General Spiritual Director
Spring Festival 2026 Day 3
May 25, 2026
events from all corners of the world
Centers around the world organized a variety of special events this month, sharing the joy of meditation and the inspiration of Kadam Dharma in their local communities. Here Compassion KMC in Newcastle, Akshobya KBC in the far north of Canada and Mahamudra KBC in Uruguay.
A MEANINGFUL DAY OF WISDOM AND COMPASSION IN NEWCASTLE, UK
On 9 November 2025 Gen Norden taught a powerful day course on Death and Dying: how to make our understanding of our mortality meaningful, how to prepare for our own death and how to help others who are dying.
At lunchtime the family of Kevin Coates (Compassion Centre’s volunteer treasurer for over 25 years), came to the center to surprise him, and we all celebrated his 80th birthday together. He has been a welcoming and friendly presence for many of us over the years and he thanked Compassion Centre for being here for him throughout all that time.
This was a meaningful day where many people of all ages gathered together and celebrated someone who has acted as a backbone of Compassion Kadampa Meditation Centre for many years. Thank you Kevin!
Akshobya KBC Opens Northernmost Branch in the World
Akshobya Kadampa Buddhist Centre, based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, opened a new Yellowknife branch on a most auspicious day: International Temples Day, 2025. Located in the Northwest Territories at 62.5 degrees North, Yellowknife is now the northernmost branch in the world.
Resident Teacher, Kelsang Khacho, gave a public talk on Thursday evening, October 30th, followed by a half day course on Saturday, November 1st that officially opened the new branch. Akshobya KBC’s catchment area is Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and Northwest Territories.
Kelsang Khacho’s public talk was titled Finding Peace: Meditation, Inner Peace & Happiness. The twenty one people who attended were rewarded with a powerful experience of meditation and clear instructions on how to find inner peace from Geshe-la’s book, How to Transform Your Life. People stayed afterwards for quite some time to ask questions to deepen their understanding.
On Friday, we received a grand tour of Yellowknife from a long time KMC Ottawa practitioner who had moved from Ottawa to Yellowknife a couple years ago. On Saturday, Kelsang Khacho taught a half day course to thirty attendees titled Letting Go of Anxiety & Worry using the book How to Solve Our Human Problems. With a population a little under 20,000, one in every 650 people came!
Books and Living Meditation download cards flew off the Tharpa display table, going home with many people that afternoon.
Several people signed up for remote memberships which we styled after KMC Aberdeen’s program that was featured on Kadampa News when they opened a Shetland Islands branch not too long ago. One woman rowed her boat from her house barge on Great Slave Lake amidst strong winds and big waves to be able to attend on Saturday. A dog sled tour company owner drove to the venue as there was only a wee bit of snow on the ground.
Low clouds covered Yellowknife during our visit until Saturday morning when sun and blue sky appeared. Kelsang Khacho taught the blue sky meditation that afternoon.
That night, we were gifted with a grand display of the Aurora Borealis dancing in the night sky, encouraging us to return soon.
MAHAMUDRA KBC ORGANIzED MEDITATIon BY THE SEA IN MONTEVIDEO
Mahamudra KBC in Uruguay organized a wonderful teaching and meditation session on the beach in Montevideo with their Resident Teacher, Kelsang Sheyang. Forty-three people joined to enjoy the sunshine, share 'mate' and cakes, and, most importantly, cultivate peaceful minds through meditation.
