達賴喇嘛之流—索甲仁波切 行銷第一的好色之徒 (Buddhism by Mary Finnigan）

英國新聞記者Mary Finnigan，藏傳佛教評論家
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mary-finnigan)

MARY FINNIGAN的文稿
取自倫敦觀察者日報10/01/95 Mary Finnigan著

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轉自：
先鋒佛學論壇 -> 先鋒佛學 -> 密宗批判
《西藏喇嘛教的真相》
http://www.xianfengfoxue.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3291
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著名西藏喇嘛索甲仁波切被控脅迫、騷擾以及性侵一位美國婦女而遭求償千萬美元。索甲(仁波切三字是藏文尊稱，意謂“珍寶”)本人過去二十多年來一直都在他自己連鎖遍布英、法、愛爾蘭、美、澳各地的靜坐冥修中心——The Rigpa Fellowship(Rigpa協會)從事佛教靜坐冥想教學，他的門生眾多，而他自己則不僅是佛學暢銷書《西藏生死書》的作者，更曾在Bertolucci所導演的電影“小活佛”一片中客串演出。針對索甲仁波切被控性侵求償一事，TheRigpaFellowship(Rigpa協會)倫敦分部已經自備說辭，發函會中學員加以說明，說索甲本身並非出家僧人，亦不曾發誓守戒禁欲獨身。不過，他終究還是被控假藉密宗上師權位性侵座下女學員。類似這樣的性醜聞案件，無疑地已在近年盛傳於西方的西藏密宗(喇嘛教)儉樸苦行的神聖光環上轟出一個破洞來了。

話說一九六零年代末期，西方嬉皮在追求所謂靈性開悟之路時，紛紛被吸引向充滿異國風味文化，看似多姿多彩的西藏去。當時的西藏普遍被錯認為佛教徒的香格裡拉——一個遠離塵囂的世外桃源。

這樣的光環形像一直維持在絕大多數西方人士心中。直到七十年代,某些與其說是人類精神導師，毋寧稱為宗教工業巨頭的著名喇嘛大師，肆無忌憚行使(中古世紀領主特有的)“初夜占有權” ，誘惑女學生的性醜聞事件突然猶如烽火，開始傳散開來，圍繞在西藏一詞上面的光環才開始漸漸褪色。

舉剛過世不久的Trungpa Rimpoche（創巴仁波切）為例，六十年代他曾在哈佛大學求學，算是諸多最早開始學習英文的西藏高層喇嘛中的一個。當他俟後獲致最能激發人心的靜坐冥想導師的盛名時，理所當然地成為大眾，其中包括本文主角索甲仁波切，心目中的精神楷模。然而，眾所皆知，他本人卻又是個惡名昭彰的酗酒狂兼登徒子。一九八七年他終於死於飲酒過量。臨死之前，他選擇了美國籍的Osel Tenzin上師作為本宗的繼承人。而這繼位的Osel上師後來則在傳染HIV病毒給眾多弟子之後，自己也慘死於愛滋病！

話說回來，並非每位西藏密宗上師都是戒淫戒色的出家和尚——其中一些要不早就放棄戒淫誓戒，要不根本就是出自不禁女色的密宗門派。然而，無論如何，一旦上師與學員之間發生性關係時，那種原本早就存在師生之間的權力失衡，毫無疑問必將導致後者淪至人為刀殂我為魚肉的悲慘狀況。而絕大多數佛教徒，不消說，亦必將這種醜事視為違反教義之中不得損人利己的基本道德規章。

在去年於印度舉行的西方密宗上師會議裡頭，達賴喇嘛告訴與會的代表:如果你們真的沒有其它辦法對付這些腐化的喇嘛上師的話，那麼就向報社揭發吧。

同樣在去年，索甲仁波切一位美國籍前女弟子在要求匿名情況下，以化名Janice Doe向加州Santa Cruz郡的地方法院提出對索甲的民事賠償官司。被害人聲稱，自己在父親死後，心靈受創情況下，向索甲仁波切尋求精神方面的協助。索甲當時告訴她“藉由她自己的犧牲奉獻以及他的心靈指導將可以淨化她整個家庭的厄運”。原告向法院控訴，隔天索甲仁波切即脅誘她與他“交合” ，聲稱藉以強化並愈合她受創的心靈。

盡管這種控訴乍聽之下似乎不甚可信，然而，現在負責輔導原告Janice Doe(化名)的Yvonne Rand禪師卻指出，上師與學員之間的關係本來就有主從之分，特別是當後者處於迫切尋求靈性指導的情況下，確實極可能願意相信上師所說的每一句話。

“在尋求上師精神協助的婦女當中，有許多都是出身自功能不全或是破碎的家庭中。她們有些都曾慘遭肉體乃至性虐待，可能根本沒有父親或是與父親關係一向惡劣，因此內心深處其實是頗渴望有個人能夠為她扮演一個好父親角色的。這種不切實際的期待，經常成為她們在尋求精神導師過程當中的盲點。”

Rand禪師特別強調，這種具備高度潛在危險性的人際關係是極不可能讓師生雙方共蒙其利的。一些曾與自己上師發生奸情的密宗女學員也都同意他這種看法。

“我被他對我的需渴所感動！”其中一名曾與喇嘛上師有過長期性關係的女學員說，“不過不管怎麼看，事情總是讓人覺得既尷尬又奇怪，一點也不像正常男女之間該有的關係。我經常想像自己與他之間的感情非比尋常，但是他不同意我存在這種想法。我又覺得自己好像蒙受他的授權而得以不同於往常平凡的自己，但是，即使跟我相處時他總是對我保持一種尊敬的態度，我一直還是很清楚，除了我之外他還有其它愛人。”

另一位女學員則說，剛開始與上師發生關係時，宛如一名卑微的宗教奉獻者，慢慢地，自己又轉變成一名備受好評的性伴侶，一直到最後，卻又摔回到尊卑有別的師生關係中。“我覺得自己徹底被利用了！他把自己的需求完全凌駕於我的之上！”

類似的事件最近還有，一位英國女性學員在參加一項短期住宿的靜修課程時，誤以為自己特別受到上師恩寵，因此得以受到上師額外的關注與訓練，然而事情的真相卻是——她的喇嘛上師邀請她加入他的“後宮”群中，成為他的女眷床伴。“一開始我還覺得自己滿受誇寵的，因此心態上也表現得既開放又信任。他鼓勵我跟他談戀愛——不過我當時知道他在跟我開玩笑。然而，當我發現另外還有不少年輕貌美的女學員也經常進出他的住處而找他對質時，他竟然把我列為拒絕往來戶，在靜修剩下的期間裡對我完全不理不睬！”

讀者或許會懷疑她從這種與喇嘛上師的不正常親密關係中，學得任何教訓沒?“他或許曾經給過我一些好的建議，不過，終究還是不免讓我感受到茫然與被拋棄。我因此對佛教本身也產生了質疑。而如果要說自己從中有獲得任何經驗教訓的話，那就是自己以後一定得學會更加謹慎和小心才行！”

另外，Rand禪師與現居英國的佛學老師Ngakpa Chogyam Rimpoche對於此類事件的看法也頗為一致。他們倆都認為大部分的西方學人在選擇上師時都不免太匆促草率了些，,於是不知不覺中，一下子就讓自己掉入遠遠超乎當初所預期與所能承受的師生關係中。這種窘境又特別容易在他們選擇西藏密宗時發生，因為，在密宗坦特羅教所謂的進階修行(無上瑜珈)中，男女雙方的肉體交合本被視為靈性修行時絕對不可或缺的必要條件！

Rand禪師強調，西方學人最常犯的錯誤就是不知如何區別誰是可以在修行路上幫助自己的上師?誰又是本身確實已經開悟證道的大師！

“某些西藏喇嘛就西方字義的accountable(可依靠的)而言，根本夠不上格。”Ngakpa Chogyam說，“他們縱欲貪色過度，嚴重偏離靈性修行原本的真正主旨！”

正由於潛藏這種被人恭維捧上天而得意忘形的危險，為了自己學員的福址，每位上師就更應該切實要求自己擔負起對學生該擔負的責任。這些責任即使並不包括禁欲戒色在內，至少也意謂著在處理有關男女“性”方面問題時，每位宗教上師都必須謹慎萬分，極度小心!因為恰如心理學家Deborah Clarke所說，在追求靈性提升或接受心理治療過程當中，我們每個人絕對難免有被剝削誤導的可能。

“如果我的密宗上師勾引我，我絕對會火冒三丈!”Deborah她說，“這些人到現在總該知道，任何擁有強大權力的人，必得同時擔負起不得隨便濫用權力的基本倫理道德責任了吧！”

Buddhism
The Guardian / Oct 1, 1995

By Mary Finnigan

The Tibetan lama Sogyal Rimpoche is being sued for $10 million in the United States by a woman who alleges sexual harassment, coercion and abuse. Sogyal (Rimpoche is an honorary title meaning Precious Jewel) has been teaching Buddhist meditation for more than 20 years, with a world-wide following and meditation centres known as The Rigpa Fellowship in London, France, Ireland, America and Australia. He is the author of a best-seller, The Tibetan Book of Living And Dying, and appeared in Bertolucci's film Little Buddha. The Rigpa Fellowship in London has issued a letter informing its members that a suit has been brought against Sogyal Rimpoche. Although he is not a monk, and has not taken vows of celibacy, he is accused of using his position to obtain sexual favours. Allegations like these threaten to blow a hole in the aura of asceticism and austerity surrounding Buddhism in the West.

In the late 1960s, western hippies seeking spiritual enlightenment were drawn to the Tibetans' exuberant, colourful style. Tibet was seen as a Buddhist Shangri-La -- a far cry from the reality of a country under repressive Chinese occupation.

In the seventies, rumours started to circulate about other globe-trotting Buddhist gurus, who were said to be seducing their students and behaving more like spiritual barons than spiritual mentors, exercising _droit du seigneur_ among their followers. The late Trungpa Rimpoche was one of the first high-ranking Tibetan lamas to learn English, which he studied at Oxford in the mid-sixties. He fathered a child while still a monk, discarded his robes and settled in America, where he gained a reputation as an inspired meditation teacher. He became a role model for others, including Sogyal Rimpoche. He was also an alcoholic and a notorious womaniser. He died of drink in 1987. Before his death, he chose Osel Tenzin, an American student as his Successor. Osel died of Aids, after passing the HIV virus to several of his students.

Although not all Tibetan teachers are monks - many have renounced their vows and some are from non-celibate traditions - if a sexual relationship arises, the imbalance of power in the teacher-pupil relationship can lay the student open to abuse. Many Buddhists see this as a contravention of the moral code which frowns on all actions that cause harm.

At a conference of western Buddhist teachers in India last year, the Dalai Lama urged delegates not to be afraid of criticising corrupt gurus. "If you cannot find any other way of dealing with the problem," he said, "tell the newspapers."

Last year, an American woman and former pupil of Sogyal decided to bring a civil case anonymously, and was allowed by the court in Santa Cruz, California, to use the pseudonym Janice Doe. She says in her suit that she approached Sogyal at a time of a time of confusion, shortly after her fathers death. According to the suit, Sogyal told her that "through devotion and his spiritual instruction, she could purify her family's karma". The woman alleges he seduced her the next day, claiming that she would be "strengthened and healed by having sex with him".

However unconvincing such an argument may sound, the Zen priest Yvonne Rand, who is counselling Janice Doe, points out that the relationship between guru and disciple is one of power and submission. People who seek guidance from a spiritual master want to believe what he or she tells them.

"Many women who seek out spiritual teachers come from dysfunctional families. They may have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse, had no father or bad father relationships, so are looking for a good father. This creates blind spots in their perception of a teacher."

Rand is emphatic that such high risk relationships rarely benefit both parties. This opinion is shared by other women who have had sexual liaisons with their gurus.

"I was touched by his need for me," says one, who had a long relationship with a lama, "but it was difficult and strange, in no way a normal relationship. It fuelled my fantasies about having special qualities, but he debunked them. I felt empowered by him but though he treated me with respect, I was always aware he had other lovers."

Another woman speaks of the confusion that arose from being first a humble devotee, then an exalted sexual partner, then back in the ranks again. "I felt used," she says "He put his needs above mine."

More recently, a young English woman attended a residential retreat. She thought she had been singled out for special attention only to discover that she was being invited to join a harem. "At first I was flattered, and very open and trusting. He encouraged me to fall in love with him - but I realised that he was toying with me. I noticed several other young, pretty women going in and out of his apartment, when I confronted him with this, he dropped me for the rest of the time I was there."

Did she learn anything from her intimacy with the guru? "He gave me good advice, but I am left with a hangover of pain and confusion. I also have doubts about Buddhism. If anything, I have learnt to be more cautious."

Rand and the British Buddhist teacher Ngakpa Chogyam Rimpoche share the view that the majority of westerners sign up too quickly with their gurus and find themselves in a much more intense relationship than they had bargained for. This is especially true of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism which, at an advanced level, incorporates sexual union into spiritual practice.

Rand believes that westerners often fail to make the distinction between a teacher who helps along the way and a guru who is an enlightened being.

"Some Tibetan lamas do not see themselves as accountable in the western sense of the word," says Ngakpa Chogyam. "They get blown off-centre by too much adulation."

This potential for adulation makes it vital that teachers accept responsibility for the well being of their students. Responsibility must include, if not celibacy, then extreme care with sex. According to psychologist Deborah Clarke, everyone who enters into a spiritual or therapeutic relationship is vulnerable to exploitation.

"I'd be furious if a guru made a pass at me," she says. "They should all know by now that people with that sort of power have a moral and ethical duty not to abuse it."


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