Summer Festival 2025 Day 2

Kadampa-Summer-Festival-2025-–-Buddha-Green-Tara-Merged-2x

JUL 25 - AUG 9, 2025

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International Summer Festival 2025 diaries

Our International Kadampa Summer Festival 2025 begins in earnest in the most wonderful way, with a day dedicated to contemplating the deep meaning of refuge, culminating in a beautiful, extremely blessed and powerful refuge ceremony.

Day 2 ~ Receiving the Blessings of Refuge

The true protection given by compassion with Gen-la Jampa

Altogether 2,855 people from around the world received or renewed their refuge vows, with over 1600 in the Temple and the rest joining online from many different countries across the globe.

What extraordinary collective karma to create - firmly planting our faith in the genuine inner protection that Dharma offers us. Turning to Buddha as our ultimate refuge and feeling the refuge and protection of our spiritual family, the international Kadampa Sangha.

Guided meditation with Gen Tonglam

The day begins with a clear meditation guided by Gen Tonglam on the benefits of listening to Dharma, preparing us to listen well so we can enjoy the inner wealth of Dharma realisations. Then Gen-la Jampa's shares illuminating and inspiring teachings given by Venerable Geshe-la in 1994 on the meaning of going for refuge. How in reality everyone is seeking refuge, longing for freedom from physical suffering and mental pain, but they mainly seek refuge in the wrong places, or in very temporary solutions. As a result although human technology is always increasing our world is in reality becoming more dangerous.

The conclusion is that we need to find refuge from a different source, in particular by gaining actual Dharma realisations, which are stable and unmistaken experiences of virtuous objects that directly protect us from suffering. Such as the inner realisations of patience, contentment, compassion and wisdom. These destroy the main cause of suffering which is our own un-peaceful, deluded minds.

REFUGE: the gateway through which we enter Buddhism

Going for refuge is the root of the spiritual path, the gateway through which we enter Buddhism and the foundation for gaining all other spiritual realisations.

Understanding this in the afternoon session we make extensive offerings to Buddha Shakyamuni and recite many beautiful prayers before being guided through the refuge vows by Gen-la Jampa.

Finally we dedicate this vast collection of merit to the flourishing of these teachings for the ultimate benefit of all living beings, so everyone has an opportunity to find real refuge from within and be released from suffering. With a compassionate motivation we intend the karma we have created on this extraordinary day so that all the problems of the world can cease and there can be an abiding peace in the world.