Buddha LOVE, one of many

I had the most amazing experience last night in Washington DC.  So powerful that it really knocked me off my feet onto a chair for a bit.

I attended the Maitrya Buddha relic Loving-kindness tour being held at the Church of the Holy City near Dupont in DC by happenstance as I was also facilitating a Biodanza class in the same location.

As I waited in line with my husband, we chatted matter-of-factly about life in general, took off our shoes after a 15 minute wait on the 200 years old spiral staircase and proceeded in the chapel as they let in maybe 20 people at a time at any one time.  

The whole church area was vibing with great energy beforehand, but in this room full of incense, gold relics, flowers , statues, monks, nuns, I really felt it.  I was awash with emotion already.  I spotted a monk or nun performing what looked like a blessing ceremony and asked another if I could also go in that line.  She said yes.  Feeling moved, but still quite okay and grounded I waited my turn.  I'll take any blessings I can get!

I noticed she was asking each person something and wondered if I was suppose to be prepared to pray for a wish. I came up with the desire for more compassion and wisdom, my standards, and was ready to tell her.  

Upon my turn I made eye contact with the monk/nun...still not sure.... and she whispered to me a sentence that I didn't quite understand and then said... "see it in there!" as she showed me the golden conical shaped item she was holding that had a glass window encasing something that I couldn't quite zero in on as it was an inch from my face! I was at a relic tour and I should have guessed, but since I had made a beeline for blessing, I didn't really know what a Buddha relic was at that point!  

At any rate, I knelt and she placed this object, draped with a white slim cloth under it, over my crown and held it there for about 30 seconds.  My hands placed on my heart, I immediately felt an warm energy surge run through me.  Like an infusion of love.  

I got up and immediate was touched by the emotion within me and had to sit. I found an empty chair on the sides of the chapel and sat one seat away from a young monk/nun clutching a box of tissues.  

She gently placed it on the chair next to me sensing I was going to cry, I guess, because I did. I was so moved my this simple experience and what I didn't really understand was that inside the conical shaped object were relics from the Maitreya Buddha.  

Relics were found among the cremation objects of the Buddha and other Buddhist Masters and now resemble beautiful pearl-like crystals (see photo) embodying the master's, get ready...compassion and wisdom!

I got up, trying to withhold my tears, in order to move around the relic table with my husband who was at the top of the line by now.  First up, pouring water on the Buddha statue bathing him, then sounding chimes to awaken my spiritual guides.  We gazed at these holy relics and the other visual delights on the display.  So amazing.

Tears continued to stream down my face.  I couldn't stop the flood of emotion in me.  Not sadness, not joy.  Just emotion.  Beauty.  Calm.  Peace.  All of this history before me. I felt it.

I am not a Buddhist and am not sure about the controversy surrounding the Maitreya Buddha...check it out on Wiki..... but I do know that something beautiful happened to me that night.  

My heart was opened a bit more to compassion and loving-kindness.  It was the Loving-kindness Tour, after all.  And the world needs more of that.

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