General Spiritual Director
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Apr 15, 2024
NKT Day Celebrations 2024 ~ Part 1
The first Saturday of April of each year is NKT Day, during which we celebrate the founding of the New Kadampa Tradition by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche in 1991. Kadampa Centers around the world organize special retreats, events, and prayers. At the Mother Center, Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center, the following dedication was made:
"Dear Venerable Geshe-la, our precious Spiritual Guide, on this special day, we celebrate your extraordinary vision of creating and sustaining the New Kadampa Tradition.
With great skill and wisdom, you have made a special presentation of the pure Buddhist tradition rooted in the authentic teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni and Je Tsongkhapa to meet the needs of the people of this modern age. In choosing the name 'New Kadampa Tradition', you encourage us to follow the example of the ancient Kadampas, who used all Buddha's teachings as practical advice for transforming all daily activities into enlightenment.
May this pure Dharma, which comes from Buddha Shakyamuni, Atisha, and Je Tsongkhapa, and from your heart, remain forever in this world. May these teachings take root and grow well in the hearts of all Kadampa Buddhists, now and for generations to come."
Manjushri KMC
The community at Manjushri KMC engaged in a day-long retreat following The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land According to Highest Yoga Tantra and Request to the Holy Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche from his Faithful Disciples. The three-session retreat concluded with Wishfulfilling Jewel prayers with a tsog offering.
KMC Colombia
On Sunday, 7 April, KMC Colombia in Bogota shared very special moments with the community on the first Open Day of the year, celebrating the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union. More than 70 people visited us on this day. Thank you, Venerable Geshe-la, for providing us with this center and making our beautiful international community possible.
KMC Montreal
To highlight this special day, KMC Montreal organized a special event, including a teaching on world peace, a brunch, practitioners' testimonies on their experiences of Kadampa Festivals, and a magnificent video on the development of Dharma in South and Central America.
We concluded the day with a Wishfulfilling Jewel puja with tsog offering to thank Venerable Geshe-la for the priceless gift he offers to this world.
KMC Durban
We celebrated NKT Day with our community on the first Saturday of April. We gathered at KMC Durban for a Wishfulfilling Jewel puja with tsog offerings and concluded with a lovely dinner!
Nagarjuna KMC Thornby Hall
On a beautiful spring day at Nagarjuna KMC, residents, members, and guests gathered to celebrate NKT Day. Teacher Pet Finden gave an overview of NKT and why we celebrate NKT Day. We enjoyed a screening of NKT Day videos, followed by drinks and nibbles in the café.
Hong Kong
To celebrate NKT Day, the community from Hong Kong and local areas received a Green Tara empowerment, making this day extra special. After the empowerment, we engaged in chanted prayers, making praises and requests dedicated to the flourishing of pure Kadam Dharma throughout the world.
KMC Chicago
On NKT Day, our Midwest Sangha had the great good fortune to receive the blessing empowerment of Buddha Vajrasattva from Gen Kelsang Demo, our Midwestern US National Spiritual Director. Gen Demo shared practical and inspiring advice on applying the four opponent powers in both formal practice and daily life to purify all our negative karma and thereby create a pure world.
Over 70 practitioners gathered from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana at Kadampa Meditation Center Madison for an inspiring weekend of teachings, meditation, and connection with spiritual friends. We are so grateful to Geshe-la for bringing all Three Jewels to life for us. By maintaining and strengthening our connection to him and each other, may all living beings throughout the Midwest and beyond find swift and lasting relief from all pain and suffering.
KMC Campinas
On April 6th, at KMC Campinas in Brazil, we received a Vajrasattva empowerment, a wonderful way to celebrate the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union. We thank our Founder, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, for his infinite kindness. We concluded the day with Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers. It was a very meaningful and enjoyable day.
KMC New York Temple
Over the NKT Day weekend at KMC New York, nearly 60 people from all over the US and Canada joined Gen Samten for a very special event. Gen Samten granted the refuge vows and is guiding a week of retreat on beginning and completing your Refuge Preliminary guide.
Every year on NKT Day weekend going forward, Gen Samten will guide a week of retreat on a specific Preliminary Guide and teach us how to complete one a year on our own so that in four years, we will have completed all four!
Vajrapani KBC
Vajrapani KBC celebrated NKT Day with special Wishfulfilling Jewel prayers with tsog offering, dedicating all our merit to helping Venerable Geshe-la’s vision.
“May this pure Dharma that comes from Buddha Shakyamuni, from Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa, and from your heart, remain forever in this world; and may these teachings take root and grow well in the hearts of all Kadampa Buddhists, now and for generations to come”.
We deeply rejoiced in the power of Sangha while watching the NKT video of how holy Dharma is flourishing in South and Central America. We concluded the day with our Teacher Training Program class. On the Sunday we had our wonderful monthly children’s class, a great conclusion to a wonderful weekend!
