By Justin Whitaker As violence has flared up again in Burma (Myanmar) this month, the word that most aptly describes the situation is: complex. News headlines might suggest otherwise, pointing a finger squarely at the […]
Tibetan Buddhism – Struggling With Diffi·Cult Issues
Controversy: New Kadampa Tradition, Dorje Shugden, Sogyal Rinpoche, Tsem Tulku, Ole Nydahl, Diamond Way, Sangharakshita, Triratna :: Tibet & Dalai Lama :: Dharmakaya, Zen & More
Mark Dunlop’s Response to Sangharakshita’s February 2017 Memoir
Guest Post By Mark Dunlop In February 2017, Triratna circulated within the Order a “memoir” by Sangharakshita (Dennis Lingwood), describing his time with me. It is a bit of a diatribe against me. I have […]
On Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s Statement From a Reader of the New York Times
Guest Post By Joanne Clark As a woman living in a Western country with laws, as a liberal with a subscription to The New York Times, and as a follower of HH Dalai Lama, […]
HH Dalai Lama And Others Speak Out About Sogyal Rinpoche & His Behaviour
Guest Post By Joanne Clark There is no surer sign that this is not business as usual with Rigpa than the recent statements made by HH Dalai Lama, Mingyur Rinpoche and Matthieu Ricard. In the […]
Sexual Union in Tantra: Distinguishing Between Sexual Abuse and Buddhist Practice – Guidelines from HH Dalai Lama
Guest Post By Joanne Clark When I was a student of Sogyal Rinpoche, I knew all about Yeshe Tsogyal. I didn’t wonder about the story, what it meant to be a consort, what the […]
The Buddha About Reproaching Others, Praise & Dispraise and Assigning Blame
REPROVING OTHERS Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks thus: “Friends, a monk who wishes to reprove another should first establish five things in himself. What five? (1) He should consider: ‘I will speak at a proper […]
Bringing About Change in One’s Own Self – Jetsünma Khandro Rinpoche
Ven. Jetsünma Khandro Rinpoche says: Teachers throughout the times have always said: Dharma is not about doing things. Buddhadharma does not become Buddhadharma, until through the methods applied one is bringing about change, transformation, […]
On Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche’s Response to the Letter From Eight Former Rigpa Students: Has Samaya Been Broken?
Guest Post by Joanne Clark I was distressed to read Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche’s (OTR) response to the recent letter by eight former, long-time Rigpa students regarding Sogyal Lakar’s abusive and unethical behaviors. This response, published […]
Abuse: Letter To Sogyal Rinpoche From Long Term Rigpa Students
We now see clearly the many ways that you betrayed our trust, manipulated and abused us and our Dharma brothers and sisters. On July 14, 2017 eight long term disciples and Rigpa students – with […]
Ready to Mine: Zen’s Legitimating Mythology and Cultish Behavior
Stuart Lachs, New York City[1] ICSA Paper June/July 2017 Conference Bordeaux, France I will show in this talk that the legitimating story and mythic history of Zen Buddhism lays the groundwork for an authoritarian […]
Rigpa Students in a Quandary: What to Do When Seeing Your Guru Punch a Nun in the Stomach Crosses a Line?
A week ago until today I [Tenzin Peljor] received different emails from a person who wants to change Rigpa from within. In that context, I argued about the integrity and truthfulness of a certain […]
Abuse in the Buddhist community: this victim tells her story for the first time
When those teachers—suppose they already practice the Buddhadharma—still do not behave properly, it indicates that they have a lack of shamefulness on their part. They do not care about the negative consequences for their own […]
Mark Dunlop’s involvement with the FWBO / Triratna
I, Mark Dunlop, am an only child, and I was born in N. Ireland in 1950. My father was in the Navy, and my family lived in different parts of the world, following my […]
NSPCC Opens Triratna Case
The detail made it worse, as some people had always known it would. It wasn’t just a short period of experimentation, it went on for twenty years. It wasn’t just a few lovers, it was […]
A Letter To The College of Public Preceptors By The Aryaloka Spiritual Vitality Council
Preface by Buddhism Controversy Blog: Some weeks ago, the Aryaloka Spiritual Vitality Council sent the following letter to the Triratna Buddhist Community’s College of Public Preceptors. We would like to express our praise for […]
Easy Come, Easy Go: Modern Kadampa Teachers – The New Kadampa Tradition
Part One. THE QUICK PATH TO BECOMING AN NKT TEACHER AND WHAT AN NKT FOLLOWER NEEDS TO RECOVER FROM This conception of ‘friendship’ with the spiritual guide is completely missing in the NKT in […]
The Doggedness of Clinging to Shugden
By Carol McQuire I was looking up the recent origin of the phrase ‘Shugden Buddhists’ when researching a commentary on the New Kadampa Tradition’s recent letters denying the valid lineage of Trijang Choktrul […]
Robert Spatz, guru of the OKC cult, gets 4 years’ suspended sentence
Dated: 15th sept 2016 On Thursday, Brussels criminal court (“tribunal correctionnel”)¹ sentenced Robert Spatz, spiritual head of the Ogyen Kunsang Choling (OKC) Buddhist community, to a suspended sentence of 4 years in prison. The man, […]
The NSPCC, the Triratna Buddhist Community and the Safeguarding of Children
GUEST POST Recently, a contributor posted a link here to a video entitled ‘Safeguarding Children in Faith Activities’. The video was produced for the ‘NSPCC Multi faith safeguarding hub’ and related to safeguarding young […]
Whitewashing, Dishonesty & Culture of Abuse in the Triratna Buddhist Order (TBO)
Guest Post The real beauty of a sexual relationship between an Order Member and a Mitra is that if the OM is sufficiently mature then the other person stands to gain considerably from the experience. […]
Kadampa Ordination – A Misguided Approach
Shugden won’t protect NKT monastics, NKT monastics have to study, observe and protect their vows themselves. You can find below the content of The New Ordination Handbook of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). My claim is: With the […]
How Rebirth Takes Place, Tulkus, Recognizing Reincarnations – HH the 14th Dalai Lama
Reincarnation A very clear statement by the Dalai Lama on voluntary reincarnation (tulku) in general, and on his own future incarnation as the 15th Dalai Lama from 2011. Translated from the original Tibetan http://www.dalailama.com Introduction […]
Sogyal Rinpoche & Rigpa – An interview with the former director of Rigpa France Olivier Raurich
Translation of an interview with the former director of Rigpa France Olivier Raurich which appeared in the French magazine “Marianne”¹ Q: When did you become interested in Buddhism and how did you encounter Sogyal Rinpoche? […]
When it is more than abuse – Experiences within the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT)
By Peter Graham Dryburgh The hurt and harm of spiritual abuse is rarely inflicted upon people with the intention to wound anyone. – Major Scott Nicloy When we think of abuse in the year 2016, […]
The psychological pitfalls of integrating an Eastern spirituality into a modern Western context. (Spiritual by-passing)
By Coline R. Moore (This was originally written as an essay submitted for a counselling qualification and thus is a bit academic – however some people might find it useful.) The disciple is unworthy; modestly […]
Who needs facts when we have the Internet?
Guest Post by Sandy Clarke Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal. There are those who do not realise that one day […]
“Name only”: The dangerous attitude of Nihilism being taught in the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT)
Just as a chariot is verbalized In dependence on collections of parts. So conventionally a sentient being Is set up depending on the mental and physical aggregates. — The Buddha Buddhism itself is very radical […]
What is faith and devotion in Buddhism?
This article is an attempt to clarify the terms “faith” and “devotion” in Buddhism / Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. In order to clarify the terms “faith” and “devotion”, it is essential to begin with a sober […]
What is the meaning of patience in Buddhism? – Ajahn Succito
Here is a wonderful experiential explanation of what real patience is. Patience deals with checking emotional reactions, but it’s not a denial of emotional intelligence. Patience has the gut-knowledge that recognizes that a problem or a pain […]
Why did the 14th Dalai Lama change his stance on Dorje Shugden / Dholgyal?
Some great learned and spiritually evolved persons have proclaimed (Gyalchen Dorje Shugden / Dhol-gyal) as a valid protector and even in their personal lives they have achieved amazing success; there are such persons to this […]
Why do Buddhists – especially but not exclusively ‘Kadampa Buddhists’ – fear enlightenment?
Recently a monastic elder from Switzerland pointed out an article from the New York Times that was reprinted in an Indian newspaper, the Deccan Herald. Omri Boehm, an Israeli, criticizes in The German silence on […]
The making of a Shugden hub in the United States
By Thierry Dodin / TIN In early October 2014, followers of the Dorje Shugden cult dedicated a monastery in the United States, which they plan as their major American hub. The event, attended by many […]
New Kadampa Tradition: Never mix with Tibetan Buddhists, they can cause “great spiritual confusion” and are dangerous for your “purity”
New Kadampa Tradition International Kadampa Buddhist Union To all NKT-IKBU Centres 05 August 2010 Dear Administrative Directors, Because of the potential for great spiritual confusion both now and in the future, we advise and request […]
Some Media and the Shugden Controversy – How TV Channels and YouTube Can Deceive You
Going back to my time in NKT from 1995–2000, I remember the point in 1996 when the Dalai Lama was introduced to me as being a bad person who “oppresses religious freedom”, as a politician […]
Propaganda: The making of the holy Lama Ole Nydahl
I am not too much interested in discussing Ole Nydahl in this post. I wrote at length about him on my German website. The German article was my response to a collective effort by […]
On Shamar Rinpoche’s death and the future of Karmapa
Occurring in Germany at a time the Karmapa was touring there, the untimely death of Kunzig Shamarpa inevitably gave rise to some speculations. More important than this coincidence and associated elaborations about karma or […]
Dalai Lama fake quotes
This week I got twice the “18 Rules for Living” attributed to the Dalai Lama. The first time I received it via a Powerpoint presentation attached to an email asking me to share […]
When were the monasteries destroyed in Tibet?
I have to confess that I am not much familiar with the history of Tibet/China and that I am in a learning process. My interest mainly comes from a sense of justice I have […]
Human Rights in Tibet before China’s Invasion or Liberation – ‘The Truth’ about Tibet, the Dalai Lamas and Tibetans
Torture and Execution Ordered by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama Throughout the time of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, various foreign journalists, officials and explorers visited Tibet and were astounded by the atrocities that met them in […]
Why the Dalai Lama cannot condemn Tibetans’ self-immolations
“This is a very, very delicate political issue. Now, the reality is that if I say something positive, then the Chinese immediately blame me. If I say something negative, then the family members of those […]
The Guru-Disciple Relationship – Advice by HH the Dalai Lama
There is a tremendous potential for abuse in this idea of trying to see all the behaviours of the guru as pure, of seeing everything the guru does as enlightened. I have stated that this […]
SS Expeditions, Nazis in Tibet, The Dalai Lama Has Close Ties to the Nazis?
The prevailing and persistent occult perception of the Schäfer mission has retained far-reaching consequences to the present day, with the result that the Tibetans and the Dalai Lama are both unjustly co-opted by the right […]
What Is A Rigpa Student To Think?
GUEST POST Sorting Out the Blogs and Posts in Regard to Allegations of Sexual Abuse Against Sogyal Rinpoche I begin with a story which I believe to be from a Zen center: Our Saturday morning […]
Reporting Personal Experience On Religious Movements
The following is an information provided by Suzanne Newcombe, Research Officer at Inform. It is posted here as a separate post by kind permission. People with personal experience that they wish to report anonymously on […]
The Dalai Lama and Sogyal Rinpoche: A Roaring Silence?
GUEST POST One of the questions asked by many since the long running saga of Sogyal has once again gathered pace is why hasn’t the Dalai Lama spoken out? Why is it, if he knows […]
Experiences with the New Kadampa Tradition and Kelsang Gyatso
In the NKT doubts about the NKT leadership are explained to be very dangerous and negative. Doubts about the NKT and its leadership are said to be “doubts going into the wrong direction”, deriving from […]
China’s Involvement in the Dorje Shugden Controversy
Though the Tibetan Government in Exile (TGIE) said different times that China uses Shugden as a political means to split the Tibetan Community—e.g. by favouring monks practising Shugden or by supporting especially Tibetan monasteries in […]
Sectarian Rivalry – The Yellow Book by Zimey Rinpoche
HH Ling Rinpoche, HH the Dalai Lama and HH Trijang Rinpoche Researcher David Kay states in his paper[1] The young Fourteenth Dalai Lama was introduced to the practice of Dorje Shugden reliance by Trijang Rinpoche […]
Are NKT monks and nuns authentic?
According to the Australian Sangha Association “for NKT members to represent themselves to the public as authentic Buddhist monks and nuns is wrong and misleading.” According to the New Kadampa Tradition “Buddha Shakyamuni himself […]
Academic Research regarding Shugden Controversy & New Kadampa Tradition
To promote understanding, the following is a list of published scholarly papers and academic research about the Dorje Shugden Controversy and the New Kadampa Tradition, listed in order of pertinence and importance: The Dorje Shugden […]
An Open Letter from the International Shugden Buddhist Community (ISBC) / New Kadampa Tradition (NKT)
Today, on Tibetan Uprising Day (10th March 2017) the New Kadampa Tradition (aka NKT, Kadampa Buddhism, Modern Buddhism, Kadampa Meditation Center) posted a new divisive letter that has the potential to create more unnecessary disunity […]
A Chronicle of Elliot Sperling
Tsering Woeser in remembrance of the late Elliot Sperling (1951-2017) I. On one occasion — I don’t remember when over these last few years, because Elliot has come to Beijing a few times; he couldn’t […]
A Brief Clarification About the “ExposingKultcharaA” Site & Some Mean Tsem Tulku Followers’ (Kechara) Tactics
by Tenzin Peljor There is a blog exposingkultchara.wordpress.com which deals with the cyber methods of Tsem Tulku and his followers. The blog is run anonymously. It has recently posted a post “Kultchara’s public meltdown”. Tsem Tulku followers […]
