General Spiritual Director
Quebec Dharma Celebration 2024
Dec 1, 2024
Day 5 ~ Taking to heart
You who take on the great responsibility of caring in every way for the doctrine and migrators,
Giving to everyone equally, without discrimination, the precious opportunity to accomplish one's own purpose and the purpose of others;
O Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka,
Please remain at my heart forever,
So that all directions will be pervaded by your matchless, excellent deeds.
Yesterday, at the conclusion of Gen-la's extraordinary teachings and the powerful meditations led by Gen Rabten, we recited the special prayer, Request to the Holy Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche from his Faithful Disciples, and finished the day with a heartfelt Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja with a special dedication read by James Belither, the Editor of Tharpa, on behalf of all Venerable Geshe-la's students worldwide.
Today, Tuesday, we begin seven sessions of retreat led by Gen Losang in which we will practice the Yoga of Buddha Vajrapani, giving us an opportunity to take these precious instructions deeper into our heart.
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Contemplating the Suffering of Others
modern technology meets modern buddhism
'Through Lamrim practice we can transform all adverse conditions into opportunities for developing realizations of the spiritual path that will bring us pure and everlasting happiness.'
VENERABLE GESHE KELSANG GYATSO RINPOCHE
Through the great kindness of Venerable Geshe-la, rather than be defeated by recent difficulties, we are learning to transform these adverse conditions into methods that benefit even more people in this world. By harnessing the power of modern technology we are now bringing Kadam Dharma directly into people's homes. How wonderful!
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international kadampa family online
paco, spain
rodrigo, brasil
greetings from colombia
Isabelle, france
This Festival is very special because we have received the special transmission of Buddha Vajrapani's blessings at our home.
I feel very connected to the Buddhas in this way, and I can feel the presence of the international Sangha as well.
Thank you so much for this precious and unique opportunity to be with you again.
Meredith, Canada
A sweet moment caught. My daughter was sitting in my lap and I looked down to see her gazing at Geshe-la practicing the mudra.
mayara, brasil
To participate in an International Festival is to feel connected at all times with the Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe-la.
Through his blessings, teachings and his great compassion, he is providing everyone access to Modern Kadampa Buddhism.
Magdalena, Spain
I think it was my first time meditating on emptiness today I wish to do it again.
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VAJRAPANI AT HOME
Thank you to all those involved in this Spring Festival! It has been a pleasure for us to be able to watch it at home on our TV. Although we are at home it feels like we are at the Temple and that we are in Changlochan Pure Land.
Both Gen-la Khyenrab and Gen Rabten are full of compassion and love just beaming from their face and eyes. For me they are definitely Vajrapani! We are so blessed by all the Buddhas and Geshe-la and so fortunate to have this special empowerment during these degenerate times. I feel and imagine the entire world getting this empowerment with us. We are all transformed into Vajrapani with pure compassion wisdom and power to destroy inner and outer obstructions.
I especially feel touched by the explanation of spirits in our world and will have many questions for my teacher about them.
I enjoyed the explanation of clarity and profundity that the Vajrapani I first imagine is not the real Vajrapani but that Vajrapani is emptiness. And how these empowerments are on our very subtle mind forever. Remaining part of us and that will become enlightened one day. This gives me hope that although my gross body is here I have a subtle mind that has Vajrapani in it.
I cried at Gen-la’s look after the intro talk and at the video of Geshe-la’s statue, out of pure joy!
It gives me great hope that as each one of the statues is made a Buddha is born. How wonderful. I rejoice!
I love the videos being made by Sangha and hope to make one soon with our family.
Chandra, USA
FEELING THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE
I can feel the presence of my kind root Guru, Venerable Gueshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, everywhere during this Festival.
He has prepared these festivals for a long time and given us so much through the teachings, the blessing empowerments, the books, the Sangha and the study programs.
Everything that appears to me reminds me of his presence, his work, his devotion and his love and compassion for us.
What encourages me most is when he says that he promises that Dharma will always make us happy and that we are able to attain enlightenment in order to liberate every living beings.
Thank you so much Gueshe la, your work is so complete.
May I repay your kindness by following your example.
Kelsang Sukha, France
GRATITUDE FOR LIFE'S DIFFICULTIES
The sensation of waking up and thinking: uff...it was just a dream... sounds familiar to me. Applying this to my reality has touched me deep inside.
I've developed a little bit more understanding of the real meaning of emptiness and I've come to the conclusion that the role I'm playing in this play-dream (my life) isn't that important.
In the second meditation today I've understood that thanks to those moments of real difficulties in my life, it was impossible to remain as I was. Thanks to those moments I decided to make a move and looked for help and thanks to them I have ended up on the Buddhist path.
And today I felt deep gratitude for those experiences that a month ago I considered unfair and terrible. Deep and sincere gratitude. I was really surprised!
Stella, Spain
EMPOWERMENT IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT
The beautiful Vajrapani plaque produced by the Kadampa Art Studio made me think about how meaningful their activities are.
The wheel of Dharma is continuously moving, and the old is now the new. It's really incredible that they are producing more and more amazing, wonderful, in-house art that is so precious for us as a community and which reflects a continuity of faith stretching back thousands of years.
I hope that in the future I can be involved with their inspiring work - and it's really this Festival that has made me think about that so much.
Although we are all physically in different places, everyone has come together in this unique way to share and reflect. I love the honesty of the accounts about how everyone is working with these conditions - some people experiencing teachings in the quiet of the night and so on.
I listened to the empowerment as it was streamed. I had to listen through headphones in bed at 1 am so as not to disturb my family. Although a very unique way to receive the empowerment, I loved being able to join in with others. The next day I had the chance to actually see the empowerment through replaying it!
I'm very grateful for everyone who has helped make this Festival happen.
Rob, Taiwan
