Dear Friends and Benefactors | Christmas at Kopan A special gift for all our friends and benefactors we offer a short video showing Lama Zopa Rinpoche circumambulating the Kopan stupas. To view, click on [this link]
|  Lama Zopa Rinpoche | Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan during the Corona Virus Lock-down In January this year Lama Zopa Rinpoche returned to Kopan from a visit to Bodhgaya. Little did we know that the visit this time would last for a year … or even more. We all have been blessed by Lama Zopa’s presence throughout the year, Rinpoche has been teaching extensively, sometimes three times a week, for the monks and nuns. In the evenings a very lucky small group of western students, who are staying at Kopan, have been able to attend teachings in Rinpoche’s apartment. (Find videos and transcripts of these teachings on the FPMT website ) | Kopan Monastery during lock-down For the past 10 months, Kopan, usually a hub of activity for both local residents and visitors, has been rather quiet. Once the corona virus pandemic was officially declared in Nepal, the monastery and nunnery went into lock-down - and has remained closed ever since. A group of senior monks are responsible for the outside jobs, such as food shopping, dealing with offices etc., while following strict safety regulations.
Quite a few students, including the vajrasattva retreat participants, had to stay at Kopan until evacuation flights were organized by their respective embassies.
The Kopan residents, just like the rest of the world, have learned how to deal with this enforced isolation. | Lama Tsong Khapa Day Lama Tsongkhapa Day, or Ganden Ngamchoe, is a celebration of the anniversary of Lama Tsongkhapa’s parinirvana. This year, Lama Tsongkhapa Day fell on December 10. After performing a special puja together, the congregation circumambulated the monastery and the stupa garden in a light procession, chanting the praise to Lama Tsong Khapa. Lama Zopa Rinpoche says “Light offering is very important, in particular, by making light offerings you are able to dispel the darkness of ignorance and develop Dharma wisdom. Any light offering can dispel darkness, it doesn’t have to be just a butter lamp. You can offer electric lights and even the sun”. | News from our projects in Eastern Nepal Maitreya Children's Home provides a supportive environment for students who come from remote areas of Solu Khumbu. The new hostel accommodation block is now complete. It is now home to 107 young people from the local hill and mountain area. Most of them come from poor families who can’t afford to pay school or hostel fees. The children attend the Sagharmata School, right next to the hostel, free of charge. Sagharmata School now has more than 200 students, and is still growing. Future plans for the school include upgrading to class twelve over the next few years, which will open the door to higher education for the mainly underprivileged children living in that part of the country. The monastery is providing scholarships for some of these children. | Kopan Dharma talks presents a series of teachings and meditations by senior Kopan lamas and monks, based on the Lam Rim - the Graded Path to Enlightenment. Check it out here. | News from Our Nunnery Khachoe Ghakyil Ling - now has a website.(http://www.khachonunnery.org/) You can read all about the history of nuns in Tibetan Buddhism, how the nunnery came about, and much more. You can also order pujas and prayers directly through the website. | Monastic Studies at Kopan and Nunnery | The annual one-month debate at the Monastery and Nunnery Every year during summer, one month is set aside at all Gelug monasteries in Nepal for the sangha to gather for intensive study and debate of a philosophy text called Namdrel (Wisdom aspect of the Buddha's teachings).This year due to the corona virus restrictions the debates took place in the individual monasteries. Every day there are several sessions of debate, interspersed with 3 sessions of teachings and discussion.
It is hard work - during this time everybody gets up at 4 am, memorizing before the morning prayers start, then more memorizing after breakfast, then 1 hour of teaching, one hour of debate followed by lunch at 11.30 am. The afternoon continues in a similar fashion until dinner. Afterwards there is the communal debate in the gompa under the watchful eyes of the philosophy teachers. More memorizing and study follow before going to sleep at around 11.30 pm. | Annual Rigchung Debate As in three great Gelug monasteries in South India, also at Kopan Monastery a special debate day marks the completion of a section of philosophical studies (rik.chung or minor field of study).
After completing the introductory philosophical studies the monks enter the zur.ko class, where the five great treatises are studied for the next 6 years. The best monks of this class debate as an auspicious mark to the beginning of these studies and as an offering of practice to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The Rik.chung debate, a very formalized debate between two monks, is considered auspicious as it creates the seeds to become the 'Gaden throne holder' the head of the Gelug tradition. The debate requires extensive memorizing of the text, which is then chanted in its full length before debating it. | University Studies Lumbini University has accepted a group of Kopan monks who have completed the geshe degree at Kopan for further studies in Philosophy and … . The course is designed as a 3-year study program, after which a university degree is granted. This will open the door to further studies for PhD degrees in universities worldwide. | Constructing Sand Mandalas Kopan Monastery has a tantric college that follows the tradition of Gyurme Tantric College in South India. Kopan’s tantric monks are trained in making sand mandalas, among other ritual activities.
Watch this interesting video about the making of sand mandalas on the FPMT website: | Some of our young monks .... Many young monks and nuns are joining Kopan every year, and the strain on the budget can be quite considerable. Just to provide food for all the monastery residents costs around 10,000 US$ every month. Only through the help of the many generous people from around the world who have Kopan at their heart and are happy to lend a helping hand, can Kopan continue in its efforts to look after 800 people living in the community. | With folded hands we thank all our benefactors and we request them to continue assisting Kopan in its task. Many thanks from our heart to all our sponsors and benefactors who have made it possible for Kopan to accept every year young people into the monastery and nunnery, taking care of them, educating them in the school, but most important, guiding them on the path of Shakyamuni Buddha, teaching them how to be a good person, how to think of others while studying the teachings of the Buddha until they themselves become teachers for those who seek ultimate happiness and liberation from suffering.
->Due to the merit accumulated through these virtuous activities, may the Dharma spread to all directions of the universe.<-
->May the life of the holy gurus be long and all their wishes fulfilled without hindrances.<-
->May all those who benefit the Dharma have long lives and attain enlightenment without delay.<-
| Don't forget, you can access all information about the Kopan program, sponsorship etc on our web site: Kopan Monastery www.kopanmonastery.com To contact us, send us an email | | ©2020 Kopan Monastery | GPO Box 817 Kathmandu Nepal | |
