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Tricky question. The sections that describe the process of dying were fascinating, especially those sections that describe the grand luminosity. I found the mes
by hunterjrj 16y ago
Tricky question. The sections that describe the process of dying were fascinating, especially those sections that describe the grand luminosity. I found the message behind the ideas and processes he describes very positive.
However, Sogyal Rinpoche's message about compassion seems a little thin to me in light of the allegation. He is accused of abusing his position to coerce followers into a sexual relationship. Doesn't seem compassionate to me.
I'll admit that I've judged the man based solely on accusations and intimations. But the accusations are strong and are repeated. I encourage you to read the article I linked in my original response.
- rblion 16y agoI wouldn't doubt it if he did fall to his primal urges. It's the human thing to do. The predator and prey games play out everywhere in society and in most instances, no one is really thinking about it.
- hunterjrj 16y agoThats an interesting argument. Let me apply it to a different situation: A priest coerces an altar boy into a sexual act. The priest will certainly argue that he succumbed to a primal urge, that he is only human, etc. Can you attend his Sunday mass and digest the message that he is sending strictly in context, completely ignoring what the man has done? I'm not trying to provoke with the above, I'm just pointing out that the argument doesn't hold water if you look at it in its strictest terms and apply it universally. This is what turned me off the book and its also what turned me off the writings of Jiddhu Krishnamurti (accused of committing adultery with his best friend's wife). I'd be glad to continue discussing this with you outside of HN. Feel free to email me at jrhunter at hotmail dot com
- rblion 16y agoIt's not an excuse to do whatever you want, I just meant it as people get into odd situations and strange things happen. I just think about the message and let people be people. human nature is a wild elephant.
- hunterjrj 16y ago"Human nature is a wild elephant." Agreed. I also like, "“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
- PemaChotse 16y agoHello -- I am the journalist who wrote the feature in The Guardian newspaper in 1995, following the Janice Doe lawsuit against Sogyal Lakar aka Rinpoche . Since then I have been assembling evidence of Sogyal's promiscuous, sadistic sexual depravity and now have an extensive dossier of corroborated testimonies. There is not a scintilla of doubt that the allegations you see on the internet are truthful and accurate.
- PemaChotse 16y agoBTW -- Sogyal did not write the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Sogyal is barely literate and cannot read Tibetan.He left Tibet at age 2 and received a basic education in India. He was never trained as a lama. The idea for the TBOLD came from Christine Longaker. Patrick Gaffney did the research. Andrew Harvey wrote the book. Compare the style and content to other books by Harvey.