Sunday the 4th of November was not unlike most of the late autumn days cast over Leeds recently; grey, cold and distinctly miserable. Had you walked through Albion place at any point that weekend however, at no.3 you would have encountered a portal to an enchanting oasis from the bitter outdoors, paradoxically enough located right in the middle of the job agencies and law firms. There was no doubt about it; I had arrived at the Buddhist Heart Shine Relic Tour. Once inside, the music of chanting monks, muted lighting and medium temperature encompassed you with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The décor of prayer mats, flowers, gemstones, candles and Buddhist scrolls worked surprisingly well with the high ceiling and Victorian windows of the room, complementing the calming ambience. In fact, the mood of the room was so profound that most of the 300 or so visitors were sitting still, absorbing the tranquility which is so valuable yet scarce in our Western daily existence. Some were meditating. Some were praying to the large gold statue placed on the table in the centre of the room, aptly enough an impression of the Buddha of love and kindness, Maitreya.
There were monks in maroon robes chatting quietly to people and explaining the rituals and philosophies of Buddhism, minus the inevitably preachy or condescending tone which characterizes most religious events. The mysteriousness of it was endearing, so much so that when I was told that reciting a mantra whilst pouring water over a miniature statue of Buddha had the ability to neutralize any negative karma I might possess, I decided to give it a go (although I might have to stand there and pour water all night to be completely purified).
Afterwards, my attention was drawn to the female monk sitting in the corner, with a small shrine in her hand. She was giving blessing to all who wanted it; children, elderly, the ill, the well, even a dog at one point! I knelt down in front of her as she placed the shrine on my head and muttered a short prayer. When I looked up she smiled and I could not help but feel a little moved by the experience. Particularly once I found out that the most holy and ancient of all relics, in effect the star of the tour, had just been sitting on my head. The little shrine contained the ashes of the original Buddha, Shakyamuni. He lived from approximately 563 BC to 483 BC, and was the founder of much Buddhist philosophy. He eventually gained enlightenment and passed to Nirvana after several years of uninterrupted meditation under a Bodhi tree in North India. That is when I realized that religion aside; I was in the presence of some ancient and extremely sacred historical artifacts. The rest of the relics were displayed in glass cases around the Maitreya statue. The relics consisted of ashes, bone, possessions and pieces of manuscripts from former Buddhist masters. The rarity and authenticity of these relics is apparent due to their otherwise highly protected status. Before the tour, they were kept under government control, with only monitored access permitted. In China, Tibet and India for example, seeing the relics had previously involved a laborious process of written requests and bureaucracy. This tour therefore provides a very special opportunity for people all around the world to be in the presence of these historic and holy objects. The tour started March 2001 and has visited all five continents and had over two million guests.
Historic value is not all these relics possess. According to many, their supernatural qualities have become evident during the tour. I was surprised to notice that the majority of relics were of a pearl or crystal like appearance. I learned that these stones were apparently often found in the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. It is said to be their spiritual realizations, inner purity and wisdom causing these crystals. Additionally, there have been a curious amount of reoccurring reports of rainbows appearing at the tour’s destinations, and of relics spontaneously illuminating, increasing in size and multiplying. Such phenomenon is, according to the organizer Lama Zopa Rinpoche, to be expected as the good and pure intentions of the tour, and the visitor’s faith, respect, and greater understanding creates conditions for relic enhancement. Buddhists and many of the visitors believe that just being in the presence of the relics encourage wellbeing and peacefulness.
This, I understand, may trigger skeptical-alarm-bells among many. However, in this case, they should be ignored as it must be acknowledged that spiritual beliefs aside, the tour is based on an entirely honest and secular message; that compassion and love is the formula to a better world and an enlightenment very relevant to modern society indeed. This message transcends the social cleavages that contaminate today’s society, and focus on the few truly shared human qualities. Evidence that the Buddhists are true missionaries of these values are manifold; they did not charge a fee, donations were entirely optional and at no point was I exposed to any religious righteousness. In fact, Buddhism encourages and celebrates differences, be it of belief, race, age or criminality, as demonstrated in their actions; explicitly inviting the local churches and spiritual groups of each destination to the tour opening ceremony prayers, and the relic’s visitation to prisons in Missouri, Florida and the Netherlands. Such actions typify the Buddhist tendency to view all humankind as one, in an entirely non-judgmental and indeed enlightened manner. Hence the Dalai Lama’s renowned quote: “Don’t use Buddhism to be Buddhist, use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.” It is important to remember that with Buddhism, you are not being subjected to a direct religion as such, but more of a philosophy – dharma – the way of life that leads to enlightenment.
The tour’s other fundamental purpose is to raise funds for the Maitreya project. This project involves the construction of a 500 foot (152m) tall statue of the Maitreya Buddha in Kunshinagar, India. This will become a site of pilgrimage and is important to Buddhists as ‘a much needed and enduring 21st century monument to love and kindness.’ I imagine this project is of similarly spiritual importance to Buddhists as the iconic Jesus statue is to Rio, or the Statue of Liberty is to New York. They want it to be dynamic and inspiring. Symbolically, they are placing the tour relics in the heart of the statue once completed. The plans for completion are elaborate; not only is it a massive construction project, but the surrounding area is being made into a ‘centre for spiritual development’, with huge surrounding grounds, museums, temples, a library, meditation/lecture halls and peaceful pavilions, all in the name of encouraging loving kindness.
Its benefits reach beyond this message as well; with over 4000 workers being employed during its construction, and once completed the many services on the grounds will provide an ongoing livelihood to local people and businesses. A network of local clinics offering medical treatment to the poor and underprivileged is being established, as well as a school that will educate 350 pupils for free. This will improve the quality of life in the impoverished area massively.
The structure itself will run on solar and wind resources, and has only employed environmentally sustainable techniques. All this indicates the importance of preservation of the local environment and culture to Buddhists, and totally undermines the cynical ‘its just for the money and tourist attraction’ comments. Idiotic, when one considers just how altruistic and entirely honest the intentions of the tour are - to encourage peace and harmony throughout the world. That message is what ultimately outshines all the golden statues and relics of this very special tour and project.
