Why does Reddit r/Buddhism falsely brand the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) as a cult?

If you search for the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) on Reddit, particularly on r/Buddhism, there is something important to know before assuming that what you find represents a balanced discussion. The moderators made an explicit decision to treat content “directly related to and in support of the NKT” as “political propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party” and to remove it. Their stated reason was their belief that there was substantial evidence that the Chinese Communist Party was financially backing the NKT and using the Dorje Shugden controversy for political purposes.

The result is an unusual imbalance. Highly critical claims about the NKT — including descriptions of it as a “cult,” a puppet of the Chinese government and a tradition of demon worship — have been permitted, while positive posts defending the NKT have generally not been allowed. NKT practitioners were told they could participate in other discussions, but direct support for the NKT would be removed.

This context matters if you have come across r/Buddhism while trying to find out about the NKT and have been disturbed by what you have read. It doesn’t mean that every criticism there should be dismissed; former members may have had genuinely difficult experiences and these deserve to be heard. But it does mean that you are reading those criticisms in a forum where, as a matter of moderation policy, the other side of the argument has been excluded. As one commenter put it, in response to a newcomer asking whether the NKT was a cult:

I don’t really think that you are going to get the full picture of that question in a subreddit that actively prohibits any positive talking about NKT in the first place.

If something you have read there has worried you, I hope the information here provides some useful context and another perspective, so you can come to your own conclusions.

Why did Reddit r/Buddhism ban the New Kadampa Tradition?

This situation on Reddit r/Buddhism has continued for years. I myself have not been permitted to post even an ordinary comment there for a long time, let alone share one of my Buddhism in Daily Life articles. Attempts to discuss the restriction with the moderators have not led to any change. In practice, this has meant that Kadampa Buddhists have largely been unable to participate openly as Kadampas in a forum devoted to Buddhism.

This seems a great pity. There are many thoughtful and experienced Kadampa practitioners with a deep understanding of Buddha’s teachings who could contribute positively to discussions there, just as practitioners from other Buddhist traditions do. Instead, readers can encounter extensive criticism of the NKT while hearing relatively little from the people actually practising within it.

The explanation given by the moderators is particularly striking. Some years ago, when introducing the restriction, they published the following statement. It treats material supporting the NKT as political propaganda on the basis of alleged financial backing from the Chinese Communist Party. I have seen no credible evidence that the NKT was then, is now, or ever has been funded by the Chinese Communist Party, which makes the basis for excluding supportive NKT content very difficult to understand:

“Why is content related to the New Kadampa Tradition now banned?

Following recent news confirming conspiracy theories and speculation for years that the NKT is financially backed by the Chinese Communist Party, we are making an executive decision. While we understand that many who participate in NKT-led events are largely unaware of the political drama, we cannot comfortably ignore the substantial amount of evidence uncovered by international journalism that the CCP is not only financially backing the NKT, but actively using the controversy to sow dissent and employing espionage tactics in the Buddhist community.

Our position is the Buddhist religion has an ancient history, and we cannot permit a totalitarian regime to interfere with our legacy, sabotage our traditions, and destroy our institutions.

As such, 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. We welcome participants of the NKT to engage in discussions, but please refrain from making comments disparaging the Dalai Lama or relating to Dorje Shugden. An exception to this might be in the case of a newbie asking for information on the controversy–explanatory expositions of what is going on is tolerable; only direct support of the NKT will be viewed as a post with a political agenda and subsequently removed.”

The NKT has not received funding from the Chinese government and has had no dealings with it. Nevertheless, allegations of Chinese backing have circulated for years, including claims that Reuters uncovered links between Chinese operatives and the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). No evidence establishing Chinese funding of, or political direction over, the NKT has been produced.

The NKT’s position on political involvement is set out explicitly in its Internal Rules:

The New Kadampa Tradition shall always be an entirely independent Buddhist tradition and the NKT-IKBU shall have no political affiliations.

The NKT-IKBU has no political affiliation with either the Chinese or Tibetan governments, or with any other government. Its opposition to the Dalai Lama’s restrictions on Dorje Shugden practice arose from a religious dispute and does not in itself imply support for the Chinese government. Disagreement with the Dalai Lama and political allegiance to China are two quite separate things, and conflating them has contributed to considerable misunderstanding of the NKT. (For an explanation why we disagreed with the Dalai Lama, see this article: Dalai Lama, please give religious freedom.)

This much I knew already, but there was no talking to the moderators, they didn’t want to know.

And another reason for the r/Buddhism moderators’ censorship became clearer a couple of years ago, when a student from Madhyamaka Centre contacted me to say that he thought he was the reason my blog had been censored in Reddit all those years ago. He had asked the moderators to ban me. This was during a dark time in his life when deep depression had resurfaced, a depression that had nothing to do with Buddhism or the New Kadampa Tradition.

L told me that he was trying to reach out to the moderators or r/Buddhism to explain his situation, to see if they would reinstate me and lift the censorship on the New Kadampa Tradition in general. It does appear that they have removed the extraordinary notice saying that no one in the New Kadampa Tradition is welcome on r/Reddit; so perhaps his reaching out to them has had some effect. But they still don’t allow any Kadampa Buddhists to post, discuss, or comment.

This is what L sent me more recently. Because he still really wants to do something to improve this situation, I am including his words in this article, with a hope and a prayer that the Reddit r/Buddhism moderators change their attitude. L wanted me to include his full name but I will not because the Internet has a long half-life.

I am a Kadampa. I am a very unlikely Buddhist given my personal circumstance and history. I have known despair. I have known hell. These situations have taught me that we are all the same. Surely not from the point of our life’s standing? To which I have to agree. But from the point that we all wish to be happy and we all wish to avoid even the slightest suffering. If any of you have been searching of or the great equaliser – this is it. In the past I blamed my spiritual guide for my problems. I fed on the discontent of those who wished his tradition harm, and I fomented that. It is to my deep shame that I admit this and I wish, naturally, to make things better.

Most of the anti New Kadampa Tradition postings originally on Reddit came from one of my many fake accounts. In fact, you could say I was instrumental in bringing about the NKT ban. I deeply regret that.

In the past there were mistakes made by certain NKT teachers. Our minds are very hard to tame. We have been getting it wrong for countless lifetimes in the past – why should we automatically become saints now that we have the path? And the fact that these same teachers have learned and moved on? Even become shining examples? Well, that is Buddhadharma – the immensely healing balm of these teachings that do so much to soothe our existential conundrum.

Fifteen years ago I was a suicidal wreck with no hope but the asylum. Thanks to an emanation I was introduced to the book Eight Steps to Happiness which transformed my life completely. Now I own my own business and am the happiest of all my friends. I am not a yogi, I am not a saint, but I am a decent practitioner. Now when the world, and we ourselves face so many hardships and uncertainty, I feel myself going in one direction and I see the world going in the direction I want to leave behind. It is only because I have tasted the sweet fruit of Buddha’s teachings that I wish to stand as a warning and an inspiration.

My name is L** and I was instrumental in bringing about the anti New Kadampa Tradition Reddit ban. The NKT saved my life. The teachings saved my life. The Sangha showed me a kindness and example I strive to follow. How can I sit back and let this wrong go unfixed?

Examples of Reddit r/Buddhism posts calling the New Kadampa Tradition a cult, etc

“The NKT is a Chinese government entity that exists with the express purpose of destroying Tibetan Buddhism, as part of facilitating their conquest of Tibet as a whole. They particularly target the Gelug school and it’s head, the Dalai Lama since he is important in maintaining the resistance of ordinary Tibetans to Chinese occupation of Tibet.”

See above. There is no truth to this.

“The NKT is indeed a cult and they receive funding from the CCP.”

Again, there’s no evidence for either of these claims. For a reply to the cult accusation, see this article: Is the New Kadampa Tradition a cult?

In response to someone asking if the books are ok:

“No, do not read the books, Geshe Kelsang tends towards incorrect views that are subtle, so not recognisable by someone not already familiar with the topic. He is very sectarian, claiming his tradition is the only valid Buddhist tradition and that it must not be mixed with any other buddhist tradition that is not his own.”

Geshe Kelsang’s books are in fact highly acclaimed by masters in all schools of Buddhism. During his life, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso authored 23 books that cover all aspects of Buddhism, providing practical and scholarly guidance on how to enter the path to liberation and enlightenment, how to progress along it, and how to complete it. Some of these books are introductory texts, some are commentaries to major works of past Buddhist masters, some are commentaries on Buddhist philosophy, and some are lucid commentaries to advanced Tantric practices. These books are generally well regarded in the Buddhist world, and also form the basis of the three New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) study programs that are followed by thousands of students worldwide.

Although Geshe Kelsang has been criticized for “breaking away,” and his reasons for opposing the Dalai Lama’s restrictions on the practice of the Dharma Protector have sometimes been mistrusted or mischaracterized, his decision allowed Kadampa Buddhism to develop independently and made these teachings more widely available around the world, without cultural or political requirements.

At the same time, Venerable Geshe-la did not move away from the lineage of Buddhadharma passed down from Buddha Shakyamuni through Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa. His books are firmly based on these traditional teachings and texts, as can be seen by anyone who studies them or attends teachings and practises Dharma at Kadampa Centers.

Here’s a relevant comment from a Kadampa left on another website:

My early interest in Buddhism was partly through reading books by the Dalai Lama. I just went to Manjushri Centre in 1996 and had read that the NKT would not allow people who followed the Dalai Lama to join their teachings. So I took a book by the Dalai Lama with me, it had a big picture of him on the front. I briefly met Geshe-la as he was entering the main building and I was holding this book very visibly. Geshe -la greeted me happily – with a beautiful smile, a “hello” And a little wave.. Through the week I was there, with that book, not one negative comment or suggestion was made. This gave me much more confidence that not everything you read is true. It’s a small story, but over time I had many other opportunities to ask questions and understand from my experience that Geshe-la and the New Kadampa Tradition were not against anyone. But I did and do agree that it was right to protest the Dalai Lama’s pronouncements on Dorje Shugden and stand up for the rights of Shugden Buddhists – especially in the Tibetan community, for their freedom to practice this ancient tradition in safety and with respect.

“The ordination of their “monks” and “nuns” is made up, they are not real buddhist monks and nuns.”

The system of ordination in the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) follows Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings on ordination interpreted by Geshe Potowa (1031-1106 CE), and, since this contains the essential meaning of all ordination, it is valid.

As with all Buddhists, NKT practitioners try to practice Buddha’s teachings as they were traditionally transmitted to them without imposing their own interpretation or omitting anything; however, there is a flexibility at NKT Centres around the world to compromise with the norms of society and local culture as necessary to benefit others. One example of this flexibility is the NKT ordination. The ten commitments of NKT ordination provide the flexibility to function in the modern world – such as being able to support oneself by having a job, handling money, and freely meeting with people to help them – but they also provide the necessary restraint from inappropriate actions that Buddha taught in the Sutras to make progress on the spiritual path. The NKT ordination is therefore arguably more suited to living in the modern world than the traditional ordination based on the Vinaya.

Here is a comment from one practitioner:

I am saddened to hear that Reddit publishes criticisms without checking on key facts regarding the complaint or the New Kadampa Tradition. My personal experience of the NKT, the people and teachers that I have met and my own journey to improvement in my quality of life has been profound. I started from a position of distrust of organised religions and the social and environmental harms done in the name of religion. Our histories going back into the mists of time is on war, marginalised people, hatred and discrimination all in the name of religion. Gradually my own mental health improved, I believe that I am a kinder person and I know that I am a happier person for finding Buddha’s teachings through the NKT. Geshe Kelsang teaches that we should remain in our normal lives, and learn to have compassion and kindness for others, starting with our family, friends and colleagues.

My own wish for ordination was respected, not expected, nor disrespected. I had many conversations with my teachers and friends both within the NKT and outside about this wish, encouraging me to consider deeply before becoming ordained. I did it in my own time and it has been the most meaningful and profound experience. In the process I have come to respect other faiths more and to understand that these conflicts are driven by much more basic human distress and fears, not religion, but that religion is used as a tool by leaders to justify their actions. I have also made internal peace with my own family coming to understand and have compassion for them, letting go of anger and resentment that caused me harm in the long run. Outer peace comes from inner peace.

“Plus, he is a demon worshipper, and the unholy influence of that entity shows very well by how his students behave, for example towards the Dalai Lama.”

The practice of relying upon the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden (to help us increase our Dharma realizations and overcome delusions) was taught extensively by Je Phabongkhapa and Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche, the greatest Gelug Lamas of the 20th century, the latter being the Dalai Lama’s own root Guru. It was a practice which the majority of Tibetan Buddhists throughout most of the 20th century engaged in, including some of the greatest Lamas to come to the West. To name but a few, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa, founders of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT); Geshe Rabten and Gonsar Rinpoche, founders of Rabten Choeling Monastary in Switzerland; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, founder of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT).

The Dalai Lama himself practised Dorje Shugden for many years, but later changed his view and came to regard Dorje Shugden as a worldly spirit rather than an enlightened Dharma Protector. He has argued that the practice encourages sectarianism, reduces Buddhism to spirit worship, and is harmful to the Tibetan cause.

His opposition led to a clamp down on Dorje Shugden practice within Tibetan communities and monasteries. Monks who continued the practice were expelled from monasteries, while practitioners reported losing jobs, being denied services and teachings, facing pressure to renounce the practice, and experiencing considerable social ostracism. There were also organized signature campaigns requiring people to declare that they did not practise Dorje Shugden. Although the extent and characterization of these restrictions may remain disputed, their impact on Dorje Shugden practitioners was considerable.

For Dorje Shugden practitioners, there is also an important religious issue. By describing Dorje Shugden as a worldly or harmful spirit, the Dalai Lama rejected the understanding of important Gelug masters who regarded Dorje Shugden as an enlightened Dharma Protector, including his own Junior Tutor, Trijang Rinpoche, from whom the Dalai Lama himself originally received the practice. By declaring that Dorje Shugden is a worldly spirit or evil demon, the Dalai Lama seems effectively to be saying that his spiritual lineage Gurus Trijang Rinpoche and Je Phabongkhapa were spirit-worshippers rather than Mahayana Buddhists.