Buddha Shakyamuni
What is Kadampa Buddhism?
Kadampa Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha (AD 982-1054).
In the word, ‘Kadampa’, ‘Ka’ refers to Buddha’s teachings, and ‘dam’ to Atisha’s special Lamrim instructions. Kadampas, then, are practitioners who regard Buddha’s teachings as personal instructions and put them into practice by following the instructions of Lamrim.
By integrating their understanding of all Buddha’s teachings into their practice of Lamrim, and by integrating their experience of Lamrim into their everyday lives, Kadampas use Buddha’s teachings as practical methods for transforming daily activities into the path to enlightenment.
Je Tsongkhapa
Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
The great Kadampa Teachers
After Atisha, the Kadampa lineage was passed down through a succession of great Kadampa Teachers including Dromtönpa, Geshe Potowa, Geshe Sharawa, and Geshe Chekhawa.
These precious Teachers were not only great scholars but also spiritual practitioners of immense purity and sincerity.
They placed particular emphasis on the practice of Training the Mind (Lojong) by which all our daily life experiences, and especially all our problems, suffering, and difficulties, can be transformed into the spiritual path.
The New Kadampas
The Kadampa lineage passed from generation to generation until the fourteenth century when it reached the great Buddhist Master Je Tsongkhapa.
Je Tsongkhapa clarified all the teachings of Kadam Dharma and made them very accessible to the people of that time.
In particular, he showed how to combine Lamrim, and Lojong with Mahamudra Tantra in a unified daily practice.
Just as the union of study and practice was a hallmark of the early Kadampas, so the union of Sutra and Tantra was to become a hallmark of the New Kadampas, as the followers of Je Tsongkhapa became known.
Modern Kadampa Buddhism
After Je Tsongkhapa, the New Kadampa lineage flourished for hundreds of years, down to the present day.
In recent years, it has been promoted widely throughout the world by the contemporary Buddhist Master, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
By founding the New Kadampa Tradition, the International Kadampa Buddhist Union, Geshe Kelsang has created a truly global infrastructure to preserve and promote Kadampa Buddhism for many generations to come.
Modern
Kadampa Buddhism
World Renowned Meditation Master
Modern Kadampa Buddhism is a special, practical presentation of Buddha’s teachings that is particularly suited to the modern day. It was introduced into contemporary society by the world-renowned meditation master and scholar Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Modern Kadampa Buddhism preserves the meaning and intention of Buddha’s original teachings while presenting them in a clear and systematic way that anyone of any nationality, age or gender can easily understand and put into practice.
What is Modern Kadampa Buddhism?
Modern Kadampa Buddhism is a special, practical presentation of Buddha’s teachings that is particularly suited to the modern day. It was introduced into contemporary society by the world-renowned meditation master and scholar Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
Modern Kadampa Buddhism preserves the meaning and intention of Buddha’s original teachings while presenting them in a clear and systematic way that anyone of any nationality, age or gender can easily understand and put into practice.
A life of dedication
Since 1977, when he accepted an invitation to become Resident Teacher at Manjushri Centre in the UK, he has given thousands of teachings, composed twenty-three widely acclaimed books on Buddhism and meditation, established over 1,300 meditation centers, trained hundreds of qualified Teachers and developed practical study and meditation programs to suit the needs of the modern world.
In short, he has dedicated his entire life to laying the foundation for modern Kadampa Buddhism to flourish throughout the world in this and future generations.
All the auspicious developments illustrated on this website have arisen from the compassionate intention and extraordinary vision of this remarkable being.
Connecting with Modern Kadampa Buddhism?
Venerable Geshe-la’s message is as simple as it is profound – all the problems in this world originate in the mind, and the solutions to these problems and the causes of lasting peace and happiness are also to be found in the mind.
Only by developing inner peace in our minds through meditation can we solve our own problems and help others to do the same, and in this way create world peace.
Thanks to the extraordinary kindness of Venerable Geshe-la, the internal scientific methods to accomplish this inner peace are now available to everyone in the modern world.
This humble monk has touched the hearts of countless people around the world and inspired them to set out on a blissful journey to lasting happiness and inner peace.