On Saturday, famed Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön released a statement responding to an allegation that she once dismissed a woman’s report that she was raped by a Shambhala Center director. Chödrön is a Buddhist nun, best-selling author, and senior teacher in the Shambhala community. She is a member of Shambhala’s “Transition Task Force,” the temporary committee appointed to [...]
Report details new allegations of sexual assault in Shambhala community
On Thursday morning, Buddhist Project Sunshine released its latest report on sexualized violence in the Shambhala community, alleging four more cases of sexual assault in the community going as far back as 1983. In one of the accounts in today’s report, a woman under the pseudonym "Ann" alleges that between 2003 and 2005 Sakyong Mipham, the head of the Shambhala Buddhist [...]
Shambhala leader to “step back” from duties during investigation of sexual assault allegations
The leader of the Shambhala Buddhist community, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, will “step back from his administrative and teaching responsibilities” while allegations against him of sexual assault and clergy sexual misconduct are being investigated. The statement by Sakyong’s Mipham’s office follows yesterday’s announcement that the nine members of the Shambhala organization’s [...]
Shambhala leadership council resigns; names investigator of sexual abuse allegations
The nine members of the Kalapa Council, the highest leadership body in the Shambhala Buddhist community, stepped down on July 6 following allegations of sexual assault and clergy sexual misconduct against the community’s leader, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Stating that the resignations will begin “a healing process for our community,” the Kalapa Council writes, “We recognize [...]
Report alleges sexual misconduct by leader of Shambhala community
Buddhist Project Sunshine released its second report today, containing allegations of sexual assault and clergy sexual misconduct by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, leader of the Shambhala Buddhist community. The report includes three victim impact statements by female members of Shambhala. The anonymous statements detail allegations of sexual assault in the form of unwanted sexual [...]
Shambhala leader makes public apology
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the leader of the Shambhala community, published a letter on Monday apologizing for hurt caused by past relationships with women in his community. In the letter, addressed to the Shambhala community, Sakyong Mipham writes that “there have been times when I have engaged in relationships with women in the Shambhala community. I have recently learned [...]
Sexual Misconduct in Shambhala Addressed by CBC Radio
On Wednesday, CBC Radio in Halifax, Nova Scotia, interviewed a Shambhala member who has issued a report on sexual misconduct in the community, followed by an interview with a leader in the organization. Shambhala is one of the largest Buddhist communities in the West; its headquarters is in Halifax. Andrea Winn, a leadership coach and second-generation Shambhala Buddhist, [...]
Shambhala statement addresses sexual misconduct
Shambhala, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the West, plans to develop a “comprehensive plan to address abuse.” The Kalapa Council, the highest leadership body in Shambhala Buddhism, published a statement Monday addressing “sexual harm and inappropriate relations” in the community. “The #metoo movement is shining a light on sexual harassment, abuse, and gender [...]
Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
Speed creates its own power and momentum, which begin to rule us, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. When we speed around, are we mastering our life or hanging on for dear life? A month or two after returning from a trip to Tibet, I ran into Aaron, a physician who had traveled with me. I asked him how it felt to be back in the West. He said that he felt as if he were winding up [...]
What Is Dream Yoga and How Do You Do It?
Buddhist practitioners have understood for centuries that the illusions we encounter in dreams are the same ones we encounter in waking life. Andrew Holecek shows us how to harness the Vajrayana techniques of dream yoga in order to wake up to reality. According to legend, when Siddhartha was glowing right after his enlightenment, people asked him if he was a god, a [...]
