The Maitreya Project

Introduction to the Heart Shrine Relic Tour

A unique and precious collection of more than 1,000 sacred Buddhist relics will be permanently displayed in the Heart Shrine of the completed Maitreya Buddha statue in Kushinagar. Meanwhile, it is the wish of the Spiritual Director of the Maitreya Project, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, that the collection should travel throughout the world to bring the blessings of the holy relics and the message of loving-kindness to people everywhere.

The relics were found among the cremation ashes of Buddhist masters. They resemble beautiful pearl-like crystals. Buddhists believe that the relics are produced as a result of the master's spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom. So the relics are a reminder of our own essential nature of purity and our inner potential to manifest that. The collection includes relics of the historical Buddha and the Buddha’s closest disciples as well as many other well-known Buddhist masters from Chinese, Indian, Korean and Tibetan traditions.

Visitors often report experiences of inspiration and healing when in the presence of the relics. While some are inspired to pray for world peace and to develop their inner wisdom, others are overcome by emotion as the powerful effects of the relics open their hearts to compassion and loving-kindness.

"People are deeply moved when they come in contact with the relics...there are so many stories. This is definitely one method for bringing people to enlightenment. The relics have incredible benefit to the world...people want them very much...and there is greater and greater benefit now....
    I didn't know the Relic Tour would be of such great benefit to the world, create such devotion. Devotion is the source. From devotion you get blessings, from blessings you get realisations, the strength to engage in the path.
    The Relic Tour is one way to bring world peace, through people changing their mind.  As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says: outer peace through inner peace.  So the relics take a very important role in world peace.  That's the purpose for the Buddha leaving relics.”     — Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Maitreya Project -

Europe Tour 2010