In March and April, Australia was blessed by the Maitreya Loving Kindness Buddha Relics Tour, which visited both major cities and regional areas throughout the country. The tour was a free public exhibition of sacred relics from the historical Buddha, as well as from other Buddhist masters from India, Tibet, and China.
Baby receiving a blessing at the relics exhibition. From maitreyarelictour.com
The tour is part of the Maitreya Project, which was created by the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) in 1990 to support loving kindness and sustained spiritual benefit in the world community. It was initiated in 2001 by FPMT co-founder Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who collected the relics from all over the world over a period of many years. The Australian part of the tour included over 70 different relics.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is a big supporter of the tour, explained that “The very name Maitri [Pali: metta] means loving kindness. Now in today’s world, we really need the promotion of loving kindness. So this is a huge project right from the beginning. I simply admire and appreciate all the concerned people really putting in a huge effort” (Crystal Castle & Shambhala Gardens). His Holiness has graciously offered eight relics of the historical Buddha to the collection.
Some of the relics on tour. From maitreyarelictour.com
So far, the relics have visited more than 68 countries, with over 2 million people estimated to have viewed them. Currently two collections are touring simultaneously, one through Europe and Asia (including Australia) and the other through the Americas.
The Australian tour opened at Crystal Castle & Shambhala Gardens in Byron Bay, Northern New South Wales (NSW), on 7–9 March, and concluded at Buddha House in Adelaide, South Australia, on 17–19 April. En route the tour visited the Dome Gallery in Melbourne, Victoria, the Orange Regional Gallery in Central West NSW, and the Khadro Yulo Ling Buddhist Center in Cairns, Queensland, among other locations.
At each venue, the event began with an opening ceremony followed by viewing of the relics in the evening; they then remained on view throughout the next two days. Wherever the relics went, the overall feeling was one of friendship, peace, and love, with people from all walks of life coming together to create a truly sacred space.
“We hope that viewing the relics will give people a chance to think about their own life,” said the relics’ custodian, Corinna Henderson. “We really just invite people to come and reflect on peace, healing and compassion, and their own contentment” (ABC Central West NSW).
“The relics have a unique but beautiful appearance. Some of them look like tiny pearls. We have many different colours in the collection . . . and they often have a translucent appearance as well,” she added.
Author, meditation facilitator, and intuitive counselor Tami Roos, who spoke at the opening ceremony in Melbourne, commented, “It was an incredible honour to be asked to speak at the opening ceremony . . . The energy of love and compassion filled the gallery and all were blessed by being in the presence of the relics of the historical Buddha and other masters” (Tami Roos).
The purpose of the tour is to promote loving kindness and world peace by bringing the blessings of the relics and the experience of loving kindness to as many people around the world as possible.