News Roundup Special Saka Dawa Edition: May 17, 2026 marked the beginning of the holy month of Saka Dawa, which continued through June 15 and commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha. The most sacred day of the month—Saka Dawa Düchen—fell on May 31. Saka Dawa means “Month of Merit,” while Duchen means “great occasion,” referring specifically to the full moon day that culminates the month. On Saka Dawa Duchen, karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times, as taught in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, making it an extraordinarily precious opportunity to accumulate merit through virtuous activity of body, speech, and mind.

Saka Dawa Düchen is one of the four major Buddhist holy days in the Tibetan tradition. It is also observed in many Theravada and Vajrayana communities as Vesak, making it a rare occasion that brings together Buddhists from diverse traditions to celebrate the Buddha’s life and teachings. While observances vary from one tradition to another, the day highlights the shared values that unite Buddhist communities around the world.

Saka Dawa is considered an especially auspicious time for Dharma practice. Throughout the month, and particularly on May 31, centers, projects, services, and study groups across the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) marked the occasion with pujas, teachings, animal liberation practices, acts of generosity, and community gatherings.

In this special edition, we share a sample of how the FPMT mandala observed the holy month. We will also soon feature a dedicated story on the three-day Vesak celebration in Singapore, organized annually by Amitabha Buddhist Centre. 

We hope these highlights inspire rejoicing in the many expressions of practice, service, and community taking place throughout our global FPMT family.

Saka Dawa Düchen at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Malaysia, Photo courtesy of Chokyi Gyaltsen Center’s Facebook page.

(International) On Saka Dawa Duchen, the FPMT Puja Fund  , on behalf of the entire FPMT organization, sponsored two recitations of the 100,000 Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, the recitation of the Guhyasamaja Root Tantra, 1,000 Offerings to Buddha Namgyalma, Medicine Buddha Puja and recitations of Jampal Tshen Jo (Chanting the Names of Manjushri). Offerings were made to all the sangha undertaking these practices and to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus. The stupas of Boudhanath and Swambyunath in Nepal were freshly painted, and the umbrellas at the pinnacle of each stupa was replaced, and a new set of robes offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya. The merit generated  by these activities was dedicated for the swift return of our most precious guru, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche; for the success of all the centers and projects of the FPMT organization; all the students, volunteers, and benefactors. 

(International) The FPMT Global Mani Retreat launched on May 17, 2026, the first day of Saka Dawa month, bringing together practitioners from around the world in a collective effort to accumulate one hundred million recitations of OM MANI PADME HUM. Ven. Sarah Thresher led group practice on Saka Dawa from the very same place where, exactly 56 years ago—and also in the holy month of Saka Dawa—Lama Zopa Rinpoche first led a Chenrezig fasting retreat at the behest of the local community. . Ven. Sarah also explained how the Chenrezig practice, Nyung-na, and 100 Million Mani retreat all came from Lawudo

Kopan Monastery, Nepal, water bowl offerings. Saka Dawa, 2026, photo courtesy of Kopan Monastery.

(Kopan, Nepal) The Sangha of Kopan Monastery engaged in the recitation of the Kangyur texts during Saka Dawa, dedicating the merit that all families and friends be blessed with peace, wisdom, and compassion, and that all beings benefit from these prayers. The monks also completed one Nyung Nä, while the community at Kopan Nunnery completed eight Nyung Nä retreats. In Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s room, a group of monks offered a Yamantaka short self-initiation, Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) with Tsog, and many offerings. Venerable Tenzin Namdrol organized water bowl offerings in front of the Thousand Buddhas.

Animal liberation on Saka Dawa. June 2026, Vajrayana Institute,Australia. Photo courtesy of Vajrayana Institute,’s Facebook page

(Australia) At Vajrayana Institute, the day began with an animal blessing, people and animals circumambulated holy objects — including holy images, relics, statues, stupas, and texts — while reciting prayers and mantras as advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Saka Dawa at Buddha House. June 2026, Buddha House , Australia. Photo courtesy of Buddha House,’s Facebook page

At Buddha House, students came together as a community to celebrate Saka Dawa. The community took Precepts vows and offered the Bathing the Buddha ceremony in the afternoon, recited Chanting the Names of Manjushri, made extensive offerings, and closed the evening with a Shakyamuni Buddha Puja. At Chenrezig Institute, the team raised the large Shakyamuni Buddha Thangka in the Nalanda Masters Garden. During the day, they offered extensive water bowls in front of the thangka, prayers, special Dharma Kids activities, and sutra writing, closing with a Medicine Buddha Puja. The Atisha Centre offered a light offering ceremony, circumambulating the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion and chanting the Shakyamuni mantra, with a talk by Geshe Rabten. All donations supported the completion of the new Machig Labdron Nunnery gompa. The Tara Institute celebrated Saka Dawa with a puja attended by more than 160 people. A separate group of students engaged in an all-day practice session of prostrations, prayers, and meditations.

(New Zealand) At Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Geshe Tharchin taught the final two Sunday classes of the term for the public meditation class, followed by a community lunch and a Guru Puja Tsog in the evening.

(India) Tushita Meditation Centre offered a guided morning meditation (hybrid), followed by a Dharma movie, sutra reading, a public teaching by Venerable Thubten Wangdu — What the Buddha Taught — a Medicine Buddha Puja, and a light offering ceremony with Sangha. At Root Institute  all sponsor donations for the day were offered to sponsor a Guru Puja at Namgyal Monastery and to make money offerings to the Sangha, together with extensive flower and butter lamp offerings at Mahabodhi Stupa, offering of robes to Shakyamuni Buddha, and hanging prayer flags at Mahabodhi Stupa. All sponsors’ names and dedications were also read at Mahabodhi Stupa.

Gyudmed Tantric Monastery recited the Guhyasamaja Root Tantra for the benefit of all beings, for the FPMT organization and family,  and the swift return of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Sera Je and Sera Mey Sangha recited 100,000 praises to Tara dedicated to all beings.

Root institute’s offerings at the Mahabodhi Stupa for Saka Dawa, June 2026. . Photo courtesy of Root institute’s Facebook page

Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat and His Eminence the 14th Siling Tongkhor Rinpoche for Saka Dawa, June 2026. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat’s Facebook page

(Malaysia) Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre welcomed His Eminence the 14th Siling Tongkhor Rinpoche, who is pictured blessing the Buddha bath. The Losang Dragpa Centre offered a thousand offerings. At  Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Geshe Tenzin Deyang led special prayers, the gompa was adorned with extensive offerings, and the strong participation from the community made the occasion meaningful and uplifting.

(Taiwan) Shakyamuni Center and Jinsiu Farlin Center, following a two-day intensive Thousand-Arm Guanyin retreat, celebrated Saka Dawa with a Buddha bath ceremony.

(Singapore) Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) celebrated Vesak over three days in commemoration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana.  For the occasion, a twenty-foot Maitreya Buddha statue was installed as a central highlight of this year’s celebrations, offering an inspiration toward love and compassion for the benefit of all beings. We will also soon be sharing an inspiring story of the behind-the-scenes work and dedication offered by ABC to put on an event like this. 

(France) At Institut Vajra Yogini, the Saka Dawa program with Geshe Loden began with taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts and Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, followed by Shakyamuni Buddha Puja, Tara prayers, animal liberation, Bodhisattva Vows with Geshe Loden, and Refuge Practice, closing with Lama Chopa (Guru Puja).

At Nalanda Monastery, the Saka Dawa program similarly began with taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts and Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, followed by the Practice of Chenrezig as part of the FPMT Global Mani Retreat and animal liberation. After the community lunch, students read sutras in the main gompa and performed Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) and Tsog light offerings.

The Kalachakra Center opened Saka Dawa by broadcasting in French the teaching of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama on the Buddha’s past lives (the Jataka tales). After a community lunch, students listened to readings from the Jataka tales, followed in the afternoon by Guru Yoga practice with Venerable Gyaltsen, and concluding with a teaching by Geshe Dakpa on the life of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Animal liberation during Saka Dawa at Nalanda Monastery, France, June 2026. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery’s Facebook page.

(Germany) At Tara Mandala Center, during both the Nyung Nä Retreat and Saka Dawa, many people dedicated themselves to preparations and activities with great care. Approximately 400 lives were rescued from death by fishing hook, blessed with mantras and prayers, and released. Prayer flags in the Tara Mandala garden were renewed and hung, extensive offerings were made, and sutras were recited for several hours. At Aryatara Institute, Saka Dawa began with taking the Eight Mahayana Vows with Venerable Thubten Drolma, followed by Medicine Buddha Puja and Shakyamuni Buddha Puja.

Plaque with the face of Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche. Romania, Saka Dawa 2026. Photo courtesy of Garden of Maitreya’s website

(Romania) The three FPMT groups welcomed Saka Dawa Düchen, each in their own way, but all with the same heart turned toward Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. White Mahakala Study Group offered a community gathering — a welcome opportunity to reconnect, practice together, and strengthen the bonds of Dharma. Grupul de Studiu Tara Alba (White Tara) offered a Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) with Tsog. Garden of Maitreya Study Group, on the shore of the Black Sea, placed a plaque bearing the face of Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava as a blessing for the countless beings that live in the depths and for the entire region, followed by a modest Tsog offering on the sand of the shore.

(UK) The community of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre gathered in the gompa for sutra recitation and precepts with Geshe Namdak in the morning; in the evening, the Tibetan community gathered for prayer and practice. At Jamyang Leeds, the community joined for morning prayers led by Venerable Barbara, followed by chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri and a Vajrasattva Puja for Saka Dawa Düchen.

Centro La Sabiduría de Nagarjuna for Saka Dawa, Bilbao, June 2026. Photo courtesy of Centro La Sabiduría de Nagarjuna’s Facebook page

(Spain) Centro La Sabiduría de Nagarjuna‘s director, Koke, and SPC Elena attended the Saka Dawa celebration alongside other Buddhist centers in Bilbao.

(Switzerland) At Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center, the community gathered for Shakyamuni Buddha Puja, meditation, dedications, and long-life prayers.

(USA and Brazil) At Tubten Kunga Ling Center and at Centro Shiwa Lha (Brazil) students met in person and online to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts led by Venerable Kalden.

Land of Medicine Buddha for Saka Dawa, May 2026. Photo courtesy of 100,000 Stupa Project at Land of Medicine Buddha’s Facebook page

(USA) At Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center, the community led by Ven. Angie took the Eight Mahayana Precepts and participated in a Medicine Buddha Puja. In Land of Medicine Buddha the community celebrated Saka Dawa over the weekend.  On Saturday, Venerable Angie led the animal liberation practice, Venerable Samten led the light offerings, chanting of the Names of Noble Manjushri, and prostrations to the Thirty-Five Confession Buddhas. On Sunday, following a morning meditation with Venerable Yangchen, an extensive Medicine Buddha Puja was offered. At Tse Chen Ling Center, students gathered for a morning Mani Retreat session, followed by a Medicine Buddha Puja. 

Kurukulla Center for Saka Dawa, June 2026. Photo courtesy of Kurukulla Center’s Facebook page

The Kurukulla Center‘s gompa was filled with the local Tibetan community, who gathered on the holy day for Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) and a community lunch. Prayers continued throughout the day to create merit and benefit for all beings. They also celebrated the Interfaith Celebration with so many distinguished guests and attendees united together in the mutual goal of promoting world peace and harmony. The Shantideva Meditation Center held a Puja Practices Day offering animal liberation and a Cittamani Tara Puja. The community gathered to create a merit-building space by offering water bowls and arranging tsatsas and other holy objects. They then circumambulated 1,000 worms while reciting mantras. These worms had been rescued from being sold as live mealworms, blessed, and then placed in a safe composting bin where they could continue living in a protected environment.

Shantideva Meditation Center, June 2026. Photo courtesy of Shantideva Meditation Center’s Facebook page

We Want to Hear Your Story! 

The news are sourced from the social media, newsletters, annual reports, websites, and WhatsApp groups of FPMT centers, projects, and services. If you would like to share your news and highlights with the wider FPMT family, we would be so happy to hear from you! 

In addition to these highlights, please also read longer community news stories and news from around the world!

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Sutra of Golden Light at Mahabodhi Stupa, Bodhgaya, India, March 2014, Photo by Andy Melnic.

Ruediger Knie, a devoted German student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, is undertaking a remarkable initiative: reciting the Sutra of Golden Light 21 times across 51 African countries. Lama Zopa Rinpoche made a personal vow to propagate this text and give oral transmissions of it in many parts of the world. Having the sutra recited as much as possible is also one of  Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. The project begins in November 2026 and will continue for two to three years, totaling 1,080 readings across the continent!   

Ruediger has always sought to put Rinpoche’s advice into practice in tangible ways. His journey began with reading the foreword of the German translation of the Sutra of Golden Light, which includes Rinpoche’s guidance that the sutra should be recited in countries experiencing conflict and violence.  

 “I would like to make this request with my two palms together: to please recite the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace as much as you can.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche 

Photo: Offerings in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s room at Kopan Monastery, with Ruediger Knie Photo courtesy of Ruediger Knie

Although Ruediger has never been to Africa, he recalls: “When countless refugees attempted to cross the Mediterranean, and so many drowned, I felt a deep wish to help in a different way.” With the intensifying climate crisis and the continent’s growing population, he sees the potential for suffering to increase and feels inspired to create positive imprints through this practice. 

Traveling through 51 African countries—the 49 mainland nations, plus Madagascar and the Cape Verde Islands—requires careful planning. Ruediger intends to recite the sutra at least 21 times in each country, including the independence-seeking regions of Western Sahara and Somaliland. In Nigeria, the readings will be split between Lagos and the Biafra region. This totals 1,071 recitations. To reach the auspicious number of 1,080, he plans additional recitations in two of the poorest countries: five extra in Madagascar and four in South Sudan, over two to three years.  

“I deeply believe in the power of prayers,” he says. Praying in turbulent times is also the initiative that IMI Sangha started in 2022, following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for Generating Peace in the World. 

Photo: refuge ceremony, Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ruediger Knie, Kopan 1997. Photo courtesy of Ruediger Knie

Ruediger first met Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1997 during the annual Kopan meditation course. Since then, he has remained a devoted student, attending teachings and retreats across four continents whenever possible. Through Rinpoche’s kindness and skill in showing how to benefit others, Ruediger’s mind has been deeply opened and inspired. Over the years, he has organized a relic tour event and supported fundraising for the Maitreya Project. 

The first journey will begin in mid November 2026 and will cover 13 countries, with 273 recitations planned until March 2027. It will start in Côte d’Ivoire and conclude in Tunisia, followed by three more journeys to complete all 51 countries. 

Photo: Ruediger Knie with the Sutra of Golden Light, Bodhgaya 2026. Photo courtesy of Ruediger Knie

Given the fast-changing political situations in some regions, Ruediger will often recite near entry points such as airports and capitals to save time and reduce costs. There will be exceptions, however, where he hopes to read in places that naturally attract people, such as the pyramids in Egypt, Cape Point near Cape Town, and Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Where possible, he aims to recite in public spaces and to bring additional benefit by placing small Namgyalma mantras in airports, and, time permitting, blessing animals and the waters of rivers, lakes, and the ocean. 

Please join us in rejoicing in Ruediger’s ambitious plans to recite this powerful sutra in Africa! For more information, please contact him directly (goldenlight.africa@gmail.com). Ruediger will also be documenting his travels on Facebook and Instagram starting in October. 

Sutra Recitation for World Peace

Lama Zopa Rinpoche said about the Sutra of Golden Light, “This text is very precious; it brings peace and happiness and is very powerful to stop violence. By hearing this text, one’s karma is purified.” Rinpoche made a personal vow to propagate the Sutra of Golden Light and give oral transmissions of it in many parts of the world. Having the sutra recited as much as possible was also one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. Rinpoche has said, “I would like to make this request with my two palms together, to please recite the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace as much as you can.”

At this time, with the world in trouble in many ways, actions taken toward world peace are desperately needed. 

Please visit our webpage dedicated to the recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light where you will find many resources and links, including:

• PDFs of the sutra in fifteen different languages
• Audio and video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering an oral transmission of the sutra
• Advice from Rinpoche on the benefits of reciting the sutra
• Instructions on how to dedicate your recitations and how to report them
• Stories from students about experiences reciting the sutra

“The holy Sutra of Golden Light is extremely powerful and fulfills all one’s wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment. It is also extremely powerful for world peace, for your own protection, the protection of your country, and the world. Also, it has great healing power for living beings in the area in which you are reciting.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche

We have compiled resources to help you engage with all of the sutras we make available. 

We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading a Most Secret Hayagriva tsog kong puja at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, September 4, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. The practice of Most Secret Hayagriva is extremely powerful for granting help and support and for quickly pacifying obstacles. Both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche had a special connection to the Most Secret Hayagriva. As Ven. Roger Kunsang explained, “The Most Secret Hayagriva retreat is the practice/commitment that Lama Yeshe gave to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do every year for the protection and success of the entire FPMT organization. And now this is a commitment the whole organization is taking on.” We rejoice in the upcoming opportunities to participate in this retreat: August 12–29, 2026, at Nalanda Monastery in France, and March 31–April 14, 2027, at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center in Penang, Malaysia.

Twenty-three years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche established the Puja Fund as a way to sponsor ongoing prayers and practices dedicated to the success and longevity of the entire FPMT organization. One puja that Rinpoche advised as particularly important for FPMT, due to the organization’s close connection with the deity Hayagriva, is the Extensive Most Secret Hayagriva Puja.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe had a special connection to the Most Secret Hayagriva. Lama Zopa Rinpoche said that reciting the Hayagriva mantra is very powerful. “My suggestion is to recite it. It helps numberless sentient beings and yourself from sickness and untimely death and never get born in lower realms.” Practicing Hayagriva can help, “pacify the outer and inner obstacles for actualizing the path to enlightenment and success in Dharma practice, in serving the teachings of the Buddha, and serving sentient beings.” Rinpoche said that when reciting the mantra, you can think about purifying sickness, spirit harm, negative karma, defilements, and the imprints of oneself and all sentient beings, and also collecting the attainments of the holy body, holy speech, and holy mind. You can also recite the mantra while doing meditation on the four activities: peaceful, increasing, controlling, and wrathful. These are all done with the motivation of attaining enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings. 

Hayagriva thangka image, courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

The practice of Hayagriva can be traced back to ancient India, to masters such as Mahasiddha Nagarjuna and Guru Rinpoche. It was then developed in Tibet and practiced by other realized beings such as Siddha Darcharwa and the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. The practice was brought to Sera Je Monastery in Lhasa by its founder, Kunkyen Lodro Rinchen Sengge, and has been maintained purely in Tibet. The unbroken lineage continues in Sera Je Monastery in South India, where it is extensively studied and practiced by a group of monks specialized in the practice. 

The entire Sera Je Monastery performs the Most Secret Hayagriva retreat annually. It is quite rare, as it requires very qualified monks to prepare all the necessary conditions.

This year, we especially rejoice because Gomde Rinpoche from Sera Je, one of the few specialists of this very special and powerful practice, has accepted an invitation to come to Nalanda Monastery in France to lead the Most Secret Hayagriva, on August, 12 to 29, 2026. It is not the first time Nalanda Monastery has hosted this retreat. Connecting with this lineage, kept unbroken from the time of the Buddha and practiced by realized holy beings such as Nagarjuna, Guru Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the Sangha of Sera Je in South India today, is something very special for retreat participants. 

His Eminence Kyabje Jhado Rinpoche has also graciously accepted an invitation to preside over the entire Most Secret Hayagriva Retreat program at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center in Penang, Malaysia, from March 31–April 14, 2027. 

In the words of Ven. Roger: 

“The Most Secret Hayagriva is the practice/commitment that Lama Yeshe gave to Lama Zopa Rinpoche to do the retreat every year for the protection and success of all the FPMT. So now that Rinpoche is no longer with us, we are organizing the group retreat every year with this specific purpose of removing obstacles and bringing success to the FPMT organization, centers, projects, and services. One needs the initiation to attend.” 

On April 13, 2027, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away, a Hayagriva Tsog Kong Puja will be held. The collective merit generated will be dedicated to the successful recognition of Rinpoche’s reincarnation and the swift fulfillment of all his holy wishes without obstacles. 

We are very happy to have this opportunity for the entire FPMT family this summer at Nalanda Monastery and next year at Chokyi Gyaltsen Center. 

For more information, visit the Nalanda Monastery website. and the Chokyi Gyaltsen Center website.

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

Pencil drawing made by Liberation Prison Project student Dylan and gifted to LPP, November 2018. Image courtesy of LPP.

Liberation Prison Project  – US, has partnered with Edovo, the largest learning platform for incarcerated people in the United States, to make Buddhist and meditation materials available to people in prison across the country. Technology has long been an integral part of the world, and “Tech for Good” offers an opportunity to leverage technological advancements for the benefit of communities and society at large. One such solution is the ed-tech platform, Edovo, which offers the Edovo Learn App, a self-directed software application built exclusively for corrections, offering a comprehensive suite of educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs at no cost to incarcerated individuals. LPP Director, Smitha Lahiri, shares this update.

“Physically in the house of no release, but when the mind is practicing Dharma it becomes the house for achieving ultimate real liberation from the real samsaric prison.” ~Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Liberation Prison Project  (LPP) has been serving the incarcerated for over thirty years, offering spiritual advice and teachings to people in prison interested in exploring, studying, and practicing Buddhism. Since its founding by Ven. Robina Courtin in 1996, the project has supported the Buddhist practice of over 20,000 individuals in prisons around the world, to transform their lives. LPP’s Dharma Friends program provides spiritual guidance and support to incarcerated individuals through letters and other digital communication channels, while the Dharma books program donates books and Buddhist study materials. 

In 2024, the LPP Education program embarked on a journey to bring Mahayana Buddhism courses and study materials to the incarcerated individuals through the ed-tech platform Edovo, in an effort to extend LPP’s reach exponentially. Edovo has today been adopted by over 50% of US prisons, serving more than a million incarcerated individuals. The learner experience on Edovo for the FPMT courses is similar to the FPMT’s online learning platform, where students have access to videos and audio recordings of teachings and guided meditations along with transcripts to read through.

In March 2025, with the support of FPMT Education Services, LPP launched the introductory courses Buddhism in a Nutshell and Meditation 101. As part of this first release on Edovo, LPP also deployed forty-eight books and reading materials with support from Wisdom Publications and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

In April 2026, as part of the second major release on Edovo, LPP offered the fourteen-module comprehensive FPMT course Discovering Buddhism, the Liberation Calendar, books, and reading materials with the help of publisher partner organizations. In addition, LPP shared the entire compilation of the popular short-form content series by Ven. Robina Courtin, Something to Think About, which offers nuggets of Buddhist wisdom applied to everyday life scenarios —an arduous effort but one that was more than worthwhile.

Surveying the learner analytics for LPP content gives us a sense of fulfillment. These are not just statistics, but sentient beings like all of us, looking for ways to reduce their suffering. And it is a deep practice for all of us involved to keep the true spirit of Dharma in supporting the Dharma journey of people we will never know or meet.

To date, over 13,000 unique learners and over 62,000 lesson starts have been recorded for LPP materials. LPP’s completion rate on the platform is over 16%, one of the highest among Edovo content providers. The recent release of Discovering Buddhism has seen over 2,000 lesson engagements in less than a month, and the first module Mind and Its Potential has been completed by fifty-seven prisoners already.

With Edovo’s guidance, LPP has been able to bring these courses out in the most optimal way, with both pre and post course evaluations. We look forward to studying the learner responses to better understand the effectiveness of the courses, and to bring further enhancements to our content as needed.

LPP offers immense gratitude to the FPMT Community Support Fund for the grant received in supporting our work with Edovo. Every contribution goes a long way in providing incarcerated individuals with continued access to the Dharma.

Last but not least, our deepest gratitude goes to our partners FPMT, Wisdom Publications, and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (LYWA) and to the volunteers CJ Wilkerson, John Castelloe, Jyothi K, Niraj Gupta, Suzie Boehm, Beth Martin, and Smitha Lahiri who generously gave four months of their time to bring the current release to fruition. Please join us in rejoicing in their efforts and in praying that the conditions are ripe for more and more prisoners to receive the Dharma.

Please learn more about the Liberation Prison Project and how you can help support their work. 

Written by Smitha Lahiri who has been volunteering as Director of Liberation Prison Project since December 2025, having been Assistant Director prior, and a volunteer since January 2025. She first came in contact with FPMT at the Bangalore center, Choe Khor Sum Ling in 2015. She has been a long time Buddhist student and practitioner and has earned a diploma as well as a masters’s degree in Buddhist Philosophy. She has served multiple Dharma organizations in various capacities over the years and lets the FPMT Inner Job Description guide her in everyday life. 

We welcome the submission of news stories from those within the FPMT community. This can be a story about something you have personally completed or accomplished, about someone else who has done so, or about the FPMT center, project, or service of which you are a part. Ideal submissions will give readers reasons to rejoice, share ideas, and create connections between those in the international community. Have something to share? Please let us know!

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

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization was to hold 100 Million Mani retreats.

“This is one of my dreams, to have 100 Million Mani Retreats each year and for it to continue forever, even after I die, even after the people living now die. Those who are working, offering service now—to continue even after they die; to continue for as long as the country exists.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This ongoing series of updates will follow the retreat’s progress and share details on update, news, and resources for participation. 

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi opening of the FPMT Global Mani Retreat from Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, May 17, 2026.

FPMT Global Mani Retreat Launches with Worldwide Participation

The FPMT Global Mani Retreat began on Sunday, May 17, 2026, the first day of Saka Dawa month, when an estimated more than 700 people joined the retreat from around the world. Ven. Roger Kunsang, Senior Advisor at FPMT International Office (IOF), offered opening remarks on how close the 100 Million Mani Retreat is to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s heart. He recommended Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings and advice compiled in Teachings from the Mani Retreat eBook and the Mandala’s article about Rinpoche’s wishes for the 100 Million Mani Retreat and the benefits of this. 

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi, abbot of Kopan Monastery and Kopan Nunnery, then gave a teaching based (please note a request to fill out a google request form before viewing this major teaching) on the official Chenrezig sadhana used for this retreat—emphasizing various elements, including the Four Immeasurables and the power of the Mani mantra, and the benefits of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM.

Charok Lama online session of Chenrezig Group Practice. May 23, 2026.

First Chenrezig Group Practice with Charok Lama

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, Charok Lama opened the first Chenrezig Group Practice online session for the FPMT Global Mani Retreat. An estimated more than 150 Zoom attendees were joined by YouTube viewers. Charok Lama was identified at the age of two by Lama Zopa Rinpoche as the reincarnation of Kusho Mangde, a renowned Nyingma yogi known for his profound spiritual realization. In recent years he has traveled extensively, teaching and spreading the values of mindfulness, compassion, and Dharma practice to diverse audiences around the world.

During the online session Charok Lama interspersed his recitation of the entire Chenrezig sadhana with short teachings. Charok Lama offered a reminder to the group: “We don’t need more hatred in this world; we don’t need more judgement. We need more compassion.”

His guidance gave depth to the sadhana. He also spoke on the meaning of the Mani mantra, requesting participants to contemplate its meaning every time they recite the mantra—and not just utter the syllables. He reminded participants of the importance of the Four Immeasurables—and the importance of holding all others in mind, not only those who are nearest to us.

Ven. Sarah Thresher with Anila Ngawang Samten in Lawudo, on May 31, 2026

Second Chenrezig Group Practice with Ven. Sarah Thresher

The second Chenrezig Group Practice session was led by Ven. Sarah Thresher on Sunday, May 31, 2026, from the very same place where, exactly 56 years ago—and also in the holy month of Saka Dawa—Lama Zopa Rinpoche first led a Chenrezig fasting retreat at the behest of the local community.

Prior to Ven. Sarah’s sadhana practice, two videos were shared. The first was an interview excerpt with Anila Ngawang Samten, from the day before. Anila is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s sister and co-director of Lawudo Retreat Centre. She recently turned 85 and has devoted her entire life to Rinpoche and Lawudo. Sharing precious stories of her family history, she recalled that their mother would without fail recite 50,000 Mani mantras every single day. The second video shared was Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s history in Lawudo, and showed the Cave of Blissful Attainment with its various holy statues, as well as the holy water that drips from the rocks. Ven. Sarah also explained how the Chenrezig practice, Nyung-na, and 100 Million Mani retreat all came from Lawudo. This is a very meaningful history to consider, to truly understand the vastness of Rinpoche’s vision and we hope you will watch the video of Ven. Sarah discussing this important history. 

Ven. Sarah took refuge with Lama Thubten Yeshe at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in the early 1980s. Since then, she has studied with many great masters and was ordained in 1986. She worked as an editor for Wisdom Publications for nine years and in 1992 began traveling and teaching throughout the world at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She has served as Resident Teacher at Land of Medicine Buddha (USA) and at FPMT Mongolia.

FPMT Global Mani Retreat: Third Chenrezig Group Practice with Ven. Thubten Dechen

Upcoming: Third Chenrezig Group Practice with Ven. Thubten Dechen

Representing FPMT East and Southeast Asia, Ven. Thubten Dechen will lead the FPMT Global Mani Retreat’s third Chenrezig Group Practice session on Friday, June 5, at 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (UTC).

Ven. Dechen has collaborated with Lama Zopa Rinpoche on audio and video recordings of the Guru Puja tunes. She has served as chant leader at major FPMT events and retreats and is currently holding multiple roles in FPMT Taiwan, including Director of Education Services, Resident Interpreter, and spiritual program coordinator (SPC).

For further information on the 2026 FPMT Global Mani Retreat, visit the dedicated page.

Accessing the Online Teachings After the Fact

The FPMT GLOBAL MANI RETREAT online sessions were originally intended exclusively for a live audience, as some of the presenters had valid reservations about teaching online (let alone permitting recordings). To respect their preferences, the recordings were therefore going to be kept private.

However, in recognition of the global nature of this event and the difficulties many sincere students face in participating in real time, we appealed for some leeway – and now as a result, the recordings will be accessible on our YouTube channel for many of the sessions. (Only those sessions for which presenter agreement has been obtained will be uploaded).

For major online teaching sessions, please fill out the google request form. This only needs to be completed once! 

For specific information and guidelines for the individual practice session and major teachings, please visit Global MANI Retreat Facebook group for all the latest and timely information.

Host a Million Mani Retreat

As part of the official FPMT Global Mani Retreat program, FPMT Mongolia will host the 14th 100 Million Mani Retreat in Ulaanbaatar, onsite and online, from August 20 to September 17, 2026. We hope this will inspire other FPMT centers to hold their own 100 Million Mani retreats—one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions.

Important Update on Mantra Recitation

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi has confirmed two ways to recite Mani mantras that may be included in your final count. The first is to recite mantras within the Chenrezig sadhana, sitting in one place for both the sadhana and mantra recitation (this is the proper and preferred way!). The second option which Geshe Chonyi has said is “OK to do,” is to commence the sadhana in the morning, recite mantras throughout the day, and complete the sadhana with dedication at the end of the day. All are welcome to access the materials used for this practice. 

Thank you!

We sincerely thank all of those who are involved in making this Global Mani Retreat a great success under the leadership of Retreat Coordinator Selina Foong! The effort behind the scenes and on the ground including all of the technical and administration considerations has been consistent and so appreciated, as well as all of the sincere and active involvement from participants and most notably the kind leaders of the online sessions! 

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

We hope that reading these highlights will inspire you to rejoice in the family feeling and good works happening in our global FPMT community!  Soon we will be sharing a news roundup of Saka Dawa and Vesak activities from centers around the world. If you would like to share photos or details from your center, we would be happy to include them in the upcoming edition.

Dialogue & Discussion  |  Prayers & Practice  | Teaching Tours and Visits |

Holy Objects  | Compassion in Action  | Innovation  

Dialogue & Discussion

FPMT Regional Meeting Brings Together Center Leaders Across Australia and New Zealand

Participants at the 2026 FPMT regional meeting at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, April 2026. Photo by Ian Green.

(Australia) The Atisha Buddhist Center hosted on the weekend of April 25, 2026 the annual regional meeting of FPMT centers across Australia and New Zealand. We were overjoyed that over 45 center directors, SPCs, and executive staff gathered at the annual regional meeting. The gathering was hosted in collaboration with the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, where participants stayed and met together throughout the weekend. The meeting offered an opportunity for connection, discussion, and shared reflection while also strengthening the sense of “family feeling” that lies at the heart of the FPMT community.

Bridging Perspectives: Buddhism in Dialogue

(France) Nalanda Monastery hosted the third “Dialogue Between Science and Buddhism” on May 9, 2026, this time exploring “The Nature of Life” with Geshe Tenzin Norbu and Dr. Joana Xavier, attended by 50 people. Two hours of fruitful dialogue brought together academic scientists and Tibetan Buddhist monastics in the spirit envisioned by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. We rejoice for this inspiring collaboration! You can watch the full event on the Nalanda Monastery YouTube Channel.

At Langri Tangpa Centre on May 13, Miffi Maxmillion — spiritual program coordinator (SPC) — Maria Thornton, secretary, and Stacey Gossip, director, along with some Sangha members, represented Langri Tangpa Centre at Parliament House. This special Vesak event was organized by the Buddhist Council of Queensland. Awards were presented to those who had made a significant contribution to Buddhism in Queensland. Inta McKimm, who founded Langri Tangpa Centre in 1982, was honored for her years of service to the Dharma; her daughter, Miffi, accepted the award on her behalf.

(France) The Kalachakra Center welcomed practitioners from many traditions on May 1, 2026, hosting an interreligious dialogue entitled “Inner Peace, Outer Peace.” Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and Humanist voices came together to practice and deepen mutual understanding — continuing a commitment to interreligious dialogue that the centre has nurtured for over fifteen years, in the spirit of His Holiness and our Lamas’ wish to foster universal human values and inter-religious harmony.

“Dialogue Between Science and Buddhism” on “The Nature of Life” with Geshe Tenzin Norbu and Dr. Joana Xavier at Nalanda Monastery, France, May 9, 2026. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery Facebook page.

Prayers & Practice

Offering Long Life Pujas to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

(Australia) Chenrezig Institute, as part of an upcoming pilgrimage to India in October 2026, guided by resident teacher Geshe Phuntsok Tsultrim, is making a very special offering to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is Geshe Tsultrim’s heartfelt wish to offer 135 statues of Long Life Lama Tsongkhapa to His Holiness: each measuring 23 cm, made of red copper, with the face beautifully adorned in 24-karat gold.

The number 135 carries deep significance. In recent years, His Holiness has expressed his wish to live to 130 years, and this offering is made with sincere prayers for his long and stable life for the benefit of all sentient beings. We rejoice wholeheartedly for this extraordinary Dharma offering and for all who will be part of it.

Venerable Konchok and Geshe Tenzin Namdak in London. Photo courtesy of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre.

(US) We also rejoice that the four Bay Area FPMT centers — Land of Medicine Buddha, Ocean of Compassion, Tse Chen Ling, and Vajrapani Insitute — are offering monthly Long Life Prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa on the first Sunday of each month, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm Pacific Time. In addition, North American FPMT centres offer prayers together every Thursday online, from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm ET. Just hearing the prayers brings great benefit, and the presence of everyone offers support to the whole group. We deeply rejoice for these communities practicing together in such a beautiful spirit of unity.

From Service in London to Higher Tibetan Studies in Dharamsala

(UK) In the FPMT family, we rejoice  in seeing students develop their potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. We are especially happy for the young Venerable Konchok, who — in just six years — has gone from volunteering at Jamyang Buddhist Centre London to becoming an upcoming student at the Sarah College of Higher Tibetan Studies in Dharamsala, with the aspiration from there to join Sera Jey Monastery and begin the traditional twenty-year Geshe programme. What an inspiring journey for the next generation of Sangha. Congratulations, Venerable Konchok!

Practice

Student at the Bathing the Buddha Ceremony, Shakyamuni Center, Taiwan, May 23, 2026. Photo courtesy of Shakyamuni Center Facebook page.

(Taiwan)  Shakyamuni Center students concluded a two-day intensive Buddha-receiving retreat on May 23, 2026, followed immediately by the auspicious Bathing the Buddha Ceremony, with focused chanting of Buddhist hymns. We rejoice in this beautiful observance and in the dedication of all who took part.

(French Polynesia) We rejoice that on the auspicious day of Losar, Naropa Meditation Center offered a traditional Polynesian welcome ceremony for the relics of Lama Zopa Rinpoche donated by the FPMT and brought back from Nepal. An orchestra accompanied a Tahitian welcome song honoring the occasion and praising peace and harmony.

Pilgrimage

(India) During the Losar period, the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program generously organized and offered a pilgrimage for its students to the sacred site of Tso Pema. One of the students later created and released a personal video diary on YouTube, offering a heartfelt glimpse into the pilgrimage experience and the inspiration it brought. We rejoice in this meaningful opportunity for students to deepen their connection with the Dharma and the holy places of Guru Rinpoche.

Teaching Tours and Visits

(Europe) His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s European tour began in April 2026, with teachings already offered in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Several FPMT centers have had the joy of welcoming him: Aryatara Institute in Munich, Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelugzentrum in Vienna, Ganden Buddhist Meditation Center in Riga, Yeshin Norbu Center in Stockholm, and Maitreya Instituut in Loenen. The tour continues through June — the full schedule is available on Ling Rinpoche’s website.

Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche’s European tour began in Italy in May and will continue through August. The full schedule is available on Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche’s website.

We look forward to sharing stories from these visits in the coming months.

(Brazil) From March 16–30, 2026, Geshe Tenzin Zopa paid his first visit to Brazil, teaching at Shiwa Lha center across two weekends.The first weekend he taught on the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva; the second on The Two Truths. The visit also included a screening of the documentary The Unmistaken Child at a local cinema, attended by more than seventy-five people. Students and Geshe Tenzin Zopa the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro together. Many who attended were deeply moved by Geshe-la’s devotion to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and by his encouragement to deepen their practice. We rejoice in this visit and hope it opens the way for more Dharma teachers to visit Brazil.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa and students at Shiwa Lha center, Brazil, March 2026. Photo courtesy of Venerable Thubten Kalden.

Holy Objects

Prayer wheel’s volunteers. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre Facebook page.

(Malaysia) Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre has reached a sacred first milestone in the making of their prayer wheel, completing the steel bearings that will carry trillions of mantras enshrined within. This was accomplished through profound dedication, unwavering effort from volunteers and committee members, and the generous support of many donors.

(French Polynesia) We rejoice in a significant milestone for Naropa Meditation Center: the completion of the winding of 377 microfilms to construct a prayer wheel to be installed in the sea off Tahiti — a project requested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the Pacific Ocean. The winding was begun by André Mamet and Yannick Sacault, both former directors of the Naropa Meditation Center, together with Jean-Michel Pilaut, treasurer of the Center, and Gilbert Mu Wong, who designed and created the winding system and is the father of current Center director Robyn Mu Wong.

ILTK- Stupa Work in progress. May 2026. Photo courtesy of Stupa Onlus.

(Italy) Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa is building the Stupa of Enlightenment dedicated to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and has now begun work on the four steps, which will be consecrated on June 5th in collaboration with Stupa Onlus.

(Romania) The Garden of Maitreya, in collaboration with Nalanda Monastery, is building a stupa in Bucharest, which has now been filled with mantras.

(Nepal — Kopan) The Memorial Stupas of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khensur Rinpoche Lhundrup Rigsel at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery are nearing completion. On December 11, 2026, the Stupa of Complete Victory — enshrining the sacred relics of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche — will be consecrated at Kopan Monastery. It consists of one large central stupa surrounded by 32 smaller Namgyalma stupas, and the ceremony marks the completion of this memorial to our compassionate Guru. Everyone in the FPMT family is warmly invited to join.

At Kopan Nunnery, a stupa replica of the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya commemorates both Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khensur Rinpoche Lhundrup Rigsel, the first abbot of Kopan. Its inner sanctum contains 1,000 statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and 1,000 statues of Heruka. The inauguration is planned for December 14, 2026.

Compassion in Action

(UK) Jamyang Leeds Buddhist Centre serves diverse communities through their outreach work — visiting hospitals, offering end-of-life care, going into schools, colleges, and universities to share knowledge of the Dharma, and supporting Buddhist patients and their families during some of life’s most challenging moments. We offer our deep gratitude to their Lead Chaplain, Roy Poulter, who after many years of dedicated service is now stepping back from this role due to health reasons. As he shares in the center’s annual report, the future of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Service in Leeds is at present uncertain, as there is no one locally able to continue this essential work. We sincerely hope that the causes and conditions for a new Buddhist Chaplaincy Service to arise will ripen soon, and we rejoice deeply for Roy’s years of compassionate service.

At the same time, there is encouraging news from Italy. Through Liberation Prison Project Italy, two new Buddhist operators have recently begun offering support in the prisons of Milano Bollate and Monza, helping to expand access to Buddhist spiritual care within the prison system. We rejoice for this meaningful Dharma activity.

(Spain) Nagarjuna Barcelona has been collaborating with the Primary Care Center Ramón Turró, offering meditation and mental health workshops from February through the first week of April 2026. The program focuses on cultivating mental calmness and developing qualities such as joy, courage, patience, and forgiveness as antidotes to depression, anger, and other causes of mental distress. We rejoice for this thoughtful initiative bringing the Dharma’s practical wisdom into a healthcare setting.

Innovation 

(Australia) At Langri Tangpa Centre, SPC Miffi Maxmillion has invented a board game as part of the Discovering Buddhism assessment. Rather than public exams or debates, the center encourages non-confrontational — and highly enjoyable — ways to integrate Dharma study with lived experience. Loosely inspired by Monopoly, the game uses unique lamrim cards to explore how we overcome negative mental states and cultivate positive qualities. Unlike Monopoly, however, the goal is not to become a property tycoon — it is to become a fully enlightened Buddha for the benefit of all!

Photo courtesy of Langri Tangpa Centre Facebook Page.

Miffi designed, printed, and laminated every single card herself. The game unfolds at a relaxed pace, with players collecting positive cards and discarding negative ones as “true cessations.” Instruction cards prompt reflection on one’s own life and study, and a handy booklet helps everyone stay on track and support one another. We rejoice for this creative and joyful way of helping students engage with the path!

We Want to Hear Your Story! 

The news are sourced from the social media, newsletters, annual reports, websites, and WhatsApp groups of FPMT centers, projects, and services. If you would like to share your news and highlights with the wider FPMT family, we would be so happy to hear from you! 

In addition to these highlights, please also read longer community news stories and news from around the world!

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

Twenty-One Taras on display at the Melbourne Town Hall by Tara Institute, May 2026. Credits 21 Taras Thangka Exhibition’s Facebook Page

As part of his Vast Vision for the FPMT organization, Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed a heartfelt aspiration: “My wish is for the big centers in FPMT to have these large thangkas.” To bring that vision to life, the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund sponsored the creation of a dedicated workshop at Institut Vajra Yogini in France, where large-scale thangkas could be created for FPMT centers around the world. The first thangka commissioned from that workshop — a monumental thangka of 49×30 ft (15x9m), and 150 pounds (70 kilograms) by Tara Institute in Australia — stands as a remarkable testament to what that vision can achieve. 

Twenty-One Taras on display at the Melbourne Town Hall. Credits Tara Institute’s Instagram

In 2014, Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked master thangka artist Peter Iseli to paint a monumental Twenty-One Taras thangka. Working alongside his wife Jangchub Iseli-Sangmo, Peter spent four years creating the painting one section at a time in the studio at Institut Vajra Yogini. At the end of 2017, Rinpoche offered the completed thangka to Tara Institute in Melbourne, Australia, with the wish for it “to be shown to as many people as possible.”

That wish has been honored. For four consecutive years, the thangka has been displayed at Melbourne Town Hall as part of the annual multicultural Vesak celebrations — one of the few venues with the height and hanging points needed to safely support a canvas of this scale and weight.

The thangka was also exhibited at a retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Great Stupa in Bendigo in 2018. There, Rinpoche requested that Peter make further refinements: changes to Tara’s face, the addition of a rainbow around the central Tara’s aura, and adjustments to the shapes of the blue lotuses. Peter completed these changes in 2019, and the thangka has since been kept at Tara Institute, whose team works each year to fulfill Rinpoche’s wish by organizing this complex and logistically demanding exhibition.

Due to its immense size, unrolling and re-rolling the thangka from its 9.5-meter (31 ft) tube is a careful technical exercise. Done properly — to keep the canvas straight and avoid any wrinkles or damage — it takes at least an hour each time. For those who witness it unfurled, however, the thangka has become something far more than a work of art: a precious connection with Lama Zopa Rinpoche himself.

2026 poster of the Twenty-One Taras on display at the Melbourne Town Hall. Credits Tara Institute

This year on Saturday May 16, 2026  the thangka was displayed at Melbourne Town Hall by the Tara Institute team, in the annual United Nations Vesak. Next year it will be displayed on Saturday May 8.

Several other FPMT centers have since commissioned large thangkas of their own and are holding festival days where these holy objects can be experienced by the public. As Rinpoche has said of displaying such objects, doing so makes it “so easy for sentient beings to purify their heavy negative karma and making it so easy for sentient beings to create extensive merit — which makes it so easy to achieve the realizations of the path and so easy to achieve liberation and enlightenment.”

Is your FPMT center home to a large thangka? Have you attended one of these exhibitions and would like to share your experience? We’d love to hear from you — send a photo and a few words about your experience and let the whole FPMT family rejoice together!

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

Lama Yeshe and Venerable Jamyang Wangmo

Venerable Jamyang Wangmo—also known as Jampa Chokyi—is the author of The Lawudo Lama. Born in Spain in 1945 and trained in law, she traveled to India and Nepal and took ordination as a Buddhist nun in 1972. A watercolor artist, she has spent much of the past decades in retreat in Dharamsala, India, and in the Solo Khumbu region of Nepal. Here she shares, in her own words, how it all began. 

As a continuation of our yearlong celebration of the FPMT organization turning 50 in December 2025, we are delighted to share Venerable Jamyang Wangmo’ s story and images as one of the early students of FPMT! 

An Old Gelongma’s Tiny Contribution to the FPMT 

 By Venerable Jamyang Wangmo

Venerable Jamyang Wangmo’s IMI booklet

In October 1972, when I met Lama Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) and the International Mahayana Institute (IMI) didn’t exist. The Mount Everest Center was just starting, and the Kopan Monastery’s Gompa was not even finished. In any case, I didn’t come to Nepal looking for an organization to give me some kind of support. I was desperately trying to find a wise person to show me the way out of suffering. 

Lama Zopa’s lamrim teachings and Lama Yeshe’s compassionate and powerful energy effectively helped my mind and my life. A few months later, I was ordained as a novice in Dharamshala by Geshe Rabten Rinpoche and given the name Jampa Chokyi. That same evening, Lama Yeshe sent me on my way back to Nepal. Three days later, I boarded a Pilatus Porter aircraft to Lukla together with some of the young Sherpa monks of Kopan. 

I spent a few years doing retreat in various caves and hermitages around Lawudo when, in 1976, Lama Zopa Rinpoche reached me to inform me that the following year he would give an extensive empowerment of the One-Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) to a group of about eight Westerners. 

At Lawudo there were very few holy objects, so Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked me to make a large thangka and have it ready for the following year, in early May. I was a good artist, but a large one-thousand-armed Chenrezig was not an easy task. To begin with, I had to say goodbye to my cave and find an artist to give me the correct dimensions, etc. The great Sherpa painters were not familiar with Gelugpa deities, and the Nyingma school differed slightly. So, I had no choice but to go down to Kathmandu and eventually to India to look for a good thangka painter to help me. 

Then I decided to make the thangka in silk appliqué instead of painted. Back in Kopan, Lama Yeshe provided a large Tibetan tent where I could stay and work on the thangka. I bought pure silk in Kathmandu, and some people helped to embroider the thousand arms. Finally, I went back to Lawudo in April, and the thangka was ready for the Nyung Nä with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Western students. 

Lawudo painting by Jamyang Wangmo.

I hoped to go back into retreat, but then the lamas asked me to go with them to Spain, to Ibiza, and translate for Lama Yeshe. When I finally came back to Kopan, Lama had a new surprise for me. The foreigners at Lawudo had a terrible time. They didn’t like Sherpa food, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s sister didn’t know what to cook for them, and then there was the language barrier. So, Lama gave me the job of organizing the Westerners for the following Nyung Nä at Lawudo. I had to buy food supplies in Kathmandu, charter a cargo plane to Lukla, and then organize coolies to take things to Lawudo. That was the beginning of the “Lawudo Retreat Center” and for a few years I assumed the high-sounding title of “director of Lawudo Retreat Center.” 

Oseling Centro de Retiros 

Lama Yeshe and Venerable Jamyang Wangmo

In 1979, I went to Italy and other places to give painting classes to Western students, according to Lama Yeshe’s instruction: a talk on the history of Tibetan thangkas, meditation on Tummo, talk and explanation of the Buddha’s 32 major and 80 minor marks, and painting a large Buddha, all in ten days! Lama Yeshe’s style! 

The Lamas were giving a course in southern France, so we went there from Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, driving a car at classic, frightening Italian speed! There was a large group of Spanish students there, and they asked me to lead them in the Thirty-Five Buddhas prostrations, etc. At that time, they had decided to leave Ibiza because it was not a conducive environment for Dharma practice and were looking for a place to open the Nagarjuna Center, and also for a director to lead them. They met with Lama Yeshe, and I was asked to attend. Then they voted and, unfortunately, they elected me as their director! I had no interest, so I told Lama Yeshe, “I’m going back to Nepal, not to Spain,” but Lama Yeshe said, “They chose you. So, what to do!” 

So, I went to Granada to see my father and reflect on a location for the Center. I did a ten-day Tara retreat in the Sierra Nevada. I always liked the Sierra Nevada and used to go skiing there very often. The powerful, blessed energy of those mountains is very strong, so I thought we should look for land somewhere there. The northern slopes are cold and snowy in winter and full of tourists, but the southern side, the Alpujarras, is sunny and peaceful. So, I went to check with a student from Madrid, Jose Juan Ortiz, who had a van, and Maria Ferre from Barcelona. We stayed in a small hotel in Bubión. In the morning, I went out to look at the mountains, and right in front there was a nice mountain. I thought, “That could be a good place!” The hotel owner told us there were some old houses on that hill and they were for sale. It was called the Atalaya, the Watch Tower. 

We went to visit various places, but they were not suitable, so we decided to visit the Atalaya. Just when we started at the bottom of the hill, there was a huge, extremely powerful hailstorm. One window of the van was shattered, and it was a bit frightening. Maria Ferre was crying and worried, but I decided to go up anyway. 

The storm abated when we reached the old houses, and immediately I felt the place was spiritually very powerful and exactly what we were looking for. I sent a message to the Lamas, and they said yes, go ahead and buy it. 

At that time, they had appointed Maria Torres as treasurer, and together with Paco Hita and Francois Camus, they were the ones to stay there and work to make the center a reality. 

A group of students thought it was too remote for them and wanted to find another place, so I offered to stay temporarily in an empty flat I inherited from my mother in Salamanca. That was a difficult time because those people had no wish to follow any discipline, as in a Dharma Center. They were just there having a good time. One monk and others were even going out to bars at night, which didn’t look right for Buddhist monks. Salamanca is a strong Catholic town, so with such Buddhists there was no hope anyone would take seriously a Buddhist Center. After countless discussions and fights, I wrote to Lama Yeshe explaining the situation. He was very upset and sent them a letter saying so, and told me to leave them and go back home. So, I went back home to Nepal. 

The following year, Lama Yeshe wanted to see the land in the Alpujarras. I flew with him from Barcelona to Granada, and Alberto Vinoly and Carmen drove us to the Atalaya. At that time, neither Maria, Paco, nor Francois were there. 

Lama Yeshe loved it and gave clear instructions about the way the center should be organized. The old houses were to be the kitchen, office, reception, and gompa, with some living quarters for those who worked there. 

The upper part was to be exclusively for retreat huts, so meditators would not be disturbed. The large round meditation tent or dome was to be set near the reception and kitchen, and below there should be living quarters for families with children and visitors. 

I wrote down everything Lama said and later passed it on to Maria, Paco, and Francois. Then I went back to Nepal and had no further involvement with the Atalaya. 

That was my second and last involvement in the creation of an FPMT Dharma center. Now I devote myself to developing the center in my own heart and trying to live a meaningful and beneficial life. 

With grateful thanks to Venerable Jamyang Wangmo for this precious personal account of the early days of FPMT!

Jamyang Wangmo in front of the ruins of her hermitage.

Are you an early student of FPMT who was there at the beginning? Do you have a story to share about how you met Lama Yeshe or Lama Zopa Rinpoche or the impact they have had on your life? Have you personally achieved or actualized a request, advice, practice accomplishment, or project given to you by Lama Yeshe or Lama Zopa Rinpoche? We want to hear from you!

Please explore all of the resources we have compiled related to FPMT history. We look forward to all of your creative ideas on how to bring this year-long celebration to your own local activities and personal practices! Please use the hashtag #50YearsFPMT in your social media posts so we can all be connected in this way. 

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

Shakyamuni Buddha

This year, Saka Dawa Duchen falls on Sunday, May 31—the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Tibetan lunar calendar. One of the four great holy days of the Tibetan calendar, this holy day commemorates the three major life events of Shakyamuni Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment, and his parinirvana.

On Saka Dawa Duchen, karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times, as taught in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, making it an extraordinarily precious opportunity to accumulate merit through virtuous activity of body, speech, and mind.

Please refer to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for merit multiplying days, in particular:

• Taking the eight Mahayana precepts. Students can receive the lineage of these precepts from a specially produced video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche granting them, recorded in 2020 at Kopan Monastery.
• Reciting the Sutra Remembering the Three Jewels

Of course, it is also good to do any of the other meritorious activities often advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on these great holy days.

On Sunday May 17—the first day of holy Saka Dawa month—an estimated 700+ people joined the first session of FPMT Global MANI Retreat from around the world. This was the launch of an unprecedented worldwide effort to devote our collective time and effort to powerful Dharma practice, dedicating ourselves to the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s unmistaken reincarnation.

This retreat continues with the third session—a very special broadcast from Lawudo (from the Lawudo Lamas’ Cave of Blissful Attainment) with Ven. Sarah Thresher leading Chenrezig group practice accompanied by special guest Anila Ngwang Samten, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s sister and co-director of Lawudo Retreat Centre. 

Please join our Facebook Group to keep up on all updates and opportunities related to this retreat and check back often to the Global MANI Retreat webpage for the latest information. 

Offerings on Saka Dawa 

On Saka Dawa Duchen (May 31), the FPMT Puja Fund  , on behalf of the entire FPMT organization, will be sponsoring two recitations of the 100,000 Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, the recitation of the Guhyasamaja Root Tantra, 1,000 Offerings to Buddha Namgyalma, Medicine Buddha Puja and recitations of Jampal Tshen Jo (Chanting the Names of Manjushri). Offerings will be made to all the sangha undertaking these practices and to all of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, and the stupas of Boudhanath and Swambyunath in Nepal will be freshly painted, and the umbrellas at the pinnacle of each stupa will be replaced, and a new set of robes will be offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya. We warmly invite anyone who wishes to share in the merit created by offering any amount toward the pujas

Please join us in rejoicing in all the meritorious activities happening within the FPMT organization and around the world on this auspicious merit-multiplying day!

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche on top of Kopan Hill, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

This month’s newsletter brings you news, opportunities, and reasons to rejoice.

Saka Dawa month is upon us, starting on May 17 and continuing through May 31 on Saka Dawa Duchen, one of the four great days of the Tibetan calendar, each of which celebrates an anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha’s display of extraordinarily powerful deeds for the sake of sentient beings.

In this month’s enews you will find practice advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for this merit-making occasion, information about the powerful and successful launch of the 2026 Global MANI Retreat on May 17, and details of prayers and practices offered by thousands of ordained Sangha on behalf of the entire FPMT organization for the benefit of all beings on Saka Dawa—and how you can take part in all of these opportunities. And of course, much more, including stories for rejoicing, opportunities for study, service, and practice; new and updated resources available to you; and changes within the FPMT organization. 

Please read this month’s enews in its entirety!

Have the e-News translated into your native language by using our convenient translation facility located on the right-hand side of the page.

Visit our subscribe page to receive the FPMT International Office News directly in your email inbox.

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

Photo: Louis De Santis. Credit Thubten Norbu Ling

Louis De Santis passed peacefully after a lengthy illness on April 15, 2026 in Santa Fe, USA

The following words celebrating Louis De Santis’ qualities have been shared by the Thubten Norbu Ling Buddhist Center in Santa Fe, where he served in the last years as webmaster.

Louis moved to Santa Fe more than three years ago on the advice of his teacher, Ven. Robina Courtin. From day one he began contributing to the Thubten Norbu Ling Buddhist Center and the local community, pitching in with whatever was needed. Lou ended up running a significant number of in-person events, became responsible for running the website, and was always helping those around him in need, being particularly instrumental in helping Sister Max at the end of her life. 

Louis was a bright light at the center whose warmth, charm, and smile made everyone feel cared for. His absence will be deeply felt, but we can now hold on to the lessons he taught us as he was the embodiment of caring for others. 

Louis De Santis, 79, passed peacefully after a lengthy illness on April 15, 2026, at a friend’s rural farm outside of Santa Fe, surrounded by family and friends, a curious peacock, Gracie the cat, Bumble the Great Pyrenees, and a Pomeranian Chihuahua named Babette. Born October 21, 1946 to Italian parents emigrated to the Boston area from Naples and Palermo, after high school Louis enlisted in the air force where, in 1968 he was trained in the newly emerging field of computer support service. 

Due to serious asthma attacks, eight years later he was given a disability discharge and went into the private sector to work in design, programming, and testing at the legendary Wang Laboratories for 14 years. 

During the covid pandemic, Louis saw a lecture on Zoom by the Tibetan Buddhist nun Venerable Robina Courtin, and immediately recognized a kindred spirit. Venerable Robina told him about a new Buddhist Center building in Santa Fe that was opening in a few years which had a need for a tech person so Louis decided it was time for a change, and moved to Santa Fe where he became a devout Buddhist and the much beloved webmaster and troubleshooter for Thubten Norbu Ling. A kind, generous, and gentle soul, Louis financially contributed to social, literary, and spiritual causes, and will be remembered fondly by many whom he helped.  

On Sunday, April 19, 2026 Thubten Norbu Ling’s community organized a Medicine Buddha Puja to help create the conditions for his auspicious rebirth and swift enlightenment. We hope that this will serve as a moment of healing for his loved ones as well as our final offering of practice on his behalf. 

Please pray that Louis  may never ever be reborn in the lower realms, may he be immediately born in a pure land where he can be enlightened or to receive a perfect human body, meet the Mahayana teachings and meet a perfectly qualified guru and by only pleasing the guru’s mind, achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. More advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on death and dying is available, see Death and Dying: Practices and Resources (fpmt.org/death/).

To read more obituaries from the international FPMT mandala, and to find information on submission guidelines, please visit our new Obituaries page (fpmt.org/media/obituaries/).