Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (; 19 July 1931 – 17 September 2022) was a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

, meditation teacher, scholar, and author. He was the founder and spiritual director of the New Kadampa Tradition-International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU), a registered non-profit, modern Buddhist organization that came out of the Gelugpa school/lineage. 1,300 centres around the world, including temples, city temples and retreat centres offer an accessible approach to ancient wisdom.

Life and education in Tibet

Kelsang Gyatso was born in 1931 on the 4th day of the 6th month of the Tibetan

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...

, in Yangcho Tang, Western Tibet and named Lobsang Chuponpa. At the age of eight he joined Ngamring Jampa Ling Monastery where he was ordained as a novice monk and given the monastic name "Kelsang Gyatso" meaning "Ocean of Good Fortune". He "went on to study at Sera, one of the great monasteries of Tibet’s dominant Gelug school. He was trained in the traditional method of intense scholastic study and debate, and he studied for a geshe degree, an advanced distinction in Buddhist scholarship."

Leaving Tibet and life in India

After escaping to India via Nepal during the Tibetan exodus in 1959, Kelsang Gyatso stayed at the monastic study centre established at

Buxa Fort Buxa Fort is located at an altitude of in the Buxa Tiger Reserve, in the Kalchini CD block in the Alipurduar subdivision of the Alipurduar district, in West Bengal, India. It is located from Alipurduar, the nearest town. The Bhutan King used t ...

West Bengal, India West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...

. All he brought with him were two Buddhist scriptures —

Shantideva Shantideva (Sanskrit: Śāntideva; ; ; mn, Шантидэва гэгээн; vi, Tịch Thiên) was an 8th-century CE Indian philosopher, Buddhist monk, poet, and scholar at the mahavihara of Nalanda. He was an adherent of the Mādhyamaka phil ...

's ''

Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Expl ...

'' and a text by Je Tsongkhapa. In 1971, the Indian Government donated large tracts of land in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

to the community in exile, where separate monasteries were established. At this time, Kelsang Gyatso left the monastery at Buxa for

Mussoorie Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board, near Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill s ...

(a hill station in the Indian state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

) where he taught and engaged in intensive meditation retreat for sixteen years. At that time Kelsang Gyatso was, as David Kay puts it, "by all accounts, a very well respected scholar and meditator" within the Tibetan exile community.Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. RoutledgeCurzon critical studies in Buddhism. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 56. He spent much of his time in India in retreat: "over the next two decades he spent long periods in retreat in the Himalayan foothills."

Journey to the West

In 1976, at the suggestion of the Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso was invited by Lama Thubten Yeshe through their mutual spiritual guide Trijang Rinpoche to become the resident teacher at the main

FPMT The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) was founded in 1975 by Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who began teaching Mahayana Buddhism to Western students in Nepal. The FPMT has grown to encompass over ...

center,

Manjushri Institute Manjushri Institute was a large Buddhist college situated at Conishead Priory in Cumbria, England from 1976 until its dissolution in 1991. In 1991 its assets, including Conishead Priory, were transferred to a new centre on the same premises, Manju ...

in Ulverston,

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. In 1991, following a three-year retreat in Tharpaland, Dumfries, he founded the NKT-IKBU . He retired as General Spiritual Director of the NKT-IKBU in August 2009 but continued to write books and practice materials.

Lama Yeshe Thubten Yeshe (1935–1984) was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery (1969) and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (1975). He followed the Gelug tradition, and was considered unconventio ...

's decision to invite his former classmate to be Resident Teacher at the

in England was advised by the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

. He arrived in August 1977 and gave his first teaching on

Lamrim Lamrim (Tibetan: "stages of the path") is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of ''lamrim'', pres ...

on September 10. Under Kelsang Gyatso's spiritual direction, Manjushri Institute "became a thriving training and retreat center." Kelsang Gyatso taught the General Program at Manjushri from 1977 to 1987. At that time, the Geshe studies programme was taught by Jampa Tekchok and then Konchog Tsewang (1982–1990). (In 1990 the Geshe Studies Programme at Manjushri Institute was cancelled, as it had been in most of the other FPMT Centres where it had been established.) On October 13, 1983, Kelsang Gyatso became a naturalized British citizen.

Establishing Buddhist centres

In 1979, Kelsang Gyatso opened a Buddhist teaching centre (

Madhyamaka Mādhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no ''svabhāva'' doctrine"), refers to a tradition of Buddhi ...

Centre in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

) under the spiritual direction of his teacher Venerable Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was give permission to update the presentation of the dharma (teachings of Buddhism) to be clear and accessible to western students. In 1987, Kelsang Gyatso entered a 3-year retreat at Tharpaland International Retreat Centre in Dumfries,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. During his retreat, he wrote five books and established the foundations of the NKT-IKBU. After completing his retreat in the early months of 1991, Kelsang Gyatso announced the creation of the NKT-IKBU, an event which was celebrated by his students in the NKT-IKBU magazine ''Full Moon'' as "a wonderful development in the history of the Buddhadharma." Since that time, the NKT-IKBU has grown to comprise 1,300 centres worldwide, most principally study and meditation centers, some principally retreat centers, and six traditional-style Temples for World Peace. Kelsang Gyatso's teachings have a practical emphasis on teachings based on Lamrim,

Lojong Lojong (, 'mind training') is a contemplative practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition which makes use of various lists of aphorisms or slogans which are used for contemplative practice. The practice involves refining and purifying one's motiva ...

and

Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...

. Waterhouse commented that, "He teaches in English with a strong Tibetan accent. He is an endearing character to look at; petite with slightly downcast eyes which look about him as he walks or teaches his devoted students." Spanswick observes that, "many of those who hear him speak are struck by his wisdom and sincerity." At the heart of the NKT-IKBU are its three study programs: the General Program, the Foundation Program, and the Teacher Training Program. According to the NKT-IKBU, it "seeks not to offer a westernized form of Buddhism, but rather to make traditional Gelugpa Buddhism accessible to westerners." To achieve this, Kelsang Gyatso taught himself English.

Books

Kelsang taught extensively on all aspects of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

's Sutras and

Tantra Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...

s in light of the teachings and tradition of Je Tsongkhapa. He was also a prolific writer and translator. His books present various key aspects of Buddhism as taught by the Gelug scholastic tradition. Several have been well regarded and recommended by senior Gelug Lamas. Kelsang Gyatso's books were first published by

Wisdom Publications The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) was founded in 1975 by Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, who began teaching Mahayana Buddhism to Western students in Nepal. The FPMT has grown to encompass over ...

. In 1985, Tharpa Publications was founded, to publish his teachings and since then has been the exclusive publisher of his works worldwide. With an aim to provide Western Dharma practitioners with essential Buddhist texts, Kelsang published 22 books. His first book published in 1980 was a commentary to

's ''

'' called ''Meaningful to Behold''. This was followed by ''Clear Light of Bliss'' in 1982. A number of Kelsang Gyatso's textbooks have received favourable reviews. Bluck writes that "The three most popular works—''Introduction to Buddhism'', ''The New Meditation Handbook'' and ''Transform Your Life''—have sold 165,000 copies between them, showing their appeal far beyond the movement itself." Batchelor says that Kelsang Gyatso's books are written with "considerable clarity." Braizer echoes this sentiment, saying that Kelsang Gyatso writes "excellent" books that are "an important contribution to Western understanding of Buddhism and its traditions. They can stand on their own merit." ''Guide to Dakini Land'' and ''Essence of Vajrayana'' have been described as "the most detailed and revealing commentary on specific tantric practices yet to be published in a Western language." In his book review of ''Guide to Dakini Land'', Richard Guard said: Over a million copies of Kelsang Gyatso's books have been sold. His books include titles for beginners such as ''Introduction to Buddhism'', ''Transform Your Life'' and ''How to Solve Our Human Problems'', books about the

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...

path like ''

Universal Compassion ''Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times'', Tharpa Publications (4th. ed., 2002) is a commentary to Geshe Chekhawa's ''Training the Mind in Seven Points'' by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a Buddhist teacher and author in the West. ...

'' (

), '' The New Heart of Wisdom'' ( Heart Sutra) and ''Joyful Path of Good Fortune'' (

), and books on

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

(

) like ''Mahamudra Tantra'', ''Guide to Dakini Land'' and ''Essence of Vajrayana''. Two of his books are commentaries on Indian

texts: the book ''Ocean of Nectar'' is a commentary to

Chandrakirti Chandrakirti (; ; , meaning "glory of the moon" in Sanskrit) or "Chandra" was a Buddhist scholar of the madhyamaka school and a noted commentator on the works of Nagarjuna () and those of his main disciple, Aryadeva. He wrote two influential w ...

's ''Guide to the Middle Way'', and ''Meaningful to Behold'' is a commentary to

's ''Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life'' or '' Bodhicharyavatara''. Kelsang Gyatso also translated and/or composed many sadhanas, or prayer booklets, for the practice of many of the Buddhist

Emphasis on lineage

Kay says that NKT-IKBU practitioners practice their tradition exclusively, "eschewing

eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...

." Kelsang Gyatso's "conservative and traditional presentation of Buddhism" is appealing to Westerners who "wish for a meaningful alternative to spiritual pluralism." According to Kelsang Gyatso in ''Understanding the Mind'': Therefore, Kelsang Gyatso taught in ''Great Treasury of Merit'' that the most effective way to progress spiritually is by "following one tradition purely — relying upon one Teacher, practising only his teachings, and following his Dharma Protector. If we mix traditions many obstacles arise and it takes a long time for us to attain realizations." Geshe Kelsang was known as an exponent of

Dorje Shugden Dorje Shugden ( bo, རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་, Wylie: ''rdo rje shugs ldan'', ), also known as Dolgyal and Gyalchen Shugden, is an entity associated with the Gelug school, the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. ...

practices, which brought him into conflict with the Tibetan political establishment."Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. RoutledgeCurzon critical studies in Buddhism. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 101-2.

Ordination of Westerners

The new Kadampa tradition provides a modern supportive environment for those who sincerely wish to take their devotion to Buddhism deeper by becoming ordained. Whereas in the former Tibetan traditions, women, for example were not permitted to take ordination vows.

Development of Western Dharma teachers

Kelsang Gyatso founded the New Kadampa Tradition "to bring pure Buddhist teachings to the west," where he would train equally four types of teacher: monks, nuns, lay men and lay women. NKT-IKBU Dharma Centres are mixed communities of lay and ordained practitioners who are all on the same teaching programs. He also promoted the development of local teachers in their own language. This is a departure from most Tibetan Buddhist Centres where monastics take precedence over lay people, monks take precedence over nuns, and Tibetans take precedence over Westerners. In a teaching called ''Training as a Qualified Dharma Teacher'', Kelsang Gyatso explained where the teachers of the NKT-IKBU come from:

Retirement

In August 2009, he voluntarily stepped down as General Spiritual Director of the NKT-IKBU, in a democratic system of succession that he established in the NKT-IKBU's "Internal Rules". Kelsang Gyatso engaged in meditation retreat and continued to write Dharma books to preserve and promote the Kadampa Buddhism of Je Tsongkhapa, in accordance with the instructions of

Trijang Rinpoche The Third Trijang Rinpoche, Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (1901–1981) was a Gelugpa Lama and a direct disciple of Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo. He succeeded Ling Rinpoche as the junior tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama when the Dalai Lama was nineteen ...

. According to Richard Spanswick, "Since taking up residence at

Conishead Priory Conishead Priory is a large Gothic Revival building on the Furness peninsula near Ulverston in Cumbria. The priory's name translates literally as "King's Hill Priory". Since 1976, the building has been occupied by a Buddhist community. History ...

, Kelsang has been working to produce a complete set of instructions for westerners wishing to set out on the path to enlightenment." Continuing this task, a new book entitled ''Modern Buddhism: The Path of Wisdom and Compassion'' was released in January 2010, and its oral transmission was given by Kelsang Gyatso at the Fall 2010 NKT-IKBU Festival. Kelsang Gyatso did not made any public appearances between October 2013 and his death in September 2022. The NKT stated he was "in strict retreat".

Death

On 19 September 2022, the NKT announced the death of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche via their website and social media. Their statement reads: The community of Kechara Forest Retreat and visiting sangha from Shar Gaden, Serpom, Phelgyeling and Segyu monasteries offered a Lama Chopa puja and many candle offerings dedicated for Ven. Geshe-la’s swift return: "Having established the New Kadampa Tradition, Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was the spiritual father to tens of thousands around the world. A true Kadampa master, Geshe-la dedicated his entire life to upholding the pure traditions of Je Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden, and his contribution to the lineage was unparalleled in recent times."

Bibliography

*''The Bodhisattva Vow: A Practical Guide to Helping Others'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1995) *''Buddhism in the Tibetan Tradition: A Guide'', Routledge & Kegan Paul (1984) , (Library Edition 2008) *''Clear Light of Bliss: Tantric Meditation Manual'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1992) *''Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness'', Tharpa Publications (2000) *''Essence of Vajrayana: The Highest Yoga Tantra Practice of Heruka Body Mandala'', Tharpa Publications (1997) *''Great Treasury of Merit: How to Rely Upon a Spiritual Guide'', Tharpa Publications (1992) *''Guide to Dakini Land: The Highest Yoga Tantra Practice of Buddha Vajrayogini'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1996) *''Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life: How to Enjoy a Life of Great Meaning and Altruism'', a translation of

's ''Bodhisattvacharyavatara'' with Neil Elliott, Tharpa Publications (2002) *''Heart Jewel: The Essential Practices of Kadampa Buddhism'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) *'' The New Heart of Wisdom: Profound Teachings from Buddha's Heart'', Tharpa Publications (5th. ed., 2012) *''How to Solve Our Human Problems: The Four Noble Truths'', Tharpa Publications (2005, US ed., 2007) *''Introduction to Buddhism: An Explanation of the Buddhist Way of Life'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 2001, US ed. 2008) *''Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Complete Buddhist Path to Enlightenment'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1995) *''Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully: The Profound Practice of Transference of Consciousness'', Tharpa Publications (1999) *''Mahamudra Tantra: The Supreme Heart Jewel Nectar'', Tharpa Publications (2005) *''Meaningful to Behold: The Bodhisattva's Way of Life'', Tharpa Publications (5th. ed., 2008) *''The Mirror of Dharma: How to Find the Real Meaning of Human Life'', Tharpa Publications (2018) *''Modern Buddhism: The Path of Wisdom and Compassion'', Tharpa Publications (2010) *'' The New Meditation Handbook: Meditations to Make Our Life Happy and Meaningful'', Tharpa Publications (2003) *''Ocean of Nectar: The True Nature of All Things'', Tharpa Publications (1995) *''The Oral Instructions of the Mahamudra'', Tharpa Publications (2015) *''Tantric Grounds and Paths: How to Enter, Progress on, and Complete the Vajrayana Path'', Tharpa Publications (1994) *''Transform Your Life: A Blissful Journey'', Tharpa Publications (2001, US ed. 2007) *''Understanding the Mind: The Nature and Power of the Mind'', Tharpa Publications (2nd. ed., 1997) *''

: Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times'', Tharpa Publications (4th. ed., 2002)

Notes

References

External links

NKT-IKBU official website

Tharpa Publications
— The publisher of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's books
Modern Buddhism The Path of Compassion and Wisdom
— Free eBook by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
New Kadampa Truth
— Responding to criticism of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
New Kadampa Truths
Writing and discussion critical of the New Kadampa movement by ex-members. There is a similarly named "New Kadampa Truth" with response to this criticism. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelsang Gyatso, Geshe 1931 births 2022 deaths Dorje Shugden controversy Founders of new religious movements Gelug Buddhists Geshes New Kadampa Tradition New Kadampa Tradition lamas Lamas Politics of Tibet Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet Tibetan Buddhism writers