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Readers Comment
Critical Links to
Buddhism and Lamaism
A must read for
everyone.
This is Victor and Victoria Trimondi's groundbreaking book The Shadow of the Dalai
Lama - Sexuality, Magic and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism (2003) which
exposes in detail the cultic background of Tibetan Buddhism and its
clerical leader, the Dalai Lama. In this original work of analysis, interpretation
and critique, the authors not only provide surprising, previously largely
ignored factual information but also undertake a philosophically
well-grounded interpretation of Lamaism, rendering the Tibetan-Buddhist
worldview understandable for Western readers through a comparison with
European religious traditions. V. and V. Trimondi
have succeeded in combining history, politics, religion and psychology in
an impressive cultural-historical presentation. They have paid particular
attention to rendering Tibetan culture understandable to “laypeople” who
have not dealt with it before. This study measures up to all the criteria
of a classic reference text and could well be described as a seminal work
on the topic. Despite numerous initial calls for a boycott by the pro-Lamaist wing, the book has led to a fierce,
ever-expanding discussion, and has in the meantime become a standard work
on the critical examination of Lamaism and the metapolitics
of the Dalai Lama. Politicians, journalists, artists, theologians - no one
who deals with the Dalai Lama and his religion will be able to ignore the
facts and arguments in this sensational yet sound study, today representing
a standard critique of Tibetan Buddhism. Find out all about the cult of the
"charismatic" Dalai Lama and how does he magically enchant
millions of believers all over the world to follow him blindly.
BBC-News
- What books would you pass on to the next generation?
Comment Nr. 141: Here are
a few good books that should be passed on Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World,
Animal Farm, 1984, None Dare call it Conspiracy, Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. Get
it?" If you like these great books, try getting hold of a copy of 'The
Shadow of the Dalai Lama (Victor & Victoria Trimondi)
A tremendously interesting read for those wishing to have their beliefs
challenged!
Pathological submission does lead to spiritual abuse!
So well put by the fellow
reviewer! My father, a Korean Buddhist, was a Professor of Eastern
Philosophy up until the mid 1970's when he quit to direct
the college library instead. His frustration stemmed from what he saw as a
terminal lack of criticality in his Western students, a stubborn romantic
need to whole-heartedly buy into the charms of Eastern mysticism. He was
raised in a Japanese Zen military school system, and he wanted to write and
to explore the exploitation of Buddhism for political gain --alas, Ram Das
and Ginsberg and Chogyam Trungpa
were the "cool" brands that the scholarly market bought-up. No
one wanted to have his or her fantasy of eden/heaven/nirvana/shambhala/ (….) questioned. I'm so happy for this book,
which I am sending to my father, who now, at 80 years old, might be
relieved to find Western critical thought being applied where Western
counter-culture's pathological submission to "cool" was worked
before.
A lie can
travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
Thank you very much for
this book. It is critical and thoroughly researched. It unravels one of the
biggest deceptions the world has experienced in its recent history. The
West thirst for spirituality has one again encountered an “alien” religion,
which is full of violence and deeply intertwined with the state and nasty
power struggles, yet carefully concealed with charm, smile and narcissism
to the “other”. The end goal of Tibetan Buddhism seems to conquer the world
with violence in the pretext of mythical Shangri-la by seeding deep
inclination toward religious fundamentalism. No wonder there is a Nazi
connection with this deceptively calculated and violent religion! It has
once again confirmed my suspicion that the Western World has misunderstood
“this man of peace”—The Dalai Lama.
This book is an essential
reader. A practical message of this book is that take a deep breath and get
prepared for psychological control and deceit before you enter into the
spiritual, ethical and political realm of this seemingly gentle, warm and
innocent religion. Wow! What a
profound deception.
A standard critique of
Tibetan Buddhism
Politicians, journalists,
artists, theologians — no one who deals with the
Dalai Lama and his religion will be able to ignore the facts and arguments
in this sensational yet sound study. It is a standard critique of
Tibetan Buddhism. The subject areas encompassed by V. and V. Trimondi’s book, which also reveal potential target
audiences, include the history of culture and religion, cross-cultural
comparison, comparative religious studies, philosophy, political theory,
international politics, state theory, inter-religious dialogue, the
sociology of religion, Buddhism, fascism, anarchism, ecological studies,
feminism, gender studies, postmodernism, ethics, occultism, esotericism ,
mysticism, ritualism, mythology, magic, Oriental studies, history,
anthropology, psychology, sexual theory, and consciousness studies.
A Firecracker
I was raised, and
to some extent remain, a Buddhist. I admire both Tibetan Buddhism,
generally, and the Dalai Lama specifically. Nevertheless, I found this book
fascinating and absolutely essential reading.
On one level,
this is just a jaw-dropping, sensational page-turner. I read the whole book
in one sitting, and repeatedly had to call my wife into the room to tell
her about one aspect of the book or another.
On another
level it is a deeply important text. Too often, in approaching Eastern
wisdom traditions, Westerners "check" their individuality
"at the door," in pathological submission to the guru or lama.
Too often, this leads to an abusive/exploitative spiritual relationship (e.g Osel Tenzin,
Adi Da). This potential
has been noted by many commentators, but the extent to which it is a
tendency latent in Tibetan Buddhism has never been explored in the West.
The authors of this book make the case that it is a danger inherent in Vajrayana properly understood - it is not a
misinterpretation. I am tempted to compare this book to "Darkness at
Noon," Arthur Koestler's classic re-appraisal of Communism, from the
perspective of a former devotee. But, rather than heralding the end of an
ideology, this book represents the beginning of a cultural watershed: the
critical appropriation of Buddhism in a uniquely Western incarnation. If
dharma is the East's cultural gift to the West, the sort of scepticism that
infuses this book is the West's gift to the East. As Einstein said:
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is
blind."
Most
importantly, reading this book was, for me, a spiritual experience. The one
thing I had never questioned in my life was the essential goodness and
correctness of Buddhist dharma. It was the last fixed point of belief in my
world. This book cast even that in doubt, leaving me in a wonderful state
of spiritual detachment. This was itself enlightening. As the Zen proverb
says: "If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him." This book does
just that. And I think Gautama Buddha would have approved.
(An English translation of this book is -as far as I can tell- not yet
available in print, but several Internet sites have the full text. Google
and enjoy.)
An In Depth
Critical Analysis of Tibetan Spiritual Culture
The authors
have gone through several phases mentioned in their online autobiographies.
This book is a product of the "Culture Critical" phase where the
different spiritual, political, and social (as an interrelated set)
cultures are critically evaluated. One aspect of their analysis is to see
how the social institutions apply the philosophical or theological ideas
which form the culture and to see if those ideas and they are applied honour woman, promote egalitarian and
democratic ways of interacting, and offer perspectives that help humans
grow further through the challenges of our time period.
The book looks at Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual views that deify the
Dalai Lama. They provide in depth view of the Kalachakra
teachings and quote a vast array of writings about Buddhism from many
sources. The number of references at the basis of their research and
analysis is very impressive and large. They point out some themes that have
been overlooked in the mystique built up around Tibetan Buddhism in the
west. They show the apocalyptic side of the Kalachakra
teachings and how it is filled with violence images and has final clash
between believers and nonbelievers, how females are symbolically sacrificed
in Tantric rituals, and how certain visualizations seem to hypnotically
make the Lama into an authoritative deity in the mind of the students.
While perhaps many of these teachings and images can be interpreted in
different ways, I feel the authors raise important questions and require us
to take a critical look at what we might be buying into when we accept the
Tibetan Buddhist worldview. It may be at the expense of certain hard won
values that were gained in western civilization through a long historical
road, many revolutions, and a lot of philosophical questioning. The authors
give enough information and quotes for us to make up our own minds about
some of these issues. Whether or not we agree with the authors, I feel the
issues that they raise are important for us to consider.
As a
practicing Buddhist, I do not feel that the authors represent an antibuddhist propaganda but
a serious questioning into what Tibetan Buddhism may be offering to us. The
Buddha himself in his final words admonished people to question everything
and to not believe something merely because of authority, heresy, and
tradition but to thoroughly question everything and only hold on to what
makes sense in your own reason and experience. I feel a healthy Buddhism
invites this kind of critical questioning and such questioning is therefore
honouring of the kind of philosophical, ethical, and psychological
integrity that keeps any religion healthy and growing. Such inquiry, to me,
is therefore highly respectful. It shows in the enormous research that the
authors did in order to create this book. I found a lot in the book that
helped clarify things that helped my meditation go deeper and become truer
to my actual experience.
Carry on your good work!
Sincere thanks!, and carry on your often lucid, outstanding, highly
interesting and truly educative work! Your website www.trimondi.de provides a
wealth of information on Tibetan Buddhism! Considering myself a friend of
Bhutan and Tibet and their peoples, and although I think that - just one
example - the title of your book "Hitler, Buddha, Krishna - an unholy
alliance", in stark contrast to the clarity and even brilliance of
much of your writing, is unspeakably stupid, as it implies that Buddha and
Krishna were allies of Hitler, and in spite of the fact that I disagree
with you on many other points, I am nonetheless agreeing with you on just
as many and am convinced that the issues you address absolutely must be
discussed more widely and more openly.
Intelligent, well-researched, unafraid criticism and open, courageous and
honest, truthful debate of the mysogynic,
apocalyptic, messianic, theo- respectively buddhocratic, fascistoid,
romanticising, megalomaniac, psychopathic delusions, either associated with
or, worse even, to a greater or lesser extent, intrinsic part of ALL!!! the world's religions, will hopefully promote views
which support life and happiness and all that which is truly relevant and
essential of their teachings and also of the cherished and hard fought for
values and results of the European Enlightenment and
modern rationalism!
Let me mention here, however, for those readers who may not be aware
of this, and who, after a
superficial look, may take your writing as a general condemnation of
Buddhism, that the historical Buddha, to my humble knowledge, at no time
ever encouraged or demanded worship, rituals, sorcery or magic of any kind
whatsoever, nor allowed his followers or himself to have any possessions
other than what was required for their bare survival, nor performed any
miracles or demonstrated any signs of omnipotence, nor talked about or
named what is imperceptible and inconceivable other than by its
manifestations for us common humans, apart from the workings of karma and
reincarnation. (How difficult it is for the human mind to live without an
image of the Absolute, is shown by the introduction of omnipotent beings in
the form of the Primordial Buddhas and the
"deification" of Emptiness during the consecutive evolution of
Buddhism, after the historical Buddha's death.) Hence, to me, the teachings
of the historical Buddha, of all I know, and - considering that Jesus
unfortunately appears to have spoken mainly in metaphors, unfortunately
taken literally by many devout Christians, but most often not immediately
understandable to the uninitiated - to be those which are the most clear,
comprehensive, rational and practical. That the Buddha appeared to have
been of a somewhat averse inclination towards sex and women, was probably
grounded in his conviction that women are for most (heterosexual) men the
strongest fetter of attachment, which I personally believe to be quite so,
although I don't consider it a problem, or if it should really be one then
it certainly is a beautiful one. But disregard or hatred, or even abuse -
which are all in stark contrast to the Buddha's prudence (!) - of what, as men, we
desire most, and hence may feel, whether consciously or not, most dependant
of!, of women, certainly is an immense problem - it is a sacrilege against
life itself.
I used to be convinced
since 1991, when I had the opportunity to first visit Cameroon, that Tibetan Buddhism with its
integrative approach would be much better for Africa
than Christianity or Islam. I'm not so sure anymore now, but I still tend
to think so.
However, to my humble knowledge and limited experience, Tibetans generally
certainly are not a people of overly morbid inclination, and women in their
various societies, by all comparable standards, could and can certainly
stand their ground next to the men. Let us consider also that Tibetans are
no more and no less materialistic than we all are, and that most of their
magical efforts, just as ours were when magical thinking was more prevalent
in our culture, are directed at materialistic results: health, wealth,
happiness!
Finally, I must say that I have a very, very, very high respect and regard
for H.H. the Dalai Lama (and also for other Tibetan monks), who, wrought
from his family as a little boy, caught up in the midst of so many, very
often conflicting human, social, traditional and cultural, religious,
economical, political and spiritual interests, expectations and demands,
has consistently maintained such an enlightening, radiating, magnificent,
wholesome, integrating, inspiring and tireless presence, and who has
undoubtedly and amazingly achieved so much for his people! Yet I believe
also that nobody is perfect, all other eventual claims, serious or not,
notwithstanding. He himself, if I am not mistaken, roughly quoted, said
once that the institution of the Dalai Lamas (or certain beliefs associated
with them) belongs into the museum of religious history. And: a strong
light naturally casts a strong shadow, and you are obviously doing your
best to make it visible. It is a natural phenomenon also that power draws
criticism, and fortunately so. Also, I find it fascinating that exponents
of a medieval culture can discuss on a par with modern scientists, but the
same would be the case, of course, if the historical Buddha or exponents of
the classical Greek or Roman period would still be alive, as in fact they
are, as their thoughts live on in our science.
Now, the historical Buddha died or chose to die a natural death, just as
most of us probably will (I have to keep convincing myself that a rainbow
body is not necessarily better than the biolomagical
wonder we have all been so graciously gifted with!), and Jesus has been or
has chosen to be crucified. (I am not mentioning Mohammed here as a role
model or Messiah, because he was just a prophet, and after reading several
passages of the Quran, I cannot take him entirely seriously, but from what
I've read I figure he would have made an acceptably good Shambala-warrior! And Moses was a bit too strict for my
taste, but we must consider that he carried a huge responsibility in a
continuing emergency situation - ending with the genocide of Jericho - and he was
probably quite dizzy from walking 30 years in circles in a really dry
country. And regarding Krishna you are the
expert!) So, if someone today, whether due to their bad Karma or due to
lack of a better education, follower of whichever religion or belief or
ideology, still wants to continue to believe in omnipotent human beings,
who will choose to exercise their omnipotence as Messiahs and worldly
rulers of various creeds and denominations in this world, then let that
first of all be their own bloody problem! But because these poor people
certainly might and already do cause problems, not only to themselves but
unfortunately also to us privileged and more enlightened others, for their
lack of alternatives blowing themselves up with bombs in our midst, stoning
us to death when we commit adultery, killing their own daughters and
sisters when they have been raped,
excommunicating us or burning us on wooden pyres when we celebrate
the wonder of life in other ways than theirs, or threatening our integrity
in more subtle ways, in foreign language and with a smile publicly
declaring their intent "as the incarnation of universal
democracy" to gruesomely butcher us all as followers of false
teachings! (if what you claim is true), or as monks having sex with the
daughters of our neighbours, enlightening them or not, but calling them
"mattresses" (not maitresses!) behind
their backs, then, because of all that, in spite of eventual discordant
notes, I am very happy and truly greatful for
your relentlessly researched and inquisitive writings and your brave and
loud and clear voice! – brave because it is brave to criticise someone, and
a cause rightly so admired and supported as the Dalai Lama and the freedom
of Tibet. And I agree with you, and with many Tibetans - and maybe even
with the Dalai Lama - that freedom here would have to imply also freedom
from theocratic, respectively "Buddhocratic"
rule! When you are through with the Dalai Lama you could then take on the
Pope and the Ayatollahs and Muftis!
I'm quoting you (http://www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Part-2-16.htm): "We are
prepared to undeservedly (should it maybe read
unreservedly?) claim that a "rational" and "honest"
discourse between the two cultures (Western science and Tibetan Buddhism)
does not nor ever has taken place, since in such encounters the magic, the
sexual magic practices, the mythology (of the gods), the history, the
cosmology, and the political "theology" of Buddhist Tantrism remain completely omitted as topics. But
together they all constitute the reality of Tibetan culture, far more than
the epistemological theories of Yogachara or the Madhyamika philosophy, or the constant professions of
love of Mahayana Buddhism do. That which awaits humanity if it were to
adopt the paradigm of Vajrayana, would be the
gods and demons of the Tibetan pantheon and eschatology and cosmogony laid
out in the Kalachakra Tantra
and the Shambhala myth." I believe that this
really is one of the core questions. I hope you are wrong with your
prediction but I am convinced that your reservations are utterly necessary
and absolutely justified!
As a closing remark I
should like to add that you should absolutely recommend to your readers to
start your book with the closing chapter and the postscript! www.trimondi.de/SDLE/Postscript.htm
Learn the shadows of Buddhism
Growing up in Taiwan, I watched my
grandmother, a devoted Buddhist, host frequent meetings at her house for
monks to explain scriptures to her friends. She taught me it was good
to be a vegetarian, to be kind to all animals and insects because they were
living creatures, and compassion. My father worked as an intern
physician in a country far away from us – America. Being a good son in
the Chinese tradition, each month he'd send most
of his paycheck to my grandmother who told him
she would save it for him so he could open up his own medical practice one
day. My mother got a small amount of allowance from my grandmother,
who was the matriarch of the family, and much more trustworthy than a wife
who might run away with another man. When my father eventually
returned to Taiwan
upon completion of his medical studies, my grandmother told him she had
donated most of the money to the monks. Each month she paid for the
purchase of live crabs, turtles and fish so the monks could throw them back
into the river to build karma for her. Those karmas were expensive to
build. There were actually fishermen who made extra effort to capture fish
and turtles for these ceremonies. So now there was no money left for
him to open up a practice. My parents were devastated. Meanwhile, as
a child I had watched many religions in Taiwan. My impression was
the Buddhist monks were always walking around with a wooden bowl in hand
saying, "Hwa yuen."
(Build karma.) But when disasters happened such as flood, the
newspaper reports would mention "Red Cross" and "Salvation
Army", but never did a Buddhist organization come forth. When I
saw a leg-less man shrouded in a blanket, he told me the Salvation Army
sent it to him. Where were the monks? I wondered. The saddest thing
for me about Western reverence toward the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism
for me is how many Westerners idealized Buddhism as perfection. In reality,
Buddhism is no different from other religions that preach love and peace,
yet have underlying corruption. Superstitions and psychological
terrorization were used often to get followers. One of the most vivid
pictures my grandmother had shown me was a Buddhist drawing of
"hell" where fork-tongued evil spirits would push people with bad
karma into lava-filled pits. Victor and Victoria Trimondi
have gone through deep research to yield the reality of Buddhism. I
agree with all the other reader comments here that the book is outstanding
work. It explains the shadowy side of Buddhism to the Western readers
in language that the West can understand, and serves as a great in-depth
knowledge source for anyone that needs condensed information in one
book. For any Westerner who simply takes the word "compassion"
at face value, I highly recommend reading "The Shadow of the Dalai
Lama". Learn the shadows of Buddhism.
Alice Ewing
A paradox in religious discussion
The Shadow of the Dalai Lama is one of the
most moving, riveting, far-reaching, and revolutionary non-fiction books I have
read in recent years. This brilliant and comprehensive cultural analysis
describes with clear-sightedness long overdue topics like the relation
between ritual and politics, sexuality and spiritual/worldly power, the
relation between myth and history, between aggression and religion, not
just in Tibetan Buddhism, but in principle. Through their penetrating and
systematically differentiated research and their multilayered but
uncompromising critique this book poses numerous questions, the same
aspects of which also demand the examination of other cultures and
religions. The Shadow of the Dalai Lama ventures a paradox in
religious discussion – on the one hand it questions the Tibetan Buddhist
system at depth about its essential core, i.e., about its mysteries, rites,
meditation and enlightenment practices, the power relation between the
sexes in the spiritual and worldly world, between gods and believers, gurus
and pupils, as well as their harmonious or disharmonious, ethical and
unethical, humane and inhumane effects upon the history of Tibet and of
Lamaism. On the other hand in closing it hazards the heretical suggestion
of a wide-reaching , harmonizing reform on all
these levels as a necessity for a humane world culture of peace. (This is)
a book which, despite its cutting but justified criticism, shows a way out
of the tantric labyrinth, and with its documented collection of facts and
its scientific approach has already become a standard work, and which
promises to become a "long-seller". The Shadow of the Dalai
Lama is an original, significant, and visionary work of cultural and
religious studies, which challenges in a radically new way the
intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, which has lapsed into
stagnation and superficiality, and forces it to conduct the discussion
about world peace, respect for humanity, and equal rights more honestly
than has been the case until now. (This is) a book which, despite the
shocking exposure of the unknown shady side of Tibetan Buddhism, dares to
combine with one another tradition and modernity, old revelations with new
visions, past and future. To be brief: a crazy wisdom book, which has
opened a completely new topic for the next century, avoided up until now as
it is much too uncomfortable for many interest groups, and which can also
no longer be concealed by its most bitter opponents. Above all, a rousing
and necessary explanation for women fascinated by Tibetan Buddhism. We
should keenly await further books, hopefully, from this pair of authors.
A reader from Vienna
Regrettable but necessary
The timing of the appearance of this book could not
have been better! Whoever, like me has been able to for years observe the
Tibet scene, will be able to come up with experiences of his or her own for
almost every aspect illuminated by the authors, the Trimondi
couple... With this book, the Trimondis cast a
great deal of light on this background, which is in evidence on all levels,
such as politics, ritual, and the history of Tibet, and also in the
community of exiles. In doing so the authors bring astounding things to
light, which nonetheless show in an astonishingly logical connection to one
another. ... I know many people who for similar
reasons to myself have already withdrawn from this
milieu (the Tibet
supporter scene) and who regard the Trimondi’s
book as a very important contribution to the opening up of a comprehensive
public discussion. In our opinion, it should also sensitize people from
outside the scene into adopting a critical stance towards everything which
is currently being distributed about Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. It’s about time!
The myth of peaceful Buddhism is
dismantled
This book, which is being so controversially
discussed, is a carefully researched and soberly presented work of
religious study, whose core statement, "Tibetan Buddhism consists in
the sacrifice of the feminine principle ... to obtain universal androcentric power" is bolstered by the authors
with an abundance of information, so that after reading this book nothing
of the peaceable and harmonic image of Buddhism remains. That the current
Dalai Lama and co. also perform the unbelievably misogynist Kalachakra ritual makes this book all
the more explosive. The knowledge gained goes along with the loss of
illusions about Buddhism and its leading figure. Form your own opinion, and
give this book a chance; all I can do is to recommend this.
Ruth
Heinemann
"Political theology" of
Tibetan Buddhism
Like a hammer this over 800-page strong work
smashes the construct, known and nurtured in the West, of a "kitschified" image of Tibetan Buddhism and the
living Fourteenth Dalai Lama. ...The work tries to draw a long bow between
the empirical facts from the history of Tibet, the life of the
present-day Tibetans in exile including the 14th Dalai Lama, and the
theoretical foundations of (in particular Tantric) Buddhism. ... Thus, the
great merit of this book consists in the powerful analysis of a reactionary
view of the world which can no longer offer useful answers to the questions
of our modern world.
A long overdue critique
This soundly argued work calls out for an already
long due discussion. Dalai Lama sympathizers of all shades may try to
conceal its existence, or to dress it down or depict it as dubious – but it
will perform its task, a task of explanation and uncompromising analysis. A
unique work! The authors have shown courage, and we can only be thankful to
them for it.
Comprehensive eye-opener on the topic
of Tibetan Buddhism
The work in hand is the most comprehensive book I
know of on the topic of Tibetan Buddhism/Dalai Lama. Extremely thoroughly
researched and, despite the many foreign words the topic involves, written
in an easy-to-read manner; the authors acquaint the reader with a topic
whose complete contents may for the most part be unknown here, even among
followers of the Dalai Lama. It is a book very well worth reading, and rich
in resources, for all those who want to get an accurate picture of Tibetan
Buddhism which is currently so popular. In all, a successful,
well-structured, extensive collection of facts with great potential to
become a seminal work on Tibetan Buddhism.
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