Celebrating the Life of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, the Author

Venerable Geshe-la’s first book, Meaningful to Behold was published in 1980, and since then he has authored more than 20 additional authoritative books and composed over 50 sadhanas. These are now offered in many different languages, giving people everywhere access to the path to enlightenment.

Venerable Geshe-la’s books are not ordinary books. Geshe-la has said “my books are commentaries to Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings and his teachings are commentaries to Buddha’s teachings. So these books are Buddha’s teachings.” In Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Geshe-la writes of Je Tsongkhapa “If we were to study his works we would be astounded by their clarity and beauty, and we would understand that they are the works of a realized Master who has written honestly and sincerely about his own experiences.” When Geshe-la writes, he is sharing his realization of Buddha’s wisdom, writing with the same clarity and beauty as Je Tsongkhapa. In this way, he is transmitting a living lineage of instruction, adapting ancient Buddhist wisdom for the modern world.

If we take any of the advice we find in Venerable Geshe-la’s books to heart, it will transform us.

While Geshe Kelsang Gyatso formally retired from teaching in 2009, he continues tirelessly to write new books and update previous ones.