Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Founder

For us sentient beings, from our side, if we practice correctly, definitely, without doubt, definitely we will achieve the ultimate peace.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and meditator who, for 39 years, oversaw the spiritual activities of the extensive worldwide network of centres, projects and services that form the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), which he founded with Lama Thubten Yeshe. Rinpoche has set in motion a host of Vast Visions for the FPMT organization that will span generations to accomplish.

Born in the Mount Everest region of Thami in 1945, Rinpoche was as the reincarnation of the great yogi Kunsang Yeshe. Rinpoche was taken under the care of FPMT’s founder Lama Thubten Yeshe, soon after leaving Tibet, in Buxa Duar, India, in the early 1960’s. Rinpoche was with Lama Yeshe until 1984 when Lama Yeshe passed away and Lama Zopa Rinpoche took over as spiritual director of FPMT. They built Kopan and Lawudo monasteries. In 1971 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave the first of his famous annual Lamrim retreat courses, which continue at Kopan to this day.

FPMT was established at the end of 1975. Lama Yeshe served as the organization’s spiritual director until he passed away in 1984, at which time Rinpoche took over. From that time until 2023, under 39 years of his peerless guidance, FPMT continued to flourish.