Deep State Of Deception

The Shambhala organization, with which I 

was deeply involved for thirty years, is

embroiled in a “#metoo” scandal due to

it’s leader, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s

actions.

When my teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, 

Rinpoche died, after a time, his son, 

Mipham took over leadership. He didn’t 

do much, change things, the way dharma 

was taught for example, for about ten 

years. During that time, meditation 

programs continued successfully the way

they had been.

When he did start to institute changes, 

many senior students began to leave, 

which became diaspora. I left too, because 

I felt the magic of the way Shambhala was

presented was being lost. Many senior 

students remained, to receive new titles 

and become SMR’s cadre, maintaining the 

outward legitimacy of the organization.

SMR ignored the concerns of senior 

students, so, we left. The one’s that stayed

to support SMR ignored this ignoring, 

though some of those left later for the 

same reasons. 

This ignoring, this deep state of denial,

is the reason why Shambhala is undergoing 

what it is now. Occam’s Razor. Will the 

bottom line be reached by inquiry and 

introspection, or, will a new kind of veil be

constructed, a “#metoo” mea culpa, to

assuage the believers so that deception can

continue? This is where the situation is now.