Spreading Inner Peace and Joy in Our Communities
Dec 3, 2024
28 May 2023
A Special Commentary to The Liberating Prayer & International Refuge Vow Ceremony
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Festivals are the perfect opportunity to experience being part of the Kadampa family. It is a family like no other, in the words of one participant, “there are very good levels of human co-operation at festivals and everyone pulls together, prioritising harmonious and happy relationships.”
As the festival is run by everyone attending it is easy to get involved and to meet people from different centres and countries. Everyone is friendly and new friendships are made over lunch or sitting in the temple.
Gen-la’s teachings on Saturday began a sublime commentary to Liberating Prayer, one of our uncommon Kadampa prayers appearing from the heart of our Root Guru. She explained how there are many levels to this prayer. When we recite it at the beginning of all our classes and prayers it helps to ripen people’s Buddha nature and establish refuge in their minds, helping them to develop faith in Buddha naturally, gradually and easily.
On a deeper level as Venerable Geshe-la explained, Liberating Prayer is like a text and has profound meaning that reveals all the meaning of Sutra and Tantra and leads us to the supreme liberation of Enlightenment.
Drawing on teachings given by Geshe-la over the years and her deep contemplation and meditation, Gen-la shared a detailed commentary to the first few verses illuminating them and causing all three kinds of faith to grow in the minds of those listening. In this way we feel in Buddha’s living presence and have the mind thinking, ‘May I become just like you.’ She gave practical advice that as soon as the words begin we can leave this impure world and make prayers without distration, and how important it is to maintain our faith day and night, not forgetting what we are learning in the meditation break.
The sun is shining, and she encouraged us to let it remind us to shine the sun of our faith on the snow mountain of our Spiritual Guide, who is inseparable from Buddha.
The first full day of festival began with a beautiful meditation gently but powerfully guided by Gen Devi, giving us the opportunity to meditate on the teachings we received on Friday night. As Gen-la said later in the day, one of the wonderful things about festivals is that we have the opportunity to be guided in meditation and retreat while the blessings are fresh, so that they touch our heart.
Developing the wish to have the real compassion of Buddha.