Scandal: Shambhala's "cult" of sex abuse

Editors, Wisdom Quarterly; Wendy Joan Biddlecombe Agsar, Tricycle, Aug. 23, 2018

I can't believe you took me to this creepy cult. - I can't believe I gave them money.

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First, is Shambhala a "cult"? In what way is it not a cult -- with a sexually abusive guru hoarding money and property, misleading people to believe he's enlightened, and "acting out" in an abuse of power and privilege, being worshipped by duped followers? That's what has been alleged. How much better is it now? The abusive guru, son of the previous abusive guru, has threatened to come back and resume teaching, so the religion's (because it calls itself "Shambhala Buddhism" not Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism) rock star member, writer and nun Pema Chodron, has stepped down. And she's not the only one. But what are the guru and high up cult members accused of doing?

Report reveals new sexual assault allegations against Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Vermont Buddhists face their own MeToo moment in 2018 due to Mipham (vtdigger.org)

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New accusers come forward to allege misconduct by the Shambhala leader, who stepped aside from teaching duties last month, in a third report by Buddhist Project Sunshine.

Buddhist Project Sunshine, an advocacy group that has exposed allegations of sexual misconduct at Shambhala International, has issued a new report with accusations of abuse from three more former members.

The main accuser, referred to by the pseudonym “Ann” [Ani?] in the report, declined to speak with Tricycle about her accusations. Lawyers for Shambhala, [sex cult leader] Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and the governing body known as the Kalapa Council did not return emails seeking comment.

• [Shortly after this article was published, Shambhala International issued a forceful rebuttal of the allegations. See update below.]

It's not bad when I do it. I'm the king.

Previous reports released by Buddhist Project Sunshine (BPS) in June and February [2018], respectively, have launched Shambhala’s #MeToo movement and forced Shambhala to respond to what they called “abhorrent sexual behavior” in the organization—both from the Sakyong and other leaders—as more and more anonymous claims were published.

The Shambhala leader stepped down from his teaching and administrative roles last month after accusations that he locked a woman in a bathroom in Chile surfaced. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche has also resigned from his trustee seat at Naropa University and as Naropa’s lineage holder pending the outcome.

In July, all nine members of Shambhala’s governing Kalapa Council have announced that they will step aside because they “need to dissolve to make order for real change.” 

Don't bother me, I'm in seclusion and seeking counseling or something. Go away.

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Wickwire Holm, a Halifax, Nova Scotia-based law firm, is looking into the claims, and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche has said that he “fully supports” the investigation, which is also addressing institutional cover up.

Buddhist Project Sunshine was started by Andrea Winn, a leadership coach and second-generation Shambhalian who says she was forced out of her Toronto sangha in 2000 after disclosing that she had been abused in the organization as a child.

Earlier coverage: 

• Shambhala [leader] Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche accused of sexual abuse in new report
• Shambhala leaders step down after [sex] abuse allegations shake community
• Shambhala International owns up to past abuse, but what comes next remains unclear

In the report released today [Aug. 23, 2018], Carol Merchasin, a retired employment lawyer who offered her expertise to BPS to investigate the claims and who completed several levels of Shambhala training in the 1980s, recounts Ann’s experiences: More