Rituals and Realization

Afbeelding vergroten

Auteur: Zopa Rinpoche Lama

In August 2005, thirty fortunate people from around the world gathered at Kopan Monastery for the first FPMT Foundation Training in Rituals. This training provided indepth instruction on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s method of leading the practices that he most often recommends for FPMT centers and students. The training was led by Venerable Sarah Thresher, who generously shared her considerable experience leading these practices in retreat with Rinpoche, as well as the private instruction she has received from him. Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup, the abbot of Kopan, gave profound teachings on the need for ritual, as well as advice for FPMT centers on how best to utilize ritual for success. Kendall Magnussen gave instruction in altar set-up and other aspects of ritual practice. Finally, Venerable Thubten Jinpa, an accomplished monk from Kopan’s Tantric College and frequent attendant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, gave several engaging teachings on tantric practice. This book includes rich material presented at the training with teachings on each practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. It is a wealth of information for those wishing to learn more about these essential practices. “The more extensively and properly we do ritual practice, the more powerful the positive merit we accumulate. Creating very strong merit helps us meditate properly and achieve realization. If we don’t have enough virtue or merit, even if we try to meditate, we won’t have any realization. Every major tradition has its own unique way of doing the mudra, the chant, and so forth, and that is always established by the master. S imilarly, within the FPMT centers, establishing the tradition of performing rituals according to the instructions of Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche would be the most significant thing we could do. This will help the center and the whole organization to become special.” –Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup