GKTC is under the direction of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, abbot of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) in Woodstock, NY, the North American seat of His Holiness Karmapa.

Resident teacher, Lama David Bole, leads our weekly meetings. A fully ordained monk, Lama David completed the traditional Kagyu three-year retreat at Karme Ling in 2004. Since then he has had a full teaching schedule in centers around the country.

Founded in 1988 after a visit from Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, what began as a study group has evolved into Gainesville Karma Thegsum Choling. Since that time GKTC has met weekly for dharma study and practice. We offer a traditional Tibetan Buddhist program, plus an informal discussion format. The Tibetan name for our group “Karma Thegsum (pronounced Tegsum) Chöling” roughly means “place of dharma teaching” with Karma referring to our lineage name of Karma Kagyu. We hope you will enjoy our “sangha,” or community of practitoners.

The Karma Kagyu Lineage
The Karma Kagyu is one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and traces its origins in an unbroken line to the historical Buddha of our age. The tradition emphasizes practice – not only learning about Buddhist concepts, but also putting the teachings into action, both on the cushion and in daily life.The teachings include the three vehicles, or yanas, of the Buddhist path as it was taught in Tibet: the smaller vehicle of Hinayana, the greater vehicle of Mahayana, and the Vajrayana, a form of the Mahayana that holds to the bodhisattva ideal and offers powerful techniques that can lead to enlightenment in one lifetime.

Read more about Kagyu Lineage History

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