Lucas Fernandez
The Kadampa Meditation Center is in Glen Spey, New York and is located on eighty-two acres of woodlands in the Catskill Mountains. The temple is a part of a worldwide Kadampa Buddhist network that spans throughout more than forty countries. The center offers a variety of experiences ranging from introductory Buddhist meditation all the way to more intense retreats, offering Buddhists a variety of choices regarding how they prefer to practice.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche is the founder of Modern Kadampa Buddhism, a school under Mahayana Buddhism. Born on July 19, 1931, in Western Tibet, he was first ordained as a novice monk at only eight years old after joining the Ngamring Jampa Ling Monestary. His name was changed from Lobsang Chuponpa to Kelsang Gyatso, meaning “Ocean of Good Fortune.” He was roughly twenty years old when he fled to India following the 1959 Tibetan exodus, where Tibetans experienced persecution from the Chinese Communist Party. He then became a leader among the Tibetan exile community through leading and engaging in intensive meditation retreats. In 1977, he was invited to be a resident teacher at the Manjushri Centre in the United Kingdom. By 1991, he had created the Modern Kadampa Tradition, and after announcing it as an independent organization, he invited various centers he helped to create to join his new tradition. He took a quite radical stance though, as he personally severed ties with Gelug teachers in India and Tibet in order to make himself his new tradition’s sole religious authority. By 1996, he had his Geshe degree revoked from the Sera Je Monastery following criticism of the Dalai Lama and worship of Dorje Shugden. He eventually stepped down as the General Spiritual Director of the Modern Kadampa Tradition in 2009 and after not making any public appearances from 2013 to 2022 due to strict meditation retreat, and he died in September of 2022. An overall message he leaves behind is that all problems originate in the mind, and that the solutions and causes of lasting peace and happiness are also found in the mind.
Historically, there is the ancient Kadampa tradition that emphasizes Sutra practice and there is the New Kadampa Tradition founded by Je Tsongkhapa that equally emphasizes Tantra and Sutra practices. In 1981, Kelsang Gyatso was inspired by his spiritual guide, Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche, to develop a new form of Kadampa Buddhism. Kelsang Gyatso then started the Modern Kadampa Tradition in order to provide a practice that can be easily understood, especially by western practitioners. Nevertheless, he aimed to preserve the original teachings of the Kadampa tradition, but in a contemporary context. Modern Kadampa Tradition has the General, Foundation, and Teacher Training programs that all aim to provide accessible Buddhist teachings to western practitioners. Kelsang Gyatao has even described becoming a dharma teacher through the Teacher Training Program as a Western equivalent to the traditional Tibetan Geshe degree. Many Buddhist scholars have emphasized the tradition’s adaptiveness to the Western world. For example, David Kay described Modern Kadampa Buddhism as adaptive to the needs of Westerners while also preserving the traditions of Tsongkhapa. He additionally called it a “leading role in a western-based campaign mounted against the Dalai Lama.” Robert Blunk, another Buddhist scholar, says Modern Kadampa Tradition’s conservative nature appeals to western practitioners who are tired of spiritual pluralism.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche launched the International Temples Project with the goal of developing a modern Buddhist Temple in every major city of the world. In 2006, as a part of this project he opened the Kadampa World Peace Temple in the Kadampa Meditation Center. It is only one of six Kadampa World Peace Temples in the world, with the other locations being in Arizona, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil. The design in Glen Spey, New York was based on the mandala palace of Buddha Heruka, with every aspect of the temple teaching the spiritual path and encouraging one to use their human life in a meaningful way.
As mentioned before, the Kadampa Meditation Center offers three programs. The first is the General Program on Sunday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and Wednesday evenings. The General Program provides a starting point for laypeople to become involved in Modern Kadampa Buddhism by learning about the practical application of Buddhism and meditation to modern life. The second program is the Foundation Program on Sunday evenings. This program uses six books by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche to engage in study and meditation on key themes. The Foundation Program is a step up from the General Program, as it allows one to build off their introduction to gain deeper understanding of Buddha’s teachings. It emphasizes maintaining a daily focused meditation practice to make genuine spiritual progress. The third program is the Teacher Training Program, offered Monday and Thursday evenings. This program trains practitioners to become qualified Dharma teachers through the deep study of Sutras and Tantras. Classes include prayers, guided meditation, book study, and group discussion. Participants train through a rigorous program covering twelve core texts while being expected to uphold certain commitments and to attend regular meditation retreats at the center.
Speaking of retreats, the Kadampa Meditation Center offers a series of them throughout the year. Some are more introductory, spanning over the weekend like the Finding Peace Weekend and Thanksgiving Feast with Gen Samten Kelsang. From November 28-30, participants unplug for the weekend and put a particular focus on the overuse of technology in life. Gen Samten Kelsang uses a step-by-step approach to breaking compulsive habits in order to change one’s relationship with technology and limit distractions. The retreat aims to find a natural, inner happiness within oneself while only using technology when necessary rather than as a distraction. Other retreats are more intensive, such as the five day silent retreat with Gen Kelsang Sangden. This retreat puts a particular focus on the Six Stages of Mahamudra, involving simple yet profound meditation practices to explore the clarity of the mind. The retreat starts by observing the daily functioning of the mind, and as time goes on one starts to subdue their incessant thoughts. This allows one to find deeper levels of tranquility and to explore more subtle levels of awareness. One of these levels is meditation during one’s deep sleep, where one can transform their sleep into a spiritual path, achieving enlightenment gradually.
Additionally, the Kadampa Meditation Center offers various options for a day trip. First, one can visit the Kadampa World Peace Temple and either engage in a class or simply enjoy the atmosphere on their own. There are specific temple visiting hours from Friday to Monday, and a volunteer is always available for questions. Next, there are many gardens and trails throughout the eighty-two acres of land that are open from 9:00am to dusk. One is free to roam this land, although some trails are rocky and not well-maintained, with proper footwear being advised. There is also the World Peace Cafe on the grounds. Serving locally roasted 2 Queens Coffee, the cafe offers outdoor seating overlooking the Kadampa World Peace Temple and the surrounding nature. Finally, one is able to grab a community meal and engage with Buddhist monks and nuns. At certain hours of the day, the center provides home-cooked meals to Kadampa Buddhists at the center, where laypeople can sit with monks and nuns and ask questions.
The center is funded through a number of ways such as donations, programs payments, membership plans, and a gift shop. For the Kadampa World Peace Temple’s twentieth anniversary next year, the Kadampa Meditation Center is making a few changes to the temple such as maintenance repairs and the launch of a landscaping project using native plants around the temple building. The website asks for donations in the form of a one-time donation, a recurring monthly donation, match donations, or even stock donations to help fund these projects. Additionally, the center charges fees for the various retreats they offer. One is able to play a discounted price for only attending a portion of the retreat or a full price for the whole retreat. The center also offers three membership plans. The first is thirty dollars a month, offering full access to all weekly meditation classes. The second is sixty dollars a month and adds on an optional entry into the Foundation Program. Finally, one can pay eighty dollars a month, adding on free access to events around New York plus optional entry into the Teacher Training Program. Finally, the bookstore and gift shop allows one to buy many different items, varying from books, gifts and meditation accessories. Through these avenues, the Kadampa Meditation Center is able to fund their programs.
Overall, the Kadampa Meditation Center is a part of a global network that has left its mark in New York. Priding himself on its adaptation to western culture, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche established Modern Kadampa Buddhism as a way of maintaining traditional Kadampa values at the same time. The center is a place where Americans can experience the genuine culture of Buddhism through a modern framework that preserves its essential spiritual teachings.
