When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation as the problem. In reality, whatever problem we experience comes from the side of our mind. If we can learn to respond to difficulties with a positive or peaceful mind, they will not be a problem for us. We can even see them as opportunities for growth and development, increasing our good qualities, especially our compassion.

Compassion is the best wealth—an inner treasure greater than any external possession. Buddha’s “training the mind” teachings allow us to see how to see our challenges in a new way so that we can increase our compassion. This makes our mind more and more positive, eventually transforming it into a completely pure mind, the state of enlightenment. We all want the world to be free of suffering, or a “pure land.” To do this we simply need a pure mind, the mind of compassion.

During this festival, Kadam Bridget Heyes will grant Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara Empowerment, who is the Buddha of Compassion, the embodiment of the universal compassion of all enlightened beings. An empowerment is a special ceremony where we receive blessings and inspiration into our mind through making a connection with an enlightened being. Through receiving the inspiring energy from Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, our compassion will become stronger than ever before.