General Spiritual Director
News from the post Fall Festival retreats ~ Part 2
Nov 16, 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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FESTIVAL REVIEW
The complete Festival Diary gathered together for you to explore or revisit the Festival. Enjoy!
Week 1
Today we welcome thousands of Kadampa practitioners from around the world to the International Kadampa Summer Festival
Today is the first full day of festival, with opportunities from morning to night to enjoy holy Dharma. Starting with clear and peaceful morning meditations with Gen Demo, then two sessions of sublime Lamrim teachings from Gen-la Khyenrab and ending joyfully with prayers to our Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.
Another glorious day at the Festival, with sublime teachings from Gen-la Khyenrab on how to develop love, compassion and the precious mind of Bodhichitta. Gen-la encouraged us to really train our mind, in his words to engage in ‘repetitive virtuous thinking’, to never give up or give in to discouragement but always to keep our intention to develop these beneficial minds.
We concluded the Lamrim teachings today with two clear, essential and profound teachings on the third principal aspect of the path, training in the correct view of emptiness.
There is a beautiful rhythm to each festival week, first teachings then retreat. This design came from the kindness of Venerable Geshe-la as a method to guide us to a deeper experience of Dharma.
We concluded the Lamrim teachings today with two clear, essential and profound teachings on the third principal aspect of the path, training in the correct view of emptiness.
At the end of the first week of Festival is the rest day. Those staying for the full two weeks got a glorious sunny day to go out and enjoy the local area, including the nearby Hoad monument with views of the Lakeland hills.
Week 2
Gen-la Dekyong, the General Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU, began Week Two of the Festival by rejoicing that through the wisdom blessings of our Spiritual Father – Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche – over 3,000 people have made the decision to come in person, literally from all over the world. The festival site is noticeably busier. Tents have overflowed for the first time ever into the adjacent field, and there is a joy in the air at so many Kadampas gathered together.
The heart of our tradition and at the very heart of the two weeks of this Summer Festival are the sublime empowerments of Heruka and Vajrayogini.
Today we came under the direct care of Vajrayogini and received her powerful blessings during the wonderful Vajrayogini empowerment.
Today’s teachings were an oral transmission of the eleven yogas of Vajrayogini, which include both generation and completion stage practices.
Through Venerable Geshe-la’s special insight and great compassion for people throughout the world, he has created a unique and extraordinary Kadampa family.
We have all settled in to festival life now and the atmosphere is relaxed with a steady rhythm of spiritual practice, volunteer work and spending time with Sangha friends or quietly contemplating the teachings.
Today we began our first day of retreat on the practice of Heruka Self Generation using the New Essence of Vajrayana Sadhana, skilfully guided by Gen Tonglam.
Its the last day of the retreat and session by session we go deeper with the blessed Heruka practice of New Essence of Vajryana
It’s the final day of the International Kadampa Summer Festival 2023. Over a thousand practitioners remain to see the very blessed Kadampa play, The Life of Buddha Shakyamuni.
