General Spiritual Director
Making time for retreat
May 13, 2026
The New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union is continually creating Temples and Kadampa Meditation Centres internationally; fulfilling Venerable Geshe-las wish to have a Kadampa Temple in every city in the world!
A qualified shrine is the heart of every Kadampa Center around the world. Being an essential part of every Kadampa Temple, communities take great care to beautify and continually improve the shrines within their meditation rooms. As a result, meditation rooms become the most beautiful, relaxing and inviting spaces, open to everyone to gather, receive teachings, meditate and pray. Recently KMC Montreal, KMC Madrid, KMC Metz, and KMC Lancaster undertook renovation work on their shrines.
The stunning new metal Buddha Shakyamuni statue created at the Kadampa Art Studio first appeared at the International NKT-IKBU Summer Festival 2023.. Following the Festival Madhyamaka KMC received the news that the center would be the statue’s home. As a prototype statue for Kadampa Buddhist Centers worldwide, it seemed appropriate that this precious statue would be coming to Madhyamaka KMC, the first Kadampa Center opened by Venerable Geshe-la, back in 1986.
Throughout the Kadampa world learning the essential lineage of Buddhist sacred art and ritual skills continues, with new generations of practitioners taking their first steps in learning to paint Buddha images or craft traditional Buddhist tormas.
KMC Philadelphia’s new commercial space received qualified Buddha statues from the Kadampa Art Studio in the UK. With the new shrine, the space became even more beautiful and welcoming. Shortly after this, guest Teacher Gen Demo, Resident Teacher at KMC Washington DC, gave the empowerment of Buddha Maitreya, the first in-person empowerment in three years.
After months of dedicated work by the artists at Kadampa Art Studio, a new metal statue prototype for Kadampa Centres worldwide is nearing completion. Through the meticulous processes of bronze casting, welding, chasing, and sanding, the prototype is on the verge of entering the finishing room for its final stage of painting.
In a converted shipping container next to the Kadampa Art Studio at Manjushri KMC, two skilled Kadampa artists are quietly manufacturing a prototype of the next generation of statues, which will be made of metal rather than polyurethane.
Tharpaland Kadampa Meditation Center recently embarked on a project to replace the garmants of Je Tsongkhapa and his Sons.
Kadampa Art Studio at Manjushri KMC is aglow with beautiful statues and other artwork being prepared for the new temple in Mexico City due to be opened on April 6, 2023.
