Case 41-2018: RIGPA Sect
& Sogyal Rinpoche
ETHICAL JUDGMENT
Dear Prosecutor, Public
Defender, Ambassador, Secretary and Jury Members of the International Buddhist Ethics Committee (IBEC) and Buddhist Tribunal on
Human Rights (BTHR), regarding Case 41-2018 against "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche", on April 1, 2018, it
is hereby recorded that the trial of the Ethics Committee has been concluded to
analyze the violation of the Buddhist Ethics carried out by the accused.
After analyzing the
presentation of the Case and the validation of proofs, the Committee has
proceeded with the voting of 9 members of the Jury, confirming that there were
1 vote of “Insanity”, 1 vote of “Innocent” and 7 votes of "Responsible" for "RIGPA
Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche" for the serious crimes of Torture
and Slavery, Fraud and Organized Crime, Violation of Women's Rights and
Violation of Buddhist Law. When interpreting and giving voice to the
vote of the Jury members, it is concluded that the "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche" do not have any valid
excuse to justify their Violations to Buddhist Ethics,
because although they have recently publicly apologized, the acts of Sogyal Rinpoche are not the product of
a mistake but constitute a deliberately pattern of criminal behavior chosen for
more than 40 years, even being a behavior supported by the RIGPA Sect for more than 20 years since the first legal demand for
sexual abuse came to public light. In this sense, the accused party, "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal
Rinpoche", has made a systematic plan of physical and psychological
abuses through manipulations and frauds that swindled thousands of people to
maintain a selfish lifestyle of sexual and labor exploitation. Sogyal Rinpoche systematically carried
out coercion and sexual abuse, even creating a harem of young female sex slaves to obtain personal gratification
to his promiscuity, causing enormous pain and confusion in his victims, who
also received psychological mistreatment and physical violence on a daily basis. Sogyal Rinpoche has fraudulently
promised to cure his students, by manipulating and sexually exploiting them,
using his position of power in order to betray the ethical duty to help and
release his students, so that his total lack of Compassionate Love perverts all
values and ethical principles, causing many of his victims to doubt or
disbelieve the sacredness and veracity of Buddhism. In this way, it is
confirmed the fact that the "RIGPA
Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche" have illegally taken advantage and have
subjected a large number of people seeking to learn Spirituality, using
violence, brainwashing, forced labor, threats and multimillion dollar swindle
as a part of their organized crime behavior. Evidences from the Case has shown
that the "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal
Rinpoche" formed a criminal
organization or illicit association,
violating women's rights and also
violating the fundamental ethical principles and precepts of Buddhist Law, by
reducing women to mere objects of sensual pleasure. Sogyal Rinpoche has had a totally contradictory behavior with
regards to the Buddhist doctrine, establishing a personality cult that carried
out million dollar swindles and covered up systematic sexual abuses in the name
of Buddhism, claiming a Crazy Wisdom
or non-conventional teaching to justify
terrible violations to Buddhist Ethics, such as mental manipulation, physical
violence, sexual abuse and hedonistic materialistic lifestyle. As the whole RIGPA organization was intended to
satisfy the criminal behavior of Sogyal
Rinpoche, along with his materialistic and lustful lifestyle, by systematically
covering-up his fraudulent millionaire abuses and expenses, it is confirmed
that RIGPA is not a Buddhist Community (Sangha) but a Criminal
Sect having total ignorance of what Spiritual
Love (Metta) means.
Actually, True Wisdom
should always be Compassionate and Sane,
so that any master who speaks of violent or
"crazy wisdom" will be
committing spiritual fraud. Wisdom transmitted through a "non-conventional way" is
undoubtedly the pacifism, social justice, advanced knowledge and ecology, because
in a materialistic and destructive world, where it is normal for there to be
war, poverty, ignorance and contamination, then Buddhism should adopt the "non-conventional way" of
active contemplation, compassionate wisdom and humanitarian ethics, which is
essentially love the fellow beings, never resorting to the ills of greed,
violence and deceit. The awakened mind, the sane mind, is intrinsically
"non-conventional", always humble and serene, so that those people
considering promiscuity and violence as non-conventional
ways are actually maintaining the same conventional, pathological and perverse
way of the rest of society.
The International Buddhist Ethics Committee establishes the possibility
of reaching a Post-Judgment Conciliatory Agreement with RIGPA in case they wish the annulment of the charges against them.
In order to do good, to stop doing evil,
and to purify oneself spiritually, following the Way of all the Buddhas, it
is ruled that RIGPA should meet the
following requirements: 1) Donate all its millionaire material possessions to Sogyal Rinpoche's victims; 2) Declaring
Sogyal Rinpoche as a Non-Enlightened False Buddhist Master. Until
this possible conciliation agreement does not happen, the International Buddhist Ethics Committee declares that the "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal
Rinpoche" are Responsible
for Torture
and Slavery, Fraud and Organized Crime, Violation of Women's Rights and
Violation of Buddhist Law.
On the other hand, the International Buddhist Ethics Committee confirms
that it is not possible to establish the legitimacy of an enlightened Buddhist master from the analysis of his celibacy. This
is because there are some Buddhist lineages and schools that do not require
their masters to be celibate, thus following Siddharta Gautama's Middle Path that transcends both
asceticism and hedonism. In this way, the International
Buddhist Ethics Committee, as an organization that respects and
incorporates the ancient knowledge of all spiritual traditions, affirms that
Buddhist masters may certainly practice sexuality as long as they comply with
the fundamental ethical precepts, practicing a righteous and appropriate love (samma pema) which does not hurt the
fellow beings. This means that there should never be any kind of manipulation,
deception, violence and debauchery, but that there must be Pure and True Love
in a climate of reciprocal union. In this sense, following the international
jurisprudence on cases of therapeutic relationships, the International Buddhist Ethics Committee declares as illegal the
practice of genitality between master and student for being a practice very
susceptible to be used for manipulation and abuse. However, there are two
exceptions to this rule: 1) When the person who decides to establish a sexual
relationship is not a current disciple of the spiritual master it will not
constitute any kind of manipulation or abuse, since relations with friends or
with former disciples lack any possible master-slave dialectic; 2) When the
Buddhist master who established a spiritual marriage with his dharmic partner decides to practice a
relationship of mutual support, mutual
learning and growing-in-love it will not constitute any kind of
manipulation or abuse.
Accordingly, in 2011 the
Maitriyana established that Spiritual Love is that which teaches to tolerate
Emptiness, not feeling fear or bitterness because what is shared is
something Pure and Real; Spiritual
Love is that which teaches to contemplate
flowers, mutually learning from each other and growing-in-love; Spiritual
Love is that which teaches to Awaken,
calming the mind and lighting the spiritual Fire in the core of the Being;
Spiritual Love is that which teaches to
realize the Project of Freedom; Spiritual Love is that which saves forever in all the ways a person can
be saved.
The Buddhist Law teaches
that, in order to cultivate a better world, an altruistic and harmonious
civilization, it is necessary to cultivate and radiate the practice of Spiritual Love (Metta) to all beings.
Only on this wise and compassionate foundation is that society can experience a
life of happiness, goodness, peace, honesty, kindness, mutual support,
humility, intelligence and detachment. This means that spiritual masters not only
teach the individual to attain the Awakening (Bodhi), but also teach the
community to live without anger, hostility and animosity, becoming a free and
enlightened society. Following the path of masters Gautama and Jesus, the
Maitriyana shows that the key to the Salvation and Evolution of humanity is Unlimited Spiritual Love (Agape) toward
everyone, cultivating a reconciling spirit to all beings in the same way that the mothers and fathers care for their own
children.[1] Therefore, the apprentice is required to
practice Mindfulness in the here and now, valuing each moment of life as if it
were the last one, and valuing the fellow being as if he or she were oneself,
including the enemies, since the one who lives an Existence with virtues and
clear vision understands that the path of greed, hatred and deceit leads to
Self-destruction of humanity. In this sense, the Buddhist Law proclaims that True Spiritual Love (Metta) must have a
spirit of self-sacrifice, so that one must renounce to protect one's Ego,
Ideology and State, in order to begin to defend Life, Spirituality and Mother
Earth. This means that the Reconciling
Love (Maitri) and the Supreme
Compassion (Mahakaruna) promoted by the Free and Enlightened Beings
(Arhats-Bodhisattvas) are expanded to all the humankind, to the whole nature
and to the entire Multiverse. Thus, the Maitriyana shows that active
contemplation, compassionate wisdom and humanitarian ethics are based on the
understanding that the whole reality is interrelated and interdependent.
The Buddhist Law has the
Purpose (Dharma) or guiding principle of creating a wise and compassionate
civilization, a friendly and altruistic world. This implies that the individual
should go beyond the limits of romantic love in order to enter the unlimited
field of Sublime and Spiritual Love
(Metta) that constantly purifies and enlightens emotions, thoughts and
actions. In effect, the apprentice who abandons the attachment to ordinary love
is able to resacralize everyday life, living a free existence in the world. The
Maitriyana confirms that romantic love is nothing but a primitive kind of
affection that should be transcended if an individual decides to become a
spiritual master and live without jealousy, resentment and illusions. The Free
and Enlightened Beings (Arhats-Bodhisattvas) even transcend maternal love,
because their commitment is not with the defense of a son or relative in
particular, but rather with the protection of all sentient beings. In this way,
Spiritual Love (Metta) is the highest Purpose (Dharma) by which a person can
live, and therefore this is broadly related to the Love for Truth and Art,
since Dharmic Passion always helps
others to be cured from suffering and to live a real happiness. Therefore,
there is a deep commitment to Goodness and Beauty, providing intelligence and
empathy in relationships with others. According to Buddhist Law, the spiritual
master must always be a good friend
(kalyanamitta) who respects and helps people to achieve Awakening (Bodhi),
instead of being a bad friend (papamitta)
who dishonestly uses and manipulates others through greed, hatred and deceit. The
Maitriyana then confirms that the force that awakens the mind and transforms
the internal world is the same force of love that saves society and pacifies
the external world. This pure and
unconditional Spiritual Love (mahametta) not only does not produce
suffering, but is an essential part of the path of Liberation, turning the
apprentice into a Companion of the Way.
While erotic love is based on attachment and is imperfect, impermanent and
insubstantial, however, Spiritual Love is developed as the healthiest and most
powerful force in the Universe, maintaining humility, transformation and
openness at all times. In fact, the Reconciling
Love (Maitri) constitutes the fourth pillar on which every individual
should take refuge, along with the pillars of the Awakened Being (Buddha), the
Purpose (Dharma) and the Spiritual Commune (Sangha). Therefore, the Buddhist
Law recommends couples wishing to live happily that they should not be based on
sex and material consumerism, but should share a common framework of conducts,
beliefs and values. Precisely, the one who practices the Art of Contemplative Love never converts the loved one into an
object that satisfies his or her needs, but actually honors him or her in every
moment and place respecting his/her
presence as a miracle, seeking he or she can be free of all attachment,
waking up to the Truth of life, learning
and growing-in-love. While erotic love is rebelled against what is Real and
tries to keep people with attachment and egoistic desire, on the other hand,
Spiritual Love (Metta) is an associate of Truth and tries to liberate others in
a totally pure and unconditional way by means of a Sublimated Desire. In this
sense, the Maitriyana totally criticizes those false spiritual masters, such as
Ricardo Javier Ocampo, Adi Da and Sogyal Rinpoche, who have totally
broken the ethical precepts of the practice of Spiritual Love (Metta) by means of harmful behavior to others,
because they have carried out abusive and coercive behaviors instead of
honoring the mission of Spirituality: to heal and liberate humanity.
Thus, in order that there are no manipulations or distortions, the Buddhist Law
describes what Pure Love (Metta)
really is: reconciliatory, enjoyable, equanimous, wise and compassionate,
non-violent, unconditional and universal. It is a Spiritual Love (Metta) free
of attachment and selfishness, which turns the loved one into a Companion-of-Way on the path of Awakening
of the internal world and Liberation of the external world. This is why the
Maitriyana's model of Super-Integral
Buddhism (Mahapurna) evolves the Noble
Eightfold Path of Gautama, incorporating the appropriate and righteous love (samma pema) as part of a Noble Fourteenth Path also composed of righteous understanding, righteous thought, righteous speech, righteous
conduct, righteous livelihood, righteous effort, righteous attention, righteous
concentration, righteous knowledge,
righteous liberation, righteous peace, righteous justice and righteous
Spirituality.
In conclusion, the International Buddhist Ethics Committee
has the Purpose (Dharma) for the Buddhist Spirituality to be pure and true, not
being perverted by abusive criminals, so that anyone who attempts against the
sacredness of Wise and Compassionate Love will be denounced and prosecuted. Thus,
for having violated several of the fundamental rules of Buddhist Law, such as
not sexually abusing and not swindling, it is established that Sogyal Rinpoche is a False Buddhist Master. Undoubtedly,
although he has resigned after having been publicly exposed by a group of
students, this does not necessarily imply that the accused is now doing good
and that he is spiritually purifying himself, because in order to achieve that
it is not only required that the damage caused to all his victims is repaired
by the accused but also he needs to learn Buddhism under the guidance of
genuine spiritual masters. In this way, the Case on the "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche" constitutes a great
lesson, so that anyone who makes sexual abuses and scams is aware that he or
she will not be able to do so with impunity.
Following the Path of
Master Gautama Buddha, who created and developed a Path of True Love 2600 years
ago, the International Buddhist Ethics
Committee oversees that Buddhist masters and spiritual communes around the
world do not violate Buddhist Law, so that the "RIGPA Sect & Sogyal Rinpoche" has been sentenced Responsible for Torture and Slavery, Fraud and
Organized Crime, Violation of Women's Rights and Violation of Buddhist Law.
With Spirit of
reconciliation (maitri),
Master Maitreya
Samyaksambuddha
President and Spiritual
Judge of the International Buddhist
Ethics Committee (IBEC) and Buddhist
Tribunal on Human Rights (BTHR)
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