Summer Festival Diaries 2009

Day 15 - A Living Tradition for World Peace

Having the good fortune to receive precious instructions from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso on how to swiftly solve our human problems we now the opportunity to put Kadam Dharma into practise.

The Summer Festival, like every Kadampa Festival, plants virtuous seeds in the hearts of all that attend.

By applying these instructions in our daily life we can impact the lives of our family members, people at work and in our community – how wonderful.

Just as our lives have been changed by Kadam Dharma we can now share these rare yet practical methods to benefit many people throughout the world.

Geshe-la’s pure intention to build a centre in every city in the world works towards creating world peace. And everyone is welcome to play a part in this extraordinary vision.

Retreat
On the final day of the retreat, Gen-la Kelsang Khyenrab impressed upon us the importance of applying effort to gain familiarity with the self-generation practice of the Heruka body mandala.

Gen-la reminded us of the preliminary practices explained by Venerable Geshe-la earlier in the week – training in going for refuge, renunciation, bodhichitta and the correct view of emptiness. In all five sessions of the day we were encouraged to contemplate our current situation – we may be free from suffering but inevitably we will experience sickness, ageing and death.

If we don’t attain liberation in this life we will definitely take another uncontrolled rebirth. Realising this many Kadampas were motivated to train their mind and were moved by the determination – ‘I will liberate myself and all living beings from suffering permanently, I can do this by receiving Buddha’s blessings, help from Sangha and putting Dharma into practise.’

Gen-la impressed upon us that if we don’t attain liberation in this life we will definitely take another rebirth contaminated with sickness, ageing and death.

When we contemplate this from the depths of our hearts it motivates us to attain enlightenment, permanent inner peace by going for refuge to the Three Jewels.

Quote of the day

Our effort should be like water in a wide river, gently flowing day and night, year after year.

Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso


Heart of Wisdom is my favourite book, it’s amazing how Geshe-la describes emptiness in words. For me it’s indescribable but it’s in my heart.

Peter, Germany

This is my first visit to Manjushri KMC and when I first entered the Temple I was overwhelmed and immediately relaxed. There are many things that have led me here and when I entered the Temple I knew I ended up in the right place.

Melissa, New York

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