‘Be protected. Stay Connected’, Gen-la Dekyong relayed a message she’d seen about wifi in a hotel. ‘Almost the first thing we do when we arrive somewhere is to check if there is a connection. We should be doing that with our connection to our Spiritual Guide.’

Based on a special message she had received from Venerable Geshe-la for this Festival, Gen-la’s teaching on faith in Guru Je Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden was truly inspiring. She reminded us that Geshe-la had said that if asked whether he had any realizations he would say, ‘Yes, I have faith and confidence in the Wisdom Buddha Je Tsongkhapa.’ From this faith all other realizations will come, and relying on Dorje Shugden will naturally increase our faith in Je Tsongkhapa.

There is so much pure enjoyment here at the Festival; lovely, meaningful conversations being had over lunch, in the cafes, on walks, while volunteering … whether spending time with old friends or people you’ve just met. Walking among the splendidly kept Manjushri KMC gardens, to the tune of birdsong, in the brilliant Cumbrian light, it is easy to feel that we are not far from a pure land.

In the afternoon teaching, Gen-la Dekyong began explaining how to rely on the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden based on the book Heart Jewel. She described in detail the visualization and symbolism of his body. In the evening we had the opportunity immediately to put the teaching into practice as together we practiced Wishfulfilling Jewel with tsog offering. It is a special thing to do puja with a 1000 people, dedicating these blessings to all living beings. May everyone experience such good fortune.