The Kadampa Temple at Manjushri KMC, UK, is a place of extraordinary beauty.
People who have visited this stunning landmark know what a powerful and peaceful effect it has on the mind. And people who have had the opportunity to engage in meditations or receive teachings in the Temple rejoice that they have planted virtuous seeds on their mental continuum.
Constructed according to traditional Buddhist architecture and personally designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the Kadampa Temple is dedicated to world peace and functions as a place of refuge.
Based on the mandala palace of Buddha Heruka, the supreme Buddha of compassion, every aspect of the Temple symbolizes the spiritual path to enlightenment.
The four doorways symbolize the four ways to enter the Buddhist path to liberation, and the eight auspicious symbols decorated on the interior and exterior show how to progress along that path.
Clerestory windows and rosewood timber columns create a warm and inviting environment and also provide the perfect setting for the magnificent shrine. Displaying a retinue of Buddha statues, the shrine features an inspiring 8 ft bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, the Founder of Buddhism.
The Temple also houses 120 volumes of ancient Buddhist Sutra and Tantra scriptures containing all the teachings of Buddha and their commentaries.
Above each of the doorways to the Temple, two deers and Dharma Wheel are prominently positioned symbolizing the final stages of the path to enlightenment. Finally, the five-pronged vajra at the very top symbolizes the five omniscient wisdoms of a Buddha.
Just seeing the Temple reminds us that we all have the potential to become enlightened and encourages us to enter into a spiritual path through which we can take the essence of our human life and accomplish our goal.
Meditation
The NKT National Spiritual Director of the USA, Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong guided two meditations this morning to reduce our distractions and to help develop a calm and peaceful mind for the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments.
We began by contemplating that it is through our precious Spiritual Guide that these extraordinary events arise in our life.
Gen-la encouraged us to recognise that enlightenment, permanent inner peace is what we can accomplish by putting Dharma into practise now.
Heruka Empowerment Preparation with Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso today welcomed close to 5000 people to the preparation ceremony of the Heruka empowerment.
Geshe-la explained that Highest Yoga Tantra is the quick path to full enlightenment, permanent inner peace.
Kadam Lamrim teachings reveal the path of wisdom and compassion that are the condensation of all Buddha’s 84,000. It is also the foundation of the practise of Highest Yoga Tantra that enables us to directly transform our body and mind into a Buddha’s body and mind in one lifetime.
Geshe-la explained that Heruka is an enlightened Deity of Highest Yoga Tantra, the Buddha of Compassion and embodiment of bliss.
Bliss according to Highest Yoga Tantra is the very subtle mind that allows us to concentrate on our meditation object, ultimate truth, very easily. In Highest Yoga Tantra we can experience this pure bliss permanently, enhancing our ability to benefit others.
In the preparation ceremony Geshe-la granted Bodhisattva vows and we promised to become a Buddha in order to benefit all living beings. We also took Tantric vows, commiting ourself to this blissful path. Vows act as a catalyst for our spiritual practice and direct our mind to the liberating path.
The ceremony was the start of our journey into the magical world of Heruka and Vajrayogini.
How fortunate we are to transcend this world of suffering and create a pure blissful world for everyone to enjoy.
What is Highest Yoga Tantra?
Highest Yoga Tantra is the supreme method to transform our body and mind into a Buddha’s body and mind.
Quote of the day
A Kadampa Buddhist Temple is a special, holy place, where we can receive blessings and powerful imprints on our minds that lead to deep inner peace in the future.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Special Feature
The First Kadampa Temple
