Gaden for the West
Gaden for the West is an international organization of Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, his students and meditation centers, created for the express purpose of bringing, interpreting and integrating Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism to the western world. Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche created this vehicle to make Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism accessible to as many people as possible. People in the west are different from Tibetans in their culture, customs and psychology. Western minds need the teachings of Buddha presented from a different point of view.
The teachings are the same; the interpretation is different. For instance, the six realms can be seen as a state of your mind, not a physical reality. In Tibet, 99% of the teachings were for monks and nuns. In the west, they are 99% for lay people. Gender references need to be for both women and men. We are revising and changing the way of teaching for the western mind, not creating a new lineage.
The Buddha said we should revise and adapt to the times, the land and the people we are dealing with, so the teachings will grow and benefit those who receive them. Then the teachings will not degenerate and die. The essence of the Buddha's teaching is compassion, wisdom and understanding of the human mind—for the enlightenment of all beings.
The goals of Gaden for the West are to:
- Adapt Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism for western society.
- Promote the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, the Gelugpa tradition, in the west, in a way that is relevant to the recipients of the teachings.
- Translate and publish Dharma books, adapting them for the western mind, changing the gender specific words and meaning.
- Encourage lay people to practice Dharma.
- Promote Dharma in action, socially engaged Buddhism.
- Build a Gompa near Nelson, British Columbia, for all students to do retreat, study and work together.
To implement these goals we are:
- Gathering funds from centers and individual donations, with which we will: create the Gompa in the Nelson area; create a publication company, revise the texts and sadhanas we use to reflect gender equality.
- Adapting texts and teachings to the western mind.
- Promoting "Dharma in action" for the enlightenment of all beings.
You may visit the Gaden for the West webpage.