Child abuse in Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries
By Lama Shree Narayan Singh
Newsweek, Sep. 2,
1996 , had carried a special report titled 'The World's Dirtiest Business –
What can be done to stop the Child-Sex Trade'. The article itself was titled
'Children for Sale'; the abstract reading 'A horrific crime in Belgium shocks
the world and serves as a grim reminder that the sexual exploitation of
children – some of them barely school age – is a global curse. What can be done
to stop it?' This was the question asked by Susan H. Greenberg. Belgians asked
as to how their prayers had gone unheard! The discovery of the bodies of two
young girls and two girls near death in Belgium , had shocked the conscience of
the world and resulted in an intense soul-searching followed by an
international outcry and campaign against paedophilia.
Few know that this scourge is rampant in Tibetan Buddhist
monasteries in India of His Holiness the XIVth. Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize
winner for 1988. During the last decade he has emerged as an icon of the
twentieth century, his charisma overshadowing any possible criticism of him,
even though valid, and the various institutions he governs or represents. The
international media has gone to the extent of terming him 'the face of
Buddhism' presenting him as the messiah of the new age!
The Tibetan Review, a
monthly magazine an organ of the Govt. of Tibet in exile, published from New
Delhi, interestingly has also focussed on this evil within the Tibetan context
in a telling book review on 'The Struggle for Modern Tibet – the autobiography
of Tashi Tsering' by Melvyn Goldstein, William Siebenschuh & Tashi Tsering,
published by M. E. Sharpe (NY & London 1997). Mr. John Billington, under
whom this writer has personally studied English in Darjeeling , imbibing also
the qualities of liberalism from him, writes in his review titled 'Helping
Tibetans to catch up with the 20th. century' , Tibetan Review April 1998, page
23, central column, para 1:
'Polyandry and the
peculiarly Tibetan mode of homosexuality were never a problem; in fact he is
grateful for the patronage bestowed on him by his homosexual monk-official
lover.'
Heinrich Harrer in Seven
Years in Tibet too states categorically that the monks in the Potala are
homosexual whilst also mentioning the terror of dob-dobs, the monk-thugs, in
Lhasa .
Recently a journalist
investigating the phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism, stumbled across some alarming
evidence concerning paedophilia in a Tibetan monastery. Not so long ago, a
young boy aged 7 had been inducted into a monastery directly under the Dalai
Lama in the hills of West Bengal . Amazingly he had himself insisted that he
had wanted to go to a monastery for further studies. The parents of the boy had
been naïve, even though closely associated with the monastery for many
generations, until the mystery was unraveled. The boy had stayed there for
about eight months and by the time he fled the monastery, he had been scarred
for life. Initially he had been extremely reticent about telling his parents concerning
what had happened. But slowly the truth had emerged.
The monastery he had
gone to was a den of vice, even though it claimed to be of the Gelugpa
persuasion – 'those who uphold virtue'. The Dalai Lama is the head of this
tradition!
What transpired is
briefly as follows: Every night the elder monks would entice the novice monks
away from their beds offering them sweets and then rape - sodomise -- them to
their hearts' content, overpowering any resistance the young ones would put up.
Throughout the nights the monastery would be filled with the subdued sobbing of
these unwilling victims of sexual lust. But there was nothing they could really
do about it as their parents had sent them there from afar with the hope that
they would be cared for well and taught the paths of virtue.
To prevent a full blown
scandal, the offending teenage monk was sent off to a sister monastery in
Kathmandu where such behaviour too is the norm.
This is
institutionalised as 'helenkos' in Afghan society where apparently certain
tribes gradually, through insertion of progressive larger pieces of rounded
wood into the rectum of young boys, prepare them for their mission later on in
life. In one interview published in a newspaper, an Afghan adult admitted that
he indulged himself in this way due to their sheer availability, due to the
separation of sexes in society. The report went on to state that invariably,
the adult would have his helenko get married to one of his daughters so that he
could remain in the family. Many such youngsters invariably develop rectal
incontinence, the report stated.
More often than not,
child abuse goes undetected primarily because of the hesitation of the victims
to be frank to their parents about it. Debonair April 1996 had carried an
in-depth analysis on this issue. Though focussing on heterosexual abuse, the
article titled INCEST – INHOUSE ABUSE deals with the matter very sensitively
and elaborating partly along the following lines.
Firstly, as is
well-known, children find it extremely difficult to tell their parents about
anything as personal and immediate as the violation of their bodies which they
do not understand in any case. Secondly such behavior is not to be expected
from those who have been entrusted with their welfare and upbringing, be it
parents, relatives or mentors. It is a blatant breach of trust. Thirdly, it is
natural for the authorities to feign absolutely no knowledge of child-abuse.
Fourthly Tibetan society, as is well-known, is amazingly blind when it comes to
its beliefs in the Dharma and their Lamas who constitute an elite of
supra-mundane beings who can do no wrong and that too in spite of ever growing
evidence of their culpability.
It is even more amazing
that such people openly continue to wear robes, be called monks and continue
apparently as being so, even though the Vinaya or the Code of Ethics, as laid
down by the Buddha, prohibits penetrative intercourse of any type whatsoever and
provides for their immediate expulsion from the order.
Moreover from the
perspective of energy exchange, it is clear that the aggressive partner is
being downloaded with excretory energy from the passive. This enters his
central channel with wondrous results! This writer has noted with extreme
concern, the harmful changes in personality such encounters bring about amongst
active homosexuals! Anyone who tries to glorify homosexuality writing a kama
sutra adapted for such people, recently reviewed in Tricycle published from the
USA, needs to look deeply into the energy aspects of what he might be intending
to promote.
This writer has also
come to know about what is referred to as 'the peculiarly Tibetan mode of
homosexuality' mentioned in the review above. In fact, it forms the rite of
passage into the noviceate. Fortunately the process is non-penetrative and
could be termed as a sophisticated form of masturbation where the gap between
the groins serves as the make-believe. This can also take the form of mutual
gratification through an interchange in the missionary position!
In fact it is said in
these monasteries that one must practise this to be and remain a 'good monk'.
The young are invariably abused and receive favors of various kinds from their
active partners in the form of cash and so on becoming de facto 'monastic sex
workers'.
Practitioners of this
art trace their heritage back to a rather naughty monk called Charkha, as the
Tibetans refer to him, during the time of the historic Buddha himself. The
Buddha however, had refused to condone this and had included it as one of the
principle infractions in the Discipline for Monks. Masturbation has been
incorporated as the first of the Thirteen Lhag-mas, which require automatic
expulsion after the third offence. Sex being such a fundamental human drive, it
is only natural to expect that each and every monk could not possibly be purely
celibate. Males are naturally aggressive as is well known.
This practice, termed
"monks' custom", between consenting adults however, seems to have
existed in Tibet from the days of the Buddhist founding fathers. It is not
known as to when children were inducted into this phenomenon although it could
be fairly early in its history considering the tremendous sexual appeal
pre-adolescent boys seemingly exude as their hormones become more and more
active.
Authentic Masters
however, have through the centuries, spared no effort to decry this
malpractice. However, they have succeeded in doing little to curb it for
obvious reasons. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche openly spoke out against it. The
XVIth Gyalwang Karmapa when asked, pensively replied that during these
degenerate times, it is considered sufficient if a monk could keep inviolate
his Five Principal Vows. It is known however that 'monastic homosexuality'
became actually institutionalized with the advent of the reformed Gelugpa
movement of Je Tsongkhapa in the fifteenth century. Even so, penetration oral
or anal, has always constituted a breach of the monk's vow of celibacy and
openly discouraged!
In fact esoteric
teachings of any tradition invariably stress the presevation of what is termed
the 'bindu'. It is said concerning the previous Sangjay Nyenpa Rinpoche of the
Karma Kagyu Bheng-chhen Monastery, that due to his strict celibacy, a glow
could be seen in his third eye chakra. For success in the practices of the Six
Yogas of Naropa in particular and for Vajrayana practises in general, the
preservation of one's 'bindu' is a pre-requisite.
This writer has himself
been witness to one pathetic incident a few years ago in a particularly
well-known monastery in Nepal, in which one night, a young monk aged 8 was
being physically hauled by none other than the Monk in-charge of Discipline.
The boy in his undergarments, had kept on pleading to be released whilst his
young roommate helplessly watched on. There was nothing this writer could have
done as the entire episode took place in front of one of the high Lamas of that
monastery, who merely chuckled over the incident.
As they grow up some
adolescent monks begin to pair off; such adult 'couples' sharing their joys and
sorrows as they age together within the monastic system, are not uncommon.
Others merely contribute to the perpetration of this vicious cycle! In all
fairness it must be stated that the more sincere amongst them, as they grow in
the practice and understanding of the Dharma, veer away from indulging in
themselves.
The manner in which they
accost each other is through an innocuous handshake in which the would-be
active partner will tickle the palm of his desire with his forefinger. The
other, should he acquiesce, would tighten his grip; should he not, merely
release his hand, look away and go his own way.
In conclusion, it needs
to be stated that such compulsive behaviour is reprehensible and punishable
under the penal codes of most civilized societies. Even worse is that the Dalai
Lama has never taken the initiative to stop it, being content to brush it under
the carpet for expediency!
What is amazing is the
incredible veneer of respectability monks of the Tibetan plateau exude and are
thus able to literally fool millions of people throughout the world. In brief,
it must be emphasized that any culture or sub-culture which fails to protect
its young needs to be relegated to its place in history. Modern society has no
place for this. This is a message which must be sent loud and clear to the
Dalai Lama.
The United Nations High
Commission on Human Rights and various NGO-s are hereby urged to investigate
this seriously and punish as many offenders as possible even though a personage
such as the Dalai Lama be involved and implicated in such goings on. The world
needs to tell this Nobel Peace Prize winner that hence it refuses to
acknowledge him and his compatriot 'monks' as monks within the tradition of the
Buddha!
This is in direct
contrast with the stance taken by Pope John Paul II in the recent past. He has
openly condemned the sexual abuse by Catholic priests of their charge. Many
priests have been taken to court and forced to resign their positions! Clearly
winds of reform are blowing through the Roman Catholic world, even as the Holy
Tibetan Buddhist Empire of the Dalai Lama begins to disintegrate with the
expose of one scam after another, stagnant as it is, clinging on to dead wood!
The inscrutable Dalai
Lama clearly belongs to an anachronistic, obscurantist and medieval past where
whatever he said was the law irrespective of the merit inherent in his
statements and deeds. The modern world demands transparency and that its
spiritual leaders actively live up to the ideals professed by them or at the
very least not be hypocritical. At least Osama bin Laden is honest about his
aims.
He knows now that he can
no longer order that an opponent be liquidated simply by his wishing it to
happen and/or paying for it! He and his devout followers must now also curtail
their misguided use of tantra to get rid of and torture those who openly oppose
him.
The modern world has
become more of a level playing field where his idiosyncrasies are tolerated to
the extent that they are not known by the ordinary person! People particularly
in the west have been thoroughly fooled by his amiability for the simple reason
they do not understand Asia-craft! And if he finds himself incapable of
contributing meaningfully to the Buddhist world as is becoming increasingly
evident, he should take sannyasa from his supposed God-kingship and be done
with it.
Of what use is the gala
show called the Kalachakra Initiation, due Jan 2003, when conducted by a person
who has himself, given the above, committed endless breaches of the samaya
covenants specifically concerning the Karmapa Imbroglio and the schism he has
himself fostered in the Buddhist sangha causing immense suffering -- all in the
name of Buddhism!
What blessings are
expected to flow from one such?
Would it not be yet
another instance of the blind leading the blind?
Would it not be better
then, were he to immerse himself in social service, exchanging himself with
others, practising the qualities he eloquently writes about in all his books,
and thus become a worthy recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize like Mother Teresa!
'Taala'i Lama – are
you listening?' | 
No comments:
Post a Comment