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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Behind the scenes, every corner of the Mother Centre is alive with joyful activity as everyone prepares to welcome visitors with warmth and care. All areas are working at full capacity, filled with a spirit of dedication and cheerful effort.
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On the final day of teachings, Gen-la Dekyong gave us even more extraordinary Dharma jewels. Like a mother, she holds nothing back, sharing the most profound explanations and inspiring us to treasure and practice them.
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