Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was a Tibetan Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, scholar, and author, born in 1931. He received extensive training in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, culminating in a geshe degree. After escaping Tibet in 1959, he spent many years in India, engaged in teaching and intensive meditation retreats. In 1977, he moved to the UK to teach at the Manjushri Institute. He later founded the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), a Buddhist organization with international centers, which emerged from the Gelug school but developed distinct teachings. The NKT emphasizes accessible Buddhist teachings for Western practitioners through structured study programs. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso authored many books aimed at providing a comprehensive path to enlightenment for Westerners. He passed away in September 2022.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso established the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) as an independent Buddhist organization in 1991, stemming from his teaching activities in the UK. Initially invited to teach at the Manjushri Institute in 1977, he later established his own centers, including Madhyamaka Centre. The NKT aims to present Buddhist teachings in a way that is accessible to Western practitioners, offering structured study programs such as the General Programme, Foundation Programme, and Teacher Training Programme. Geshe Kelsang regarded the Teacher Training Programme as a modern, compressed equivalent to the traditional Tibetan Geshe degree. The organization has grown to include over 1,300 affiliated centers in more than 25 countries.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's teachings focus on core Buddhist principles like Lamrim (stages of the path), Lojong (mind training), and Mahamudra. He emphasized the importance of following a pure tradition and relying on a single teacher to progress spiritually, cautioning against synthesizing different traditions which he believed could lead to confusion. This approach, which scholars have described as exclusivist, led the NKT to distinguish itself from preceding and contemporary Tibetan Buddhist groups while emphasizing the purity of its lineage. The NKT's practice is characterized by an exclusive adherence to its tradition, eschewing eclecticism, as a means to adapt Buddhism for Westerners and preserve what they consider the pure teachings of Je Tsongkhapa.

A significant aspect of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's later activities involved the promotion of Dorje Shugden worship. He and the NKT supported this practice, which was discouraged by the Dalai Lama due to its association with sectarianism. This stance led to criticism and controversy, including accusations of defamation against the Dalai Lama. In 1996, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was formally expelled from Sera Je Monastery and had his geshe degree revoked due to his worship of Dorje Shugden and criticism of the Dalai Lama. The NKT considers Dorje Shugden worship central to its tradition, believing the deity is most capable of aiding practitioners.

“If we try to create a synthesis of different traditions we shall destroy the special power of each and be left only with a mishmash of our own making that will be a source of confusion and doubt.”

“following one tradition purely — relying upon one Teacher, practicing only his teachings, and following his Dharma Protector.”