The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) has never been involved in benefit fraud. In the mid-nineties such allegations were made, but a government investigation found no truth in it and the NKT was exonerated. Unfortunately, this was not before certain newspapers had irresponsibly reported these allegations without checking with local unemployment or housing benefit offices. (See also Has the New Kadampa Tradition received criticism in the press?)
It’s true that some NKT Centers in the UK, (particularly in the early days, not so much any more), received rental income from residents who were on housing benefit because they could prove that they were unemployed or on low income. Using housing benefit to pay rent is legitimate and legal. As places of residence, NKT Centers are lawfully entitled to receive such income from their residents.
The claimants were also following the current guidelines on looking for work. Nowadays, the vast majority of Kadampa practitioners work in regular jobs or are sponsored by the Centers. But back in the 80s in the UK, where the NKT started, it was legitimately challenging to find work because of a 10 percent unemployment rate; so during that time it was legal to be doing a certain number of volunteer hours per week whilst on Unemployment Benefits.
It is worth noting that the NKT — with over 1200 Centers including some sizeable Temples for World Peace — has also created thousands of jobs in the UK and around the world, in teaching, administration, education, IT, social media, marketing, artwork, design, Tharpa Publications, service industries such as World Peace cafes, and so on. Some of these jobs have gone to people who might otherwise claim unemployment support.
The NKT as a whole has been incredibly diligent over the years in observing all local laws, including permitting, zoning, taxation, and so on. It has worked closely with the UK Charity Commission for over 40 years, and not once has it “Submitted dodgy tax returns and financial statements to the charities commission” as some have claimed.
Thank you for allowing comments on this site. I responded some years ago to a letter I saw on a popular Buddhist internet site with my own personal observations, when I was a manager at Bodhisattva Centre in Brighton. I copy it here. It brings up the housing benefit allegations, and the other points in here seem to be addressed elsewhere on this helpful website.
Original poster: “The issues focus on NKT pressuring people to take robes, their policy of buying properties for centers using members claiming Housing Benefit to pay mortgages and the way the State Benefits system has been used to support it, the apparent overemphasis on adulation of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the overemphasis of teachings about rebirth in the hell realms and the sustained and repeated implanting of fear as a method of control with threats of rebirth in lower realms against those who are critical of the group, the use of specific techniques to get new recruits, the emphasis on proselytisation and how to be careful not to give the impression of running recruitment drives, and the need to convert people, the exclusivity of their teachings – all you need is what Geshe Kelsang Gyatso teaches “Our task is only to preserve the blessings of Geshe-la in this world,” to quote NKT Notes on Teaching Skills.”
My response:
“As a personal response to KS’s comment I would like to make the following points:
1. I received ordination from Geshe Kelsang in 1995 and was in no way pressured into making this decision. It was a personal choice, and one that myself and my family are happy about. I was encouraged not to rush into making this commitment by other ordained members of the community.
2.All procedures for buying Bodhisattva Centre in Brighton were entirely legitimate.
3.As a disciple of Geshe Kelsang I rely on him as my Spiritual Guide – this is a Buddhist practice and the foundation of the path to enlightenment, not the practice of the member of some cult.
4.I have never experienced any “sustained and repeated implanting of fear” during the several years I have been living in an NKT Centre. This is a crazy allegation. On the contrary, I have felt more happiness and inner peace than at any other time in my life.
5. I have never known anyone to be “recruited” into the NKT. People choose to attend teachings at Bodhisattva Centre because they feel it helps them. Personally, I decided to attend the study programmes here after visiting many other Buddhist Centres, reading books by different Buddhist authors and travelling around India to receive teachings from various Buddhist teachers. Only after alot of careful consideration did I choose Geshe Kelsang as my Spiritual Guide. From my own experience I can say the NKT never forced me, recruited me, or used any cult-like method to make me attend teachings etc. I was simply attracted to the clarity and wisdom of Geshe Kelsang’s books.
6. In working to spread Buddha’s doctrine taught by Geshe Kelsang I am working to help people overcome their negative minds and develop inner peace. I don’t think this is a problem.
Finally, I would like to say that anyone is welcome to visit an NKT Centre and find out for themselves that the NKT is not a cult.
EJ
Bodhisattva Centre, Brighton.