With 1100 Kadampa Buddhist centers and groups around the world, there are thousands of people now practicing Kadampa Buddhism under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

This worldwide Kadampa community is like a global spiritual family who help us progress in our practice.

The support of Sangha, or spiritual friends who inspire us by their example, assist us in our practice, and encourage us to follow correct paths is central to the Buddhist way of life.

Types of spiritual community

There are different types of spiritual community, or Sangha, which are distinguished by the type of vow one takes.

Those who take Pratimoksha ordination as monks or nuns choose to follow a life bound by moral discipline so that they can focus on their spiritual development for the benefit of others.

Within the Kadampa community there are 700 monks and nuns.

There are also Pratimoksha vows that lay people can take.

Those who take Bodhisattva vows promise to follow the Bodhisattva’s way of life to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings.

Tantric vows are given during Tantric empowerments. See the section on Tantra for more information.

Within the New Kadampa Tradition, it is possible for one person to take all three vows.