FPMT
Dorje Chang Institute is affiliated with FPMT.
What is the FPMT?
- The term “FPMT” is the acronym for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.
- It refers to an international affiliated network of centers, projects, and services. This network is sometimes called the FPMT organization.
- This network of over 160 city centers, retreat centers, monasteries, nunneries, publishing services, hospices, and other services and projects, under the spiritual direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT International Office, functions to achieve the FPMT mission to preserve and spread Mahayana Buddhism worldwide.
- The FPMT organization was founded in 1975 by Lama Thubten Yeshe (1935-84) and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, both Tibetan Buddhist monks (pictured here).
What tradition is the FPMT?
- Tibetan Buddhist
- Based on the tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught to us by our founders Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
What is the purpose of the FPMT?
- The Foundation is devoted to preserving and spreading Mahayana Buddhism worldwide by creating opportunities to listen, reflect, meditate, practice, and actualize the unmistaken teachings of the Buddha and based on that experience spreading the Dharma to sentient beings.
- The FPMT provides integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility and service.
- The FPMT is committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion.
The above details come from the FPMT website. We encourage you to visit the FPMT website to learn more.
Inspiration, Founders, Spiritual Director and Guides
Inspiration and Guide of the FPMT
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. His Holiness has won the Nobel Peace Prize and continues to inspire the world with His total embodiment of loving-kindness and compassion towards all living beings (without exception).
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s praise of Lama Zopa Rinpoche<, Dec 2006: “Rinpoche is someone who follows my guidance sincerely, very expansively and with one hundred percent trust. He possesses unwavering faith and pure samaya; not only has he pure samaya and faith but whatever I instruct, Zopa Rinpoche has the capability to accomplish it. So whatever dedications Lama Zopa Rinpoche makes I also pray to accomplish this and you should do the same thing.”
For a Collection of Advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama Regarding Dholgyal (Shugden) please click here.
Spiritual Director and Founder
Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was born in 1946 in Thami, in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, not far from the Lawudo cave where his predecessor had meditated for the last 20 years of his life. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is now the Spiritual Director of the Foundation and oversees all of its activities.
Read A joint biography of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche here.
Founder
Lama Thubten Yeshe was born in Tibet in 1935. At the age of six, he entered Sera Monastic University in Tibet where he studied until 1959, when as Lama Yeshe himself has said, “In that year the Chinese kindly told us that it was time to leave Tibet and meet the outside world.” Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, together as teacher and disciple since their exile in India, met their first Western students in 1965. By 1971 they settled at Kopan, a small hamlet near Kathmandu in Nepal. In 1974, the Lamas began touring and teaching in the West, which would eventually result in the FPMT. Lama Yeshe died in 1984, his reincarnation Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche was born to Spanish parents in 1985.
Lama Osel who likes to be known as Osel Hita, has received a combination of traditional Tibetan monastic training, as well as a Western education. To read more about his life and recent times visit here. To watch recent video teachings by Osel click here. (Photo by Tan Seow Kheng and Stephen Ching)
There are over 160 centers, projects and services (and probationary centers, projects and services – known as study groups) in 39 countries worldwide which are under the spiritual direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT International Office. These include Buddhist centres, monasteries, nunneries, Liberation Prison Project, Leprosy clinic, polio clinic, health and nutrition clinics, Hospice Services (including Amitabha Hospice in Auckland, just next door to DCI), the Maitreya Project, publishing houses, Animal Liberation Sanctuary, Universal Education Schools and more.
To learn more about Charitable Projects affiliated with the FPMT visit: Charitable Projects of the FPMT
To learn more about centres, monasteries, nunneries and services affiliated with the FPMT visit: FPMT Centers, Projects and Services
FPMT and DCI offer a wealth of Dharma teachings which offer us guidance on how to live more kind, patient, wise and compassionate lives. FPMT and DCI have policies in place to help promote ethical conduct and take care of those who visit our centre.
Useful internet resources from the FPMT:
Dorje Chang Institute is affiliated with the FPMT.
