LETTER OF INVITATION TO VIEW THE JADE BUDDHA
(June 26, 2010 – July 17, 2010)
Blessed is the Buddhas coming into existence
Blessed is the Dhamma being lofty and bright
Blessed is the Sangha working in harmony
Blessed is the four-fold community practicing
the Buddha’s teaching in cordial brotherhood
Namo Ultimate Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha
Grand Venerables, Venerable Monks and Nuns
Honored Guests
We, ordained monks and nuns, at the Auspicious Cloud Monastery respectfully bow our heads in requesting your presence at:
The Jade Buddha Welcoming Ceremony
10:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 26 th, 2010
at the Auspicious Cloud Monastery
2101 James Madison Highway
Haymarket, Virginia 20169
We would like to invite you to come to contemplate the spectacular jade statue of the Buddha, which is touring the world before being permanently situated in the State of Victoria, Australia. Your attendance, with your compassionate and joyful hearts, will help validate our prayers for World Peace and Happiness for Mankind.
With respect, we would like to share a marvelous piece of news with all organizations, temples, and Buddhists in Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and other states, that from June 26 th, 2010, to July 17 th, 2010, the Auspicious Cloud Monastery will be blessed with a momentous opportunity to welcome the Jade Buddha to our premises.
We would like to invite all guests, regardless of belief, to come and view this exceptional statue. Together, we will worship and pray for peace in our world, happiness in our homes, and tranquility in our minds. Those who do not yet have faith in the Triple Gems will, upon this great opportunity, develop this assurance. Those who have already devoted themselves to the Buddha and his teaching will make dynamic advance in their practice.
It is known that the chance to see a Buddha in one’s lifetime is invariably rare. For over 2500 years, we have gone through uncountable births and rebirths. Why are we here now? Is it because of our karmic force or our power of vow? The Buddha has reached enlightenment by practicing the disciplines of the Bodhisattvas in his many lives. In his last life, he spent six years as an ascetic in deep jungles, 49 days in concentrated meditation under a Bodhi tree which protected him from rain and shine, until one early morning, he attained Truth by his personal experience and became enlightened. He found liberation for himself and then taught us the way to freedom from suffering. Without the great fortune to be born in Buddha’s time, we have been wandering in the six ways of sentient existence and the three-fold world.
We are here by either karmic force or power of vow. Nonetheless, we must have collected good merits in the past so that we may now enjoy the opportunity to see the Buddha’s metamorphosic body in the Jade Buddha. This is a remarkable statue carved from a massive jade boulder named “Polar Pride,” the pride of the North Pole. It is believed that jade has ineffable power to cure illnesses and chase away evil spirits. The Jade Buddha, at the value of about five million dollars, has been nominated a wonder of the world. It’s 4 m 85 in height, including the pedestal and the lotus dais. Let us come together at the monastery to worship the Jade Buddha and meditate on the significance of Great Mercy, Great Wisdom, Great Strength, Great Power, qualities of our ultimately wise Teacher Shakymuni Buddha.
The Buddha’s body is as pure as a gem,
The Buddha’s mind is as bright as moonlight.
The Buddha delivers us from suffering in this finite, impermanent world,
The Buddha’s heart is filled with encompassing loving-kindness and compassion.
Famous artisans from Thailand carved the statue diligently for more than five years, from a 3000 years-old, gem quality block of jade, excavated from a gem mine in North Canada. They finally succeeded in creating the Jade Buddha with all his 32 marks and 80 signs of perfection.
The Jade Buddha will be here, imposingly sitting on its pedestal, emitting great power of compassion and wisdom. The Lama Zopa Rinpoche has stated, “The Jade Buddha will lighten the entire world and bring happiness beyond thoughts and words. It will contribute to the prevention of destruction, wars included.” The Jade Buddha is modeled after the statue of the Buddha at the Great Awakening Stupa in Mahabodhi Temple in India.
One night, while staying in the valley of Katmandu, Nepal, Lama Zopa saw, in his dream, a giant block of jade in Canada. Upon waking up, he immediately instructed his desciple Ian Green to find the jade block and have a statue of the Buddha created from it. Thanks to this great fortune, Buddhists all over the world can now see and admire this exclusive Jade Buddha at least once in our lifetime. This event offers us profound motivation for the practice of the Buddha’s teaching.
Our Study Committee will organize sessions of Chanting Ten Thousand Buddhas’ Names for Repentance and Reform. We will devote our merits to World Peace and Happiness for All Sentient Beings.
The Organizing Committee heartily requests volunteers to work with us to build a Three-Entrance Gate, to set up altars and decorate the monastery with fresh flowers and fragrant fruits and with bright lightings, to care for the Jade Buddha statue, and welcome guests. This is a unique opportunity for us to build our merits and generate positive karma for our families. What an aspiration to be fulfilled!
The Jade Buddha Welcoming Committee is wholeheartedly grateful to sponsors who have donated towards the total fee of $15,000 USD (costs/fees for transportation, logistics, insurance, shipment, customs and storage…) to bring the Jade Buddha to the monastery for this meritorious project.
Namo Mahabodhisattva’s Treasury of Joyfulness
Most respectfully yours,
Bhikkhuni Thích N? Thanh Li?u
On behalf of the Organizing Committee
For donation and volunteer undertakings, please contact:
Auspicious Cloud Monastery
2101 James Madison Highway
Haymarket, Virginia 20169
Phone: (571) 261-2408
Memo: Jade Buddha
E-mail: tv_tuongvan@yahoo.com
Web site: www.tuongvantuvien.org