A VISIONARY FOR WORLD PEACE
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
The Founder
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche is a fully realized meditation master and internationally recognized teacher of Buddhism. Geshe-la, as he is affectionately called by his students, is responsible for the worldwide renewal of Kadampa Buddhism in our time. In his teachings he emphasizes the importance of meditation and explains how to use it in daily life so that we can be truly happy and develop a good heart. In his own life he shows these qualities in a perfect way.
Geshe Kelsang's biography
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was born in a remote town high on the Tibetan plateau and was ordained a Buddhist monk at the age of eight. After his ordination he studied Buddha's teachings for twenty years in large Tibetan monasteries. After completing his studies and being awarded the "Geshe" title ("Geshe" means virtuous spiritual friend), he dedicated his life to meditation. In the beginning near the border of Nepal and later in the mountains of northern India, he went into deep meditation retreats. Soon people began to see him as a great meditator and many considered him a contemporary Mahasiddha. After spending almost twenty years in retreat, he accepted an invitation from Manjushri Meditation Center in England at the request of his own Spiritual Guide Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang and traveled to the West in 1977. Since then Manjushri Centre has become his spiritual home, where he has given thousands of teachings.
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Geshe Kelsang's work
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche published his first book, Meaningful to Beholdin 1980. Since then he has written 22 authoritative books on Buddhism and meditation, as well as many sadhanas and prayer books. These range from basic introductory books to profound philosophical texts and meditation manuals.
Geshe-la has established three unique study programs and over 1300 centers and groups around the world. He has trained hundreds of qualified teachers and a thriving community of ordained ministers has emerged. He has also initiated the International Temples Project to create a Buddhist Temple in every capital city in the world.
In short, he has dedicated his entire life to establishing modern Kadampa Buddhism so that it can flourish throughout the world, both in this generation and in future generations.
