LOVING KINDNESS IN NEW ZEALAND
Last week, Kadampas gathered in the beautiful harbor city of Wellington for the second New Zealand National Festival with Gen-la Jampa, who was visiting New Zealand for the first time.

Gen-la granted the blessing empowerment of Buddha Maitreya and gave extraordinary teachings on how we can become a Buddha of loving kindness.

Following an inspiring introduction by Kelsang Luma, Resident Teacher in Christchurch. Gen-la granted the empowerment on the Saturday morning. And then in his teachings over the next few days he encouraged us not only to deepen our love for others, but also to recognise we can all go beyond our limited view of ourself and develop the universal love and compassion of an enlightened holy being. With clear and simple instructions on Tantra he inspired us to fulfil our own and others wishes for lasting happiness by becoming Buddha Maitreya.

Throughout the weekend, people’s hearts were deeply moved by inspiring blessings of love.

TRUE HAPPINESS v TEMPORARY WORLDLY PLEASURE
A theme that ran through the Festival was learning to recognise true happiness in our own experience and distinguish it from temporary worldly pleasure. Gen-la explained with remarkable clarity how this precious knowledge helps us to increase our wish to develop inner peace arisen from wisdom and to reduce our attachment for worldly pleasure.

In the mornings throughout the Festival Kelsang Shechog, Resident Teacher in Wellington, guided beautiful meditations to help us take the teachings to heart, and the Festival concluded with a short retreat led by Kelsang Luma.

There was so much love and kindness throughout the Festival, and so many kind volunteers, it felt like Buddha Maitreya’s Pureland of Tushita appearing directly in Wellington.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS
We received so many heartfelt comments on the Festival it is impossible to choose, so we are publishing them all:
“Gen-la Jampa’s teachings were so clear and so profound, he gave us the power to be happy”
“So much meaningful fun”
“Definitely wiser and kinder after the beautiful moving teachings Gen-la Jampa gave”
“The festival was a healing period of calm in which I enjoyed a glimpse of life within a society based on love and kindness, and was inspired to bring such a beautiful society into my everyday experience by strengthening the love within my own mind”.
“Gathering at our Festival shows me that through following the teachings and putting them into practice we can create a loving, caring society for everyone. I always leave inspired and happy.”

“Gen-la Jampa moved everyone in the room when he described the loving kindness of Venerable Geshe-la in a way we will never forget. Thank you Gen la Jampa for revealing to us the supreme kindness of our holy Spiritual guide”.

“A wonderful inspiring Festival with Gen la Jampa and the NZ kadampa family”

“Gen-la Jampa was so inspiring and gave beautifully clear instructions on how to be happy”

“A deeply transforming event that’s both healed and reprogrammed me towards a more peaceful state”

“The NZ festival has given me the opportunity to get in touch with sangha from NZ and connect to kind people in the international Kadampa world, which enriches my spiritual life a lot. Besides I am pretty grateful I had the chance to listen to Gen-la Jampa’s teachings on love - the great protector and deepen my understanding and insights about the incredible benefits of love and the method to attain its realization. Sharing an inspiring time of blessings and instantaneous experience of the loving kindness of all beings just hits the heart and encourages a deep wish to develop and improve the three aspects of love for everyone.”

“Gen-la Jampa gave a beautiful commentary to the Yoga of Buddha Maitreya and inspired us to unite the practices of loving kindness and wisdom realising emptiness in meditation and daily life”

“Gen-la Jampa gave teachings of unparallelled clarity and depth on the stages of the path to enlightenment of Sutra and Tantra, emphasizing the Yoga of Buddha Maitreya and the practice of loving kindness”

“He inspired us to dedicate ourselves to repaying the kindness of Venerable Geshe-la by giving energy to flourishing our Dharma centres and by sincerely applying the teachings we have received, especially the teachings on loving kindness”

“We felt we were in the presence of the embodiment of loving kindness”