The temple is full of joyful chatter, then the quiet lull that comes before Gen-la Dekyong enters and the prayers begin, bringing us all together. At the front of the temple is a special shrine with a powerful, meditative Buddha Shakyamuni presiding over the festival.
There is a mixture of joy and excitement in the air as Kadampa’s start arriving at the festival site from every corner of the world. The sun is shining and everywhere you look there is kindness in action as the final touches to the festival are put in place and volunteers take up their stations to make the magic of festival happen.
After a wonderful Festival with teachings and meditations on Arya Tara, and with many post-festival retreats on Tara underway, we thought it would be a great time to re-show this beautiful video about Tara.
The conclusion of the 2022 Fall Festival gives us a chance to look back over this truly inspiring week. Click on the links below to see the full Festival diary for each day.
As the 2022 International Fall Festival draws to a close we conclude with a very special dedication.
The program for the International Festivals designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche is in three stages – empowerment, commentary and retreat. Yesterday morning, Gen-la Dekyong concluded the second stage with a truly inspiring teaching. Then in the afternoon Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, Deputy Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU, began the third stage, leading the retreat sessions.
If we could take away only one thing from this Festival, Gen-la’s presentation of Venerable Geshe-la’s ‘play’ about turning towards Tara would be a great choice. It encapsulates the very essence of the Festival, and especially the power of faith in Guru Tara.
The Temple and grounds yesterday radiated golden light. Inside, the light of the Dharma of Gen-la’s teachings filled our hearts, while outside the light of the sun Illuminated the trees.
As we entered the Temple to receive the empowerment of Mother Tara, Gen-la’s presence on the throne was so reassuring. As she manifestly fulfilled Venerable Geshe-la’s wish of continuing his work, we experienced a feeling of continuity rather than discontinuity. Venerable Geshe-la was there with us!
Bathed in the golden rays of the autumn sun, the stunning foliage at KMC New York afforded a warm welcome to the hundreds of visitors arriving for the 2022 International Fall Festival. People from literally all over the world gathered for this auspicious event, meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
General Spiritual Director
