Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition facts for kids

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Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

Abbreviation	FPMT
Formation	1975
Founders	Thubten Yeshe Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Type	Tibetan Buddhism
Headquarters	Portland, Oregon United States
President / CEO	Ven. Roger Kunsang
Website	fpmt.org

The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) is a worldwide organization. It was started in 1975 by two Gelugpa Lamas, Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. They began teaching Tibetan Buddhism to students from Western countries in Nepal.

The FPMT has grown a lot since then. It now includes over 138 centers, projects, and services in 34 different countries. Lama Yeshe led the organization until he passed away in 1984. Lama Zopa then took over until his death in 2023. The FPMT is currently looking for a new spiritual leader.

Where is the FPMT Located?
How Did FPMT Start?
How is FPMT Organized?
What Programs Does FPMT Offer?
What Projects Does FPMT Have?
Who are Some Famous People Connected to FPMT?
Lawudo Gompa: A Special Place
See also

Where is the FPMT Located?

The main office for the FPMT is in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. This central office has moved several times over the years.

From 2000 to 2005, it was in Taos, New Mexico.
From 1989 to 2000, it was in Soquel, California.
From 1984 to 1989, it was in Pomaia, Italy.
From 1975 to 1984, it was in Kathmandu, Nepal.

As of 2023, the FPMT has 138 different locations around the world. These include dharma centers, which are places for learning and practice. Some are monasteries or retreat centers. There are also smaller "study groups" and other projects like hospices or places that print Buddhist books.

How Did FPMT Start?

The FPMT officially began in 1975 after Lamas Yeshe and Zopa traveled around the world teaching. However, they had been teaching Western travelers even earlier, starting in 1965. That year, they met Zina Rachevsky in Darjeeling, who became their student and helped them.

In 1969, the three of them started the Nepal Mahayana Gompa Centre. This place is now known as Kopan Monastery. Sadly, Zina Rachevsky passed away shortly after during a Buddhist retreat.

Early Teachings and Students

Lama Yeshe was first hesitant to teach a "meditation course." In his tradition, meditation usually came after many years of deep study. But he allowed Lama Zopa to lead the first meditation course at Kopan in 1971. These courses became very popular.

During the early 1970s, many Westerners came to Kopan for teachings. Many of these early students were backpackers traveling through Asia. They found Lama Yeshe's teaching style very appealing.

Growing the Network

In December 1973, Lama Yeshe ordained fourteen Western monks and nuns. He called this group the International Mahayana Institute. Around this time, Lama Yeshe's students began returning to their home countries. This led to new dharma centers being started in many different places.

Jeffrey Paine highlights Lama Yeshe's amazing ability to lead and organize. He points out how a refugee with no money or language skills could build such a large international network. David N. Kay noted that as the FPMT grew, it started to have more central control. This sometimes caused friction with local centers that were used to being more independent.

Challenges and Changes

Because of these changes, some local groups and teachers decided to leave the FPMT. For example, Geshe Loden of Australia's Chenrezig Institute left in 1979. Also, Kelsang Gyatso and his students caused the Manjushri Institute in England to leave the FPMT. These disagreements were about whether centers should follow Lama Yeshe, local teachers, or the wider Gelugpa tradition.

The FPMT now asks its lamas (teachers) to sign an agreement. This agreement explains what the organization expects from them. The FPMT also follows the policy of the 14th Dalai Lama and does not allow the worship of the deity Dorje Shugden in its centers.

When Lama Yeshe passed away in 1984, Lama Zopa became the spiritual director. In 1986, a boy from Spain named Tenzin Ösel Hita was recognized as the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe. As he grew up, Hita chose a more regular life, attending university. He became less involved with the FPMT.

In 2019, there were concerns about a teacher named Dagri Rinpoche. The FPMT International Office responded by suspending him from their list of teachers. They also asked an independent group to investigate the complaints. The investigation found the concerns to be true. The FPMT then made it a rule that center leaders and registered teachers must take an online course called "Protection from Abuse."

When Lama Zopa passed away in 2023, the FPMT board decided not to have a single direct successor. Instead, the board would share his responsibilities. They plan to create an "advisory council of teachers" to help guide them.

How is FPMT Organized?

The FPMT is led by a board of directors. The spiritual director, which is currently a vacant role, is also part of this board. The FPMT International Office helps the board manage everything. As of 2023, Ven. Roger Kunsang is the President and CEO of the FPMT. He has been in this role since 2005.

Each of the 138 FPMT centers, projects, and study groups is its own separate organization. They are also funded locally. Individuals do not become "members" of the FPMT directly. Instead, organizations are members. However, many local centers offer their own memberships to individuals.

Each FPMT center has its own local board and leaders. They also have a spiritual program coordinator. Many centers also have a resident geshe (a Buddhist scholar) or another teacher.

Leaders from different FPMT centers meet every few years. This meeting is called the Council for the Preservation for the Mahayana Tradition (CPMT). They share experiences and discuss important topics together.

The 14th Dalai Lama is seen as an honorary "inspiration and guide" for the FPMT.

What Programs Does FPMT Offer?

Many students first learn about the FPMT through short courses and retreats at its centers. A famous example is the annual month-long meditation course at Kopan Monastery, which has been offered since 1971.

Many FPMT centers use standard study programs. You can also study some of these online. They range from short beginner courses to more advanced studies:

Discovering Buddhism: This is a two-year course with fourteen parts. It teaches about the lamrim, which is the path to enlightenment.
Living in the Path: This course has twenty parts and focuses on Buddhist practices. It is based on talks given by Lama Zopa.
Exploring Buddhism: This course has seven parts. It helps students get ready for the more advanced Basic Program.

For students who want to study even more deeply, there are several options:

The FPMT Basic Program: This is a five-year program with nine parts.
The FPMT Masters Program: Started in 1998, this is a seven-year program. It uses a shorter version of the traditional Geshe curriculum. It helps train certified FPMT teachers. These courses are mainly held at the Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Pomaia, Italy, and Nalanda Monastery (France). They are also available online.
Maitripa College: Located in Portland, Oregon, this college was founded in 2005. It offers three-year master's degree programs in Buddhist Studies and Divinity.
Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program: Started in 1996, this program trains FPMT interpreters. It involves two years of intense Tibetan language study in Dharamsala. This is followed by two years of working as an interpreter.

Students who finish any of these seven programs can apply to become registered FPMT teachers.

What Projects Does FPMT Have?

The FPMT runs many charitable projects. These include:

Funds to build holy objects.
Projects to translate Tibetan texts.
Support for monks and nuns (both Tibetan and non-Tibetan).
Providing medical care, food, and other help in poor areas of Asia.
Helping to bring back Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia.
Protecting animals.

One of the most well-known FPMT projects is the Maitreya Project. This project originally planned to build a very large statue of Maitreya (the future Buddha) in India. However, due to challenges with raising money and getting land, the project has changed. Now, it plans to build several smaller statues instead.

The Sera Je Food Fund has been providing three meals a day to 2600 monks at Sera Je Monastery since 1991.

Who are Some Famous People Connected to FPMT?

Nita Ing: A CEO from Taiwan who leads a high-speed rail company.
Lillian Too: An author from Malaysia who has written many books about feng shui.
Jan Willis: A professor of Religion at Wesleyan University and author of Buddhist books. She was one of Lama Yeshe's first students.
Gareth Sparham: A British expert in Tibetology and a translator.
Thubten Gyatso (Adrian Feldmann): One of the first Westerners to become a Gelug monk.
Nick Ribush: An Australian who was ordained as a monk by Lama Yeshe. He founded several FPMT centers and projects.

Lawudo Gompa: A Special Place

Lawudo Gompa is a meditation center and Buddhist monastery that is part of the FPMT. It has a natural cave and is located in the Thame Valley, near Mount Everest. You can reach it after a four-hour hike from Namche Bazaar, which is a famous town on the way to Everest Base Camp.

It is believed that Lama Kunzang Yeshe, a chief Sherpa Buddhist monk, meditated in this cave in the early 1900s. He was known as the Lawudo Lama because of his connection to the cave. According to Buddhist belief, Lama Kunzang Yeshe was reborn as Lama Zopa in 1946, also in Thame village.

Lawudo Gompa was co-founded by Lama Zopa (1946-2023), who was a very famous Buddhist teacher. The place where Lama Kunzang Yeshe meditated was turned into a beautiful monastery under Lama Zopa's guidance. Now, more people visit Lawudo to meditate and go on pilgrimages because it has facilities for studying, meditating, and living.