Current testimonies

Meeting of victims with H.H. dem Dalai Lama in the Netherlands in September 2018

"Tibetan lamas named in the complaint presented on Friday included Rigdzin Namkha Rinpoche of the Swiss-based Rigdzin Community.; Tulku Lobsang of the Nangten Menlang Center in Vienna, Austria; Sogyal Rinpoche of the Rigpa organization, an international community with over 100 centers worldwide; and Robert Spatz, a Belgian citizen also called Lama Ogyen Kunzang Dorje"
in: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/meets-09142018173444.html at 26.9.2018

Organisation Ogyen Kunzang Choling (OKC)

The forgotten children (publication of the film in French language at 17.12.2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ7IeFC6eZ8&feature=autoshare

The OKC case - Ricardo's testimony to the damaging Ogyen Kunzang Choling sect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYI0fVNchw4&list=PLiPB56AeyS2uT5MoTDip3matU-AsnEjXe&index=4

Organisation Rigpa

Rigpa justification strategy for criminal offence (date of record: 30.7.2004)

http://beyondthetemple.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SOGYAL-RINPOCHE-JUSTIFIES-HITTING-STUDENT.mp4

Oganisation Pathgate

"Following recent revelations about other teachers who were abusing Buddhism, lineage, and students, we feel very strongly that it is our responsibility to bring to public attention that Palyul’s, H.H. Penor Rinpoche’s and Namdroling’s reputation are being misused by this teacher. We wish to bring to light the real harm he has caused, and continues to cause, his students past and present. Our concerns are as follows:
1. Peter Yeung’s aggressive, controlling, narcissistic and manipulative behaviour
a) He engages in verbal abuse such as shouting, shaming and humiliation of regular students, usually in public.
b) He inflicts emotional and psychological abuse by instilling guilt and fear in students, such as threatening them with karmic retribution.
c) His aggression even extends to instances of physical assaults on students.
d) He manipulates students into giving up their careers, family commitments and priorities, and devote themselves to him.
e) His teaching sessions usually degenerates into boasting about his abilities and accomplishments, and then denigrating his students.
f) He discourages his students from reading Buddhist texts, and having contact with or learning from other teachers.
g) Any student who does not conform to his will are indirectly forced out of the sangha by his verbal, emotional and psychological abuse.
2. The effects on his students and ex-students:
a) Instead of compassion, wisdom and joy, there is an atmosphere of fear, confusion and unhappiness.
b) There is no real trust and openness amongst students.
c) Long-term brainwashing has disabled students’ capacity to think for themselves and function properly.
d) Students become more isolated from mainstream society, families and friends over time.
e) Many are manipulated into giving up their careers and depleting their financial resources. They are pressured into providing free labour for Pathgate and some are burnt out.
f) They become dependent on Peter Yeung who progressively controls more and more aspects of their lives.
g) Students who leave the sangha are often psychologically and emotionally traumatised and some have sought psychiatric treatment.
h) When students leave, Peter Yeung manipulates the sangha to treat the people who leave as being against the Dharma, even when there are long-term friendships involved and no actual wrong-doing.
i) Most found themselves alone with no support from other students because Peter Yeung specifically tells students not to keep in touch with them. Even now, we find it difficult to contact ex-students.
j) Ex-students whom we have managed to contact personally, have reported very negative experiences with him. The commonality of their experience is striking.
k) Most students who leave are often fearful of speaking up. Some are terrified of spiritual attack, and a few have reported such attacks after they exited Pathgate.
l) We have observed at least two students who had lost their sanity during their time with Pathgate.
3. Questionable qualifications and lack of accountability:
a) Peter Yeung claims to be a long-time disciple of the late Holiness Penor Rinpoche and therefore affiliated to the Palyul Lineage. However, the official website of the Palyul Lineage and its official list of affiliated global centres does not include Pathgate Institute’s centres. We also note that there is already a Palyul Centre in London, UK.
b) Previous emails to Palyul and Namdroling Monastery requesting for verification of Pathgate and Peter Yeung’s authenticity were unanswered.
c) Peter Yeung is a layperson but wears the Tibetan monastic robes, which he calls the “lama robes”. Eyewitnesses confirm Peter Yeung received these robes in an honorary capacity, and not after following the usual course of Buddhist study.
d) Peter Yeung also seems to have no letters or other certificates of lineage or authorisation to teach from H.H. Penor Rinpoche or Palyul. Yet he presents himself as having the ability to teach the highest forms of Buddhism.
e) Despite extensive research, we can find no evidence of Pathgate Institute being registered as a charity or religious organisation, yet it claims both affiliations.
f) There appear to be no real accountability as to where the monetary offerings of students go to."
in: https://pathgatesurvivors.com/2018/12/18/uncovering-the-truth-about-pathgate-and-lama-dondrup-dorje/ date of retrieval: 15.1.2019

Thubten Chöling Monastery and centers

"The accusation came just months after it was revealed that Lama Norlha Rinpoche, founder of New York’s Thubten Chöling Monastery, had been having sexual relationships with his students for decades. Then, starting in early 2018, a series of reports by a group called Buddhist Project Sunshine highlighted numerous stories of abuse in Shambhala, a large international community that follows the Tibetan Buddhist teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The accusations went all the way to the top—Trungpa’s son and lineage holder Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche has been accused of sexual assault."
in: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/scandals-buddhist/ date of retrieval: 30.1.2019

"Kagyu Thubten Chöling Monastery (KTC) is a small community run by about 15 monks, nuns, and laypeople in Wappinger Falls, New York and affiliated centers in 10 states and the District of Columbia. The Hudson Valley center, about 70 miles north of New York City, was founded by Lama Norlha Rinpoche in 1978. Lama Norlha, a monk and meditation master who studied with Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche, was born in eastern Tibet in 1938 and escaped to India by foot. Lama Norlha believed that because Buddhism was new to the West, a stable dharma center (with traditional three-year retreat offerings) was crucial to ensure that the teachings were preserved for future generations. In April 2017, the sangha learned a painful secret: Lama Norlha, who had retired one month earlier at the age of 79, had been having sex with his students for decades. The sangha called a community meeting that month moderated by outside consultants—two from An Olive Branch, and a third who is a “friend” of KTC and experienced in conflict management—during which six women read statements about their experience. Three of Lama Norlha’s accusers read their own statements, and the others were read in absentia. Counselors were present as well, in case they were needed. Lama Norlha wasn’t present; his taped apology was played for the crowd"
in: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/scandals-buddhist/ date of retrieval: 30.1.2019

Zen Center of Los Angeles (ZCLA)

"The center was started by Taizan Maezumi Roshi, who in the 1980s admitted to being an alcoholic and to having sexual relationships outside his marriage with some of his female students. Once this behavior became known, the community nearly unraveled. Many left, as is often the case when a major scandal breaks, and those who remained had a lot of emotions to process."
in: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/scandals-buddhist/ date of retrieval: 30.1.2019