General Spiritual Director
News from the post Fall Festival retreats ~ Part 2
Nov 16, 2024
Welcome to the 2022 Fall Festival
DAY 4 ~ COMMENTARY 2
Tara's blessings & protection
If we could take away only one thing from this Festival, Gen-la's presentation of Venerable Geshe-la's 'play' about turning towards Tara would be a great choice. It encapsulates the very essence of the Festival, and especially the power of faith in Guru Tara.
TEACHING EXCERPT
Turning Towards Tara
A play by Venerable Geshe-la
Throughout her teachings Gen-la has emphasised how to develop faith and showed how through our faith and Tara’s powerful blessings we can be protected from all fears and dangers, including interference by spirits.
In this world, she explained, it seems that the only options are blind faith or no faith, but Venerable Geshe-la taught us how to develop pure faith in dependence upon reasoning. It is this faith we need to rely upon Tara.
Ultimately, Mother Tara will lead us to a deep realisation of emptiness and the experience of permanent liberation from sorrow.
In the temple
HUNDREDS MORE JOIN THE FESTIVAL
The fortunate ones attending the Festival in person have now been joined by hundreds more people around the globe who are participating online.
"I had such a wonderful sense of peace and protection throughout the empowerment."
It seems as though Gen-la Dekyong was bathing in the mystical light of all the Buddhas as she started reciting the holy words of the empowerment. As she introduced us to Arya Tara, I had such a wonderful sense of peace and protection throughout the empowerment; a strong confidence that whatever happens, she will be there in my heart to guide me. We are so extremely fortunate to have met Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka in this life and to witness his infinite emanations which are making our lives so meaningful and blessed.
- Olga, Switzerland
"How wonderful! It feels like we are with all of you in our hearts."
It's been a wonderful start to our online festival. I'm feeling so grateful to be able to tune in online. Our sangha who were able to travel to New York, sent us photos of the temple in all its glory, and after that we were eagerly counting down the hours and minutes until we could listen to the introductory talk. How wonderful! It feels like we are with all of you in our hearts. For the Tara empowerment, we got together a little group of sangha from Nagarjuna Leicester Centre in the UK in one of our homes, set up some offerings and tried to make it feel like we were in the temple. This was our way of showing our love and gratitude to our Guru. Looking forward to Day 2!
- Mariel, UK
Festival life
