Spiritual Director: Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is a fully accomplished meditation master and internationally renowned teacher of Buddhism.

Geshe-la, as he is affectionately called by his students, is primarily responsible for the worldwide revival of Kadampa Buddhism in our time.

From the age of eight Geshe-la studied extensively in the great monastic universities of Tibet and earned the title 'Geshe', which literally means 'spiritual friend'. Under the guidance of Trijang Rinpoche, his Spiritual Guide, he then spent the next eighteen years in meditation retreats in the Himalayas.

In 1977 he accepted an invitation to teach in England. He took up residence at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, where he lived for many years giving teachings and guidance to an ever-growing group of disciples.

Geshe-la has continued to give immaculate teachings on Kadampa Buddhism in Europe and North America, and published a series of remarkable books on Buddhist thought and meditation.

He has established three unique study programs and 1100 centers around the world, trained qualified teachers and a flourishing ordained community, and created a project to build Buddhist temples in every major city in the world.

In his teachings Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life, the need to be truly happy, and how to cultivate a good heart to help others - and he demonstrates these qualities perfectly in his own life.

This remarkable teacher inspires so many people from so many different countries because he teaches from example.

He is a humble Buddhist monk dedicated to helping people throughout the world find true happiness in their hearts.

Resident Teacher: Rebecca Gauthier

Rebecca Gauthier has been practicing Buddhism for fifteen years under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

She has taught classes in Buddhist meditation in Boston, MA, Seville, Spain, and Athens, GA. Rebecca has been teaching in California for the last two and a half years.

She currently teaches classes at the main center in Thousand Oaks on Monday and Thursday evenings, and Agoura Hills/Calabasas on Wednesday evenings.




Branch Teacher: Len Foley

Len Foley has been practicing Buddhism for eight years. He currently teaches Monday evenings in Simi Valley.