Rinpoche's Thank-you Cards, Letters and Gifts

Rinpoche's Thank-you Cards, Letters and Gifts

Letter of Thanks to Thamthog Rinpoche
Date of Advice:
October 2016
Date Posted:
May 2019

Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote this letter to Ven. Thamthog Rinpoche, the abbot of Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala, and spiritual director of Ghe Pel Ling Institute, Milan, Italy. Ven. Thamthog Rinpoche and Ven. Tenzin Khenrab Rinpoche had organized the 2016 Milan visit and teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Dear Kyabje Thamthog Rinpoche, abbot of Namgyal Monastery, enriched of the Buddhadharma, depthless and endless, and beautified in living in the three higher trainings and young Thamthog Rinpoche, Ven. Tenzin Khenrab Rinpoche, enriched of the Buddhadharma, depthless and endless, and beautified in living in the three higher trainings,

Thank you very, very much for inviting me to be at Chenrezig His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Milano. That is like bringing me from darkness into light, so I highly appreciate this, and it is extremely kind.

Unfortunately at this time, before going to Nepal for the one-month lamrim course in November, I am taking time to do some retreat, also which His Holiness advised. This time was already planned for retreat, so I am very sorry to say I will not be able to attend.

Then this is just a personal thing to express, dear Kyabje Thamthog Rinpoche, so much of your past extensive merits to be able to serve His Holiness, being very close to His Holiness, not just showing abbot but totally dedicated to His Holiness, like His Holiness’s own feet and fingers, like that totally dedicated. This is really so, so, so, so good, I don’t see like that others able to run for His Holiness and again I want to say thank you so much.

Also numberless thanks to Ven. Tenzin Khenrab Rinpoche for so much kindness helping sentient beings, bringing [them] to enlightenment and so dedicated.

Zopa

Beggar of secular and future perfect human lives.

Numberless Skies of Thanks for the Thangka
Date of Advice:
October 2015
Date Posted:
July 2018

Rinpoche sent this letter to thank an artist who had painted a beautiful Tara thangka.

My dear one,
Billions and trillions of numberless thanks! Numberless skies of thanks! Greetings and tashi delek.

What a thangka you have made! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

In this world, in whichever universe you will be born, even in Tara’s pure land, the thangka will still be in this world. It came from your devotion, and also from your compassion for sentient beings. It also came from your wisdom.

I want these paintings to be as best as possible, and they are already incredible.

Here are a few comments. The lotus and also the shading can be in different colors; not everything has to be red and white. You can have shading, but just different. Also, have shading on the face and have a little bit of a smile.

With big love and prayer ...

Numberless Bodhisattvas Love You Very Much
Date of Advice:
October 2017
Date Posted:
June 2018

Rinpoche gave this thank you note to a volunteer.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Thailand, May 2016. Photo: Ven. Roger Kunsang.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
A billion, zillion thanks for what you are doing.

All your past happiness from beginningless rebirths and now your future happiness up to enlightenment is received from every sentient being. This includes every single comfort, even sleep and the small pleasures. It all comes from every hell being; from every single hungry ghost; from every single animal, those on the oceans that are large like whales, and those small like flies that run away when you walk in the grass; from every single ant; from the insects in the bushes, in the trees and in the sky; from the numberless human beings in numberless universes; from the numberless sura beings and numberless asura beings; from everyone.

Even Buddha, Dharma and Sangha that we always take refuge in, so we can become free from samsara and achieve lower nirvana and enlightenment—even Buddha, Dharma and Sangha come from numberless sentient beings.

That means sentient beings are the most precious ones, the most kind ones. Even without talking about the happiness of past lives or future lives, everything comes from sentient beings—every single comfort, our house, food, clothes, everything.

Therefore, by volunteering, by working here, this is the best thing. This is the best purification of your negative karmas and obscurations collected from beginningless rebirths, and in order to collect extensive merits and become the cause of enlightenment—by working here, by developing the good heart, bodhicitta, for every single sentient being, including the insects, the ants, that the numberless bodhisattvas cherish the most.

Every single person that you take care of, numberless bodhisattvas cherish them the most. Every single insect that you take care of, move out of the way or save from the water, numberless bodhisattvas cherish them the most and they love you very much, your work.

Thank you very much.

With much love and prayers ...

Thanks for Dedicating Your Retreat
Date of Advice:
January 2016
Date Posted:
March 2018

Rinpoche wrote this card to a student who advised they had completed a retreat.

My very dear one,
Thank you very much. I rejoice in your successful retreat and your dedication for Khen Rinpoche and myself. I hope my life can be a little bit beneficial for sentient beings, and if not, in the next life.

With much love and prayers ...

A Billion, Zillion Thanks
Date of Advice:
January 2014
Date Posted:
August 2017

This card was written to thank an old student for their service at the center.

My most dear, my most dear ancient student,
How are you? I hope you are well. Recently I was explaining to some students about your three-story tower at Kopan. You came along and opened my door curtain and I drew the shape of a mandala on paper. It took a long time [to build.] You brought a few pieces of wood by jeep. It took either longer or the same time as the old Kopan monastery to build. One time a student was staying in the Milarepa cave on the third floor.

Anyway, I want to say a billion, zillion thanks for doing service at the center, for all your hard work, dedication and devotion to the guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and your compassion for sentient beings. I thank you a billion, zillion times for all your dedication.

I know sometimes the work has had many difficulties, but it is the greatest purification for you. It is purifying the negative karma accumulated since beginningless rebirths and it’s the way to collect most extensive merits.

Please continue with wisdom, compassion, and bodhicitta. This brings all the happiness, temporal and ultimate, liberation from the oceans of samsaric suffering and full enlightenment, so you can enlighten the numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras and numberless intermediate state beings.

With much love and prayers...

Thank You For Your Service
Date of Advice:
March 2014
Date Posted:
February 2017

Rinpoche wrote this card to a student who had recently helped build a stupa at a Dharma center.

My very dear one,

Thank you very much for your service—for making a beautiful place for the statue and for creating this pure land, where the statue is located, for suffering sentient beings to be reborn there. Also, thank you for working on the stupa for the center. This creates unbelievable merit, good karma—the cause of happiness—and purifies so many eons of defilements—the cause of negative karma and so many sufferings.

I hope that everyone in America and all the people in the area will enjoy this beautiful statue.

I hope to see you soon. Please enjoy the life, the rarest human rebirth, with a good heart, benefiting others. Thank you.

With much love and prayers...

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