General Spiritual Director
Creating opportunities to meet Dharma
Jun 22, 2026
Keep the Inspiration Alive
Spring Post-Festival Retreats 2026
The International Spring Festival is a precious opportunity to receive teachings and empowerments from Gen-la Khyenrab. We can then deepen this experience after the Festival by spending time in retreat, improving our understanding of the teachings, and taking their meaning to heart.
BUDDHA AMITAYUS EMPOWERMENT
Teachings on the Eight Verses of Training the Mind
WITH GEN-LA KELSANG KHYENRAB
We also have the opportunity to meet and be part of a diverse, international community from all walks of life. People of every age and background are welcome to attend the Festivals, and no prior experience is necessary.
At the Festivals, we see the teachings in action everywhere we look—people living together harmoniously, listening and meditating in the temple; children of many nationalities playing together; volunteers working joyfully side by side; and the pure example set by the teachers leading the Festival.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME
BUDDHA AMITAYUS EMPOWERMENT
Teachings on the Eight Verses of Training the Mind
WITH GEN-LA KELSANG KHYENRAB
We also have the opportunity to meet and be part of a diverse, international community from all walks of life. People of every age and background are welcome to attend the Festivals, and no prior experience is necessary.
At the Festivals, we see the teachings in action everywhere we look—people living together harmoniously, listening and meditating in the temple; children of many nationalities playing together; volunteers working joyfully side by side; and the pure example set by the teachers leading the Festival.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Continue your Spring spiritual holiday with these post-Festival retreats — a precious opportunity to deepen and extend your Festival experience and keep the inspiration alive.
Post-Festival Retreats 2026
Kailash International Retreat Center ~ Switzerland
May 28 – June 2
How to become Invulnerable
with Gen-la Kelsang Khyenrab, Resident Teacher of Tara KIRC and retired General Spiritual Director of the NKT
During this retreat, Gen-la Khyenrab will guide us in meditations on transforming adverse conditions based on meditations from “New Eight Steps of Happiness”. To support this inner training, we will also engage once a day in the powerful meditation practice of Buddha Amitayus – the Buddha of long life, wisdom and good fortune.
Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre ~ UK
28 May – 3 Jun
Finding the Source of True Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Rabten, National Spiritual Director for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia and Resident Teacher of KMC Australia and KMC Melbourne.
Based on teachings from the Spring Festival 2026, Gen Rabten will guide a week retreat on developing authentic love and compassion ~ the actual method for discovering lasting happiness. The beautiful and blessed surroundings of Madhyamaka KMC offer the perfect environment to take these teachings to heart and develop a personal experience of this practice in the company of Kadampa family and friends. Shuttle bus available from Manjushri KMC.
Heruka Kadampa Meditation Centre, London ~ UK
29 – 31 May
Inner Stability in Challenging Times
with Gen Kelsang Tonglam, National Spiritual Director of Kadampa Buddhism for East Asia, and the Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Centre Hong Kong, and Kadampa Meditation Centre Taiwan..
Gen Kelsang Tonglam will lead a retreat based on the teachings and commentaries received at this Festival at Heruka KMC. During this retreat, Gen Tonglam will guide us in meditations on transforming adverse conditions. We will learn how to train our mind to respond to any difficulty with peace and positivity — strengthening both our wisdom or our compassion. In this way, we become resilient and invulnerable to challenging situations.
Kadampa Meditation Center Madrid - Spain
29 May – 1 Jun
Finding the Source of True Happiness
with Gen-la Kelsang Kunsang, Resident Teacher at Madhyamaka KMC and retired Deputy Spiritual Director of the NKT and National Spiritual Director of Suiza, Italy, South Africa and Austria.
Through these meditations, you will have the opportunity to transform life's difficulties into a path of profound inner transformation . The meditations will be based on the beautiful poem that constitutes one of the most cherished Buddhist scriptures, Training the Mind in Eight Verses , which has inspired generations of Buddhist meditators for nearly a millennium.
Kadampa Meditation Centre Barcelona ~ Spain
29 May – 2 Jun
How to Transform Daily Challenges into Inner Strength
With Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, Resident Teacher at Manjushri KMC and General Spiritual Director of the NKT.
Based on teachings from the Spring Festival at Manjushri KMC, Gen-la Jampa will guide a short retreat focused on transforming the challenges and difficulties of daily life into meaningful opportunities to develop authentic love, compassion, and discover true and lasting happiness.
Internatonal Kadampa Retreat Center Menorca ~ Spain
5 - 7 June
The Source of True Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Dargyey, Resident Teacher at KMC Madrid.
On this occasion, Gen Kelsang Dargyey will guide us in meditation practices that enable us to transform all the problems and challenges of our daily life into opportunities to develop genuine love and compassion, based on the teachings we will receive at the 2026 NKT–IKBU Spring Festival.
tharpaland kadampa meditation center ~ Germany
29 May – 2 Jun
Steps to Happiness
With Gen Kelsang Devi, Resident Teacher of KMC Switzerland and Kailash IKRC
Gen Devi will guide us through meditation practices of the ancient and best-loved Buddhist teaching “Eight Verses of Training the Mind”, which reveals essential methods to transform the problems and difficulties of our daily life into opportunities for developing authentic love and compassion, and for finding true and lasting happiness.
Nagarjuna Kadampa Meditation Centre, Thornby Hall ~ UK
29 – 31 May
Eight Steps to Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Chogka Resident Teacher at KMC Spain, National Spiritual Director of Spain and Portugal
Train in developing a loving heart. Through meditation, we can experience a deepening of our compassionate purpose. This short retreat will be based on the teachings from the International NKT-IKBU Spring Festival.
Tara International Kadampa Retreat Centre ~ UK
29 May – 5 Jun
Long life, Wisdom and Good Fortune
With Kadam Morten Clausen is the Eastern US National Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center New York City.
Kadam Morten Clausen will lead a retreat based on the teachings and commentaries received at this Festival. During this retreat, Kadam Morten will guide us in meditations on transforming adverse conditions. We will learn how to train our mind to respond to any difficulty with peace and positivity.
Kadampa Meditation Center Spain
29 – 31 May
A Long Life, Full of Merit and Happiness
With Gen Kelsang Lochani, Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center Barcelona
During this retreat, you will have the opportunity to internalize the blessings received at the Festival and deepen your practice of Amitayus, in order to purify obstacles to long life and accumulate the merit needed to sustain a meaningful life dedicated to Dharma. With his help, we will experience deep calm, health, and mental clarity—essential for our spiritual progress.
Kadampa Meditation Center France
2 – 7 Jun
Post-spring festival retreat 2026
With Gen Kelsang Tonglam, National Spiritual Director of Kadampa Buddhism in East Asia and the Resident Teacher at the Kadampa Meditation Centers in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Buddha Amitayus is the embodiment of the life force, merit, and wisdom of all Buddhas. By relying on him through the The Yoga of Buddha Amitayus sadhana, we receive special blessings to temporarily increase our lifespan, merit, and wisdom. Ultimately, this practice will enable us to accomplish immeasurable long life, the vajra body, immeasurable merit, enlightenment, and immeasurable wisdom, clear light.
