General Spiritual Director
Ordination Day – Summer Festival 2026
Jul 24, 2026
A Blessed New Life
Ordination Day - Summer Festival 2026
Today is a special day in our Kadampa calendar. It is the Summer Festival ordination ceremony and the Temple is filled with the international community of ordained Sangha and 9 new ordainees.
In his role as the ordaining preceptor, Gen-la Khyenrab gave advice based on the teachings Venerable Geshe-la had given during previous ordination talks. He reminded everyone of the deep purpose of receiving and keeping the ordination vows and way of life. He explained how it benefits both those receiving ordination by making it simpler to lead a pure life, and how it has great potential to benefit others through the development and flourishing of Dharma in the world.
At the heart of the practice of ordination are the three higher trainings, becoming beautiful from the inside out by keeping pure moral discipline, finding peace and happiness through the practice of concentration or meditation and deepening our wisdom so that we will attain permanent freedom from suffering.
Having understood the good qualities of ordination, the new ordainees change three things: their minds into renunciation, their appearance, and their names. Then, having taken the vows, they are ready to impute themselves onto a newly ordained person with a new name.
In this way 9 new Sangha are born!
There is a very peaceful and joyful atmosphere in the Temple following the ceremony. There is great rejoicing in the new ordainees and we wish them long, happy lives as ordained Sangha.
