Dear ​Reader,

A little bit of everything in this email, starting with info on the late Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Updates regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche ​
As you probably know, on April 13, at 9:30 a.m. Nepal time, the famous and beloved Lama Zopa Rinpoche entered his final meditation.

​Here you can find Updates Regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche​

In addition to the updates, an ongoing livestream continues of the pujas offered twenty-four hours a day (apart from occasional breaks) at Kopan Monastery in front of Rinpoche’s holy body.

49th Day after the passing
​Next week, on May 31, Heruka Lama Chopa with Tsog will be offered at Kopan Monastery on the occasion of the 49th day since Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s passing. All are welcome to join the livestream (same link as the one above).

Long Life Puja for HH. the Dalai Lama​
For many years Lama Zopa Rinpoche had made the request to offer a long-life puja to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on behalf of FPMT.
Today, May 24, this puja has been offered at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, India, on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s behalf.

​Here you can read more about this event​

​Here you can watch the full video of this occasion​

Yes, you can still sign up for the following retreats!

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Classes in NYC​
Before and/or after the above retreat in the US Carmen will offer classes in NYC. As soon as they’re confirmed they’ll be announced on the website and in this newsletter.

Online Courses ​
This Fall you can join online thangka courses again at the School for Tibetan Buddhist Art. Dates will be announced soon.
The Buddha Face Course can also be started at any time.

Vajrayogini in Venice, Italy​
I’m so happy to announce that from Oct 26-29 we’ll be organizing a course in Venice, Italy, again after years of absence during Covid.
​The subject for advanced students will be Vajrayogini. For beginners and students with limited experience an alternative subject will be offered. Registration for this course will soon open.
If you already want to express your interest in joining please let me know via a reply to this email.

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​Got any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me by replying to this email.

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PS
I’ve been traveling quite a bit through Europe lately for the arts, and when I came back to my apartment in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, I was met with some mess and a broken pot on my balcony.

When I looked up I saw the one who did it, a wood-pigeon who had made a nest – AT THE FEET OF THE BUDDHA!

Everyone in Amsterdam knows you do NOT want to have pigeons on your balcony because of the enormous mess they can create. I usually chase them away gently when they land on my balcony, but since they’ve built a nest here I’ll have to take care of them.

I told them that they won’t have to fear me, that they’ll be safe and I won’t disturb them, but that I do often have the door open and will drink my coffee there every day.

The most beautiful thing is that they literally took refuge in the Buddha 🙏🏼 so maybe there’s a connection here.

As they were so close it gave me lots of to observe them. The male and female pigeon take turns sitting on the nest (though the female takes on the most hours in a day…. what’s new), and they just there stoically on the nest for hours and hours, as if they were meditating.
The female sits on the nest for a week before the eggs are laid. Pigeons almost always lay two eggs as this one did too.

After about 17 days the little ones were born! I guess they must have good karma to be born at the feet of the Buddha.
I call them Love and Peace :-), names that one of my students suggested.

Fast forward to now: I can’t believe how fast they grow!
There is a week in between the previous pics and this one. They already turn more grey than yellow. They hardly make any mess yet. They should fly out around 22 days after they came out of the eggs.
Hope I’ll be around to see it.

Will keep you posted!