General Spiritual Director
Bonus Bulletin 8 July
Jul 8, 2026
Short and longer retreats in January
A Simple but Meaningful Start to the Year
Following Venerable Geshe-la’s advice, to make progress on our spiritual path, we can engage in short and sometimes longer retreats. Here are some retreats offered this month by Kadampa centers.
Blissful January short Retreats at KMC Valencia
Our Sangha at KMC Valencia, Spain recently enjoyed two inspiring weekend retreats. One, held at our cherished Centre, focused on prayers to Guru Buddha Amitayus for long life, merit, and wisdom, while the other, at Abadía San Jose, centred on the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls. Both retreats were guided by our Resident Teacher, Kelsang Thaye, creating blissful and deeply meaningful experiences.
We are so grateful for the kindness and guidance of our precious Guru, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
purification retreat at abadia san jose (valencia - Spain)
amitayus retreat at kmc valencia
special close retreat IN SOUTH AFRICA
With the profound blessings of our most kind Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe-la, and under the skilful guidance of our Resident Teacher, Gen Mila, we successfully completed a Guru Yoga retreat on the practice of Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka.
To close this retreat we engaged in the Vajradaka Burning Offering practice.
This retreat offered practitioners a precious opportunity to deepen their practice, purify negative karma, and accumulate extensive merit.
All the blessings and good fortune generated during this retreat have been dedicated for the flourishing of Kadam Dharma throughout the world and for the removal of all obstacles to benefitting countless beings.
We offer heartfelt thanks to Venerable Geshe-la for making this retreat possible and to Gen Mila for her inspiring teachings and guidance.
Five-Day Retreat on Taking and Giving in Athens
The new year began with clarity and inspiration in Athens, as Sangha friends and visitors gathered for a five-day retreat in our city centre space. Guided by James Longridge, we explored the stages of a qualified meditation on Taking and Giving, a practice close to all our hearts.
This auspicious retreat created strong spiritual imprints and meaningful intentions to carry throughout 2026.
Four-Day Mahamudra Retreat at KMC DC
We had a wonderful four‑day retreat with Guest Teacher Gen Kelsang Demo, who is the US Midwestern National Spiritual Director. Gen Demo shared very clear, inspiring teachings and guided meditations on Buddha’s profound Mahamudra instructions—from understanding the nature of our mind and the wisdom of emptiness to the union of great bliss and emptiness.
During the retreat breaks, Sangha members joyfully engaged in ritual preparation, temple cleaning, and other acts of cherishing as an expression of gratitude for the precious teachings and for the peaceful environment of our World Peace Temple in DC. We were also treated to delicious vegetarian meals lovingly prepared by our dedicated volunteers.
