Our Founder, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso—affectionately known as Geshe-la—devoted his entire life to the study, practice and flourishing of Kadampa Buddhist teachings throughout the world.

After coming to the West in 1977, he worked tirelessly to establish a modern presentation of the Kadampa lineage of teachings with the blessings and encouragement of his own precious Spiritual Guide, Trijang Dorjechang Rinpoche. Geshe-la’s presentation, retaining the pure meanings and insights of Buddha’s original teachings, is accessible and suitable for modern-day practitioners.

Through his great dedication and skill, everyone—regardless of race, nationality, culture, age, or gender—has the opportunity to practice scientifically-proven methods for solving the problems of daily life that ultimately lead to true and lasting happiness. In his teachings Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life, the need to be truly happy, and how to cultivate a good heart to help others — and he demonstrates these qualities perfectly in his own life.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso passed into the clear light in 2022.

Scientific methods to accomplish inner peace

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. This remarkable teacher inspires so many people from so many different countries because he teaches from example.

Everything you see on this website is a manifestation of the compassionate
heart of this remarkable holy being.

Born in Tibet in 1931 and ordained a Buddhist monk at the age of eight, Geshe Kelsang then studied extensively in the great monastic universities of Tibet and earned the title “Geshe”, which literally means “spiritual friend” under the guidance of Trijang Dorjechang Rinpoche, his Spiritual Guide.

After leaving Tibet in 1959, he spent the next 18 years in solitary meditation retreats in the Himalayan region in northern India. In 1977, encouraged by his own Spiritual Guide, Geshe-la accepted an invitation to come to Manjushri Centre in England to teach Buddhism to the people in the West.

In 1991, Geshe-la founded the New Kadampa Tradition ~ International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT~IKBU), which now comprises approximately 1,300 Kadampa centers and branches in cities as far afield as Perth, Australia, Querétaro, Mexico, and Durban, South Africa. It also has a number of retreat centers around the world, including in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the US.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso wrote  24 books, founded over 1,300 meditation centers, established modern Kadampa study programs adaptable to different countries, trained thousands of qualified teachers, established a flourishing ordained community, and created the Temples for World Peace project to build a Kadampa Buddhist temple in every major city in the world.

In his teachings, Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life, the need to be truly happy, and how to cultivate a good heart to help others.

Not only did he demonstrate these qualities perfectly in his own life, but he inspired so many people from so many different countries because he taught by example; a humble Buddhist monk dedicated to helping people throughout the world find true happiness.