Q
What is the best way to improve the quality of our meditation?A
Connect to the blessings of all the Buddhas!
Buddhas exist solely for the purpose of helping living beings reduce and finally eradicate all of their suffering. By connecting to Buddhas' minds we can receive their blessings to quickly transform and actualize our full potential - the state of enlightenment. While all living beings receive Buddha's blessings, we can increase our capacity to receive them. All we need to do is increase our faith and open our hearts.
One of the best methods to increase our faith in the Buddhas and to receive their blessings is to gaze at an image of a Buddha again and again, regarding it as an actual Buddha who is supremely kind to all living beings. When we see a Buddha statue, for example, instead of thinking of it as an object made of metal or stone, or focusing on its artistic faults or merits, we should feel that we are in the presence of a real living Buddha and develop deep faith. By viewing images of Buddhas in this way, it is as if we are opening a window in our mind through which the blessings of the holy beings can enter. This special way of viewing Buddha images is based on wisdom, not ignorance, and functions to increase our faith and receive blessings.
—Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, The New Eight Steps to Happiness
Following is a brief introduction to the various Buddhas, symbols and offerings found on Kadampa shrines throughout the world. Many of these Buddhas as well as all of these symbols are featured on the shrine at Samudra Centre.

Kadampa Buddhas













Maitreya, the Buddha of loving-kindness. His hands are in the gesture of teaching Dharma, holding the stems of two lotuses symbolizing his omniscient wisdom. The lotus on his right supports the Wheel of Dharma and the vase on his left is filled with life-giving nectars. On his crown is a stupa symbolizing his Spiritual Guide, Buddha Shakyamuni.





The Eight Auspicious Symbols






The Precious Indestructible Knot symbolizes Buddha’s realization of omniscient wisdom and encourages us to apply great effort to attain enlightenment.


Other Symbols

Buddha taught for fifty years, and it is said that he gave 84,000 spiritual teachings ranging from the simplest advice to children to deep philoshophical enquiry into the nature of reality, to the most advanced most advanced techniques of meditation. Most of these teachings were translated into Tibetan, but even if we could read them they are so vast and profound that it is very unlikely we would understand them properly. For this reason Geshe Kelsang has provided us with a comprehensive presentation of the essential meaning of all Buddha’s teachings in a form that we in the modern world can understand and put into practice. The books on our meditation room are Geshe Kelsang’s works.

A stupa is a representation of Buddha’s mind. In Buddhist countries in Asia you can find many large stupas which often house sacred relics.
Offerings


A torma offering is a special offering of cake made in order to gain spiritual attainments. We can offer normal cakes, or if we want them to last longer we can make special cakes in symbolic forms. The tormas on the shrine at Samudra Centre are typically made of marzipan.



© 2020 NKT - IKBU
Samudra Kadampa Buddhist Centre Registered Charity no. 1081470
47 High Street
Buxton
High Peak
Derbyshire
SK17 6HB
UK
Samudra Kadampa Buddhist Centre Registered Charity no. 1081470
47 High Street
Buxton
High Peak
Derbyshire
SK17 6HB
UK
Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be acheived unless we first establish peace within our own minds.
—Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
—Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche