There are three significant things about the Jade Buddha: It is made completely of jade, its size is very large and it has inexpressible benefits.
The kind compassionate Buddha said in the “Sutra of the Mudra Entering, Generating the Power of Devotion” :
Buddha said to Manjrushri:
Any of the race of the sons and daughters (lineage) and anyone
Having made offerings every day of a hundred tastes of divine food and divine dress
To the self-buddhas (solitary realizers, arhants)
Equaling the number of atoms of the whole entire universe
For eons equaling the number of sand grains of the Pacific Ocean;
Manjushri, any race of sons and daughters and anyone who sees Buddha drawn,
Or the materialized form of Buddha such as drawings or actualized in form (statue) or picture,
Collects infinitely greater merit than the previous one (of that number of arhants making offerings for that number of eons).
Then no question if somebody puts their palms together or offers flowers or perfumes or incense or light;
This one collects numberless greater merit than that (of seeing the painting of Buddha or statue).
From “The Sutra Piles of Flowers”:
Whatever one offers [to a statue of Buddha], whether it is tiny or big it causes happiness from beginningless rebirth up to now.
This refers to temporary happiness, on top of that the cause of ultimate happiness - liberation from suffering and causes of suffering, and full enlightenment, for the sake of all sentient beings. Then you are able to liberate numberless sentient beings from suffering and bring to enlightenment, so of course this includes achieving worldly people's small happiness; it is all contained here.
These are some of the benefits you get by coming here and seeing the Jade Buddha.
With much love and prayers,
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Bodhgaya
19 Jan 2012
