Our Founder
The Founder of the London Kadampa centres is Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
A fully accomplished meditation master and scholar, Geshe Kelsang, or Geshe-la, as he is affectionately called by his students, has established over 1000 Kadampa Centres and Groups worldwide and written 21 highly acclaimed books on Buddhism.
Geshe Kelsang has also created three unique study programmes that enable people of all levels to integrate the essence of Buddha’s teachings into their modern lives. In addition, he has organised the International Temples Project, a profound contribution to world peace.
Born in 1931 and ordained as a Buddhist monk at the age of eight, he studied Buddhism extensively under many highly qualified teachers, in particular the renowned teacher Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.
In 1959, he entered into an eighteen year meditiation retreat that took him to various locations in the Himalayan region and northern India.
In 1977, he accepted an invitation from Manjushri Buddhist Centre in Ulverston, England, to take up residence as their teacher, and in 1982 he became a naturalized British citizen.
Since arriving in the UK, Geshe Kelsang has worked tirelessly to establish Buddhism in the modern world - preparing authentic books in many different languages, establishing and guiding Centres in many different countries, giving extensive teachings, and training qualified teachers.
Renowned for their clarity and practicality, his teachings perfectly bridge the ancient wisdom of Buddhism and contemporary life.
To find out more about Geshe Kelsang and Kadampa Buddhism worldwide, visit the main Kadampa Buddhism website.
