Northwest Dharma Celebration

Welcome to the Northwest Dharma Celebration 2023!

The Northwest Dharma Celebration is a special event held every year at Kadampa Meditation Center Washington. This event was created by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, founder of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union, to provide an opportunity for people from all over the Northwest to gather together as a spiritual community to receive empowerments, Dharma teachings and engage in meditation retreat.

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About the teachings

The Blessing Empowerment of Great Mother Prajnaparamita and Commentary to the Self-Generation Practice.

Imagination in Practice – Learning to Identify Ourself Correctly with Gen Kelsang Rigpa, Western US National Spiritual Director

Through improving our understanding and experience of wisdom and the perfection of wisdom, and the blessings of the empowerment, we will have confidence to engage in the practice of imagination, and train in the yoga of non-duality of clarity and profundity. This powerful Tantric meditation is the quick path which leads to the attainment of the Union of the Great Mother Prajnaparamita, and becoming a source of happiness for all living beings.

THE ESSENCE OF THE PERFECTION OF WISDOM IS A WISDOM THAT REALISES EMPTINESS DIRECTLY…

The essence of the perfection of wisdom is a wisdom that realises emptiness directly, associated with the compassionate mind of bodhichitta. With this wisdom, in one single concentration, we can accumulate a great collection of merit and a great collection of wisdom, the main causes of Buddha's Form Body and Truth Body, respectively. This wisdom will lead us to the attainment of full enlightenment very quickly.

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche,
The New Heart of Wisdom

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About the Teachers

Gen Kelsang Rigpa

Gen Kelsang Rigpa is an American Buddhist monk, the Western US National Spiritual Director and the Resident Teacher at KMC-Hollywood. He is a close disciple of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, having received lineage blessings and oral transmissions directly from him.

Gen Rigpa’s heartfelt and practical teachings are presented with warmth and humor, making them accessible to everyone. He shows the joy of living a spiritual life, and is an inspiring example of Buddhism in practice. Through his clear presentation, he is able to help students discover for themselves how to integrate these timeless teachings into our modern world, making everyday life joyful and meaningful.

 

 

 

Gen Kelsang Rinzin   


Gen Rinzin was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2004 and taught at Heruka Buddhist Center in Fort Collins, Colorado for 15 years. He was appointed to the Resident Teacher position at Kadampa Meditation Center Washington and began teaching here in October 2020. Gen Rinzin communicates his love of Dharma with a down-to-earth approach and humor that helps the listener appreciate and understand the teachings and put them into practice. His teachings are clear and practical, making them easy to apply to modern life.

Kadam Heather Rocklin


Kadam Heather has been a disciple of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso since March 1998. A working mother of a 9-year-old, Kadam Heather shares Buddha’s teachings with great warmth and kindness, showing how Buddha’s teachings are practical in everyday life and beneficial for everyone! Kadam Heather has been the Resident Teacher of Mahasiddha Kadampa Buddhist Center in Portland since 2006.

 

Event Schedule

Friday

7:30 pm - 9 pm, Introduction, Gen Rinzin

Saturday

9 am - 10 am, Meditation, Kadam Heather

11 am - 12:30 pm, Empowerment, Gen Rigpa

3 pm - 4 pm, Teaching, Gen Rigpa

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Wishfulfilling Jewel Puja with Tsog offering

Sunday

 9 am - 10 am, Meditation, Kadam Heather

11 am - 12:30 pm, Teaching, Gen Rigpa

2 pm - 3:30 pm, Teaching, Gen Rigpa

 6 pm - 7:45 pm, Offering to the Spiritual Guide Puja

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Attendance Options 

IN-PERSON

Join people from all around Florida who will gather in person to attend this very special event. Being able to listen to authentic Dharma teachings in a blessed Temple is an incredibly profound and meaningful experience. You will be able to connect with Sangha friends from all around the state in-person, and enjoy the World Peace Cafe, shop, and beautiful world peace gardens at KMC Florida. 

ONLINE

The Florida Dharma Celebration will be recorded and streame d for students who are within the catchment area of the event and who have valid reasons for not being able to attend the event in person, such as disability or long-distance travel. The recorded Celebration will be available for online viewing 48 hours after the event has finished until the following Sunday, March 19 at 11:59pm. The Empowerment replay will only be available for 24 hours after the links for online viewing have been enabled.