Hearing the Dharma
Christoph from Hong Kong left a comment on my blog. And I saw his video. I loved it. I love what he wrote and I love his devotion to the Three Jewels. So I have re-blogged his wonderful video here and copied his comment here. I want the whole world to see what Christoph did and what he wrote. It is beautiful and meaningful. I want to share what inspired him with all of you. This BEAUTIFUL Lantau Island Buddha in Hong Kong is spectacular. I have visited on many occasions. I recommend people to go on a pilgrimage there and pay homage to this Buddha. This Buddha faces the sea and protects all of Hong Kong.
Thank you Christoph. I hope you do more videos of famous Buddhist sites in Hong Kong and share with the whole world. I am looking forward to it.
Tsem Rinpoche
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/HearingtheDharma.mp4
Click on the video above this and view the splendour of the Lantau Island Buddha in Hong Kong.
Hello everybody !!!
On 16th july 2010, I had the chance to go to Lantau Island, Hong Kong, to see the Tian Tan Buddha of Ngong Ping.
It was a very inspiring visit. The atmosphere was very special. There was everything from heavy heavy rain and wind to crystal clear sunshine. It was as if nature displayed all her palette of moods. And all this was happening on the background of peaceful, open space … which the Tian Tan Buddha helped one to become aware of.
The statue is very beautiful and inspiring. With the right hand the Buddha makes the mudra (the gesture) of “fear not”, with the left hand he performs the mudra of giving. With his hands he also beautifully joins heaven and earth.
Six Devas, or deities, are presenting their offerings to the Buddha : flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit and music. They symbolize the six paramita, the six perfections or transcendent actions, which while we are trying to practice them help us to free ourselves from the grip of the ego. The six paramita are generosity (dana), morality (shila), patience (kshanti), zeal (virya), meditation (dhyana) and wisdom (prajna).
The whole atmosphere was one of “hearing the dharma”. The Indian notion of Dharma is like the Chinese idea of Dao or Tao (Do in japanese), the Way of things, the way of the cosmos. It is like the European idea of the “music of the spheres”. The root of the word “dharma” is “dhr”, which in sanskrit means “to sustain”. So dharma is that which sustains everything : the universe, life, nature, our diverse traditions, our own personal lives. This is why it also has the meaning of path, religion, duty, righteousness, appropriateness … It is the ultimate dynamic or/and order of what is.
To illustrate the pictures, I found it appropriate to use Cyril Morin’s composition “The Four Noble Truths” which was part of the soundtrack to the film “Samsara”.
The four noble truths are : the truth of suffering (Dukkha), the truth of the origins of suffering (Dukkha Samudaya), the truth of the cessation of suffering (Dukkha Nirodha) and the truth of the noble eightfold path leading to the cessation of suffering (Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada Magga). The eightfold path consists of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
I was inspired today to make this video by a little posting I saw on the internet by H. E. Tsem Rinpoche on 65 Grand Statues of the World that bring the people of the world “hope, inspiration or a reminder of something people wish to aspire to.”
Thank you Tsem Rinpoche for your inspirations and thank you to all of you who contribute to make this world a more inspired place ? !!!
Lots of good and peaceful energies and inspirations to all of you !!!
Christoph
(23/08/2010)
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Thank you, Christoph for this video done up with love and devotion. Love the soundtrack…. haunting yet peaceful and serene. Your effort to share this will inspire and bring others to the dharma:)
Wow… I love the video, so calm, so serene… and what i like most is the words written by Christoph, such devotion to create this Dharma words, so meaningful…
4 noble truth and 8 fold path, the formula is given, now it depends on how we work on this formula and materialize it…
Sometimes you need Dharma Images to illustrate to you when hearing the Dharma. There are many schools of Dharma. Although Buddhism is universal. It can be presented in different ways and forms of Dharma from the different schools of Buddhism. Buddhism has 2 types which we call vehicles. One is called Theravada. And the other is called Mahayana which again is subdivided into Sutrayana and Tantrayana. The Theravada Buddhism practices and strive for their own Enlightenment while the Mahayana practice and pray for the Enlightenment of all Sentient Beings. In the Sutrayana practice there are fewer commitments to hold while Tantrayana is a very powerful practice if you can hold your commitments well.
Thank you Christoph for tne beautiful video of Buddhas of Lantau Island, Hongkong. I did not watch your video when I first comment on Rinpoche’s blog. And now I want to post my comment again. It is so serene and comforting whnen I play your video depicting Tian Tan Buddhas of Ngong Ping and beautiful Buddha statues of Lantau Islands in Hongkong. All the statues are so beautiful and combined with background music is so peaceful and comforting. Sometimes you don’t need to listen to dharma only. But you can also in addition listen to dharma in many other forms like meditation and contemplations. Dharma can come in the form of inspirations from other people too.
Dear Dharma friends,
I was very happy when H. E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche put this video on his blog. I also felt in his commentary that he felt what I have felt there. It is a universal, beautiful and inspiring feeling. I am also happy that what triggered the inspiration to share what inspired me when I was in the presence of Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island in the form of this video was Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s message on the 65 grand statues of the world. I made the video as an offering. And it seems this intention has made it very beautiful and inspiring. Thank you.
Just now, I could not resist to have a look back at this page to see if somebody might have left a comment … ahhhh, attachment !!! Now I am here and I read your comments. I feel very humbled. It is a very beautiful thing to share beauty … and I realize there is still a long long way to go for me.
I learned and grew a lot through H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s posting of the video here and through your comments.
Thank you.
A lot of good and beautiful inspirations to all of you !!!
Christoph
Dear Christoph, many thanks for sharing this video with us. I visited Lantau Island in 2002 on a cold rainy day during a CNY visit. At that time i had no knowledge of the Three Jewels or the Six Paramitas. But i believe as Rinpoche has said many times, the more you get to view Buddha statues, the more imprints it leaves with you and eventually you get to start on the Dharma journey. And it certainly has for me. Prior to visiting Lantau Island, i also had the good fortune to visit many Buddha statues in China including the one at Wuxi which Rinpoche kindly shared with all of us on his blog. May happiness be with you always, Christoph.
Looking at Buddha images has this calming effect on my mind. It reminds me of how those Great Beings have practiced and achieved that Enlightened state of mind. It is a long and winding road to there but I have to start my journey now.
Nice photography and haunting soundtrack. Thank you, Christoph.
We are in Gelupa Lineage. Before we can enter into the dharma. We have to start with knowing what Buddhism is all about. And that is to start the Theravada teachings of Lord Buddha’s life and practice Buddha’s compassion and sacrifice he made for sentient beings. Next is the knowledge of what the Big vehicle Mahayana is about thus the Bodhicitta which is Bodhisattvas vows and 6 paramitas is about. Then the last to know is Vajrayana and that is what tantra is the Gelupa Lineage. One must also read the Lamrim where we will find the complete teachings of Buddhism.
Thank you so much, Christoph!
Dear Christoph, thank you very much for making this inspiring video to share with all of us and the world.
It is very well produced. The different angles and close ups you take of the devas and the main statue really bring out the message of love and compassion synonymous with Buddhism. May you continue to produce more such videos to spread the Buddha’s message of peace.
Thank you very much, Rinpoche! What a great sight to behold, the magnificent Buddha of Lantau island! And i just love Rinpoche’s accompanying explanation – truly, as i set eyes on the pictures of the 65 great Buddharupas (painstakingly)put up by Rinpoche, i realise it’s so precious a chance, even just to have the connection to look at these pictures; much more indeed, if we could be by the Buddharupas to take in the blessing! May the great rupa of Je Tsongkhapa at KWPC quickly manifest! Once again, ‘kam-siah che-che’ Rinpoche!
I love this. Especially the soundtrack and overall mood. So serene and peaceful I felt when watching this. Thank you Christoph for being generous to share this.
Christoph’s effort in putting this together to share with others has made Rinpoche’s online work (blog) measurable. You never know who you might inspire!
The video is nicely done by Christoph. Looking at the beautiful images fills me with serenity and a sense of peace. May I always have the merit to view holy images of the Buddha.