On Friday, November 3, at about 9 am, at the end of 100 million Mani Retreat at the Istittuo Lama Tzong Khapa, a Long Life Puja will be offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Tradition Mahayana (FPMT).

The two FPMT Geshe residents of the Institute will be present: Ven. Tenzin Tenphel and Ven. Jampa Gelek.

At the end of the puja it will be possible for all the participants to offer a katag to Rinpoche.
The puja time may will be subject to variation until the very day of the ceremony.

Please note that translations (no English), including Italian translation, will be available through an radio, therefore we advise you to bring with you your radio and headphones. Lama Zopa Rinpoche will speak in English.

The purpose of the long life puja

By Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The following advice was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in response to requests by students to help them understand how best to prolong the life of the guru, and how to avoid obstacles that can cause him sickness and a shortened life.

One of the most moving ceremonies in Tibetan Buddhism is the long life puja for a teacher, an elaborate display of devotion towards a spiritual guide comprising heartfelt prayers and praises, and a procession of symbolic offerings. The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation to their teacher, and to create the causes and conditions to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time.

The essential practice for creating the cause for the guru’s long life is harmony between students.  Additionally, our devotion to our teachers is best expressed by following their advice, which includes offering service. By maintaining harmony, following our teachers’ advice and offering long life pujas, FPMT students are accumulating the merit needed for our precious gurus to stay in the world with us for a long time.
ama Zopa Rinpoche offered the following advice in response to requests by students to help them understand how best to prolong the life of the guru, and how to avoid obstacles that can cause him sickness and a shortened life

Most important is to remember with feeling the guru’s kindness and to follow his advice; then to remember one’s mistakes and confess them.

Long-life pujas purify negative karma and accumulate merits (generally speaking life can be lengthened by accumulating merit). But the best kind of long-life puja is not just the ritual but to cherish the advice, with the thought correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, and looking at the guru from one’s own side to be the Buddha and remembering his kindness; feeling regret for not practicing properly in the past and making a decision to practice better in the future: generally speaking, in the ordinary sense, to be a better person.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche also mentions regularly that offering long life pujas is a cause for one’s own long life.