Geshe Kelsang has designed three special spiritual programs for the systematic study and practice of Kadampa Buddhism that are especially suited to the modern world: the General Program (GP), the Foundation Program (FP), and the Teacher Training Program (TTP).

Why a Buddhist Study Program?

Buddhism teaches that to find lasting happiness and meaning in our lives we need to follow a spiritual path. To follow this path it is important to have a close connection with a qualified Teacher who can give us personal advice and encouragement, to listen to pure Dharma teachings, and to belong to a strong spiritual community. These enable us to penetrate deeply into the meaning of Buddha's teachings, to maintain a daily meditation practice that is both focused and powerful, and to make genuine spiritual progress.
"Our present understanding and experience of Dharma is quite superficial. We are like someone who has entered a huge food store and seen many things but sampled only a few. We may have received many different teachings from many different Teachers, but we have taken in very little, just a few morsels.
There is a gap between us and the Dharma. It feels as if Dharma is there and we are here. Our mind is not mixed with Dharma and so we cannot apply it in our daily lives. As a result our ordinary everyday problems remain. We also find it difficult to integrate our spiritual path into our daily lives and so we cannot use this Dharma to solve our daily problems.
When we study Dharma our mind remains passive, like someone watching television. Therefore our daily life and our Dharma remain completely separate and unrelated.
Why is this? It is because we are not studying and practicing systematically according to a specially designed spiritual program. If we just dabble superficially in a spiritual path we will never gain a deep and stable experience, and our wisdom will never develop to its full potential. This is why the spiritual programs offered by the New Kadampa Tradition are so important."

-Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The General Program
- open to all

The General Program (GP) provides a basic introduction to Buddhist teachings and meditation that is suitable for beginners. Through these classes we can learn how to use Buddha's advice in our daily lives to solve our problems and find the peace and happiness we seek. General Program also includes advanced teachings and practices from both Sutra and Tantra.

Foundation Program
-for the more serious student

The Foundation Program (FP) is a unique structured study program that enables us to gain deeper understanding and experience of Buddhist teachings and to develop a regular meditation practice. It is ideal for those who have a general understanding of Buddhism but who wish to learn more. We meet once a week during term times and have regular term breaks and a longer break in the summer. Students are requested to enroll for a section of the text and commit to attend all the classes.

Through regular teachings and meditation, systematic study and group discussion the Foundation Program offers deep support for your spiritual life. In essence it is the same training followed by spiritual practitioners in an unbroken lineage dating back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Its special quality is that we can gain authentic experience without abandoning our modern lifestyle. By studying on this program we will gain great confidence in meditation - from basic techniques for overcoming our everyday problems, to practices leading to unsurpassed happiness and permanent inner peace.
The Texts
The Foundation Program (FP) offers the opportunity to engage in a systematic study of five of Geshe Kelsang's books in great depth. The books are commentaries to Je Tsongkhapa's writings and contain the very essence of Buddha's teachings. A student on FP can study one or all of the five books, with the entire program taking four years to complete.

• Joyful Path of Good Fortune, a commentary to Atisha's Lamrim text The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment
• Universal Compassion, a commentary to Bodhisattva Chekhawa's Training the Mind in Seven Points
• Heart of Wisdom, a commentary to the Heart Sutra
• Meaningful to Behold, a commentary to Venerable Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
• Understanding the Mind, a detailed explanation of the mind based on the works of Buddhist scholars Dharmakirti and Dignaga
  The benefits of studying and practicing these texts are:
• Joyful Path of Good Fortune - we gain the ability to put all Buddha's teachings of both Sutra and Tantra into practice. We can easily make progress and complete the stages of the path to the supreme happiness of enlightenment. From a practical point of view Lamrim is the main body of Buddha's teachings, and the other teachings are like the limbs.

1. Universal Compassion - we gain the ability to integrate Buddha's teachings into our daily lives and solve all our human problems.
2. Heart of Wisdom - we gain a realization of the ultimate nature of reality. By gaining this realization we can eliminate the ignorance of self-grasping which is the root of all our suffering.
3. Meaningful to Behold - we transform our daily activities into the Bodhisattva's way of life, thereby making every moment of our human life meaningful.
4. Understanding the Mind - we understand the relationship between our mind and its external objects. If we understand that objects depend upon the subjective mind, we can change the way objects appear to us by changing our own mind. Gradually we shall gain the ability to control our mind and in this way solve all our problems.
   The Teacher Training Program-the complete path to enlightenment

The Teacher Training Program (TTP) is designed for people who wish to train as authentic Dharma Teachers or simply engage with Buddha's teachings in the deepest possible manner. In addition to completing the study of twelve texts of Sutra and Tantra, the student is required to observe certain commitments with regard to behavior and way of life, and to complete a number of meditation retreats. Through a deep and continuing commitment to the program of study, meditation, discussion, and retreat, we can gain deep experience of Buddha's teachings, establish a strong meditation practice and become a qualified teacher in our own right. The Teacher Training Program is also available by correspondence.
The Texts
In addition to the FP texts (see Foundation Program), the subjects studied are:

• The Bodhisattva's moral discipline based on the commentary The Bodhisattva Vow
• Chandrakirti's Guide to the Middle Way based on the commentary Ocean of Nectar
• Vajrayana Mahamudra based on the commentary Clear Light of Bliss
• Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen's Offering to the Spiritual Guide based on the commentary Great Treasury of Merit
• The Vajrayogini Tantra of Naropa based on the commentary Guide to Dakini Land
• Grounds and Paths of Tantra based on the commentary Tantric Grounds and Paths
• Ghantapa's practice of Heruka Body Mandala based on the commentary Essence of Vajrayana

All Resident Teachers of Kadampa centers follow this in-depth program of study and practicing.