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About

The Founder

The Founder of Modern Kadampa Buddhism, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, a world-renowned meditation master and Teacher inspired thousands of people around the world to apply the pure teachings of Buddha to their modern lives to solve their personal problems and discover a deep and lasting inner peace and happiness.

Read about Venerable Geshe-la's life →

General Spiritual Director

Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong is the General Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU and Resident Teacher and Special Teacher Training Programme Teacher at Manjushri KMC, the mother centre of modern Buddhism

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Working for World Peace

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The Spotlight: featured stories and updates

Offering our Faith | Celebrations 2025 ~ Part 1

Jun 9, 2025

Centers love to organze special events

Jun 8, 2025

Early booking discount for the Summer Festival 2025 will end on 15 June

Jun 7, 2025

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Spring Festival 2025

MAY 23 - 28

Summer Festival 2025

JUL 25 - AUG 9

Fall Festival 2025

OCT 3 - OCT 9

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The Power of Genuine Confidence

Jun 9, 2025

How to improve mindfulness

May 27, 2025

The things I normally see do not exist

May 26, 2025

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Blogs

Shared Wisdom, Shared Strength : The Role of Community in Spiritual Growth

Nov 18, 2024

Relief from anxiety

Sep 12, 2024

kindness.feeding a bird

Instead of seeing potholes I see the kindness in between

Aug 30, 2024

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  • Reference
  • About Buddha
    • The Birth of Buddha
    • Buddha’s Renunciation
    • Buddha’s Ordination
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    • What is Tantra?
    • Why Practice Tantra?
    • Authentic Tantra
    • Levels of Tantra
    • Attachment & Tantra
    • Tantric Teachers
    • Books on Tantra
  • Glossary of Buddhist Terms
    • Glossary of Buddhist Terms: Letters A – E
    • Glossary of Buddhist Terms: Letters F – J
    • Glossary of Buddhist Terms: Letters K – O
    • Glossary of Buddhist Terms: Letters P – T
    • Glossary of Buddhist Terms: Letters U – Z
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New Kadampa Tradition

|      Founder Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

With 1100 Kadampa Buddhist centers and groups around the world, there are thousands of people now practicing Kadampa Buddhism under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

This worldwide Kadampa community is like a global spiritual family who help us progress in our practice.

The support of Sangha, or spiritual friends who inspire us by their example, assist us in our practice, and encourage us to follow correct paths is central to the Buddhist way of life.

Types of spiritual community

There are different types of spiritual community, or Sangha, which are distinguished by the type of vow one takes.

Those who take Pratimoksha ordination as monks or nuns choose to follow a life bound by moral discipline so that they can focus on their spiritual development for the benefit of others.

Within the Kadampa community there are 700 monks and nuns.

There are also Pratimoksha vows that lay people can take.

Those who take Bodhisattva vows promise to follow the Bodhisattva’s way of life to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings.

Tantric vows are given during Tantric empowerments. See the section on Tantra for more information.

Within the New Kadampa Tradition, it is possible for one person to take all three vows.

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The Spotlight

Centers

Offering our Faith | Celebrations 2025 ~ Part 1

June 9, 2025
Study & Meditation

Centers love to organze special events
Jun 8

Festivals & Celebrations

Early booking discount for the Summer Festival 2025 will end on 15 June
Jun 7

Blog

Shared Wisdom, Shared Strength : The Role of Community in Spiritual Growth

November 18, 2024

Relief from anxiety

Instead of seeing potholes I see the kindness in between

Podcasts

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This site is owned and managed by New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU), an international association of Mahayana Buddhist study and meditation centers that follow the Kadampa Buddhist tradition founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche. Registered charity 1015054.

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