Alex Wilding

This, in my opinion, giving up wealth, status, prestige and protection and accepting danger, poverty and bad food in the pursuit of enlightenment is worthy of the name of crazy wisdom. If someone's happy to dress in rags, eat scraps like fish entrails as Tilopa did, sleep among the dead bodies in cemeteries and be happy in all this,

This, in my opinion, giving up wealth, status, prestige and protection and accepting danger, poverty and bad food in the pursuit of enlightenment is worthy of the name of crazy wisdom. If someone's happy to dress in rags, eat scraps like fish entrails as Tilopa did, sleep among the dead bodies in cemeteries and be happy in all this,

then I too would be willing to say, well, perhaps this person is a Mahasiddha. Admittedly, as one or two of the other Mahasiddha stories show, it is also possible to be rich and powerful, and yet pursue enlightenment with this focus and intensity. But if it's not clear that such a person isn't actually attached to the enjoyments which they do continue to indulge in, then I'm sorry.

then I too would be willing to say, well, perhaps this person is a Mahasiddha. Admittedly, as one or two of the other Mahasiddha stories show, it is also possible to be rich and powerful, and yet pursue enlightenment with this focus and intensity. But if it's not clear that such a person isn't actually attached to the enjoyments which they do continue to indulge in, then I'm sorry.

If the person wants to be a king, wants to eat using the finest cutlery, drink the finest wines from the finest cut glass, and have a copious supply of drink drugs and girls, then, well, what can I say? It is pretty bad. What word would you choose? Now, I've been speaking here about Trungpa most of all because of the way his story has suddenly flared up across the internet.

If the person wants to be a king, wants to eat using the finest cutlery, drink the finest wines from the finest cut glass, and have a copious supply of drink drugs and girls, then, well, what can I say? It is pretty bad. What word would you choose? Now, I've been speaking here about Trungpa most of all because of the way his story has suddenly flared up across the internet.

Sogiel Lacher, who still has his followers, fell very publicly into deep disgrace before his death. There are other cases, such as Robert Spatz, who seems still to be at large in France, while Ole Noudal, who has been surrounded by a lot of red flags, seems to have become less of a problem as a result of age-related dementia. How did these people get away with it for so long?

Sogiel Lacher, who still has his followers, fell very publicly into deep disgrace before his death. There are other cases, such as Robert Spatz, who seems still to be at large in France, while Ole Noudal, who has been surrounded by a lot of red flags, seems to have become less of a problem as a result of age-related dementia. How did these people get away with it for so long?

This question is often asked, and I have to say that while a large part of the answer is simply that they used the same techniques as any other cult leader, another large part of the answer lies right in the middle of Tibetan culture. Tibetans simply loathe to speak ill of people with high status, especially high religious status, and especially in public.

This question is often asked, and I have to say that while a large part of the answer is simply that they used the same techniques as any other cult leader, another large part of the answer lies right in the middle of Tibetan culture. Tibetans simply loathe to speak ill of people with high status, especially high religious status, and especially in public.

I was given a glimpse of this at a very early stage in my Buddhist journey. A Western-born teacher, then known as Namgyal Rinpoche, with a rather patchwork backstory in Buddhism, was visiting the centre with which I was then connected. He'd obtained some kind of recognition from the 16th Karmapa. How and why that happened is a mystery to me personally.

I was given a glimpse of this at a very early stage in my Buddhist journey. A Western-born teacher, then known as Namgyal Rinpoche, with a rather patchwork backstory in Buddhism, was visiting the centre with which I was then connected. He'd obtained some kind of recognition from the 16th Karmapa. How and why that happened is a mystery to me personally.

though I suspect that some high Tibetan lamas are in many ways much more naive than we tend to assume, and are far less able to read the personality of Westerners who want to pull the wool over their eyes than, again, we might assume. I might mention Stephen Seagull, who, for instance, was recognised as a tulku. I haven't got the energy to figure out what lay behind that.

though I suspect that some high Tibetan lamas are in many ways much more naive than we tend to assume, and are far less able to read the personality of Westerners who want to pull the wool over their eyes than, again, we might assume. I might mention Stephen Seagull, who, for instance, was recognised as a tulku. I haven't got the energy to figure out what lay behind that.

Anyway, this Namjial was due to give a Chenrezig empowerment. The Lama in charge of that center let his students know on the quiet

Anyway, this Namjial was due to give a Chenrezig empowerment. The Lama in charge of that center let his students know on the quiet

that, as a first point, Namjau was not the real deal and did not really know what he was doing, but, as the second point, because he had this acknowledgement from the Karmapa, he had to be shown respect and the students were asked to attend this empowerment even though they had no sense of trusting Namjau. Otherwise, face would have been lost.

that, as a first point, Namjau was not the real deal and did not really know what he was doing, but, as the second point, because he had this acknowledgement from the Karmapa, he had to be shown respect and the students were asked to attend this empowerment even though they had no sense of trusting Namjau. Otherwise, face would have been lost.

But more importantly than any list of bad gurus, bad lamas, it's in the first place necessary to acknowledge that they do in general exist, and then to be alert to the pretty much standard red flags that surround such people, Buddhist or not. The authoritarianism, the intolerance of criticism, the lack of financial transparency and the financial exploitation of members.

But more importantly than any list of bad gurus, bad lamas, it's in the first place necessary to acknowledge that they do in general exist, and then to be alert to the pretty much standard red flags that surround such people, Buddhist or not. The authoritarianism, the intolerance of criticism, the lack of financial transparency and the financial exploitation of members.