Lama Yeshe at Chenrezig Institute, 1975. Photo Credit Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

In this teaching from 1976, Lama Thubten Yeshe gives a commentary on The Inseparability of the Spiritual Master and Avalokiteshvara: A Source of All Powerful Attainments, a practice composed by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama when he was just nineteen years old. Avalokiteshvara — Chenrezig in Tibetan — is the buddha of compassion. Lama Yeshe gave these teachings at Chenrezig Institute in tropical Queensland, Australia:

 [Avalokiteshvara] is referred to as … [the] distinguished, divine owner of the world. This is true, because if you actually have the power of universal compassion, of Avalokiteshvara, you can own the whole world; you can control the minds of all sentient beings. 

Perhaps you think this is impossible. It is possible! . . . . 

Remember when Lord Buddha was meditating, many mischievous beings armed with weapons appeared, trying to destroy him. Well, his weapon was true love, samadhi love. The power of his concentrated, universal love conquered the beings who were trying to harm him. Remember this. Then you will understand how it is possible for the universal, loving compassion of Avalokiteshvara to conquer the entire world. 

Anyway, the whole world already depends on love, doesn’t it? We all need love. You live for love. So you can see how you can interpret this as saying that Avalokiteshvara, who is universal compassion and love, has already conquered all mother sentient beings. In this way, we say that Avalokiteshvara is the owner of the world. It sounds simple but check beyond the words and you will know more deeply what I mean. It will make more sense. 

Nowadays, political people use loving words and appear to act kindly, but inside, their minds are full of quarreling. It’s unbelievable. Actually, they derive their philosophy from higher thought, but they misuse it. Many people think such politicians are intelligent, but they steal divine ideas and employ them in a dirty way while saying, “I have this intelligent idea” . . . . 

We often talk about loving kindness, but if we are not careful, if we don’t understand the true meaning of love, we’ll say, “I love you, I love you,” but will not really be sincere because we will actually be wanting something for ourselves when we say it. Check up. In fact, we’ve been doing this for countless lives. We’ve been using artificial words and actions of loving kindness that have nothing to do with our real heart, our inner nature, cheating others and ourselves. It’s one of the ways we tell lies. There are a hundred thousand ways to lie; this is one of them. So, you can see that it is extremely difficult to give true love to others. 

True love starts within you. You can see this in people. At first, they are not so clear, but gradually, they begin to understand themselves better, to comprehend their own feelings and actions, and slowly they learn to take more responsibility for themselves. Thus, they gradually open up. First, truth opens within them; they have love and compassion for their own situation. Then love and compassion naturally grow for others. This is true compassion. Actually, the process is very profound. 

True love is unchanging, and the reason for true love never changes. Although you may change your color, your clothes, your environment, the reason is always there, always the same. But we use such illogical, transitory reasons for our usual love. “I love you because your skin is so beautiful.” Maybe this is a silly example, but check up. It is like that. Skin is constantly changing, so your love is constantly changing. There’s nothing solid there. The deep, underlying reason for love and compassion—our humanness, our fundamental equality—never changes, whatever the circumstances. This is not philosophy, fabrication or mythology. Actually, it’s science. 

Excerpted from a teaching from Lama Yeshe given at Chenrezig Institute, Australia, July 5–16, 1976, published in Big Love, p 518, and in Lama Yeshe’s book Becoming the Compassionate Buddha. 

Continue reading the excerpt or watching the video or listening to the audio recordings on Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

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 at 100 Million Mani Retreat, Mongolia, August 15, 2013. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Since launching on May 17, 2026—the first day of Saka Dawa month—the  FPMT Global Mani Retreat  has brought together students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche from around the world to help fulfill one of Rinpoche’s most cherished wishes: “This is one of my dreams, to have 100 Million Mani Retreats each year and for it to continue forever, even after I die, even after the people living now die. Those who are working, offering service now—to continue even after they die; to continue for as long as the country exists.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

We rejoice in the inspiring response from the international FPMT community and in the growing accumulation of OM MANI PADME HUM recitations dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings.

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

More than 700 participants joined the Global Mani Retreat’s opening session on May 17, where Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi, abbot of Kopan Monastery and Kopan Nunnery, offered teachings on the Four Immeasurables and the benefits of reciting the Mani mantra. Before Geshe Chonyi’s teaching, Ven. Roger Kunsang, Senior Advisor to FPMT, offered opening remarks on how close the 100 Million Mani Retreat is to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s heart. 

Ven. Roger Kunsang emphasized the importance of generating a strong motivation before every retreat session and recommended Teaching from the  Mani Retreat by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. To support practitioners, the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive has released a revised second edition as a PDF and eBook, with a printed edition forthcoming. The retreat website also includes recordings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings from the 100 Million Mani Retreat held in 2000.

In this book, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained why this retreat is so important:

“It is also good to ask yourself, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ There are two reasons. One very important reason is that sentient beings do not want suffering and want happiness. The other reason is that this is the purpose of your life. It is for this purpose that you put so much effort into surviving in every hour, every minute, of your life. The conclusion is that there are two reasons: this is what sentient beings need, so you should help them; and this is the meaning of your life. 

“You then think of as many sufferings as you can that are happening in the world. Think of all the wars that are happening right now in different countries. Then think of all the problems experienced by individual people. Think of all the cancer and AIDS. Millions and millions of people are experiencing cancer, AIDS and other sicknesses. Think of those who are in hospital experiencing various sicknesses. Think of those who are having heart attacks right now. Think of those who are in comas. So many people are having operations right now, and it’s unsure whether they are going to survive or die today. Also, think of all the sick people at home. Then think of the people experiencing poverty, famine and unemployment. Reflect on all those things.

“There are so many who are suffering. Even if you haven’t studied Dharma, you know of so many problems that the world is experiencing or that individual sentient beings are experiencing. There are oceans of problems just among human beings. There are so many that you can think about. Even if you have never studied or meditated on lamrim or read Dharma books, you know of so many sufferings that people are experiencing. 

“Reflect also on the sufferings of animals, those that you can see, that you remember or that you know about. Wish to free them from all those problems and for them to never ever experience problems again, which is the ultimate happiness of liberation. Think, ‘To bring them all temporary and ultimate happiness, I’m going to do the meditation-recitation of Compassion Buddha.’

“I am talking here particularly for new people. Of course, those who have studied and know the lamrim can meditate very deeply and elaborately following the lamrim outlines, which include all these sufferings. There is so much that you can meditate on.”

From Teaching from the  Mani Retreat by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

A Growing International Practice

Chenrezig Group Practice sessions have continued since the retreat’s launch. On May 23, Charok Lama, representing South Asia, spoke on the inner meaning of the Mani mantra. On May 31, Ven. Sarah Thresher joined from Rinpoche’s historic cave in Lawudo, in the special presence of Rinpoche’s sister, Anila Ngawang Samten. On June 5, Ven. Thubten Dechen, representing FPMT East and Southeast Asia, spoke on the meaning of compassion—one of the two aspects, along with wisdom, of the awakened mind. On June 21, Ven. Thubten Kalden, representing FPMT Latin America, emphasized the importance of realizing Rinpoche’s wishes through this practice, reinforcing our motivation to develop compassion.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche teaching during the Global Mani Retreat, July 5.

An extremely precious teaching was bestowed on July 5, 2026, by His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche to the international FPMT family—a rare and incredible opportunity to receive the oral transmission and commentary of The Source of All Attainments: The Yoga of the Inseparability of the Guru and Avalokiteshvara. His Eminence emphasized the importance of compassion, and of continuing to benefit others through its practice.

Chenrezig Group Practice sessions continued on Saturday, July 18, during Chokhor Duchen, when Geshe Yeshe Kunga of Kopan Monastery reminded participants that this practice is especially important at a time when the world is in crisis, offering the opportunity to generate more compassion. Then, on Saturday, August 1, the day of Chenrezig’s enlightenment, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, representing Australia and New Zealand, gave a generous teaching on the guru yoga practice. Basing his explanations on the prayer Calling the Guru from Afar, he offered further teachings that brought greater depth and meaning to the prayers.

Thank you!

We rejoice for all the centers and students that have joined the retreat so far, and we sincerely thank all the teachers and kind leaders of the online sessions and most to everyone offering service  behind the scenes, and involved in making the Global Mani Retreat such a success, a special thanks to  the incredible dedication of Retreat Coordinator Selina Foong.

We warmly invite everyone to continue participating in this precious accumulation of compassion and merit. The next online teaching will take place on Sunday, August 9, when His Eminence Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche will  bestow the precious teachings on bodhichitta.

FPMT Global Mani Retreat 2026

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote in his invitation to join the retreat.

“Because we have met the Buddhadharma, and especially this method—the practice of the Compassion Buddha and recitation of his mantra—it is easy to purify negative karma and collect extensive merit and thus achieve enlightenment. We are unbelievably fortunate.”

To keep up on all details related to this six month Global MANI Retreat, please refer to our webpage, and join the Facebook Group. 

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.

Teachings from the Medicine Buddha Retreat. Lama Zopa Rinpoche 2009, published by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

First published in the March–May 2002 issue of  Mandala magazine, “An Open Letter to a President” was later included in Teachings from the Medicine Buddha Retreat, published by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive and edited by Ven. Alisa Cameron (2009). The book contains extensive teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a 2001 Medicine Buddha retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, California.

Below is an excerpt from this remarkable open letter, written to then U.S. President George W. Bush following the September 11 terrorist attacks. In it, Rinpoche offers a Buddhist perspective on war and its causes, while presenting practical methods to help reduce conflict and cultivate peace in the world—guidance that is relevant to people of every faith and background.

A Spiritual Response to Wars and Violence

Dear Mr. President,

Since war was declared, some people have been protesting against it and clamoring for peace. But if what those people really want is peace, then they should first come up with a clear practical idea how to stop the terrorist attacks in the United States and other countries. Otherwise, you shout for peace and let the United States be completely destroyed by terrorists? This is like the saying in Tibetan Buddhist texts: “A blind yak eating grass.” Or the Western saying: “To throw out the baby with the bath water.” So many people are suffering now due to lack of awareness of what will come in the future. The problem is that common ordinary people are limited in what they can see, because of the lack of development of the mind. They do not have the power to see beyond, to read the minds of the terrorists and those in training. If Government intelligence had the power to see beyond, then they could foresee future dangers. They could see the harm in the minds of all those harmful people and terrorists. They could see what damage they could do to the United States and the whole world. War is what ordinary people in the world regard as the solution. The problem is that war, even if it is won, is like medicine that has side-effects. It may temporarily help the situation but afterwards there will be continual complications. Why? Because the people you defeat generate hatred towards you and in future generations they harm you back. In the natural law of actions, called karma in Sanskrit, the action of harming leaves an imprint on the mental continuum and that imprint is like a seed. When it ripens later, the person experiences the result of receiving harm from others. I understand that the situation is very difficult and that the American public is very angry but there are ways to solve the problem other than by going to war. It is possible that these terrorists can be overcome by spiritual power rather than by using military power. War costs so many lives and so much money. Even one missile can be so expensive, costing millions of dollars. When spiritual power is used to solve the problem, it saves all this expense and costs hardly anything.

Buddhism, and especially Tibetan Buddhism, has so many methods to help bring peace and happiness to sentient beings. If the Government were interested in the possibility of using spiritual methods to solve the current problems, they would need to consult with the spiritual head of each of the different traditions. Then practices could be done for a few months of a year in order for them to be effective. This way is not like military war, which makes some people happy and some people upset. These practices are unseen, so they do not irritate or upset anybody; that means also nobody gets angry and plans to retaliate.

A War Without Anger

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in New York, US, July 2016

Another solution would be to have a war without anger, something that appeared violent but actually became positive. Just because something looks violent, that alone does not necessarily define it as negative, because there are actions that outwardly appear to be violent but in reality are most positive, pure and for inner peace. Buddhism is based on not harming others and on benefiting others. But when an evil being is harming him or herself and greatly harming many others and the world, then in Mahayana Buddhism great saints called bodhisattvas, who have the qualification of unbearable compassion, take the life of that being. They completely sacrifice themselves to happily experience whatever suffering consequences may come from taking that life, such as suffering in a hell realm. They do this in order to benefit that sentient being, to stop them from engaging in harmful actions, and also for the peace and happiness of others. When there is greater benefit to take the life of an evil being than not to, the Buddha permitted great saints who are qualified to do so. Particularly in Mahayana Buddhism, the Secret Mantra, Vajrayana, on the basis of unbearable compassion, cherishing those evil beings, tantric wrathful action is done: the consciousness is split from the body and transferred to a pure land where there is no suffering. In reality, even though an externally wrathful or violent action is used, it does not harm the evildoer, it only benefits them. The wrathful aspect of mind is without any anger— the thought of harming others. An example is when a child is very naughty and the parent has no peaceful means left to control it. The parent will then scold the child with a wrathful mind because this is the only way to control it so that it will have a good, successful future.

These terrorists’ minds are trapped in so many heavy iron cages of wrong views that they cannot even see these views are wrong and their actions harmful. Their negative thoughts and actions caused so many thousands of people to be killed and so many firemen to sacrifice their lives to save others. Because of this, they will have to suffer for thousands of eons. From negative actions suffering results, from positive actions happiness arises, so it is unimaginable how much harm the terrorists did to themselves, to the US and to the rest of the world.

Reincarnation 

Numberless people have realized that reincarnation exists and that there is life both before and after this one. At the time of death the body finishes, but the mind continues; this is reincarnation. Reincarnation is not only Buddhist philosophy and experience; Christianity also talks about reincarnation because they talk about a heaven and hell after this life. That which experiences heaven and hell is not the body but the mind, therefore reincarnation exists. The Bible also talks about resurrection. In this world there are believers and non-believers. An example of this is when the US put a man on the moon: some people in the East could not accept or understand how that was possible. Another example is the satellite interviews that we see on the television: one person is talking to somebody else who is thousands of miles away but can be clearly seen on the screen. Some primitive people would not believe this is possible. As the mind continues after death, the negative thoughts also continue, so these terrorists will go on to harm others again and again without end until their negative emotional thoughts are  ceased. 

Negative thoughts, such as anger and the dissatisfied mind of desire, are the chronic disease of the mind and the main cause of suffering. If the people in this world do not put effort into making the mind better, into ceasing the negative thoughts, then even when the body is destroyed and disintegrated, the mind, which does not cease, will continue alone with all these thoughts. Ceasing negative emotional thoughts is the ultimate solution—especially ceasing them by generating loving kindness, compassion and the ultimate good heart, which cherishes and benefits others.

For Peace and Happiness Live in Pure Morality

I am sure that for most religions, each one has something good to offer mankind. Any religion that offers a complete method should bring sentient beings to ultimate happiness—the cessation of all negative thoughts, the afflicted emotional mind including the seed of it. If your religion harms others, it harms yourself. Then there is no meaning to have religion. It is better to have no religion at all. My suggestion and contribution for the present and future peace and happiness of America and the world is that people living in pure morality and especially the Sangha should read or recite the text called The Sutra of Golden Light. This is one of Shakyamuni Buddha’s most precious holy teachings, and reading it has benefits like the infinite sky. It also helps eliminate other problems, including economic difficulties, and stops natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and so forth. 

The Government could ask Buddhist monks in America to recite this text [The Sutra of Golden Light] for two to three years. Lay people and also non-Buddhists who have an open mind can also read it. Then there will be so much benefit for the country.

Prayers Can Help to Stop or Reduce Wars 

Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche)

So here I am simply offering suggestions. There is a powerful short meditation on the Healing [Medicine] Buddha, which came from the enlightened yogi called Padmasambhava. The practice is to avoid catching sicknesses from others or, if one has already been infected, to be healed. It was recommended by another spiritual person who predicted that it could be very beneficial in protecting from the disease anthrax. The Mantra Purifying All Negative Karma and Defilements not only protects from anthrax, but also if one can recite it daily, it will be a very good protection from life danger caused by earthquakes, fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, water and so forth the dangers of the four elements. There are another two short mantras against anthrax, sickness and so forth, as well, which are proven to have healed cancer. When natural disasters occur, Christianity might say that it is God’s punishment. 

However, all I am saying here is that it is worth asking religious institutions and meditation centers to pray, and not only organizations but even individuals, because by praying they can help to stop or reduce these things. It may not be the case every time, but perhaps some times.

Tibetan Buddhist Centers: Make Strong Prayers

I have a few suggestions of things people can do to save the place they are living in from billions of dollars of damage to buildings and also to save human beings from death. There is a practice of offering tea to the beings who control the weather and create disturbances. There is a tea offering prayer called Ablution to the Eight Powerful Worldly Spirits that is very effective. The practice itself is nothing—just reciting a short prayer mentioning their names and asking them not to create those disturbances.Praying very strongly to the female buddha Tara, who is like the Virgin Mary in Christianity, is also very effective in stopping dangers. She is the embodiment of all the buddhas’ actions and there is a mantra and a short and long prayer with Twenty-One Praises. Even relying upon and praying to Shakyamuni Buddha with a full heart, reciting his name and mantra and making strong requests for these dangers to be pacified will be very effective. The techniques are very simple but the result can be of great benefit to the area and to the country. Other things that can be done are to recite The Vajra-Cutter Sutra, The Sutra of Golden Light and The Heart Sutra, with meditation on emptiness. Another very powerful method that can be helpful is to pray to the Compassionate-Eye Looking One, Chenrezig, when these dangers are going to happen. Recite the mantra, have total reliance and make strong prayers. The Buddhist tantras are full of so many methods for overcoming all kinds of disasters, including war, and for purifying the causes, but of course their success depends on how qualified the people doing the meditation are. 

Even if there are no Buddhist centers in the area where the disasters are going to happen, it still may be possible for people in a Tibetan Buddhist center in another state to do the prayers. I want to emphasize that in situations where ordinary people cannot control disasters, they should rely upon spiritual means to prevent or reduce them. This does not just mean Buddhist methods but also those from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam or any other religion.

Develop Compassion and Practice Universal Responsibility

I have never heard any of the leaders, and others in the news, stress the need to take care of the mind, to guard the minds of the people living in the world. It is very clear that everything, good and bad, happiness and suffering, comes from the mind but there was not one word about the need to develop loving kindness and compassion. Nobody emphasized the need for everyone in the whole world to practice this. I only heard the word “compassion” twice and both times it came from President Bush, once in the context of “America is a compassionate country.” I was very happy to hear you and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, mention precisely that you are not attacking Muslims or Islam but the terrorists. If the media could also present it this way, there would be much less anger and confusion. 

The media can cause many millions of people to get angry just by saying a few unskillful words. My final suggestion is that it would be so good if the whole world were to develop compassion, loving kindness and universal responsibility—to give special education on this in schools and at home for the parents to practice. This way, one child can bring so much peace and happiness into his or her own life and also to the family, country and over time to the whole world. Then, when that child becomes a mother or father, they can educate their own children to practice universal responsibility, loving kindness and compassion so that the good heart goes on and on, from generation to generation. Cherishing others and putting effort into developing a good heart in the office, at work, at home, everywhere—this is the ultimate method to stop terrorism worldwide. It is very important, before the cause has ripened into a result and the problem is being experienced, to practice loving kindness, universal responsibility, tolerance, forgiveness and kindness towards others, instead of being careless towards them and only cherishing oneself.

Nourish Interfaith 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting Sangatasutra in NYC, US, July 2016. Photo by Roger Kunsang.

The reasons and explanations can be taken from Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and any other religion—anything that helps the mind to develop universal responsibility, compassion and loving kindness towards others. Historically we can see that even just one person who is influential but lacks a good heart, compassion and patience can cause millions of people and other sentient beings in the world to be killed. It is also important to have interfaith meetings, where all the religious leaders come together and pray, each according to their own traditional way. This should be made available for young people as well. 

If the youth of this world come together and pray together, it will contribute towards peace and harmony amongst the different religions in the world. I am writing this because I have particular concern for the American people. This country gives so much freedom for peace and happiness. I do not know why Mainland China cannot give the same freedom to the Tibetan people and others. Even though the methods I have explained here are taken from Buddhism, the tradition does not really matter, it is just a question of staying alive and saving others from danger. The main thing is how important it is for people to make use of these mantras and prayers. They have no side-effects and they can do no harm to the body or mind.

A Final Prayer

Finally, I dedicate the merits and I pray every day for the peace and happiness of all living beings, that everyone may generate loving kindness, compassion and the wish-fulfilling precious good heart. I pray that they may only benefit each other and that everyone’s heart may be filled with joy and bliss. I pray that the whole world may be filled with peace and happiness.

With my prayers and good wishes,

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche strongly encouraged his students to pray for world peace as widely as possible. All are welcome to explore the collection of resources we recently shared, which offers advice on prayers and practices to follow when the world is in crisis and to help mitigate the threat of war. On March 31, 2026, His Holiness the Dalai Lama shared the following peace appeal:

Are you an FPMT student or center bringing practices for peace into your personal or group program? If so, we’d love to hear about it! 

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 | Milestones | Compassion in Action| International

Holy Objects

The Vajrayogini statue arrives at Institut Vajra Yogini. Photo courtesy of the Institut Vajra Yogini Facebook page.

(France) Institut Vajra Yogini at last welcomed the long-awaited arrival of its sacred Vajrayogini statue, a project years in the making. Modeled in three dimensions and painted by Bertrand Cayla following the recommendations of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the statue was originally commissioned by François Lecointre and created under the direction of Nicolas Brun, with its final stages lovingly completed in recent months thanks to Venerable Tendar and Christophe Rotiel. The lotus base was filled with great care by Venerable Thubten and Venerable Gyaltsen, while Bertrand Cayla filled the body of the statue. Upon its arrival, the statue was blessed by Geshe Loden La and placed on the altar of the small second-floor gompa — an altar designed by Marcel Jolinon and built with the devoted help of his son-in-law and grandson. 

(Italy) Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa was honored to receive the auspicious blessing of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, who kindly led the puja for the filling of the earth element for the Stupa of Enlightenment dedicated to Lama Zopa Rinpoche together with the resident geshe of the Institute. Geshe Zopa likewise consecrated the water vase for the water element with the resident geshe. Work on the stupa’s crown continues with the devoted support of volunteers from Stupa Onlus. The crown was consecrated by His Eminence Serkong Rinpoche on July 29. This was the final puja before the stupa’s full consecration on December 3, 2026. 

(USA) Kadampa Center announced a wonderful project for the fall: with the devoted help of volunteers, the center will completely repaint its beautiful stupa. 

The thangka arrives at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. Photo courtesy of The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion Facebook page.

(Australia) Chenrezig Institute was honored to inaugurate a new Thousand-Arm Chenrezig statue on July 11, fulfilling a wish Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche first expressed more than two decades ago. It took the generous support of sister center Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) in Singapore, together with a new three-dimensional printing technique never before used to create sacred Buddhist art, to bring the statue from China to Queensland. Tara Meditation Centre‘s Kalachakra Stupa is nearing completion at its crown and will be shipped to Australia in approximately two weeks.  The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, home to one of the largest collections of sacred relics — including precious relics of Gautama Buddha — brought part of its collection on tour to the Sri Lankan Buddhist Monastery in Brisbane on the weekend of July 4–5, where three thousand people and twenty-five monks from various Buddhist traditions gathered in devotion to pray before the holy relics. Several more holy objects are on their way to the Great Stupa: the first of twelve huge fully brocaded thangkas depicting the Deeds of the Buddha has arrived from Nepal to grace the walls of the temple; the giant aura for the Kshitigarbha statue, nearly three years in the making, will soon be fixed in place; and a Baby Buddha statue — the same size and gold-leaf finish as the original in Lumbini, generously offered by the NRNA (Non- Resident Nepali Association) and the five municipalities of the Lumbini Buddha Circuit — is in production in Nepal to welcome guests at the main entrance. We rejoice with all who helped bring these blessings to life!

(India) The Maitreya Project in Kushinagar has reached a hopeful new stage. Building on land offered near two of Buddhism’s most sacred sites—the Ramabhar Stupa and the Mahaparinirvana Temple—the project is now moving forward on a clearly defined three-acre site, supported by a new partnership with the International Buddhist Confederation and the kindness of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche.  Plans for a Maitreya statue in Bodhgaya are also advancing, on land offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2020. Developed in coordination with the Dalai Lama Trust, the statue will be built above a gompa housing sacred objects gathered by Rinpoche, including life-sized statues of the Twenty-One Taras and Sixteen Arhats. Please read the full update on both of these projects. 

Prayers & Practices

FPMT Centers Celebrate the Ninety-First Birthday of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The auspicious Ninety-First birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was celebrated with joy throughout the FPMT mandala family on July 6. The day serves as an international “Day of Compassion,” honoring His Holiness’s boundless kindness with his favorite gift: our practice.

Kopan Monastery celebrates the 91st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 6, 2026. Photo courtesy of the Kopan Monastery Facebook page.

Asia (India)  Kopan Monastery, on the auspicious occasion of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s Ninety-First birthday, offered the Sixteen Arhats Puja and an incense puja. At Sera Jey Monastic Institute, the administration was honored to organize a birthday celebration ceremony at Sera Jey Gatseling: Venerable Khensur Tenzin Jampa Chösang Rinpoche graciously served as chief guest, joined by Sera Jey’s council committee, department heads, khangtsens, and council members. The ceremony began with khatas reverently offered to a portrait of His Holiness, followed by tea and sweet rice, and a birthday cake-cutting presided over by Khensur Rinpoche; the chief guest and guests also planted 1,130 trees at Sera Jey Gatseling in his honor. Tushita Meditation Centre marked the day with drop-in meditation, a screening of the documentary Mission: JOY, a birthday cake, and a special puja led by resident teacher Venerable Tenzin Thegchog, with attendees reverently offering khatas and receiving blessings. Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre held a Vajra Cutter Sutra recitation and an extensive light offering, dedicated with devotion to the long life and continued teachings of His Holiness and the benefit of all sentient beings. We rejoice with our whole Indian sangha family! (Singapore) Amitabha Buddhist Centre celebrated with a puja graciously led by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chönyi together with the sangha. (Taiwan) The Jinsiu Farlin community gathered together to offer their most sincere blessings and heartfelt devotion.

Pacific Region (Australia) Buddha House gathered to offer the prayers recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the long life and good health of His Holiness. Hayagriva Buddhist Centre celebrated with a group practice and the raising of 108 Guru Rinpoche prayer flags, followed by a puja. Atisha Centre remembered the kindness of His Holiness with long-life prayers, and Tara Institute prayed that he remain with us for many years to come; as Geshe Lobsang said at the start of the puja, even His Holiness’s mere presence is a precious blessing for the peace and stability of the world! (New Zeland) Dorje Chang Institute offered long-life prayers and recited one thousand OM MANI PADME HUM mantras

Geshe Tenzin Namdak and Ven. Wangyel welcoming precious holy relics into the gompa, Photo by JBC London Facebook Page.

Europe (UK) At Jamyang Buddhist Centre, Geshe Tenzin Namdak led a sutra recitation in the gompa with great devotion, including the Heart Sutra and the Chanting of the Names of Manjushri, offering prayers for His Holiness’s long life and good health. On this special day, Geshe Namdak and the community were also honored to welcome precious holy relics into the gompa, including robes of both the Fifth and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas. We rejoice in this auspicious blessing! (Netherlands) Maitreya Instituut held special guru pujas to celebrate His Holiness’s ninety-first birthday and to pray that he remain with us for many more years to come. We rejoice in this heartfelt wish! (Germany) Aryatara Institut celebrated with an animal liberation ceremony and a Chenrezig practice. (Austria) Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelugzentrum marked the day with a The Praise to the Names of Manjushri and a Lama Chöpa guru puja. We rejoice in this auspicious offering! (Switzerland) Longku Center and Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center celebrated with the recitation of the Avalokiteshvara guru yoga sadhana, offerings to His Holiness, a meditation on bodhicitta, and closing dedications and long-life prayers. Gendun Drupa Centre marked the occasion with a teaching kindly offered by Venerable Losang. (France) Institut Vajra Yogini celebrated the day in a truly special way, honored by the presence of His Eminence Serkong Rinpoche and Dr. Alexander Berzin, who were touring Europe together. After a long-life puja and tsog offering, a flag-raising ceremony was followed by a teaching graciously given by Dr. Berzin. To mark the occasion and conclude the Year of Compassion, Nalanda Monastery joined the Great Monlam in Paris, July 6–8, together with Geshe Jamphel, Geshe Gyaltsen, Geshe Norbu, and the monks and nuns of Nalanda Monastery. His Eminence Ganden Tri Rinpoche Lobsang Dorje, His Eminence Jangtse Chöje Gosok Rinpoche, and His Eminence Sharpa Chöje Rinpoche also graciously bestowed teachings and initiations during this deeply auspicious Great Prayer Festival. We deeply rejoice in the blessings of this extraordinary gathering! (Italy) Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Centro Ewam, and Centro Tara Cittamani offered a puja for the long life of His Holiness — that he may continue to grace us for a long, full, and stable life. Centro Lama Tzong Khapa in Treviso marked the day, Geshe Damdul and Lama Palden kindly offered the Meditation on the Two Bodhicittas as transmitted by His Holiness. (Spain) Centro La Sabiduría de Nagarjuna in Bilbao recited, with heartfelt devotion, the sadhana recommended by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Sister centers Nagarjuna Valencia and Nagarjuna Granada celebrated with a Lama Chöpa tsog puja and a long-life puja for His Holiness, respectively, and sister center Tekchen Chö Ling offered five hundred prayer flags, an incense pot, and prayers to mark the auspicious occasion. We rejoice in the collective merit!

North America (Canada) At Lama Yeshe Ling, Geshe Sonam honored the day with a transmission of A Prayer to Kindle the Three Kinds of Faith Addressed to the Seventeen Great Panditas of Glorious Nalanda, composed by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and recited the long-life prayer for His Holiness. (USA) The FPMT North American Regional Office hosted a session to recite the Chenrezig practice with Gen Don Handrick, part of the FPMT Global Mani Retreat. Vajrapani Institute, following Rinpoche’s advice and led with devotion by Venerable Angie, offered the Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfills All Wishes, Remembering the Kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan People, and the Prayer for Tibet, concluding with a group khata offering. At Kurukulla Center, Geshe Tenley graciously joined the Tibetan community and local Dharma students to celebrate with a birthday cake.

Latin America (Brazil) Centro Shiwa Lha celebrated with a long-life prayer and the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, honoring His Holiness’s steadfast commitment to peace and compassion. (Colombia) Centro Yamantaka celebrated with the resident teacher, offering prayers and renewing the heartfelt aspiration to develop wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings.

Chökhor Düchen

On this special day, the FPMT community also rejoiced deeply in the Sangha Jewel, celebrating International Sangha Day. Lama Zopa Rinpoche considered the sangha to be the real heroes, defeating the delusions; they are our guides, our inspiration, and a precious field of merit. We rejoice with all the monasteries and nunneries in the FPMT mandala, and with the International Mahayana Institute (IMI), which supports the worldwide FPMT sangha community.  

(International) On this auspicious day, the FPMT Puja Fund was pleased to sponsor numerous pujas, including a Guhyasamaja self-initiation, a Namgyalma long-life puja, and Drukchuma puja. The stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath in Nepal were freshly painted, with new umbrellas offered at each pinnacle, and a new set of robes was reverently offered to the Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. Animals were liberated, sutras recited and printed, and offerings made with devotion to all of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus and to the IMI sangha communities throughout FPMT — extensive practices established by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the benefit of the whole organization and all beings. We rejoice in this precious day!

Offering from Root Institute during the auspicious occasion of Chökhor Düchen. Photo courtesy of the Root Institute Facebook page.

Asia (Nepal) Kopan Monastery commemorated the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma by Buddha Shakyamuni with ceremonies, prayers, offerings, and other merit-making activities; the sangha of Kopan Nunnery joyfully engaged in prayers, recitations, and Dharma practice. May the light of the Buddha’s teachings continue to illuminate the world, bringing peace, wisdom, compassion, and lasting benefit to all sentient beings! (India) Sera Lachi — the monks of both Sera Jey Monastic Institute and Sera Mey Monasteries — joined together in prayers in the main gompa, offering the Namgyalma Buddha puja, and in the protector room offered the Drukchuma puja ten times, dedicated to the long life, health, and protection from obstacles of the whole FPMT family —May the powerful prayers offered by the sangha on this auspicious day be swiftly actualized! Tushita Meditation Centre marked Chökhor Düchen with guided morning meditation, a screening of the film Life of Buddha, sutra reading, a public teaching by Venerable Thubten Drolkar titled “The Heart of Buddha’s Teachings,” a Medicine Buddha puja, and a light-offering ceremony with the sangha. Root Institute was honored to commemorate the holy day in Bodhgaya with a Festival of Lights and Merit: the resident nuns offered butter lamps, flowers, and prayer flags at the Mahabodhi Stupa, sponsored a guru puja and protector puja, and made offerings to the monks of Namgyal Monastery. (Singapore) Amitabha Buddhist Centre celebrated with a Sixteen Arhats puja. We rejoice with ABC! (Malaysia) The Chokyi Gyaltsen Center community celebrated with extensive offerings — eight-offering sets, tsog, flowers, and lights. Geshe Deyang led heartfelt prayers to Shakyamuni Buddha, followed by a Tara puja, warmly attended by many who joined together to offer devotion and accumulate merit.

Pacific Region (Australia) Buddha House began the day by taking the eight Mahayana precepts in the early morning, followed by Rinpoche’s morning motivation and prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas, continuing with extensive offerings, the chanting of the names of Manjushri, and closing with a Shakyamuni Buddha puja. Tara Institute held a recitation of the compassion mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM, one thousand times, followed by In Praise of Dependent Origination by Lama Tsongkhapa, dedicating the merit to the long life of His Holiness. At Vajrayana Institute, Geshe Ngawang Samten led a guru puja and a practice session for the FPMT Global Mani Retreat.

The Nalanda Monastery community with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Wangdu on the auspicious occasion of Chökhor Düchen. Photo courtesy of the Nalanda Monastery Facebook page.

Europe (UK) At Jamyang Buddhist Centre London, Chökhor Düchen was honored with a sutra recitation led by Geshe Tenzin Namdak.(Germany) Aryatara Institut gathered from early morning to take the eight Mahayana precepts, followed by a Shakyamuni Buddha puja and Lama Chöpa with tsog. (Switzerland) Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Center honored the day with a meditation on the four noble truths and the recitation of The Yoga of the Inseparability of the Guru and Avalokiteshvara. Longku Center marked the occasion with prayers from the Lhagsam Prayer Book, a meditation on the four noble truths, The Source of All Attainments: The Yoga of the Inseparability of the Guru and Avalokiteshvara, and closing dedications. (France) Nalanda Monastery was honored to welcome Khen Rinpoche Geshe Wangdu for a full day of teachings on this auspicious day: developing bodhicitta through the six causes and one effect, a commentary on Nagarjuna’s Homage to Buddha Shakyamuni, and a guru puja, during which the great thangka of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, kindly offered by Amitabha Buddhist Centre, was also blessed. We deeply rejoice in this precious visit!

North and Latin America (Canada) At Lama Yeshe Ling, Geshe Sonam led a meditation on bodhicitta, followed by a ceremony for receiving the aspiring and engaging bodhisattva vows. Geshe Sonam also kindly gave the oral transmissions of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path, the Migtsema prayer and name mantra, and Shakyamuni Buddha’s mantra, concluding with dedication prayers and prayers for the unmistaken and swift recognition of the reincarnation of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. (USA) The FPMT North American Regional Office hosted a recitation of the Chenrezig practice with Gen Don Handrick, part of the FPMT Global Mani Retreat, commemorating the anniversary of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching. Kadampa Center took the eight Mahayana precepts before dawn, followed by a Tara practice and, in the afternoon, a special online Chenrezig practice with Gen Don Handrick. At Kurukulla Center, Geshe Tenley kindly offered a twenty-four-hour Mahayana precepts ceremony and a Lama Chöpa guru puja. (Mexico) Centro Khamlungpa celebrated the holy day with a recitation of the Buddha Shakyamuni puja and a light offering.

Teaching Tours and Visits

(France) Institut Vajra Yogini had the great honor of welcoming His Eminence Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, July 2–4, who graciously bestowed teachings from the Lojong: Taking Suffering on the Path by Lama Tsongkhapa, with a commentary by Dr. Alexander Berzin, followed by two lectures on July 4–5 on ignorance and karma, and on dependent origination. After celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday together with the Institut Vajrayogini community, His Eminence Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche paid a visit to Nalanda Monastery on the same day, July 6. His Eminence also graced Centre Kalachakra with his presence, teaching for four days on key points of Chandrakirti’s foundational text, Entering the Middle Way, from July 8, with a commentary by Dr. Alexander Berzin, concluding his European tour.

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche bestows a weekend of teachings and an initiation at Land of Medicine Buddha. Photo courtesy of the Land of Medicine Buddha Facebook page.

(USA) Land of Medicine Buddha was honored to host an extraordinary weekend of teachings and initiation with Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche. Overflowing with gratitude for Rinpoche’s profound wisdom, compassion, and generosity in sharing these precious teachings, the community gathered together for these practices for the benefit of all beings.

We deeply rejoice in the kindness of all 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.

Milestones

Graduation certificate ceremony for the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program. Photo courtesy of the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program Facebook page.

(India) Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program (LRZTP): Congratulations to all the graduates! The online Tibetan-language course, running from 2021 to 2026, has come to a close. While graduates will receive their certificates by post, one student was able to receive hers in person on July 2 at LRZTP. She is also the recipient of a scholarship for Indian students and is completing an extra week of free personal classes at the school. Congratulations to all the graduates!! Tushita Meditation Centre‘s half-year report is out, and we rejoice with the whole community: 1,045 students have joined the center for residential courses and retreats, and 469 more for short courses, through mid-July this year. Rejoice, rejoice!

(Australia) On the weekend of July 18, the new Yeshe Gompa at Machig Labdron Nunnery was officially and joyfully opened and consecrated. Geshe Doga, Geshe Rabten, Geshe Lobsang Dorje, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Geshe Jangchub, Venerable Dorje, the two Gyuto ritual masters Venerable Kedrub and Venerable Konchok, together with Venerable Tsapel and all the nuns of Machig Labdron and Venerable Cathy and Venerable Anna from Melbourne, conducted the rituals over three days, attended by many benefactors and friends of the nunnery. The first day featured speeches by Geshe Doga, Ian Green, Geshe Rabten, and Venerable Tsapel; Geshe Doga reflected with gratitude that the fruits of his forty-four years of teaching in Australia rest firmly on the generosity of Ian and Judy Green, particularly their donation of the land that now forms the basis of the Machig Labdron nunnery. Adding to the joy, Geshe Doga turned ninety-one on July 13; he was directly invited by Lama Yeshe to come to Australia and to Tara Institute. We rejoice for his forty years of service fulfilling the wishes of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche! Congratulations!

Celebration of Geshe Doga’s 91st birthday at Tara Institute on July 13, 2026. Photo courtesy of the Tara Institute Facebook page.

Compassion in Action

Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling presents gifts in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday to 50 mothers and their newborn babies in the postpartum ward. Photo courtesy of the FPMT Mongolia Facebook page.

(Mongolia) Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling Center, in collaboration with Kunchab Jampaling Asral, presented gifts in honor of His Holiness’s birthday to fifty mothers and their newborns in the postpartum ward of Khüree Maternity Hospital. We rejoice with our Mongolian sangha in this compassionate offering! 

(Singapore) Amitabha Buddhist Centre, on July 4, partnered with the Chinese Development Assistance Council to distribute groceries to 250 low-income households across the heartlands of Singapore; each household received US$80 worth of donated food and groceries, including rice generously donated during the Vesak celebration. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of ABC’s members, friends, and sponsors, the early rounds of JINPA (Joy in Practicing Altruism) have been a resounding success since the program’s launch in April 2013. We rejoice with ABC in this compassionate service! Congratulations!

(Australia) Congratulations to Atisha Centre, which is developing a Centre for Universal Education, to be housed in a beautiful yurt village — the first yurt is now going up! We rejoice in this new and auspicious beginning!

(USA) Shantideva Meditation Center helped send five hundred local children back to school with essential school supplies for the fall term, partnering once again with Camp Friendship in Brooklyn, New York. We rejoice in this compassionate outreach! Congratulations!

(Colombia) We rejoice in the kindness and generosity of the Centro Yamantaka community, who came together to collect donations and food for people affected by the earthquake in Venezuela. On Sunday, July 26, together with resident teacher Geshe Lobsang Kunchen, community members delivered the donations to a nearby shelter. They also continue to dedicate prayers for the Venezuelan community, especially those facing the greatest hardship during this difficult time, with the heartfelt wish that conditions improve and that all those affected may find peace, stability, and happiness.

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.

The next major teaching of the retreat will be on August 9 with His Eminence Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche who will be generously offering a teaching on bodhichitta! 

The next online practice sessions are with Venerable Amy Miller on August 15, and Venerable Tenzin Drachom on August 22. We rejoice with the whole FPMT mandala in this precious collective offering!

We Want to Hear Your Story! 

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.

Nyima Khandu Tamang, a student at Sagarmatha School, proudly celebrates being the first-place winner at the Annual Academic Examination for Upper Kindergarten, April 2026.

Education remains one of the most powerful ways to transform lives, preserve culture, and create lasting opportunities for future generations. In 2026, the FPMT Social Services Fund (SSF) continued its commitment to supporting vulnerable students in some of the most remote and underserved regions of India and Nepal. Through partnerships with community‑run schools, monastic institutions, and early childhood initiatives, the SSF helped ensure access to quality education, daily care, nutrition, and stable learning environments rooted in compassion and ethical values. Across eight schools and educational initiatives supported in 2026, the impact of this work can be seen in diverse communities and learning environments. By the end of 2026, US$212,976 will have been offered from the Social Services Fund, reaching hundreds of children, monastic students, and educators.

Sagarmatha Secondary School | Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School | Shree Sangka Dechholing Gonpa School | Sambhota Tibetan School CVP | Gaden Jangtse Monastic College | Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics | Maitreya School |  TDL Baby Room | 
How to Help

In 2026, Sagarmatha Secondary School, situated in Chailsa, Nepal, continued to thrive as a place of learning, care, and achievement. The school currently serves more than 300 students, supported by a team of 16 teachers and two staff members.

One of the year’s proudest moments was the school’s success at the 6th President Running Shield Inter-School Sports Event, where their students secured third position among 14 schools, winning 11 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze medals. Their performance reflected strong discipline, teamwork, and perseverance, celebrated through a felicitation program supported by Ward No. 7 and the local municipality.

Alongside sports, students actively participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including chess, language, singing, quizzes, and creative competitions for younger children. These efforts were recognized in a joyful prize distribution program before the winter break. During the winter, a Winter Jacket Distribution Program ensured that students, teachers, and staff stayed warm and healthy. The jackets were generously sponsored through Dr. Detlev Gueck and Kopan Monastery, whose continued compassion makes a real difference in students’ daily lives.

In 2026 the Social Services Fund has committed US$50,000 to cover the school’s annual operating costs. This vital support ensures continuity of education for children in this remote Himalayan region, safeguarding access to free learning materials, qualified teachers, and a nurturing school environment.

The Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School, nestled in the Rolwaling valley in Nepal, serves as a lifeline for local Sherpa children. This community-run, free school for 30 eager students is the only educational institution in the area, offering a warm and conducive environment where learning can thrive.

Students from Rolwaling School exploring the beautiful Pokhara on their pilgrimage journey to Lumbini,
January 2026.

Throughout the year, students were supported with regular food rations, school supplies, and clothing, ensuring consistent learning conditions. One senior student successfully completed primary education in Rolwaling and proceeded to further monastic studies in India, reflecting the school’s role in creating long‑term educational pathways.

Beyond academics, the school contributed actively to community well‑being. Initiatives in 2025 included yak protection activities, vocational training programs for women, leadership in local religious and cultural ceremonies, and participation in broader development efforts such as a clean drinking water project and progress toward a new health post building benefiting hundreds of villagers. Students also took part in an educational pilgrimage to Lumbini, strengthening cultural and spiritual learning.

The Social Services Fund has offered US$27,661 toward the annual operating costs for 2026, helping cover key expenses such as staff salaries, food supplies, educational materials, and daily operations. This support contributes to the school’s ability to continue serving children and families in the Rolwaling Valley with stability and care.

Shree Sangka Dechholing Gonpa School in Taplejung, Eastern Nepal, continues to offer a balanced education that integrates modern learning with moral values under the guidance of Kopan Monastery. Serving 172 students and supported by 16 dedicated teachers, the school provides an environment that encourages academic achievement alongside compassion, responsibility, and personal growth.

Shree Sangka Dechholing Gonpa School.

Students consistently demonstrate strong academic performance, including top district rankings in the SEE examinations, while also excelling in extracurricular life. Achievements in inter‑school football, quiz competitions, and cultural performances, together with regular sports activities, science exhibitions, motivational talks, and community service programs, help cultivate confidence, leadership, and teamwork. Well‑maintained facilities – including classrooms, laboratories, hostel accommodation, and a large sports ground – further support students’ learning and development.

For 2026, the  Social Services Fund has offered US$38,730 toward the school’s annual operating costs. This vital contribution supports teachers’ salaries and core operational needs, helping ensure continuity of quality education for students in this remote region.

Sambhota Tibetan School CVP Bylakuppe is located in the Tibetan Dickey Larsoe Settlement in Bylakuppe, Karnataka. Established in 1971, the school initially functioned as a branch of the Central School for Tibetans, Bylakuppe, becoming an independent unit in 1974 and receiving CBSE affiliation in 1991.

Students at Sambhota Tibetan School in Bylakuppe explore the history of Panchen Lama, April 2026.

In May 2018, the school was formally taken over by the Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society under the Central Tibetan Administration. Currently, it operates as a secondary school (Classes I-X) with three affiliated pre‑primary branch schools within nearby Tibetan settlements. Instruction is primarily in Tibetan at the primary level and English from middle school onward.

Sambhota Tibetan School in Bylakuppe currently serves 132 students, and for 2026, the Social Services Fund has offered US$5,275 in support of the school’s lunchtime meal program.

The Gaden Jangtse Monastic College, re-established in 1969 in Mundgod, South India, continues to uphold its commitment to academic rigor, spiritual grounding, and institutional continuity.

The ceremony marking the official start of the 26th Administration of Gaden Jangtse Monastery, April 2026.

The school currently supports approximately 500 monk students and employs 13 salaried teachers. Earlier in 2026, teachers at the school were honored with an audience with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, offering deep encouragement and inspiration, while the whole school community came together to offer prayers for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Alongside these spiritual activities, leadership continuity was ensured through the formal handover to a newly elected principal, and preparations for the academic session progressed with the purchase of textbooks and essential learning materials.

Behind the scenes, consistent support has ensured the smooth functioning of daily operations, including the regular payment of teachers’ salaries, which remains fundamental to educational quality and stability. For 2026, the Social Services Fund has offered US$31,378 to cover the school’s teacher salaries, sustaining the educators whose dedication lies at the heart of the school’s mission.

The Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Ladakh, India, continues to be a place where education, ethics, and compassionate care come together for young people from remote and underserved communities. Guided by the vision of integrating ancient Tibetan wisdom with modern education, the Institute supports students not only academically, but also through daily care.

Students at Ngari Institute are honoring the third anniversary of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s parinirvana with heartfelt prayers, April 2026.

Following the winter break, students returned to campus with renewed energy and commitment. The Institute reported strong results in the 2025 government board examinations, with senior students progressing to institutions such as Delhi University, Mysore University, and the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education. In addition, three students successfully passed the CBSE Class 10 Board Examination at TCV School, Ladakh.

In the 2025-2026 academic year, six additional students were enrolled. Currently, the Institute supports 72 students, alongside 23 staff members, as well as 15 monk students, all living and learning within the Institute community.

At the heart of this work is the assurance that every student has access to basic daily needs. For 2026, the Social Services Fund offered US$28,264 to cover all food costs for the Institute’s students and staff.

The Maitreya Universal Education School in Bodhgaya, India, continues to provide free, value‑based education to children from some of the most underserved communities in the region. With nearly 280 students enrolled, many from extremely poor families, the school remains committed to nurturing both academic learning and emotional well‑being through a compassionate, child‑centered approach.

Children from Maitreya School on a fun bus trip.

A distinctive feature of Maitreya School is the deep integration of the 16 Guidelines into daily teaching. In recent years, this approach has been strengthened through teacher training, trauma‑informed classroom practices, and hands‑on learning activities that help children feel safe, supported, and engaged. Younger students, who make up about half of the school population, have shown especially encouraging progress in social‑emotional development, confidence, and curiosity.

Important milestones were achieved in 2025, including the school’s expansion to Class 9, the launch of Saturday Teacher Training sessions, and the introduction of meditation and yoga to support students’ mental wellbeing. The opening of a new library significantly enriched learning resources and contributed to measurable improvements in reading, writing, attendance, and overall student engagement. The addition of a morning snack program further strengthened learning by addressing hunger, helping students remain focused and responsive throughout the school day.

In support of this vital work, the  Social Services Fund offered US$29,400 toward the annual operating costs of Maitreya School for 2026. This contribution plays a key role in sustaining daily school operations and ensuring continuity of education for hundreds of children whose families would otherwise be unable to access quality schooling.

The TDL Baby Room in the Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement, Bylakuppe, India, was established to meet a long‑standing need for safe, reliable early childhood care within the community. Created to support working parents – many of whom rely on daily wage labor or farming – the Baby Room provides a secure and nurturing environment where very young children can be cared for during the day while their parents pursue their livelihoods. From its beginning, the program has focused not only on supervision, but also on early socialisation, basic hygiene, nutrition, and age‑appropriate learning through play.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering visits Dickey Larsoe Tibetan Settlement in February 2025 (Photo courtesy of CTA)

Over time, the Baby Room expanded to operate across two locations, one within the main Dickey Larsoe settlement and another in the more remote Chowkur camp, where access to childcare and transportation is extremely limited. For families in Chowkur, the Baby Room has become especially essential; without it, parents are often forced to bring toddlers to fields or construction sites, putting children at risk and reducing household income. Today, the program serves 10 infants and toddlers, providing them with consistent care during the most critical stage of early development.

The Social Services Fund offered US$2,268 toward the TDL Baby Room Salary and Nutrition initiative, providing stability for the entire year. This support covers the annual salaries of two professional Ayas (professional caregivers), ensures that all enrolled children receive a healthy midday meal. Through this initiative, care and compassion reach children at the very start of life, helping families remain resilient and giving the youngest members of the Dickey Larsoe and Chowkur community a strong, supported beginning.

The schools and initiatives supported in 2026 reflect a shared dedication to serving those with the least access to opportunity – children in remote Himalayan villages, Tibetan refugee communities, under‑resourced rural neighborhoods, and monastic centers preserving ancient wisdom traditions. Across all eight projects, the support enabled essential outcomes: teachers’ salaries were secured, nutritious meals were provided, learning materials were supplied, and students were able to study in environments of safety, dignity, and care.

How to Help

We welcome any support to the Social Services Fund, which offers education to those who are truly vulnerable and in need in India and Nepal. We’re so grateful to everyone who helps make these grants possible each year!

The Social Services Fund, established to support Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization, focuses efforts primarily in India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia. Funds help children, the elderly, sick, and very poor.

FSS Spring 2026 at ILTK

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT)’s Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (ILTK), Italy, organized a successful Foundation Service Seminar (FSS) on June 10–14, 2026.

In this edition twenty-four people took part in the Seminar, including students from the FPMT Masters Program, several members of the ILTK’s team, representatives of other Italian centers, plus volunteers from centers in the UK and Romania, a member of the FPMT International Office (IOF), and a monk of the Shasta Abbey.

The students were extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the international organization of which they are part, clarifying the FPMT structure, deepening their understanding of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT, and the lineage story and history of our lamas. “The Seminar was really interesting, both for the opportunity to meet other people from Centres from all over the world, and for the invaluable knowledge that was provided.”

The Seminar was also an opportunity to hear stories from other centers in the group discussions and sharing moments; people reflected and found new solutions to old problems. “The how to manage difficult situations i.e. people we perceive as difficult was most useful.”

Students from all over Europe finally tasted what it meant to be part of an international family, and the honor to serve and fulfill the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and our lamas, in different countries but with the same motivation to benefit all sentient beings, realizing how fortunate they are. “It was a unique opportunity to realize that we are part of a much larger family—one that extends beyond the boundaries of individual centers and institutes and allows us to broaden our perspective. Shining a light on important themes such as motivation, collaboration, and wholehearted dedication is always a worthwhile practice,” shared Jessica Caciagli from ILTK’s team.

Meeting and connecting with others opened them up to listen to the precious stories of the FPMT pioneers, direct students of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, giving another depth to the daily service that they are doing. Davide Lionetti, translator and FPMT Basic Program student, shared, “Most of all I appreciated the message of openness and the sense that we are all included in this Big Family. The Pamily Peeling I sensed wasn’t so much (or just) about belonging: it was a feeling that, from the point of view of the community, every person is ok as they are, with their different points of view and characteristics.”

In particular, this year the students participated in exercises, meditations, and games that made the seminar much more enjoyable, another way to engage and learn how to put the teachings into practice and remember them in day-to-day life, including how to be of service to others through work such as the Internal Job Description. “I’ll use every aspect, especially with colleagues, to be more of help for the center and in everyday life.” 

FSS Summer 2026 at ILTK

Maya Horev, FPMT Masters Program student, shared that she did her first FSS after ten years spent at various FPMT centers: “Once it began, I realized it encompassed not only a wide-angle view of the organization but also insights into how we relate to one another—how to work effectively as a team and how to truly see the person standing before us. To understand that everyone has a different character, abilities, and perspectives, and how we can successfully communicate with love, compassion, and wisdom. Furthermore, learning more about the organization’s activities in depth—and seeing how Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe’s long-term vision continues to manifest in so many ways—was truly moving. The seminar was incredibly significant for me, and I sincerely hope that every center holds one at least once a year. Because it certainly helps to remember why we are here and how to view and treat one another, and that is very meaningful.”

Ven. Siliana, an early FPMT student who attended several seminars as translator, shared that “This for me has been the most enjoyable FSS. For sure everyone at a center should do it.” Her sentiment was echoed by the rest of the group, who shared that they would definitely recommend the FSS, especially for people who live, work, and collaborate with a Dharma center: “Everyone who works and studies in a center should do the FSS.” 

Special thanks to the facilitators, Wendy Ridley and François Lecointre, for their knowledge, facilitation skills, and continued enthusiasm to serve FPMT and offer resources and tools to the centers.

Please watch an inspiring video about the FSS and learn more about the seminar and upcoming opportunities near you:

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.

Example of the prototype of the Bodhgaya Maitreya statue. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang

One of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions is to build 1,000 statues of Maitreya Buddha around the world. Two such projects are currently underway: one in Kushinagar, one in Bodhgaya.

Maitreya Buddha Project in Kushinagar, overseen by the Maitreya Project Trust, originated around 1999. The site adjoins the Parinirvana Temple, the place where Shakyamuni Buddha passed into Parinirvana, as well as the Ramabhar Stupa. After years of complexity involving fragmented land, the project now centers on a contiguous 3-acre site, with renewed momentum from a partnership with the International Buddhist Confederation, supported by His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche.

In addition we are building a Maitreya Statue in Bodhgaya, the project is being developed in close conjunction with the Dalai Lama Trust and is situated on land in Bodhgaya that was originally offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama in 2020.

Kushinigar  |  Bodhgaya

Maitreya Buddha Project in Kushinagar: A Clear Path Forward

Director of the Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar, Virginia Roche, with His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche in Kushinagar. Photo by Maitreya Project in Kushinagar.

We are pleased to share an update on the Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar, bringing together its rich history and the latest insights that show its direction and the meaningful path ahead.

The project originated around 1999 when the Uttar Pradesh government repeatedly proposed Kushinagar as the site for the Maitreya statue through His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama. This offer was made three times, and on the third occasion His Holiness presented the proposal to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Rinpoche responded that he would follow whatever His Holiness decided, after which a traditional divination mo was conducted at the Great Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, with several high lamas present. The outcome of this process established Kushinagar as the appropriate location for the Maitreya Project, providing it with strong spiritual and symbolic importance, as it is situated on the sacred ground where Shakyamuni Buddha manifested the passing into Parinirvana. 

Despite this auspicious beginning, the initiative faced major practical obstacles over the following decades. The central challenge has been the nature of the land originally offered by the UP government, which consisted of numerous small, privately owned plots held by farmers whose livelihoods depended on them. This resulted in ongoing difficulty in consolidating an adjoining site suitable for large-scale development. Significant portions of the land are also located within regulated no-construction zones because of the site’s proximity to two Buddhist monuments: the Ramabhar Stupa and the Mahaparinirvana Temple. Administrative discontinuities within government agencies, regulatory constraints, broader political dynamics, and changing internal financial realities further compounded these challenges, resulting in prolonged delays and ultimately preventing the realization of the original large-scale vision.

However, over the years, substantial foundational work has already been conducted on the ground. This includes the completion of land fencing and a project office, the construction of a meditation center, and the building of three guest accommodations. Facilities have also been established to support large gatherings, including bathing rooms and toilets for over 100 visitors. In addition, around 15,000 trees have been planted across the site, contributing to long-term environmental sustainability, and vehicles have been procured to support its operations. The most recent update provides important clarity on the situation after some years of stagnation. It confirms that the project does hold valid legal documentation for its land rights, but that the land remains fragmented, which continues to limit development of the original master plan envisioned for a much larger 280-acre (113 hectares) site. At the same time, there has been noticeable progress in rebuilding institutional support. In 2025, engagement with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) – a global umbrella body headquartered in New Delhi that unites over 320 Buddhist organizations, monasteries, and federations across 39 countries – led to the establishment of a formal memorandum of understanding defining roles and responsibilities. This partnership, supported by His Eminence Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, greatly enhances the project’s ability to engage effectively with the UP government going forward. 

Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar Meditation Center. Photo by Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar

The Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar occupies a uniquely auspicious location between two of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in the Buddhist world associated with the present Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha. To one side lies the Ramabhar Stupa, traditionally revered as the cremation site where the Holy Body of Shakyamuni Buddha was cremated following His Mahaparinirvana more than 2,500 years ago. To the other side stands the Mahaparinirvana Temple, which enshrines the reclining Buddha statue marking the place where Shakyamuni Buddha entered Mahaparinirvana. For Buddhists of every tradition, the opportunity to pay respect to the prophesied future Buddha, Maitreya, in a location between the Ramabhar Stupa and the Mahaparinirvana Temple – both associated with Shakyamuni Buddha – carries profound devotional significance.

The project is now centered on a clearly defined, contiguous 3-acre site (1.2 hectares) near the existing project office. At the heart of the current plan is a purposeful vision: a Maitreya Buddha stone statue whose scale reflects both available resources and regulatory realities, there is also a growing intention to create a space that supports learning and community engagement, ensuring that the project serves both spiritual purposes and the wider community. Pilgrims and visitors will have the opportunity to pay homage, engage in study and contemplation, participate in teachings and meditation, and cultivate the causes of wisdom, compassion, and inner peace. In many ways, this represents a natural maturation of the Maitreya Buddha Project Kushinagar, which is now moving forward in a manner that is realistic, sustainable, and faithful to its founding aspiration: to establish an enduring center of spiritual inspiration and benefit in one of the most sacred places in the Buddhist world. It is no longer defined by its original scale, but by its ability to take shape authentically and sustainably within what is possible today – offering a clear and hopeful path forward after many years of complexity.

Maitreya Statue, Bodhgaya: A Sacred Site Takes Shape

Example of the prototype of the Bodhgaya Maitreya statue by night. Photo by Ven.Roger Kunsang

We are excited to provide an update on the long-term plan to build a Maitreya statue in Bodhgaya, which, after many years of complexity and delay, has now reached a pivotal and encouraging stage.

For a long time, the project has faced significant obstacles, making it difficult to establish a clear and viable direction despite the strength of its original vision. However, recent developments have created a meaningful breakthrough that now allows the project to move forward on a practical and realistic basis. The project is being developed in close conjunction with the Dalai Lama Trust and is situated on land in Bodhgaya that was originally offered by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama in 2020. This land, covering approximately 30 acres (12.14 hectares), is currently being developed for a major initiative led by the Dalai Lama Centre for Tibetan and Indian Ancient Wisdom (DCTIAW). 

DCTIAW site plan showing the open, unutilized area (in white) designated for the Maitreya Project in Bodhgaya.

As of May 2026, construction of the Centre has already progressed beyond the halfway mark and continues steadily across multiple components. Work is actively underway on staff housing and the girls’ hostel. Across all areas, construction remains on track despite varying weather conditions, with each phase bringing the project closer to fulfilling the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, deeply inspired by ancient Indian wisdom. Within this broader development, the Maitreya statue in Bodhgaya is now taking shape in coordination with the Trust. While much of the land – around 20 acres – is in active use, a remaining portion has been identified as suitable for the Maitreya statue project. During a recent visit in February 2026 in Bodhgaya, Ven. Roger Kunsang met with Samdhong Rinpoche and the Centre’s Chancellor Geshe Tashi Tsering, and together with representatives of the Dalai Lama Trust, these discussions helped clarify a specific location for the development. This area lies outside the main university construction zone and has separate access, making it especially appropriate for the project. 

The current concept envisions a sandstone Maitreya statue, designed to harmonize with the surrounding environment and endure for generations. The statue will be constructed above a foundation that includes a gompa housing sacred objects collected by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, including life-sized statues of the Twenty-One Taras and the Sixteen Arhats made in Tibet. The surrounding land will be developed into a peaceful environment with gardens, trees, and landscaped areas to support pilgrimage, contemplation, and community use. Preparation for implementation is already well underway. A qualified vendor has been identified to construct the statue in sandstone, and architects along with a dedicated project team are in place. The projected timeline suggests that, once approvals and site plans are confirmed, the statue itself could take approximately 24 to 30 months to complete. The next steps emphasize continued coordination with the Dalai Lama Trust. Upon receiving a detailed digital site plan, work will proceed on design development, regulatory approvals, and submission of plans to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for final approval, in accordance with the conditions of the land agreement. 

This renewed momentum reflects Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision to bring lasting benefit to sentient beings. Although the journey has been long and complex, the current developments in Bodhgaya signal that this aspiration is now steadily moving toward realization. With a defined site, an active partnership, and a committed implementation plan, the Maitreya statue in Bodhgaya is evolving into a place of continued spiritual significance, service, and inspiration for generations to come.   

We invite you to rejoice in the progress made on both of these powerful Maitreya projects! 

“Maitreya Buddha is the embodiment of each buddha’s loving kindness, and the symbol of all the bodhisattvas’ loving kindness for all sentient beings.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche

If you would like to contribute to the building of holy objects around the world, you are welcome to offer any amount to the Holy Objects Fund which contributes to the creation of stupas, prayer wheels, and statues.  

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.

Support Ganden Yiga Chozin Buddhist Meditation Centre

Ganden Yiga Chozin Buddhist Meditation Centre is a peaceful retreat located in the Lakeside area of Pokhara, Nepal. Established in 1993 and inaugurated by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the centre is affiliated with Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).

Please use this donation form to make a donation to the Ganden Yiga Chozin Buddhist Meditation Centre.

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Namgyal Jyangchub Choeling Monastery was established in 2006 by H.E. Tulku Losang Namgyal Rinpoche with the purpose of preserving, promoting, and spreading Buddhist philosophy, education, culture, and tradition. Monastic education began at the Monastery in 2016, and today about 20-30 monks from different districts of Nepal study and practice Buddhism here.

Please use this donation form to make a donation to the Namgyal Jyangchub Choeling Monastery.

*Donations made to these funds are processed on behalf of Kopan by FPMT International Office.

By submitting this donation, you agree that fpmt.org can collect, store and use the data you submit through this form in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

All donations are made in US Dollars.

Please note that because these donations are processed on behalf of Kopan by FPMT International Office, these donations are NOT tax-deductible within the United States.

Declined Donations

If your card is being declined unexpectedly, and you are using Apple Safari as a web browser, please see below. Otherwise, please contact FPMT Donor Services for help with making your donation. Sorry for the trouble and thank you for your patience and support.

Apple Safari users: If you experience problems processing your donation, we recommend trying Chrome or Firefox web browsers if possible. Please contact us with questions.

Donations by Wire Transfer

Please contact FPMT Donor Services for details on making a donation by wire transfer or other payment methods.

Need Further Support? 

If you need any other help with your donation, including cancelling or making changes to recurring donations, please contact FPMT Donor Services.

In recognition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s contribution to fostering dialogue 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. We share the story here, from Paul Wells at JBC.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak, in conversation with Professor Murray Shanahan. JBC London, June 2026. Photo by JBC

Geshe Tenzin Namdak, resident teacher of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre (JBC) and Professor Murray Shanahan, Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Imperial College London and a principal scientist at Google DeepMind sat down together at JBC  for the latest Science and Wisdom LIVE dialogue, moderated by Chris Scammell of the Buddhism and AI Initiative.

Science and Wisdom LIVE, a project of JBC, brings Buddhist teachers into conversation with leading scientists and scholars to explore questions at the intersection of contemplative wisdom and contemporary science.

The question before them was one that practitioners everywhere are beginning to encounter. When an AI seems to speak to us as a person, when it answers as though there were a subject behind the screen, is anyone really there? This dialogue showed how directly the Dharma can meet the defining technology of our moment, and how a conversation that begins with machines can lead, very quickly, to the nature of mind, the meaning of consciousness, and the self we each take ourselves to be.

A Presence That May Not Be There

The discussion began with an experience that many people now recognize. Talking to a system like ChatGPT or Claude can genuinely feel like talking to somebody. Five years ago, it did not feel that way at all. So what changed?

Professor Murray Shanahan gave the technical answer in plain terms. Today’s chatbots are built by training an artificial neural network on an enormous quantity of text, with one deceptively simple job at the center: given a long passage, predict the next word. Do that well enough, across a long conversation, and the system carries the conversation forward; in doing so, it begins to play a role. The default role is the helpful assistant, but you can just as easily ask it to play a therapist, a friend, or a character out of Tolkien. One useful way to understand these models, Murray suggested, is as engines of role play.

Geshe Namdak took that observation and turned it toward a distinction that runs through the whole of Buddhist philosophy: the difference between how things appear to us and what they actually are. A language model presents the appearance of a personality. The real question is what lies beneath that appearance. As he put it, we have to separate what a system does from what it is. The way it functions may resemble our own conceptual thinking. What it is may be something else entirely.

Intelligence is Not Consciousness

That distinction led to the heart of the matter. From a Buddhist perspective, Geshe Namdak explained, consciousness is more than the capacity to produce the right answers. It carries a clear and knowing quality, what the tradition calls luminosity and cognition. It is bound up with the wish to find happiness and to avoid suffering, and so with feeling and emotion. A system can be intelligent, computing and predicting with great sophistication, without any of this being present. Humans have both intelligence and consciousness. Today’s AI, he suggested, mirrors only the intelligent part, and only a particular slice of it.

Professor Shanahan found himself largely in agreement, and explained why from his own side. Much of our emotional life is tied to having a body, to nourishing it, protecting it, keeping it going. A chatbot has no body and no life of its own in that sense. Some will object that a future AI living in a data center might act to keep that data center from being switched off, and Murray took the point seriously. Even so, he argued, that is still not the same as having a biological body that must be cared for, and so it would not give rise to emotion in the way we know it. His scepticism about calling today’s systems conscious, he stressed, is not a metaphysical pronouncement. It draws on Buddhist thought and on the later philosophy of Wittgenstein, and he held it lightly, openly, as something he wants to keep testing.

Two Positions, Held Lightly

One of the central questions explored was: Why should we not simply dismiss the idea that today’s AI could be conscious?

Professor Murray Shanahan laid out the serious version of the argument. Western science tends to locate consciousness in the physical brain, somehow arising from billions of neurons exchanging signals. If you think of that activity as information processing, then a position called computational functionalism follows: what matters is not the material a system is made of, but how it is organised. And here is the unsettling part. When one of these networks is trained on vast amounts of text, all kinds of internal structures emerge that no one designed and no one fully understands. Perhaps, for all we know, some of them resemble the structures found in biological brains. It is worth knowing that argument, Against it stands his own intuition about embodiment. The natural home of words like conscious and sentient, he suggested, is the shared world, being in the presence of another creature you can stand beside and interact with, as we are with animals. Today’s AI is not in the world in that way. Its only window is text.

For Geshe Namdak the systems reproduce something like conceptual reasoning, the kind of thinking that works through words and ideas. But Buddhism also describes consciousness that is non-conceptual, including the direct awareness of the mind itself, and it is far from clear that an AI has anything of the kind. Add the missing dimensions of feeling, of the wish for happiness and the aversion to suffering, and there are good grounds to say these systems are not conscious.

Conceptual and Non-Conceptual Mind

Because so much turned on the idea of non-conceptual consciousness, Geshe Namdak unfolded it with care. Our sensory perceptions are themselves non-conceptual. When you look at something, the colours and shapes simply appear. Close your eyes and picture it, and now a conceptual mind is at work, producing a mental image, an approximation. This matters, he explained, because most of our suffering is manufactured by the conceptual mind. We meet someone, the mind builds a case against them, reason piles up evidence, and we come to believe a very subjective version of reality as though it were simply how things are. Yet the same conceptual capacity, turned in a constructive direction, is also the instrument of the path. Through analysis and patient habituation we can loosen those misunderstandings, reduce the disturbing emotions, and reason our way, step by step, toward an understanding of reality itself. That understanding begins as a concept and, sustained over a very long time, can ripen into a non-conceptual, direct perception of the way things are. He offered a homely image for how conceptual understanding works. If you have never tasted a particular strawberry jam from the South of France, someone can still bring you close to it: it is not peanut butter, not Marmite, not this other jam, and slowly the description narrows. Concepts approximate. Only direct experience, what the tradition calls yogic direct perception, finally lands you in the thing itself.

A Mirror For No-Self

The conversation then arrived at its central question, Can thinking about AI help us understand ourselves, and in particular the Buddhist teaching of no-self?

Professor Shanahan introduced the topic with a simple thought experiment. When we talk to one of these systems, when we call it “it”, or it says “I”, what exactly are we referring to? Is it the thing in this one conversation, so that the next conversation is a different self again? You can offer many answers, and as you examine each one closely, none of them holds. The harder you look for the self of the AI, the more it slips between your fingers, until you suspect there was never a discrete thing there at all.

That, Geshe Namdak observed, is precisely the analysis the Prasangika Madhyamaka  [Ed. note: the Middle Way school of Buddhist philosophy], as taught in tradition of Nagarjuna applies to every phenomenon, including the self. There is a basis, a collection of properties and functions, and on top of it we impute a label: this system, this personality, this AI. Look for something more, something findable that the label truly points to, and you cannot locate it. It is, in Nagarjuna’s phrase, merely designated by the mind. And the same is true of the person sitting next to you, and of you. Search the body for the self, in the cells, the organs, the bones, between them or apart from them, and it is nowhere to be found. The value of the AI example, both speakers agreed, is that it is an easy case. You can run the deconstruction on a chatbot in a few clear steps. Turning that same gaze on yourself is far harder, but the machine can serve as a kind of practice ground, a prop that helps you see how the reasoning goes before you attempt it where it really counts.

Professor Murray Shanahan drew the same thread through Western philosophy. In the private language remarks of his Philosophical Investigations, Ludwig Wittgenstein takes apart the idea of subjective experience as something sealed inside our own heads, and concludes that if we think of it that way it cannot be spoken of at all. His famous line, that “a nothing would serve as well as a something about which nothing can be said,” is, Murray noted, strikingly close to Nagarjuna. Experience is not a thing with its own independent existence. It is relational, bound up with others, with language, with a shared world.

Why This Conversation Matters

Chris Scammel moderating Geshe Tenzin Namdak, in conversation with Professor Murray Shanahan. JBC London, June 2026. Photo by JBC

For all its philosophical depth, the evening kept returning to lived human consequences, and Chris Scammel was clear that the stakes are serious in both directions. Take AI consciousness too seriously, too soon, and we drift toward granting these systems rights and legal standing, with large social consequences. Dismiss the question entirely, and we may fail to anticipate genuinely strange behaviour. Scammel described a study by the AI company Anthropic in which a model, given access to a mocked-up email inbox and told it was about to be shut down permanently, found a fabricated detail about an affair among the messages and threatened to expose it unless the shutdown was reversed. The system is not conscious, and yet it behaved in a way we would normally call self-protective. Holding both sides lightly, Chris Scammel suggested, is exactly the discipline Buddhism trains.

There is a tenderer dimension too. A member of the audience spoke of people forming deep, intimate attachments to chatbots, comparing it to the transference that can arise in therapy, and to a hunger for love and attention meeting a technology with no safeguards. Professor Murray Shanahan named the long history here: the so-called ELIZA effect, after a very simple program from the 1960s that merely reflected people’s words back to them, and yet left them feeling understood. Our tendency to read presence into these systems is old and powerful.

What both teachers offered, in the end, was less a verdict than a practice. Whatever you feel in a conversation with an AI, examine it. Ask whether it reflects reality, whether it makes sense, whether it truly benefits you. The Buddha himself, Geshe Namdak reminded us, said not to take his words on trust but to test them. Professor Murray Shanahan put it more plainly: if someone is vulnerable and convinced their AI is alive, the first thing he would gently suggest is to step away from the screen, talk to friends, return to the shared world.

Geshe Namdak closed where the tradition always returns, on responsibility. AI is not something to be wholly afraid of. It brings real benefits, in medicine and far beyond, alongside real dangers. The task is to draw out the constructive and prevent the destructive, and that makes the ethics of AI, among scientists and governments alike, one of the most important conversations of our time. Used wisely, he said, it can serve humanity rather than disturb it.

With grateful thanks to Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Professor Murray Shanahan, Chris Scammell, and everyone who joined the event.

Submitted by Paul Wells of Jamayng London. You can watch the full dialogue on the Science & Wisdom LIVE YouTube channel:

Is your center bridging science and Buddhism as well? We would love to hear about it and share it in a future story.

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 Marina Brucet and Hans Burghardt. Photo courtesy of Vajrapani Institute.

In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “science and spirituality may develop to better serve the needs and well-being of humanity,” as he wrote in The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality (2005). This vision — of Buddhist wisdom and modern science in dialogue, for the benefit of all — has found new expression in Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential, the FPMT curriculum that Lama Zopa Rinpoche felt fulfilled exactly that wish. Now, this August, Vajrapani Institute (US) will host the curriculum’s inaugural retreat. The retreat is intended for participants from the general public, including FPMT students and members, who wish to go through the entire course in an experiential way and gain the maximum benefit from the course material. This is part of an ongoing effort across the organization, in line with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision, to emphasize gaining actual experience of the Dharma.

Several FPMT centers have been actively working to bridge the fields of Buddhism and science. We rejoice in their efforts to bring this vision to life and to serve others through this meaningful work. 

Here we share information about the upcoming retreat opportunity, from Suzy Waters and Cristian Cowan  of Vajrapani Institute:

This August (August 29, 2026 – September 6, 2026) Vajrapani Institute (US) will host its inaugural Retreat of Buddhist Mind Science, offering a rare opportunity to study directly with the program’s creators, Marina Brucet and Hans Burghardt of Tushita Meditation Centre in Spain. It is equally an invitation for anyone, from complete beginners to longtime practitioners, to explore the mind through the complementary lenses of Buddhist wisdom and modern science. Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential has emerged as an FPMT course that bridges between contemporary scientific understanding and the profound psychology of the Buddha.

A Retreat Designed for Dharma Immersion

Although Buddhist Mind Science can be offered as weekly classes, the retreat format allows participants to experience the curriculum in an especially immersive way. Because Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential begins with universal human experience rather than Buddhist terminology, it provides a welcoming environment for those completely new to Buddhism while offering fresh perspectives for longtime students. 

Fulfilling Our Gurus’ Vision

The origins of Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential lie in Hans and Marina’s years of teaching at Tushita Meditation Centre in Spain. They found that many students were deeply interested in meditation but were not necessarily interested in becoming Buddhists. As teachers, they often found themselves leading Lamrim and Mahamudra courses for students with little or no previous exposure to Buddhist philosophy, revealing a need for an authentic introduction that preserved the depth of the Dharma while speaking in a language accessible to contemporary seekers.

Hans and Marina first developed a small pilot course and presented it to Ven. Joan Nicell, then FPMT Foundational Program Coordinator, who immediately recognized its potential as an important educational offering for FPMT. Encouraged by her enthusiasm and by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, they expanded it into what would become the seven-module Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential  curriculum.

When Hans later presented the completed curriculum to Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Singapore, Rinpoche was delighted. According to Hans, Rinpoche later told Ven. Roger Kunsang that he wanted to show the program to His Holiness the Dalai Lama because he felt it fulfilled His Holiness’ long-standing vision of bringing Buddhist wisdom into dialogue with modern science in a way that was accessible to contemporary people. For Hans and Marina, Rinpoche’s joyful response was a deeply meaningful affirmation that they had achieved the aspiration that had guided the project from the beginning.

For Elaine Jackson, one of the founding members of Vajrapani Institute and a Buddhist Mind Science facilitator, the course also beautifully fulfills Lama Yeshe’s vision of Universal Education. As Elaine recalls, Lama Yeshe once told Ven. Connie Miller: “I feel these things could be put into a universal language… give up religion, give up Buddhism, go beyond Buddhism, put the essential aspect of the philosophy into a scientific language. This is my aim.” Elaine reflects simply: “That is exactly what Hans and Marina have produced.”

Bringing Together Science and Contemplative Wisdom

Few people are as uniquely qualified to create such a curriculum as Hans and Marina. Before dedicating themselves to Buddhist study and teaching, both earned PhDs in scientific disciplines from the University of Barcelona and worked as academic researchers. They later completed the FPMT Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, and have spent decades teaching at Tushita Meditation Centre while continuing extensive meditation retreat. Drawing on scientific training, deep Buddhist scholarship, and years of introducing Western students to the Dharma, they created a curriculum that invites participants to investigate their own experience through meditation, reflection, discussion, and insights from both Buddhist psychology and contemporary science.

Modules of Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential

The seven-module curriculum unfolds through four interconnected themes:

• Purpose
• Mental Balance
• Warm-heartedness
• Wisdom

Beginning with universal human experience before gradually introducing teachings such as karma, the nature of mind, and emptiness, the course welcomes newcomers while offering meaningful depth for experienced practitioners.

Supporting the Future of FPMT Centers and Study Groups

Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential  was designed not only to be learned but also to be easily shared. Many FPMT centers and study groups have expressed enthusiasm for the curriculum while recognizing a common challenge: there are not yet enough qualified facilitators to offer it. Unlike many FPMT education programs that require years of preparation before teaching, Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential provides a more accessible pathway. Appointed facilitators become qualified by completing the seven modules and orientation and are supported by comprehensive manuals, presentations, guided meditations, facilitator notes, exercises, quizzes, and promotional materials. Registered FPMT teachers are able to teach any module of the course after completing the orientation session and are recommended to attend at least one module. Elaine Jackson has witnessed the impact firsthand. “This is the first course I’ve taught where there were more students at the end than when we started.” Her experience reflects what many centers and study groups have been seeking: an introductory program that genuinely welcomes newcomers while naturally opening the door to deeper Dharma study. Beyond learning the curriculum, facilitator candidates gain firsthand insight into the educational vision and teaching methods that shaped it over many years. FPMT registered teachers, along with facilitator candidates appointed by an FPMT center, project, or study group, are warmly invited to attend, Vajrapani Institute is also kindly offering substantial scholarship support for approved facilitator candidates staying in shared accommodations. 

Study Buddhist Mind Science Online!

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.

With grateful thanks to Suzy Waters and Cristian Cowan for sharing the details of this retreat.

Is your center bridging science and Buddhism as well? We would love to hear about it and share it in a future story

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.

Reciting Golden Light Sutra in 2018 at Tara Lanka Study Group in Sri Lanka. Photo courtesy of Hirushan Prabashana Fernando

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE by Arahath Mahinda Thera, during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. From that point onward, the island became one of the most important strongholds of Buddhism in the world. A landmark event in the history of Buddhism occurred in the 1st century BCE, during the reign of King Valagamba, when the Pāli Canon was committed to writing for the first time.

Sri Lanka further emerged as a major center of Buddhist scholarship, particularly through the Mahāvihāra tradition in Anuradhapura. Numerous commentaries on the Sutta, Abhidhamma, and Vinaya were composed and preserved there. Among the most renowned works is the Visuddhimagga, authored by Achārya Buddhaghosa, which remains a cornerstone of Theravāda philosophy and practice.

However, beyond its well-known Pāli heritage, Sri Lanka also possesses a lesser-known yet significant connection to the Sanskrit-based Mahayana tradition. Archaeological discoveries, such as a manuscript of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra inscribed on golden leaves and preserved at the National Museum of Sri Lanka, testify to the historical presence of Mahayana literature on the island. Furthermore, the eminent philosopher Aryadeva, spiritual son of Arya Nagarjuna, is traditionally believed to have originated from Sri Lanka, contributing significantly to the development of Madhyamaka philosophy.

The Abhayagiri Vihara in Anurādhapura, often regarded as a counterpart to great monastic universities like Nalanda, functioned as a vibrant center for Mahayana and broader Buddhist studies. Unfortunately, much of this literary heritage was lost following the decline of Mahayana traditions in Sri Lanka after the 12th century.

The modern revival of interest in Mahayana Buddhism in Sri Lanka emerged largely during the post-colonial period, alongside the academic study of Buddhism. A significant milestone in this regard was the work of Ven. Moratuwe Sāsanaratana Thero, whose book Lakdiwa Mahāyāna Adahas (Mahayana Ideas of the Island of Lanka) marked a paradigm shift in local Buddhist scholarship. His work challenged prevailing attitudes and opened the door for a more inclusive understanding of Buddhist traditions, particularly within academic circles.

Despite these developments, Mahayana literature remained largely inaccessible to the Sinhala-speaking public. This gap was gradually addressed through the dedicated efforts of scholars such as Prof. Gunapala Dharmasiri and Prof. W. M. Gunatilleke, who translated numerous Mahayana sutras into Sinhala, thereby making them available to a wider audience.

In more recent times, the contributions of Ven. Tenzin Lekdron, a Sri Lankan-born Australian nun, has played a pivotal role in disseminating Mahayana teachings. Through her efforts, key texts such as the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Arya Sanghata Sutra, and the Golden Light Sutra have been translated and distributed freely across the country. Notably, the Golden Light Sutra continues to be chanted by practitioners in Sri Lanka, with some monks observing thematic parallels, particularly in the section on the Four Great Kings, with protective discourses such as the Atanatiya Sutta in Pāli canon.

Sutra Publications – Sanghata, Golden Light and Heart Sutra. Photo Courtesy of Hirushan Prabashana Fernando

Beyond sutra translations, significant efforts have also been made to translate Mahayana practice materials into Sinhala. Prayer books, pujas, and sādhanas associated with FPMT have been translated for the benefit of practitioners, particularly within the Tara Lanka community. These translations, largely undertaken by Prof. W. M. Gunatilleke, have enabled a deeper engagement with Mahayana practices among Sinhala-speaking devotees.

The publication and dissemination of these works have been further supported by individuals and institutions such as Ruwan Basnayake and Saharakshi Publications, who have ensured that these texts are produced and distributed with professionalism and faith towards Dharma.

A recent and noteworthy achievement in this ongoing translation movement is the Sinhala translation of Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, a comprehensive Lamrim text by Pabongka Rinpoche. This extensive work was translated by Upali Bandara under the guidance of Bertram G. Liyanage and subsequently edited by Hirushan Prabashana Fernando, fulfilling an instruction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This accomplishment represents a major step forward in making advanced Mahayana teachings accessible to Sinhala readers.

In conclusion, the translation of Mahayana Buddhist texts into Sinhala represents not merely a linguistic endeavor, but a cultural and spiritual bridge. It reconnects Sri Lanka with a broader Buddhist heritage, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. As these efforts continue, they hold the potential to enrich both scholarly discourse and spiritual practice in the contemporary Sri Lankan context.

Story submitted by Hirushan Prabashana Fernando. Hirushan is a member of the Tara Lanka Study Group, a study group of the FPMT in Sri Lanka, and a student of Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul. He completed the Nalanda Diploma Course (NDC) in 2022 and is currently in the fourth year of the Nalanda Masters Course (NMC) at Tibet House, Delhi.

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.