US Kadampa Buddhist Festivals and Celebrations

If you want a little inspiration, check out the New Kadampa Tradition 2021 international teaching program. Even as we face so much uncertainty at the start this year, it is certain that there are so many opportunities to receive Dharma wherever we are in the world. https://kadampa.org/2021/01/kadam-dharma-worldwide

MWDC 2020 Coming to life tonight at 7PM http://midwestdharmacelebration.org/

Take a sneak peek to teachers preparing for MWDC 2020! http://midwestdharmacelebration.org/

Elvita: "Dharma Celebrations bring new energy..." starting this Friday! http://midwestdharmacelebration.org/

Kathy, "...receiving blessings to transform our minds together.." MWDC 2020 starting this Friday. http://midwestdharmacelebration.org/

In 2006 in New York, when Venerable Geshe-la opened the NY Temple with Medicine Buddha Empowerment and teachings on How to Solve Our Human Problems, he gave us this advice, "Nowadays we can see in the world so many problems, so many people experiencing difficulties. Some people ask me what we Buddhists should do to help. My answer is: Our job is to pray - to pray for these people to pacify their negativity, wrong views, and extreme views. Our job to solve these kind of proble...ms is to pray for everyone to become friends, living in harmony with good relationships and to pacify their extreme views, wrong views of selfish intention, and so forth. That is our job. I believe this is the best method to help, to benefit. Through receiving blessings our prayers will be fulfilled, I promise. This is our Buddhist way of helping and benefiting to solve these kinds of problems. I believe you will solve the world’s problems gradually. A practitioner who receives the special blessings of Medicine Guru will receive a special power on their body and mind so that when they pray with a compassionate motivation their prayers will be fulfilled. Altogether the seven Medicine Buddhas made 44 promises. We can request Medicine Guru, 'Please fulfil my wishes, my prayers, because you promised to.' If we practice continuously, if we rely upon Medicine Guru with strong faith and devotion, gradually we will receive power and our prayers will definitely be fulfilled." You will have a chance to receive the powerful blessings of Medicine Guru, and learn how, through relying on him, you can heal yourself and others at the 2020 Online Fall Festival. Book now to attend the Fall Festival online: https://kadampafestivals.org/fall

Check out the blog on the New Kadampa Tradition website about the US "Coast to Coast" Dharma Celebrations!

BUDDHA'S RETURN FROM HEAVEN See the full story and more illustrations at: https://kadampa.org/2020/09/descent-from-heaven Every year on September 22 we celebrate Buddha’s return from the desire god realm called Land of the Thirty-three Heavens, where he had been to visit his mother who had been reborn there.... This day is therefore very special. It is said that if we engage in any kind of virtuous action on this day it becomes especially powerful and our merit greatly increases. For example, if we offer one single light offering this action is multiplied to become millions of light offerings.

FALL FESTIVAL 2020 BOOKING IS NOW OPEN! At the 2020 Online International Fall Festival Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong the General Spiritual Director of NKT will grant ...empowerment and teachings on the seven Medicine Buddhas. Receiving the empowerments of these Buddhas means you will receive special blessings of their body, speech, and mind. You will receive permission to engage in the practice of these Buddhas so that you can attain a special power of body, speech, and mind that will enable you to benefit all mother beings. When Buddha gave instructions on the seven Medicine Buddhas he introduced each one, saying: "This Buddha is Tathagata Medicine Guru. He comes from an eastern Pure Land called `Lapis Jewel Land. This Buddha is Tathagata King of the Clear Knowing. This Buddha is Tathagata Melodious Ocean of Dharma Proclaimed. This Buddha is Tathagata Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow. This Buddha is Tathagata Stainless Excellent Gold. This Buddha is Tathagata King of Melodious Sound. This Buddha is Tathagata Glorious Renown of Excellent Signs." It is said that through hearing these instructions on the Medicine Buddhas, thirty-six-thousand human beings and seven hundred thousand non-human beings attained high realizations. Don't miss this precious opportunity to meet these seven Buddhas and receive their blessings! kadampafestivals.org/fall/how-to-book

More photos from the NEDC!

Celebration bundles to support practices taught at the three recent US Dharma Celebrations are available until Sunday, September 20 at 5pm (EDT).

Sarah is one of KMC New York's local students and meditation teachers. After not having been to the Temple for months, she shares her experience of being back at the Temple for the NEDC.

Juan, from KMC NYC, was fortunate to make it in person to the Northeast Dharma Celebration. We asked him what it felt like to come back to KMC NY after so many months.

HOW DO WE HELP OTHERS THROUGH MEDITATION? While guiding the morning meditations at the NEDC, Kadam Kyle explained how grow our wish to meditate for the benefit of others. He also helped us understand that, throughout the event, we may learn new practices or teachings that are unfamiliar to us. Fortunately, we do not need to worry as Buddha’s teachings are scientific in naturetime-tested and well-thought out methods to help us grow and improve.

The NEDC has now come to an end, which is bittersweet. Fortunately, we are all getting prepared to take what has been learned on this precious weekend and bring it into our busy, daily lives. As Venerable Geshe-la says, Kadampa Buddhism is the union of meditation and daily life, and weekends like these are the perfect support for this endeavor. It is beneficial to spend time away, improving the experience of meditation and growing our own good qualities, but we always do so in order to integrate it back into our modern world and be of help to others.

A MIRACLE IN THE MODERN WORLD Gen Rigpa describes the miracle of us finding Je Tsongkhapa’s path and the tireless efforts of Dorje Shugden and his retinue to keep us on the path amidst the distractions of modern life. Please enjoy this clip from the teaching during the Blessing Empowerment of Dorje Shugden. #nowisthetime

ENLIGHTENMENT - HOW TO TUNE INTO IT Kadam Morten granted the Empowerment of Buddha Shakyamuni. In the empowerment, he demonstrated the preciousness of Buddha’s teachings and helped us grow a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude towards Buddha. Then, he guided the profound experience of the empowerment, where we received inspiration on our body, speech, and mind to transform them into an enlightened body, speech, and mind. Afterwards, it was evident that attendees felt blessed and strengthened going forward in their meditation practice.

HIGHLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS FROM THE CADC 2020 Gary and Caroline Davis share their highlights from the intro talk with Gen Lhadron. Their cat Serene also got to enjoy the CADC with them. :) Gen Lhadron gave a lovely introduction to the CADC that explained doubt and faith. She began by reviewing Geshe-la’s advice to not worry. So many gems! She illustrated how doubt, for example, doubting the existence of enlightened beings because we can’t see them, can lead to wrong view (en...lightened beings must not exist) that can lead to pride. (Our view is right, of course). She encouraged us to trade our doubt, wrong view, and pride for confidence, joy, and protection. At each fork in the road, use our spiritual principles to transform whatever’s happening into the most beneficial situation. That’s how we’re getting there. The brief final meditation was a great wrap up. There’s nothing to worry about. We just need to practice Dharma and it will bring wonderful results for ourself and others. Yes! - Caroline Davis I loved the analogies around our spiritual doubt holding us back like a pebble in an athlete's shoe. It really resonated for me when I framed doubt as a lack of conviction that undermines the attainment of the actual goal - that we can't win half a medal or get hired to do half the job if we have a half-hearted approach. - Gary Davis