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The following excerpts about the life of Buddha are taken from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s book, Introduction to Buddhism: As the young prince grew up he mastered all the traditional arts and sciences without needing any instruction. He knew sixty-four different languages, each with their own alphabet, and he was also very skilled at mathematics. He … Read more

The following excerpts about the life of Buddha are taken from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s book, Introduction to Buddhism: The Buddha who is the founder of the Buddhist religion is called Buddha Shakyamuni. “Shakya” is the name of the royal family into which he was born, and “Muni” means “Able One.” Buddha Shakyamuni was born as … Read more

© Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Tharpa Publications This Master Glossary is provisional. It is not to be used for anything other than translation or private study, and it is not to be reproduced in any form or in any language without permission from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Tharpa Publications. Where any of the terms in … Read more

Enlightened beings can display their inner realizations as forms. Enlightened compassion appears in the form of Buddha Avalokiteshvara, wisdom in the form of Manjushri, love in the form of Maitreya, and so on. Contemplating these exalted forms helps us to increase our faith in enlightened beings, receive their blessings, and eventually to develop the qualities … Read more

Different people have different capacities for spiritual understanding and practice. For this reason, out of his compassion, Buddha Shakyamuni gave teachings at many levels, just as a skilful doctor administers a variety of remedies to treat different types of sick people. For those who wish merely to attain human happiness Buddha gave teachings revealing actions … Read more

About Dharma Dharma means “protection”. By practicing Buddha’s teachings we protect ourself from suffering and problems. All the problems we experience during daily life originate in ignorance, and the method for eliminating ignorance is to practice Dharma. Practicing Dharma is the supreme method for improving the quality of our human life. The quality of life … Read more

In Introduction to Buddhism, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explains: In general, ‘Buddha’ means ‘Awakened One’, someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the … Read more

This section provides information on a wide range of subjects related to Buddhism and meditation. Most of the material in this section is extracted from books by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Find out more… About BuddhaAbout DharmaAbout TantraBuddhist BeliefsHow to MeditateBuddhist ArtGlossary of Buddhist Terms