Lama Zopa

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945–2023) was one of the most internationally renowned masters of Tibetan Buddhism, working and teaching ceaselessly on almost every continent and for over 30 years overseeing the spiritual activities of the extensive worldwide network of centers, projects, and services that form the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) which he founded with Lama Thubten Yeshe. Born in the Mount Everest region of Thami in 1946, Lama Zopa was recognized soon afterward by His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche and five other lamas as the reincarnation of the great yogi Kunsang Yeshe. Rinpoche was taken under the care of  Lama Thubten Yeshe, soon after leaving Tibet, in Buxa Duar, India, in the early 1960s. Rinpoche was with Lama Yeshe until 1984 when Lama Yeshe passed away and Lama Zopa took over as spiritual director of FPMT. You can read more more about Lama Zopa’s life and contributions to the world on FPMT’s Official Homepage for Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

“Approaching enlightenment is a gradual process, but once you attain it, there’s no going back; when you reach the fully awakened state of mind, the moment you experience that, you remain enlightened forever.”
— Lama Zopa Rinpoche.