US Festival 2024 ~ The first time at the IKRC Grand Canyon
Sep 30, 2024
The 2021 Summer Festival was remarkable in so many ways. It is as if we have experienced a modern miracle. A global community of over 6,000 people came together virtually to enjoy the very essence of modern Kadam Dharma, including for the first time ever, the HIghest Yoga Tantra empowerments of Heruka and Vajrayogini transmitted online.
Yesterday, thousands of people around the world came together to meditate for world peace. We meditated on a peace that for most people is impossible even to imagine – the deep peace of Guru Heruka’s mind.
Yesterday, with two extraordinary teachings on Heruka body mandala, Gen-la Jampa’s teachings drew to a close. Teachings that, though extremely profound, were presented in such a practical way that everyone felt empowered and eager to engage in the practice.
Yesterday Gen-la completed a brief, essential commentary to Vajrayogini and began an equally powerful and inspiring commentary to the practice of Heruka body mandala based on the sadhana The Yoga of Buddha Heruka. The day concluded with a powerful worldwide Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja, with a special dedication to the long life of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Yesterday, Gen-la Jampa began a series of six teachings as brief commentaries to the practices of Heruka and Vajrayogini. The teachings on the practice of Vajrayogini yesterday felt like another empowerment! Faithfully following the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Gen-la’s instructions were extraordinarily clear and profound.
Following the extraordinary empowerment of Heruka body mandala, yesterday Gen-la Jampa granted the empowerment of Venerable Vajrayogini in her sindhura mandala. There are no words!
Yesterday was a very special day in many ways, with 6,000 people in 70 countries receiving the empowerment of Heruka body mandala granted online for the very first time. It is almost impossible to find words to describe this extraordinary day.
As Gen-la Jampa said yesterday, the first day of the empowerments, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche has an extraordinary ability to transform the unusual situation in the world today into an opportunity for more and more people to meet Kadam Dharma and feel its beneficial influence in their lives.
In Week 2 of the Festival we will receive the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments of Heruka & Vajrayogini and commentary to the practice from Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, NKT-IKBU Deputy Spiritual Director. Through receiving these empowerments and teachings we will be introduced to the very essence of Kadampa Buddhism and the quick path to enlightenment.