If you’ve been enjoying meditation classes at a Kadampa Center, happened to Google the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), and suddenly found yourself confronted with accusations that it is a “cult”, you may understandably be wondering what is going on. If that’s the case, it’s worth checking reliable sources, not to mention your own personal experience, rather than rely just on hearsay. I hope this article helps.
I have been practicing Kadampa Buddhism for over four decades, so I’m not exactly a neutral observer. I love these teachings and have seen the enormous good they have done in my own life and in the lives of many thousands of other people. But I know this has not been everyone’s experience.
So, is the New Kadampa Tradition a cult?
In my experience, no, it in no way deserves that label.
The New Kadampa Tradition is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition whose purpose is to make Buddha’s teachings and meditation practices available to people throughout the modern world. Its teachings are about learning to understand and master our own minds, developing wisdom and compassion, and eventually attaining liberation and enlightenment. They are not about having somebody else control us.
So why, then, are there some strong criticisms online?
I think there are broadly two strands to this.
One is historical and political. The NKT broke away from the Tibetan political establishment in a bid to separate politics from religion, and some Kadampa students joined in protests organized by Tibetans and Westerners affected by the 14th Dalai Lama’s ban of Dorje Shugden practice. This difference of opinion did not go down very well amongst some Tibetan and Western followers of the Dalai Lama, who accused NKT practitioners of being “spirit worshippers”, a breakaway cult, evil demons, not real Buddhists, Chinese agents, and other extreme allegations.
The second strand consists of former members, some of whom describe unhappy experiences within individual Kadampa Centers. These accounts deserve to be listened to. During the earlier decades of establishing the tradition in the West, some managers and teachers behaved in ways that were unskillful or unprofessional. People were sometimes asked to leave Centers without sufficient explanation, for example, or their complaints were handled poorly. Spiritual teachings could also be misapplied — telling someone who had a legitimate grievance that they were simply being “self-cherishing”, for instance.
And although the New Kadampa Tradition as a whole has not condoned this behavior, and has added a great deal of oversight, transparency, and safeguarding as the years have rolled by (see below), I don’t think it was always sufficiently thorough in the past in routinely following up, apologizing, and making amends where it could. That matters. Buddhism is supposed to reduce suffering, not add to it. So some former members who feel they were harmed within the New Kadampa Tradition, sometimes describing themselves as ‘NKT survivors,’ have understandably sometimes turned to each other instead.
At the same time, the existence of real mistakes doesn’t automatically establish every larger claim subsequently made about an entire Buddhist tradition that has hundreds of thousands of students worldwide. These two strands found a common foe. Online accounts can, and do, mix together personal experience and far more serious but false allegations against the tradition such as NKT members worshipping spirits, burning books, being funded by the Chinese government, being a cult, being murderers, being run by a shadowy cabal, not teaching real Buddhism, not being real monks or nuns, or the apparent disappearance and death of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso many years ago.
The result is that somebody who has simply been enjoying a practical, weekly meditation class can suddenly discover an alarming picture online that bears very little resemblance to what they themselves have experienced. They might be given a supposed list of reasons not to go anywhere near the fake New Kadampa Tradition and, if they take these at face value, they will understandably be spooked.
If that’s you, I’d suggest neither believing nor dismissing everything you read. Keep an open mind and investigate. Although these days we generally know not to believe everything we come across on the Internet, and to check our sources and own experience, repeated misinformation still does a great deal of harm.
Here are two things to consider.
The New Kadampa Tradition is an established Mahayana Buddhist tradition dating back 2500 years
The New Kadampa Tradition is part of a well-established Mahayana Buddhist tradition that traces its lineage in an unbroken line back to Buddha Shakyamuni, the teachings traveling from teacher to disciple since that time, including through the fully realized masters Venerable Atisha, Je Tsongkhapa, Je Pabongkhapa, and Trijang Rinpoche. As Jim Belither, then Secretary of the New Kadampa Tradition, put it in Modern Kadampas in 2008:
Although the Gelugpas were sometimes referred to as new Kadampas, the name New Kadampa Tradition had never been used previously in a formal sense. Nevertheless, by using this title Geshe Kelsang is making it clear that practitioners of this tradition are principally following the teachings and example of Je Tsongkhapa. The word ‘New’ is used not to imply that it is newly created, but is a fresh presentation of Buddhadharma in a form and manner that is appropriate to the needs and conditions of the modern world. Furthermore, by using the title ‘Kadampa’, Geshe Kelsang encourages his disciples to follow the perfect example of simplicity and purity of practice shown by the Kadampa Geshes.
The NKT is certainly independent. It is not under the authority of the Dalai Lama or the Tibetan government-in-exile, and it no longer describes itself as Tibetan Buddhism. (It might be worth mentioning that all Buddhist schools broke away from one another and branched out in dependence upon the cultural needs of the time; it is a part of the history of Buddhism that goes all the way back to the first three councils.)
People can have different views about the history and controversies that led to this independence. From the NKT’s perspective, independence has allowed it to become more democratic and keep religion and politics separate. It has also allowed it to present Buddha’s teachings in the languages and cultures of the countries in which its practitioners live.
The Internal Rules of The New Kadampa Tradition
Another thing worth knowing about is the Internal Rules of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union. This is a legally binding document that has been approved by the UK Charity Commission within the last 20 years. It contains numerous checks and balances so that no individuals become too controlling and any faulty behavior is resolved as soon as possible.
These set out how the NKT and its 1200 Centers are governed, including responsibilities concerning moral discipline, teachers, managers, finances, and the removal of people from positions of responsibility. This is important because no spiritual organization should simply depend upon everybody in authority behaving perfectly. People don’t, and there needs to be structures for accountability when they don’t.
The NKT has developed considerably in this respect over the years. Teachers, managers and students are expected to report serious inappropriate behavior, and there are procedures for dealing with breaches of moral discipline.
Have these procedures always worked perfectly? I wouldn’t claim that. Indeed, one criticism in the past has been that teachers, managers, or students have sometimes been reprimanded or fired too precipitously, without enough thorough investigation; while in other situations people who felt hurt did not feel adequately heard. Getting this right is an ongoing responsibility for any large spiritual organization.
But I have watched the NKT evolve over the decades, and in my experience there is considerably more awareness now of safeguarding, transparency, accountability, and the need to deal properly with problems when they arise.
Anyone can ask the NKT Office for a copy of the Internal Rules, as well as report any breach of these rules, whereby the managers have to address it swiftly. This is the mechanism Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has left us, whereby the New Kadampa Tradition can keep improving.
The need for thoughtful discussion
I think people who have had painful experiences within the NKT have every right to talk about them. If I felt badly treated by a spiritual organization, I would want to be heard too. Criticism can also be useful. It can expose blind spots and encourage organizations to improve. I am grateful when legitimate criticism leads to something being fixed.
But criticism itself is not automatically accurate simply because it is criticism. Nowadays, with the whole world on the Internet, it is possible to bump into bad or exaggerated reports of pretty much everything under the sun—which can sometimes be good but is often bad. Much of public and political discourse these days is unkind, one-sided, or dishonest, allowing no debate; and this also applies to many criticisms of the New Kadampa Tradition and its students.
Some claims about the NKT are matters of interpretation; some concern genuine mistakes; some arise from disagreements over Buddhist teachings or Tibetan politics; and some claims circulating online have little or no evidence behind them. It helps to distinguish between these rather than treating them all as one thing.
For what it’s worth, in more than four decades of involvement with the New Kadampa Tradition, I have certainly seen people make mistakes and occasionally behave badly. I have seen vastly more people behave well. This is why I think direct experience deserves a place alongside what we read online. As the New Kadampa Tradition matures and the students practice Buddha’s teachings on loving kindness, wisdom, moral discipline, and so on, overall the Kadampa community is also improving year by year. The majority of people who run into it around the world would, I think, attest to how kind, open, ethical, and thoughtful this community is. Local centers garner hundreds of good reviews on Google and supportive articles in the press, for example.
The proof is in the pudding. If you have been to a Kadampa Center and found the people kind, the environment open, or the teachings helpful, you don’t need to throw that experience away because somebody on the Internet tells you that you should. Equally, you don’t need to ignore something genuinely troubling just because you like the tradition. If you ever see or experience inappropriate behavior at a Kadampa Center, or have any concerns at all from what you’ve read online, please, please raise it with the Resident Teacher or Center management and, where appropriate, with the NKT Office. Buddhism should help us become freer, wiser, and more compassionate. Those seem to me pretty good criteria by which to judge any Buddhist community.
Note: I am a private practitioner and do not speak officially on behalf of the NKT.
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Ten criticisms of the New Kadampa Tradition you may encounter online
If you’re still curious, here are some responses to the ten most common criticisms you might find on the Internet (in no particular order):
1. “The New Kadampa Tradition is sectarian”
The New Kadampa Tradition studies and practices one particular Buddhist tradition – the Mahayana teachings transmitted from Buddha through Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa – but that is not the same as saying that other Buddhist traditions are invalid. The NKT-IKBU studies and practices its own tradition but sincerely respects other spiritual traditions – this point is included in the NKT Internal Rule 8§3.
In Modern Buddhism, Geshe Kelsang says:
Today we can see many different forms of Buddhism, such as Zen and Theravada Buddhism. All these different aspects are practices of Buddha’s teachings, and all are equally precious; they are just different presentations.
It is perfectly reasonable to ask whether individual practitioners have always lived up to that ideal. But the teaching itself is clear.
2. “The New Kadampa Tradition worships a spirit”
Kadampa practitioners do not regard Dorje Shugden as a worldly spirit. They regard him as an enlightened Dharma Protector who is one with the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, and who helps them gain realizations of Buddha’s teachings of Sutra and Tantra.
There are different opinions as to whom Dorje Shugden is amongst some Tibetan Buddhists, and readers interested can investigate that controversy for themselves. But it’s important to understand what NKT practitioners themselves actually believe and practice. As with all Buddhist traditions, the objects of refuge for NKT practitioners are Buddha, the Dharma he taught, and the Sangha (spiritual community) following those teachings. For example, at the beginning of teaching and meditation sessions we recite the Liberating Prayer, which is a praise to Buddha Shakyamuni. As Buddhists, we never go for refuge to an object other than the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
3. “The New Kadampa Tradition says that it has the “one pure Dharma””
This is not true. Geshe Kelsang has said that the Dharma practiced in the NKT is pure because it comes from Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings. However, this is not the same as saying that the NKT is the only pure tradition of Buddhism or that other traditions do not have pure Dharma.
The NKT teaches that the Dharma it practices is a pure lineage stemming from Je Tsongkhapa. This does not mean it teaches that the NKT is the only pure tradition of Buddhism or that other traditions do not have pure Dharma. There are many wonderful Buddhist traditions and teachers in this world.
According to the traditional Buddhist understanding coming from Nalanda Monastery:
The Dharma is pure if it reveals the entire path that leads to enlightenment, presents each point unmistakenly, and has been handed down in an unbroken lineage from Buddha Shakyamuni.
Any tradition of Buddhism whose teachings possess these characteristics has pure Dharma, not just the NKT.
(I will just note here that I had some very in-depth conversations with Judith Hertog after she wrote an article in Tricycle that disseminated this accusation. We talked thoughtfully and openly about all the criticisms levelled at the NKT, the real meaning of relying upon a Spiritual Guide in Mahayana Buddhism, and the danger of mixing religion and politics and how to avoid it in this modern era. I am cautiously optimistic that some of this will be reflected in her upcoming book or articles.)
4. “The New Kadampa Tradition Centers don’t have pictures of the Dalai Lama”
This is true. The Dalai Lama is not the spiritual leader of the New Kadampa Tradition, and the NKT is not part of the Tibetan political system. There is therefore no particular reason why his photograph would appear in an NKT center. The Shambala Center in Boulder, to name but one other tradition, also has no pictures of the Dalai Lama anywhere.
This can seem surprising to people who think of the Dalai Lama as a sort of Buddhist Pope, but the truth is that he is not the spiritual leader of every Buddhist tradition.
5. “Dorje Shugden is the main practice of the New Kadampa Tradition”
This is not true. As with all Buddhist traditions, the main practice of the NKT is going for refuge to the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. As a Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the emphasis is on developing wisdom, compassion, and enlightenment; and in the NKT this is accomplished through Lamrim (the stages of the path to enlightenment), Lojong (mind training), and Mahamudra Tantra.
Because NKT practitioners also practice the Tantric path according to the instructions of Je Tsongkhapa, we rely on the Guru (Spiritual Guide), Yidam (Tantric personal Deity), and Protector in order to fulfill our bodhichitta wish to attain enlightenment. These are manifestations of the Three Jewels, as explained by Je Tsongkhapa.
Dorje Shugden is the principal Dharma Protector of the tradition, but Dharma Protector practice is not the central purpose of Kadampa Buddhism.
We also rely on other Dharma Protectors such as Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, Kinkara, and Kalarupa.
6. “The New Kadampa Tradition is sponsored by the Chinese government”
This allegation has circulated online for years, stemming from when the Dalai Lama banned the practice of Dorje Shugden (he has since retracted that ban). It is common for anyone who criticizes the Dalai Lama to be labelled “Chinese sympathizers” or to be accused of being on the payroll of the Chinese Government.
The moderators of Reddit r/Buddhism are largely responsible for keeping this disinformation active, having banned the New Kadampa Tradition some years ago with the statement:
“Any content that is directly related to and in support of the NKT will be considered from here on out to be political propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party and swiftly removed.”
Their claim is not true. No evidence has been produced to support this censorship. In the Internal Rules (§3) it says:
The New Kadampa Tradition shall always be an entirely independent Buddhist tradition and the NKT-IKBU shall have no political affiliations.
The NKT’s stated position is that it has no political affiliation with either the Chinese or Tibetan governments; or any other government for that matter. Mixing religion and politics can be the cause of huge problems.
For more, see this article: Why does Reddit r/Buddhism falsely brand the New Kadampa Tradition a cult?
7. “The New Kadampa Tradition is profit-driven”
Kadampa Centers charge for many classes, courses, and retreats (by no means all) because buildings, accommodation, staff, and other running costs have to be paid for. Many teachers and other people working full-time for Centers receive sponsorship to cover their living costs.
This is worth examining in the same way we would examine the finances of any charitable organization. Under NKT Center constitutions, income and property cannot simply be distributed as profits to directors, trustees, teachers, or members. Surplus funds from NKT activities support the development of the tradition, including the International Temples Project.
You can reasonably form your own view about the cost of courses or how money is used, but charging for classes is not in itself evidence that a spiritual organization is profit-driven. The prices charged by the NKT are actually kept deliberately as affordable as possible; and many Centres say on their publicity that no one is turned away for financial reasons. Compared with other courses, conferences, seminars, or retreats, NKT courses are often quite a lot less expensive.
8. “The New Kadampa Tradition evangelizes and promotes itself”
Kadampa Centers certainly advertise. You may have seen posters, social media adverts, etc for meditation classes. The purpose is to make the classes available to people who might benefit from them. Buddha Shakyamuni himself travelled from town to town to deliver Buddhist teachings.
Buddhism is not evangelical and the New Kadampa Tradition does not try to convert people. The vast majority of people who attend a Kadampa meditation class don’t become ordained, move into a Center, or even necessarily become Buddhist. People are free to attend at whatever level they wish. Geshe Kelsang explained the intention behind teaching Dharma like this:
Our intention in teaching Dharma is not just to spread Buddhism. We are trying to help the people of this world by giving them special methods to solve their daily problems and to achieve the permanent happiness of liberation. In itself, the flourishing of Buddhadharma is not important unless it benefits others. This is the main purpose of Buddhism.
9. “The New Kadampa Tradition only sells Geshe Kelsang’s books”
Tharpa Publications, the NKT publishing arm, does largely sell only Geshe Kelsang’s books because these books form the basis of the NKT’s three study programs. This is not to suggest that these are the only valid Buddhist texts or that Geshe Kelsang is the only valid Buddhist teacher. There are many Dharma books in this world and many great teachers. If an NKT student or anyone else wants to read books by other teachers, they can and do easily obtain them from any good bookstore.
Each Tharpa book contains commentary to a root text by Buddha Shakyamuni, Je Tsongkhapa, or another great realized Buddhist master. For example, Ocean of Nectar contains the translation of Chandrakirti’s entire root text Guide to the Middle Way, Universal Compassion is a commentary to Geshe Chekhawa’s Training the Mind in Seven Points, and The New Eight Steps to Happiness is a commentary to Geshe Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses of Training the Mind.
There is rarely any criticism of Geshe Kelsang’s books, which are praised throughout the Buddhist world as being authoritative and authentic.
10. “New Kadampa Tradition students worship Geshe Kelsang”
This allegation was started years ago in a 1996 article by Madeleine Bunting in The Guardian newspaper, where she said that NKT members “pray to and worship Geshe Kelsang”. But there is no evidence for criticisms of this nature.
Relying upon a Spiritual Guide — sometimes called “Guru devotion” — is a traditional part of Mahayana and especially Vajrayana Buddhism. To modern Western ears, some of its language can sound strange when encountered without explanation. In the West, people are (rightly) suspicious of religious systems that promote another person and seem to demand allegiance. In 2009 and 2013, Geshe Kelsang suggested a skillful method to practice relying upon the Spiritual Guide, which enables students to regard their Spiritual Guide as an emanation of Buddha just during teachings while relating to them as a more ordinary person at other times. Geshe Kelsang taught that we can choose anyone as our Spiritual Guide, he never volunteered himself. He also never claimed to be an omniscient being or a Buddha. He rarely talked about himself at all.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso himself lived very simply. He did not accumulate personal wealth from the growth of the New Kadampa Tradition, and donated the royalties from his books to support the development of Dharma Centers and Temples around the world. He also gave away all the property and other gifts he received rather than keeping them for himself.
Nor did he seek a public or luxurious lifestyle. Those who knew him saw someone who lived modestly, devoted his life to teaching and writing, and gradually handed responsibility for the New Kadampa Tradition to his students. In his later years he stepped back from public life and spent much of his time in retreat.
None of this means that people shouldn’t ask questions about spiritual authority or the relationship between students and their Spiritual Guide. But it does provide some useful context for the suggestion that Geshe Kelsang created the New Kadampa Tradition in pursuit of personal wealth or power.
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A final thought
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps the most important thing to take away from this is that you don’t have to choose between blindly believing the NKT and blindly believing its critics. If you’ve just discovered some concerning criticisms online, I hope you take your time. Read the criticisms. Read the responses. Look at the actual teachings. Ask difficult questions. Notice how people respond when you ask them. Talk to your local teacher or other long-term practitioners and, if useful, former practitioners too.
Mainly, trust your own experience. Have these teachings helped you become more peaceful, loving, free, or wise? Are you encouraged to ask questions? Are you free to come and go? Are your relationships with family and friends respected? Are you being encouraged to think and understand for yourself? Those are reasonable questions to ask of any spiritual path.
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Postscript: Inside Tibet
Since I wrote this article, a 2024 documentary called Inside Tibet looks at Tibet’s history and some of its internal political and religious tensions. It provides some useful background for understanding the complex circumstances in which Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso decided that the New Kadampa Tradition should develop as an independent, modern Buddhist tradition, separate from Tibetan political and religious institutions. This decision was controversial and contributed to some of the criticism the New Kadampa Tradition has received. At the same time, independence has allowed the tradition to develop internationally and present Buddha’s teachings in ways suited to modern life and different cultures.
Here is some further reading just in case.
Are the NKT survivors really “exposing” abuse in the New Kadampa Tradition?
Are the NKT survivors really “exposing” abuse in the New Kadampa Tradition?
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche: a brief biography
Reviews and testimonials of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) Kadampa Buddhism
Reviews and testimonials of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) Kadampa Buddhism
A RESPONSE TO: The One Pure Dharma: The New Kadampa Tradition is controversial and growing. Why?
The One Pure Dharma: The New Kadampa Tradition is controversial—and growing. A RESPONSE
The Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden
Why does Reddit r/Buddhism falsely brand the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) as a cult?
Why does Reddit r/Buddhism falsely brand the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) as a cult?
Criticism of the New Kadampa Tradition ~ a response to Dr Michelle Haslam
Criticism of the New Kadampa Tradition ~ a response to Dr Michelle Haslam