Kadampa

Kadampa refers to a Buddhist tradition that arose in India in the 10th or 11th century and later spread to Tibet. The tradition is most closely associated with the reforming work of Atisha and his Tibetan disciple Dromtön Nyinchen Zangpo, who established Kadampa monastic institutions and helped shape a comprehensive system of study and practice. The term Kadampa is often understood as describing a lineage that emphasizes essential Mahayana teachings and a practical path to enlightenment.

In Tibet, Kadampa forms contributed to the development of the Lamrim, or "stages of the path," a structured framework for gradual spiritual progress. Kadampa monasteries combined scholastic study with meditation and Vinaya discipline, producing a rich body of texts and teaching methods that influenced Tibetan Buddhist education for centuries.

With the rise of Tsongkhapa and the formation of the Gelug school in the 14th–15th centuries, many Kadampa institutions and teachings were absorbed into Gelug. Over time, Kadampa as an independent school diminished as a distinct lineage in Tibet, though its doctrinal and organizational contributions persisted within later traditions.

In the modern era, the term Kadampa has been revived in two principal forms. Historically oriented groups maintain the Kadampa lineage as part of the broader Tibetan Buddhist heritage. Separately, the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT-IKBU), founded in 1991 by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in the United Kingdom, presents a contemporary interpretation of Kadampa Buddhism focused on the Lamrim, meditation, and global centers. The NKT operates worldwide and has been the subject of ongoing discussions and debates within the Buddhist community regarding lineage and affiliation.