Avalokiteshvara Empowerment at Manjushri KMC with Gen-la Dekyong
Dec 4, 2024
Day 3 ~ a long & meaningful life
Yesterday we enjoyed the great good fortune of receiving a blissful empowerment of Buddha Amitayus from Gen-la Dekyong. Introducing the empowerment, Gen-la reminded us that it is solely through the kindness of Venerable Geshe-la that we are able to gather in this way and enjoy these precious times together.
Gen-la gave us Venerable Geshe-la's special message to memorise and encouraged us to contemplate the benefits of listening to Dharma. This is a powerful way to repay our Guru’s kindness..
Gen-la then gave an introduction to Buddha Amitayus, whose name means immeasurable life. By relying on him we can increase our Dharma realisations, wisdom and good fortune, and he will lead us to immeasurable life. Then we will be able to help all living beings do the same.
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Bestower of Long Life
there is nothing more precious than our human life
Gen-la explained there is nothing more precious than our human life because of the special opportunities it affords us - so we need to protect it from untimely death.
Our main obstacles to attaining enlightenment are ignorance and death. These can be overcome by practicing the instructions of Buddha Amitayus, which are now reaching every country and every nationality — something that has never happened before!
Today Gen-la will give a brief commentary to the practice of Amitayus and then begin a series of teachings on how to make our life truly meaningful by following Venerable Geshe-la's book The New Eight Steps to Happiness.
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What is Real Good Fortune?
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It's a wonderful life
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Touching hearts in Málaga
INTER CONNECTED
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Joao, Brasil
Kadam Olivier, France
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Svea & Jörg, Switzerland
Through the teachings of the Summer Festival we can understand why we have this precious human life.
We get the opportunity to learn to improve our mind, to find solutions to how to think and communicate in our daily life with our friends, relatives and all the people we meet.
Through realising that there is a supreme alternative to the normal way of thinking we can find real inner peace for ourself and finally help others to experience the same. Thank you for making it possible to be part of the wonderful Kadampa world.
Ginger, Israel
My name is Ginger and I am enjoying the summer festival 2020 from my home in Israel. The power of feeling interconnected is incredible.
I'm trying my best to follow the schedule so I can imagine we are all sitting in the Temple enjoying the teachings together.
Thank you for all your efforts to make this festival possible.
Tamara, spain
It's amazing!!! I am so lucky!! So lucky!!
For three years now I haven't been able to go to Manjushri Centre, and I confess I was a little sad. But this year I am back - not only me, but lots of people old and new!!!!!
I have been seven years waiting for the Amitayus empowerment. At last I got to meet him and take him into my heart.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Have a really great Festival everyone !!!
The mango tree, brisbane
Gen Rabten said that outside the Brisbane center there is a mango tree.
If we wanted something similar we wouldn't plant a seed one day and expect a tree to be there the next - there's a delay.
In the same way there's a delay between planting a karmic seed and experiencing its results.
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THE WHOLE WORLD PERVADED BY LONG LIFE POWER
I am so deeply moved by this empowerment... a universal moment of peace.
Thousands of people given the opportunity to form an indestructible heart connection with Buddha Amitayus through Venerable Geshe-la's immeasurable compassion.
How kind he is to offer us protection from the greatest obstacles to the fulfilment of our wishes in a time of such great need.
Coming to us, in our homes, never abandoning us... offering us the greatest opportunity to one day be able to help others in the same way. May Amitayus' long life blessings rain down on all suffering beings so that they may feel hope... freedom from the ocean of samsara.
Supreme friend and protector of the world, dearest spiritual guide, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, thank you for this most precious opportunity. You give me and countless other living beings everything. - a meaningful life, inner peace in a world of so much conflict, wisdom, a sense of hope, a purpose, light.
You teach me the real meaning of long life and how to use every moment and situation to create happiness, even my own suffering! You teach me how to truly be of benefit in this world by aligning with your vision of wisdom and compassion. May you live for a very long time and continue to bless us forever.
And thank you Gen-la Dekyong for granting us the empowerment, leading us with so much love into the Pure Land of Sukhavati.
May we always abide in a world where the wheel keeps turning ❤️ until our hearts have become Dharma.
Katya, Russia
HOPING TO DIE WITHOUT FEAR OR REGRET
There are two questions I ask myself. How did I go into the Empowerment and how did I come out of it?
In Venerable Geshe la’s Introduction to the Yoga of Buddha Amitayus he uses the word “opportunity” five times. The opportunity not to waste this life, my own life: the rare opportunity that only comes with meeting pure Dharma. How many times have I read this and still not taken it to heart? How many times do I need to be told. Don’t waste it!
We know what “happens” in an Empowerment but what really matters is what happens is in our mind. That’s where the action is. And there was plenty of it today. What really struck home was not just the consummate clarity of Genla Dekyong’s presentation, but some special phrases. Most people, she said, are ignorant of their self-grasping ignorance. That is tragedy on a universal scale. But I am not ignorant of my ignorance – but I am still ignorant. And that is my problem.
I came out convinced I need to overcome my ignorance more than ever. That’s what changed for me today and I feel better for it. But I need the time to get that special wisdom and that’s where I got confidence from today’s Empowerment. I can say it felt like getting a new lease of life. That’s the whole point.
I don’t know when I will die but I hope to use what is left of it more wisely than before. And when I do die, I would like a gravestone. I would like it to say, “Here lies a modern Kadampa who died without fear or regret.” Today got me further towards that goal. I want to be able to advertise Buddha Amitayus and Kadam Dharma long after I’m gone.
Jeff, UK
festival shops
The Festival shops are immensely popular.
Support your study, meditation and practice with items from the Festival Shops:
- Browse a range of 'Festival Bundle' special offers and featured items designed to give you everything you need for the Festival teachings and empowerments.
- Tharpa books, sadhanas and other items are available for purchase in multiple languages and formats, including downloadable editions.
Statues and artwork can be purchased, including new items from the Kadampa Art Studio. - Ritual items are also available, including vajras and bells, malas, mandala sets, offering bowls and much more.
- Get the Festival T-shirt, specially designed to mark the occasion of the first year of online Kadampa Festivals.
There are a number of Festival Shops and shipping points located in centres around the world run by Tharpa Publications, each with a different variety of products and shipping options.
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