Moments of Wisdom and Compassion: Highlights from Barcelona, London, and Basel
Dec 6, 2024
January 25 is a special day in the Kadampa calendar - it is Heruka Day. Heruka is Buddha's mind of compassion manifested as form. On this day, Kadampa Centers worldwide celebrate by organizing community events and prayers.
Starting early in the morning, the community and the attendees of the close retreat at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center in the UK enjoyed Feast of Great Bliss puja presided over by Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, the General Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU. The sound of dozens of damarus and bells reverberated throughout the first Kadampa Temple for World Peace, making it a one-of-a-kind experience.
On Heruka Day - the 25th of January - our community came together at KMC Mexico to celebrate and rejoice. We shared a beautiful puja - Offering to the Spiritual Guide. Our meditation room was filled with the sound of chanted prayers. It was an auspicious start to the year, and we feel grateful to be part of such a wonderful Kadampa community.
On the evening of the 25th, KMC Toulouse engaged in the Offerings to the Spiritual Guide puja. It was a wonderful evening of prayers followed by the tsog party - the sharing of offerings.
KMC Cuernavaca in Mexico also celebrated this special day. The community gathered together to engage in the Offering to Spiritual Guide puja. We had a wonderful time coming together and sharing our experience on this blessed day.
We engaged in Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja with a special tsog offering on the 25th of January, celebrating Heruka Day. It was a very blessed, joyous, and blissful event, helping us to receive the blessings of the Heroes and Heroines: a very auspicious way to begin our Heruka Body Mandala retreat the next day.
We celebrate Heruka Day with a shower of blessings at the two KMC Barcelona locations.
Sangha friends gathered together at the commercial space on Berlin Street, in a small gompa prepared for Vajrayogini counting retreat; and at “la masia” in the beautiful surroundings of the Montserrat mountains, with those attending the Completion Stage of Tantra retreat. In a festive atmosphere and pervaded by the presence of Guru Heruka, we engaged simultaneously in Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja.
Thank you very much Geshe-la from the depths of our hearts for this beautiful practice that will take us to your Pure Land, the very heart of Buddha. How fortunate we are, and may everyone share the same good fortune!
At Nagarjuna KMC Leicester, we celebrated Heruka Day with Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja, which graced a beautiful retreat with our Resident Teacher, Kadam Chris Heyes. The retreat focused on Heruka Body Mandala with meditation based on the Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land sadhana. An excellent start to the year!