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14 April 2020

Celebrating Buddha's Enlightenment

April 15 is Buddha's Enlightenment Day, on which we celebrate Buddha's extraordinary deed of showing the manner of attaining enlightenment in this world.

It is important always to remember Buddha’s kindness. All our happiness is a result of Buddha’s kindness because all Buddha’s actions are pervaded by compassion and concern for others, and it is these actions that enable us to perform virtuous actions that are the cause of our happiness.

Without Buddha’s kindness, we would not know the real causes of happiness or the real causes of suffering. Buddha taught us how all happiness and suffering depend upon the mind.

He showed us how to abandon those states of mind that cause suffering and cultivate those states of mind that cause happiness. In other words, he taught us perfect methods for overcoming suffering and attaining happiness. No one else taught us these methods. How kind Buddha is!

Our own human body is proof of Buddha’s kindness. It is by virtue of Buddha’s blessings and instructions that we were able to create the cause to take rebirth in a human form, with all the freedoms and endowments necessary for spiritual practice. If we are now able to learn Dharma and meet Spiritual Guides, it is only through Buddha’s kindness.

We can now practise the methods that lead to full enlightenment and gain spiritual realizations only because Buddha was kind enough to turn the Wheel of Dharma and show his example in this world. Even the small wisdom we possess to discriminate between what is beneficial and what is harmful, and to identify Buddha’s teaching as worthwhile, is a result of Buddha’s kindness.

We should not think that Buddha helps only those who follow him. Buddha attained enlightenment to benefit all living beings. He manifests in many different forms, sometimes even as non-Buddhist teachers, to help others. There is no living being who has not benefited from the kindness of Buddha.
VENERABLE GESHE KELSANG GATSO RINPOCHE

Enjoy this brief video in which Kadampas around the world share their thoughts on this auspicious day

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