Rinpoche’s Animal Friends

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Release date: mid-March 2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked longtime student and Kopan nun, Tenzin Namdrol, to make a book of the large collection of soft toys inscribed with Dharma messages and mantras and later gifted to students around the world. Now LYWA is publishing this book, which features more than one hundred images, along with a selection of short teaching excerpts. Rinpoche’s Animal Friends is a reminder of Rinpoche’s great love for us and his unique means to inspire and open our hearts.

Watch Beyond Enlightenment, a short mp3 video created by Magda Torres, featuring the travel adventures of Tong Nyi, the teddy bear, and Bodhicitta, the monkey. You can also watch Facebook videos of Rinpoche reading the "little bear" message, also blessing the large teddy, and reading the message "I love all the sentient beings." You can also read excerpts from Rinpoche's Animal Friends online, or go to the Related Links to view or download PDFs of sample pages from this book.

Rinpoche's Animal Friends
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Release date: mid-March 2025

We’re delighted to announce the imminent release of Rinpoche’s Animal Friends. This book showcases more than one hundred images of the soft toys, also known as plushies, which appeared regularly in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s video teachings from Kopan during the COVID-19 pandemic and were later gifted to students around the world.

The plushies were decorated and blessed by Rinpoche, who wrote or dictated profound Dharma messages and added whimsical creative touches. Many of the toys feature powerful mantras which purify negative karma just by seeing, touching and reciting them. The quotations on the toys are supplemented by teaching excerpts on the three principal aspects of the path—renunciation, bodhicitta and emptiness.

Rinpoche had asked Ani Tenzin Namdrol to make a book of the plushie toys, so she organized the photo shoots, transcribed the quotes and assisted with many aspects of the project as it evolved. LYWA editor Sandra Smith worked closely with Ani Tenzin in the production of this beautiful photobook, which is a must-have addition to your collection. You can enjoy the photos, recite the mantras and reflect on the Dharma messages, to benefit from Rinpoche’s wisdom and compassion.

Rinpoche’s Animal Friends presents Dharma in a unique and playful way and is a heartwarming aspect of Rinpoche’s legacy. This book is a reminder of Rinpoche’s great love for us and his unique means to inspire and open our hearts.


You can order a print copy from our online store from mid-March 2025. Until then, please enjoy the sample pages from this book, which you can view online or download.

ISBN: 978-1-891868-84-9

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Preface »