On the second day of the Taiwan Kagyu Monlam (the weekend prior to the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche birthday events), the young 3rd Bokar Rinpoche tulku, gave a short teaching and stunning empowerment on the deity of compassion Chenrezig, at another venue in Taipei that was organised for the Monlam there. As I wrote in… Continue reading BLISSFUL “INNOCENT” LOVING SOUNDS OF THE MANI MANTRA CIRCLING HEART CHAKRA: A report of the 3rd Bokar Rinpoche’s teaching and empowerment in Taipei, Taiwan at the Kagyu Monlam and NEW musical composition and song of the Mani Mantra (June 2025)
Tag: adele tomlin
SAIGON RIVER NIGHT LIGHTS: A boat trip along the Saigon river and the stunning architecture and lights (Vietnam III, 2025)
After Vesak 2025 conference finished on 9th May (and I checked out of the magnificent The Reverie Saigon hotel by the river), I decided to take a short boat cruise on the fabulous Saigon river at night. There are two options of boat to go from the main pier in the centre of HCMC District… Continue reading SAIGON RIVER NIGHT LIGHTS: A boat trip along the Saigon river and the stunning architecture and lights (Vietnam III, 2025)
NEW CHINESE TRANSLATION: 钦哲基金会对女性幸存者和佛法翻译者的粗暴和不道德对待——新信息开创了一个危险的先例,即钦哲基金会对一位学者译者进行了不道德、不公平和不专业的对待,而这位学者译者也是喇嘛不当行为的幸存者和举报人》
Here is a new Chinese version of a previously published article in 2023, kindly translated for free by a generous and devout Tibetan Buddhist follower. 钦哲基金会对女性幸存者和佛法翻译者的粗暴和不道德对待——新信息开创了一个危险的先例,即钦哲基金会对一位学者译者进行了不道德、不公平和不专业的对待,而这位学者译者也是喇嘛不当行为的幸存者和举报人》 “伤害翻译者的人同时也伤害了整个教义。”——无垢友尊者 一、无端的污蔑 2020年7月,我揭露了钦哲基金会(KF)如何连续第二年向我颁发阿育王奖学金,但随后不久,他们立即撤回了奖项,没有以任何方式与我核实任何信息。 此次撤回的原因在于,林恩·霍伯格(KF的人员之一)告诉我,一封电子邮件是由一位欧洲女性发送的,她是比利时班庆彭措林执行委员会的卡丽娜·克莱默·布莱彻,她在邮件中错误地声称我无权翻译或出版桑杰年巴仁波切撰写的文本。这封电子邮件显然是为了报复和惩罚我,因为我在2019年9月私下向班庆 (和其他人)投诉桑杰年巴对我和其他人的性行为不端、骚扰和不诚实。卡丽娜从未事先写信给我说明这一点。 我回复了林恩,抗议他们不公平且不专业的撤回资助决定,我发送了以下邮件: 桑杰年巴给我发了几条语音和书面信息,明确表示他已允许我一对一地亲自传授这些文本。桑杰年巴发来语音信息通知我,他已经联系了波兰的喇嘛仁增,告诉他(和一位波兰学生托梅克),我已获得他的必要许可。 这是我在尼泊尔班庆寺与桑杰年巴一对一会面十多个小时,听取经文的传授和解释的录音的一部分,当时有几位寺院的见证人。这些录音是在他允许的情况下完成的。然而,KF完全无视这些证据。因此,他们决定撤回资金是基于一封未经证实的电子邮件,据称该电子邮件来自一位管理欧洲班庆中心的女性。此外,这开创了一个危险的先例,因为任何人都可以写信给KF,声称自己是别人,这会损害他们的声誉和资金,因为KF不会核实它的真实性。KF甚至没有与文本作者核实,以征求他对此的看法。 此外,即使电子邮件是卡丽娜发来的,她也不拥有桑杰年巴文本的版权,班庆彭措林也不拥有版权。KF还应该向作者桑杰年巴本人核实电子邮件的内容。 这本身就是不专业和不公平的,但情况更糟。本周,我认识的一位住在欧洲的人告诉我,他们曾当面口头询问卡丽娜是否给KF写过那封电子邮件,以及她为什么不调查针对桑杰年巴的案件。她告诉他们,她没有给KF写过电子邮件(或者不记得写过),也不关心女性的任何指控,因为她们这样做是为了“引起注意”。可悲的是,许多佛法女性对她们的佛教姐妹持这种态度。 因此,关于这个新信息有个问题需要说明: 那就是,卡丽娜撒谎说她没有写信给KF,或者有人在那封电子邮件中冒充了她。 昨天,我再次写信给KF的林恩,告知她这一最新信息,并询问她KF是否核实过该电子邮件的真实性以及是否来自卡丽娜或班庆。 林恩的回应是: “我收到了一封来自bpl.management@benchen.org的电子邮件,署名是卡丽娜主席。我没有理由相信这是冒名顶替者发来的。” “我相信,写信给我说拥有你想翻译的作品的版权的人是合法的。” 没有道歉或提供检查其真实性的服务。我可以理解人们通常不认为电子邮件是欺诈或冒名顶替的,但是,由于KF仅凭这封电子邮件就匆忙并立即撤回了我的奖励,KF甚至没有事先检查其真实性和真实性,并且仍然拒绝这样做,因为所谓的作者告诉其他人她没有写过(或不记得写过),这完全是不专业、不公平和疏忽的。 从那时起,我再也没有收到过KF的资助,更糟糕的是,这封来自“卡丽娜或班庆”的电子邮件严重损害了我的名誉、声誉以及与KF和其他相关者合作和获助的机会。例如,多玛·贡特(晋美钦哲仁波切的澳大利亚籍嫂子,不是一位知名的学者或翻译家),我从未见过或与她交谈过。尽管她最初对我的参与非常热情,对我的网站和工作赞不绝口,尽管我具备资格并曾为宗萨蒋扬钦哲仁波切 工作过,但后来她回避了我的参与。当被问及原因时,她在一封电子邮件中回复说:“你很毒辣。”她解释说,她改变主意是从一个“匿名”顾问那里知道的。这绝不是佛教徒的做事方式,不是吗?裙带关系和妖魔化从未见过或交谈过的佛法翻译者。让人哭笑不得! 2020 年,我向我的法律顾问咨询了此案,他们告诉我,我可以起诉钦哲基金会和班庆中心,要求赔偿他们因诽谤、中伤和误导行为造成的损失和损害。 目前,我还没有采取这一步骤,因为这样做成本高昂、耗时长,而且不能保证取得积极成果。因此,我认为在此揭露此案并要求客观人士对KF的行为以及桑杰年巴本人及其支持者的行为,进行适当的回答和调查符合公众利益。 事实比小说更离奇。例如,桑杰年巴和宗萨蒋扬钦哲仁波切都是不丹人,这仅仅是巧合吗?也许KF在没有仔细检查任何内容或听取我的证词和证据的情况下,根据一封未经证实的电子邮件匆忙做出如此有害的决定,就说明了一切。 二、宗萨钦哲仁波切没有回应,他的助手则做出了敌对且不恰当的回应 此外,我还在2020年联系了宗萨钦哲仁波切,遭到了他的助理科尔曼的一连串充满敌意的口头指控和质问,他本应不加评论地将我的消息转发给宗萨钦哲仁波切。科尔曼还完全辜负了我的信任,未经我的许可就将邮件转发给了KF的工作人员。最终,我没有收到任何回复,只是这个助理告诉我他已收到了邮件。这哪里是爱、菩提心和同情心呢? 三、对钦哲基金会和学术独立性的担忧 虽然佛法翻译者和学者得到资助和支持是一件好事,但由于这个案例(以及其他案例),人们有理由担心钦哲基金会会通过大量的资助和培训计划“接管”学术界和佛法翻译的独立性。如果申请人和我一样是喇嘛不当行为的幸存者怎么办?如果申请人不追随(甚至不喜欢)宗萨钦哲仁波切怎么办?这些也是佛法界和学术界需要自问的问题。我认为我的遭遇发生的原因之一,是他们得到了钦哲基金会的资助和支持。虽然这是可以理解的,但问题是,为了继续获得钦哲基金会的资助,他们可能觉得他们不能支持或与幸存者和像我这样的人联系在一起,或者与任何不支持和批评宗萨钦哲仁波切的人联系在一起。这对知识研究和意见自由来说不是一个健康的情况。他们的座右铭是“佛陀的智慧惠及每个人”,真的吗?或许只有当你不是喇嘛不当行为和虐待行为的女性幸存者和举报人时才会适用。 四、桑杰年巴与班庆中心推动者 桑杰年巴案和指控从未被班庆的工作人员调查过,桑杰年巴也从未因他的恶行受到质疑或追究。更糟糕的是,我在网上遭到了桑杰年巴的一些家人和“匿名”支持者在网络上发起的欺凌、诽谤、冒充和恐吓的恶劣活动。事实上,这些人公开表现得好像什么事都没发生过,而他现在正在隆德寺传授大藏经,这不符合普通事务中关于正义、道德和责任的一般规范,更不用说佛教规范和道德了。更糟糕的是,几名年轻的男性噶举转世活佛正在从他那里接受这种传承,他们也有可能从他那里学到这些性别歧视和厌恶女性的态度。… Continue reading NEW CHINESE TRANSLATION: 钦哲基金会对女性幸存者和佛法翻译者的粗暴和不道德对待——新信息开创了一个危险的先例,即钦哲基金会对一位学者译者进行了不道德、不公平和不专业的对待,而这位学者译者也是喇嘛不当行为的幸存者和举报人》
ON THE ROAD TO SHANGRI-LA: Following in the footsteps of the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang, Shangri-la, Dechen Tibetan region and seeing the great Khawa Karpo Tibetan mountain (Part 1: Highlights and research review))
Introduction: the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang (Jang), Yunnan This is the first in a new set of original research articles about my recent two-week pilgrimage to Yunnan, South China to visit Lijiang, Shangri-la (Gyalthang) and Dechen Tibetan Autonomous region, and the famed Tibetan mountain there, Kawa Karpo. For a while now, I… Continue reading ON THE ROAD TO SHANGRI-LA: Following in the footsteps of the 10th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu in Lijiang, Shangri-la, Dechen Tibetan region and seeing the great Khawa Karpo Tibetan mountain (Part 1: Highlights and research review))
“WHY BUDDHISTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT ANIMALS”: Launch of ‘Buddhism in a Nutshell” short reels series (I)
For the full Strawberry Moon (and Summer Solstice), I am delighted to launch a new short video reels series, called "Buddhism in a Nutshell" (available on Instagram and Facebook pages). This series is to give short (and hopefully easy-to understand) explanations of key fundamental concepts and ideas in Buddhist philosophy and practice. The first reel… Continue reading “WHY BUDDHISTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT ANIMALS”: Launch of ‘Buddhism in a Nutshell” short reels series (I)
BUDDHA’S HAIR RELIC STUPA AND FIRST ‘PEACE MISSION’ TRIP TO MAHIYANGANAYA, SRI LANKA: Mahiyangayana (flat-land) ‘hair relic’ stupa, the eighteen hair-pin bend road from Kandy, ancient Bodhi tree, and tallest standing Buddha on the island (Sri Lanka Pilgrimage IV)
"Saman Deviyo, who was present, appealed to the Buddha to leave behind a memento which they could venerate after the Buddha departed. The Buddha obliged by giving a few locks of hair (Kesa Dhatu) which were then deposited in a gold casket and enshrined in a stupa — the first to be built in Sri… Continue reading BUDDHA’S HAIR RELIC STUPA AND FIRST ‘PEACE MISSION’ TRIP TO MAHIYANGANAYA, SRI LANKA: Mahiyangayana (flat-land) ‘hair relic’ stupa, the eighteen hair-pin bend road from Kandy, ancient Bodhi tree, and tallest standing Buddha on the island (Sri Lanka Pilgrimage IV)
THE AUTHENTIC ROOTS AND FRUITS OF THE KĀLACAKRA TANTRA AND ITS AUTHOR MAHASIDDHA NĀROPA: Interview with Niraj Kumar (Dakini Conversations, Ep.7)
"Kālacakra is infatuated with machines [and numbers]....the goal of Kālacakra is to have a machine-like personality, where there is a cessation of the flow of karma, machines do not expect fruits from their work...We can thus see that before the likes of Da Vinci and Descartes in Europe, a mechanistic view of the human… Continue reading THE AUTHENTIC ROOTS AND FRUITS OF THE KĀLACAKRA TANTRA AND ITS AUTHOR MAHASIDDHA NĀROPA: Interview with Niraj Kumar (Dakini Conversations, Ep.7)
LADY BUDDHA OF COMPASSION AND THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS: The Tallest Lady Avalokiteshvara statue in Indo-China and the nearby Marble Mountains, pagodas and caves (Vietnam Pilgrimage I)
For a full moon offering today, am happy to first share this new post about a recent pilgrimage trip in SE Asia, this time to Danang, central Vietnam to see the Lady Buddha of Compassion statue there which looks out over the East Vietnam Sea. The tallest Buddhist statue in SE Asia (Indo-China). While in… Continue reading LADY BUDDHA OF COMPASSION AND THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS: The Tallest Lady Avalokiteshvara statue in Indo-China and the nearby Marble Mountains, pagodas and caves (Vietnam Pilgrimage I)
A WOMAN’S VOICE (II): THE ALLEGEDLY ‘CRUEL TIBETAN QUEEN’, MARGYELMA AND ‘UNRELIABLE’ BIOGRAPHIES: A white, male biographer’s treatment and ‘shaky sources on the ‘villainess Tibetan queen’, Margyel Dongkar, the denigration/silencing of a female scholar-translator’s comments on it, and another unreliable biography about the 16th Karmapa
"Margyelma's legacy as a quasi-historical, literary, and folk figure, remains strong in the contemporary Tibetan imagination. For example, it is not uncommon to hear male practitioners refer to women they are unhappy with as incarnations of Margyel Dongkar."--Joe McLellan (2023) “It actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman, that's why there are… Continue reading A WOMAN’S VOICE (II): THE ALLEGEDLY ‘CRUEL TIBETAN QUEEN’, MARGYELMA AND ‘UNRELIABLE’ BIOGRAPHIES: A white, male biographer’s treatment and ‘shaky sources on the ‘villainess Tibetan queen’, Margyel Dongkar, the denigration/silencing of a female scholar-translator’s comments on it, and another unreliable biography about the 16th Karmapa
Learn Classical Tibetan I (Beginners) with scholar-translator in English in the New Year 2024!
The new year 2024 has begun and time to start some new habits and meaningful studies! Ever wanted to read Tibetan rituals and prayers in the beautiful and unusual Tibetan script itself without the need for phonetics? The script is not only used by Tibetan language speakers, but also in Sikkim, Ladakh and Bhutan. Want… Continue reading Learn Classical Tibetan I (Beginners) with scholar-translator in English in the New Year 2024!