Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the second HUNGER STRIKE FOR ZERO-TOLERANCE OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM by Jeremy Schanche

Public message to: 

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche - 

Rigpa London - Please forward to him -

From: Jeremy Schanche
Re: HUNGER-STRIKE TO PROMOTE POLICY OF ZERO-TOLERANCE OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM  6:3:2018
Dear Rinpoche
You may remember me as the British Buddhist who wrote to you a few weeks ago requesting an interview on the above topic - As a former student of Sogyal Rinpoche I have taken a stand against the violent - sexually and psychologically exploitative behaviour of the founder of the Rigpa Organization that has recently been revealed to the public and the sangha as I feel this crucial issue is not being addressed properly and the Rigpa Organization is drastically under-reacting to this disturbing and traumatic turn of events - For a while now I have been publicly requesting those who teach at Rigpa London to denounce Sogyal and support the Zero-Tolerance policy -
Response from Rigpa Organization has been zero!
As I said in my previous message to you - I understand that you are extremely busy and plan your schedule far in advance so probably do not have the time for an interview with me on your current tour of Great Britain - Having had no response from you or your Khyentse Foundation I am assuming that the interview will not happen on this tour -
However - I understand that you are a film-maker and thought that if you happened to be in Western Britain at some time in the future I would be happy to show you where Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche lived with my friend Bill in a village in West Cornwall where I live - I could also show you the Buddha-statue that Trungpa Rinpoche fashioned out of clay and gave to Bill Pickard - an English scholar and practitioner of Buddhism since the 1940s - Bill passed the statue on to me in the 1980s when I became initiated into Tibetan Buddhism - West Cornwall also has many interesting things to see such as a prehistoric stone-circle used by Druids which would make an excellent theatre of public debate on film - And an excellent meeting of the cultures of east and west in pursuit of truth -
Again however I realize that with your busy teaching and practice schedule such travels are unlikely - Therefore I would be happy to travel to a different part of Britain to interview you at any time in the future that is convenient to you if you would be happy to grant this -
In the meantime - whilst I know that you have made some public statements on the problem of abuse in Buddhism I would sincerely appreciate it if you would respond to my approaches with a statement in support of the offering and the principle of ZERO-TOLERANCE OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM - or conversely - if you feel unable to do this it would be most helpful if you would give a statement saying why not - This would help further clarify your position on the topic for the public -
I hope Rinpoche can see the motivation for my actions -

Sadly - if I receive no response whatsoever from you before you teach in London I will go on HUNGER-STRIKE for Saturday and Sunday in protest at your non-response - if such is the case - I hope not -
Kind regards - Jeremy Schanche - ZERO-TOLERANCE OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM CAMPAIGN

Questioning The Heart Of Compassion

Another plea for dialogue in the controversy over the abuses of Buddhist Lama (teacher) Sogyal aka Rinpoche - This time I address Corinne and Dan Ewen who are holding a retreat under the Rigpa banner in Lewes - Sussex - UK-
I ask them to respond to me and also threaten imminent industrial action if they do not - Two days to find out what happens folks!
         

Open Letter To:  Corinne Ewen and Dan Ewen – Rigpa UK Registered Charity – South Downs Group – Leaders of Rigpa Mini-Retreat Day:  The Heart Of Compassion – 10^th February 2018 – Linklater Pavilion – Lewes – Sussex – Great Britain –

Dear Corinne and Dan – Namaste!                                                                        Date:  8:2:2018

Re:  ZERO-TOLERANCE 

OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM

As you may possibly know I have been attempting dialogue with various involved parties in the controversy surrounding the decades of physical – sexual – psychological – spiritual – financial and other forms of abuse and exploitation perpetrated by Sonam Lakar aka Sogyal aka Rinpoche etc etc – My interest in this case – as a thirty-year student of Sogyal and coincidentally also a human rights activist – is a sincere interest in what is best for the people who have come into contact with Sogyal in the past – present and future as well as a deep concern for what is best for the Holy Dharma –

I have published several articles on this topic which have been read by thousands of people in every continent except Antarctica - and tried reaching out to various people including Sogyal – Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche – Patrick Gaffney – Rigpa London Vision Board – etc etc with only dukkha for my reward – no response from anyone! 

I wrote a letter to all teachers scheduled to teach under the auspices of Rigpa London in which I reasoned with the teachers that they should publicly declare for ZERO-TOLERANCE OF ABUSE IN BUDDHISM – Please see the link attached to this to clarify my position towards Rigpa London-s teachers -   I am asking the staff at Rigpa London to forward this to you and trusting that they will please do so – as I have previously asked them to forward my messages to the people they work for which seems only reasonable -

Even Patrick Gaffney who knew me personally from thirty years ago is trying to blank me and I have been chucked out of the What Next Rigpa discussion group on fb without justification – I set up the RIGPA FREE SPEECH UNION a while back - in the event of such shenanigans –

The other day a Tibetan Lama taught at Rigpa London – I received no message or reaction about my abuse-question that I have posed these teachers – They seem to be just carrying on like it-s business as usual and nothing evil and sick has happened!  I did not take the industrial action that I had threatened because frankly I was not organized enough – that is the only reason –

I must continue to apply pressure to Rigpa London until they start to at least talk to me and deal with the points I have repeatedly put to them – I speak as someone who wants Buddhist centres in the West to be safe refuges of true Dharma where the spiritually hungry (a particularly vulnerable social group) can pursue the path of truth and kindness without fear of predation and exploitation –

Furthermore it is screamingly obvious to me that in a situation such as this it is in the best interests of the Dharma that Rigpa International in all its branches and organs has a very sincere public reaction to this whole abuse-issue – The secular public do not want another vaguely sinister foreign religion springing up – but I am sure the public do welcome genuine Buddhism as a commonly-perceived force for good – Let-s try and keep it that way for all of our sakes!  Only clean Dharma will be welcome in the West – It is only reasonable to expect Dharma-standards of conduct to at the very least respect ethical standards of western countries – let alone respecting their own sacred code!

Dear Corrine and Dan I am asking you sincerely to read my letter to teachers visiting Rigpa London and respond urgently to the three main points – I see that on the publicity on the website for the retreat you say how long you have studied with Sogyal (since 98) but make no mention of his disgusting history of crime – Will you please respond very urgently to me on this – before the retreat please – otherwise I promise to you now that I will start industrial action on the day of the retreat – Saturday 10^th February 2018 – and continue it on every day that someone teaches at Rigpa London without dealing with the issues I have publicly raised concerning the sexual and physical abuses of Sogyal aka Rinpoche –

Needless to say I will be seeking maximum publicity for my Ahimsa-inspired protest at the hypocrisy within Buddhism that seeks to conceal - collude and collaborate with those who dare to fuck with our human rights –

Please respond to me as a brother in the Dharma – I mean what I say – Please talk to me –

Kindness Regards The World –

Jeremy Schanche - Newlyn – Kernow – Great Britain

https://savetheholyheadland.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/letter-to-teachers-visiting-rigpa-london-centre-by-jeremy-schanche-.html

https://rigpa.org.uk/events/event/mini-retreat-day-compassion/