Kechara Offering dana to visiting Sangha from Sri Lanka | 克切拉供养来自斯里兰卡的僧人
Four eminent Sangha members from Sri Lanka visiting Wisdom Hall in Kechara Forest Retreat, Malaysia, with Pastor Yek Yee (left) and JP Thong (right)
[点击阅读中文译文]
Today, May 26, we had the honour of being informed by a Kecharian member, James Won, that he’s inviting over some Sangha from Sri Lanka. Kecharians of course, were very happy about that and I advised to make good offerings to the Sangha to generate merits. Today due to some Dharma works in the city, many Kecharians were not here in Kechara Forest Retreat but those who were came to receive the monks.
The four eminent monks arrived and were taken on a tour as they wanted to see our activities. They were:
- Rev. Thamdavita Wimalawansa Nayaka Thero (Deputy Prelate of Colombo District, Chief Incumbent of Sri Paramananda Purana Viharaya)
- Rev. Meddegoda Indashara Maha Thero (of Goondeniya Purana Viharaya in Kandy, also known as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple)
- Rev. Goondeniye Chanda Vimala Thero (of Amunupura Maha Viharaya)
- Rev. Medagama Pannarathana Thero (of Arya Nikethana Buddhist Maha Wiharaya)
We were able to escort them to all the holy sites in Kechara Forest Retreat, and they saw our beautiful images and our sacred places of worship such as Wisdom Hall with Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and Dorje Shugden.
The holy members of the Sangha made offerings of light at each of our outdoor Buddha statues such Goddess Loma Gyonma pictured here who is for healing
We were also very honoured to be able to offer them a delicious lunch and afterwards, offer them some traditional items such as:
- A copy of The Promise
- A copy of Peace
- A Shakyamuni statue
- A copy of the Buddha’s speech in the form of an encased USB drive
- Pearls and semi-precious stones to offer on their statues and altars
- Shakyamuni pendants for them to gift to their students and friends
- An ang pau (token monetary offering)
In Buddhism, that is what we call a dana. The Sangha are invited to your place (like your home) and you offer food and gifts, and request them to pray for you. Then you dedicate the merits for the growth of Dharma within yourself and your environment, and for the betterment of the surrounding people.
Ooi Beng Kooi explaining to the monks each item that we offered to them as dana
Dana is something started by Lord Buddha 2,500 years ago, when Buddha allowed the laity to make offerings to the Sangha in order to be a part of the merit of the Sangha, of the spiritual journey to enlightenment. So when you sponsor the Sangha, for example you offer them food, meals, clothes, robes, etc. – you are taking part in their spiritual journey of reaching the higher consciousness which is, eventually, enlightenment. We have the honour to participate in that because not all of us will have the fortune to become Sangha, and to go all the way and do that kind of practice. Not everyone has the merit, commitment and perseverance to become Sangha so the Buddha devised dana-giving in such a way that we can participate in the spiritual journey of a Sangha member.
In Buddhism there is belief in what is known as merit, which is indispensable on our spiritual journey to become an enlightened being. Most of what we experience in life, from the situations we find ourselves in now and in the future are actually the product of our karma, both good and bad. But karma runs out, it finishes. For example, at the moment we may have a roof over our heads and that is the product of our karma. But since karma runs out, we may not always be in the same situation. Having a home that’s the product of karma may result in us one day being homeless, for example, if that karma runs out.
Merit however is different because it provides you what you need in order to practise the Dharma or Buddha’s teachings. For example, you make a lot of offerings with the correct motivation to achieve enlightenment and benefit those who are in pain or suffering, to whatever extent you are able to. This generates merit. This merit is actually the energy to be able to realise enlightenment and help others. Since having a roof over your head, a safe place to live, is something that you need to achieve this goal, the merit you have generated results in always having a roof over your head. If you didn’t have a safe place to live in, you most likely would find it extremely difficult to practise the Dharma because you would be worried and distracted by so many other things. Therefore, since the merit you generated is to practise the Dharma, you will always have a safe place to live. That is the difference between karma, which runs out, and spiritual merit, which never runs out.
Pastor David offering dana to the holy monks
What better way to generate merit than to propitiate the Three Jewels – the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Sangha themselves are known as the Sons and Daughters of the Buddha because their whole lives are spent practising and spreading the teachings of the Buddha. They are more than worthy objects of refuge as they keep their vows pure, and these vows of ethical conduct (also known as sila) originate from Lord Buddha Shakyamuni himself.
Merit itself is generated when you (a) come across an object which is or represents the Three Jewels, (b) you recognise this object and understand that it can be a source of merit and the benefits of it, (c) you interact with it or venerate it in a virtuous manner, and (d) you dedicate the energy created, thus turning it into spiritual merit.
Similarly, this applies to our actions towards the Sangha, as they are the third Jewel. When we have the fortune of coming across them, and we know the benefits of offering them dana, we offer the dana from our hearts to support them and their works of upholding the sila and teachings of the Buddha, and then we make a heartfelt dedication, we generate tremendous amounts of merit. This merit not only propels us along our spiritual path, but also creates the energies for us to have the material necessities we need as well. Therefore, making offerings to the Sangha is extremely powerful for anything we want to achieve in life.
The Sangha blessing our land for the success of building Kechara Forest Retreat’s Phase 2
After the meal was offered, the monks went around our land to do blessings and chanting. They wanted to bless the land and our environment here in Kechara Forest Retreat so that Phase 2, which we will embark on soon, will be a great success. As they were doing this, on a clear sunny day, it was very, very auspicious because it rained for a short while. Then the rain stopped and the sun came up, very bright and clear. In Buddhism, this is a good sign that the Buddhas, bodhisattvas and deities are very pleased and the local deities are very, very pleased.
The Sangha blessed the water in front of the Buddha Shakyamuni statue in Wisdom Hall. The water was later used to bless the land around Kechara Forest Retreat.
We are very honoured and happy to have done this today. I humbly thank the Sangha for visiting. What is very beautiful is that in their tradition, they are very accepting to all forms of Buddhist worship. If there is a Buddha Shakyamuni statue in your temple, it doesn’t matter what sect or tradition you come from, or what other forms of enlightened beings you pray to. Even if you are not Buddhist, if you request sincerely, they will always come to bless and perform prayers for you. That is the true Buddhist spirit.
Anyway, I am very happy that today, we were able to make offerings to Buddha’s sons and I wanted to share this news with all of you so that you can rejoice.
Thank you
Tsem Rinpoche
This is the special wealth form of Dorje Shugden known as Gyenze. He manifests in this form to help those with financial issues. At Kechara Forest Retreat, we have a special chapel dedicated to him which is open 24 hours a day to the public and it is proven to be a highly popular destination. The Sri Lankan monks went there today to consecrate the chapel, and to pay their respects to Dorje Shugden Gyenze. You can read more about our Dorje Shugden Gyenze Chapel in English (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=149405) and 中文 (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=99150)
This is the special wealth form of Dorje Shugden known as Gyenze. He manifests in this form to help those with financial issues. At Kechara Forest Retreat, we have a special chapel dedicated to him which is open 24 hours a day to the public and it is proven to be a highly popular destination. The Sri Lankan monks also made beautiful offerings to Dorje Shugden Gyenze. You can read more about our Dorje Shugden Gyenze Chapel in English (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=149405) and 中文 (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=99150)
Holy Sangha from Sri Lanka visited each of our Buddha statues and made offerings of light
Dedication prayers after making dana offerings to the Sangha
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/SanghaDana.mp4
Epilogue
After I was informed that the Sangha had departed from Kechara Forest Retreat here in Bentong, Malaysia, I was contemplating how these Theravadan monks will go any place that someone sincerely invites them for dana. They will visit a Tibetan temple, a Sri Lankan temple, a Thai temple, a Korean temple, churches, Hindu temples, people’s houses and patrons of any religion, of any spiritual background. Even if you’re an atheist and you sincerely invite them, they’ll be more than happy to come and visit, and allow you to offer dana to them. This is the true spirit of Buddhism and Buddhist monks.
I thought about how Sri Lankan monks and the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition have kept to the truth of the Buddha, where we are taught to tolerate and accept everyone regardless of their background. For this reason, it was especially touching for me to see them come and visit.
By contrast, within the Tibetan tradition, our Tibetan leadership has unfortunately created a rift in Buddhism where if you follow a certain lama or a certain Protector deity such as Dorje Shugden, then everybody’s not allowed to come to your place. They’re not allowed to interact with you, to be your friend, to pray with you. They are not allowed to receive dana, or to get or give dana. In fact, you’re totally ostracised, and yet you’re still a Buddhist monk, and the people ostracising you are Buddhist monks. For a Buddhist monk to ostracise another person and say, “I can’t come to your place because you practise Dorje Shugden. I can’t bless your house, I can’t bless your car. I can’t bless your marriage, I can’t bless your family. I cannot bless your land, your crops, your farm. I cannot bless your business because you practise Dorje Shugden” – it all sounds very un-Buddhist, very intolerant.
It sounds very unspiritual and as shocking as it is, as shocking as it sounds, it really is like that these days where in the Tibetan tradition, it has become like that. That if you follow a certain teacher, people are not allowed to interact with you in any way. If you follow a Protector deity such as Dorje Shugden, people are not allowed to interact with you and this comes from the very top of Tibetan Buddhism, the topmost leadership.
I found that very poignant and sad at the same time, and a sort of degeneration in the practice of tolerance, whereas these Sri Lankan monks don’t look at who you are, what you are, what’s your background. They simply come because you requested them and in their compassion, in their Buddhist practice and in following the footsteps of Lord Buddha, they come. They bless you, your environment, your family, your temple or whoever you request them to bless, simply because you asked. It would be wonderful if Tibetan Buddhism returned to its roots, which is the Buddhist practice of tolerance and compassion for all sentient beings, as taught by our Lord Buddha. It would be nice to have harmony within Tibetan Buddhism again. Give peace a chance. Sincerely, Tsem Rinpoche
克切拉供养来自斯里兰卡的僧人
今天，5月26日，克切拉的其中一位会员文明辉（James Won）通知我们说，他邀请了一些来自斯里兰卡的僧人前来拜访。作为克切拉人，我们自然对此感到荣幸与高兴，我随即也嘱咐大家为供僧做出妥善的准备以借此累积功德。今天由于城里恰好有一些佛法活动，许多成员也因此不在克切拉禅修林里，但那些身在禅修林的人都前去迎接僧人。
四名僧人抵达后，表示对我们的活动深感兴趣，于是就在我们的带领下前往禅修林各处参观。这些僧人分别是：
- Thamdavita Wimalawansa Nayaka Thero长老 （科伦坡副宗教长，Sri Paramananda Purana 精舍住持
- Meddegoda Indashara Maha Thero长老 （来自Goondeniya Purana 精舍 ，也称佛牙寺
- Goondeniye Chanda Vimala Thero长老 （来自Amunupura Maha 精舍
- Medagama Pannarathana Thero长老 （Arya Nikethana Buddhist Maha Wiharaya)
在我们的全程陪同下，他们参观了克切拉禅修林的每一处圣地，看到了我们供奉在各处的美丽佛像，如智慧殿内的释迦牟尼佛和多杰雄登等。
我们也很荣幸能借此机会供养他们美味的午餐，随后还给他们献上一些传统的供养，如：
- 一份《承诺》
- 一份《宁静》
- 一尊释迦牟尼佛像
- 一份收藏在USB随身碟内的佛语
- 珍珠和半宝石，让他们可以供养在个人佛坛和佛像上
- 释迦牟尼佛佛坠，让他们可以当成送给弟子和朋友们的手信
- 一封红包（象征性金钱供养）
在佛教中，这就是我们所说的布施（供僧）。 我们邀请僧伽到我们的地方（如我们的家），我们给他们提供食物和礼物，并请求他们为我们祈祷。 然后，再将这些功德回向，希望佛法能够在自己身上和我们所在的环境中发展和成长，同时也回向身边的人，希望他们都能平安顺利。
供僧（布施）这个传统是2500年前由释迦牟尼佛本身所发起的，当时佛陀允许在家人为僧伽献供养，以便能在僧伽们修行成佛的道路上做出一些贡献，借此累积一些功德。因此，当你供养僧伽，比如为他们提供食物、饭菜、衣服，僧袍等的时候，你就等于是参与了他们的修行成佛之路。 我们很荣幸有机会那么做，因为并非所有人都有幸能够成为僧伽，全心全意投入这种修持。不是每个人都有功德或坚定的意志与坚持去成为僧伽，所以佛陀设计了布施（供僧）这种做法，让我们可以参与僧伽们的修行之路。
佛教相信功德资粮。在我们修行成佛的道路上，功德是不会耗尽的。我们在生命中所经历的许多事情，无论是今天的，或是未来可能面对的各种情况，事实上都是业（因果）的产物。业可分为善业和恶业，但无论何者，只要是业，都是会被耗尽的。比如说，我们今天也许有个可以挡风遮雨的家，那是业的产物。但既然业是会被耗尽的，那就表示我们并不时常能像现在一样。业既能让我们有个家，但当业耗尽时，我们同样也可能变成无家可归。
功德则不同，因为它提供给我们在修持佛法路上所需的一切。比如说，你本着正确的发心做出大量的供养，而你的发心是希望自己能够获得证悟和尽己所能帮助众生离苦得乐。在这种情况下，你所累积的就是功德。功德其实是一种有助你证得觉悟和帮助他人的能量。如果在你达成目标的路上，你需要有瓦遮头，有个栖身之处，那你所累积的功德就能确保你时常有个安全的住处。如果没有安全的住处，你也许会觉得很难修持佛法，因为太多事情将让你分心。所以，既然你所累积的功德是让你能好好修持佛法，那你自然就会一直都拥有栖身之处，好让你能够好好修持佛法。这就是业与功德的区别，前者会被耗尽，而后者则是源源不绝。
说到累积功德，还有什么比得上供养佛、法、僧三宝来得更好？僧人是佛陀的子女，因为他们一辈子都在修持和弘扬佛陀的法教。他们是我们皈依的对象，因为他们清净守戒，而这些戒律就来自释迦牟尼佛本身。
功德在以下情况产生：(a) 当你遇见三宝或其象征物的时候，(b) 你认识并明白它是功德来源，也知道它的好处，(c) 你与它互动或敬重它，(d) 你将这些能量用作回向，将他们转变成修行的功德。
同样的，当我们对僧人这么做的时候，也会带来同样的成果，因为他们是三宝之一。在我们有缘遇见他们，也知道供僧好处的情况下，我们发自内心地给他们供养，希望能支持他的工作，也希望他们能够清净守戒和守护佛陀教诲，接着发自内心地回向，如此我们就能累积大量功德。这些功德不仅能推动我们的佛法修持，同时也让我们拥有在达致目标之前的物质需要。因此，供僧的力量是极为强大的，它有助于我们达到生命中所需的一切。
在我们完成食物供养之后，僧人们到禅修林各处加持和诵经。他们想要加持这片土地和环境，好让我们即将开展的克切拉禅修林第二阶段工程能够取得巨大的成功。正当他们这么做的时候，原本晴朗的天空，突然下起了一段短暂的雨，雨停后，天空又立刻变得阳光普照。在佛教中，这被视为是十分吉祥的象征，意味着诸佛、菩萨和本尊都非常高兴。尤其是地方神明，更是十分高兴。
今天可以完成这一切，我们感到十分荣幸和高兴。我衷心感谢这些僧人们到访。他们拥有十分美好的传统，他们能接受各种形式的佛教供养。只要你的寺院内供奉一尊释迦牟尼佛像，他们并不介意你属于哪一个传承或教派，也不介意你还供奉什么佛菩萨；即便你不是佛教徒，如果你真心恳请，他们一样会给你加持和祈愿。这才是真正的佛教精神。
无论如何，我为我们今天能完成这一项供僧活动而感到高兴，我想跟大家分享这则消息，好让你也能随喜。
谢谢。
詹杜固仁波切
供僧后祈愿回向
或在我们的伺服器观赏视频： https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/TrijangChoktrulRinpocheinChoijinLamaTemple.mp4
结语
在被告知僧人们已经离开马来西亚文冬的克切拉禅修林后，我认真思考着这些上座部佛教僧人的做法，只要任何人真诚想要供僧并邀请他们，他们都会前去。 他们将参观任何宗教背景的寺院，包括藏传佛教寺院、斯里兰卡寺庙、泰国寺庙、韩国寺庙、教堂、印度教寺庙，并拜访不同背景人们的房子和任何宗教背景的赞助人。即使你是一个无神论者，只要你真诚地邀请他们，他们也会非常乐意前来，并允许你向他们献供。这才是真正的佛教和佛教僧侣的精神。
我想到了斯里兰卡僧侣和斯里兰卡佛教传统维持和奉行佛陀真理的方式，即无论对方拥有什么背景，我们都要容忍和接受。正因如此，看到他们前来拜访参观，我特别感动。
相比之下，在西藏传统中，我们的西藏领导层反而在佛教中制造分裂。只要你跟随某个上师或某个护法如多杰雄登，那么大家都不允许前去你的地方。他们不允许与你互动，不能成为你的朋友，与你一起祈愿。他们不允许接受布施，或给予布施。事实上，你完全被排挤在外，你是一个佛教僧人，而那些侮辱你的人也是佛教僧人。一名佛教僧人排挤另一个人并说：“由于你修持多杰雄登，我不能前去你的地方。我无法加持你的房子，我无法加持你的车。我无法加持你的婚姻，我无法加持你的家人。我无法加持你的土地、庄稼、农场。我无法加持你的事业，只因为你修持多杰雄登”——这一切听起来都非常“非佛教”，也十分不宽容。
这听起来非常违背佛教的精神，令人感到震惊。然而，无论再怎么震惊，这就是今日藏传佛教的现况。事情已经演变到了这个地步。如果你跟随某位老师，人们就不能跟你有任何形式的往来。如果你供奉某位护法神如多杰雄登，那么人们就不能跟你往来，而这还是来自藏传佛教最高领导的指示。
对此，我感到痛苦和难过，这显示了一种在宽容修持上的退步。而这些斯里兰卡僧人并不理会你是谁；你是什么人，你的背景是什么。他们前来，只因为你邀请了他们。由于慈悲和奉行佛陀教诲，他们来了。他们加持你、你的环境、你的家庭、你的寺庙，或者任何一个你请求他们加持的人，就只因为你邀请他们。如果藏传佛教能回归根源，实施佛陀的教诲，对一切众生宽容和慈悲，那将是一件十分美好的事情。藏传佛教若能再度恢复和谐，将是很美好的一件事。请给和平一个机会。
詹杜固仁波切
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- Journey to Shar Gaden Monastery (2019): Making offerings to the sangha
- Offerings to the Sangha in India
- Why We Become Sangha: A Reply to an Online Friend
- The Practice of Sangha
- Vows: The Roots of All Attainments
- Malaysian Brickfields Chief Monk Sri Dhammaratana Fosters Harmony with Tibetan Buddhism
- The Most Venerable Wewaldeniye Medhalankara Thero
- Anagarika Dharmapala: The Revered Buddhist Revivalist
- Ven. Sri Dhammaratana’s birthday celebration
- Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka
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Wonderful some Sangha from Sri Lanka were invited to Kechara Forest Retreat. Kecharian were fortunate given a chance to offer Dana to them.They were taken a tour round Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, visiting the holy sites. Rejoice for those who are able to offer them a delicious lunch and offer them some traditional items as Dana to bring home. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Dana is the practice of cultivating generosity. Making offerings to the Sangha is extremely powerful as we could generate tremendous amounts of merit. While they were at Kechara Forest retreat , the Sangha did prayers and blessing the land for the success of building Kechara Forest Retreat’s Phase 2. That’s wonderful.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Dana is something started by Lord Buddha 2,500 years ago. Giving, or dana, through generosity is a human virtue that is encouraged in most religions of the world. In our spiritual practice ,it is fundamental and essential to offering, giving generously to another person.
Its wonderful , that four eminent Sangha members from Sri Lanka visiting Wisdom Hall in Kechara Forest Retreat. Rejoice to those who were able to make offerings to the Sangha to generate merits as advised by Rinpoche. They even went round Kechara Forest Retreat blessing the area , made offerings of light to the Buddha Statues accompany by some of Kechara staffs. Well this is the way ,regardless of tradition monks should help each for the growth of Buddhism.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Thank you, Rinpoche and the blog team for sharing with us this amazing news and inspiring occasion where Kechara has the chance to make offerings to sangha from Sri Lanka. These monks are pure monks and it is very meritorious when we can make such offerings to them.
From this incident, I am able to see the true spirit of religion where the monks kindly accepted our offerings even though we are from a different sect of Buddhism and they even requested to bless the land on their own initiative. They have a good intention and wanted the Dharma to grow in Kechara sincerely.
This is how it should be when it comes to religion. People should not discriminate based on the differences in their belief system.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.
It is indeed very beautiful to have sangha members from different traditions come to visit, imagine when we have monks or nuns coming in and out from a temple and everyone can share their own Buddhist tradition, it will be really wonderful, it is also going along with Buddha’s teaching, accept all, no Bias, no discrimination, everyone accept each other regardless of their background, what is their belief, which Buddha do they practice, age, gender, social status, etc. and they all can live harmoniously.
I really hope one day soon where Dorje Shugden practitioners are being accepted everywhere and not being discriminated, because Dorje Shugden is not any devil, but he is the emanation of Manjushri Buddha. Dorje Shugden practitioners have been heavily discriminated and bullied, it should be the time to stop because in Buddhism, we should not discriminate anyone at any time, as Buddha never taught us to discriminate others when their belief is not the same as us.
It is nice to see Sangha of other tradition coming to visit Kechara Forest Retreat and sincerely offer their prayer to wish Tsem Rinpoche’s Dharma work flourish and bring benefits to many. Unfortunately, within the Tibetan Buddhist community or rather the Mahayana Buddhist community, Tsem Rinpoche and Kechara are being segregated because they practise Dorje Shugden.
Tsem Rinpoche and his students are not allowed to attend any Dalai Lama’s teachings or talks. They are not allowed to enter many of the Gelug monasteries because they practise Dorje Shugden. Dalai Lama followers always spread rumours about Tsem Rinpoche and Kechara, accusing them working for the Chinese government to sabotage the free Tibet movement. This is not true because Tsem Rinpoche never get involved in politics, he only focuses on spiritual practice.
A real Dharma practitioner should be like these Theravada monks. They respect other traditions and they offer their sincere wishes. What they want is to see Dharma grow and benefit people. It is more important to preserve Buddha’s teaching by respecting each other’s differences than to create tension and conflict.
Dear Rinpoche,
It is certainly warming and very humbling to read this sharing on the visit of the 4 Sangha from Sri Lanka. They have demonstrated true compassion and love, with all equanimity, towards all beings.
My they be blessed, may their temples be blessed, and may they achieve Enlightenment soon.
Thank you
Humbly yours,
Lum Kok Luen
Very wondeful to see people offering dana to the Sangha. Very meritious. Very wonderful to have the Sangha from different traditions come and bless KFR. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for sharing this post and allowing all of us to see the wonderful pictures and rejoice. 🙂
It is always wonderful to see different religion teachers or Sangha or Lamas visiting each other for the sake of peace and harmony. Recently some Sangha from Sri Lanka visited Kechara Forest Retreat to see all the holy sites and sacred places of worship such as Wisdom Hall with Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and Dorje Shugden.
Rejoice to those Kecharians who had offered dana to the holy Sangha from Sri Lanka no matter what their practices and beliefs are. The Sangha even went round blessing the success of building Kechara Forest Retreat’s Phase 2 , and so forth. Its truly wonderful , they even recite prayers from their own tradition to bless for the success of Kechara Forest Retreat. Respect each other’s beliefs, cultural practices plays an important role in having peace and harmony in a societies.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing and teachings as well.
Thank you for this article. Its actually a precious article as Kechara has an opportunity to get a visit from Sri Lanka monks’. By reading this article too, i get to know that we can request the monks’ to pray for us after offering food, present and so on.
By Sri Lanka monks’ visit’s, Kechara has been blessed for its good services by the workers and pastors. Thank you.
??? Rejoice.
Doing dana is a meritourious deed and is great that Sangha.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the wonderful news about Sri Lankan monks’ visit with their blessing in KFR. Their presence in KFR has educated us that there is no barrier or contradiction between all the Buddhists sects whether we are from Theravada, Mahayana or Vajrayana. They are truly pure compassionate monks that embrace Buddhism practice and do not discriminate or show disrespect to other religions sects that are different from them. Rejoice!?
The teachings of Buddha are precious, true Buddhists who find it valuable, should take care & protect it as they are like our own son & daughter.
The Buddha teachings are tools that help us to be a better person & realize the truths of life, same goes to the other teachings from various religions. Hence, it’s unacceptable to use religion as a tool to gain personal benefits & harm others.
It is such a wonderful day to have high monks visiting Kechara Forest Retreat and blessed the holy land. No matter what lineage of Buddhism we should all respect and care for each other. This is the teaching of Buddha. May the same applies to Dorje Shugden practitioners too, may the ban be lifted quickly and everyone is able to practise freely and live in harmony.
Rejoice for such an auspicious meeting on Wesak Day.Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful update!??.It’s even more meritorious that Kecharian which includes Sangha-to-be, Pastors were able to offer Dana. It’s like seeing monks supporting each others regardless of differences in their lineages, practices and background. It’s a great example for us as well and this certainly restored the faith we have in Buddhism. I hope the segregation that we have seen in Buddhism, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism can be resolved. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for highlighting this auspicious day and event?????????
It’s so beautiful seeing these eminent monks visiting Kechara Forest Retreat. They even came with the thought of blessing the land, the places and the people in KFR. I think they must be very happy with the Dharma works carried out by Rinpoche and Kecharians. These eminent monks ?carry Dharma wherever they go and it’s not a mundane visiting just like we ordinary folks do. Every places that they visited and the people that they come across will be blessed.
It’s even more meritorious that Kecharian (which includes Sangha-to-be, Pastors) were able to offer Dana. It’s like seeing monks supporting each others regardless of differences in their lineages, practices and background. It’s a great example for us as laity as well and this certainly restored the faith we have in Buddhism.
With this in mind, I hope the segregation that we have seen in Buddhism, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism can be resolved. It is very important seeing the Sangha members supporting each others in this manner and it is equally important seeing them practicing BuddhaDharma that they have propagated; compassion and loving kindness to all beings regardless differences in their faith and practices.
Today, some of us had the precious privilege to witness the true spirit of Buddhism right here in Kechara Forest Retreat. It was truly beautiful to be able to hear these monks chanting in Pali during lunch and our Kecharians doing the dedication prayers in Tibetan at the end of the visit.
What’s most beautiful is these monks’ pure sincere wish to bless our environment for Dharma to grow. It didn’t matter to them if we were from a different tradition, just their wish for Dharma to grow really touched me. ?