By Tsering Tsomo
MIYAJIMA, Japan, November 8 – “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most compassionate being I have ever met. He is Buddha in person!” That was the common refrain among the Japanese Buddhists who received the 3-day Tantric Buddhist empowerment from the Dalai Lama which closed Wednesday at Daishoin Temple in Miyajima Island.
“I have never met him before; only heard or seen him on TV and in newspapers. But I can never forget the warmth and compassion my heart felt when I first got to shake hands with him on Nov. 1 at Ryuzoin Temple in Hiroshima. He radiates so much joy and love!” Mr. Oda Yasuhiro, 65, a former journalist and now a senior financial consultant said.
Nyishulguri Rika, 35, said the Dalai Lama is the very embodiment of Buddha. “Just a glimpse of him is enough to make me feel blessed. He is Buddha in person. I am happy just being in his presence.” The Dalai Lama’s teachings at Daishoin are the first she has ever attended.
The exile Tibetan leader’s teachings and empowerment program at Daishoin have encouraged the Japanese devotees to aspire for a more compassionate life and to work for the welfare of others.
Both Yasuhiro and Rika echoed the same sentiments when asked about the greatest transformation that they achieved from the Dalai Lama’s teachings. “I will work towards cultivating Bodhichitta and benefit others, Mr. Oda said.
Bodhichitta or ‘Awakened state of mind’ is a Buddhist concept which broadly means the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the sake of all.
Rika in a separate interview said she has resolved to lead a Bodhichitta way of life and to be compassionate about other people’s needs. “His (the Dalai Lama) every action serves as an inspiration for us to strive for a more compassionate existence. Bodhichitta and concentrating on the correct meaning of Emptiness are the keys,” she said.
Wednesday’s program ended with the Dalai Lama granting the Vajra Dhatu Mahavairocana empowerment to over a thousand Japanese Buddhists.
It is the first Tantric Buddhist empowerment the Dalai Lama has ever given in Japan where majority of Buddhists practices the Shingon sect of Tantric Buddhism.
