In the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) there is no pressure to become ordained, as can be seen from the far vaster number of NKT practitioners, including senior members, who remain lay. Ven. Geshe Kelsang has always encouraged four types of teacher in the NKT – monks, nuns, lay men and lay women – who all study and teach the same programs.
The General Spiritual Director (GSD) will not grant ordination to anyone unless they sincerely request to become ordained from their own side. The GSD does not accept for ordination anyone under 18 years of age, and they are encouraged to wait until they are 22 years of age or older.
Ordination is a significant, personal choice involving a lifestyle change. Therefore, it would be very wrong to pressurize or even persuade someone into it. Instead, Resident Teachers are required to talk ordination through carefully with students who are requesting it and encourage them to wait if appropriate. The students are often advised to “live like a monk or nun” for at least a year to see if it is a lifestyle that is going to suit them. It should also be made clear to them as a deterrent that if they choose to ordain they will need to respect their vows for the rest of their lives, and, if they break these, they will have to leave their Dharma Center and study program for one year. After one year they may return, but they cannot be a teacher.
It is true that, despite all these safeguards, sometimes relatively young people do get ordained, only to discover later that ordained life is not for them. However, such over-enthusiasm of young people is not uncommon anywhere in the world, in any tradition or religion.
Thank you so much for this site.
I can’t comment on what’s going on in England since I am an American and practice Buddhism in the US. But what I can say is that I have been a Buddhist for almost three years now and have attended teachings given by NKT Teachers in several Centers in the US. I am a lay practioner and have never ever been pressured, forced or even hinted at that I should get ordained. What’s more one of the things that attracted me to Buddhism was that one could advance spiritually whether one was ordained or not. I have never felt that anyone has ever tried to convert me to Buddhism. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the things that is most remarkable about these teachers, that until now I thought were mainstream Buddhist teachers, that they never push their opinions on the audience.
And while I’m here, I’d like to address a few other things on this site. I have never been threatened with rebirth in the lower realms if I disagree with something the teacher said. My relationship with my parents, friends and partner have all improved. As a matter of fact, improved greatly. I was taught that we should regard all beings as if they were a mother because in the past all beings were our mothers. And to meditate on the kindness of all, because in the past all living beings have shown great kindness towards us. These have all helped me to have more open relationships with others, not to ostracize them.
I have not tried to convert any of my friends, although some have become interested because I am happier, and I have not been brainwashed. Geshe Kelsang is my teacher, and I went to hear him teach. Never, did he expouse a personality cult. He was very humble and gave all the credit of his teachings to his teachers. Moreover, Geshe Kelsang has published over 20 books about the stages of the path in Buddhism and they are available at all major bookstores. Cult leaders do not publish ten books available at major bookstores. The Dalai Lama even recommended that we study “Meaningful to Behold”, Geshe Kelsang’s commentary to Shantideva’s “The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”. I have never found any talk or teaching I have ever heard from NKT teachers to not come from these books. Which means he is not hiding anything since anyone can buy the books, or check them out of libraries and read them. Moreover, anyone is welcome to come to the talks.
I am not sure where people heard all these things about Ven Geshe Kelsang, but please know that they do not apply, at least in the US, and since the senior teachers here were mostly trained in England, I imagine also not in England.