This can be a transformative practice, but only when the lama is truly awake, said Lama Tsultrim, who leads a Buddhist center in Colorado and just published a book, Wisdom Rising: Journey Into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine.. Part of that research has focused on the experiences of members of the Tibetan Buddhist organization Rigpa, founded by Sogyal Rinpoche, the popular teacher and best-selling author who abruptly retired in 2017 after students accused him of ongoing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. I think it may be easier for a sociologist to grasp the Buddhist teaching of not-self. Oane went into therapy after leaving Rigpa. The resulting report, published in February, prompted Shambhala International to announce an effort to address issues of past harm in our community.. Those who allow the situation to really affect them will be shaken to the core. Ultimately, the only way to avoid despair over the monster or superhuman dilemma and to transcend the attendant problems is to develop compassion for oneself and others. And then suddenly things change. After the letter was leaked, Sogyal stepped down as Rigpas spiritual director and announced that he was going on retreat, i.e. He is known as the Sakyong, a Tibetan word that translates roughly as king, and his students take vows to follow him that are binding across lifetimes. Mark Dunlop, a long-time Triratna student, claims in a blog post that his teacher Sangharakshita explained to him the path to enlightenment as follows: If I was to make spiritual progress, I needed to break through this unconscious anti-homosexual conditioning. And the way to do that? Youre able to feel compassion and empathy for someone, even if youre not able to do anything for them. Spirituality in Therapy, Spiritual Counseling, Therapy fo The Vajrayana tradition has a history of eccentric yogis and yoginis and teachers who used extreme methods to guide their students. But when we look at reports of abuse in monasteries, theres no question that very young monks have been subject to sexual abuse by older monks. Prevent you from practicing your religion in the way you would like. Sogyal really believes this shit, Oane says. When meditation turns toxic: the woman exposing spiritual sexism I was like No, no, I have a boyfriend. He said, It doesnt matter. She said the Sakyong grabbed her hand and put it on his penis through his robe before she escaped. According to the allegations, the Lama Sogyal Rinpoche had been sexually and physically abusing his students for decades. But in order to be able to do that, we must first have compassion for ourselves. Does that relate to preventative measures that communities can implement proactively? As communities are hurting, how can they still show support for the victims who come forward? They are heterodox, so there is a lot of mixing of traditions. Why do you think that is? After sangha members dedicate years of their lives to practice with, and service to, their teacher, allegations of misconduct may rock the very foundations of their commitments to the Way. Everyone has always told you that you needed it in order to reach enlightenment, and you dont want to fail. In Tibetan tantric Buddhism, the master takes on a special role. Hal holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King's College, where they helped over-looked voices tell their stories across more than 10 publications. They were searching for new ways of living. 'Written with spiritual insight, emotional literacy, and common sense, this down-to-earth, wise, and healing book should be read by anyone who is thinking of joining, is part of, or thinking of leaving a religious group, whether it is Buddhist or not.' Geoffrey Beatson, psychotherapist. Nyima Dzong Sun Castle (Chteau-de-Soleils at Castellane). Such claims portray sexual activity as a kind of spiritual test. We need to ask how we can create structures and principles that support Westerners as they enter into Buddhism in a way that ensures they clearly understand the ethical obligations of their teachers. Buddhist communities have been much smaller and much more scattered. An honest, authentic practice of compassion is accepting your limited role. Hearing his harsh words, Buddha's followers tried to attack and overpower him, but Buddha stopped them and said, "It is not always necessary to counter aggression with aggression.". Sangharakshita (Dennis Lingwood) Founder of Triratna (formerly known as FWBO) As a result, students may misconstrue the spiritual path and misuse it to escape their personal realities. A photo of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the leader of Shambhala International, sits on a throne reserved for him inside the groups New York center, but he has taken leave amid charges of sexual abuse. Vogd is a practicing Buddhist and wrote his dissertation on the epistemology of Theravada Buddhism, but his research interests range widelyfrom social dynamics in hospital management to forensic psychiatry to end-of-life care. Spiritual abuse, at its core, involves the misuse of spiritual authority. Offered with kind permission from the author. Can you describe in a little more detail how this works psychologically? He was most recently seen in Thailand. Spiritual abuse of students in Zen centers may be the result of leaders' blatant disregard to ethical norms and moral codes, or the outcome of leaders' harshness, fundamentalism, and what Storr (1997) aptly calls the "charisma of righteousness.". Jul 13, 2018 When abuse claims are brought to light in our spiritual communities, we face a troubling dilemma: what do we do next? What Is Spiritual Abuse? It's been my experience, that spiritual confusion is often the result of religious bias associated with the concepts of spirituality and . One woman wrote that for years, before he was married, the Sakyong would kiss and grope her when he got drunk. Such teachers often invoke the concept of the dakini: angelic beings who supposedly appear as visions to the master, and are allegedly very effective in inspiring men. Almost twenty years have passed since the first claims were filed, and no end is in sight. The situation never progressed to the physical with Oane, but for many women it did. The 'King' of Shambhala Buddhism Is Undone by Abuse Report And people like Sogyal or Robert S. exploit Westerners lack of knowledge and fascination with Buddhism, in order to satisfy their own base needs. The report said that senior leaders at Shambhala an organization whose motto is Making Enlightened Society Possible knew of the Sakyongs misconduct and covered it up. He is also a lecturer in criminology and member of the Centre for Health Research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia. Susanne Billig [editor-in-chief of Buddhismus aktuell]: Dr. Vogd, you have been researching spiritual development in Western Buddhist communities since 2013. After a four-year struggle to get out, he has since dedicated himself to promoting an open discussion about similar problems in other Buddhist communities. He said he would enter a period of self-reflection., accused of decades of sexual assaults and violent rage, an effort to address issues of past harm in our community. The Dalai Lama admitted in an interview on Dutch public television on Sept. 15 that he's been aware of accusations of sexual abuse by Buddhist teachers for decades. How those rules are implemented will depend on the tradition, but certainly in my tradition the ordained would be disrobed. He praises, criticises and insults people in the same way., Tenzin Peljor says that, unlike Islam for example, Buddhism has a problem not with hate speech, but rather with prejudices that are too positive. Though . wildcards are supported. To have well-being means to be wholenot split. Dagyab, Human Rights in Tibet before 1959 R. Barnett, Tibet as Hell on Earth E. Sperling, The Myth of Shangri-la Tibet & the Occident by T. Shakya, Shangri-la in Exile: Representations of Tibetan Identity & Transnational Culture T. Huber, Violated Specialness: Western Political Representations of Tibet R. Barnett, Imagining Tibet: Between Shangri-la & Feudal Oppression Dodin/Rther, Sacred Words & Earthly Powers: Christian Missionary Engagement with Tibet J. Bray, Between Tolerance & Dogmatism: Tibetan Reactions to the Capuchin Missionaries in Lhasa, 1707-1745 I. Engelhardt, Saving Tibet from Satans Grip: Present-day Missionary Activity in Tibet R. Barnett, The Tulkus & the Shugden-Controversy M. von Brck, Shugden Controversy & Human Rights M. Mills, Shugden Interdiction in the Western Himalaya M. Mills, The Predicament of Evil: The Case of Dorje Shukden G. Dreyfus, Protests against the Dalai Lama over Dorje Shugden R. Barnett, Dorje Shugden Conflict: Interview with Thierry Dodin, Notes on the Shugden protests R. Barnett, The Dalai Lama & the Shugden Cult J.-U. According to Tenzin Peljor, there is a lot of pressure on emotionally needy students, who are looking for healing through care and attention. The more powerful a spiritual master becomes, the more he needs somebody to make him understand that the superior position of the teacher is not his personally, but is part of a network of roles, none of which belongs to him. Spiritual Bypassing as a Defense Mechanism In between Chgyam Trungpa and the Sakyong, Shambhala was led by an American-born Buddhist who is mainly remembered for having sex with students even after he knew that he had AIDS. Our wish is to break this veil of secrecy, deception, and deceit, the former students wrote. Compassion is a mental action, so it is something that youre doing. Up until now, almost nobody had been talking about these isolated cases. Buddhism had too good a reputation, and it would have been too embarrassing to admit that, in this regard at least, the situation was not much rosier than in Christianity. I would really like to see Buddhist communities with more explicit policies and procedures around what constitutes sexual misconduct. At the time, our only thought was: what do we have to do to get invited in by the guru as well? Today, Ben knows that he built the house in which his female childhood friends were allegedly abused. On Friday, it came: The governing council of Shambhala International, which is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, resigned en masse, in the interest of beginning a healing process for our community., That night, the Sakyong, 55, took leave from running Shambhala as an outside firm investigates abuse allegations against him and other Shambhala teachers. All Buddhist communities should be aware of the risk, and leaders need to be aware of their responsibilities and best practices for preventing this. Since these esoteric practices can only be transmitted directly to students, they have to be practiced under the guidance of a teacher. There are different forms of power that can be manipulated in a religious context. But if Id met him ten years ago, I could be the one feeling betrayed, lost, and calling my faith into question. We must avoid this naivet weve seen in mainstream Western faiths that assumes if someone is ordained then they wouldnt hurt anyone. First published in Buddhismus aktuell no. Healing from Spiritual Abuse Resources They believe he possesses supernatural abilities and shower him with love. In a shrine on the sixth floor of a Manhattan office building, a photo of a man in golden robes hangs above an altar. Dealing with Abusive Behavior by Spiritual Teachers Insteadas our interviews indicatedsuch scenes heightened the illusion that the students were witnessing a master who had special magical skills. She was told that it was a special honour to be able to perform that role. Its very clear about the relationship between the ordained and the lay. The systemic perspective makes it clear that the teacher is also a product of circumstances. Everybody slips into this craziness, simply because they stop thinking critically!, According to ethnologist Dapsance, religion becomes problematic when its myths are applied to reality. But this also has a positive side to it: To act with compassion implies that I must assume responsibility. When I read his history, I saw red flags around his behavior, but thats partly because Ive had ten years of in-depth study on what one should expect from a teacher. Unfortunately, he was firmly convinced that he would not infect anyone by having sex with them because he was protected from worldly evils by mantras and protective Tibetan spirits. Conflict at diverse Austin church leads to claims of spiritual abuse After a few days he learned that no meals had been offered to the guest. When she continued to resist, he began to threaten her. Those reports have often occurred in countries that have no child protection system or no mass media. The Buddhist Monk Blogger Tackling Abuse By Gurus Weve seen examples of sexual misconduct in Buddhist communities that arise from a very traditional authority base. Salter spoke with me about abuse in Buddhism, preventative measures, the complexities of trauma, and what resources are available for survivors and their communities. They were vetted by a retired employment lawyer, Carol Merchasin, who contacted Ms. Winn after the first report was released. Topics: Current Events, Michael Salter, Misconduct, Were glad to have you here. Psychologist Altzinger says: In the meantime, it has become obvious that we cannot assume that children can give informed consent. The most prominent of these was the case of Sogyal Lakar ('Rinpoche'), the founder of 'Rigpa', who recently died in 2019. The children had to do housework seven days a week, and were trained to visualise the guru on top of their heads, in their hearts, in their minds. She was in a period of personal crisis, and looking for something to cling to. At the time, almost all the kids parents were in Brussels, where they worked for free in restaurants that belonged to the OKC. The topic of abuse was not actually planned as a focus of the research, but after we discovered that some interviewees from Rigpa were still traumatized by their experiences in the community, we felt we had a responsibility to look more closely at the issue. True joy can only be found by seeking happiness for others instead of oneself, treat every living being as if it was your own mother even the tiniest insect: such quotes were simply part of Bens system, because he had been raised buddhistically in Nyima Dzong in the south of France. As a listener, youre not overwhelmed by their story. The Dalai Lama LionsRoar.com uses cookies to provide necessary website functionality, improve your experience and analyze our traffic. Would you like to sign up for our other mailing lists? Spiritual abuse isn't always easy to recognize, especially if a person believes they are acting based on their beliefs. Students come to them with their fantasies of illumination and liberation, but their teachers disappoint them and thereby bring them back to real life in a positive sense. At that point, it becomes impossible to resist him., After Ben managed to leave OKC, he began working for democratic causes in Brussels. Understanding Spiritual Abuse They have more than five years of experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors assisting with media strategy, campaign activations, sustainability initiatives and employee engagement. But if they do, they should be supported by their community. Compassion Betrayed Spiritual Abuse in an American Zen Center I think that decision can easily be made prematurely. In the Zen tradition, fallen masters include Joshu Sasaki and Eido Shimano, two of the leading proponents of Zen in America. I dont agree with this. There is a lot that needs unpacking around Buddhist philosophy and its relationship to sexual misconduct in a contemporary age. If Ben fell asleep during chanting, he would be beaten by the teacher. by: Stephen Batchelor, Christina Feldman, John Peacock, Akincano Weber, A weekly update on everything you need to know on tricycle.org, Buddhist teachings to your inbox every Thursday, Course announcements, offers, and events from our partners, Weekly updates and guided meditations from a Buddhist teacher throughout the month of March. One of the most important insights of our study, says Vogd, was the realization that teachers must not be left in a vacuum; for their own protection they need community members who are strong enough to keep them mindful of their role as spiritual leaders.. Sometimes feeling like theres someone who cares and understands can be life-changing. When nearly everyone feels that way, a systemic dynamic develops whereby the behavior of those who look away or who put on a show of confidence will be validated by the others. Yes; as I mentioned earlier, we have to be prepared to see the teacher as a human being who can be sick, addicted, mentally disturbed, deluded, or flawed in some other waylike anyone else. Ben recalls that a girl in Nyima Dzong once talked about having being abused. Stephen Batchelor Many of the Sakyongs followers are praying for him. I have been livid this entire week from the news that has been reported and the harm that has been committed, he told the gathering. Last modified on Wed 16 Feb 2022 12.31 EST T ara Brach was four months pregnant when she miscarried at a women's retreat in Espaola, New Mexico. The man is Mipham Rinpoche. Doctrines of karma can play into this in an unfortunate way if somebodys abuse is framed as: you must have hurt someone in the past, which is why youre being hurt now.. This does not mean, however, that we have to switch off our powers of reasoning. However, it can be very difficult to identify, as many . Buddhism - Buddhism - Veneration of Buddha, Dana Ritual, Uposatha Days, and Harvest Festivals: Like other great religions, Buddhism has generated a wide range of popular practices. They may cry for days over what has happened and oscillate between anger and despair for a long time before they are able to feel compassion for themselves and others again. People become willing to do whatever he says, explains Fatma Altzinger, psychotherapist and contact for sexual violence at the ombudsmans office of the Austrian Buddhist Union (BR). If Buddhism is going to flourish and grow, communities need formal decision-making structures, and they need to be democratic. Women quoted in the report wrote of drunken groping and forcefully extracted sexual favors. The teacher may use various methods to help the student along her spiritual path. He does it with the bathroom door open; sitting there stinking and constipated. He would regularly beat his students, also to unconsciousness, since even though a hug was considered a blessing, being hit was allegedly an even bigger one. In September 2016, Robert S. was convicted in abstentia by a Brussels court in the first instance, and given a four-year suspended sentence. Thats a real burden for traumatized people: the idea that their story hurts other people. There is still no news as to when the appeal will be heard. We built the gurus house with our own hands, recalls Ben. Tara Brach She studied Journalism in Vienna and Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at various locations, including the University of Vienna, Kathmandu University, and Tibet University in Lhasa. With the exception of the 2011 episode, the allegations against the Sakyong date from before 2006. How is the Buddhist definition of sexual misconduct broader than the legal definition? Subscribe for access to video teachings, monthly films, e-books, and our 30-year archive. What resources are lacking for survivors of sexual misconduct by Buddhist teachers? When eight students wrote a letter accusing Sogyal Rinpoche, author of the best-selling Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, of decades of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, Tahlia Newland set up an online support group for abuse victims and students of his Tibetan Buddhist community, Rigpa.Appalled by the lack of ethics, the group undertook a journey of discovery during which they uncovered . She was 30, and had spent the last eight years as a. By day, they develop research-based purpose strategies to help organizations achieve their growth objectives while serving the needs of their stakeholders. Power and abuse in Dutch Buddhist communities - EARS Ten years ago, he started researching the benefits of meditation for child abuse survivors, and, in doing so, found a personal connection to Buddhism. Can you give some examples of that? In Asia and in Europe, they met exotic gurus who gave them new perspectives on life. People who contact Hogendoorn often recount horrific stories and then ask, Is this normal? What does Buddha mean? I think one of the reasons why faith-based abuse has been so prominent in the West is because, over the last hundred years, the Christian church had a major role in running child-focused institutions. If he was woken up by a buzzing in the middle of the night, he would drag himself out of bed, find a glass, capture the insect alive and release it out the window.
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