Lam Rim - 1 introduction

Many buddhust centers provide meditation evenings for everyone who wants to participate.
It's a very nice way to meet the people, and find out if you feel well at that certain buddhist centre.

For those who want to be active each buddhist centre has it's own list of activities, ranging from roling mantras to courses how to draw tanghkas and introduction to buddhism.

Those who are serious about studying buddhism and implement it in their daily life more intensive courses are presented and one of them is the Lam Rim.

Atisha, living in the early eleventh century, took the effort of putting the essentials of the sutras together in one text: Lamp of the Path.
Lama Tzong Khapa, another buddhist master, living in the fourteenth century, created additions to this and this text is known as The Great Exposition on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim Chemmo).

Since then many masters have commented on one or both texts and even though the main texts are unchanged, translations and these comment have lead to different interpretations and understandings.

That's why many buddhist keep close notes of who their teachers were, so others can understand where they come from.

Basically however the buddhist principles have remained unchanged, but because we all live in different cultures, we need different ways of guidance to reach the same.