General Spiritual Director
News from the post Fall Festival retreats
Nov 13, 2024
celebrating Dharma in South Africa
blessing empowerment of Buddha Vajrasattva, Realise Your Pure Nature
with gen-la kelsang kunsang
Nov 6 - 8 | 2020
We are very fortunate that due to the great kindness of our Founder, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, the 2020 South African Dharma Celebration Online will be taught by Gen-la Kelsang Kunsang. Gen-la is a retired Deputy Spiritual Direcot of NKT and now Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Edinburgh and National Spiritual Director of Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Streaming online from KMC Edinburgh, Gen-la will grant the the blessing empowerment of Buddha Vajrasattva and teach on realising our pure nature.
Everyone is welcome to join. More information will be available soon on the center websites below.
" Gen-la has a very special place in our hearts since visiting us in South Africa since 2012, always helping us to grow and showing us how to accumulate a vast collection of merit by making offerings."
The three main centers in South Africa
The biggest change this year for Tushita KMC in Cape Town was the arrival of our new Resident Teacher, Gen Namkhyen, in March.
Shortly after his arrival we organised a Vajrayogini Fire Puja which was followed by a lock down during which all teachings were online. In this time we also organised the South African National Festival and Gen Namkhyen granted the Buddha Shakyamuni empowerment.
Now with the restrictions easing we have started to welcome people again into the centre and look forward to going out into the community.
In the province of Kwazulu-Natal many things are happening at KMC Durban.
While some parts of the KMC property remain quiet and serene, other parts are a hive of activity of demolition, excavation and new creation. Renovations for new residents rooms, a new reception/book-shop and lounge as well as a new Meditation Room are underway. We are all looking forward to a beautiful new Centre where people can meet the precious life solutions of Kadam Dharma.
During all this the classes have continued to be streamed-live due to these interesting times. Durbanites are emerging from our levels of lockdown with cautious appreciation. We can even do our first in person classes but our KMC is a building site...Fortunately at a friendly Pre-School nearby we are starting our in-person classes. Enthusiasm for being back in class with Sangha friends is beginning to spread, perhaps it will be the next pandemic.
Vajrapani Kadampa Buddhist Center is very much looking forward to hosting the South African Dharma Celebration online this year with Gen-la Kelsang Kunsang.
We are so very grateful to Venerable Geshe -la for guiding us and protecting us during these uncertain times and leading us to the path of perfect peace and happiness.
These national gatherings have so much meaning for us, working together to create these special events, giving the students so many opportunities to accumulate such powerful karma for future generations to come.
We pray that we will all be able to meet up physically at our local Dharma centers soon, to continue our studies and practice.
Just before lock down, 6 - 8th March we had the Blessing Empowerment of Buddha Prajnaparamita and then went online, since 20th March offering classes every day, twice and sometimes, three times a day and opening up for in person classes for the first time starting in October.
What online students are saying...
"Dear Mila, I would like to personally thank you for the Online Classes they were very uplifting and comforting especially during the lockdown. The benefits for me were to try and practice patience and tolerance of others. The meditations were very beneficial and enjoyable. Thank you for all that you do to help others. Take care and stay safe. With love and appreciation." Gail
“Our daily online meditation sessions have helped to anchor me and give me a real sense of peace during these lockdown times – many thanks Mila for your wonderful teachings and meditations!” Carol
"Why a blessings empowerment is so beneficial? A blessing Empowerment fills your mind with peace and joy at the same time. And the Teachings illuminate things in ways you can apply to your life immediately."
"Lockdown brought meditation teachings closer to me more that I could have imagined. It amazing how the Kadampa center quickly adapted to change on the use of online services. One would go to bed with a dose of good fortune gained from group online meditation and teachings.
How wonderful!"
