General Spiritual Director
Delighting in Buddha’s Presence
Nov 21, 2024
Entering the New Year with Blessings & Joy 〜 Part 3
The final post from 2024 New Year celebrations at Kadampa Centers. It is wonderful to see prayers being made, especially to Buddha Tara, in every part of the world for the benefit of all living beings. See the celebrations from Kadampa Centers in Mexico, Chile, the USA, Spain, Germany, and Portugal. (Also see Part One and Part Two of this post).
On the New Year's Eve at KMC Mexico we had the immense fortune of engaging in a 24-hour retreat of Green Tara with six sessions of praises and requests to the Twenty-one Taras. We joyfully concluded a year full of changes at Kadampa Mexico and began one filled with pure intentions and focused on upcoming special events for our community!
May all sentient beings possess happiness and its causes,
May they be free from suffering and its causes,
May they never be separated from the happiness that is without suffering,
May they abide in equanimity, without feeling close to some out of attachment or distant from others out of hatred.
from Liberation from Sorrow - Praises and requests to the Twenty-one Taras.
Happy 2024!
Resident Teacher of KMC Chile, Gen Kelsang Chokyong, gave a talk to help us better understand the practice of Green Tara. At 23:00, around 50 people transitioned into the year 2024 by engaging in the Liberation from Sorrow, practice of Tara. This auspicious start to the year aimed to fill our days with wisdom, compassion, and profound peace of mind.
Canada, KMC Vancouver
We had a most auspicious and joyful beginning to the year with the practice of 24-hour Tara chanting beginning on New Year's Eve at KMC Vancouver. Twenty-one people came altogether, among which eight had never attended the Center before.
USA, KMC Bloomington
Our meditation room at KMC Bloomington was filled with many new people coming to the Center for the first time. We collectively created powerful determinations in our minds to let go of specific negative thoughts and to embrace the beauty of virtue. Through the blessings of Avalokiteshvara, we prayed for peace to manifest in this world.
Spain
KMC Spain
In the 6th Kadampa Temple for World Peace, we began the year gathered together with our spiritual friends, engaging in the sadhana of Arya Tara. After an inspiring talk from our Resident Teacher, Gen Kelsang Chokga, we dined together in the best gourmet style, each sharing a verse from Advice from Atisha's Heart that touched us the most. Later, we enjoyed flamenco with castanets, performed by one of our community members.
To welcome 2024, we were in the Temple, bringing Green Tara into our hearts and traditionally welcoming the year with twelve chimes and grapes. Each chime reminded us of emptiness.
We feel very fortunate, very grateful to our precious Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, and we sincerely wish that all beings have the opportunity to attain liberation from sorrow.
May all beings be happy! Happy 2024.
Heruka KBC
From Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center in Alicante, we share images from our very special event. Thank you all for making it possible, especially thank you Venerable Geshe-la. It was an incredibly beautiful and meaningful experience, ending last year and starting this new year with the blessings of Green Tara. How wonderful!
KMC Madrid
What a wonderful night we had at KMC Madrid, saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming 2024 with a positive and constructive mind! Our dear Resident Teacher, Gen Kelsang Tsongmo, gave us an inspiring teaching to set up our new year resolutions based on wisdom. She reminded us that our happiness depends on our mind, and we can transform any situation into an opportunity to grow spiritually. She encouraged us to always consider the preciousness and value of our human existence, with which we can fulfill our deepest desire of being happy all the time.
KMC Barcelona
The New Year's event at KMC Barcelona was a truly beautiful and inspiring experience filled with the peace of meditation, celebrations featuring the majestic presence of Arya Tara, meaningful connections within the Sangha, and a delicious meal.
Overall, the New Year's event was a heartwarming and inspiring experience, setting a positive tone for the coming year. Our Resident Teacher, Gen Kelsang Lochani, gave a talk to more than 100 people gathered at the Montserrat Temple in the countryside.
Gratitude to Venerable Geshe-la for gifting us with these precious and meaningful events, allowing us to start the year filled with inspiration and spiritual strength. We extend heartfelt thanks to all the participants for making this celebration possible through their generosity.
Germany, KMC Freiburg
Wishing you a happy and peaceful new year from the south of Germany. Here at KMC Freiburg, we had a New Year’s Eve talk called Taking New Paths with Gen Lochog. The center was filled with both familiar and new faces, enjoying Dharma wisdom and inspiration along with good Sangha company, all to be well-prepared for the new year and all its challenges.
Portugal, KMC Deuachen
This year, KMC Deuachen opened its doors to everyone who wanted to celebrate New Year's Eve in a different way. Everyone was welcome to join us for a beautiful dinner sharing food, drink or dessert.
70 people attended and, after dinner, we all went to the Temple, where our Resident Teacher Gen Rigden spoke about the importance of making prayers and requests for others, increasing our compassion and creating a better world.
