World-Renowned
Guest Teachers

Imparting Wisdom

 

KMC Long Island welcomes extraordinary Kadampa Buddhist teachers who inspire thousands of students around the world each year with their insights, knowledge, experience, humor, and flair for sharing Kadam Dharma in skillful and practical ways. These luminaries teach by example and spread wisdom blessings wherever they go, demonstrating how we can incorporate Buddha’s teachings into our everyday lives to bring about real transformation.

In the spring of 2015, Dipamkara Meditation Center (now KMC Long Island) had the rare good fortune of welcoming Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, the General Spiritual Director of the NKT-IKBU and the Resident Teacher at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center, the mother center of Kadampa Buddhism. Gen-la Dekyong presided over Wishfulfilling Jewel puja and had some heartfelt words for a select group of practitioners before giving a public talk titled “How to Understand the Mind,” before a packed house. The next day an auspicious rainbow appeared over the center! The excitement from Gen-la Dekyong’s visit was immediately followed by a series of community talks with Gen-la Kelsang Jampa, who at the time was serving as Eastern United States Spiritual Director of the NKT. These two inspiring visits were the impetus for Dipamkara Meditation Center to transform into Kadampa Meditation Center Long Island a little more than a year later.

This past fall, KMC Long Island was blessed by the presence of two of the most experienced teachers in the New Kadampa Tradition and two of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s senior students. Gen Samten Kelsang, Resident Teacher at KMC New York, visited KMC-LI the weekend of Oct. 21-22, 2017 and led a silent retreat called Letting Go of the Past. The following month over Thanksgiving Day weekend, Kadam Lucy James, Resident Teacher of KMC Colorado visited to lead a two-day retreat on the Emptiness of the Mind.

KMC Long Island has its own precious lineage of Resident Teachers beginning with Gen Kelsang Togden who first opened the Huntington center (at the time called Dipamkara Meditation Center) on Sept. 11, 2001 in response to the tragic events of that day. Togden and his team of managers were preparing to open the center a few weeks later in October, but once they learned what was transpiring in New York City, they decided to open the center’s doors early and hold a prayer service to offer a place of refuge for Long Islanders seeking solace. Togden stayed in Long Island for three years before leaving for other assignments. He is now an internationally-renowned teacher who has taught Buddhist meditation in five continents, and has helped establish Dharma Centers in Canada, the United States, South America and Portugal. In May 2017, Gen Togden returned to Long Island to give a teaching to a packed house titled, “Inspiring Solutions for Challenging Times.” Many of his former students came back to see him.

When Togden departed Long Island, Gen Kelsang Rigpa stepped into the role of Resident Teacher at Dipamkara Center. Rigpa was instrumental in establishing the Port Jefferson branch which still exists today and he fostered the continued growth and development of the center overall before being transferred to the west coast where he is now the Western US National Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition and the Resident Teacher at KMC-Hollywood and KMC-California. Each year on December 25, Gen Rigpa usually reappears at KMC-LI to preside over Offering to the Spiritual Guide puja while visiting family who still live in Long Island.

 

NKT-IKBU Spiritual Directors Visit KMC-LI

Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong

Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong

General Spiritual Director of the NKT-IKBU and Resident Teacher at Manjushri KMC
April 21, 2015 | How to Understand the Mind: Transforming Our Lives Through Meditation and Mindfulness

Gen-la Kelsang Jampa

Gen-la Kelsang Jampa

Deputy Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU and Resident Teacher of International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon
May 1, 2015 | Community Talk and Wishfulfilling Jewel Puja

Recent Visits From World-Renowned Buddhist Teachers

Gen Kelsang Rigpa

Gen Kelsang Menla

Resident Teacher at KMC Texas
March 9, 2019 | Wisdom, Courage and the Power to Transform Adversity

Gen Kelsang Rigpa

Gen Kelsang Rigpa

Western US National Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher at KMC Hollywood and KMC California
December 22-23, 2018 | Buddhist Answers to Life’s Deepest Questions and The Gift of Happiness: Harmony at the Holidays

Kadam Lucy James

Kadam Lucy James

Resident Teacher at KMC Colorado
Nov 24-25, 2017 | Emptiness of the Mind Retreat

Gen Samten Kelsang

Gen Samten Kelsang

Resident Teacher at KMC New York
Oct. 21-22, 2017 | Letting Go of the Past: A Silent Retreat in Four Sessions

Gen Togden and KMC Hamptons teacher Elizabeth Muzyka

Gen Kelsang Togden

Resident Teacher at KMC Brazil
May 20, 2017 | Inspiring Solutions for Challenging Times

Kadam Morten Clausen

Kadam Morten Clausen

Eastern US National Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher at KMC New York City
Nov. 26, 2016 | Gratitude: Gateway to the Extraordinary

Kelsang Dragden

Kelsang Dragden

Resident Teacher at Atisha Meditation Center in Darlington, UK
Oct. 1-2, 2016 | Peaceful Families Weekend: The Power of Imagination and The Amazing, Magical Mystery Adventure Game