About Mandala

Mandala is the official publication of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), an international charitable organization founded more than thirty years ago by two Tibetan masters, Lama Thubten Yeshe (1935-1984) and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. 

In the early years, FPMT was a tightly-knit family of a handful of students looking for answers and two ground-breaking lamas who had profound answers to give. Mandala arose as a newsmagazine in the 1980s in response to the growth of this new FPMT family.

The Sanskrit word ‘mandala,’ literally translates as ‘circle.’ Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that the tantric connotation of this term is “taking the essence.” Mandala sought from its beginning to keep students engaged with the priceless lineage of teachings to which they had been introduced, and informed about the advice and activities of the two Lamas. Students returned to their homes around the world and Mandala sought to keep everyone connected.

As FPMT has grown, so has Mandala, now serving as the voice of a vibrant international community, whose members hail from more than thirty countries and comprise a network of over 150 affiliate centers, projects, and services. Mandala is also a key forum for presenting Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice and activities to his students around the world.  

Mandala is a light that shines on the globe-spanning charitable activities of FPMT, its members, and its friends, as we work to lessen the suffering of all beings and bring lasting, ultimate happiness to our world.

Mandala is a guide that educates, offering authentic Buddhist teachings that you can trust from the assembly of lamas, geshes, scholars, and Sangha that abide within the FPMT family, traceable to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Lama Thubten Yeshe’s own teachings, and through them, to the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa, a complete path to enlightenment.

Mandala is a companion that inspires, supports, informs, and entertains, through stories of Tibetan Buddhist life in the East and West. Mandala shows us how the Mahayana teachings and practices are relevant to our complex, modern world and the struggles we all face in our search for happiness.

Editorial Policy

Mandala welcomes and hopes to inspire all readers, though our content primarily addresses an audience which is interested in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of teachings. Our particular focus is the historical lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa, the modern lineage of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the activities of the organization they founded: FPMT.

In general, our readers are familiar with some Buddhist concepts and are interested in both the traditional teachings as well as authentic applications of these teachings to modern life. We feature Buddhist figures such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as the individual practitioner as they progress along the path to enlightenment. Our historical features look back on the great teachers, texts, and movements within Mayahana Buddhism that can inform our practice. We publish scholastic work only as it pertains to relevant issues for the modern practitioner. We commonly publish book excerpts, and occasionally publish poems, other literary forms, and art that reflect a Tibetan Buddhist point-of-view.

Recurring topics include: Buddhist philosophy, Buddhism and Science, Buddhist mind training (Lo-jong), Death and Dying, Youth Issues, Essential Education, Ordination and the Sangha, Buddhism and Modern Life, FPMT Projects Worldwide, The Wisdom of Emptiness, Compassion and Bodhichitta, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his teachings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his teachings, Lama Yeshe and his teachings, among many other topics.

In addition to feature sections which cover the topics above, Mandala also offers the following recurring sections: In our Ask a Teacher feature, we give our readers the chance to pose questions to a qualified teacher. Our News Roundup keeps our readers abreast of the latest news in Tibetan Buddhist affairs worldwide, FPMT news, and occasional pan-Buddhist news which is of interest. Our Media section reviews recent releases: books, literary collections, dvds, cds, etc. Our Obituaries section reminds us of the law of impermanence as we celebrate the lives of FPMT friends who have recently passed. In our Giving Tree section, we give thanks and celebrate the service of FPMT members and friends. In our Resource Directory, we list the contact information for all FPMT centers, projects, and affiliates worldwide. Readers are encouraged to respond to content via our Letters to the Editor section.

Writers, photographers, and artists, both amateur and professional, are encouraged to submit material for consideration. Mandala currently does not pay for publishable content; we credit all photos and other work as requested.

Mandala is published quarterly and is available via Foundation Membership.

Click here to learn about Foundation Membership …