National & International Events
Each year students and practitioners from Vajrayana Center travel to Dharma Festivals and Celebrations in various countries.
These events are special spiritual vacations, when thousands of people - including over 500 Buddhist monks and nuns - gather from around the world to receive Buddhist teachings directly from the Spiritual Director of the NKT, the Buddhist Master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso; the Deputy Spiritual Director, Gen-la Kelsang Khyenrab; or from the National Spiritual Directors.
The Festivals and celebrations provide a wonderful opportunity to contemplate and meditate on these teachings in guided meditation retreats, and to discuss them with spiritual friends - from beginners, to those who have been practicing Buddhism for many years.
Meeting with Buddhists from all over the world can enrich our own understanding of how to integrate the Buddha's teachings into our daily lives. In this way, we learn to experience more deeply satisfying states of mind, thus solving our daily problems and enjoying a more peaceful and happier life.
Be sure to visit the Festival Diaries section for a glimpse of past Festivals.
October 31 - November 7, 2008
The 2008 International Fall Festival will be held in France. Join us for this unique festival and enjoy a spiritual holiday of teachings, meditations and empowerment, in the company of spiritual practitioners from all over the world. Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso will grant the empowerment of the Great Mother Prajnaparamita for the very first time in the west. Prajnaparamita is the embodiment of the Wisdom Truth Body of all the Buddhas, the Great Wisdom Mother who gives birth to all enlightened beings. By relying upon her and engaging in her practice, which includes reciting the Heart Sutra, we can develop the inner strength to overcome all outer and inner hindrances to attaining pure happiness, as well as all obstacles that hinder our progress to liberation and enlightenment.