Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Forum for discussion of Tibetan Buddhism. Questions specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Locked
Lucas Oliveira
Posts: 539
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 1:09 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Dalai Lama Turns Spotlight on Fallibility of Buddhist Teachers in Public Address

https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/dalai ... ic-address


:namaste:
I participate in this forum using Google Translator. https://translate.google.com.br/

http://www.acessoaoinsight.net/
Schrödinger’s Yidam
Posts: 7885
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:13 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

Virgo wrote:
cky wrote:I feel relief to hear such clear-cut statements from HHDL. We're very lucky to have him around in this position!
HH is like the sun in the sky.

Kevin
After he's gone he will undoubtedly be recognized as the greatest of all the Dalai Lamas.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
User avatar
Virgo
Posts: 4844
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:47 am
Location: Uni-verse

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Virgo »

smcj wrote:
Virgo wrote:
cky wrote:I feel relief to hear such clear-cut statements from HHDL. We're very lucky to have him around in this position!
HH is like the sun in the sky.

Kevin
After he's gone he will undoubtedly be recognized as the greatest of all the Dalai Lamas.
Him and the 5'th, yeah.

Kevin
User avatar
conebeckham
Posts: 5714
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:49 pm
Location: Bay Area, CA, USA

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by conebeckham »

https://www.lionsroar.com/treat-everyone-as-the-buddha/

HE Yongay Mingyur Rinpoche weighs in.....
དམ་པའི་དོན་ནི་ཤེས་རབ་ཆེ་བ་དང་།
རྟོག་གེའི་ཡུལ་མིན་བླ་མའི་བྱིན་རླབས་དང་།
སྐལ་ལྡན་ལས་འཕྲོ་ཅན་གྱིས་རྟོགས་པ་སྟེ།
དེ་ནི་ཤེས་རབ་ལ་ནི་ལོ་རྟོག་སེལ།།


"Absolute Truth is not an object of analytical discourse or great discriminating wisdom,
It is realized through the blessing grace of the Guru and fortunate Karmic potential.
Like this, mistaken ideas of discriminating wisdom are clarified."
- (Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, from his summary of "The Ocean of Definitive Meaning")
User avatar
Sila
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:59 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Sila »

Remember universal law of cause and effects... The seeds we plant will ripen in the future. There's no need take sides. This is the wheel of life and its fueled by the laws of karma. This is for all parties involved...

Sn 1.8 PTS: Sn 143-152
Karaniya Metta Sutta: THE BUDDHA'S WORDS ON LOVING-KINDNESS.


This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

translated from the Pali by The Amaravati Sangha © 2004
User avatar
justsit
Posts: 1466
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:24 pm
Location: Delaware

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by justsit »

conebeckham wrote:https://www.lionsroar.com/treat-everyone-as-the-buddha/

HE Yongay Mingyur Rinpoche weighs in.....
Excellent, thanks for posting.
buddhagirl
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:44 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by buddhagirl »

Remember universal law of cause and effects... The seeds we plant will ripen in the future. There's no need take sides. This is the wheel of life and its fueled by the laws of karma. This is for all parties involved...
No need to take sides but there is a need, arguably, to take a position on sleazy behaviour and abuse dressed up as crazy wisdom. The Dalai Lama has, Mingyur Rinpoche has.
User avatar
ScipionyxTheBuddha
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:12 pm
Location: Nowhere

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by ScipionyxTheBuddha »

I recently discovered this issue and i feel deeply sorry for the people who bore these abuses, i read the letter and each passage saddened me, hit me but at the same time i don't feel like being mad or angered towards Sogyal Rinpoche not because i side with him (his behaviour is despicable, unjustifiable and disappointing) but because at the same time i felt saddened by his behaviour. I would lie if i said i don't feel sad for him.
The only things i can do is wishing a good and serene life full of support and even therapy (i know it's not easy) to all people who have been targeted by such abuse and wishing Sogyal will re-think about his attitude and may change for the better.
I liked Dalai Lama's response and Mingyur Rinpoche's post, especially the last one that showed me some important facts i will definitely keep in mind when there will be favourable conditions to find a teacher. Thank you for posting them.
User avatar
Sila
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:59 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Sila »

buddhagirl wrote:
Remember universal law of cause and effects... The seeds we plant will ripen in the future. There's no need take sides. This is the wheel of life and its fueled by the laws of karma. This is for all parties involved...
No need to take sides but there is a need, arguably, to take a position on sleazy behaviour and abuse dressed up as crazy wisdom. The Dalai Lama has, Mingyur Rinpoche has.
I agree, the behavior is unskillful and unwholesome and does not accord with the Buddha's teachings violating most fundamental and the whole on the causal ground of sila (morality) precepts. Looking from the view in relation to the law of cause and effect, their relationship has been brewing from not just in this lifetime, but from lifetime's past. What saddens me most is the impact it will have on people's minds in relation to the Buddha and his well expounded teachings. Humanity is in need now more than ever to enter the gates of the deathless. Buddhism has never been a religion that seek to recruit followers, because the teachings have to be actualized, investigated, applied into one's life in order to see the Truth of what the Buddha taught us.

When I read the Dalai Lama's and Mingyur Rinpoche's statements, I empathized with them that the media had to drag them into this mess. I am sure it saddened them (Makes one ponder what does this have to do with me?). If all the people on compassionate earth believed without a doubt the Law of Cause and Effect (karma), we would have a much safer society. Why? Because every stirring thought is scrutinized and inspected well before the deed can be done. As the saying goes... Bodhisattva's fear cause's while ordinary living being's fear the resultant effects. To become one with the Buddha's teachings we have lead our lives well grounded in sila and precepts, deeply understanding cause and effect. Without upholding precept, there is no spiritual life. I am no teacher, but this is my understanding as I grow to deeply appreciate Precepts.
buddhagirl
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 3:44 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by buddhagirl »

Sila wrote:
buddhagirl wrote:
Remember universal law of cause and effects... The seeds we plant will ripen in the future. There's no need take sides. This is the wheel of life and its fueled by the laws of karma. This is for all parties involved...
No need to take sides but there is a need, arguably, to take a position on sleazy behaviour and abuse dressed up as crazy wisdom. The Dalai Lama has, Mingyur Rinpoche has.
I agree, the behavior is unskillful and unwholesome and does not accord with the Buddha's teachings violating most fundamental and the whole on the causal ground of sila (morality) precepts. Looking from the view in relation to the law of cause and effect, their relationship has been brewing from not just in this lifetime, but from lifetime's past. What saddens me most is the impact it will have on people's minds in relation to the Buddha and his well expounded teachings. Humanity is in need now more than ever to enter the gates of the deathless. Buddhism has never been a religion that seek to recruit followers, because the teachings have to be actualized, investigated, applied into one's life in order to see the Truth of what the Buddha taught us.

When I read the Dalai Lama's and Mingyur Rinpoche's statements, I empathized with them that the media had to drag them into this mess. I am sure it saddened them (Makes one ponder what does this have to do with me?). If all the people on compassionate earth believed without a doubt the Law of Cause and Effect (karma), we would have a much safer society. Why? Because every stirring thought is scrutinized and inspected well before the deed can be done. As the saying goes... Bodhisattva's fear cause's while ordinary living being's fear the resultant effects. To become one with the Buddha's teachings we have lead our lives well grounded in sila and precepts, deeply understanding cause and effect. Without upholding precept, there is no spiritual life. I am no teacher, but this is my understanding as I grow to deeply appreciate Precepts.
Sila, the Dalai Lama & Mingyur Rinpoche weren't dragged "into this mess". They made public statements in a public context, as did Matthieu Ricard writing on his blog. All three were obviously aware that their comments would be reported or published. Their advice has been demonstrably helpful to Sogyal's students, past and present - at least to those who are troubled by his behaviour and related matters in Rigpa. Such counsel is an expression of bodhisattvic activity from these three wise, compassionate and ethical bodhisattvas. Of course Sogyal's behaviour saddens them and they also can empathise with the students caught in a dilemma between their faith and its ugly underbelly. People are traumatised and have been for years it seems. The concealment of problematic behaviour only causes it to fester, causing further pain and anguish to the affected people who fear the consequences of speaking out. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Understandably, it seems the advice on how leaving a lama doesn't constitute a samaya transgression has been particularly helpful. Let's hope the courage of Mingyur Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama and Matthieu Ricard will be mirrored by other venerated Lamas in the days and weeks to come. Here are sources where students are expressing themselves. whatnow727.wordpress.com https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/
User avatar
Sila
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:59 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Sila »

I vow to be born in Amitabha Buddha's Pureland at the end of this life. I had created many bad karma in my past and past lives. In future lives, oh I don't know what karmic retribution I will have to endure. I am going to the Pureland. I can take my bad karma with me. There, I will be instructed by Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and Sages to become a Buddha. That is much better route to go than go into the six paths of rebirth. I hope other's will make the vow to go to Amitabha Buddha's Pureland.
Vasana
Posts: 2231
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Vasana »

Virgo wrote:
smcj wrote:
Virgo wrote: HH is like the sun in the sky.

Kevin
After he's gone he will undoubtedly be recognized as the greatest of all the Dalai Lamas.
Him and the 5'th, yeah.

Kevin
No doubt they all did important things but the current Dalai Lama is particularly unique in that he has been (and still is) the most major figurehead/spokesperson/representative of the Buddha's teachings and secular ethics in the world today. Even secularly minded 'every-day' people associate him with positive qualities and many are drawn to the Dharma because of him. Not all masters have such magnetizing qualities and outwardly -visible warm-heartedness so we're very fortunate to have had HH oversee the transition of Buddhism into the general public spotlight. We are probably more fortunate than any of us really know and this is without us knowing in detail about any of his 'secret' qualities and activities.

Generally it's taught to rely on the teachers' words and not on their personality and to rely on the meaning rather than the words themselves but HH's personality and conduct is a natural ornament of the dharma's meaning with no contradiction.
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa
'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
User avatar
conebeckham
Posts: 5714
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:49 pm
Location: Bay Area, CA, USA

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by conebeckham »

དམ་པའི་དོན་ནི་ཤེས་རབ་ཆེ་བ་དང་།
རྟོག་གེའི་ཡུལ་མིན་བླ་མའི་བྱིན་རླབས་དང་།
སྐལ་ལྡན་ལས་འཕྲོ་ཅན་གྱིས་རྟོགས་པ་སྟེ།
དེ་ནི་ཤེས་རབ་ལ་ནི་ལོ་རྟོག་སེལ།།


"Absolute Truth is not an object of analytical discourse or great discriminating wisdom,
It is realized through the blessing grace of the Guru and fortunate Karmic potential.
Like this, mistaken ideas of discriminating wisdom are clarified."
- (Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, from his summary of "The Ocean of Definitive Meaning")
User avatar
Virgo
Posts: 4844
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:47 am
Location: Uni-verse

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Virgo »

Vasana wrote: No doubt they all did important things but the current Dalai Lama is particularly unique in that he has been (and still is) the most major figurehead/spokesperson/representative of the Buddha's teachings and secular ethics in the world today.
As I said, He is like the sun in the sky.

Kevin
User avatar
Sonam Wangchug
Posts: 427
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 8:26 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Sonam Wangchug »

Sogyal Rinpoche has retired from Rigpa.

https://www.lionsroar.com/after-allegat ... rom-rigpa/
"To have confidence in the teacher is the ultimate refuge." -Rigzin Jigme Lingpa
Punya
Posts: 1437
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:50 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by Punya »

This must be devastating news for many Rigpa students. My heart goes out to them. :consoling:
We abide nowhere. We possess nothing.
~Chatral Rinpoche
philji
Posts: 881
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 2:26 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by philji »

Punya wrote:This must be devastating news for many Rigpa students. My heart goes out to them. :consoling:
I agree. Now is not the time to continue with our negative speech and emotions but to make an aspiration that they will continue the path without obstacle.
TRC
Posts: 196
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:23 am

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by TRC »

This latest letter from Sogyal Rinpoche announcing his immediate "retirement" shares many common elements with his previous written responses. Most notably, lack of acknowledgment of responsibility for any wrong doing and lack of any apology or contrition. And while the Rigpa International organisation is using language that seemingly projects positivity and talks of using correct channels for reconciliation and healing, there can be very little real and meaningful progress without at least some acknowledgment of the the abuse that has occurred from Sogyal himself, but more importantly and meaningfully, some form of apology from him.

I wonder whether Rigpa International recognises the importance of this?
philji
Posts: 881
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 2:26 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by philji »

Where can i read the new letter of resignation?
User avatar
heart
Posts: 6288
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Very sad news: Letter to Sogyal Rinpoche / Abuse allegations

Post by heart »

philji wrote:Where can i read the new letter of resignation?
Here you go: https://cdn.tricycle.org/wp-content/upl ... _eng-1.pdf

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
Locked

Return to “Tibetan Buddhism”