New Kadampa Tradition

"NKT" redirects here. For other uses, see NKT (disambiguation).

New Kadampa Tradition
International Kadampa Buddhist Union
AbbreviationNKT-IKBU
Formation1991
FounderKelsang Gyatso[1][2][3]
TypeTibetan Buddhism (disputed)[1][2][3]
Buddhist new religious movement[2][3]
Western Buddhism[1][2][3]
Dorje Shugden[1][2]
HeadquartersManjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre (Conishead Priory)
Ulverston, Cumbria
LA12 9QQ
United Kingdom
Spiritual Director
Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong
Websitekadampa.org
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The New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT—IKBU) is a global Buddhist new religious movement founded by Kelsang Gyatso in England in 1991. In 2003 the words "International Kadampa Buddhist Union" (IKBU) were added to the original name "New Kadampa Tradition". The NKT-IKBU is an international organisation registered in England as a charitable, or non-profit, company.[4][5] It currently lists more than 200 centres and around 900 branch classes/study groups in 40 countries.[6] founded by the Tibetan-born Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the BBC describes the New Kadampa Tradition as "one of the major Buddhist schools in the UK".[7]

The NKT-IKBU describes itself as "an entirely independent Buddhist tradition" inspired and guided by "the ancient Kadampa Buddhist Masters and their teachings, as presented by Kelsang Gyatso".[8] Its founder, Kelsang Gyatso, sought to make Buddhist meditation and teaching more readily accessible to twenty-first century living.[9] He also wanted to ensure that people did not simply study Tibetan Buddhism from an academic point of view, but learned how to extend this knowledge through meditation and practical Buddhist experience.[10] The NKT-IKBU is described as being "very successful at disseminating its teachings"[10] and Geshe Kelsang's books have been called "very popular".[10]

The NKT-IKBU has expanded more rapidly than any other Buddhist tradition in Great Britain, and has spread across the globe with 1,200 affiliated centres over more than 40 countries.[3] In 2003, Daniel Cozort (2003: 231) described the NKT as one of the largest and fastest growing Tibetan Buddhist organizations in the world, and as “a Western order that draws primarily upon the teachings of the Gelukpa tradition but is not subordinate to Tibetan authorities.[11] Some Tibetans have described it as a "controversial organization"[8] and a "controversial" new religious movement,[2][3][12] or a breakaway Buddhist sect.[1][2][3][12][13] Modern Buddhism, one of Kelsang Gyatso's most popular books, says: "Today we can see many different forms of Buddhism, such as Zen and Theravada Buddhism. All these are equally precious, they are just different presentations."[14]

According to Harding, Hori, and Soucy, “Global Buddhism... attempts to transcend the parochialism of local place and ethnic identity” (2014: 16). The attempt to transcend the parochialism of Tibet and Tibetan politico-ethnic identity is high-priority for the NKT. Considered in the context of the movement’s global missionary efforts, the NKT is clearly a form of global Buddhism."[15]

  1. ^ a b c d e Kay, David N. (2004). "The New Kadampa Tradition: The Identity of the NKT". Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development, and Adaptation. Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 100–113. ISBN 9780415753975. OCLC 51315294.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Matthews, Carol S. (2005). "New Kadampa Tradition". New Religions. Religions of the World. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. pp. 128–143. ISBN 9780791080962. LCCN 2004024514.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Obadia, Lionel (2020). "When New Is Not-So-New: On the Meaning of "Modern" in a New Tibetan Movement: The New Kadampa Tradition". In Kim, David W. (ed.). New Religious Movements in Modern Asian History: Socio-Cultural Alternatives. Ethnographies of Religion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 91–112. ISBN 978-1-7936-3403-0. OCLC 1220880253.
  4. ^ Cozort, Daniel (2003). The Making of the Western Lama. Quoted in Heine, S., & Prebish, C. S. (2003). Buddhism in the modern world: Adaptations of an ancient tradition. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 230.
  5. ^ NKT-IKBU Charity overview. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  6. ^ number of centres as of 29 August 2009, retrieved from map.kadampa.org: 3 International Retreat Centres (IRC), 19 Kadampa Meditation Centres (KMC), 196 Kadampa Buddhist Centres (KBC), there may be even some more centres that have not been placed on the map yet, listed here: kadampa.org/en/centers
  7. ^ "BBC - Religions - Buddhism: Tibetan Buddhism". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bluck, R. (2006). British Buddhism: Teachings, practice and development. Routledge critical studies in Buddhism. London: Routledge. p. 129.
  9. ^ Scotland, Nigel (2005). A Pocket Guide to Sects and New Religions. Lions Books. p. 133.
  10. ^ a b c Oliver, Paul (2011). New Religious Movements: A Guide for the Perplexed. Continuum. p. 85.
  11. ^ Daniel Cozort, The Making of Western Lama in "Buddhism in the Modern World", ISBN 0-19-514698-0, page 230
  12. ^ a b Clarke, Peter Bernard. New Religions in Global Perspective, p. 92, Routledge 2006
  13. ^ Mills, Martin (2003), Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism – The Foundations of Authority in Gelukpa Monasticism, p. 366, Routledge
  14. ^ Kelsang Gyatso, Geshe (2001) Modern Buddhism – The Path of Compassion and Wisdom, p. 3, Tharpa Publications.
  15. ^ Christopher Emory-Moore. Branding a New Buddhist Movement: The New Kadampa Tradition’s Self-identification as “Modern Buddhism”. Journal of Global Buddhism Vol.21 11-28. Page 6/19 ISSN: 1527-6457