A
unique and precious collection of more than 1,000 sacred
Buddhist relics will be permanently displayed in the Heart
Shrine of the completed Maitreya Buddha statue in Kushinagar.
Meanwhile, it is the wish of the Spiritual Director of the
Maitreya Project, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, that the collection
should travel throughout the world to bring the blessings
of the holy relics and the message of loving-kindness to
people everywhere.
The
relics were found among the cremation ashes of Buddhist
masters. They resemble beautiful pearl-like crystals. Buddhists
believe that the relics are produced as a result of the
master's spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom. So
the relics are a reminder of our own essential nature of
purity and our inner potential to manifest that. The collection
includes relics of the historical Buddha and the Buddha’s
closest disciples as well as many other well-known Buddhist
masters from Chinese, Indian, Korean and Tibetan traditions.
Visitors
often report experiences of inspiration and healing when
in the presence of the relics. While some are inspired to
pray for world peace and to develop their inner wisdom,
others are overcome by emotion as the powerful effects of
the relics open their hearts to compassion and loving-kindness.
The project was in Tucson and Rev. Kozen was one of the
many priests who assisted in the ceremonies and blessings.
