Massimo Corona with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe, Nepal, 1972. Photo by LYWA collection.

Massimo Corona was among the first students of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and is one of the pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism in Italy. Over the past five decades, he has helped found Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, the second FPMT center in the world and the first Italian Buddhist center. He has served in many roles, including founding director of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Pomaia, member of the first FPMT Inc. Board of Directors, executive director of FPMT International Office, publisher of Mandala magazine, director of the Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling, FPMT center in Mongolia, and interim president of ILTK’s board—offering not only his own life but the devotion, labor, and generosity of his entire family.

As a continuation of our yearlong celebration of the FPMT organization turning 50 in December 2025, we are delighted to share  Massimo Corona’ s story and images as one of the early students of FPMT!  We rejoice in Massimo’s lifelong service and share his story here, largely in his own words.

A Life Offered in Guru Devotion

First Encounter with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Massimo Corona was born in 1947 and raised in Milan, Italy, into a wealthy family whose fortune came from the fashion industry. As a university student during the student protest uprisings of 1968 that swept through Italy and the wider West, Massimo was drawn into that spirit of searching and questioning. It would prove to be the beginning of a much longer revolution—not a political one, but a Dharma revolution.

Massimo Corona and  Michael Losang Yeshe (Michael Cassapidis). Lawudo Retreat Centre, 1972, Photo by LYWA collection.

After reading about Swami Naryanananda, Massimo decided to travel to India in search of a spiritual teacher.  It was April 1971, and he was twenty-three years old. His younger brother, Luca, then sixteen, had also been sent later to India by their parents, who hoped to distance him from the political unrest in which he had become involved. When Luca ran out of money, Massimo traveled to Kathmandu to help him. It was Luca who suggested they visit Kopan Monastery, where his friend Claudio Cipullo was staying. As Massimo approached the old gompa, a poster explaining the Four Noble Truths caught his attention. “This is exactly what I need,” he thought.

It was there that he first met Lama Yeshe.

Listening to Lama teach, Massimo felt as though every word was directed to him personally. “As soon as Lama started talking, I felt it was all about me – about my mind, my problems, my hopes, faults and dreams. I thought, my God, this is my teacher!” He immediately abandoned his plan to travel to Rishikesh to meet the swami and instead remained at Kopan, where Lama Yeshe had begun teaching Western students.

During their first private interview, Lama Yeshe asked if he wished to receive teachings. When Massimo answered yes, Lama replied:” Well, remember, this is not a path for curiosity, this is a path for practice.”

Looking back, Massimo says: “Meeting Lama Yeshe for me was love at first sight. He guided my life, not only through teachings. He taught from his heart, and that was why he touched our hearts. Practically every word Lama Yeshe said had an incredible impact on me. Lama was telling me what to do with my life. I asked him everything. It was a guru-disciple relationship—not just receiving teachings but having a beacon for my life!”

Near Ordination and Life Change of Plans

IMI audience with His Holiness, Included in the photo are: Massimo Corona, Bonnie Rothenberg, Chokey Thubten (Debra Spring Livingston), Dieter Kratzer, Gareth Sparham Jampa Sampo (Mark Shaneman), John Feuille, Ordination, Pende Thubten (Jim Dougherty), Piero Cerri (Thubten Donyo), Steve Malasky (Pearl),  Ursula Bernis, Yogi (Konchog Jampa). May 1975. Photo by LYWA collection.

Lama Yeshe had set a date in Dharamsala for Massimo’s ordination, to be conducted by Ling Rinpoche alongside the Canadian monk Jampa Sampo. The morning before the ordination, however, Carol—an American woman with whom Massimo had been traveling—arrived and told him that she was pregnant.  For several days he struggled with the decision. Too embarrassed to ask Lama Yeshe for advice, he reflected alone before deciding that he could not leave his unborn child without a father. Instead, he chose to remain a lay practitioner and raise his child in the Dharma. On December 23, 1971, their daughter, Maitri Dolma Corona, was born in the American Hospital of Kathmandu. Soon afterward, Massimo carried her to Lama Yeshe for a blessing, bringing with him the finest Darjeeling tea he could find as an offering. During Carol’s pregnancy, they also had the opportunity to meet His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for the first time. The audience took place in a small sitting room at his residence in Dharamsala. His Holiness asked Massimo a question that stayed with him throughout his life: “How can you be sure that what you perceive is not a dream?” The question immediately reminded Massimo of something he himself had wondered as an eleven-year-old child, when he had once asked his brother in the dark: “How can we be sure our parents are not a dream?”

 The Early Kopan Courses

Massimo Corona with the newborn baby Maitri at the second Kopan Meditation Course. Included in the photo are: Ann McNeil (Anila Ann), Mark Shaneman (Jhampa Zangpo), Steve Malasky, Gen Wangyal, Åge Delbanco (Babaji), Peter Kedge, Geshe Thubten Tashi (seated in middle), Losang Nyima, Chris Kolb (Ngawang Chötak), Ron Brooks. Spring 1972. Photo by LYWA collection.

The following year, Massimo attended both the March and November Kopan courses. As a young father with a newborn daughter, he was able to follow Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings more easily than many of the other students because, before the course began, he had spent time with Rinpoche preparing a thirty-page booklet in English to help communicate the teachings. It was the first version of The Wish-Fulfilling Golden Sun of the Mahayana Thought Training teachings from the Kopan Course.  

The third Kopan Course brought together around fifty students, many of whom would later become future pillars of FPMT, including Peter Kedge, Marcel Bertels, Nick Ribush, Marie Obst, Claudio Cipullo, Piero Cerri, Luca Corona, among many others, and it was here that Massimo felt that something significant was beginning.

Massimo Corona at the third Kopan Meditation course with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Piero Cerri, Steve Malasky (Steve Pearl), Nick Ribush. Fall 1972. Photo by LYWA collection.

Over the following months, his connection with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche deepened. He accompanied them to Bodhgaya to attend teachings by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche on The Lama Chopa commentary. Later that summer, he traveled to Lawudo, where he helped distribute food to the Lawudo family and began a Vajrasattva retreat in the Lawudo Cave with Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

While staying there, his infant daughter, Maitri, developed bronchitis and a dangerously high fever just as heavy snow cut the family off from the outside world. Massimo eventually found a jar of sulfonamide left behind by a Mount Everest expedition and gave it to her twice a day until the fever finally subsided. Once she had recovered, he carried her on his shoulders all the way down the mountain to Lukla airport in a single day. At the time, the family was living in Ram’s house near Kopan, close to Laxman’s home. One evening Maitri would not stop crying. Desperate, Massimo and Carol carried her to Lama Yeshe. “He looked at her for a few moments then reached over and pulled out a thorn lodged in the back of her knee. She stopped crying immediately.”

During the time in Lawudo, Lama Yeshe invited Massimo to sponsor a tantric puja at Thamo Nunnery. Watching Lama during the ceremony, Massimo felt as though he had become completely motionless. Afterward Lama said “Did you see? During the puja Lama is gone. Lama is not there! One day, dear, you will learn that the real guru is inside you.”

Toward the end of the year, Lama Yeshe held a public examination at Tushita Retreat Centre in Dharamsala. Massimo remembers: “The room was packed—about one hundred and fifty people. Lama called me and the other senior students, including Jon Landaw. Each of us could choose a topic. I was first and chose The Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa. They seemed happy with my presentation. Then Lama Zopa Rinpoche questioned me about emptiness and the self, asking very unusual questions to see whether I had really understood.” Massimo did all right; one student in the room told him afterward, “I’ve just seen the future of a great Dharma teacher.”

Bringing Buddhism to Italy

Massimo Corona, Piero Cerri, and Claudio Cipullo— the “three Italian Musketeers”—were the first Italian students of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. It was Piero who formally invited Lama Yeshe to teach in Italy.

The first meditation course was held in 1975 at a Barnabite fathers’ retreat center in Eupilio, near Como, with Massimo, Carol, Claudio, and Piero arranging accommodation for eighty students. Wilma, Massimo’s mother, came and when introduced to Lama Yeshe, was immediately and warmly greeted by him. She fell completely in love with Lama Yeshe, —a meeting that planted an important seed of support for the years to come.

The following year, Massimo’s second child, Yeshe, was born in Switzerland. Later that year, he helped organize a second lamrim course in Tartavalle, near Taceno, translated by Stefano Piovella. Around this time, Wilma invited Lama Yeshe to stay for two days at the family’s country house near Asti. Massimo’s father, Pino, initially skeptical of Lama Yeshe’s intention, was won over during a private conversation overlooking the family vineyards, in which Lama Yeshe articulated Pino’s own life principles back to him, one by one. “Tell these young people they have to work, that they can mix Dharma with ordinary life. There’s no need for them to abandon.” Moved to tears, Pino pledged his support to create a Dharma center in Italy.

Lama Yeshe with Massimo Corona, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, November, 1982. Photo by LYWA collection.

During the second Italian lamrim course, Lama Yeshe called Massimo, Piero, and Claudio to his room one evening and asked, “Well, are we going to make a center in Italy or not?”

The three enthusiastically agreed. Lama then asked what they should call it: “Atisha? Lama Tsong Khapa? Or what do you like?”

Lama Yeshe then turned to the question of leadership. “Who is going to be the director? We make democratic. We vote. I vote for Massimo. Who do you vote for? And who is the Spiritual Director? I vote for Piero. And we need a secretary—that is Claudio. See how democracy works? It’s very good!”

Lama Yeshe also instructed them to leave their studies of Tibetan debate with Geshe Rabten at the Tibet Institute in Switzerland so they could work directly at the center and support the new students. Although Massimo loved studying debate, he left everything behind and began searching for a suitable location for the center.

Lama Yeshe and Massimo Corona with the team of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa. Included in the photo are: Claudio Cipullo, Franchino Morgante, Massimo Andreuzza, Franco Piatt, Claudio Gambirasio. Pomaia 1983. Photo by LYWA collection.

The new Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa was first established in 1976 in a small apartment in Milan while Massimo searched throughout Italy for a permanent home. He placed advertisements in local newspapers and traveled across Veneto, Tuscany, and Umbria, eventually visiting more than one hundred properties. The castle at Pomaia was chosen for its immediate habitability. Massimo sent photographs of the building to Lama Yeshe, who quickly replied, “Perfect. Okay.”  The preliminary purchase agreement was signed in April 1977.  It was, in every sense, a family offering: Massimo’s father, Pino, gave most of the funds from what would otherwise have been Massimo’s inheritance, while his mother, Wilma, stood among the twelve founding members who registered the center with the Italian government, in December 1976.  In April 1977, the first residents moved in, with Massimo the first to sleep in the old castle.

This marked an important milestone in the development of Buddhism in Italy. Although Buddhism had already begun to take root in Italy during the 1960s, the founding of the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute (ILTK) in 1976 marked a turning point, as it became the first permanent Buddhist center in Italy.

Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the center with the students. Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, 1978. Photo by LYWA collection.

In September 1977, on his first visit to Pomaia, Lama Yeshe told the community that two things were essential to a center: Dharma, and money—a statement that startled the largely countercultural audience. “He explained that without money, nothing could be accomplished,” Massimo recalled. During the same visit, Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught for ten days on lamrim and thought transformation, and Lama Yeshe gave a ten-day course on the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice. “Why do we need a guru? Because in order to cure our diseased minds, we need the help of someone who knows how to do it. Since it is extremely difficult to understand how the mind works, we need the guidance of an expert in this area.”

As director from 1977, Massimo oversaw the restoration of the building alongside a steady daily routine of practice. By December, the community had grown to fifteen residents, and a management committee was established. During the first three years, more than half the castle was dismantled, only two rooms were livable, and with no proper gompa, the teachings were held in a huge tent in the courtyard. 

The lamas continued to visit the Institute every year, at least in the early period. During Massimo’s time, the Institute was incredibly fortunate to host many great teachers, including Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in 1978. This year, Lama Yeshe arrived at ILTK on September 13, a few days after Zong Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Zong Rinpoche was teaching the lamrim, and Lama Yeshe was to give a course on the fifty-one mental factors, a study of the mind and its functions according to Buddhist psychology. At the end of the teachings, Lama Yeshe had a long meeting with Massimo and the ILTK community: “If there is no Dharma community, people lose contact with each other. So Pomaia has the function of refuge.” 

The following year brought another period of intense activity. In July 1979 the lamas arrived at ILTK, where Lama Zopa Rinpoche began teaching a course on the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. While Geshe Yeshe Tobten had already arrived with Massimo’s younger brother, Luca, who had by then become a monk and was serving as his translator.

Lama Yeshe with Massimo and Pino Corona, Harvey Horrocks, and Franco Piatti. Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, 1983. Photo by LYWA collection.

Massimo with the community worked from early morning until late at night preparing for the visits of the lamas. By then the gompa had finally been completed, one dormitory was finished, much of the castle had been restored, and the upper floor of the lamas’ residence was ready for use. During these years the Institute welcomed many eminent teachers, including Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, Geshe Jampa Lodro, and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, who made his only European stop at ILTK to give teachings and a Yamantaka initiation.  After several years of intensive work, Massimo stepped down as director in 1980 in order to attend to family matters. When Lama Yeshe asked who should succeed him, Massimo recommended Harvey Horrocks, who became director after Claudio Cipullo had served in the role temporarily.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, with Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Included in the photo are: Massimo Corona, Elisabeth Drukier, Harvey Horrocks, India, JW- Jamyang Wangmo (aka Helly Pelaez or Jampa Chokyi), Jacie Keeley, Nick Ribush, Stefano Piovella, Susanna Parodi Corona, Uldis Balodis, Zia Bassa. Dharamsala 1981. Photo by LYWA collection.

Family Life and Continued Service

Massimo Corona and Susanna Parodi Corona, New Delhi, 1982, Photo by Greg Moscatt.

Although he had stepped down as director of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Massimo’s service to Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche continued in many different ways. At the same time, he returned to the family fashion business, directing the Karma fashion house in Milan together with stylist Susanna Parodi, who would later become his wife. Massimo always smiled when recalling how Lama Yeshe had introduced them. One day in 1980, Lama turned to him and said, my daughter Susanna don’t you think is pitty [pretty]? I think she is really pitty!” The following year, while Massimo was interpreting for Lama Yeshe at an international yoga conference in Milan, Lama turned to Susanna and said, “You look after my sponsor!”, referring to Massimo.

Lama Yeshe and Massimo Corona at the Yoga conference, Milan, 1981, Photo by LYWA collection.

In 1982, Massimo traveled to Tushita Retreat Centre in Dharamsala to receive teachings and  empowerments from Kyabje Song Rinpoche. However, a business commitment required him to leave before the teachings had concluded. Soon afterward, Lama Yeshe wrote to him: “[…] You are in my heart making success for all sentient beings. I dedicate your efforts. Thank you so much. And anything I can do from time to time, you let me know.” 

That same year ILTK hosted the first visit of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Lama Yeshe arrived two days before and the community worked tirelessly to get the place ready, ”I can still see the incredible toil of working neck deep in trenches installing sewerage lines under the scorching July sun” said Massimo.

The following year, 1983, Lama Yeshe anticipating his declining health, proposed forming an international board of directors for FPMT so that Lama Zopa Rinpoche would be free to focus on teaching rather than administration. Massimo served on this first FPMT board alongside ten other longtime students.

That September, Lama Yeshe made what would become his final visit to Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa. During the visit he invited Massimo to dinner and insisted on preparing the meal himself. Massimo has never forgotten that evening, “That was the last meal he ever cooked for me.”

Passing of Lama Yeshe

Massimo Corona and Susanna Parodi Corona doing puja for Lama Yeshe, Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, March, 1984. Photo by LYWA collection.

In January 1984, during Lama’s final weeks, he invited Massimo and Susanna to Palam, Delhi. “He was in bed with oxygen and his little dogs on the bed. As soon as he saw us he took the tubes out and started crying, so soft and gentle,” said Massimo. “I had never seen him cry before. He told us ‘I know you Italians love me so much, but don’t worry, I’ll never leave you.'”

On March 3, 1984 Lama Yeshe passed away in Los Angeles, USA.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading the procession to the cremation of Lama Yeshe, followed by Mummy Max, Massimo Corona and other students. Vajrapani Institute, California, March, 1984. Age Delbanco (Babaji) (Photographer). Photo by LYWA collection.

At the time, Massimo happened to be in New York on business. As soon as he heard the news, he and Susanna flew to California and drove directly to Vajrapani Institute. They arrived just as Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Sopa were about to open Lama Yeshe’s casket. “Rinpoche held my hand and said, ‘The beautiful film is finished. Now the movie has come to an end. Don’t worry. Lama loved you so much. You always did what he wanted,'” Massimo remembered. “From then on it was all pujas. It was intense, very intense, I cried very strongly.”

Building the Foundation

Massimo’s service continued through the following decades alongside his work in business.

In December 1995, he helped establish FPMT Italy as a national legal entity, an initiative led by his mother, Wilma, together with other students. Ownership of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa was transferred to the new foundation after the original owners generously donated their shares. 

In 1998, his father, Pino Corona, passed away. Years earlier, Lama Yeshe had asked that a plaque be placed at the Institute in recognition of the generosity of the Corona family, saying that without their support the center would not have existed. Although the plaque was never installed, Lama’s words remain a lasting tribute to their generosity.

Group photo with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Taos, New Mexico, 1999. Photo by Roger Kunsang.

At the end of 1999, Massimo became executive director of FPMT International Office, then relocating from Land of Medicine Buddha in California to Taos, New Mexico. Drawing on his background in business and finance, he introduced professional accounting procedures and arranged for FPMT Inc.’s financial records to be certified by public accountants—work that later proved essential when government authorities requested documentation of the organization’s finances. He also served as publisher of Mandala magazine during this period, and worked to expand Mandala‘s international readership. The magazine, however, continued to serve primarily as the voice of the FPMT community, remaining true to its longstanding mission.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with FPMT Board of Directors. USA, 2002. Photo by Roger Kunsang.

In May 2002, Massimo organized a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash with Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the holy time of Saka Dawa, bringing together about fifty pilgrims from around the world. From this journey came the FPMT documentary Mystic Tibet: An Outer, Inner, and Secret Pilgrimage, by filmmaker Christina Lundberg. When plans for the pilgrimage changed repeatedly because of unforeseen circumstances that Lama Zopa saw in his mo divination, the group ultimately undertook a pilgrimage around Central Tibet instead. The participants made pilgrimage to many holy places, including a late-night puja at the nunnery where Lama Yeshe’s former incarnation was once abbess. “A really special time” recalled Massimo, during which “Lama Zopa explained everything.”

At Milarepa’s cave, Rinpoche advised the group to pray strongly for the ability to actualize guru devotion as Milarepa had. For Massimo, guru devotion has remained the foundation of his life of service. “Whatever difficulties one has, it can be overcome by the guru devotion practice.”

Looking back over decades of service, he sees no separation between Dharma practice and organizational work. “My advice is to really try to integrate the FPMT work with Dharma with the Guru Devotion […] and if I am working for that, I’m doing it with a very strong devotion, try to make it possible and realize whatever was his vision.” He believes this is especially important for those serving in leadership positions at centers, study groups, and projects: “It is a bigger responsibility if you’re doing it to please your guru; even if you encounter obstacles if you have the guru in your heart, they don’t hurt you.”

Massimo stepped down as executive director of International Office and publisher of Mandala in 2006, though he remained on the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors until June 2008.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with the FPMT Board of Directors, US, 2004. Photo by Roger Kunsang.

Although he had completed many years of organizational responsibility, his wish remained the same. “I kept saying to Lama Zopa all the time, ‘I want to work for you. I dedicate my life to your activities, whatever they are.'” In 2012, that wish was answered: Ven. Roger Kunsang called to relay Rinpoche’s request that Massimo serve in Ulaanbaatar, at the Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling center of FPMT Mongolia. Massimo served as director there for eighteen months. Among his strongest memories is the devotion of the local community. “Every day they were coming to the room, the ground floor of the building, these ladies doing all kinds of offerings, water bowl offerings, early morning, every day,” he said. “One woman told me, ‘I have to thank you. Since my husband started coming here, he stopped drinking.'”

After returning to Italy in 2015, he rejoined the community at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa. Around 2020, a moment of urgent need for the Institute, he was once again asked to serve—this time as interim president of the board.

Massimo Corona offering kata to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy 2017. Photo by Roger Kunsang.

Today, Massimo and Susanna live in a house provided by Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in recognition of his decades of service. Although he was born into considerable wealth, Massimo used what would have been his inheritance to help purchase the Institute and later donated his ownership share to FPMT Italy.  Looking back, he says he has never regretted that decision. “I actually rejoice when I think of all the people who came here and found the entrance to a real spiritual practice—not an ego-driven one. That’s fantastic.”

His Holiness the 14th Dalia Lama with Massimo Corona, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, June 13, 2014. Photo by Piero Sirianni.

For Massimo, that offering was never simply about a building. It was another expression of guru devotion. “I dedicate my life to the Dharma activities of our Lamas, whatever they are.” From a young man searching for a teacher on the road to Kopan, to one of FPMT’s earliest center directors, a founding board member, and a longtime leader of International Office and Mandala, Massimo Corona’s life has been shaped, decade after decade, by a single unwavering thread: devotion to his gurus and willingness to serve wherever needed.  His story is also the story of a family’s offering. Through the generosity of his family, Pino, Wilma and Luca Corona, the encouragement and companionship of Susanna, and Massimo’s own willingness to dedicate his time, resources, and abilities to the Dharma, countless students have encountered the teachings through the communities they helped establish and sustain. More than five decades after first arriving at Kopan, the thread that has guided his life remains unchanged: serving the vision of his gurus so that others may encounter the Dharma.

We rejoice in his kindness, in the kindness of his whole family, and in the countless lives that have benefited, and continue to benefit, from what they offered.

With grateful thanks to Fabiana Lotito for conducting interviews with Massimo about his life with the FPMT organization.

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. 

The News Roundup is a digest of short community highlights from FPMT centers and individuals around the world, as part of our ongoing effort to nourish the “family feeling” and bring back the “News Around the World”  and “News in Brief” sections previously featured in the print Mandala magazine that so many of us have missed! This list of stories is not exhaustive, —just a sample of all the great activities happening in the FPMT family worldwide. 

We hope that reading these highlights will inspire you to rejoice in the family feeling and good works happening in our global FPMT community!  If you would like to share photos or details from your center, we would be happy to include them in the upcoming edition.

Holy Objects  | Prayers & Practices | Teaching Tours & Visits | Dialogue & Discussion | Compassion in Action| International

Holy Objects

Land of Medicine Buddha, 2026, Medicine Buddha Festival. Photo Courtesy of LMB Facebook Page

(USA) Land of Medicine Buddha, on June 27, displayed the 24-foot (7.3 meters) Medicine Buddhas thangka and the Eight Great Bodhisattva thangkas during their ‘Medicine Buddha Festival’. Festivals with large thangkas are a cultural tradition in the Himalayan regions of Tibet and Nepal. On special occasions, these large thangkas are displayed for veneration and for attendees to receive blessings. Lama Zopa Rinpoche brought this custom to the FPMT centers as one of his Vast Visions. We rejoice with all who helped bring it to life!

Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Center, working at the steps of the Prayer Wheel. 2026, Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Facebook page.

(Malaysia) Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Center is continuing to make wonderful progress on its massive prayer wheel project. Having completed the rotation base—the first sacred milestone—in May (read more in the previous news roundup edition), the community is now building the steps. The prayer wheel project started in 2018, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche once noted that the diameter of the prayer wheel is the width of twelve children’s hands joined in a circle—a measurement that teachers and children together calculated at approximately five meters, which proved to be exactly the width of the delivery truck. The construction has been challenging, but sustained by perseverance and blessing, the community is moving steadily forward. We rejoice in this dedicated effort for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The large printed thangka at Nalanda Monastery, 2026. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Center Facebook page.

(France) Generous sponsors from Amitabha Buddhist Center (ABC) in Singapore, have offered a large printed thangka of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s statue in Bodhgaya measuring 10.3 × 15.7 feet (3.15 × 4.80 meters), to Nalanda Monastery. The thangka will be presented in the monastery on auspicious days, offering the community an opportunity to purify the mind and accumulate merit. It will be displayed publicly for the first time during the Great Monlam in Paris on the occasion of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s ninety-first birthday, July 6–8, 2026. The same printed thangka of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has been donated by ABC to FPMT Nagarjuna Alicante, Spain and a slightly smaller version, measuring  12.4 feet (3.78 meters), was donated to Chenrezig Institute, Australia, last month. We are deeply grateful for this generosity and rejoice in the merits accumulated.

(Romania) The Garden of Maitreya, in collaboration with Nalanda Monastery, began building a stupa in Bucharest in May (read more in the previous news roundup edition) and on June 14, held the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the stupa, a puja led by Geshe Sherab. During his time in Romania, Geshe Sherab also visited the FPMT White Mahakala Study Group for a weekend of teachings. We rejoice in this new auspicious beginning. 

Prayers & Practices

 (Malaysia) Losang Dragpa Center celebrated, Zamling Chisang (World Incense Puja Day) on June 29, a significant Tibetan Buddhist festival observed on the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar. Regarded as an auspicious occasion for purification and the accumulation of merits, the day traditionally sees practitioners make their way to hilltops and mountain peaks to offer incense and raise prayer flags. The festival also commemorates Guru Rinpoche’s subjugation of local deities and the establishment of Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.

Chenrezig Institute practitioners who successfully completed all eight sets of Nyung Nä, on June 2, 2026. Photo Courtesy of CI Facebook Page.

(Australia) We rejoice with Chenrezig Institute practitioners who successfully completed all eight sets of Nyung Nä, on June 2,  led by Venerable Ailsa. Their dedication, perseverance, and sincere practice throughout the retreat series are truly inspiring. 

(Sweden)  Yeshin Norbu Center’s practitioners, following the precious visit of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, — during which he bestowed the Vajrasattva jenang,— gathered on June 12–17 for a six-day Vajrasattva retreat. The retreat unfolded in an atmosphere of sincerity, quiet effort, and mutual support, with a shared wish to purify obscurations and create the causes for transformation. Each morning began with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s practice How to Make My Lives Wish-Fulfilling, setting a heartfelt motivation for the day, followed by prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas. Throughout the day, sessions of Vajrasattva practice alternated with calm abiding (shamatha) meditation, a rhythm that allowed both purification and the settling of the mind to develop side by side. 

Langri Tangpa Center Participants of their first Yamantaka self-initiation in 30 years – an auspicious start to a new era! Photo Credits of LTC Facebook page.

(Australia) Langri Tangpa Center on June 14 held their first ceremonial of Yamantaka self-initiation since 1997,—a meaningful milestone! The six hour ceremony was led by Venerable Tsewang, and was attended by fourteen practitioners, and took several hours to prepare and dismantle. May their practice continue to flourish!

Teaching Tours and Visits

(Europe) In June, Nalanda Monastery and Vajrayogini Institut, Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa welcomed the final dates of the European tour of His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, which began in April.

His Eminence Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, began his European tour in May, with teachings at Centro Muni Gyana, in Sicily on June 6-9, followed by Vajrayogini Institut in France on July 2-4. The full schedule is available on Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche’s website.

We deeply rejoice in the kindness of all the involved in these extensive Dharma tours and the careful preparation they require. We look forward to sharing stories from these visits in the coming months.

USA) We rejoice with the Ocean of Compassion Buddhist Center (Gyalwa Gyatso) for their new center space. On June 14, the community was deeply honored to welcome Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, one of the last generations of Tibetan Buddhist scholars to begin their educational careers in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. He played an instrumental role in the reestablishment and preservation of Tibetan Buddhist and spread it to the Western world. Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa for the occasion led the Cittamani Tara Puja and blessed the new center space, with powerful practices that are designed to clear obstacles, cultivate success, and bring prosperity to the new location and broader community. Congratulations!  

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa at Ocean of Compassion Buddhist

Also continuing in Europe is the teaching tour of Geshe Zopa, who has been visiting for the first time several FPMT centers, including Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelug-zentrum (Austria), Longku Center and Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center (Switzerland), Tara Mandala Center (Germany) Nalanda Monastery (France) and Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (Italy).

Nagarjuna Center— Alicante, on June 14, was honoured to welcome the monks of Gaden Jangtse Khamtsen Monastery. Photo courtesy of NC Facebook Page.

(Spain) Nagarjuna Centro— Alicante, on June 14,  was honored to welcome the monks of Gaden Jangtse Khamtsen Monastery. The visit was made even more meaningful by the deeply moving reception of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s relics and the powerful puja offered by the Gaden monks. The monks offered extensive dedication prayers for the center’s community and their families—that they may have the favorable conditions to continue supporting a place where the Dharma flourishes—and expressed deep gratitude for all the kindness they have received.

Dialogue & Discussion

 (Italy) Centro Tara Bianca, in partnership with the UBI (Unione Buddhista Italiana), local civic institutions, and national bookseller partners, is spreading the Dharma beyond the centers’ walls, through the project “On Dharma’s Route.” Inspired by The Art of Happiness – A Handbook for Living by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Geshe Konchog Kyab, the center’s resident teacher, has given public talks followed by question-and-answer sessions, throughout bookstores in the region. Since its launch, the project has engaged hundreds of people, entirely new to Buddhism who have shown remarkable openness and interest. May these Dharma seeds continue to thrive!

Bridging Perspectives: Buddhism and Science in Dialogue

In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, science and spirituality together can better serve the needs and well-being of humanity. “I hope both science and spirituality may develop to be of better service to the needs and well-being of humanity,”  His Holiness says in, The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality (2005). In recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s outstanding contribution to fostering dialogue and collaboration between Buddhism and Science for the benefit of humanity, several FPMT centers have been actively working to bridge these two fields. We rejoice in their efforts to bring this vision to life and to serve others through this meaningful work. Here are some highlights of this work taking place within the FPMT mandala.

Jamyang Buddhist Center London, with Science & Wisdom LIVE, June 20, a dialogue between Geshe Tenzin Namdak and Professor Murray Shanahan. Photo courtesy of JBCL Facebook Page.

(London) Jamyang Buddhist Center, with Science & Wisdom LIVE, hosted on June 20, an inspiring dialogue between Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Jamyang’s resident teacher, and Professor Murray Shanahan, Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Imperial College London and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind, moderated by Chris Scammell of the Buddhism & AI Initiative, titled “Can Thinking about AI help us understand our selves?” We will be covering this event more extensively in an upcoming article. 

(Italy) Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in collaboration with the University of Pisa, and Prof. Bruno Neri, has just completed a video documentary, titled “Clear Light’” which investigates the connection between meditation and subtle states of consciousness, thanks to the rare collaboration of the monks and geshes of the Sera Jey Monastic University. We will share more details on this documentary soon. 

We look forward to sharing more about Buddhism and Science in the coming months. Do let us know if something is happening at your center!

Compassion in Action

(India) Maitri Charitable Trust in Bodhgaya distributed 454 rations of food and supplements over the past three months, including pulses, milk powder, and infant cereal, in monthly rations to 137 people and provided care for seventy-seven mothers, ninety-five children and young girls, and thirteen elderly women for treatment. They also detected sixty-five leprosy cases and fifty-three TB patients, carried out three Prevention of Deformities camps with fifty-eight leprosy patients, and distributed fifty-two pairs of sandals to disabled leprosy patients. They also vaccinated seventy-four dogs against viral diseases, rescued five animals, treated forty-one animals in their clinic, and cared for eighteen more. 

The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) has released its 2025 annual report. During the year, FDCW shared the 16 Guidelines program with communities worldwide through partners in Nepal, Italy, Russia, Israel, and India. FPMT Mongolia also adapted the program for people with visual impairments and introduced it at the National Association for the Blind. We rejoice in this far-reaching work.

International FPMT Family 

In celebration of our fiftieth anniversary, the entire FPMT community has been participating in an unprecedented Global Mani Retreat – an inspiring collective offering of practice, harmony, and dedication to the awakening and benefit of all beings, helping to fulfill Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision of accumulating 100 Million Mani mantra recitations worldwide.

We Want to Hear Your Story! 

How did your center celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday (July 6) and how will it observe the upcoming holy day of Chökhor Düchen (July 18)? Reach out and share your plans to be included in the next FPMT News Roundup edition.

These highlights 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.

Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Photo from dalailama.org

Today, communities of students and supporters of the universal message of loving-kindness around the world celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 91st birthday on July 6, 2026.

The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) International Office joins the world in gratefully rejoicing in His Holiness’s exceptionally beneficial life, and we offer prayers for his good health and long life among us. His Holiness has been an incomparable source of reverence and guidance to the FPMT organization since its inception. Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche always reminded us that the highest priority for the FPMT is fulfilling the wishes of and offering service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. “This is the quickest and most vast way of benefiting sentient beings,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained.

You can read here the resources for practice on this special day, offered for all those wishing to make His Holiness’s birthday as beneficial as possible — a way to honor a life of unending service to others, marked with extraordinary patience that inspires us all.

Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, during his 91st birthday in Ladakh. Photo credits Tenzin Choejor, dalailama.org

Praises and Requests

“Praises and Requests to His Holiness the Dalai Lama” is a collection of praises of, comments about, and requests for His Holiness the Dalai Lama by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, found in the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive Online Advice Book.

Prayers and Writings by His Holiness

The All-Pervasive Sphere of Great Bliss, Free of Elaboration: Requesting Activities of Palden Lhamo is a short prayer to the protector Palden Lhamo, written by His Holiness in 1973 and primarily aimed at invoking the goddess for the sake of Tibet and its people. The English translation was done by Gelong Tenzin Namjong at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

When His Holiness was nineteen years old, he composed a Chenrezig guru yoga sadhana titled The Source of All Attainments: The Yoga of the Inseparability of the Guru and Avalokiteshvara. The practice includes visualizations to inspire the development of compassion and wisdom, and is explained by Lama Yeshe in Becoming the Compassion Buddha.

The FPMT Foundation Store offers a number of books and inspirational messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Online Celebration of His Holiness’s Birthday

The celebration of His Holiness’s birthday from the Shewatsel Teaching Ground in Leh, Ladakh, India has been live streamed and is available for later viewing on DalaiLama.com and YouTube. During this celebration His Holiness opening message with the auspicious prayer that he recites daily as soon as he wake up, that Je Tsongkhapa composed in the Lamrim Chenmo:

“May the Dharma be revived and spread through compassion. Wherever it has spread before and declined, may it revive; and where it has not spread in the past, may it shine forth.”

The FPMT International Office and all the Centers, Study Groups, and Projects wish His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama a very auspicious 91st birthday and sincerely request His Holiness to live for a very long time, to continue bringing his universal message of peace and compassion to the world and may His Holiness’s wishes be totally fulfilled for the benefit of all.

Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, during his 91st birthday in Ladakh. Photo credits Tenzin Choejor, dalailama.org

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.

His Eminence Kyabjé Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, Nalanda Monastery 2026.

His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche was warmly received upon his arrival in Munich, Germany, by members of the Aryatara Institut and the Tibetan Community of Munich. During the weekend of April 25-26, His Eminence bestowed two days of teachings on the Seven-Point Mind Training (Lojong), and compassionately conferred the Refuge and Lay Vows. In addition, he granted the initiation of The Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara. Hundreds of students including the local Tibetan community queued to offer a khata to His Eminence after the teachings and initiation organized by the Aryatara Institut. His Eminence also kindly met with and gave advice to the Tibetan Community of Munich and, visited the FPMT center in Munich. 

His Eminence Kyabjé Yongzin Ling Rinpoche at Aryatara Institut, Munich, Germany, April 2026.

His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche at Aryatara Institut, Munich, Germany, April 2026.

In Berlin, His Eminence bestowed Seven Medicine Buddha Brothers initiation and teachings on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva at Dharma Mati Center (Rigpa) where he also met and gave advice to the Tibetan community. There, he also received Venerable Thubten Chodron for an audience. Ven. Chodron, a pioneer student of FPMT, originally received her ordination from the previous Ling Rinpoche, His Holiness the 6^th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, who was the Principal Teacher for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and whom His Holiness refers to as “My Root Guru.”

H.E. Ling Rinpoche with Venerable Thubten Chodron in Berlin, April 2026.

On May 6, His Eminence arrived in Vienna, Austria, where a warm and heartfelt reception was offered by the members of Panchen Losang Chogyen Center and the Tibetan community. On May 8, His Eminence graciously bestowed the highest yoga tantra Buddha Amitayus Long Life Initiation to the Tibetan Community of Austria.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Panchen Losang Chogyen Centre, Vienna, 2026.

At Panchen Losang Chogyen Center on May 9-10, His Eminence graciously bestowed the Orange Manjushri initiation, teachings on The Three Principal Aspects of the Path and Refuge with Lay Vows. People from several different countries attended the two-day program with great devotion to receive these precious Dharma teachings and blessings. 

Later on May 13, His Eminence briefly visited Prague, Czech Republic where he bestowed the highest yoga tantra Buddha Amitayus Long Life Initiation and taught on The Four Noble Truths at Tibetan Open House.

In Latvia, over the weekend of May 16–17, at Ganden Buddhist Meditation Center, in Riga, His Eminence bestowed a precious teaching on The Heart Sutra, and bestowed the Orange Manjushri initiation plus Refuge Vows. The two-day program brought together many devoted students and practitioners to receive Dharma guidance and blessings. 

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at at Ganden Buddhist Meditation Center, in Riga, May 2026.

On May 21, His Eminence received a warm welcome reception by the local Dharma community of Yeshin Norbu Meditation Center in Stockholm, Sweden. His Eminence offered a public talk on the importance of cultivating a loving heart for inner peace and happiness. Here, His Eminence emphasized that true inner peace and happiness come from working on the mind and spoke of a paradox of our times: although peace is a universal wish, often the world tries to achieve it through systems conditioned by fear, competition, and defense – how can true peace can arise without cultivating peace within our own hearts?  On May 23–24, His Eminence gave teachings on The Four Immeasurable Thoughts and bestowed the Vajrasattva with Consort Initiation with Refuge and Lay Vows. 

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Yeshin Norbu Meditation Center in Stockholm, Sweden.

One of the students from the local Dharma community asked His Eminence about his relationship with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. He recalled: “He was a wonderful human being and teacher, something that you don’t realize when he is with us physically but when the person is gone then we really realize how he was. He lived his life totally for others, and this is something very hard to find – he neglected his own welfare, his health and always lived for serving others, something very unique. He lived his life very simply, down to earth, totally simple, no luxury, almost without belongings, only his books and prayer objects. This is one of the main reasons I respect him.“

He also recalled that in the 1960s Lama Zopa Rinpoche met His Holiness the 6^th Kyabje  Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, his predecessor, in Ghoom Monastery in the Darjeeling area of West Bengal, India, developing a strong friendship. The current Ling Rinpoche knew Lama Zopa Rinpoche from the very beginning of his life, though not remembering the first time of their meeting. Lama Zopa later requested His Eminence to teach around in the FPMT centers. This was one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s last wishes, which His Eminence is doing his utmost to fulfill.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche with Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

His Eminence remembers meeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche a few times in his last year, especially in his last month. He recalled receiving the sad news by phone, which he expressed as being painful and difficult, but then His Eminence realized it was a big teaching Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave and the right time to take rebirth to benefit people. “May all his wishes come true and may he come back in someone who can really benefit people, who could fill in the shoes of Lama Zopa and continue to benefit countless sentient beings, so the student must continue to pray, because the karmic relationship is very strong,” His Eminence advised. “Remember his kindness and then pray for the unmistaken child, someone who could lead the students, look after them, and fill in his shoes, this is your responsibility; I’m doing mine!”  

Please watch the video to see this heartfelt reflection. 

On May 27, His Eminence received a warm welcome upon arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport in the Netherlands from the heads of several local Dharma centers. On May 28, His Eminence visited local Dharma centers to bestow blessings and give talks, starting at the Maitreya Instituut in Loenen, where he received a warm reception and held a question-and-answer session with the members and students of the Dharma center and later visited Jewel Heart to give a public talk on The Buddhist Response to a World in Turmoil.  

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Kadam Choling, May 2026.

On May 29-30, the three local Dharma centers, Jewel Heart, Kadam Chöling and Maitreya Instituut, collaboratively hosted His Eminence to teach A Song Based on Experience by Je Tsongkhapa and as it was the holy day of Saka Dawa, the three centers offered His Eminence a Long Life Prayer Ceremony. Later in the auspicious day, the Tibetan Community of the Netherlands and Rigpa community of Amsterdam separately offered two Tsogs to His Eminence.

On June 3, His Eminence received a heartfelt and joyous welcome at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Pomaia in Italy. During June 5-7, His Eminence began with consecrating the Stupa of Enlightenment for Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Later he offered commentary on The Songs of Experience by Je Tsongkhapa and bestowed the highest yoga tantra Buddha Amitayus Long Life Initiation conferring blessings for longevity, merit, and spiritual accomplishment for all. His Eminence was invited to bless a local Dharma center which he did later as well. 

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at ILTK, June 2026.

In France, on June 11, His Eminence received a warm welcome from Nalanda Monastery and Institut Vajra Yogini in Toulouse, by the resident geshes, monastics and members of the community. On June 12, he compassionately offered the precious highest yoga tantra empowerment of Je Rigsum Chikdüp  the combined practice of Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani in one at Institut Vajra Yogini.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Institut Vajra Yogini, France, May 2026.

On June 13-14, His Eminence graciously bestowed two-days of teachings at Nalanda Monastery on The Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa, and kindly bestowed the initiations of Arya Sitātapatrā (White Umbrella Goddess) and the Long-Life Empowerment of Cintachakra White Tara, The Wish-Fulfilling Wheel, with great compassion and kindness. His Eminence later traveled to the Paris area to continue his teachings and initiations at Instituts Ganden Ling and then with the Tibetan Community.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Nalanda Monastery, France 2026.

His Eminence concluded the European tour in Basel, Switzerland where he received a grand, traditional welcome ceremony by the Tibetan Community of Basel and continued to share his blessings by bestowing initiations, teachings and meeting with the communities at large.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche at Nalanda Monastery, France 2026.

On July 5, His Eminence will kindly offer (online) the Chenrezig Sadhana: Oral Transmission & Commentary for the entire FPMT community as part of the Global Mani Retreat, in continued fulfillment of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. Attending this teaching is also a wonderful way to celebrate the July 6 birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama! 

We invite you to read more about the Global Mani Retreat and join the FPMT community in this precious accumulation.

We offer congratulations and thanks to all of the FPMT centers involved in making this tour a success and benefit to so many who received teachings along the way! 

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 would like to remind you of the wide range of resources available to support your practice in the most beneficial way during this special time.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama smiling to the members of the audience on stage during the Long Life Prayer offered to him by Central Dokham Chushi Gangdrug and Himalayan Buddhist Cultural Association at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, HP, India on May 20, 2026. Photo by Tenzin Choejor, courtesy of DalaiLama.com.

Great Festival Celebrating His Holiness

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered extensive advice on prayers and practices to do for His Holiness’s birthday, remarking that by doing these prayers and practices, students also benefit their own Dharma practice. You can find Rinpoche’s collected advice in the booklet How to Do the Great Festival of His Holiness’ Birthday in the Best Possible Way.

Long Life Prayers

The PDF booklet Prayers for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet contains all the prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for Tibet.

• Prayers for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfils all Wishes
• Remembering the Kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan People, and
• Prayer for Tibet.

Online Teachings by His Holiness

Teachings by His Holiness are usually live streamed, and also available for viewing later as video recordings.

DalaiLama.com also has links to live web streams, scheduled events, summaries of events, and more. 

Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) Practice

His Holiness is respectfully held as a manifestation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the buddha of compassion, by his disciples. Prayers to Chenrezig recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on our special page dedicated to Chenrezig practices and mantras. 

On July 5, His Eminence Ling Rinpoche will kindly offer (online) the Chenrezig Sadhana: Oral Transmission & Commentary for the entire FPMT community as part of the Global Mani Retreat, in continued fulfillment of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes. Attending this teaching is also a wonderful way to celebrate the July 6 birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama! 

May your celebrations and practices honoring His Holiness’s birthday be most joyous and auspicious, and may His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet continue to have a long and stable life, to continue to guide and inspire all sentient beings in desperate need of his perfect example of compassion, and to dispel all the misery of the world, from lifetime to lifetime without any separation! 

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.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi leading puja at the Vesak Celebrations 2026.

Welcome to this month’s newsletter!

We hope that you all took advantage of many merit-increasing opportunities over the Saka Dawa period.

In this month’s newsletter, you will find many causes for rejoicing from around the FPMT mandala, as well as some upcoming precious opportunities for study and practice, including Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s collected advice on how to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s upcoming birthday on July 6. 

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. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche making offerings to the Green Tara statue in the Atisha Centre gompa, Australia, September 2014. Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained, in an excerpt from the chapter on Tara mantra, in the book The Power of Mantra: Vital Practices for Transformation, that Mother Tara: the benefits of practicing Tara mantra are uncountable. We invite you to explore Tara practice further through the resources available in the  FPMT Store: mantra audio files, commentaries, prayer and practice booklets, and paintings, including a Green Tara painting by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Tara thangka painted by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for Max Mathews in 1971, Kopan Monastery.

This month we are pleased to announce the publication of a new series of  Arya Tara practice materials: four prayers to Tara, which are included in the Chittamani Tara long sadhana, and also in a forthcoming publication of an extensive four Mandala Offering to Chittamani Tara. 

Four Prayers to Arya Tara

Commonly known as Legdrima in Tibetan, A Crown Ornament of the Wise is a devotional song by the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub. It starts with extensive praise of and prostration to Khadiravani Tara’s body, speech, and mind, while describing her various features and their meanings. Tara’s activities in protecting and saving, particularly from the outer and inner aspects of the eight terrors, are presented in the form of a request. The song concludes with dedication prayers for the fulfillment of the aims of oneself and others. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is said to have commented that it is particularly beneficial to recite this prayer as its words are very effective.

A Garland of Jewels: A Fervent Invocation to Venerable Tara is a devotional song by Lodro Gyatso, also known as Matisara, which opens with an impassioned cry for Tara’s care and attention. The song goes on to request Tara to bless one’s practice on the stages of the path, including its tantric elements.

The Infallible One: A Fervent Invocation to Venerable Tara is the prayer said to have been written by Lozang Tenpai Gyaltsen at the age of nineteen. It begins by paying homage to Tara as the embodiment of the Three Jewels and making requests to be held by Tara’s compassion until enlightenment. The invocation then continues on to make powerful, honest, and heartfelt requests relating to Tara as one’s main guru, yidam, guardian, wealth, friend, etc., and to express a total entrustment of oneself to Tara. The song also includes prayers to accomplish the practices of the stages of the Mahayana path to enlightenment. 

Authored by Lodro Gyatso, also known as Matisara, Praises and Requests to the Assembly of Deities of the Venerable Mother of the Twenty-One Homages Composed by Lodro Gyatso outlines the activities and functions of Arya  Tara and her twenty-one aspects in a form of a praise, followed by a passionate request for Tara’s attention, help, and protection as well as requests for blessings to gain qualities, and realizations of the path to enlightenment.

Chittamani Tara Long Sadhana for Retreat

Composed by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, The Sadhana of Venerable Green Tara of the Near-Transmission Lineage is a long Chittamani Tara sadhana that also includes prayers and requests to Tara and a torma offering to Mistress of the Charnel Grounds and the Great Matrika Chandika.

Find more resources for your Tara practice from the FPMT Foundation Store. 

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.

Executive Director and Strategic Plan: Following the resignation of our previous Executive Director, Ven. Roger Kunsang has kindly agreed to serve as interim Executive Director until a new Executive Director is in place. Of course, we will let all the FPMT family know when we are ready to open the new recruitment process. Work on the Strategic Plan is ongoing, though we will need our new Executive Director to help coordinate and implement it. Developments in various areas are taking place in the meantime. For example, we are happy that the recent appointment of the Director of Education Services at the International Office, Ven. Lobsang Gyalten, will enable this key area to receive the attention it requires and deserves.

New Board Member Recruitment: We are still in the process of recruiting and vetting new board members. We have decided to extend the application and nomination period for membership on the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors until August 1, 2026. We are very keen to be as inclusive as possible in this process and recruitment, and we turn to our community for help in identifying those within the organization who could offer their expertise, skills, good heart, leadership, and commitment to the future of the FPMT. If you feel you are the right person for this job, or you know someone you would like to bring to our attention for this role, please contact us at fpmtboard@fpmt.org.

              Key Requirements for Potential Candidates Are: 

• • Dedication to the lamas of our lineage and their ideals, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 
  • A proven commitment to the organization the Lamas founded, FPMT. 
  • A minimum of ten years of experience in the FPMT organization. 
  • Potential candidate(s) should already be familiar with the mission statement, history, and organizational structure of the FPMT from personal experience and as it is presented on our website, available here: www.fpmt.org. 

We will provide more details on this appointment to those interested, so please do reach out if you would like more information.

With best wishes from the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors:

Khenrinpoche Geshe Chonyi
Ven. Pemba Sherpa
Ven. Roger Kunsang
Karuna Cayton
Dale Davis
Paula de Wys

Lama Yeshe teaching at Royal Holloway College, 1975, London, England. Photo by Dennis Heslop, courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives offers a growing index of teaching excerpts from Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe. In addition to the fascinating historical narrative from students of Lama Yeshe, Big Love is also filled with Dharma teachings.

In the excerpt, “Transforming Our Surroundings,” Lama Yeshe explains that by changing our perspective we can be happy anywhere, since the real source of happiness is the mind, not the external environment:

Most of the time, our objects of joy are not limitless; we discriminate. Our minds are funny; they decide, “This one, I like; that one, I don’t.” We divide things into pieces. It doesn’t come from the side of the object; it comes from our own mind’s decision. We see a person and automatically our mind goes, “I’m not happy with him; he gives me no pleasure.” It doesn’t come from him; it comes from your dualistic determination that has already created divisions in your own mind so that when you see people you automatically categorize them. This creates difficulties; it causes conflict and complications and psychological bother.

Do you see how fantastic Lord Buddha’s psychology and scientific understanding of the mind is? How well he explains how the mind works? If you can understand this, you’ll see it’s really too much. It’s amazing; you don’t need too many words to describe it. It’s beautiful … and really so simple.

Anyway, when we talk about limitless love, we’re not talking about cement; we’re talking about living beings. Most of the time, our conflicts arise from contact with other human beings, each other, not from dogs or cement. Westerners are always going on, ‘Oh, the environment is no good, that’s why we have problems. This house is no good; this food’s no good. That’s why I’m unhappy.’ So much emphasis on externals, which is completely opposite to Lord Buddha’s scientific knowledge-wisdom, the way Lord Buddha thinks.

We should check up our everyday lives here. We always blame outside things for our problems: ‘Shopping is difficult; Kathmandu is difficult,’ and so forth. Actually, this is a deep subject; a very deep subject. It seems simple. It’s not at all simple. If you think about it properly, your ego will freak out; when you actualize Lord Buddha’s teachings, your ego has no space. Continue to read the full excerpt. 

Excerpted from a teaching given in Kathmandu, Nepal, in February, 1975, and published in chapter 13 of Big Love: The Life and Teachings, of Lama Yeshe.

Subscribe to the LYWA monthly e-letter and keep up with the latest news and publication information.

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.

International Office News
June 2026

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi leading puja at the Vesak Celebrations 2026. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore.

Welcome to this month’s newsletter!

We hope that you all took advantage of many merit-increasing opportunities over the Saka Dawa period.

Below you will find many causes for rejoicing from around the FPMT mandala, as well as some upcoming precious opportunities for study and practice. 

As we all prepare to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 91th birthday, upcoming on July 6, 2026, we want to remind you about some valuable resources we have available for these celebrations.

You can find Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s collected advice in the booklet How to Do the Great Festival of His Holiness’ Birthday in the Best Possible Way.

The PDF booklet, Prayers for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet, contains prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for Tibet.

May your celebrations and practices honoring His Holiness’ birthday be most joyous and auspicious, and may His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet continue to have a long and stable life, to continue to guide and inspire all sentients in desperate need of his perfect example of compassion, and to dispel all the misery of the world, from lifetime to lifetime without any separation!

Advice from and News Regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Memorial Stupas Inauguration at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery, December 2026

Rendering of the Stupa of Complete Victory at Kopan Monastery.

We are pleased to share a reminder about the grand inauguration ceremonies of the Memorial Stupas of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup Rigsel at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery.

On December 11, 2026, the Stupa of Complete Victory, enshrining the sacred relics of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, will be consecrated at Kopan Monastery.

On December 14, 2026, the Mahabodhi Memorial Stupa at Kopan Nunnery will be consecrated to honor both Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup.

Eliminating Anger

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered precious advice to a person who worked as a driver for a Dharma center. The driver complained of being very angry with his family and asked Rinpoche for some mantras to help him:

The person whom you call enemy, whose anger you see as bad, is helping you to practice patience. He or she is actually the one who is giving you liberation from all suffering, and enlightenment, by letting you practice the Mahayana path, the paramita of patience.

Even Shakyamuni Buddha and the numberless buddhas were ordinary beings like us, with mistakes, delusions, and problems, then they discovered the nature of suffering, practiced patience, developed their minds on the path, and achieved great liberation: enlightenment. Please read Rinpoche’s full advice.

You can find more advice about anger in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

Valuable Resources for Students

We would like to draw your attention to some valuable resources for students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Compendium of Precious Instructions: A Catalog of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Works
is a collection of Rinpoche’s literary and graphic works which are available digitally and/or in print, with particular emphasis on key teachings that Rinpoche especially wanted his students to take note of and put into practice, as well as a guide on where to find the audio and video.

Life Practice Advice is a resource based on Rinpoche’s essential daily practice and lifetime practice advice. This is his essential advice and by following this advice, students can feel confident they are following and practicing according to Rinpoche’s heart advice.

FPMT.org offers a collection of practical advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Students can also find Rinpoche’s advice on a wide range of topics in the form of short talks and letters at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Yeshe’s Wisdom

Lama Yeshe teaching at Royal Holloway College, 1975, London, England. Photo by Dennis Heslop, courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Transforming Our Surroundings

The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive offers a growing index of teaching excerpts from Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe. In addition to the fascinating historical narrative from students of Lama Yeshe, Big Love is also filled with Dharma teachings.

In the excerpt, “Transforming Our Surroundings,” Lama Yeshe explains that by changing our perspective we can be happy anywhere, since the real source of happiness is the mind, not the external environment:

Most of the time, our objects of joy are not limitless; we discriminate. Our minds are funny; they decide, “This one, I like; that one, I don’t.” We divide things into pieces. It doesn’t come from the side of the object; it comes from our own mind’s decision. We see a person and automatically our mind goes, “I’m not happy with him; he gives me no pleasure.” It doesn’t come from him; it comes from your dualistic determination that has already created divisions in your own mind so that when you see people you automatically categorize them. This creates difficulties; it causes conflict and complications and psychological bother.

Do you see how fantastic Lord Buddha’s psychology and scientific understanding of the mind is? How well he explains how the mind works? If you can understand this, you’ll see it’s really too much. It’s amazing; you don’t need too many words to describe it. It’s beautiful … and really so simple. Continue to read the full excerpt.

Excerpted from a teaching given in Kathmandu, Nepal, in February, 1975, and published in chapter 13 of Big Love: The Life and Teachings, of Lama Yeshe.

Updates from the FPMT Inc. Board of Directors

The FPMT Inc. Board of Directors recently shared important updates and information. including recent changes at FPMT International Office, information on board member recruitment, and progress on the organization’s strategic plan. 

What We’re Rejoicing About

2026 FPMT Global Mani Retreat Gains Momentum!

Since launching on May 17, 2026, the FPMT Global Mani Retreat has welcomed over 700 participants at its opening session, where Senior Advisor Ven. Roger Kunsang highlighted how deeply the 100-million-mantra goal fulfills the vision of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Chenrezig Group Practice sessions have continued since, with Charok Lama on May 23, emphasizing the inner meaning of the Mani mantra; on May 31, Ven. Sarah Thresher joined from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s historic cave in Lawudo, Nepal; and on June 5, a session in which Ven. Thubten Dechen of FPMT East and Southeast Asia moved hearts by chanting in both Tibetan and English. Ven. Thubten Kalden, for FPMT Latin America, led an engaging session on June 21. Please take a look at the upcoming schedule for opportunities to join a session. No registration is required — all are welcome to join via Zoom.

H.E. Ling Rinpoche will be offering an oral transmission and commentary on the Chenrezig Sadhana composed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama “The Source of all Attainments: The Yoga of the Inseparability of the Guru and Avalokitesvara”, on Sunday July 5. This is an amazingly momentous occasion, and all participants are requested to attend live. Please check our Facebook group for this event, for all news, information and updates. 

Saka Dawa 2026 Around the FPMT Mandala

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 Duchen—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. We recently shared a roundup of how some of the FPMT mandala observed the holy month, and we invite you to enjoy and rejoice in it!

Twenty-Nine Years of Vesak Celebrations at Amitabha Buddhist Centre

From May 29 to 31, 2026, Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) held its twenty-ninth annual public Vesak celebration — marking the full moon day on which Buddhists around the world commemorate the Buddha’s birth in Lumbini, his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, and his passing in Kushinagar. This year, as in previous years, more than 3,000 people gathered over the course of the three days! Director of ABC Tan Hup Cheng shared some incredible details of the history and effort behind this event, and we are delighted to share this story with you.

Bringing the Sutra of Golden Light to 51 African Countries

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! Please learn more about this ambitious project.

Liberation Prison Project Partners with Edovo to Utilize Technology for Buddhist Studies in Prison

Liberation Prison Project  – USA, 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, recently shared the details.

Foundation Service Seminar in Italy this June

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK), Italy, organized a successful Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) on June 10-14, 2026. Twenty-four people took part in the Seminar, including students from the FPMT Masters Program, many staff members of ILTK, representatives of other Italian centers, and volunteers from centers in the UK and Romania. We will share a longer story about this FSS later.

Twenty-One Taras in Australia: Tara Institute Displays Large Thangka for the Fourth Year!

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.  For four consecutive years, the thangka has been displayed at Melbourne Town Hall as part of the annual multicultural Vesak celebrations. Please read more about this incredible holy object project.

Your News and Stories

Family Feeling News Roundup

This month, we published a digest of short community highlights from FPMT centers and individuals around the world, as part of our effort to bring back the “News Around the World” and “News in Brief” sections previously featured in the print Mandala magazine that so many of us have missed! This list of stories is not exhaustive, just a sample of all the great activities happening in the FPMT family worldwide.

The FPMT family is full of inspiring activities at centers, projects, services, and study groups, as well as among registered teachers and individuals who bring our communities to life. We would love to hear about it.

Whether it’s a recent accomplishment or an activity that gives your community reason to rejoice, your story can spark ideas and create connections across the FPMT family. We hope that reading these highlights will inspire you to rejoice in the family feeling and good works happening in our global FPMT community!

Please review our submission guidelines and reach out if you have something to share— we’d love to hear from you.

Celebrating 50 Years of FPMT!

Your memories and experiences are part of this living history. We have already begun gathering some of these precious stories, but there are so many more voices we would love to hear. We would love to collect as much of this history as possible: short videos, presentations, written stories, and group shots from your center, projects, and services. We warmly invite you to please be in touch!

Recently, we shared Ven. Jamyang Wangmo’s Road to Kopan story, who is an early FPMT student and the author of The Lawudo Lama.

Obituaries

Reading obituaries from the FPMT Community gives us an opportunity to reflect on death and impermanence and to make the determination to live life in the most meaningful way. Lama Zopa Rinpoche repeatedly reminded us to meditate on death and impermanence to motivate us to practice the Dharma right now! If we put off Dharma practice for when we are older or less busy, we assume we will wake up tomorrow morning, but there is no promise of that.

We recently shared obituaries and tributes for Professor Bob Thurman, who was an FPMT Registered Teacher in the Senior Teachers in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition category, as well as one of America’s foremost scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and a tireless advocate for the Tibetan people and their culture; Ven. Jampa Kunchog, early Kopan student and Sera scholar; and Lawrence Greenberg, artist, poet, and early student of FPMT.

Rinpoche requested that “students who read these obituaries pray that the person mentioned finds a perfect human body, meets a Mahayana guru, and becomes enlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the teachings exist and they can become enlightened.”

Resources and Opportunities for Study and Practice

European Teaching Tours 2026 of High Lamas at FPMT Centers

We are reminding students about some precious opportunities to receive teachings from high lamas across Europe in the coming months.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche has just completed his European tour, while His Eminence Khensur Jhado Rinpoche and Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche have upcoming opportunities. Students are warmly invited to join these precious opportunities for study and practice across FPMT centers and other organizations.

Upcoming Most Secret Hayagriva Retreats Continue a Commitment Established by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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. Please learn more….

Buddhist Mind Science Course Opportunity in California Upcoming!

Participants in the first Buddhist Mind Science Module 1 in French, led by Josep Manresa, at Institut Vajra Yogini.

Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential is an FPMT introductory course. Buddhism is considered by some to be a “science of mind” because it presents a comprehensive map of the mind, its various aspects, and functions. The Buddha’s teachings also provide methods for observing the mind directly and for discovering and activating our inner potential. And it does so with one intention: to overcome suffering and its causes, and to cultivate true, lasting happiness.

The entire Buddhist Mind Science course will be offered in a retreat setting at Vajrapani Institute (USA) from August 29, 2026 – September 6, 2026. The retreat is being taught by the creators of the Buddhist Mind Science course, who are joining from Tushita Meditation Centre in Spain. The program is designed to train future facilitators while also being open to any student who would like to experience the entire course in a rare retreat format. Please stay tuned for a more in-depth story about this opportunity we will share soon.

Forty-six participants have completed the first Buddhist Mind Science, Module 1, in French, led by Josep Manresa, at Institut Vajra Yogini (France).

Buddhist Mind Science is also available as a self-paced self-study online course for those who cannot participate in-person at an FPMT center. All seven modules are now available at the FPMT Online Learning Center.

More information about the Buddhist Mind Science course and FPMT centers offering it is available on the FPMT website.

Liberation Box Now Offered in Europe

The Liberation Tools Set to Help Dying and Deceased. Photo by Nalanda Monastery

The Liberation Tools Set to Help Dying and Deceased, formerly known as Liberation Box, is a collection of materials to assist students at the time of death. Assembled according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s specific advice on what a person should hear, see, and have placed on their body, the Liberation Tools Set contains powerful methods for ensuring a fortunate rebirth for those who have died or are in the process of dying.

More than seven hundred boxes have been distributed around the world since 2010, when the Liberation Box was first launched by the Foundation Store.

In 2020, the Foundation Store became fully digital, and stopped offering physical products, however, we have continued to find ways to distribute physical Dharma materials designed or assembled at the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. A digital version of the  Liberation Tools Set was also made available, through the Foundation Store without the stupa, powa pill, and blessing string.

We are now very happy to make the Liberation Tools Set physically available again within Europe with the help of Nalanda Monastery. Together with FPMT Education Services, Nalanda Monastery’s Sacred Art Workshop is now providing the LiberatioTools Set, throughout Europe, in English and soon also in French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Learn more….

Newly Available from the FPMT Foundation Store

This month, we are pleased to announce the publication of a series of prayers to enrich your Tara practice. 

We have also updated Most Secret Hayagriva practice materials: A Concise and Complete Sadhana of Bhagavan Wrathful Glorious Most Secret Hayagriva and The Melodious Laughter of the Mighty One.

Foundation Store Resources

You can order printed copies of a selection of Foundation Store titles through Amazon’s print-on-demand service in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. In the item description click on the Amazon market that is closest to you. Foundation Store also offers a selection of prayers and practices available for 1-click download.

Retreat Opportunities

Please check our retreat schedule page for group retreat opportunities upcoming in your area.

Announcements, Opportunities, and Changes

Welcome to Our New Education Services Director!

We are happy to announce that Ven. Lobsang Gyaltsen has joined our team at the FPMT International Office in the key role of FPMT Education Services Director.

Ven. Gyaltsen has been a devoted student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche since 2003. He is the former director of Nalanda Monastery and a graduate of both the FPMT Basic and Masters Programs. Since 2021, he has been based near Kalachakra Retreat Centre in France, where he is teaching and leading retreats.

With all this experience, he has extensive knowledge of many aspects of FPMT’s educational programs and materials, which will greatly help him in his new position.

We are extremely encouraged by Ven. Gyaltsen’s extensive Dharma background, his harmonious nature, and his willingness to offer service to the organization in this important role that is so central to FPMT’s mission to preserve and spread the Dharma worldwide.

Changes in the FPMT Organization

FPMT International Office
Grateful thanks to outgoing Executive Director Peeyush Agarwal

Centro Yamantaka (Colombia)
We welcome Edwin Novoa as new spiritual program coordinator
Grateful thanks to outgoing spiritual program coordinator Doris Julio

Centro Yamantaka (Colombia)
We welcome Ana Maria Prieto Espinosa as new director
Grateful thanks to outgoing director Isabella Caro

Gendun Drubpa Study Group (Canada)
We welcome Catherine Whitman as new study group coordinator
Grateful thanks to outgoing coordinator Amanda Butler

North America Regional Office
We welcome Pema Wangmo as new regional coordinator
Grateful thanks to outgoing regional coordinator Melissa Kaye

Center for Wisdom and Compassion Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling (Denmark)
Grateful thanks to outgoing director Martin S. Lyngby-Nielsen

Opportunities to Offer Service

Read about the amazing benefits and importance of offering service in the FPMT organization, and have a look at these meritorious opportunities to offer service as paid staff or as a volunteer in FPMT centers, projects, and services around the world, including opportunities in Australia, France, India, Italy, North American Region, Nepal, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, UK and the USA. Recently added: Chenrezig Institute (Australia), Buddha House (Australia), Land of Medicine Buddha (California) and Ocean of Compassion (California) are looking for a new director; Ocean of Compassion and Land of Medicine Buddha (both in California), and Atisha Centre (Australia) are looking for an SPC.

Teacher Development Service Seminar in the USA this July and in France this September

The Teacher Development Service Seminar (TDSS) supports the lifelong growth of current and aspiring FPMT teachers, facilitators, and meditation leaders. Returning in a hybrid format, TDSS now features updated pedagogy and a flexible delivery to meet the needs of our global community. Rooted in the FPMT lineage, the TDSS introduces the principles of contemporary Dharma pedagogy -practical, effective methods for teaching and guiding others with wisdom and compassion.

Maitripa College (Oregon, USA) is organizing a TDSS hybrid and in-person from July 17-19 with pre-seminar online modules. Places are still available and reservations are now open.

Kalachakra Retreat Centre, France, is organizing a TDSS on September 24-26, 2026 with pre-seminar online modules and places are still available. Reservations are now open.

Become a Friend of FPMT

Contact information for the centers mentioned, and all FPMT centers, projects, and services can be found in the FPMT Directory.

If you received this from someone else, or unformatted, visit our subscribe page to receive this newsletter directly.

FPMT International Office is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s office.

Vesak Celebrations 2026, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

Vesak is a time to reflect on the preciousness of this human life and on the reality of impermanence — that all beings are subject to birth, old age, sickness, and death. It is also a time to renew our refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as the unmistaken path to liberation. For twenty-nine years, Amitabha Buddhist Centre has offered this occasion to the wider community of Singapore, and we rejoice in what this year’s celebration made possible.

The three-day event was held at the Aljunied Open Ground beside the MRT station — the same site where the first public celebration took place in May 1997. This year, as in previous years, more than 3,000 people gathered over the course of the three days.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi leading puja at the Vesak Celebrations 2026. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore.

They were especially fortunate that Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi was able to join them. Rinpoche led Refuge and the Five Precepts, the Eight Mahayana Precepts, and blessings for the public and for animals, and presided over the pujas together with the Kopan Sangha. Over the three days, the community gathered for Chenrezig Puja, Yamantaka Fire Puja, Tara Puja, Namgyalma Puja with 1,000 offerings, White Dzambhala Wealth Deity Puja, Medicine Buddha Puja, and Vajravidarana Ritual.

30ft (9 meters) Maitreya Statue during Vesak Celebrations 2026, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

A focal point of this year’s celebration was a thirty-foot (nine-meter) Maitreya statue — a large holy object made from polystyrene foam and displayed at the center of the grounds for circumambulation and offerings. Each year, ABC creates and displays a new holy object in this way as part of the merit-making offered to all who attend. Community activities throughout the three days included a bodhicitta art coloring contest, sutra tracing, gilding a statue of the Buddha, and the traditional bath offering ceremony.

Tan Hup Cheng, ABC director reflects on how this offering has grown over nearly three decades:

Vesak Celebrations 2026, organised by Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

“The first public Vesak celebrations began in May 1997, on this same site next to the MRT station. The conditions came together to allow us to do it on a big scale, and every year when a Dharma celebration of this scale is staged, you see a spontaneous appearance of volunteers coming forward to man the different stalls. I have seen children below twelve going round to serve drinks to the other volunteers. You also see grandmothers over seventy coming to sell candles and flowers. You also see devotees coming to make offerings to the Buddha images, with deep devotion.”

Vesak Celebrations 2026, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

The preparation behind this offering is itself a year-long practice. An eleven-member volunteer executive committee, four staff members, and two hundred volunteers carry the work together. Dates are set a year in advance. Ten months out, organizers write to authorities for permission to use the open ground. Three months before, publicity on social media begins and sponsorships are invited from members and the public. Two months before, contractors and service providers are engaged. Two weeks before, the large tentage goes up and stalls are installed. Eleven weeks before the event, monks from Kopan Monastery arrive to lead all the pujas. On the opening day, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and the Kopan Sangha begin the celebration with the first puja.

Vesak 2026, Singapore. Photo Courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre

ABC is committed to staging this public Vesak event each year in order to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to create merit and encounter the Dharma. “Many of our existing members came to ABC because of Vesak,” Tan Hup Cheng recalls. “Some members of the public will come to the center and study the Dharma. It is a life-changing experience for them. They may not have met the Dharma had we not organized this event.”

Thank you dinner for the volunteers of Amitabha Buddhist Centre. Vesak 2026. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre

The director notes that events of this scale are only possible with a large and dedicated volunteer force. The weekend following the celebration, ABC hosted a buffet dinner at Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant for all who had served — joined also by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi — as an expression of gratitude for their collective effort and kindness.

We rejoice with Amitabha Buddhist Centre, with Khen Rinpoche, with the Kopan Sangha, and with the thousands of people who year after year find their way to the Dharma through this generous and sustained offering. May all the merit created over these three days benefit all sentient beings.

Please read about other events and celebrations around FPMT during the holy month of Saka Dawa.

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!

Volunteers of the Vesak Celebrations 2026, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Amitabha Buddhist Centre.

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.