 Jangchup Lamrim teachings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche stayed at Ganden Samlo Khangtsen at Ganden Monastery. While there, Rinpoche discovered that essential repairs were needed and Rinpoche wanted to help. Due to the generosity of an extremely kind benefactor, US$19,600 was raised and offered to this khangtsen so the repairs could be made. Specifically, a damaged roof was able to be replaced and extended to protect from the heat. 

Khangtsens are hostel sections of monasteries. Each monk is affiliated with one khangtsen according to their region of origin. This is so monks can live with others who share their language and cultural background, thus helping to limit hardships and confusion within the community.

Please rejoice in this offering. It continues to be a high priority for FPMT to support ordained Sangha.

You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund

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Explore FPMT’s many charitable projects and social service activities: https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/