General Spiritual Director
News from the post Fall Festival retreats ~ Part 2
Nov 16, 2024
Day 3 ~ spiritual power
After two sublime meditations with Gen Rabten yesterday, Gen-la Khyenrab granted the empowerment of Vajrapani, the Buddha of Spiritual power.
Gen-la explained that if we paid attention and brought our mind into the Temple we would be present at the empowerment and receive powerful blessings.
And how right he was! As Gen-la said, even though we might be thousands of miles apart we are not alone. The Buddhas are with us and we definitely receive their blessings.
It is difficult to imagine anyone taking part in that magical event not experiencing powerful blessings and a strong Dharma heart.
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program for today
- Sunday begins with a guided meditation led by Gen Rabten based on Gen-la's teachings during the empowerment
- Then at 11am UK time Gen-la will give a commentary to the practice, The Yoga of Buddha Vajrapani
- At 4pm UK time, Gen-la will give the first of three teachings on developing and increasing our compassion
- The day ends with Wishfulfilling Jewl Puja with tsog offering at 7.30pm UK time
many languages, one mind
meet the translation team
There are over a hundred Kadampa Teachers and students around the world involved in translating the sessions of this Festival into subtitles and voiceovers.
And although the conventional languages they speak are all different, the language of the Dharma they are translating is the same. One common language, with one clear meaning that applies to everyone throughout the world, regardless of their nationality or culture. This is the extraordinary gift of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
interconnected
international kadampa family online
Share your videos, photos, stories and insights from the teachings and meditations
Send your submissions to [email protected]
Natalie, australia
gen jangdom, sweden
mette, UK
I am really enjoying the Spring Festival and having some time out from my work as a nurse to receive my first Vajrapani empowerment and teachings. I will miss physically being at Manjushri KMC, but this is a unique opportunity for so many people worldwide this year who wouldn't otherwise have been able to attend. I rejoice in this special opportunity for so many people.
I want to thank everyone helping to make it possible to attend the Festival online as well as all the other teachings, courses, pujas and prayers at all the centres during this pandemic. Love and blessings to all!
Kelsang Zoma, Switzerland
It is so wonderful to be able to join the Spring Festival with thousands of others all over the world and to receive these powerful blessings!
Even though I am at Kailash retreat center in the Swiss mountains, I feel connected with all Venerable Geshe-la's family throughout the world.
Michel, Portugal
Não vejo a hora de estarmos juntos online para empoderarmos o método, a nossa compaixão. Agora mais do que nunca precisamos destas poderosas bênçãos. Juntos somos mais leves, mais fortes e chegamos mais longe. Um carinhoso abraço do Michel, Porto-Portugal.
I couldn't wait to be together online to empower the method of our compassion. Now more than ever we need these powerful blessings.
Together we are lighter, stronger and we go further. A warm hug from Michel, Porto-Portugal.
Chelvi, UK
This Spring Festival is like a soothing balm that is easing the pains of these troubled times. Gen-la Khyenrab's teachings and the meditations this morning with Gen Rabten, are exactly what l needed. My mind already feels strengthened, positive and peaceful. How privileged we are to be part of this extraordinary event!
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FEELING BUDDHA VAJRAPANI'S BLESSINGS
Gen-la Khyenrab began the empowerment by encouraging the thousands of Kadampas listening throughout the world to bring ourselves mentally into the Temple. My mind shifted; instead of sitting in my room listening to the sound of sirens and fiddling with a computer cord, I was suddenly in a blessed place filled with positive energy.
He reminded us that even though we may be apart physically, we aren't alone, because Buddhas pervade everywhere. Hearing this, I opened a door in my mind and felt the Buddhas, who were already there, pour right in.
I knew about Buddha Vajrapani intellectually, but when Gen-la explained that he is a manifestation of the power of all the Buddhas, whose function is to destroy our delusions, I realized how much I needed his special blessings. Was I not aware of how destructive my anger was, at myself and others? My attachment to distractions, which kept luring me away from my practice? And most of all, that self-grasping ignorance which kept me imprisoned in samsara, unable to be of real help to anybody?
And here was Buddha Vajrapani, the specialist in annihilating these delusions, ready immediately to help me reduce and abandon them completely, if I had strong faith and relied upon him sincerely. I made a mental note: Do this.
Then the actual empowerment began, and I felt Buddha Vajrapani's blessings entering my mind, sending a bolt of wonder crackling through me. I was aware of all the practitioners around the world having their own experience of this, of the spiritual teacher brought to my screen by the hard work of so many, of the Spiritual Guide who manifested all of it for me.
Gen-la reminded us to rejoice, but I don't think we needed too much reminding.
How amazing.
Sharon, USA
DREAMLIKE MEDITATION
Gen Rabten led a beautiful meditation on emptiness! For me, in the "middle of the night" it was a dreamlike, deeply peaceful experience of dissolving all phenomena into emptiness -disappearing everything- even time and space. I find myself in unusual conditions for the Spring Festival - revealing so clearly that everything exists as "the magical play of the mind." There is nothing to grasp at, not even time or space!
I began my Spring Festival in a very ordinary mind, making a "personal Festival program" - scheduling the times I would tune in to the sessions for meditations and teachings. For us in Calgary the Festival began at 12:30 on Friday and I spent the rest of the day cleaning and setting up a special shrine with offerings, cooking ahead and answering communications.
My schedule was to rise early today and catch up on the two morning meditations and then tune in to the live stream of the Empowerment at 9:30 am Rocky Mountain time.
But at 1:53 am I found myself wide awake -with seven minutes until the live stream of the first mind-blowing meditation.
Now I will finish this sharing in time for the second meditation - live.
I am very happy. Thank you, my kind Teachers.
Gen Dema, USA
GETTING TO KNOW ABOUT SPIRITS
How refreshing to hear a clear explanation about spirits from Gen-la based on Venerable Geshe-la's teachings!
There are many people in modern society who do not like to think about such things, or who deny the existence of spirits.
Yet clearly they have a huge influence on our lives, sometimes beneficial and sometimes malevolent.
But Dharma is the truth, and with his teaching Gen-la opened our minds to an aspect of our lives we mostly neglect and showed us how important it is to understand and learn to relate to spirits.
Thank you Gen-la for always telling it like it is!
KT, UK
MY FIRST FESTIVAL
Kadampa Buddhism came into my life during the spring of 2020 when I had the joy of meeting Kelsang Lekmo.
My journey has been short but rewarding. Therefore, I’m grateful for being able to participate in the NKT-IKBU International Spring Festival online.
This allows me to increase my understanding, and above all increase my connection with other participants all around the world. I am currently experiencing a lot of warmth and love - sincere thank’s to all of you!
When Gen-la Khyenrab opened the Festival I felt my understanding deepen already during the first day. My Teacher Kelsang Lekmo has told me a lot about Kadampa Buddhism and the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche. It was a great pleasure to learn new perspectives on these things. In particular, I greatly enjoyed practicing the meditation on emptiness.
I look forward to getting to know you better and exchanging thoughts. I wish everyone a rewarding Festival.
Suvi, Finland
