Summer Festival 2026 Festival Review

Today is a special day in our Kadampa calendar. It is the Summer Festival 2026 ordination ceremony and the Temple is filled with the international community of ordained Sangha and 9 new ordainees who are receiving ordination from Gen-la Khyenrab.

A Festival appears! People are happy to arrive: for some a joyful reunion with this blessed place, for others their very first visit, delighted to be here.

The first full day of the festival starts with a very peaceful morning meditation. The temple is full of happy campers and Kadampas enjoying the opportunity to meditate in a great assembly.

The day begins with a morning meditation on the first Lamrim meditation that we learned about yesterday, the preciousness of our human life. Using the Festival teachings and Venerable Geshe-la's words to help us to contemplate the purpose of the meditation which is to encourage us to take the real meaning of our human lives through practicing Dharma purely and sincerely.

Gen-la Sangden helps us to take to heart Venerable Geshe-la's advice that during this spiritual holiday we should learn how to make ourselves happy and that cherishing others is the method for doing this.

After three wonderful days of teachings on Lamrim there are now two days of retreat to contemplate the essential meditations we have received and to meditate on them from the heart.

During our Lamrim retreat, both in and out of the meditation sessions, thousands of people are applying joyful effort to abide in this inner Lamrim Pure Land. Every appearance becomes an opportunity to train in Dharma. Pure happiness arises from wisdom, and wisdom arises through practising pure Dharma teachings. In this way, we gradually come to abide in the Pure Land of Lamrim.

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.  

There are over 3,350 people here for Week 2, a wonderful gathering of Kadampa practitioners happy to have the opportunity to receive the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments from our General Spiritual Director, Gen-la Jampa.

The preparations for the Heruka empowerment that we engaged in last night help us remain mindful of the coming empowerment, keeping our minds blessed and protected. As a result, when we enter the Temple for the actual empowerment, we are ready to engage with it deeply. There is a great feeling of happiness in actually receiving the blessings of the empowerment, giving us the opportunity to draw closer to Buddha Heruka, the embodiment of Buddha's compassion.

The Temple has been completely transformed overnight in preparation for the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment of Vajrayogini. A stunning, newly created metal statue of Vajrayogini rises majestically from within the empowerment shrine.

Gen-la Jampa's teachings are both joyful and direct. He shares his deep love and appreciation of Tantric practice with great power and sincerity as he takes us on a journey through the 11 Yogas of Vajrayogini practice in conjunction with the book Modern Buddhism.

Throughout the festival so many meetings take place. First and foremost we meet as an International Kadampa Sangha, a spiritual familiy that stretches around the world. We have an opportunity to experience the International Union of Kadampa Centers and communities that Venerable Geshe-la describes as one of the most important functions of the Festival.

"I believe people are important and very special." Venerable Geshe-la. Gen-la Jampa shares deeply moving advice from Venerable Geshe-la, encouraging us to believe that all the beings around us are pure and holy. Rather than focusing on their faults, we should look only at their good qualities. Then, love and respect for others will arise naturally.

Gen Gomlam starts the retreat by helping everyone to make a strong determination to prevent distractions, reminding us of Geshe-la's words so that we think, 'I will not allow the clouds of distraction to prevent the sun of my Dharma practice from shining."

In the final retreat sessions, we enjoy engaging in the blessed practice of The Blissful Path, which we have all come to love. Gen Gomlam encourages us to keep Venerable Geshe-la at our hearts throughout, and to try never to do anything without him. She wishes everyone a wonderful year of Tantric practice. We conclude our meditations by radiating love and letting the sun of our Dharma practice shine out to all living beings.

We have been in another world for two wonderful weeks. A world rich in Dharma, kindness and community. On the final morning we gather together for Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers. The Temple is full in every direction with dedicated Kadampas wishing to give thanks for all they have received. Together we recite the blessed prayers and feel in the living presence of Venerable Geshe-la.