the Sakyong — has taken leave as independent investigators review allegations that he, like his father, has abused alcohol and had sex with followers, all while a circle of fellow men witnessed and covered up the misconduct.

Vermont Buddhists face their own MeToo moment

By Kevin O'Connor

Oct 8 2018  |  4 comments

ARNET — When Chögyam Trungpa fled the 1959 Chinese Communist takeover of his homeland of Tibet, he hiked nine months over the Himalayas before flying to India, then England and finally here to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, where he set up Karmê Chöling, the first Tibetan Buddhist meditation center in the United States.

Trungpa has been described by the New York Times as “a wildly charismatic man” and “brilliant teacher.” But ever since he died of alcohol-related causes three decades ago at age 47, he’s also remembered for what famed Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön sums up as “a lot of drinking and a lot of sex.”

Trungpa’s eldest son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, appeared to have learned from the past upon inheriting his father’s role as leader of what has mushroomed into the worldwide Shambhala community, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the West. The 55-year-old has promoted himself as a loving husband, father of three daughters, marathon runner and author of books on such subjects as “Lessons for Training Body and Mind.”

But now the Sakyong — a Tibetan word literally meaning “earth protector” or, more loosely, “king” — has taken leave as independent investigators review allegations that he, like his father, has abused alcohol and had sex with followers, all while a circle of fellow men witnessed and covered up the misconduct.

“In a state of complete heartbreak, I write to you, humble, embarrassed, and thoroughly apologetic for disappointing you,” the Sakyong states in a recent letter to the Shambhala community. “I will be using this time of self-reflection to deeply listen and to better understand how the dynamics of power, gender, and my actions have affected others.”

In a separate statement, his lawyer adds that while the Sakyong apologizes “to people who have expressed feeling harmed by my conduct,” his client “categorically denies that he has ever participated in any activity that could be construed as a ‘sexual assault,’ attempted or otherwise, sexual contact with minors, or any other criminal offence.”

The news has hit hard at Shambhala (the word means “source of happiness”) and its more than 200 sanghas (or spiritual communities) in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. But it has especially shaken followers at Karmê Chöling in the tiny town of Barnet, where the Sakyong’s father planted the first U.S. seeds of Tibetan Buddhism long before Trungpa’s peer the Dalai Lama became a household name.

The 700-acre Karmê Chöling meditation center is located in the Northeast Kingdom town of Barnet. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger

“Understandably everyone at Karmê Chöling is feeling deeply affected, angered and saddened by this news,” executive director Myra Woodruff wrote in a letter to the editor of the local Caledonian Record. “It is a time of great uncertainty.”

Ten employees and eight volunteers have left Karmê Chöling since the Sakyong’s announcement — some in personal response to the allegations and others for reasons unrelated to them — resulting in six current open positions and everyone else working harder to continue the year-round programs at one of Shambhala’s four largest rural retreat centers.

Karmê Chöling also is wrestling with a separate Buddhist Project Sunshine investigation by a Canadian Shambhala practitioner who says she was sexually abused as a child. Her recently published study includes a claim by a man identified with the pseudonym “Keith” who says he was 15 when an older male sangha member raped him at the Vermont center in 1983.

“Keith” says he revealed the incident two decades later in 2003 to Shambhala International, which reportedly didn’t contact police but instead offered the accuser the opportunity to meet with his alleged attacker for internal “mediation.”

“Keith” declined the offer, the report says, although he is said to now be sharing his story with “the appropriate authorities,” as there’s no statute of limitations on filing claims of aggravated sexual assault of a minor in Vermont.

In response, Shambhala International tells Buddhism’s Tricycle magazine, “These allegations are not only unfounded, but they each are based on speculative and unsubstantiated claims made by a single unnamed source.”

The Sakyong’s lawyer adds “the allegations are vague, unsourced and uncorroborated” and if the report’s author “has information about the abuse of a child, any child, by anyone, she should contact law-enforcement authorities immediately.”

Karmê Chöling, which was not informed of the “Keith” allegations before they were reported to its larger parent organization, has not commented specifically on them. It has, however, issued a public statement on its website about the broader subject of abuse.

“Karmê Chöling is committed to providing a safe place for people of all backgrounds, genders, race, age and physical ability, free from harassment, mistreatment and discrimination,” Woodruff writes. “We do not condone such harmful behaviors by any leader in Shambhala, including the Sakyong.”

“For those who have suffered harm, we feel great empathy,” she continues. “It is vital that women, men and people of all genders can feel safe to speak out when they are harmed and receive support, not skepticism, for their bravery.”

Chögyam Trungpa (right) appears with author and activist Allen Ginsberg in Colorado in 1972. Archive Photo

Back when Trungpa first settled in Vermont in 1970, he attracted a few dozen followers to an old dairy farm in Barnet, population 1,642, that has morphed into the 700-acre Karmê Chöling meditation center.

The Sakyong, who periodically visits and teaches in the state, has carried on his father’s Buddhist teachings while casting them in a contemporary light. He has plugged into the internet to spread his message, be it through social media or YouTube and hosted events such as an Imagining Peace Conference with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to combat street violence.

“I’m encouraging our community to be more socially engaged and responsible,” the Sakyong told reporters in 2014 when he expressed his appreciation to Vermont by presenting the state with the first “Friend of Shambhala Award.”

“This award honors the people and institutions of Vermont for their commitment to the inherent dignity and worth of the human being,” began the citation accepted by then Gov. Peter Shumlin at a Montpelier ceremony.

This fall at Karmê Chöling, staffers are reviewing internal policies surrounding discrimination, care and conduct. They’re also awaiting the findings of an external third-party investigation of Shambhala that is inviting people to report claims of sexual assault or misconduct by any teacher or leader in the worldwide community.

“We hope that these processes will bring to light previously unspoken or unattended stories of harm so that proper steps can be taken to address them,” Woodruff says.

In the meantime, staffers are meditating on the appropriate next steps.

“We are working hard to anticipate and plan for how Karmê Chöling can meet the challenge of uncertainty; change what needs to be changed; and preserve the essence of the beautiful gem that is Karmê Chöling,” Woodruff says.

“Karmê Chöling exists to inspire people to discover their basic goodness and manifest it in community and the world as enlightened society,” she adds. “We succeed by creating a safe, sane, uplifted and welcoming environment for all who come to this beautiful land in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.”