Spring Festival 2026 Day 2

NKT-IKBU International Spring Festival 2026 diaries

Day 2 ~ Recieving the Blessings of Buddha Amitayus

O Protector Amitayus, born from a HRIH,
On a moon seat upon a thousand-petalled lotus,
With a vermilion colour like a young rising sun
Covered with a pleasing, red-yellow veil.

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To prepare for receiving the Amitayus empowerment, there is a full morning of meditation with Gen-la Kunsang. She reviews the essential points of the teachings and guides us toward the intention to benefit others, not only ourselves. In her words, this intention is magical and very beautiful because it leads to enlightenment.

After the meditations, as people congregate over lunch and in the cafés, there is an air of anticipation, with everyone looking forward to the main event of the day: the Blessing Empowerment of Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Long Life.

In the late afternoon it is finally time. People queue up outside the Kadampa Temple patiently waiting to enter. Finally on entering we are greeted with an exquisite shrine at the center of which is a beautiful new statue of Buddha Amitayus, lovingly created by the Kadampa Art Studio in shades of red and pink, and a stunning array of flowers and other offerings filling the Temple with beautiful abundance. It's been six months since our last International Festival and it's great to be back at the first Festival of the year! For many there is the joy of returning to their spiritual home, joining in with the international community to enjoy Dharma and work together like a family to make it all possible. For others it is a new experience and a chance to deeply enrich their spiritual life.

Entering the Temple

Great Good fortune

I prostrate to you who grant the attainment of life
From a bowl brimming with the nectar of immortality
That you hold in the centre of your two hands,
As supple as the branches of a young sapling.

Gen-la Khyenrab gives powerful teachings on the importance of having a long life for both our temporary and ultimate happiness. If we lose our life, we lose our opportunity to practice Dharma. Through the practice of Amitayus, we can prolong our life, increase our inner wealth of merit, and develop our wisdom. By realizing our Buddha nature, we can achieve a deathless state of life beyond death.

Gen-la Khyenrab explains that our mind is often like a dark sky pervaded by clouds, and that when we receive special blessings, it awakens our mind and enables Dharma realizations to grow within us. You can feel this special blessed energy throughout the empowerment and sense that an inner transformation is taking place. As we generate a good motivation and are guided through the steps of the empowerment, we feel closer and closer to Buddha Amitayus, as well as to our root Guru, Venerable Geshe-la, who gives us this blessed lineage of instructions and sustains us with his blessings. In this way, we leave with a peaceful feeling of deep connection with our Spiritual Guide as Buddha Amitayus, and with the faith that he is abiding at our heart, increasing our lifespan, merit, and wisdom.

In the evening, we conclude the day with Wishfulfilling Jewel prayers in the Temple, and we experience the gentle happiness and contentment that come from remaining focused on pure things throughout the day.