Smear: NKT students are not allowed to read non-NKT books

Truth: There is no injunction within the NKT, in the Internal Rules, the NKT books or elsewhere against students reading non-NKT books. Geshe Kelsang's commentaries to Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings form the basis of the three NKT study programmes (the General Programme, Foundation Programme and teacher Training Programme, see Internal Rule 15) but outside of their studies NKT students can and do read what they wish. Everyone has freedom to do as they choose.

One statement has been taken out of context and exaggerated on various chat groups and forums. Fifteen years ago one NKT Resident teacher taught his students in one class: “You should not read books other than Geshe Kelsang's books.” This teacher's motivation was to help his students to pass their examination by preventing distractions arising from reading other books. But this is not an NKT Rule – the NKT gives people choice about what books they read. This teacher's advice is not a sectarian attitude; he was only trying to help the students to pass their examinations.