Celebrating Buddha's Enlightenment
April 15 is Buddha's Enlightenment Day, when we celebrate Buddha demonstrating how to attain enlightenment. Even though he had already attained enlightenment many lives previously, out of great compassion he emanated in our world to demonstrate how we too can follow this path.
We can follow Buddha's example
At this time, in such a troubled world, the most meaningful thing we can do is to follow Buddha's example and use our precious human life to attain enlightenment to benefit all living beings.
Below we show again a beautiful video in which Kadampas around the world share their vision of this precious day.
REMEMBERING BUDDHA'S KINDNESS
All our happiness is the result of Buddha’s kindness.
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 on the mind. He showed us how to abandon those states of mind that cause suffering and cultivate those that cause happiness. In other words, he taught us perfect methods for overcoming all suffering and attaining pure, lasting happiness. No one else has taught us these methods. How kind Buddha is!
Our own human birth is proof of Buddha’s kindness. It is by virtue of Buddha’s blessings and teachings 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 meet a qualified Spiritual Guide and practice Dharma, it is solely due to Buddha’s kindness.
We can practice the methods that lead to full enlightenment and gain spiritual realisations only because Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma and showed his example in this world.
Even the 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.
"Buddha attained enlightenment with the sole intention of leading all living beings along the stages of the path to enlightenment through his emanations."
Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
How to Transform Your Life
