Shri VajrakilayaGuru Drakpo
Guru Rinpoche & His Eight Manifestations, Shri Vajrakilaya and Guru Drakpo
'Looks Like Me' image of Guru Rinpoche in Samye Monastery
Dorje Drollo
Black Hat Vajrakilaya Dance performed by the monks of Sakya Centre, India

Vasubhandu said, "After the sun of the Master had set
and most men who had been witness had passed away,
bad thinkers, not seeing reality,
stirred up these teachings at their own discretion."

Controversial Buddhist Traditions A - Z
By Ngawang Geleg (Henry Chia)
Last updated on 23 November 2004.

A very special thanks to Edvard, my Dharma friend, and Ngakpa 'o-Dzin Tridral Dorje, an Aro gTér teacher, who have stored my original article in their PCs. Without their help, I would not have another chance to republish this article once again on the Internet. The original article was published in the Nbci (Xoom) server. In early 2001, they removed it together with all my Real Audio Prayers. Due to the fruit of my bad karma had ripen, my previous hard disk was crashed. Now, it is hosted in the GeoCities server since 11 March 2002. The original article was originally offered as a guide to my dearest friend, Ferlyn Goh, who has been a close friend of mine for more than 6 years, and to those have no knowledge about Buddhist cults. Ever since it has been revived on 11 March 2002, it has been expanded and contains a list of more than 15 controversial groups.


Introduction

This article is created to offer the public a resource of information concerning controversial and/or potentially unsafe groups, which may have drawn some concern, attention and/or interest. Some of the organizations, while doing charity work, promote social harmony and so forth, have distorted the teachings of the Buddhadharma, and will not lead to liberation as quicky as the mainstream Buddhism. Rather, they will further rebirth and suffering in Samsara.

Some of these groups are much more dangerous than this. For example, Aum Shinri Kyo's Shoko Asahara claimed that he has given a divine mission to show the Japanese people the "true" teachings of Lord Buddha and insisted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had selected him for the task because he had the mind of the Buddha. And at the end, Shoko Asahara lead his men in the most fatal nerve gas attack: 11 people died and 5000 were injured in Tokyo Subway System on 20 March 1995.

For friends and family of those who are in such groups, for those free-thinkers who find their way here, and for the Dharma brothers and sisters who are on the Buddhist path, I have provided such information. This information is not to attack the followers of these groups, but it shall be treated as a reference guide that certain schools are not considered to be branches of Buddhism. Of course, everyone has the right to decide what he/she chooses to believe to be true, and I believe that the cult issue is not simply a question of "the old ideology meets the new", nor it is a "traditionalist" or "fundamentalist" concern. Those groups simply borrow Buddhist concepts but present them in a very different way. This is very problematic. As a common definition of cult is that it brain washes, it is therefore potentially dangerous to the society, for example, Aum Shinri Kyo.

What is the right understanding of the Buddhadharma and what is not? Western ideology tends to believe that it is an open ended question, rather than there is a definite answer. So, how do I define a Buddhist cult? My understanding is that groups or movements whose system of religious beliefs or practices differs significantly from the mainstream Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions) and which are often gathered around a specific deity from non-refuge object, such as worldly gods, and/or person such as false teachers who proclaim that they process supernatural powers or claim themselves to be a spiritual leader.

Here, you will find an archive of documents which includes emails, stories, and reports from the Internet and newspapers. Some of them are provided by my friends from the Buddhist newsgroups, while the rests are works from my research and compiled into this form.

All the photographs of the leaders for the controversial groups are taken from their own websites. If this is a copyright infringement, please feel free to email me and I am willing to remove them. Many thanks.

Controversial Buddhist Traditions A - Z
(formerly known as "Buddhist Cults A - Z")

Kila (Phurba)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


A

The Aro gTér

___

Aum Shinri Kyo (The Supreme Truth, Aum Sect)


B

Baegwha Doryang (Baegwha Buddha & Anna Buddha Blessed by the Enlightened Light)

___

Benjamin Creme

___

Black Sect Tantric Buddhism & Yun Lin Temple

___

Buddhist Wellness Group


C

Celtic Buddhism

___

Chin Ching Fu

Please refer to "Mahasanti Monastery Institute Of Buddhist Studies".

___

Ching Hai Wu Shang Shi

Please refer to "Qing Hai Wu Shang Shi".

___

Cyril Henry Hoskins (Cyril Henry Hopkin, Cyril Henry Hoskin)

Please refer to "Lobsang Rampa".


D

Daisaku Ikeda

Please refer to "Soka Gakkai".

___

Dark Zen


E

Ee Kwang Tao

Please refer to "Tian Tao Movement".

___

est: Erhard Seminars Training (also known as Landmark)


F

Falun Dafa (Falungong)

___

Forshang Buddhism (Fo Sheng Zhong)

___

Frederick Lenz (Zen Master Rama)

___

Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO)


G

Great Mother Buddhism - Living Zen School


H


I

I-Kuan Tao (I-Kwan Tao)

Please refer to "Tian Tao Movement".


J


K

Karma Tharchin

Please refer to "Mahasanti Monastery Institute Of Buddhist Studies".

___

Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Please refer to "New Kadam Tradition".

___

Kofuku-no-Kagaku (The Institue for Research in Human Happiness)

Please refer to "Ryuho Okawa".


L

Lama Gangchen

___

Lobsang Rampa (Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, Dr. T Lobsang Rampa)

___

Lu Sheng Yen (Padmakumara, Grandmaster Lu, Lian Sheng Huo Fo)

Please refer to "Zhen Fo Zhong".

___

Li Hong Zhi

Please refer to "Falun Dafa".


M

Mahamongkut Meditation Centre

___

Mahasanti Monastery Institute Of Buddhist Studies


N

New Kadam Tradition (Kadampa Buddhism)

___

9th Domo Geshe Rinpoche - the female incarnation


O

Orthodox Buddhism (Ken Lee Wheeler/Shakya Aryanatta)

___

Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)


P

Panna Youth Centre

___

Prince Ratu Agung Sri Acarya Vajra Kumara Pandji Pandita Pandji Sakti


Q

Qing Hai Wu Shang Shi (Suma Ching Hai, Thanh Hai, Ching Hai Wu Shang Shi)


R

Ryuho Okawa


S

Soka Gakkai (Value-creating Association)

___

Master Sun-Don Lee

Please refer to "Forshang Buddhism".


T

The Theosophical Society

___

Tian Tao Movement (I Kuan Tao)

___

Tibetan Vajrayana Gelugpa Buddhist Society (The Chinese Gelugpa Society)

___

Traktung Rinpoche (Ngala Traktung Yeshe Dorje Rang-rig Jagyur Rinpoche)

Please refer to "The Aro gTér".

___

Tulku Buddha Maitreya


U


V


W


X


Y


Z

Zhen Fo Zhong (True Buddha School)


Conclusion

"Do not believe in anything (simply) because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything because it is spoken and rumoured by many.
Do not believe in anything (simply) because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all then accept it and live up to it."
- Lord Buddha, Kalama Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya Vol. 1, 188-193 P.T.S. Ed.)

I sincerely hope that visitors exercise their own judgement after reviewing and considering the information provided here. Please feel free to comment my work. You can copy anything from this page but please do not alter the words. Please help me to spread these words if you find them meaningful and useful. Please also feel free to update me about these controversial groups or contact me to add a new group on the list. Your help and contribution will be very beneficial to the sentient beings.

Colophon

This work is written after I am inspired by a modern work, "The Earth Shaking Thunder of True Word", written by Tenpai Gyaltsen Dhongthong Rinpoche. I have good fortune to meet good masters which are like real Buddhas on the crown of my head. One of my holy teachers, His Eminence Kyabje Dorje Chang Luding Khenchen Rinpoche, once told me that even someone is sitting on a high throne, one must check his background before receiving teachings from him. There is an increase in the activities of these movements. I cannot close my eyes shut by ignoring such activites, so therefore, I wrote this work. This work is written in my residence, located at a former cemetery ground called Redhill, in a country called Singapore which is like a small red dot in the Atlas. It is originally written in July 1999. I make a request to Guru Rinpoche, "May You, Precious Lotus Born One, protect and liberate foolish beings like us through Your wrathful means." And I also make a request to Shri Mahakala and all Dharmapalas to remove all obstacles which are obstructing our path to liberation. This article is written by a foolish guy who has nothing to do and hiding in the concrete forest. He only comes out to work daily and goes to Sakya Tenphel Ling once a while.

After quote:

1. Please also read this recent message regarding the need to have such article to be posted on the Internet.

2. Please read this message written by a Vajra brother who encouraged me to debate with Julio Pitanga regarding the issues of human rights and the Dolgyal controversy.

3. Please read this message written by one of the visitors for this silly homepage. He wrote some good advices to those who wish to quit their "Dharma activities" with the Buddhist Cults.

4. Please read this recent debate with Steve Rogers regarding the issues of New Kadam Tradition and Dolgyal controversy.

5. Bruce Burrill wrote to me that there is a debate going on in beliefnet.com and has asked me if I have any comment to add in the debate.

Sarva Mangalam!

Vajrakilaya Dance performed by the monks of Sakya Centre, India

Shri Panjarnata Mahakala
Pal dor jay nak po chen po cham tal ten yok ka dod khor tang chay pa khyed nam chi nang sang sum kyi kang dzay kyi chod tor gya chen po di shay la sang gay kyi ten pa tar wa tang jik ten tu gay lek gya chen po jung wa tang dak chak pon lop khor tang gyed pa nam kyi gal kyen bar ched tham ched zhi zhing thun khen tham ched yid zhin tu drup par dzed to sol!


 

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The monks of the Sakya Centre, India, performing a prayer service

"Phurba Rigdzin Gul" (Vajrakilaya Ritual:
Putting an end to calamity and delusions)
recited by His Holiness 41st Sakya Trizin Kyabgon Rinpoche
and the monks of Sakya Centre, Rajpur, Dehra Dun, India.
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