Download Kadampa Temple for World Peace - Manjushri Kadampa Meditation

M a n j u shr i K a da m pa M e di tat ion C e n t r e , U K
Kadampa Temple for World Peace
a Guide
The First Kadampa
Buddhist Temple
Approaching the Temple
Welcome to the Kadampa Buddhist Temple
at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre
Designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang
Gyatso, the Founder of the New Kadampa
Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist
Union, and built by Kadampa Buddhists
as an offering to future generations, the
Kadampa Buddhist Temple was opened in
1997 and dedicated to world peace.
Without inner peace,
outer peace is impossible.
A Buddhist Temple is a holy place,
where people from all walks of life
come to find inner peace.
Everyone is welcome to visit the Temple
to enjoy the peace and tranquillity and
learn more about the Buddhist way of life.
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Based on the mandala palace of Buddha Heruka, the supreme Buddha
of compassion, every aspect of the Temple symbolizes the spiritual path
to enlightenment.
Seeing the Temple reminds us that we all have the potential to achieve
the highest goals and encourages us to enter into the spiritual path by
which we can realize them.
As you approach the Temple you will
see that the lower level is square
with a doorway on each side. The
four doorways symbolize the four
ways to enter the path to liberation.
They remind us that we need to seek
liberation from suffering by entering
a spiritual path.
Above each of the four doorways there is a male
and female deer with a Dharma Wheel between
them symbolizing the final stages of the path to
enlightenment.
On the next level, notice how the shape changes
from square to octagonal, with five windows on
each wall. Above this is a lantern tower adorned
with an ornate roof.
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At the very top of the lantern
tower is a golden five-pronged
vajra, symbolizing the five
omniscient wisdoms. This is the
highest attainment and the
completion of the spiritual path.
A walk around the Temple
Buddhists believe that walking around a Temple that houses
a statue of Buddha brings great good fortune. It is called
‘circumambulating’, and is usually done in a clockwise direction.
As you walk round, notice the eight series of eight symbols
set in stone on the wall above the veranda. These are the
Eight Auspicious Symbols that symbolize the spiritual path.
The Temple is built from local
stone so that it is compatible
with the surrounding environment. Many local companies
were involved in the construction of the Temple.
The adornments on the roof are gold-leafed,
which required many weeks of painstaking
work by Kadampa artisans, and the windows
above the doorways are impregnated with
gold. Precious substances such as gold are
made as an offering to the holy beings. They
also symbolize the preciousness of the spiritual
path as the only way to achieve liberation from
suffering and experience lasting peace and
happiness. From a Buddhist perspective, inner
realizations such as wisdom and compassion
are far more valuable than ordinary wealth.
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Each symbol has a specific meaning
Precious Umbrella
Come under the
umbrella of
Buddhism!
Precious Fish
Always be peaceful
and harmonious
with others
‘Dharma’ means the
teachings of Buddha
and the realizations
of inner peace we
gain from putting
them into practice.
Precious Vase
Become rich with
the inner wealth
of wisdom and
compassion
Precious Flower
Enjoy the purity
of your mind and
actions
Precious Conch
Listen to the
precious words
of holy Dharma
Precious Knot
Apply great
effort to attain
enlightenment
Precious Victory
Banner
Be victorious over
the enemy of your
delusions
Precious Wheel
Benefit others by
turning the Wheel
of Dharma
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Entering the Temple
The glass doors on three sides of the Temple are designed to
fold away to allow extensions to be fitted to accommodate large
events. During the annual International Spring and Summer
Festivals, over four thousand people are seated in the Temple
and its extensions.
As a sign of respect, Buddhists usually
remove their shoes when they enter
the Temple. If you prefer not to,
please use the shoe covers provided
to protect the carpet.
As you enter, pause for a while
to experience the sense of peace
and tranquillity. The blessings of
the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides
combined with years of prayer and
meditation by thousands of people
have created a unique atmosphere
conducive to experiencing inner
peace.
As you pass round the back of the Temple you
will see the utility rooms: the Preparation Room,
where offerings are prepared for the shrines;
the Boiler Room that powers the underfloor
heating system; and the Storage Room.
Along the north side of the Temple stands the
greenhouse, part of the original estate that
was restored after the Temple was built.
The Temple is built on the site of the old kitchen garden. These
days, with around a hundred full-time residents and thousands
of people visiting each year to attend courses, it is not practical
to attempt to provide for so many people with such a modest
garden – the space is much better used for sowing the seeds of
happiness and cultivating positive minds!
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As you enter, pause for a while to
experience the sense of peace and
tranquillity.
Walk to the middle and look up at the lantern
tower. The vast wheel inside the tower contains
precious scriptures symbolizing the teachings
of Buddha spreading throughout the world.
Buddha’s teachings are said to be like a precious
wheel because, wherever they spread, the people
in that area have the opportunity to control their
minds by putting them into practice.
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The main shrine
The main shrine houses the largest bronze
statue of Buddha ever made in the West. Based
on designs by Venerable Geshe Kelsang, it was
first carved in clay by an Italian sculptor before
being cast in bronze at a foundry in England.
The statue was then filled with precious holy
objects, painted and consecrated.
Kadampa students trained with the sculptor
to learn the art of sculpting. Since then more
Kadampa students have trained in all
the other stages of statue production,
and today there is a large, custom-built
studio at Manjushri Centre where a
team of qualified artists make statues
and other adornments for Temples all
round the world. Replicas of the statue
in this Temple can be seen as far afield
as New York, São Paulo, Melbourne and
Singapore.
THE INTERNAL FEATURES
Around the inside of the lantern are eight
double vajras symbolizing protection from
obstacles of the four directions.
Around the upper walls are eight sets of five
plaques symbolizing the five completely
purified constituents of body and mind (the
‘five aggregates’) and the five omniscient
wisdoms.
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Around the lower walls are three sets
of sixteen knowledge goddesses. Their
playful manner signifies the completely
pure happiness and joy experienced by
those who free themselves from all fear,
suffering and disturbing conceptions by
training on the spiritual path.
All the internal adornments were crafted
by Western artists under the direction of
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
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Buddha taught 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. By practising these
teachings sincerely, eventually we can liberate ourselves from
all forms of suffering and attain a lasting peace and happiness.
These teachings have a timeless and universal relevance and
can be practised by anyone in any culture, regardless of race,
gender or age.
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According to Buddhism, practising Buddha’s teachings is the
supreme method for improving the quality of our human
life because the quality of life depends not upon external
development or material progress, but upon the inner
development of peace and happiness.
The main statue is flanked to Buddha’s right by Bodhisattva
Maitreya and to his left by Bodhisattva Manjushri. These statues
were also made by the original statue team. Maitreya is the
embodiment of the loving kindness of the enlightened mind,
and Manjushri is the embodiment of enlightened wisdom.
In the left section of the main
shrine are Je Tsongkhapa and
his two principal disciples. Je
Tsongkhapa was a great 14th
century
Kadampa
Buddhist
Master who clarified the meaning
of all Buddha’s scriptures, making
them easy to understand and
practise. All the teachings given
at the Kadampa Buddhist Temple
are based on Je Tsongkhapa’s
commentaries as presented by
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Je Tsongkhapa is surrounded
by other Buddhas of Kadampa
Buddhism, each one embodying a
special quality of the enlightened
mind such as wisdom, compassion
and spiritual power.
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In the right section of the shrine are the
five lineages of Dorje Shugden, the Dharma
Protector of Kadampa Buddhism. A Dharma
Protector is an emanation of a Buddha or
a Bodhisattva whose main functions are
to avert the inner and outer obstacles that
prevent practitioners from gaining spiritual
realizations, and to arrange all the necessary
conditions for their practice. Traditionally
they are depicted in a wrathful aspect to
symbolize the power of wisdom to eliminate
the inner enemies of delusions such as anger,
attachment and ignorance, which destroy our
inner peace and prevent us from experiencing
pure happiness.
This section also contains the complete
collection of books by Venerable Geshe
Kelsang Gyatso and a golden stupa.
Around the walls on either side of the main
shrine are paintings of holy beings, many of
which have been painted by Western disciples
of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
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The mandala of Heruka
In the cabinet to the left of
the main shrine is a threedimensional representation
of the mandala, or celestial
palace, of Buddha Heruka,
the supreme Buddha of
compassion. It symbolizes
all the sublime qualities
of enlightened beings and
their environment, or Pure
Land.
The first of its kind in the
West, this holy object was
constructed by Kadampa
Buddha’s Teachings and Commentaries
The cabinet to the right of the main shrine houses the
Kangyur and the Tengyur, the complete collection of
precious texts of Buddha’s teachings, and commentaries
by great Indian Buddhist Masters, in the Tibetan language.
In the centre is a statue of Buddha Amitayus (the Buddha
of Long Life), a precious text by Venerable Geshe Kelsang
Gyatso and a golden stupa. These three holy objects
represent the body, speech and mind of Buddha respectively.
practitioners under the
direction of Venerable
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
It serves as an aid to
meditation and a source
of blessings and inspiration for practitioners.
The design of the
Temple is based on this
mandala to remind us
that by practising a pure
spiritual path, eventually we will become a
pure being like Buddha
Heruka and our world will
become a Pure Land.
Offerings
As Geshe Kelsang says,
‘In a Buddha’s Pure Land everything is pure. There are no
sufferings, no contaminated environments and no impure
enjoyments.
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‘Beings born there are free from sickness, ageing, poverty,
war, harm from fire, water, earth and wind, and so forth.
They have the ability to control their death and rebirth,
and they experience physical and mental suppleness
throughout their life. Just being there naturally gives rise
to a deep experience of bliss.’
In front of all the shrines are offerings
that are made daily to the holy beings.
We can offer anything we find beautiful
or welcoming. Traditionally we offer
seven substances based on offerings made
to special guests: water for drinking,
water for bathing, flowers, incense, light,
perfume and food. On most days these are
represented by bowls of pure water, but on
special prayer days the actual substances
are set out.
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The Teaching
Throne
T i m e t o tak e a s e at !
The central feature of the Temple is the
Teaching Throne, the seat of Venerable Geshe
Kelsang Gyatso, the Founder of the New
Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa
Buddhist Union.
It is often assumed that to
meditate you have to sit on
a cushion, but this is not
necessary. As you can see
there are meditation cushions
available for those who wish,
but many people choose to sit
on chairs. Cushions with red
cloths over them are reserved
for ordained monks and nuns.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang holds the entire
lineage of all Buddha’s teachings, which he
received from his Spiritual Guide, who in
turn received it from his Spiritual Guide –
an unbroken lineage of realized Masters
stretching all the way back to Buddha himself.
According to Kadampa Buddhism, there is
nothing more precious than a fully qualified
Spiritual Guide who can reveal the meaning
of all Buddha’s teachings and lead his or her
disciples along the spiritual path to liberation
and enlightenment.
Because Venerable Geshe Kelsang is
principally responsible for the revival of
Kadampa Buddhism during our time, he is
regarded as the Father of modern Kadampa
Buddhism, and Manjushri Centre, where
he has lived and taught for many years, is
regarded as the Mother Centre of modern
Kadampa Buddhism. It is now the hub of a
vast global network of centres and Temples
throughout the world.
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You might like to spend some
time in quiet, inner reflection.
At
times
Buddhists
such
as
would
these,
typically
think about ways in which
they can make themselves a
better person and be of more
benefit to those with whom
they live and work.
If you have time, take a few moments to sit and soak
up the peace and tranquillity.
Or try a simple breathing meditation to relax
your body and mind. You will find guidelines
for a breathing meditation on page 19 of this
brochure.
If you would like to find out more about
meditation, you will find books on meditation
and CDs of guided meditations in the
Manjushri Centre Shop.
Regular classes and courses on Buddhism and meditation
are held at Manjushri Centre and at hundreds of similar
centres in the UK and throughout the world.
To find out about classes and courses at Manjushri
Centre, visit www.manjushri.org or call +44 (0)1229
584029. For other centres, visit www.kadampa.org.
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A simple breathing meditation
Events at the Temple
Local events
There are regular daily prayer and
meditation sessions and weekly
teachings held in the Temple. These
sessions help us to develop inner
peace through receiving blessings
from the holy beings. Everyone is
welcome to attend the sessions.
National events
There are also regular courses held
at the Temple open to people from
all over the country.
International events
The Temple also hosts major
international events throughout the
year, including the International
Spring and Summer Festivals,
and the International Kadampa
Teacher Training Programme.
For the latest information on
events at the Temples, and for
courses and retreats held by the
Centre, visit www.manjushri.org
or call +44 (0)1229 584029.
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Visiting the Temple
The Temple is open to everyone.
Please see opening times at
w w w. m a n j u s h r i . o r g o r c a l l
+44 (0)1229 584029.
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Begin by finding a comfortable position in
which you can be both relaxed and alert.
Make sure that your back is straight but not
tense.
Rest your hands in your lap and partially close
your eyes.
Relax into this posture and let all your stress
and tension fall away.
Now turn your attention inwards and become
aware of your breathing.
Don’t attempt to control your breathing – just
become aware of it and follow the process of
inhalation and exhalation with your mind.
Try not to follow any thoughts that arise but
keep your attention focused just on your
breathing.
Start to become aware of the sensation of the
breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.
At first, the sensation might be quite faint
and difficult to detect, but if you keep
your concentration focused in that area it
will gradually become more
noticeable.
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However slight your awareness of the
sensation, remain focused on it and try to
forget about everything else.
Resist the temptation to follow any thoughts
that might arise and remain focused singlepointedly on the sensation of the breath as
it enters and leaves the nostrils.
If you notice that your mind has wandered
and is following your thoughts, immediately
return it to the sensation of the breath.
Continue in this way – focusing on the
sensation of the breath and bringing your
attention back to it every time it wanders.
Gradually your distracting thoughts will
subside and you will begin to experience a
sense of inner peace and relaxation.
Your mind will feel unusually lucid and
refreshed.
Stay with this feeling for a while. When
you wish, open your eyes and rise from
meditation.
Pre-booked
Education
and
Group visits are welcome
Monday
to
F r i d a y.
Please
email your preferred dates
to [email protected] or call
+44 (0)1229 584029.
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The International Temples Project
The Temple at Manjushri Centre is part of
the International Temples Project, which was
founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
with the vision to create a Kadampa Buddhist
Temple in every major city in the world.
Kadampa Buddhist Temples take many forms.
Some are based on traditional architecture
like the Temple at Manjushri Centre, some
are adapted from existing buildings acquired
£1.50
for Kadampa Meditation Centres,
and some are incorporated within
Kadampa Hotels.
For more information on the
International Temples Project, visit
www.kadampatemples.org or call
+44 (0)1229 584029.
Published by Tharpa Publications, 2011
© New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union 2008
Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, Conishead Priory, Ulverston, UK, LA12 9QQ
Tel: +44 (0)1229 584029 Fax: +44 (0)1229 580080 E-mail: [email protected]
9 780955 866722
www.manjushri.org