Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has Given New York Two Beautiful Buddhist Temples
These Temples are dedicated to world peace and everyone is welcome to visit them and enjoy the peace and tranquility they provide.
Kadampa Meditation Center NYC
Situated in the middle of Manhattan on 24th Street in Chelsea
Kadampa Meditation Center New York
Set on 82 acres of of beautiful woodlands in the Catskills
Kadampa Buddhist Temples are special, holy places, where we can receive blessings and powerful imprints on our minds that lead to deep inner peace in the future.
Both our New York City and Upstate Temples houses beautiful shrines in which you can see magnificent statues. Just seeing these blessed statues places powerful imprints on the mind to experience deep inner peace in the future.
The International Temples Project (ITP) was established by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso with the vision to build a Kadampa Buddhist Temple in every major city in the world.
“Just looking at a Temple with a happy mind places good imprints on our mind and brings inner peace. Through the power of this special object, problems such as anger and attachment are reduced.”
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Temple Symbolism
Kadampa Temples are surrounded by eight auspicious signs:
- The precious umbrella
- The precious fish
- The precious vase
- The precious flower
- The precious conch
- The precious knot
- The precious victory banner
- The precious wheel
These eight auspicious signs show how to begin, progress along, and complete the spiritual path. First we need to gain the realization of the stages of the path. Through this we shall attain the two uncommon qualities of Buddha; and through this we have the ability to lead all beings to permanent liberation from suffering by giving Dharma teachings, which is our final goal.
The precious umbrella
The umbrella symbolizes the umbrella of the Buddhist community and teaches us that those who have the sincere wish to progress on the Buddhist path to enlightenment should first enter the Buddhist family, which means taking refuge in the Three Jewels and becoming a Buddhist. Then we can begin, progress along, and complete the stages of the path to enlightenment.
The precious fish
The fish symbolize harmony and peace, and teaches us that under this umbrella you should always live in harmony and peace. Whenever you see a fish, please remember this, it is very important. Every community, society, and family, whether large or small should exist in harmony and peace. The two fish playing show us that they are so happy, peaceful, and harmonious. Even though they are animals they are so enjoying themselves with harmony and peace, so we need to also.
The precious vase
The vase symbolizes wealth and teaches that Buddhist practitioners always enjoy the seven inner wealths of faith, moral discipline, the study and practice of Dharma, benefiting others, a sense of shame, consideration for others, and wisdom.
Normally everyone regards external wealth, money, and conditions as important but Buddhist practitioners believe that internal wealth is more important because this wealth makes our mind happy all the time and helps in this and future lives.
The precious flower
The lotus flower symbolizes purity, which indicates that we need to put great effort into becoming a pure being by practicing the Bodhisattva’s way of life – cultivating and maintaining a good heart and then trying to engage in actions that are similar to those of Bodhisattva. In other words, the lotus reminds us that we should not remain always as an impure, ignorant being, but strive to become a pure being by practicing the Bodhisattva’s way of life.
The precious conch
The conch shell symbolizes the Dharma Jewel and teaches us that we should accomplish the Dharma Jewel, the realization of the stages of the path to enlightenment, within our mind. These realizations directly protect us from suffering and problems.
The precious knot & precious victory banner
The knot of eternity symbolizes an uncommon quality of Buddha’s realizations – his realization of omniscient wisdom – and the victory banner symbolizes an uncommon quality of Buddha’s abandonment – his abandonment of delusions and mistaken appearance.
These two signs together, the knot of eternity and the victory banner, indicate that through gaining the Dharma Jewel, the realization of the stages of the path to enlightenment, we shall attain these two uncommon qualities of Buddha.
The precious wheel
The Dharma Wheel indicates that having attained these two uncommon qualities of Buddha we now have the ability to lead all living beings to permanent liberation from suffering, principally by turning the Wheel of Dharma, that is, by giving Dharma teachings. This is our final goal.
Experience the beauty of each our Temples in person. Visit us at KMC NYC Chelsea or KMC New York. Everybody welcome