General Spiritual Director
Work Day with Resident Teachers preparing for International Summer Festival
Jul 21, 2026
International Fall Festival 2025 diaries
At International Kadampa Retreat Center
Grand Canyon
Day 2 ~ Empowerment day
The day begins with two very peaceful morning meditations with Kadam Morten, where we focus on our pure potential and enjoy the blessed practice of the OM AH HUM meditation to generate a heartfelt bodhichitta intention.
We emerge from the first meditation session to discover that an extraordinary banner of our precious Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche has appeared - a visible reminder of his continual presence and of where our good fortune in being able to gather at international Festivals comes from.
"We work together with one mind, one direction, one path, one dedication."
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
enjoying the festival site with the Kadampa family
Between sessions people enjoy having time to connect with other participants in the cafes around the Festival site in these beautiful surroundings or take time for walks and meditations in the forest.
time for the empowerment
Then after lunch an exquisite array of offerings are arranged ready for the afternoon empowerment and people begin to queue up in anticipation of the special opportunity to receive Dorje Shugden's blessings.
who is Dorje shugden?
Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Deity, a Wisdom Dharma Protector. Venerable Geshe-la teaches us that Dorje Shugden is our Kadampa Buddhist Dharma Protector for modern times, and he is the synthesis of our Guru, Je Tsongkhapa; our Yidam or personal Tantric Deity, Heruka; and our Dharma Protector.
Through relying on Dorje Shugden in this special way as the unification of these holy beings we will receive their blessings through him and in particular we will receive the attainment of pacifying obstacles and gathering necessary conditions.
If we continually rely upon Dorje Shugden with faith he will care for us like a mother cares for her only child. He will guide us on the liberating path like a mother guides her children. Our spiritual power, compassion and wisdom will increase and we will make progress on the quick path to enlightenment.
what does the temple remind us of?
The empowerment itself is very clear and extremely blessed. Gen-la Dekyong guides us using Venerable Geshe-la's words and shares her deep understanding. Through her concentration, dedication and compassion, and the blessings of our root Guru and the Great Protector Dorje Shugden himself, the empowerment dispels obstacles of body, speech and mind at a profound and deep level.
At the conclusion of the empowerment there is a joyful feeling of strong connection to our Dharma Protector and a sense of deepening and renewing of heart commitments. Over dinner people continue to discuss and share stories about the power of relying on Dorje Shugden and what they enjoyed from the empowerment. Everyone is uplifted and encouraged. Thank you Gen-la Dekyong and thank you Venerable Geshe-la for all we have received. May we in turn use these blessings to benefit others.
