Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, Bodhgaya

Festival of Lights and Merit 2008

"Those who offer one thousand lights will be reborn when Maitreya Buddha shows the deed of gaining enlightenment and receive his first Dharma teaching." Arya Maitreya Sutra

At the Great Stupa of Enlightenment in Bodhgaya

Celebrating the Four Great Buddhist Festivals with offerings of lights, pujas and prayer flags at the holiest site in the universe at the four most auspicious times of the year to fulfil the wishes of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

The Four Great Buddhist Festivals

Commemorating the most significant events of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha's life, the Four Great Festivals are:

• 15 Days of Miracles (7 - 20 February 2008)

• Enlightenment and Paranirvana (17, 18, 19 June 2008)

• First Teaching (4, 5, 6 August 2008)

• Descent from the God Realm of the Thirty-three (18, 19, 20 November 2008)

The merit from making any offering on these days is said by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche to be multiplied one hundred million times, and offerings made in Bodhgaya are said to be eight times more powerful!

"All comfort, happiness and peace in this world are received by making offerings to the Triple Gem, therefore those who like to have happiness, comfort and peace always attempt to make these offerings." Tenth Wheel of the Sutra of the Essence of the Earth

The Festival of Lights and Merit supports Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Merit Box projects, your own FPMT centre and the social work projects of Root Institute.

We invite you to join the entire FPMT mandala in celebrating these four great Buddhist celebratory events by sponsoring:

• Any number of the thousands of coloured electric lights adorning the entire Mahabodhi Stupa grounds

• Pujas (Tara, Guru and Protector Pujas) performed by the monks of Namgyal Monastery around the sacred Bodhi tree and at Namgyal Monastery in Bodhgaya.

• Prayer flags strung around the stupa grounds.

Many thousands of lights are offered nightly around the Bodhi Tree gardens on behalf of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the FLAM sponsors and the entire FPMT Mandala using Rinpoche's Extensive Offering Practice to multiply the offerings and merit, together with the recitation of the sponsors' names and personal dedications. For a detailed description of how the lights are offered please refer to website http://www.rootinstitute.com/holy-objects/light-offering.html

Lights

Number of lights US$ Number of lights US$

350 $25 7,000 $200

1,000 $50 21,000 $500

3,000 $100 100,000 $2000

Pujas Prayer Flags

Tara Puja $35 One set of prayer flags $30

Guru Puja $35

Protector Puja $35

Your sponsorship will include offerings on all four festivals in 2008.

To sponsor Lights, Pujas or Prayer Flags simply ask your local FPMT Centre if they are collecting sponsorships, or send your cheque or credit card details to FPMT International Office, 1632 SE 11^th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214-4702 USA, or go online to www.rootinstitute.com and follow the prompts under Festival of Lights.

The merit of your offerings will be dedicated for:

• All the sponsors, with their personal dedications read individually

• The long lives of our holy gurus: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Osel Rinpoche and all FPMT lamas and teachers

• The preservation and spread of the pure Dharma

• The temporal and ultimate happiness of the sponsors and their loved ones

• The happiness of all sentient beings

• World peace

• And for all obstacles to FPMT projects to be removed and the quick success of all the projects.