Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
- Tibetan : བསྐལ་བཟང་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ bskal-bzang Rgya-mtsho
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was born in Tibet in 1931 and ordained at the age of eight. In 1976 he was invited by Lama Thubten Yeshe, a Gelug Tulku, to teach at his FPMT center Manjushri Institute, Ulverston, England. After a schism with the FPMT, he founded the New Kadampa Tradition in 1991. His teachings have sparked significant controversy.
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Early years in Tibet
He was born in Tibet in 1931 and at age 8 he was ordained at the Ngamring Jampling monastery. Later he studied at Sera Monastery, one of the great Gelug monastic universities of Tibet. He was a member of the Tsangpa Khangtsen, one of the fifteen houses at the monastery.
As a member of that house, and a part of the general monastic community around Lhasa, he attended many public teachings, along with most of the monks and public from the area.
Life in India
After the exodus of Tibet in 1959, Kelsang Gyatso stayed at the initial location of his monastery, in Buxar. Later, after Prime Minister Nehru donated large tracts of land in South India to the community in exile, the monastery moved South. At this time, Kelsang Gyatso left the monastery at Buxar for Mussoorie (a hill station in the Indian state of Uttaranchal).
Education and qualifications
Kelsang Gyatso claims to have been awarded a Geshe degree.[1] According to a documentary film published at the official Homepage of Dalai Lama he is a "self-made Geshe". The following is extracted from an account of Geshe Kelsang's qualifications written in January 1998 by James Belither, Secretary of the NKT:
- In Tibet before he joined Sera-je Monastery near Lhasa, Geshe Kelsang studied on the Geshe training programme for many years in his local monastery of Jampaling. He then took two examinations at the great monastic university of Tashi Lhunpo, one for memorization of texts, the second being the actual examination. After the second examination he was awarded a degree from that monastery, and from that time on the other monks and local people called him Geshe Kelsang. Later, he continued with the Geshe training programme in Sera-je Monastery until he left for India in 1959, where he alternately studied and engaged in meditation retreats. One day he received a letter from Sera-je Monastery in south India, encouraging him to attend a Geshe offering ceremony and to take an examination in order to receive a certificate. In 1973 he went to Sera Monastery and made an extensive offering at the Geshe offering ceremony to a large assembly of monks from both Sera-je and Sera-mey monasteries, in Sera Tsogchen Prayer Hall. He also made the traditional offerings to Sera-je Monastery. On that occasion the monks of his class offered him a 'katag', or ceremonial scarf, and gifts in the traditional way. If he was not considered a Geshe then what was the point of inviting him to participate in this ceremony? At that time he declined to take the examination, which was a new system that had been recently introduced. He later explained that this was because he did not think that receiving a piece of paper was important. ... Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche in the colophon to the long life prayer that he wrote for Geshe Kelsang says, 'This brief prayer for the long life of the Tsang-pa Geshe, Kelsang Gyatso, of Sera-je Monastery, who is endowed with great learning and immaculately pure conduct, ...'
Acknowledgement of his teachers
It is also clear that at one time he was highly thought of within the Tibetan Gelug tradition as three of his works contained forewords by previous Ganden Tripas and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama contributed a foreword to "Buddhism in the Tibetan Tradition" whilst Trijang and Ling Rinpoches (who each held the position of Ganden Tripa) also provided forewords for his books "Meaningful to Behold" and "Clear Light of Bliss" respectively. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche refers to Geshe Kelsang as 'this most precious Spiritual Guide' whilst Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche refers to him as 'The excellent expounder, the great Spiritual Master Kelsang Gyatso...'.
Journey to the West
According to the New Kadampa Tradition source Modern Day Kadampas:
- In 1968 Kelsang Gyatso accepted an invitation to live and teach in a center (being planned in Canada) by the Christian monk, philosopher and writer Thomas Merton, who was journeying through India that year. These plans were cut short due to Merton's sudden death and so the center did not evolve.
In 1976 Kelsang Gyatso was invited by Lama Thubten Yeshe to teach at Manjushri Institute an FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) center in England, founded by Lama Yeshe. Lama Yeshe and Geshe Kelsang didn't share the same vison of how to practice the Buddhas doctrine. Later it came to a split and Geshe Kelsang became the spiritual head of Manjushri Institute and founded the New Kadampa Tradition in the 1991 (see NKT history). The Center is located in Ulverston and is nowadays called Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre. It is the main seat of the New Kadampa Tradition. There he lived from 1977 giving teachings and guidance to an ever-growing group of mainly western disciples.
Expulsion from the Sera Je Dratsang Monastery
According to Michael von Brück, in 1996 Geshe Kelsang was excluded by a number of abbots and Geshes from the community of the monastery he belonged to:
- Fifteen abbots and teachers (Geshes) from Geshe Kelsang's origin monastery, Sera Je Dratsang (now South India) wrote an open letter against Geshe Kelsang, excluded him from the Community of the monastery, named him an "apostate" and compared him with "Mohammed of Gazni".<ref>von Brück, Michael (1999). Religion und Politik im Tibetischen Buddhismus, page 159. München: Kösel Verlag. ISBN 3466204453</ref>
Current activities
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso continues to give teachings in Europe and North America.
In the past his followers called him the Third Buddha and Geshe Kelsang encouraged his students to read only his books but nowadays he gave his permission that they can read also other books.
According to NKT :
- "From his earliest days at Manjushri Centre, Geshe-la worked tirelessly to guide and inspire his students in every aspect of their spiritual life, and continues to do so for the benefit of his many disciples throughout the world. Geshe-la has given extensive commentaries on a great range of subjects from both Sutra and Tantra, but in addition to formal teachings Geshe-la has always been available for private consultations, helping students with their personal problems and being concerned with their health and welfare. Geshe-la has always encouraged his students to present Dharma in a way appropriate to their own culture and society without the need to adopt Tibetan culture and customs. Realizing that it would be difficult for many of his students to learn Tibetan, he taught himself English. Understanding the importance of presenting authentic commentaries in English and other languages, he devotes himself to writing and editing, as well as organizing the publication and translation of his books. All the royalties that he receives as author of these books he donates to Manjushri Centre."
Books, programs and centers
Geshe Kelsang has written twenty one books which provide Western Dharma practitioners with some essential texts of the Gelug tradition on the path to Enlightenment. There are books like a new translation into English of Chandrakirti's Guide to the Middle Way and many other books on Sutra and Tantra.
Furthermore, he has established three study programmes in his Dharma Centres, called the General Programme, Foundation Programme and Teacher Training Programme respectively. In these programs people can study Geshe Kelsang's books with authorized NKT teachers.
He founded the New Kadampa Tradition in 1991 and since that many NKT centers worldwide, according to NKT sources "almost 900 meditation centres in over 40 countries". They divide into about 200 residential centres and 700 groups at local places, like libraries and local community centres.
Separation from the Gelug school hierarchy
With the controversies on Dorje Shugden, Geshe Kelsang's views on how the tradition he received from his root teacher (Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche) and other Gelug teachers should be practiced was seen by him as significantly different to the views of the Dalai Lama, the highest Gelug Tulku, and the current Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelug Tradition. This means he does not recognise the authority of these teachers with respect to how the NKT is organised and what teachings they emphasize.
The separation betweeen Geshe Kelsang and the wider Gelug tradition has been also underlined through making a number of revisions to the later editions of Geshe Kelsang's earlier publications. Geshe Kelsang's dedications to the long life of the Dalai Lama found in editions of "Meaningful to Behold" are omitted from the fourth edition (1994) onwards. Also Geshe Kelsang made revisions of the list of Mahamudra lineage gurus in the second edition of Clear Light of Bliss, published in 1992. In the first edition, Phabongkha Rinpoche was followed by Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche, the 'current holder of the throne of Ganden'. In the second edition he omits Ling Rinpoche and replacing his name with that of Dorjechang Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche (i.e. Geshe Kelsang). Geshe Kelsang said at a NKT festival in 1995 that the Gelug tradition is in a state of "serious degeneration". Geshe Kelsang has stated that the most effective way to progress spiritually is to rely on "one teacher, his tradition and his protector deity".
Whereas traditional ordination according to the Vinaya and Pratimoksha is given by a Sangha of minimum five fully ordained monks<ref>Buddhist Ethics (Treasury of Knowledge) by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, ISBN 155939191X, p. 90</ref> the NKT ordination is given from Geshe Kelsang, who still ordains all monastics personally.<ref name=ord>British Buddhism Teachings, Practice and Development by Bluck, Robert, ISBN 0415395151, Publisher: RoutledgeCurzon</ref> Waterhouse states: NKT monks and nuns are simply described as ‘ordained’, and usually take the name ‘Kelsang’ from Geshe Kelsang. The NKT ordination vows have been slightly modified to be ‘more appropriate for westerners’.<ref name=ord/>
According to Bluck:
- Apart from Geshe Kelsang, there are no ethnic Tibetans in the NKT, and no remaining links with the rest of Tibetan Buddhism. With no remaining Tibetan links, central control of teaching, little contact with other schools, an expanding programme of residential centres, widespread if selective publicity and overt proselytizing, the NKT as an organization is far removed from the mainstream of traditional Tibetan Buddhism.
One of the effects of this rift is that in the New Kadampa Tradition which Geshe Kelsang founded, he is viewed as the sole spiritual authority. NKT members have described authority within the New Kadampa Tradition as follows: "There is only one Teacher in the NKT, Geshe Kelsang; all other NKT Teachers are his emanations."
A senior member and long-standing monk of the NKT explained: "The NKT hierarchy is Geshe Kelsang; and then there's a successor, someone who will be the spiritual director of the NKT after Geshe Kelsang passes away; and then there's everybody else, all on the same level really."
Temple project
Geshe Kelsang has been the driving force behind the building of the NKT temples. The first Kadampa Buddhist Temple has been built in 1998 at Manjushri Centre, Cumbria. The second temple was opened in 2005, in Glen Spey, New York. At present the work is underway for a third temple near Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Further Temples are planned at Tara Centre in Derby, England and in Melbourne, Australia as well as in Germany.
"NKT members hope to build a Buddhist temple in every major town and city in the world. This project is known as the International Temples Project for World Peace."<ref name=BBC/>
Retreat
According to the New Kadampa Tradition source Modern Day Kadampas:
- In January 1987, Geshe Kelsang entered a three-year retreat at Tharpaland in southern Scotland. Although Geshe-la gave no formal teachings during this time, in-between his meditation sessions he continued to work on a number of books, and it was during his stay at Tharpaland that he completed Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Universal Compassion, and wrote The Meditation Handbook, Introduction to Buddhism and Guide to Dakini Land. It was also during this period that he designed the three spiritual programs that form the core of the New Kadampa Tradition.
See also
References
- Belither, James. "Modern Day Kadampas: The History and Development of the New Kadampa Tradition". New Kadampa Tradition.
- Bluck, Robert (2006). British Buddhism Teachings, Practice and Development. RoutledgeCurzon, ISBN 0415395151
- Brown, Andrew (1996). "Battle of the Buddhists". The Independent, London, 15 July 1996.
- Bunting, Madeleine (1996). "Shadow Boxing on the Path to Nirvana". The Guardian, London, 6 July 1996.
- Jones, Ken. "Many Bodies, One Mind": Movements in British Buddhism. Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
- Kay, David N. (2004). Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation. London and New York: Curzon Press. ISBN 0-415-29765-6
External links
New Kadampa Tradition links
- New Kadampa Tradition
- Tharpa Publications - The publisher of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's books
- Pro Documents on the Dorje Shugden - New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) Controversy
- Who is Dorje Shugden? The View of Shugden followers.
- Kelsang Gyatso's Meditate in London site
Critical links
