Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (; born Dawa Chötar) is a Nepali lama from

Khumbu Khumbu (also known as the Everest Region) is a region of northeastern Nepal on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest. It is part of the Solukhumbu District, which in turn is part of Province No. 1.Bradley, Mayhew; "Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya"; ( ...

, the entryway to

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

Biography

Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, also called Lama Zopa Rinpoche has an extensive biography of him in the book ''The Lawudo Lama'' by Jamyang Wangmo. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born in Thangme, Nepal, in 1945. Early in life, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama Kunzang Yeshe, from the same region (hence the title "

Rinpoche Rinpoche, also spelled Rimboche and Rinboku (), is an honorific term used in the Tibetan language. It literally means "precious one", and may refer to a person, place, or thing—like the words "gem" or "jewel" (Sanskrit: ''Ratna''). The word con ...

"). At the age of ten, Lama Zopa Rinpoche 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 Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

. 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. Lama Zopa met

Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen (born Gönbo Cêdän; 19 February 1938 – 28 January 1989) was the tenth Panchen Lama, officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni (), of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, ...

, in Nepal in 1986 and in Tibet. Lama Zopa is most noteworthy as the co-founder, with Lama

Thubten Yeshe Thubten Yeshe (1935–1984) was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery (1969) and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (1975). He followed the Gelug tradition, and was considered unconventio ...

, of

Kopan Monastery Kopan Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Boudhanath, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal. It is a member of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an international network of Gelugpa dharma centers, ...

and the

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) was founded in 1975 by Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who began teaching Mahayana Buddhism to Western students in Nepal. The FPMT has grown to encompass over ...

(FPMT). In 1972 he along with Lama Yeshe founded

Tushita Meditation Centre Tushita is a centre for the study and practice of Buddhism from the Tibetan Mahayana tradition in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. It is located in the forested hills above the town of McLeod Ganj in village Dharamkot. The centre offers Intro ...

near McLeod Ganj at village Dharamkot in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

. 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 "under Rinpoche’s guidance. These include initiatives such as: 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. Lama Zopa Rinpoches's books are published by

Wisdom Publications The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) was founded in 1975 by Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who began teaching Mahayana Buddhism to Western students in Nepal. The FPMT has grown to encompass over ...

and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Free transcripts of some of his teachings are available from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Lama Zopa Rinpoche offers spiritual advice on a range of topics to students, many of which are available on the FPMT and LYWA websites.

Lineage

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a Gelugpa lineage holder, having received teachings from many of the great Gelugpa masters. His Root Guru is HH

Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso The Third Trijang Rinpoche, Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (1901–1981) was a Gelugpa Lama and a direct disciple of Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo. He succeeded Ling Rinpoche as the junior tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama when the Dalai Lama was nineteen ...

since he was a young boy studying in

Buxa Buxa is a village in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal within Buxa Tiger Reserve. It is located from Alipurduar, the nearest town. It is known for the Buxa Fort Buxa Fort is located at an altitude of in the Buxa Tiger Reserve, in the K ...

, India. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a devoted student of the

14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...

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.

Published books

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has a number of books published by

and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive including the following titles: * ''How To Enjoy Death: Preparing to Meet Life’s Final Challenge without Fear'' * ''The Four Noble Truths: A Guide to Everyday Life'' * ''Bodhichitta: Practice for a Meaningful Life'' * ''Dear Lama Zopa: Radical Solutions for Transforming Problems into Happiness'' * ''Ultimate Healing'' * ''The Door to Satisfaction'' * ''Transforming Problems Into Happiness'' * ''The Heart of the Path Book: Seeing the Guru as Buddha'' * ''Teachings From the Medicine Buddha Retreat Book'' * ''Sun of Devotion, Stream of Blessings Book'' *''How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness''

References

External links

Lama Zopa Rinpoche's biography

Information on Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the FPMT website

Many of Rinpoche's books and online teachings at LYWA

Teachings and Advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche at LYWA

Books by Lama Zopa Rinpoche published by Wisdom Publications
*
Lama Zopa Rinpoche Video Teachings on Youtube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zopa Rinpoche, Thubten 1946 births Living people Lamas Tulkus Tibetan Buddhists from Nepal Rinpoches Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teachers Gelug Lamas Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition 20th-century lamas People from Solukhumbu District Date of birth missing (living people)

Biography

Lineage

Published books

See also

References

External links