Mandala Magazine January-March 2011

TH E O F F IC IA L PUB L ICAT ION OF TH E FOUNDAT ION FOR TH E PR E S E RVAT ION OF TH E MAHAYANA TRAD I T ION

MandalafpmtJANUARY - MARCH 2011

BLISSFUL RAYS OF THE MANDALA IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS

2010 Light of the Path RetreatLama Zopa Rinpoche in Mongolia

Wisdom Publications

The Kagyü school of Tibetan Buddhism began in the eleventh century with suchrenowned Ngures as Marpa and Milarepa. Mahāmudrā, the “Great Seal,” is a cen-tral teaching of the Kagyü school, along with the so-called six dharmas of Nāropā.

Formulated as a systematic practice byGampopa (1079–1153), theMahāmudrā teachingstrace their source to earlier Indianmaterials and focus on the cultivation of profound insightinto the nature of the mind. Mahāmudrā texts in this volume include a lucid work by thecelebrated master Tselé Natsok Rangdröl (b. 1608) and works by the twelOh-century mas-ter Shang Rinpoche, the great Lird Karmapa Rangjung Dorjé (1284–1339), the EighthSitu Chökyi Jungné (1700–1774), and Drukpa Pema Karpo (1527–92).Le volume alsocontains an inspirational work by Gampopa, the Drigung Kagyü root text One Viewpointby Sherap Jungne (1187–1241), the Sixth ShamarChökyiWangchuk’s (1584–1630) guideto the six dharmas of Nāropā, and Nnally an overview of tantric practice by Dakpo TashiNamgyal (1512–87), author of the famousMoonlight of Mahāmudrā.

Mission to Tibet*e Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Account of Father Ippolito Desideri, S.J.Translated by Michael Sweet | Edited by Leonard Zwilling9780861716760 | 832 pages | $34.95eBook ISBN 9780861719303

“Of all the RomanCatholicmissionaries toAsia, the Italian Jesuit IppolitoDesideri (1684–1733)was perhaps themost remarkable.Despite his fervent hope of convertingTibet to theChristian faith, he was in important ways the Nrst Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism,translating Buddhist texts into Italian and writing scholarly tomes in Tibetan, completewith quotations fromNāgārjuna.Mission to Tibet oMers the Nrst complete English transla-tion ofDesideri’s captivating account of his sojourn inTibet.With hismasterful translation,Michael Sweet has provided a great service in bringing this indispensablework to all studentsof Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.”—Donald S. Lopez, professor of Buddhist and Tibetanstudies, University of Michigan

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Wisdom PublicationsVisit wisdompubs.org to sign up for the monthlye-newsletter to learn of new releases.

Omniscience and theRhetoric of ReasonŚāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla onRationality, Argumentation,and Religious AuthoritySara L. McClintock9780861716616 | 440 pages | $36.95eBook ISBN 9780861719310

Is omniscience a characteristic of theBuddha’s enlightenment?

The BuddhistPhilosophyof the MiddleEssays on Indian and TibetanMadhyamakaDavid Seyfort Ruegg9780861715909| 472 pages | $39.95eBook ISBN 9780861719365

“Madhyamaka analysis probes essential issues in the philosophyof language, the philosophy of mind, ontology (how we thinkthe world is constituted), and epistemology (how we know theworld). D. Seyfort Ruegg’s multiple incursions into this subtlemode of thinking have been path-breaking and, I dare say, ofunique importance to anyone investigating Madhyamakaideas.”—Leonard van der Kuijp, Harvard University

Sacred Buddhist thangkas, the beautiful masterpieces seen inWisdom Publications’ TibetanArt Calendar, are highly sought-after and have become collector’s items for art enthusiastsaround the globe. As a result, the best of these works—in private hands or even museum

collections—are seldom, if ever, available for public viewing.This is whyWisdom’sTibetan Art Calendar is so special—it’s an affordable way to enjoy rare and

meaningful works of ancient art, year-round.These thirteen sacred paintings byTibetan master paintersencompass a variety of classical images, including mandalas, deities, and icons. Each poster-sized pic-ture is produced to the highest German printing standards and is perfect for framing.Complete within-depth explanations of their cultural and philosophical significance, these exquisite fine-art repro-ductions will be treasured for years to come.

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Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive contains recordings and transcripts

of Lama Thubten Yeshe’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings

dating back to the early 1970s—and we’re still growing! Our

website offers thousands of pages of teachings by some

of the greatest lamas of our time. Hundreds of audio

recordings, our photo gallery and our ever-popular

books are also freely accessible at lamayeshe.com.

Please see our website or contact us

for more information

LIFE, DEATH, AND AFTER DEATHby lama yesheedited by nicholas ribush120 pages, free

“Tibetan Buddhism teaches us to understand the death process and trainsus to deal with it so that when the time of crisis arrives and the various illusory visions arise, instead of being confused, we’ll know what’s going on and will recognize illusions as illusions, projections as projections and fantasies as fantasies.”

TEACHINGS FROM THE MEDICINE BUDDHA RETREAT

by lama zopa rinpocheedited by ailsa cameron458 pages, $20

Teachings from Land of Medicine Buddha October-November 2001

KADAMPA TEACHINGSby lama zopa rinpocheedited by ailsa cameron288 pages, free

Commentary on essential piecesof advice from Kadampa Geshes.

*plus shipping charges of$1 per book ($5 minimum)

* plus shipping charges of

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www.mandalamagazine.org www.fpmt.org

January - March 2011 MANDALA 5

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6 FROM THE EDITOR

8 TEACHINGS AND ADVICE

COVER FEATURE12 2010 LIGHT OF THE

PATH RETREAT

20 PRACTICING DHARMAIN DAILY LIFE

24 EDUCATION

30 TAKING CARE OF OTHERS

36 DHARMA IN THEMODERN WORLD

49 TAKING CARE OF THE SELF

54 YOUR COMMUNITY

64 FROM THE VAULT

66 FPMT NEWS AROUNDTHE WORLD

80 FPMT DIRECTORY

fpmt Mandala

CONTENTS

JANUARY-MARCH 2011 ISSUE 50 MANDALA (ISSN10754113) is published quarterly by FPMT Inc, 1632 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214-4702, USA. Printed by JournalGraphics, Portland, Oregon, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Portland OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mandala, 1632 SE 11th Ave, Portland OR 97214-4702

COVER: Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Light of the Path 2010, North Carolina, USA. PHOTO courtesy of Kalleen Mortensen

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE HIGHLIGHTSMandala publishes EXCLUSIVE ONLINE articles to supplement our print publication.Each issue features several articles available only online!

The January-March 2011 issue includes …

Lama Yeshe in London, 1975(Video Recording)By Lama Yeshe

His Holiness the Dalai Lama inSan Jose, CaliforniaBy Gwen McEwen

Making Business Work for FPMTBy Peter Kedge

Three Ways to Help AnimalsBy Phil Hunt and Tania Duratovic

Lights and Rainbows: My StruggleBy Rolland Swing

NHS Videos for CarersBy UK National Health Service

Nine Questions AboutVegetarianismBy Geshe Thubten Soepa

… and much, much more!

52

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6 MANDALA January - March 2011

From the EDITOR

Mandala is the official publica-tion of the Foundation for thePreservation of the MahayanaTradition (FPMT), an interna-tional charitable organizationfounded more than thirty yearsago by two Tibetan Buddhistmasters: Lama Thubten Yeshe

(1935-1984) and LamaThubten Zopa Rinpoche. FPMT is now a vibrantinternational community with a network of over 150 affiliate centers,projects, services and study groups in more than thirty countries.

Editorial PolicyRecurring topics include: Buddhist philosophy; Education; Ordinationand the Sangha; Buddhism and Modern Life; Youth Issues; FPMTActivities Worldwide; Lama Yeshe and his teachings; Lama Zopa Rin-poche and his teachings; His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his teachings,among many other topics.Writers, photographers and artists, both amateur and professional,

are encouraged to submit material for consideration. Mandala currentlydoes not pay for publishable content; we credit all photos and other workas requested.Mandala, in addition to the Mandala eZine, is published quarterly

and is available via the Friends of FPMT program. Additionally, bothpublications are supplemented by online stories published exclusively at:www.mandalamagazine.org

Friends of FPMT is a donor program composed of Friends workingtogether to support FPMT’s global activities.To learn about Friends of FPMT levels and benefits, contact us or

visit: www.fpmt.org/friendsMandala is published in January, April, July and October.Mandala eZine is published in February, May, August and December.

Managing Editor and PublisherCarina [email protected]

Assistant Editor,Advertising & SalesMichael [email protected]

Art DirectorCowgirls [email protected]

Friends of FPMT ProgramHeather [email protected]

FPMT, Inc.1632 SE 11th Ave.Portland, OR 97214-4702Tel: 1 503 808 1588Fax: 1 503 232 0557Toll free USA only 1 866 241 9886

FPMT Board of DirectorsSpiritual DirectorLama Zopa Rinpoche

Board MembersKhenrinpoche Geshe LhundrupVen. Roger KunsangVen. Pemba SherpaKaruna CaytonAndrew HaynesPeter KedgeTim McNeillTara MelwaniAlison MurdochPaula de Wijs-Koolkin

www.mandalamagazine.orgwww.fpmt.org

ABOUT MANDALA

I am very happy to present you with this new issue ofMandala. The last seven issues were part of a series tellingthe collective story of FPMT from its humble beginningsin India and Nepal to its now international reach: 160+centers, projects and services spanning 37 countries. Butwith the October-December 2010 issue came the question:Now what?

In June of this year, the Friends of FPMT team sentout a survey toMandala readers in an attempt to learn whatfeatures of the magazine (both print and online) were reallyappealing and what additional content you would like tosee going forward. We received some very insightful feed-back and have tried to respond to your interests with thisissue’s new layout. What was clear from your responses isthat you rely onMandala, not only for teachings and practiceadvice from qualified teachers, or to stay apprised of all theFPMT activity taking place and shape around the world,but also as a means to connect to the stories of other

students facing similar joys and difficulties indicative ofpracticing Dharma in the modern world. We’ve tried tokeep the scope of the magazine global while still speakingto the common, everyday occurrences of walking the pathin daily life.

Please do not miss the selection of articles offered inthis issue’s Online Exclusive section on theMandalawebsite.Many of the following print articles contain additionalmaterials and resources that are published on the website.Additionally, new updates have been published on Ven.Roger Kunsang’s Life on the Road with Lama ZopaRinpoche blog, Ven. Chonyi Taylor’s Dharma Realities blogand the REJOICE! blog. Plus, there are many other featuresfound only on the website.

Thank you all so much for all of your support andinterest. Please take your time andmost importantly, ENJOY!

With love,Carina Rumrill

DEAR READER,

by Alexander Berzin

30, 300, 30

by Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa), trans. by Kennard Lipman & Merrill Peterson, under the inspiration of Namkhai Norbu

by Lama Lodü Rinpoche

by Shechen Gyaltsap IV & Rinchen DargyeTrans by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee


By Lama Zopa Rinpoche

There are so many problems when you live life with attachmentand worldly concern. You want comfort and happiness andtherefore suffer and become unhappy when there is discomfort.

You look for a good reputation, wanting many people to say goodthings about you, and suffer when that is not happening or theopposite happens and you have a bad reputation. You grasp at praisewanting other people to say good things to you and your mind goesdown when that does not happen or you are criticized. You grasp atreceiving things and are disappointed when nothing comes. First youadvertise your birthday to other people, then when you receive nogifts or birthday presents from your friends, your mind goes down,down, down and you get depressed and unhappy!

These problems come because the mind is grasping. Themindgrasping at comfort and pleasure, reputation, praise, and receivingmaterial things is the root problem. It is because the mind is graspingthat there is dislike and unhappiness when the things you want arenot happening or the opposite is happening. Nagarjuna explainedthat we need to equalize these thoughts:

If you check the nature of your mind when it is grasping atthese things, it is not peaceful but disturbed by emotionalthoughts. There is no inner peace or calm. Grasping at these fourobjects of desire is a big problem in our lives and all the otherproblems come from that, but when these four are equalized andthere is no more thought of the eight worldly dharmas, you havereal inner happiness, the happiness of Dharma. �

Excerpted from the teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpocheon September 9, 2009 at the Light of the Path retreat held inRaleigh, North Carolina, USA. Edited by Ven. Sarah Thresher ina compilation titled Start the Day with Bodhichitta, forthcomingfrom LYWA.

Teachings and ADVICE

EQUALIZING the Eight Worldly Dharmas

ADVICE FROM A VIRTUOUS FRIEND

This section will feature the precious teachings and advice of FPMT teachers, lineage lamas andnotable Buddhist scholars.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Amitabha Pure Land, Washington,USA. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Receiving and not receiving material things,comfort and discomfort,Good and bad reputation, praise and criticism –Equalize these eight worldly dharmasAnd banish them from your mind.


By Lama Yeshe

By Lama Yeshe

CLEAN CLEAR COPINGat the Time of Death

LAMA YESHE’S WISDOM

Iheard on TV that there’s a singer who’s sold so manyrecords that if you piled them up they would be higherthanMt. Everest. Our heavy blankets of confusion are justlike that: if you piled them up they would be even higher

than that ... two or three times higher than Mt. Everest. Sobecause of all these imprints of confusion, it’s possible thatduring the death process all kinds of visions can appear.

For example, we see people in hospital with terminalcancer suffering greatly, going in and out of consciousness.

For me, that’s like hell. When I see people in a cancer ward,I don’t need any other explanation of hell. Of course, wehave detailed explanations of hell, but for me, the cancerward’s enough. It’s not usual suffering; it’s unusual. It’sworse than animal suffering. They’re conscious, they slipinto unconsciousness and the death process; then they cometo again. Have you seen people suffering like this? For me,this is a hellish experience. So I’m going to say that this kindof situation is absolutely the same as what’s described inthe Bardo Thödrol: exaggerated visions of yamas with hornscoming to eat you. Things like that.

…That’s why it’s so important for you to keep yourselfclean clear all the time. Every day, keep yourself as cleanclear as possible. Don’t create confused situations with yourbody, speech or mind. It’s simple. Then you’ll have no prob-lems. You’ll be balanced both internally and externally andwill also not be in danger of contracting a serious disease.

… However, you shouldn’t worry that death must bedifficult and rebirth even worse; that you might be reborn inthe lower realms as a tiger, a donkey, a monkey or some-

thing. I tell you, don’t worry. Even though we might nothave great wisdom, we do have a certain degree of lovingkindness, so those who die with loving kindness in theirmind never have to worry about getting a bad rebirth.Withloving kindness in your mind, there’s no way to go to thelower realms. �

Lama Yeshe gave this teaching in Geneva, Switzerland,in September 1983, his last teaching in the West.Excerpted from Life, Death and After Death, publishedby Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. This entire teachingcan be seen in the DecemberMandala eZine.

... those who die with loving kindness in their mind never have to worry about getting abad rebirth. With loving kindness in your mind, there’s no way to go to the lower realms.

Eight Mahayana PreceptsWhen asked about whether or not online students of theFPMT Living in the Path program could receive the EightMahayana Precepts from Lama Zopa Rinpoche from video,Rinpoche replied, “It is okay to take them from video. It’snot easy [for us] to meet, so better to do it and make theconnection that way. However, it should be done withawareness. It is the same as when you are at a teaching andnot in the presence of the lama and in another room takingthe initiation from the image of the lama on the TV.”

InitiationsHowever, when Rinpoche was asked about taking initia-tions from a recording, the answer came back very clearlythat Rinpoche does not allow this of his own initiations,although other lamas may.

Oral TransmissionsWhen asked about receiving oral transmissions by way of aCD, Rinpoche told a story.

One time, specifically referring only to himself, Rinpocheasked KirtiTsenshab Rinpoche about receiving a lung by CD.Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche said that this was okay, as long asRinpoche listened to the rest of the relevant recording. ThenKirtiTsenshab Rinpoche commented, “But, if there is anotheropportunity to get the lung directly, that would be best.”

Rinpoche has said that it is not a simple straightforward answer of “yes” or “no,” because it depends. Itdepends on the motivation and it depends on who is givingthe lung and who is receiving it. Because of this, Rinpochesaid that to be on the safe side the answer is “no.”

According to Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, you canreceive a lung by way of a CD or over the Internet. How-ever, according to Geshe Sopa, one must be in the directphysical presence of the teacher in order to receive thetransmission.

If the original recitation was done as a lung, with theintention of it being a lung and for the specific person, andthe listener from their own side also has the intention ofreceiving a lung, then a CD recording can be considered alung. However, the guru must have been thinking of theperson who would be receiving the transmission with thethought of giving the transmission to that person. Other-wise, it is best considered a blessing.

In conclusion, generally, the answer is that you can’treceive lungs by way of tapes, CDs or DVDs, but it is goodto keep in mind that depending on who is giving it, themotivation and under certain circumstances, it is possible.�

Compiled from the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, KirtiTsenshab Rinpoche and Geshe Sopa as received byFPMT Education Services. Edited by Kendall Magnussen,October 2010.


Teachings and ADVICE

Cartoon by Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig,http://hikingartist.com

A TEACHER TELLS US WHY

Q Reader Question:

Can I receive oral transmissions, precepts or initiations online?A Answered by Kendall Magnussen

This is not as straightforward as you might think! It depends on the specifics of any given situation. It also depends on thelama you are asking and the motivation of the student.



Cover FEATURE

LIGHTING THE PATH IN NORTH CAROLINABy Nick Ribush

For the second year running the excellent YMCABlue Ridge Assembly near Asheville, NorthCarolina, was the site of the FPMT’s Light of thePath retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center, the FPMT

center in Raleigh, and taught, of course, by our inexpress-ibly precious guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Most of the morethan two hundred people who attended would probablyagree that it was two of the best weeks of their lives.

The folks from Kadampa Center again did a fantasticjob organizing the retreat and making sure it ran smoothly.Director Dr. Robbie Watkins, Spiritual Program Coordi-nator Ven. Tendron and Retreat Coordinator Sarah Brooksin particular worked very hard to give everybody awonderful experience. Similarly, the folks from FPMT

Education Services exceeded themselves in preparing theretreat manual, setting up the live online broadcast,providing a real-time running transcript projected onto ascreen above Rinpoche, and then making the whole courseavailable in various media subsequently. Merry Colony,Ven. Joan Nicell, EamonWalsh, the whole Media team andmany others all deserve our grateful thanks.

The program followed the same format as last year. Wetook the Eight Mahayana Precepts every day and followedthis by prostrations to the Thirty-five Buddhas and thenGuru Puja, usually led by our inspiring retreat leader, Ven.Steve Carlier. The session after breakfast saw the conclusionof the puja and some review of the incomparable LamaZopa Rinpoche’s previous night’s teaching. After a longbreak, the afternoon session would continue with thereview followed by a meditation led by Ven. Steve,

It seems that Light of the Path, the annual lam-rim teaching retreat in North Carolina, USA,is by all accounts special. Not only is it one of the few teaching events that Lama Zopa Rinpocheinitiated from his own side, but it is one of the few that have been webcasted in five languages,allowing hundreds of students around the world who could not come to North Carolinato benefit from the event. That the retreat takes place in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountainson 1,200 acres of woodland complete with mountain streams and wildflowers, ridges,

valleys and spectacular views only adds to the event’s transformative power.

2010 Light of the Path Retreat


Ven. Rene Feusi or Ven. Sarah Thresher. Then, after thedinner break, Lama Zopa Rinpoche would teach until,most nights, after midnight. We kept silence (badly) fromthe end of the evening session until after lunch the next day.

Rinpoche began his teachings reminding us aboutsome fundamental lam-rim topics such as impermanenceand death, the sufferings of the lower realms and the perfecthuman rebirth, then began giving us the oral transmissionof Lama Atisha’s Lamp for the Path in English.

The next couple of nights Rinpoche taught on empti-ness using the famous verse from the Diamond Cutter Sutrathat starts “A star, a visual aberration,” with reference to the

four schools of Buddhist philosophy. As usual, the teachingswere interspersed with Rinpoche’s entertaining stories andreminiscences, usually delivered with Rinpoche’s great senseof humor. And as the retreat unfolded, Rinpoche also taughton self-cherishing, guru devotion, prostrations, the seven-limb prayer, tsog, karma, the three sufferings and the sixperfections. Rinpoche also spoke about the importance ofstudy and gave general practice advice and a great variety ofteachings on other topics and some more oral transmissions.

People came from many parts of the world and manyof them were old friends and FPMT Dharma centerworkers, so another great feature of the retreat was peoplecatching up with each other and sharing experiences. And,of course, there were countless meetings, as those of ustrying to help Rinpoche accomplish his and Lama Yeshe’svision for the organization took the opportunity of being

together to swap stories and plan for the future. Not exactlyretreat activity, but all part of the big picture.

The retreat continues again next year and I can’tencourage you enough to go. There’s nothing like it!

THE ORIGINS OF THEFPMT ONLINE LEARNING CENTERBy Merry Colony

Sometimes the beginnings of a project can become hazyover time, but the origins of the FPMTOnline LearningCenter remain pretty clear, and perfectly illustrate one

of FPMT’s unofficial mottos: form follows function.

By 2007 the development of education programming forFPMT centers was nearing completion insofar as the essentialcurriculum of a wide range of programs was developed andavailable for centers to use.The next step for FPMTEducationServices was to get the programs online, particularly becausecontinually updating the hard copies of our DiscoveringBuddhism and Basic Program homestudy modules was

Left to Right:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at the 2010 Light of the Pathretreat in North Carolina, USA. Photo by Kalleen Mortensen.

Students form a khata line to greet Lama Zopa Rinpoche.Back row: Catherine Ming, Shankha Mitra and Jim Brady.Front row: Sarah Brooks and Ven. Lhundrup Tendron. Studentsform a khata line to greet Lama Zopa Rinpoche.Photo by Annelies van der Heijden.

Blue Ridge Assembly, Ashville, NC, USA. Photo by Sarah Brooks.

Retreat leader, Ven. Steve Carlier. Photo by Sarah Brooks.

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Cover FEATUREbecoming untenable. Lacking technical know-how, I wasparalyzed in how to take this next step until Masters Programgraduate Patrick Lambelet came to International Office tointroduce himself at a staff meeting.

In the course of Patrick’s introduction, hementioned thathe was helping with Istituto LamaTzong Khapa’s online Basic

Program. EamonWalsh, International Office’s CFO and tech-nology wizard, who had already been helping MaitripaCollege get their courses online, asked for a tour of Moodle,the software Patrick was using. As I watched Eamon exploreMoodle, the way forward revealed itself: utilizeMoodle as ouronline program software and Eamon as our online adminis-trator! The need was clearly apparent, a solution was nowclear, and the FPMTOnline Learning Center was born.

The FPMT Online Learning Center currently has fiveprograms online and two Light of the Path retreats availablethrough the FPMT Media Center, an archive of video andaudio recordings. We are proud that in a single year FPMTEducation Services has made available 10 years of programdevelopment to Friends of FPMT and the general public.

This year, we successfully expanded the FPMTMediaCenter’s capacity to broadcast Rinpoche’s Light of the Pathteachings live and in five languages. Behind the miracle wasthe skilled and steady support of Harald Weicharrt andthe FPMT Media Team: Alexis ben el Hadj, Jean LucCastagner, Antoine Janssen and Eamon Walsh, the mostfabulous merging of expertise, good looks and dedicationthat anyone could ask for!

It’s now hard to imagine how we would have providedFPMT’s newest program, Living in the Path, if it weren’t foronline delivery. We now have the capability to extract videoclips archived in the Media Center, match them togetherwith the transcript (transcribed in real time by the

wondrous Ven. Joan Nicell), arrange it all by topic, pairtogether with the awareness exercises, meditations andservice components, and then by the organizationalDharma genius of Kendall Magnussen, provide neatlypackaged, easy to navigate, brilliantly bite-sized modules ofLama Zopa Rinpoche’s deep and profound teachings.

The success of the Media Center and Online LearningCenter featuring Light of the Path retreat materials isundeniable: during the Light of the Path retreat, from Sept11-26, 2010, the site received 12,170 hits from 4,951visitors from 89 countries with a high of 1,362 visitorson September 20. Over 40 people were consistently onlinefor Rinpoche’s live teachings. Other parts of the retreat werebroadcast live and approximately 12 people appear to havecompleted the entire retreat via the video webcasts.

The world is changing fast and technological advance-ments show no sign of slowing down. Although it is over-whelming to consider that FPMT Education Services mustkeep aligned with new technological developments in orderto remain relevant and accessible, we’re excited that we’ve

managed to come this far and confident that we’ll creativelyadapt to the challenges ahead.

You can access the FPMT Online Learning Center at http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org which features modules from fiveeducation programs developed by FPMT Education Services.These programs are continually expanding with new modulesadded each month. Both Discovering Buddhism and Living inthe Path offer one module freely to the public.

The FPMT Media Center, the archive of video and audiorecordings from Light of the Path, is accessible through theFPMT Online Learning Center and is absolutely free for thegeneral public.

Alexis ben el Hadj, Eamon Walsh, Harald Weicharrt, AntoineJanssen. Missing is Jean Luc Castagner. Photo by Sarah Brooks.

Private booths helped translators such as Gerald Noack andLaetitia Franceschini share Rinpoche’s teachings live in fivelanguages. Photo by Sarah Brooks.


GECKO DIVINATIONSBy Sarah Brooks

On the last day of Rinpoche’s teachings at the Lightof the Path retreat, I was part of a small group ofthe Kadampa Center staff and volunteers who

gathered in the lodge where he was staying. That evening hehad taught through the dinner hour, and most of us had nottaken the opportunity of precepts that morning so hadskipped dinner to hear his teachings. His core volunteer teamat the lodge, Cherie Sutorus, Alejandra Almeda, and Heinand Son Pham, had offered to share dinner with us afterRinpoche left the grounds. He was leaving that evening todrive overnight toWashington, DC, to go to his next stop inMongolia, and an enormous amount of luggage was piled inthe corner waiting to be loaded in the car.

We gathered in his lobby and of course hoped for a lastopportunity to be in his presence one more time before heleft. (I was thinking about food too, of course.) Quite a bit oftime passed, andwe speculatedwhen hemight appear knowinghe had a deadline to get toDC.Wewere all just sitting aroundtalking casually when Rinpoche suddenly walked out of hisroom with his final appointment and saw us all there. We allstood and bowed, our hands in prostration.

Scattered on the round tables were gifts that Rinpochedid not pack to take with him, and he picked up a figure of asurfer that had been decorated with a mantra and gave a talkabout the benefits of even just seeing it.

Then he showed us his stuffed gecko, and while pointingaround the room told everyone to spread out. Hewas going tothrow the gecko in the air onto the round table and, dependingon who the gecko was looking at upon landing, he or shewould get to take it home. Once we realized what he wasdoing, we started laughing and could hardly stop. By then a

few more peoplehad joined thegroup, so we all sur-rounded the roundtable and watchedRinpoche toss thegecko high in theair. It landed andwas looking at hisvolunteer driver forthe retreat, HerbCunningham, whowas thrilled. Herbtold Rinpoche that

his wife really likes the Geico gecko and would be very excitedwhen he brought it home.

Rinpoche looked around at the rest of us, and then toldHerb he needed the gecko back for a while. He started givingaway the other nice things in the room like tsa tsas, a prayerwheel, and things for people’s altars. Each time, he wouldthrow the gecko into the air to divine who should receive agift. Asmore people came in, they joined the circle of laughter.Rinpoche held up a large crystal and pronounced it a wish-fulfilling jewel, and the gecko decided it was to go to Ven.Steve Carlier, the retreat leader. Some people got several thingsand others got none – the gecko was unpredictable!

Meanwhile Ven. Roger and the entourage were taking theluggage out and getting ready to leave. Seeing time was short,Ven. Roger urged Rinpoche to remember he had a flight tocatch, but Rinpoche just kept throwing gecko divinationsuntil he ran out of things to give away.

We reluctantly said goodbye to Rinpoche and theentourage, and found that during our delightful timetogether the hour had grown late – almost eleven o’clock.Where my mind had started off hoping for a bite to eat, Ifelt completely satisfied by Rinpoche’s presence and decidedto decline dinner after all. Or perhaps my priority had justshifted from food to sleep….

LIGHT OF THE PATH WORKING RETREATBy Gelongma Losang Drimay

Following the two-week course, I joined a smallergroup of eight people for a work-week at a nearbyrental house, churning Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings

into modules for the online Living in the Path (LP) studyprogram. From last year’s working retreat there emergedfour modules which are already online.

This year, we have identified four new modules on thethemes of (exact titles to be determined):• the Diamond Cutter verse – appearances beingdeceptive,• some verses from Shantideva on the connectionsbetween mind and karma,• the refuge-bodhichitta verse – Mahayana refuge,• and Dharma happiness versus worldly happinessThe LP courses can be done completely online –

providing a great benefit to people who do not haveaccess to a Dharma center – and can be held at centerswhere there are facilitators. Our work week was mucheasier this year. Last year we had to spend a few days justfiguring out what the program was going to look like;

Cover FEATURE

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the gecko and HerbCunningham. Photo by Margie Harris.

FPMT programs available online!

Buddhism in a Nutshell Meditation 101Death & Dying Living in the Path Basic ProgramDiscovering Buddhism

Online Learning Center

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

Video teachingsAudio teachings and meditationsWritten transcriptsReadingsDaily practices

•••••

Each online program includes some or all of the following components:

How to access FPMT online programs:For all online programs go to FPMT Online Learning Center:

http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org FREE! Discovering Buddhism module two, How to MeditateFREE! Living in the Path module one, Motivation for Life

For all other program modules:Individual modules can be purchased from theFPMT Foundation Store: http://shop.fpmt.org Become a Dharma Supporter Friend of FPMT and receive:free access to all online programs anda subscription to Mandala magazine:www.fpmt.org/friends

••

•

•

FPMT Media Center:High-defi nition streaming video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Light of the Path teachings are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and German.

http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org

Mindfulness exercises for daily lifeKarma yoga exercisesOnline quizzesOnline discussion forumCompletion certifi cate

•••••

“I want to thank you for the amazing job of placing FPMT into a new era of spreading the Dharma, a really new step in FPMT era to spread the Dharma,something to celebrate.”

–Thubten Kunsang, Oct 2009


this year we had the advantage of being able to refer to allthe materials that Kendall Magnussen had brought tocompletion – the modules that are already online.

The LP team got along very harmoniously and enjoyedsome gut-bursting laughter at times. During our breaks formeals, we heard wild tales from each other about the adven-tures of pilgrimage, retreat and running Dharma centers infar-flung parts of the world, such as EamonWalsh’s accountsof running the center in Mongolia.

After some members of the work team had already goneto catch their flights, the rest of us went on an outing to anearby landmark, Chimney Rock, for a hike and a riversidedinner afterward at Genny’s “Home-Cooking” Diner, com-plete with hushpuppies served with every dish. Some otherfriendly hikers gave us some leads on where to hike when wecome again next year.

MINDFULNESS AND THEKINDNESS OF OTHERSBy Julie Caldwell

This year’s focus for the Living in the Path retreat wasmindfulness – how to really, truly, cherish others;how to combine compassion with joy-filled wisdom

continuously – a topic I came to appreciate sitting in a chairat the rear of the gompa, my crutches propped up againstthe wall, right foot laced up in a black boot, healing thebroken long bone of my little toe.

After two and a half months of watching my bone healthrough a series of x-rays, I hobbled off to North Carolina,crutches still in hand, totally dependent on others. MyDharma practice had shifted from being obsessed withhelping others to allowing others to help me. This was a big

Cover FEATURE

Left to Right:

Working retreat participants Ed Gibson,Merry Colony, Eamon Walsh, KendallMagnussen and Ven. Losang Drimayenjoyed breathtaking vistas from ChimneyRock in North Carolina.

Rinpoche makes prostrations beforeascending the teaching throne. Photo bySarah Brooks.

Living in the Path, the FPMT course based on LamaZopa Rinpoche’s Light of the Path teachings, is uniquebecause its primary teacher is Lama Zopa Rinpoche andits content is Rinpoche’s heart instructions for practice.It is FPMT’s quintessential lam-rim course, exemplary ofour precious lineage.Living in the Path takes what Rinpoche taught and

packages it into manageable pieces so students canintegrate the material in a realistic way, while remain-ing true to how Rinpoche initially presented the topicsat hand.

With the materials already developed directly fromRinpoche’s teachings, it is easy for centers to offer thecourse to their students by designating a “facilitator”to walk students through each module. A facilitatormust be an FPMT-registered teacher who has attendedone or more of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching

retreats of two weeks or longer. These retreats includeLight of the Path (USA), Mani retreat (France), LamaTsongkhapa (Italy), Four Kadam Deity (France),Medicine Buddha (USA), or Vajrasattva (USA).

Some centers, such asMaitreya Instituut Amsterdam,have already found that offering Living in the Path as aweekend retreat has good results. Other centers in Australia(Chenrezig Institute and Chagtong Chentong) and theUnited States (ThubtenNorbu Ling, Osel Shen Phen LingandKadampaCenter) already have plans underway to leadsimilar weekend retreats in the near future.

For study groups without teachers, the program canbe followed simply as a group utilizing the onlinematerials provided.

Please contact FPMT Education Services ([email protected]) or visit http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org for moreinformation about how to host this inspiring course.

By Merry ColonyBringing Living in the Path to Your Center


change for me and my long-term co-dependent history ofcaretaking others.

My Dharma practice now focused on me mindfullytaking excellent care of healing my foot. This meant slowingdown and following my doctor’s advice. Also, I had to thinkahead about special needs such as arranging suitable accom-modations (and coming to understand the limitations ofaccess to those). Blue Ridge Assembly provided a ramp overthe stairs at the entrance of Abbott Hall (my lodge), and gaveme a room with a shower. I took responsibility for bringingmy own handrail and seat for the shower.

The more I took care of my foot, the more mindful Ibecame about the surrounding environment, the people whoshowed up and the activities I could and could not do. A deepheartfelt appreciation bubbled up from inside ofme, so thank-ful to each and every being who showed up to help me heal.People offered to give me rides, did my laundry, shopped andcooked for me, and gave me homeopathic lotions. All I hadto give back was my deep appreciation. I kept my foot up,practiced tonglen, meditated, focused on mindfulness, readlam-rim, chantedmantras and took time to relax, all the timerejoicing in the kindness of others.

During the first week of the retreat, a Kadampa Centervolunteer was assigned to drive me from Abbott Hall to thegompa, then to the lunchroom, then to Lee Hall for discus-sions, and then back to Abbott Hall. At mealtimes differentpeople carriedmy food to the table. Someone else would carrymy books. When inside the gompa, people brought me tea,juice and water. Others would smile at me as they walked inand out of the gompa, some would make small talk, andothers shared stories.

Sometimes it seemed kinder to turn away help, especiallywhen it was something I could do for myself. Other times, Isaw howmuch the volunteer needed the experience of helpingme. It created space for connection.

By week two I was able to put weight onmy healing foot,which inspired me to put Rinpoche’s mindfulness andwalking practices into action. I walked up the hill to LeeHall,thinking I was leading all sentient beings to enlightenmentjust like Ven. Kaye and Lama Zopa Rinpoche had explained[see “Walking with Mindfulness,” in Living in the Path]. Ittook 45 minutes to reach the top of the hill, walking slowlyand with many rests along the way. My ankle was throbbing,standing there in my black boot, out of shape. I sat down inone of the Lee Hall porch rocking chairs and looked at theview.Two hours passed. Now rested, it was time for a shower.I stood up and walked down the hill to Abbott Hall, thinking

I was liberating all beings while chantingmantras, sharingmypractice.

It’s amazing how much the black boot has taught meabout mindfulness.

SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ISHAPPENING IN NORTH CAROLINABy Alison Murdoch

Alone and in transit at Charlotte Airport, surroundedby unfamiliar advertisements, I had an E.T. moment:“Help! What am I doing here?! I want to go home!”

My jet-lagged mind almost convinced me that travelinghalfway across the world to take part in the Light on the Pathretreat was one big crazy mistake.

I needn’t have worried because only a few hours later Iwalked into a gompa blazing with light; full of flowers,sparkling water bowls and holy images; packed with friendlywelcoming faces; and above all was my precious teacher LamaZopa Rinpoche sitting on the throne and sharing his heartinstructions on how to practice the Dharma. For those fewweeks, North Carolina was at the heart of the FPMTmandala, and the best place I could possibly be in the world.

I work full-time for Rinpoche and the FPMT – animmense good fortune, but also sometimes an excuse anddistraction frommaking the time to sit on a cushion in retreat.Light on the Path was the perfect medicine. By the time I flewback through Charlotte, I was a changed person: refreshed,reconnected with my teacher, re-inspired to try to dedicatemy life to others, and re-energized to continue with the studyand practice that will be needed.

Although we were trying to “give up on this life” therewere plenty of worldly delights: blue skies and luminoussunsets above the wooded hillsides of the Blue Ridge center;butterflies and birds around the running stream; and thewooden porches of the buildings strewn with the rockingchairs typical of the American Deep South. It proved to bea wonderful location for developing and deepening Dharmafriendships.

The retreat was the highlight of my year, and I’m prayingthat I’ll have the karma to return next September, this timewith no hesitation. Something very special is happening inNorth Carolina. �

Next year’s Light of the Path retreat is already tentativelyscheduled for September 10 - 25, 2011.

For up to date information on Light of the Path 2011,regularly check Kadampa Center’s Light of the Pathwebsite at www.kadampa-center.org/lop/or by email at [email protected]


I am going to explain the meditation prayer of taking refugeand generating bodhichitta, composed by Lama Atisha. It isextremely important as we recite it so many times in one day.Sang gyä means “eliminated and developed.” Sang

means having eliminated all gross and subtle mistakes ofmind; and gyä is having completed all the qualities andrealizations. This is what we need to achieve. We need sangand gyä. Then chhö is the whole path, and sog is the Sangha– their qualities.

The first cause of refuge is one’s own mind qualified byhaving useful fear of samsara. Then the second cause ishaving faith towards the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha;understanding that they have the power and qualities tosave oneself, liberate oneself, from the oceans of samsaricsufferings and their cause: karma and delusions. Then, withthose two causes, completely relying on, totally trusting inBuddha, Dharma and Sangha; that mental factor isHinayana refuge. In Mahayana, there are these two causesand the third one, compassion for sentient beings. With

these three causes, totally relying on Buddha, Dharma andSangha; that mental factor is Mahayana refuge.

The Secret Mantra Vajrayana way is by practicinggeneration stage to be free from ordinary appearance andordinary concept, and then to be free from the unfunc-tionability of the chakras, winds and drops; to be free fromimpure wind and mind, to cease those.

Meditate on Two Shocking ThingsThe first unbelievably deeply shocking thing is that I havebeen experiencing the suffering of samsara numberlesstimes from beginningless rebirths. The second shockingthing is that it is, again, endless, if one doesn’t change one’sown mind and become totally detached from samsara.

Then, you look at the numberless sentient beings –numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humanbeings, asuras, suras and intermediate state beings – oooh,they have been exactly the same: experiencing the generalsufferings of samsara and the particular sufferings of the

Practicing Dharma in DAILY LIFEThis section provides advice, resources and inspiration for practicing Dharma in daily life.

As Buddhists, we try to be keenly aware of our own suffering and thesuffering of others. But how do we cultivate a mind of benefiting othersand ourselves? Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s answer is this issue’s FeaturedPractice: an explanation of how to meditate on Sang gyä chhö dang,the well-known and foundational prayer written by Lama Atisha,recited millions of times every day by Tibetan Buddhist practitionersaround the world.

SANG GYÄ CHHÖ DANG SOG KYI CHHOG NAM LA

I go for refuge until I am enlightened

JANG CHHUB BAR DU DAG NI KYAB SU CHHI

To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly.

DAG GI JIN SOG GYI PE SÖ NAM GYI

By the merits I create, through practicing giving and the rest,

DRO LA PHÄN CHHIR SANG GYÄ DRUB PAR SHOG

May I become a buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings.

Refuge and BodhichittaBy Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Photo by Linda Lane

FEATURED PRACTICE


lower realms numberless times from beginningless rebirths.You can’t imagine. It’s most unbearable. Feel that.

Now, if they don’t get help from you, they will experi-ence the sufferings of samsara, again and again, endlessly.It’s most, most, most unbearable. You can’t stand it for aminute, for a second.

However, you don’t have sang gyä, so you can’t completethe work for sentient beings. Therefore, with your wholeheart, totally rely on Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, not justfor oneself, but because you want all sentient beings to beliberated from oceans of samsaric sufferings and their causes.

“I go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,” isthe cause refuge – taking refuge in those whose mentalcontinuum is separate from yourself. “Until enlightenmentis achieved” shows the result time refuge. Result Dharma iswhen your mind becomes the cessation of suffering andcessation of defilements, the true path. At that time, youbecome the result Sangha. By developing Dharma, youbecome the result Buddha. Only then can you do perfectwork for sentient beings without any effort, spontaneously.

“By the collection of merits,” refers to the merits oftranscendental wisdom and the merits of virtue.Dro la is “migrating beings.” It has two meanings. One

meaning is that after sentient beings are born, even in onesecond, they constantly go, non-stop, towards death. Onemeaning of dro la is that – “one who is going.” The othermeaning is “transmigrating.” There are seven realms ofsentient beings. Transmigratory beings are under thecontrol of karma and delusions and so, continuously, in oneof the realms they suffer. This is what has been happeningfrom beginningless rebirths and, if you don’t help them, theywill have to suffer endlessly in samsara.

Call them “mother” sentient beings. Bring in thatsubject, mother. Thinking “mother” means close to you,close to your heart. At the same time, it means being amother and kind in four ways.1 Not only that, but weshould remember this: our parents created so much negativekarma, twenty-four hours a day, for our well-being. It isimportant to think that there will be so much suffering asa result of their negative karma, bearing hardships for you.Remember that, include that. That is the real story. Thenyou can see the mother’s kindness. It becomes mostunbearable. You come to the conclusion that you have no

choice. You’ve got to give help to the mother sentientbeings. It’s not only nice words; it is the reality.

“To benefit” means to liberate them from the bondageof karma and delusions. That way you are able to liberatethem from oceans of samsaric sufferings. Not only that, butyou also want to bring them to full enlightenment.Therefore,the solution is for oneself to achieve enlightenment. Each timeyou generate this bodhichitta, “May I achieve enlightenmentfor the benefit of transmigratory beings,” by putting yourpalms together, how much merit you collect is amazing.

Sealing with EmptinessAfter this, think, “The real I seeking enlightenment doesnot exist; it is totally empty right there. The real action seek-ing enlightenment is totally empty right there. The real en-lightenment, not the merely labeled enlightenment, istotally empty right there. Those for whom you are achievingenlightenment, the real sentient beings, are totally emptyright there.” Meditate a little bit on emptiness.

When we do sang gyä chho dang, we must meditate, notjust blah, blah, blah. It is a very, very important practice.This way, at the very beginning, you practice the heart ofBuddhism – the heart of the 84,000 teachings of Buddha,the three baskets, the Hinayana, the Mahayana Parami-tayana, and the Mahayana Secret Mantra Vajrayana, theessence of the lam-rim, the graduated path of the threecapable beings, and the three principal aspects of the path– all these already get done at the beginning, before theactual practice. It becomes very powerful. �

Extracted from the Light of the Path teachings, September2010. Compiled and edited by Kendall Magnussen, October2010.

1 [1] Your mother gave you a body, especially the human body whichallows you to practice Dharma; [2] bore hardships for you; [3] protectedyour life from hundreds of dangers each day; and [4] gave you aneducation, led you in the path of the world, taught you how to walk, howto speak human language, etc.

Buddha DaysMarch 5 – 19, Days of Miracles

Full and New Moons(Tibetan 15th and 30th days)

January 4, 19February 2, 28March 4, 19

The FPMT Foundation Store offers for sale the LIBERATIONcalendar, a traditional Tibetan lunar calendar includingauspicious days andmore, produced by Liberation PrisonProject: www.fpmt.org/shop


Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently received aninspiring letter from Ani Tsultrim of AmitabhaBuddhist Centre, Singapore. This is his reply:

My very dear Tsultrim,This is a most amazing thing! You may be the only

“Western” student to do this! I have been trying to memo-rize myself when I am walking so time isn’t wasted.

I think it is such a great thing what you have done.Very, very, very worthwhile!

THANK YOU!With love and prayers,Lama Zopa

Ani Tsultrim’s letter:Dearest Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche,

I just want to express my deepest and heartfelt thanksto you, Rinpoche, for the advice that you gave me lastOctober. I had requested some advice for 2010 and yougave me a list of pujas and practices. You advised me torecite Chanting the Names of Manjushri daily for at least fiveyears, and said it would be best if I could memorize it.

Straight away I found the English translation ofChanting the Names of Manjushri on the FPMT website,translated by Ronald Davidson. I told myself it waspossible to memorize the whole text if I tried to memorizeat least one verse at a time, maybe one verse every day.Since beginning the memorization on October 26 lastyear, I was able to make progress over the days and weeksand months.

I am writing to let you know, Rinpoche, that I man-aged to complete memorizing all of the 170 verses (accordingto the English version) about five days ago. I am very happyto have been able to accomplish this task in less than a year!It was a very happy coincidence for me last week, as I wasclose to completing the memorization, that I watched thevideo on Facebook where you spoke of the benefits of

Chanting the Names of Manjushri while you were takingyour walks in the Wisconsin countryside.

Rinpoche, your precious advice to do this practice hasbeen such a wonderful and amazing gift to me because,since I don’t live in a nunnery where there’s a dailydiscipline, reciting and memorizing, this sutra gave me agoal to motivate myself with every day while living in mymother’s home here in Singapore where there are endlessdistractions!

I often recite whatever I’ve memorized while traveling,walking, in a car, on the bus, on the MRT train, going toABC, etc. And now that I have finished memorizing thewhole sutra, it is even better because I don’t need to bringthe text along with me. I take quite long to recall all theverses, so it keeps my mind well occupied for up to onehour. The best thing is that because my mind is concen-trating on recalling the verses, during that time while I’mmemorizing, I stop thinking self-cherishing kinds ofthoughts. Also, I now try to set up some bodhichitta moti-vation while reciting, and I feel very happy that by silentlyreciting, I can give some benefit to those around me on thebus or the train or on the highway.

I also think that reciting this text has helped me a littlebit in my studies. At ABC, Geshe Chönyi has been teachingLama Tsongkhapa’s “Final Exposition of Wisdom” fromthe Middling Lam-rim. I think somehow there is someblessing from Guru Manjushri that I can remember andunderstand what Geshe-la is teaching a little bit better. Justa little ...

So THANK YOU SO MUCH, Rinpoche, for givingme this precious practice which is helping my mind andinspiring my practice.

With great happiness I offer whatever merits I haveaccumulated and the merits of all beings to your extremelylong and healthy life!With much love and respect,Tsultrim �

Practicing Dharma in DAILY LIFE

Every year, students quietly complete retreats, commitments or progress further along the path thanseems possible. This section allows us to REJOICE! in these incredible efforts. For more rejoice-worthystories, please subscribe to this section’s blog on www.mandalamagazine.org.

REJOICE!

Rejoice! for Ani Tsultrim!


Four years ago Renate Ogilvie started a drop-inmeditation group for parents and babies at VajrayanaInstitute in Ashfield, NSW, Australia.

The idea sprang into existence when Renate heardAlison Ribush, former director of Tara Institute, describehow she had to leave a lam-rim teaching given by LamaZopa Rinpoche because her baby son was crying. AsAlison stood at the bottom of the steps to the gompa,deeply frustrated, Lama Yeshe suddenly appeared, openedhis arms and embraced them both. He laughed and said,“What are you doing? You’ve heard this teaching before,haven’t you?” Lama Yeshe looked at her son and said,“You are now doing the greatest thing of all, bringing upyour children in their precious human rebirth. Life isDharma. Your children are Dharma. Go to the beach.”

Because of this story and Renate’s initiative, the hallsof Vajrayana Institute are now filled with strollers andtoys on Tuesday mornings.

I took over running the sessions in mid-2007 andthere are many practical tips I can pass on to othersthinking of setting up a similar meditation group.

First, nothing runs on time when babies areinvolved! It can be difficult for parents to arrive on timefor the sessions. Typically the first half-hour is spentletting the parents chat while others arrive. This alsoprovides valuable time for them to share their problemsand successes involving their little ones.

Once the group feels settled, we run a meditationfor about ten to twenty minutes. The meditations arevaried from week to week and can include meditationson the breath, loving kindness, visualizations, body scansand so forth.

We keep a careful watch over the babies and toddlersduring the meditation so that the parents can meditate.Sometimes there is some disturbance, but most of thetime, they don’t present a problem.

However, it is very useful to have a second pair ofhands to assist with the meditation session. I helped outin this role when Renate first started the group. Now mypartner, Peter Stickels, provides this support. This isparticularly valuable when a crying baby just needs alittle individual attention and care to settle them down.

An assistant can also help keep any toddlers

occupied. While originally conceived as “meditation forparents and babies in arms,” we have had parents in thegroup whose first child continued to come when thesecond arrived. The aim is to not turn the parents away,so some weeks the assistant’s role is to keep the oldertoddlers occupied with drawing, games and stories –ideally in another room.

At the end of each session we offer the parents teaand biscuits, and make a point of waiting on them astheir treat.

Majella, who has been coming since the early days,had the following to say:I have found it invaluable to be able to connect with other

parents on a spiritual level; to have the chance to meditatewhile my children are watched and held with love; to receivebeautiful Buddhist guidance and learn Buddhist techniques.I feel so blessed to have found this wonderful group and am sograteful to Renate, Dana and Peter for its existence. �

www.vajrayana.com.au

PARENTING

Drop-in Meditationfor Parents and Babies at Vajrayana Institute

By Dana Clarke

Majella O’Shea with daughters Greta and Eloise atVajrayana Institute’s Tuesday drop-in meditation


EDUCATION

Thirty-eight students gatheredat Serlingpa Retreat Centerin Zitácuaro, Mexico, from

October 30 to November 3 for afive-day FoundationTraining withMerry Colony and Amy Cayton.It was the first training offered inMexico and we were so lucky tohave a representative of everycenter and study group attend.

The FPMT is fairly new inMexico, and over recent years has grown quickly and enthusias-tically, with groups mushrooming and several projects starting.We were blessed with a visit from Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 2008,but it has been clear that most students are not familiar with thestructure of the organization, the varied study materials andprograms available, the many incredible charity projects thatFPMT supports, and Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for the future. Sothis training could not have come at a better time.

Merry and Amy are excellent facilitators, the informationwas invaluable, but most of all their total devotion to Rinpochewas an example of how we would all like to be. Their incrediblededication and generosity has been so inspirational and I knowthat we have all been deeply moved by the experience.

This section focuses on FPMT’s religious and secular work to educate andtransform the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

Foundation Training inCompassionateService Mexico

By Moya Mendez

FPMT EDUCATION SERVICESFPMT Education Services is the education department of FPMT International Office and developsstudy programs, practice materials and trainings designed to foster an integration of four broad educationareas: study, practice, service and behavior. These programs and materials are available through theFPMT Foundation Store, the FPMT Online Learning Center and FPMT centers worldwide.

A Message from Merry ColonyIn this issue, two important Education Servicesinitiatives are highlighted: Foundation Trainingin Compassionate Service and the beginnings ofaccreditation for FPMT certificate programs.

The Foundation Training in CompassionateService seeks to provide anyone currently offeringservice to the organization in any capacity acomprehensive overview of the FPMT – itshistory, structure, resources, and vision, as well asa multitude of inner and outer techniques forworking harmoniously with others and makingone’s service a quick path to enlightenment.Foundation Trainings have been offered since2005 and the most recent training in Mexicodemonstrated for all participants how a short,five-day training retreat can shift the balance fromseemingly insurmountable problems to the joyousoffering of service in harmony and clarity. Mexicoproved that Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s commentmade years ago that “if everyone followed thistraining, the organization would run better” stillrings true.

Also, Ven. Joan Nicell of Istituto LamaTzongKhapa shares the exciting development of ILTK’sBasic andMasters Programs becoming eligible foruniversity credits in Italy. With the exception ofMaitripa College in Portland, USA, FPMTcertificate programs to date have not been eligiblefor official accreditation. This is all changing.Read on!

Merry Colony and AmyCayton


Many commented that the tools shared in training wereextremely beneficial, even outside of official FPMT activity.“[This training has] greatly improved my relationship withmy children and parents,” sharedMaria Estela Eguia del Rio,a student from Chekawa Study Group, “My mind is morealert to do less harm to others and to speak kinder words tothose aroundme.” “These trainings are very important; theyjoin Dharma brothers and sisters and enhance a sense family,”commented the Thubten Kunkyab Study Group.

Personally, I am quite in awe of these ladies and feelhonored to have spent this timewith them. I nowhave returnedto our center with renewed enthusiasm and energy, feeling sovery blessed to be part of Rinpoche’s mandala and to have thisopportunity to offer service to him and the FPMT. I reallyrecommend this training and hope that everyone offeringservice in the organization can make the time to attend one.

To learn more about how you can participate inFoundation Training and other FPMT trainings, visitwww.fpmt.org/education/training/

A University Accredited FPMT

Basic Program at Istituto

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa is extremely pleased toannounce that their next Basic Program in 2012 – andhopefully also the nextMasters Program in 2014 – will be

accredited by an Italian university of international standing.The Sant’Anna School for Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy isa special-statute public university belonging to the Italiannetwork of Schools of Excellence and Advanced Studies,

and a member of the European University Association(EUA). The collaboration between ILTK and the universitywas proposed by Prof. Massimo Bergamasco, a student ofLama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Jampa Gyatso, who is aprofessor of engineering at Sant’Anna and director of theuniversity’s Perceptual Robotics Laboratory.

Full-time residential students who fulfill the academic,

Representatives from every center and study group in Mexico attended the five-day Foundation Training

Several participants contemplate and discuss seriously the eval-uation worksheets

By Ven. Joan Nicell


EDUCATION

meditation and service components of the Basic Program atILTK – January 2012 to December 2013 – will receive 90university credits and be awarded an International Master’sDegree in the Preservation and Development of WisdomCulture and the Art of Liberation by the Sant’Anna Schoolfor Advanced Studies upon completing the first eight of thenine core curriculum subjects. The ninth subject, Groundsand Paths of Secret Mantra, will be offered in addition tothe accredited program as a summer intensive in 2013. Toenable students to qualify for the Basic Program completioncertificate, a three-month online review for the final examwill be facilitated by the BP online teacher, and severaloptions for fulfilling the three-month lam-rim retreatequirement will be available. Students who fulfill theacademic, meditation and self-study components of the

online program will receive 20 university credits and canqualify for the FPMT BP Homestudy completion certifi-cate by fulfilling the one-month retreat requirement,participating in the review, and doing the final exam.

Applications for the accredited Basic Program openDecember 15, 2010. A maximum of 60 students will beaccepted into the program. Applicants are not required topossess a Bachelor’s Degree. �

www.education.iltk.org/wisdom

To explore all the FPMT Education Services has to offer, pleasevisit www.fpmt.org/education

Please also visit the Foundation Store to purchase study andpractice materials recommended by FPMT Education Serviceshttp://shop.fpmt.org/

Essential Education

It’s a pleasure to “front up”another set of EssentialEducation updates in myrole as director of theFoundation forDevelopingCompassion andWisdom,the organization set up fiveyears ago to support thiswork around the globe.Essential Education (origi-

nally named Universal Education by its founder LamaYeshe) is an evolutionary project with a depth and breadthbeyond all of our imagination and understanding.

In this section you’ll find the latest news fromEssential Education programs Creating CompassionateCultures and the Potential Project, as well as updates ona range of projects based on the 16 Guidelines for a HappyLife, a resource inspired by the 16 Human Dharmas ofKing Songsten Gampo, the first Dharma king of Tibet.

When I met with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 2004,shortly after taking up post, he explained that the 16Human Dharmas were “like the vows” of Essential

Education. “Wherever you start, this should be thepractice” was Rinpoche’s advice – which over thesucceeding five years has proved to be immensely skillful.Following the launch of our 16 Guidelines workshopprogram in 2008, the guidelines are now being used in22 different countries, and every week we get reports onhow people have found ways to share them with othersin fresh and contemporary ways.

The wonderful news is that Rinpoche sees this as justthe beginning. “It’s started, but it’s little compared to howmuch we have to do in the future, in the world,” hecommented in April this year, and proceeded to give over40 hours of teachings on the original Tibetan root text asthe foundation for a more authentic and profound bookon the subject. It will take us some years to complete andedit this newproject, provisionally calledCauses for a HappyLife – while continuing to support the 16 Guidelinesworkthat is already underway.Delight – a.k.a rejoicing – is one of the guidelines,

so please join us in delighting in the work that is alreadyin progress, all with the aim of contributing to a happierand more peaceful world.

Essential Education (EE) is FPMT’s program of secular education for people of all ages and cultures.

A Message from Alison Murdoch


It was with much delight that I had the opportunity tointroduce the 16 Guidelines to the Notre DameHouse School in Hamilton, Ontario. Notre Dame is

part of the Good Shepherd Centre, a charity meetingthe educational needs of street-involved and homelessyouth in the downtown core of Hamilton.

After I presented the 16 Guidelines to a staffmember, the school embraced the 16 Guidelines astheir main learning theme for 2009-2010. Thereafter,for 16 weeks I went into the classroom, teaching oneguideline per week.

In these sessions, the students contributed their ownthoughts on each guideline, using the ideas in the bookand the example of the role models to round out theirthinking about it.We all accepted a challenge, encouragingus to step out of our habits to practice new ways of relatingto the world, and we used guided reflections to get heartfeltappreciation for the quality of each guideline.

At the end of the school year, the students enjoyed anevening of practicing random acts of kindness.They also hadthe opportunity to attend an event in memory of mydaughter, Maddison Babineau, who asked the Children’sWish Foundation to start a school in Africa, and raised thefunds to do so, while she was dying of cancer at age 15. Atthis event they were also able to meet Craig Kielburger, therole model for the thirteenth guideline, aspiration, and

founder of Free the Children. Craig was a friend ofMaddisonand the keynote speaker at her memorial event. This was aninspiring way for a group of young students to concludesixteen weeks of thinking about practical ethics.

At the conclusion of our 16 weeks together, a teacher atNotreDame commented that “[The 16Guidelines] is a simplebut powerful program that is inspirational, profound andcertain to lead its practitioners to a happier and moremeaningful life. While all of this is valuable to everyone, it isparticularly valuable to the students of our school who all havehad to overcomemany difficulties in order just to arrive here.”

16 Guidelines at the Notre Dame House Schoolin Hamilton, Ontario, Canada By Sharon Babineau

The Potential Project Makes News in Europe

The Potential Project (PP) is the application of EssentialEducation in the corporate workplace. The PotentialProject created the concept of Corporate-based Mind-

fulness Training, based on a synthesis of Western scientificresearch in neurology, positive psychology and organiza-tional studies with Eastern psychology, philosophy andmind training methods. Now the Potential Project aims tosupply highest-quality mindfulness training to organiza-tions in Europe and the world, tailoringmindfulness trainingto help busy working people retain their mental energy and

productivity in fast-changing and often stressful workingenvironments. In the spirit of generosity, the PotentialProject donates all of its profits to charity, half to FPMTand Essential Education.

Started by Rasmus Hougaard in 2009, the organiza-tion’s work recently gained recognition in a study by TheHealth Group A/S, Denmark’s leading consulting companyon health at the workplace. In an evaluation of the PotentialProject’s Corporate-based Mindfulness Training program atinsurance company IF Industrial, the study found that:

Students from Notre Dame House School, Canada


EDUCATION

• 88% of participants experienced a highly increased abilityto stay focused on the task at hand• 76% experienced a big positive development in socialrelations in the team• 65% experienced a personal higher productivity andefficiency• 59% experienced a highly increased ability to counteractstress• 59% experienced better relations to family (work-lifebalance)

This endorsement was picked up by Dagbladet Børsen,a daily Danish newspaper specializing in business news,who ran an article reporting the study and the work thatpreceded it. Thus, it’s no surprise that the Potential Project’straining has been in high demand: Rasmus has runworkshops for GE Healthcare, Sony Corporation and theCopenhagen Community Department of Culture.

Reports from participants in the Potential Project’sworkshops are equally glowing. “After eight weeks of themindfulness program I have no doubt that I have foundwhat I was always looking for,” said Ester Bang, accountmanager for IF Insurance, “I have never had as clear amental separation between my private life and working lifeas now. That adds a lot of extra energy to both!”

The Potential Project recognizes that its greateststrength is its trainers, who must be able to deliver thehighest quality of mindfulness training in a corporateenvironment. Trainers’ Training workshops are thuscrucial to develop a large base of trainers, and the thirdsuch workshop happened this November with participantsfrom Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Spain and SouthAfrica."

[email protected]

A 16 Guidelines Group for New MothersBy Christina Smerdon

Iam running a mothers’ 16 Guidelines group at LangriTangpa Centre in Camp Hill, Queensland, Australia. Itis amazing to see the interest in our little group!We meet

once a week for one and a half hours with our babies onthe floor between us. We are going through the guidelines,one per week. Each week we review the homework we gaveourselves from the prior week and share any new thinkingon the topic. Then we move onto the next topic.

We start the new topic by asking, “How does(the guideline) relate to our mothering journey?”We explore what the guideline means to us, anyexperiences we have had or how we think we canuse this idea to better ourselves and our journeywith our babies and children.

At the end of the session, we give ourselves somehomework that relates to the topic, generally along thelines of the challenge in theworkbook. Sometimes wemake up an assignment. For example, for forgiveness,we all had to forgive someone from our own sides inour own minds without any interaction from theother person. Some people in the group were verysuccessful and able to heal long-held resentments.

Many participants have commented that they havenoticed big changes in their parenting style and approach.The 16 Guidelines work really well for parents and theweekly summaries are a great record of what we havecovered and what we want to work on. Having homeworkeach week has given us a step-by-step approach to raisingbabies with kindness and mindfulness.

New mothers explore the 16 Guidelines at Langri Tangpa Center inCamp Hill, Queensland, Australia.


In early September, Wishing Well Children’s Commu-nity launched a toddler/preschool program in SantaCruz, California USA. Its main purpose was to

implement the Creating Compassionate Cultures (CCC)curriculum for an even younger age group than WishingWell’s inspiration and sister program, Tara RedwoodSchool, which caters to children 3-10 years old. Already inthe initial phase of the program, the curriculum is provingto be easily applied to this younger age group with addedsupport and simple adaptations.

Anyone who has been in a CCC environment knowsTheGong is a key artifact and powerful tool for self-awareness,self-regulation, and the practice of generating happy feelings.It serves as a consistent support for exploring the first of theSeven Steps to Knowledge, Strength and Compassion.Another quintessential element in a CCC classroom is theSand Mandala. It embodies the essence of Step 2, which

involves developing awareness ofinterconnection and our relationshipto all things. Children explore theseideas through art, music, gardening,CCC Daily Rituals, yoga, liter-ature and budding communicationaround their experiences and feelings.Coupled together, these tools intro-duce to the children that they cancreate what they really want,because they are a part of thisinterconnected world. In theirwords, what they really want (forthemselves, their families, friends, animals and the world)are, “Friends!, Hugs!, Laughter!, and Sharing!”

[email protected]

LKPY’S NEW WEBSITEImages of kindness and peace arefeatured in the newly designed LovingKindness Peaceful Youth’s website.Pirates, grasshoppers and hot-airballoons also make an appearance in afun display of creativity and potential,a youthful message that speaks ofkindness and peace being indeedrelevant to all times and places.

DroppingColours Creative Studiodesigner, Chi-ling Hsieh, designed thewebsite with young people as her focus.Combining a commercial backgroundwith a kind, peaceful and fun-lovingpersonality, Hsieh’s goal was “to givepeople a feeling of peace and hope.”

www.lkpy.org

CreatingCompassionate Cultures

for Toddlers and Preschoolers

UniversalMandala Association

Opens in Ibiza, Spain

If you’d like to stay in touch with the unfolding vision and activities of Essential Education, please join their mailing list onwww.essential-education.org

In addition to the updates printed here, please find more inspiring reports from Essential Education in this issue's Online Exclusivesection on the Mandala website.

By Pam Cayton

Julian Sends, a memberof Wishing WellChildren’s Community

Universal Mandala Association in Ibiza, Spain, opened its doors onOctober 5. Belen Kohler has finally realized her dream to begin aprogram based on the Creating Compassionate Cultures (CCC)

model at Tara Redwood School, a pilot school for the development ofEssential Education (EE), where she interned for four years.

Universal Mandala has begun as an after-school program and offers abilingual CCC /EE class for three age groups: 3-4, 5-6 and 7-11 years old.In the first month of school, the classes were almost full with a total of 31children! People are calling every day to enroll their children and the parentsare begging for a full-time program to commence as soon as possible. Theyare reporting a change in their children already, after having been in theprogram for less than a month. One parent told Belen that “my child issweeter, more mellow and kind.” �

[email protected]


Taking Care of OTHERS

This section highlights the incredible work being done in the FPMT organization aimed at takingcare of others.

ANIMAL LIBERATION

MAITRI Animal Care Program

Top Row: Left to Right: Rabri Devi at the time of her rescue and after treatment by MAITRI Animal Care Program. Itarsi, namedafter the railway station where he was found. Bottom Row: Left to Right: Rajmani was found with maggots in her leg. Vimlacould barely stand before he came to MAITRI. Anushka happily uses her cart to play with the other dogs.

For the past fifteen years, MAITRI Animal Care Program in Bodhgaya, India, has rescued and caredfor hundreds of animals. Many died right after being rescued, many others survived, and severalhave lived out the rest of their natural lives under MAITRI’s care. Here we highlight a few stories ofMAITRI’s care nursing defenseless and injured animals back to health.

Rabri DeviOne February, MAITRI’s director, Adriana Ferranti, saw afive-month-old white puppy lying in one corner of theplatform at Gaya train station. One leg had been badlyinjured by a train and was infected.

Several times it seemed she would die as bit by bit therotting parts of the leg came off. However, after five monthsof special care she could be let out of the clinic and join theother dogs. Now she is strong and independent.

ItarsiWhile traveling through Itarsi Railway Station in the heart-land of Madhya Pradesh, Adriana spotted a forlorn four- tofive-month-old puppy ravaged by mange, hunger anddehydration. After giving him a pack of biscuits and some

water, Adriana got on the train again. After a while, sheknew she had to return to pick him up. She hid him undera seat and named him after the station.

Itarsi was quite unappealing, with just a tuft of hair on thetip of the tail and legs badly twisted by rickets. After a fewmonths of intensive treatment at MAITRI, he turned out tobe a very handsome mix and quite naughty and bossy too!

RajmaniEarlier this year, a volunteer brought a two-year-old dog toMAITRI. Her front right leg was fractured and the oldwound was badly infected and full of maggots.

As amputation could not be performed, MAITRI triedto find a solution by bandagingRajmani’s legwith two bamboosticks and gave her regular high-potency antibiotics, IVs, and


Helping Othersat the Time of Death

DEATH AND DYING

At the Light of the Path Retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche told the story of astudent whose father had died suddenly several years ago. She hadmentioned to Rinpoche that she hadn’t knownwhat to do. Rinpoche said:

“I was very surprised to hear that. Then I thought, ‘There is a needfor some explanation for when something like that happens to yourfamily. You should be prepared, have an education on how to help thedying person. It’s the most unbelievably important thing to protect theperson from a rebirth in the lower realms. Not only to protect the personfrom that rebirth, but to help the person gradually achieve enlighten-ment.’ So I spent four or five days talking about death, talking abouthow to help. This also includes helping yourself when you are dying.

“As time went by, we were able to put together the differentpractices that you can do to support the person who is dying. Nowthere is a whole package from International Office. Merry organizedthat. The very essence is the book [Heart Advice for Death and Dyingand Heart Practices for Death and Dying].

“I think it is extremely essential preparation for helping someonein the family. It becomes your responsibility when a family member isdying. No question about yourself. You have to prepare yourself. Whendeath approaches, what are you going to do? You have to think nowand write it down; you have to lay it out. Death is definitely going tohappen sooner or later, so you have to be prepared.” �

homoeopathic drugs. After a few days of daily dressings, theycould detect some healing. Several weeks later, Rajmani’s leghad healed. She is now part of the pack.

VimlaA Russian couple brought a small puppy to MAITRI whoneeded attention. His left hind leg had been crushed in anaccident and was badly broken. He also had an ulcer full ofmaggots.

Vimla was extremely small and weak and could barelystand. With his long, thin tail, he looked like a rat. His leglooked as bad as Rajmani’s, so Birendar adopted the sameprocedure and in time both wound and fracture healed.

He now resides at Adriana’s house where he has grownstronger and has become very happy and lively.

AnushkaA volunteer brought a female dog to MAITRI who had

been run over the previous night and left to howl all nightwithout any help. She was brought to MAITRI in order tohave a peaceful death.

Anushka’s lower body was not very responsive,particularly the right side. She survived thanks to an aggres-sive treatment. Currently, MAIRI has started her on somephysiotherapy and made a cart so that she can move aroundthe campus without dragging her legs. Now she is reallyhappy and runs after the other dogs! �

MAITRI currently looks after 23 goats, 92 dogs and 10 other ani-mals (a horse, rabbit, chickens, etc.). 302 animal are buried at theMAITRI animal graveyard. 132 survivedand had normal lives afterrescue. 170 did not survive long after being rescued –most of theanimals are brought to MAITRI when they are in very criticalcondition, which of course is the exact purpose of their service.

www.maitri-bodhgaya.org

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has taught extensively on methods forbenefiting sick and dying animals. Liberating Animals (book)and Recitations for Animals (CD) are both available throughthe FPMT Foundation Store: www.fpmt.org/shop

RESOURCES FOR HELPING OTHERSAT THE TIME OF DEATH

• Liberation Box, Tools for a Fortunate Rebirthcontains powerful methods for ensuring afortunate rebirth for those who have died orare in the process of dying. The box haseverything you need to assist others at thetime of death.• Heart Practices for Death and Dying includesthe most important practices and prayers forthe time of death.• Heart Advice for Death and Dying includesan explanation of the five powers at the timeof death and other essential advice. This bookalso includes a MP3 CD audio course led byVen. Sangye Khadro on death and dying.• Wholesome Fear: Transforming Your AnxietyAbout Impermanence and Death condensesthe teachings from Heart Advice for Deathand Dying for a more general audience andis suitable even for non-Buddhists.The Liberation Box, Heart Practices for

Death and Dying and Heart Advice forDeath and Dying are all available through theFoundation Store (http://shop.fpmt.org).Wholesome Fear is available through

Wisdom Publications (www.wisdompubs.org).



Being part of the Amitabha Hospice family means that mymain job description is to care for and to be kind to others.This is in stark contrast to paid work where quite oftenmoney and other constraints put the main emphasis ondelivering measurable results within a certain time frame.

As the Amitabha Hospice’s volunteer coordinator Ivisited a lovely gentleman, Normand, to make an assessmentso I could assign him properly. I certainly didn’t anticipatebecoming his caregiver myself!

Due to a stroke, Normand needed more time thanothers to verbally express himself. I realized that my typicalneed for efficiency was not going to work in this situation.Instead, I needed to slow down and give Normandenough space to unfold his story. It was beautiful towatch him become visible as a whole person, not just as avictim of a stroke and several bereavements. After I lefthis flat that first day, I was struck by how rarely we get to

deeply connect with others on such a basic human leveland how fulfilling it was to do so.

Finding a suitable volunteer for Normand was not sostraight forward. This meant that I could continue to workwith him. When we meet we always have plenty to say toeach other, but have found a way of communicating whichgoes well beyond words.

Normand often says how good these visits are for himand how much he enjoys them. For me they are a real treat.We seem to connect effortlessly. Normand is a remarkableperson. The impression is that I am here for him, but really,he gives me so much. I feel very humbled and privileged tospend this precious time with him and thankful he’s taughtme how to truly communicate. �

Amitabha Hospice Service, located in Auckland, New Zealand,is one of FPMT’s nine affiliates offering hospice support.

www.amitabhahospice.org

CARING FOR OUR ELDERS

Communicating with Normand By Christine Murphy

When my grandmothers andmother died, I had enoughsuperficial Dharma knowledgeto support them, to alleviatesome of the pain and fear theyexperienced while dying. Thosewere such worthwhile, satisfac-tory opportunities for practice.

After my mother died, Iwent to retreat and I was so sad

I could only repeat the refuge mantra. My guru had advisedme to do 100,000 refuge mantras, which I did. When Ifinished, I was no longer crying.

Now I work in an assisted living community in Portland,Oregon for people with various types of memory impair-ment, usually related to Alzheimer’s disease. Once, in thebig common living room, a resident, Bob, tried to pretendto play a sweet melody while listening to the radio. Hewould twitch spastically, nearly jumping from his wheel-chair. It was clear that he wanted to enjoy the song; his mindstruggled to enjoy, but his body limited him terribly. I reallywanted to give him a good moment, so I did what I could

at the time – I hugged him and I whispered “Bob, love, let’sdance.” He hugged me back. His twitches stopped, and hestarted to gently swing with me in rhythm with the music,our eyes closed. We had a heavenly moment. Shortly after,Bob was happy and calm for the entire afternoon.

Caregiving can be stressful and cause lots of worry, soI do my prayers just before going to work. I motivate, slowmy breathing down, take strong refuge and generate thefour immeasurable attitudes strongly. Then I go to workusing it like a session of prostrations: I see the residents asmy mothers and I take the hardships as if I were bowingdown. Caregiving creates merit naturally, that is worthkeeping in mind when the times are difficult.

I try to respond wisely to my environment and becreative, not letting fear stop me from doing my job. Ifsomeone needs a long hug, I give it to them – even thoughI don’t particularly like hugs myself. We can always becomesomeone else, someone better. Just try to give MORE. Pushwith a little effort and from the heart. �

Susanna Parodi-Corona is a long-time student of Lama Yesheand Lama Zopa Rinpoche and has continuously served FPMT indifferent capacities since the early days of the organization.

By Susanna Parodi-CoronaPushing from the Heart

Marcelle, one of the residentscared for by Susanna


FEATURED PROJECT

Since its inception, the Sera Je Food Fundhas provided over 10,000,000 free meals tomonks studying at Sera Je Monastery.Three meals per day are offered to all 2,600monks and breakfast is served daily to 500

young monks studying at the Sera Je School –additionally, three meals per day are offered to these

young monks during holidays. It costs US$270,000per year to offer this incredible service.

The fund began in 1991 when Osel, the reincar-nation of Lama Yeshe, entered Sera Je Monastery insouthern India at age six. Although it is customary tomake offerings to all the Sangha only on the day thata tulku officially enters the monastery, Lama ZopaRinpoche wanted the offering to be of the greatestpractical benefit to the monastery itself. Afterdiscussion with the abbot and resident high lamas, itwas determined that the most beneficial offering

would be a food fund, whereby all monks at Sera JeMonastery could be offered quality meals for free. Outof his incredible compassion, Lama Zopa Rinpochewas not simply offering lunch on the day of Osel’sentrance to the monastery but, without precedent,taking on the responsibility of providing meals toevery monk at Sera Je for as long as they studied there.

This takes the burden off the monks for having toprovide for their own meals, and allows them moretime and energy for their studies.

The fund is extremely important because Sera Jeis the monastery from which most FPMT teachersand their teachers have been educated, so any supportoffered to the food fund directly helps preserve theMahayana teachings and FPMT’s precious lineage. �

To learn more about the Sera Je Food Fund, or to offeryour support, please visit: www.fpmt.org/projects/serajeor contact Ven. Holly Ansett at [email protected]

The Sera Je Food Fund

Now in its 18th year, this issue's Featured Project, the Sera Je Food Fund, is committed to offeringfree meals to all of the monks studying at Sera Je Monastery.

Taking responsibility for supporting these practitioners is extremely worthwhilebecause they are preserving and spreading the entire teaching of the Buddha.

– LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE

Over 2,600 monks are supported by the Sera Je Food Fund. Sera Je monks now receive three quality meals a day.

Offering food to the monks of Sera Je is a way of collecting unbelievable merit because all themonks are the pores of the guru. They are all disciples of the same guru – His Holiness theDalai Lama. By offering to the pores of the guru one collects more merit than offering to

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and numberless holy objects.– LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE


On October 10, over 7,300 groups all over theworld took part in events that highlighted theactions needed to combat the climate crisis, events

such as digging community gardens, installing solar panelsand planting trees. Sponsored by 350.org, an organizationcommitted to reducing carbon emissions below 350 ppm,a level considered by scientists to be the safe upper limit forcarbon dioxide in the atmosphere, this day of global actionwas planned to send a clear message about the urgency ofthe climate crisis.

We were having a retreat on bodhichitta that weekendat Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek, California, and sodecided to do a special meditation: envisioning a perfectworld 20 years in the future, our part in it, and what wewould do to bring that vision about, and then making lightofferings at the stupa to show our commitment to thisvision. We registered our meditation “event” with the350.org website, and sent a photo showing the numbers350 made out of our light offerings.

“Tenzin Chogkyi’s guidedmeditation on what the planet

might be like in 20 years was a powerful and empoweringway to end an already rich day of meditation,” commentedLaVerne Coleman, “It afforded me the opportunity todevelop my vision for a positive future in communities allover the world, as well as to envision a pro-active role formyself. There’s no reason not to start now!” �

www.vajrapani.org

TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Vajrapani Envisions a Perfect World

Retreatants in front of Lama Yeshe’s stupa at Vajrapani


By Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi


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Taking the Essence All Day and Night The Liberation Box

Powerful tools to ensure a fortunate rebirth for those who have died:To prepare: Heart Practices and Heart Advice for Death and DyingTo hear: Recitations to alleviate pain and benefit the mindTo see: Mantras and images to look uponTo touch: Mantras, text, stupa, and phowa pill for the body

••••

Methods for hooking blessings, clearing obstacles, and transforming our actions into what is most beneficial, for ourselves and others.

Mantras to empower your speech and bless your bodyRecollections to infuse every life action with bodhichitta mindfulness.The yogas of eating and making extensive offeringsThe Eight Mahayana Precepts

••••

Practices to make every momentof life meaningful

Tools for a fortunate rebirth


Dharma in the MODERN WORLD

Mongolia – the country of Chinggis Khaan – is at acrossroads, an extraordinary time when old andnew stand face to face. In the countryside one still

sees gers1 dotted over the vast rolling steppes and nomads onhorses herding their animals with lassos, but now solar panelsand satellite dishes are a common sight outside these timelessdwellings and motorbikes and small blue Korean trucks areparked beside tethered horses. In the over-populated and over-polluted city of Ulaanbaatar – home to half the population –Lexus, Hummers and Toyota Land Cruisers help jam thekaraoke-lined streets, and shopping malls with brand namegoods are springing up along Peace Avenue in the heart ofthe city. Seventeen years after the fall of communism,Mongolians are savoring their new wealth and freedom. Themoney, however, is only in the hands of a few, and there arestill people living in holes in the ground, scouring throughthe rubbish for plastic bottles to sell at half-a-cent, or beggingfor food with fingers and legs lost to frostbite.

Rinpoche has an obvious and very special connectionwith Mongolia. Indeed, Jhado Rinpoche, ex-abbot of

Namgyal Monastery, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche are widelyrecognized in Mongolia as two of the Tibetan lamas mostactive in helping to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama’swishes of nurturing the revival of Buddhism.

Rinpoche’s concern for Mongolia extends beyondteaching Dharma and translating and publishing Dharmatexts, he also has a range of social service projects whichinclude feeding the hungry, healing the sick and providingshelter for the homeless [An entire list of Rinpoche’s activitiesin Mongolia can be found on page 41]. But for me, perhapsthe most inspiring thing is simply to watch Rinpoche movearound the cities and countryside. He is the consummatelama: standing out from the crowd, people are naturallydrawn to him with devotion and he endlessly bestowsblessings, teachings and advice, giving whatever is neededto whoever asks in an unbroken flow of compassion.

Rinpoche’s recent visit began when he was invited as akeynote speaker at a major conference part-sponsored bythe government on the future of Mongolia as a country topreserve the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism – sutra andtantra as it is practiced in Tibetan Buddhism [See page 40for a full report on the conference].

This section will provide you with stories, articles and reports which highlight the intersections betweenpracticing and preserving Dharma and issues facing the modern world.

The Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition:

Looking to Mongolia

Lama Zopa Rinpoche outside the Parliament after being awardedtheOrder of the Polar Star. From left: Khulan Dembereldorj, Directorof Enlightening Mind; Dr. Dulmaa Power, COO of FPMT Mongolia;Lama Zopa Rinpoche; Ven. Sangpo, second attendant to LamaZopa Rinpoche; Ven. Roger Kunsang, CEO of FPMT and mainattendant to Rinpoche; Haatanbaatar, Director of UB.

In the Fall of 2010 Lama Zopa Rinpoche spent one monthin Mongolia, engaging with characteristic vigor in a hostof inspiring, beneficial and groundbreaking activities.Mandala is pleased to offer you an overview of Rinpoche’srecent visit to this fascinating country, details of an historicconference on the future of Mongolian Buddhism, news ofRinpoche receiving an award from the President ofMongolia in recognition of his work to spread and preserveTibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, and information on themany initiatives which Rinpoche has started or plans tobegin in this country which is now emerging from sixtyyears of communism as a potential stronghold for thepreservation of the Mahayana tradition.

MONGOLIA AT A CROSSROADS By Ven. Sarah Thresher

1 A ger is a Mongolian yurt – felt dwellings that can be moved to anyplace and adapted for summer and winter.


RINPOCHE IN ERDENET AND DARKHANI arrived inMongolia a week after Rinpoche, so I missed theconference and the dinner with Richard Gere (Mongolianswere delighted to see a Hollywood actor on televisiontalking about Buddhism). My first weekend was a trip withRinpoche to the second and third largest cities in Mongolia– Erdenet and Darkhan– located in northern Mongolia.Rinpoche has activities in both cities and it’s a good start,but his wish is to open centers and teach the Dharmaeverywhere in Mongolia – the potential is limitless.

Erdenet is a city based on copper mining. TheMongolian economy is booming right now due to its largemineral resources and the local copper mine decided tobuild a huge statue of Buddha dominating the townscape,so our first stop was to meet the people in charge whosought Rinpoche’s feedback and blessing. It was a timelymeeting because Rinpoche wants to build large statues allover Mongolia and part of his trip to Mongolia was takenup locating sites for a 13-story Maitreya Buddha in theheart of Ulaanbaatar, a 12-story Padmasambhava inErdenzuu, and a 7-story Lama Tsongkhhapa in Darkhan.Rinpoche and M.K. Sen, the CEO of FPMT Mongoliawho is based in Malaysia, inspected the $2.5 million copperstatue before lunch and a well-attended talk at the SportsComplex in the center of town. This was Rinpoche’s firstvisit to Erdenet and he encouraged everyone to study.

The next day Rinpoche taught in Darkhan where he hasa group of very devoted students at the Golden Light SutraCenter. At the main theater complex he taught on emptiness.He encouraged the students to develop and expand theiractivities and proposed that the largest prayer wheel inMongolia be constructed in Darkhan, the venue for the next100 Million Mani Retreat led by Rinpoche in 2012.

TEACHING AT IDGAA CHODZININ ULAANBAATARBack in Ulaanbaatar, Rinpoche began a series of teachingsat Idgaa Chodzin in the main monastic complex calledGanden in the heart of the city. Idgaa is the monasteryRinpoche has been supporting for many years now.When Rinpoche first visited Mongolia, the few tokenmonks who manned the dilapidated Idgaa temple duringthe latter communist period offered a mandala andrequested Rinpoche’s help to build a new temple. Withthe aid of generous sponsors, Rinpoche was able to dothis and the temple was opened for the EEC4 in 2004with teachings by Rinpoche, Choden Rinpoche andDenma Lochö Rinpoche to Mongolians and studentsfrom around the world.

For this visit, the temple was again packed and Rinpochetaught and gave transmission of the 21-chapter version of theSutra of Golden Light. This sutra is virtually the bible ofMongolia. In the old days every family had a treasured copyin their ger and it was and still is the tradition to invite monksto read it at least once a year. Rinpoche became acquaintedwith the sutra through a Mongolian doctor and upon firstreading it, put it to the crown of his head and made a vow toChenrezig to spread it throughout the world. During thisvisit, Rinpoche told us that he wanted to give transmissionand teach the sutra in every part of Mongolia.

FEASTING WITH THE NOMADSAfter a week of teachings, Rinpoche left for another trip tothe countryside. This time it was not the countryside of thesemi-industrialized north, but the nomad provinces ofcentral Mongolia to visit proposed statue sites at Erdenzuu.Erdenzuu is regarded by many as the original monastery or“Samye Ling” of Mongolia. It was built within sight ofChinggis Khaan’s old capital Kharkhorum, which was oncethe center of the largest empire the world has ever seen andis now totally non-existent. Ringed by a wall topped by108 stupas, Erdenzuu is an iconic image of Mongolian

From top: On the road to Erdenet a nomad on horsebackherds his animals with a lasso – a timeless and common sight inrural Mongolia. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s image dominates the main intersectionat Darkhan City.



Buddhism and was once a thriving center of Buddhistculture. Now, much of it lies in ruins and the few old templesthat survive are a museum and tourist attraction.

There is one old Buddhist temple still active within thegrounds of Erdenzuu, however, and the abbot came to greetRinpoche and show him around. After we had visited twotemples, monks wearing ceremonial robes, playing instru-ments and carrying a large yellow parasol arrived to escortRinpoche in procession to the monastery. He was seated onthe main throne, offered a ceremonial mandala, airag2 andfeast offerings, and requested to give teachings, a scene thatwas repeated at every subsequent monastery we visitedthroughout Mongolia, a country where Rinpoche is recog-nized throughout as a great lama. Rinpoche talked brieflyabout the importance of keeping pure vinaya vows andexplained that he planned to build a huge Padmasambhavastatue at Erdenzuu to ensure the spread of Dharmathroughout Mongolia and to protect the country. Thatnight we stayed at a ger camp near to Kharkhorum andRinpoche visited the local governor to discuss his plans. Aspectacular site, perfectly located and with outstandingviews, was chosen and a day later Rinpoche performedincense puja and prayers to clear obstacles on the top of alofty hill with views that seemed to reach forever.

While at Erdenzuu, Rinpoche made a side-trip toTsaagansum, the summer retreat place of the Idgaa monkswhich is located close to the former summer palace of KublaiKhaan immortalized by Coleridge in his poem “Xanadu.” Itlies in a valley of hot-springs and we drove two hours on dirttracks (Mongolian “roads”) to get there. The scenery wasspectacular and when we stopped for a break, Rinpochehimself pulled out a camera to take photos! The local headmonk, now approaching 80 years old, took ordination

during communist times when it was illegal and was hiddenfrom the authorities by the nomads for 10 years. He droveout 20 kilometers [12.5 miles] to greet Rinpoche, exchangekhatas, offer airag, and then escort Rinpoche back to thetemple. A huge feast had been prepared for Rinpoche in aspecial ger. The table literally overflowed with piled-highplates of nomad dairy delicacies that must have taken daysand weeks to prepare alongside expensive fruits and vegetablesimported from Ulaanbaatar. I felt like I was back in theMiddle Ages at the court of Kublai Khan.

It was amazing to see how news of Rinpoche’s arrivalspread in a valley with no cell phones or landlines. Therewere maybe 100 people when Rinpoche began teaching,but by the end of the talk, another 100-200 had arrived, alldressed in their finest dells and bearing khatas and offerings.One person brought two horses to offer the monastery andRinpoche blessed them. A similar scene took place thefollowing day when we visited another monastery some 100kilometers [62 miles] away. Rinpoche was clearly happy toreach out to the many people who had most likely nevermet a high lama before.

RETURNING THE LINEAGE OFMOST SECRET HAYAGRIVABack in Ulaanbaatar, Rinpoche returned to Idgaa to givethe initiation of Most Secret Hayagriva, a special practice ofIdgaa and Sera Je. Rinpoche received the lineage of thispractice from theMongolian Geshe Senge Rinpoche. GesheSenge lived through the years of Chinese occupation inTibet and became the first abbot of both Sera Je and SeraMe when some religious freedom was once again grantedafter the death of Mao Tse Tung. He preserved this lineageof Most Secret Hayagriva which came from the Mongolianlama Kalka Damtsig Dorje and then passed it on to a fewtulkus from Sera Je in Dharamsala in 1986. For me, it was2 Fermented mare’s milk – for Mongolians, their highest offering.


a moving event to witness Rinpoche returning this lineageto the people of Mongolia. Some people in Mongolia, itseems, regard Most Secret Hayagriva as their main deityalthough commonly it is said that Chenrezig is the patrondeity of Tibet, Manjushri of China and Vajrapani ofMongolia. As an interesting coincidence, on the day of theinitiation, the “Dalai Lama” of Mongolia, His Eminencethe Bogd Gegeen Jetsün Dampa, who has spent his entirelife in exile, returned to take up residence in Mongoliahaving finally been granted Mongolian citizenship.Although old, paralyzed and unable to speak, he has vowedthat his next incarnation will be born in Mongolia.

RECEIVING THE HIGHEST AWARDFROM THE PRESIDENTFor the final week of teachings, Rinpoche completed thetransmission of the Sutra of Golden Light up to chapter 18. Amost amazing thing happened on the last day of the trans-mission. The night before, Rinpoche had given commentaryon chapter seven, The Four Guardian Kings, which explainshow important and beneficial it is for the rulers of a countryto honor the monk who teaches the Sutra of Golden Light.The next afternoon, Rinpoche was called to see the Presidentof Mongolia and awarded the Order of the Polar Star, thehighest honor that can be awarded to civilians and is rarelygiven to foreigners, in recognition of his work in spreadingand preserving the Mahayana tradition in Mongolia. Onlyone other Tibetan lama had been awarded the honor in thepast and that was Bakula Rinpoche, the lama who first invitedRinpoche to Mongolia and one of the gurus from whomRinpoche received transmission of the Sutra of Golden Light.When Rinpoche arrived at Idgaa that night to complete thetransmission, the Polar Star was pinned to the lapel of hisdongka and he joked that he felt like one of thoseMongolianswho proudly display the medals they received during

communist times! “I don’t deserve the award I have beengiven. It is due to the efforts of all the people here,” Rinpochetold us, “Receiving it means that I must work harder and domore to help.” That day, Rinpoche offered the President ofMongolia a copy of the Sutra of Golden Light, newly trans-lated into Mongolian and published by FPMT. That night,Rinpoche offered a copy of the sutra to all the people at Idgaawho had taken the transmission, urging them to recite it asmuch as they could.

As Rinpoche slipped through the airport’s VIP entrancethe next day to board the plane, leaving behind a long listof projects and instructions to be followed through, hepromised to return to Mongolia again soon. “We are justbeginning in Mongolia, so of course it’s not so easy,”Rinpoche told Roy Fraser, director of the social servicesprojects and coordinator of all the countryside centers andactivities, “But every single effort made now is so importantbecause it is the foundation for the present and futuredevelopment of Mongolia – all the good things that willhappen in the future. What we are doing now is creatingthe basis for that. So this is the best offering to Lama Yesheas well as to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. You are fulfillingHis Holinesses’ holy wishes.”

Ven. Sarah is an FPMT Touring Teacher based in the USA andcurrently traveling and teaching in the countryside of Mongolia.

From left page across: Part of the feast offered by nomads tohonor Rinpoche at Tsagansuum. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

On the way to Tsagansumm, Rinpoche himself took photos.Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Rinpoche and 80-year-old monk arrive at TsagansummMonastery. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blesses horses offered to the monasteryat Tsagansuum. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

Rinpoche meeting with the President of Mongolia to receivethe Order of the Polar Star. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.



The First International Conference on MongolianBuddhism was held on September 26-27, 2010 inZanabazar Buddhist University, which is housed in

Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.It was co-organized by GandanTegchenling Monastery, thecenter of Mongolian Buddhism, and by The Conservancyfor Tibetan Art and Culture. Conference participants wereinternationally recognized Buddhist leaders, scholars andactivists from traditionally Tibetan Buddhist regions andthe United States. The conference received great publicattention and media coverage.

The conference was opened with Mongolian andTibetan ceremonial chanting. In his welcoming speech, theabbot of Gandan Tegchenling Monastery, Khamba LamaChoijamts, pointed out that the purpose of the conferencewas to identify the challenges to and opportunities forpreserving and propagating the Buddhist heritage incontemporary Mongolia. In his concluding remarks, he alsoexpressed Mongolian Buddhists’ pride and sense ofresponsibility in upholding and ensuring the survival of theNalanda tradition of India. Dr. Gregory Kruglak, thepresident of The Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture,expressed his belief that Mongolia’s traditional Buddhist

culture will prove to be uniquely valuable as Mongoliacontinues its successful transition to a modern democraticnation in which respect for life and the environmentpermeates all aspects of society.

The panels held on the first day of the conferencecovered topics related to the Mongols’ contribution to thespread of Buddhism in Asia since the 13th century; theissues relevant to the present and future state of Buddhismin Mongolia such as challenges posed by modernity andaggressive proselytizing activities of foreign missionarieswho often ridicule and disparage the Mongolian Buddhisttradition; Buddhism’s encounter with modern science; andBuddhist solutions to the current environmental crisis inMongolia caused by the unregulated mining and the otherenvironmentally hazardous activities of foreign anddomestic companies driven by greed.

The second day of the conference began with prayersby H. H. Rizong Rinpoche, Ganden Tripa and ended withrecommendations, outcomes, and encouragement expressedby conference participants, with further concluding remarksfrom Thamtong Rinpoche.

Themes covered during the second day of the confer-ence were encounters between modernity, social action and

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (middle) was a keynote speaker at the 1st International Conferenceon Mongolian Buddhism. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MONGOLIAN BUDDHISM By Vesna Wallace


LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE’S CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN MONGOLIAGANDEN DO NGAG SHEDRUP LING, ULAANBAATAR:FPMT’s city center located opposite the famousZanabazar Museum of Fine Arts in the heart ofUlaanbaatar offers Buddhist classes at different levelsand plans to begin teaching the Basic program. Thecenter also has an active children’s program, Englishclasses, a popular vegetarian cafe and visits to prisoners.Director: CH Khatanbaatar. Resident teacher: Ven.Thubten Gyalmo (Glenda Lee)

ENLIGHTENING MIND: The translating and publishingarm of FPMTMongolia, which has produced a numberof high-quality books and recently published a transla-tion of the Sutra of Golden Light in Mongolian.Authentic Dharma texts are crucial to spread informationin this vast country. Director: Khulan Dembereldorj

IDGAA CHOINZINLING MONASTERY MONK’S FOODFUND: Rinpoche himself, with the support of Mongolianbenefactors, is the main benefactor offering lunch,breakfast, dinner to all the monks at Idgaa.. This allowsthe monks to be able to live in the monastery rather thanhaving to return home to their families on a daily basisso it helps them protect their vows.

DOLMA LING NUNNERY: An FPMT nunnery located ina picturesque old temple in the suburbs of Ulaabaatar.Currently there are nine nuns and plans to extend therudimentary facilities and build a new nunnery.Director: Ven. Thubten Gyalmo (Glenda Lee)

LAMP OF THE PATH: The umbrella name for FPMTsocial service projects serving the homeless, poor andvulnerable members of Mongolian society. It comprisesa soup kitchen feeding up to 80 people a day with ashower complex, free health care, medications andhealth education talks, training and employment in

tailoring for unemployed women and an educationalprogram for children in the 16 Guidelines for whichpurposes a kindergarten will soon be constructed. Gersare also distributed to the homeless.Director: Roy Fraser

CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: Teaches 16Guidelines in kindergartens and schools in Darkhan city,and an adult education program based on the 16Guidelines for work places and local government depart-ments. It provides summer holiday programs for all agesand camps for at risk teenagers. The program is alsodeveloping projects to provide water through wellconstruction and employment based on forestry nurseriesand wool manufacturing in various parts of Mongolia.

GOLDEN LIGHT SUTRA CENTRE, DARKHAN ANDARYADEVA STUDY GROUP, ERDENET: Teaching in thesecond and third largest cities of Mongolia.Director: RoyFraser; Assistant Director and Translator: Badmaa;Teacher: Ven. Sarah Threser; and Manager: Odgeral

LARGE STATUE CONSTRUCTION: To date: three largestatues are planned, a 13-story Maitreya Buddha in theheart of Ulaanbaatar, a 12-story Padmasambhava inErdenzuu, and a 7-story LamaTsongkhhapa in Darkhan.CEO: M.K.Sen

MONGOLIA 2012 PILGRIMAGE AND 100 MILLIONMANI RETREAT: A major event for FPMT Mongolia.The pilgrimage will give participants a chance to tourthis fascinating country and also see first-hand theextent of Rinpoche’s vision. The Mani Retreat will beled by Rinpoche and will be an opportunity for inter-national students and Mongolians to practice side byside in retreat with Rinpoche’s teachings against thebackdrop of the stunning Mongolian countryside.Director: Roy Fraser, Assistant: Ven Sarah

traditional Buddhist culture; Buddhism and the role ofwomen in contemporary Mongolian society; Buddhistethics in business and leadership; and Mongolia’s uniqueBuddhist art and culture.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants

expressed their thoughts on the benefits of holding aconference of this kind and their enthusiasm to continuewith such conferences on a regular basis held in differentregions in which the Nalanda tradition has beenpreserved.

Vesna Wallace, who was a speaker at the conference, is a professor of Religious Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara, specializing in thestudy of Buddhist traditions of South Asia, Tibet andMongolia. Her most recent translations include The Kalacakratantra: The Chapteron the Individual Together with the Vimalaprabha and The Inner Kalacakratantra: A Buddhist Tantric View of the Individual.


Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khamba LamaChoijamts. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

A Significant Symbol of UnityBy Khamba Lama Choijamts

Khamba Lama Choijamts is the abbot of GandanTegchenling Monastery, which housed and co-organized the First InternationalConference on Mongolian Buddhism. The following statements are excerpted from a report on the Mongolia conference whichKhamba Lama gave to the 2010 International Conference on Tibetan Buddhism, held October 18-20 in Atlanta, Georgia, atEmory University. Please see page 44 for a report on the Atlanta conference.

To my mind, this event served as a very significant symbol of the unity of thecountries following this sublime tradition, and a sign that we can work together inthe future. I am immensely grateful to all the lamas, scholars and social activists

who came to take part in this momentous meeting. In particular, let me say how pleasedI was that my good friend Richard Gere was able to join us; his presence created tremen-dous interest among the younger generation in the Buddhadharma...

We Mongolian Buddhists are fortunate today to live in a free and sovereign nation.Therefore we are keenly aware of the special responsibility that we must shoulder.Working with you all, we are prepared, and determined, to remain active in pursuingsome of the key ideas that were discussed in Ulaanbaatar. This includes the establishmentof a common platform or international organization that represents our shared tradition,and that will allow us to work together to make the Buddhadharma an importantinstrument in creating a more compassionate world, while at the same time preservingour own distinctive institutions....

Reflections on Mongolia’sHistoric Conference

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and other lamas entering the conference hall. Photo © Tenzing Paljor.

By Lodi Gyari Rinpoche

Lodi Gyari Rinpoche has served as His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s special envoy toWashington, D.C. since 1990 and is also oneof the founding members of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the executive chairman of the board of the International Campaignfor Tibet (ICT) and chairman of The Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture, among other duties.


My role in the conference was assisting Khamba Lama Choijamts in mycapacity as the chairman of The Conservancy for Tibetan Art andCulture. I have had more than 25 years of relationship with Mongolia.

I am honored to have a close personal friendship with many Mongoliansincluding national leaders and especially Khamba Lama Choijamts. As a devoutBuddhist, I have always tried to do whatever I can to assist fellow Buddhistswhether they are from Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, or for that matter, from anypart of the world. One of the reasons which motivate me in this endeavor is theplight of Buddhism in my own country, Tibet.

The main purpose of the conference was to share with a broader Buddhistworld the state of Buddhism in Mongolia today. It was felt that reemergence ofthe Dharma in Mongolia as a vibrant force is something that can inspire fellowBuddhists throughout the world. At the same time, having a gathering of eminentBuddhist teachers and leaders can also further strengthen the Dharma in Mongoliawhich obviously faces new challenges.

This gathering in Ulaanbaatar has become historically relevant. In additionto discussing the state of Buddhism in Mongolia, the gathering also dealt withbroader issues which have long-term bearings on the future of the TibetanBuddhist tradition which upholds the core of the Nalanda school of thought.

As Buddhists, we always teach about interdependence. It was evident howinterdependent we are even within the Buddhist world. For the Buddhadharma togrow and to benefit sentient beings, it is important that as a first step we support eachother within the Buddhist family so that our tradition remains strong and vibrant.With the tragic situation of Buddhism in Tibet, it is even more important that weall make extra effort to make sure that the Dharma remains strong in countries likeMongolia, Bhutan, Nepal and in the Himalayan regions where our commontradition flourishes.

Non-Mongolian Buddhists can support the efforts by following the exampleset by Bakula Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In my view, the contributionof Bakula Rinpoche to the revival of the Dharma in Mongolia was immense.Similarly, the work by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT is remarkable. I also hopethat His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be able to continue to visit Mongolia toconfer his blessings. His Holiness’ leadership and presence remains the single mostimportant factor in the maintenance of theMongolian people’s strong and uniqueBuddhist identity.

I’d like to convey my warmest congratulations to Lama Zopa Rinpoche onbeing conferred upon the highest Mongolian national award to a non-Mongolianfor Rinpoche’s pioneering work in Mongolia. This decision by the Mongoliangovernment is also reflective of their national character. To acknowledge andappreciate someone’s contribution reflects the character of the people. These days,whenever I have an opportunity to speak to the Tibetans, especially the youngergenerations, I try to encourage and inculcate in them this kind of character. �

This is a unique time for ourMongolian brothers andsisters. They have begun

the very difficult process ofshaking off seventy years ofoften brutal Soviet influence andthey are happily rediscoveringand re-embracing their extra-ordinary Buddhist history andculture. It is a very excitingmoment. With the discovery oflarge and valuable deposits ofgold, copper, uranium and rareearth elements, they are in theposition of being able to controltheir own destiny and writetheir own future. I was able tomeet with great leaders thererecently – leaders of incrediblevision, courage and skill, whoare committed to Buddhism asa vital part of that future. Asone of the two remainingindependent countries whichembraced the Tibetan Buddhisttradition and made it theirown, Mongolia is surely tied toTibet's destiny as well. It ismost important for friends ofMongolia to encourage andsupport their long-term visionof wisdom and compassion.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!Help make Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for Mongolia a reality byparticipating in the Mongolian Pilgrimage and 100 MillionMani Retreat in Darkhan,Mongolia in 2012. Please stay tunedto www.mongolia2012.com for details as they become available.

A MESSAGE TOREADERS

FROM RICHARD GERE:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche andRichard Gere in Mongolia.

Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.



“The changing nature of our timesdemands that all of us - in particularthe teachers, scholars, translators,practitioners and students of TibetanBuddhism - work together to preservethe essence of the Buddha’s teachingsand to ensure the best way forwardfor the Dharma to continue to servehumanity without any boundaries.”

Lobsang Nyandak, Representative ofHis Holiness the Dalai Lama to theAmericas, used these words to framethe 2010 International Conference

on Tibetan Buddhism, held October 18-20 in Atlanta,Georgia, at Emory University.

Jointly sponsored by Emory and the Office of TibetNew York, with support fromDrepung Loseling Monasteryin Atlanta and The Conservancy for Tibetan Art andCulture, the conference spanned two days and was overlaidwith events constructed around the visit of His Holinessthe 14th Dalai Lama to Atlanta.

His Holiness has held the title of Presidential Distin-guished Professor at Emory since 2007, and has worked incollaboration with the university for nearly two decades inthe form of their groundbreaking and significant Emory-Tibet partnership.

The conference included an opening session with theDalai Lama, in which His Holiness spoke of Buddhistteachings as an evolving aspect of the global landscape, andin particular, emphasized the importance of harmonybetween the “upholders of the teachings” of all lineages andtypes of Buddhism. His Holiness spoke in detail and withemphasis on the importance of followers of TibetanBuddhism relying on the root traditions of the Nalandamasters, and concluded his address to the conferenceattendees with the exhortation to come together and discussthe topics at hand “frankly, seriously and with a sense ofresponsibility” in the coming days.

The two days of the conference tookplace in the form of panel sessions revolvingaround contemporary issues in TibetanBuddhism: Tibetan Buddhism’s encounterwith modern science, Tibetan Buddhismand social engagement, translating theDharma,Tibetan Buddhism in the modernacademy, Tibetan Buddhism in modernWestern culture, and surviving modernityin traditionally Tibetan Buddhist regions.Maitripa College’s Yangsi Rinpoche wasinvited to speak, along with Dr. DavidGermano, Dr. Anne Klein, Geshe LobsangTenzin Negi, Dr. Daniel Perdue, and otherdistinguished scholars, about the evolutionof Buddhism in higher education in theUnited States.

The atmosphere of this historic event was notable for thesense of camaraderie, friendship, commitment and genuinegoodwill evident among the participants. The collectivepresent at this event was representative of a group of indi-viduals whose paths do not normally cross – academics wholearn and teach primarily in university settings, teacherswhose primary form of engagement with Buddhism is inDharma centers, and representatives of the tradition fromthe Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug lineages. Alsonotable, and unusual, was the inclusion of bothWestern andTibetan representatives, teachers and students of the traditionas both conference attendees and speakers.

The keynotes, speakers and panelists also spanned awide cross section. Among the distinguished guests wereKhamba Lama, Sogyal Rinpoche, Gelek Rinpoche, RobertThurman, Jeffrey Hopkins, Jose Cabezon, Geshe ThuptenJinpa, Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Dr. Richard Davidson,Samdhong Rinpoche, the current Ganden Tripa, RizongRinpoche, and many more.

Although the panels’ final findings and recommen-dations to the conference body varied in scope and detail,several key elements were echoed among them. Specifi-cally, there was a strong, clearand articulated intention tomove forward with dialogue between those contributingto the field of Tibetan Buddhism from all perspectives –

The Seeds of the Dharma

Have Been Sown in the WestBy Namdrol Miranda Adams

His Holiness the Dalai Lama inSan Jose, California.Photo by Kurty Wong.


Western and Tibetan, in the academy, in Dharma centers,through social welfare and social justice projects, and fromour own cushions at home. Secondly, and equally important,was a repeated call to action to all those involved in TibetanBuddhism in the West to remember our ethical obligationas followers ofTibetan Buddhism to the people ofTibet, andto act on their behalf.

This meeting of many of the greatest minds of the firstgeneration of Western Tibetan Buddhists and many of themost prolific and influential teachers of the tradition todaymarked an important moment in the evolution of TibetanBuddhism in the West – in the words of one conferenceattendee, “The seeds of Dharma have definitely been sown intheWestern earth; let’s see how they take root.” �

Image by Ryan Lothian

Peaceful JihadBy Ven. Gyalten Mindrol

Virtue and evil are not equal. If you replace evil habits by virtuous ones, you will certainlyfind that your enemies will become your intimate friends. THE KORAN, SURAH 41.034

NEWS FROM A BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE:

It seems that hatred is fashionable once again in the UnitedStates of America. We have hated Jews, we have hatedCatholics, we have hated (and killed) our own Blackcitizens, and we have hated (and interred) our Japanesecitizens. Each of these hatreds was condoned by our societyat the time, by our media, by our courts, by those whomake our laws and by those who enforce them.

Now we hate Muslims. If you chafe against my use ofthe word “hate” and think it doesn’t apply to you, tryreplacing it with “fear.” Fear comes first, I think, and whenour fear becomes sufficiently intense, it morphs into hatred.

Because of the events of the last decade – September11th, wars against two Muslim countries and the loomingfear of a third, the continued attacks of various Islamicterrorist groups against Western targets – it’s now okay inAmerica to hate, or fear, Muslims. I’m not just talking aboutfundamentalist Christians who want to burn the Koran orultra-orthodox Jews who rejoice when bad things happen tothose of the Islamic faith. I’m talking about educated,liberal Americans who don’t want a mosque built anywherenear Ground Zero. I’m talking about flight crews whoremove regular, everyday Muslims from planes for no goodreason. I’m talking about the insidious way in which fear ofanyone who looks Muslim is infecting the hearts of peopleI know. I’m talking about us, about you and me.

In the Netherlands in the early 1940s, a man namedHendrikus Johannes Hulstein and some friends, inspired bythe Biblical passage to love thy neighbor, started taking Jewsinto their homes, giving them food and shelter, new identitiesand safe passage to safe places. Hulstein was eventuallyapprehended by the Gestapo and imprisoned in a concen-tration camp. Upon his return home, without any fuss or

discussion, he quietly resumed his activities of rescuing Jews.In Greece at the same time, the Nazis ordered one

Bishop Chrysostomos to give them a list of all the Jews wholived on the island of Zakynthos. He gave them a list withtwo names on it: his own and that of the mayor. He riskedhis life in resisting hatred and it worked. The Nazis left theJews of that island in peace.

When I first read about people like these, I oftenwondered: “Could I do that? In a similar situation, could Ifind that kind of strength and courage andmoral certainty inmyself? Would I risk my life and the safety of my loved onesfor justice?” I still ask myself that question and I know otherswho do as well. I think it’s time for us to find the answer.

Of course, Muslims in Western countries are notcurrently in the same danger as the Jews in Europe duringthe Holocaust. We could argue that those who live inoccupied countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq definitelyare, that there have been atrocities against innocentMuslims that rival or even exceed those of the Germansagainst their victims, but for the sake of keeping thiscolumn at its required word count, let’s stay home in ourWestern comfort for the moment. Let’s look at what ishappening in our own backyards, in our own hearts.

Recently, the New York Times reported that the PewForum on Religion and Public Life surveyed over 3,400Americans, asking them 32 questions about world religions.Most people got over half the answers wrong, even whenthe questions related to their own faiths. Around the sametime that this article appeared, several New York Timescolumnists seized on the issue of how we are ignorant aboutIslam, how we don’t really know what the Koran says, howwe are overly influenced by those who wish to inflame hatred

Conference findings, reports and information about further dialogue will be available on the conference website atwww.dalailama.emory.edu/2010/ICTB.html


Dharma in the MODERN WORLDagainst an entire religion and the people who practice it.

I learned a lot by reading those articles. For example,columnist Robert Wright pointed out that Muhammadnever taught the concept of military jihad and that this ideadoes not appear in the Koran. Furthermore, in the hadith,which are the non-Koranic sayings of the Prophet, apparentlyMuhammad asserted that the “greater jihad” is the fightagainst animal impulses that we wage within our souls (thatsounds awfully Buddhist, doesn’t it?). I learned from colum-nist Nicholas Kristoff about a Pakistani imam who sheltersrape victims, Muslim leaders who campaign againstfemale genital mutilation, Muslims who stand up foroppressed Hindus and Christians, and as he says, “aboveall, the innumerable Muslim aid workers in Congo, Darfur,Bangladesh and so many other parts of the world who areinspired by the Koran to risk their lives to help others.” Hegoes on to say, “Those Muslims have helped keep me alive,and they set a standard of compassion, peacefulness andaltruism that we should all emulate.”

The Holocaust started small, with plain old everydayanti-Semitism. It started with fear and with the wish forcontrol and power. We have a similar situation today – notjust with Muslims, but against anyone who is well, just

different. I don’t need to quote any Buddhist texts or teachersin this column; the quote from the Koran is Buddhistenough for me. So what can we do? What can we do toreplace our “evil habits” of ignorance and passivity, oflooking the other way, with something more virtuous?What can we, as Buddhists and as Buddhist communities,do to reach out to Muslims, to foster peace and harmonywith them, to offer our friendship? It’s not enough anymoreto watch the news and shake our heads, to sit safely on ourcushions and think compassionate thoughts about thevague notion of “all sentient beings.” What can we do toeducate ourselves and our children about the reality ofIslam? What can we do to stem the tide of hatred that issweeping over us? In our hearts, can we “love thy neighbor”like Hendrikus Johannes Hulstein did? I hope the answer isyes. Let’s start right now. �

Ven. Gyalten Mindrol offers service as an editor and writer atFPMT International Office and studies with Yangsi Rinpoche atMaitripa College.

Understanding truly starts with knowledge. So does compas-sion. If you’d like to learn more about Islam check out acollection of resources recommended by the author in thisissue’s Online Exclusive section at www.mandalamagazine.org

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Wisdom and CompassionTHE TRUE SOURCE OF GENUINE HAPPINESSStudy Buddhism, learn how to meditate, and enjoy the beautiful countryside and historic cities of Tuscany!

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia (Pisa), Italy - 5th September/14th October 2011

THE EXPERIENCE

From Monday to Friday participate in daily classes on Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and practice.

Learn how to meditate in daily sessions ofguided meditation with a �nal week retreat.

Take part twice a week in late-afternoonsessions of exercises to relax the body and concentrate the mind.

Saturdays, visit thebeautiful cities ofFlorence, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Pisa, and Lucca.

Sundays, picnic at thebeach, taste the local cuisine, go for walks among the olive �elds, relax in the warmsunshine and enjoy a cappuccino...

THE COURSE

Week 1: The Foundation - The Four Noble TruthsWeeks 2-4: The Practice -Cultivating Wisdom and CompassionWeek 5: The Integration -The Seven Points of Mind TrainingWeek 6: The Retreat -Bringing Theory into Experience

Investigate the actual underlying source of problems and suffering and learn how to develop an effective, practical approach towards fully overcoming them and achieving genuine and lasting peace and happiness.

THE TEACHER

A graduate of theseven-year intensive Buddhist philosophicalstudy program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, the FPMT Masters Program, Glen Svensson lives in India where he teachesboth introductory and intermediate level courses to students from all around the world. Glen is known for his clear and simple teaching style.

Language: English

This course is suitable for anyone who has a sincere interest in gaining a clear understanding in the foundations of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Lama Tzong Khapa together with ahands-on approach to

meditation. Participation is limited to a maximum of 20 people - enabling opportunity for personal interaction.

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Chasing Buddha Pilgrimage

— Check out our website www.chasingbuddha.org for full itinerary and pictures —

Himalayan High Treks CST 2085690-40

241 Dolores StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103, USAPhone (in US): (800) 455 8735+1 (415) 551 1005Fax: +1 (415) 861 [email protected]

A Pilgrimage Tour to TIBET and NEPAL Friday, May 20 to Sunday, June 12, 2011 from Kathmandu

Visit the holy places of TIBET: including Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Samye and Lama �ubten Yeshe’s birthplace. And NEPAL: Boudhanath, Swayambunath and Parping.

Daily practices and teachings. Begin with a four-day retreat at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu. Land cost from US$4500 plus air to Kathmandu and Lhasa.

Jimi Neal, a longtime student of Lama Yeshe and former monk, has traveled to Tibet previously on pilgrimage to holy Mt. Kailas. He has lived in India for most of his adult life and speaks both Hindi and Tibetan. “Jimi Neal is a fantastic teacher. I’m delighted he is leading our 2011 Chasing Buddha Tibet Pilgrimage.” — Venerable Robina Courtin Jimi Neal

“Often when people go on pilgrimage, they are just like tourists; if instead they use the places to collect

merit and meditate then they’ll get the benefi t.”

— Lama Zopa Rinpoche

W E A L L H AV E A W O R D F O R G E N E R O S I T Y:

慷慷慨慨 ggeenneerrøøssiitteett vvrriijjggeevviigghheeiidd ssuuuurreemmeeeellssuuss kkaaggaannddaahhaanngg--lloooobbhhààoo pphhóónngg 寛寛大大なな ggéénnéérroossiittéé ggeenneerroossiittàà GGrrooßßzzüüggiiggkkeeiitt щедрость

ggeenneerroossiiddaaddee kkeemmuurraahhaann ggeenneerroossiitteett ggaavvmmiillddhheett GGeenneerroozziittaatteeaa

Practice generosity with your own International Merit Box kit, now available in eleven languages.Email [email protected] for more information and to obtain your own Merit Box kit, or visit

www.fpmt.org/meritbox If you are already an International Merit Box participant, thank you for practicing generosity today, and throughout the year, in support of FPMT projects worldwide.

THE INTERNATIONAL

MERIT BOX PROJECT


Taking Care of the SELF

This section focuses on taking care of one’s self as a powerful means for cultivating compassion andgenerating the wish to help others.Without taking care of the self, how can we ever expect to offer trueassistance to anyone else?

RECOVERY AND ADDICTION

This is an Emergency!An addiction emergency happens when we suddenly findourselves about to repeat the addictive pattern, or even whenwe suddenly discover ourselves in the middle of it. We needsomething to do right at that moment. For example, asmoker might find herself halfway through a cigarette beforeshe even knows she is smoking. Or perhaps a chocolateaddict might find himself hovering between taking orleaving the chocolate in the dish. The first emergencysolution is to either flee or freeze, both of which are describedbelow.Whichever we choose, we have done something aboutthe immediate situation. That gives us time to do one ofthe breathing exercises to calm us down. At first we learn toconcentrate on the out-breath. Often we hold our breathwhen we do not know what to do. Concentrating onbreathing out will release a lot of that pent-up energy. Thenwe learn to concentrate on the in-breath.This brings oxygeninto our lungs and can relieve anxiety and panic attacks.Later, when we have time, we can do the mental spa bathsmeditation [which] combine the in and out movements ofbreathing and leave us feeling clean and refreshed.

The emergency tools give us a quick alternative to theaddictive act. They are not going to stop the craving ofaddiction but they give us time to make a choice. It is thebeginning of taking responsibility. Of course, even if wechoose to flee or freeze, if we really want freedom fromaddiction we need to look at its causes and to cut its roots.That means understanding what brings deep satisfactioninstead of the grasping and craving of an addiction.

Emergency Actions: Fleeing or FreezingWhen we are addicted, we need help, and we need itimmediately, and it needs to work. That is the time forusing emergency tools. There are two choices:

Fleeing:We can get out of the situation, escape, until weare able to handle the situation. Sometimes we have to getaway from the objects or situations we are addicted to – eitherby getting rid of them or by going somewhere else.This is thelogic behind the teetotal strategy of Alcoholics Anonymous.

If there is nothing to tempt usinto our addiction, then westop repeating the addictivepattern. It is not a completesolution for anyone because itdoes not change the underly-ing causes of an addiction.Still, it is a good start.

Freezing: We can becomelike a block of ice and just notreact to what is happening until we have time to deal withthingsmore effectively.Thismeans blocking out for amomentor two whatever is happening. We stop everything. Thisblocking response gives time for the immediate urgency todrain away. A gooddescription of this blocking is “urge-surfing,”whichmeans just riding the wave of desire until it passes.Thisgives us time to pause and change the compulsive reaction.Like the fleeing strategy, it is a good short-term solution.

Emergency Thought: I Can Change!The best way to use the emergency tools of fleeing or freezingis to add the emergency thought, “I can change.” Simplythinking [this] reminds us that change is possible.

When we use these emergency measures, we can calmdown. Even more importantly, when we use them, we havealready changed the addictive pattern…We are at the verystart of undermining a destructive habit and replacing itwith a constructive one. That means that we are able tobegin the longer-term solutions. �

Excerpted from the chapter entitled “What can be done rightnow?” from Enough! A Buddhist Approach to Finding Releasefrom Addictive Patterns by Ven. Chonyi Taylor. Published bySnow Lion Publications 2010. Reprinted with permission.www.snowlionpub.com

Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for Ven. Chonyi’sbreathing and relaxing exercises which are recommended tofollow these simple emergency measures.

Subscribe to Ven. Chonyi’s blog, Dharma Realities, atwww.mandalamagazine.org

By Ven. Chonyi Taylor

Photo by Marcin Wichary


RECOVERY AND ADDICTION


As a child, I never felt right. In thesummer between seventh andeighth grade, I was 15 and my

emotional state and fragmented sense ofself were perfect conditions for the seedof addiction to ripen. I found in drugs asense of relief and more. I didn’t havethese words for it, but the chemicalhighs I constructed for myself were insome sense a transcendent spiritualexperience. I couldn’t imagine life with-out them, but they destroyed any abilityto learn to function mentally, physically,emotionally. I may have known that, butcouldn’t care. As addicts, we seek oblivionfrom our pain.

My addiction progressed quickly. I bounced out of fivehigh schools, never completing a grade beyond junior high. Icouldn’t find my place, knew no one and was unknown. Inthose dreams I felt like a hungry ghost, wandering aimlessly.

In 1984, I was 22. I entered a hospital for chemicaldependency treatment. The 12 Steps were displayed on thewall of the treatment center and promised a spiritualawakening. I realized then what I’d always wanted. At thattime I felt a new sense of what I’d later learn from Buddhistteachers is called a “spiritual feeling.” It reminded me ofsome rare moments of relief in childhood that I’d found inbooks on Eastern philosophy. In the hospital I was intro-duced to meditation by an ex-nun. She taught us how tostare at a candle, leaving our eyes open until tears flowed.

After treatment I did ten years of spiritual work inrecovery. In young people’s 12-Step programs, medita-tion centers and late night conversations on mysticism Ifound a path – though impossible to follow. I sufferedfrom many traumas: hallucinations caused by drug abuse,bouts of rage and depression, an inability to work ormaintain family relationships.

Somehow I’d finished a BA and most of an MA degreeand had become a fairly serious student of Zen with a dailypractice, combined with counseling and meetings. Yet with

nearly ten years of sobriety, I relapsedback into active addiction. For the nextthree years I bounced in and out ofrecovery. I was hospitalized a couple oftimes and had erratic sobriety. By the timeI got fully sober again – in December of1997 – I’d done some pretty seriousdamage to my mind.

Reentering 12-Step, counseling andZen, I put more years of work into“getting right” in the head. But it wasn’tenough. In meditation I felt a sense ofdarkness. In 12-Step meetings I didn’thear enough deep spiritual wisdom. InZen retreats I felt like the oddball addict.

I tried to make sense of everything in counseling but it wasextremely difficult to have hope. Then I met Ven. Robinaand everything changed.

Ven. Robina explained that our minds were pure bynature yet stained by the karmic obscurations accumulatedfrom beginningless time. She showed me what I’d beenmissing in over 15 years of Buddhist meditation practice –the seeds of wisdom and compassion that lay within,waiting for the right conditions to ripen.

I set on a path to learn everything I could aboutTibetan Buddhism, attending retreats with every teacherfrom every tradition. I took formal refuge, bodhisattva vowsand tantric initiations and listened to talks on bodhichittaand emptiness. I built an altar, offered service to lamas andattended Yangsi Rinpoche’s meditation program andDiscovering Buddhism classes.

Despite my efforts, I still felt like a square peg in a roundhole in teachings and meetings and society. In my struggleto understand the complexity and depth of Buddhistteachings, I found comfort in writing about my experiences.Then I got a message from Lama Zopa Rinpoche throughone of his long-time students, Ven. Ingrid.

Ven. Ingrid was staying with us, as she often does,during Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings in Portland.During one session, Rinpoche discussed the need to work

What is a

12-STEP BUDDHIST?By Darren Littlejohn


on the problems of addiction and the lack of understandingbetween Buddhists and non-Buddhists on this issue.Ven. Ingrid felt that because of what the guru requested andmy experience that I should write the book I’d been talkingabout. Since I try not to ignore the wishes of the guru, Iwrote the book, The 12-Step Buddhist.

As I wrote and practiced, and attended meetings, manythings became clear. The similarities between the process ofaddiction and the solution of the 12 Steps and othermethods with the Dharma became evident. From thisunderstanding I became convinced that the integration ofBuddhism and 12-Step recovery is a powerful way for theDharma to benefit millions of people who suffer from andare affected – directly and indirectly – by addiction. Becauseof the book, I have the honor of conducting groupsnationally, communicating with people in recovery, familiesand treatment professionals.

In a sense, we are all addicts. Non-addicts can initiallyunderstand this intellectually. But by examining the processof addiction, Buddhists and other practitioners can betterunderstand the cycle of samsara in which all sentient beingssuffer. And by studying the Buddhist teachings on samsara

and the path of liberation, addicts in recovery – and thosewho love them – can find clarity, hope and happiness.

There are many ways to teach on and approach thisintegration.

The teachings of the Buddha reveal that life is sufferingand that suffering has its causes: attachment, aversion andignorance. Addiction is attachment gone wild. It is a processby which we avert what we cannot tolerate – any kind ofdiscomfort – and go to extreme lengths to give ourselvesrelief from suffering. But the medicine becomes the poisonand we find ourselves trapped in the cycle of addiction (i.e.,seeking, planning, acquiring, using the drug/person/process, crashing, feeling remorse and guilt and shame).Wevow to stop again and again, yet always return to the cycle.It is samsara illuminated.

As we say in the 12 Steps, there is a solution. Please visitwww.mandalamagazine.org for a recommended practice asone example of how to practice as a 12-Step Buddhist. �

Darren’s program, which became the basis for the book The12-Step Buddhist, is an integrated approach developed over aspan of more than twenty years. For articles, podcasts and12-Step Buddhist retreat information, seehttp://the12stepbuddhist.com



Yoga for HealthBy Brook Cosby

Hatha Yoga, a system of using the physical bodyfor spiritual purposes, is widely known as anIndian practice, but it has deep roots in ancientTibet as well. Master Naropa maintained, and

many other lineage holders in the Gelugpa traditionmaintain, a regular yoga practice. Each pose or “asana“ inSanskrit (from the root “as-“ meaning “to sit”) functions toprepare the body and mind for states of deep meditation.You can incorporate these simple postures into yourmeditation sessions, practicing them before you sit or as abreak between sessions to improve both your physical andmental health. Breathe deeply, cultivate bodhichitta andmodify as needed.

Please always consult your physician before beginning anynew physical exercise regimen.

Baddha Konasana. (baddha = bound, kona = angle,asana = seat) Also known as “Cobbler’s Pose,” this powerfulposture relieves tension in the hips and lower back. Placethe soles of your feet together and pull your heels closetoward you. Optionally, open soles of feet to faceupwards, like a book, if you have healthy ankles. You canhold your ankles and keep your back straight, or foldforward as appropriate. Keep shoulder blades movingdown the back. Take at least five deep exhales and inhalesthrough your nose, rejoicing in the goodness of others.

Ardha Matsyendrasana. (ardha = half, Matsyendra= Lord of the Fishes, asana = seat). Also known as “Half-Seated Spinal Twist,“ this posture functions to movestagnant energy at the navel and open the heart center.From a seated position, cross right leg over bent left leg.Place right foot firmly on ground and feel even in yourseat. A simpler variation is to extend the left leg straight.Reach left arm up and hook elbow outside right knee,

keeping right hand on floor beside you. Be mindful totwist from the navel; do not crank your neck. Send loveand the end of suffering to all beings as you take at leastfive deep exhales and inhales through your nose. Repeaton other side.

When you finish your yoga practice, always rememberto give away any good energy you created to others. �

These poses, along with three others which work well in asequence, can be found on www.mandalamagazine.org.

Brook Cosby teaches Conquering Lion Yoga in New York City.She worked for the Liberation Prison Project and taught yoga atthe Tse Chen Ling center in San Francisco.

Darcy Jones, pictured above demonstrating each pose, is astudent of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She worked at VajrapaniInstitute, traveledwith theMaitreya Project Relic Tour and teachesTibetan Heart Yoga around the world.

Photos by Tad Fettig, krfilms.com

By Diana Gorbea


Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is theeasiest thing to do, provided you knowthe right tricks.

It is important to align yourself inbody, mind and spirit. If you have ahealthy body, but you have lack infinances, or have a bad love relation-ship, then you don’t have a healthylifestyle.

In my practice I see many clientsdaily, coming with very low energy and unhappy, blamingothers and expecting a quick fix. Well, let me tell you, asyou already know, there is no quick fix.

Many people don’t know how to eat right, or don’tunderstand that the diet is crucial for a bodhisattva intraining. If you are sick, who will you be able to help? So,with that in mind, you take care of your body.

Why Go Vegetarian?To support personal health. Less obesity, reduced risk ofchronic disease, increased longevity, reduced risk of food-borne illness, lower intakes of environmental contaminants,improved nutritional intakes and better bone health.To promote reverence for life. Food animals are often raisedinhumanely, transported to slaughter in appalling conditionsand slaughtered inhumanely – animals have rights.To protect the environment. It uses fewer water resources,prevents water pollution, preserves the planet’s mostvaluable ecosystems, provides powerful protection againstdesertification and reduces consumption of the earth’sdwindling resources.To uphold religious or philosophical principles. Manyreligions promote vegetarian and/or vegan diets as part oftheir basic teaching: Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, andSeventh-day Adventists, for example. The religious reasonsfor adopting vegetarianism tends to be based on one ormore of the previous three reasons.

Some Tips for Making it WorkTake it seriously. Although a vegetarian diet can be veryhealthy, it’s not necessarily so. The nutrients you used toget from animal products need to be replaced. Protein isalways a big concern, as are other vitamins and minerals.

Be sure to eat lots of different fruits,vegetables, beans, lentils and wholegrains to get the nutrition you need. It’salso a good idea to invest in at least onegood cookbook and a book on nutritionfor help with menu planning.Get to know your body. Pay attentionto how you feel. Are you feeling moretired lately, are you looking more palethan usual, are cuts healing slower than

they should? Is your hunger not being satisfied? Be aware ofsymptoms of nutrient deficiencies and seek help if you can’tfind the answers. Notice how certain foods affect yourenergy, mood, emotions, concentration and sleep patterns.Respect your body.Be prepared. You may get resistance from friends andfamily. Be ready for it. Family dinners can be especiallystressful because breaking “food traditions” is hard oneveryone. Be strong, but not self-righteous. Trust yourself.Prepare, too, for your own self-doubts. Am I getting enoughvitamins? Am I doing the right thing? This is normal.Relax. Talk to your friends. Build a support group. Referback to your books. And if you do “fall off the wagon,” seehow you feel, and get back on!Celebrate! Vegetarianism is an on-going process and thejourney is more than half the fun! It’s just as important,however, to know that vegetarianism is not for everyone.Each of us is different. Some people just simply feel betterwhen they eat meat. Don’t beat yourself up if vegetarianismdoesn’t work for you. �

Diana Gorbea has studied naturopathy, Chinese medicine,auricular medicine, reiki, IET and many forms of holistic healingsince 1985. She teaches Dharma in prisons and is the founderof a non-profit called Jangchub Gepel Ling which helps tribesand underprivileged children all over the world. She teachesholistic workshops and conducts energy healings and detoxtherapies in Mesa, AZ. She is the founder and owner of AZCenter for Ancient Healing Arts which has seen hundreds ofgraduates. www.dianagorbea.com

Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for Diana’s WellnessResource Guide including books, cookbooks, websites andother valuable information.

Also published in this issue’s Online Exclusive section atwww.mandalamagazine.org is an excellent interview withGeshe Thubten Soepa about vegetarianism.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle through

Vegetarianism

PROFILE

Your COMMUNITY

Youth in Refuge

This section is aimed at introducing you to the many remarkable individuals in the organization

through profiles, interviews, personal stories and obituaries.

The 2010 Light of the Path retreat was attended by a very special young girl, Maddy Stafford,who, at the age of 10, requested to become a nun and geshema. Merry Colony spoke with Maddyand her mother,Mer Stafford, about Maddy’s strong connection to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and theDharma, and her future plans.


Merry Colony: You are a bit of a phenomena here at theretreat, Maddy. Tell me about yourself, how and when youmet the Dharma.

Maddy: I met the Dharma three years ago when I wasseven. I went to see the Ganden Jangtse monks who weremaking a Chenrezig sand mandala in New Hampshire in atiny museum. One of the monks (Lobsang Damchö) sawthat I was really interested and invited me into the roomwhere they were working. He gave me the implements thatthe sand comes out of and showed me how to do it. Thismeeting really made me think and it changed my mind.After that, I decided to become a vegetarian because I didn’twant to kill animals. My Mom and Papa were alreadyvegetarian.

Merry:Where do you live and do you go to a center already?

Maddy: I live in Freeport, Maine on a farm with 30 bats,three cats and chickens. I went to my first teaching atKurukulla Center with Ani Yeshe. It was an introductionto Buddhism class. It made a lot of sense to me. I thenstarted going to weekly classes there. I go to Geshe Tsulga’slam-rim teachings on Sunday and Geshe Tenley’s classes onWednesdays.

Merry:When did you meet Lama Zopa Rinpoche?

Maddy: I met Rinpoche at Milarepa Center just twoweeks ago! I took Refuge with him and 12 other people.The first thing I said to Lama Zopa is that I want to be ageshema and he told me to memorize the 100,000 VersePrajñaparamita in Tibetan [a total of 12 volumes].

Merry: I see you at every session, even those very early andvery late ones that others don’t make it to!

Maddy: I have gone to all the night sessions with LamaZopa, but I sometimes miss the morning session [startingas early as 5 A.M.]. The emptiness teachings make sense tome but some other things don’t.

Merry: Has Lama Zopa given you any advice?

Maddy: I asked if I could become a nun and he told meit would be good in three years to get ordained at Land ofMedicine Buddha with Choden Rinpoche.

Merry:What does mom think about that?

Mer (Maddy’s mother):The idea of leaving her familydidn’t disturb Maddy. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the firstperson to take Maddy seriously. She has been very unhappyuntil now to not have that connection. Maddy has felt sohappy since being here. She looked at me and said, “LamaZopa loves me.” Rinpoche told me that Maddy “willenlighten many beings at a young age” and gave Maddy athangka of Lama Tsongkhapa and his two disciples.

Maddy:He gave me the nameThubten Labdron and askedme to do LamaTsongkhapa guru yoga daily. I’ve memorizedthe refuge and bodhichitta prayer, theHeart Sutra, Praises tothe 21 Taras in English and the mandala offering. Thesehaven’t been too difficult, but it is not so easy for me tomemorize school work! I like the Tara praises in Tibetan.

Mer: She was previously in a Waldorf school, but keptasking to be homeschooled. She is also studying Tibetanwith Geshe Tenley at Kurukulla Center. Many peoplehave said how inspiring it was for them to have Maddythere in the gompa and staying up through the late nightsessions.

Also, a lot of parents came up to me and asked if theyshould bring their kids to a retreat like this. The thing Ireally want to tell parents is that one major factor for whymy kids are spiritual and calm is because we have takenmediaout of their life completely. So they have no TV and nocomputer games. Science has proven that this damages theneural pathways, making it hard to develop concentration.

Maddy: Kids have to want to come to an event like this,and not because their parents are coming! �

10 year old Maddy Safford with her mother, Mer. Photo by Sarah Brooks.


Your COMMUNITY

By Harry Sutton

The beginning always has to go to theguru Buddha. When one looks forthe cause or the condition whichbrought one to Kopan, I think italways goes back to the initial causecondition, the holy kind guru. Thatcan happen years before someone

even hears about Kopan, thinks about Kopan orsees Kopan.

Because of not being intelligent, and quitelazy, high school ended a couple of years early, soI took that time to work and travel all aroundNorth America and Europe. Through hitch-hiking, I got to meet people, to find out what wasgoing on in their lives. Many times there was not

a destination, just going, getting into cars, trucksand people’s lives. It didn’t matter which side ofthe road to stand on, if I was going north, south,west or east. And when the ride was finished,after listening to their life stories, when the doorwas closed, I thought: “That’s one life I don’t haveto go through.” I lived it through them, for thatfive-minute, five-hour or two-day ride. Besides,the result was always the same: their lives haddiscontent, dissatisfaction. After trying everythingout in life that the world had to offer for experi-encing happiness, I found myself alone and prayinginto space. I didn’t believe in god but knew therewas something greater than me in the universe.And I prayed. I said, usually with tears in my eyes:

Tibet,TibetI have to go to Tibet!

In 1971, Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and their first

student, Zina Rachevsky, established Kopan Monastery in

Nepal. Zina “pestered” Lama Zopa Rinpoche “like a mosquito”

until he agreed to give a one-month lam-rim meditation course

toWesterners at the monastery, then called the Mount Everest

Center. Twelve Western students attended the first course and

for the last forty years, up to two hundred students participate

in the annual one-month meditation course. This new section,

The Road to Kopan, will feature stories from students who

have found their way to, and their home at, KopanMonastery.

To unveil this section, we talked toHarry Sutton, FPMT student of more than thirty-five years, about how he ended up attending his first Kopan course.

THE ROAD TO KOPAN

Ven. Marcel and Harry Sutton,Nepal, 1979.


“May I meet the perfect teachings and the perfect teacherto help my life and others.” I said that every night. Afterthree months of doing this I felt a very strong feeling inmy heart, it had a pull to it. And with that pull in myheart was the mantra: “Tibet, Tibet I have to go to Tibet.Tibet, Tibet, I have to go to Tibet. Tibet, Tibet, I have togo to Tibet.”

At the time I was doing a part-time job and that endedwhen the bus I was driving went down a hill… without mein it! Of course, I got fired. I was 21. I ended up at mygrandmother’s house and I told her, “I am going to Tibet.”And she said, knowing about these things better than me,“You can’t go to Tibet. It is under the control of China.”So I said, “If I can’t go to Tibet, then this pull in my heartis coming from the closest place to Tibet.” I asked for hercoffee table atlas and found that part of the world. I hadheard of India but had never heard of Nepal. I was lookingfor the border between India andTibet. And when my eyessaw the word KATHMANDU I was pulled into the atlas,as if pulled into the map by my heart. At that time I knewthe pull was coming from Kathmandu.

Two weeks later, I’m on my way to England, thecheapest way for me to get over the “puddle.” I then hitch-hiked from England to Istanbul. Back then, it was 1975,you could take buses, trains and trucks overland fromTurkey to India. There was a highway of hippies going backand forth. It was like hippie paradise in those days. WhenI crossed the Indian/Nepal border, on the top of a bus, Ifelt, as many other students and friends have described… Ifelt like… I was coming home. It is a feeling that comesover you when entering Nepal, The Land of Those Gone toBliss!

We all stayed in the Freak Street area at the time. Onthe third day in Kathmandu I was in a store. In the samestore, on the other side of the wall, were two women talkingabout two lamas giving a teaching somewhere. I went overand said, “Where is this?” They said, “Kopan.”The next dayI got a bike and rode out to Kopan. All the old sangha werethere, Dr. Nick, John Feillie, Yogi, Ann, Wongmo, Pemo,Nicole, Thubten Yeshe, Pende and others, who were allinspiring.

Then I had my interview with Ven. Marcel. This madea very strong impression on my mind. It was a very powerfulmoment to be sitting in front of Ven. Marcel. I appreciatedbeing in his presence.

Ven. Marcel turned out to be the leader of the eighthcourse, my first course. I think we had a couple days of100% pure Ven. Marcel, just to prepare us. Then camethe day that Lama Zopa Rinpoche was coming to teach.When the most precious, kind guru Lama Zopa’s holybody entered the tent my whole life passed before me. Icould see that every single action I had done up to thatpoint in my life had brought me to meet this being whojust entered this tent. Rinpoche’s holy body had enteredthrough the far side of the tent so I couldn’t see the holybody yet but I could feel Rinpoche’s presence. To finallymeet my true mother, my true father, the one who trulyloves me, who truly knows how to guide me to where Iwant to go. Every atom of my body knew this. Tears ofgreat joy poured down. And I thought, “Home at last!Home at last! This is what I have been living for!” Andthis was all before I even saw Rinpoche’s holy body. WhenRinpoche sat up on the throne, I knew that this was myguru, my teacher and I instantly felt very fortunate.

The course was fantastic. It was all the things youcouldn’t find in a book. That’s why the course is so great,you don’t find this in print and you are able to meditateon it right away. It was an extremely powerful gatheringof people, that 1975 eighth course. About 200 peopleattended the course. We did the course and then about 80people went on to a one-month lam-rim retreat. Andafter that month we said, “Let’s do another month!” Aftertwo months we said, “How about another month!” So wedid three months of lam-rim group retreat, and we wouldhave kept going on like that except we were told to leaveNepal by the Nepalese Government.

When you are sitting at Kopan, listening to theteachings, doing the retreat, there is not a better place to beon the earth for that one month of your life. Anyone whohas the opportunity to experience it is very, very fortunate!

The vast extensiveness of the guru Buddha’s activity tobenefit us is totally beyond our awareness. Thinking it wasMY idea to go to Nepal to meet the holy kind guru, well,in fact, it was the profound skillfulness of the guru Buddha’sactivity all along. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche said in Singa-pore last February, “There’s no place where there is no guru,there is no place where there is no Buddha. The reality islike that.” �

www.kopan-monastery.com


By Wendy King

A moment ago only, our faces bathed in light.The rims of cups and bowls opposedThe table flatness, color-scored the melodyOf things to eat, and underlinedOur soft and endless chatter.

Beyond the windows, in the space the valley cupsThe dust of Rajasthan grew purple, grey,And blackened into night. Without, the outer moon.Within, the light bulb light.

The eighteenth day of June was goneAnd swallowed up in night. Our faces, too,Were sacrificed, just edges of our forms were left.Then, suddenly, no nothing of the light bulb light.

How likewise will our own days endBy some sputter brief, failure irreparable?How will our conversations finally die, or faces, friends,And days all gone, all devouredBy these monsoonal winds?

How likewise brief and rare and precious,My own heart’s friend? For I have found a Sage.His true color’s colorless, the postured wordingOf his ritual’s the wind, my heart’s his cup.And will the space of time I hold himSomeday be measured up, finished?

What gain or loss is sitting against the endless darkness?One moment ago only, there was laughter beneath thelight bulb light.Then, all my love and efforts will be swallowedBy the moon’s delight – a field of sable.And we will be like all the stars,A fiction of a place, an ancient rumor in that night.Oh! Rage! Rage! Against the dying of that light!

© WENDY KING 2010

Kopan

YOUR WORDS

YourWords isMandala’s section devoted to thewriters among us. Send us poetry, creativewriting, short essays or letters that are inspiredby your Buddhist practice and under 1200words.

Please send your submissions to:[email protected]

LightBy Osel Hita

light is information....To light a candle, is to cast a shadow....dual life, let´s live.

Pencil drawing by Reid Selseth, 2009,Federal Correctional Institution in Marianna, Florida, USA.

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MAITRIPA COLLEGE

Photo: Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (r), Spiritual Director of the FPMT, with Yangsi Rinpoche (l), Geshe Lharampa & President of Maitripa College; taken on Mount Hood on the occasion of Lama Zopa’s visit to Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon ~ Photo by Marc Sakamoto

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Amy Levitin, 41, died in Montague, Massachusetts,USA, August 20, 2010, of breast cancerBy Wendy Cook

Amy Levitin connectedwith the FPMT in

1993, the first year thatGeshe Tsulga-la was resi-dent at Milarepa Center forthe summer. She turned up,as if out of nowhere, andoffered to cook, which,according to Martha Tackand Larry Howe, was exactlywhat the center needed.Amy attended Geshe-la’s

commentary on the Lam-rim Chenmo during that summerevery single night for three months. What an auspiciousbeginning.

Amy received her Masters in Oriental Medicine duringthe late ’90s and opened an acupuncture business where shetook great care to provide a healing and nurturing space forher clients. Her colleague described how there was a largecloset where there was room for a filing cabinet and notmuch else. Yet Amy utilized the space to set up a meditationcushion and altar and took great care to keep the wholespace beautiful and clean.

Amy called me early in January 2008 to tell me shehad breast cancer and that it had already metastasized. Shewas scared, agitated and teary. I suggested she write to LamaZopa Rinpoche and several months later she received a longlist of advice. At first she was overwhelmed, but decided totackle the pieces of advice one at a time, getting comfort-able with one practice or mantra before moving onto the

next. She diligently worked her way through the list sothat within a few months she was fulfilling all the advice.She offered naga pujas on certain days and even grewdelphiniums in her garden that she loved so much in orderto have the blue flowers required for the puja.

As the time went by her attitude completely changedfrom being scared to accepting her situation and using it topractice. Her husband Bob said she worked very hard trans-forming her mind and it showed. She was a huge inspiration.

She and I exchanged many emails and phone calls.One time, perhaps about eight months before she died, shesaid that she just wanted to stay well enough in order tokeep practicing and do a long retreat.

Ten days before she died, she wrote in an email: “Idon’t feel depressed at all. It’s just odd to be this debilitated– everything takes so long to do and I finish my morningpractices by 5 P.M.! ... I’m getting lovely inspiration fromthe DVD Unmistaken Child.”

In her last email four days before she passed she wrote:“I had a vision that if I recuperated enough I would openup a soup kitchen in downtown Holyoke, MA, an area ofboth low and medium incomes, that offered free soup tothe homeless, but that those with the means would pay.”She wanted so strongly to serve and benefit others.

A few days before she died she was having difficultydoing her practice, the oxygen mask was in the way andher glasses fogged up. She asked Bob to slowly readRinpoche’s Dealing with Cancer from the Lama YesheWisdom Archive. Amy had been uncomfortable andagitated due to her physical condition, but as she listenedto her husband, she was able to meditate and becamemore and more happy, smiling and relaxed. It turned outthat this was the last practice she did before dying quietly

Your COMMUNITY

OBITUARIES

Lama Zopa Rinpoche requests that “students who read Mandala pray that the studentswhose obituaries follow find a perfect human body, meet a Mahayana guru and becomeenlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the teachings exist and they canbecome enlightened.” Reading these obituaries also helps us reflect upon our own deathand rebirth – and so use our lives in the most meaningful way.

Advice and Practices for Death and Dying is available from the Foundation Storewww.fpmt.org/shop


and peacefully in her own home. Three of us were able tobe by her bed within a few hours to perform MedicineBuddha puja, King of Prayers and the recommendedpowerful mantras.

I miss Amy, my Dharma sister and fellow nyung näwarrior! And yet am hugely grateful to her amazingly strongand clear example on how to die with compassion andrefuge in one’s heart.

You can read Dealing with Cancer on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom

Archive: www.lamayeshe.com

Jack Haynes, 57, died in Melbourne, Australia,August 31, 2010, of melanomaBy Julie Henchman and Tara Institute

Jack first came into contact with Lama Yeshe in 1976,which started a lifelong interest in the Dharma. Jack wasinstrumental in helping build the first structure on Kangaroo

Island, which is now a beautifulretreat center [De-tong LingRetreat Centre].

He was a really creativeperson who built a mudbrick house with his wifeJennie for their family inDaylesford. Jack undertookmany varied artistic venturessuch as making silver jewelry,bone carvings and stunningoil paintings.

Jack loved playing guitarand performed in many bands over four decades; his fellowmusicians will miss his talent. He sold imported goods inMelbourne from his travels overseas. He was also runninghis own business making beautiful hand-crafted timberfurniture.

After a gallant battle, Jack succumbed to cancer. Hewill be missed for the many intelligent, philosophical andspiritual conversations he loved to have with friends. Healways came back to his beloved Buddhism and had apicture of Lama Yeshe on his altar.

At the teaching with Geshe Doga the night Jack died,Geshe Doga asked the students to recite The HeartSutra and The Eight Verses of Mind Training for Jack.Geshe-la said, “I have a feeling that he passed away in a

good state of mind, because a few days ago after Ven.Michael went to visit him, he sent a message backacknowledging the prayers and all the advice. He said thathe would keep that advice in his heart and that heconstantly remembered me praying for him. Thatacknowledgement shows that his mind was in a goodplace. He also personally thanked me for keeping him inmy prayers, and emphasized that he had kept my advicein mind, and believed in it 100%. That is a good sign.The fact that he said that just three days ago, and thenpassed away so soon after, shows that he had a good stateof mind. Actually just a month ago, soon after he wasdiagnosed with the disease, he came to see me and we hada long meeting. At that time he said, ‘Even though I havebeen diagnosed with this illness, I really don’t have anyworries.’ He commented, ‘Getting this news of my illnesshas confirmed that love and compassion is really theessence. That is something that is very clear – really it allcomes down to just love and compassion. That is the basisand the very essence of everything, and it has dawnedupon me very clearly now.’”

Some of Jack’s music can be found

at www.myspace.com/thesupertronics

Gemma Sin Ribot, 54, died in Barcelona, Spain,September 23, 2010, of cancerBy Joan Solana and Kiko Segura

Our most dear friend, Gemma Sin, a good practitionerand great artist, well known in Barcelona in the ’80s

as a painter, passed awaypeacefully some weeks ago.

She shared her lastmonths with her Dharmafriends. We all were deeplytouched by her serene,peaceful, kind and shiningcontagious bliss that inspiredmany of us to increase theintensity and depth of ourown Dharma practice. Hertrust and refuge in theDharma was quite obvious. Her last days were clearly spentin peace with everybody, establishing a kind, warm, smiling


connection with everybody, even though she was sufferingwith pain and extreme weakness. A precious gift of inspi-ration for whoever had contact with her. Thank you,Gemma! Please, be well!

Dieu Van Nguyen, 68, died in Asheville, North Carolina,USA, September 26, 2010, after being struck by a carBy Oi Loon Lee

Ifirst met Dieu Van Nguyen in the gompa of Light of thePath in North Carolina on the evening of September 12,2010. I sat down on the cushion next to him. It was obvioushe was having difficulty following the puja, so I helped himthrough the retreat prayer text. Dieu was obviously gratefuland asked that I sit with him throughout the retreat. It was

a request that I am happynow to have fulfilled.

Dieu had moved tostay with his daughter inTexas from Vietnam a fewmonths ago. He had readabout LamaZopaRinpochefrom the FPMT websiteand written to Ven. HollyAnsett expressing his wishto meet Rinpoche. To hisdelight, Rinpoche senthim a reply. Later, when

he found out that Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in Deer Parkreceiving teachings from Geshe Sopa, he took a bus fromDallas to Deer Park, Madison. He persistently sat the wholeday in Rinpoche’s residence. Finally, in the evening, LamaZopa Rinpoche called him in. He told me that Lama ZopaRinpoche had given him refuge and teachings that night,adding that it had taken four hours and he had been on hisknees the whole time! At Light of the Path, Dieu was elatedwhen Rinpoche recognized him.

Over the course of the retreat, my respect for this68-year-old Vietnamese man grew as did our friendship.Dieu had some difficulties with his hearing as well withEnglish. Nevertheless, he paid keen attention throughout theteachings, taking copious notes and giving me a thumbs-upseveral times. He really liked the teachings on emptinessand he took the opportunity to check with Ven. René Feusiabout his understanding of it. Dieu would joke with me,telling me I had been his mother before, implying that waswhy I was still looking after him! One night, midway

through the retreat, I noticed how much younger andradiant he looked. Indeed, he seemed to have miraculouslyshredded his wrinkles and lost his stoop.

He was continually appreciative of the retreat’s smoothrunning. Of Ven. Tendron, the retreat organizer, he hadcommented, “She is always smiling!”

Through him, I am reminded again and again howblessed we are to be in a country where we could getBuddhist teachings freely. He was quite sad that his wife wasstill in Vietnam. He also mentioned that he had been in theStates in the 1970s taking a university course. He believedthat had he stayed back, he would have been “successful” likemany of his countrymen who had stayed on in the States.However, he said, “I am fortunate I went back. I would nothave turned to Dharma if I had not suffered enough.”

At the end of the retreat, on September 26, 2010, Dieusaid in reply to my expressed hope we meet again next year,“I hope so. One never knows. Impermanence.”

That same evening, Dieu was hit by a car as heattempted to cross the road to the bus station in Asheville.I hope his family would find solace in the knowledge thathe had lived the last two weeks of his life in the presence ofhis guru and his body, speech and mind had only been filledwith virtuous deeds.

Donald Wackerly, 41, executed by lethal injection inMcAlester, Oklahoma, USA, October 14, 2010By Ven. Thubten Chokyi

Don had been a student of Liberation Prison Projectsince 2006. Supported by two FPMT students who

corresponded with Don, he regularly practiced and studiedover the past five years. He was also supported by Ven.Thubten Chodron, and Sangha from Sravasti Abbey, andtook refuge in October 2009.

A few months before hisdeath, Don wrote, “I feel that Ihave wasted most of my life andjust pray for a second chance soI can be of benefit to others, dogood and hopefully be able tospread the Dharma.”

Don was eager to share whathe had learned in the Dharma, butrecognized his understanding wasvery limited. His wish was to beable to physically attend a place

Your COMMUNITY


Just when Mandala was going to print,we received the sad news that KurukullaCenter’s longtime resident teacher Geshe

Tsulga (Tsultrim Choephel) passed away 21 Novemberafter dealing withliver cancer for twoyears. Geshe-la wasborn in Kham in1939, ordained atseven and enteredSera Monastery atseventeen. In 1959he fled the Chineseoccupation, stayedat the Buxa refugeecamp in West Bengal for a decade, then went toBylakuppe in south India to help build Sera in exile.In 1988, he graduated geshe lharampa with highesthonors at the top of his class. Geshe-la came toAmerica in 1992 and since 1995 has been fulltimeteacher at Kurukulla Center. A detailed obituary willappear in the next issue of Mandala.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama withGeshe Tsulga earlier this year.

like Maitripa College, to gain more understanding and beable to better benefit people when asked about the Dharma.He had recently encouraged one of his fellow inmates whoasked him about the Dharma to write to LPP and Sravastito get qualified advice. He was delighted that his Dharmafriends outside were attending Light on the Path with LamaZopa Rinpoche, who he described as a “wonderful humanbeing.”

Over the last few months, in particular, Don oftenfound it tough to keep going. However, he was determinedto “never give up… until enlightenment.” Ven. Tsepal fromChenrezig Institute visited him about six weeks before hisdeath and remarked how he was focused on his practice,understandably anxious, but relatively calm.

In the last weeks of his life, he received enormoussupport from Buddhists of all traditions, worldwide. Manypujas, retreats, mantra recitations and daily prayers andpractices were dedicated for Don. He had the opportunityto plan for his death. It is an inspiration for us all to getourselves ready for death when it comes.

In his last week, Don’s spiritual adviser, Ven. Jampelfrom Sravasti Abbey and Geshe Dorje were able to spend

time with him and help him prepare for death. Don retookrefuge and precepts a few hours before he died. He hadplanned to use his final two minute statement to generatebodhichitta and chant OM MANI PADME HUM as long as hehad breath to do so. He accomplished both of those thingsand turned and smiled at the viewing gallery just before thedrugs were administered.

At the time of death, his spiritual adviser and the geshewere permitted to chant mantras in the observation gallery,and were chanting OM MANI PADME HUM throughout, alongwith Don. His spiritual adviser was allowed to spend timewith him immediately after death to perform rituals, andgave him instructions for not being afraid, to let go and totake a precious human rebirth. He then read the King ofPrayers. He was able to do all these things due to thekindness of the prison staff and chaplain.

“May I be fortunate to be able to repay the kindness inmy future lives,” Don wrote in a letter, “I pray that if I amexecuted, may I be the last one.” �

Please see page 31 for a list of recommended resources for

helping others at the time of death.


From the Vault:

The British health and beauty expertLeslie Kenton (Kopan ‘76) oncejokingly told author Vicki Mackenzie(The Boy Lama, Reborn in the West)that she would be a lot more successfulif she wrote a book about meditationtechniques that taught people how to

lose weight off their thighs than all this stuff about reincar-nation. And of course she is right.

Your columnist has just come back from a healthcheck-up with a doctor who made me stand on the scalesfor the first time in about five years and revealed that inthat time I have added twenty kilos of flesh to my naturallylight frame. “It would be good,” he said slowly and plainly,“if you very slowly lost some of that. You are an intelligentwoman, I don’t have to tell you how.”

Well, girls and boys, as a magazine-loving baby-boomer fed the fake mantra that slim is holy, let me tellyou that this will not be the first diet I have entered on, butit will be the first time I’ve done it for my health – and formy mind. In the past it was always for vanity – so I couldwear those pants, fling myself around in high heels, causemen to get a steam-up about me, performing (that is,competing) with the ladies who lunch (but NEVER get fat!).

Five years ago I was whippet slim. Now I meet oldacquaintances and the women smile and are silent and themensay, “Gosh, you’ve put some on, haven’t you.” I figure therejoinder is “Gosh, you’ve got old, haven’t you,” but restrainmyself just in time and duly bow my head in well-earnedshame. Fat people do not get respect inWestern society.

For whatever reasons – and I can probably come upwith a dozen – I have spent the past five years using foodas a form of instant satisfaction. I have begun to observe inmy mania that I eat quickly, that often my swallowing

mechanism is not even up to the volume of material beingdirected at it, “like the dog eats meat.” Sometimes I chokeand stuff and work my throat like a Strasbourg goose atthe daily force-feed. Do not shudder – I am not the onlyperson with strong animal habits in my mind. But let’sstick to food or we’ll never get anywhere. I have never beenbulimic and am not attracted to the condition. (If I were,I wouldn’t be fat.)

Eating, sex, alcohol, drugs are all about instant satis-faction. But the joke is, of course, they don’t bring anysatisfaction at all – you only end up hungry for more.

… There are several stories about Lama Yeshe andstudents with eating problems. One Western girl in Indiarefused to eat for a long time and was very thin and ascetic.She was full of pure disgust for her plump businessmanfather who turned up in town one day and had a wonderfullunch with Lama. Lama turned to the girl and said, “Youshould practice to become like your father, he is a goodman. Eat!” She was very surprised.

On the other hand, Lama roundly criticized somestudents who got too fat and set several specific diets andexercise routines. He had a total understanding of food, wasa magnificent cook and a hearty eater. Many old studentswill never forget his American passion for cheesecake. Heserved food to his students like an Italian mama, alwaysoffering more.

Anyone who saw Lama Yeshe and Lama ZopaRinpoche eating together saw the warm, effusive, hospitableand plump Lama Yeshe serving up second helpings whileRinpoche sat sparrow-boned and bowed over his food,praying. “Eat, Zopa, eat!” Lama would say.

So now it is up to me to unravel my fearful greed forfood. I have to go back to the lam-rim and consider thenature of this hungry body. I know all the stuff about think

Home TruthsFrom Mandala September-October 1995

Since 1987,Mandala has served as FPMT’s official publication, bringing topical stories, teachings,news and advice to FPMT’s growing family.The Mandala archive is filled with many treasures: articles, artifacts and images that remain

relevant and inspiring year after year. In this section, we will publish some of our favorites from theMandala archive.

By Adèle Hulse


of food like shit, and think of how many creatures died tobring it to you (especially if it’s vegetarian), but I keepforgetting every time I see a plate of cakes.

I think of Rinpoche offering his food for so long some-times on shorter airline flights hostesses have finished clearingfor landing and he hasn’t even started eating. Apparently he

hands over his fully blessed untouched plate with greatpleasure.

Then there’s Precepts, when you only eat at lunch time.Whoever got fat on Precepts? Only on those days is eatingfinally special for me and those long free afternoons andevenings like a holiday. That’s real satisfaction. �

The precursor to FPMT International Office

e-News and postcursor toWisdom Magazine, a monthly

handmade “zine” called Central Office News, featured

updates, events and teachings from FPMT centers around the

world. Central Office News ran for roughly two years. The

next formal organizational communications piece, a sixteen-

page newspaper called Blissful Rays of the Mandala, debuted

in 1987 and quickly became known as simply,Mandala.

The Beginnings of Mandala

Adèle Hulse is an Australian journalist, a long-time student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and authorof the authorized biography of Lama Yeshe, Big Love, to be published by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive in 2011.Her column, Home Truths, ran inMandala from 1995 to 1999.

Please visit Mandala’s Facebook page for regularly updated links to some of Mandala’s best articles frompast issues.


International ProjectsLYWA’S NEW HOMEBy Nick Ribush

After fourteen years of operating outof various rented premises, thanksto an inexpressibly kind benefactor,the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive(LYWA) now has its own home inLincoln, Massachusetts, USA, a Bostonsuburb, not far from the famousWalden Pond.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and hisentourage stayed there during Rin-poche’s recent trip to Boston, whichwas a huge blessing for all of us and agreat joy. While there, Rinpoche alsoblessed Walden’s waters (and the nextday Ven. Roger and I went for a swimand soaked up the vibes!)www.lamayeshe.com

LPP MOVING INTO THE FUTUREBy Ven. Thubten ChokyiSince its inception in 1996, Libera-tion Prison Project (LPP) hasprovided spiritual advice and 200,000Dharma books and practice materialsto over 20,000 prisoners, their familiesand mentors, prison libraries andchaplains. More than simply a penpalservice, LPP has 150 correspondingand visiting Dharma friends world-wide who help guide students through

letters and visits. Most are experiencedFPMT students themselves. There arearound 800 regular students engagingwith Dharma practice and study viaLPP at any one time.

LPP was founded in 1996 by Ven.Robina Courtin, who guided the projectwith strength and vision for manyyears. The success of LPP is also due tothe many staff and volunteers whohave tirelessly devoted their time andenergy to ensure the continuity ofproviding Dharma to prisoners.

The students are the heart andinspiration of the prison project. Wehave received many amazing stories oftheir determination to use their timein prison to develop their Dharmapractice, to study, to transform theirminds and to turn their livesaround. Many LPP students takerefuge and bodhisattva vows, studyFPMT Education courses and under-take retreat while in prison. LPP con-tinues to provide Dharma supportpost-release.

Currently, many FPMT centers invarious countries offer the LPPprogram to local prisoners – includingAustralia, Italy, Mexico, Mongolia,Spain, New Zealand and USA – andwe would like to invite more centers tooffer the LPP program. To streamlineLPP’s administrative functions andmake its services sustainable long intothe future, our focus now is toencourage more and more FPMTcenters to take an active role in offeringthe tried and tested LPP prisonersupport program as part of theircommunity outreach activities.

The wonderful team of LPPvolunteers will continue to support theactivities of the prison program around

the world, while the LPP coordinationteam based at Vajrayana Institute inSydney, Australia, will offer guidanceand support to any FPMT centerinterested in incorporating the Libera-tion Prison Project program into theirsocial service activities.Centers who wish to offer support to localprisoners using the LPPmodel can contactVen. Thubten Chokyi:[email protected]

Prisoner students can continue to write tothe LPP post box address in San Franciscoas usual.

ENLIGHTENMENT FORTHE DEAR ANIMALSBy Tania Duratovic and Phil Hunt

Enlightenment for the Dear Animals(EFDA) has been busy on a number offronts recently. In Dharamsala,support was given to Tibet Charity tobuy veterinary surgical instrumentsand a humane dog trap to assistthem with their animal birth controland health care program. In lowerDharamsala, EFDA assisted FPMTteacher Jimi Neal in liberating somesheep for the long lives of His Holinessthe Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpocheand Khadro-la. Donations were givento MAITRI’s Animal Care Program inBodhgaya, India and to the AnimalLiberation Sanctuary, Nepal. EFDA

FPMT News Around the WORLD

This section is devoted to reporting and sharing the successes and struggles, stories and futureplans of FPMT centers, projects and services.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing Walden Pond

Puppy with mended leg


also conducted extensive research andprepared a comprehensive report intoshelter and care of farmed animals toassist the Animal Liberation Sanctuary.Donations and support were also givento a Buddhist dog rescue and outreachoperation in Santa Cruz, USA. Abrochure in English and in Spanish hasbeen produced and a number ofawareness raising stalls in Australia andthe USA have been held.

EFDA traveled toVilnius, Lithuaniaand Ljubljana, Slovenia to conduct thefirst Buddhist animal blessings in thesecountries. In between, there have beenmany random acts of providing animalswith shelter and Dharma ranging fromthe whales killed in the Faroe Islands tohomeless cats on streets in Croatia torun over deer in the USA.www.enlightenmentforanimals.org

AustraliaNEW SOUTH WALESKADAM SHARAWA INSTITUTEBy Jill GroscheKadamSharawa is probably the smallestFPMT center in Australia but we havebeen active on the Central Coast since2001. The center has a small but dedi-cated group of students who have agreat sense of community.

We are currently on our fourthround ofDiscovering Buddhism. Currentstudents (anywhere from 10-20) havethoroughly enjoyed Masters Programgraduate Wai Cheong’s presentation ofthe course. Student Peter Khoury hadthe following to say, “The course hasprovidedme with both a body of know-ledge and a set of meditation practicesto navigate through the ups and downsof daily life.”

KadamSharawa is offeringBuddhismin a Nutshell approximately three timesa year. Students have been able tograduate on to Discovering Buddhismfrom this introductory course.www.kadamsharawa.org

QUEENSLANDGARDEN OF ENLIGHTENMENTOFFICIALLY OPENEDBy Maureen WalsheOn a beautiful secluded site surroundedby tropical Queensland rainforest andpart of Chenrezig Institute, a tranquilgarden has emerged. A towering centraldevelopment of eight large stupas onthe roof of a shrine building elaboratelydecorated in Tibetan Buddhist stylestrikes quite a contrast in the SunshineCoast hinterland. Many smaller stupasand niches containing the ashes of thosewho have passed away are placedthroughout the landscaped gardens,along water features, or under trees.TheGarden of Enlightenment was offi-cially opened onOctober 29, officiatedby Geshe Lobsang Jamyang and themonks and nuns of Chenrezig Institute.

Although the garden is beautiful,Chenrezig Institute acknowledges thatthe garden’s construction isn’t simplyto provide visitors with somethingpretty to enjoy. The main purpose ofthe garden is to provide those whohave passed away, as well as those whohave lost loved ones, an opportunity tocreate the causes for enlightenment.

Fifteen years in the making, thisbeautiful and inspiring setting, createdmostly by volunteers, is a must-see forall visitors. Many people have a ratherdry view of the way conventionalcrematorium gardens function, and theysee the Garden of Enlightenment as areal alternative that is a lotmore personaland familiar for them. “This is where Iwant to end up,” is a common response.www.chenrezig.com.au

VICTORIAGREAT STUPA OF UNIVERSALCOMPASSION AND JADE BUDDHAFOR PEACE UPDATEBy Ian GreenThe top of the enormous galvanizedsteel trusses of the Great Stupa of

Universal Compassion, being builtnear Bendigo, Australia, is almost 20meters (65 feet) above the ground.Thisis about 40% of the total height.Whenfinished, it will be the largest stupa inthe Western World. Our next target isto make the bottom of the Great Stupaweather-tight by April next year whenRinpoche will present his month-longAustralian teaching inside the GreatStupa [April 2 – 30].

In the meantime we have a giant[2.7 meter] Jade Buddha statuetouring the world. The Jade Buddhafor Universal Peace has been carvedfrom a rare boulder of translucent jade(“Polar Pride”). Recommended byRinpoche to tour the world, the JadeBuddha began in Vietnam in March2009. From there it has traveled toAustralia, Canada and currently USAwhere it will travel until May 2011.The Jade Buddha then goes on a shipto Europe where it will visit Germany,France, Sweden, Norway and Eng-land. In late 2011 the Jade Buddhawill travel to Asia. Already close to fivemillion people have come to see theJade Buddha and with the world tourexpected to last for another five or sixyears we believe the Jade Buddha willfulfill Rinpoche’s vision that “it willilluminate the world.”

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion:www.stupa.org.au

The Jade Buddha of Universal Peace:www.jadebuddha.org.au

Work is proceeding on the Great Stupa.



THUBTEN SHEDRUP LINGMONASTERY GROWINGBy Ven. Thubten GyatsoThubten Shedrup Ling (TSL)Monastery is now 14 years old and ourcommunity is steadily growing.We nowhave five resident monks, two or threepart-time residents, a resident lama[Geshe Konchok Tsering, see MandalaJuly-September 2010] and a very noisyone-winged galah. We’re beginningphase two of our original buildingplan: an eight-bedroom accommodationblock and a large, two-story buildingcomplete with a proper gompa, threeguest rooms downstairs and two self-contained apartments upstairs toaccommodate our abbot, Lama ZopaRinpoche and other visiting lamas.

Council bureaucracy permitting(it’s enough to make a grown monkweep!), we hope to have the accommo-dation block finished in time for nextApril when Lama Zopa Rinpoche andmany visitors will be here for a one-month retreat of teachings and initia-tions. It would be wonderful to have thesecond building completed by then aswell, but we have not yet received goodnews from Tara and the Lotto God, towhom many prayers are directed.

Although few in number, themonks do an amazing number ofthings: building and gardening at themonastery and Atisha Centre; teachingat Atisha Centre and other venuesaround the state of Victoria, and atother FPMT centers in Australia;visiting prisoners; counseling people inneed of Buddhist advice; as well astheir own study and practices. We arebusy and harmonious, with a laid-backAntipodean approach that makes lifeat TSL Monastery most agreeable andworthwhile.www.tslmonastery.org

EnglandMAITREYA PROJECT RELICTOUR VISITS LEEDS, UKJamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds(JBCL) was too small to accommodatethe Maitreya Project Relic Tour thisyear, which is one reason it ended up atthe Leeds City Museum – a grandVictorian building in the city center,from September 3-5.We didn’t have themoney to hire the museum (it wouldhave cost thousands of pounds sterling)but it just so happened that the curatorof community history was runningFaith in the City, a project in whichdifferent religious groups ran various liveevents at the museum. The MaitreyaProject Relic Tour provided a fittinggrand finale to that series of events.

The relics were displayed in a bare,circular room some 20 meters acrossand 20 meters in height, with a first-floor balcony. Five giant screens hungfrom the domed ceiling. It just sohappened that one of JBCL’s volunteersis a professional set designer workingin television, and her inspired designevoked a Tibetan temple. A three-meter high print of Maitreya wasinstalled, back-lit on a dais. The screensshowed a slowly-changing PowerPointpresentation of the relics and previousMaitreya Project Relic Tour events.

Over fifty people gave time,professional skills, money, and evenvolunteered help from their non-Buddhist colleagues, friends andrelatives in order to make it all happen.The curator asked, “Howmany peopledo you think will come?”Well, at leastthe volunteers! We shrugged ourshoulders, crossed our fingers andmade prayers. In the end, the relicswere visited by nearly 3,000 people.www.jamyangleeds.co.ukwww.maitreyaproject.org/en/relic

FranceGESHE SONAMVISITS NALANDA MONASTERYBy Ven. Tenzin YontenThe Nalanda community was veryhappy to welcome Geshe Sonam thisAugust. Geshe Sonam was invitedfrom Sera Je Monastery to take up therole as teacher of the Basic Programduring the study retreat of our abbot,Geshe Jamphel. After the small but

usual challenges of obtaining a visa forFrance, Geshe Sonam finally arrived atNalanda. There is no doubt that wehave been blessed with a special youngteacher (32 years old) of the highestcaliber, and add to that his warmthand openness, it is making the threemonths he can stay with us far tooshort, and truly memorable.

The Basic Program will start itsfourth year in January with our incom-parable teacher and Abbot GesheLosang Jamphel.

New students are always welcome, andcan request an application form andschedule at www.nalanda-monastery.eu

GANAPATI STATUE AND TEMPLEAT NALANDA MONASTERYBy Ven. Tenzin YontenGanapati, who is in essence Chenrezigbut with an elephant face like that of

Geshe Sonam

A correspondence coursethat provides astructured approach todeepen your knowledgeand practice of TibetanBuddhism.

Established in 1999 and recentlyupdated, it has over 600 graduatesworldwide. This precious two-yearcourse offers study, supportive tutors,Q & A sessions, meditation, learningactivities and online discussion.

Geshe Tashi Tsering, JamyangBuddhist Centre’s resident teacherand course creator, is renowned formaking Buddhism accessible andrelevant to modern day life.

Courses start every 4 months inJanuary, May and September. Formore information and to apply, visit:www.buddhistthought.org

This course is part of theFoundation for thePreservation of the Mahayana

Tradition www.fpmt.org

FBT graduates can continue theirstudies by joining Geshe Tashi's LamrimChenmo correspondence course

TheFoundationof Buddhist Thought


Ganesh, manifested in this aspect torelieve the poverty of sentient beings.Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said thatcreating such a statue and a specialtemple for it in the grounds ofNalanda will help bring in the neces-sary resources for all of Nalanda’sfuture building projects.

A team of volunteers are workinghard to transform the old fire pujaplace next to the tsa-tsa house into thetemple which will house the statue.The roof has already been completelyrenewed, the tiles cleaned up and theceiling re-done. It is due to be completedby the end of the year.

Bertrand – the sculptor who alsocreated the large Tara statue now atO.Sel.Ling in Spain – finished hislife-size Ganapati statue a couple ofmonths ago. This was carefully taken,in pieces, to a foundry in Barcelona,where a copy five times bigger in size isbeing made.We expect this new statueto arrive at Nalanda in February 2011,when it will be housed in the newtemple.

This project has beenmade possiblethanks to the kindness of a majorbenefactor, who has sponsored itfollowing the recommendation of herguru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. May itbring great benefit to the sponsor, andnot just to Nalanda, but also to theFPMT as a whole and to all beings.www.nalanda-monastery.eu

IndiaMAITRI TO CELEBRATEWORLD LEPROSY DAY 2011By Adriana FerrantiAmajor change occurred inMAITRI’srelationship with the Indian govern-ment in 2002 when leprosy treatmentwas integrated in the primary healthservices along with other diseases like

TB, malaria, etc. MAITRI nowmainlyprevents the development of defor-mities, provides rehabilitation servicesand manages awareness campaigns in amuch wider area than before. The roleof MAITRI’s hospital has becomemore important as people from distantareas come to know MAITRI’s staffand reputation.

On World Leprosy Day, January30, we will celebrate with a specialhealth education program comprisingthe display of posters, the distributionof leaflets and speeches carried outthroughout 15 to18 provinces by twojeeps equipped with loudspeakers.We’llvisit 80 to 90 villages with a combinedpopulation of approximately 350,000.At the same time, we run our Bodhgayastall all day, representing several govern-ment services and displaying a bannergenerously provided by the districtleprosy officer.

MAITRI encourages all FPMT centers toorganize an event on World LeprosyDay, January 30, 2011, to collect merit,prayers and financial resources for peoplesuffering from leprosy.www.maitri-bodhgaya.org

CHOE KHOR SUM LINGVISITS HIS HOLINESSBy Darima DaribazaronFrom August 31 to September 3, HisHoliness the Dalai Lama was on officialvisit to the Tibetan settlement ofBylakuppe in South India. Even though

it was announced that the purpose ofthe visit was to attend meetings of theTibetan Government in Exile and nopublic teachings would be given, wecould not miss such a precious oppor-tunity to see our guru. On August 31,a group of 25 Choe Khor Sum Lingmembers set off to Bylakuppe to attenda long life puja for His Holiness.

The puja was held on September3 in Sera Monastery and attended byhundreds of devotees.www.cksl.in

INAUGURATION OF NEW HIMALAYANMEDITATION BUDDHIST CENTREFrom the team at HBMC:

Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup, abbotof Kopan Monastery, kindly taughtaround 100 people, mostly Tibetans,who attended the inauguration of theHimalayan Buddhist MeditationCenter (HBMC) in Patan, Kathmandu.He expressed his happiness to see somany Tibetans from the nearbyTibetan Camp, after which he mainlytaught on emptiness. The inaugura-tion ended with a blessing by a bonerelic of the famous yogi ThangtongGyalpo.

This precious relic, which belongs tothe family of the HBMC’s directorWangchukLama, shows a self-emanatingimage of Chenrezig.ThangtongGyalpolived in the 14th century and was a great


Bone relic ofThangtongGyalpo featuresa self-emanatingimage ofChenrezig

MAITRI leads awareness campaigns aboutleprosy in preparation for World Leprosy Day 2011

Buddhist yogi said to have built 58 ironchain suspension bridges around Tibetand Bhutan, several of which are still inuse today. Also, he is considered thefather of Tibetan opera.

We hope that at its new location,HBMCwill be successful in reaching awide public of Tibetans, Nepalese,expats and tourists with its variousDharma activities.www.fpmt-hbmc.org

LRZTP 5 FINISHES SUCCESSFULLYBy Tim Van der Haegen

On October 15, 2010, the firstpart of Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo

Translator Program (LRZTP) 5, aftertwo years of classroom study inDharamsala, India, finished with ahumble but heartfelt thankingceremony to all those involved: teachers(Gen Sherab Dargye and TeresaBianca), students, conversation partnersand staff. There were lots of smiles andsome tears of joy.

The last two months were markedby amore relaxed atmosphere, dissolvingmemories of hardship and frustration.As Beatrice, a French student, onceput: “The two years at LRZTP istougher than two years retreat.” Butshe, together with nine others, didn’tgive up. The students were able toattend teachings of His Holiness theDalai Lama on three different occasionsin those last two months. We also

visited Denma Lochö Rinpoche, DagriRinpoche, Khadro-la and His Holinessthe Karmapa for Dharma talks anddiscussions. Every time I was moreimpressed with the students’ compre-hension and their knowledge of theTibetan language. Their grasp of bothcolloquial language and Dharmavocabulary is good, yet they continueto study till perfection.

Six students are going to use theirTibetan interpreting skills to helpFPMT centers: Ven. Dechen (Shakya-muni Center, Taiwan, where she willstart a new LRZTP program); Ven.Khedup (Nalanda Monastery, France);

Rosario Verra (Istituto LamaTzong Khapa, Italy), BeatriceGuibert (Chokyi Gyaltsen Center,Malaysia) and Sangmo (Chan-drakirti Centre, New Zealand).

There are four remainingstudents who we are hoping toplace in an FPMT center as soonas possible.

All students will formallygraduate from the LRZTP oncethey complete the second part ofthe program: working as an inter-

preter in an FPMT center for twoyears.

The next program, LRZTP 6, islikely to start in October 2011 inDharamsala, India. Priority for placeson LRZTP is given to students whoare being sponsored by an FPMTcenter to train as an interpreter andreturn to that center. Any studentgraduating from the classroom sectionof the LRZTP is committed to inter-pret for an FPMT center (as long as asuitable placement is available).

Please start thinking now whetherby 2013 your center is likely to have aresident geshe and need a qualifiedinterpreter.

Please contact Tim Van der Haegen withquestions about the next program [email protected]

21 TARA STATUES AT TUSHITABy Linda LowryTowards the end of June, 21 Tarastatues arrived at Tushita MeditationCentre, Dharamsala, India, fromNepal. In early July, Lama ZopaRinpoche also arrived at Tushita to doa retreat. We were so fortunate thatRinpoche remained with us for fiveweeks. Rinpoche advised every step ofthe way during the Tara preparation.All 21Taras were filled with microfilmof the four dharmakaya relic mantras.Dagri Rinpoche and Khadro-la wereinvited to fill the main Tara statue.

One afternoon, Rinpoche tookout a bag of pearls which had beenrecently offered to him in Hong Kong.The crowd looked on in disbelief asthe Rinpoches climbed up into thecabinets to personally offer the pearlsto each Tara. Lama Zopa Rinpocheguided everyone present as the pearlswere offered to visualize that theythemselves were also offering thepearls.www.tushita.info

JapanDO NGAK SUNG JUK RECEIVES VISITFROM GESHE SHERABBy Doc O’Connor-NemotoDo Ngak Sung Juk was blessed witha month-long visit by Geshe ThubtenSherab from September 7 to October7. It was Geshe-la’s first visit to Japan

LRZTP 5 received teachings in Tibetanfrom Khadro-la

Small group after the completion of the nyungnä on September 17-20. Big smiles becausewe finished/survived and we ate breakfast!Photo by Thubten Kalden.



(we hope the first of many). He wasaccompanied by Ven. Thubten TenzinfromKopanMonastery.We tried to tapinto Geshe-la’s extensive knowledgewith teachings on various topics. Wordquickly spread about his wonderfulteaching style and attendance increased.

The highlight of his visit wasleading seven people in a nyung nä ata member’s house. (The nyung nä textwas kindly translated into Japanese byour amazingTakiko Ohtome-san, withhelp fromThubten Kalden.) It was thefirst experience for six of the sevenparticipants, including a woman con-fined to a wheelchair. It’s very likelythis was the first time a nyung nä hasbeen conducted in Japan.

We are deeply grateful to Geshe-lain helping spread the Dharma in Japanand hope we have created the cause foranother visit soon.www.fpmt-japan.org

MalaysiaPADMASAMBHAVA PUJA ANDRETREAT AT RINCHEN JAMSENG LINGBy Kieren Lim

Rinchen Jamseng Ling (RJL), situatedin the sleepy town of Triang, Pahang,Malaysia was transformed into GuruRinpoche’s celestial palace as 85

participants led by GesheTenzin Zopaengaged in a Padmasambhava retreat.

RJL plans to develop retreat housesfor long-term retreatants, a Buddhistrecreational park, the construction of a12-17 story high Medicine Buddhastatue and two monasteries housingboth monks and nuns. RJL also plansto put up an additional floor with six toeight more rooms to accommodatemore retreat participants and LamaZopa Rinpoche’s private quarters. A 12-foot [3.5 meters] Avalokiteshrava and4-foot [1.5 meters] White Dzambalaare in the works to grace the [email protected]

16TLB DISASTER RELIEF MISSIONBy Suzie TanOnOctober 30 16To Live By (16TLB)sent out a plea for LosangDragpaCentremembers and friends to join in theefforts to provide relief for the victimsof the flood in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The response received has beentremendous! Less than 12 hours afterthe plea was sent out, the contribu-

tions and pledges totaled RM20,750 [US $6,700]. The fundswere used to buy medicine,water, food and other necessities.

With hand to heart, 16TLBwould like to sincerely thankeveryone for their kindness andgenerosity in extending help tothe flood victims in their hour ofneed. THANK YOU!

Please visit Losang Dragpa Centre’s16TLB Facebook page for furtherupdates.

Just as Mandala was going to presswe received news that Singapore'sAmitabha Buddhist Center also raised S$18,000 [US$ 14,000] over a few days to buynecessities for the Thai flood victims. Acomplete report on these efforts can befound on www.mandalamagazine.org.

MexicoCENTRO BENGUNGYALBy Victor MedinaCurrently, Centro Bengungyal hasabout 50 students at various levels. Inaddition to offering FPMT educationprograms and meditation classes, hathayoga and tai-chi class are offered ascomplements to Dharma activity. Weare looking into bringing Dharma intoprisons, performing animal liberationsand other activities to expand the center’sprogram and benefit more groups.

We want to share that the key toour success has been harmony andteamwork.www.bengungyal.org

VEN. FABIO POZA VISITSNORTHERN MEXICOFrom Centro Rinchen Zangpo andPadmasambhava Study Group:From September 2 to September 13,Ven. Fabio Poza visited northernMexicowhere he offered teachings at CentroRinchen Zangpo on the 12 links ofdependent origination and the fourimmeasurables.

Additionally, PadmasambhavaStudy Group in Durango hostedseveral public talks on the mind andits potential, and teachings on the sixparamitas.


85 participants attended the Guru Rinpocheretreat at Rinchen Jamseng Ling

Students of Centro Rinchen Zangpo andPadmasambhava Study Group with Ven.Fabio Poza.


The coordination of the visit wasonly possible because of the team work,unity and sense of closeness betweenCentro Rinchen Zangpo and Padma-sambhava Study Group. Receivingthe Dharma in our own languagefacilitated our comprehension; Ven.Fabio’s visit was very inspiring and ofgreat benefit to all the students.

Centro Rinchen Zangpo:www.rinchenzangpo.org.mxPadmasambhava Study Group:[email protected]

NepalKACHOE GHAKYIL LING NUNNERYBy Ven. Tenzin JangsemKachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery nowhas over 380 nuns, mostly from poorfamilies. Through the nunnery, thenuns have access to good qualityeducation. They primarily studyBuddhist philosophy, but languageclasses forTibetan, Nepali and English,as well as science and math classes arealso available. Additionally, we haveabout 15 nuns who are trained andskilled in making many different typesof incense.

The existing facilities are unableto properly accommodate the growingnumber of nuns accepted to the nunnery.There are now six to seven nuns ineach room, causing distraction fromstudy and meditation and contri-buting to health problems. We will beupgrading the existing facilities andare currently building 130 new rooms.We also plan to start building akitchen and dining hall. Four of ournuns recently toured Malaysia withKhenrinpoche Lama Lhundup to helpraise funds for the new dormitories.

Every year, the nuns from differentGelug nunneries in India and Nepalget together for a one-month winterdebating session. This year KachoeGhakyil Ling Nunnery sent 42 nunsplus geshes to the hosting nunnery,

Drolma Ling Nunnery near Dharam-sala, India.www.kopan-monastery.com/

nunnery.html

Kopan Monastery EnthronesVenerable Losang Namgyal RinpocheBy Ani Fran

On August 18 of this year, LosangNamgyal, senior monk, translator andteacher was officially enthroned atKopan Monastery, following adviceby His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In 1976, at the age of 6, he wasrecognized by the 16th Karmapa as theincarnation of Lopen Maila KajiTamang, the 4th lineage holder of thisparticular Nyingma lineage, receivingthe name Karma Namgyal GyurmeDorje Rinpoche.

He received rabjung ordinationfrom His Holiness the Karmapa, andwas ordained as getsul by SerkongTshenshab Rinpoche, who at that timewas residing in his monastery inSwayambhunath.

In 1980 he joined Kopan Mon-astery as recommended by SerkongTsenshab Rinpoche, to start his studies.He has completed class ten at the Kopanschool and studied philosophy for manyyears, before becoming a translator. Hewas resident translator at Kopan, andtraveled widely to translate for manyhigh lamas, such as Dagri Rinpocheand Geshe Nawang Dakpa. He has

taught a number of Kopan coursesover the years as well.

Over the past many years, LosangNamgyal Rinpoche has acquired alarge following amongst the Tamangcommunity in Nepal. Thousands ofpeople come to his teachings, andhundreds have been known to take

refuge with him at a time.Rinpoche is deeply

interested in improving thelives of the local people,and is involved in manysocial welfare projects forthis community. For instance,he has established a Com-munity Welfare Servicecenter in Bouddhanath.The center started out as aplace where poor peoplecould get a free taxi to carry

family members who died to thecremation grounds. This was such acompletely new concept, as previouslypeople had to carry their dead lovedones on a stretcher over long distancesas no taxis were prepared to transportdead bodies.

His enthronement was a joyousoccasion for all the Kopan monks andnuns. They were all involved in thepreparation of this special day; preparingand decorating the gompa, offering teaand sweet rice during the puja, makingsure that everybody had a plate oflunch.More than 3,000 people came toKopan to participate in the ceremony.The extensive Tamang communitycame in all their finery (even though itwas a boiling hot day, many fur andbrocade hats were seen over sweatybrows) to make offerings, receiveblessings, and share a wonderful lunchwhipped up by the Kopan kitchen. Atthe end of the day, they offered localdances and songs to Rinpoche.

On a more mundane level, a greatwelcome was given to the new, brightyellow, school bus for the Kopan

The recently enthroned Losang Namgyal Rinpoche


school. Offered by incredibly kindmembers of the FPMT center in HongKong, it will be used to bring theschool teachers to Kopan every day,and also to take the children on specialexcursions.

On September 13, before its firsttrip, it was blessed by KhenrinpocheLama Lhundrup. It then took the seniorlamas and monks to the annual rainsretreat picnic in a valley outside Kath-mandu. The people had a wonderfultime in this very comfortable bus, andwe hope the bus enjoyed this specialouting as well.www.kopan-monastery.com

NetherlandsA DHARMA SUMMER IN EMSTBy Susanne FrancissenWe can look back at, and rejoice in avery busy but successful summer atMaitreya Instituut Emst. We startedoff with a two-week detailed com-mentary on Yamantaka by GesheSonam Gyaltsen, which was a veryprecious and rare opportunity. Thisyear’s lam-rim summer course was inthe capable hands of Ven. Kaye Miner.The lam-rim group shared the centerwith the students of AndyWeber, whotaught a thangka painting course onfemale Buddhas. We also hosted aseminar on non-violent communica-tion. Our non-violent guests requestedorganic food, which led to a fruitfulcooperation with a local organicfarmer.

Jan Paul Kool, one of the foundersof our center, has started handing overhis tasks to our new colleague, SusanneFrancissen, in preparation for retire-ment.

Last year, nearly 50 volunteersworked at Maitreya Institute Emst.Since October last year, Sheila van der

Meij has been helping to clean thebuildings in Emst. What inspires herat work is the story of Chudapanthaka,a student of the Buddha who recited“abandon dirt, abandon stains” whilesweeping the temple and even becamean arhat through that practice.

Besides maintaining the forest andgarden, the volunteers also painted thebuilding, repaired the roof and workedenthusiastically on finishing the newstupa. To show our appreciation topeople like Johan Suijkerbuijk, aninvaluable volunteer, we organized athank-you picnic for all volunteers.And unlike the rest of the Netherlandswhere it rained all day, we enjoyed asunny albeit windy picnic.

When after our summer programGeshe Sonam Gyaltsen resumed hiscommentary on the 400 Verses ofAryadeva, we were pleasantly surprisedto see our Dharma friend Jan vanHeeswijk again after a long and diffi-cult illness. He told us: “I can breatheagain and I am very happy. I wouldlike to thank everyone for their interestand their prayers. It really helped mein all the difficult moments.”www.maitreya.nl/index.htm

New ZealandDORJE CHANG INSTITUTE’S PRAYERWHEEL FOR WORLD PEACEBy Ven. Gyalten WangmoDorje Chang Institute in Auckland isvery happy to have brought to com-pletion our Prayer Wheel for WorldPeace which Lama Zopa Rinpocheadvised us to build. The project tooka total of six and a half years tocomplete. With a strong commitmentto this goal, our director, KathyFrewen, worked with our residentteacher, Geshe Wangchen, and otherresident Sangha, staff and volunteers

to see it patiently and persistently tocompletion.

The wheel now contains 111billion OM MANI PADME HUM mantrason microfilm, over 500 Buddhist texts(including two complete sets of theKangyur, one set of the Tengyur andtwo complete sets of the Je Sungbum),and over 5 million other prayers andmantras as advised by Rinpoche.

Following an article in The NewZealand Herald about the new wheel,we have received inquiries and visitsfrom the public, especially during ourannual Open Day, from people reallywishing to come and see the wheel andturn it.

Ever since the prayer wheel advicewas completed, other projects at thecenter (which before had been slowand difficult to make progress with)have been accomplished at a strikinglyswift pace!www.dci.org.nz/home.shtml

Dorje Chang Institute’s recently completedPrayer Wheel for World Peace and GesheWangchen, the center’s resident teacher



SloveniaSKYPE TEACHINGBy Mirjana DechenIn October, Chagna Pemo StudyGroup in Slovenia successfully com-pleted their first Skype teaching withAndy Wistreich. As the study groupdoes not have a regular teacher, wewere very happy to facilitate this.About the teaching, Andy had thefollowing to say, “I felt very close to allthe people in the room and would bedelighted to do this again.”

SpainCENTRO DE RETIROS TUSHITABy Kiko SeguraCentro de Retiros Tushita is in themountains near Barcelona and Girona,Spain, and works closely with Nagar-juna C.E.T. Barcelona to support theretreat needs of its students. Forinstance, we have offered free accom-modation during the Spanish FPMTTranslation Services meetings.www.budismotibetano.net/tushita

NAGARJUNA C.E.T. MADRIDFrom the team at NagarjunaC.E.T. Madrid:

Currently Nagarjuna C.E.T. Madridhosts Basic Program [taught byGeshe Thubten Chöden], DiscoveringBuddhism and Buddhism in a Nutshellin addition to several meditation

programs at various levels.www.nagarjunamadrid.org

Nagarjuna C.E.T. BarcelonaBy Anila Marga

After finishing the Basic Program,Nagarjuna C.E.T. Barcelona began toorganize a three-month lam-rim retreat,a requirement to complete the program.During the years the course lasted, Ven.Geshe Jamphel pushed us with enthu-siasm, inspiration and patience tocontinue, but completing the retreatrequirement was an uphill battle.

This summer, the director ofO.Sel.Ling organized a one-monthlam-rim retreat led by Ven. ThubtenDondrub and translated byVen. PalomaAlba. The experience has resulted notonly in our group completing part oftheir retreat requirement, but has ledto the establishment of Lama Chöpaand prostrations to the 35 Buddhas asa daily practice, open so that peoplecan engage in the practice as a group.

At the beginning of June 2010 wehad the honor of receiving a visit fromKhadro-la that drew people from allover Spain to Barcelona. We were alltaken by her affection, simplicity andwisdom. In addition to her advice ondaily practice and on how to transformafflictive emotions, she took andanswered questions with great kindnessand surprised (and delighted) us all byengaging in a ten minute hot debatewith our beloved Ven. Geshe Jamphel.www.nagarjunabcn.org

NAGARJUNA C.E.T. GRANADABy Ven. Gloria MallolOne group of students from Nagar-juna Granada recently completed anall-night Tara practice. They started at8:00 P.M. and finished at 7:00 A.M.with an incredible breakfast.www.nagaryunagr.org

CENTRO NAGARJUNA VALENCIAFrom the team atCentro Nagarjuna ValenciaDuring a puja to celebrate His Holi-ness the Dalai Lama’s birthday in2009, Dagri Rinpoche said that he wasvery pleased with Centro NagarjunaValencia and the effort students areputting into studying the Dharma.Rinpoche spontaneously expressed hiswish to offer the center the completecollection of the Buddha’s teachingsand their commentaries along with theworks of Lama Tsongkhapa and histwo disciples.

This summer the Tengyur (com-mentaries) arrived. It was a veryemotional moment as students from thecenter carried the holy texts into thegompa and we recited auspicious verses.Geshe Lamsang our resident lama spokeof the amazing benefits and blessings inhaving these texts.www.nagarjunavalencia.com

The debate between Khadro-la andGeshe Jamphel

Lama Zopa Rinpoche speaks with GesheThubten Chöden during a visit last year

A copy of the Tengyur was joyously welcomedat Centro Nagarjuna Valencia


O.SEL.LINGFrom O.Sel.Ling:Finally after many years O.Sel.Linghas been fortunate enough to receive aresident teacher, Ven. Jesus Revert, aSpanish monk who finished his geshe-degree at Sera Monastic University inIndia, and who is also an experiencedmeditator.www.oseling.com

TEKCHEN CHÖ LINGFrom Tekchen Chö Ling:

A thangka painting course has beeninitiated at Tekchen Chö Ling,featuring AndyWeber. This first coursewas attended by around 21 people.Recently, after Ven. Geshe Soepa gave apublic talk about the benefits of beingvegetarian, five people decided to bevegetarian for the rest of their life. Ven.Thubten Dondrub also came for a longweekend teaching retreat. Studentsreported that it was a memorableexperience. All were touched by hisknowledgeable, direct and lively waysof communicating the teachings to thestudents.www.centrobudistaontinyent.es

Unites StatesCALIFORNIALMB KSITIGARBHA DAY 2010By Denice MacyOn September 4, 80 people at Landof Medicine Buddha celebrated

Ksitigarbha Day, inspired by the verysuccessful Medicine Buddha Festivalheld annually by the center.

This fun-filled day honors Ksitig-harba, the amazing bodhisattva thatvows in particular to care for thebeings in hell realms. The day is a funcelebration in which the communitycelebrates the mind of helping othersand honors the generosity of thisbodhisattva. Lunch is offered to allattendees, along with door prizes and araffle, music, dance and prayer.www.landofmedicinebuddha.org

MASSACHUSETTSWISDOM PUBLICATIONS NEWSFrom Wisdom Publications:

New books are soon to be releasedfromWisdom!Mission to Tibet: The ExtraordinaryEighteenth-Century Account of FatherIppolito Desideri, S.J., is a story of thefascinating eighteenth-century journey

of the Jesuit priest Ippolito Desideri(1684–1733) to the Tibetan plateau.The current volume is the first completetranslation of Desideri’s unique accountof Tibet.Mahamudra and Related Instruc-

tions is the seventh installment in theLibrary of Tibetan Classics series.Spearheaded by His Holiness the DalaiLama’s principal English translator,Thupten Jinpa, the Library of TibetanClassics will eventually be comprisedof thirty-two volumes. Mahamudraand Related Instructions represents athousand years of profound medita-tion instruction.

The Studies in Indian andTibetanBuddhism series is dedicated to pub-lishing new contributions to scholarshipon Indian andTibetan Buddhism.Themost recent volume, The BuddhistPhilosophy of the Middle, is a collectionof influential and groundbreakingworks from the fifty-year career ofDavid Seyfort Ruegg.

This September we were honoredand blessed to host Lama ZopaRinpoche along with Ven. Roger, Ven.Kunsang and Ven. Sangpo for a lovelylunch with the Wisdom staff andboard. The afternoon concluded withan inspiring talk by Rinpoche thathighlighted the importance of makingthe Dharma available through booksand the positive impact that thismakes toward building a future ofworld peace and harmony.

Search for Wisdom Publicationson Facebook. www.wisdompubs.org

THE MOST BEAUTIFULSTUPA IN THE WORLDBy Nick RibushFour years ago our interpreter,Thubten Damchoe, returned fromKopan very impressed with the stupabuilt for Geshe Lama Konchog,

Ven. Thubten Dondrub recently taught exten-sively throughout Spain

Sangha perform prayers in front of the largeKsitigarbha statue on Land of MedicineBuddha’s grounds

Laura Cunningham, Joe Evans, Mike Crawford,Tony Lulek, Lama Zopa Rinpoche (holding aphoto of David Kittelstrom), Tim McNeill, JoshBartok, Pema Shastri, Axel Leblois, CarolineDeVane



Kurukulla Center’s Kalachakra stupa


suggesting to then-director WendyCook that we build an enlightenmentstupa at Kurukulla Center. LamaZopa Rinpoche suggested instead webuild a Kalachakra stupa in the rarestyle of the stupa in His Holiness theDalai Lama’s compound inDharamsala.There is only one other of these in theWest, in Austria.

After two years of research, plan-ning and fund raising, we sank thefoundation in the fall of 2008. Majorconstruction took place during 2009.During this time all the correct ingre-dients according to tradition andLama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice werecollected, consecrated and insertedunder the supervision of our preciousteacher Geshe Tsulga.

Finally, this year, two excellentartists, Dhargye (Sonam) and Jampel,came from Kopan to sculpt and paintthe intricate decorations that now adornthe stupa. Rinpoche also suggested wemake a Tara pond, and our incredibleartists have now also accomplished thistask. The stupa was consecrated byChoden Rinpoche at the end of Augustand Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the begin-ning of September, a joyful sealing of ajoyful project. A series of videos andslideshows showing every stage of theproject has been posted on YouTube.

I don’t have room here to thankthe many people involved in all thiswork but we acknowledge them all onour website, kurukulla.org.

And now I’m also Kurukulla’sformer director. I look forward toreturning my full attention to my otherjob, directing the Lama YesheWisdomArchive, and handing Kurukulla’s reinsto our new director, long-time SPCDebra Thornburg. Thank you every-body!www.kurukulla.org

OREGONSAMDHONG RINPOCHEAND LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE VISITMAITRIPA COLLEGEOn October 27, Samdhong Rinpoche,the prime minister of the CentralTibetanAdministration, came toMaitripaCollege in Portland, Oregon, to talkabout the environment and education,and the relationship between the two.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche also visitedthe college during the first week ofNovember while in town for theFPMT board meeting, giving com-mentary on Lama Tsongkhapa GuruYoga, Chod, and the oral transmissionof the first half of Lekshe Nyingpo.Rinpoche unexpectedly extended hisstay to the delight of many, offering acommentary on a tantric visualizationfor Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.www.maitripa.org

TEXASNEWS AND UPDATES FROMLAND OF COMPASSION OFWISDOM IN AUSTIN, TXBy Bonnie BaptistLand of Compassion and Wisdomstarted out as a small study group in2004 and has been continually growing.

In the month of October, we wereblessed with the presence of GesheSoepa who came to us by way of India.This was Geshe-la’s sixth visit to Austinand we did as much as we could withhim during his short visit. With greatcompassion, he shared his vast experi-ence with Dharma talks twice a weekand, very sweetly, gave refuge andbodhisattva vows to those who wishedit. Geshe-la talked about the compas-sionate practice of “not eating meat”and gave fantastic talks on the natureof mind and methods to develop goodminds and eliminate negative minds.www.austinfpmt.org

VERMONTMILAREPA CENTERBy Ven. Amy MillerIn early September, Rinpoche treatedMilarepa retreat participants to lovelymagical evenings long into the weehours of the morning in a large tenterected on the premises of MilarepaCenter. The tent was decorated withvarious thangkas, flowers and lightofferings and looked like a fairyland.Rinpoche even commented that wecreated a Buddha paradise at MilarepaCenter.The “tiny house” was completedjust in time for Rinpoche’s stay andRinpoche named it “Thakpa Kacho”(Vajrayogini’s Pure Realm) and said itwas all “so inspiring.” Rinpoche hadsome nice walks around the 275-acreproperty and enjoyed time at the stupathat is nearing completion.

Rinpoche’s final day at the centerincluded a lunch with the staff andwork study participants who workedso hard during all of the major eventsof the season. Rinpoche gave everyonegifts and it was wonderful for thesededicated people to have this precioustime with Rinpoche. �www.milarepacenter.org

To receive inspiring stories, updates andanecdotes from Ven. Roger Kunsang ashe accompanies Lama Zopa Rinpochearound the world, please subscribe tothe Life on the Road with Lama ZopaRinpoche blog at:www.mandalamagazine.org

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ven. Amy Miller infront of Milarepa Center’s stupa


Books Meditation supplies Study programs Videos Practice books Ritual objects

www.fpmt.org/shop

fpmt �e Foundation Store

“May our Dharma publicationsspread all over the world

and in every corner of the world.”– Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

FPMT DirectoryThis directory is a listing of centers, projects and services worldwide which are under the spiritual direction of

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). You can find acomplete listing with address, director and resident teacher information on the FPMT website: www.fpmt.org/centers

Please contact [email protected] with any updates to your listing.

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpochec/o FPMT International Office

FPMT International Office1632 SE 11th AvenuePortland, OR USAwww.fpmt.orgTel: (1) (503) 808 1588

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Enlightenment for theDear AnimalsDenistone East, NSW Australiawww.enlightenmentforanimals.org

Tel: +61 (2) 9808 1045

Foundation for DevelopingCompassion and WisdomLondon, United Kingdomwww.essential-education.orgTel: +44 (0) 20 7820 9010

International MahayanaInstituteSan Francisco, CA USAwww.imisangha.org

Lama Yeshe Wisdom ArchiveLincoln, MA USAwww.LamaYeshe.comTel: +1 (781) 259 4466

Liberation Prison ProjectAshfield, Australiawww.liberationprisonproject.org

LKPY: Loving KindnessPeaceful YouthUnley, SA Australiawww.lkpy.orgTel: +61 (4) 0695 0726

Maitreya Project Internationalwww.maitreyaproject.org

FPMT REGIONAL ANDNATIONAL OFFICES

Australian National Officewww.fpmta.org.auTel: +61 (2) 4782 2095

Brazilian National [email protected]: +55 (47) 9127 3314

European Regional Officewww.fpmt-europe.orgTel: +31 (0) 20 627 3227

Italian National [email protected]

Mexico National Officewww.fpmt-mexico.orgTel: +52 (987) 869 2222

Nepal National [email protected]: +977 (1) 442 4091North American (USA andCanada) Regional [email protected]: +1 (512) 280 8687

South Asian Regional [email protected]: +91 98 18 027901

Spanish National [email protected]/Fax: +34 (91) 445 6514

Taiwan National Officewww.fpmt.twTel: +886 (2) 2523 0727

FPMT CENTERS, PROJECTSAND SERVICES

ARGENTINA (Tel Code 54)

Yogi Saraha Study GroupBuenos [email protected]: (11) 4541 7112

AUSTRALIA (Tel Code 61)

Australian Capital Territory

Chengawa Study GroupCookwww.chengawa.netTel: (02) 6125 4662

New South Wales

Kadam SharawaBuddhist InstituteWyomingwww.kadamsharawa.orgTel: (02) 4382 1622

Kunsang Yeshe CentreKatoombawww.kunsangyeshe.com.auTel: (02) 4782 1263

Vajrayana InstituteAshfieldwww.vajrayana.com.auTel: (02) 9798 9644

Queensland

Chenrezig InstituteEudlowww.chenrezig.com.auTel: (07) 5453 2108

A project of Chenrezig Institute:The Enlightenment Project forPurification and [email protected]

A project of Chenrezig Institute:The Garden of EnlightenmentEudlowww.chenrezig.com.au/content/view/42/146

Cittamani Hospice ServicePalmwoodswww.cittamanihospice.com.auTel: (07) 5445 0822

Dewachen Study GroupMackaywww.dewachen.infoTel: (07) 4954 5188

Karuna Hospice ServiceWindsorwww.karuna.org.auTel: (07) 3632 8300

A project of Karuna Hospice:Karuna Bookswww.karunabooks.com.au

Langri Tangpa CentreCamp Hillwww.langritangpa.org.auTel: (07) 3398 3310

South Australia

Buddha HouseTusmorewww.buddhahouse.orgTel: (08) 8333 2824

De-Tong Ling Retreat CentreKingscotewww.detongling.orgTel: (08) 8559 3276

Tasmania

Chag-tong Chen-tong CentreSnugwww.chagtong.orgTel: (03) 6267 9203

Victoria

Atisha CentreEaglehawkwww.atishacentre.org.auTel: (03) 5446 3336

The Great Stupa ofUniversal CompassionBendigo

www.stupa.org.auTel: (03) 5444 2440

Shen Phen Ling Study [email protected]

Tel: (02) 6059 8104

Tara InstituteBrighton Eastwww.tarainstitute.org.auTel: (03) 9596 8900

Thubten Shedrup LingEaglehawkwww.tslmonastery.orgTel: (03) 5446 3691

Western Australia

Hayagriva Buddhist CentreKensingtonwww.hayagriva.org.auTel: (08) 9367 4817

Hospice of Mother TaraBunburywww.hmt.org.auTel: (08) 9791 9798

AUSTRIA (Tel Code 43)

Panchen Losang ChogyenGelugzentrumViennawww.fpmt-plc.atTel: (1) 479 24 22

BRAZIL (Tel Code 55)

Centro Shiwa LhaRio de Janeirowww.shiwalha.org.brTel: (21) 9322 0476

Kalachakra Study [email protected]

Tel: (47) 3455 0506

Naljorma Study [email protected]: (71) 3451 4543

CANADA (Tel Code 1)

Gendun Drubpa Study GroupWilliams Lakewww.gendundrubpa.comTel: (250) 296 3386

Lama Yeshe Ling CentreOakvillewww.lamayesheling.orgTel: (905) 296 3728

CHINA (Tel Code 852)

Mahayana BuddhistAssociation(Cham-Tse-Ling)North Point, Hong Kongwww.fpmtmba.org.hkTel: 2770 7239

COLOMBIA (Tel Code 57)

Centro YamantakaBogotáwww.yamantakabogota.orgTel: (310) 303 3855

CZECH REPUBLIC (Tel Code 420)

Dompipa Study GroupDolni Podluziwww.dompipa.czTel: (412) 373691

DENMARK (Tel Code 45)

Tong-nyi Nying-je LingCopenhagenwww.fpmt.dkTel: 33 13 11 08

A project of Tong-nyiNying-je Ling:The Center for ConsciousLiving and DyingCopenhagenwww.cbld.dk

A project of Tong-nyiNying-je Ling:Dharma Wisdom PublishingCopenhagenwww.cbld.dk

FINLAND (Tel Code 358)

Tara Liberation Study [email protected]: (50) 353 2886

FRANCE (Tel Code 33)

Editions Vajra YoginiMarzenswww.vajra-yogini.comTel: (05) 6358 1722

Gyaltsab Je Study GroupIle de la [email protected]



Institut Vajra YoginiMarzenswww.institutvajrayogini.frTel: (05) 6358 1722

Kalachakra CentrePariswww.centre-kalachakra.comTel: (01) 4005 0222

Nalanda MonasteryLabastide St. Georgeswww.nalanda-monastery.euTel: (05) 6358 0225

Thakpa Kachoe Retreat LandMarseillewww.thakpakachoe.comTel: (612) 918 949

FRENCH POLYNESIA (Tel Code 689)

Naropa Meditation [email protected]

GERMANY (Tel Code 49)

Aryatara InstitutMünchenwww.aryatara.deTel: (89) 2781 7227

Diamant VerlagKaltern, Italywww.diamant-verlag.infoTel: +39 (0471) 964 183

Tara Mandala [email protected]: 9951 90235

GREECE (Tel Code 30)

Gonpo ChakdukLing Study [email protected]: (210) 762 7189

INDIA (Tel Code 91)

Choe Khor SumLing Study GroupBangalorewww.cksl.inTel: (80) 4148 6497

Lotsawa Rinchen ZangpoTranslator ProgrammeDharamsalawww.fpmt.org/education/lrztp.asp

Maitreya Project [email protected]: (551) 2342 012

MAITRI Charitable TrustBodhgayawww.maitri-bodhgaya.orgTel: (631) 2200 841

Root InstituteBodhgayawww.rootinstitute.comTel: (631) 2200 714

A project of Root Institute:Shakyamuni BuddhaCommunity Health Care CentreBodhgaya

Sera IMI [email protected]

Tushita MahayanaMeditation CentreNew [email protected]: (11) 2651 3400

Tushita Meditation CentreMcLeod Ganjwww.tushita.infoTel: (1892) 221 866

INDONESIA (Tel Code 62)

Lama Serlingpa BodhicittaStudy [email protected]

Potowa CenterTangerangwww.potowa.orgTel: (21) 9359 2181

ITALY (Tel Code 39)

Centro Lama Tzong [email protected]: (0422) 300 850

Centro Muni GyanaPalermowww.centromunigyana.itTel: (0327) 038 3805

Centro Studi CenresigBolognawww.cenresig.orgTel: (347) 246 1157

Centro Tara CittamaniPadovawww.taracittamani.itTel: (049) 864 7463

Centro Terra di UnificazioneEwamFlorencewww.ewam.itTel: (055) 454 308

Chiara Luce EdizioniPomaia (Pisa)www.chiaraluce.itTel: (050) 685 690

Istituto Lama Tzong KhapaPomaia (Pisa)www.iltk.itTel: (050) 685 654

A project of IstitutoLama Tzong Khapa:

Shenpen SamtenLing NunneryPomaia (Pisa)

A project of IstitutoLama Tzong Khapa:Takden Shedrup Targye LingPomaia (Pisa)

Kushi Ling Retreat CentreArco (TN)www.kushi-ling.comTel: (347) 2113471

Sangye Choling Study GroupSondriowww.sangye.itTel: (39) 0342 513198

Shiné JewelryPomaia (Pisa)www.shinegioielli.itTel: (050) 685 033

Yeshe Norbu —Appello per il TibetPomaia (Pisa)www.AdozioniTibet.itTel: (050) 685 033

JAPAN (Tel Code 81)

Do Ngak Sung Juk CentreTokyowww.fpmt-japan.orgTel: (070) 5562 8812

LATVIA (Tel Code 371)

Ganden BuddhistMeditation CentreRigawww.ganden.lvTel: 2949 0141

MALAYSIA (Tel Code 60)

Chokyi Gyaltsen CenterPenangwww.fpmt-cgc.blogspot.comTel: (4) 826 5089

Jangsem Ling Retreat [email protected]

Kasih Hospice CareSelangorwww.kasih-hospice.orgTel: (3) 7960 7424

Losang Dragpa CentreSelangorwww.fpmt-ldc.orgTel: (3) 7968 3278

MAURITIUS (Tel Code 230)

Dharmarakshita Study [email protected]: 258 3054

MEXICO (Tel Code 52)

Bengungyal CenterAguascalienteswww.bengungyal.orgTel: (449) 973 5550

Chekawa Study [email protected]/Fax: (452) 523 5963

Khamlungpa CenterZapopanwww.khamlungpa.org.mxTel: (33) 3122 1052

Khedrup Sangye YesheStudy [email protected]

Tel: (443) 308 5707

PadmasambhavaStudy [email protected]: (6181) 711 102

Rinchen Zangpo CenterTorreonwww.rinchenzangpo.org.mxTel: (087) 1712 6873

Serlingpa Retreat CenterZitacuarohttp://calendarioretiroserlingpa.blogspot.com

Tel: (715) 153 9942

Thubten KunkyabStudy GroupCoapawww.meditadf.blogspot.comTel: (552) 325 5861

Yeshe Gyaltsen CenterCozumelwww.fpmtcozumel.orgTel: (987) 869 2222

MONGOLIA (Tel Code 976)

Drolma Ling NunneryUlaanbaatarwww.fpmt.org/mongolia/nunnery

Golden Light Sutra CenterDarkhanwww.fpmt.org/mongoliaTel: (1372) 28856

Enlightening MindUlaanbaatarwww.fpmt.org/mongoliaTel: (11) 330 463

Shedrup LingUlaanbaatarwww.fpmt.org/mongoliaTel: (11) 321 580

NEPAL (Tel Code 977)

Ganden Yiga Chözin BuddhistMeditation CentrePokharawww.pokharabuddhistcentre.com

Tel: (61) 522 923

Himalayan BuddhistMeditation CentreKathmanduwww.fpmt-hbmc.org

Khachoe Ghakyil NunneryKatmanduwww.kopannunnery.orgTel: (1) 481 236

Kopan MonasteryKathmanduwww.kopanmonastery.comTel: (1) 482 1268

A project of Kopan Monastery:Mu GompaChhekamparwww.fpmt/projects/tsum

A project of Kopan Monastery:Rachen NunneryChhekamparwww.fpmt/projects/tsum

A project of Kopan Monastery:Thubten Shedrup LingMonasterySolu Khumbu

Lawudo Retreat CentreSolu Khumbuwww.lawudo.comTel: (1) 221 875

THE NETHERLANDS (Tel Code 31)

Maitreya Instituut AmsterdamAmsterdamwww.maitreya.nl/adamTel: (020) 428 0842

Maitreya Instituut EmstEmstwww.maitreya.nl/emstTel: (0578) 661 450

A project of MaitreyaInstituut Emst:Maitreya Uitgeverij(Maitreya Publications)Emst

NEW ZEALAND (Tel Code 64)

Amitabha Hospice ServiceAvondalewww.amitabhahospice.orgTel: (09) 828 3321

Chandrakirti Tibetan BuddhistMeditation CentreRichmondwww.chandrakirti.co.nzTel: (03) 543 2015

Dorje Chang InstituteAvondalewww.dci.org.nzTel: (09) 828 3333

Mahamudra CentreColvillewww.mahamudra.org.nzTel: (07) 866 6851

POLAND (Tel Code 48)

Lopon Chok LangStudy GroupWarsawwww.Zbigniew-Modrzejewski.webs.com/Loponchoklang

ROMANIA (Tel Code 402)

Grupul de Studiu BuddhistWhite TaraJudetul [email protected]: 4829 4216

RUSSIA (Tel Code 7)

Aryadeva Study GroupSt. Petersburgwww.aryadeva.spb.ruTel: (812) 710 0012

Ganden Tendar LingStudy GroupMoscowwww.fpmt.ruTel: (926) 204 3164

SINGAPORE (Tel Code 65)

Amitabha Buddhist CentreSingaporewww.fpmtabc.orgTel: 6745 8547

SLOVENIA (Tel Code 386)

Chagna Pemo Study [email protected]: (40) 573 571

SPAIN (Tel Code 34)

Ediciones DharmaNoveldawww.edicionesdharma.comTel: (96) 560 3200

Nagarjuna C.E.T. AlicanteAlicantewww.budismoalicante.comTel: (66) 387 124

Nagarjuna C.E.T. BarcelonaBarcelonawww.nagarjunabcn.orgTel: (93) 457 0788

Nagarjuna C.E.T. GranadaGranadawww.nagaryunagr.orgTel: (95) 825 1629

Nagarjuna C.E.T. MadridMadridwww.nagarjunamadrid.orgTel: (91) 445 65 14

Centro Nagarjuna ValenciaValenciawww.nagarjunavalencia.comTel: (96) 395 1008

O.Sel.Ling Centro de RetirosOrgivawww.oseling.comTel: (95) 834 3134

Tekchen Chö LingOntinyentwww.centrobudistaontinyent.esTel: (96) 291 3231

Thubten Shen PhenLing Study [email protected]

Tushita Retreat CenterArbúcieswww.budismotibetano.net/tushita

Tel: (97) 217 8262

SWEDEN (Tel Code 46)

Tsog Nyi Ling Study GroupRanstawww.fpmt.seTel: (0224) 200 22

Yeshe Norbu Study [email protected]

Tel: (0707) 321 793

SWITZERLAND (Tel Code 41)

Gendun Drupa CentreMuraz/Sierrewww.gendundrupa.chTel: (27) 455 7924

Longku CenterBernwww.fpmt.chTel: (31) 332 5723

TAIWAN (Tel Code 886)

Bodhicitta CultureEnterprise [email protected]/Fax: (2) 8787 8019

Heruka [email protected]: (7) 612 5599

Jinsiu [email protected]: (2) 2577 0333

Shakyamuni CenterTaichung [email protected]: (4) 2436 4123

UNITED KINGDOM (Tel Code 44)

Jamyang Buddhist CentreLondonwww.jamyang.co.ukTel: (02078) 208 787

Jamyang BuddhistCentre LeedsLeedswww.jamyangleeds.co.ukTel: (07866) 760 460

Jamyang CoventryBuddhist [email protected]

Khedrup Je Study [email protected]: (0758) 356 7309

Yeshe Study [email protected]

Tel: (01229) 885 329

UNITED STATES (Tel Code 1)

Arizona

Manjushri Wisdom CenterTucsonwww.manjushriwisdomfpmt.org

Tel: (520) 971 1681

California

Gyalwa GyatsoBuddhist CenterCampbellwww.gyalwagyatso.orgTel: (408) 866 5056

Land of Calm AbidingSan Simeonhttp://landofcalmabiding.org/index.html

Tel: (303) 945 4977

Land of Medicine BuddhaSoquelwww.landofmedicinebuddha.org

Tel: (831) 462 8383

Tara Redwood SchoolSoquelwww.tararedwoodschool.org

Tsa Tsa Studio / Center forTibetan Sacred ArtRichmondwww.tsatsastudio.orgTel: (415) 503 0409

Tse Chen LingSan Franciscowww.tsechenling.orgTel: (415) 621 4215

Vajrapani InstituteBoulder Creekwww.vajrapani.orgTel: (831) 338 6654

Colorado

Lama Yeshe HouseStudy [email protected]: (303) 447 0630

Florida

Land for Nagarjuna’s Sutra andTantra Dharma Study [email protected]: (941) 745 1147

Tse Pag Me Study [email protected]: (813) 783 1888

Tubten Kunga CenterDeerfield Beachwww.tubtenkunga.orgTel: (954) 421 6224

White Tara Buddhist GroupMaitlandwww.whitetaracenter.comTel: (407) 467 2706

Massachusetts

Buddha Maitreya Study [email protected]: (413) 586 6288

Kurukulla CenterMedfordwww.kurukulla.orgTel: (617) 624 0177

Lama Yeshe Wisdom ArchiveLincolnwww.LamaYeshe.comTel: (781) 259 4466

Wisdom Publications Inc.Somervillewww.wisdompubs.orgTel: (617) 776 7416

Montana

Osel Shen Phen LingMissoulawww.fpmt-osel.orgTel: (406) 543-2207

New Mexico

Thubten Norbu LingSanta Fewww.tnlsf.orgTel: (505) 660 7056

Ksitigarbha TibetanBuddhist CenterRanchos de [email protected]

New York

Shantideva Meditation GroupNew [email protected]

North Carolina

Kadampa CenterRaleighwww.kadampa-center.orgTel: (919) 859 3433

Oregon

Maitripa CollegePortlandwww.maitripa.orgTel: (503) 235 2477

Texas

Land of Compassionand WisdomAustinwww.austinfpmt.orgTel: (512) 280 8687

Vermont

Milarepa CenterBarnetwww.milarepacenter.orgTel: (802) 633 4136

Virginia

Guhyasamaja CenterCentrevillewww.guhyasamaja.orgTel: (703) 774 9692

Washington

Pamtingpa [email protected]: (509) 223 3003

What does it mean to be anFPMT Center, Study Group,

Project or Service?

If a center, project or service isaffiliated with FPMT, it meansthat it follows the spiritual direc-tion of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Itmeans that centers and studygroups use FPMT’s educationalprograms and material, createdin the unique lineage of LamaYeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Each FPMT center, project orservice is incorporated indivi-dually (is a separate legal entity)and is responsible for its owngovernance and finance.

All FPMT centers, studygroups, projects and servicesfollow the FPMT Ethical Policy.

FPMT study groups are groupswhich are using this status as aprobationary period before agroup becomes a legal entity anda full FPMT center or project.

FPMT study groups are notyet affiliated with the FPMT, andtherefore do not have the sameresponsibilities as a center orproject, financially or adminis-tratively.


IstitutoLama Tzong KhapaPomaia (PI) - Italy

WIS

DO

M

Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy Institute for University Education of international standing, formally recognized as a School of Excellence

in collaboration with

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia (Pisa), Italy International School for Buddhist Studies

are offering an

International Master’s inthe Preservation and Development of Wisdom Culture and the Art of Liberation(Master’s in Wisdom)

January 2012-December 2013

The Master’s in Wisdom is aimed at cultivating the human qualities of kindness, compassion, and wisdom through the advanced academic study of Buddhist philosophy and psychology accompanied by a strong emphasis on service and meditation.

Students who complete the academic, meditation, and project work components of the Master’s in Wisdom and pass the related exams will be granted an International Master’s diploma and 90 university credits.This Master’s does not qualify graduates to enter a PhD program.

The two-year course will take place at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia, Italy. Classes are held five days a week, Monday-Friday.Each year, five optional weekend seminars, worth 1 credit each, will be organized.

The subjects of the Master’s can also be studied on-line. Students who complete the academic, meditation, and study components of the on-line program will be granted 20 university credits.

AdmissionApplications can be submitted:

Applicants are required to have a sincere interest in and a strong motivation for the study of the mind as well as the development of wisdom and compassion. They must also demonstrate an acceptable level of spoken and written English. Applicants are not required to possess a university degree.

www.sssup.it www.education.iltk.org/wisdom

Documents

Mandala Magazine January-March 2011