Rejoice in All Tushita’s Activities in the First Half of 2025!
July 2025
Hello & welcome to our (biannual) Rejoice Newsletter!
It is unbelievable that already half a year has passed and so many special events happened here at Tushita!
We were soo fortunate to receive teaching from special teachers like Yangten Rinpoche, Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, Yangsi Rinpoche, Geshe Lhakdor, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Geshe Kelsang Wangmo and to welcome so many students for our residential and non-residential courses!
We began the 2025 season on the 17th of February with drop-in guided meditation and the first 10-day residential course of this year, led by Venerable Thubten Wangdu. A group of 56 brave participants joined us, embracing the cold with open minds. Over the ten days, they experienced nature in all its moods: sunshine, rain, hail, and even power cuts!
So far we offered 8 Introduction to Buddhism courses, 3 courses with special teachers, 1 intermediate course, 1 advanced course, 2 group practice retreats and a 3rd one ongoing at the moment and 5 short non-residential courses!
1211 students joined us in residential courses and 543 in short courses until mid July this year here at Tushita! Wow wow wow! Rejoice!
Losar & Days of Miracles
February 28 – March 14, 2025
We celebrated Losar, the Tibetan New Year, on February 28. That was also the first day of the auspicious period of 15 Days of Miracles, which culminated on the full moon day of Chötrul Düchen, March 14.
Days of Miracles dedicated for the Swift Return of our Precious Guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The Days of Miracles were so busy here at Tushita!
On Losar we had a full-day program in person and online, we went to His Holiness temple and visited our teachers as well! We started with drop-in meditation, sutra reading, dharma movie, then our resident teacher Venerable Thubten Wangdu gave a teaching on Being the Gardener of Your Mind, followed by guru puja and then we started the online sessions of Days of Miracles program with Venerable Robina Courtin!
We offered Guided Morning Meditation at 9am every day except on Sundays and Sutra of Golden Light Reading every day at 1pm. We hosted 3 courses at the same time: Pre-Ordination Course led by Geshe Legtsok, an Introduction to Buddhism course led by Venerable Wangdu and the Medicine Buddha Retreat led by Ondy Willson, while continued with the online teachings part of the Days of Miracles program – almost every day at a different hour due to the different time zones from where our teachers joined us.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Geshe Kelsang Wangmo, Geshe Tenzin Legtsok, Venerable Thubten Chödron, Venerable Sangye Khadro, Venerable Robina Courtin, Venerable Tenzin Namjong, Venerable Lhundup Jamyang, Venerable Lozang Drolma, Venerable Tenzin Drolma and Paula Chichester – joined us online.
Yangten Rinpoche, Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, Geshe Lhakdor and Venerable Thubten Wangdu taught both in person and online.
Teachings from the Days of Miracles 2025
On the 6th of March Geshe Legtsok led the Flags Consecration Ceremony attended by our teachers, meditation leaders, POC participants, visitors and staff, and then we did the traditional tsampa throwing for auspiciousness!
Special Events
Prayers for Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Swift Return
In March, Venerable Sarah Thresher led a prayer session for the swift return of our precious guru and spiritual director Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche here at Tushita. We were so happy that our precious FPMT family joined us! Afterwards we invited everyone for cake, coffee and chai in the garden!
Anniversary of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche Showing the Aspect of Passing Away
April 13, 2025 marked the two-year anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away. We offered a Guru Puja with Tsog led by Venerable Losang Drolma and recited King of Prayers, Swift Return Prayers and Migtsema.
Making offerings on the death anniversary of a guru is an incredible practice in that it brings about the greatest purification of negative karma and collects the most extensive merit.
Rinpoche explains in the foreword of the text Advice for the Anniversary of the Guru’s Passing Away
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.
As a reminder, His Holiness recently confirmed that the reincarnation of Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been born and is living in Nepal. His Holiness has advised to continue reciting Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri as well as Migtsema practice.
Celebration of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday
On July 6 the world celebrated His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. Here at Tushita we organised a special puja to pray for His Holiness’ long life and success, as advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, a screening of the movie Until Space Remains, about the untold story of the remarkable relationship The Dalai Lama and Tibetans share with India, a session of questions & answers with Gaurav Saxena, the director of the movie & a special tsog offered the night before!
Read our lates news and enjoy more pictures from His Holiness’ celebration at Tushita and other auspicious events from those days on this page:
Celebration of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th Birthday
Screening of “Until Space Remains” by Gaurav Saxena
In the evening of 6th of July we had the very nice opportunity to screen Until Space Remains.
The film explores the unique and complex relationship The Dalai Lama and the Tibetans share with India that goes back to 8th century AD. It traces the journey of the Dalai Lama from the time he was discovered in Tibet to his 80th year residing in India. A rare glimpse of his remarkable evolution as a true Bodhisattva – the film reveals how India has shaped this remarkable man and how he has in turn shaped the discourse of human values and global ethics.
Besides a rare personal access to The Dalai Lama, deep insightful interviews and his candid interactions with people of all hues at various stages of his life; the film also carries remarkable insights from the likes of MJ Akbar, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Kapila Vatsyana, Tibetan prime minister (in exile) Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Arun Shourie and others on the complexities of this relationship. The film is shot across The Dharamshala Himalayas (the exiled home of The Dalai Lama), the ancient Buddhist ruins of Nalanda and Bodhgaya in Bihar and New Delhi, besides incorporating rare archival footage from 1930s-40s from inside Tibet and of The Dalai Lama.
Until Space Remains – by Gaurav Saxena
The screening was followed by a session of Questions & Answers with Gaurav Saxena, the movie director, who very kindly shared his experience and process of making the movie! Rejoice!
Special Lunch with Tenzin Gyalten Rinpoche & Tenzin Choeying Rinpoche on Chötrul Düchen
We celebrated Chötrul Düchen with Tenzin Gyalten Rinpoche (Choden Rinpoche‘s reincarnation) and Tenzin Choeying Rinpoche (Denma Locho Rinpoche‘s reincarnation) and many other guests! Below you can enjoy a picture from their ordination:
You can read here more information about the previous Venerable Choden Rinpoche (1933-2015), who was one of the masters the Dalai Lama had to debate against. When China invaded Tibet in 1959, Rinpoche went into a 19 year retreat. He eventually left Tibet, teaching in India and many parts of the world.
Choden Rinpoche’s reincarnation was born May 21, 2016 in India. The identity of Rinpoche’s reincarnation was confirmed by the Dalai Lama in January 2018.
Here you can read more about the previous Denma Locho Rinpoche, who was a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist master and one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus. Denma Locho Rinpoche was also an incredibly powerful and important teacher to many FPMT students and to many monks and nuns at Kopan Monastery. He taught at several FPMT centers and led the Kopan Monlam for many years. He was regarded as an expert on Manjushri’s fierce form, Yamantaka, and on several other teachings and practices.
Monthly Pujas by Gyume Monks
Special Guests Teachers
Yangsi Rinpoche
Around 300 people both in person and online attended the teachings of Yangsi Rinpoche on How to Deal with Mental Afflictions. It was a very meaningful and delightful event!
Geshe Tenzin Zopa
On 28 May, Geshe Tenzin Zopa accepted our request to give inspirational teachings on the Nyung Nay practice, based on Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, especially for our 8 Nyung-Nays retreat participants!
Later that day Geshe Tenzin Zopa offered inspiration and blessings for Chag Tong Chen Tong Tibetan Buddhist Centre‘s MANI Retreat and transmission of Chenrezig Sadhana practice that was going to be used during the retreat, June 1-15, 2025.
Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche
Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche accepted our request to give teachings at Tushita on How Much Buddha Loves Us and to lead an Aspiring Bodhicitta Ceremony during the amazing meritorious day of Saka Dawa. Venerable Siliana translated the teachings in Italian – you can find the link here.
Yangten Rinpoche
On July 1, Yangten Rinpoche taught on Mind Transformation (Lojong) – The Seven-Point Mind Training as preliminary teachings before confering the Vajrasattva jenang (permission to practice) for our 3-month Vajrasattva retreat!
Rinpoche taught in Tibetan with interpretation into English by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo.
Yangten Rinpoche taught on Mind Transformation
Residential Courses
Pre-Ordination Course
3 – 20 March 2025
The six newly ordained sangha participated in the Pre Ordination Course led by Geshe Legtsok from the 3rd to the 20th of March 2025. Two of them received Gelong ordination and four received the Getsul ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Main Temple in McLeod Ganj!
We rejoice in their efforts & great commitment!
Courses with Special Teachers
Annual Course with Geshe Lhakdor: Awaken your Profound Nature by Understanding your Mind and Emotions
22 – 28 April 2025
We were delighted to have Geshe Lhakdor at Tushita with his annual signature course. With his inspiring, down to earth and humorous teaching style, Geshe la made these 7 days a wonderful experience for 129 students!
Geshe Tenzin Zopa: Thirty Seven Steps to the Lasting Happiness of Enlightenment – What are you waiting for?
17 – 26 May 2025
Such an incredible joy and blessing to have had Geshe Tenzin Zopa here at Tushita teaching with so much enthusiasm an incredible 10-day residential course for the very first time to around 140 students attending both in person and online.
The week before the course started had been very challenging in the context of the unstable political situation between India and Pakistan. First, after thorough consideration and consultation with Geshe Tenzin Zopa, we decided to postpone the residential course to next year and to create alternative program. Then, after a few days we reconsidered the situation and decided that there is benefit to reinstall the original residential course and to make it online as well for the people who couldn’t join us anymore. Therefore we had 90 people joining us in person and 56 online! Thank you to everyone for such kind understanding and patience with all these changes in that truly unprecedented situation!
Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche: How to Practice in Daily Life – A Guide to Infinite Happiness
3 – 12 June 2025
We were extremely honoured and delighted that Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche accepted our request to give his first 10-day course at Tushita! Teachings were attended by very fortunate 90 students in person and 43 online!
During Saka Dawa, we had the great blessing to receive teachings on “How Much Buddha Loves Us” by Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche and Rinpoche also, out of great compassion, led the Aspiring Bodhicitta Ceremony for the benefit of all. What a great joy!
Introduction to Buddhism Courses
Intermediate Courses
Advanced Courses
Group Retreat Practices
On going:
Short Courses
More events and pictures from this first half of the year will be added soon!
Thank you all so much for rejoicing with us & see you very soon for all our upcoming activities!
Thank you from all our hearts!
