Re: Buddhist Project Sunshine Phase 3 Final Report: The nail
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:24 amUpdate on the Findings of Sexual Misconduct of the Sakyong (Sexual assault in Chile)
by Carol Merchasin
July 10, 2018
NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
TO: ANDREA WINN
FROM: CAROL MERCHASIN
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE FINDINGS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE SAKYONG
DATE: JULY 10, 2018
Since the Phase II Buddhist Project Sunshine Report was published on Thursday, June 28, 2018, much has happened. Both the Kalapa Council and the Sakyong have stepped down and we are told that a full investigation will be done by a law firm in Halifax. Since no investigation has yet begun, I am issuing this update to keep you informed on this, the last part of my investigation.
In my findings published last week, http://andreamwinn.com/offerings/project_sunshine, I wrote, “The allegation of a rape in Chile is just that – an allegation that is second or third hand at best. I have no means of determining whether it is true or false or whether it can even be investigated.”
Within 24 hours of the Phase II Report’s June 28th airing on the Buddhist Project Sunshine blog and on Facebook, a woman came forward to tell the story of her 2002 encounter with the Sakyong in Chile. I interviewed her several times and I interviewed a corroborating witness as well. I also interviewed a kusung who came forward and was able to corroborate certain details. Once again, I will say, as I did in my prior report, that this can only be considered a preliminary investigation. A full investigation must give the Sakyong, leaders of SI and others the opportunity to give their version of this incident.
This woman [1] alleges that the Sakyong attempted to have sex with her against her will when he came to Chile to teach in 2002. At that time, she was 30 years old. What follows are the details of her allegation and others that have been raised about this incident.
Allegation #1: The Sakyong sexually assaulted a woman while teaching in Chile in 2002.
The Sakyong invited this Chilean woman to work as an assistant cook for a dinner party on his final night in Santiago, Chile. At some point in the evening, the Sakyong invited all the staff to join the gathering, because he wanted to read some poetry. He was visibly drunk. He asked the Chilean woman to sit next to him. All of a sudden, he took her hand and dragged her to the bathroom. She said that she thought he was going to vomit and that he needed her help.
Once in the bathroom, the Sakyong locked the door and stood in front of it, blocking her exit. He groped her breasts and began trying to remove her clothes. He forced her hand to his genitals, even though she told him “no” several times. She alleges that she told him “No, I don’t want to do this.” She also told him, “I have a boyfriend.” He replied, “That doesn’t matter.” He continued to touch her, to force her to touch him and to tell her that she needed to have sex with him. After some time, in her estimation perhaps 15-20 minutes, [2] she pushed the Sakyong away from the bathroom door, unlocked it and escaped.
She immediately described the assault to the cook, who was still present. The next day, she spoke about it to a person who was traveling with the Sakyong (the Corroborating Witness). The Corroborating Witness was able to confirm that the story the Chilean woman recounted in 2002, one day after the attack, was in all relevant details, the same story the Chilean woman told me this week.
Credibility, Corroboration and Pattern of Behavior
I found this woman very credible. She reached out immediately after the incident to others, telling them the same story; her contemporaneous account to the Corroborating Witness further strengthens her credibility. The Corroborating Witness is also credible; she is a long-time Shambhala Buddhist student with no motive to lie. The Corroborating Witness’s memory of what she was told about the incident is consistent with the Chilean woman’s version.
The account of the incident follows the Sakyong’s patterns of behavior described in the Phase II Report: the Sakyong was drunk, he invited her, a young, attractive female student to come to the dinner “as an assistant cook” when he already had two cooks traveling with him. In other words, he allegedly identified her as someone he was interested in. Then, in full view of others, he pulled her into a bathroom and sexually assaulted her. [3]
Buddhist Project Sunshine received an email from a man who knew about this incident, although he was not present. His version of this incident differed in some minor respects from the Chilean woman’s account and confirmed it in other respects. A full investigation should include an interview with this man to resolve any differences.
Allegation #2: The Leadership of Shambhala Knew About The Sexual Assault in Chile in 2002.
There is considerable corroboration for the allegation that the leadership of Shambhala knew of the Sakyong’s sexual assault at the time that it happened. [4]
1. The Phase II Report explained that a completely unrelated woman, who has no connection to the Chilean woman, told of hearing a 2002 phone call between a man in a leadership position and other leaders who allegedly conspired to keep an incident between the Sakyong and “a woman in Chile” quiet and to “get the Sakyong sober.”
2. A kusung has come forward who was also able to corroborate certain details of the timing and the circumstances surrounding this incident.
3. The Corroborating Witness confirmed that leaders in Shambhala were told of the incident in 2002. The Corroborating Witness was interviewed by David Brown and told him about the sexual assault in detail. She was informed that Mitchell Levy and Jesse Grimes were helping the Sakyong to get sober and “clean up his act.”
4. Later in 2003, when the Chilean woman was in New York City, she informed a Shambhala teacher of what happened to her. She believes that the teacher informed Shambhala leaders because a short time later, a senior Shambhala woman leader was asked to support and help the Chilean woman while she was in New York.
5. The Sakyong came to New York and met with the Chilean woman, presumably to apologize. He sent a letter to her allegedly apologizing for his conduct. It certainly seems likely that the leadership of Shambhala was aware of the sexual assault.
The Kalapa Council’s has said that “…. regarding the rape allegation in Chile, we have reason to believe that it is not true because we have actually heard from first hand witnesses.” [5] Technically, that statement is true, but misleading. The Chilean woman was not raped because she fought off the Sakyong’s assault and escaped. Her allegation is that the Sakyong sexually assaulted her despite her repeated refusals. There is considerable corroboration that the top leaders in Shambhala were aware of this incident in 2002 when it occurred.
Allegation #3: The Sakyong had a number of senior students, often women, who were ‘sexual fixers’ whose job it was to placate and silence women whom he assaulted.
This week Buddhist Project Sunshine received an anonymous email message alleging that a specific senior Shambhala woman leader traveled around “fixing” sexual assaults committed by the Sakyong, placating and mollifying the victims and by acting as a “friend.” The email writer’s implication was that this was done deliberately to silence the women whom the Sakyong had harmed.
This email was from an anonymous email address and therefore impossible to investigate. If the person making this claim wishes to contact Buddhist Project Sunshine directly, I can turn it over for a full investigation. I cannot find it credible on its own.
However, as noted above, a senior Shambhala woman leader was allegedly asked to speak with the Chilean woman while she was in New York, to “be a friend to her” and to help her to deal with what had happened. The Chilean woman confirmed that this woman leader did indeed support her, but she did not perceive this help as anything other than friendship, which she appreciated. [6] In fact, the Chilean woman stated that this woman “was there … to truly guide me and help me heal. I think she was genuine.”
Another woman who came forward earlier also spoke of being asked to help placate and mollify several women, although it is not clear that these were situations of sexual assault or whether they were consensual relationships. Several people within the Kalapa Council appeared to be aware of the alleged assault in 2011 discussed in the Phase II report and offered friendship instead of accountability to the woman who had been harmed.
I do not have enough information to say that there is a pattern of complicity and covering up, but this allegation should fall within the scope of the full investigation.
Allegation #4: The Chilean woman was paid for her silence regarding a sexual assault, that the police were involved, that the Sakyong had to exit the country in a hurry to avoid arrest, that there was a legal action, that something also took place in Brazil and so forth.
I have not found any evidence that any of the above allegations are true.
1. The Chilean woman has said that she was not paid for her silence.
2. She says she never went to the police.
3. The Sakyong left Chile shortly after the sexual assault but this was his planned departure according to both the Chilean woman involved and the Corroborating Witness.
4. The Chilean woman brought no legal action.
5. The Corroborating Witness has stated unequivocally that the rumors listed above are not true.
6. While it is possible that another incident of sexual assault occurred in Brazil, the Sakyong stayed there for a very short time, and the Corroborating Witness has no knowledge of it.
Conclusion
1. There is evidence that the allegation that the Sakyong sexually assaulted a woman in Chile during his trip there in 2002 is credible. There is also evidence that the allegation that leaders of Shambhala were aware of this sexual assault in 2002 is credible and corroborated.
2. There is an allegation that senior Shambhala women leaders were used to “befriend” women who had been assaulted by the Sakyong in an effort to mollify, placate and gain their silence. I do not conclude that it happened in this case, because the Chilean woman is quite clear that the help offered to her was genuine, but it is a pattern that should be investigated.
In a full investigation, members of the Kalapa Council, the Sakyong and others listed below should be interviewed so that a finding on the allegation of the sexual assault and the complicity of leaders can be determined.
The full investigation should specifically include the following additional interviews:
1. The senior Shambhala woman leader who was asked to support the Chilean woman while she was in NYC,
2. The cook and assistant cook who were present when the Chilean woman escaped from the bathroom,
3. The Shambhala teacher in NYC who was helpful to the Chilean woman and who is alleged to have spoken to the Kalapa Council,
4. The man who wrote the email described above with a different account of some of the facts.
5. Another more complete look into the rumors regarding a woman who was paid for her silence, possibly in Brazil, should also be included.
Once again, I conclude that there is more than enough here to warrant a complete investigation. These are serious allegations to which the Sakyong and the people who were in leadership positions in 2002 and 2003 must have an opportunity to respond. No investigation can be considered complete or fully accurate without having an impartial investigator listen to the conflicting information and make a reasoned determination.
Once I have been contacted by a neutral, third-party investigator, I will turn over all of the evidence that I have on this and the prior matters described in the Phase II Report.
_______________
Notes:
1 Her name will be kept anonymous in this report. She is referred to throughout as “the Chilean woman.”
2 She does not know exactly how long she was locked in the bathroom but it was long enough for all of the dinner guests who had been present to have departed by the time she emerged.
3 It is important to understand the terminology used here. The conduct described here is not rape because there is no allegation of sexual intercourse. The definition of ‘attempted rape’ varies but the common definition is conduct where rape was the motive for an assault, although no rape was carried out. Because the victim does not know the Sakyong’s motive and intention, I have used the term “sexual assault” throughout as it more accurately describes her experience.
4 This incident in 2002 predates the formation of the Kalapa Council, although the people in leadership positions are largely the same.
5 This appeared in notes taken by an unknown person during a call among the Kalapa Council and some 100 people in the community. It appeared on a Facebook page and was then deleted but not before it was widely shared. It also appeared in a different set of notes quoted in an article in THINKPROGRESS on July 6, 2018. “Shambhala nevertheless believes the Chile allegation to be untrue and said that the organization has “first-hand witnesses who indicate it isn’t true.”
6 The senior Shambhala woman did not respond to my email requesting an interview.
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by Carol Merchasin
July 10, 2018
NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
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TO: ANDREA WINN
FROM: CAROL MERCHASIN
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE FINDINGS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE SAKYONG
DATE: JULY 10, 2018
Since the Phase II Buddhist Project Sunshine Report was published on Thursday, June 28, 2018, much has happened. Both the Kalapa Council and the Sakyong have stepped down and we are told that a full investigation will be done by a law firm in Halifax. Since no investigation has yet begun, I am issuing this update to keep you informed on this, the last part of my investigation.
In my findings published last week, http://andreamwinn.com/offerings/project_sunshine, I wrote, “The allegation of a rape in Chile is just that – an allegation that is second or third hand at best. I have no means of determining whether it is true or false or whether it can even be investigated.”
Within 24 hours of the Phase II Report’s June 28th airing on the Buddhist Project Sunshine blog and on Facebook, a woman came forward to tell the story of her 2002 encounter with the Sakyong in Chile. I interviewed her several times and I interviewed a corroborating witness as well. I also interviewed a kusung who came forward and was able to corroborate certain details. Once again, I will say, as I did in my prior report, that this can only be considered a preliminary investigation. A full investigation must give the Sakyong, leaders of SI and others the opportunity to give their version of this incident.
This woman [1] alleges that the Sakyong attempted to have sex with her against her will when he came to Chile to teach in 2002. At that time, she was 30 years old. What follows are the details of her allegation and others that have been raised about this incident.
Allegation #1: The Sakyong sexually assaulted a woman while teaching in Chile in 2002.
The Sakyong invited this Chilean woman to work as an assistant cook for a dinner party on his final night in Santiago, Chile. At some point in the evening, the Sakyong invited all the staff to join the gathering, because he wanted to read some poetry. He was visibly drunk. He asked the Chilean woman to sit next to him. All of a sudden, he took her hand and dragged her to the bathroom. She said that she thought he was going to vomit and that he needed her help.
Once in the bathroom, the Sakyong locked the door and stood in front of it, blocking her exit. He groped her breasts and began trying to remove her clothes. He forced her hand to his genitals, even though she told him “no” several times. She alleges that she told him “No, I don’t want to do this.” She also told him, “I have a boyfriend.” He replied, “That doesn’t matter.” He continued to touch her, to force her to touch him and to tell her that she needed to have sex with him. After some time, in her estimation perhaps 15-20 minutes, [2] she pushed the Sakyong away from the bathroom door, unlocked it and escaped.
She immediately described the assault to the cook, who was still present. The next day, she spoke about it to a person who was traveling with the Sakyong (the Corroborating Witness). The Corroborating Witness was able to confirm that the story the Chilean woman recounted in 2002, one day after the attack, was in all relevant details, the same story the Chilean woman told me this week.
Credibility, Corroboration and Pattern of Behavior
I found this woman very credible. She reached out immediately after the incident to others, telling them the same story; her contemporaneous account to the Corroborating Witness further strengthens her credibility. The Corroborating Witness is also credible; she is a long-time Shambhala Buddhist student with no motive to lie. The Corroborating Witness’s memory of what she was told about the incident is consistent with the Chilean woman’s version.
The account of the incident follows the Sakyong’s patterns of behavior described in the Phase II Report: the Sakyong was drunk, he invited her, a young, attractive female student to come to the dinner “as an assistant cook” when he already had two cooks traveling with him. In other words, he allegedly identified her as someone he was interested in. Then, in full view of others, he pulled her into a bathroom and sexually assaulted her. [3]
Buddhist Project Sunshine received an email from a man who knew about this incident, although he was not present. His version of this incident differed in some minor respects from the Chilean woman’s account and confirmed it in other respects. A full investigation should include an interview with this man to resolve any differences.
Allegation #2: The Leadership of Shambhala Knew About The Sexual Assault in Chile in 2002.
There is considerable corroboration for the allegation that the leadership of Shambhala knew of the Sakyong’s sexual assault at the time that it happened. [4]
1. The Phase II Report explained that a completely unrelated woman, who has no connection to the Chilean woman, told of hearing a 2002 phone call between a man in a leadership position and other leaders who allegedly conspired to keep an incident between the Sakyong and “a woman in Chile” quiet and to “get the Sakyong sober.”
2. A kusung has come forward who was also able to corroborate certain details of the timing and the circumstances surrounding this incident.
3. The Corroborating Witness confirmed that leaders in Shambhala were told of the incident in 2002. The Corroborating Witness was interviewed by David Brown and told him about the sexual assault in detail. She was informed that Mitchell Levy and Jesse Grimes were helping the Sakyong to get sober and “clean up his act.”
4. Later in 2003, when the Chilean woman was in New York City, she informed a Shambhala teacher of what happened to her. She believes that the teacher informed Shambhala leaders because a short time later, a senior Shambhala woman leader was asked to support and help the Chilean woman while she was in New York.
5. The Sakyong came to New York and met with the Chilean woman, presumably to apologize. He sent a letter to her allegedly apologizing for his conduct. It certainly seems likely that the leadership of Shambhala was aware of the sexual assault.
The Kalapa Council’s has said that “…. regarding the rape allegation in Chile, we have reason to believe that it is not true because we have actually heard from first hand witnesses.” [5] Technically, that statement is true, but misleading. The Chilean woman was not raped because she fought off the Sakyong’s assault and escaped. Her allegation is that the Sakyong sexually assaulted her despite her repeated refusals. There is considerable corroboration that the top leaders in Shambhala were aware of this incident in 2002 when it occurred.
The Sakyong's counsel wrote to me on December 24, 2018, as follows:
I can confirm that we are familiar with the allegation to the extent that it appears in the BPS report. Please accept this letter as our response to that investigation.
The [Claimant No. 3] allegation stands in stark contrast and appears to be comprised of three component allegations:
1. The allegation that the Sakyong had a sexual relationship with [Claimant No.3]. It is unclear whether that relationship is alleged to have been consensual or not;
2. The allegation that the Sakyong participated in the ritualized molestation of children; the same was facilitated by the victim's parents, seeking to make "offerings" of their children for the Sakyong's sexual gratification; and
3. The allegation that the Sakyong - and others - conspired to sexually assault [Claimant No. 3] in a hotel room in what could only be described as a "gang rape".In logic, reductio ad absurdum (Latin for "reduction to absurdity"), also known as argumentum ad absurdum (Latin for "argument to absurdity"), apagogical arguments or the appeal to extremes, is a form of argument that attempts either to disprove a statement by showing it inevitably leads to a ridiculous, absurd, or impractical conclusion, or to prove one by showing that if it were not true, the result would be absurd or impossible.[1][2] Traced back to classical Greek philosophy in Aristotle's Prior Analytics[2] (Greek: ἡ εἰς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἀπόδειξις, lit. 'demonstration to the impossible', 62b), this technique has been used throughout history in both formal mathematical and philosophical reasoning, as well as in debate.
-- Reductio ad absurdum, by WikipediaFalse equivalence is a logical fallacy in which two completely opposing arguments appear to be logically equivalent when in fact they are not. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency.[1]
-- False equivalence, by Wikipedia
None of the events described above occurred. There is no context or mischaracterization at issue here. The [Claimant No. 3] allegation and its component allegations are dismissed in their entirety. That notwithstanding, we can specifically confirm that:
1. The Sakyong has never had a sexual contact, of any kind, at any time, consensual or otherwise, with [Claimant No.3]. There are any number of people who worked in the Sakyong's household that can confirm same;
2. The Sakyong has never had sexual contact of any kind with a child or children, as described by [Claimant No.3] or otherwise. Again, the availability of witnesses present at the time should offer ample opportunity for confirmation that this claim is baseless;
3. The Sakyong did not participate in any sexual assault of [Claimant No. 3], attempted or otherwise, as part of a group or otherwise. The Sakyong is familiar with the other individuals referenced by [Claimant No. 3] and expects they are equally shocked by this bizarre and unsupported allegation.
Given that there is no truth whatsoever to [Claimant No. 3's] allegations, and that these events did not occur, we do not believe that an interview would yield any additional context or information.
I am, of course, disappointed that I was not able to speak with the Sakyong directly about these allegations. However, I take his written response for what it is. I am conscious of the fact that I have not met with him face-to-face about these allegations. That did not mean that the Investigation could not continue.
-- Report to the Community on the Wickwire Holm Claims Investigation Into Allegations of Sexual Misconduct, by Shambhala Interim Board: Veronika Bauer, Mark Blumenfeld, Martina Bouey, John Cobb, Jen Crow, Sara Lewis, Susan Ryan, Paulina Varas
Allegation #3: The Sakyong had a number of senior students, often women, who were ‘sexual fixers’ whose job it was to placate and silence women whom he assaulted.
This week Buddhist Project Sunshine received an anonymous email message alleging that a specific senior Shambhala woman leader traveled around “fixing” sexual assaults committed by the Sakyong, placating and mollifying the victims and by acting as a “friend.” The email writer’s implication was that this was done deliberately to silence the women whom the Sakyong had harmed.
This email was from an anonymous email address and therefore impossible to investigate. If the person making this claim wishes to contact Buddhist Project Sunshine directly, I can turn it over for a full investigation. I cannot find it credible on its own.
However, as noted above, a senior Shambhala woman leader was allegedly asked to speak with the Chilean woman while she was in New York, to “be a friend to her” and to help her to deal with what had happened. The Chilean woman confirmed that this woman leader did indeed support her, but she did not perceive this help as anything other than friendship, which she appreciated. [6] In fact, the Chilean woman stated that this woman “was there … to truly guide me and help me heal. I think she was genuine.”
Another woman who came forward earlier also spoke of being asked to help placate and mollify several women, although it is not clear that these were situations of sexual assault or whether they were consensual relationships. Several people within the Kalapa Council appeared to be aware of the alleged assault in 2011 discussed in the Phase II report and offered friendship instead of accountability to the woman who had been harmed.
I do not have enough information to say that there is a pattern of complicity and covering up, but this allegation should fall within the scope of the full investigation.
Allegation #4: The Chilean woman was paid for her silence regarding a sexual assault, that the police were involved, that the Sakyong had to exit the country in a hurry to avoid arrest, that there was a legal action, that something also took place in Brazil and so forth.
I have not found any evidence that any of the above allegations are true.
1. The Chilean woman has said that she was not paid for her silence.
2. She says she never went to the police.
3. The Sakyong left Chile shortly after the sexual assault but this was his planned departure according to both the Chilean woman involved and the Corroborating Witness.
4. The Chilean woman brought no legal action.
5. The Corroborating Witness has stated unequivocally that the rumors listed above are not true.
6. While it is possible that another incident of sexual assault occurred in Brazil, the Sakyong stayed there for a very short time, and the Corroborating Witness has no knowledge of it.
Conclusion
1. There is evidence that the allegation that the Sakyong sexually assaulted a woman in Chile during his trip there in 2002 is credible. There is also evidence that the allegation that leaders of Shambhala were aware of this sexual assault in 2002 is credible and corroborated.
2. There is an allegation that senior Shambhala women leaders were used to “befriend” women who had been assaulted by the Sakyong in an effort to mollify, placate and gain their silence. I do not conclude that it happened in this case, because the Chilean woman is quite clear that the help offered to her was genuine, but it is a pattern that should be investigated.
In a full investigation, members of the Kalapa Council, the Sakyong and others listed below should be interviewed so that a finding on the allegation of the sexual assault and the complicity of leaders can be determined.
The full investigation should specifically include the following additional interviews:
1. The senior Shambhala woman leader who was asked to support the Chilean woman while she was in NYC,
2. The cook and assistant cook who were present when the Chilean woman escaped from the bathroom,
3. The Shambhala teacher in NYC who was helpful to the Chilean woman and who is alleged to have spoken to the Kalapa Council,
4. The man who wrote the email described above with a different account of some of the facts.
5. Another more complete look into the rumors regarding a woman who was paid for her silence, possibly in Brazil, should also be included.
Once again, I conclude that there is more than enough here to warrant a complete investigation. These are serious allegations to which the Sakyong and the people who were in leadership positions in 2002 and 2003 must have an opportunity to respond. No investigation can be considered complete or fully accurate without having an impartial investigator listen to the conflicting information and make a reasoned determination.
Once I have been contacted by a neutral, third-party investigator, I will turn over all of the evidence that I have on this and the prior matters described in the Phase II Report.
_______________
Notes:
1 Her name will be kept anonymous in this report. She is referred to throughout as “the Chilean woman.”
2 She does not know exactly how long she was locked in the bathroom but it was long enough for all of the dinner guests who had been present to have departed by the time she emerged.
3 It is important to understand the terminology used here. The conduct described here is not rape because there is no allegation of sexual intercourse. The definition of ‘attempted rape’ varies but the common definition is conduct where rape was the motive for an assault, although no rape was carried out. Because the victim does not know the Sakyong’s motive and intention, I have used the term “sexual assault” throughout as it more accurately describes her experience.
4 This incident in 2002 predates the formation of the Kalapa Council, although the people in leadership positions are largely the same.
5 This appeared in notes taken by an unknown person during a call among the Kalapa Council and some 100 people in the community. It appeared on a Facebook page and was then deleted but not before it was widely shared. It also appeared in a different set of notes quoted in an article in THINKPROGRESS on July 6, 2018. “Shambhala nevertheless believes the Chile allegation to be untrue and said that the organization has “first-hand witnesses who indicate it isn’t true.”
6 The senior Shambhala woman did not respond to my email requesting an interview.
********************************
level 1
Metropolion
7 days ago
Hi Allthewholeworld and everybody!
I'm writing to you from the Southern Hemisphere. Thank you for all the work done and the healing process you've put in motion with your bodhisattva attitude and clear sensitivity. I'm writing now with answers on the detail of what happened in Chile 2002.
I've been a Shambhala practitioner since 93. I've been director, director of practice and education several times, teacher, MI, Ngöndro Instructor and all the other possible roles up to SS. So I know everybody there for a very long time. I have to say that I'm happy to feel that writing to you I'm among like minded and good heart human beings that have woken up from this sticky dream. The dream or aspiration of having a healthy good place on Earth where decency abides and makes all life flourish. But that's not the case of Shambhala and the Sakyong and of course in the Shambhala center in Santiago Chile.
I'm deeply sad, hurt and troubled on the way the "incident" in Chile has been silenced and covered up all these years. And of course I'm part of it, since as director I'm complicit in following the party line on that regards. I'm deeply ashamed for having done so and having faded out my critical intelligence.
As you may be aware of, every time we had teachers they really loooved the country, they used to say that everybody wanted to come teach here since it was so cool and pleasant. But if you looked at it deeply here, it was a place where that culture of abuse flourished without obstruction. All criticism was silenced, avoided, neglected and of course punished, with the smiley and soft Shambhala way of course, that was both brutal and cold and ad hominem. If you were not in total agreement with the right ones, one should forget about belonging to a sane "enlightened community", it becomes the best amplified version of the worse of any dysfunctional human group. The Catholic church scandals and Shambhala are twins in the way they deal with what they have created
So that's the environment, let's introduce you to the main players of the sexual assault that happened here.
The Sakyong have come invited by the actual Director Veronica Guzman, an old practitioner and also the promoters of the culture of abuse in Chile. Public talks were given with great success. The farewell dinner was held at the department where the Sakyong and his entourage was staying. That department belonged to a sangha member.
But if you want names about who was there, please ask Acharya Magaly Meneses. She was the Sakyong's translator in Chile and she was there. She was at the meeting where the sexual assault occurred (it wasn't rape since it was no penetration, if you want to have a technical clarity on it). Along with her was the actual Shastri Jaime Sepulveda and Francesca Nilo. All of them knew it all, so it's unbelievable when Meneses says publicly here in Chile that sexual abuse is something that happens in the North only, that she's talked to the victim and all is clear with no bad feelings from her side. Speaking like that is a crime, she only wants to keep her position and avoid any possible legal action against her. The same with the rest. Jaime Sepulveda was there too exchanging a row of drinks with the Sakyong. But of course he hasn't said a word in all these years and he keeps his position remaining in a convenient silence, the same with Francesca Nilo. All off them have been trying to brush things under the carpet, clenching their theets in order to pass the perfect storm that threatens to end their unchallenged positions. They want to remain alive in their positions for a better future. But things have been falling down little by little without stopping.
And don't forget Veronica Guzman, the director at the time of the sexual assault happened and actual executive director of a mindfulness institute in Santiago (http://www.mindfulness.cl). She made all the possible efforts to silence the whole situation, she's the first complicit. She created the standard that was followed later on this regard. And Julia Sagebien....oh please! She had her sexual predatory tours while in Chile. She is part of this culture because she wanted to behave like CT but her problem was that she doesn't like Mipham. That's why she was ostracized after all this. And now she speaks out loud against it! Why she didn't tell earlier? I do remember her garcon-like chauvinistic predatory behaviour here. To see her speaking as if something happens without her knowing is an insult to basic human intelligence.
These are the main actors, the players on what happened here in Chile in 2002. All of them know it all all the time. And they are part of the culture of abuse here in Chile. Their abusive actions continued later on regarding the Acharya and Shastris, they are the big part of the cultural problem Shambhala has. Here in Chile they are simply unwilling to see their long string of power and clerical abuses they have made here and to simply ask themselves if they have played a role in this catastrophe. Why? because Magaly Meneses became a close friend to the Sakyong after his visit in 2002 where she was her confident and translator. So whoever was protected by her had the protection of Shambhala International granted.
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level 2
CachitadelBoddhi
3 days ago
Buenos dias Metropolion. Greetings from the Caribbean. I read your post about events in the Chilean sangha. It inspired me to write to you to suggest that you and I open up the discussion about some of the themes you explore in you post.
Three points are particularly important for me to clarify:
You bring up a very important question: why is there no further investigation on SMR's inappropriate behaviour towards 'Andrea'. You seem to imply that -- because the incident has not been mentioned since the Sunshine Report where the details of the incident were described by Ms. Merchasin, and I posted my addendum to that report published in Shambhala Facebook -- there must be some sort of cover up. However, the reality is quite different. Andrea herself felt that, as far as far as she was concerned, the issue had been laid to rest.
I suggest that you write to Carol Marchasin directly and review the process that involved several conversations between her, Andrea, and me as a 'corroborating witness.' I also suggest you read the Facebook posting with my recollections of the Chile incident.
2) You allege that my distancing myself from Shambhala is the result of the fact that I don’t like the Sakyong. Have you ever spoken to me directly or is this an impression you got from conversation you have had with many others who have not spoken to me either? Despite all the rebuff that I have experienced from SMR and from the administration for my public resistance to a path I simply no longer recognized -- I actually, love the man. I recognize all his limitations and confusions, but he is part of my ‘family’. Nevertheless, I have serious differences with him regarding the self-serving elimination of the Kagyu and Nyingma Lineages (other live teachers who hold transmission and are accomplished) from our sangha's spiritual command.
3) As per my alleged 'sexually predatory trips' -- I would like you to provide specific evidence of your claims. As an educator in academic settings and as an educator in dharma -- I consider my students absolutely off limits. I have very close women friends in Chile -– but that is all they were –- very close friends. Once during a seminary at SMC, I had a relationship with a member of the Iberoamerican sangha. I immediately recused myself as her MI and the relationship was conducted between two rather mature consenting adults. Yes -- power differentials are implied in this relationship -- but how are we even going to date across power strata? I am not sure a total ban is most productive approach. I suggest you ask those who you think I preyed upon and provide evidence that there was indeed such an abuse of authority and abrogation of duty on my part. Stylistically -- yup -- you got me. I am flamboyant, extroverted, loving and do have a certain le garcon style. That is simply who I am -- in Chile, in Havana, in Canada and everywhere else. Perhaps you are reading too much into a style? If you find this style offensive, I apologize for any unintended disturbance I may have caused you. But, in return, I request that you consider that perhaps you have a deep prejudice towards people of my style of personality and are projecting all sorts of malfeasance when there is none. Worth contemplating.
Metropolion -- we definitely need to have to our collective inappropriate behaviour outed. But making the kinds of unfounded allegations you itemized in your post -- only confuses the matter because finding the truth becomes simply a matter of 'I said -- you said' instead of a constructive collective understanding of the real dynamics that need to be changed. Please, consult with Attorney Merchasin, Andrea, and those you think I sexually preyed upon. Let me us know what you find.
In addition, should you want to enter a private conversation with me, I am also open to that. Perhaps together we can address the real harm and leave the spurious allegations of harm aside. We have enough serious and real harm to worry about.
Thank you for reading to you and all on this thread.
JS
-- Inside the Tiny Pathetic World of Sakyong Mipham, by allthewholeworld
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It wasn’t long after starting the tour that we traveled to Chile for a teaching visit. Most of the visit was unremarkable. Near the end of the teaching cycle there was a final dinner at the home of a sangha member. This is the night that was detailed in the Buddhist Project Sunshine (BPS) reports. I will present my recollection to the best of my ability.
The dinner started off quite politely, conversation, thank you´s, and so on. As I recall, local people had taken over the bulk of the service, so I spent most of the early part of the night helping in the kitchen. At some point the serving staff were invited to come to the front. I believe it was the host who stood and opened a fairly impressive liquor cabinet. The cook and I shared a look, concerned.
The night wore on and the crazy wisdom came back out. Writing about this part of it just kind of bores me. I had only been on the road for three or four weeks and I was already getting tired of that crap. It didn’t happen all the time, but I was already wondering why it happened at all.
At some point I had had enough and checked out. I went and sat in a chair in a nearby room, an office. I hadn’t yet learned that my primary job was to protect Mr. Mukpo from himself. To this day I feel shame.
My memory of what happened next differs very slightly from what was reported by BPS. I feel it is my obligation to tell things as I remember them. It was 15 years ago, so I can only say what I remember.
I was sitting in the chair stewing. I looked up and saw Mr. Mukpo and the young woman from the report walking into what I believed to be a bedroom. Another guest closed the door behind them. That guest is currently an Acharya. My anger toward him in that moment was physical. I couldn’t believe he would do that. I was just learning that it was normal.
I had met this woman earlier and I did not think she would find it appropriate. I felt that the Acharya was encouraging her to sleep with him by closing the door. I cannot say for certain what happened behind closed doors so I defer to the account given by the victim. I have no reason to doubt.
After some time, I don’t remember how long, the Kasung on duty, a local woman, came and told me that she was tired, and that the host would drive us home. She forgot to give me the keys to the apartment. Over the same time span most or all of the guests left.
The woman came out of the room very upset. Somehow I wound up talking to her for a while on a balcony. She told me some of what had happened. I got the impression that Mr. Mukpo had forcefully tried to get her to have sex with him. I was not told that she had been locked-in, or that he had forced her to touch him. What she told me was bad enough, but she did not tell me that part.
I only remember pieces of the conversation, mostly of me trying to rationalize the behavior in some tantric sense while still trying to be supportive. Again, I feel shame.
The rest of the story is much as told by others. I kept his secret for 15 years. I smiled and said that I had a great time in Chile. I dodged questions and avoided people who had heard rumors about “something happening”. I had passed on the information to my superiors and just blocked the whole experience out the best I could. After a year or so the interest died down and I just kind of carried it, never speaking to anyone, and I mean anyone, about that night.
That’s how it works. We didn’t even talk to each other. If we had, we would have understood just how widespread it was. We need more Kusung to talk. Then we can see what enlightened society is really built on.
-- by Craig Morman, An Open Letter to the Shambhala Community from Long-Serving Kusung To the Shambhala community, by Craig Morman, Ben Medrano, MD, Laura Leslie, Louis Fitch, David Ellerton, Allya Canepa
