Empowerment of White Tara

and Teachings on Subtle Impermanence

with Gen Kelsang Gomlam

Western US National Spiritual Director

and Resident Teacher at KMC Colorado

International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon

September 4 –  7, 2026

Gather together with Kadampa Buddhist practitioners from all around the Southwest United States in a celebration of faith, wisdom and compassion. Meet new Sangha friends from other Centers, discuss Dharma, listen, contemplate and meditate on profound teachings, and relax within the peaceful environment of the International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for this event!

About the Southwest Dharma Celebration

The SWDC is a regional gathering of Kadampa Buddhists from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and surrounding states. It is a wonderful opportunity to develop connections with the Sangha community while receiving inspiring teachings and meditations.

This year Gen Kelsang Gomlam, our Western National Spiritual Director, will grant the blessing empowerment of Buddha White Tara. This empowerment is a special guided meditation in which we make a connection with White Tara and receive her special blessings into our mind. After the empowerment, Gen Gomlam will give teachings on subtle impermenance. Through this we can understand how to solve all our stresses and daily problems by truly living “in the moment.”

Who is the Buddha White Tara?

White Tara is a female enlightened being whose function is to bestow long life, wisdom and good fortune. These oppose our three main obstacles to a meaningful life – a short life, ignorance, and little merit. If we rely on White Tara with faith, she will protect us from contagious disease, the danger of fire, and other disasters.

It is said that living beings receive Tara’s help as swiftly as the wind moves because she is a manifestation of the wind element of all the Buddhas. She particularly helps us to overcome our ignorance by teaching ultimate truth, the way things really are, which leads us directly to permanent liberation from suffering and the lasting pure peace of full enlightenment.

About the Teachings

In this special weekend, we will learn how we can rely on Buddha White Tara in busy modern life. Gen Gomlam will also give teachings on the profound wisdom of subtle impermanence. She will explain how to use this knowledge to quickly and practically stop our painful delusions and self grasping, bringing us inner balance and immeasurable peace.

“…Deep experience of subtle impermanence… is a very powerful method to reduce your anger problem, your attachment problem, your discontentment problem, your jealousy problem, and so forth.” 

– Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, 2002

DHARMA CELEBRATION TEACHERS

Empowerment & Teachings

Gen Kelsang Gomlam is an American Buddhist nun and the US Western National Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition. She is the Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado, and has been studying, practicing and teaching Kadam Dharma under Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for many years. Gen Gomlam’s heartfelt and practical teachings are presented with warmth and humor, making them accessible to everyone. Through her loving kindness, sincere concern for others, and deep understanding of Buddha’s teachings, Gen Gomlam provides an inspiring example of someone who has taken Buddha’s teachings to heart.

Friday Night Introduction

Gen Kelsang Demo is the US Midwestern National Spiritual Director and the Resident Teacher at International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon. She has been a student of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for many years and has been teaching Kadampa Buddhism throughout the United States and internationally. Gen Demo is deeply respected as a teacher and practitioner. She demonstrates a wealth of practical knowledge and provides clear and inspiring teachings for people of all levels of interest.

Morning Meditations

Noreen Flack is the Resident Teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center Austin. She has studied and practiced Kadam Dharma under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for many years. She spent much of her practice and training at Kadampa Meditation Center Washington and has taught both beginner and advanced meditators how to take Buddha’s teachings to heart. She is well loved for her teachings that combine sincerity, humor and countless examples of how to apply Dharma to family and work life.

THE VENUE

IKRC GC is the International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon which holds the fifth Kadampa Temple dedicated for World Peace.

The Temple is situated within the beautiful region of Northern Arizona, with stunning views, adjacent to the historical Route 66, and the town of Williams.

Enjoy our comfortable accommodations, on-premises café, and gift shop.

THE SCHEDULE

(MST)

What is an Empowerment?

An empowerment is a blissful guided meditation through which we connect to a Buddha’s enlightened mind, in this case, Arya White Tara’s enlightened mind. By receiving these inspiring blessings, our own potential for wisdom and compassion increases and we draw closer to the special blessings and care of Arya Tara. By doing this, we can realize the greatest meaning of this precious human life.

Book & Prayer Booklets

Gen Kelsang Gomlam will be giving teachings from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche’s books Clear LIght of Bliss and Mahamudra Tantra.

The following prayer booklets will be used during the Celebration: Prayers for Meditation, Request to the Holy Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, Wishfulfilling Jewel, The Yoga of White Tara.

If you would like to purchase any of these in advance, please visit Tharpa us. These are available in both hard copy and electronic version.

Cancellations and Refunds

A 25% booking fee will be retained for all cancellations up to 24 hours before the start of the Celebration. Within 24 hours of the start of the Celebration, all fees are non-refundable. Non-refunded fees for cancellations go to the NKT International Temples Project.