Geshe Kelsang Gyatso – or Geshe-la as he is sometimes called – is a Tibetan monk from a tradition known as Kadampa Buddhism who came to the West in 1979 and has since set up thousands of centres worldwide. Each centre runs local meditation classes throughout the UK which are an excellent introduction to Buddhist attitudes. The centres are usually open to the public and are also wonderful havens of peace and tranquillity, offering walks in the country, excellent coffee shops and accommodation. Geshe Kelsang has also written dozens of books about Buddhism. His books are technical in approach and give the full details on lots of beliefs and practises, but they also offer a complete Buddhist path and perspective.
There also has a number of Kadampa Buddhist tradition centres worldwide, together with Temples for World Peace. Each centre runs local meditation classes throughout the UK which are an excellent introduction to Buddhist attitudes. The larger centres are usually open to the public and are also wonderful havens of peace and tranquillity, offering weekend and longer courses, walks in the country, excellent coffee shops and accommodation. You can find a list of Kadampa centres by visiting http://kadampa.org/en/centers/.
The Kadampa website Learning Zone – http://kadampa.org/en/reference also has video teachings which I find very useful. Books and materials can also be purchased directly from Tharpa Publications or you can click on the links below. Kadampa also provide a free ebook – Modern Buddhism – for anyone who wants it. It can be downloaded via this link Modern Buddhism
Transform Your Life: A Blissful Journey
This gives a complete perspective on Buddhism and all the main areas it addresses, from a Tibetan tradition. It is a very powerful and meaningful introduction and, when read in conjunction with Introduction to Buddhism and The New Meditation Handbook, makes you feel that you ‘know’ what Buddhism is and want to do more about it. These three books were my introduction to Buddhist concepts.
The New Meditation Handbook: Meditations to Make Our Life Happy and Meaningful
Contains 21 areas to consider with meditations and associated instructions. It can also be purchased alongside wallet cards (available from Tharpa Publications) which act as a reminder of the main concepts and can be very helpful in bringing the principles into our daily life. It provides a very comprehensive way to bring Buddhist principles into our daily lives.
Introduction to Buddhism: An Explanation of the Buddhist Way of Life
This book goes through the technicalities of what Buddhism as a religion is and the key principles of it. The concepts can seem very unfamiliar to us in the West, so this gives a good introductory explanation.
How to Solve Our Human Problems: The Four Noble Truths
What a hopeful title !! And it lives up to expectations but as a ‘beginner’ Buddhist it won’t be giving the answer you perhaps think you want, i.e. how to get loads of money and have everyone love you. Instead it discusses The Four Noble Truths (a fundamental teaching from the Buddha) and then shows how we can reduce our anger. The truths and reducing our anger really are the way to solve our human problems, we just don’t know it as we expect it to be something else. It goes really well with the three books above as a general introduction to Buddhism.
Joyful Path of Good Fortune: The Complete Buddhist Path to Enlightenment
For me, this is a classic end-to-end explanation of the Buddhist path. A lengthy book, it covers everything from first introductions through to different rituals and the stages of enlightenment. The first sections can be a bit dry as it focuses on traditions such as how to set up a meditation area and maintain it, but stick with it and you will get a lot out of it.
Eight Steps to Happiness: The Buddhist Way of Loving Kindness
I love this book and is one I find myself referring to frequently as a reminder. The 8 steps were originally written as a poem of 8 verses, with each verse representing a step. The book expands on each verse and shows what it really means for us. The basic thrust is about love and compassion for everyone we encounter and the whole world – that’s where true happiness comes from. I prefer the first, older edition as the newer one introduces Tantric Buddhism at the end which doesn’t really do it for me.
Universal Compassion: Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times
This is written in the same vein as Eight Steps to Happiness in that it comes from ancient verses and poems, but it shows us how to incorporate it into our daily lives. It follows on from Eight Steps to Happiness by developing love and compassion but gives us a framework for how to do it. If you’re looking for a set of ‘rules’ for what to do, this is it.
The New Heart of Wisdom: Profound Teachings from Buddha’s Heart
When you start to read around Buddhism and spirituality, you’ll come across the concepts of emptiness and non-duality frequently. They express the way the world really is, which is different from how we think it is. Heart of Wisdom is an excellent introduction to the topic. Thought-provoking and detailed, it gives a full picture of these powerful and profound topics. Like Eight Steps to Happiness, the first edition has more detail and no Tantric Buddhism so is more suited to my preferences.
