Dear Friends,

This has been an amazing year for Kadampa Center. In spite of the difficult economic times, together we have been able to sponsor three major new programs.

• In September this year Kadampa Center hosted the first of a five-year series of "Light of the Path" Retreats. It was initiated by and taught by Lama Zopa Rinpoche based on the foundational text by Lama Atisha, Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment.
  This was a huge undertaking for us. Almost 200 people attended the two-week residential retreat. The spiritual program aspect of the retreat was offered on a "dana" (donation) basis in keeping with Kadampa Center's policy of not charging a fee for any of our spiritual programs. It was only through the support of many donors and sponsors that we were able to cover the full costs of this major event.
• Throughout the year we have continued to expand our programs for young people and families. We now offer programs for children from infants through teens during the Sunday morning sessions. In addition there is a special teens group, adoptive families group and special events for young people.
  In fact, participation in our Children's Program has grown so rapidly that we are now planning to purchase a modular classroom to accommodate larger groups of young participants and the large number of families that are now members of the Kadampa Center community.
• Last fall we welcomed Geshe Palden Sangpo as our third resident ordained Sangha member. Geshe Sangpo is active in the Children's Program, assists in rituals, has led ritual arts classes and is studying English so he can soon teach more extensively. In the past 2 years we have grown from supporting one full-time ordained Sangha member (our beloved Geshe Gelek) to three (including Geshe Sangpo and Ven Tendron).
  In 2010 we want to expand our support for these ordained monastics who work full time for Kadampa Center. We hope to make substantial improvements this year in the areas of retirement, health care benefits and reimbursement of transportation costs. Those improvements will depend in large part on the generous support of our donors.

We estimate that it will cost more than $650 each day to support the broad array of programs. And of course throughout the year we will continue to add classes, programs and special events as our community expands.

Kadampa Center functions solely on the kindness and generosity of members and friends. There are no other sources of funds - no parent organization or foundation supporting us financially. As Geshe-la says, "The Center is no one person or group... anyone who comes is the Center." It is up to each of us, as individuals, to provide for its continued operation.

Kadampa Center offers its deepest gratitude to all who have supported us in 2009. May the benefits of this generosity fill the universe with compassion and wisdom.

With sincere best wishes,

Robbie Watkins, MD
Center Director, Kadampa Center

"Although attempting to bring about world peace through the internal transformation of individuals is difficult, it is the only way."

-- His Holiness the Dalai Lama