Venerable Chodron has had this dream to establish the Abbey for so many eons (laugh). For so many eons … so now it’s happened, now it’s actualized, and I think it’s very wonderful. I didn’t have this visualization before I came (laugh). I had a slightly different visualization. When I came up from down the hill, where you can see the house, it felt like going to see a very precious temple or holy place. That was the feeling. So I think the feeling is good. Not that I have clairvoyance or anything, but in general, this place is helpful for Dharma practice. I think people that come here to practice are lucky people, lucky people. It’s good.

So therefore I want to thank Venerable Chodron very much for having established this beautiful place here, this Abbey. It gives an opportunity for people to live in morality and, on the basis of that, practice the spiritualized path. It gives opportunity and a conducive place as well as a guide to practice. Of course, not only that, the Abbey gives skies full of benefit to sentient beings because they can meet the Buddhadharma and hear Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings.

At the same time, I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all that she has done for so many years; she did very hard work for this teaching, taking responsibility, teaching Dharma at many FPMT centers in the past … so many years she has been teaching. That is not an easy thing to do, but it’s the most important thing. Dharma activity, teaching Dharma, is the most important thing in the world. We can understand, from looking at the world situation now, that there is nothing more important and that the best thing is to practice Dharma. And of course, somebody has to teach.

So for all that I would like to thank her very much. Normally I don’t thank people. I should practice that. I tell people to do it, but I myself don’t do much (laughs). I think I have to practice more awareness. It’s very rare that I say thank you to people.

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche.