Kadampa Buddhism
Kadampa Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha (AD 982-1054). Atisha held the lineage of all Buddha’s teachings and presented them in a practical, step-by-step system known as Lamrim or ‘the stages of the path to enlightenment’ so that they could be easily understood and practised in the correct order.
His followers are known as ‘Kadampas’. ‘Ka’ refers to Buddha’s teachings, and ‘dam’ to Atisha’s special Lamrim instructions. A Kadampa is someone who takes all Buddha’s teachings as personal advice and put them into practice by following the instructions of Lamrim.
In this way Kadampas are encouraged to transform all their daily activities into the path to enlightenment.
The Kadampa tradition was later promoted widely in Tibet by Je Tsongkhapa and his followers, who were known as the ‘New Kadampas’.
The New Kadampa Tradition
Akanishta Kadampa Buddhist Centre is part of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union .
The New Kadampa Tradition is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. A worldwide network of Buddhist Centres offering three unique study programmes, its function is to help people from all walks of life gain personal experience of the joy and freedom which come from practising Buddha’s teachings.
New Kadampa Tradition Centres preserve and promote the pure teachings of Je Tsongkhapa, the great Kadampa Buddhist teacher.
The main practices of Kadampa Buddhists are Lamrim (The stages of the path to enlightenment), Lojong (Training the mind in the two bodhichittas), and Mahamudra
Kadampa Buddhists worldwide rely upon the Wisdom Buddha, Duldzin Dorje Shugden , as their Dharma Protector.
The Kadampa World Peace Temple at Manjushri Centre, Lake District, England
