Dec 14, 2018 11:49 am
Adrian Dec and son Aaron Dec greeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bern, Switzerland, November 2018. Photo by Séverine Gondouin.
Longku Center, an FPMT center in Bern, Switzerland, hosted Lama Zopa Rinpoche from November 12-14, 2018. Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived from Munich, Germany, where Rinpoche was hosted by Aryatara Instituut. Brigitte Brunner and Andrea Meier, long-time students and members of Longku Center who co-organized Rinpoche’s Bern visit share the story.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived late evening of November 12 from Munich, Germany, and stayed in Bern for two days before travelling on to Wallis, Switzerland. While offering welcome tea, Rinpoche talked about how important it is, if one encounters people who make our life difficult, to cherish them and to uphold them the most.
Longku Center board members, along with long-time students and organizers posed with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Brigitte Brunner, Jangchub Iseli, Ueli Minder, Rinpoche, Ani Losang, Peter Iseli, Ven. Tsultrim, Andrea Meier, and Marianne Müller outside of Longku Center, Bern, Switzerland, November 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
The next evening Rinpoche gave a very inspiring public teaching on recognizing and using our human potential, starting with how lucky we are not to be born as a tiger who has to kill others to survive. How fortunate we are to have attained a precious human rebirth, able to distinguish what is right and what is wrong, what brings happiness and what brings suffering.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching, Campus Muristalden auditorium, Bern, Switzerland, November 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Then Rinpoche taught on the importance of practicing patience and how everything comes from the mind. He explained how we can do this—looking at every action as merely labeled, like a hallucination or a dream. This was a very powerful teaching on emptiness!
Lhagsam Study Group coordinators Nina and Jeff with members Sandra Passardi and Theres offering Lama Zopa Rinpoche a vegan cake Theres baked, Bern, Switzerland, November 2018. Photo by Séverine Gondouin.
We had two wonderful and very blessed days with Rinpoche in Bern. Our time with him was powerful, moving, and inspiring. We are very grateful to Rinpoche for his visit and his precious teachings.
Artist Peter Iseli offered this thankga of Milarepa to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, presented to Rinpoche outside of Longku Center, Bern, Switzerland, November 2018. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
For more information about Longku Center, visit their website:
https://longku.fpmt.ch/fpmt7/nc/home/
Watch video recordings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings from his 2018 European tour, which includes Spain, Germany, and Switzerland, and also find audio recordings of translations of the teachings in several languages as well as English language transcripts here:
https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/europe-tour-2018/
FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
