Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (Tibetan: ཐུབ་བསྟན་བཟོད་པ་, Wylie: Thub-bstan Bzod-pa; born Dawa Chötar, 3 December 1946 – 13 April 2023) was a Tibetan Buddhist lama in the Gelug school. He is known for founding the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition and Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon.[1]

Not to be confused with Lhundub Sopa or Tenzin Zopa.
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche in 2008
Born
Dawa Chötar

(1946-12-03)3 December 1946
Thangme, Nepal
Died13 April 2023(2023-04-13) (aged 76)
Kathmandu, Nepal
RegionTibetan Buddhism
SchoolGelug
Websitefpmt.org/teachers/zopa/

Biography

Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, also called Lama Zopa Rinpoche has an extensive biography of him in the book The Lawudo Lama by Jamyang Wangmo.[2]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born in Thangme, Nepal, in 1946.[3][1] Early in life, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama Kunzang Yeshe, from the same region (hence the title "Rinpoche"). At the age of ten, he went to Tibet and studied and meditated at Domo Geshe Rinpoche's monastery near Pagri. He took his monastic vows at Dungkar Monastery in Tibet.[4]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche left Tibet in 1959 for Bhutan after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Lama Zopa Rinpoche then went to the Tibetan refugee camp at Buxa Duar, West Bengal, India, where he met Lama Yeshe, who became his closest teacher. The Lamas met their first Western student, Zina Rachevsky, in 1967 then traveled with her to Nepal in 1968 where they began teaching more Westerners.[5]

Lama Zopa met Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, in Nepal in 1986 and in Tibet.[4]

Lama Zopa is most noteworthy as the co-founder, with Lama Thubten Yeshe, of Kopan Monastery and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). In 1972 he along with Lama Yeshe founded Tushita Meditation Centre near McLeod Ganj at village Dharamkot in Himachal Pradesh.[6] Since the 1984 death of Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa has served as the FPMT's spiritual director. FPMT is involved with a number of charitable activities including "offering food to ordained Sangha; providing scholarships to study Buddhist philosophy; offering to the main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition and sponsoring annual debates; offering grants for social services such as to old age homes, schools, hospitals and monastic institutions; providing comprehensive Dharma programs; translating Dharma texts; sponsoring holy objects: statues, stupas and prayer wheels, and saving animals."[7]

From 10 April 2023, Lama Zopa Rinpoche stayed up in the mountains in the Tsum Valley. Due to altitude sickness he had to be brought down urgently. On arrival back in Kathmandu, Rinpoche stopped breathing. The main doctor at Karuna Hospital tried for some time to revive him, but was not successful. Rinpoche died at about 9.30 am Nepal time, 13 April 2023, at the age of 76.[8][9]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche's books are published by Wisdom Publications and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Free transcripts of some of his teachings are available from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.[10]

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered spiritual advice on a range of topics to students, many of which are available on the FPMT[11] and LYWA[12] websites.

Lineage

Lama Zopa Rinpoche was a Gelugpa lineage holder, having received teachings from many of the great Gelugpa masters.[13] His Root Guru is HH Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso since he was a young boy studying in Buxa, India. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was a devoted student of the 14th Dalai Lama and has outlined that offering service to the Dalai Lama as much as possible and to be able to fulfill his wishes is the highest priority for the FPMT organization.[14]

Published books

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a number of books published by Wisdom Publications and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive including the following titles:

  • How To Enjoy Death: Preparing to Meet Life's Final Challenge without Fear[15]
  • The Four Noble Truths: A Guide to Everyday Life[16]
  • Bodhichitta: Practice for a Meaningful Life[17]
  • Dear Lama Zopa: Radical Solutions for Transforming Problems into Happiness[18]
  • Ultimate Healing[19]
  • The Door to Satisfaction[20]
  • Transforming Problems Into Happiness[21]
  • The Heart of the Path Book: Seeing the Guru as Buddha[22]
  • Teachings From the Medicine Buddha Retreat Book[23]
  • Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings Book[24]
  • How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness[25]

See also

References
  1. "The Official Homepage for Lama Zopa Rinpoche". Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  2. Jamyang Wangmo (2013). The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region. Wisdom Publications. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-86171-890-0.
  3. "About Lama Zopa Rinpoche". www.lamayeshe.com. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  4. Wangmo, Jamyang (2013). The Lawudo Lama: Stories of Reincarnation from the Mount Everest Region. Simon and Schuster. p. 314. ISBN 9780861718900.
  5. "The Official Homepage for Lama Zopa Rinpoche – FPMT". fpmt.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  6. "Tushita Meditation Centre". 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  7. "FPMT's Charitable Projects – FPMT". fpmt.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  8. Kunsang, Roger (13 April 2023). "VERY IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE". FPMT official site. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  9. Sperry, Rod Meade (13 April 2023). "Buddhist teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche, co-founder of FPMT, dies at 76". Lion's Roar. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  10. "Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive". Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  11. "Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche – FPMT". fpmt.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  12. "Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Online Advice Book". www.lamayeshe.com. 11 July 2015. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  13. "Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Teachers – FPMT". fpmt.org. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  14. "Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Vast Visions for FPMT – FPMT". fpmt.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  15. "How to Enjoy Death". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  16. "The Four Noble Truths". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  17. "Bodhichitta". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  18. "Dear Lama Zopa". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  19. "Ultimate Healing". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  20. "The Door to Satisfaction". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  21. "Transforming Problems into Happiness". The Wisdom Experience. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  22. "The Heart of the Path Book". www.lamayeshe.com. 29 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  23. "Teachings From the Medicine Buddha Retreat Book". www.lamayeshe.com. 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  24. "Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings Book". www.lamayeshe.com. 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  25. Rinpoche, Lama Zopa (20 April 2021). "How Things Exist – Teachings on Emptiness" (PDF). lamayeshe. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
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