Meditation Teachers
Spiritual Founder - Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
The Founder of the New Kadampa Tradition is Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a highly respected meditation master and scholar born in Tibet in 1931. He holds the entire lineage of instructions of Kadampa Buddhism and is renowned as a great teacher and yogi.
In 1977 Geshe Kelsang was invited to England as the Resident Teacher at the Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Center, where he has remained ever since. Now a naturalized British citizen with fluent English and a complete understanding of the Western world, he has dedicated his life to helping Western people integrate the teachings of Buddha into their daily lives through meditation.
Geshe Kelsang is renowned for the purity and authenticity of his teachings and published works. He presents the pure teachings of Buddha in a way that is easy for Westerners to understand and put into practice.
Twenty of Geshe Kelsang's books have already been published, and others are at various stages of preparation. Ranging from highly accessible books for beginners to detailed and lucid expositions of the profundities of Buddhist philosophy, they form a comprehensive presentation of the Buddhist path to enlightenment. These books are now being translated into a number of languages, including Spanish and German.
Resident Teacher - Kelsang Norbu
Kelsang Norbu is a Western Buddhist monk and close disciple of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. He is a sincere practitioner who provides an excellent example of devotion to spiritual practice and the growth of the Dharma community. As Resident Teacher, Kelsang Norbu's teachings are characterized by clarity and gentle humor providing practical advice for modern Dharma students.
Currently, Kelsang Norbu is teaching Sunday morning Prayers for World Peace, Wednesday Noontime Meditation and the Monday evening General Program class at the Center. He also teaches branch classes in La Conner and Mount Vernon, as well as the intermediate level (Foundation Program) study program at the center.