New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

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New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Heaven Swan » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:11 am

Just started reading this fascinating book. A groundbreaking and important expose`.

Image

When author, Christine Chandler, signed up for a simple meditation retreat, she had no idea she would be severing emotional ties with her ordinary life, in order to obey the intense practices of Tibetan Lamas; becoming one of their many western devotees and ''change agents'' to help the lamas overwhelm western values and ethics in order to replace them with a Buddhist-disguised Tantric spirituality.

After nearly thirty years as a Tibetan ''Buddhist,'' Chandler finally realized that she had been part of a thousand-year old, guru-worshiping cult that uses mindfulness and other contemplative practices, along with ancient and sophisticated techniques, to recruit, commit and entrap westerners into the Tibetan Lama''s medieval, misogynistic world. A world where the Tibetan lamas can secretly keep harems of young women, cuckold the men, and financially, physically and spiritually exploit their students.

Chandler had a front row seat to the Tibetan Lama hierarchy and how it operates, having taken care of the son of Chogyam Trungpa, the notorious ''crazy wisdom guru.'' This gave Chandler exposure to not only Trungpa''s Vajradhatu/Shambhala inner workings, but also to the dozens of celebrity Tibetan lamas, who have been infiltrating our western institutions with their occult Tantra and their western devotees, for the last forty years.

Deep inside this Tantric net, Chandler found that all Tibetan Lamas teach from the same guru-worshiping, thought-controlling plan; whether they call it Shambhala, Mahamudra, Dzogchen or Mahayana Buddhism. It is all Tantra: a cult of mass manipulation and coercive persuasion, designed to undermine the reasoning abilities of educated populations; changing their values and behaviors; turning them into obedient devotees; no longer able to think and act for themselves. If someone does leave Tibetan Buddhism and dares to be publicly critical, that person is labelled ''too angry,'' ''crazy'' or a ''liar''; their articles or books discredited; their message drowned out. Inside the groups they are shunned as ''heretics.''

Chandler takes the reader through her own experiences, from her first mindfulness meditation weekend, at a Boston Shambhala center, through her next decades, studying with the celebrity Tibetan Lamas and their western inner circles, drawn deeper and deeper into their Tantric net, until she finally breaks free; realizing that being well-educated was no protection but, instead, makes westerners more susceptible to the lamas'' double-binding: believing they are studying the most esoteric of Buddhist philosophies, while becoming irrational members of a Tantric cult.

Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism exposes the many levels of deception, used by Tibetan Lamas, and their western inner circles, including the cover-ups by academia, the entertainment industry and the media. They collect billions of tax-exempt dollars in donations, recruit wealthy sponsors to their mission, and ensnare new student-recruits into a web of free labor, unquestioning devotion, and for some, sexual exploitation by these Tibetan lamas.

Chandler deconstructs Tibetan Tantric Lamaism according to the criteria of anti-cult experts, Lifton and Margaret Singer, demonstrating how these lamas radically alter a person''s perceptions, to create a ''change agent'' to further the lamas'' globalist ambitions.

Chandler''s experience finally led her to Crestone, Colorado, a town where the Tibetan Lamas are part of a ''Spiritual Alliance'' of New-age, world citizens, all mindfully meditating, chanting, humming, and drumming their way backward, to create a global, ''spiritual secularism'' that is fundamentalist and dangerous to our democratic freedoms.

A bold, brave exposition about one of the most misunderstood and misleading ''new religious movements'' in spirituality today, Enthralled:The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism should not be missed by anyone

When author, Christine Chandler, signed up for a simple meditation retreat, she had no idea she would be severing emotional ties with her ordinary life, in order to obey the intense practices of Tibetan Lamas; becoming one of their many western devotees and ''change agents'' to help the lamas overwhelm western values and ethics in order to replace them with a Buddhist-disguised Tantric spirituality.

After nearly thirty years as a Tibetan ''Buddhist,'' Chandler finally realized that she had been part of a thousand-year old, guru-worshiping cult that uses mindfulness and other contemplative practices, along with ancient and sophisticated techniques, to recruit, commit and entrap westerners into the Tibetan Lama''s medieval, misogynistic world. A world where the Tibetan lamas can secretly keep harems of young women, cuckold the men, and financially, physically and spiritually exploit their students.

Chandler had a front row seat to the Tibetan Lama hierarchy and how it operates, having taken care of the son of Chogyam Trungpa, the notorious ''crazy wisdom guru.'' This gave Chandler exposure to not only Trungpa''s Vajradhatu/Shambhala inner workings, but also to the dozens of celebrity Tibetan lamas, who have been infiltrating our western institutions with their occult Tantra and their western devotees, for the last forty years.

Deep inside this Tantric net, Chandler found that all Tibetan Lamas teach from the same guru-worshiping, thought-controlling plan; whether they call it Shambhala, Mahamudra, Dzogchen or Mahayana Buddhism. It is all Tantra: a cult of mass manipulation and coercive persuasion, designed to undermine the reasoning abilities of educated populations; changing their values and behaviors; turning them into obedient devotees; no longer able to think and act for themselves. If someone does leave Tibetan Buddhism and dares to be publicly critical, that person is labelled ''too angry,'' ''crazy'' or a ''liar''; their articles or books discredited; their message drowned out. Inside the groups they are shunned as ''heretics.''

Chandler takes the reader through her own experiences, from her first mindfulness meditation weekend, at a Boston Shambhala center, through her next decades, studying with the celebrity Tibetan Lamas and their western inner circles, drawn deeper and deeper into their Tantric net, until she finally breaks free; realizing that being well-educated was no protection but, instead, makes westerners more susceptible to the lamas'' double-binding: believing they are studying the most esoteric of Buddhist philosophies, while becoming irrational members of a Tantric cult.

Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism exposes the many levels of deception, used by Tibetan Lamas, and their western inner circles, including the cover-ups by academia, the entertainment industry and the media. They collect billions of tax-exempt dollars in donations, recruit wealthy sponsors to their mission, and ensnare new student-recruits into a web of free labor, unquestioning devotion, and for some, sexual exploitation by these Tibetan lamas.

Chandler deconstructs Tibetan Tantric Lamaism according to the criteria of anti-cult experts, Lifton and Margaret Singer, demonstrating how these lamas radically alter a person''s perceptions, to create a ''change agent'' to further the lamas'' globalist ambitions.

Chandler''s experience finally led her to Crestone, Colorado, a town where the Tibetan Lamas are part of a ''Spiritual Alliance'' of New-age, world citizens, all mindfully meditating, chanting, humming, and drumming their way backward, to create a global, ''spiritual secularism'' that is fundamentalist and dangerous to our democratic freedoms.

A bold, brave exposition about one of the most misunderstood and misleading ''new religious movements'' in spirituality today, Enthralled:The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism should not be missed by anyone who cares about truth.
"When IT reigns, I’m poor.” Mario
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:56 am

Thanks for this Heaven Swan. I concur, after having a long term relationship to our local Tibetan community, with Christine Chandlers assessment. Don't get me wrong, the people are 'good folk', as were the folk in the fundamentalist church my family was a part of for a time.

One thing, that is hard for a guy to not notice, is the sizeable proportion of intelligent and physically attractive women involved. But the thing is, they seem to be consistently insecure, a somewhat unappealing trait.

Something seems to be going on there with issues of internalized misogyny.
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Heaven Swan » Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:30 am

Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:56 am wrote:Thanks for this Heaven Swan. I concur, after having a long term relationship to our local Tibetan community, with Christine Chandlers assessment. Don't get me wrong, the people are 'good folk', as were the folk in the fundamentalist church my family was a part of for a time.

One thing, that is hard for a guy to not notice, is the sizeable proportion of intelligent and physically attractive women involved. But the thing is, they seem to be consistently insecure, a somewhat unappealing trait.

Something seems to be going on there with issues of internalized misogyny.


Internalized misogyny + cult conditioning and mind control most likely

The more I read of this credible and well-documented book the more I’m astounded at the Tibetan shangri-la of peace fantasy we’ve been sold.

Also, using attractive women to lure and love-bomb is a time tested cult recruiting strategy.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Jerky » Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:54 am

And immediately I have to wonder whether China is behind this anti-Tibetan push.

I doubt you'll find any thousand-year-old tradition that doesn't have SOME degree of misogyny or anti-democratic inclinations within it.

But thank you for bringing this book, and person, to our attention. I'll definitely be checking them out!

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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Jerky » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:00 am



I've always had a good feeling about, at the very least, the Dalai Lama. He's never said or really done anything to make me think that he's a bad actor in the world.

Here's an interesting and relevant bit from him.

J.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Jerky » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:04 am

Um... Christine's book might be well written, but on her blog, she comes across as a bit of an extremist whacko nutbar Crusader.

https://extibetanbuddhist.com/
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:12 am

Internalized misogyny + cult conditioning and mind control most likely


These things seem to be aspects of generalized social conditioning extending well beyond typical cultist expressions of disfunctionality.
The more I read of this credible and well-documented book the more I’m astounded at the Tibetan shangri-la of peace fantasy we’ve been sold.


Not me, people are desperate for answers to relieve their dissonance, and exotic packaging lets people get 'deep' and remain shallow at the same time, win, win.

Also, using attractive women to lure and love-bomb is a time tested cult recruiting strategy.


No doubt, but in this case they are not apparently used in this manner, to me they are insecure, beautiful people, attracted to 'beautiful' answers.
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:35 am

And immediately I have to wonder whether China is behind this anti-Tibetan push.


Sure, a possibility, but then again perhaps it is relevant observations of a former member.

While it is common for this type to show ill will toward their former commitments, who can blame them for being pissed at what they now see as harmful pursuits. Nobody faults the ex-Scientologists when they dish the dirt.

(I built a 'throne' for the Dali Lama, 36 sub-assemblies)
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Jerky » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:46 am

Sounder » 16 Apr 2018 13:35 wrote:(I built a 'throne' for the Dali Lama, 36 sub-assemblies)


???
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:34 am

???


I'm a carpenter, they asked and pay well, so I did it. Very nice and good people.

People can be wrong about very fundamental things and still be good people.
All these things will continue as long as coercion remains a central element of our mentality.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby seemslikeadream » Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:37 am

Sounder » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:34 am wrote:
???


People can be wrong about very fundamental things and still be good people.



excellent point
Mazars and Deutsche Bank could have ended this nightmare before it started.
They could still get him out of office.
But instead, they want mass death.
Don’t forget that.
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Heaven Swan » Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:39 am

More info:

NAROPA UNIVERSITY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION



FAMILIES AGAINST CULT TEACHINGS
Rescuing Kids | Reuniting Families | Education & Awareness
https://www.familiesagainstcultteaching ... niversity/

____________________________________________
Since the horrible death of Sharon Stern, F.A.C.T. has discovered much more evidence about Naropa University that current and potential students, as well as their families, need to be made aware of. (For those who don't know, Naropa University is where Sharon Stern first met her teacher who turned out to be a master manipulator cult leader.) Since its inception, Naropa University in Boulder, CO has been something of a breeding ground and safe haven for faculty members to manipulate and abuse their students in one form or another, even starting with its own founder Chögyam Trungpa, who was well known for his manipulations, lewd behavior and misconduct with students throughout his time at Naropa.

Chögyam Trungpa started Naropa University in 1974, and was notorious for manipulating, controlling, and seducing many of his young students. Trungpa was also known to deliberately have sex with married women and to "play God" with people's lives and consequently ruin them, just because he could. Witnesses have even reported that he had forcibly stripped down two people at a “seminary party” one night while drunk (Trungpa was known to be a raging alcoholic and drug addict, and would even lecture to students in these mind-altered states). Due to the power of his manipulative abilities, many of his student followers defended his behavior, falsely believing in Trungpa's "crazy wisdom" as a path towards enlightenment and personal betterment. This set an example for subsequent faculty members to follow, starting with his successor Osel Tendzin, who was even mentored and encouraged by Trungpa to do so.

Before Trungpa died of alcoholism in 1987, this “enlightened guru” appointed his favorite assistant Thomas Rich, a.k.a. Osel Tendzin, as his successor at Naropa. Tendzin's time spent at Naropa University was beset with published reports of him having unprotected sex with many of his students, both male and female, without him revealing that he was infected by the HIV virus. Even worse, Trungpa secretly knew about this and even encouraged his behavior, saying (after he swore everyone to secrecy at a special meeting), "as long as he [Tendzin] did his purification practices, it did not matter, because they [students] would not get the disease." Sadly this turned out not to be the case when Tendzin later transmitted the virus to a student, who later died of AIDS. Unfortunately when Tendzin himself died of AIDS in 1990, it didn't stop future Naropa faculty members from following suit with terribly inappropriate and irresponsible behavior towards students.

Recent stories of faculty abuses at Naropa University exist as well according to student testimonies, for example, current teacher Lama Tenpa has crossed the line multiple times with female students while teaching at Naropa, but without any serious reprimand or disciplinary action. Rather, it seems Tenpa was "sat down for a chat" and forced to write letters to the students stating that he now "understands the Naropa University and American University policy". In the case of the aforementioned Sharon Stern, it was her Naropa dance teacher Katsura Kan who seduced, manipulated, and exploited her physically, mentally, sexually, emotionally, and financially, and as we later discovered, he has done the same with many of his female students at various schools across the country. Tragically, Katsura Kan's severe and unyielding manipulation made Sharon mentally unstable which ultimately caused her to commit suicide, in spite of the constant attempts by her family to try and save her. According to her father Tibor Stern (as spoken on behalf of the Sharon Stern Estate), he believes she was taught by Kan in class at Naropa to "go back to the womb to darkness" and to "lose her identity, dreams, and ego" among other teachings (based on Sharon's own words when she was alive, her friends, and discovered emails and documents). Lastly, Mr. Stern's many attempts to reach out to Naropa University in order to try and effect the necessary changes to help safe-guard future students from such abuses were either completely ignored or outright refused, which is just utterly shameful behavior, especially from an accredited university supposedly offering a "higher" education, not to mention one receiving two million in federal grants from our hard earned taxpayer dollars. FACT believes that if the faculty would have acted appropriately at the time when these abuses were being initiated by the founder and principle faculty instead if worrying about their accreditation, that Sharon Stern would still be alive today.

According to our research and complaints received, there is also a deep-rooted connection between Naropa and Shambhala. What is Shambhala? On the surface, Shambhala is represented as a global organization community “inspired by the principle that every human being has a fundamental nature of basic goodness. This nature, our innate wisdom, can be developed so that it benefits our own lives and helps meet the many challenges facing the world.” This of course sounds all well and good, but allegedly there is something much more sinister lurking below the surface of this “enlightened” organization than meets the eye. Here are some quotes from complaints our organization has received:

“Under a veneer of warmth and kindness, Shambhala leaders care only about protecting their guru, institutions, and organization, not the vulnerable people they routinely harm.”

“All the faculty at Naropa that were Trungpa students, and now the Sakyong's Shambhala students, have taken a vow of loyalty to their gurus, and their guru worshipping cult covers up and denies anything negative. Their vows to their gurus, maintained with fear of hell realms, and groupthink and group coercion in the cult of Shambhala International turns them into 'compartmentalized cult members' who can speak and seem reasonable even intelligence, but they have taken vows from their dead master Trungpa to create an Enlightened Society based on a theocratic dictatorship of Lama Kings, and they are still mind controlled by their dead Lama even their dead ones. How do I know? I was a Shambhala /Vajradhatuq cult member for almost 20 years, it took me another 10 to come out completely, even after hooking up with another phony Lama, very popular in the west and friend and protector of Randy Sogyal with a second multimillion dollar lawsuit for sexual abusing and physically abusing hundreds of women and turning them into slaves, like Sharon Stern became. They all use the tantric techniques of these Lamas, as this Japanese teacher did, that is why he was attracted to Naropa, he knew he could get away with it. These vows to their gurus, supersedes ethics, laws, and all the western Canon. I know I was one of them.“

“He was one of the founders of Naropa along with Trungpa Rinpoche. He was deeply involved in the cult of Naropa and he paid for me to take these meditation classes. He convinced me that it would be "my last life" and I would not have to come back if I meditated all the time. These Shambhala trainings consisted of me meditating like a zombie for 8 hours straight for a week at a time, so I could achieve "egolessness" and "enlightenment".

“I am in the process of writing a book which is close to being finished, describing my experiences inside this Shambhala cult for so long, and how their mind control works upon people who were once educated and reasonable and how one can become a cult member within a matter of months, rejecting ones own cultural values and belief system and even family, for a ninth century misogynistic belief system of guru worship and its deadly dance of ego dissolution, that becomes ones total focus, while still appearing normal and rational to the outside world. I was a school psychologist, and no one would have known that I was a cult member of the Lamas. The more disciplined and a perfectionist one is, the harder one falls into the Guru pleasing trap of 'ego dissolving and constant perfectionism to become the 'best' student of these charlatans. I believe I know how it could happen to your lovely daughter.”

“Shambhala is notorious for being unkind to women who report teacher abuse. For the past two years I have been advocating for the sexual safety of women and youths as a result of my experiences at a Shambhala Center in San Francisco. I also filed internal grievances against leadership all the way to the top for issuing protocols shunning survivors to avoid legal liability. As a result of my public advocacy and complaints, Shambhala leadership issued an organization-wide ban ex-communicating me from their centers despite that I do not attend Shambhala centers anymore and have not for some time. Shambhala did respond to my complaints about leadership shunning survivors, nor did they tell me directly that I am banned.”

“We were 'deep in' this cult of Shambhala, having taken care or Chogyam Trungpa's son for six years inside this mandala. We picked up the pieces for this neglectful family, who pretends to the world that they are compassionate and caring when their inner circle and the current Sakyong are some of the most self-centered, self-obsessed cult members who care only about spreading their cult and nothing else, while giving lip service and repeating the word 'compassion' over and over until people believe that is what they are about.“

In conclusion, we believe it is no mystery why cult manipulators are attracted to university campuses like Naropa's, due to students being typically naive, single, impressionable, and unsettled in life. As such, they are relatively easy prey for manipulators / cults recruiters. Though this is a terrible reality on many college campuses, in this scenario there is still a relatively good chance that an uninformed student’s “six sense” will engage and they will feel uncomfortable and stop involvement with the unknown questionable group. However, what happens when the manipulator is actually someone a student trusts wholeheartedly and has complete faith in from the very start of their relationship, like a teacher or other faculty member? Naropa University is just one example of this insidious reality potentially threatening students and families everywhere, and is the worst case known to our organization.

Here are some informative links about Shambhala online:

Stripping the Gurus

Shadow of The Dalai Lama

Boulder Buddhist Scam

FACT Blog

For an excellent in-depth look from an ex-victim of Shambhala, we recommend Christine Chandler’s new book entitled ‘Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism’.


Tibetan Buddhism Gurus




Here are the latest posts from our social media expose about Naropa on our Facebook page:


KATSURA KAN AND NAROPA UNIVERSITY EXPOSE (PART ONE):

For those unfamiliar with the story, the Stern family sent their beloved daughter Sharon, in good faith, to Naropa University in Boulder, CO to attain a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. Naturally, they expected her to return home safe and sound afterward and prepared to pursue a career based upon her studies. Little did the Stern family know that Naropa had hired a sociopath and sexual predator named Katsura Kan to teach in Sharon’s department. Katsura took advantage of the trust between teacher and student to brainwash and exploit Sharon mentally, sexually and financially, which lasted over four years. His manipulation and abuse ruined Sharon’s life in every way imaginable; it caused her to lose her devoted caring husband, to completely separate from her loving family and to experience severe mental health issues and tormenting pain, all of which ultimately led to her suicide. If that wasn’t enough, Katsura even tormented the Stern family constantly when they tried to help their daughter escape his grasp to get the mental health treatment she desperately needed. In the end, seeing no way out of Kan’s psychological trap, Sharon tragically committed suicide on April 25th, 2012.

We believe from the platform Naropa University provided their teacher, Katsura was able to use undue influence over Sharon to control and exploit her however he desired. According to Mr. Stern, the representative of the Sharoni Stern Estate, he believes that Katsura was absolutely unqualified to teach in an American accredited university and that his daughter was taught in the classroom a corrupting philosophy rooted in pain, suffering and death of oneself; taught to "go back to the womb to darkness" and to eradicate her life dreams, identity, authenticity and ego (this is based on Sharon's own statements to her family when she was alive and from discovered correspondence). How Naropa could allow such teachings to take place in a classroom of young impressionable students is incredible, especially with evidence of this philosophy’s destructive influence appearing in not just Sharon but in some other students of Katsura’s who also exhibited mental health issues similar to Sharon’s.

Tomorrow we will examine the details of this corrupt teacher’s hiring by Naropa University, so stay tuned…

- Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

THE KATSURA KAN AND NAROPA UNIVERSITY EXPOSE (PART TWO):

For the first time in the history of our investigation regarding Naropa University in Boulder, CO, we have insider information from an ex-faculty member who was a professor there for many years, and who witnessed what we believe are serious problems with this institution that affect the entire student body. Among his many concerns was how Naropa was charging students exorbitant tuition while at the same time there was a great deal of food insecurity for students, no student health care clinic, doctor on call, or medical care of any kind on campus. To make matters worse, he states that there were senior faculty members who did not believe in taking an anti-suicidal posture with students exhibiting such tendencies, a sexual violence cover up, racial diversity issues and more. Students and families have also expressed their concern with this institution, claiming that teachers regard themselves as “god-like” and witnessing severe personality changes in their loved ones after attending Naropa.

“During my first year of teaching at Naropa [removed] several graduate students revealed that they were diagnosed with alcoholism and mental illness. Two of them told me that they were using a pseudo-Christian meditation practice called Centering Prayer. This was a technique that had been developed by Father Thomas Keating [a Naropa faculty member] in imitation of Buddhist meditation practice… I warned them against believing the claims of Centering Prayer that it could cure mental illness that were made by Father Keating and I urged them to seek medical intervention. They and other Naropa community members were upset at my negative appraisal of this practice… Later that year both students told me that they became suicidal and were forced to seek emergency medical treatment.”

“In the department where I worked most of the men had violated sexual ethics policy with no recrimination because they were sympathetic to this "non-dualustic" worldview in which "dualistic" concepts like right vs. wrong, and good vs. evil did not apply.”

“I was not going to certify that graduates of this program were capable of serving others when they refused to seek help for themselves and could endanger others. One faculty member told me that it was more important to keep enrollment up.”

“During the meeting one of the senior faculty members who was also a therapist argued that we did not have the right to take an anti-suicidal posture and that we should not automatically counsel against suicide. Another professor who now teaches counseling courses stated that she was not able to counsel students who came to her if they were suicidal.”

“I was upset that my colleagues never mentioned the ideaths of Sharon and Ian. I am sure that they were not the first or last to have harmed themselves, in part or in whole, due to Naropa's lack of care.”
This is from an ex-student at Naropa:

“I studied at Naropa only as an older student who refused to allow teachers to be god-like.”

This is from someone with a family member attending Naropa:

“My relative has attended the school for three years. Each year his behavior has become more and more [erratic]. Prior to attending the school, he was healthy and whole… He's even threatened suicide. We believe that he is being heavily influenced by the teachings at the school and someone potentially in a leadership role.”

There is so much more information to convey, which will be posted on our blog. If you would like to read more, please visit:

https://www.familiesagainstcultteaching ... s/Blog.php

We believe all of the information obtained about Naropa University raises some very important questions:

1) Does a university with such teachings, policies and behavior from faculty members deserve their accreditation?

2) Do we want some of our hard earned tax dollars to support Naropa in the form of federal grants?

3) Should we continue to send our children to this school that apparently has such serious issues? Should we as parents and U.S. citizens tolerate it?

We at FACT believe the answer to all these questions is absolutely not. We send our children to universities to graduate and to gain a profession and expect them to come back home safe and sound. This is the minimum we should expect from any school, but especially from accredited universities of higher learning. We at FACT will do whatever it takes and use whatever funds necessary to stop Naropa from continuing in this manner for the safety and wellbeing of its students.

Tomorrow’s expose posting will bring more information about Naropa and their ex-employee / teacher Katsura Kan. Please share our expose with others for education and awareness purposes. Thank you.

- Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

THE KATSURA KAN AND NAROPA UNIVERSITY EXPOSE (PART THREE):

If Naropa University had done an essential background and credential check on Katsura Kan prior to hiring, we expect (and hope) that they never would have hired him. From our understanding, he could not pass for a teacher in any university for any course, let alone as a teacher in a Master of Fine Arts degree program. The fact is Naropa employed Katsura and we do not believe they conducted any kind of background check or in-depth review of his character and qualifications. As a result, Katsura was allowed to teach his destructive psychological and philosophical lessons to young and vulnerable student minds.

According to Sharon's own statements to her family when she was alive and discovered correspondence between Sharon and Katsura, this corrupt teacher taught in his classroom psychological and philosophical ideas rooted in pain, suffering and the death of oneself. He taught students to "go back into the womb to darkness" and to eradicate all life dreams, identity, authenticity and one’s ego. Needless to say, we believe it’s incredible how Naropa could allow such teachings to take place in a classroom of impressionable students that are eager to learn and excel with their studies. The Stern family whole-heartedly believes that if Sharoni had not attended Naropa University and not crossed paths with the evil guru Katsura Kan, she would still be alive today, healthy and happy, and the family would now be enjoying their daughter’s grand-children.
Attached please find evidence showing Katsura Kan’s destructive teachings and also some letters from others deeply affected and harmed by them.

Moreover, here are just some of the communications we received about Katsura Kan and Naropa University:

1) “I have my fingers crossed that you and your family will make this sociopath Katsura Kan responsible as well as finally calling to reckoning his enablers Naropa U, facilitator of the biggest guru cult scourge on our country.”

2) “First, let me say how very sorry I am about your daughter Sharon. My heart was so heavy when I read about what had happened to her at Naropa because I knew that this evil charlatan dance instructor could not have continued his terrible thought control agenda without being at Naropa, actually a recruiting college for the cult of Shambhala International-- a thought control cult in itself of the late founder Trungpa Rinpoche…”

3) “I know your pain, and feel it in my body. Sharoni's story shook and is still shaking my soul deeply in ways and forms that are hard for me to describe. This story had disturbed me both emotional and mentally, and not because of my acquaintance with the devil "master Katsura Kan", It bothers me and hurt me and I identify with Sharoni's world and wishes, as I told you already, we both desired the same thing. Creative fulfillment of the depth of the soul. I also thought that through Butoh I will achieve this dream. It’s hard for me to write to you, only yesterday I had met Hana, the special and charming woman, I can not endure It and can not cooperate with you, I am not strong enough to contain this. After the meeting with Hana I felt sad. Your pain and the war against the "Master" revives in me places and pains that I can't absorb this time in my life. I am not strong. My nerves are exposed I have no protection and this, how should I put it, is dangerous for me (at least right now).”

4) “My relative has attended the school for three years. Each year his behavior has become more and more [erratic]. Prior to attending the school, he was healthy and whole… He's even threatened suicide. We believe that he is being heavily influenced by the teachings at the school and someone potentially in a leadership role.”

Tomorrow is the conclusion of our expose, including a message from Tibor Stern, the founder and President of F.A.C.T. and grieving father of the now deceased Sharon Stern (who was the victim of ex-Naropa teacher Katsura Kan’s exploitation). Mr. Stern is also the probate of the Sharoni Stern Estate, which is in the midst of a litigation against Katsura Kan for wrongful death.

We ask you to please like and share our expose with others to spread the word. Thank you.

- Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

THE KATSURA KAN AND NAROPA UNIVERSITY EXPOSE: (CONCLUSION)

In the wake of Sharon’s death, the Stern family reached out to Naropa asking for a simple meeting on how future tragedies like this could be prevented. Unfortunately, Naropa denied their request to meet, with their response being that they had "heard enough of the Stern family". The Stern's are not surprised by Naropa’s lack of cooperation, as in their opinion Naropa’s well documented history shows a pattern of covering up the exploitation and abuse of students by faculty members.

Regarding Naropa’s ex-teacher, Katsura Kan, he is currently being sued by the Sharoni Stern Estate for her wrongful death. Please find the lawsuit attached. Katsura has been delaying the case as much as possible, which is fitting for his character. This wicked guru is responsible for the death of Sharon and for causing serious mental health issues in other students as well, and is trying his best to escape the inevitable justice that is coming to him. The Stern family has an overwhelming amount of evidence proving that Sharon was a victim of manipulation, exploitation, and undue influence by Katsura Kan, including a psychologist report and numerous emails proving it. When Sharon was reaching out to him for help, he cruelly ignored her requests, only desiring what he could get out of her. Also, as stated in a previous post, just to emphasize, he taught her and other students psychological and philosophical ideas rooted in pain, suffering and the death of oneself. He taught them to 'go back into the womb to darkness' and to eradicate all life dreams, identity, authenticity and even one’s ego. For a teacher of students to teach such terrible psychological and philosophical ideas is completely unacceptable in our opinion.

Please find attached six key pieces of evidence:

1) Where Sharon says she cannot survive any longer, and Katsura’s cruel response back.
2) Where Sharon is talking about suicide, and Katsura’s heartless reply back asking for money.
3) Another Katsura victim writes to the Stern family after Sharon’s tragedy
4) Yet another email showing the cruelty of Katsura
5) An email from Sharon to Katsura asking what comes after the destruction of body and mind (as he taught). At this point, when she finally realized his lies and deception, she was so far gone from his that she did not want to continue on with her life.
6) A psychologist’s evaluation of Sharon, which speaks for itself.

Please find the lawsuit attached as well which was filed in the 17th Circuit Court in Broward County, FL. The next step in the process is the evidentiary hearing, which is coming up soon.

A final message from the President of F.A.C.T.

It has been five years since the death of our daughter and there is not a minute that goes by that we do not miss her tremendously. We strongly believe her death was caused by Naropa’s negligent hiring of Katsura Kan and his evil self-serving teachings. The last thing parents expect when they send their child away for higher education at an accredited university is to have that child come back home in a casket. For this reason we are warning students and parents to check out every university ahead of time. Research the school’s history, complaints, curriculum, and make sure Title IX is in place at the school.

Forever we will bring awareness, education, and shut down abusive cults to protect children, families, and save lives.

Sincerely,

Tibor Stern
On Behalf of the Sharoni Stern Estate
President of F.A.C.T., Inc.

Evidence (click images to enlarge):

Katsura Kan in control of Sharon-squashed


Katsura Kan exploitation


Letter from Katsura Victim


Katsura Kan - following Gypsy blingly


Katsura teachings - destruction of body and mind


Sharon Stern psychologist eval



————

COMPLAINTS COMING IN ABOUT NAROPA UNIVERSITY:

As a result of our latest expose postings about Naropa University in Boulder, CO, some more complaints have come in about this school. Here are a few snippets from what we've received:

"I have had experiences in the graduate school at Naropa that were very traumatic. If I had the money for a lawyer, I would sue for damages. This came up on my feed on fb, and I am curious about reaching out to share my story as it could support others possibly in the process..."

"I dropped out of Naropa Grad school due to being treated terribly (to say the least) and forged the way for - few others to drop out of my program... The university should be closed!"

If you have a complaint to file as well, please contact us at: http://www.familiesagainstcultteachings ... ntact.html

Please share our expose posts with everyone you know.

Thank you,

Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

MORE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED ABOUT NAROPA UNIVERSITY IN BOULDER, CO:

Complaints are still coming in about Naropa University since the release of our expose. New complaints state issues like Naropa regularly allowing unlicensed instructors to teach students, discrimination and more:

"Pouria Montazeri was faculty at the professional school of psychology (he still has a profile on ratemyprofessors.com). He never held a full license as an LPC in Colorado but was allowed to teach anyway. Naropa regularly allowed unlicensed instructors to teach.

Pouria had to relinquish his registration as an unlicensed psychotherapist when someone who he did psychotherapy with and had sex with brought the matter to the state regulatory agency. This can be verified by looking up his profile on DORA at https://www.colorado.gov/dora [the disposition of the grievance will stipulate that the section of the code that he violated was for criminal sexual misconduct]."

"...discrimination which directly affected my benefits and academics at the school from top faculty members...Selective and bias towards liberal, upper class students who spout hatred for conservative and Christian values. No freedom of speech at this school, the political correctness police are out in full, and your grades and success are directly affected by this. No ethics at this institution."

We are looking into these complaints. If you have a complaint to file against Naropa University, please contact us: http://www.familiesagainstcultteachings ... ntact.html

To read our previous Naropa expose posts, please visit our F.A.C.T. Facebook page: https://business.facebook.com/FACT501c3 ... 6923026642
Please share our expose posts with everyone you know.

Thank you,

Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

A FOLLOW-UP TO OUR EFFORTS TO STOP KATSURA KAN'S DESTRUCTION OF INNOCENT LIVES:

As a followup to our expose and efforts to warn the public about Katsura Kan, we are extremely happy to tell you that some people have decided to stop working with Kan, including the cancelation of an upcoming workshop and festival.

We thank them for taking the information and evidence against this ex-Naropa teacher seriously, which clearly shows Kan’s sociopathic and predatory nature / destructive capabilities towards his students and young innocent women.

Some quotes from the letters we received:

“Dear Tibor, I am very sorry for your daughter. It is an horrible story. I am stopping my project to work with Katsura Kan. I sent him email by follow his workshop this summer. After watch your letter, I was very shocking. Thank very much to contact me. Maybe you save my life. I don't understand why this man begin to teach and why he is not in cell. Why Butoh community accepts him in community. He send an email with all summer workshop. He'll teach to Butoh festival to Bulgaria after he goes to Serbia and after in Finland. If I can help you... I am sad with you and your family. I am sorry to my english, I hope you understand me…Thank you for your email.”

"Thank you very much for your info...the festival is canceled. Wish you light in your mission."

Unfortunately institutions, theaters and festivals continue to hire Katsura Kan, and as such we are constantly contacting and informing them as well as the Butoh community in general. We expect all employers to cancel Katsura's workshops / performances, as this wicked man must be stopped at all costs for the safety and well-being of students.

For more information about Katsura Kan and what he has done, especially being responsible for the death of Sharon Stern and for causing mental health issues in other students of his, please visit this link:

https://www.familiesagainstcultteachings.org/Memorial/

Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc.

————

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF F.A.C.T.

Dear Supporters,

My beloved daughter had no chance against this wicked person, who I believe is a Nazi sympathizer as per his latest Facebook profile post (please see attached photo). As a result of Katsura Kan’s manipulations my daughter is dead, and he is promoting Hitler.
Amazingly, but not surprisingly, he was considered good enough to be hired by Naropa University in Boulder, CO, which is an accredited higher learning institution, where we believe he taught his students without any proper teachings credentials, the destructive dance of Butoh and its philosophy in the classroom which promoted pain, suffering, and death. We will look into what I believe is the undeserved accreditation of this university.

This is the face of evil representing the thousands of corrupt and abusive cult leaders and gurus out there that FACT is diligently fighting against in order to save our children.

Sincerely,

Tibor Stern
On Behalf of the Sharoni Stern Estate


Katsura Kan Hilter Facebook profile cover

————

Dear Supporters,

It seems to me that the people responding to our last Facebook post (dated July 26th, 2017) that mentioned Naropa University are totally ignoring all of the information, complaints and evidence that we have published and that are published all over the internet from independent sources. All of those who decide to ignore all the facts and evidence I suppose I will never be able to convince, nor do I have any interest in doing so.
As such, just to correct Gracie Hortonopoulos’ misinformation, Kevin Taylor, the lawyer representing the Stern family, on behalf of the Sharoni Stern Estate, had approached Naropa numerous times to request a meeting. The intention and purpose of the meeting was simply to discuss how to correct what we believe was Naropa’s negligent and careless hiring of Katusra Kan, and what we believe was their allowance of dangerous, mentally destructive teachings in the classroom. The changes we sought were for prevention purposes; to prevent our tragedy from happening to any other student and family. Naropa’s cold answer was that they were not interested to hear anymore from the Stern family (please see the attached email). Their reply clearly showed us that they are more interested in continuing their current practices than making what we believe are the necessary changes in order to safeguard their students.

Moreover, the Stern family indicated to Naropa, and everyone else, that any amount of compensation given for the wrongful death of Sharon Stern (that was clearly brought by Katsura Kan and by what we, her Estate, believes was the negligent hiring of Katsura Kan by Naropa) would go entirely to Families Against Cult Teachings, Inc. in order to save children and families from destructive cultic leaders like Katsura Kan. We were totally ignored by Naropa and believe they had no interest in admitting any responsibility regarding the death of my daughter Sharoni Stern, which unfortunately has not changed to this day.
Also, we, the Stern family, think that had Naropa taken our complaint seriously and effected the proper changes to safeguard students, we believe the sexual assault of two students by a Naropa faculty member in 2013 could have been avoided:

https://boulderbuddhistscam.wordpress.com/…/trungpas-influ…/

In our opinion, Naropa is more interested in just brushing these kinds of faculty behaviors under the carpet rather than deal with them properly.

If anyone is interested in learning more about Naropa, Katsura Kan and Shambhala, we advise you to read our attachments, our FACT expose posts, and to visit other independently published informative websites online (please see the links below and/or Google search).

Sincerely,

Tibor Stern
On Behalf of the Sharoni Stern Estate


INFORMATION FROM AN EX-NAROPA TEACHER:
https://www.facebook.com/FACT501c3/post ... 6923026642
FACT EXPOSE POST:
https://www.facebook.com/FACT501c3/post ... 4259811575
COMPLAINTS ABOUT NAROPA:
https://www.facebook.com/FACT501c3/phot ... 12/?type=3
ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS:
https://www.facebook.com/FACT501c3/post ... 8591539475
INFORMATIVE WEBSITE ABOUT NAROPA:
https://boulderbuddhistscam.wordpress.com
SHAMBHALA: http://familiesagainstcultteachings.blogspot.mx/…/tibetan-b…
"When IT reigns, I’m poor.” Mario
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Heaven Swan » Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:11 am

More from INC Magazine on the Buddhist Mindfulness juggernaut--


Why Meditation and Mindfulness Training Is One of the Best Industries for Starting a Business in 2017

If you think you're ready to bust out on your own, make sure you're familiar with Inc.'s list of this year's most promising sectors.


With roots in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, meditation training has hit the mainstream as a way to cope with stress and improve focus, productivity, and relaxation. Estimated to be a $1.1 billion industry in the U.S. by market research firm IBISWorld, private or group meditation and mindfulness training makes up 7.4 percent of the $15.1 billion alternative care market in the U.S. A trend toward greater spending on corporate wellness programs could benefit the industry even more in the coming years.

Why it's hot: As companies embrace the idea that employees' mental health is directly tied to their performance, many are allocating budgets to benefits that help improve focus and alleviate stress. Twenty-two percent of companies already offer meditation training at work, according to a study by the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) and Fidelity Investments. Another 21 percent plan to add such training in 2017.

What's required: Starting a successful meditation business is about more than passion and dedication to the practice. The field attracts its share of free spirits, so hiring and choosing associates with business savvy is a core skill. The practice complements such fields as medicine, psychology, fitness, and massage therapy, and a number of universities and independent institutions offer training and certification programs. For app-based meditation training businesses, you'll also need app-development skills, or at least know how to manage programmers.
...

continues at:
https://www.inc.com/bartie-scott/best-i ... ining.html
"When IT reigns, I’m poor.” Mario
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby liminalOyster » Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:17 pm

The psychological undercurrent in Chandler's book (which I have read) seems, ironically, quite like a hyperbolic mirror of her mind and fixations. On skimming some "reviews" by close allies and boosters of hers, I'm struck by how weakly hidden the theme of Orientalist/non-christian/satanic encroachment is.

A friend of hers writes on Amazon: "She went into retreat, healing herself by the logos therapy of recovering the western mind, and removing those hidden mindfulness programmes and by writing the book." The same guy follows up with a reference to Hegel's negative characterization of "lamaism" and this pith bit of Christian salvation: "[the book] is written ... on the smithy of Chris's soul based on being herself captive and in the web of this most seductive nectar for thirty years. The book cries freedom and gives the reader the way ahead for walking free."

In the book itself, part of the Dalai Lama's conniving Oriental mystique is that he is a "self-avowed Marxist" intent to destroy democracy.

And the intro closes with a foreboding bit of black helicopter poetry, claiming that in Crestone, CO, Lamas and other "new age cults" have created a "spiritualized world citizenship model" that is "being planned and now implemented for all of us; one city, town and suburb at a time." Crestone is an arguably obnoxious little hub of spiritual entrepreneurialism. But little more.

This is basically Alex Jones for the South Beach set. I get that Chandler had a terrible experience. I respect that. And there's no doubt at all that guru abuses of power has been a real and ongoing source of serious harm in Tibet and in the west. But this book reads like the same kind of fantastical neuroses that Tibetan Buddhism teaches is the very material (our thoughts, paranoias, etc) with which we work in order to cultivate discriminating awareness wisdom, which is not at all about authority, hierarchy, external source, lamas, etc.

I so hope someday someone will take on the project of writing that history - of the dark side of Tantra in the West - without also dismissing it or discarding it altogether. It is a story that needs to be told but thus far has mostly been attempted by those whose anger and remorse seems to prevent great integration of ambiguity.
"It's not rocket surgery." - Elvis
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Re: New Book—Enthralled: The Guru Cult of Tibetan Buddhism

Postby Heaven Swan » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:52 pm

Thanks Liminal, and everyone else who commented. Mentally stimulating conversations like these are what keep me coming back to this site, and also why I’m really liking Chandler’s book. Her viewpoint is original and definitely not cookie cutter, and she’s shaking up my world view and making me question certain premises.

To address your reference to the Dalai Lama being “a self-avowed Marxist” and Jerky’s suspicion of China as Chandler’s Puppetmaster—she says that what bothers her is the deception of followers and donors that the Dalai and other Tibetan Lamas have perpetrated by making formal economic//religious alliances with the Chinese Government while still garnering sympathy and raising money from westerners in the Free Tibet campaign.

When I find the passages in the book I’ll quote them, but to paraphrase...she writes that China has 5 religions which are state approved and supported—Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam. She says that in the past Tibetan Buddhists were excluded and persecuted but in more recent years the Dalai Lama has struck a mutually beneficial alliance with the Chinese Government but avoids shouting it from the rooftops in Western countries in order to maintain the Free Tibet gravy train.




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