Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund

FPMT directly preserves the Mahayana tradition by supporting the great masters of the Lama Tsongkhapa lineage. These lamas hold teachings and practices that have come in an unbroken line from Lama Tsongkhapa to the present. Every day they preserve this precious tradition by practicing it, teaching it, and passing it on to their students, the masters of tomorrow.

These great masters are not paid by their monasteries. That is why His Holiness the Dalai Lama requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to establish the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund. This fund provides a monthly stipends for the great masters of Sera, Drepung, Ganden, and Tashi Lhunpo monasteries, and Gyume and Gyuto tantric colleges – centers of learning and practice that were established by Lama Tsongkhapa himself and his disciples, places where our own teachers learned and practiced (see Geshe Thubten Sherab's account of Life at Sera Je)

Through this fund, FPMT also revived the annual winter debate, where the best scholars gather to hone their understanding of the Buddha’s highest teachings. Before the fund existed, the monasteries could no longer afford to hold the debates. Now these great scholars can meet once again to debate and practice with each other. The fund also sponsors the annual Gelug Exam, where monks become qualified as teachers.

Your support is vital in keeping this tradition alive.
Please contribute to the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund.

LATEST NEWS

In November 2009, FPMT was able to offer $ 19,710 for the monthly stipends of the current Abbots, past Abbots and main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, including the Ganden Tripa. These incredibly precious teachers do not receive any money from the monasteries. For the last 11 years FPMT has been offering a small monthly stipend ranging from $31 to $10 to the 150 teachers of Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries.

FPMT also was able to offer $8,885 for the annual Gelug exam that was attended by 540 of the foremost scholars from Sera, Ganden, Drepung, Gyume, Gyuto, Tashi Lhunpo and Rato monasteries. This year the exam was held at Sera Monastery. This money covered the cost of travel for the monks who were traveling to Sera for the exam, as well offering the food and tea for all the monks attending.

Thank you to all the kind benefactors who continue to support the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund. This project is critical to FPMT’s mission of preserving and transmitting the Mahayana teachings worldwide.

Contribute to the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund

For more information please contact: Ven Holly Ansett

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund is a project of FPMT Inc. All donations made to the fund are tax-deductible within the United States in accordance with IRS Code article 501(C)(3) to the extent allowed by law.