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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
Detail of White Tara beaded thangka, Nepal, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche will offer His Holiness the Dalai Lama a hand-beaded White Tara thangka when Rinpoche sees His Holiness in December in South India. His Holiness will be continuing the teaching and transmission of the Jangchup Lamrim at Sera Monastic University from December 25, 2013 to January 3, 2014.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche and artist of White Tara beaded thangka that will be offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
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 circumambulating at night the 1,000 buddhas at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“On every atom are buddhas numberless as atoms,
Each amidst a host of bodhisattvas,
And I am confident the sphere of all phenomena
Is entirely filled with buddhas in this way.”
– From “King of Prayers – The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra”
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 teaching to the Nepali staff of Yak and Yeti on the good heart. Marcel Bertels in the background with some of the fine silk clothing they manufacture, December 5, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: The essence of all religions is practicing good heartedness, kindness to everyone. This is the real cause of happiness … satisfaction.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on December 6, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche exercising with a soccer ball, Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, October 2013. Photos by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
In October 2013, while at Kachoe Dechen Ling in California, Lama Zopa Rinpoche occasionally played with a soccer ball after lunch as a way to exercise and build up strength and coordination in his right arm and leg, which were affected by the stroke he manifested in 2011. Ven. Roger Kungsang, Rinpoche’s assistant, captured photos of Rinpoche and Sangha playing with a soccer ball one day during an exercise session.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche prepared to bat a soccer ball to improve strength and coordination
Any movement of Rinpoche’s leg and arm on his right side is important for his recovery. Rinpoche appears to enjoy kicking and batting the soccer ball around with Sangha more than doing some of the regular physical therapy exercises. The most important part is to get Rinopche to move his arm and leg as Rinpoche mainly wants to be sitting doing practice 24 hours a day.
Success!
Tenzin Ösel Hita came to lunch on two occasions and stayed to exercise with Rinpoche.
Tenzin Ösel Hita and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his attendants playing with a soccer ball, Kachoe Dechen Ling, October 2013
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 before flying in a helicopter to Kushinagar for Maitreya Project ceremony, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche was flown by the Uttar Pradesh State Government from Lucknow, India, to the site of the future Maitreya Buddha statue at Kushinagar for the foundation stone laying ceremony. Rinpoche and Akhilesh Yadev, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, addressed a crowd of 100,000 during the ceremony. The event marked the handing over of approximately 275 acres of land to the Maitreya Project Trust for the Maitreya Buddha statue.
Aerial view of ceremony site and Maitreya Project land, Kushinagar, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
In addition to building the Maitreya statue, the project plans to engage in a range of social programs aimed specifically at providing employment, education and healthcare to the local community. His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent a letter of good wishes that was read at the event.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitreya Project ceremony, Kushinagar, India, December 13, 2013. Photo by Ven. Sangpo Sherpa.
For more, see the December 2013 Announcement from the Maitreya Project Kushinagar and Mandala’s coverage.
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 and his sister Ani Ngawang Samten, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s older sister Ani Ngawang Samten visited with Rinpoche after his return to Kopan Monastery in November. Ani Samten came down to Kathmandu from Lawudo Retreat Centre, in the mountainous Solu Kumbu region of Nepal. Ven. Roger Kunsang, Rinpoche’s assistant, described Ani Samten as ”the ’mother’ of Lawudo. [She] looks after everything … except the recent building work which Rinpoche’s brother Sangay Sherpa does as the director.”
Lawudo is where Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation meditated. Ani Samten was key to the development and buidling of Lawudo Gompa and has taken care of the students, teachers and retreaters who have visited Lawudo since the early days of FPMT. Read more about her amazing contributions and work in the Mandala January-February 1998 article, “The Keeper of Lawudo.”
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.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Kopan Monastery on how important it is to serve others, Nepal, December 1, 2013. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang.
“… When you abandon harm to others, you receive so much happiness from others, from life to life, for 100 lifetimes,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised. “Just by abstaining from harm to others one time you receive benefit for 100 lifetimes. By practicing the morality of not stealing, you receive wealth for 100 lifetimes. By practicing charity one time, you will enjoy good results in hundreds and thousands of lifetimes. In the Arya Sanghatasutra it is said that by practicing generosity once to a sentient being you will gain enjoyment for 80 or 80,000 eons. With a good heart, if you benefit somebody, you will receive enjoyment for 100 lifetimes, since karma is expandable. From one virtue, you experience the result for so many lifetimes or for so many times in one life.
“Firstly, you should think that sentient beings are wish-fulfilling jewels. Secondly, you should be the wish-fulfilling jewel to other sentient beings in daily life. This is very important. Even if you are not working or you are in a cave, not seeing anybody, not even an insect, you should editate on bodhicitta. You should think how precious sentient beings are. And think, “I must do the same.” This is an excellent way to live life, especially living a busy life with others. By living life with this attitude, it is the happiest life and most meaningful life. There will be nothing to be scared of in the future. Life is like sunshine in the future.
“I presented the above in relation to Dharma and Buddhism – how others will feel if you are a wish-fulfilling jewel to others. If you become a wish-fulfilling jewel to others, as a result, others will become a wish-fulfilling jewel to you. This can be explained on this basis. …”
— Excerpted from “Attitude for Offering Service,” a letter written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 2008
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 playing a damaru, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT, shared that “Rinpoche [is] playing the damaru with his right hand. [It’s] a little difficult, but managing. The right leg and arm continue to improve.”
Rinpoche manifested a stroke in 2011, which affected his right arm and leg. His recovery continues to progress. Rinpoche is able to do many activities with his right arm and hand such as writing mantras and playing cymbals (and damaru) during puja.
VIDEO: Rinpoche playing cymbals
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. Visit “Rinpoche’s Health — Official Updates and Practices” to learn more and receive updates on Rinpoche’s health.
The beautiful Nyung-Na altar at Institut Vajra Yogini, France.
On November 15, students began the first of 108 Nyung-Nä retreats at Institut Vajra Yogini, France. Four of these students are sponsored by the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund. The retreats will be completed in June of 2014. The cost to offer this sponsorship is US$9,876.
In 2012 the fund also sponsored four people to complete 108 Nyung-Nä retreats. These sponsorships are the continued expression of one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT which he explained in 2007.
First day of the third round of 108 Nyung-Nas.
The Nyung Nä retreat is a two-day intensive practice that includes taking the 24-hour Mahayana precepts with the addition of complete fasting and silence on the second day.
Doing even one Nyung Nä or “abiding in retreat” for just two days is said to be as effective as three months of other purification practices and is extremely powerful for healing illness, purifying negative karma, and opening the heart to compassion.
Please rejoice in these practitioners’ effort, this is a difficult retreat to complete and they have committed to 108 completions!
This practice is a trillion, billion times greater than becoming an Olympic champion. Doing so many Nyung-Näs you become an unbelievable champion, this is what makes numberless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas most happy and brings sentient beings to enlightenment as quickly as possible. This is an extremely powerful practice, it in an incredible way to develop bodhichitta.
—Lama Zopa Rinpoche
You are welcome to donate any amount to the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund and contribute to beneficial sponsorships like these.
Tsog offering during long life puja with five dakinis for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 9, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
The annual long life puja for FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered on behalf of FPMT centers, projects, services and students took place at Kopan Monastery in Nepal on December 9. Hundreds of people attended the puja, which took place at the end of the month-long meditation course at Kopan. Rinpoche was offered a total count of the prayers and practices done for Rinpoche’s health and long life.
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.
Each year FPMT offers a long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, you can learn more about long life pujas and how to support future pujas by visiting the Long Life Puja Fund page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering a butter lamp upon arriving at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 22, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: The purpose of the FPMT is to teach Dharma, to end the suffering of living beings.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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 teaching at Kopan course, Nepal, November 2013. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.
“Lama Zopa: We need to destroy our ignorance that grasps at true existence. Thru reasoning, understand the extensive kindness of living beings.”
– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on November 28, 2013
Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)
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.