During the holiday period at the end of December 2025, Dechen Manchester Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre was fortunate to host Lama Jampa, together with his family, for four days of profound and joyful teachings.
For many years, this time of year was protected for the Mikyö Dorje Shedra in Manchester. This winter, memories of those formative gatherings were fondly recalled as people travelled from across the UK, Europe, and the Americas to receive teachings from Lama Jampa on the first of four volumes of The Gateway to Knowledge, the remarkable compendium by Mipham Rinpoche.
As the Buddhist teachings remind us, it is rare to find circumstances perfectly harmonious for study and practice. Rarer still is the opportunity to receive these profound teachings in English, explained with such clarity, precision, and warmth by a master of Lama Jampa’s calibre.
Over the course of the shedra, Lama Jampa made Mipham Rinpoche’s rigorous exposition of key abhidharma topics both accessible and engaging. Teachings on the aggregates, dependent origination, and pramāṇa were unpacked with care, depth, and a refreshing directness. The extraordinary precision of Mipham Rinpoche’s work was brought vividly to life through Lama Jampa’s characteristic humour and straightforward teaching style.
Participants frequently remarked that the teachings “made sense,” that the explanations “shed new light,” and that simply being present had “sorted my head out.” Such comments reflect not only the depth of the material, but the rare ability to present it in a way that truly meets the modern mind without diluting the tradition.
Beyond the teachings themselves, the shedra is for many one of the social highlight of the year. It is a time when friends and families gather, share meals and conversations, reflect on the past year, and grow together in study and practice.
This year’s shedra also coincided with a significant milestone: in 2025, Dechen Manchester celebrated its 50th anniversary. A beautifully produced commemorative book—created by members of the Dechen community and capturing five decades of preserving and transmitting Tibetan Buddhist teachings in the West—was gifted to everyone attending.
As Lama Jampa, his family, and students welcomed in 2026 together, Lama Jampa offered a New Year’s toast filled with gratitude and joy. He spoke of the privilege of contributing to the living work of our great Kagyu and Sakya teachers, and of the year ahead as a fresh opportunity to continue sharing these extraordinary traditions—and, each in our own way, to bring them more fully to heart.