Kadam

Kadampa Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha (982 – 1054). His followers are known as Kadampas: ka means word and refers to Buddha's teachings; dam refers to Atisha's special Lamrim instructions known as the stages of the path to enlightenment. Kadampas, then, are practitioners who regard Buddha's teachings as personal instructions and put them into practice by following the instructions of Lamrim.

The Kadampa tradition was later promoted widely in Tibet by Je Tsongkhapa and his followers, who were known as Gelugpas or "New Kadampas".

The great Kadampa teachers are famous not only for being great scholars but also for being spiritual practitioners of great purity and sincerity. The lineage of these teachings, both their oral transmission and blessings, was then passed from teacher to disciple, spreading throughout much of Asia.

See also

• Dorje Shugden
• Schools of Buddhism