General Spiritual Director
Celebrating Turning the Wheel of Dharma Day and the Birthday of our Spiritual Guide
Jun 4, 2026
Turning the Wheel of Dharma DAy and the birthday of our spiritual guide
One day, two special celebrations
Today, June 4th, is Dharmachakra Day — Turning the Wheel of Dharma Day — one of the most precious days in our Kadampa calendar.
On this day we hold two celebrations in our hearts as one.
We celebrate the immeasurable kindness of Buddha Shakyamuni, who at the request of the gods Brahma and Indra, gave his very first teaching — the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths — in the Deer Park at Sarnath in India. Because of Buddha's limitless compassion in turning the Wheel of Dharma in this world, countless living beings over two and a half thousand years have been guided away from suffering and toward pure and everlasting happiness. It is only because of Buddha's example and his teachings that we now have the methods to attain full enlightenment.
Unsurpassed Kindness
And on this same precious day, we celebrate the birthday of our dear Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche — through whose extraordinary kindness those methods have been made available to each and every one of us.
You who take on the great responsibility of caring in every way for the doctrine and migrators,
Giving to everyone equally, without discrimination, the precious opportunity to accomplish one's own purpose and the purpose of others;
O Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka
Please remain at my heart forever,
So that all directions will be pervaded by your matchless, excellent deeds.
— Request to the Holy Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso from his Faithful Disciples
Although all living beings receive the benefits of Buddha's loving kindness, it is only through a qualified Spiritual Teacher that they can be directly guided. This is why today, on Venerable Geshe-la's birthday, we can reflect on our immeasurable good fortune to have met him.
Through his tireless dedication and compassionate vision, Venerable Geshe-la kept the pure Buddhadharma alive — making them fresh, clear, and fully accessible to the people of this modern world. Through the twenty-three books he wrote, the teachings he gave, and the New Kadampa Tradition he founded and built, he ensured that everyone, everywhere, has the opportunity to practice the precious Kadam Lamrim of Sutra and Tantra. He has given us everything we need to attain enlightenment in this one life. Where can we find greater kindness than this?
In this beautiful teaching, Venerable Geshe-la explains how the instructions of Kadam Lamrim bring together all of Buddha's teachings of Sutra and Tantra into a single, integrated practice — and how, by following these instructions, we can experience our daily life itself as a pure land.
