Commentary & retreat on Universal Compassion

Sunday July 27 – Friday August 8

Compassion is the root of a Buddha because all Buddhas arise from the mind of compassion; it is the root of Dharma because Buddhas give Dharma teachings out of compassion for others; and it is the root of Sangha because it is impossible to become Sangha without practising compassion. ’ – Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Compassion is the heart of Buddhism. As we improve our compassion, we reduce the harmful states of mind that continually disturb our inner peace and that cause suffering to both ourself and others. With compassion we can transform all the difficulties we encounter in daily life into opportunities to enrich our lives and eventually attain lasting inner peace and happiness.

Venerable Geshe Kelsang will explain special instructions for generating compassion presented by the ancient Kadampa Masters, such as Bodhisattva Chekhawa in his Training the Mind in Seven Points. Immediately after the teachings there will be an opportunity to engage in meditation retreat.

This is the best way to gain a deep and genuine experience of the meaning of the teachings and follows the tradition established by the ancient Kadampas.

The emphasis throughout the Festival will be on presenting practical guidance on how to integrate whatever understanding we gain into our daily life so that we can deal more effectively with our everyday problems and difficulties.