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K a d a m pa T e m p l e
for World Peace
at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, UK
Part of the International Temples Project
A
modern
Buddhist Temple
Everyone is welcome to the Kadampa Temple for
World Peace at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre
The Temple is a modern Buddhist Temple
designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso,
a world-renowned Buddhist meditation Master
who has pioneered the introduction of modern
Buddhism into contemporary society.
Modern Buddhism brings the ancient wisdom
of Buddha into the modern world and shows
how to integrate Buddhist meditation and other
Buddhist practices into our busy lives,
whatever our nationality, gender or age.
Today we can see many different forms of Buddhism,
such as Zen and Theravada Buddhism. All these different
aspects are practices of Buddha’s teachings, and all are
equally precious; they are just different presentations.
This centre practises Buddhism according to the Kadampa
tradition, which is the tradition followed by our Founder and
principal Teacher, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Through these practices we can discover a deep inner
peace, overcome problems and difficulties with a happy
mind and realize the full potential of our human life.
Dedicated
to
World Peace
The Temple was built by Kadampa Buddhist students of Venerable Geshe
Kelsang Gyatso as an offering to future generations. It was completed in
1997 when it was dedicated to world peace at a special ceremony.
The building of the Temple heralded the beginning of the International
Temples Project, a worldwide charity that supports the development
of Temples and other Buddhist institutions such as meditation centres,
retreat centres and schools throughout the world (see back cover).
The Temple’s unique design represents all the stages of the spiritual
path. Just seeing it reminds us that we have the potential to improve our
human nature and qualities through developing the capacity of our mind.
By following a qualified spiritual path eventually we can achieve the
profound inner peace of liberation and enlightenment.
by creating
“ Only
peace within our
own mind and
helping others do
the same can we
hope to achieve
peace in this world.
“
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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Scenes from NKT-IKBU International Festivals at Manjushri KMC, Ulverston, England
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Approaching
the
A
Temple
walk around the
Buddha’s teachings are
Temple
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called ‘Dharma’, which
means ‘protection’,
because by practising
them living beings are
Each symbol has a specific meaning:
permanently protected
from suffering.
As you approach the Temple you will see that the lower level is square with
a doorway on each side. These symbolize the four ways to enter the path to
liberation and remind us that to attain permanent liberation from suffering
we need to enter a spiritual path.
Above each doorway is a male and female deer either side of a Dharma
Wheel, symbolizing the final stages of the spiritual path to enlightenment.
The next level up is octagonal in shape, with five windows on each wall.
Above this is the lantern tower with an ornate roof topped by a golden fivepronged vajra. This symbolizes the five wisdoms of an enlightened being –
the highest spiritual attainment and the completion of the spiritual path.
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There are also vajras on the two lower levels
of the Temple, symbolizing the indestructible
qualities of an enlightened mind.
The Temple adornments are gold-leafed and
the roof of the lantern tower and the windows
above the doorways are made of special glass
impregnated with gold. The use of precious
materials such as gold reflects the richness of
Buddha’s teachings and the preciousness of
the inner realizations we gain from
putting them into practice.
Take a few minutes to
walk round the outside
of the Temple. Buddhists
believe that walking around
a Temple that houses a
statue of Buddha brings
great good fortune. This is
called ‘circumambulating’
and is usually done in a
clockwise direction.
As you walk, notice the eight sets of eight
symbols set into the stone walls above the
veranda. These are the Eight Auspicious
Symbols that symbolize the spiritual path.
1. The Precious Umbrella
Come under the great umbrella of Buddhism
2. The Precious Fish
Maintain harmony and joy all the time
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3. The Precious Vase
Take the precious jewels of wisdom and
compassion from the treasure vase of
Kadam Dharma
4. The Precious Lotus
Enjoy the purity of your mind and actions
5. The Precious Conch
Listen to the precious sound of the conch
of Dharma and contemplate and meditate
on its meaning
6. The Precious Indestructible Knot
Apply great effort to attaining enlightenment
7. The Precious Victory Banner
Be victorious over the enemy of your delusions
8. The Precious Wheel
Benefit others by turning the Wheel of Dharma
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A
walk around the
Temple
Entering
the
Temple
Every year the annual NKT-IKBU Spring and Summer Festivals are held in the Temple,
when as many as four thousand people are accommodated. The glass doors along
three sides of the Temple are designed to fold away to allow extensions to be fitted to
accommodate these large events.
Find out about NKT-IKBU International Festivals at kadampafestivals.org
The Temple is built from local stone so that it is compatible with the surrounding
environment. Many local businesses were involved in the construction of the Temple.
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 you will see the old greenhouse, which was part
of the original estate. It was restored when 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 possible to provide for so many people with such a modest garden.
Instead, the space is now used to cultivate the inner crops of peace and happiness.
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As a sign of respect, Buddhists usually
remove their shoes when entering the
Temple, but if you prefer not to you can use
the shoe covers provided.
As you enter, pause for a while to
experience the peace and tranquillity that
pervades the Temple.
Buddhist Temples are representations of
a Pure Land of an enlightened being – an
enlightened heaven. Whoever sees them
immediately experiences peace of mind,
or inner peace. When we experience inner
peace we are happy, so Temples function
to give happiness to everyone, whether
Buddhist or not.
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Inside
the
The Buddha Statue
Temple
Walk to the centre of the Temple and look
up at the inside of the lantern tower. The
vast wheel 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
people have the opportunity to control their
minds by putting them into practice.
Along the front wall of the Temple stands the main shrine,
at the centre of which is a large statue of Buddha Shakyamuni,
the founder of Buddhism. He showed the manner of accomplishing
the ultimate goal of living beings, the attainment of enlightenment,
at Bodh Gaya in India in 589 BC. For Buddhists, faith in Buddha is
their spiritual life; it is the root of all Dharma realizations.
Designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and constructed
under his supervision, this statue is the largest bronze statue of
Buddha ever cast in the West.
Around the inside of the lantern tower are eight double vajras
symbolizing protection from obstacles of the four directions.
On the walls of the octagonal section are eight sets of five
plaques. These symbolize the five aspects of a completely
purified body and mind and the five wisdoms that we attain
when we become enlightened.
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The walls of the lower, square section are adorned
with three sets of knowledge goddesses. Their playful
manner signifies the completely pure happiness and
joy experienced by those who free themselves from
delusions such as anger, uncontrolled desire, jealousy
and ignorance by training on the spiritual path.
To Buddha’s right is Bodhisattva Maitreya and to his left
Bodhisattva Manjushri, both appearing in the aspect of Buddha’s
disciples. Maitreya is the embodiment of the loving kindness
of the enlightened mind and Manjushri is the embodiment of
enlightened wisdom.
Bodhisattva Maitreya
Bodhisattva Manjushri
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“We should know that although we want to be happy all the time we do not
know how to do this, and we are always destroying our own happiness by
developing anger, negative views and negative intentions.
We are always trying to escape from problems, even in our dreams, but we do
not know how to free ourself from suffering and problems. Because we do not
understand the real nature of things, we are always creating our own suffering
and problems by developing and maintaining anger, uncontrolled desire,
jealousy and ignorance.
We need to practise Buddha’s teachings because there is no other real method
to solve our problems of anger, uncontrolled desire, jealousy and ignorance.
I am encouraging everyone, including children, to learn some important
practical teachings of Buddha so that people can experience happiness all the
time and solve their daily human problems.
”
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
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The Founder
The Lineage
Modern Buddhism teaches us how to apply the
ancient wisdom of Buddha to our modern lives to
solve our problems, find deep inner peace and help
others to do the same. This is possible only because
the teachings of Buddha have been kept alive over
the centuries by pure practitioners who have taken
them to heart and practised them exactly as Buddha
taught them. These practitioners are the lineage
Teachers of modern Buddhism.
In front of Je Tsongkhapa is the
statue of Venerable Geshe Kelsang
Gyatso who, like Je Tsongkhapa,
introduced a new presentation of
Buddha’s teachings suited to the
modern age, which is known as
‘modern Kadampa Buddhism’ or
simply ‘modern Buddhism’.
Over the years, various lineage Teachers adapted the
presentation of Buddha’s teachings to suit the particular
needs of their time, while leaving the essential meaning
unchanged. One such Teacher was Je Tsongkhapa,
whose statue is in the left section of the shrine together
with his two principal disciples.
Je Tsongkhapa was a great 14th century Buddhist
Master who clarified all Buddha’s teachings and
presented them in a way that was easy for people at
that time to practise in daily life. His teachings became
known as ‘the new Kadampa tradition’.
All the teachings given at the Kadampa Buddhist
Temple and Kadampa centres worldwide are based on
Je Tsongkhapa’s commentaries as presented by the
contemporary Kadampa Buddhist Master, Venerable
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
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of modern
Buddhism
Avalokiteshvara
Venerable Geshe Kelsang is the
Founder of the New Kadampa
Tradition – International Kadampa
Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU), through
which he has established hundreds
of meditation centres throughout the
world and trained modern Buddhist
teachers to teach at them.
Arya Tara
He is the author of twenty-one authoritative books on Buddhism and meditation
and founder of the International Temples Project, a worldwide fund dedicated to
public benefit. He is also the founder of the International Kadampa Schools Project.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso lived and taught at Manjushri KMC for many
years. His teaching throne bearing his portrait painted by a local artist stands in
front of the main shrine.
Surrounding the statues of Je Tsongkhapa and Venerable Geshe Kelsang are
statues of other Buddhas, each one embodying a special quality of the enlightened
mind such as wisdom, compassion and spiritual power.
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The
The Wisdom Protector
mandala, the celestial mansion
Buddha taught that our world, our self, our
enjoyments and our activities are simply
projections of our mind and have no existence
outside our mind. This means that when our
mind is impure they are impure, but when our
mind becomes pure through purification practice
they too become pure.
We can completely purify our mind through the
practice of Tantra taught by Buddha. When we
do so, our world, our self, our enjoyments and our
activities will also become completely pure.
This is the state of enlightenment.
The right side of the main shrine houses the five lineages of
Dorje Shugden, the Wisdom Protector. A Dharma Protector
is an emanation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva whose main
functions are to avert inner and outer obstacles that prevent
practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations and to arrange
all the necessary conditions for their practice.
Dharma Protectors are sometimes depicted in a wrathful
aspect to symbolize the power of wisdom to eliminate the
inner enemies of delusions such as anger, uncontrolled desire,
jealousy and ignorance, which destroy our inner peace and
prevent us from experiencing pure, lasting happiness.
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This part of the shrine also contains a complete
collection of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s books
and a golden stupa. In a shrine, the statues represent
Buddha’s body, the texts represent Buddha’s speech,
and the stupa represents Buddha’s mind.
Around the walls of the Temple on either side of
the main shrine are paintings of holy beings. Many
of these as well as many of the statues and Temple
adornments were created by Kadampa Buddhist
students of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
This state of complete purity is represented by
the mandala, or celestial mansion, of Buddha
Heruka in the cabinet to the left of the main
shrine. Buddha Heruka is the supreme Buddha
of compassion and every detail of his mandala
represents an aspect of the completely pure
world, self, enjoyments and activities of an
enlightened being.
The mandala serves as an aid to meditation
and a source of blessings and inspiration for
practitioners.
The design of the Temple is based on this
celestial mansion, and as such the Temple itself
is a representation of an enlightened being’s
Pure Land - an enlightened heaven.
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Buddhist
Time
scriptures
for some reflection
The cabinet to the right of the main shrine houses
the complete collection of scriptures containing
Buddha’s teachings and subsequent commentaries
to them by great Buddhist Masters.
Why not take a few moments to enjoy the special atmosphere
of the Temple? You are welcome to sit in any of the chairs or
on any of the cushions without red cloths on them (these are
reserved for ordained nuns and monks).
In the centre is a statue of Buddha Amitayus, the
Buddha of long life. Above to the left is a precious
text by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso called
Joyful Path of Good Fortune, which explains the
entire path to enlightenment, and to its right is a
golden stupa. These three holy objects represent
respectively the body, speech and mind of Buddha.
Sitting in such a blessed place gives us an opportunity to let
go of all our troubles and develop a peaceful and happy mind.
If you would like to try a simple meditation while you are
here or later at home, you will find guidelines for a breathing
meditation on page 19 of this brochure.
Classes
and
Courses
Regular weekly classes are held in the Temple at which a
Teacher introduces an aspect of modern Buddhism and
shows how we can apply it to our daily lives.
Offerings
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 revered
guests: water for drinking, water
for bathing, flowers, incense, light,
perfume and food. There is also
an eighth offering, music, which
is not represented by a physical
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substance but is offered when we
chant prayers. On most days, these
offerings are represented by bowls of
pure water, but on special prayer days
the actual substances are set out.
There are also day courses, weekend courses, retreats and
international festivals. For more information on these, visit
www.manjushri.org or call 01229 584029.
Books on Buddhism
and Meditation
Books on modern Buddhism and meditation as well
as CDs of guided meditations are available from the
centre shop or online from www.tharpa.com.
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Visiting
the
Temple
Guidelines
for a simple breathing meditation
Sitting comfortably, check that your back is straight, your eyes are partially closed, and
your hands are resting gently in your lap. If you wish you can place your right hand in the
palm of your left hand with the thumbs raised and gently touching.
The Temple is open to the
public on most days of the year,
except when a major event is
being hosted. You are welcome
to look around or just sit and
enjoy the peace and tranquillity.
While you are here, be sure to visit the shop
and café in the main building, and enjoy a walk
through the 70 acres of woodland to the shores
of Morecambe Bay.
For opening times please check
www.manjushri.org or call 01229 584029.
Now mentally relax and stop thinking about anything.
Gently and naturally inhale and exhale through the nostrils, not through the mouth,
and become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.
This sensation is your object of meditation. Try to concentrate on it to the exclusion
of everything else.
If any thoughts arise, resist the temptation to follow them and remain focused single-pointedly
on the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.
If you discover that your mind has wandered and is following your thoughts,
immediately return it to the sensation of the breath and focus on it single-pointedly.
Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath.
Group
and educational visits
Pre-booked group and educational visits can be arranged
Monday to Friday.
Please e-mail your preferred dates to [email protected]
or call +44 (0)1229 584029.
As your distracting thoughts subside you will experience
a sense of inner peace and relaxation. Your mind will
feel lucid and spacious and you will feel refreshed.
Stay with this state of mental calm for a while.
Make the determination to try to keep this experience
of inner peace and carry it into your daily life.
When you feel ready, relax your concentration and
arise from meditation.
You should apply effort to remaining continually
peaceful day and night. In this way you can make
yourself as well as your friends and family happy
all the time.
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Sunday
morning meditation
everyone welcome
Prayers for World Peace is held in
the Temple on most Sundays 10.30 - 11.45am.
The session includes a guided meditation, a short
teaching and prayers for world peace. This is a free
class open to everyone, Buddhist or non-Buddhist.
See manjushri.org/prayers-for-world-peace
for dates.
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The International Temples Project
The Temple at Manjushri KMC is part of the
International Temples Project (ITP), a worldwide fund
dedicated to public benefit.
The ITP was founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
with the aim to introduce the Buddhist faith and practice
of the New Kadampa Tradition publicly, and to exemplify
contemporary Buddhist practice through public service.
It achieves this through building traditional and nontraditional Temples, meditation centres and retreat centres,
and through the activities of Kadampa Schools, World Peace
Cafés, Kadampa Hotels and Tharpa Publications.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at the Temple for World Peace, KMC Brazil
You are invited to discover the peace and inspiration of the
International Temples Project. For more information on
the International Temples Project, visit kadampa.org/temples
or call +44 (0)1229 584029
Published by Tharpa Publications, 2013
© New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union 2008
Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre
Conishead Priory, Ulverston, UK, LA12 9QQ
Kadampa Art Studio at Manjushri KMC
Children meditating at Kadampa
Primary School Derbyshire, England
Tel: +44 (0)1229 584029
Fax: +44 (0)1229 580080
[email protected]
www.manjushri.org
REF: KTG
UK £1.50
9 780955 866722