Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

—Spiritual Director of the FPMT

Rinpoche met His Holiness in Deer Park, USA. July 2008. Photographer Ven Roger Kunsang In Buddhism, we are not particularly interested in the quest for intellectual knowledge alone. We are much more interested in understanding what's happening here and now, in comprehending our present experience, what we are at this very moment, our fundamental nature. –Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born in 1946 in Thami, in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, not far from the Lawudo cave where his predecessor had meditated for the last 20 years of his life. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is now the Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition and oversees all of its activities.

• Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Includes downloadable prayers and practices related to world events and FPMT current events
• Anecdotes about Lama Zopa Rinpoche (PDF)
• Biographies and Articles read more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Follow Rinpoche's activities on Facebook and Twitter
• Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche – News and stories from on the road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche authored by Ven. Roger Kunsang, CEO of FPMT and attendant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
• How to Contact Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Mitrugpa Practice for
  Rinpoche's Long Life (2009)
• News about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Updated Monthly (News Archives)
• Photo Gallery, featuring photos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche past and present.
• Prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Rinpoche Laughing
• Schedule for Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche
• Teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
• Watch Recorded Video Webcasts from the 2010 Light of the Path Retreat on the FPMT Media Center from September 13th to September 26th 2010.  Also watch, listen or read Rinpoche’s teachings during the 2009 Light of the Path Retreat.
• Watch Rinpoche - Short Video Clips 

 

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was born in 1946 in the village of Thami in the Solo Khumbu region of Nepal near Mount Everest.

While still a young boy, Zopa Rinpoche was taken on his uncle's back for a pilgrimage to Tibet. When he arrived north of Sikkim at the Dung-kar Monastery of Domo Geshe Rinpoche, he startled his uncle by declaring that he had no intention of returning home with him. Rather, he wanted to stay at this monastery and devote his life to studying and practising the dharma.
From that time onwards his diet was kept free of those foods considered unclean. His education would have continued at Sera Je in Lhasa, but these plans were also interrupted in 1959. Eventually he found his way to Baduar where he first became the disciple of Geshe Rabten and then of Lama Yeshe . Lama Yeshe and Zopa Rinpoche's contact with Westerners began in 1965 while they were visiting the Ghoom Monastery in Darjeeling.

In 1967 the two lamas left India, not for Ceylon as originally planned, but for Nepal. After a few years, they were able to purchase land at the top of a nearby hill called Kopan. There they founded the Nepal Mahayana Gompa Center in 1969. The main building was constructed in 1971-2, funded almost exclusively by the lamas' increasing number of Western disciples. When the first meditation course was given there in 1971, it was attended by about twenty students. By the time of the seventh course, held in the autumn of 1974, interest was so great that attendance had to be restricted to 200 meditators, the limit of the local facilities. In December of 1973 Kopan became the home of the International Mahayana Institute, an organisation composed of Western monks and nuns.

In 1972 they purchased land in Dharamsala, the North Indian hill station that for many years has been the headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and since 1971 the site of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. In a house formerly belonging to Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, they established Tushita Retreat Center.

After the passing away of Lama Yeshe in 1984, Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche became the spiritual leader of the FPMT, a sizeable Buddhist organisation with over 100 centers world-wide.

Venerable Rilbur Rinpoche is known to have described Lama Zopa Rinpoche as, 'one of the hardest working tulkus (recognised reincarnations of teachers) I know'.

"Real peace and happiness has to come from the heart, from within.
So therefore, to eliminate wars and destroying each other,
to eliminate famine, disease and earthquakes,
and to eliminate all other disasters an unfavourable experiences,
all this can be stopped by having loving kindness toward each other.
From having a good heart with loving kindness, negative action cannot arise."
Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

			Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche Spiritual Director of FPMT Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT's spiritual director, is the reincarnation of the Sherpa Nyingma yogi Kunsang Yeshe, the Lawudo Lama. Rinpoche was born in 1946 in Thami, not far from the cave Lawudo, in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, where his predecessor meditated for the last twenty years of his life. From time to time whilst giving teachings at various centers around the world, Rinpoche would tell stories of his childhood: in Thami, then in Tibet, where he went when he was ten, and finally India, where he first met Lama Thubten Yeshe, with whom he would remain as heart disciple until Lama passed a way in 1984. Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche's Website

Holiness Sakya Trizin

His Holiness Sakya Trizin

His Holiness, Sakya Trizin, is the one of the world's preeminent masters of Tibetan Buddhism, and is the supreme head of the Khon Sakya lineage. Born in Tibet in 1945, His Holiness ascended to the throne of Sakya at the young age of seven, when he was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Trained since early age of the various teachings of sutra and tantra, His Holiness is widely regarded as an emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. Presently residing in Mussoorie, Northern India, His Holiness travels frequently around the world and is tireless in bestowing initiations and teachings to a growing group of dedicated disciples.
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin has established important centers of learning and monastic practice in India and Nepal where the highly developed Sakya traditions of scholarship, philosophy, and practice continue in exile. Among these are the Sakya Institute, the Sakya College, and the Dzongsar Institute.

 

Holiness the Dalai Lama

                             His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondrub on 6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
 Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.

Biography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from the introduction of "Oceans of Wisdom"

Books and Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama website - includes Live and Recorded Webcasts of some of His Holiness' Teachings

His Holiness praises Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Long Life Prayer for His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Praise to His Holiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Speeches and Letters by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, including his Nobel Prize acceptance speech and much more.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Inspiration and Guide of the FPMT

His Holiness the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondrub on 6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama website

Venerable Bakula Rinpoche

Venerable Bakula Rinpoche

Tributes to Bakula Rinpoche »

Ven. Bakula Rinpoche died while in India on November 4, 2003.
He lived one of the more interesting lives of a Buddhist lama. Born into a royal family of Ladakh, India, he was later recognized by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of Bakula Arhat - one of the Sixteen Arhats (direct disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha who had tremendous spiritual realizations).
Bakula Rinpoche had a keen interest in Mongolia and Russia from a young age, and while other Tibetan teachers were going to the West, Bakula Rinpoche said, "Everyone is going to the west - it's easy to go to the west."
After Rinpoche worked as a minister of the Indian government under Indira Gandhi, he began to travel to Mongolia and the USSR, where he helped re-open ancient monasteries and organize Buddhist peace conferences. In 1990, was appointed as the Indian ambassador to Mongolia for a period of two years. When he arrived, Mongolia was still communist, but during his stay - which lasted more than 10 years - it became a free country, so Bakula Rinpoche could travel freely and work to revive pure Buddhism.
After the fall of Communism in Mongolia, Bakula Rinpoche established monasteries and nunneries, hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama, invited Lama Zopa Rinpoche several times, and granted ordination to many Mongolians. He retired from his position as ambassador in 2000.
Interestingly enough, according to Mongolian folklore, there was a long-held belief that Bakula Arhat would one day come from India to revive Buddhism in Mongolia. Perhaps it wasn't folklore.
On the 26th February 2008, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has confirmed Thupten Ngawang, a child born in Nubra, Ladakh as the reincarnation of Bakula Rinpoche. The child is a bright little boy born on 24th November 2005 and has been chosen from among several children.