Friday, November 21st
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Sojong with Gen Samten (for monks and nuns only)
7:30 - 9:00 pm: Introduction with Gen Thekchen

Saturday, November 22nd
9:00 - 9:50 am: Meditation with Gen Kunden
11:00 am - 1:00 pm: Empowerment with Gen Samten
3:00 - 4:30 pm: Teaching with Gen Samten
5:30 - 6:30 pm: Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayers (with Tsog)

Sunday, November 23rd
9:00 - 10:00 am: Meditation with Gen Kunden
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Teaching with Gen Samten
3:00 - 4:30 pm: Teaching with Gen Samten

Finding Peace in the Digital Age

A Public Talk with Gen Samten Kelsang ～ Thursday, Nov 20th: 7:30 - 9:00 pm ～ at KMC Canada

Is it possible to find genuine peace in this digital age? For many of us, technology and AI have created more distraction, stress, and even fear—leaving us feeling restless and disconnected.

In this talk, Gen Samten will share a Buddhist perspective on how to find genuine peace and contentment while living in this ever-evolving digital age. Discover how to create an inner space of calm, and how to live with technology without being ruled by it.

Bookings for this public talk are done separately from the Celebration bookings. To book, please use this link: www.meditateintoronto.org

IN PERSON CELEBRATION

Adults
• Full Celebration (Nov 21-Nov 23): $175
• Introduction: Friday, Nov 21: $25
• Single day: Saturday, Nov 22: $100
• Single day: Sunday, Nov 23: $70

Children
• 0-7 years: no charge
• 8-15 years: 50% discount
• 16+ years: full adult price

Audio Recordings
• Full Celebration (Nov 21-23): $35
• Introduction: Friday, Nov 21: $5
• Single day: Saturday, Nov 22: $15
• Single day: Sunday, Nov 23: $15

Public Talk (Adult)
• Regular price: $35
• Early bird price: $25 (until Nov 13)

Public Talk (Children):
• 0-7 years: no charge
• 8-15 years: 50% discount
• 16+ years: full adult price

ONLINE CELEBRATION

Adults
• Full Celebration: $175

Children
• 0-7 years: no charge
• 8-15 years: 50% discount
• 16+ years: full adult price

Audio Recordings
• Full Celebration: $35
Introduction - Friday Nov 21: 5$
Saturday Nov 22: 15$
Sunday Nov 23: 15$

Audio recordings are of the teaching sessions only and do not include the guided meditations or the empowerment ceremony.

You must have booked and attended a session in order to receive the audio recording of that session. Recordings are for the sole use of the registered recipient and may not be shared.

All profits generated by this Celebration will go to the International Temples Project (click here for more information).

The Celebration will be held at Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada, the Canadian National Temple of the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU).

This Temple was founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche and is located in the heart of the city of Toronto, on a quiet street in the neighbourhood of ‘Little Italy’.  It is an oasis of peace in the heart of the busy city.

631 Crawford St.
Toronto, Ontario
M6G 3K1

Location & Directions (Google Maps)

Celebration Meal Ticket
The Celebration Meal Ticket must be purchased when you book and offers the option to pre-book lunches throughout the Celebration. For those with onsite accommodation, breakfast is included in the accommodation rate.  Meals are either vegetarian, which may include eggs and dairy, or vegan-gluten free. Please select which option you require when making your booking.

Meal Fees - Adult
All meals: $45
Friday, Nov 21: lunch: $15
Saturday, Nov 22: lunch: $15
Sunday, Nov 23: lunch: $15

Meal Fees - Children
• 0-6 years: no charge                          
• 7-12 years: 50% discount               
• 13+ years: full adult price

*Allergens: Please be aware that despite trying our best to avoid cross-contamination during food preparation, we cannot guarantee a total absence of gluten cross-contamination in our gluten free meals. Regrettably, we are unable to provide for any other dietary needs. An ingredient and allergen list will be available for all meals offered.

World Peace Café
There will be a Celebration World Peace Café offering a selection of savoury snacks, cakes and pastries as well as coffees, teas, hot chocolate and cold drinks.

Celebration Shop
The Celebration Shop will sell a range of healthy snacks which include gluten free options, as well as chips, chocolate, and items for empowerment offerings and tsog offerings.

To inquire about accommodation for the Celebration, please write to kmcc_assistant@kadampa.ca

Arrival & Registration
You are required to show your booking confirmation letter (either digital or printed) to gain access to the Celebration site. If unable to show your confirmation letter, you will be required to show some form of photographic identification (ie. Passport or Driver’s License/ID card) in order to complete your registration onsite.

On Friday, Nov 21, Registration will be open from 4:00 to 7:15 pm and will be located at the front door of the Temple. On Saturday, Nov 22, registration will be open from 8:15 to 8:45 am and from 10:00 to 10:45 am. Please use the side door entrance on Saturday.

Parking
Parking is not available on Crawford Street. We ask that you not park on Crawford Street. You may get a ticket as it is complaint driven and the residents have limited space for their own street parking. You can look for street parking in other areas. However, you may be subject to a ticket if you park more than 3 hours during the day. There is no overnight parking on any nearby street without a permit. We recommend that you take transit (TTC). Click here for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) website.

Temporary day-parking spots
Some options are available for temporary day-parking spots nearby, for example with the following companies: Green P Parking, Spot Hero.

Temporary on-street permit parking
Provided space is available, a temporary parking permit may be purchased by residents and their guests to park a motor vehicle on a street designated under the Toronto permit parking program. This program generally services those residential areas where driveways are not common. If you choose this option, please avoid parking on Crawford Street, for the reasons mentioned above. For more information, please click here.

Security
All participants are required to wear a Celebration Pass at all times. Please cooperate fully with this requirement for the safety and smooth running of the Celebration. Please bring essential items only and keep your valuables with you at all times. KMC Canada does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage to personal items.

Photography
Photography, video recording or tape recording are not permitted inside the venue during the sessions unless you have obtained special authorization from the Celebration organizers. 

More information coming soon...

Live streaming For those who have booked to participate online, each teaching and meditation session will be available as a live stream.

Availability
All sessions will be live-streamed and will follow the Celebration Schedule. The livestream sessions will also be recorded and recordings will be available online until midnight on December 7, 2025.

This excludes the Empowerment session which will only be available for 24 hours after the livestream.

Any questions please contact us at registration@kadampa.ca

The Celebration is organized and run by volunteers. There are many opportunities and ways in which you can help, such as preparing food, serving, clearing, cleaning, setting up, helping in the café or bookshop.  Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet other Kadampas from across Ontario. Your contribution of time and energy is an important part of making the Celebration happen and is deeply appreciated. Please consider stopping by the volunteering desk in the registration area to find out how you can help, or contact your local centre for more information.

Hearing Assistance
Special headphones are available in the main meditation room for those who are hard of hearing.  If you require such headphones, please select this option at the time of booking. Please book by November 15th as the special headphones are available in limited quantity.

After November 15th, it may still be possible to book some hard of hearing headphones, but please contact: registration@kadampa.ca as soon as possible to inquire about availability. We will try to accommodate your request to the best of our ability.

Other Special Needs
The Temple has a wheelchair accessible bathroom and an elevator which make the essential areas of the building fully accessible: the Main Meditation Room, the World Peace Café, the Bookstore & Tharpa Shop.

Please notify us in advance by email or letter if you have special needs. In particular, if you are a wheelchair user, or require additional seating space in the Temple, please indicate this on your booking form in the special needs section. This will help us to allocate the correct space for you in the Temple.

If you require more information about access or other facilities, please email the welfare team who will do their best to assist you at registration@kadampa.ca.

Children and young adults are welcome to attend the Celebration. However, for their safety and well-being, some special conditions apply. Please note that two responsible adult carers must be nominated for all children’s bookings if the child is 15 years old and under. Bookings will only be confirmed on receipt of the required photographs of the two adult carers.

Due to the public nature of the Celebration, children’s safety and welfare is the responsibility of their nominated responsible adult carers at all times.  KMC Canada does not assume responsibility for children attending the Celebration. Children (of all ages) must be under adult supervision at all times.

Rates for Children

Celebration
• 0-7 years: no charge
• 8-15 years: 50% discount
• 16+ years: full adult price

Meals
• 0-6 years: no charge                          
• 7-12 years: 50% discount               
• 13+ years: full adult price

Celebration Passes
To help ensure the safety of your child, and so that they can be easily reunited with their carers in case difficulties arise, passes for children under 16 will display photographs and the names of their two nominated responsible adult carers. Under 16’s bookings can only be confirmed when the required photographs have been received. Because these passes are prepared in advance, you must provide these photos prior to your arrival.

The event is organized and hosted by Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada (KMC Canada), a registered charity (charity # 861356970 RR0001).

Registration
Pre-registration is necessary and full payment must be received prior to arrival at the Celebration.

Booking Confirmation & ID
You will receive an email confirming the details of your booking and payment. Please keep this safe as you will be required to show either a paper or digital copy upon arrival. If unable to show your confirmation letter, you will be required to show some form of photographic identification (ie. Passport or Driver’s License/ID card) in order to complete your registration onsite.

Bookings cannot be transferred to another person.

Payment & Refund Policies
All dates / times refer to Eastern Time (ET).

KMC Canada has contracts with many suppliers; therefore, the following conditions apply:

Celebration Fee
• Full payment is required at time of booking.
• Cancellations: 25% of the Celebration fee is non-refundable in the case of cancellations up to 48 hours before the start of the Celebration (7:30 p.m. ET, November 27, 2024). After this, the Celebration fee is fully non-refundable.

Meals
Meals must be purchased prior to the Celebration.
• Full payment is required at time of booking.
• Cancellations: 25% of the meal fee is non-refundable in case of cancellations up to 1 week before the start of the Celebration (7:30 p.m. ET, November 22, 2024). After this, the meals are fully non-refundable.

Any non-refunded fees arising from cancellations are donated to the NKT-IKBU International Temples Project.

Exceptions may be made in cases of sickness or bereavement. You should apply by e-mail to the KMC Canada Admin Director at: admin@kadampa.ca within 2 weeks of the end of the Celebration. This applies to the Celebration fee only and does not apply to meals.

Audio Recordings
Audio recordings are of the teaching sessions only and do not include the guided meditations or the empowerment ceremony. They can be purchased during the Celebration at the shop, or by e-mailing registration@kadampa.ca.

You must have booked and attended a session in order to receive the audio recording of that session. Recordings are for the sole use of the registered recipient and may not be shared.

For all questions & inquiries, please contact us by email at: registration@kadampa.ca.