NKT-IKBU INTERNATIONAL
SPRING FESTIVAL 2026
MAY 22 - 27
Post Festival Retreats
The three International Festivals are precious opportunities to receive teachings and empowerments from the Gen-las, and this experience is greatly enhanced if we can spend some time after the Festival in retreat improving our understanding of the teachings and taking their meaning to heart.
Post-festival retreats are organised by Kadampa centers around the world after each of the three International Festivals. See below for details of retreats following the Spring Festival.
Kadampa Meditation Centre Barcelona
May 29 – Jun 2
How to Transform Daily Challenges into Inner Strength
With Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, Resident Teacher at KMC Los Angeles and Deputy Spiritual Director of the NKT
Based on teachings from the Spring Festival at Manjushri KMC, Gen-la Jampa will guide a short retreat focused on transforming the challenges and difficulties of daily life into meaningful opportunities to develop authentic love, compassion, and discover true and lasting happiness.
Kailash International Retreat Center
May 28 – Jun 2
How to Become Invulnerable
with Gen-la Kelsang Khyenrab, Resident Teacher of Tara KIRC and retired General Spiritual Director of the NKT
During this retreat, Gen-la Khyenrab will guide us in meditations on transforming adverse conditions based on meditations from “New Eight Steps of Happiness”. To support this inner training, we will also engage once a day in the powerful meditation practice of Buddha Amitayus – the Buddha of long life, wisdom and good fortune.
Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre
May 28 – Jun 3
Finding the Source of True Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Rabten, National Spiritual Director for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia and Resident Teacher of KMC Australia and KMC Melbourne.
Based on teachings from the Spring Festival 2026, Gen Rabten will guide a week retreat on developing authentic love and compassion ~ the actual method for discovering lasting happiness. The beautiful and blessed surroundings of Madhyamaka KMC offer the perfect environment to take these teachings to heart and develop a personal experience of this practice in the company of Kadampa family and friends. Shuttle bus available from Manjushri KMC.
Tara International Kadampa Retreat Centre
May 29 – Jun 5
Long life, Wisdom and Good Fortune
With Kadam Morten Clausen is the Eastern US National Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center New York City.
Kadam Morten Clausen will lead a retreat based on the teachings and commentaries received at this Festival. During this retreat, Kadam Morten will guide us in meditations on transforming adverse conditions. We will learn how to train our mind to respond to any difficulty with peace and positivity.
Nagarjuna KMC, Thornby
May 29 – 31
Eight Steps to Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Chogka Resident Teacher at KMC Spain, National Spiritual Director of Spain and Portugal
Train in developing a loving heart. Through meditation, we can experience a deepening of our compassionate purpose. This short retreat will be based on the teachings from the International NKT-IKBU Spring Festival.
Tharpaland Kadampa Meditation Center
May 29 – Jun 1
Steps to Happiness
With Gen Kelsang Devi, Resident Teacher of KMC Switzerland and Kailash IKRC
Following the teachings of the International Spring festival 2025 Gen Devi will guide us through meditation practices of the ancient and best-loved Buddhist teaching “Eight Verses of Training the Mind”, which reveals essential methods to transform the problems and difficulties of our daily life into opportunities for developing authentic love and compassion, and for finding true and lasting happiness.
IKRC Menorca, Spain
May 29 – 31
The Source of True Happiness
with Gen Kelsang Dargyey, Resident Teacher at KMC Madrid
On this occasion, Gen Kelsang Dargyey will guide us in meditation practices that enable us to transform all the problems and challenges of our daily life into opportunities to develop genuine love and compassion, based on the teachings we will receive at the 2026 NKT–IKBU Spring Festival.