Hi Emma,
Not much more than you see above. A man who used to be closely associated with Rigpa told me he hung out with Andrew Harvey while Harvey was writing the book. Many other ex Sogyal inner circle people have told me he is incapable of composing a coherent sentence in English. Most people who know Sogyal know that he does not have the breadth and depth of knowledge of European culture to be able to quote writers like Rainer Maria Rilke for example -- but Harvey does. One more titbit -- a friend who is a Buddhist teacher in the Nyingma tradition says that there are several errors in the TBOLD which would not be there if the book had been written by a knowledgeable Buddhist. Harvey is Hindu.

Interesting! Thanks!

An update on Sogyal. I have been entering factually accurate, corroborated information on Sogyal onto his entry on www.wikipedia.org Winthin hours it is deleted. This indicates to me that his poodles are hot on the trail -- and more significantly, that they are in deep denial. I have recently been reading interview material with several ex Rigpa people in France. Their statements corroborate similar ones made to me by English speaking ex Rigpa people over the years since 1994. I believe the momentum to expose Sogyal as an abusive, self-indulgent charlatan is close to tipping point. The sadness I experience is that when this happens it will tarnish the reputation of Tibetan Buddhism as a whole and HH The Dalai Lama in particular. The Tibetan diaspora has had its collective head buried in the sand for a long time -- hoping, I suspect, that the details of Sogyal's depraved lifestyle will remain secret. This is no longer an option. Too many people know about it and are willing to speak out. HHDL knows because among others, I tiold him. Several times. But -- and its a big but -- he is the only high profile public figure on the world stage today who speaks from the moral high ground and is taken seriously. This position is now threatened because of HH's association with Sogyal. IMHO, this is a great pity and will not benefit humankind. Sogyal has a lot to answer for -- and HHDL and his advisors have made some very bad decisions.

An article on Soygal Rinpoche getting sued for sexual and other misconduct:

[[url=http://www.well.com/conf/media/SF_Free_Press/nov11/guru.html]Best-Selling Buddhist Author Accused of Sexual Abuse[/url]]

Hi helpme2times and thanks for digging this out of the archives. It is an agency item which first appeared in 1994 when Sogyal was sued by an American woman known as Janice Doe. The suite was settled out of court, with a substantial sum paid to the plaintiff. One might imagine that this experience would cause Sogyal to change his ways. He has done no such thing. Quite the opposite in fact. I recently interviewed a young woman who was a member of Sogyal's harem for several years. The material on these recordings would shock even the most case-hardened journalist, lawyer or policeperson. Sogyal's behaviour has degenerated into extreme sexual depravity and violence. He is also extremely self-indulgent. For example -- the duties of his *daknins* include bathing him, cleaning his teeth and accompanying him to the toilet. He eats about 7 times a day and is grotesquely obese. He has diabetes (presumably type 2 associated with obesity), has difficulty sleeping and is continuously nervous. All this from a man hailed as a meditation master? It does not compute.

Of course it does not compute. Except for these "crazy wisdom" type guys. They can justify pretty much anything.

So he's got a harem thing going and is into depravity and violence. What a sicko.

Er yes -- *crazy wisom* is the most exploited and misunderstood concept on the Buddhist landscape. Its origins are in deep antiquity. It was used to describe the 84 mahasiddhas who were the formative influence on Tantra -- both Hindu and Buddhist. These guys really were wild. See Masters of Mahamudra by Keith Dowman. Wild like one who only ate fish guts. Others who practised all manner of austerities. Others who jolted people into insight with unpredictable behaviour. And so on. But these guys and a later Tibetan yogi called Drukpa Kunley really were wise -- and utterly dedicated practitioners. The term has degenerated in its modern useage and as you say, is deployed by charlatans to justify all manner of abuses -- also accepted by naive and gullible acolytes rather than applying their common sense. And yes again -- Sogyal is profoundly sick and very much in need of help.

For a nauseating peek at Soggy at his most obsequious go to
[treasuryofwisdom.blogspot.com]
Excerpts from a video made during the inauguration of Sogyal's 10 million Euro ego trip -- the grandiose new temple at Lerab Ling in France. HHDL performs with characteristic dignity and grace, in stark contrast to Sogyal's squirms and sickly grins.

Obsequious indeed. Mega obsequious. Barf!

I'll bet he was really getting off on hobnobbing with Mrs. Sarkozy.

Btw, the nickname "Soggy" is brill. :-)

Hi there,

I've found several online references to Sogyal's past/present activities.
It's pretty sure that he caused strong reactions in many people that, after the idyllic period, woke up to a less pleasant reality.
Still... I am a bit surprised that, with allegations / proofs / evidence of that magnitude, the 1994 law-suit seems the only time when actions were taken.
I can imagine that whatever is left of the initial devotion would keep people's mouth shut.
I can imagine that, at least to stay consistent with their beliefs, those people chose not to 'make waves' or to be compassionate.
(Perhaps one 'good' thing that came out of their experience)

Still...

Am I the only one having doubts?