“A true hero is not measured by the size of his strength, but by the size of his heart” –Hercules
“The bodhisattva who is malicious, violent, unhappy, and addicted to malice and lust, undergoes many kinds of faults. These faults destroy (the bodhisattva) oneself, destroys [the happiness of] other beings, and destroy ethical discipline and conduct.”–Ornament of the Mayahana Sutras
” Without the opposing antidotes to pleasure-seeking out of attachment and desire, the negative and destructive physical, verbal and mental conduct will increase. Due to pleasure-seeking and the mind that wants harm, other afflictive emotions will also increase and flourish. It will cause the arisal of infinite faults and dangers, both now and in the future.” –Je Taranatha in Hundred Blazing Lights Kālacakra commentary
A few days ago, I was sent a copy of a monastery letter composed in July 2018 detailing the alleged serious misconduct and misuse of funds that led to the sacking (and effectively cutting off of all ties and funds ) of the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche from his Samdrup Darcha Choling monastery in Sonada, Darjeeling, founded by his predecessor. I visited this monastery in 2018, and have to say it did seem to be in a rather rundown state (as claimed in the letter).
As those will know who follow and read my work on this website, I (and others) have had serious doubts about the honesty, conduct and qualifications of the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche for various reasons (which I list below), particularly connected to his questionable treatment of women, and the blatant commercial use and misuse of sacred Vajrayana teachings of Niguma Yoga for personal financial profit,fame and name, as well as his samsaric, hedonistic social media posts.
I briefly wrote about my experience of the Niguma Yoga teachings I attended in Bhutan and India in 2022 after I had visited and spoken at a Vajrayana conference there. Ironically, at that time, I was unaware of all these issues with Kalu Rinpoche (other than that he as a survivor of sexual abuse by monastics and had spoken out about it). After discovering these issues, I wrote an update contained in the article. At that time, I was also unaware that Kalu Rinpoche, like Dilgo Khyentse yangsi (whose sister is Kalu Rinpoche’s first ex wife, Mingyur Paldron) had also previously been sacked by his monastery for misconduct, misuse and misappropriation of monastic funds, property, selling sacred relics and worse, withholding funds so that the monastics were unable to eat food and get basic resources.
The Buddhist woman who sent me the monastery letter information, told me that she had been interested in following Kalu Rinpoche but after he posted a photo of himself bringing the first Porsche car into Bhutan recently, and his obsessive posting images and videos of himself showing off his body working out in a gym, had led her to question his authenticity and qualifications to be a Buddhist teacher and feeling disappointed, she said:
“The fact that a Rinpoche, should bring the first EV Porsche to Bhutan, a black Porsche Taycan (c. 100k Euros), shows that he is not only corrupt himself, but also has the potential to corrupt others with his influence.”
She then mentioned the monastery sacking letter, which is published online here and below.
I was saddened (but sadly not surprised) when I read the serious allegations, such as misuse of monastic funds, theft and selling of precious sacred objects and relics at very low prices, and barring the bank account so monastics could not even get food provisions during a 100 million Mani retreat. Considering the legitimate concerns about other misconduct and the legitimacy of Kalu Rinpoche’s lineage even now, it is in the public interest to publish it. The Bodhisattva way is also exposing lies, corruption and protecting others from mass deception and corruption by religious figures. As a legal disclaimer, I do not know if the contents in this letter are true or not, and am merely reporting its existence.
See letter and other details below. May this report be of benefit in protecting beings and the Dharma teachings from harm and corruption! May it lead those who misuse the teachings, and abuse women or children to be quickly stopped and brought onto the path.
Music? Rebel Without a Pause by Public Enemy , Bossy by Kelis, Love Game by Lady Gaga, and .Instant Karma by John Lennon.
The monastery letter sacking 2nd Kalu Rinpoche in 2018
Reasons and evidence of degeneracy and corruption, and meeting with French President?
I have not checked on Kalu Rinpoche for a many months, and after getting this information, I went to have a look at his Facebook and saw he had posted his photos of himself (in monastic-type dress) meeting the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. It seems the French political authorities did not check Kalu Rinpoche’s background either and his questionable conduct. Considering France has been facing serious political crisis and instability from the opposition parties, one can only wonder if such a meeting with a religious public figure of questionable conduct will help the French President and French people, or possibly create more scandal and confusion.
As for other reasons why the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche’s conduct is questionable, there are several, here are just a few listed:
Use of Niguma Yoga for commercial profit and popularity
The commercial and inappropriate use of Niguma Yoga, and incorrectly labelling himself the sole Shangpa Kagyu holder (see below). At the very least, his selling Niguma Yoga worldwide to anyone and everyone who sill sign up is a degeneration of Vajrayana and of her teachings. It is also highly dangerous physically and mentally for unqualified and unsupervised people to continue these tantric yoga postures at home without proper supervision and guidance. Anyone can sign up to Kalu Rinpoche’s online and in person courses for Niguma Yoga and pay the fee to join. They are being hosted in luxury spas in Europe and Asia. Far removed from the basic yogini forest life of the realised Mahasiddhi Niguma herself!
For example, Michele Loew, an American yoga instructor, often does Niguma yoga courses for anyone who will sign up and pay the cash, with Kalu Rinpoche. The most recent was at a luxury spa resort in Italy, see here. It is one thing a Shangpa Kagyu teacher misusing the teachings and transmitting them to unqualified and unexamined people, but a yoga instructor who makes a business off of it?
Then there is the public support and collaboration with Kalu Rinpoche and the Niguma Yoga teachings by renowned Professor Bob Thurman, who is very much trained in Gelugpa style debate and view and sectarianism, and is also not a Shangpa Kagyu lineage holder or qualified Vajrayana teacher of it. He has also advertised courses with Kalu Rinpoche on Niguma Yoga too. And the advertised courses by Wisdom Publications. Do none of them care that Kalu Rinpoche has been sacked from his own monastery and has serious issues regarding his conduct towards his ex wife and women in general? It seems, they either do not know, or they do not care to investigate the truth of these matters. Money talks louder, right?
This is all very far removed from the yogini siddha Niguma herself, who practised as a wild yogini in forests and caves for cover, and threw back the gold offered to her by the Shangpa Kagyu founder, Khyungpo Neljor! What would she make of all these luxury resort yoga retreats in her name? She might throw back a lot more than gold at them!
Alleged misconduct towards females
Like his predecessor, the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche has shown some conduct towards women, which suggests he lacks love, compassion and wisdom (key qualities of a Buddhist teacher). This is similar to the 1st Kalu Rinpoche’s conduct towards his female translator/nun, June Campbell (who reported publicly that she was used like a “sex slave” in her 20s as a nun, when he was an elderly man. Her book Traveller in Space: Gender, Identity in Tibetan Buddhism refers to this misconduct.
Interestingly, the Treasury of Lives (who claim to be trying to increase the visibility of women’s lives and voices on their website of biographies) did not refer to the existence of Campbell’s first person testimony in their new biography of the 1st Kalu Rinpoche. Is that not ignoring women’s voices and experiences?
Then there is the questionable treatment and quick divorce from his first wife, Mingyur Paldron (sister of Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi) and his allegedly having had zero contact with their daughter (according to a close, female friend of his ex-wife). Kalu Rinpoche has since re-married and had another daughter, whom he called on his FB, his ‘Number One online fan”. The message being online “likes” matters more to him than even marriage vows, biological offspring and “commitments”? One can only wonder at the serious level of humiliation she must have felt for herself (and her daughter). Where is the love, compassion and wisdom in that?
Inappropriate wearing of monastic-style dress
regularly wearing monastic-type robes and shaved head appearance (interspersed with lay dress) when he has been married twice, has two children and is said to continue to have sexual and romantic partners. These are all forbidden by the monastic Vinaya rules. The 17th Karmapa spoke about the importance of dress code for monastics and laypeople at the Kagyu Monlam 2007, and told people not to wear such ‘confusing’ dress if they were not monastics, see report here.
Broken samaya/connection/lack of devotion with main Shangpa Kagyu lineage holders?
The 2nd Kalu Rinpoche also has no real seeming connection (or even devotion judging by his many social media posts) for the Shangpa Kagyu and Karma Kagyu lineage masters who gave him the entire lineage transmission: 12th Tai Situpa and 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche. His posts are all about the 14th Dalai Lama , who is not a Shangpa Kagyu lineage holder and who did not bestow that lineage onto Kalu Rinpoche.
Is the 14th Dalai Lama (who meets and associates himself with him regularly in public) even aware that Kalu Rinpoche is not a monk and has serious allegations of misconduct against him by his own monastery, or does he not care? Does he also not think is odd that Kalu RInpoche no longer seems to have any public connection/professed devotion to the Shangpa Kagyu lineages masters? Considering the Gelugpas and their Dob Dob culture used to be so strict about how they interpreted Vinaya and monastic rules (although they were renowed for child rape and sexual abuse and even kidnapping of youths), they seem to be relaxing them when and where it suits them.
Could it be because the 14th Dalai Lama is using him for his own political Gelug sectarian purposes and trying to ensure the sacred and secret Niguma Yoga teachings are openly taught? Considering the current situation of the actual Karma Kagyu Shangpa Kagyu lineage holders, and the 17th Karmapa, it might even be a political move to again divide the Karma Kagyu and weaken the 17th Karmapa, and assert the superiority of the Gelugpas/Dalai Lama institution.
Does the 14th Dalai Lama even know that Kalu Rinpoche is posting about such superficial materialistic “thirst-trap” things on his social media? Or that he was sacked by his own monastery for misuse of funds and misconduct? If yes, why is the Dalai Lama continually publicly endorsing him and his work?
- Worldly, hedonist, selfies, and materialistic personal posts on social media: Many personal posts on social media showing off his body and workouts in gyms, raves at Dharma centres , none of which have any real connection with Buddha Dharma or encouraging people to abandon personal vanity and hedonism, which the Buddha clearly taught are sources of suffering for oneself and others. Some might try and argue that it attracts people to Dharma, but that is only true if such ‘methods’ are actually backed up with genuine and wise Dharma transmission, conduct and vows.
His love of wearing black clothes, iphone selfies and photos he takes of his thighs and torso etc. is not only laughably vain and irrelevant to Dharma practice and study, but also homoerotic in its content too (and perhaps reveals a preference for homosexual/bi-sexual activities?). This is a point about honesty and transparency not a judgement about a person’s sexuality. However, why hide behind a public facade of wives and children, if one is homosexual/bi-sexual? Does he think it is something to be ashamed of? If so, why? Whatever the case, what is the point and benefit of such “thirst traps” or photos? Surely wearing monastic type robes now and again also creates much confusion that monks can do these things without breaching their vows or Vinaya.
To show the point more, for those who always try and excuse his conduct as ‘attracting people to Dharma’, can you imagine if a female teacher (and one who also sometimes wore nun-type dress) was doing the same with photos of herself in a bikini working out? Do you think people would follow such a female lama, and if they did would they be following her for the right reasons? We all know the answer to that, if we are honest. Whatever next? Pornographic content by Buddhist teachers and religious figures? ha ha, better not to joke as truth is often stranger than fiction!
Shoe (or tight clothes) “on the other foot”?
How would people feel if a female Buddhist scholar or translator or teacher continually posted photos of her body working out or in a bikini? Would they excuse and condone it ad say “what about Drugpa Kunley?” I don’t think so. She would be the first to be castigated and denigrated for it and called lusty, vain and superficial, right? I was even bizarrely falsely accused of having plastic surgery by some online haters for posting attractive photos of myself. We cannot have physically attractive women as Dharma teachers it seems, that’s just too much ha ha ha. Yet ironically Niguma herself would have been half naked in the forest but not for the worldly titillation (excuse the pun) of men’s gaze that’s for sure! Humour helps to “drive the point home” more perhaps?
- Immature and unkind communication: ghosting and shunning people he has given teachings to without giving any reason why, and allowing (and even encouraging) others to think negatively about those people (including myself). Not taking intellectual research and discussion seriously. I was booted out of a Niguma Whatsapp group by Kalu Rinpoche himself and ganged up on my his administrators for merely posting that Niguma may have been Naropa’s consort not sister, as he had been teaching.
As a survivor of sexual abuse and misconduct by monk ‘Rinpoches’ myself, I sympathise deeply with the sexual abuse trauma Kalu Rinpoche experienced from his own severe abuse as a young monk, by other monks in his monastery (said to be the Bokar Rinpoche monastery, correct me if I am wrong) as well as the public backlash from it, he certainly showed zero sympathy or even interest in my own public testimony or case when I met him a few times in person, which I also found rather odd and cold.
Spiritual immaturity and degeneration of Vajrayana
On a more general note, all these matters are yet another sign of the degeneration of Vajrayana and Buddha Dharma and also, a sign of immaturity: spiritual and emotional. As I wrote about here, and see also this video reel, the whole purpose of the Buddhist (or spiritual) path to awakening is to help us grow up and mature into people who are beneficial and valuable in helping people reduce their desire, lust, attachment, greed, anger, aversion, and ignorance/lack of wisdom, not in encouraging us to participate and chase after and look at objects and people who increase those mind-states. While it is important o be physically fit and healthy, showing of and caring excessively about one’s body or appearance is the complete opposite of what Buddha taught his spiritual community.
After the Niguma Yoga teachings I attended, I realised that they were not suitable (and even potentially dangerous) for people just to sign up for like buying a burger, and have a taster for a few days. They are normally given one to one in strict retreat to people who have already completed lots of preliminary practices and retreat and are qu alified in terms of stability in refuge, bodhicitta, vows, view of emptiness and so on.
Intention, truth and Bodhisattva courage
Some people question my intentions when I write about these issues, and even hysterically (and always anonymously) suggest that a mere lone woman like me is trying to destroy the Buddha Dharma and unity etc., which considering the huge levels of patriarchal power and religious sectarianism, unspoken divisions and competitiveness between people, speaks to how powerful these people with a lot more resources and followers etc., must see my authentic, unique voice and opinion on these matters.
However, Bodhisattva path is about honesty, courage, truth and integrity, not about keeping peace at all means based on lies, corruption and dishonesty. One of the Bodhisattva vows is also to protect people from harm and deception that causes significant harm. After all, we have been advised by all the great Vajrayana lineage masters that we must examine a Vajra master very well in person, and they myst know you well, before getting such teachings and transmissions. We owe it to ourselves therefore, and others, to be honest and candid about our experiences and factual knowledge about them, taking care not to gossip but dealing with undisputed facts.
Endnotes
[1] For reasons why the Kadamapa/New Kadampa do not have the tantric pith instructions, see here:
“When Gampopa came to Milarepa, he was already an accomplished teacher in his own right, having excelled in both the study and practice of the Kadampa system, but it became obvious very quickly that he was in for a very different ride with Milarepa. According to BA, in order to curb Gampopa’s pride, Milarepa first had him wait for half a month before he granted him an audience. When he was finally admitted, Gampopa offered a piece of gold and a package of tea.
Milarepa refused both and instead gave Gampopa a skull-cup with Tibetan beer, insisting that he drink it despite his obvious concerns about his monastic vows. When Gampopa requested Milarepa’s profound instructions, Milarepa asked whether he had received empowerments. Gampopa answered, “I received many empowerments of Cakrasaṃvara and others, listened to numerous Kadampa instructions, and have experienced resting in samādhi for thirteen days.”
Milarepa laughed out loud and said, “The gods of the form and formless realms are more advanced than you then—they rest in samādhi for many eons. However, none of this is of any benefit for attaining buddhahood, just as pressing sand will not produce liquid butter. The Kadampas have instructions, but they lack pith instructions. Because a demon had entered the heart of Tibet, Atiśa was not allowed to teach the mantrayāna. If he had, Tibet would now be filled with siddhas. The Kadampa generation stage involves only single yidam deities, and their completion stage consists only of dissolving the surrounding and its contents into luminosity. Now, you need to cultivate my caṇḍālī.” From: https://buddhanature.tsadra.org/index.php/Books/When_the_Clouds_Part/The_%27%27Uttaratantra%27%27_and_Mah%C4%81mudr%C4%81
Thanks for the piece on “The ‘hidden’ sacking of Kalu Rinpoche by his monastery for alleged misuse of funds and misconduct, degeneration of Vajrayana/commercial use of Niguma Yoga, and the growing issue of spiritual materialism and immaturity in Buddhist teachers and monastics” which we read with interest as disciples of the former Kalu Rimpoche. We both did three-year retreat in the Shangpa Kagyu tradition in 1984-88 (Michel inVancouver and myself in France at the center where the former Bhutanese lamas were ‘thrown out’ by the current Kalu Rimpoche). What you wrote corresponds to what we have been observing from afar. We don”t have connections with any centres anymore and practice at home. The question of transparency in relationships and economics in the dharma are crucial. I realized only recently that I had been raised in a culture of secrecy in the Buddhist center. I also had the same reaction about the Yangsi’s needing money when I saw the cost of the Niguma teaching courses on the Wisdom website. Thanks for the work you are doing.
Michel made two comments on the article. It was about the robes – about the lower robe the Yangsi is wearing – if it has a fold or not – to differentiate the monk from the layman/yogi’s chantab. He also remarks that of all the people who did the first three three-year retreats in France at the main Kalu Rimpoche center in Burgundy (when the former Kalu Rimpoche was still alive), none seem to have contact with the current one. We keep contact with the Tibetan lama who was our retreat teacher, Lama Tempa Gyamtso (he taught the first three three year retreats in France). The current Kalu visited him in his retreat hermitage in the South-West of France and asked him for money from what we understood.
I am curious about where the Yangsi is living now (in Germany somewhere?) and about his current Chinese (?) wife. I don’t want to reconnect with people at the center where I grew up so don’t have information directly.
Best,
Molly
molly.chatalic@orange.fr
This man has tarnished Kalu Rinpoche’s title and has undermined the well-being of the general public and put the monastery and the sangha into misery. More importantly, he continues to damage the reputation of the Kagyu.
Certainly his actions have had a damaging effect on the 17th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu lineage too. He clearly seems to have zero devotion or connection to any of them anymore. He has not attended any Kagyu Monlams at which Tai Situpa and Gyaltsab Rinpoche have presided over for many years now. Either they have distanced themselves from him, or vice versa.
Thanks for the revelation (though many of these are already in public domain). I just want to comment on the monastic-style dress part. It might look strange for non-Tibetan Buddhists, or even Tibetan Buddhists who follow different schools, but there is a tradition, or habit, for lay masters to shave head and wearing deep red robe. The previous Kalu Rinpoche did that, Dzongsar Khyentse Chokgyi Lodro did that, and slightly ironic that you quoted Karmapa, as Karmapa himself (actually both of them) also have their head shaved when they no longer to be monks. HH Dalai Lama most possibly would not comment on that, why should he?
I would suggest you focus on the actual wrong doing, on finance or sexual abuse, maybe provide more evidences.
Thank you for your well-meaning advice but as I said, in 2007 the 17th Karmapa expressly advised people not to wear monastic looking robes, even if they are not the three robes of a monk, and have a shaved head. He expressly said that it confuses ordinary laypeople, Buddhist and non Buddhist, who think that they are monastics etc. It might have been a previous culture, but I agree with the 17th Karmapa’s advice on that, it is better that laypeople wear ordinary laypeople clothes and not look like monks and nuns, and vice versa. So although it is not as serious as criminal or unethical conduct or misogyny, it still needs to be said. Same with the fake Karmapa, Thaye Dorje, he is now married with a child and still has a shaved head and maroon robes.
Thanks for this well-written piece and being such a powerful advocate for women and protecting the dharma from degeneration.
I really wanted to give Kalu Rinpoche the benefit of the doubt and was hopeful, that he’d grow into his role and his own unique experience with samsara and suffering would allow him to transform it into wisdom to help many more sentient beings. I was adamant about this and defended Kalu Rinpoche to Sangha who had something bad to say, tarnishing my standing in the community by association and insulting my root guru, who is a pure lama.
It’s such a shame and makes my heart ache, since it’s evident to about anyone, how much potential he has. The on-goings at his monastics seat could have been justified with him having a difficult youth, however it’s difficult to discern any positive character development, given the recent TikTok post, where he claimed to have imported the first EV Porsche to Bhutan and joking to take his fans for a ride (especially with the female, pretty ones).
The significance of the EV Porsche in Bhutan cannot be ignored. Bhutan as a Buddhist country and termed one of the “happiest” countries in the world, has arguably made such incredible progress as a result of isolating itself from Western consumer culture and Anglo-American socio-political influences. The fact that a Rinpoche, should bring the first EV Porsche to Bhutan, a black Porsche Taycan, shows that he is not only corrupt himself, but also has the potential to corrupt others with his influence.
The conduct of Kalu Rinpoche and my ignorance to it (even when it was blatantly obvious) has taught me an important lesson on how important it is to strike a good balance between discernment and pure perception. I sincerely hope that other young women and nuns can learn this lesson earlier than me to safeguard themselves from associating themselves with corrupted lamas… or worse.
At the moment, I cannot follow him.
I sincerely hope that he will find the right way… he’s a young man and he’s gone through a lot which could also mean lots of learning… However compassion for whatever he’s going through isn’t good enough grounds to call him my lama.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience here. I agree with you. Compassion but also wanting to protect others and the Buddha Dharma from harm and degeneration.
Pure perception is often misunderstood as one way only towards the guru. It has to be both ways towards the student. Also, it is only necessary if one has taken Vajrayana teachings from them and sees them as a qualified Vajra master. Until then one can examine them, and vice versa, until one is sure. If there has been no prior examination, and the student or teacher are not qualified then there never was a genuine student-Guru Vajrayana relationship. Also, it is better to leave and keep them distant if afterwards you doubt their actions and motivations.
As for the Porsche car in Bhutan, it is obviously degenerate materialism. However, I must say that Bhutan is not that isolated from such gross materialism, which is present in Asia as well as the West, when I was in Bhutan many young people there watched a lot of Instagram, FB and Tiktok, so they are influenced and seduced by it. Bhutan is kind of stuck in a medieval mentality about its culture but is slowly modernising. Have been there twice and the people are gentle and kind but it is a conservative place too.
Thanks for the truth. It takes a lot of courage to speak up. If any victims ever need support or just someone to listen, you’re not alone. I was a victim too.
Sexual Abuse by High Tulkus & Rinpoches #tibetanbuddhism #buddhism #scandalexposed #vajrayana #guru
https://youtu.be/-mnGhnDT_qk
Thank you for the link and support. If you are really serious about supporting brave survivors who speak out and educating the general public about it, please include a link to my own personal testimony and article from 2020 of abuse, dishonesty and denigration by a well-known Karma Kagyu Rinpoche in your Video links below your Youtube video: https://dakinitranslations.com/2020/12/01/tantric-buddhism-sex-and-women-the-importance-of-love-respect-and-consent/
Thank you for your nice writing. The wondering that came was if all this is true, why would his Holiness Dalai Lama still have him as part of his team and meeting him, etc?
Also, in the letter attached, it shows that he left the monastery and he wasn’t stacked first, right? Thank you again for your time! 🙏🏻
Indeed, good question! Why would the 14th Dalai Lama be so eager to promote and associate himself with Kalu rinpoche, who has abandoned his root and lineage lamas, the 12th Tai Situpa and 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche who gave him the whole Shangpa Kagyu lineage transmission. The 14th Dalai Lama even apparently told Kalu Rinpoche he could transmit those secret and sacred Niguma yoga teachings to anyone and everyone, which is also bizarre. The only reason i can think of is Gelugpa sectarian power and ideology. The more the break up the Karma Kagyu tulkus and make them support the Dalai Lama, the more the Gelugpas can assert their still enduring sense of political and spiritual superiority based on nothing other than a violent Mongoliam military invasion of Tibet that suppressed and almost destroyed the other main Tibetan Buddhist lineages.
I’ve always had this weird feeling about this Rinpoche, but kept it to myself for the longest time as I didn’t want to seem judgmental. Still, something deep down told me he wasn’t the person he tries so hard to show the world. I’m not particularly religious myself, but I do study Buddhist concepts like attachment and detachment. Meanwhile, my parents absolutely revered him. So I stayed quiet.
Ever since I came across your articles, and saw his TikToks along with all his antics there, my doubts became painfully clear. His TikToks are filled with him flaunting a luxurious lifestyle, yet his followers flood the comments with “we love you” and “you’re such an inspiration.” Honestly, it makes me gag—I can’t stand the fakeness.
I’ve questioned him several times on TikTok about how he can call himself a monk, someone who’s taken Buddha’s vows and yet so openly indulge in attachment, luxury, and wealth. Each time, he shrugged me off, never gave valid answer instead would say I was being disrespectful, or that he didn’t want to live up to what others “expect him to be.” His followers would then swarm me, calling me disrespectful.
The last time I commented, it was the same story but this time, I shared your article and directly questioned him on his hypocrisy. And guess what? He blocked me from his TikTok. That right there tells me he’s triggered, scared that your article might reach his followers and expose the truth. While I am blocked from his TikTok, whenever I see videos of him, I don’t shy away from posted your article on comment. Thank you for exposing the truth with much detail.
I’ve always had this weird feeling about this Rinpoche, but kept it to myself for the longest time. I didn’t want to seem judgmental. Still, something deep down told me he wasn’t the person he tries so hard to show the world. I’m not particularly religious myself, but I do study Buddhist concepts like attachment and detachment. Meanwhile, my parents absolutely revered him. So I stayed quiet.
Ever since I came across your articles, and saw his TikToks along with all his antics there, my doubts became painfully clear. His TikToks are filled with him flaunting a luxurious lifestyle, yet his followers flood the comments with “we love you” and “you’re such an inspiration.” Honestly, it makes me gag—I can’t stand the fakeness.
I’ve questioned him several times on TikTok about how he can call himself a monk as someone who’s taken Buddha’s vows and yet so openly indulge in attachment, luxury, and wealth. Each time, he shrugged me off, saying I was being disrespectful, or that he didn’t want to live up to what others “expect him to be.” His followers would then swarm me, calling me disrespectful.
The last time I commented, it was the same story but this time, I shared your article and directly questioned him on his hypocrisy. And guess what? He blocked me from his TikTok. That right there tells me he’s triggered, scared that your article might reach his followers and expose the truth. Even though I’m now blocked from his TikTok, I’ll still keep sharing your article whenever I come across his videos elsewhere. Thank you for being a voice of truth and for speaking up.
Thank you for sharing the article and information, and for your supportive and kind comments here. Yes, I had similar experiences to that during the Niguma Yoga course in Delhi too, and afterwards. KR actually personally kicked me out of the Niguma whatsapp group set up, after I posted some info about the mantra and other things related to his teachings. He does not tolerate any dissent, questioning and neither do the rather unwise and bullying people who admin his FB pages/websites. They certainly do not welcome any kind of genuine discussion or debate about his conduct, treatment of his first ex wife and daughter, treatment of women/consorts in general, and the fact he seems to have broken samaya with the Karma Kagyu senior lamas who gave him the entire Shangpa Kagyu transmission. I feel sorry for him though, as he says he is a survivor of sexual abuse as a teenager monk. However, that still does not excuse such activities of body, speech and mind or wearing monastic robes, when he is not a monks, and using the teachings for fame, power, sex, money and praise and so on. He is not a monk that is clear. He is married with a second child. Monastics are not allowed to have wives, girlriends, sex, children etc. If they do, then they have to disrobe. It is non-negotiable part of the Vinaya code for monastics. If they want that life, they should leave the monasteries and stop wearing monastic style dress and robes.
KR also now uses his connection with the 14th Dalai Lama to justify it all, but the 14th Dalai Lama is also not a Shangpa Kagyu lineage holder, and it is questionable as to why he is now promoting and using Kalu Rinpoche to prop up the Gelugpa sectarianism still prevalent in Tibetan exile communities. So am sorry to hear about your experience, but not at all surprised. That is why people are hating on me and trying to silence me and my work. I am one, if not the only, voice writing factually and objectively about these important issues from within the Tibetan Buddhist community itself, and a woman with scholarly and practice credentials too.
I feel that this article is way too one sided, idealistic and overdone. We need to hear Kalu Rinpoche’s side and reasoning on all these points as well. You also too easily assume that just because something was gatekept by cultural norms in the far past, it also shouldn’t be openly transmitted now. We need to stop blindly following everything we are told and ask ourselves: what were the political, cultural and economical reasons for these universal laws being kept ‘secret’ during certain periods in history? Start questioning consensus reality, that is the heart essence of all liberation.
Your idealistic idea of who and how should teach was already historically stress-tested: Tibetans tried to create Buddhist “philosopher king” system and look how it ended. All these power structures did was make up all kinds of philosophical issues that would have never occurred to Indians. For what? Branding that brings political influence, resources and power. Get rid of tulku system, get rid of infantile worship of lamas and stop treating them like kings. Those times are long gone.
Anyways, Buddhas don’t need these tantric teachings, sentient beings do. DESPERATELY. Keeping these things gated behind obsolete power structures is what breeds opportunism and abuse. Its anti-Buddhist and selfish to the core. If students don’t do something properly, it’s a skill issue on behalf of the lamas and their inability to teach. Modern times indeed enable them to record their teachings, publicly offer them as COMPLETE courses, and then be available for Q&A. They have no excuse for their teaching incompetence, nor for their openly secret greed. So why should I worship anyone that keeps me as feedstock?
It is a factually supported article. Not one sided.
The Tantras are clear about who is qualified to bestow and get such teachings and in what contexts. It is not up to sentient beings themselves to decide they want or need them.
It’s not some kind of supermarket where anyone who goes in and asks for something gets it. Like buying a gun or poison in some people’s hands it becomes dangerous and harmful. So it is of zero benefit giving them to people no matter how desperate they are to get them. Desperation is not a sufficient reason or qualification for anyone to get such sacred teachings and do such practices. In fact, desperation may well be a sign that they are definitely not qualified to recieve such teachings!
That’s the main reasons they should never be just given to anyone and everyone.
Getting profit and money from giving them to masses of unqualified people is also considered extremely negative karma too.
We cannot just ignore the wisdom of the Tantras and great masters on this topic. They are kept exclusive so that the teachings and beings are not harmed and misused.
“Like buying a gun or poison in some people’s hands it becomes dangerous and harmful.” This is not possible. Nature of every sentient being is the same, as are mechanism through which problems arise and disappear. Tantas don’t teach anything different than sutras do, they just present it in more direct and effective way. They don’t even teach any concept that’s also not available in psychology, except offering better methods. As I said, skill issue. If lamas can’t present everything in an easily understandable and practical manner, that’s entirely their fault and incompetence. Dr. Nida said it himself that Vajrayana used to be very simple, easy and direct, until Tibetans decided to make it complicated and bar it behind lengthy and bureaucratic monastic curriculums.
By keeping things secret, nothing is ever done but harm. People with questionable motivations who don’t plan on practicing won’t practice even if you don’t give them methods. But those who want to, but are unable to because corrupt feudal system, will be suffering in neglect. Just look at what keeping karmamudra secret did – abuse and exploitation of women.
So yeah, as a doctors, lets just keep medicine secret because someone might overdose. Its not like they have other ways to kill themselves, right? Plus, its good for profits and it keeps our monopolistic power alive.
I REALLY don’t want to sound rude or offensive, and I say this because I deeply care, but I do think you are too attached to Tibetan traditions and their primitive misconceptions about how these things should be transmitted, instead of recognizing immediate benefit and universal truth these methods and teachings are trying to convey. Just because something is “culture” or “tradition” doesn’t mean its beneficial, yet alone harmless.
Ive seen people who come to the centers with such a strong need for acceptance and belonging. They would do anything to feel loved, and out of fear of rejection, throw away every bit of common sense and responsibility, to the point of absolute submission. But this is not Vajrayana, yet alone Buddhism. Since not being accepted by sangha wasn’t the cause of their mental problems, it won’t be the solution either. In fact it will just make everything worse for them and others, and eventually reinforce cult atmosphere. Ive seen centers shut down because of this.
Dr Nida? The fact you quote him says it all. You simply do not have correct instructions or view on Vajrayana practice from a qualified and realised Vajrayana guru.
Of course, one cannot give poison or guns or dangerous objects to “immature children” without proper supervision, guidance, transmission, empowerment and intruction. Not only is it dangerous like teaching Niguma Yoga postures for entertainment, followers, and money, but it has ZERO real benefit long-term, so it is a waste of time and money too.
You seem to think that immature and unripe ordinary beings who are not qualified even in the basics of Hinayana ethics and discipline and Mahayana view and bodhicitta can pick these things from the Tibetan tradition and just use them as they wish, like in some supermarket. Well, that really is a total mess and disaster as we are seeing in places like North America and with people who follow teachers online who give mass empowerments to anyone and everyone who will sign up.
In any case, as you are anonymous, and seem to be using this website now as a personal platform for your own deluded/unwise views, can I kindly suggest you take them elsewhere in future, like Reddit? or some other Dharma forum where anonymous people like yourself can talk freely on these topics, and where scholar-translator-practitioners like myself get censored and banned?
Further comments by you here will not be published. It is wasting your and my time.
E MA HO
Yeshe
May victorious Bodhicitta flourish in all directions!