How Triratna coerced people not to have children

This is a personal account from a woman ex-order member in Triratna, including her observations on how  institutionalised views about women, families and parenthood interacted with coercion about life choices; something that she both witnessed and experienced firsthand in the group as part of ordination training courses.

In a cult, the ability to decide if and when to have a child — perhaps the most basic decision in a woman’s life — is taken over…

This is one reason why, though women and men both suffer in the iron grip of charismatic and authoritarian cult leaders, women followers face a unique set of life-altering issues

Alexandra Stein on NBC

 

"Just a bit of Pagan fun"

This is an account that was written in a private 'in-house' Triratna forum in 2017 by an Order member recounting sexual abuse by his teacher, Sangharakshita.

The author's name has been omitted to respect his privacy and because the author was not consulted about making this story public. However, I believe that it is in the public interest to hear this story. This personal testimony offers a very clear, straightforward personal account of Sangharakshita’s predatory sexual behaviour; a pattern that this Buddhist teacher repeated with numerous other young male disciples over a period of at least three decades. It also offers a striking account of how Sangharakshita responded without understanding, remorse or compassion when this young man explained the lasting harmful and confusing effects that his behaviour had had on him. By numerous accounts this was consistent with Sangharakshita's typical attitude or response to all those whom he had sexually abused.

Our Dark Heart

This article explores the various strategies and defences that Triratna has continuously employed to protect “Bhante” Sangharakshita and the group's reputation, and to suppress the truth about the darker or more problematic aspects of both. This article drags each ‘dark art’ one-by-one into the light for closer examination.

Moving on, or Not

In this post Mark Dunlop replies to criticism of why he has not been able to "move on" from the traumatic experience he underwent while living with and being sexually manipulated by Sangharakshita in his early 20s. It is clear in Mark's account that it is not only the betrayal of his spiritual aspirations by Sangharakshita that has proven difficult to come to terms with, but also the betrayal by those in Triratna who were supposed to be his friends but who consistently disregarded, downplayed or denied his experience, that has proven so damaging.

Triratna's Charismatic Succession Problem

College members, appointed to their positions for life by their peers, lack the accountability that was lacking in the case of the charismatic founder. Since any procedures or mechanisms aimed at ensuring accountability are devised by the College and are overseen by College members, it is impossible to ensure any kind of impartial review of their conduct. There is little inclination for those benefiting from the charisma of office to introduce lego-rational measures that might hold them accountable to insiders (much less outsiders) or to entertain any shrinkage of their role -- a role that, due to the mythmaking that surrounds them, only they are thought capable of fulfilling. 

A Study in Evasion: Triratna's Responses and Non-Responses to Sexual Abuse Allegations

The responses over the years from Sangharakshita and Triratna regarding allegations of sexual abuse are summarised, in which a pattern of evasiveness and rationalisation is seen.

Teachings of Convenience

Since Sangharakshita has not felt obliged to faithfully communicate what the Buddha taught, there has been plenty of room for Sangharakshita’s teaching to be influenced by his tastes and desires, to the point where it often takes leave of the Buddhist tradition altogether and cannot make any claim to be an expression of the Dharma.

Why Triratna Cannot Support Insight

Buddhism is about “awakening”: shortly after the Buddha experienced this for himself, that was how he described it: “I am awakened”.  By this, any organisation which considers itself to be “Buddhist” must offer teachings and practices that lead to this goal. What has become clear is that Triratna cannot support true awakening, or “insight”, because true awakening is entirely different than the self-improvement scheme that Sangharakshita taught.

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