What is Kadampa Buddhism?

Buddhism is the practice of Buddha’s teachings and the inner experiences or realizations of these teachings. These have a timeless and universal relevance and can be practiced by anyone in any culture, regardless of race, gender, or age.

Protection from suffering and problems

By practicing Buddha’s teachings, or Dharma, we protect ourself from suffering and problems. All the problems we experience during daily life originate in negative states of mind such as attachment, hatred and ignorance, and the method for eliminating these is to practice Dharma.

Practicing Dharma is the supreme method for improving the quality of our human life because the quality of life depends not upon external development or material progress, but upon the inner development of peace and happiness.

Unbroken lineage

Buddha first gave his teachings over two and half thousand years ago. Since that time they have been preserved in a pure form and passed down from Teacher to disciple in an unbroken lineage that is still alive today.

Thanks to the kindness of these previous Teachers, we are able to listen to and practice exactly the same Dharma as Buddha originally taught.

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To provide a vehicle for promoting Kadampa Buddhism throughout the world, in 1991 Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso founded the New Kadampa Tradition, the International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU).

It is an international association of study and meditation centers that follow the pure tradition of Mahayana Buddhism derived from the Buddhist meditators and scholars Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa and introduced into the West by the Buddhist Teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

 The purpose of the NKT-IKBU is to increase the Buddhist Faith throughout the world.

The New Kadampa Tradition is an entirely independent Buddhist tradition and the NKT-IKBU has no political affiliations. The NKT-IKBU is an international nonprofit organization registered in England as a charitable company.

Modern Kadampa Buddhism

Here you will find information about Kadampa Buddhism, a special tradition of Mahayana Buddhism particularly suited to this modern world that offers practical solutions to the problems we experience in our daily lives.

Find out more in the booklet Modern Kadampa Buddhism [PDF]