Kadampa

Kadampa (wyl. bka' gdams pa) - The tradition founded by Atisha in which all the Words (ka) of the Buddha are taken as practical instructions (dam). The Kadampa tradition followed the lamrim ('graded path') approach of the three levels of spiritual capacity set out by Atisha in his Lamp for the Path of Awakening. They relied upon the so-called 'seven divine dharmas' the four deities of Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Tara and Achala, and three pitakas.