Buddhism, New Kadampa Tradition, Religion

by tenpelNovember 27, 201512:33 am

The Special Teacher Training Programme in Kadampa Buddhism (STTP) – Student Agreement

Here is a document the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) asked their students to sign after they had enrolled for the “Special Teacher Training Programme in Kadampa Buddhism (STTP)” at the Kadampa Meditation Centre London. The students of the STTP were confronted with this legal agreement, that has far reaching consequences, after they had studied for 18 months – halfway through the programme – in November 2015.

The SSTP was initially designed for six months, offered at NKT’s main centre, Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, and was set up in 2013.

The term STTP is nowadays exclusively applied to a 3 year study program under Kadam Neil Elliott at Kadampa Meditation Centre London. The first three year STTP at KMC London started in May 2014.

(For details & documents see: Special Teacher Training Programme (STTP))

For any person interested in the STTP it would be only fair to be informed of this legal agreement before subscribing to the STTP so that anybody interested in the STTP can make an informed decision. For your information, here is the legal agreement:

Special Teacher Training Programme
Student Agreement

Dear (name and address removed for privacy reasons)

NKT Proprietary Rights

As you will be aware, we, New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT), publicly promote and support the development of Kadampa Buddhism and Kadampa Buddhist centres throughout the world. Protection of the purity and integrity of the lineage and spiritual tradition of the NKT is essential for the benefit of all future generations. Therefore NKT permits you to attend its Special Teacher Training Programme (STTP) and access the STTP-related training materials, including all spiritual works, teaching programme, audio recordings, documents, discs, information data and any other material whether in oral, electronic or written form and howsoever recorded (the Training Materials), subject to the terms of this letter agreement.

NKT Intellectual Property Rights

You hereby acknowledge that all intellectual property rights of whatsoever nature (including without limitation copyrights, design rights, trade marks and know-how) in the Training Materials belong and shall belong to NKT absolutely. You shall have no rights in or to the Training Materials other than the right to use them for your own personal, non-commercial use (the Permitted Purpose).

You undertake not to offer for sale, sell, distribute over any medium, or in any way commercially exploit any part of the Training Materials.

You undertake not to obscure, remove or amend any copyright or other proprietary notice of NKT included on or in the Training Materials.

You acknowledge that you have no right (and shall not permit any third party) to copy, reproduce, publish, modify, adapt or make error corrections to the Training Materials, in whole or in part in any form.

Confidentiality

Information contained in the Training Materials is confidential to NKT. You agree to keep all the Training Materials confidential and not to use the Training Materials for any purpose other than the Permitted Purpose.

You shall treat and safeguard all the Training Materials as strictly private and confidential and take all steps and precautions necessary to preserve such confidentiality.

You shall not at any time without the prior written consent of the NKT disclose any of the Training Materials to any third party.

You shall immediately notify NKT in the event that you become aware that any Training Materials (or part of them) have been disclosed or are in the possession of any person otherwise than as permitted by the terms of this letter agreement.

General

You acknowledge that the Training Materials have not been prepared to meet your individual requirements and NKT does not guarantee that the Training Materials alone will be adequate for your needs. To the extent permitted by law, NKT shall have no liability whatsoever for your interpretation or use of any information contained in the Training Material.

You acknowledge that the intellectual property rights and information contained in the Training Materials are valuable and that:

a. NKT may take legal proceedings against you or third parties if there is any actual threatened or suspected breach of any intellectual property rights or of this letter agreement; and

b. damages may not be an adequate remedy for any breach and NKT may seek an injunction or any other remedy equitable or otherwise.

You agree that because the STTP is a teacher training programme in Kadampa Buddhism, if at any time you wish to teach the material received on the programme you must receive the prior written permission of the Education Council of the NKT (which may be given or withheld in its absolute discretion).

If you offer for sale, sell, distribute, commercially exploit, reproduce, copy, publish, modify, adapt or disclose any part of the Training Materials in contravention of the terms of this letter agreement, your right to use the Training Materials will end immediately and you shall immediately destroy and permanently erase the Training Materials (and all copies thereof).

If you do not comply with these terms and we do not take action immediately, this does not mean that we are giving up any rights that we may have (such as taking action in the future).

Should any provision (in whole or in part) of this letter agreement be void or voidable, such provision (or part of it) shall not prejudice the remaining terms of this letter agreement.

This letter agreement and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in relation to this letter agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and the parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to all matters arising out of or in connection with this letter agreement.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I have read, understood and fully agree to the above.

Signature: ………………………………………………………………………………………. Printed

Full Name: ………………………………………………………………..

Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

56Comments

Add yours

1

tenpel on November 27, 2015 at 11:30 am
Reply

I updated the post. There was a confusion because initially the STTP was 6 months long and it was offered at KMC Manjushri. Neil Elliott’s three year STTP is offered at KMC London. Only the latter is referred to as STTP nowadays. For the latter program students were asked to sign the legal agreement posted above. While the former STTP was announced and started in 2013, Neil Elliott’s STTP started in May 2014.
- 2
  
  Clive Gransden on November 27, 2015 at 1:47 pm
  Reply
  
  This does seem overly restrictive – my experience is that different organisations share and help each other e.g. I have seen study materials from the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharmasala which openly acknowledge being based upon material from Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy and vice versa (ILTK is a FPMT centre whereas the IBD is not). This seems preferable to me.
  There also seems to be a suggestion that you cannot teach afterwards anything that was covered on the course without the Education Council’s permission. I cannot believe that this would be enforceable in the courts. They can copyright the materials, but I don’t think they can restrict how you use the knowledge you’ve gained whilst studying (not saying they wouldn’t threaten court action to try though).
  - 3
    
    tenpel on November 27, 2015 at 7:49 pm
    Reply
    
    True. Also works by Jeffrey Hopkins or Anne Klein etc – well known scientists – are shared with ILTK and Buddhist organisations. All of them live in the spirit of generosity and giving the Dharma. The NKT is unique in this branding and controlling mode as far as I know and as far as I can see. IMO this legal agreement and its implication don’t show even the slightest the spirit of the Dharma.
    
    But even from a mundane perspective. Imagine you enrol at a University for a 3 year bachelor on buddhism programme and after 1,5 years they ask you to sign such a statement. Would this be accepted in anyway by anybody? What would be the public response to that?
  - 4
    
    tenpel on November 27, 2015 at 8:09 pm
    Reply
    
    BTW, Clive such legal agreements have real live consequences as the case of NKT teacher Nick Gillespie demonstrates. He wanted to publish a book and mentioned that he is a NKT teacher. For NKT this was evil enough to threaten to sue him and to ban him from the NKT. Here is the NKT letter sent to him: https://thedorjeshugdengroup.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/nick0001.pdf
    
    Nick was a long term NKT teacher btw.* Imagine any legal body like a university would ban and threaten to sue a teacher because he writes a book and mentions that he is a teacher at that university – which is a matter of fact, then arguing the teacher has selfish motivations for writing the book. Nobody would accept that because it would be considered to be too arbitrarily, too restrictive, too unreasonable, too narrow, too greedy.
    
    * More about him here http://nktworld.org/nixed.html (The site is not really my taste in how things are expressed but it has useful information).
5

Joanne on November 27, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Reply

As a Buddhist, I find this document frightening.
6

Is the NKT a Cult? (Revisited) | The Truth Behind the Protests and Smear Campaign Against the Dalai Lama on November 27, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Reply

[…] of as a likely successor and I have wondered how he would lead the NKT forward. Today, I read a truly disturbing example of the types of reforms Elliott might have in mind if he takes control. The NKT, presumably under […]
7

Brian on November 27, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Reply

I challenge the exclusive designation of the term ‘Kadampa’. For example Je Gampopa Dvagpo-Lharje, born in 1079, was a direct Kadampa lineage master. NKT cannot not own or copyright the Kadampa teachings such as lojong, tonglen and so forth–this legal jargon is simply neither acceptable nor valid.
- 8
  
  tenpel on November 27, 2015 at 7:40 pm
  Reply
  
  This is what they did. According to Kelsang Gyatso and NKT the Dalai Lama “has stolen” the teachings from Trijang Rinpoche (don’t mind that in fact Trijang Rinpoche gave them freely to His Holiness and that Buddhist teachings don’t have a possessor). This “he has stolen” is just a projection of their own activity and greediness to possess and to control people (testified also by the legal agreement quoted in the post).
  
  Nobody gave the NKT the term “Kadampa”. They just occupied and branded it for their own highly questionable organisation – similar to Ole Nydahl who has occupied and branded for his organisation the term “Diamond Way”, the translation of Vajrayana. Both organisation occupied a reputable name that has no possessor and attached the glory and esteem for what these names present to their own questionable organisations. Nowadays it is hard to speak with esteem and awe of the Kadampas without that the NKT and their perversion of the Kadampa way comes to mind – at least for me.
  
  For sure, the Kadampas would have never copyrighted their teachings and had made Dharma a business were all the money goes to the organisation in order to expand and all the losses go to their students – a perversion of the Kadampa way to accept the defeat and to offer the victory. The NKT is an exploitive capitalist system. However, there are some differences to a greedy capitalist bank and NKT, the former treats their employers better than NKT treats their own people … The capitalist system NKT sells “enlightenment in an arm chair” for Westerners who have no real clue about Buddhism and then work as unpaid franchise workers for the expansion of the NKT in order to collect “merit” etc.
  
  The only thing I see we can do is to inform the public about these things.
  - 9
    
    No name on November 29, 2015 at 9:58 am
    Reply
    
    *** comment deleted by blog owner, it is too incendiary ****
    - 10
      
      tenpel on November 29, 2015 at 8:36 pm
      Reply
      
      Yes, pls lets not get personal. Thank you.
      - 11
        
        maik108 on December 3, 2015 at 9:26 am
        Reply
        
        This is indeed a problem within the NKT and one that requires serious challenging from within.
        The letter you linked to that was sent to Nick Gillespie was written by Steve Cowing, whom we have seen writing similar nonsense in the past. He seems to think it his duty to make legal and personal threats packaged in Buddhist-sounding language and false morals.
        
        But, I say to anyone faced with such threats or fearful of their consequences: they are COMPLETELY BOGUS! Neither Steve nor the NKT as an organisation can touch Nick or anyone else for that matter who publishes a book mentioning their name, organisation or teachers. A very superficial and rudimentary understanding of EU or US law will show this. These are empty threats.
        
        Btw, I myself published a book in which I mentioned the NKT, Geshe Kelsang and also included several quotes from his book. I have had no problems.
        
        Furthermore, the entire STTP is ridiculous. As you know, I have a lot of respect for other aspects of the NKT, but this new programme has been tainted from the start. I was doing a retreat at Manjushri in 2012 when they first started advertising this programme. The basic gist was: super condensed and quick wisdom to make you a super-teacher in only 6 months! Naturally you can imagine what kind of character profile that attracts. And it was blatantly obvious that the only motive was expansion.
        
        In my personal opinion, the new STTP is an improvement of this initial version, although I too have my reservations about Kadam Neil. As for this declaration that students are made to sign, it is not worth the paper it’s printed on. Such a document would never hold up in court. That does not take away from the fact that it is an incredibly narrow, corporate, threatening and thoroughly un-Buddhist document.
        
        As for the name: here I disagree with you and see this as a separate issue one might discuss. I think ‘New Kadampa Tradition’ is not an attempt to brand a traditional word but simply a rather typical type of name a Buddhist organisation might use. I see no difference with the FPMT who use the word ‘Mahayana’; as they are primarily Gelug with elements of other Tibetan groups but no Chinese or Japanese groups, you should also criticize them for branding a broad word for the sake of their institution. The OHHDL is also a branded institution with a logo, the Dalai Lama himself is arguably a branded institution, as are both Karmapas and their logos. Rangyung Yeshe institute (also publishers), DW (as you mentioned), Triratna, Rigpa, Shambhala; these are all brands. In fact, I can’t think of a single established Buddhist organisation, active in the Western world, who do NOT use traditional words which they have patented as part of their brand.
        
        12
        
        tenpel on December 4, 2015 at 11:01 am
        Reply
        
        Thank you Maik. The problem is that NKT has a history of threatening people with legal means and silencing them + arbitrary removal of resident teachers who do not fully obey to Kelsang Gyatso or NKT. The letter to Nick is just an expression of this oppressive, narrow and obsessive control, and as other legal threats being made public on this or other blogs show, it is a typical means.
        
        With respect to the claim other Buddhist organisations took also possession of reputable names, this is true with Ole’s Diamond Way and his taking possession of the term Kagyu but not for FPMT or Rigpa because they didn’t take possession of a well branded tradition for their own sake, marketing it exclusively and possessively e.g. mahayana.org etc. Nor did they claim – unlike Kelsang Gyatso – to have brought and revived “this ancient tradition in the West” ignoring the fallacies of such a boasting claim. Kelsang Gyatso has neither revived nor brought the ancient Kadampa school to the West. This becomes evident when you consider what the historical Kadam school studied and transmitted.
        
        13
        
        maik108 on December 4, 2015 at 12:04 pm
        
        Thanks Tenpel. Yes there is definitely a problem within the NKT’s ‘elite’ and enough evidence to show that legal threats have often been inappropriately used. Many teachers have been ousted out for strange reasons as well. Nonetheless, I feel we should be very clear and present factual examples, if we are going to speak of such events. Some teachers also left on their own accord, and much speculation was made afterwards about NKT harassment, which turned out not to be the case.
        
        Steve Cowing also has a history of white washing any criticism whatsoever and twisting facts to suit his aim, which is to present the NKT as a completely flawless institution. Here an NKT practitioner gives an example:
        https://redblackfireandwind.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/steve-cowing-now-refuses-to-allow-communication-with-my-lama-ven-geshe-la/
        
        As for the name: here I continue to disagree with you. I don’t see why names like ‘Rigpa’ or ‘Shambhala’ or ‘Rangyung’ are different. As you know, there are many non-NKT Gelug centres around the world with the name ‘Kadampa’; I don’t believe there has ever been an attempt by the NKT to raise a lawsuit against them (if that should ever happen…that would truly be disgraceful).
        
        I see your point Tenpel: I know the NKT market themselves very much around the idea that they are Kadampas in line with Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa; they also say that Geshe Kelsang was the first to establish Kadampa Buddhism in the West, which we all know is completely untrue. But I would also say that, if we look around, we will find similar marketing strategies and cleverly-crafted mythologies within other institutions and traditions as well.
        
        14
        
        tenpel on December 4, 2015 at 5:32 pm
        
        Maik you should ask why “Steve Cowing also has a history of white washing any criticism”. This goes back to Kelsang Gyatso himself who can’t accept criticism and stated himself that he and his followers have never done anything wrong. I was a personal witness of such a situation of whitewashing by him. And you can find similar statements by Kelsang Gyatso in his open letters – except that there is one example where he saw a fault and apologized, but compared with his statements where he blames others and whitewashes himself and the NKT such an apology is a grain in the Ganges river and his apology didn’t last for long either – he did soon the same things again for which he apologized. In Berlin Kelsang Gyatso suppressed criticism of the NKT in this manner: Someone said “But the NKT also made faults”, as a response there was a mumbling that expressed tension, then Kelsang Gyatso replied: “I. I am the NKT.” Then any tiny tendency to issue any criticism was suppressed by this statement because if you now had said NKT made a fault you would in fact have stated that the guru made a fault which is an “impure view” punished with Vajra Hells. All were silenced by this statement. Nobody dared to issue any further criticism about NKT. Later the NKT leadership deleted that situation from the official protocol / transcript.
        
        The culture within NKT goes directly back to the head of NKT, though those who want to still continue within NKT make an artificial separation between Geshe Kelsang and the rest, putting the system errors on the rest, whitewashing Kelsang Gyatso and keeping and idealized image of him with a lot of positive projections that are not supported by reality.
        
        —-
        
        Rigpa is not the name of a reputable ancient tradition that does not exist anymore, like the Kadampa Tradition. Nor does Rigpa or SR claim they are the only ones who have brought the ancient tradition of Rigpa to the West and revived it. The same is true with ‘Shambhala’ or ‘Rangyung’. There are quite a lot of differences but I have to accept if you can’t see them.
        
        It is also not the case that those Gelug centres using the name Kadampa claim boastfully and incorrectly that they have perserved and brough the ancient Kadampa Tradition to the West.
        
        However, I agree, NKT didn’t file a lawsuit against a Gelug or Nyingma centre for using Kadampa in their name.
        
        (Note: The NKT changes their self-description quite often – which is common for NRMs. Nowadays they claim wrongly Atisha had founded “Kadampa Buddhism”, there was no such thing as Kadampa Buddhism, a term invented by NKT as a marketing tool or for their Buddhist identity. Nor is it correct that “Kadampa Buddhism was first introduced into the West in 1977 by the renowned Buddhist Master, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.” He came to the West to teach Buddhism as understood in the Gelug school. He used some of the Gelug teachings he felt to be important and branded that selection of Gelug teachings with “Kadampa Buddhism”. But it is neither the continuiation nor the presentation of the ancient Kadam School. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other lamas are holding the transmissions of the ancient Kadam school, e.g. the Sixteen Drops, the texts they studied and stressed and he and others give the respective teachings.) As I see, you agree with this more or less.
        
        Those applying similar marketing strategies are Diamond Way and maybe Triratna – both seen by many as controversial as well – but all others are quite different to them as far as I can see.
        
        Though, as a new piece in this marketing and power games, China tries now to establish also a Khadampa School as the fifth school of Tibetan Buddhism behind which it appears is the Shugden Lama Tritul Rinpoche and China greatly supports that development also financially. But for moderate or common Buddhists I didn’t see similar marketing strategies. I am open to be corrected but at the moment; I don’t see valid arguments for this claim.
        
        15
        
        maik108 on December 7, 2015 at 9:02 am
        
        Hi Tenpel,
        
        I concur with you that there is a problem within the NKT concerning white-washing and autocratic control. But I suppose we come to a junction here where our experiences are simply very different. Nonetheless, when it comes to Geshe Kelsang, I have no problem with seeing and voicing his faults. You are completely right in saying that the vast majority of NKTers would never do this.
        
        As a parallel however, the same phenomenon is true concerning HH the Dalai Lama: I have yet to meet a follower or disciple of HHDL who would criticize him. This is also no different from other popular figures such as Sogyal Rinpoche or Lama Ole. Whoever the object of veneration, this is clearly an incorrect understanding of Guru devotion, or the very nature of the Guru him/herself.
        Similarly, His Holiness has not apologised for his over zealous ‘ban’/advice against Shugden, which caused quite a bit of suffering on both sides (irrespective of our personal opinions about the practice!). The CTA have also never openly accepted or acknowledged any criticism towards HHDL and/or the Government. But then again, as that falls in the realm of politics, I suppose it’s to be expected.
        
        As for Gyatso’s open letters: I don’t agree with them completely but they are not evil, arrogant or fanatic, as has been suggested. They are consistent with his view. I am convinced that they were blown out of proportion after Thurman’s retaliation back in the late 90s and the neurotic behaviour of many ‘unstable’ NKT practitioners. I see no problem with Lamas vehemently defending their position and rejecting an authority they disagree with.
        
        (please note, I am not white-washing Gyatso, I have no interest to do so. This simply reflects my views and experience. Unfortunately your last blogpost was shut down due to trolls, I feel we were finally getting to the crux of ‘what does GKG actually teach, is it valid/authentic?’ etc. Perhaps another time).
        
        So we agree that the NKT generally doesn’t accept criticism and doesn’t apologise.
        
        I agree with your points regarding the name ‘Kadampa’ to an extent. I still don’t accept that it is wholly different from other names, nor that it is particularly bad or destructive. But perhaps there is too much marketing behind it.
        
        16
        
        Benedict Arnold on December 8, 2015 at 11:45 pm
        
        Breathtakingly dumb points, Haribol. ” His Holiness has not apologised for his over zealous ‘ban’/advice ” Are you actually serious or is this wooly thinking just meant to be incendiary?
        Just wondering have you read the book Monkey on a Stick, byJohn Hubner?
        
        17
        
        tenpel on December 9, 2015 at 12:49 pm
        
        Benedict, are you making personal attacks against Maik? So what if he used to be interested in Hare Krishna? Attacks take away from the content and attacks are not welcomed here …
        
        18
        
        Math on December 10, 2015 at 10:23 am
        
        Is whitewashing a form of cognitive dissonance reduction?
19

Joanne on November 27, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Reply

I think there’s also fear of others seeing what they’re up to– what they’re doing with the dharma. And then Geshes etc. cannot point out where they are not acting in accord with Tsongkhapa etc. This is what worries me. They can now create as they go along, they’re more of a closed shop than ever. And I think they also have some fear of those teachers who leave– I think it is an attempt at silencing defectors maybe.
- 20
  
  tenpel on November 27, 2015 at 8:22 pm
  Reply
  
  Its a bit funny, their hubris is so strong that the students have to acknowledge even “that you have no right (and shall not permit any third party) to … make error corrections to the Training Materials, in whole or in part in any form.”
  
  This hubris led also to the strange case that their first NKT constitution had a rule that the constitution can only be changed if ALL UK NKT trustees with voting rights agree to the change with one voice and no counter voice. It was felt to be perfect, there would be never ever any need to change it. This hubris let later to fear to get any counter voice when it was planned to change this constitution. This in turn was the reason why the power games at Maitreya Buddhist Center came into being … (Years before, when they wanted to establish “Kadampa Hotels” as a business, the NKT similarly took manipulating actions to get rid of trustee members who were not 100% devoted to the NKT party line, because they feared that people would oppose the establishment of a money making business like the Kadampa Hotels.)
21

Sam Hoff on November 27, 2015 at 11:56 pm
Reply

tenpel,

Please do a blog post on NKT members being in denial that the NKT is merely a money making scam.
22

Sam Hoff on November 28, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Reply

tenpel,

You need to make clear that the NKT is a money making scam, with being a cult only secondary.
- 23
  
  maik108 on December 3, 2015 at 9:49 am
  Reply
  
  I fear this will not happen as the NKT is clearly not a mere money making scam. Even the journalist Madeleine Bunting wrote in her critical analysis of the NKT in the Guardian:
  
  “The NKT is a fascinating, entirely new chapter in the history of Eastern spirituality in the West. There are no salacious sex scandals here, nor any suggestion of material corruption – there are no fleets of Bhagwan-style Rolls Royces. The spiritual naivety of Westerners has not been exploited for spiritual or material gain, but they have become foot soldiers in a Tibetan feud.”
  
  Ignoring for a moment our personal opinions about the NKT, it is clearly not a money making scam. If making money were their motive, you would see the following:
  – Far more expensive classes
  – Far more expensive festivals
  – Possibly a type of tithing or ‘enrollment’ in conjunction with an annual fee
  – Fleets of Bhagawan-style Rolls Royces
  
  Even a person highly critical of the NKT would have to conclude that their existence is motivated by ideology, belief and idealism. Whether we agree with it or not is a different issue. I believe Dorje wrote in a previous post that the NKT’s anti-Dalai Lama campaign is in some ways internally consistent with their outlook, view and belief.
  
  While the NKT is certainly not free like many traditions in the East, or like some Vaishnava traditions in the West, it remains reasonably priced by Euro-American standards. Considering that many followers are affluent people, they could easily charge much more than they do.
  - 24
    
    Brian on December 3, 2015 at 4:30 pm
    Reply
    
    Maik: You failed to mention exploitation of free labour, like cleaning toilets or renovation work for cultic ‘merit’. Not only are these earnest volunteers missing even minimum wages under law, there is the opportunity cost. This bullying only serves to make converts more invested and the eventual disillusion at mispent time more painful.
    - 25
      
      maik108 on December 4, 2015 at 8:48 am
      Reply
      
      Exploitation of free labour? Did you experience this and can you give evidence of anyone who did? Are there cases of centre directors holding a gun to your head forcing you to clean toilets?
      
      If you want to be critical, that’s potentially helpful, but then let’s define the situations we speak about. As for free labour: the centres are charities and, like all other charities, rely on volunteer work. Nobody is forced to do any of it. For those who choose to live in a centre, they also choose to be part of that community and help with chores.
      
      There is nothing illegal about this at all Brian, this is nonsense. If there is, then all charities should be shut down.
      
      As for bullying: indeed there are many accounts of bullying happening at centres, between teachers, admin directors, residents, etc. But to suggest that that’s all there is, is wrong. Most people voluntarily choose to continue living in the centres and working there.
      
      An area of improvement would be for resident teachers and others who are ‘sponsored residents’, i.e. people working full time for a centre: they are not given enough financial support or free time. So there I would agree with you. They should be given much higher salaries and treated as proper employees.
      - 26
        
        Brian on December 5, 2015 at 6:19 pm
        Reply
        
        ‘Sponsored residents’ like you, Maik? Why not go on strike then if you don’t like the wages. Tsem also hides behind charitable status, personally I think you should all pay taxes and not freeload off societal infrastructure that working people subsidize.
        
        27
        
        maik108 on December 6, 2015 at 12:17 pm
        Reply
        
        Thanks for your care and concern. I don’t live in a centre, not sure why you assumed I do.
  - 28
    
    Brian on December 3, 2015 at 4:46 pm
    Reply
    
    No Rolls perhaps, Maik, but pray tell why NKT “teachers” fly so frequently and frivolously.
    In light of the Paris summit on climate change, consider George Monbiot’s observation “Our moral dissonance about flying reminds me of something a Buddhist once told me: “It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it with love.” I am sure he knew as well as I do that our state of mind makes no difference to either exploited people or the environment….When it comes to flying, there seems to be no connection between intention and action.”
    Example: Norden, NA to Europe return three times to shout in one year not to mention around the continent. Khenrab and Thegchen to Vancouver to protest.
    I would like my kids to have a flippin’ planet to live in..NKT is just not helping on this account.
    - 29
      
      maik108 on December 4, 2015 at 8:53 am
      Reply
      
      “but pray tell why NKT “teachers” fly so frequently and frivolously.”
      
      Do they? And if so, for what purpose? And if you suggest a purpose, can you prove it? This statement is silly.
      
      Your examples about Norden Khyenrab etc are valid observations and I myself have been in dialogue with them directly questioning their actions, as far as the protests are concerned. But aside from vague theories and sweeping inferential conclusions, nobody has shown that their flights have been sponsored by either the NKT or the PRC, as often suggested. For all we know they paid for the flights themselves, or with the help from family or friends. It is their own choice and decision.
      
      I think you have bigger concerns for your kids than a few flights!
      - 30
        
        Brian on December 4, 2015 at 7:57 pm
        Reply
        
        Not so. Forty return flights from UK to Rome courtesy the direct Chinese agents we call ISC. Rent-a-crowd from Spain for the ‘stop lying’ demo in London this summer. If the cult was transparent and honest regarding finances there would be less suspicion but that is simply not the case…lots of money to hide is the only reasonable conclusion.
        
        31
        
        maik108 on December 6, 2015 at 12:20 pm
        Reply
        
        Yes of course. Perhaps you can link us some evidence of this. I also suggest we get back to the topic of this specific blog post.
        
        32
        
        Brian on December 6, 2015 at 9:46 pm
        
        http://internationalshugdencommunity.com/prebooking-advice-rome-demos/
        ‘Off topic’ is a common NKT ploy to stop debate which you do not apply to your own musings.
        
        33
        
        maik108 on December 7, 2015 at 8:31 am
        
        What’s this link got to do with your claims? To stick to the topic is no NKT ploy, it is the basis of good, clear discussion. I’m sure others on this blog would agree.
        
        34
        
        Benedict Arnold on December 8, 2015 at 8:40 pm
        
        You asked for a citation regarding frivolous flights and you got one. You seem to be in complete denial about ISC and Chinese funding.
        
        35
        
        maik108 on December 8, 2015 at 10:08 pm
        
        Yawn. Next!
  - 36
    
    Sam Hoff on December 3, 2015 at 6:00 pm
    Reply
    
    maik108,
    
    Surely you know the NKT has extremely expensive and lavish properties that rival the British royal family’s.
    
    And NKT teachers are pressured to donate all their life savings, hence the constant search for new teachers.
    - 37
      
      maik108 on December 4, 2015 at 8:56 am
      Reply
      
      Both of your statements are pure conjecture, if that. Please respond with clear examples.
      
      In the future Sam, I think everyone on this blog would appreciate some more words from you, instead of your one-liner falsities about Gelugpas, Karmayoga, Kagyü, Mahamudra and in my mind, the NKT.
      - 38
        
        Sam Hoff on December 4, 2015 at 11:00 pm
        Reply
        
        Clear example?
        
        Go to Google Image search and type in “NKT Manjushri Institute” and look at the pictures.
        
        39
        
        Brian on December 5, 2015 at 2:56 pm
        Reply
        
        Sam, Don’t you get it? NKT is a tax exempt charity, not a scam. While perhaps not aiding refugees, attending to Leprosy, involved with famine relief, development work, any kind of education, preventing child labour abuses, and with no concern over global climate change and rising sea level, the New Kadampas do occasionally give out free smoothies in California!
        
        40
        
        Brian on December 6, 2015 at 3:51 pm
        
        “December 5:
        His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Friday expressed his sadness over the destruction to human life and property in Chennai where incessant rainfall has brought life to a standstill, the heaviest downpour in over hundred years. He also pledged a donation of Rs 15 lakhs towards relief operations.”
        Cite me one single example where NKT or socalled Tsem Tulku have donated to humanitarian relief over plastic idol subsidy, real estate purchases or other self-serving, self-cherishing causes.
        Just one.
        I can wait.
        
        41
        
        tenpel on December 6, 2015 at 7:42 pm
        
        He saves lifes in hospitals …
        http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/personal-attendant/rinpoche-in-hospitals.html
        
        42
        
        Brian on December 6, 2015 at 10:01 pm
        
        With due respect to his clairvoyance–and while virtuous–the well being of one’s immediate circle is the remit of those of mediocre scope. A true bodhisattva extends compassion much more universally to enemies as well, whom Tsem attempts to sue in court for simply not agreeing with him, so lets not overstate the case.
        
        43
        
        tenpel on December 6, 2015 at 10:31 pm
        
        I agree. For my taste, even this is just posing. I never made images (nor would I think to do so), when I visit sick or dying people and post them on my website. Also outstanding figures like HHDL don’t do this.
        
        44
        
        maik108 on December 6, 2015 at 12:19 pm
        Reply
        
        Thanks Sam, of course I know Manjushri well and have been there many times. So what is your point? It was bought in a derelict state and continues to be rather dilapidated.
        
        45
        
        Sam Hoff on December 7, 2015 at 10:17 pm
        
        If the NKT were a real Buddhist organization, instead of a Scam, it would be the wealthiest Buddhist organization in the world
  - 46
    
    tenpel on December 4, 2015 at 4:49 pm
    Reply
    
    I agree in so far that the primary motives are based on ideology, idealism etc as you said but these motives are mixed with attachment to NKT and pride + ignorance regarding complex Tibetan Buddhism which gives it its missionary and sectarian drive.
    
    So money is only a means for expansion and expansion is a means for fulfilling the own motives. These motives can be mixed, more into a selfless direction or mixed with egoistic motives (empire building to satisfy the ego).
    
    If the motives are more egoistic, clinging to money and recklessness will increase. And then money making – even by questionable means – becomes foremost.
    
    The topic of money was always dominant when I was in NKT. They wanted to get all of my money, savings, even that of my relatives and urging to make your will on their behalf or to give loans which they didn’t pay back easily if at all. There was no reduction for festivals for the monks and nuns (outside NKT it is rather always for free and the ordained even get an offering when they attend teachings – instead of taking money from them). NKT exploits monks and nuns and their working power in many uncommon and wrong ways. NKT is a total exploitative and manipulative system.
    
    NKT has their sex scandals and for instance the former NKT Resident teacher of Bodhisattva centre in Brighton, Lodrö, insisted to be offered a very good car, latest mobile phone models, and technical equipment. The amount of corruption being reported is quite breathtaking. My own NKT teacher insisted to have a Mercedes Benz.
    
    The German NKT festival brought 1 million euro profit with which they bought a castle, Schloss Sommerswalde. So if it is not a money making scheme it is a empire building scheme, which would be more related to the facts. NKT as an empire building scheme – which makes it money greedy – is also supported by the fact that NKT dreams of having an NKT temple in every major city of the world.
    - 47
      
      Sam Hoff on December 4, 2015 at 11:02 pm
      Reply
      
      Tenpel,
      
      The reason why NKT members are so fanatic is not because of ideology.
      
      Its because they donated their life savings.
      - 48
        
        tenpel on December 5, 2015 at 1:03 pm
        Reply
        
        My understanding is: fanaticism is a complex issue but it is mainly related to attachment and pride (including the pride of self-deprication). The nourishing component for fanaticism comes mainly from ideology.
        
        49
        
        Sam Hoff on December 5, 2015 at 10:59 pm
        Reply
        
        I would be fanatic too if I donated my life savings to a cause.
        
        Using poker terminology, I would be pot-committed.
        
        50
        
        maik108 on December 7, 2015 at 8:43 am
        
        Guys, can we stick to facts regarding this issue? There are some important things that need to be pointed out about the NKT and sweeping accusations like this do not help us get to the bottom of things.
        
        Tenpel, as you yourself were inside the NKT, would you concur that all NKT practitioners were pushed to donate all of their life savings? I know of quite a few teachers and practitioners who have donated bucket-loads of money, yes. At this point I might also add that my uncle from San Francisco was recently expelled from Saraha Center after fifteen years of living there, helping out, donating money, etc. He was literally framed and accused of the most absurd and perverse things, mainly because he didn’t conform and the RT wanted him out. (FYI – his state attorney took the centre to court who settled out of court on damage payments of $20,000; indeed, I wonder where that money comes from!)
        
        So this is a major problem that I wish could be weeded out. However, I also know many affluent practitioners who have been around for many years who have not and were never pressured into giving their money to the NKT. You also unfairly neglect to mention that the NKT have a policy that nobody should be turned away due to monetary issues. There always were and continue to be many people attending classes and even festivals for free or heavily subsidized cost. I myself have experienced this many times.
        
        As I stated, the NKT could easily enforce tithing or increase their costs.
        
        51
        
        tenpel on December 11, 2015 at 12:35 pm
        
        Sorry Maik, I missed to read that comment (as I missed to read other comments too). I agree with “can we stick to facts regarding this issue? There are some important things that need to be pointed out about the NKT and sweeping accusations like this do not help us get to the bottom of things.”
        
        “Tenpel, as you yourself were inside the NKT, would you concur that all NKT practitioners were pushed to donate all of their life savings?”
        
        There was a culture of pushing to donate in general. But the pushing followed a fine discrimination how devoted a person is, the more devoted (the more “faith” as NKT would call it) a person had the more the person was pushed. But such a culture depends also on the personality of the Resident Teacher and it highly likely will vary in different NKT centres among different teachers. It is hard to generalise that and each case has to be discriminated individually.
        
        “I know of quite a few teachers and practitioners who have donated bucket-loads of money, yes. At this point I might also add that my uncle from San Francisco was recently expelled from Saraha Center after fifteen years of living there, helping out, donating money, etc. He was literally framed and accused of the most absurd and perverse things, mainly because he didn’t conform and the RT wanted him out. (FYI – his state attorney took the centre to court who settled out of court on damage payments of $20,000; indeed, I wonder where that money comes from!)”
        
        I am sorry for your uncle! All this will be painful I assume, because your uncle put a lot of faith, work and hope in all of this. It seems also that your uncle is the only person who has ever taken NKT to court. I’ve never heard of a similar case! It seems your uncle won the court case. How does he think of NKT now after all of his experiences?
        
        “So this is a major problem that I wish could be weeded out. However, I also know many affluent practitioners who have been around for many years who have not and were never pressured into giving their money to the NKT. You also unfairly neglect to mention that the NKT have a policy that nobody should be turned away due to monetary issues. There always were and continue to be many people attending classes and even festivals for free or heavily subsidized cost. I myself have experienced this many times.”
        
        As I wrote above, it will vary, dependent on the centre and local RT. With respect to the “unfairly neglect to mention that the NKT have a policy that nobody should be turned away due to monetary issues” my experience and what I witnessed does not really support this. I and other NKT monks and nuns asked to get a reduction for the UK NKT festival. Not only were they not really willing to give it, the talked to us how inappropriate this is (we invested all our money and savings in our Berlin Centre and therefore had not much left), giving us a really bad feeling to finally agree to a reduction which was rather symbolic but not really helpful. How they did it felt so bad that I never ever would have dared to ask for a reduction again. With new people, this might also depend on the centre and the person in charge how they deal with this. But in general I could not witness a generous policy in this.
        
        Interesting that you experienced it, can you tell more about this?
        —–
        BTW, as I wrote already I have extreme time limitations and I can’t read all comments … however, if I miss a comment that is important for you or for a fairer/broader discussion (like this one), please contact me via email and hint it, then I will take time to read and to reply to it. Someone hinted this comment by email, that’s why I am now replying to it. I need this type of help to be made aware of comments to be answered or also to be deleted. Its just too much to read and to reply to all what is going on here. The only alternative I have to deal with that differently is to close the blog.
        
        52
        
        maik108 on December 11, 2015 at 1:06 pm
        
        Hi Tenpel, thanks for your reply, I will keep the response brief 🙂
        
        Sorry to hear of your experience. I don’t find it hard to believe, I have also witnessed these kinds of things. My experience of a more generous attitude was experienced primarily in Bodhisattva Centre and Nagarjuna Centre in the UK, but was also invited and supported by American sangha who offered a lot of help in the form of discounts, freebees or things like that (despite this I never went). A few retreats at both Bodhisattva and Nagarjuna centres that I attended, which I could not afford, were offered to me at whatever price I could afford. Meals were thrown in for free.
        
        I agree, this might differ from centre to centre.
        
        My uncle: I still need to catch up with him. He has always had the view that a book doesn’t equal the cover, in the sense that the institution is not what matters. He benefits from GKG’s books and teachings and the various classes; like me, he has voiced criticism towards the protests and other issues within the NKT.
        
        Apropos legal issues: There was another story concerning ‘Kadam Ace Reamus’, also associated with San Francisco. He was a business man who, in a nutshell, scammed and cheated a large number of people, two of which were my uncle and father (some business project they were involved in together). It turned out that this Kadam had cheated and embezzled money from a large amount of NKTers and was taken to court several times. Many letters were sent to the NKT about him and he was eventually removed… very quietly, however.
        
        53
        
        tenpel on December 11, 2015 at 1:44 pm
        
        Thank you Maik. Very interesting experience. I’ve never had that or heard of any ordained who had that. Maybe there is also a difference if you are considered a fully committed member or on the edge of being fully committed but not yet in NKT. Once you are fully committed to NKT the flexibility of NKT they show to not fully committed member ceases quickly. NKT monks and nuns are in that situation and all I spoke with experienced it the way how I described it. Remember, NKT is to get people into the NKT to make them fully committed, free work horses that spread the NKT, as a part of the strategy they give ease and not many hard ships to people who are not yet fully committed but are rather on the edge. (Don’t know if you belong to that group but I could imagine this. Fully committed, inner NKT circle members, would never ever dare to raise any criticism as you do.)
        
        With respect to your uncle. I see. I have also to correct myself in this regard. Your uncle didn’t win the court case, it was settled outside the court as you wrote and there was a court case against NKT already, the New Zealand property deal.
        
        54
        
        maik108 on December 11, 2015 at 3:27 pm
        
        While I fully admit to never being ‘fully committed’ to the NKT (or any other group for that matter), I know many who are. Out of those people, I know of several who had similar experiences to yourself and left the tradition, and several who did not, are still involved and love it.
        
        I don’t know much about ‘monkhood’ within the NKT, nor do I have direct experience living within the ‘top circles’ of the organisation. But I know the tradition quite well and see no evidence of there being a kind of inner ‘secret’ circle, as is the case in the Church of Latter-Day Saints, for example. Also, it can be an easy argument for those who disagree with me, to simply say I don’t know because I was always on the fringe. I had some close ties and friendships with some “high ranking” teachers like Bjorn Clausen, Gen Togden and Gen Losang and was in a relationship with the EPC for Nagarjuna Centre for a long time. I have seen ugly things, definitely. But definitely not exclusively! 🙂
        
        Also your post raises interesting questions about definitions. What does it mean to be fully committed? I think it means to study, practice and live dharma. As such there are many fully committed NKTers. Though less so today, I had many years as such a fully committed NKT practitioner. Another definition might be to be dedicated to the institution, the brand, the organisation. To me (my personal opinion), this is a necessary evil, one I never had an interest in entering.
        
        I agree that fully committed members don’t criticize the NKT, but I suppose this is to be expected in any organisation. Those who did criticize left shortly after (like Bjorn). However, interestingly, there has been criticism by well known NKT teachers towards some of the NKT heads: Kadam Morten said quite openly to a group of people confused by some of Khyenrab’s teachings that Khyenrab should be ignored and that some of his teachings were rubbish; two German nuns and an American RT were very critical of Kunsang’s teachings at last Summer Festival and a large amount of people, generically, complained about Dekyong’s teachings. But I agree, generally this does not happen.
55

No name on November 28, 2015 at 9:47 pm
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The church of Scientology maintains strict control over the use of its symbols, names and religious texts.] It holds copyright and trademark ownership over its cross and has taken legal action against individuals and organizations that have quoted short paragraphs of Scientology texts in print or on web sites. Individuals or groups who practice Scientology without affiliation with the church have been sued for violation of copyright and trademark law.
Sound familiar?
56

Only six months to become a Buddhist teacher and get a full time position – Tibetan Buddhism – Struggling With Diffi·Cult Issues on February 14, 2017 at 12:56 am
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The Special Teacher Training Programme in Kadampa Buddhism (STTP) – Student Agreement

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Special Teacher Training Programme Student Agreement

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