Friday 10th January, see calendar for time
January 10th is the special day of Buddha Vajrayogini, a Buddha of Highest Yoga Tantra. Everyone is welcome at these Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers to deepen their connection to this holy being.
Saturday 25th January, see calendar for time
January 25th is the special day of Buddha Heruka, a Buddha of Highest Yoga Tantra who is inseperable from Vajrayogini. Everyone is welcome at these Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers to receive the blessings of this holy being.
Tuesday 15th April
April 15th is Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, when we celebrate Buddha demonstrating how to attain enlightenment. We combine this celebration with a two day fasting and purification retreat and Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers. Visit the fasting retreat page for full info.
Wednesday 4th June
Venerable Geshe-la was born on ‘Turning the Wheel of Dharma Day’, the day on which we celebrate Buddha first teaching the path to enlightenment. On this day we combine our prayers celebrating the enlightened actions of Buddha Shakyamuni, with a short retreat celebrating the life and works of Venerable Geshe-la.
In the same way that Buddha Shakyamuni taught two and a half thousand years ago, making the liberating path available to the people of his time, Venerable Geshe-la has taught and guided us, the people of the modern world. Without Venerable Geshe-la’s kindness in presenting Buddha’s teachings in a way modern people can understand and practice, those teachings would be out of our reach and the liberating path closed to us. From the depths of our hearts we remember his extraordinary kindness with gratitude and joy.
Visit the retreat page for details.
Monday 22nd September, see calendar for time
This day marks the end of the period of Summer retreat, it is a special day where our positive actions have more power. On this day we remember Buddha’s kindness in teaching which minds lead to suffering and which to the lasting peace of liberation. We celebrate this day with Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers.
Saturday 1st November
The 1st Saturday in November is International Temples Day, when we remember Venerable Geshe-la’s kindness in creating the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union, and reaching out to people around the world to offer them a path to peace they can practice in modern daily life.
In 2025 this day falls during the annual UK Dharma Celebration at nearby Tara International Kadampa Retreat Centre - we hope you can join us.
Saturday 5th April - see calendar for details
The first Saturday in April is set aside to commemorate the founding of NKT-IKBU by Venerable Geshe Kelsang in 1991.
The occasion is marked by special events and by pujas and dedications at JLC & Kadampa centres worldwide.
Prayers are made for the flourishing of Kadam Dharma throughout the world so that all living beings might quickly find permanent inner peace.
Above all, we remember the extraordinary kindness of Venerable Geshe Kelsang in founding NKT-IKBU.