Preview Maitreya Project Relic Tour
Re-find your inner peace and compassion with the help of the Maitreya Project Relic Tour
Preview: Maitreya Project Relic Tour
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“Peace is not just the absence of violence. Peace is the manifestation of human compassion,” says the Dalai Lama. So if you’re lacking in a little inner peace and compassion at the moment, the holy Maitreya Project may just help you re-discover your Zen.
The Maitreya Project Relic Tour is a collection of around 1,000 of the world’s most sacred Buddhist relics. It’s your chance to experience the “blessing” of these significantly spiritual objects, which will be exhibiting in Leeds for three days at the end of August.
What’s fascinating is that the relics are a collection of small pearl-like crystals – that have been found post-cremation in the ashes of holy beings (including the Buddha and masters from different Buddhist traditions). Viewing the relics will apparently inspire us to “develop our own hearts and minds, to develop loving-kindness and compassion and to understand spiritual teachings”.
The rare and precious relics have been touring the world since March 2001 (over one million people have seen them). They will be in Leeds on the 27th, 28th and 29th August in Leeds City Museum as part of the Faith in the City project.
Maitreya means “loving-kindness” and the vision of the project is to create peace at every level of society through the practice of loving-kindness: inner peace for the individual, leading to peace within the family, the community and the world.
The opening ceremony in Leeds will be a multi-faith event with contributions from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, and David Lascelles, a TV and cinema producer who is also the patron of Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds. There will be blessings all day.
After the Maitreya Project has completed its worldwide tour, the relics will be displayed in the Heart Shrine of the completed Maitreya Buddha – a 500ft/152m bronze statue – in Kushinagar, India.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama described the project as “really wonderful” and “the result of great courage and determination”. He added: “From the depths of my heart I appreciate and applaud this wonderful Project. You should realise that this is a really holy and sacred project.”
27, 28 and 29 August, Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, LS2 8BH; Friday 2pm to 5pm; Saturday 11.45am opening ceremony; Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm; free entrance; www.leeds.gov.uk/cityMuseum or www.jamyangleeds.co.uk
Posted on Thursday 1st July 2010
SH
Leeds City Museum
Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 8BH
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