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FPMT Taiwan celebrated its “Thanksgiving Day to Teachers” on September 30 in conjunction with the traditional Chinese Mooncake Festival. The event began in the morning with a Yamantaka fire puja hosted by the resident geshes of the three FPMT Taiwan centers at a retreat site surrounded by green hills.
Yamantaka fire puja, September 2012, Taiwan
Afterwards the geshes and participants, which included 20 Sangha members and more than 50 lay students, had a nice luncheon at a nearby resort. During the lunch, the three geshes were thanked in a speech for their generous service to the FPMT centers.
“Geshe Gyurme [of Jinsiu Farlin] is the longest resident geshe in FPMT Taiwan. Geshe Gyatso [of Shakyamuni Center] has been living in Taiwan for three years. Geshe Tsethar [of Heruka Center] came to Taiwan most recently for a year,” Ven. Osel, director of Jinsiu Farlin in Taipei shares.
Geshe Gyurme, Jinsiu Farlin
“The luncheon speech not only let the geshes know about our appreciation, but it also reminded everyone that despite how much difficulty we have in our lives and Dharma practices, our resident geshes, who put aside their monastic lives and students and came to Taiwan to live with us, also undergo difficulty of which they never complain,” Ven. Osel writes. “Meanwhile we also thank Kopan Monastery, Sangha, translators, staff, volunteers and everyone.”
Geshe Gyatso, Shakyamuni Center
The three geshes were presented a long khata, a bouquet of flowers and a card signed by everyone. Sangha each received a thanksgiving card from FPMT Taiwan. Then lay students took part in a festive gift exchange game, ensuring no one went home empty-handed.
After the luncheon, the geshes, Sangha and students had a relaxed walk in a nearby forest.
Geshe Tsethar, Heruka Center
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