Responses to our Emails

In regards to our email to teachers teaching at Rigpa centres in 2018

In late 2017, we sent an email signed by over 20 Rigpa students to teachers listed as teaching in Rigpa centres in 2018. In this Letter to Rigpa Teachers_ we asked that they break the silence and address the beliefs in Rigpa that allowed the abuse to flourish and be covered up for decades. We list below the teachers who either failed to respond or failed to give an adequate response. 

Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche

Her secretary replied saying that Jetsun Khandro had been concerned with the recent events and she wanted us to know that she held the Rigpa Sangha members in her heart and prayers. She also said that Rinpoche hoped to address some of the issues when teaching at Rigpa with the aim of provding support to the Rigpa community.
In her reply she said nothing about the inappropriateness of Sogyal’s behaviour, and we have no record of what she actually said when she taught at Lerab Ling, as it wasn’t made public.

Her comments on abuse tend to be contradictory. She appears to favour the ‘education is required’ approach of Dzongsar Khyentse.
https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2013/05/21/use-common-sense-khandro-rinpoche-about-sexual-abuse-by-buddhist-teachers-in-the-tibetan-buddhist-tradition/

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

Thanked us for reaching out to him, and said that he had been holding the Rigpa sangha in his prayers. He said nothing about the inappropriateness of Sogyal’s behaviour.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

No reply

Khamtrul Rinpoche

No reply

Philippe Cornu

No reply

Alain Beauregard

No reply

Christine Longaker

No reply

Pascale Tanant

No reply


In regards to our email request for a statement – sent to ethnic Tibetan lamas

In early November 2018, we sent an email signed by over 100 students and ex-students of Tibetan Buddhism to as many ethnic lamas as we could find email addresses for requesting them to make a statement for this blog. We included a Tibetan translation of the letter by the 8 once-close students of Sogyal Lakar and the Lewis Silken report confirming the abuse, and sent the email in Tibetan.

We asked them to: “Please read the translated letter and send us your statement in reply to this question: Do you think the behaviour of Sogyal Lakar/Rinpoche as described in the 2017 letter by 8 close students and confirmed by the Lewis Silkin Report is ever an acceptable way for Tibetan Buddhist teachers to behave towards their students?”

Click here to read the full email to the lamas.

Below are the names of lamas who haven’t replied. 

If your teacher is on this list as listed with no reply, please encourage them to send us a paragraph or two that makes their position on abuse by varjayana teachers clear.
Or they can simply answer the following question:
Do you think the behaviour of Sogyal Lakar/Rinpoche as described in the 2017 letter by 8 close students and confirmed by the Lewis Silkin Report is ever an acceptable way for Tibetan Buddhist teachers to behave towards their students?”

Khandro Rinpoche

Dzogchen Rinpoche

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche

Khenchen Pema Sherab Rinpoche

Lama Gyume Rinpoche

Ratna Vajra Rinpoche

Rabjam Rinpoche

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche

HH Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

HH Sakya Trizin

Patrul Rinpoche

Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche

Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche

Kalu Rinpoche

Khenchen Pema Sherab

Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche

Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche

Garchen Rinpoche

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

HH Gyalwang Drukpa

Ling Rinpoche

Bardor Tulku Rinpoche

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche:

Thrangu Rinpoche

Tai Situ Rinpoche

Dungsey Gyetrul Rinpoche

Dolpu Tulku Rinpoche

His Eminence Khochhen Rinpoche

Dagyab Rinpoche

Zong Rinpoche

Khensur Rinpoche

Geshe Tsultrim

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

HH Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

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