Today many hundreds of monks and nuns gathered in the temple at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre for the Spring Festival Ordination Ceremony with Gen-la Jampa, with nine new Ordained Sangha appearing.

The sun is shining and it's a delightfully warm English spring day. All day people stream in to Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in the Lake District - on coaches, in cars, by foot and in taxis. As new arrivals head to registration and get oriented, simultaneously preparations continue for the Festival to run smoothly in every area.

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 Ceremony of Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Long Life.

It's another beautiful day at the Festival. It's warm and sunny, and the atmosphere is happy, relaxed and very blessed. We start the day with beautiful Amitayus prayers and this is followed by a series of extraordinary teachings from Gen-la Khyenrab giving deep insight into the practice alongside practical teachings from The New Eight Steps to Happiness.

Over two sessions today Gen-la Khyenrab completes the teachings, sharing oral instructions and Geshe-la's essential teachings on the Eight Verses of Training the Mind originally composed almost 1000 years ago.

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, emphasising developing cherishing love and compassion.

The temple is full of dedicated practitioners from around the world meditating in two final sessions on deepening our mind of compassion until it transforms into the compassion of a Buddha. In this way we awaken our Buddha nature - wishing to attain Enlightenment for all living beings.