Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice

Lama Zopa Rinpoche writing the special mantra Om Pema Ushnisha Bimala Hum Phat. This is to go above where all the white rabbits live at Osel Labrang. Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“Try to think, whatever you do, 24 hours a day, of sentient beings: when you chant mantras, eat, go to sleep, go to work, and when you are talking; if you can, keep your mind in that thought.

“Then, with every action you collect numberless merits. Not only do you have a happy, satisfying, fulfilling life every day and every moment, but, especially, it is the best thing for the future, and not only liberation from samsara, but enlightenment.”

– Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the page “General Practice Advice: Quotations,” 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.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taking transmission from Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche, with Ven. Tsenla and Ven. Yeshe Khadro offering tsog. Bodhgaya, January 2012.

The Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund was very happy to sponsor the travel and first year of college tuition for Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche. Lama Zopa Rinpoche very much wanted to make this offering of support to Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche and his studies.

It is a high priority of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to offer support directly and indirectly toward the next generation of Dharma teachers.

This support can be annual offerings toward food expenses or donations toward projects or specific needs, such as contributing to the building of the incarnation’s monastery, labrang (house), geshe degree, education etc.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche tries in whatever way he can to support the next generation of teachers who will continue to hold the lineages and pass on the Dharma.

 You can read more about Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche’s inspiring past life.

You are welcome to offer any amount to this fund which supports the next generation of Dharma teachers.

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Rinpoche thanking benefactors for their very kind and generous donations to the Sera Je Food Fund, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

The Sera Je Food Fund, which was started by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1991, currently offers more than 3 million meals each year to the monks of Sera Je Monastery, allowing the monks there to focus on their studies.

“I just want to explain some things about the Sera Je Food Fund, just for your education and also maybe you can pass some of this on,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised in 2011 while at Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India. “[To paraphrase,] Buddha said in the Arya Sanghata Sutra: the result of making charity, even the size of a single strand of hair, is happiness that you will experience for 80,000 eons. You will enjoy great wealth. …

“This quote means if you make charity of anything, even just a tiny amount, the result of this is happiness for an unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable length of time. Just from making charity one time,” Rinpoche continued.

“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. …”

For more, you can read Rinpoche’s complete advice, “Benefits of the Sera Je Food Fund.” 

Learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund, including its history, and watch videos of the fund’s work by visiting the Sera Je Food Fund website.

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 meeting with Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, Sera Je Monastery, India, January 2014. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinopche met with Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche while at Sera Je Monastery for the Jangchup Lamrim teachings.

Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche is the reincarnation of Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche, a highly accomplished lama born in Tibet in 1914. in 1948, having received his geshe lharampa degree, Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche was appointed one of the seven tsenshab or master debate partners to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche, who passed away in 1983, served His Holiness in this capacity for the rest of his life and imparted to His Holiness many lineages, initiations and oral transmissions. Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche was born in the Spiti Valley in India in 1984. 

For more, visit the Berzin Archive’s “Portrait of Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche.”

Learn more about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s homepage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more.

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:

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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:

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