General Spiritual Director
Enjoying meditations on love and acceptance
Nov 20, 2024
International Summer Festival 2023 diaries
Kadam Lamrim of Sutra & Tantra
July 28 - Aug 12 2023
The Complete Path to Enlightenment
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Fulfilling The Vision of our Spiritual Guide
Today we welcome thousands of Kadampa practitioners from around the world to the International Kadampa Summer Festival.
In 1992 Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche established the first festival at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre and he has encouraged us many times to maintain the tradition of gathering each year internationally, as an important method to maintain our International Kadampa Buddhist Union. At the festivals we live, work and practice together as one Kadampa family and this brings an incredibly important spiritual harmony and unity.
So as the first day of the Festival arrives we get to see our Spiritual Father's vision in action. From the early days when there was just a few hundred people, Kadampa Festivals have grown to encompass thousands of people, but the ethos has not changed.
INTRODUCTION
Day 1 ~ A Warm Welcome to the Festival
Already teams of volunteers, many of whom have just arrived themselves, spring into action to welcome arrivals. Bells ring as coach after coach turns up bringing the international arrivals from the airport.
feature video welcome to your spiritual holiday
Everyone is so happy to get here, some are here for the very first time. Someone asks for directions to the temple, others are meeting in the cafe after getting registered. Everywhere there is joy and kindness. There is energy in the air, the anticipation of two weeks of Kadampa life, that unmistakable festival vibe. Our Kadampa family is together again, old friends meeting, new friendships forming, already meaningful conversations taking place about Dharma and spiritual life.
In the evening we have the introduction with Gen-la Kunsang. She encourages us “To enjoy our spiritual holiday, with spiritual friends in our spiritual home.” She asks the question what makes spiritual holidays different from ordinary holidays? Instead of focusing on enjoying worldly pleasures which often increase our delusions and suffering, we are enjoying the nectar of Buddha’s teachings, Dharma. Through bathing in the ocean of this holy Dharma nectar we can learn to increase our good qualities and as a result we will experience a peaceful mind, real happiness and take home many precious valuable things in our heart.
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At Festivals we have a perfect opportunity to find real happiness by concentrating on Dharma.
