General Spiritual Director
Asian Festival in December 2024
Nov 25, 2024
Day 9 ~ meeting glorious heruka
a modern miracle
As Gen-la Jampa said yesterday, the first day of the empowerments, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche has an extraordinary ability to transform the unusual situation in the world today into an opportunity for more and more people to meet Kadam Dharma and feel its beneficial influence in their lives.
Yesterday we experienced an extraordinary demonstration of this when over 6,000 people gathered virtually to receive for the first time ever Heruka Body Mandala empowerment granted online.
6,000 people - a considerable number of whom are receiving the empowerments for the first time, and many of whom due to their circumstances may never have an opportunity to receive them in different circumstances!
As Gen-la says, we must deeply rejoice in our good fortune!
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Accomplishing the ultimate goal of human life
lightness, kindness and patience
It is impossible to find words that adequately convey the experience of those fortunate ones who took part in this extraordinary event, whether in the Temple for World Peace at the Mother Center, at Festival Hubs around the world, at the many watch parties organised by centers and groups, or in the their own homes.
Gen-la radiated the love and compassion of Heruka as he guided us with extraordinary clarity through the stages of preparing for the empowerment today. So light, so kind, so patient! And with his delightful humour and down-to-earth confidence and reassurance he prepared us for what will be will be a truly auspicious occasion today.
precious virtual community
Kadampas around the world responded with unparalleled joy and enthusiasm to the day's events, beginning with two beautiful meditations with Kadam Bridget and culminating in the Heruka empowerment preparations with Gen-la. We received so many photos, videos of shrines and shared experiences that we cannot do justice to them on this page. Below you see literally just a small selection, and we hope to include others in subsequent pages.
Thank you everyone for being part of this precious virtual community.
videos
teaching excerpt
we must deeply rejoice
feature video
The Profound Blessings of Buddha Heruka
center video
KMC Berlin & Tharpaland KMC
international community
the international kadampa family online
If you would like to contribute a video story, photo story, snapshot or insight, please email to [email protected]
video stories
Tharpaland
Kailash
Edinburgh
Menorca
Festival Snapshots
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insights
SHARED
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A MAGICAL DAY
Today was a magical day of preparations for the empowerments of Heruka and Vajrayogini by generating the minds of universal compassion and bodhichitta. Kadam Bridget's guided meditations were profoundly personal and moving, encouraging us to experience not only the suffering of living beings as unbearable but also our powerlessness in the face of such suffering.
In truth we are no different from the mother in her example helplessly watching from the shore as her two children and husband drowned in the ocean. Kadam Bridget reminded us that there is no pride in bodhichitta. It is precisely because we are powerless that we want to become a Buddha. And we need to feel this sense of powerlessness.
I began to deeply appreciate the importance of abiding in this sense of powerlessness. How the truth of our current state needs to break our hearts and to use our sense of powerlessness to pivot, to develop a determination to become powerful, to become a Buddha to move all living beings to a state beyond sorrow.
With this pure motivation, how wonderful to be receiving the empowerments of Heruka and Vajrayogini to propel us swiftly on our path towards enlightenment and benefit living beings.
WOO, USA
A SPECIAL CONNECTION
During the Heruka preparation, as Gen-la Jampa reminded us of Heruka and Vajrayogini’s special connection with the people of this world: ‘as times becomes ever more impure, your power and blessings ever increase,’ I thought: this weekend, Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments are blanketing our world - what unbelievable good fortune! The wonder of these empowerments being given globally like this for the first time ever, even as the degeneration of our our times is accelerating so quickly, shows how our Guru’s blessings turn even conditions like covid to the spiritual advantage of people around this world.
To me, this shows so clearly our Guru has this same special connection with the people of this world as Heruka and Vajrayogini. I am remembering he said during his long retreat in Nepal he created some special auspiciousness with the people of this world. Through seeing our Guru’s activities, it feels we can understand directly the qualities of Heruka and Vajrayogini and through hearing about their qualities, we can gain some understanding of our Guru.
As I had my arm bound by the string to remind me to keep my mind bound by love, I thought that it can also remind me that my life is never separate from Venerable Geshe-la’s love and the blessings of this incredible Tradition that he has founded. As Gen-la Jampa said after the throwing of the truth stick: we should be striving for supreme attainments; there are no obstacles!
GEN SANDEN, CANADA
A TRULY MODERN SPIRITUAL GUIDE
Today over 6000 Kadampa disciples around the world entered the gateway to a unique historical event: their very first online empowerment of Heruka and Vajyrayogini. Thanks to the supreme kindness of our Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, we have an unsurpassed opportunity partake in the very essence of all Buddha’s teachings and the quick path to Enlightenment.
Genla Jampa gave us heartfelt encouragement to rejoice deeply in such amazing good fortune. We should pause and take time to appreciate our amazing good fortune. What an incredible moment to be alive! Thank you Geshe-la for your incomparable kindness in making this possible.
A truly modern Spiritual Guide!
JEFF, UK
WHAT BETTER WAY TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD
During the session this afternoon we were led by Gen-la Jampa through various beautiful stages of preparataions to receive the Heruka Empowerment. Gen-la Jampa talked about how people all around the world are joining in with this incredibly meaningful and profound opportunity.
I thought about this while we generated the precious mind of bodhichitta and took the Bodhisattva vows, and I deeply felt that in that moment actual Bodhisattvas appeared around this world; our world changed in that moment and became a world pervaded by Bodhisattvas!
Over the next two days we will receive the empowerment’s of Heruka and Vajrayogini and I’m overjoyed to think that the their Pure Lands, their mandalas, are going to appear in the space above all the people taking these empowerments around the globe. This world will be filled with Pure Lands and completely enveloped in the blessings of Guru Heruka and Vajrayogini. What better way is there to benefit the people of this world?!
How inconceivably kind and skilful our Spiritual Guide is! 🥰❤️💙🙏🏼
KELSANG CHOGMA,
