Who is Buddha? - half day workshop
with Birgit Saunders

A Buddha has developed his or her mind to such an extent that he experiences everlasting happiness and freedom from suffering, with the ability to benefit each and every living being every day.

In general, “Buddha” means “Awakened One,” someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are.
A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions.
There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future.

Eventually, through meeting an emanation of Buddha in the form of a Spiritual Guide, everyone will have the opportunity to enter the path to liberation and enlightenment.
As the great Indian Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna said, “there is no one who has not received help from Buddha”.

In this course we will look at the statue of our Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, or Geshe-la, as he is known affectionately by his students. Buddha statues are used as a reminder of Buddha’s teachings and as an aid to meditation. They represent the qualities of the Buddha, such as compassion, wisdom, and inner peace.

We will look at the different parts of Geshe-la’s statue and discover the meaning of the symbolism behind each of them, bringing us closer to our Spiritual Guide.

Details
Coffee, tea and snacks are provided.

Where
Amitabha Kadampa Buddhist Centre
174 Albert Street, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 355-3524

BOOK: https://www.meditateinpalmerstonnorth.org/who-is-buddha/