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Lama Atisha Statue Sponsorship Opportunites

 

Our beautiful Lama Atisha statue has arrived! This statue fulfills Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wish to bring Lama Atisha to Kadampa Center. Rinpoche expressed this wish at the end of the first Light of the Path retreat where he had been teaching Lama Atisha's great work, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.  He donated the offerings he received at the retreat as seed money for the statue. By following Rinpoche's advice and bringing Lama Atisha to our Center, we created the cause for great benefit to our community.

Sponsoring a holy object is a power-packed merit-filled action. Geshe-la says that the merit of sponsorship will last as long as the statue remains. Kadampa Center offers opportunities on many levels. We were delighted that the Lama Atisha statue arrived in time for Rinpoche to see when he came to Kadampa Center before Light of the Path retreat in August. 

 

About Lama Atisha:

Lama Atisha Dipamkara Shrijnana was born into a royal family in East Bengal, India, in 982. There were many auspicious signs at the time of his birth, and from his earliest years he had a great interest in spiritual life and an unusual capacity for compassion. 

After years of study and practice with renowned teachers, Atisha became famous for the brilliance of his teachings, and his unparalleled abilities in debate, and was appointed abbot of Nalanda Monastery, the greatest of all Buddhist monasteries in India. He traveled to Sumatra to receive teachings from Lama Serlingpa on thought transformation. He remained there for 12 years, then his teacher Lama Serlingpa predicted that he should go to Tibet to bring the Dharma.

Lama Atisha was invited to Tibet by King Lha Lama Yeshe Ö and his nephew, King Jangchub Ö. The Buddhadharma had been suppressed and corrupted for almost two centuries, and he brought pure teachings that re-established the Dharma. There were many obstacles to overcome before Lama Atisha was able to travel to Tibet.

Lama Atisha wrote A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, in which he extracted the essence of all 84,000 teachings of the Buddha and organized them into clear steps, known as lam-rim, or stages of the path to enlightenment.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says: “These days, many young people from the West have the chance to hear the teachings and to understand and practice these meditations on the gradual path to enlightenment. They can find satisfaction in their lives, and they can make their lives meaningful and happy. They integrate it in their own mind, and they understand that there is a chance to make their lives meaningful. All these things are due to the kindness of Atisha, the great bodhisattva.”

Source: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

We welcome joint sponsorships, where two or more people share the merit!

Our sponsorships can meet the many costs involved in bringing Lama Atisha’s statue to Kadampa Center.

  • Materials and artist fees
  • Shipping
  • Building an altar
  • Mantras to fill the statue

Select from the options below and you will be led to our secure donation site where you can make a gift via electronic check or credit card.
You may also Text2Give by texting KC108 to 73256, then select the option of your choice from the drop-down menu.

If you'd like to pay by check, simply write your option on the memo line and mail to:
Kadampa Center
5412 Etta Burke Ct
Raleigh NC 27606

 

Statue Sponsorship Opportunities

    Sponsorship levels available to everyone:

Light of Liberation ~ $1500

Light of Wisdom ~ $1000

Light of Compassion ~ $500

Light of Loving Kindness ~ $250

    Sponsorship opportunities available one-time each:

Mantras ~ $3000 REJOICE, FULFILLED!

Altar ~ $2500

Shipping ~ $2000 REJOICE, FULFILLED!

Statue Donation Opportunities

Donation amount of your choice

Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will be a blessing to us all!

Click here to see how far we've come!