For many seekers, Tibetan Buddhism presents itself as a path of compassion, wisdom, and enlightenment. The colorful rituals, profound teachings, and the promise of an awakened state draw thousands into its fold. Yet, I found that beneath this altruistic exterior lies a deeply disturbing reality that has left many devoted practitioners feeling shattered and betrayed.
The Ignored Epidemic: Sexual Abuse and Victim Blaming
Sexual abuse within Tibetan Buddhist communities is not an isolated phenomenon, it is a systemic issue that has been ignored, dismissed, and, at worst, facilitated. Victims who come forward are met with disbelief and outright hostility. Rather than holding perpetrators accountable, institutions protect the accused, often elevating them to near-divine status, making any accusation seem like an attack on Buddhism itself. Survivors who speak out are gaslit into questioning their own experiences and sanity.
Many have spent years of their lives in service to Buddhist centers and teachers, sacrificing their time, finances, and personal aspirations in the belief that they were contributing to something greater than themselves. But when they are exploited or harmed, they are left with nothing to show for their time and effort.
Devotion Without Reward: The Disillusionment of Lifelong Service
Many who enter Tibetan Buddhist communities do so with sincere intentions, offering years, sometimes decades, of unpaid or underpaid labor to their teachers and centers. They are told that serving a lama is a privilege, a form of spiritual merit that will bring them closer to enlightenment.
But the stark reality is that this so-called merit often leaves people impoverished, physically exhausted, and emotionally drained. The promised rewards of spiritual progress and personal transformation rarely materialize in any meaningful way. Instead, the real benefits accrue to the teachers, who gain wealth, power, and unchallenged authority while their followers struggle to sustain themselves. Those who finally wake up to this exploitation often find themselves discarded, ostracized, and in some cases, actively harmed.
The Dark Side of Tibetan Tantra: Black Magic and Suppression
Tibetan Buddhism is often presented to the world as a practice rooted in loving-kindness and compassion. However, what is rarely discussed is the hidden world of tantric practices that extend into the realm of manipulation and harm.
There exist rituals and practices, known only to initiated insiders, that can be used to attack, suppress, or even destroy those who pose a threat to an abusive teacher. These methods are supernatural and are employed with impunity, while the broader community remains willfully unaware. Advanced practitioners in the know choose to look the other way, refusing to intervene even when witnessing outright harm. Worse, they glorify the abusers, reinforcing their power through public displays of devotion and praise.
The Complicity of the Buddhist Community
The silence and complicity of Tibetan Buddhist institutions and practitioners enables abuse to persist, both mundane and supernatural. In dharma communities where a lama is acting harmfully, those who know the truth either fear retaliation or believe that questioning a lama is a sign of spiritual failure. This culture of submission and blind faith creates a vacuum where predators thrive, shielded by the very people they exploit.
For those who leave, the road to healing is long and painful. The betrayal cuts deeply, not just from the teachers themselves but from the entire community that was supposed to uphold compassion and integrity. The disillusionment is profound, and the scars left behind serve as a haunting reminder of the dangers hidden behind the serene facade of Tibetan Buddhism.
Breaking the Silence
The only way to dismantle this system of abuse is to expose it. Survivors must be heard, their stories believed, and perpetrators held accountable. Blind devotion must give way to critical thinking. The world must recognize that behind the elaborate ceremonies and teachings, a toxic power structure thrives, one that has left too many people in ruins.
Tibetan Buddhism, as it is practiced today in many corners of the world, is not what it claims to be. Until it confronts its dark underbelly, it will continue to betray those who place their trust in its teachings. The truth must be spoken, no matter how uncomfortable it makes those still deceived by the illusion.
Tantric Deception 