Rending of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Stupa of Complete Victory being built at Kopan Monastery.

We are very happy to share this short update on recent progress that has been made on the Stupa of Complete Victory that is being built at Kopan Monastery for the swift return of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and actualization of all his wishes. We have three new videos we hope give a glimpse into the incredible work happening to finish this stupa. 

The building under the stupa started in January 2024, and it has now reached the second story. Now the actual foundation for the Stupa has begun.

Building site of the second story and foundations of the Stupa of Complete Victory.

Please enjoy these short videos that show the recent progress:

• In this video you can see that the foundation for the stupa has begun on the second floor of the building. You can also see around the poles for the 32 smaller stupas that will surround the main stupa.

• This short video shows the area that will be the gompa beneath the stupa. This is on the second story.

• The Kopan monks regularly help with the building. In this video you can see them joyfully carrying the soil on their backs for the building.

Kopan monks helping with the building of the Stupa of Complete Victory.

Thank you to everyone who is helping to actualize this precious holy object come into existence, all the donors, those working on the stupa, and everyone concerned.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has mentioned many times the benefits of holy objects:

“Every day, when sentient beings see stupas and statues, this plants the seed of enlightenment. It is said that even dreaming of a stupa plants the seed of enlightenment. This is mainly due to the power of the holy object. …

“Just by seeing holy objects one’s karma is purified. Holy objects purify the mind and plant seeds for the path to liberation. That’s how stupas and other holy objects liberate [sentient beings] each day. Every day, holy objects bring sentient beings to enlightenment.”

Padmasambhava explained the benefits of building stupas to King Trisong Detsen:

“Listen, Great King. Generate intense devotion. Since all the three time buddhas and bodhisattvas have actually absorbed into the holy object of the mind1 and are abiding in it, any request or prayer done to this great stupa will spontaneously and effortlessly succeed, for it is like a precious wish-granting jewel. The benefits received by any transmigratory being with a pure special attitude who does prostration or circumambulation or makes offerings are incalculable and cannot be expressed even by all the past, present, and future buddhas.

“All those who put clay on the stupa will become thousand wheelturning kings who reign over as many thousands of world-systems equal to the number of particles of clay.

“All those who brought earth and stones for the stupa will have all obstacles to a long life and dangers to their life pacified; they will have a long life, free of disease, and a good holy body.

“All those who put effort with their body, speech, and mind for the stupa will have every single blessing of the holy body, speech, and mind of the buddhas enter their body, speech, and mind.

“All those who rejoice in the stupa will generate every single quality of a buddha in their mental continuum.”

Kopan monks carrying soil for the building of the Stupa of Complete Victory.

To learn more about this stupa project and to offer support: https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/lzr-complete-victory-stupa/

Please read more about the holy objects supported through the Holy Objects Fund.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching during the Mahamudra Retreat in Buddha House, Australia, May 2004.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra  Retreat in Buddha House, Australia. The retreat was on Mahamudra, however, Rinpoche teaches on a broad range of lamrim topics. We are pleased to share that all 51 videos from this retreat are now available on our RAN page.

Today, we are sharing video #24 from this retreat, “Everything Comes from the Mind.” 

Rinpoche begins this session with an analysis of how the mind labels phenomena using the example of the letter “M.” He shows how M came from the mind because it’s imputed by the mind, explaining that there is no outside creator; the creator is the mind.

Until the mind labels a problem, there is no appearance of a problem. The problem only comes into existence after the mind labels it. To illustrate, Rinpoche uses the example of patience. If we label someone who harms us as a teacher of patience, there’s no problem. We would only see them as beneficial and kind. However, if we lack patience and put a negative label on the person who is harming us, anger arises. We would see that person as totally bad, whereas with patience, we see them as the most precious one in our life.

Rinpoche invites a discussion on this topic by posing the question: “Is the M in the mind or outside?” This stimulates a discussion on whether the base and the label are inside or outside the mind. Rinpoche also asks: “When you go shopping, is the department store in your mind or not?” Rinpoche ends by highlighting that just as the M is in the mind, it’s the same thing when you go shopping. The shopkeepers, the department store, the whole building, all the billions of things you encounter come from your mind. Everything comes from the mind.

Watch “Everything Comes from the Mind.”

As a reminder, this entire retreat is now available for students to explore as they wish.

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Nepal, March 27, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

We are inviting all students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to participate in a worldwide, 24/7 prayer circle to amplify the causes for Rinpoche’s quick return! Find a convenient time slot that works for your schedule and other commitments to recite the prayers recommended for this purpose. You can sign up on the IMI website.

This initiative was launched by The International Mahayana Institute (IMI) on Lhabab Duchen in 2023, for the global FPMT family to come together to generate a continuous wave of merit needed for Rinpoche to swiftly return.

Joining your effort today would help fulfil His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s most recent advice, which is to continue to recite “Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri” as much as possible. In the same May 2024 advice, His Holiness also recommended Rinpoche’s students to invoke the support of the Dharma protectors Six-Armed Mahakala, Kalarupa and Palden Lhamo.

Accordingly, the relevant practices have been collated in this convenient booklet A Collection of Prayers for the Swift Return of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche with advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Just download it to take part in this mass collective effort happening around the world.

What to do:

• Simply sign up for a time slot you find convenient and start your recitation at that time.
• On Saturdays, there is opportunity to power up the practice by doing your recitation on Zoom where others can join. (The Zoom login information is on the sign-up sheet). If you prefer to do your recitations in solitude, you can still pick a Saturday slot—just type “offline” next to your name.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche often advised about the power of prayer, particularly when done collectively with devotion to the same guru. We can take this advice to heart and sincerely and collectively fulfill His Holiness’s recent requests so that we can find Rinpoche’s unmistaken reincarnation very soon. 

As you dedicate for Rinpoche’s swift return, and consider all of the advice for prayers offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, please recall the advice we have received that the new incarnation to be “bright” (His Eminence Ling Rinpoche), “have healthy genetics,” (His Eminence Jhado Rinpoche to a student), and to be unmistaken (Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche) and quickly recognized. As Rinpoche’s relative Ven. Pemba in Hong Kong requested: “We need to pray for the incarnation to have all the qualities necessary to complete all the studies as soon as possible and resume carrying out the legacy of Rinpoche’s past life and therefore be of the most benefit to sentient beings.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing a very sick patient of Shakyamuni Health Clinic;, Bodhgaya, India, April 2017. Photo by Ven. Holly Ansett.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche received thousands of requests every year from people seeking guidance on a variety of issues familiar to us all. The below is advice Rinpoche offered to a student requesting pujas in support of taking treatment for fourth stage cancer and finding suitable care. You are also welcome to download a formatted PDF of this advice. 

The best puja is done by your mind

I did prayers for you: whatever is best for sentient beings, which means for every sentient being—whether it is best for sentient beings to die, to be sick, or to not die or not get sick, whatever it is— may that happen. This is the best puja, and it is done by your mind,
by yourself.

One can do so many pujas but never actually practice, and then at death-time there’s so much worry and fear, for oneself and for those surrounding, for family and friends. Instead of rejoicing, there’s so much worry and fear. With the first option, one can die happily; one can have a happy death.

Taking care of others is what pleases the buddhas and bodhisattvas the most

By helping and serving a dying person, you are taking care of numberless buddhas—Shakyamuni Buddha, Tara, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Vajrapani—as well as all the bodhisattvas. Why? Because they all cherish sentient beings the most, just like a mother cherishes her daughter or son more than herself. Serving her daughter or son, cleaning their urine and excrement, makes the mother so happy, even happier than if someone were taking care of her. Why? Because she cares for her son or daughter even more than her own life.

Having this wish to make others so happy while serving is the best; and it’s the best offering to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Also, think about how your past, present, and future happiness comes from the one you serve. Also, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha completely come from this person, from having generated compassion and bodhichitta. I hope you can understand this.

Generating compassion and bodhicitta purifies unbelievable amounts of negative karma

Asanga went into retreat for twelve years to achieve Maitreya Buddha, but during that time nothing happened. After coming out of his retreat, he met a dog with so much suffering in the lower part of its body, full of wounds infested with maggots. Seeing this, Asanga generated unbelievable compassion and was willing to sacrifice his own life. He cut his own flesh to spread out for the maggots to eat, picking up the maggots with his tongue, not wanting to touch them with his fingers, because by pressing them too much they might die. When he opened his eyes, it was only then that he saw it was not a dog—it was Maitreya Buddha. His unbelievable negative karmas and obscurations were purified by having generated unbelievable compassion.

Asanga then asked Maitreya why he hadn’t come to him during his retreat. Maitreya Buddha answered, “I was always there,” and
showed him all the marks on his own robes of Asanga’s spit from the years in the cave! Then Asanga requested teachings and was taken by Maitreya Buddha to the pure land Yiga Chodzin, where, during a time span of fifty human years, Maitreya gave Asanga the five sets or divisions of Maitreya’s teachings for human beings. Then Asanga came back down to earth and transcribed those teachings, on the basis of which so many beings have already become enlightened.

Please, please enjoy this.

Transcribed by Ven. Tenzin Namdrol at Kopan Monastery, June 2022. Edited by Laura Haughey and Ven. Robina Courtin, December 2023. FPMT Education Services.

We have collected Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s essential advice on death and dying, please explore all that is available:
fpmt.org/death

More advice Rinpoche offered to students on a variety of topics can be found on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s Online Advice Book: www.lamayeshe.com/advice/lama-zopa-rinpoches-online-advice-book

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching during Light of the Path retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center, Raleigh, North Carolina on 22th August 2017.

Following the commemoration activities at Kopan Monastery honoring the one-year anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away, a Heart Sutra Retreat was held from April 15-20, 2024 with commentary by His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa, meditations led by Ven. Steve Carlier, and evening sessions with short extracted videos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching a topic related to emptiness. 

We are so pleased to share the ten videos of Rinpoche’s teachings on emptiness which were shown during the 2024 Heart Sutra Retreat. These videos, from 2017 and 2019, all contain subtitles, to make it easier to follow along while watching. 

Please enjoy the first video in this series, “How the False I Comes Into Existence” and feel very free to view the others in this collection as you wish.

Watch “How the False I Comes Into Existence”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJz6UZ_9lg

We continue to add videos of teaching events with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as other collections of teachings, that were previously unavailable to our Rinpoche Available Now page. Please take full advantage of this resource and explore the hundreds of hours of teachings Rinpoche left for our benefit. 

A booklet with instructions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for doing a retreat related to the Heart Sutra can be found here:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Heart-Sutra-Practices-and-Instructions-for-Retreat-PDF_p_1775.html

Additionally, please explore more Heart Sutra materials and resources below:

• The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra – MP3 Download
• The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra – eBook & PDF
• Watch the teaching in which Rinpoche gives the oral transmission of the Heart Sutra on video. (The oral transmission begins at 42:58.)
• FPMT Basic Program Online: Heart Sutra
• Essence Of The Heart Sutra by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, eBook & PDF
• Audio: Emptiness Explained – MP3 Download

• Audio: How to Meditate on Emptiness – MP3 Download

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, April 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Today, May 23, 2024, is the day we observe the merit-making day of Saka Dawa which commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana when karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times as it commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s three major life events. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained, “Because Saka Dawa combines these three special days, the possibility to create merit is unbelievable. Due to this, it is very important for one to use this opportunity to do everything the best!”

We wish to remind you of recent advice and news we have shared, to help enrich your personal practice on this special day:

• Recommended Practices for Saka Dawa
• Opportunity to Join in the Merit of 10,000 Sangha Praying for All Beings
• New Advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concerning Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Swift Return

Lama Zopa Rinpoche also advised that, “It is so important also to understand that if one collects non-virtue on merit multiplying days, then that will also increase by that many number of times. One has to be careful to not increase non-virtuous actions during the merit multiplying days.”

In 2020, Rinpoche offered “Advice for Saka Dawa” from Kopan Monastery. (Rinpoche’s teaching starts at 22:51 in this video). You can also read the transcript of this advice. 

Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching “Advice for Saka Dawa”:
https://youtu.be/xYWCFIwZgTk

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Ven. Roger Kunsang meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, May 17, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We are happy to announce that we have received new precious advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding practices for creating the causes for the Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return. Venerable Roger Kunsang met with His Holiness during his recent visit to Dharamsala, India. His Holiness explained that it is important to continue with practices as previously advised as well as protector prayers and practices outlined below.

All of these practices listed below (except for the Retreat Prayer book) are available as one-click downloads without the need to log into a Foundation Store account. Simply select the “one-click download” link located above the description of each practice.

As Previously Advised:

• To recite Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri as much as possible.

New Advice!

• Perform rituals invoking the four activities of the Dharma protectors Mahakala, Kalarupa (i.e. Dharmaraja), and Shri Devi (i.e. Palden Lhamo)

Do the Palden Lhamo kangso and Mahakala kangso if you are able to and have received an appropriate highest yoga tantra initiation, preferably Yamantaka. Kangso is a “fulfillment and amendment” ritual. Copies of the relevant texts, based on self-generation as Yamantaka, are available on request. 

As these elaborate rituals may be more difficult to perform, students can recite the following prayers to the three protectors:

• Praise to Six-Armed Protector Mahakala
• Praise to Achieve the Inner Kalarupa (Dharmaraja)
• Torma Offering to Palden Lhamo
• Praise to Palden Lhamo: Requesting the Four Activities

These prayers can be found in the following booklets:

• • Protector Prayers booklet arranged by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, pages 5–17
  • Retreat Prayer Book, English, pages 284–295 | Italian | Spanish | Vietnamese

Additional Kalarupa ritual:

• Drugchuma, Offering of Sixty-Four Parts to Kalarupa (Yamantaka initiation as requirement)

Additional prayers to Palden Lhamo:

• All-Pervasive Sphere of Great Bliss, Free of Elaboration: Requesting Activities of Palden Lhamo by HH Dalai Lama
• A Daily Practice of Pälden Lhamo which contains praises as well as torma and libation offerings (serkyem) English | Spanish (highest yoga tantra initiation as requirement)

As a reminder, Saka Dawa falls on Thursday, May 23 this year, and this is a wonderful opportunity to practice according to His Holiness’s recent advice since karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times as it commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s three major life events, as taught in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic. 

May all of these collective heartfelt prayers and practices be the cause for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return and continued guidance. 

Ven. Roger Kunsang meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on May 17, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche being interviewed by Wisdom Publication’s Daniel Aitken, Kurukulla Center, Massachusetts, US, August 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In 2018, Wisdom Publications director, Daniel Aitken, spoke with Lama Zopa Rinpoche for over an hour during one of Rinpoche’s visits to Kurukulla Center in Boston, US. This conversation was featured on the Wisdom Podcast later that year. During the interview, Rinpoche speaks on many topics, including stories about his early days as a young monk, how he became a Gelugpa, and how he ended up at Buxa in West Bengal, India, where he met Lama Yeshe. Rinpoche also offers a succinct teaching on emptiness and essential everyday Dharma practice advice. 

We are so fortunate that so many precious videos, photos, teachings, and advice were captured of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and this interview is a true treasure.

We invite you to watch this joyful (and at times very funny!) conversation Rinpoche shared with Daniel for the benefit of all.

Please watch Daniel Aitken’s Interview with Lama Zopa Rinpoche:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQh1yZrj1CM

There are dozens of Wisdom Podcasts available to listen to with accomplished teachers, scholars, and practitioners of Buddhism. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the Four Kadampa Deities Retreat, Institut Vajra Yogini, France, 2003. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Recently we shared the addition to our Rinpoche Available Now page of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s 2003 twenty-three part teachings from a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat offered at Institut Vajra Yogini, France. The retreat focused on the four Kadampa deities, however, Rinpoche taught on a broad range of lamrim topics. 

Today we wanted to bring to your attention teaching #3 in this series, “Meditating on the Emptiness in Sound.” 

In this teaching Rinpoche discusses a meditation practice focused on the sound of rain, suggesting two meditations: one on the conventional truth of the rain and the other on the emptiness of the rain.

Rinpoche advises to analyze how the sound of rain appears to one’s mind, questioning whether the sound is merely labeled by the mind or if it appears to exist independently from its own side. The correct view, according to the Prasangika school, is that the sound is merely imputed by the mind on the base of the sense of the ear.

Next, meditate on the sound’s hallucinatory nature and its emptiness, recognizing that the sound is not inherently existent and is merely imputed by the mind. The goal is to differentiate between the hallucinatory appearance of the sound and its ultimate nature, emptiness. Meditation on emptiness helps break the root of samsara, but it is crucial to start the practice with bodhicitta motivation to make one’s life most beneficial for sentient beings.

Rinpoche discusses the importance of mindfulness and awareness in daily life, using the lamrim as an antidote to delusions and a means to practice awareness. Sound can be used as an object of meditation to cultivate wisdom and bodhicitta, leading to liberation and enlightenment for oneself and all sentient beings.

We invite you to watch this full video and engage with a lightly edited version of this teaching which is available from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

Watch “Meditating on the Emptiness in Sound”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnO2p255auw

As a reminder, this entire retreat is now available for students to explore as they wish.

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the garden at Kopan Monastery accompanied by some friends with Dharma messages, 2020. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. .

Around the beginning of 2020, when all the world was experiencing lockdowns and turmoil due to the covid pandemic, students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche were relieved to receive Rinpoche’s laughter, wisdom, humor, and orientation toward Dharma in the form of a series of video teachings from his room in Kopan Monastery. These teachings came to be known as the thought transformation teaching series, and for many of us, they were truly a lifeline in an extremely uncertain time.

When the fourth video of this series was released, students noticed something interesting coming into view on Rinpoche’s couch and desk. A stuffed monkey, hippo, and elephant; as well as a wooden elephant and model yak had joined Rinpoche for his teaching. As time went on, more and more stuffed friends began appearing in Rinpoche’s room, soon with mantras, embellishments such as eyelashes and eye-liner, and profound (and often hilarious!) Dharma messages.

One of the postcards of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s friends with Dharma messages.

Last year we created a gallery of these friends with Dharma messages, and now we are very happy to share with you a set of seven postcards featuring the animal toys with messages dictated by Rinpoche. These are PDFs suitable for the 148 x 105 mm postcard size printing, but can also be used digitally:
https://shop.fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoches-friends-with-dharma-messages-pdf.html

You can read about the history of this whimsical enlightened activity and enjoy many photos from over the years.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Novice students and teachers of Sera Je Secondary school gathered at the school assembly ground for the special prayer session arranged at the school on the first anniversary puja of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 13, 2024. Photo by Sera Je Secondary School.

April 13 marked the one-year anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away.

At Kopan Monastery, around one thousand participants including high lamas, students, and friends engaged in practice in proximity to Rinpoche’s holy body including His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa; Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche; Mingyur Ripoche; Tsoknyi Ripoche; Abbots from Sera Je, Sera Mey, and Segyud Monasteries; Kusho Tengye; Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi; Yangsi Rinpoche; Namgyal Rinpoche; Kopan Geshes, Lama Gyupas, and many other monks and nuns; as well as Western students, some members of the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors, representatives from FPMT International Office, and many other local and international friends. 

High lamas, students and friends offering prayers for Rinpoche’s swift return. Photo courtesy Kopan Monastery.

At Lawudo Retreat Centre, a two-day puja was offered by Thame Rinpoche, Kyarok Lama, and Charok Tenzin Tinley Rinpoche, and other monks and ngakpas.

FPMT centers, monasteries, and various communities around the world hosted events of pujas and prayers, honoring Rinpoche’s incredibly beneficial life and praying for his swift return. The main practice offered was Heruka Lama Chopa with Tsog Offering. 

Today we are sharing some photos of the heartfelt and devoted efforts on April 13 commemorating the anniversary of the passing of our most precious guru.

Sera Je Monastery commemorated the first anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a special extensive Lama Chopa and Tsog Offering, April 13 2024. Photo by Sera Je Monastery.

The first copy of a special limited edition of 300 copies of the Sutra of Great Liberation, printed in English by Amitabha Buddhist Centre students for the occasion of the commemoration of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away, was offered to the holy body of Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, April 12, 2024. Photo courtesy of ABC.

Lama Chopa Tsog and prayers at Chandrakirti Meditation Centre on April 13, 2024. Photo by Chandrakirti Meditation Centre.

Sera Kopan Sangha pays homage to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the anniversary of Rinpoche’s showing the aspect of passing away with pujas at Sera Jey Tsawa Khangtsen and Osel Labrang and by making extensive light offerings at Kopan House, Bylakuppe, India, April 13, 2024. Photo by Sera Kopan.

Elders of OPH (Old Peoples’ Home), Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement host prayers for Rinpoche’s swift return on the first anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s passing.

Offering and prayers at Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center NY, New York, USA, April 13, 2024. Photo by Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center NY.

Lama Chopa with thousand tsog and extensive light offerings and recitation of the Chanting the Names of Noble Manjusri at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Penang, Malaysia. Photo by Chokyi Gyaltsen.

Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics Leh Ladakh held extensive Lama Chopa Tsog, attended by Petuk Monastery monks and Ngari staff and students, April 13, 2024. Photo by Ngawang Yeshi.

Commemorating the first anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s passing away and with Universal Education school for teachers and Chakma students, Tara Temple, Varanasi, India,. Photo by Yulo Koepa Nunnery – Tara Pure Land.

Tara Institute members offered Guru puja and recited Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri, April 13, 2024. Photo by Tara Institute.

Sera Je Drati Khangtsen commemorated the first anniversary of Venerable Late Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a special extensive Lama Chopa Tsog Offering, April 13, 2024. Photo by Sera Je Drati Khangtsen.

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa members blessed animals in the ocean on the first anniversary of the passing of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 13, and organized a day of commemoration to remember his kindness and create causes for his swift return and His vast future actions. Photo courtesy of ILTK Facebook page.

Blessing of animals in the water with Namgyalma board, Naropa Meditation Center, Tahiti, France, April 13, 2024. Photo by Bouddhisme Tahiti – Centre de Méditation Naropa, affilié à la FPMT.

Students filled Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s gompato commemorate the first anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away, with Lama Chopa and recitation of Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri, April 13, 2024. Photo by Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

May all of this powerful activity be the cause for
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Image of Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the altar in Kopan Monastery Gompa, April 12, 2024. Photo by Kopan Monastery

The commemoration event at Kopan Monastery honoring the anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away has begun.

Welcoming of one of the many high lamas who have arrived at Kopan for the commemoration honoring the anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away. Photo by Kopan Monastery.

Those in attendance so far include His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa; Abbots from Sera Je, Sera Mey, and Segyud Monasteries; Kusho Tengye; Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi; Yangsi Rinpoche; Namgyal Rinpoche; Kopan Geshes, Lama Gyupas, and many other monks and nuns; as well as Western students, some members of the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors, representatives from FPMT International Office, and many other local and international friends. Many others are expected to arrive tomorrow with an anticipated 1,200 participants joining throughout the commemoration.

Ganden Tri Rinpoche presiding the Yamantaka self-initiation earlier today. Photo by Francois Lecointre.

Westerners reciting prayers for Rinpoche’s swift return at Kopan Monastery, April 12. Photo courtesy of Kopan Monastery.

• Today, April 12, Yamantaka thirteen deities self-initiation was offered in the main gompa along with Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri and supplemental prayers at the Chenrezig gompa, and Guyasamaja root tantra was recited in the main gompa by the Kopan monks and nuns.
• April 13 begins with Heruka Lama Chopa and Tsog Offering puja in the main gompa at 8:30 am which will continue after lunch. Guyasamaja root tantra will again be recited in the evening.
• On April 14 Vajrayogini self-initiation will be offered at 1 pm.
• The Heart Sutra Retreat begins on April 15 with commentary by His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa and meditations led by Ven. Steve Carlier. 

Please check the Kopan Monastery Facebook page for any livestreams of events available. 

Prayers and practices are available to download here:

• Heruka Lama Chopa  and Tsog Offering
• Supplementary Prayers
• Swift Return Prayers

We also rejoice that, around the world, FPMT centers and students are organizing prayers and offerings in observation of the anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away. As Rinpoche explained in the foreword of the text, Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away, “Making offerings on the death anniversary of a guru is an incredible practice in that it brings about the greatest purification of negative karma and collects the most extensive merit.”

May all of this sincere practice from students and accumulated merit be the cause for the swift return of our most precious guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.