The New Kadampa Tradition-International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU) follows the pure tradition of Mahayana Buddhism handed down in an unbroken lineage from Buddha Shakyamuni through the ancient Kadampa teachers Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa and introduced into the modern world by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. The NKT-IKBU is a legally and entirely independent Buddhist tradition, and it has no political affiliations.