General Spiritual Director
News from the post Fall Festival retreats ~ Part 2
Nov 16, 2024
How to build a pure world
The first Saturday in November is International Temples Day, a special day on which we celebrate the International Temples Project (ITP) and remember the inconceivable kindness of its founder, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
On this day, special events are held at various centers throughout the world to support the project. Prayers are made for the project to flourish and to dedicate it to world peace.
What is the the International Temples Project?
The International Temples Project is a global network of charitable activities founded by Venerable Geshe-la. Its purpose is to introduce the Buddhist faith and practice of the New Kadampa Tradition publicly, and to exemplify contemporary Buddhist practice through service to the public. It presently achieves this through building traditional and non-traditional temples, meditation and retreat centres, and through the activities of world peace cafés and Tharpa Publications.
Enjoy the video
Please enjoy this remarkable video about the ITP, which has been fully updated to reflect all the recent developments. Use the 'cog' symbol at the bottom of the video if you wish to choose language subtitles.
"According to Buddhist view, especially Mahayana Buddhist view, a Temple is a representation of Buddha’s Pure Land. Statues or images of Buddha are representations of Buddha’s body, stupas are representations of Buddha’s mind, and Dharma books are representations of Buddha’s speech. These are holy, precious objects. For these reasons I recommend building Temples as one of the best ways of benefiting other living beings.
"The main function of a Temple is that those who see it or develop faith in it will receive special blessings. Whoever sees a Temple or an image of Buddha will receive the blessings of Buddha. There is no difference with regard to Buddhists and non-Buddhists – anyone, whenever they see an image of Buddha, or a Temple, will receive blessings.
"Therefore I can say that from my side, or from our side, this is the best public benefit or public service."
VENERABLE GESHE KELSANG GYATSO RINPOCHE
