Sex, Lies & Abuse in Shambhala

An update to our recent expose on Shambhala - here is the most recent blog post from Chris Chandler, Author of Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Recently, I have been receiving comments on my last post,  “Divide and Conquer’  suggesting that it was the mental state of the person and her CAT story  that caused it to be removed from Facebook, and because it “couldn’t be corroborated.”

Couldn’t be corroborated by the same inner circle;  same people who have enabled the sexual abuse for the last forty years and counting?

So, now comes  the ‘crazy neurotic woman’ defense of the perpetrators and enablers. The usual one. I realize there are a lot of aspects to this CAT story.   I also know, having been inside this group,  that  I shudder at the thought of what it must have done to your mental state to be one of Trungpa’s seven wives .

All of his other six wives and their mental states should be questioned for still keeping the secrets.  In fact every one’s mental state , who is still in this cult, after what has been revealed about their leaders and their inner circle in Shambhala, should be evaluated,  if they aren’t running  for the exit and shouting “No More!”

What about the mental state of all the parents in this group, that let  their own children be sexually groomed, their fellow cult members be sexually exploited on a massive scale,  and their leader keep a harem of seven wives, illegally, while his Regent infected his students with AIDS, one of them dies,  and they never even think to  go to the police? What kind of group mental state is THAT?
That is the question that should be asked.

Of course, the CAT story couldn’t be corroborated. Who, part of that inner circle of Trungpa’s who were there,  during the most ‘secret part’ of his Tantric teachings on ‘no good-no bad’; his most deeply cult-controlled members, who formally vowed to him and the group  to  ‘never reveal the secrets of the Vajrayana or may I shrink up and rot” are going to support her?  Or corroborate her story?

I took that vow; they all take that vow, and unless some other brave soul tells the truth, which is now unlikely, this requires an investigation at the level of what is happening with the Catholic Church,  whose members are clearly not as mentally disturbed nor cult-controlled as those in  these guru-worshiping groups, like Shambhala International. THAT is the big difference between the sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and in these Tibetan Lamaist cults like Shambhala.  The Catholics actually go to the police. Shambhala’s abuse, it should be clear by now, requires an outside investigation, just as the Catholic Church.

My article is not about the person who blew the whistle on Trungpa ( as great a ‘sin’ in their group as mine is for writing a book about him and all of them and so we must be destroyed, defamed, smeared and made unimportant)  it is about how these Tibetan Lamas ALWAYS are let off the hook, because of their very large enabling system;  that always surrounds them.  Bigger than just their own overarching hierarchy of control. They were allowed to become a ‘Buddhist’ mega church that has now enfolded the other Buddhist streams into their net of influence because of other Buddhist groups, like Zen and Theravada, and their own greedy collusion with the mindfulness movement.   A mega-billion corporate movement ‘too big to fail’  simply because of the egregious abuses of its founder, Chogyam Trungpa.

The much bigger question is not about this CAT story of the author,  but why the very well-documented, sexual grooming of young girls,  sexual abuse of women and illegal harem keeping of women, in not one, but two of the major Tibetan ‘Buddhist’ centers, Lama Sogyal of Rigpa,  and now Trungpa’s group, Shambhala/ Vajradhatu,  have been allowed off the hook and then off  the radar again and again,  while the Catholic Church is being destroyed. Granted, their own sexual abuses are abhorrent, but not written into and justified by the Vajrayana Tantric Teachings themselves.   And, the Catholics are demanding criminal action.

Why are Lamaist and Hindu guru groups of Tantric Vajrayana, the new replacement falsely-named ‘secular religion’ for Judaeo-Christianity,   being allowed to handle their ‘institutionalized’ abuse in-house, AGAIN. That is the question uppermost in my mind these days."

Link to Christine Chandlers Blog: https://extibetanbuddhist.com/sex-lies-and-abuse-in-shambhala/

The Buddhist Project Sunshine Phase 3 Final Report:

http://andreamwinn.com/project_sunshine/Buddhist_Project_Sunshine_Phase_3_Final_Report.pdf

In addition, here is a recent email we've received from the Expose we published about Shambhala:

"I was deeply disturbed to read the account from one of Chogynam Trungpa Rinpoche's wives about animal cruelty. In the same post (May 7, 2018), it is stated: "In addition, we have included another personal account of explicit animal abuse committed by Rinpoche written by John Riley Perks in his book, The Mahāsiddha and His Idiot Servant." Unfortunately, the resolution of the photo is too poor to read the text and the book appears to be long out of print. Do you know where I could find a higher-resolution image or a text excerpt of the passage? I had been planning on joining the Shambhala community and attending some retreats until the recent abuse allegations broke, and now I feel like I may have dodged a bullet. It seems like a lot of people are trying to say that the current abuse committed by the Sakyong is not indicative of the values of the organization, but the more I read, the worse it gets. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
XXXX

We replied with further reading materials and evidence for this person and her response was:

"Thanks so much for the documents. I think it's fair to say that I will not be getting involved with Shambhala.

I was introduced to them through Pema Chodron's books (my therapist recommended them; I hear Oprah is also a fan). I had some doubts about CTR's "crazy wisdom" methods, but it seems like everyone, including Chodron, continue to be apologists for his behavior, even 30+ years later. I thought that I could overlook the alcoholism and cocaine use and bigamy by viewing him as a deeply troubled human being (aren't we all, to an extent) but still a great teacher with deep wisdom, but now he looks more like a charlatan who surrounded himself with people who still believe to this day that they can't say a bad word about him without violating their samaya vows and being sent to vajra hell. 

Thanks for the work that you do to make information available about these organizations. I naively thought that the Catholic church held the monopoly on clergy abuse. I am looking forward to reading the third installment of the Project Sunshine report that is due out later this month.

Sincerely,

XXXX"

Thank you,
The FACT Team

Gang Related Trafficking, Stalking and Manipulation.

We've been receiving a higher than usual number of complaints and emails for support regarding
gang related stalking, trafficking, intimidation and manipulation. Several individuals and families are reaching out for help.

Here are just a couple of recent reports we've received:

"Real social dynamics in Los Angeles is trafficking women and gang stalking them while covertly using their social media and stolen cell phone data to covertly sexually groom, manipulate, and condition women and also lure them out of their homes. They are an underground mafia based on fight club who has chapters of people doing illegal things internationally like millions of men who are sexist and far right connected to white supremacy and the proud boys/oath keeps. I worked for them for a while online from my home in XXXX and when they didn’t pay me after a year and a half I stopped working for them. Well they’ve started gang stalking me and threatening me while trying to lure me out of my home to possibly rape me. I’m not sure but I am informing every authority in California of this gang activity and abuse movement towards women. I didn’t know about he abuse I was working with them to try to counteract their bad behavior and cause I seriously need to make money to support my disabled child... they were getting. Kicked out of countries for bad and sexist behavior and I was tying to help as I thought it could be a win win but it turns out they really are criminals and rape rings and traffickers! Already filed another report with LAPD, The FBI, Human Trafficking, and the Bel Air PD. They are also affiliated with the oath keepers which is an anti government organization."

"Hello. I'm a full time father I have 4 kids an a finance. For the past 6 years we have been monitored by a cult. We live in Anaheim Ca. I've figured it out an I am very certain that it is a cult who manipulates Christian faith an black magic. They have been trying to break us apart for years. I believe they are going after my kids. We've been poisoned. Threatened. They lured us to home an different living situations. They have all of our personal information. Now we are stuck in a hotel. Where the maids an mangers are part of it. They sneak in our room when we leave to cast spells an poison are food an drinks. The do death stress letting us know when they are around. Honk there horns abruptly. They knock an pound on our walls. Constantly trying to out us in dress to break us down an our immune system. Then poison us. I feel they are after my kids. Some are people of higher power. Policeman an landlords. I'm looking for help. We need out an far away from this location. It's gotten to the point my oldest daughter notices."

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service wrote an abstract about this titled, Comparison of Cults and Gangs: Dimensions of Coercive Power and Malevolent Authority.

Here's a portion of that abstract and the link to the full report:

 
"Groups regarded as "cults" have much in common with groups regarded as "gangs" in modern American society. They are similar in that both groups restrict members' exercise of freedom in thought and belief; both demand unquestioning obedience from their members; both have self-appointed authoritarian leaders; and once persons join both types of groups, they tend to undergo certain predictable personality changes. Cults, like gangs, fall in the realm of deviance, and both types of groups encourage members to become situationally dependent on the "group identity." Both gangs and cults recruit members based on the human need to be accepted and be a part of a group that will affirm personal significance. The primary difference between cults and gangs is that cults have as their axial principle of organization some spiritual/religious/ideological belief system; gangs, on the other hand, are commonly perceived to have no such well-developed belief system. Further, gangs are more sinister in terms of the use of violence against their own members and those outside the gang. Disobedience in a cult occasions much less severe discipline, and violence against non-cult members is not common behavior for cult members."

Link to Full abstract: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=179055 
 

The FACT Team 

Divide and Conquer Strategies

This blog post by Chris Chandler, Author of Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism, speaks volumes about Divide and Conquer Strategies that cults use to manipulate their members.  

"They are able to get to members still inside or almost out of this group, Shambhala/Vajradhatu,  because it is a group that is glued to each other socially and psychologically, since they were teens and young adults ( or toddlers)  and there are few ‘survivors’ of this muddle of social groupthink.   They will not go to the police. They have been taught not to believe in western laws, ethics, or western authority.   Only their  ‘sacred truths’ are real."

Read her full article Here 

These Divide and Conquer Strategies are very common in high control, high demand groups and cults such as Shambhala, Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses and many others.

The FACT Team

More Information on Shambhala International and Tiebetan Buddism

"Recently FACT, Families Against Cult Teachings, has published a Four-Part Series, Exposing the Shambhala and Naropa Cults, on their Facebook Page.

This is one of the few Anti-Cult sites who actually are exposing Shambhala International and Naropa Institute as a dangerous cult and cult recruiting college.

They also have a closed support group for those who wish to discuss without the usual Establishment Buddhist Swamp censoring what can be said about Buddhist cult leaders still on their protected list.
FACT  has taken on the Mother Lode Cult of Tibetan Buddhism, indirectly, by going after Shambhala International, the worst of the sexual abusing  Tibetan Lamaist groups,  and Naropa Institute, administered and/or staffed by SI cult members or graduates of Naropa or Buddhists who have drunk the Tantric  Kool-Aid.  No one would be allowed to teach here, if they hadn’t bought into groupthink and Tantra. So, of course, the cult members of Shambhala and Naropa are doing everything they can to demean this Anti-cult site, (as they are trying to do with my book) by deflating its ratings.  Their continued livelihoods depend on keeping a positive image of these two groups that overlap. Or they get to the whistle blowers, and make them crazy, again. Whispering in their ears, creating a whirlwind of confusion. Tibetan Tantra and particularly the Shambhala/Trungpa version never let’s anyone go, if they can help it."

Read the Full article and blog here:  https://extibetanbuddhist.com/cults-and-clergy/

We want to Thank Christine Chandler for all her hard work - helping victims, writing and sharing her stories and otherwise exposing the abuse and corruption she has witnessed first hand.

Thank you,

The FACT Team
Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc

How Do I Get My Family Out of a Cult?

If you are concerned about friends, loved ones or in general about those who are caught up in cults, high demand groups etc, it has been talked about by experts in the field of mind control and cults that it is extremely important to stimulate Thought Provoking Dialogue when talking to someone about their involvement.

In many cases the cult is aware that the member will receive opposition from their family and loved ones. It’s their modus operandi to use this opposition to further trap the member. They will often paint the opposition as evil and use it to distant the member from outside influence.

As you’re educating yourself and figuring out what to do, here are some suggestions of actions to avoid, which will give your strategy the best chance of working, and prevent you from alienating the person your attempting to help.

Don't say, "You're in a cult. You're brainwashed." 

 

Consider how you would react to being told something like that. You'd probably get angry, offended and put on the defense. Try to remain calm regarding your reservations about the group/leader/church, until you know more about it; and can discuss it, or think about it, logically.

Don't say, "You can't think for yourself, reason, or make decisions." 

 

This will only serve to make the member resent you—and it isn't true. While the group or leader may have temporarily interfered with the member's ability to reason about it, the member CAN STILL THINK. The whole purpose of "exit counseling" or an intervention-type conversation is to get the member to critically think for themselves and start reasoning about the group / leader / person.

Don't argue with the person about beliefs, or criticize the church or its leaders in front of the member or in public. Although cliche, the old saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer!” warrants repeating here. If you must use examples, use examples of other groups, churches or "religions" to point things out, not their church or group as they are conditioned to defend themselves and their group no matter what. If you're a Jehovah's Witness who's under the radar talking to a current Jehovah's Witness try to use examples of say Scientology or other churches who use similar tactics or have similar policies to try and make your point. Maybe use news articles about other groups / churches on the same topics you want to point out to your friend or loved one.

Always strive to maintain a friendly, neutral position towards the group and any of its members you come into contact with while you formulate your research, thoughts and plan of action.

Don't be confrontational, aggressive, or antagonistic to the member you’re concerned about, or to any of the other cult members. Family members or friends who have ongoing problems with the member should not attempt to resolve those at this time. Family members who cannot be around the member without quarreling should stay away until the member's cult involvement has been addressed and dealt with. This is not the time for bringing up other issues. Doing so, will likely drive the member deeper into the cult.

In addition, don't give the member large sums of money, or relinquish trusts, bank accounts, titles or property deeds to a member. At this point, you may be the only thing standing between the member and their blowing resources they’ll need to get on with their lives once out.

Be their Ally. Listen, Don’t Judge:

Make it safe for them to talk, don't accuse, be judgmental, or put them on the defense. What they will likely be experiencing is called Cognitive Dissonance.

By becoming their ally, they will start to confide in you and provide you with the intel needed to help them get out of the cult.

 

If you are Not in touch anymore with your loved one or friend due to shunning / disconnection there are a few of things you can try. You always have the option to reach out to them and try and rekindle the relationship. You can draft a letter, email or text saying something like:

“Dear xxxx,

I am sorry we’ve had difficulties understanding each other. You’re beliefs and religious views are your own and I’ve learned I need to respect those. You are a very smart person and have the right to your beliefs and viewpoints. I apologize for not understanding that sooner. My intention is not to condemn you, argue with you or otherwise push you away. I care about our relationship and you more than anything else. Can you please forgive my lack of understanding regarding this? I only care about restoring our relationship. If you are happy, I will support your decisions and am happy for you.”

In other words, you have the choice to eat crow and do whatever it may take to restore your relationship. For some it may be worth a try.

Three years ago we came up with a campaign to help people help others critically think about their involvement with groups and churches. This campaign was created as postcard mailers for a few reasons: 

1. It's more cost effective to mail

2.They can be mailed anonymously, if needed.

3.There is no mail to open, the person receiving it is alot more likely to read it and receive the message rather than having to open a letter. 

4. The mailers do not target any specific or active group/church. They were designed to provide Thought Provoking content for the receiver who is likely in "tunnel vision" and or "undue influence about their group/church. 

Here are the three postcard mailers. 

You can request your Free Postcard Mailers at Support@FamiliesAgainstCultTeachings.org  

Be sure to put in subject line "Postcard Mailers" and include your name and address in the email where we can send them to you. 

This information along with other resources are available on our website in our "Resource File" in pdf format. You can download it Here 

We can not do this work without your support and help, if you would like to help us in our efforts to continue supporting and advocating for victims and survivors please help us by making a donation towards our efforts, any amount is highly appreciated. $20 or $25 goes a long way to helping maintain our printing and mailing costs for the Free postcard campaign we offer to anyone who requests it. You can make your tax deductible donation https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fact

We wish everyone who is struggling to reunite with friends and family the very best in your efforts.
Stay Strong!

Thank you,

The FACT Team
Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc