Welcome to Kadampa Life.
There are now well over 400 articles on this site, covering a wide variety of subjects, all on the theme of transforming our daily lives, work, relationships, society, world, present & future, etc, through meditation and Buddhist ideas — making real spiritual progress and helping others.
If you want some articles specifically written about and for this pandemic we are in the middle of, please click here: Coping with COVID.
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Hello Luna, I always follow your blog and recommend to my sangha friends here in Brazil, a post more incredible than the other, I love your way of writing.
I haven’t researched it yet, but I would like to know if you have any post that talks more details about the life of Geshe-la, told the life style of Buddha, with details of personal life, childhood, in the monastery, in the formation of the NKT, inspiration to write books, etc … If you have a post like that, I think it would be very inspiring to see your entire trajectory.
I couldn’t agree more, but there is no biography of Venerable Geshe-la’s earlier life, only a few details here and there. The closest I have to this so far is https://kadampalife.org/2011/06/04/celebrating-a-great-buddhist-master-on-his-80th-birthday/
So happy to find this blog. Thank you🙏
My friend told me this is a wonderful blog. I’m so glad to have found you.
Hello there, I’ve been reading some of your articles and they are so beautifully worded and inspiring, your mind is truly very pure and blessed to have such wisdom and I’m rejoicing in having met these articles! I have been a Kadampa practitioner for about a year and I love how you are able to take the wisdom of the tradition and make it accessible to everyone. I have shared these articles with people and it is really making such a difference in others lives including my own so I just want to express my gratitude. I aspire to be able to acquire and express my knowledge as clearly as you do someday so I can help others towards enlightenment as well!
Gosh, that really is a very kind and gracious comment! I am so happy to be able to help in this way, paying forward a tiny fraction of the kindness i have received. I hope you enjoy your practice more and more as the months go by, I have a feeling you will. x
Thank you for expressing my feelings so perfectly Madalyn. I couldn’t agree with you more about the value and preciousness of this website. Much love to all bloggers, commenters and consumers.
Hello from overseas somewhere. Just happened to find your Blog. explore it, lol. I´m a recent practitioner, about 5 months. Been reading and hearing bad things about Modern Buddhism. Having second thoughts as to whether this is the right path for me. Things are maybe moving too fast? Get it, lol ( I don´t mind if you don´t get it…)
I don’t get it? Too fast in what way?
In any event, hello!
This my first read and I find it most interesting and enlightening. I have been a student of religions in general since the early 1970’s and am still questing. I wrote the following observation in the late 70’s. It seems particularly appropriate now.
Now is the time for all good men
To come to the aid of their
Country….or perhaps each other.
All thought is a sea,
All thought is a placid sea.
A pebble cast from a distant
Shore will cause a ripple, whose
Force Will eventually be felt
And recorded on the opposite shore.
Man is connected to man as islands are,
Beneath the surface.
Beyond that which is evident to the naked eye.
Fore those who care to probe the depths,
The truth is there and it is found.
May each man find his own truth in
his own time.
That is beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing it. It has always been relevant but now it is perhaps easier to see.
Hello Joseph – just wanted to say I understand your concerns. I started looking into Buddhism about 13 years ago, and began by following a Zen path. After some time I realised it wasn’t for me, though Buddhism still was, so kept looking and eventually discovered a group of Pureland Buddhists. They were intelligent, sincere and caring but after a while I found the “devotional” aspect of Pureland too uncomfortable for me.
The search went on but in the early days I had been warned by various people that two groups (one of which was New Kadampa) had a cult-like reputation and to steer clear of them. I built up a lot of prejudice against them and their followers but finally I went to the nearest Kadampa centre to where I lived as I felt a need to be part of a “real” (as opposed to online) sangha. Whatever else you can say about the NKT they have done more than any other group in making Buddhism accessible to a great many people with their many centres and outreach into local towns. I went along with a lot of negative stereotypes and misgivings, none of which have been justified. I have been going there now for about 6 years and have had experienced nothing but love, acceptance and encouragement. I have never felt pressurised to give money or undertake more of the courses and teachings they offer. I do struggle with Tibetan Buddhism’s more devotional aspects (a bit like Purelands) but I just take what I need from the teachings and allow things to change at their own pace. If you feel things are “going too fast” (not sure what you mean by that?) then slow them down. There is no rush and nothing to aim for – just practice as much as you can and let your understanding develop at a natural speed.
I am new to this site which came highly recommended by a very good friend. She said it will be very helpful in studying..
I hope it helps, thanks for reading 🙂
Thank you for providing this very inspiring site.
my pleasure, glad u like it. Happy 2017 🙂
Samsara is so boring, like a broken record boring, like a hangover boring, like the finger pointing outwards from us ignorant humans instead of inwards boring, at the Coogee beach Christmas Day trashing. I’m am getting so bored of my boring predictable behaviour it is starting to fire a rocket up my non existent arse! Thank you Kadampa Life x
How do I sign up for newsletters ?
There is a box on the upper right corner of the front page of the site 🙂
Thank you for sharing all your wonderful wisdom! I have a question about garden Buddhas, which have become culturally popular. I read that whenever you see a Buddha statue you should regard it as actual Buddha. Also, I was going to buy a t-shirt with a Buddha printed on it and someone advised against it because the shirt would get dirty. With this thinking in mind I cringe whenever I see a garden statue of Buddha (especially the decapitated heads!) because I wouldn’t want the statue to be damaged by or subjected to the weather. Am I wrong to feel this way?
Thank you, I have had these questions myself.
I don’t think the weather is such a problem as there are Buddha statues and stupas all over the world exposed to the elements. Hopefully, people will receive blessings from their garden Buddhas (I prefer the whole body too though). I personally am not too keen on t-shirts with Buddha images.
Does anyone else have any input into this?
I put cut flowers in front of the Buddha statue in my garden, whenever I remember. Sometimes, whenever the weather is nice, ill put one of those fake candles that are on a timer in front of the Buddha.
Thank you so much Luna. Your articles make me feel as though there is hope and that I too can find inner peace and happiness. I truly appreciate all that you have shared on your journey. It has really helped me to heal. I grew up under what felt like really difficult circumstances and I have let myself believe others delusions about my own self. I hope that makes sense. Your site and the articles are helping me to understand that I need to let go of other peoples delusions and also my own. I have a feeling I will be working on this forever, but knowing there is support out there from people like you truly helps. Thanks Luna and blessings to you.
Hi Patrice, I was very happy to read this! Thank you. x
Hello
Thank you for helping to stop suffering. My question is how would you suggest one to tackle Je Tsong Kha-Pa’s The Great Treatise. I have been studying different texts on my own for years and then with a wonderful teacher and now am approaching this important challenge. I am interested in articles you might suggest, supportive books, videos, podcasts – these have been helpful to me before, groups that focus on on Lam Rim Chen Mo.
Thank you.
Dear Michael
you have amazing great karma. I also have a good connection with Lama Tsongkhapa. i have the good fortune to have been a monk in his tradition for nearly 20 years. I also have read his Great treatise and found it rich and fascinating…BUT to be honest my only reason to read such things is to change my heart and I have found jut reading alone has done almost nothing for me. What we read is the tip of the iceberg of the great depth of meaning of JSK’s mind which will only ever reveal itself through receiving the blessings of a living qualified Lama who holds the lineage blessings. I have searched far and wide but one page of Geshe Kelsangs books bestows more blessings in my heart than anything else i have read. Of course I have faith in him and as such I hold him to be my Spiritual Guide. For this reason i can only suggest look into his books and see if you find the same thing? respectfully, Reading Dharma books alone is like burning sandlewood to keep warm but receiving the blessing of the meaning of his works is what has the actual power to change the mind and bring us home to our Buddha Nature deep in our heart
reading back i would like to actually answer your question !! Sorry 🙂 – I would suggest that before each reading session you visualise Lama Tsongkhapa and his 2 sons in the space before you – make whatever preparations are meaningful to you (having the best intention) and as you read, imagine Lama Tsongkhapa himself is bestowing the meaning into your heart – imagine he is telling you the words directly as you read. I think this will bring special results
Hi I’m new to this site and have recently set out on my own spiritual journey. This will be another out of many attempts, but I just refuse to give up on finding the bigger picture of life. I’m 18 which is young, very, but I have had experience with Buddhist teachers and they smile upon my potential to find out the cause of my suffering and help put and end to not just my own , but those I love.
I aware that I may not be taken serious by others because I am young and have not come from from a very decent background, and I’m a female, but I will read your site and hope to increase my knowledge of how simple life can be if we cease the cause of our suffering.
Dear Dorcree, How wonderful! I was also 18 when i found Buddha’s teachings, and I feel so lucky for that. I am also female, which is absolutely no impediment to overcoming the causes of our own and others’ suffering! I don’t think you need to worry about whether or not others take you seriously, that is not the point — the point is to remove suffering through our own joyful effort. I wish you every success.
Hi Dorcree,I was 17 when I set out on the Buddhist path.I’m now in my 60’s so have found it meaningful to stick with it and keep going.Yes,I found too that not everyone took me seriously-young and female,but don’t let these things deter you.Ask for help and guidance from the buddhas,especially any you relate to,and keep going! Kimi x
Dear Luna, I think your articles are like a light into our life as Kadampa practitioners, giving us joy to practice in a right way.
Thank you very much for such a kind comment 🙂