After the blissful times in Vietnam, I am sorry to report that the institutional enabling of abuse, unethical conduct and lies in Buddhist communities has “reared its ugly head”again [1]. A Chinese translation of this article has been kindly provided by a reader of my work, below the English here.
A couple of weeks ago, I was surprised (and disappointed) to see online an interview podcast published by the European Buddhist Union staff in June 2024, of Lama Rinczen, a senior Polish male Buddhist teacher who is the head of Benchen Poland in Grabnik, organiser of the Polish Buddhist Union, and has a lot of influence in other Benchen European centres too. I became aware of the podcast, after meeting a senior figure from the European Buddhist Union at the United Nations Vesak Day 2025 event in Ho Chi Minh City, which I attended as an official speaker delegate, as I wrote about here.
For those who are not aware, in brief, Lama Rinczen is one of the senior Benchen people in Europe (along with his wife/partner, also a Polish woman, although I do not know if they are still married) who has persistently ignored (and perhaps even privately undermined and denigrated) the several complaints of harassment, bullying, deception and so on, that were made about Karma Kagyu tulku, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche by myself and several other women in November 2019, after a year-long “close relationship” with him, in which he initially bombarded me with sexual and romantic messages of love and desire (as well as pornographic images of people having sex, including one he claimed was an image of his private parts).
As I wrote about here in 2020, I initially consented to the relation and messaging as the Rinpoche was kindly giving me oral transmissions, and one to one instructions on translations of his texts. He also told me he was in love with me on many occasions, that I was the only woman and he had not done it to any other women prior. I found this very hard to believe, but as he swore to Buddha and Tara that he was not lying many times when I asked him about these other women complaining, I decided to accept his words as true. Only to later find out that it was a “bunch of lies” and there were several women complaining to me and others of exactly the same treatment and conduct, some of whom had informed senior Buddhist teachers about it, such as 12th Tai Situpa, Mingyur Rinpoche and to Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. The latter a well-known Buddhist nun teacher confirmed to me that same year, two women had independently complained to her of similar treatment by the same teacher and that they felt seriously harmed and traumatised by him.
The evidence was overwhelmingly clear, it was a pattern of conduct that spanned years, and that showed no signs of changing either. Combined with the “intoxicating” energetic unions he would do for an hour or so, sometimes two to three times per day, it was exhausting but also, after I found out about the blatant dishonest to me, it became non-consensual. The aftermath online bullying, impersonation, slander, false accusations, intimidation and defamation campaign in some ways was much worse, and has continued even to this day, costing me time, energy and funding too. Such as the loss of the Khyentse Foundation Ashoka Grant award for the second year due to an unverified email from a Benchen Europe board member communicating false information about the case and myself with the clear intent to harm me and my funding award, read about that here).
Oral messages in 2019 from Sangye Nyenpa to Lama Rinczen correcting Benchen Polish follower’s false allegations against me on Facebook regarding transmission and translations of his texts
Lama Rinczen was also the teacher whom Sangye Nyenpa (SNR) spoke to personally (on my request) in 2019, after a Polish follower of SN (Tomeck) had falsely accused me online in a FB group of not having SNR’s permission or transmission for those texts, when I published them (see audio below). However, despite getting this information directly from SNR, neither Tomeck nor Lama Rinczen ever apologised to me directly for the false accusations on FB, and even worse Tomeck continued to ban me from posting any other work or translations from the FB group.
These false accusations persist even to this day, leading to serious consequences for myself in terms of reputation and funding (as I mentioned above). The oral messages from Sangye Nyenpa (sent to me on his personal wechat, of which there are hundreds) confirm that he told Lama Rinczen about the translations I was doing. I also shared these messages with EBU and Benchen in 2020, clearly show that I had got the permission personally.
I then released these messages publicly not out of any malice, but to demonstrate their accusations about me were false (see below) and that SNR had indeed given me the full permission (and personal transmission) for three texts I had worked on.
Informing EBU about the case (2020-2021)
In 2020, after zero resolution or response to me privately from SNR, Benchen monastery, Lama Rinczen and Benchen Poland and Europe people (just stonewalling), I then sent my complaint to the European Buddhist Union, whose then President was Ron Eichhorn. I had an online meeting with him and a British woman, now Vice-President of the EBU, Munisha (Catherine Hopper) to discuss the case.
Eichhorn and Munisha, I believe tried their best, to get some kind of response or investigation of my case, and the others, but were also effectively stonewalled (not responded to) by the Benchen people in Europe. Benchen Europe’s only response (Ron eventually informed me) was that as the incidents in my case had not taken place in Europe, they had not (and would not) take any action against Sangye Nyenpa himself and he would not be returning to or teaching in Europe again.
This response was frustrating indeed, and typical stonewalling by those in power and influence of these so-called Buddhist communities. I informed the EBU that I was not satisfied with the lack of a response and zero accountability and resolution of the cases. Also, it was clearly not in accordance with the fundamental ethics and principles of honesty, clarity, compassion, love and respect for all, including and in particular, women.
So basically, the EBU were unable to effect any objective investigation, accountability, reparation or justice regarding the case. And I left it at that.
So when I saw the existence of the EBU podcast of Lama Rinczen (June 2024), I contacted the new EBU President, Stefano Bettera, and requested a statement as to why EBU would promote someone who is a known enabler, or at the very least, someone who has done absolutely nothing to investigate and give women’s voices and experiences an outlet to be heard. Or even to help resolve any issues with forgiveness and friendship. I have yet to get any statement but he has acknowledged receipt of my email.
When I recently informed another Vice-President, Carlo of the Belgium Buddhist Union of the EBU podcast and SNR case, he informed me that as he had samaya with Sangye Nyenpa from years back getting an empowerment he did not feel he could comment on the case. However, surely EBU members should be people without such Dharma connections to exposed or renowned abusive Buddhist teachers?
EBU “inaction” on Sylvester Lohninger of the Maitreya Institut, Austria
In addition, one of the biggest (and rather nasty) enablers in the Sangye Nyenpa case was Sylvester Lohninger, manager of the Maitreya Institut in Austria, whose young daughter, Taisha told me she had been close to SNR since she was a child. Lohninger, who sent me several long, bullying and sexist/ageist emails commenting on my age, appearance and photos (as if my physical appearance was relevant), stating that these aspects showed I was lying about the case and not reliable. Taking sexism towards survivors to an all-time low of judging women’s reliability and voices! As far as am aware, even though I informed the EBU about Lohninger’s conduct, the EBU did nothing to call him to account for it, and he is still operating in Europe at that Buddhist centre.
For more details on Lohninger’s “intervention” and falsely telling EBU members that he had investigated the case (even though he was clearly “against the survivors” and “for the teacher” from the very start), and that there was “no case to answer”, see here.
Not the first time for the EBU: The Dutch Buddhist Union Chairman, Michael Ritman, Oane Bijlsma and the case of Sogyal Rinpoche
However, since writing this article, I was informed that this is not the first time EBU senior staff have been complicit in ignoring, or enabling and seeking to silence and cover up the testimonies of survivors like myself.
I was sent this three-part article series (in 2020) exposing Michael Ritman (a devoted follower of the renowned abusive teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche), the chairman of the Dutch Buddhist Union of complicity and enabling sexual misconduct written by investigative journalist, Rob Hogendoorn here. Ritman is still working for the EBU (as their Treasurer) and my email to the current President, Stefano Bettera about this matter, was forwarded to Ritman (without my being asked permission).
Other Issues: wearing monastic-type robes against the advice of the 17th Karmapa
Another observation I will make about Lama Rinczen, is that although he wears monastic-type robes, he is clearly a layperson who has relations with laywomen. However, this is something that the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje specifically discouraged and asked people not to do so, in a speech he gave about dress of monastics and laypeople in 2007.
The 17th Karmapa’s sister meeting Sangye Nyenpa and Benchen monastery in Nepal today
I also just read online today that the sister of HH 17th Karmapa has arrived in Nepal at Benchen Monastery and is meeting Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and Tenga Rinpoche. Although the official ritual in Nepal for the 17th Karmapa’s one year anniversary of his passing away was hosted by Dilyak Monastery, (at the personal request of the 17th Karmapa) attended by monks and nuns from other Karma Kagyu monasteries (as well as the Karmapa’s sister), it seems Benchen monastery did their own separate one and did not join it, which again is rather strange.
In any case, it is rather disappointing, and not kind or suitable for the Karmapa’s sister to associate with a Karma Kagyu teacher who has such serious, unresolved allegations against him by myself and several other women that have yet to be properly investigated or dealt with properly. I would have thought (and hoped) someone close to her would have informed her of these cases. Either she knows and is enabling Sangye Nyenpa too or she does not know. More on that in another post.
Conclusion: time for a return to Buddhist ethical principles, honesty, love and compassion
Sadly, as a general observation, this EBU promotion of Lama Rinczen again shows how such people maintain their power and influence despite doing absolutely nothing to investigate serious, and several complaints by women about a senior tulku Rinpoche of their community.
In that respect, it is rather shameful (or perhaps a lack of awareness?) that EBU did not see the connections, and gave a platform and voice to a man who has “no shame” in promoting a teacher whose pattern of conduct demeans and deceives women. Also, whose conduct (along with others) has seriously undermined the name, reputation and funding of myself, a published, respected and valued female Dharma translator-scholar whose main ‘misfortune/crime’ was to meet such deceptive, hypocritical and misogynist men in Buddhist robes.
As the 17th Karmapa recently advised us all, abandon a guru with “unacceptable faults” like a hell realm! Such teachers (and their enabler communities) do a great disservice to beings and the Buddha Dharma and this is why I persist (despite the “negative” unpopularity it brings) at publicly exposing frauds, liars, impersonators, haters and bullies who hide behind their screens with pseudonyms and pretend to be qualified Buddhist monks (or teachers) publicly. The 17th Karmapa also stated that the days of gurus treating students badly is over and we should not accept such conduct anymore without full confidence they have the same realisations as Tilopa, or Naropa.
The original Buddhist sangha used to have sessions where monastics who had broken their Vinaya and Buddhist vows, were called in front of the Shakayamuni Buddha and the community to confess and amend for it. If the breach was grave and persistent, they would be “sacked” and told to leave the community. This original Buddhist tradition does not appear to exist in these contemporary communities. May such hypocritical, unethical corruption and dishonesty by male “religious men” and any enablers, be exposed and rooted out of Buddhist (and religious) communities with love and compassion.
Endnote
[1] Although I wrote this report a couple of weeks ago, I held off from publishing it. However, the catalyst/provocation for publishing now, was after seeing photos yesterday of HH 17th Karmapa’s sister, Ngodrub Palzom meeting with Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche in person in Nepal. An unwise (and unkind) action on her part, if she is fully aware of the various misconduct allegations. It is harmful to survivors and the increasing “negative” public perception of the treatment of Buddhist women by the Karma Kagyu, 17th Karmapa or Tibetan/Vajrayana Buddhism as a whole.
As for the 17th Karmapa’s sister, she is probably being used as some kind of female token political pawn in this issue, and other issues. I guess they wrongly think that if a woman is supporting them, then other women will automatically follow their example and believe the lies. How misguided is that?
This article also generated some information about how the current long-term organiser of the Kagyu Monlam, Lama Chodrag, was recently blocked from attending a Kagyu Monlam event in the US, due to inappropriate sexual relations with a minor (17 years old) woman, several years ago. More on that in another post perhaps too.
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As a woman, I am willing to accept this degrading situation because Vajra Hell would soon be empty if the entire Vajrayana school denigrated women.
The perpetrators (anyone who denigrates women) only have to recite Vajrasattva Mantra 100,000 times after committing the 14th Root Downfall (in order to save himself/herself from the repercussion of the 14th Root Downfall).
Sorry I did not quite understand your comment. Are you saying you accept the denigration of women in Vajrayana? Which is a cause for falling into vajra hell/lower realms or are you being sarcastic?
As for reciting Vajrasattva as purification, that only works properly if it is accompanied with the four powers, which include sincere regret and promise not to commit the same action again. So, if the regret is not sincere and the person keeps doing it regardless, then there would be no purification of the negative act and the negative karma would continually increase.