By: Anna Robbins.
Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center is an American Buddhist organization that practices the New Kadampa Tradition (commonly referred to as NKT). Founded in 1999 by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, also the founder of the New Kadampa Tradition, the center offers meditation classes, study programs, and workshop classes to organization members. With a sister center located in Denver, the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center offers new joiners an “authentic Buddhist view and meditation,” according to New Kadampa Tradition. By focusing on books written by Gyatso and on different meditation techniques, the center seeks to make Buddhism more accessible to a Western audience. The center also has unique characteristics compared to other Buddhist communities, such as requiring fees to attend meditation classes and having a tiered membership program.
New Kadampa Tradition
“Some [NKT] practitioners are absolutely certain this is the last opportunity to find pure Buddhism in the world, and that everything else is corrupt.”
David Kay.
As mentioned previously, the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center practices the New Kadampa Tradition. The New Kadampa Tradition was established by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso after the 14th Dalai Lama banned Shukden practice in all Central Tibetan Administration institutions and monasteries in 1996. In response to this ban, Gyatso and his disciples established the New Kadampa Tradition. NKT is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. Aimed to appeal to a Western audience, NKT focuses on examining the teachings and meditative practices of ancient Kadampa Buddhist Masters. However, these texts are heavily edited by Gyatso. NKT forbids followers from consuming any literature written by other Buddhist practitioners. Teachers are expected to memorize Gyatso’s texts to teach students without offering their own opinions or thoughts. High-ranking NKT disciples are also taught that Gyatso is not only an authoritative pillar of wisdom and guidance, but that he is a Buddha that guides and protects their lives. Some NKT scholars also believe that he is the third Buddha. Arguing that the 14th Dalai Lama oppresses the religious freedom of worldwide Buddhists, due to the ban of Shukden practices, NKT followers have also instigated mass protests against the 14th Dalai Lama.
Although I could not note if any practitioners from the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center had participated in these mass protests, it is still mandatory for New Kadampa Tradition followers to denounce the 14th Dalai Lama. As a result of the organization’s condemnation of the 14th Dalai Lama and the inclusion of Shukden in their practices, the New Kadampa Tradition has faced mass criticism and skepticism from other Western and Asian Buddhist communities. Followers of different Western Buddhist communities will often compare NKT organizations to cults, warning others to stay away from NKT communities. While conducting my research, I discovered that the discussions and advertisements of NKT practices and organizations had been banned throughout several popular Buddhist discussion forums. This can be primarily seen on the website Reddit, known for hosting several controversial opinions. While the official Buddhism forum page does not explicitly ban NKT practices, it forbids sectarianism and the promotion of NKT organizations. NKT is also a pro-sectarianist form of Buddhism, leading to its exclusion in several of these forum pages. The official forum page for Vajrayana Buddhism does explicitly ban the usage of NKT sources, with several discussions throughout the forum being dedicated to educating members on controversial NKT practices.
“This is a personality cult.”
Tenzin Peljor.
Although the 14th Dalai Lama no longer actively condemns Shukden practices, the New Kadampa Tradition practices continue to not be viewed positively within Western and Asian Buddhist communities. As the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition’s website continues to denounce Shukden practices, it can become clear that NKT organizations and the majority of other Buddhist communities do not have a positive relationship. By extension, I have concluded that outside of other NKT organizations, the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center does not firmly associate itself with surrounding Buddhist organizations.
Practices
The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center maintains the practices established by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. As previously mentioned, the center does engage in the controversial practice of Shukden. While the center’s website does not explicitly dedicate any of its meditation or study classes towards Shukden practices, several lectures and classes that had been given at conferences promoted by or held by the organization can be located. Although the organization is heavily reliant on community donations and membership fees, it does not accept monetary offerings towards a Buddha statue located in the meditation room. Instead, the organization follows traditional Buddhist water offerings. With seven bowls set out in front of the shrine, water is poured into the bowls as an offering. Each bowl is dedicated to a different substance: water for drinking, water for bathing, flowers, incense, light, perfume, and food. Although it is not represented by a physical substance, music is used as an eighth offering and is instead offered during prayers. While water is typically used as offerings, the actual substances will be used during special prayer days.
The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center views Buddhism less as a religion and more as a way to change a lifestyle. With classes primarily focused on meditation and yoga, the center appears to be dedicated to finding ways to apply Buddhist teachings and meditative practices to modern life. The organization believes that there are three reasons to practice Buddhism: to develop wisdom, to cultivate a good heart, and to maintain a peaceful state of mind. As the organization offers events themed around Western holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, it is clear that it does not seek to become a religion to the majority of its practitioners.
Programs and Events
The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center offers meditation classes every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Prayer sessions and group practices are regularly scheduled throughout a one-month timeframe. However, there is not a specific timeline for these sessions. On Thursdays, the center hosts a group practice of Heart Jewels. This practice, a combination of chanted prayer and silent meditation, holds extreme significance in the New Kadampa Tradition. Although this event is rare, the organization will also occasionally have a 24-hour purification practice in which the eight Mahayana precepts are intensely followed. Held on the 15th of the month, participants will refrain from killing, eating after lunch, sitting on lavish thrones, or other such activities. Another event offered by the center is Buddhist study sessions. As the only books accepted in NKT organizations are books that had been written by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, these study sessions exclusively focus on the teachings of Gyatso and do not attempt to broaden the participant’s understanding of Buddhism. Although this is not extensively discussed on the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center’s website, the center also participates in meditative retreats. Finally, the organization also offers events catered towards Western holidays. With events themed after Thanksgiving or Christmas, the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center consistently runs events and practices for its followers.
The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center is also heavily involved in the International Kadampa Buddhist Union, leading to the organization’s participation in several international New Kadampa Tradition events. The International Kadampa Buddhist Union, commonly referred to as the NKT-IKBU, consists of over 1,100 centers dedicated to studying NKT. The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center primarily participates in the summer, spring, and fall festivals held by the group. These festivals primarily focus on lessons given by high-ranking members of the NKT-IKBU.
Community
Although I was unable to find the exact demographics of the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center’s population in my research, I am able to conclude that the majority of the practitioners are caucasian. All of the teachers in the center appear to be middle-aged caucasian men and women, with only one of the teachers being a nun. Although I located a few men and women who appear to be in their twenties throughout the photos posted on the organization’s website, I have found that the majority of the practitioners are middle-aged to elderly men and women. I also believe that there is a nearly equal amount of men and women who attend the center. Although six of the eight teachers are women, there is an almost equal amount of men and women throughout the photographs posted on the website. I am also under the assumption that these members are of middle-to-upper class due to the financial requirements of the organization which will be discussed in the next section.
I was also unable to determine the size of the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center’s population. However, the Center has a sister center in Denver called the Kadampa Meditation Center Colorado. As a result of this demand, I believe that the center has a moderate population size.
Funding
As the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center is a nonprofit organization, all of the funding comes from the community. This can range from membership fees to donations to volunteer work. A fee must be paid in order to attend a meditation class. For non-members, this fee can range from $10 to $14. The center does offer group practice and meditative prayer sessions for free. However, the center’s Buddhist study program is unavailable to the general public as it is member-exclusive.
The Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center has a three-tiered membership program. The lowest-ranking membership allows access to these meditation classes without having to pay a consistent fee of $10 to $14 per class. This membership sells for $40 per month and does not allow access to the Center’s Buddhist study program. The second membership not only allows access to these meditation classes but also offers entry into the Center’s Buddhist study programs. For $75 per month, joiners are also given access to the majority of the unguided retreats and half-priced access to every other event at the center, excluding empowerment and away retreats. Finally, the highest-ranking membership, titled the ‘Bodhisattva’ rank, grants the affiliate free access to all events, retreats, and classes at the Center. Priced at $108 per month, joiners are also given recordings of the teachings that they have attended. My research was unable to find out if this membership perk also includes recordings of past or missed teachings.
Although the Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center obtains the majority of its funding from membership and class fees, the organization still relies on volunteer work and donations. Throughout their website, several volunteer positions are listed. From running live-stream recordings of workshops or meditation classes to graphic designers for its website, it is clear that the local community is heavily involved within the organization.
Sources
“Collection of Advice Regarding Shugden (Dolgyal).” FPMT, fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/shugden/.
Hertog, Judith. “The One Pure Dharma.” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, 2018, tricycle.org/magazine/the-one-pure-dharma/.
Heruka Kadampa Buddhist Center – Meditation & Modern Buddhism in Northern Colorado & Wyoming. 11 Oct. 2023, www.meditateinfortcollins.org/.
Lague, David , et al. “China Co-Opts a Buddhist Sect in Global Effort to Smear the Dalai Lama.” Reuters, 21 Dec. 2015, www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/china-dalailama/.
“New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union.” Kadampa Buddhism, New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union, kadampa.org/.
“r/Buddhism Rules.” Reddit, www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/wiki/rules/#wiki_no_sectarianism.2C_misrepresentation.2C_or_propaganda.
“r/Vajrayana Rules.” Reddit, www.reddit.com/r/vajrayana/.