General Spiritual Director
Bonus Bulletin 8 July
Jul 8, 2026
NKT-IKBU International Spring Festival 2026 diaries
Day 5 ~ The Happiness Paradox
When we want others to be happy and stop trying to make ourself happy, we are happy
Kadampa Festivals always conclude with a short but powerful retreat on the teachings we have received. Gen-la Sangden guides us to clear objects of meditation, emphasizing developing cherishing love and compassion. She helps us to take to heart the meaning of the teachings we have received and to really try to turn our minds into self-less cherishing. She reminds us that Venerable Geshe-la once said we should be careful not to 'cherish others selfishly', with expectations and conditions.
This pure love makes us happy and the paradox is that having shifted our focus from self to others, in the process letting go of our obsessive self concern, we find what we have been looking for all along: real peace and happiness.
Retreat with Gen-la Sangden ~ What does it mean to cherish others?
A time for reflection
Love protects us from negative minds and actions, so as a result we are much happier and free from inner pain. As it says in the contemplation, we have worked for ourself for so long trying to find happiness and what do we have to show for it? We are still suffering. So in these wisdom meditations we decide to try something different and decide with all our heart to work for others. The feeling of cherishing others is itself a deeply happy mind.
During the retreat everything becomes a little quieter at the Festival. There is gentle alternation between hour long retreat sessions and resting and reflecting between them. People take time to walk in the woods, to sit in the shade enjoying the company of Sangha friends, or to gaze out across the sands and waters of Morecambe Bay.
There is an inner and outer harmony which we savor for the final full day of festival.
