Dalai Lama Admits to Knowing about Decades-long Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism

https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/dalai-lama-abuse/?fbclid=IwAR0aF86u6LoKQXRLfXc_fM7rH8NefaxqWJVDUtERnVfnZS3f_jtap_hRXeU

Following a meeting with survivor advocates in Europe, the spiritual leader said abusers “don’t care about the Buddha’s teachings.”

By Wendy Joan Biddlecombe Agsar

SEP 17, 2018

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speaking in the Netherlands on September 16, 2018. | Photo by Olivier Adams

After meeting with four people who claimed to have survived sexual assaults in European Buddhist communities, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama admitted to knowing about abuse in Buddhist circles since the 1990s.

“I already did know these things . . . it’s nothing new,” the Dalai Lama said in an interview with Dutch public television broadcaster NOS on Saturday, adding that “someone mentioned about a problem of sexual allegations” to him at a Dharamsala, India, conference for Western Buddhist teachers about 25 years ago. He added that those who commit abuse “don’t care about the Buddha’s teachings.”

The Dalai Lama was referring to a 1993 meeting that gathered different Buddhist traditions to discuss the dharma’s development and transmission to the West.

In a follow-up statement, Dalai Lama representative Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa said that the Dalai Lama “has consistently denounced such irresponsible and unethical behaviour.”

On Monday, September 10—four days before the Tibetan leader’s scheduled four-day trip to the Netherlands—a group of physical and psychological assault survivors started an online campaign to meet with him and present a collection of survivors’ stories. A petition quickly gathered more than 1,300 signatures and a hashtag: #MeTooGuru.

“We took refuge in Buddhism with an open mind and an open heart, until we were violated in its name. Later, we found out that we are not alone,” read a statement posted on Change.org.

Oane Bijlsma was one of the four people who presented the Dalai Lama with testimony letters at the meeting on September 14. Bijlsma, from the Netherlands, said she had been “groomed” and “indoctrinated” by Sogyal Rinpoche, who last year resigned from Rigpa, the international network of Buddhist centers he founded, after multiple people accused him of physical and sexual abuse. Bijlsma says that she left Rigpa in 2012 and was never sexually abused by Sogyal Rinpoche.

A third-party investigation found many of the allegations against Sogyal Rinpoche to be highly credible, according to a report released by Rigpa earlier this month.

“The first thing we wanted was to generate a lot of attention, to break open the discussion . . . We wanted to let the public know that this religion has problems like all the other ones, and it’s time to take off the rosy glasses and start being real,” Bijlsma told Tricycle.

Bijlsma added that none of the four who met with the Dalai Lama continue to practice Buddhism. The meeting has been described in some outlets as “complicated,” and Bijlsma said that it felt as though her group and His Holiness were talking in “different languages” due to their cultures. Still, she was happy that they had the opportunity to do what many do not when interacting with him: speak loudly and clearly about a difficult topic.

“We interrupted . . .  we weren’t there to show our devotion to him,” said Bijlsma, adding that she has “respect” for his philosophical knowledge.

Bijlsma said that she considered the brief meeting, planned by the organizers in just six weeks, a success because it shows that “taking action is a real possibility.”  

The Dalai Lama told the alleged survivors that he would bring up their concerns at a planned November meeting of Tibetan Buddhist teachers in Dharamsala, and Bijlsma said he asked for their “cooperation” in preparing.

It’s unclear what the Dalai Lama can do in terms of reining in “bad” lamas. But Bijlsma said that there is an opportunity for the Tibetan leader, and his team, to better regulate whom he endorses in terms of backing a teacher or attending a temple opening.

The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in Dharamsala since leaving Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1959, continues on a European tour, which includes conferences and ceremonies in Germany and Switzerland before he returns to India.

Former teacher at Boulder's Shambhala accused of sexually assaulting student

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_32423182/teacher-at-boulders-shambhala-accused-sexually-assaulting-girl?fbclid=IwAR3j6itkSnfoFvR_Kw8hw8DP_WFTgFwFNBzFt9yMM3AoU9A6QIIR8pFY6KE

Community expelled mentor over separate misconduct allegations in 2004

By Mitchell Byars and John Bear

Staff Writers

POSTED:   02/02/2019 05:14:24 PM MST

UPDATED:   02/02/2019 05:14:44 PM MST

William Karelis enters the courtroom at the Boulder County Jail on Friday (Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer)

A former teacher at Boulder's Shambhala Center has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl he was mentoring through the program, and investigators say the Buddhist community was aware of other allegations of inappropriate conduct against the teacher when it expelled him back in 2004.

William Lloyd Karelis, 71, was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, according to a news release from the Boulder Police Department.

Karelis on Friday afternoon appeared in court at the Boulder County Jail. The Boulder County District Attorney's Office asked for a $10,000 bond arguing that Karelis abused his position as mentor to repeatedly assault the alleged victim.

Karelis' attorney Frederick Bibik countered that his client has lived in Boulder for more than three decades and has strong local ties. He asked for a personal recognizance bond, or in the alternative, a $5,000 bond.

Boulder County Judge J.P. Martin issued a $10,000 bond.

Karelis did not speak except to say that he understood a mandatory protection order bars him from communicating directly or indirectly with the alleged victim in the case. He remained in custody at the Boulder County Jail on Friday evening and is due back in court Tuesday to be formally charged.

Outside the jail Bibik said his client has cooperated with police during the investigation and surrendered voluntarily when he learned a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

"Mr. Karelis strongly denies these allegations," he said. "We are confident that when the evidence is fully developed and scrutinized in the crucible of the courtroom, he will be found not guilty and fully exonerated."

Shambhala's interim board on Friday issued a statement on the arrest.

"William Karelis was a member of the Shambhala community from its early days. In response to inquiries from the Boulder Police Department, Shambhala confirmed that Mr. Karelis was the subject of two Care and Conduct complaint procedures in 2002 and 2008. These were initiated by women who alleged that he had behaved inappropriately towards them. Due to his failure to comply with Shambhala's Care and Conduct procedure, Mr. Karelis's teaching and meditation instructor credentials were suspended in 2004 and later permanently revoked in 2008. Owing to procedural disputes between Mr. Karelis and Shambhala's Care and Conduct officers in both cases, neither resulted in an agreed resolution.

"Mr. Karelis resigned from the organization in 2009. None of the complaints received by Shambhala involved minors or reports of criminal behavior. Shambhala has always and will continue to comply with mandated reporting concerning minors. We also have and will continue to cooperate with and fully support the ongoing BPD investigation."

According to an affidavit, Karelis met the girl in the 1990s when she was around 8 through Shambhala, when Karelis was assigned to her as her meditation instructor.

The girl, who was living in Denver at the time, spent time getting to know Karelis and told police in the first few years she spent a lot of one-on-one meditation time with him.

According to the affidavit, things began to escalate in 2000 when the girl was around 13, and she began taking the bus with her parents' permission to spend weekends at Karelis' Boulder house for teachings.

The girl would sleep in a downstairs room at Karelis' home, but told police Karelis would come into her room after his wife fell asleep and would perform oral sex on her.

The girl told police this happened 10 times over about 18 months.

According to the affidavit, sometime around December 2003 several women accused Karelis at a public event of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Karelis was expelled from the community following the accusations, and Shambhala "set up a council of people that were responsible for keeping in contact with (Karelis) as well as working with people in the community to heal the wounds from this event."

The named victim in the Boulder case said she did not tell her mother about Karelis' behavior, but she was still sent to therapy as a result of the allegations from other women.

According to the affidavit, the girl told her counselor about some but not all of the behavior, and the therapist said she was obligated to report it.

The girl said she never knew what became of that report if it was filed, but did say it was one of the reasons she never reported the incident to police.

Investigators did not become aware of the case until August 2018, when the named victim told a friend about the incident and the friend reported it to Boulder police.

Boulder police believe there were more victims over the span of 30 years. Anyone who believes they or someone they know was victimized by Karelis in the past is asked to call Boulder Police Detective Ross Richart at 303-441-1833 or Detective Heather Frey at 303-441-3369.

Officials with the Shambhala Center have not yet returned requests for comment on this story.

The Denver Post reported in December the Larimer County Sheriff's Office was investigating " possible criminal activity" at the Shambhala Mountain Center, a Buddhist retreat in the foothills west of Fort Collins.

Boulder police spokeswoman Laurie Ogden said Boulder police have reached out to Larimer County because Karelis spent time at the center, but at this time police do not have any formal complaints about him in that jurisdiction.

There is no statute of limitations on sex offenses involving children under the age of 15.

The news comes on the heels of a sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Shambhala International's leader, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.

The allegations surfaced in a three-part report called the Buddhist Sunshine Project that detailed allegations from anonymous women with first- and secondhand accounts of sexual misconduct by Mipham and other high-ranking Shambhala officials.

Mipham said in a statement he would step back form his leadership position at Shambhala International — now based in Halifax, Nova Scotia — pending an investigation. He conceded in a letter to his followers that past relationships he engaged in had caused "harm," but did not address the broader allegations of misconduct or any illegal activity.

Mitchell Byars: 303-473-1329, byarsm@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/mitchellbyars

THE SHAMBHALA SANGHA ~ EXCUSING CRIME AS A BUDDHIST TEACHING

THE SHAMBHALA SANGHA ~ EXCUSING CRIME AS A BUDDHIST TEACHING

https://shambhalacrime.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/lets-fire-the-sakyong/?fbclid=IwAR1FQaPO6G3HMpz9ifOAVa8MLzJ9SqCdMPQPJOBge3y3fn1B3KgP8go8fXw

LETS FIRE THE SAKYONG!!

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Edmund Butler

I’m seeing ALOT of slightly waking worried students inside Shambhala following the latest letter from Mipham Mukpo in which he claims to have only just begun learning about power dynamics after 25 clearly lucrative years of being the Sakyong, His Eminence, His Holiness, incarnation of Mipham the Great (cost: $200,000), Earth Protector, Supreme Commander of the Vajra Guards (the paramilitary wing of Shambhala), the VIP who upstaged Queen Noor by barging in front of her as they approached the door to a Goldman Sachs event at which they shared the headline. etc. etc. The context of the letter was in essentially pulling a DARVO on his victims of his uncontrolled sexual predation who have been (very convincingly) testifying as to his various criminal acts of sexual misconduct over the years, and his total inability to show any contrition whatsover in them.

DARVO refers to a reaction perpetrators of wrong doing, particularly sexual offenders, may display in response to being held accountable for their behavior. DARVO stands for “Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.”

One of the students posted something like, “Why don’t we just ask the Sakyong to go away and we’ll run the show because Shambhala is ours?” Well it is, because he really did nothing to create it beyond indulging his narcissism, and I have a solid source for that, so wait. Here’s my response, fwiw. Please discuss so we can help people over the fence, and get far away from charlatans whose former students post stuff like this (in response to the above noted letter:
[a Shastri is a senior teacher in Shambala who has pledged loyalty to the Sick One]

Somebody asked about the Shambhala constitution, whether the Sangha could rule its world etc.

The Shambhala Monarch enjoys the sole right to appoint Board members to govern Shambhala USA, Shambhala Canada and Shambhala Europe and their affiliated, smaller Centers around the world – “Shambhala”. He’s waived that privelege for now but he’ll soon resume it and change what he finds there if he wants to do so.

He has not however, waived the privelege to disband Shambhala entirely so I suspect any effort to get rid of him will help pay his lawyers’ mortgages, at the expense of the students. However, he does have that right, if people misbehave sufficiently or he gets sued, heaven forbid.

Ownership of the copyrights, name, treasures, Courts and paraphernalia reside in the Potrang which is a Charity controlled by one member, the Monarch, who appoints directors to advise him. Chief among them is Alex Halpern (of Wickwire Holm infamy), who has been Shambhala’s General Counsel since 1991. The Potrangs assets ultimately derive from the generosity of the Sangha so the fact that they are now privatised, often beyond the original intention of the donors can be confusing.

Recently, Nalanda Translation Committee’s premises were floated for sale to benefit Shambhala’s shortfall in day to day expenses. The benefit would have lasted only a few months before another asset would have been needed to be sold should that strategy have proved popular. As it happened, the person who donated the premises piped up and said she stipulated it should only be used for the NTC. So they put Marpa House on the market instead, for the potential benefit of meeting 18 months’ worth of Shambhala’s operating expenses and rehousing the Monarch’s 90 year old mother even though she doesn’t need to move at this time.

In that way the Monarch is legally ultimately responsible for all of the assets of Shambhala USA, Shambhala Canada & Shambhala Europe and their affiliated Centers in other parts of the world (“Shambhala”). Shambhala owns 29 properties here and there while the Monarch retains the juicy bits like the really expensive houses to which students may be lucky enough to occasionally be invited, or even to staff. The issue of Court Staff benefits and lifestyle has been explored in various reports over the last year, most notably on Reddit by a character named allthewholeworld in the Shambhala Buddhism thread.

All of this wealth then is maintained with the advice of some pretty smart people, besides Halpern and his various family members as it happens. Josh Silberstein’s wife for example is the granddaughter of one of the founders of Goldman Sachs and also serves as counsel for Shambhala. No doubt these New York connections helped Harvy Weinstein’s chum, Matthew Hilgitz find a role in protecting these assets recently when the switchboard lit up with the publication of Project Sunshine’s first Report, despite Silberstein’s legal threats. Hilgitz is known as a sleazy, very wealthy, very successful PR type who speaks one language only: money.

So, simply, nobody will be doing anything with an asset of Shambhala without the Monarch’s say so. This past year, despite appearances, that didn’t change at all. Unless the assets need to be sold by Court order to fund legal costs of and/or restitution to survivors of the Monarch’s royal abuses or some such, he’ll dictate precisely what happens to them thank you very much.

In that sense, Shambhala is more like a dictatorship with a veneer of morals based on mysteriously sourced texts which loosely reflect the Buddha’s teachings. These texts legitimise Shambhala, including the need to protect it from those who have not been trained and assessed by the Monarch’s appointed representatives in the study of the texts. The entire system is of course ripe for Monarchial abuse, narcissism, self-entitlement, disdain for his students (allthewholeworld discusses that aspect in particular), and a general identification with Dzongsar Khyentse’s view that vajrayana students and teachers are above the law.

It has the potential to become one helluva good party actually. At least that’s my take of the unwritten constitution of Shambhala society.

ps If anyone still thinks the above will change for the better they should read the following koolaid infused prose by an old dog who has been advising the new guard – I have that on solid authority.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShambhalaBuddhism/comments/aksk19/this_has_arrived_to_my_inbox/

pps An excellent overview of Shambhala’s inner despotism can be found by scrolling through allthewholeworld’s posts here on Reddit. Start by reading those headed, Details or the like and run with it from there. You can click on each comment box and see the parent thread I think. It’s all a bit new to me… good luck!
https://www.reddit.com/user/allthewholeworld

Kelsang Chopel - Former New Kadampa Tradition monk creates his own abusive sex cult

https://www.reddit.com/r/cults/comments/767oft/former_new_kadampa_tradition_monk_creates_his_own/

Posted by

u/stateomind

1 year ago

Former New Kadampa Tradition monk creates his own abusive sex cult.

In the Dutch city of Middelburg, 'Lama Kelsang Chöpel' (Gerhard Mattioli) sexually abused and threatened female members of his 'Sangha' between 2001 and 2008: http://www.omroepzeeland.nl/nieuws/82320/Slachtoffers-misbruik-boeddhistische-leraar-werden-bedreigd

Mattioli was ordained as a monk by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), who subsequently retracted his ordination and ordained name because Mattioli threatened Dutch NKT staff members with 'black magic' for not allowing him to teach. Mattioli kept the name Lama Kelsang Chöpel, kept dressing as a Tibetan Buddhist monk and opened his own Buddhist centre nonetheless, and started abusing his female followers right away. He also ordained nuns and a monk. For an impression of this 'Sangha' (in Dutch) see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo9V9dWjE8s&t=3s

The Dutch New Kadampa Tradition branch knew fully well that this 'Lama' was a complete fraud, yet did nothing at all to warn people in and around Middelburg. They did send one of their own monks to Middelburg, though, hoping to lure away students.

The Dutch Buddhist Union, the Buddhist Broadcasting Foundation, and the editors of a Buddhist magazine were all warned by former members of Lama Kelsang Chöpel's Sangha. Their warning was ignored by all.

The bubble burst when one of Mattioli's students got pregnant. It has cost several women with children their marriages, caused severe psychological problems for some, and aggravated serious psychiatric symptoms in others. One former female student, who had a personality disorder and acute psychiatric symptoms, committed suicide shortly after the centre broke up.

Sometimes, during lectures for a general public, I show a photograph of Mattioli dressed as a monk—with the mala and watch—next to a photograph of the Dalai Lama, and ask my audience to tell the difference. They can't. How can practicing Buddhists expect the general public to see the difference, while they themselves routinely refuse to openly denounce frauds wearing the exact same dress?

Recently, Neil Elliott, (seen as the power behind the NKT throne) who was disrobed 20 years ago for alleged sex with nuns and students, was re-ordained as Gen-Thubten, and has been the main teacher in the NKT. This goes directly against the New Kadampa Tradition's 'internal rules' meant to protect students and teachers against abuse. This begs the question: Just how complicit are the New Kadampa Tradition when it comes to sexually and psychologically abusive teachers?

Some debate whether the New Kadampa Tradition and other Western Tibetan Buddhist sects qualify as 'Cults' or as New Religious Movements. With this and so many scandals coming to light with groups like Triratna 

(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/19/buddhist-sexual-abuse-triratna-dennis-lingwood) and Sogyal (https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/new-allegations-sexual-abuse-raise-old-questions/) it's frightning to think what's happening in the NKT as well.

----------

Bad Karma in the Dharma

http://blog.world-mysteries.com/ancient-writings/bad-karma-in-the-dharma/

July 11, 2014 9 Comments

by Dan Green

self-appointed Austrian lama Kelsang Chopel, and serious sexual abuse at the Mahayana Buddhist Centre, Middelburg, from 2003-08, where the lama, real name Gerhard Mattioli, had sex with his drugged students, one resulting in pregnancy.

-------------

New article regarding former New Kadampa Tradition monk that started his own sex cult.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cults/comments/79iujc/new_article_regarding_former_new_kadampa/

(Browser translation from Dutch to English required for non-Dutch speakers)

"Buddhist journalists who were able to investigate Gerhard Mattioli's performance as "Lama Kelsang Chöpel" at an early stage showed this. First, Buddhist media that acted as Matthew's Buddhist teacher immediately encountered serious concerns, and then placed directed warnings by Mattioli's followers on sexual abuse, manipulation, intimidation and disgust. After the launch of his Buddhist Mahayana Center in Middelburg, these journalists gave the self-known "lama" a lot of familiarity, but critical followers asking for help got zero on the run.

When the center was suddenly abolished in 2007 and 'Lama Kelsang Chöpel' disappeared from an unknown destination, the same journalists continued to look unemployed: afterwards, they did not give openness about the events surrounding the Zeeland lama. As a result, the derailments in Middelburg and their own failure did not result in a warning.

According to former followers, Mattioli abused at least eight female students between 2001 and 2007. Different women are therefore severely traumatized. At one woman, Mattioli raised a child. Mattioli's 'tantric sexual exercises' ended several marriages. One former student with whom he had no sexual relationship in 2009 suicide."

More: http://openboeddhisme.nl/nl/de-lancering-van-lama-kelsang-chopel/

the Dalai Lama in photo ops with 3 notorious, overt, serial sexual predators

Clockwise from the top: the Dalai Lama with Lama Choedak, a serial sexual predator living in Canberra, Australia. 

Bottom left, with Tenzin Dhonden, the Dalai Lama's overtly corrupt, bullying, sexual predator, "Gatekeeper and Personal Emissary". 

Bottom right, the Dalai Lama with Sogyal, a notoriously and globally known violent, serial sexual predator

serial sexual predator: Lama Choedak

Serial sexual predation of Western dharma students and the part of Tibetans to silence any speaking out about this abuse:

The women were also able to provide documents to the Sunday Canberra Times that showed complaints about Lama Choedak's conduct were met with stern warnings from senior foreign figures in the Tibetan Buddhist movement, who said talking to the media or telling new group members what had happened could be spiritually damaging and prevent other Canberrans from ''achieving enlightenment through buddhism''.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=49,10104,0,0,1,0

Lama Choedak Rinpoche apologises by FRANCES STEWART, Canberra Times, 1 May, 2011 Canberra, Australia -- THE HEAD of Canberra's Tibetan Buddhist community has apologised to members of the society after allegations he had sexual relationships with several women from the group emerged late last year. The Tibetan Buddhist Society of Canberra's leader Lama Choedak Rinpoche called a special meeting of the society in December to apologise if ''changes that his personal life has gone through have caused any confusion'' before leaving the country for a retreat in Nepal. A number of women associated with the society contacted the Sunday Canberra Times, alleging the former monk had sexual relationships with several female group members after saying he had separated from his wife. The women said they were shocked to discover their ''spiritual leader'' was engaged in multiple affairs within the group because Lama Choedak was considered a ''respected teacher and family man'' in the ACT branch. The women were also able to provide documents to the Sunday Canberra Times that showed complaints about Lama Choedak's conduct were met with stern warnings from senior foreign figures in the Tibetan Buddhist movement, who said talking to the media or telling new group members what had happened could be spiritually damaging and prevent other Canberrans from ''achieving enlightenment through buddhism''. Lama Choedak, who is currently teaching at a retreat in Adelaide, did not respond to requests for an interview from the Sunday Canberra Times, but a representative said in a statement he ''made an unequivocal apology'' to the women involved, as well as group members. The women claimed Lama Choedak warned them not to reveal his indiscretions a sentiment echoed in the organisation's statement, which said exposure could harm ''families and children as well as someone who is presently in the midst of dealing with a life-threatening illness''. Apologising at the December meeting, Lama Choedak told his followers, ''I am making this statement today as I care about all of you, and as we need to maintain our work together for the sake of dharma and new members''. ''Due to the personal nature of this matter and the need to protect the feelings of my children and other people concerned, I ask you all to respect our privacy. I know how many broken families there are, and they all need moral support and understanding.'' Lama Choedak told the group that rather than being angry, they should use the experience to improve themselves. ''Every single one of us makes mistakes and it is up to each of us to forgive,'' he said. ''Used wisely, such personal difficulties can lead us to a stronger and more stable refuge which we find within our own hearts and and minds.'' ----------- What a fraud, con artist and hypocrite abuser: https://www.sakya.com.au/lama-choedak-rinpoche -------------------------- http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/11165/i-visited-a-meditation-centre-today-where-the-teacher-claims-he-is-a-buddha-fully-enlightened/p2 compassionate_warrior Veteran June 2011 The women were also able to provide documents to the Sunday Canberra Times that showed complaints about Lama Choedak's conduct were met with stern warnings from senior foreign figures in the Tibetan Buddhist movement, who said talking to the media or telling new group members what had happened could be spiritually damaging and prevent other Canberrans from ''achieving enlightenment through buddhism''. Don't you love this logic (being sarcastic)? It's not the perpetrator who is behaving in a "spiritually damaging" way and possibly preventing others from "achieving enlightenment through buddhism", it's the victims who cry "foul", and are exercising compassion and right speech in speaking out and warning others. :shake:

GESHE MICHAEL ROACH – THE SAD CASE OF A GIFTED MAN

By TENPELSEPTEMBER 20, 201310:00 PM

https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2013/09/20/geshe-michael-roach-the-sad-case-of-a-gifted-man/

 
Sorry, but I don’t want to add more on this topic. There has been said enough already. I just want to make you aware of two recent articles about Michael Roach, one in Rolling Stone and one by Scott Carney (in Playboy). You find more material and links at the end of the article by Scott Carney.

• Sex and Death on the Road to Nirvana – RollingStone
• Death and Madness at Diamond Mountain – Scott Carney

When I read the Interview with Geshe Michael Roach & Christie McNally (PDF) in 2003 and especially the passage where Roach tries to defend himself, skillfully avoiding to answer the question what his teacher, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, says about his (strange) behavior, I realized that Michael Roach has created an own inner world where voices can only reach him if they suit his own views. Since there are still some people who think it might be worth to follow Mr. Roach or that he might be a genuine Buddhist teacher, I added the article by Scott Carney to my website. Food for Thought! I am grateful that Alexander Berzin warned me personally to be careful with Roach – though at that time, I was not pleased to hear it because I placed my spiritual hopes already in Michael Roach …

During a tantric teaching the teacher of Roach, Khen Rinpoche, was asked about Roach, and he clearly distanced himself from Roach. Sadly, so far I was not able to get the recording but it exists. That this explicitly alienation by Roach’s teacher exists was told to me by a person I trust who listened to these teachings by Khen Rinpoche.

Last and least, Robert Thurman about Roach in the RollingStone interview:

Robert Thurman, a Columbia University religion professor and a leading expert on Eastern religions, calls Roach’s version of Tibetan Buddhism “an American pop-religion knockoff.”  …

The office of the Dalai Lama issued a rebuke, and Roach’s associates urged him to remove his robes to indicate that he was not celibate. When he refused, Robert Thurman, a former ordained monk, tried to reason with him. “I asked him to meet,” says Thurman, who is married and long ago resigned his robes. “He finally came with his consort to Columbia. I told him to go back to being a lay minister, to take off the robes. Bottom line is, he said he wouldn’t give up the robes. He said, ‘I have never consorted with a human female,’ and I said to Christie, ‘Are you human?’ And she didn’t say yes or no. She said, ‘He said it, I didn’t.'”

Thurman felt McNally was young and naive and being manipulated by Roach, but McNally felt empowered. According to her, the retreat had altered their dynamic. She had gone into it as Roach’s lesser, emerging as his equal. “The roles in the play now had changed from teacher and student to ‘partners,'” she says, and goes on to say that since Roach was interested in embracing his feminine side, “normal sexual relations between two married partners were absent from this relationship.”

Instead of waiting for new acolytes to come to them, Roach and McNally began holding classes at popular New York yoga studios like Jivamukti, whose clientele included Wall Street bankers, fashionistas like Donna Karan and celebrities such as Sting, Russell Simmons and Madonna. He had translated the Yoga Sutra from Sanskrit and spoke of how yoga could lead to enlightenment. “His teaching was the missing link in the writings on the Yoga Sutra,” says Morris. “Nobody had accomplished what was described in there, and here was somebody who had. I was moved. He was a good, holy, honest man then.”

UPDATE

• An upcoming book by Scott Carney: A Death on Diamond Mountain: A True Story of Obsession, Madness, and the Path to Enlightenment – March 17, 2015