Sangha Traveling to Receive Blessings
Sangha members received empowerments of Buddha Shakyamuni in Atlanta, Green Tara in Girona, Prajnaparamita in Porto, and Avalokiteshvara in Toluca, Mexico.
Desire to receive blessings
Distance Was Not an Obstacle
This September saw many students traveling to receive empowerments: Portuguese and Spanish practitioners converged on Porto, Barcelona Sangha drove to Girona, and Southeastern U.S. members crossed states to reach Atlanta. Across four countries, distance wasn’t a barrier to practitioners enjoying teachings and empowerments.
Blissful gathering from across four states
Buddha Shakyamuni Empowerment
This past weekend, the Kadampa community gathered to enjoy a peaceful and joyful blessing empowerment of Buddha Shakyamuni at KMC Georgia. Gen Kelsang Dechok, Resident Teacher in Atlanta, granted the empowerment, then gave commentary on the Liberating Prayer and guided a short retreat. Gen Kelsang Norbu, Resident Teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina, gave a Friday night introduction and a pre-empowerment meditation.
Participants gathered from around the region, including other parts of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity through the kindness of our Spiritual Guide, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Sangha gathering in Spain
The Blessings of Green Tara Come to Girona
The Sangha of KMC Girona in Spain came together for a beautiful and joyful weekend, receiving the blessing empowerment of Green Tara - a precious opportunity to connect with the powerful blessings of this beloved Buddha and allow them to ripen the seed of Buddhahood within the mind.
Sixty-five practitioners gathered in a spirit of harmony and shared happiness, with many members of the Kadampa family from Barcelona joining the Girona community for this special occasion. It was a truly meaningful event, filled with warmth, gratitude, and the deep sense of joy that comes from receiving Buddha's blessings together as a Sangha.
Development of Kadam Dharma in Portugal
Porto welcomes Buddha Prajnaparamita
The Portuguese Sangha did not want to miss this very special moment. To take part in this empowerment, members of the Sangha traveled from different parts of Portugal and Spain to share a day full of meaning, joy, and inspiration.
It was a day of encounters, connection, and so many memorable moments.
After days of preparation, Kelsang Gyalten opened the event by guiding a meditation to generate a good heart of love. Gen Rigden granted the Empowerment of Buddha Prajnaparamita, through which we learned a method to overcome obstacles in our daily lives.
Porto thus begins a new year of activities, with a reunited Sangha, inspired and full of strength to make Dharma flourish.
May this be just the beginning.
renunciation, bodhichitta, and the correct view of emptiness
Special Blessings of Buddha Avalokiteshvara
On September 5 and 6 at Toluca KBC, Mexico, we experienced a wonderful weekend of Dharma teachings and special blessings of Buddha Avalokiteshvara - a precious opportunity to draw closer to compassion and plant the seed of love for all living beings in our minds.
During these two days, we explored three essential aspects of the spiritual path: renunciation, bodhichitta, and the correct view of emptiness.
Through renunciation, we come to understand that as long as we remain trapped in samsara, we will continue to experience suffering - and from this arises a sincere wish in our hearts to attain liberation.
By contemplating that all living beings are subject to these same sufferings, life after life, we can develop profound bodhichitta: the wish to attain enlightenment in order to benefit and liberate all beings.
Finally, through the correct view of emptiness, we learn to understand the true nature of things. With this view, we can engage in the practice of Buddha Avalokiteshvara contemplating the two truths, and deepening our experience of compassion and wisdom.
May the teachings and blessings we received continue to grow in our minds and inspire us to cultivate deeper compassion for all beings each day. Thank you to everyone who shared this precious weekend with us!
