Kadampa Buddhism
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is Buddha's teachings and the inner experiences or realisations of these teachings.
These have a timeless and universal relevance and can be practiced by anyone in any culture, regardless of race, gender, or age.
Buddha first gave his teachings over two and half thousand years ago. Since that time they have been preserved in a pure form and passed down from Teacher to disciple in an unbroken lineage that is still alive today.
Thanks to the kindness of these previous Teachers, we are able to listen to and practice exactly the same Dharma as Buddha originally taught.
What is Kadampa Buddhism?
Kadampa Buddhism was founded by the great Indian Buddhist Meditation Master, Atisha (AD 982 - 1084).
Kadampas are practitioners who regard Buddha's teachings as personal advice and put them into practice by following Atisha's special Lamrim instructions.
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.
The Kadampa lineage passed from generation to generation until the fourteenth century when it reached the great Buddhist Master Je Tsongkhapa.
Modern Day Kadampas
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 - International Kadampa Buddhist Union, Geshe Kelsang has created a truly global infrastructure to preserve and promote Kadampa Buddhism for many generations to come.
