THE POWER OF RELICS

It is much, much, much more meritorious to see relics of the Buddha than to see other holy objects such as statues and stupas. It is like seeing the living, breathing Shakyamuni Buddha himself. – Chöden Rinpoche

I was sceptical going in . . . I left there amazed. My friend, who doesn’t believe in anything, was blown away. – Ben Easter

“Never done anything like this before”, one big hulk of a man said as he knelt down for a blessing. With tears in his eyes, he looked up and said, “Never expected that!” – Ani Rinchen

I consider myself a Christian . . . [but] this is for everyone. – Matt

I felt a tangible radiation of exquisite energy flowing from the relics to my heart center. It was highly private and personal, and yet conveyed an immense sense of oneness or unity with everyone and everything. – Dr Misha Manek

There is a feeling of profound unconditional love from the Buddha relics; that is the only way I can describe it. – Dr Misha Manek

The Buddha relics . . . point to an amazing concept, and this is very radical: that no physical flesh and blood body is required for a vehicle for consciousness! We are forced to go back to the drawing board. – Dr Misha Manek

[In Bhutan] more than 300,000 people queued for miles and waited for hours. People trekked for days through mountains and valleys on horseback, many by foot, and some even barefoot, to see the holy relics. – Andrea Bridger

[T]he relic of Lama Tsong Khapa emitted golden light to the visitors and members of the Korean Bikkuni Temple. This created a frenzy of excitement that brought around a thousand visitors every day. . . – Carmen Straight

[Lama Zopa] Rinpoche says relics emitting light showed that they are emanations of the absolute guru, the dharmakaya . . . and that relics illuminating is Buddha communicating with us, just like talking to us. . . – Carmen Straight

[T]he relics of the Buddha’s disciple Ananda multiplied – a large pearl relic appeared in the stupa – and even changed colour from dark brown to pure white. – Victoria Ewart

The people come and have the pure mind of faith. They make prayers and offerings with good intention. The result is that more relics manifest. – Victoria Ewart

Afterwards . . . there was a tremendous peace, an overwhelming peace in this area. . . . [W]hen are the Buddha relics coming back? – Sri Natha Devi

Her father. . .was virtually blind. When he saw the relics, he said that something happened to him. [His doctor] pronounced that his sight showed a seventy-percent improvement. – Fleur Chyta

Since he was born he had had a skin disease on his hands . . . his mother washed his hands with the water [blessed by the relics] and by the morning the skin disease had disappeared. – Andy Melnic

Over and over again, I saw people in tears, moved by an energy that was inexplicable but real, powerful but gentle. – Victoria Ewart

The power of the relics was accessible by anyone. It was universal. For me, this was the true miracle of the tour. – Victoria Ewart

The Relic Tour is one way to bring world peace, by changing people’s minds. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, outer peace through inner peace. That’s the purpose of holy beings leaving relics. – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

People enjoyed the relics so much, generated so much devotion. Devotion is the source – from devotion come blessings, from blessings come realisations. . . – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

We all have buddha-nature. We all have the potential to generate holy relics. – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Why are relics so precious?

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Relics are so precious because they are the result of realisations gained by the holy beings from developing their minds on the spiritual path over countless lifetimes.

For example, Lord Buddha’s relics: how did they come about?

Buddha collected merit over three countless great aeons. Of the six perfections of the bodhisattva, the first is making charity.When Lord Buddha was born as a king he gave up his belongings, as well as the kingship, his daughter and son, his entire family. He even gave up his own life numberless times: he gave his body to a tiger; he gave his limbs, his eyes. But look at us – it is so difficult for us to give anything at all.

Next there is the perfection of morality. For us to keep one vow for even one month is so difficult. Lord Buddha kept all the vows, not just for one lifetime but for three countless great aeons.

Then there are the perfections of patience and perseverance. For sentient beings to suffer was so unbearable, so Lord Buddha practised perseverance. He was happy to suffer in a hell realm for aeons equal to the number of atoms so that others wouldn’t. He was extremely happy to do that from his own side.

Buddha completed the two types of merit – of wisdom and compassion – and achieved full enlightenment. He revealed the Dharma to us sentient beings. He passed away into the sorrowless state in order to teach us about impermanence and death. He did all this so that we would develop our minds, that we would not sleep in ignorance and darkness but instead follow the path to liberation and enlightenment.

It’s the same for all the yogis and other lamas since the time of the Buddha. They too created merit for countless lifetimes by practising morality, dedicating the merits to receive higher rebirths so that they could develop in the spiritual path from life to life for many hundreds of lifetimes.

In the past, people could see Buddha directly, make offerings to him, receive teachings from him. But sentient beings since then do not have the merit to see him; we only have the merit to see his relics.

When you understand that a relic is the product of realisations over countless lifetimes, you can easily arise devotion. People are deeply moved when they come in contact with the relics; there are so many stories.

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Relics of Maudgalyayana, c.486 BCE