General Spiritual Director
Wonderful Weekends to Find Inner Peace
Jul 10, 2025
MAY 23 - 28, 2025
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International Spring Festival 2025 diaries
MEETING BUDDHA MAITREYA
Buddha Maitreya is the manifestation of the realization of the loving kindness of all Buddhas. In order to lead living beings to the supreme happiness of loving kindness, the realization of loving kindness of all Buddhas appears in the aspect of Buddha Maitreya. The function of this Buddha is to bestow or to give us the realization of loving kindness, the realization of affectionate love, cherishing love, wishing love and the supreme good heart of bodhichitta.
Day 2 ~ THE EMPOWERMENT DAY
It's a special day - empowerment day! There is a different rhythm to the day, with more time for meditation in the morning, guided by Gen Sangden. She leads us in two meditations on loving kindness, both guided clearly and precisely to help us develop not only the determination to cherish all living beings without exception, but to develop an actual feeling of warmth and closeness towards all living beings. There is something very powerful about sitting quietly with hundreds of people in the Temple, all focusing our minds on love simultaneously. This morning of meditation is perfect preparation to draw close to the Buddha of loving kindness in the afternoon empowerment and to really request blessings to deepen our own minds of pure love.
In the afternoon everyone gathers expectantly for the actual blessing empowerment of Buddha Maitreya with Gen-la Jampa. The Temple is full and it is a joyful assembly, happy to have the opportunity to be guided into Buddha Maitreya's world. Gen-la Jampa shares with us stories and explanations given by Geshe-la that help us to understand the deep purpose of receiving the empowerment and just how integral Buddha Maitreya is to our practice of Kadam Lamrim and our understanding of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. We continue to benefit from teachings given by Maitreya to Asanga almost two thousand years ago. He reminds us that when Geshe-la gave this empowerment he said, "We are making a special connection with this Enlightened being. We are doing a big important job. We now have a best friend for future lives, the Buddha of loving kindness."
In the empowerment itself we are guided on an inner journey by Gen-la, who helps us to prepare our minds well, leading us through the refuge and Bodhisattva vows, helping us to overcome ordinary appearances and finally transmitting the blissful empowering blessings of Buddha Maitreya's body, speech and mind. At the conclusion of the empowerment we receive special advice to always remember Buddha Maitreya at our heart and are encouraged to take this as a special mindfulness practice so we can overcome delusions and obstaces and keep our mind peaceful and happy.
A new Buddha Maitreya statue
At the front of the Temple is a beautiful empowerment shrine featuring an exquisite statue of Buddha Maitreya produced by the Kadampa Art Studio especially for this Festival. Lovingly crafted, painted and gilded by skilled artists over many months, it features Buddha Maitreya seated on a throne ready to descend from Tushita Pure Land.
'We are making a connection with this enlightened being who is a manifestation of the loving kindness of all Buddhas'
As everyone leaves the Temple and the other activities of the Festival resume, there is definitely a pervasive feeling that everyone is trying to keep a warm heart towards each other, and to have a more equal love towards everyone they meet. We say it often but truly: how fortunate we are to have opportunities like these!
Thank you Geshe-la
