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— We think people who are outside prison are not prisoners, but we are. —

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama 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 Lawudo cave, in the Mount Everest region of Nepal, where his predecessor meditated for the last 20 years of his life.

Rinpoche left Thami when he was about four years old and was sent to a monastery that was very close to the border of Nepal and Tibet. He lived at this monastery for several years until he went to Tibet and took getsul ordination in 1958, continuing his studies in Domo Geshe's monastery in Phagri, Tibet.

In 1959 Rinpoche escaped from Tibet and continued his studies in Sera Jhe monastery in Buxa Duar, in the north of India. It was at Buxa Duar that Rinpoche became the disciple of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche and later Lama Thubten Yeshe.

Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's contact with Westerners began in 1965 in Darjeeling.

Russian Princess Zina Rachevsky became their first Western student. In 1969 they founded the Nepal Mahayana Gompa Center at Kopan, above Boudhnath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. At the insistence of Zina the Lamas started to teach courses on Buddhism for westerners at Kopan.

In 1971 Rinpoche took gelong ordination from His Holiness Ling Rinpoche in Bodh Gaya. By 1975, 12 centers had started. In 1976, the growing worldwide organization was named by Lama Yeshe the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. FPMT is a non-profit organization devoted to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

FPMT currently has 150 projects, centers and services in 31 countries.

Each year Rinpoche responds to many letters from prisoners, suggests practices and offers advice.