receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
Dear Friends,
Rinpoche is in Sera Je Monastery, South India right now. This morning coming back from the long life puja (offered to the ex-Abbots and Abbot of Sera Je, as well as to the most senior lamas who were around from Tibet and Baxau, and to Lama Zopa Rinpoche) both Geshe Jinpa and Ven Sangpo and I were walking behind Rinpoche and watching with great interest the improvement in Rinpoche’s right leg … the walking action is definitely improving. Then last night I watched as Rinpoche was writing the mantra for putting above the rabbits’ cage here in Osel Labrang. Again you can see improvement. And the rabbits noticed as well.
Rinpoche’s blood pressure and diabetes have been ok the past year… and I think there has also been a little improvement in those areas too, although the blood pressure does have a tendency to go up and down.
We are no longer requesting and counting the specific practices which were recommended for Rinpoche’s health and long life back in April last year.
Thank you to everyone for the extensive suggestions and ideas, and especially for all the prayers and dedication of good karma … to improve our karmic view of Rinpoche.
roger
(Ven Roger Kunsang, assistant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and CEO of FPMT Inc)
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Geshe Jampa Gelek and Geshe Tenzin Tenphel (right), the resident geshes at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy, and Lara Gatto, the national coordinator for the FPMT Italian National Office; Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Filippo Scianna (left) and Fabrizio Pallotti, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
The Jangchup Lamrim teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Sera Monastery in South India were attended by 30,000 people. Among them were many FPMT geshes, registered teachers, center directors, spiritual program coordinators, students and benefactors. Here are a few photos of some of them who also met with Lama Zopa Rinpoche during and after the teachings.
Visit the Jangchup Lamrim website for more information and to view photos and streaming video of the teachings.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an organization dedicated to preserving Mahayana Buddhism through offering the Buddha’s authentic teachings and to facilitating reflection, meditation, practice and the opportunity to actualize and directly experience the Buddha’s teachings. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a group from Kurukulla Center in the US including the resident geshe, Geshe Tenley; Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and 27 geshes, who serve as resident teachers in FPMT centers, during the 2007 Geshe Conference organized by FPMT.
In 2013 Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, was extremely happy to offer robes to all of the resident geshes and western ordained teachers offering service at FPMT centers around the world.
Tremendous thanks to Kopan Monastery and Claire Isitt for helping to arrange this.
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, conversation with a monk about the benefits of wearing robes
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has requested that this offering be made each year as a small token of thanks for the incredible service offered by these teachers to FPMT through teaching Dharma in the organization’s centers. In 2013 robes were offered to 43 FPMT registered ordained teachers.
Please rejoice in the service offered by these teachers and also in the offering of robes made to them.
You are welcome to contribute any amount to support the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ribur Rinpoche, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
While Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been at Sera Je Monastery, he has had the opportunity to meet with many high lamas and tulkus.
Ribur Rinpoche’s tulku was enthroned at Sera Me in May 2013. He was recognized as the incarnation of Ribur Rinpoche by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and was initially enthroned as the incarnation in Bodhgaya in 2010 by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Woser Rinpoche.
The previous Ribur Rinpoche was born in Tibet in 1923 and recognized by the 13th Dalai Lama. Ribur Rinpoche studied at Sera Me in Tibet and received his Geshe degree in 1948. He remained in Tibet until 1985 when he came to India. While in Tibet, in addition to being subjected to interrogation, torture and labor camps, Ribur Rinpoche worked to recover holy objects that had been removed or destroyed by the Chinese.
After going into exile, Ribur Rinpoche wrote many books, including a biography of the 13th Dalai Lama and a history of Tibet. He also lived and taught for many years in Northern California. He returned to India in 2006 where he passed away.
Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Up to now, what we have been able to accomplish, benefiting this world in various ways, is, I think, basically through the kindness of the guru: His Holiness [the Dalai Lama], who is the only object of refuge of all sentient beings and the originator of all sentient beings’ happiness; and then, secondly, the founder of this organization, Lama Yeshe, whose holy name is extremely rare to mention, who is kinder than all the three time buddhas; and then the kindness of many other gurus. So, what we have been able to accomplish so far depends on how much guru devotion practice we did correctly, it is the result of that. …”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the page “The Benefits of Guru Devotion,” part of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Online Advice Book.”
More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
The garden at Osel Labrang full of students and Lama Zopa Rinpoche (to right), after His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Jangchup Lamrim teaching session, Sera Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lam-rim is what you should focus on your whole life, even while you are doing your job. You should keep your mind in this. It is the most meaningful, most profound practice, doing each action with the mind in bodhichitta. This should be your practice; this is what you should try to accomplish in life.”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the page “The Value of the Lam-rim,” part of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s “Lama Zopa Rinpoche Online Advice Book.”
More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
Ling Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sera Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
The 2013 Jangchup Lamrim teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama successfully concluded on January 3 with His Holiness conferring the 1000-Armed Chenrezig initiation. His Eminence Ling Rinpoche is the main organizer of the Jangchup Lamrim teaching series.
“This year, His Holiness completed the commentary and oral transmission of several more of the 18 lam-rim texts, and he will continue teaching the remaining lam-rims in a location and on dates to be announced,” reported the Jangchup Lamrim website, which offers photos and videos of the teachings as well as news updates and quotations drawn from the 18 lam-rim commentaries that comprise the Jangchup Lamrim.
In order to make familiar to my own mind,
And to help benefit fortunate others as well,
I’ve explained here in words easy to understand
In its entirety the path that pleases the conquerors.
“Through this virtue may all beings be never divorced
From the perfectly pure excellent path” thus I pray;
I, a yogi, have made aspirations in this manner;
You, who aspire for liberation, too should pray likewise.
– From The Concise Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (also known as Song of the Stages of the Path) by Je Tsongkhapa. As translated in: Songs of Experience on the Stages of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa. Translated by Thubten Jinpa, PhD.
More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in front of the first statue of Lama Yeshe commissioned by Vajrapani Institute, November, 2013.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very happy to make an offering of US$10,000 toward a new life-sized statue of Lama Yeshe which Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, CA, USA is having built. This will be the second life-sized statue of Lama Yeshe commissioned by Vajrapani Institute.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and director of Vajrapani Institute, Fabienne, discussing the art for the new Lama Yeshe statue.
In February 2011, Vajrapani Institute asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche for advice regarding how to create the causes needed for the retreat center to further flourish and benefit many beings. Rinpoche recommended them to commission another statue of FPMT’s founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe.
Rinpoche also added that Vajrapani’s future new meditation hall should contain one-thousand statues of Lama Yeshe! This statue will act as the prototype for smaller ones to be made available.
The budget for this statue is estimated at US$20,000. Please rejoice that Lama Zopa Rinpoche has offered half of funds needed to complete this beneficial statue.
You may donate any amount to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund which allows Rinpoche’s compassionate charitable activity to flourish:
The Bylakuppe School for Tibetans, Karnataka, India, December 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Sera Monastery is located in the Tibetan settlement Bylakuppe near Mysore, Karnataka in South India. Lama Zopa Rinpoche sponsored the new kitchen at the Bylakuppe School for Tibetans, which was inaugurated on December 19, 2013.
Bylakuppe School for Tibetans students greeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche, India, December 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Plaque commemorating the new kitchen, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India, December 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an organization dedicated to preserving Mahayana Buddhism through offering the Buddha’s authentic teachings and to facilitating reflection, meditation, practice and the opportunity to actualize and directly experience the Buddha’s teachings. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Sera Monastery, India, December 24, 2013. Photo by Melissa Mouldin.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at Sera Monastery in South India on December 24 to offer the second series of Jangchup Lamrim teachings, which were attended by 30,000.
Photographer Melissa Mouldin caught sight of Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Sera that same day. She shared some of her photos of Rinpoche greeting many people, including Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme) and several Western students.
Khadro-la greeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sera Monastery, December 24, 2013. Photo by Melissa Mouldin.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche being offered khatas by students while Khadro-la and Dagri Rinpoche greet each other, Sera Monastery, India, December 24, 2013. Photo by Melissa Mouldin.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Sera Monastery, India, December 24, 2013. Photo by Melissa Mouldin.
Upon his arrival, His Holiness was greeted at Sera Lachi by all the senior lamas and dignitaries in attendance. Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant Ven. Roger Kunsang shared a photo of the gathering.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s arrival at Sera Lachi, India, December 24, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Many more photos from the Jangchup Lamrim teachings are available on the website of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and also on the Jangchup Lamrim website, where you can find streaming video of the 10 days of teachings.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an organization dedicated to preserving Mahayana Buddhism through offering the Buddha’s authentic teachings and to facilitating reflection, meditation, practice and the opportunity to actualize and directly experience the Buddha’s teachings. Sign up to receive news and updates.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khensur Rinpoche Losang Tsering, who is offering a long life statue to Rinpoche, Sera Monastery, India, December 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
While at Sera Monastery in December 2013, Lama Zopa Rinpoche had dinner with Khensur Rinpoche Losang Tsering. Khensur Rinpoche offered a long life statue to Rinpoche and thanked him for all his kindness to the monks of Sera Je.
When Khensur Rinpoche was serving as abbot of Sera Je in 1990, he made a request to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to sponsor the food for Sera Je monks. It was a very practical request made to help all of the monks there at the time Lama Ösel entered the monastery. Khensur Rinpoche is now 91 years old and considered one of the great teachers at Sera Je. He counts many of the Kopan monks as his students.
More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering dharmachakra to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sera Monastery, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India, January 2, 2014. Photo courtesy of OHHDL.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered His Holiness the Dalai Lama a body, speech and mind mandala on January 2, 2014, during the Jangchup Lamrim teaching at Sera Monastery in South India. The teachings, which were attended by 30,000, concluded on January 3.
VIDEO: Lama Zopa Rinpoche Offering Mandala
Visit the Jangchup Lamrim website for more information and to view photos and streaming video of the teachings.
Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.