Mar - Apr Issue - Amitabha Buddhist Centre

Amitabha Buddhist Centre is a centrefor the study and practice of MahayanaBuddhism, based on the tradition ofLama Tsong Khapa, in the lineage ofLama Thubten Yeshe and our SpiritualDirector, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.OUR VISIONLearn to Be HappyCourage to cherish allWisdom to see the truthFaith in Buddha’s peaceFollow Our Four-fold PathInspireConnectLearnPractiseSPIRITUAL DIRECTORKyabje Lama Zopa RinpocheRESIDENT TEACHERKhen Rinpoche Geshe ChonyiPRESIDENTIn the previous issue (Jan/Feb 2013) I mentioned about having the rareand precious opportunity to attend Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachingsat Sera Je Monastery in south India. My rare and precious opportunitylasted through December, when I attended teachings that Rinpoche gave inKathmandu, Nepal.The teaching was specially organised for those from the Tharmangcommunity, one of Nepal’s main ethnic groups. More than a thousand of theTharmang clan came from all over the country to receive Chenresig initiationfrom Rinpoche. I remember having a surreal moment while sitting in theteaching tent, looking at the faces of these people—monks and ngagpa’s(lay tantric practitioners) dressed in an assortment of well-worn robes, theirfaces burnished by the high mountain sun. Many had travelled from distantvillages in the mountains, just to attend the teachings. I suspect many werereceiving teachings from Rinpoche for the first time. This could be a scenefrom a hundred years ago, I thought.After the Chenresig initiation and long life puja, there were lots of lovelypresents for all the students, from Rinpoche. Long life nectar pills, an arrayof malas, blessed cords, Namgyalma amulets and picture cards of Buddha’sTan Hup Cheng2 3SPIRITUALPROGRAMME COORDINATORVen. Tenzin GyurmeCENTRE MANAGERKoh Zi YenADMINISTRATIONAlicia LeeSerene TanDenis KwanOFFICE HOURSOpen daily except MondaysTuesdays – Saturdays:10.30 am – 6 pmSundays: 10 am – 6 pm(Hours extended to 7.30 pm whenevening sessions are scheduled)AMITABHA BUDDHIST CENTRE44 Lorong 25A Geylang RoadSingapore 388244Tel: 6745 8547 Fax: 6741 0438www.fpmtabc.orgcentre@fpmtabc.orgstatue in Bodhgaya’s Mahabodhi Stupa were distributed. Rinpoche said hewanted to give everyone sets of water bowls as well, but the delivery could notbe made in time. Rinpoche then went on to explain how to offer water bowls,every detail from how to pour the water, to be careful not to pour too quickly,to make sure the bowls were all set out in a straight row, and the bowls shouldbe spaced slightly apart but not too far apart.The attention and care that Rinpoche brought to explaining this simple dailypractice reminded me of when Rinpoche taught exactly how to prostrate:how one should place the hands, the pitfalls of not prostrating properly. Thatwas in Singapore, in ABC’s Level 2 gompa, and once at Root Institute inBodhgaya. In Bodhgaya too, while circumambulating the Mahabodhi Stupa,Rinpoche explained to a small group of us exactly what one should thinkand visualise while going round the stupa, so that we would accumulate themost merit.For his incomparable kindness and incredible patience in tirelessly teachingand guiding us, every little step of the way, entirely for our benefit, I am everthankful for the immense good karma to have Lama Zopa Rinpoche as mylama.Rinpoche is visiting us here in ABC for just one fleeting weekend this March.If you have never met Rinpoche, here is your rare and precious opportunity.If you have already met Rinpoche, then perhaps, you understand what Imean.The MaitreyaProject:A Letter from Lama Zopa RinpocheThe Maitreya Project is the heart project of the FPMT. Lama Yeshe had envisioned building agigantic Maitreya Buddha statue for the benefit of all sentient beings. Our precious guru andFPMT’s Spiritual Director, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, has tirelessly carried forth the wish tofulfil this grand vision. Here is a recent letter from Rinpoche announcing important changes inthe Project. Rinpoche addressed the letter to “my dear kind friends, those who like to benefit othersentient beings through the teachings of the Buddha”.Iwould like to announce thatthe Maitreya Project directoris changing from the currentdirector, the precious kind PeterKedge, to the precious kind Nita Ing.Also, the Maitreya statue will nowbe built in Bodhgaya, but due torestrictions there, the statue won’tbe as tall as originally planned (500feet); now it is going to be 150 feetin height. For the past nine years wehave worked hard with the UttarPradesh state government to locatethe Project in Kushinagar but becauseof very difficult issues regarding landacquisition, with the approval of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama we havenow decided to build the Maitreyastatue in Bodhgaya.For the last fifteen years Peter Kedgehas dedicated his life to the MaitreyaProject, working really, really hard. Hehas travelled to many countries such asChina, Japan and so forth where otherlarge statues have been built, to checkthe statues, meet the organisers and findout what difficulties they encounteredwith different aspects of the project,gathering as much information aspossible so that our planned 500-foot Maitreya statue would be a greatsuccess, last for a thousand years ormore and bring vast benefit to sentientbeings and the world.Peter also worked for many years inIndia, bearing many hardships andexperiencing problems and difficultiesthere. The key difficulty, however, hasbeen acquiring sufficient land togetherin one parcel.There have also been other significantsetbacks, such as major donors beingunable to fulfil their commitmentsthrough difficult economic conditionsand untimely death.Once the Maitreya statue has beenbuilt it will benefit the world andthe sentient beings of the six realms,particularly those in this world, notonly for a thousand years but also for avery long time after that. Any sentientbeing who remembers, sees, touches orhears about the statue—and of course,no question, those who actually buildthe statue, who offer time, life, moneyand all the different things neededto actualise the statue—all thoseThank yousentient beings will ultimately achievefull enlightenment. By the way, theywill also achieve ultimate happiness,liberation from samsara and temporarysamsaric pleasure while still in samsara.So it is unbelievable, unbelievable,unbelievable, most unbelievable,the benefits that the Maitreya statuewill bring. It will bring happiness tonumberless sentient beings; this iswhat they will receive from the statue.Because of the inconceivable benefitsthat the statue will bring sentientbeings, then of course we have toexpect there will be many obstacles.As you know, you have to have goodkarma and unbelievable, unbelievable,unbelievable merit to be able to finishbuilding such a statue and thenfor it to last for such an incrediblelength of time, benefiting so manysentient beings. Even many ordinarycompanies in India that are onlydoing work for this life have to stopall their work and close down aftersome time because it is too difficultor there are too many obstacles. Ofcourse, for us, there is no way that wewill close down the Maitreya Project.Iwant to thank from my heart all the people who have dedicated so much of their life trying to help us buildthe Maitreya statue—those who have made offerings and given their time and energy. All the merit you havecreated will become the cause of enlightenment, to fully awaken your own mind. Even though we have not