General Spiritual Director
Day 7 ~ Free Day
Jul 31, 2026
Everyone Welcome
Welcome to the 2nd Week of the Summer Festival
Free Day
Enjoying the Beauty of the Lake district
It's the free day - a day that is by turns a day of rest, recreation, arrival and preparation.
Many people who are here for the whole Festival head out for an adventure into the beautiful Lake district, with its stunning mountains, charming towns and picturesque lakes.
This enables people to enjoy this beautiful area and creates an important connection between the Festival and nearby local towns. There is time for family, time for Sangha, time to catch up on things and time to be alone or rest.
New Arrivals
Welcome to Week 2 of the Festival!
Meanwhile eight buses arrive at Manjushri Centre, together with people arriving in cars, by train directly from Manchester airport, in taxis, on bikes and on foot, bringing thousands more people who have come to enjoy week 2 of the Festival.
Many people continue to volunteer so that everyone can get registered, fed and settled in.
Work Together for World Peace
Wonderful Things Appearing
Around the Festival site, new and wonderful things are appearing. There is a huge banner of Venerable Geshe-la with his words encouraging us to unify and work together for world peace. Other inspiring banners also appear: announcing the Modern Buddhism Meditation App soon to be available in 5 languages, and Kadampa Tours - a program of public talks around the world taking place in 2027. The shop is restocked and new statues arrive.
A New Appearance
A Beautiful Heruka Shrine is Appearing in the Temple
A beautiful Heruka shrine is prepared in the Temple, ready for the Heruka empowerment, with loving care and attention to detail from a team of dedicated Kadampas, some of whom have been working on the actual statue, newly created for the Festival, for many months in the Art Studio. In front of Heruka they arrange a blissful array of flowers, cloths, jewels and delightful offerings.
In the evening the Resident Teachers gather for the NKT AGM in the Temple and listen to an inspiring overview of all the activities of the International Temples Project taking place around the world.
By evening the Festival site is full, and once again there is an air of anticipation looking forward to the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments and to enjoying Dharma in the midst of our International Kadampa Sangha family.
