General Spiritual Director
White Tara Empowerment at Tara IKRC
Apr 26, 2024
An enlightened being in our world!
April 15 is Buddha’s Enlightenment Day!
On this day we celebrate the appearence of Buddha Shakyamuni in our world and his demonstrating the manner of attaining enlightenment.
For the first time in our age there was now an enlightened being in our world.
Spiritually, it was as if a sun appeared in a dark sky bringing everyone the prospect of becoming free from suffering and finding pure and lasting happiness.
This momentous occasion is celebrated at Kadampa centers throughout the world with special pujas and other events.
We asked some Kadampa practitioners what Buddha meant to them personally and what this world would be like if Buddha had not appeared and attained enlightenment:
"Buddha attained enlightenment with the sole intention of leading all living beings along the stages of the path to enlightenment through his emanations."
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
How to Transform Your Life
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.
