Buddhism, New Kadampa Tradition
by tenpel

Cults, Cultish Shennanigans & Buddhist Groups

From Matthew O’Connell’s Post-Traditional Buddhism:

Episode 3.1 at Soundcloud.

Here it is, finally, after a long wait, episode 3.1 of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. We get ‘culty’ in this one, discussing Buddhists cults, cultish behaviour in Buddhist groups and the reasons why people join. We look at the NKT, Rigpa, Shambhala, Michael Roach and H.H Maitreya, otherwise known as Ronny Spenser and open the discussion up to a consideration of how cultish behaviours seep into even innocuous Buddhist groups when criticism is left aside and institutional politics encourage group conformity.

We tell a story or two to keep you entertained and manage to generate some banter in spite of this topic being a heavy one in places.

Is it possible that someone will get offended? Yes. Is that our intention? No. We do speak truth to power though and that means shining the light on where things have gone wrong in western Buddhism.

Check it out. Spread the love and let us know what you think at our dedicated Facebook page.

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