2011-07-17
It is time to end the silence of victims, to prevent future casualties, and to bring justice to this deplorable situation
© Anonymous comments to “Sexual abuses disclosed by the media only the tip of the iceberg”, July 9, 2011 2:43 AM
Regarding the brainwashing "from the beginning" to treat the teacher as a Buddha, I have done some research. The conclusion of my research is that this is a false teaching aimed at setting the stage for manipulation and abuse of students. Many knowledgeable people I've discussed this with have said that revering the guru as Buddha, what is called "Guru Yoga", is done ONLY at the highest level of practice, in Highest Yoga Tantra. Students of Buddhism in beginning or intermediate levels of study and practice who encounter a teacher that tells them to regard the teacher as a Buddha, should RUN from that teacher. I post this because this information needs to get out to followers of Buddhism.
Dharma students need to have a correct understanding of the teacher-student relationship, so that they can identify false and dangerous teachers. My experience is only as a student in group environments, and in such circumstances, no teacher has ever said to regard them as a Buddha. Maybe this problem is more prone to occur when students are seeing a teacher privately, I don't know. RE: being threatened with hell to maintain silence after a sexual assault: this is why there needs to be a support network established for victims of "lama abuse". Victims need to be given emotional support, referred to therapeutic resources, and encouraged to file criminal charges. There is no hell, except the personal hell one experiences by keeping the terrible secret hidden inside. Psychologically, this is very dangerous. Acknowledging the trauma and speaking about it are important to regain psychological well-being. Furthermore, by maintaining the silence, abused women are only enabling the lama to continue his unethical and criminal behavior. It is time to end the silence, in order to prevent future casualties, and to bring justice to this deplorable situation. If these incidents take place in the West, filing criminal charges is easier than in India, where the judicial system works very slowly, and a case can take many years to reach a conclusion. After criminal charges are filed, a report can be given to the news media. We all need to work together to empower women to denounce their attackers. Better yet, educate women about the dangers of Tibetan Buddhism, and about a correct student-teacher relationship so that these problems can be avoided, and educate the public about the carefully hidden agenda in Tibetan Buddhist practice.
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http://downthecrookedpath-meditation-gurus.blogspot.com/2011/07/venerable-tenpa-bejanke-duim-interview.html
ReplyDeleteYou will want to copy this article for your blog. Josey
If we study deeper in orthodox Buddhism, there is no such thing as "Guru Yoga" whatsoever, this is pure imaginary term. On the other hand, perhaps it does exist in the Highest Yoga Tantra, that is Trantrism, not Buddhism.
ReplyDeleteThe information regarding "treat the teacher..." was what I got from my schoolmate's own experience, she stayed in Tibetan "Buddhism" for more than 6 years. Among her then female classmates, many were raped by her then rinpoche. Thinking of what she had disclosed, I have tears even now when I write this comment.