Founder and Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is a world-renowned Buddhist meditation master who has pioneered the introduction of modern Buddhism into contemporary society.
The Founder of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU), he has established over 1,200 meditation centers and groups throughout the world and trained Buddhist teachers to teach at them.
His profound personal experience of the entire path to enlightenment is revealed in the 21 authoritative books on Buddhism and meditation he has written.His deep wisdom, clarity and ability to convey even the most subtle teachings of Buddha to the people of the modern world are revealed in the thousands of inspiring teachings he has given worldwide in the last 36 years.
His boundless compassion for this and future generations is revealed in the extensive charitable activities of the International Temples Project that he founded.The Old Kadampa Lineage up to the present New Kadampa TraditionKadampa Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the greatn Buddhist Master Atisha (AD 982-1054).
His followers are known as ‘Kadampas’. Ka refers to Buddha’s teachings, and dam to Atisha’s special Lamrim instructions known as ‘the stages of the path to enlightenment’. Kadampas, then, are practitioners who regard Buddha’s teachings as personal instructions and put them into practice by following the instructions of Lamrim.
The Kadampa tradition was later promoted widely in Tibet by Je Tsongkhapa and his followers, who were known as the ‘New Kadampas’.Transforming daily activities into the path By integrating their knowledge of all Buddha’s teachings into their practice of Lamrim, and by integrating this into their everyday lives, Kadampa Buddhists are encouraged to use Buddha’s teachings as practical methods for transforming daily activities into the path to enlightenment.The great Kadampa Teachers are famous not only for being great scholars but also for being spiritual practitioners of immense purity and sincerity.
Modern Kadampa Buddhism
Through the activities and dedication of the renowned Buddhist Master, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Kadampa Buddhism has spread to many countries in recent years.Geshe Kelsang has worked tirelessly to spread Kadampa Buddhism throughout the world by giving extensive teachings, writing many books on Kadampa Buddhism, establishing the International Temples Project and founding the New Kadampa Tradition, the International Kadampa Buddhist Union.
In the booklet, Modern Buddhism [PDF], you will find information about Kadampa Buddhism, a special tradition of Mahayana Buddhism particularly suited to this modern world that offers practical solutions to the problems we experience in our daily lives.