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Bad news for Buddhists
vinlyn
Colorado...for now Veteran
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/05/23/cfp.rivers.thai.sex.slaves.cnn?hpt=C2
Not good for the world's perception of Buddhism.
Not good for the world's perception of Buddhism.
0
Comments
The film provided doesn't say how the monks had access to the boys; were they novices in the monastery with the adult monks? Were they kids the monks enticed in temples? More information is needed if an effort is to be launched to prevent more of the same from occurring in the future.
If Buddhists want to maintain a clean image for their religion, they need to press for reform and change.
There are a number of ways monks in Thailand would have access. There could be novices, although I didn't get that impression here. Many government schools are connected to temples, and I know at one such school in Bangkok, at lunch you can see the school boys "waiting on" the monks -- serving them their food, cleaning up afterwards. Also, in many temples you will see boys hanging out...a more rural phenomenon...and this was in Chiang Mai...so probably not true there.
If you stereotype an entire religion because of the actions of one or two people...yes. However smart people don't do that.
There is abuse in all religions, but from what I read recently, the order of sexual abuse in Buddhism goes like this: Tibetan Buddhism the most, then comes in Zen but with far less abuse, and then seldom in Theravada. In Thailand many become monks because they don't wish to go into the military, so they have a choice. This of course makes for many a bad monk.
If the text you mention is forbidden then why is it sold on amazon? Can you give the name of the text? Can you quote portions of the text which display that it is a sex manual? Can you establish that the author's discussion in the text can be generalized as authoritative to all of Tibetan Buddhism?
i imagine that amazon somehow got a hold of the book Commentary of the Kalachakra Tantra and is selling it. I also know that I saw my own teachers manual on the Kalachakra Tantra and in it as is in the Commentary book it says this: ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE KALACHAKRA INITIATION ARE PERMITTED TO READ THIS MATERIAL.
The book is written by Gelong Jhampa Kelsang.I looked at all book dealers online and found it only on Amazon.
Here is an interview with the Dalai Lama:
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/advanced/kalachakra/attending_kalachakra_initiation/question_sessions_hh/question_hh_initiation_04.html
When one take empowerments in Tibetan Buddhism, these empowerments are combining sex with meditation. Before this time meditation will not be with sex. The idea here is that the male practitioner has to learn to retain his semen, and that you visualize this semen going back up through the chakras. it produces great joy.
From the book: The first empowerment states: "First, one imagines offering a girl, between the ages of 12 and 20, to the vajra master...The vase empowerment is actually given when the imagined girl comes back to the trainee who then enjoys her presence thought laughing and foundling her breasts."
The first empowerments are visualizations, but when you get to the last one the guru gets a consort.
Anyone who teaches tantra teaches this. These teachings are secret. This book, Commentary of the Kalachakra Tantra, comes from the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives.
I would not say that the young boys and girls were sold as sex slaves, but they were given to the monasteries for a price. and they can then be used in initiations if it so pleases the lamas.
Have you not read of exposures? How about June Campbell's book, Travellers in Space? How about Trungpa Rinpoche
Here is a good forum on it: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=256759
Keeping these texts secret and threatening anyone with telling, keeps it even more secret. Most women will not speak out like June Campbell did.
"Now, there is always a possibility that someone is using the auspices of Tantric practice in order to coerce someone into having sex. But that really doesn't have anything to do with Buddhism or Tantrism. That's just plain deception and you have to examine the specifics of what the person did. Asking "Is Tibetan Buddhism Tantric?" is not going to get you any answers here. You gotta ask the guy, "Did you trick these girls into having sex with you by telling them that it's Tantrism?"
There seems to be a clear distinction made by most people between legitimate Tantric practice that only occasionally uses an actual consort and using Tanra as an excuse for sexual abuse that you're not making.
Here are some other topics on the subject on the forums:http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=3587&start=100
And this:
http://www.zenforuminternational.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=6485
So few people understand this subject that the person you quoted doesn't even understand.
I would suggest anyone desiring to get a better understanding of it read the book i mentioned.
sex+enlightenment+meditation in Tibetan Buddhism all go hand in hand. The gurus will not admit it since to do so puts them in hell in the next life, to even read the material if you are not initiated puts you in hell. At least Nimdrol, a Tibetan teacher, admits it on Dharma Wheel.
"Fundamentally, Vajrayāna is a path of non-renunciation. In other words, in Vajrayāna we are not rejecting any dimension of our experience on the path. Therefore, since we do not reject any of our experience, we have to integrate all of our experience on the path, including our sexuality. If we do not, our path is not complete and our sexual experience continues to be a cause for more samsara.
If you are practicing any kind of mandala yoga for example Kalacakra or Vajrayogini, it is a 24/7 practice."
"Actually according to Highest Yoga Tantra .. You do need sex to reach enlightenment, .. but that is another discussion.."
No it is not a fact if you can't substantiate it.
"i imagine that amazon somehow got a hold of the book Commentary of the Kalachakra Tantra and is selling it. I also know that I saw my own teachers manual on the Kalachakra Tantra and in it as is in the Commentary book it says this: ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE KALACHAKRA INITIATION ARE PERMITTED TO READ THIS MATERIAL."
Amazon could be sued if they took an author's work and sold it without that author's permission. All of the texts on amazon have a publisher.
"From the book: The first empowerment states: "First, one imagines offering a girl, between the ages of 12 and 20, to the vajra master...The vase empowerment is actually given when the imagined girl comes back to the trainee who then enjoys her presence thought laughing and foundling her breasts.""
How old is the book? In america it was not uncommon for women to marry at 12 or 13. A couple hundred years ago.
Because there are some sex practices in tantra, this does not mean that all meditation is sex. That is foolishness. The point of sexuality in tantra is non-grasping during the sexual act. I will post something from my lama discussing this.
"Anyone who teaches tantra teaches this. These teachings are secret. This book, Commentary of the Kalachakra Tantra, comes from the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives."
You have not substantiated the first sentence. There could be someone who teaches tantra who does not teach that.
"Have you not read of exposures? How about June Campbell's book, Travellers in Space? How about Trungpa Rinpoche"
Could you provide quotations from said books? I doubt I will read a book because someone posts on a forum.
"Keeping these texts secret and threatening anyone with telling, keeps it even more secret. Most women will not speak out like June Campbell did."
How are they secret if you have read them? That is totally foolish.
A student asks:
Lately I seem to keep coming back to a troubling form of thought. Being a Buddhist I believe that I have found truth in the ultimate sense, or rather the way to realise truth. When I was a bit younger I had a less defined spiritual identity which allowed for more spiritual flexibility, believing that there was more than one approach to getting at the ultimate truth.
As time has moved along I have actually begun to solidify my beliefs and reject what other traditions teach, for example Christianity and its notion of a God. Yet within my own tradition, the Sambogakaya contains deities, granted there is a complex way in which we are to view these beings/qualities. In this process of solidity I have begun to lose faith in the mystery of it all, forgetting to allow the wonder of the moment contain a vast mandala that, when defined, diminishes in clarity.
How is it really possible for Buddhism to be the only right way and the fundamental belief in God to be a wrong view? This rejects countless individuals in their faith and seems like dogmatic thinking. Is it not possible, in this illusory world of our making, to attempt to construct ways of getting at this vast and mysterious truth that vary greatly but contain skilful methods that work?
Lama Shenpen
Of course that is possible - Buddhist scriptures are full of statements to that effect. The essence has to be the same but the outer form can vary tremendously and certainly doesn’t have to be called Buddhism.
Furthermore what is called Buddhism is not necessarily Buddhism in essence. Anyone can call anything Buddhism - so it’s always the essence that is important, not the form.
For example an extremist group could say they were Buddhist and teach awful things in the name of Buddhism. What could we do about it? Not very much I think.
Student:
I believe Buddhism is the best way for me and that it provides a very skilful path. I believe that Vajrayana* in particular is my path.
Lama Shenpen:
I wonder what you mean by Vajrayana - it is not that easy to define actually.
Student:
...but it differs so greatly even with other paths within the landscape of Buddhism. Vajrayana often takes heavy criticism by other traditions of Buddhism for its ritualistic and esoteric nature and to find this harsh dogmatism within Buddhism does not sit well somehow.
Lama Shenpen:
Again it is important to listen to what exactly is being criticized and why - there may be some point to it. Or it might just be lack of understanding of some kind. After all, what is esoteric shouldn’t be out there in the market place to be criticized - it should be kept hidden and only revealed to those who have faith.
Glossary of terms
* Mandala - Any structure with a centre and periphery. Anything that appears in our awareness takes the form of a mandala consisting of a central focus and what surrounds it. Mandalas have a structure and dynamic in the sense that they are held together by connections between centre and periphery, with emotionality at the boundaries and where one mandala touches on another.
In most contexts one can substitute for mandala ‘world’, as used in the metaphorical sense. For example, we talk of the world of our experience, our social world, our psychological world, our whole world collapsing.
* Sambhogakaya - Luminous Buddhahood, clarity, perceived by realised beings.
* Vajrayana: The vehicle of Vajra, the esoteric teachings of the Mahayana. A powerful way of practising for those with the good fortune to have a good connection with a Vajrayana Guru. Vajrayana methods depend on empowerment/initiation and can be dangerous if the relationship between the Guru and disciple is not exactly right. Also called tantra and mantrayana.
"I do not know much about the sexual yoga practices of Tantric Buddhism and do not really wish to.
I've not noticed any emphasis on this within the AHS. From what I've read, they seem to me a bit of a digression from the main teachings of Buddhism."
Lama Shenpen:
No, they are not a digression at all. They are very important.
In the after death state, it is sexual attraction that pulls us back into rebirth in samsara, if we could meditate well while engaged in sexual union then we could open out into the bliss essence of reality and rest in that without attachment - it would be a fantastic way to practice meditation and realise Enlightenment.
Generally speaking though, people cannot even meditate properly in the midst of enjoying the bliss of eating a delicious meal let alone sexual union.
The grasping mind is always running on wanting more, wanting what hasn't come yet, wanting to hold on to what it has, feeling regret for what has just gone, comparing this experience favourably or unfavourably with another or simply thinking about something else altogether. It's not easy.
The way to prepare to be able to practise during orgasm in the midst of sexual union with another is to practice awareness in all situations of enjoyment.
When we are good at that then it would be time to move into more advanced practice while in sexual union.
It is very hard when having an orgasm to just rest into the experience without feeling 'oh no!' and somehow closing off. Somehow that would seem too much - too much intensity - a moment or so of that is about what most people can stand before closing off.
Then the tendency is to get obsessed with those few moments and to keep wanting to repeat them but it's hard to do that with complete freshness of awareness - so it becomes boring.
So there is then a tendency to look around for more excitement and more stimulation so that one can trick oneself into waking up more simply through having introduced an element of novelty into the whole thing.
This obsession with wanting to repeat or prolong an experience easily becomes very self-seeking and selfish, leading to misery and more intense samsara than ever, so it's not a practice worth emphasising too much for most people most of the time.
People find out all about this suffering for themselves. I don't need to say much - they practise sex anyway - they don't need me to tell them to do it.
So I just talk a lot about keeping as awake and as aware as one can in all experiences good and bad - so that covers the essence of the practice of sexual yoga. I encourage everyone to practise like that when having sex or a sexual orgasm.
There are special yogic practices one can learn and employ but the essential point there, from the Buddhist point of view, is firstly having the kind of understanding and commitment to practice as above and secondly the adhistana coming from the lineage.
Without that it too easily just becomes egoistic pleasure seeking that leads to simply more samsara and not appropriate for most people.
Student:
"You mentioned about you and Rigdzin Shikpo being married for the rest of your lives and (assuming one accepts the idea of future lives) this gives much food for thought.
I wonder whether this applies to the rest of us too - whether it applies to all our relationships with our family members, relatives and in-laws ... ?"
Lama Shenpen:
It could do.
In the life of the Buddha and in the lives of his great disciples there is a lot of talk about how various people were his parents, his wife, his friends and disciples in past lives and it was because of their pranidhanas in past lives that his chief disciples became his chief disciples and so on.
So yes, it applies across the board - we probably have met this lifetime because of past pranidhanas and we will meet again in future lifetimes because of our pranidhanas in this life - that is why we keep dedicating punya in order to bring all beings to awakening.
That is the ultimate pranidhana for all our connections that we ever had, have now or ever will have to benefit others not just for one lifetime, but for all their lifetimes until they reach the end of suffering.
So yes - Rinpoche marrying us for all our lifetimes was a specific pranidhana made in the context of the universal pranidhana for all beings - and it was made as a skilful means for forming strong and effective mandalas for bringing Dharma into the world.
It's all good stuff.
"I'm hoping that you won't mind me asking for your thoughts on a rather personal matter, because I haven't seen anything that addresses this situation anywhere, although I imagine it isn't all that uncommon.
I've read from a number of sources that desire of all kinds tends to just naturally disappear as we progress on our spiritual path, including sexual desire. This has definitely been the case for me, in all areas where I used to have strong attachments and emotional addictions. Sexual relations now feels to me to be a rather primitive way of showing affection between two people and no longer has an appeal for me."
Lama Shenpen:
When we reflect deeply on the pain caused by attachment, desire does tend to decrease naturally but this doesn't mean that this is the summit of the spiritual path - it is just a calming down caused by not being so driven by one's thoughts and emotions and one's ego-centric attachment to ones own pleasure diminishes.
However actual physical desire doesn't necessarily decrease, nor even one's feelings of sexual attraction. It is just that one has greater freedom to explore these experiences without them turning into attachment and clinging.
In Mahayana Buddhism there are many examples of Bodhisattvas using sexual desire as a means to deepen their practice and to help others. This is especially the case in Tantric Buddhism of course.
Student:
"My partner, however, is not at that point and is not terribly interested in even thinking that this could be a possible, let alone a positive development. My question is whether there is any guidance or advice for couples who find themselves in this delicate situation?"
Lama Shenpen:
If there is I haven't come across it. Maybe it is because our idea of what it means to have a relationship as a couple is not a standard one in traditional Buddhist cultures. Marriage is about family ties and not so much about the relationship in the couple. I think it often happens that one or other partner feels drawn to renunciation and wants to give up the sexual side of their relationship - maybe because they feel they have too much desire and attachment or maybe because its just faded away from lack of interest - their interest has turned to deeper things and there is no more wish to pursue feelings of sexual desire.
If both partners feel this it is easy - they both renounce the world and that is that - like Mahakashyapa and his wife. If it is just one partner who feels this then it can become more of a problem - sometimes one partner finds they can engage in sex as a kind of Bodhisattva activity to make another being happy - or they may even be fortunate enough to have some Tantric teaching on how to use sexual feeling as a means of deepening their practice.
Even without specific instruction on this - one can actually choose to focus on the desire as the experience one is turning towards and experience it directly while letting go of any tendency to grasp. The effect of this practice is to actually increase desire, intensifying the practice enormously. That is why it is not the obvious first step in dealing with strong sexual desire and attachment.
It is good to have quite stable meditation practice first in order to carry the practice over into strong feelings of sexual pleasure. Otherwise it becomes difficult to distinguish genuine practice from mere indulgence that simply increases attachment and traps us ever more deeply in samsara. It is very important to be able to incorporate sexual desire into ones awareness practice because it's our failure to do this that causes us to grasp at rebirth in the bardo after we die. So it's a great thing to practice with!
"Over the last few years I have read a number of books by Chogyam Trungpa and I meditated often at the Shambhala center in Amsterdam as I lived there for five years. I understand that he was one of your main teachers."
Lama Shenpen:
Indirectly he is a main teacher, in the sense that I met him and he sent me to India, and then later I married Rigdzin Shikpo and became his student and his main teacher is Trungpa Rinpoche. I also have had Vajrayogini empowerment from Trungpa Rinpoche.
Student:
"I was very moved by his works. Recently I read on the internet something that disturbed me and filled me with doubt, As he was a much realized teacher why did he choose to often drink alcohol? Does this not interfere with his clarity and insights?"
Lama Shenpen:
He has actually written an article about the Dharma way to drink alchohol. It is a traditional practice for siddhas and yogins and in a person of Trungpa Rinpoche's calibre there is no need to doubt his practice while drinking.
I have heard many first hand reports of quite astonishing facts about how he behaved when seemingly completely drunk . I heard from those close to him that he was always very strongly present and aware, whatever was happening.
Student:
"This behavior is difficult for me to understand and I hope you can shed some light on this. I respect his teachings very much but do you not recommend refraining from intoxicants?"
Lama Shenpen:
Yes it is difficult to understand it. I don't think we need to try to understand exactly at this stage - maybe one day we will
Yes I do recommend refraining from taking intoxicants, especially if you are doing something like driving and other situations where it's important to be sober and clear.
I do not see any harm in a certain amount of drinking for relaxation and enjoyment but it's important not to be attached to it.
I think it's important to not develop a culture around oneself where people feel uncomfortable to not drink - because some people really cannot go near the stuff � it's such an addiction - so it would be awful to have a sangha where people couldn't join in socially because they were not drinking.
I think it's important not to make a big deal out of it either way.
However, if you move on to practice in the Vajrayana context, one of the vows is not to refuse the meat and alchohol served at the feast ceremonies. That is something to bear in mind.
You don't have to take more than a taste - but it's good to know that this is the custom. At that time even monks take alcohol because Vajrayana vows take precedence over the monks vows.
They are more important and more powerful and more sacred. They relate to a deeper meaning that goes beyond our usual concepts of good and bad.
However Vajrayana is supposed to be an esoteric tradition into which you need to be initiated by a competent Guru. These teachings are not for public consumption so therefore generally speaking I would say it is important to keep away from intoxicants - at least to an intoxicating degree.
How can one be clear and responsible for ones actions if one is too intoxicated to know what one is doing? That is why it's so important not to take intoxicants.
You still have not answered my question. I could state: "Missionaries have sexually abused tribal peoples in Africa". If I could not produce an example then my claim would be baseless. It would be like saying "many basketball players have 16 fingers". "Its a well known fact." If I could not produce an example of a basketball player who had 16 fingers my claim would be groundless (and immature/irresponsible).
Thank you.
I have no idea why Amazon is able to sell this book, but I do know what is in the book, and that it is accurate and that the Tibetans over on Dharma Wheel have agreed that sex is needed for enlightenment and that the tantras are about sex. And hey, this dialogue with the lama and student prove it. The lama who wrote the Commentary was Tibetan and came here and lived in Seattle.
Your lama may tell you that it is about non grasping, but i assure you if you visualize sex or use a consort, you continue to have desires, and the idea of Buddhism is to rid one of desires. Don't let them tell you otherwise.
This is not what Buddha taught. The Tantras came from India and were taken to Tibet in the 8th Century. Buddha said that what he taught was not secret or hidden. The Tantras are hidden. But more and more they are being found out.
I rest my case and you made it very well with the lama and student dialogue.
If you wish to practice Tibetan Buddhism then that is fine. I am just saying that as the thread implied, people learn about sex in Buddhism in Thailand and are shocked, well, I think that this is also shocking, if not more so, especially when many lamas claim to be celibate but instead have consorts and keep it all a secret.
"After that women are pretty much useless and evil, have too much power."
Is that your feeling or Tibetan Buddhism? My lama is a woman!
"Your lama may tell you that it is about non grasping, but i assure you if you visualize sex or use a consort, you continue to have desires, and the idea of Buddhism is to rid one of desires. Don't let them tell you otherwise."
The idea is that your freedom is not conditioned. If you have desire WHEN seeing a naked woman you have not rid yourself of desire. That is why they practice with that situation. I don't personally practice tantra.
"I have no idea why Amazon is able to sell this book, but I do know what is in the book, and that it is accurate and that the Tibetans over on Dharma Wheel have agreed that sex is needed for enlightenment and that the tantras are about sex. And hey, this dialogue with the lama and student prove it. The lama who wrote the Commentary was Tibetan and came here and lived in Seattle."
Definitively a secret is not widely known. If it were it would not be a secret. What you are saying is like unto saying that a lightswitch is both on and off at the same time. It denies reason.
Tantra was taught in the theravadan tradition from BCE 800 to 1000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
You still have not answered my question. I could state: "Missionaries have sexually abused tribal peoples in Africa". If I could not produce an example then my claim would be baseless. It would be like saying "many basketball players have 16 fingers". "Its a well known fact." If I could not produce an example of a basketball player who had 16 fingers my claim would be groundless (and immature/irresponsible).
Thank you.
Desire is transformed into sensitivity without self nature. At that point sexuality may be used compassionately to liberate one and others from grasping.
I am reminded of the Mormon Church. Are there Mormons who are still polygamists? Yes, particularly in rural areas of far southern Utah. But it is not fair to say that "Mormons believe in polygamy". The practice has been denounced by the official governing body of the Mormon Church and the vast majority of Mormons. There are splinter groups and people who still approve of it.
This is not unlike the argument you are having. No one in their right mind would question that there are priests, ministers, monks, abbots, of all religious groups who have the kind of sexual relations you are talking about. And, in my view, it is not fair to condemn a religion for what a few people do in that religion. The question we should be asking is -- does the (whichever one we're talking about) branch of Buddhism support it NOW or not. Does Mahayana Buddhism officially support it, or are those who are guilty of it simply rogues? NOW?
I agree that sexuality is part of the practice of Tibetan buddhism. Every situation is workable in that view and not just pure ones. As the heart sutra says 'no purity and no impurity'. Or as bodhidharma said to the emperor of China when asked what emptiness was: 'lots of space and nothing holy'.
I disagree with how vanjrayana practice is characterized by Thao. I also question the logic of some of his arguments and I wish to clarify what he/she is saying so that we know what we are talking about.
Finally I thought the sex slave statement was irresponsible and downright evil in the sense of leading to suffering unless there is evidence to back it up. If I were to make a negative claim about venerable Theravadan monks it would also be innapropriate unless I could back it up.
Such claims not only reflect ill will perhaps in Thao which is difficult to pacify if one is acting out on; but they also produce negative states of mind in the vajrayana students who may listen to his/her speach.
"Youth is a further requirement which the mudra has to meet. The Maha Siddha Saraha distinguishes five different wisdom consorts on the basis of age: the eight-year-old virgin (kumari); the twelve-year-old salika; the sixteen-year-old siddha, who already bleeds monthly; the twenty-year-old balika, and the twenty-five-year-old bhadrakapalini, who he describes as the “burned fat of prajna” (Wayman, 1973, p. 196). The “modern” tantric already mentioned, Lama Gedün Chöpel, explicitly warns that children can become injured during the sexual act: “Forcingly doing it with a young girl produces severe pains and wounds her genitalia. ... If it is not the time and if copulating would be dangerous for her, churn about between her thighs, and it [the female seed] will come out” (Chöpel, 1992, p. 135). In addition he recommends feeding a twelve-year-old honey and sweets before ritual sexual intercourse (Chöpel, 1992, p. 177)."
http://www.iivs.de/~iivs01311/SDLE/Part-1-03.htm
“In the rite of ‘virgin-worship’ (kumari-puja)”, writes Benjamin Walker, “a girl is selected and trained for initiation, and innocent of her impending fate is brought before the altar and worshipped in the nude, and then deflowered by a guru or chela” (Walker, 1982, p. 72). It was not just the Hindu tantrics who practiced rituals with a kumari, but also the Tibetans, in any case the Grand Abbot of the Sakyapa Sect, even though he was married."
On a numerological basis twelve- or sixteen-year-old girls are preferred. Only when none can be found does Tsongkhapa recommend the use of a twenty-year-old. There is also a table of correspondences between the various ages and the elements and senses: an 11-year-old represents the air, a 12-year-old fire, a 13-year-old water, a 14-year-old earth, a15-year-old sound, a 16-year-old the sense of touch, a 17-year-old taste, an 18-year-old shape or form, and a 20-year-old the sense of smell (Naropa, 1994, p. 189).
"The rituals should not be performed with women older than this, as they absorb the “occult forces” of the guru. The dangers associated with older mudras are a topic discussed at length. A famous tantric commentator describes 21- to 30-year-olds as “goddesses of wrath” and gives them the following names:"
The Kalachakra Tantra urges the yogi to render the mudra pliant with intoxicating liquor: “Wine is essential for the wisdom consort [prajna]. ... Any mudra at all, even those who are still not willing, can be procured with drink” (Grünwedel, Kalacakra III, p. 147). It is only a small step from this to the use of direct force. There are also texts, which advise “that if a woman refuses sexual union she must be forced to do so” (Bhattacharyya, 1982, p. 125)."
"Since the general public demands that a Tibetan lama lead the life of a celibate monk, he must keep his sexual practices secret. For this reason, documents about and verbal accounts of clerical erotic love are extremely rare. It is true that the sexual magic rites are freely and openly discussed in the tantra texts, but who does what with whom and where are all “top secret”. Only the immediate followers are informed, the English author June Campbell reports.
Of course, the mudra must swear a strict vow of absolute silence regarding her relations with the tantric master. Should she break it, then according to the tantric penal code she may expect major difficulties, insanity, death and on top of this millennia of hellish torments. In order to intimidate her, Kalu Rinpoche is alleged to have told his mudra, June Campbell, that in an earlier life he killed a woman with a mantra because she disobeyed him and gossiped about intimacies."
"How does the yogi find a real, human mudra? Normally, she is delivered by his pupil. This is also true for the Kalachakra Tantra. “If one gives the enlightened teacher the prajna [mudra] as a gift,” proclaims Naropa, “the yoga is bliss” (Grünwedel, 1933, p. 117). If a 12- or 16-year-old girl cannot be found, a 20-year-old will suffice, advises another text, and continues, “One should offer his sister, daughter or wife to the ‘guru’”, then the more valuable the mudra is to the pupil, the more she serves as a gift for his master (Wayman, 1977, p. 320)." So basically they are given, not sold to the guru. This is still slavery for the young girl.
http://www.iivs.de/~iivs01311/SDLE/Part-1-03.htm
The Kalachakra Tantra urges the yogi to render the mudra pliant with intoxicating liquor: “Wine is essential for the wisdom consort [prajna]. ... Any mudra at all, even those who are still not willing, can be procured with drink” (Grünwedel, Kalacakra III, p. 147). It is only a small step from this to the use of direct force. There are also texts, which advise “that if a woman refuses sexual union she must be forced to do so” (Bhattacharyya, 1982, p. 125).
Also you have not produced a lama in specific. Only texts. Kalu Rinpoche is only alleged. Therefore it is not proven. June Campbell obviously did not have a good experience with her teacher. Do you believe that Kalu Rinpoche had a past life? Do you believe he said that? Do you believe June Campbell? Why do you believe June Campbell but you don't believe Tibetan Buddhist. Alleged.
Jeffrey
I believe June Campbell because I have dealt with gurus and their sex in the past, and I know how women are put down when they talk about their experiences. She had a lot of lose by speaking out because anyone who speaks out is put down, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=9356526887&topic=5757 here is another bad lama. most lamas will not get caught because their consort/s are sworn to secrecy and threatened if they do. and most women don't wish to expose themselves to ridicule by speaking out. plus it is very embarrassing and degrading to speak out unless you can go in a group. every woman i know that has spoken out was called a liar, mentally disturbed, or just wants fame. these three reasons for their speaking out are said by every group i have had contact with or been in.
This sounds close minded to me. You are not open to the idea that there are other teachers than your ex. Much like you would never be with another woman/man due to an ex. You are accepting that the book you read is the truth without further examining the question, which I think is due to a negative experience with your teacher.
Again I have asked my teacher because I have genuine concern and curiosity as to what she will say.
As far as the swearing to secrecy argument I could accuse anyone of anyting and say they had sworn their victims to secrecy. I could accuse mother teresa of sexually abusing me and swearing me to secrecy.
If a man were to accuse a prominent woman of a sex scandal with them for example: hilary clinton, madonna, the princess of england etc... they would also be criticized. That is circumstantial rather than indicating a causal link.
It appears it is to slander Buddhism.
I look forward to your answer.
Dear Lama Shenpen,
I've thought about this more and I decided that if I thought that my activity were causing a harmful act to young woman I would have to cease my behaviour. But I don't myself know what is going on. My dealings with the sangha I am proud of. I have received teachings and friendship that is good. If there is negative activity going on which I don't know about it would not cease should I leave. I think that I don't practice Tibetan Buddhism rather I practice buddhism.
Thank you and sorry I dumped this on you but I felt I couldn't resolve it.
Sincerely,
Jeff
There was a time in the US when to discuss child abuse and child rape in the context of domestic abuse was taboo. I remember when that began to change. At first I thought, "Why bring this up for public discussion? eewww, how unpleasant!" (Forgive me, I was young at the time.) Now, of course, it's clear that breaking this taboo, bringing public awareness to the issue, enacting policies, laws, police training, etc. was a giant act of compassion. Would we deny this same compassion and rescue to the boy novices who get molested or raped on a weekly basis for years? Or to the girls who end up as sexual sacrifice to medieval rituals?
In my case I am not in the ideal position to address this. I think I have done what I can to ask my lama directly if she knows anything about this. I could check out those books, but I wouldn't for the same reason that I would not read books about theories on the Kennedy assassination (thats a funny word did I spell right?
I agree that if there is anything I can personally do to prevent abuse then I should do that. In fact I would be more in a position to help if I stay in my sangha and observe then I would if I left the sangha only on the basis of allegations.
And I love person's point that TB (and other traditions) could be brought up to modern ethical standards--hear hear! Back during the theocracy, those in power weren't interested in ethics, they didn't have to be. But now that they have to live up to the laws and standards in the countries where the Tibetan diaspora finds itself, the day will hopefully come when certain improvements or modernizations will be made. Transparency is important, I'm not sure what that would do to the esoteric side of the practices.
I like the model of the Ch'an school in Taiwan, Fo Guang Shan. Their teachers study in Buddhist universities that require courses in professional ethics and psychology, as well as Buddhism and probably pedagogy (teaching techniques). And Taiwan is famous in the Buddhist world for ordaining women.
the guru system is really a system of authoritarianism. in this system there is a lot of corruption because power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts.
i am reading an article in the tricycle magazine on a book titled: American Veda, which follows the beginnings of Hinduism in the west and its demise. it fell apart in the west because people learned that the gurus were interested in sex and money. people left the monasteries in droves. even the vedanta society in america isn't holding up. my own guru there said that people were dying off and no one was coming into the organization. when i saw the corruption, even i left. i watched many leave. the gurus there had consorts, and i didn't realize this until i learned from a female neurologist that treated the nuns. and then i had to learn other things for myself. i saw many women leaving, and what i got from the gurus was that they were liars and mentally disturbed. i saw the same in other moments that other friends were in. it was all hushed up, and people that stayed didn't believe that their guru was doing or had done wrong.
when i learned that tibetan buddhism also had consorts and that sex was built into the teachings of meditation, i left my new teacher. i should have done more research when i began, before i took refuge.
i have been in other groups that had the same problems, not just the vedanta society.
what i am saying is that tibetan buddhism may not hold up due to the same reasons that hinduism in the west fell.
now in tibet the chinese won't allow children to join the monastery. you have to be 21 i believe, and they come and check out the monasteries, and if they find photos of the dalai lama they take them out. this came from the book, waiting for the dalai lama. this is good that the chinese government is doing this, but still the chinese government has been cruel to the people, killing many, etc.
the commentary i have on the kalachakra tantra was written by a lama who had lived in tibet, who taught these tantras there. Here is his life:
http://dbc.dharmakara.net/GNDBiography.html
If anyone, his student text should tell you how this teaching is taught, and it does. And so when he writes that you visualize a 12 year old girl, fondling her breasts, then you know that they actually like young girls, and in later initiations, the highest, the monks get a real consort, and these consorts are young women. it doesn't matter that people marry young in tibet, what matters is that they are offered to the lamas in a ceremony, and the young girls have no choice in the matter. alcohol is also used in these ceremonies. i think this is despicable, and so now this teaching comes to the u.s. and lamas choose young women as consorts, as the one lama did with june campbell.
i do not slander buddhism. i am telling you the truth about tibetan buddhism. that is not slander. i have high respect for theravada and zen, along with chan. but any teacher that harms a student in any of these groups i have no respect for. i do not respect any tantra teachings because they were not taught by buddha and if they were i would not have respect for buddha.
And by the way, I was the OP and what you're talking about was not the intent of my post. My post was about an isolated temple where individual monks were acting illegally.
OK, so Vinlyn, you're saying we hijacked your thread. You wanted to stick to the situation in Thailand. Thanks for clarifying. Thao, if you want to continue your topic, you may start a new thread.
P.S. Thao: the Hevajra Tantra of the Sakyas requires the use (or visualization of) a 10-year old girl.
compassionate_warrior, thanks for your post. sorry to hear that children are still entering the monasteries. yes, using visualizaton of a ten year old and if you have taken the highest tantras you get the real thing. sad but true.
I think there is some truth to that, but by that argument we should not have any organization whatsoever in society. Anarchy would be best. Therefore one must not resort to simplistic thinking in these cases. Rather than deciding your behaviour based on a motto or slogan people must examine real world situations and determine what is true.
Just as not all of Thai buddhism is reflected in one temple.... so too not all of people's experience with Tibetan buddhism represented in one author.
Regarding harming people I do not wish to harm others either. I find your generalizations harmful. For example if a person whos name had started with a T had harmed me I would not conclude that Thao was also harmful.
Are you saying the Dalai Lama is a rapist? Have any prominent Theravadan teachers corroborated that HHDL is a rapist? If not then why have they not? Do they not also have access to amazon.com? And google?
Do you believe that Buddha taught all of the things he knew? Do you believe that the dharma can be added to by students of the Buddha?