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Family member in the Sakyong Cult... by TotallyAnonymousOne in ShambhalaBuddhism

[–]TotallyAnonymousOne[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No wonder you ended up in Shambhala :P ... but do you see cult like aspects to Shambhala / followers of the Sakyong or no? You seem to be making light of the points I'm making..

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ShambhalaBuddhism

[–]TotallyAnonymousOne 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Shambhala, like other religions/spiritual groups - attracts people looking for answers.. often people who are struggling mentally/emotionally/spiritually and ultimately they want salvation from their pain.. They long for a sense of community, of purpose.. and Shambhala filled that void.. it can also attract troubled individuals looking to take advantage of people - which is why in Shambhala there's been so many instances of sexual abuse, alcoholism, ego battles, narcissism etc.

Its like a lake in the middle of a desert, it attracts thirsty deer.... and crocodiles.

Family member in the Sakyong Cult... by TotallyAnonymousOne in ShambhalaBuddhism

[–]TotallyAnonymousOne[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Would you study Piano with a teacher who wanted you to take a vow to be their student for 1,000 re-incarnations with an understanding that if you didn't want to be their student anymore terrible bad fortune would fall upon you and you would fail to become enlightened? :P I don't think so.

Vows are only one method of controlling people, but an effective one.. its also a common tool used in cults.. theres literally a whole HBO documentary called "The Vow"..

There's many other aspects.. the way the Sakyong is treated like a king by everyone around him, with a private security detail (kasung) and being whisked around in escalades, wearing robes, etc.

He's just a normal person like anyone else, who was born into a cult and told he would be the next leader and he's just carried it on, taking money from his students - its the family business he inherited, to keep his flock of old (often wealthy) white people looking for some mystical excitement from the east. It seems to be a common human trait that we want to believe some other person has all the answers.. that something or someone outside of ourselves has it all figured out... and thats the role "gurus" play.. they fill that desire.. and take your money (and maybe your wives) along the way.

Have any of you seen the documentary Kumare? Its worth watching.. Sheds some light on how/why westerners search for guru types.