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Lama [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche]], the spiritual director of The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition ([[FPMT]]), is the reincarnation of the Sherpa Nyingma yogi Kunsang Yeshe, the [[Lawudo Lama]]. Rinpoche was born in [[1946]] in Thami, not far from the cave [[Lawudo]], in the [[Mount Everest]] region of [[Nepal]], where his predecessor meditated for the last twenty years of his life. While his predecessor had belonged to the [[Sakya]] tradition of [[Tibetan Buddhism]], the [[Lawudo Lama]] himself had been a great master of the complete tantric teachings of the [[Nyingma]] tradition.
[[http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Lama_Zopa_Rinpoche Redirected to Lama Zopa Rinpoche]]
 
While still a young boy, [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche]] was taken on his uncle's back for a pilgrimage to [[Tibet]]. When he arrived north of [[Sikkim]] at the [[Dungkar Monastery]] of [[Domo Geshe Rinpoche]], he startled his uncle by declaring that he had no intention of returning home with him. Rather, he wanted to stay at this monastery and devote his life to studying and practising the dharma. His education would have continued at [[Sera Je]] in [[Lhasa]], but these plans were also interrupted in 1959. Eventually he found his way to Baduar where he first became the disciple of [[Geshe Rabten]] and then of [[Lama Thubten Yeshe]]. [[Lama Thubten Yeshe]] and [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche]]'s contact with Westerners began in 1965 while they were visiting the [[Ghoom Monastery]] in Darjeeling.
 
In 1967 the two lamas left [[India]], not for [[Ceylon]] as originally planned, but for Nepal. After a few years, they were able to purchase land at the top of a nearby hill called [[Kopan]]. There they founded the [[Nepal Mahayana Gompa Center]] in [[1969]]. The main building was constructed in 1971-72, funded almost exclusively by the [[lama]]s' increasing number of Western disciples. When the first meditation course was given there in [[1971]], it was attended by about twenty students. By the time of the seventh course, held in the autumn of [[1974]], interest was so great that attendance had to be restricted to 200 meditators, the limit of the local facilities. In December of [[1973]] [[Kopan]] became the home of the [[International Mahayana Institute]], an organization composed of Western monks and nuns.
 
In 1972 they purchased land in [[Dharamsala]], the North Indian hill station that for many years has been the headquarters of [[His Holiness the Dalai Lama]], and since [[1971]] the site of the [[LTWA|Library of Tibetan Works and Archives]]. In a house formerly belonging to [[Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche]], they established [[Tushita Retreat Center]].
 
After the passing away of [[Lama Yeshe]] in [[1984]], [[Lama]] [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche]] became the spiritual leader of the [[FPMT]].
 
[[Lama]] [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche]] has many projects around the world. One of the most important is the 500ft Maitreya Statue that [[Thuben Zopa Rinpoche|Zopa Rinpoche]] is building in [[Kushinagar]], Uttar Pradesh, India, which will include schools, hospitals and other social projects such as leprosy clinics (these social projects are already in existence and have been functioning for the last 15 years). Some of the other projects that [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche|Zopa Rinpoche]] has are [[Sera Je]] food fund – which offers food, breakfast lunch and dinner everyday to 2500 monks. The Lama Tsong Khapa teacher fund offers an allowance to the main 100 teachers in the [[Gelug]] tradition from various monasteries. [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche|Zopa Rinpoche]] also has a number of other funds that are for building holy objects, such as Stupas, prayer wheels etc. [[Thubten Zopa Rinpoche|Zopa Rinpoche]] has a very strong interest in collecting texts from all the different traditions.
 
From: http://www.austinfpmt.com/Default.aspx?tabid=28
Updated Tuesday 24th January, 2006
 
== External Links ==
*[http://www.fpmt.org FPMT Main Web Site]
 
[[Category:Gelug]]
[[Category:Tibetan Buddhist Teachers]]
[[Category:Buddhist Masters]]

Latest revision as of 20:02, 23 January 2006

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