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Osel in attendance of a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Land of Medicine Buddha, September 2013.
Earlier this month Ösel shared his philosophical insight about the universe and one’s relation to it and others on his Facebook page. Please enjoy his unique and thoughtful perspective:
The universe has a perfect design and the more I live the more I see it. It is always on target, the dates and times, moments and spaces, movements and encounters. All so perfectly coordinated. Look at every present situation, it’s spectacular! All of us in a material form with the capacity to comprehend and digest the creation of life, form, energy, sound, smell… every instance! So many variations in existence, each step, each thought we are creating a whole new universe. How amazing is that!? Look into someone’s eyes and behold the window to their soul, the galaxy, the universe. That is us, that is you, that is me, that is all.
The Big Love Fund helps support the education and creative endeavors of Ösel. You can learn more about this project, follow Ösel’s news or discover other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.
Due to the kindness of a very generous benefactor, a full set of robes are being made by tailors in Kathmandu and then will be offered to the 75 nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery and three monks (the abbot, a geshe and a teacher). The robes will be offered during Chinese New Year.
During Lhabab Duchen the nuns offered Guru Padmasambhava Bumstok (100,000 tsog offerings to Padmasambhava). These pujas were dedicated to the good health of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, students of FPMT, the sponsors of the 100 million mani retreats, and all the kind donors of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery.
If you were Sangha but you didn’t wear robes, then people would not know [that you were ordained], but with robes on there is no question. That is how the robes have such incredible benefit for the mind. It is planting the seed for enlightenment when people show respect to your wearing of the robes, or to the robes themselves: This is planting the seed of liberation, and is a way of benefiting sentient beings.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The geshe of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery sent the following message to Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently:
“On Lama Tsongkhapa Day, the nuns started seven days of Amitabha Bumtsok here at nunnery. These pujas organized are dedicated to all sentient beings and particularly for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life and members of FPMT.”
Please rejoice in this offering to the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery and also in their amazing practice and dedication to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the students of FPMT.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, or about the 100 million mani retreats that the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery have offered in alignment with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being led into the long life puja offered by Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, November 23, 2014.
The dance of the five dakinis was offered in this elaborate long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s 25th anniversary celebrations culminated with a very extensive long life puja with the five dakini dance offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on November 23, 2014.
Follwing the puja, Rinpoche commented that he felt the students were sincerely praying for his long life and that there was a heart connection between him and the students.
Please rejoice in ABC’s 25 years of offering the Dharma and offering this beautiful and elaborate long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the long life puja offered to him at ABC, November 23, 2014.
You can enjoy more photos of this celebration and the auspicious long life puja on ABC’s and student Stephen Ching’s respective Facebook pages.
You can read more about this year’s other long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the Long Life Puja Fund’s News archive, and you can learn more about the various Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Occasionally Ösel shares his thoughts and experiences on his Facebook page. In this recent update, he reminds us that we are all connected and encourages us to go within to understand our own thoughts and intentions, rather than worrying about other people’s thoughts, words or actions.
Stop fooling yourself and wake up, open your eyes. We are all free interdependent souls; walk and you will see how far you go. Look back, but walk forward. Life gets complicated when you have a material body, but if you investigate inside and observe your mind you will see that it is very simple. Just being the self, aware that you are the captain of your boat, and the rest will fall into place. You have got to find the limits inside yourself, not from external agents, be a warrior and forget about what other people do or say. Forget for the time being about other people’s thoughts words, or actions. Go for the intentions and thoughts inside yourself. Everything starts there, after that you can worry about the words and actions that define YOU. You cannot see it in others without a subjective interpretation, so for the moment forget about them. Focus on what you have inside. Without the ignorance of illusion we have no separation from the rest. Separation is an illusion.
Deja de engañarte a tí mism@ y despierta; abre los ojos. Todos somos almas libres interdependientes; comienza a dar pasos, y podrás ver lo lejos que llegas. Mira hacia atrás, pero camina hacia delante. La vida se complica cuando tienes un cuerpo material, pero si investigas dentro y observas nuestra mente verás que es muy simple. Siendo tu mismo, y reconociendo que tu eres el capitán de tu barco, el resto caerá en su lugar. Debes encontrar los límites dentro de uno mism@, no a través de agentes externos, sé un guerrero y olvídate de lo que piensan, hacen o dicen otras personas. Ve a por las intenciones y pensamientos dentro de ti mism@. Todo empieza ahí, después preocúpate de las palabras y acciones que TE definen. Es difícil no verlo en los demás sin un punto subjetivo propio, por lo tanto olvídate de ell@s por el momento. Focaliza en lo que tienes dentro. Sin la ignorancia de la ilusión no hay separación del resto. La separación es una ilusión.
The Big Love Fund helps support the education and creative endeavors of Ösel. You can learn more about this project, follow Ösel’s news or discover other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Daily Sutra of Golden Light recitations at Institut Vajra Yogini.
The students of Institut Vajra Yogini, France, have committed to engage in yet another one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. This is the third Vast Vision they are actively supporting. In addition to hosting yearly Nyung-Nä retreats and building a large studio so that large thangkas can be painted, they will now recite the Sutra of Golden Light every day as a group with each participants’ recitation counted toward the accumulation of recitations. They organize two sessions daily to complete the entire sutra: 12pm-1pm and also 6pm-7pm. Students are also encouraged to recite from a distance. In the first nine days of beginning this new commitment, 35 full recitations of the sutra were accumulated and about 80 different students have taken part.
Institut Vajra Yogini decided to take on this commitment once they heard Lama Zopa Rinpoche advise about the benefits of the Sutra of Golden Light.
The holy Golden Light Sutra is the king of the sutras. It is extremely powerful and fulfills all one’s wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment. It is also extremely powerful for world peace, for your own protection and for the protection of the country and the world. Also, it has great healing power for people in the country.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please rejoice in these recitations. Anyone can join in this accumulation of merit and support of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions by reciting this incredible sutra which you can download freely in several languages.
After five weeks of recitations, Institut Vajra Yogini’s students have accumulated 160 full recitations of the Sutra. Almost 200 people have taken part in these recitations! Please rejoice!
FPMT Education Services has created a resource page to help you learn more about and start reciting the Sutra of Golden Light. You can download the sutra in 12 languages, report completed recitations, share your experiences, and ask questions about the text itself.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, September 2013. Photo by Andy Melnic.
From September 13-October 23, a successful CPMT meeting was held and followed by a retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. These events were jointly hosted by three Australian FPMT entities: The Great Stupa, Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery.
Following the moving long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, which came after the CPMT meeting (there was also a second long life puja offered to Rinpoche following the retreat), Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered over $24,000 to The Great Stupa, Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery towards their incredible work.
Please rejoice in this kind offering towards these amazing beneficial activities happening in Australia.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or the Long Life Puja Fund, which funds annual long life pujas for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The Tashi Chime Gatsal nuns planting vegetables at the nunnery.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, continues to support the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery (also known as Bigu Nunnery) by sponsoring the 100 million mani retreats which the nuns continue to offer at least two times a year.
The Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery nuns cleaning around the existing and new hostel.
This includes funding for a geshe to teach the nuns lam-rim and there are also funds offered to help the little nunnery grow and improve.
The sponsorship of 100 million mani retreats is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization, something so precious to rejoice in as well as the nuns’ ongoing effort toward the advancement of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vast vision.
During the 100 million mani retreats extensive dedications are made for the FPMT organization, all the centers, services and projects, benefactors, students, volunteers and all beings.
The improvements to the nunnery also helps to create a conducive environment in which the nuns can continue to live in and offer their practices.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund or about Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s collective Vast Visions for the FPMT organization.
Ian Green thanking Rinpoche on behalf of the entire retreat and the three centers hosting, and requesting Rinpoche to continue the teachings.
At the conclusion of the recent retreat in Australia, inside the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, all of the participants and many others offered a beautiful and moving long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on October 23.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being led into the long life puja.
At the beginning of the puja Rinpoche was led into the stupa by a local aboriginal elder playing the didgeridoo and two geshes, Geshe Doga from Tara Institute, Melbourne and Geshe Wangchen from Dorje Chang Institute, New Zealand.
The entire stupa was filled with people and it was a very joyous occasion and ending to an incredible retreat.
Amitabha Buddha Center will be offering a long life puja to Rinpoche in Singapore later this month and at the end of the annual November course at Kopan Monastery a long life puja will be offered to Rinpoche in December.
The five dakini dance was offered to Rinpoche.
Please rejoice in all of these recent long life pujas offered and planned for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
To understand why a long life puja is essential, we must understand the value of the Guru. He is our guide in this life, the bardo, and future lives. He is immensely important. It is not a case where if we ask him to live he will, and vice-versa, but that to offer such a ceremony purifies our own broken samayas.
—Geshe Lama Konchog
You can learn more about the Long Life Puja Fund and offer your support to long life pujas for Lama Zopa Rinpoche as well as His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The foundation for a new prayer hall at Ngari Khangsten is complete.
Earlier this year we reported on a $US100,000 donation that was made by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, toward the building of a much-needed new prayer hall at Ngari Khangtsen, at Sera Je Monastery in south India.
We are pleased to report that the foundation is now finished. The project is employing a “small army” of local laborers who are working hard to build this wonderful new prayer hall.
There is not yet a projected date of completion as they have not yet acquired funds necessary to begin the next stage of construction. You are welcome to contribute directly to this next important phase of building.
This time of year, the monks of Ngari Khangtsen are pleased to have finished their annual exams. It was reported that the monks did very well this year.
Please rejoice in the completion of the foundation for this important project which will benefit so many monks studying Dharma so sincerely.
If you would like to learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and how you can contribute to the many worthy projects which it supports, or if you’d like to know more about other charitable activity within the FPMT organization, you can see a list of the FPMT Charitable Projects and their descriptions.
Sangha at Kachoe Dechen Ling create tsa-tsas and stupas daily for those who are sick or have died. Photo by Chris Majors.
On Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request, the Sangha at Kachoe Dechen Ling make tsa-tsas and stupas every day. This activity is sponsored by the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund. The holy objects created are:
1. Long life tsa-tsas (Three long life deities and Medicine Buddha)
2. Mitrugpa tsa-tsas
3. Three stupas each day which are filled with the Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantras
Photo by Chris Majors.
The tsa tsas are made and dedicated for any person who is sick and the stupas are made and dedicated for any being who has died.
After the dedications the tsa tsas and stupas are used in various ways, one main way is around other stupas and holy objects at Kachoe Dechen ling that people can circumambulate when entering the house and create merit that way. They are also used around the bigger stupa that all the animals that are liberated are taken around each week.
In this way there is constantly practices happening at Rinpoche’s house dedicated for all beings
Rinpoche has said the only reason to have a house is for it to be a way to create merit for sentient beings and the organization, in this way Rinpoche takes care of all the sangha in the house and request they doing specific practices all day (and into the night) with dedications for the whole organization and all beings.
Please rejoice in this daily creation of holy objects which create so much merit for individuals and all of FPMT.
You can learn more about the activities of the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, which supports the creation of these tsa-tsas and stupas, or enjoy an overview of other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
One of the statues being consulted as a prototype for the Five Dhayani Buddhas being created.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, is sponsoring the creation of Five Dhyani Buddha statues, a Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) statue and a number of other Buddhist statues which will go inside a large stupa that is being built in India. Rinpoche recently offered the first payment toward this holy object project, US$54,452
The statues are 4-ft high with full gold plating and will take two years to complete. They are being made by one of the best statue makers in Nepal. Rinpoche has been involved with the artist to make sure the art is best quality.
Holy objects purify karma just by seeing [them]. It purifies the mind, plants seed for the path to liberation. That’s how stupas liberate each day.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You are welcome to offer any amount toward this incredibly holy object offering.
You can learn more about the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja with Geshe Doga, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.
Five dakini dancers entering the gompa, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.
Each year, a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche is offered on behalf of the entire FPMT organization. This puja takes place at the close of the yearly Kopan lam-rim course, or at the end of a CPMT meeting. This year, it was offered following the CPMT 2014 meeting.
A long life puja with the five dakinis was offered on Friday, September 19, in the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. A video recording of the puja is available on the CPMT livestream page.
A beautiful collection of praises and requests from FPMT centers, projects and services around the world were read aloud to Lama Zopa Rinpoche by regional and national coordinators who were present:
“We offer this praise to you Rinpoche, on behalf of all of your disciples throughout the world. We offer this praise on behalf of all sentient beings, who wander like blind children at the edge of the perilous cliffs of samsara, certain to fall to our deaths without your guidance….”
You can read this entire, moving collection of praises and requests here.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered an extensive dedication at the end of the puja, including all the people working within the FPMT organization and all FPMT centers, projects and services around the world.
The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. Please rejoice that we can make this offering and may it create the cause for our most precious Guru to have a very long long life.
You can contribute anytime towards future long life pujas offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
You can learn more about the Long Life Puja Fund as well as the other Charitable Projects of FPMT.