Spring Festival Day 1
The first day of Spring Festival 2024 is here, with over a thousand people arriving at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre from around the world. Whether we are coming for the first time or are regular attendees at International festivals,...
The temple is radiant, with many improvements made since last year. All the statues and decorations are shimmering, many with new gold leaf adornments. This adds to the special quality of peace and purity of our first Kadampa Temple for World Peace. As we gather together for the first teaching with Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, the Deputy Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition, we are joined by thousands of people on-line.
Gen-la Jampa's gentle, clear and powerful teachings remind us that only Dharma gives us real protection from suffering and we can rejoice in having met a Spiritual Guide who gives us this extraordinary wisdom. In a world where there is so much confusion, we are being offered a genuine path to happiness. Since the inner realizations of Dharma are so precious, Gen-la concludes the teachings by introducing the function and benefits of relying on the Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden. He explains how we need a Dharma Protector to protect these realizations since they are the source of happiness. Finally Gen-la inspires everyone with the example of our precious Root Guru's devotion to propagating and protecting this practice for the people of the modern world.
“A Dharma Protector is an emanation of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva whose main functions are to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations, and to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice.”
Heart Jewel
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Tomorrow we receive the empowerment of the Wisdom Buddha, Dorje Shugden. This is our opportunity to receive his powerful blessings, protection and special care.