July Newsletter 2026

Dear all,

Welcome to the July Newsletter although, as I write this at the end of June, it's currently feeling Hotter Than July (a sneaky Stevie Wonder reference there). Personally, I find the temperatures a great opportunity to practice patience...or at least observe the lack of it when I'm looking for a bit of respite from the heat!

Speaking of respite...the Centre will close for its' summer break from Monday 27th July, and re-open on Friday 21st August. Many thanks to all the volunteers, whether resident or not, who keep the Centre open for the benefit of all. I hope you all enjoy your break and are able to return refreshed and ready for the "new term" - more of which below!

While the Centre in London is closed for much of August, Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland isn't, and they will be hosting several highly learned Khenpos who are giving teachings over the summer. First is Khenpo Karma Drodul who will be teaching on the Abhidharma from 4th July, while Khenpo Ghawang will give teachings on a range of topics, including practice in daily life, from 15th August. There are many other events taking place at Samye LIng over the summer, all of which are listed on their website.

In the meantime, there are quite a few things going on at Samye Dzong London before the 26th July!

Simply Meditation Day - just the one this month, taking place on Sunday 26th July. Perfectly timed to send you into the Summer Closure all prepped with your meditation practice - full details on the website . Feel free to join in any or all of the sessions during the day.

The Tibetan Doctor will next be available in KSDL on the weekend of the 25th - 26th July. To make an appointment for a consultation please contact Doctor Soktsang directly. If you want to check Dr Soktsang's availability in 2026, the dates of his attendance at the Centre are available on the website.

NEW in September:

Restoring the Balance with Clive Holmes will be taking place on the weekend of the 5th - 6th September. This course will look at the basic principles of Tibetan therapy and learn methods to balance our lives in this age of many obstacles and distractions.

AI & Buddhism with Chris Scammel - An evening on Thursday 10th September dedicated to learning about AI through a Buddhist lens - how large language models work, how "AI personas" can develop, and what Buddhism has to say about this.

A new opportunity for residential volunteering at Samye Dzong London is open from early September this year with housekeeping and support in the Tibetan Tearoom. Living and volunteering at the Centre is a joyful way to weave Buddhist practice into everyday life, join a warm and welcoming community, and help nurture our lively, purposeful centre. Anyone interested can apply by filling out our online application.

Other Thursday evening classes are planned in the autumn. Please check the website for information and to reserve your place.

Finally, have a wonderful July, .

All the best,

David Bates

Newsletter Editor

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Visit of Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche - full programme

We very much look forward to welcoming Lama Yeshe Rinpoche again in Kagyu Samye Dzong London and we hope you will be able to join us to celebrate and rejoice in all the wonderful years and guidance we have had from our Abbot so far.

Saturday 11 July

10.00 - 11.00: The Essence of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths - with Gelong Thubten

11.00 - 11.45: Break

11.45 - 12.45: The Path of Buddhism: Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom - with Gelong Thubten

12.45 - 14.30: Lunch break

14.30: Q&A Session - with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. An opportunity to ask Lama Yeshe questions about the Dharma and your practice.

Sunday 12 July

10.00 - 11.00: Tibetan Buddhism and The Three Vehicles - with Gelong Thubten

11.00 - 11.30: Break

11.30 - 12.45: Children's Blessing - with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. Lama Zangmo will give a short talk to the children followed by a Blessing with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. We recommend the children bring a small gift for Rinpoche, such as a drawing, a piece of fruit, a kata or anything else they’d like to offer.

12.45 - 14.00: Lunch Break

14.00 - 15.00: The Meaning of Refuge - with Gelongma Lhamo. An explanation of refuge, precepts and what to expect in the refuge ceremony, with time for questions.

15.00 - 15.30: Break

15.30: Refuge Ceremony - with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. Please register here for the Refuge Ceremony. An opportunity for those who wish to become Buddhist by taking refuge in the Three Jewels, and for those wishing to take precepts or renew their precepts.

To book your seat for the weekend of the 11th - 12th July, please visit the website.

Saturday 18 July

10.00 - 11.00: Improving our Motivation for Practice - with Gelongma Lhamo

11.00 - 11.45: Break

11.45 - 12.45: Compassion and Bodhicitta - with Gelong Thubten. This talk will be an introduction to the Bodhisattva vow.

12.45 - 14.30: Lunch Break

14.30 - The Aspiration Bodhisattva Vow - with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. Followed by an opportunity to offer a Katta and receive a blessing.

Sunday 19 July

10.00 - 11.00: Devotion and Transmission in Tibetan Buddhism - with Gelong Thubten

11.00 - 11.45: Break

11.45: 12.45: Q & A Session with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. An opportunity to ask Lama Yeshe questions about the Dharma and your practice.

12.45 - 14.30: Lunch Break

14.30 - Milarepa Tsok Puja. Followed by refreshments in the courtyard garden with Rinpoche. Please bring any offerings of fruit and vegetarian food items for the shrine before the start of the puja.

To book your seat for the weekend of the 18th - 19th July, please visit the website.

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Summer Raffle - in support of the Johannesburg temple project

When Lama Yeshe Rinpoche visited the Johannesburg centre in March 2019, he envisioned a traditional Tibetan Temple perched on top of the Kensington Ridge, to serve as a base for the next Akong Rinpoche’s activities in Africa. Since then Lama Rinpoche’s team of local professionals has proceeded with plans to make this vision a reality. As we know from our work on the Centres in London, having people to help is only part of the equation - the other side is funds for materials and associated expenses.

By taking part in this raffle, you'll not only be contributing to this wonderful project - you'll also have the chance to win...

🥇 1st Prize – 3 nights single room accommodation at KSDL

🥈 2nd Prize – £60 voucher to Kin + Deum restaurant

🥉 3rd Prize – £30 Waterstones book voucher

✨ Plus 3 surprise prizes

🎫 Tickets: £5 each

You’re welcome to purchase as many tickets as you like – the more you enter, the greater your chances of winning!

⏰ Ticket Sales Close:

The window to purchase tickets will close on 19 July 2026 at 10:00.

🏆 Draw Details:

Lama Yeshe Rinpcohe will draw the prize winners while we are enjoying refreshments in the courtyard after the Milarepa Tsok Puja on Sunday 19 of July. Please don’t worry if you are not there in person – we will contact you via the information provided.

To get hold of your tickets, just visit the Summer Raffle page on the website, and buy your tickets at the bottom of the page.

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The Tibetan Film Season at KSDL ...

Dechen and Kunsang write:

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Tibetan Film Season throughout May and June in Samye Dzong London! It was a fantastic four weeks, and we were thrilled by the wonderful turnout each week. We truly appreciated your commitment and enthusiasm, and we especially enjoyed our post-screening discussions. A heartfelt thank you to the team at Kagyu Samye Dzong for hosting us and making us feel so welcome.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Annabelle Duggan for her excellent coverage of the season. Annabelle contributed a piece to this newsletter, wrote an article for her student publication, interview with Kunsang Kelden and Pema Shitsetsang, and shared reflections on ten years of Royal Cafe. You can check out all of her work via the links above.

We are currently collaborating with our partners at Tibetan Heritage to produce a highlights video of the season, featuring interviews with organisers and audience members. We look forward to sharing it with you soon!

To help us improve our future events, we would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to fill out our feedback form. Your input is invaluable to us.

Finally, we are excited to announce that the next Tibet Film Festival London will take place from 25–27 September. Please save the date! Stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, be sure to sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tibetfilmfestival.

We look forward to staying in touch,

Dechen, Kesang, Kunsang, Norpell, and Tashi (The TFF London Team)