Celebration Diaries
Welcome to the Quebec Dharma Celebration 2024!
November 22 - 24 ~ Montreal
November 29 - December 8 ~ online
Preparations & Public talk
Over the past few weeks, joyful preparations have been underway at KMC Montreal and other Quebec Centres to welcome the first visit of Canada's National Spiritual Director to Quebec, Gen-la Kelsang Jampa.
After Gen-la's beautiful public talk on Wednesday November 20 (see some photos below!), we're ready for the second part of his visit, the Quebec Dharma Celebration!
Day 1: the Celebration is starting!
It's a great joy to see the Kadampa family of the province of Quebec gathering on Laurier Avenue at KMC Montreal! There's a great happiness in the air as we come together to celebrate Dharma and encourage each other in our spiritual practice.
A team of volunteers has been hard at work to ensure that, despite some unforeseen circumstances, the Celebration can take place and that everyone is welcomed in the best possible conditions. The store is filled with beautiful offerings, the World Peace Cafe overflows with carefully prepared desserts, and the decorated community room give a festive atmosphere.
The introduction was taught by Gen Kelsang Chögyan, KMC Montreal's Resident Teacher. She inspired us to rejoice in our Celebrations created by Venerable Geshe-la, which give us the opportunity to concretely seek refuge in the Three Jewels. We gather to receive Buddha's blessings, listen to and practice Dharma, and inspire one another as a Sangha community.
Gen Chögyan also invited us to question and deepen our Buddhist faith, to use our weekend to stay in Buddha's presence and train ourselves never to forget him. We're now ready to take the essence of all the jewels that will be deposited in our hearts over the weekend!
Day 2 : deep inspiration
As Gen-la Jampa reminded us, Dharma Celebrations are very beneficial, both for our personal practice and for creating the causes for Kadam Dharma to flourish and remain in Quebec, Canada and the world. He encouraged us to truly enjoy and rejoice in our opportunity, which comes from the loving intention of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, our founder and Spiritual Guide.
As preparation for the empowerment, Kelsang Tsulma, KMC Shamata Trois-Rivières' Resident Teacher, led us in a beautiful meditation to grow our faith, contemplating Guru Buddha Shakyamuni's excellent qualities, feeling his presence and wishing to become like him a source of happiness and goodness for others.
Gen-la Jampa then gave Buddha Shakyamuni's empowerment with great gentleness and encouraged us to train ourselves to always remember Guru Buddha in our hearts. This practice has so many benefits: it keeps dangers at bay, it helps us keep a peaceful mind and control our delusions, and allows us to receive many blessings. Next year, when we meet again, we want to be able to say that we remember Buddha more often in our hearts than we did this year!
The day continued joyfully with a delicious lunch, the first teaching and Wishfulfilling Jewel puja with tsog. A blessed day that will give much meaning to our life and our future lives. ✨
Day 3 : bringing the meaning of the words into our hearts
We truly feel at home at KMC Montreal, surrounded by the Sangha family from Quebec as we have lunch, coffee and discuss how to apply the teachings in our daily lives!
The sky was overcast on Sunday, and Gen-la Jampa used this cloudy November sky to illustrate that, just as the sun doesn't disappear when there are clouds, Buddha is always present, but our delusions prevent us from being aware of it. We've been given a great banquet of instructions on the profound meaning of the Liberating Prayer, and an invitation to make our own commentary on it. By learning to understand the meaning of this prayer, the preeminent qualities of Buddha, by concentrating on its meaning without distraction, we will develop our faith in Buddha and gradually maintain it in all our activities to become more and more like Buddha for our own and others benefit.
At the end of the last teaching, everyone happily helped to put the centre back to the way it was, and we all greeted each other with great affection, wishing to see each other again very soon.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank Gen-la Jampa for his great kindness in coming to Montreal for this Celebration, and Venerable Geshe-la for creating these out-of-the-ordinary events.
The Celebration will also be available online from Friday November 29 to Friday December 8.
