The Vinaya: living the Buddhist monastic code

The International Course of vinaya - The monastic ethical discipline in the West and in the world.

On behalf of the Sangha Onlus Association, I would like to thank all the participants in this Vinaya course, which is perhaps the first organized by an FPMT center with international involvement.

The main thanks go to Ven. Geshe Jampa Gelek for the great kindness and patience with which he lovingly followed us during these three months and for having accepted to give these teachings. 

Guided by his vast and profound knowledge, we monks and nuns have had the precious opportunity to share, in a harmonious spiritual community, a firsthand experience of the guidelines enunciated by the Buddha for understanding how to establish a thriving monastic community within society. modern in the West and in the world.

A heartfelt thanks to Ven. Tenzin Legtsok for translating, from Tibetan to English, and for preparing himself for this task every day.

A total of 163 participants enrolled in the course, of which 154 attended the first part and 24 the second.
Of these 40 participants attended the course in person, while the remaining 123 attended the online course. From four continents (America, Asia, Europe, Oceania) and from twenty-eight different countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, England, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Portugal, Czech Republic, Russia, Singapore, Spain, United States, Sweden and Venezuela).

I would like once again to mention and thank our precious spiritual director Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche for intervening on the first day bringing us his greetings and support. His video speech, the recording of which is available online and can be heard in three languages ​​(Italian, English, Spanish) on the Sangha Onlus YouTube channel.

During this time, the text "Namtse Dengma" by Je Tsongkhapa was translated into Italian, thanks to Ven. Gyalten Chotso, and the phonetics from Tibetan (in English and Italian) of the prayer "L'Essenza dell ' Vinaya Ocean ”, which was recited before the teachings. 

Video recordings of the teachings are available on the Sangha YouTube channel (for monastic sangha members only and within the limits of their ordination level) until June 30, 2022, and we will soon be communicating how to access the end-of-month deadline.

Thanks

I would like to thank the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, the director Andrea Serena and all the staff without whom it would not have been possible to organize this course and in particular: Renato, Valeria and Elena for the audio video, Ven. Antonella, Ven. Thubten Chöying, Manuela and Elisa.
The Ven. Siliana for the translation into Italian. La Ven. Paloma for the Spanish translation. Ven. Joan for the transcription of the opening speech by Lama Zopa and Susanna and Rita for the revision of the Italian translation.

The International Mahayana Institute and Nalanda Monastery for support of study materials.
To the audio video staff of Kopan for the teachings with Lama Zopa Rinpoche on 7 March.
Ven. Gyalten Dolma, Palmo, Yangchen and Ven. Tendar (director of IMI) for the transcription of the first part still in progress. 
Ven. Tenzin Metok for the transcription of the teachings of the second part still in progress.

And finally Lionel and above all Ester who, for all three months, supported our association in coordinating the website, audio video, recording, secretariat and technical assistance to members.

Thanks also to all those I forgot to mention and to whom I apologize.
The number of participants may indicate the success of the course, but true success is integrating the Vinaya into our monastic life

Thubten Tsognyi,
Pomaia - June 7, 2022