Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (1946–2023,) born Dawa Chötar, was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, scholar, and meditation master. He was the co-founder and spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT,) a network of Buddhist centres in thirty-four countries.
Born in the Mount Everest region of Thangme, Nepal, Zopa was recognized as a tulku at the age of four, the reincarnation of a prominent Nyingma yogi, the Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe, who had meditated for twenty years in a cave near Lama Zopa’s birthplace. Zopa entered Sera Monastic University in Lhasa at a young age to begin his formal education in Buddhist philosophy.
Following the Chinese occupation of Tibet, Rinpoche fled to India, where he continued his studies and became a disciple of Lama Yeshe. Together, they co-founded Kopan Monastery in Nepal in 1969. In 1975, they established FPMT, an international network of Buddhist centers dedicated to promoting and preserving the Mahayana Buddhist tradition through accessible teachings, meditation programs, and social service projects.
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was renowned for his compassionate teachings, emphasizing the practical application of Buddhist principles in everyday life. His works include Transforming Problems into Happiness (2001,) The Door to Satisfaction (2003,) How to Be Happy (2006,) The Joy of Compassion (2006,) The Heart of the Path: Seeing the Guru as Buddha (2009,) and How to Enjoy Death: Preparing to Meet Life’s Final Challenge without Fear (2016.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Another shortcoming of desire is that it leads to so much that is undesirable.
—Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
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