By Patrul Rinpoche & Chatral Rinpoche Patrul Rinpoche in “Words of My Perfect Teacher”¹: On the other hand, there are certain kinds of teachers we should avoid. Their characteristics are as follows. Teachers […]
Tibetan Buddhism – Struggling With Diffi·Cult Issues
Controversies: New Kadampa Tradition, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso // Dorje Shugden // Rigpa, Sogyal Rinpoche // Tsem Tulku, Kechara // Ole Nydahl, Diamond Way // Sangharakshita, Triratna // Shambhala, Sakyong :: Tibet & Dalai Lama :: Dharmakaya, Zen & More
Revisiting the Crisis in Burma and Buddhism’s Role in it
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 […]
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, I […]
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 practice […]
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 on […]
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 […]
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 these […]
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 Kunzang Choling (OKC) Buddhist community, to a suspended sentence of 4 years in prison. The man, […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
