The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) does not use any brainwashing techniques. Students are strongly encouraged to think for themselves.
Buddha Shakyamuni asked his followers to test everything he taught as they would test gold, to determine if it is authentic. He advised them not to accept anything unless it accords with their experience, even if others call him Buddha or agree with him. This is a part of the NKT culture. Buddhism is not evangelical in the slightest, and nor does it recommend blind faith.
Gratitude, respect, and kindness towards everyone, especially our parents and family, are core values taught in Kadampa Buddhism. Putting these Buddhist teachings into practice leads to harmonious relationships.
NKT students are not encouraged in any way to sever relationships with friends and families. They are not encouraged to give up their school, college, or university studies, or to give up their jobs or family responsibilities. The very meaning of Kadampa Buddhism is to take all Buddha’s teachings as personal advice and put them into practice in their normal daily activities. One of the main Kadampa sayings is:
Remain natural while changing your aspiration.
This means that practitioners are taught to change not their outside behavior but their intentions, replacing hatred with love, for example.
Everyone is welcome at NKT Centers and classes. Equality and tolerance are qualities intrinsic to the Buddhist way of life and underpin everything taught and practiced at NKT Centers.
There has never been a ban in NKT Centers on reading Buddhist books by authors other than Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the Founder of the NKT.
The NKT respects other spiritual traditions. As Ven Geshe Kelsang says in his book Modern Buddhism:
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.
Buddhism is not about converting people. People of other religious traditions coming to NKT classes are not encouraged to change to Buddhism or to the NKT.
NKT Centers offer everyone within their communities full support with their problems, within the scope of the charity’s objectives.
There is no pressure put on anyone to take ordination — in fact, the opposite is true, with people often being encouraged to wait before making such a life-changing decision.
Is this article in reply to that BBC Wales article that came out recently? Thank you for the response. I wish the BBC had simply interviewed any number of Kadampas who get along with their parents, pretty much all of them!
I’ve been involved with NKT since 2006 and never once felt brainwashed or controlled. I’m currently a TTP student and my Sangha knows I take off to celebrate the Jewish holidays with my family and rejoices for me! We are encouraged to practice once we take refuge vows but that is to help us make progress and gain realizations, not to control us. I have never been asked for money beyond student fees and I certainly have never felt any improper behaviour from Sangha.
So pleased this site has been created. The misinformation that has been spread by a few people is heartbreaking. I’ve been ordained for 28 years and never have I been told not to visit my family and friends. It is totally up to me. I’ve only ever experienced support and kindness if I need to spend time with family for different reasons.
Geshela said many years ago that it wasn’t his intention to convert people to Buddhism, he only wishes for Dharma to benefit them. That ethic runs throughout the centres. Everyone is welcome at whatever level they wish to practice. If someone is from a different faith, or doesn’t want any faith, that’s totally accepted.
I hope this site helps people have confidence to discover for themselves the truth of Geshela’s intention and experience the help and benefit of the Dharma.
When I first started attending NKT classes, my relationship with both my parents were strained. Over the months and years of attending NKT classes, in particular through listening to Kadampa teachings and meditations on letting of past hurt & anger, developing compassion for oneself and others and deeply reflecting on existential kindness of our parents – transformed my relationship with both my parents beyond recognition. We still had our challenges but the past strain and disillusionment was replaced with a realistic acceptance of who they are, respect and compassion for their journey as individuals and a warmth and gratitude towards all that they given me in their imperfect way.
Two years ago my mum passed away very very peacefully. I was able to be with her throughout her end of life journey and facilitate her passing with love and faith. I received so much love from Kadampa Spiritual Community. Geshe Kelsang, prayed for my mum and so did many other teachers and practitioners. As the result of the spiritual and emotional support I received during the time of my mother’s death, my grieving process has been immensely helped.
I feel deep deep gratitude for the teachers, in particular Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and teachings of the Kadampa tradition – without the accessible and practical presentation of Buddha’s teachings and meditations of NKT, I truly feel I would have been estranged from my family and carried the deep hurt and the dysfunction into my own family life as a parent.
I was very sad to read the BBC Wales coverage about the dad who is estranged from his son who happens to be attending NKT classes. Sloppy journalism as its best. At its worst- exploitation of a complex family dynamic and a vulnerable old man’s pain – unfortunately fuelled by the agenda driven critics of the NKT. I am very disappointed with the BBC. All they had to is to pick up one of Geshe Kelsang books and flip through the chapters, and if they had done that they would have stumbled upon the section on the ‘Kindness of others’; an extensive section on how to develop gratitude and respect to our parents and care givers.
It is truly heart-breaking to see such beneficial and practical teachings been branded as ‘brainwashing’ or ‘cult’ like, which will no doubt put people off from the attending the classes which can potentially be life -transformative for them. Such a shame!
My encouragement would be for anyone looking into attending NKT classes, please attend the classes, and make up your own mind. Don’t believe everything you read!
One of the things I really appreciate about the NKT & its centres are how people of all faiths are welcome. I remember my first centre that I attended in north London & how lots of Jewish ladies used to come to my GP class. At the end of one course, over tea & biscuits, one of these ladies commented on how helpful she’d found the classes in general, but how much they’d helped her understand her own faith. I loved to hear her say that. How wonderful to be in an environment where no one was trying to “convert” me.
What a beautiful article!! ❤️
I’ve been trying to practice Buddhism for about 8 years, and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s works elucidate and teach the whole path to enlightenment. Without NKT there would be no way for me to find these complete teachings. During my time helping and coming to classes, I think this tradition is very serious and correct. Everything is according to internal rules, and government rules too.
Members might have their own ideas and strange behaviour occasionally, but that’s only because they don’t understand about the internal rules fully. But at the end of the day, we’re all trying to be better and follow in Buddha’s footsteps
What I like about the New Kadampa Tradition Centers is the openness
Everyone is welcome in the Kadampa Centers, and we feel there is no expectation, we don’t need to become Buddhist, we don’t have to adopt the faith, we don’t need to get involved, etc, we are really free to just come by and xome when ever we want. And if we want to adopt the faith, to become Buddhist or to get involved in helping the center we are free to do so, but there is no expectation that we do so.
I read the BBC Wales article about how an elderly father got very upset with his middle-aged son for becoming a Kadampa Buddhist, so upset that he complained to the BBC that his son had been brainwashed. I decided to look him up on Facebook to get more clarity on this, and saw that he was a deeply grieving man (he lost his beloved wife) who was asking Satan to keep his hands off his family and is a deeply evangelical Christian.
How is this different to any argument between fathers and sons that comes up when the son wants to follow a different path to the father? There is zero evidence that the son was “brainwashed”. A family upset that could have blown over in time has been exaggerated, distorted, and solidified by the BBC, and how sad that is for both father and son. I thought the BBC title was sensationalist click bait and the article had no substance. Disappointing, BBC, I thought you were supposed to be objective. You don’t even interview any Kadampas! And you didn’t even allow room for comments on your website.
I am saddened to hear that our national broadcaster has published an article without checking on key facts regarding the complaint, the NKT or considering the bigger picture in the background with this unhappy person.
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-la 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. Divisive, sloppy journalism fuels the fire of distress, anger and hatred. May the journalist recognise their mistake and make efforts to avoid repeating this.
This label of being “brainwashed” couldn’t be further from the truth. My spiritual practice has been the most intellectually challenging and emotional wrenching experience of my life precisely because we are taught to rigorously examine and test the teachings within the context of our own lives – to see if it makes sense, and if it actually makes us a happier, more loving, and kind person. To reduce the practitioners in this tradition to empty shells, without any agency or freedom to choose our own path is the opposite of my experience. Whereas I have experienced being silenced in society at large, my NKT teacher has always created a space in which I felt I could express my doubts, concerns and questions about the teachings in classes and in one-on-one conversations without ever making me feel these inquires were not welcomed or valued. So thank you for this article and giving me an opportunity to respond to these off base epithets. A member of NYC Sangha.
My experience, since 2005, becoming a person who chose to turn to meditation and Buddhist practice as a way to find solutions, has been the best decision of my life.
Without the vision, wisdom and perfect example and guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, I and many others in the west would not have the opportunity to accomplish ones own purpose and the purpose of others. Through the tireless effort, steadfastness and example, sincere and dedicated teachers and students around the world show practically how to transform every life’s difficulties into something beneficial and how to guide our own minds to peace and fulfillment.
Everyone has choice in the NKT and everyone practices according to their capacity and circumstances.
I’m very thankful for having met the NKT. Everything is clearly explained in the books. For example, Clear Light of Bliss includes a teaching that Buddha Shakyamuni cautioned his disciples:
“Do not accept my teachings simply because I am called Buddha.
Time and time again, he reminded his disciples not to accept his teachings out of blind faith, but to test them as thoroughly as they would assay gold. It is only on the basis of valid reasons and personal experience that we should accept the teachings of anyone, including Buddha himself.”
Anyone thinking about brainwashing should read this teaching and the explanation in the book. It is a very valuable advise that it’s being passed to us by the same founder of the NKT.