By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 19: “Dagri Rinpoche did engage in a pattern of intentional and inappropriate sexual behaviour that persisted over many years towards women who were in his company due to his position as a trusted incarnate lama and teacher,” the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) said in a statement released on November 13.
Dagri Rinpoche was as a senior spiritual teacher at FPMT, a Buddhist establishment founded by two well known Buddhist teachers Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
The statement from the leading Buddhist foundation in the west comes after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the Tibetan Buddhist teacher. FPMT said that “witness interviews, statements and corroborating evidence” from an independent investigation led to the determination.
“Despite multiple requests, Dagri Rinpoche did not meaningfully engage with FaithTrust Institute’s investigation. However, when he received a detailed summary of multiple victim statements from FaithTrust Institute, he emailed a written response asking for forgiveness,” FPMT’s statement read. The foundation said it has unanimously decided to permanently remove Dagri Rinpoche from the list of registered FPMT teachers and consequently FPMT centers, projects, and services, cannot invite the Tibetan teacher to give Dharma teachings at the center.
The foundation added that the allegations against Dagri Rinpoche dated as far back as 2008 including complaints from women of “groping, sexual harassment and sexual assault, both within FPMT centers and elsewhere. Some women reported they were assaulted for years. Some were ordained nun”.
On May 3, 2019, an Indian woman alleged that the 66-year-old Tibetan religious leader groped her during a flight from Delhi Airport to Gagal Airport. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against him at the Gagal Police station near Dharamshala.
Days later a Spanish woman posted a video where she said that in 2008, Dagri Rinpoche molested her on the pretext of giving her blessings when she was a nun studying Buddhism in Dharamshala. Jakaira Perez Valdivia claimed that when she visited Dagri Rinpoche’s apartment near Namgyal monastery for advice and blessing for her back problem (herniated disk), the Tibetan Lama molested her.
Valdivia in her statutory declaration stated that the Tibetan lama asked her to remove her robe, touched her breasts and sat on her buttocks while she laid face down on the floor. The former nun said that the whole incident took place while Dagri Rinpoche chanted mantras and continuously drank and applied an alcoholic drink over her belly which he claimed was a “very holy substance”. She said that she sent copies of the declaration to the private office of the Dalai Lama and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), where Dagri Rinpoche is one of the senior religious teachers.
In her video posted on YouTube, she said that an apology from Dagri Rinpoche during a meeting set up by the private office of the Dalai Lama, prevented her from reporting the case to police.
Dagri Rinpoche released a statement in May 2019 where he denied any wrongdoing in both the incidents. The Tibetan lama also said years after he helped Jakaira who he claimed was “physically and mentally troubled” with blessings, she had accused him of molestation and consequently sat down for a meeting with witnesses. Dagri Rinpoche made no reference whether the meeting was set up by the Dalai Lama’s private office other than that the meeting helped “clarify the truth”.
Dagri Rinpoche belongs to Sera Jey’s Tsawa khangtsen based in Bylakuppe Tibetan settlement in South India, one of the largest monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism. He is the 5th reincarnation of Dagri Kyenchen Gyatso Thaye, a highly respected yogi and scholar. He is a holder of Geshe Lharampa, the highest order of the Gelukpa’s scholastic hierarchy.
The Buddhist world’s encounter with incidents of sexual misconduct by spiritual teachers towards students is not new; high profile cases like that of the late Sogyal Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche have come to light in the recent past.
7 Responses
Many so called students of Tibetan Lamas seem ot be very touchy and wants to be nearest to him and be his favourite student. When they have the feeling they are losing this kind of favouritism, they react with jealousy and also with enmity. Respect to your Lamas ist o.k., but a courteous distance is important. Tibetans had no such problems with their lamas. Beacuse we respect them for their kindness, but
we keep a courteous distance.
Your comment is not based on truth. If you read the various reports about this case, it is obvious that Dagri Rinpoche often made unwanted contact with women that were instructed to serve him, by bringing tea etc. Blaming the women is sickening and wrong. The testimonies that the women have given do not match your explanation.
I feel ashamed because of this Lama or should i call shameless human. very low life ..seriously !
This is really wondeful that finally Fpmt is a the side of victims.
No matter what people in the world say to criticize Dagri Rinpoche, I keep my mind in the understanding that this is a holy being. I don’t become like a cow with a rope tied through its nose that is led around by people and has to go wherever the people pull it. Even though I am extremely ignorant of the world and I have no understanding of Dharma, I have this slight wisdom and I stay with that. This is a holy being, not an ordinary being, as I mentioned before. (Lama Zopa 24 May 2019 on fmpt.org)
So logically we have 3 possibilities:
1) Lama Zopa was wrong when defending Dagri Rinpoche so he is a fully misguided man , who wasted his life posing as a saint
2) Lama Zopa is a liar and so should be kicked out from his own monasteries
3) Lama Zopa was right , Dagri Rinpoche is innocent : in that case, Lama Zopa is a coward because he does not defend his friend to the last .
P.S. I am not a Chinese spy , I find the leadership of the so-called Chinese (pseudo) Communist Party a bunch of cocaine -addicted plutocrats.
Being a holy being is not a permit to abuse people, otherwise they will loose their holiness…
Wolverine, I’m sorry you feel this way. Maybe, it would help if you lessen your high expectations of lamas. You referred to lama Zopa as a saint. Saints are holy not enlightened hence not all-knowing. Like they say enlightened are whole, saints are holy.
No you’re not a Chinese spy because you said something about Lama Zopa. I know we Tibetans have this habit of accusing each other and anyone who raises some issue as being a Chinese spy that its lost its relevance.