Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and meditator who for 30 years has overseen 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.

Rinpoches vision is vast and includes the proliferation of many charitable and beneficial activities. Among many projects dear to Rinpoches heart are the two Maitreya Projects: under Rinpoches guidance, FPMT plans to build two large statues of the future Buddha, Maitreya, in Bodhgaya and Kushinagar in India; The Sera Je Food Fund, which offers three vegetarian meals a day to all 2,500 monks studying at Sera Je Monastery in south India; Animal Liberation events around the world, at which creatures, big and small, are freed from immediate harm or blessed every year the total number of animals liberated to date by Lama Zopa Rinpoche or those inspired by him is over 200,000,000 and counting Rinpoche is also utterly dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama wherever and whenever possible.

Rinpoches kindness is legendary. More details of Rinpoches ongoing philanthropy can be followed through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund News.

Born in the Mount Everest region of Thami in 1946, Rinpoche was recognized soon afterwards by His Holiness Tulshig Rinpoche and five other lamas as the reincarnation of the great yogi Kunsang Yeshe. Rinpoche was taken under the care of FPMT founder 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 Rinpoche took over as spiritual director of FPMT.