Extensive Benefits of Sera Jhe Food Fund

Before Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche established Sera Jhe Food Fund, many of the monks in Sera Jhe Monastery in South India were refugees from Tibet or from refugee families; they had very little money for quality food and consequently, were often malnourished and ill. Now, for the first time, they are well-nourished, content and full and this makes a dramatic difference in the energy they are able to devote to their studies.

In 1997, six years after starting Sera Jhe Food Fund, when Rinpoche visited the monastery, many of the older geshes, some with tears in their eyes, thanked Rinpoche and spoke of how the fund was benefiting the monastery. Monks could now attend all the debate sessions instead of taking time out to prepare meals and the fund also removed from teachers the great burden of providing for students who had no resources.

“Taking responsibility for supporting these practitioners is extremely worthwhile because they are preserving and spreading the entire teaching of the Buddha.”

“If you offer with the recognition that they are the Guru’s pores then that is an unbelievable way to collect merit. When you offer to many Sanghas who have the same Guru then you are making offerings to that many pores of the Guru. So this is easiest way to collect skies of merit by offering. By offering event just one candy, flowers or even one grain of rice to a statue of Buddha or even a visualized Buddha you collect skies of merit but here it is much more powerful than offering to the 3 jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) as well as all the statues, stupas and scriptures existing in all directions, so no question if offering to really the same Guru’s disciple. These benefits should be understood so that when you make offerings to the Guru’s pores you think correctly. This is the best business.”

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche