# Rigpa and Shambhala International · The Cult Dossier · The Atlas · The Congregation of Tomorrow

Source: https://congregationoftomorrow.org/atlas/library/cults/092-rigpa-and-shambhala-international/ · The Congregation of Tomorrow · the Atlas · language: en
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The Cult Dossier · No. 092 · Eastern-Derived
Rigpa and Shambhala International
the Tibetan Buddhist abuse cases
1970s – present · UK, France, USA, Canada, Nepal
X. RUSSIA, KOREA AND SOUTH ASIA
Fully religious — legitimate Tibetan Buddhist lineages with abusive leadership
### Who led it
### What it worshipped and taught
### Who was in it
### How it ended, or where it stands
### The dead
### Of note
### Its timeline
- JANUARY 1970 Trungpa arrives in North America; he founds the Naropa Institute in 1974 and Shambhala Training.
- 1975 The Merwin incident — at a Halloween party at the Snowmass seminary in Colorado, the poet W. S. Merwin and his partner are stripped by force on Trungpa's orders, an event fiercely debated for decades.
- 4 APRIL 1987 Trungpa dies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 48, of cardiac arrest, with liver disease from heavy drinking among the contributing conditions.
- 1988–1990 THE ÖSEL TENDZIN AIDS SCANDAL. Tendzin, knowing he was HIV-positive, continued sexual relationships with students without disclosure. At least one student contracted HIV and died. Tendzin died in 1990.
- 1994 Sogyal Rinpoche is sued in the US for 10 million dollars by a woman named as Janice Doe, alleging he used his spiritual authority to coerce her into sex; settled out of court.
- 14 JULY 2017 Eight senior Rigpa students publish an open letter accusing Sogyal of physical assault (punching, hitting with a backscratcher), sexual coercion of students, and a lavish lifestyle funded by donations. On 11 AUGUST 2017 Sogyal retires as spiritual director with immediate effect. On 1 August the Dalai Lama had called him disgraced.
- 5 SEPTEMBER 2018 THE LEWIS SILKIN REPORT — CONFIRMED, AND STRONGER THAN OFTEN SUMMARISED. The UK law firm was appointed as a NEUTRAL THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATOR and conducted confidential fact-finding interviews. Commissioned by Rigpa itself after the 2017 open letter, it found the allegations of sexual and physical abuse LARGELY SUBSTANTIATED — AND FOUND EVIDENCE OF A COVER-UP. The finding was not merely that senior figures knew, but that the organisation concealed.
- 2018–2019 Rigpa’s US board separately engaged AN OLIVE BRANCH, the same Zen-based reconciliation body that would later investigate Yogi Bhajan for 3HO (see 091), to work on community healing and reconciliation.
- 2018 Buddhist Project Sunshine reports allege sexual assault by Sakyong Mipham; he steps back. An independent Wickwire Holm investigation substantiates several claims.
- 28 AUGUST 2019 Sogyal dies in Bangkok, aged 72, of a pulmonary embolism while being treated for colorectal cancer.
- 2019–2026 RIGPA DID NOT DISSOLVE. It restructured under reformed governance, with senior Tibetan and Western teachers — among them KHENPO NAMDROL, DZIGAR KONGTRUL RINPOCHE and TSOKNYI RINPOCHE — carrying the teaching forward. Lérab Ling in France continues to operate as an international retreat centre, completing its Great Enlightenment stupa in 2025–26. NOTE: much of the reporting on the reform comes from Rigpa's own communications and from sympathetic Buddhist outlets; independent assessment of how thorough the reform has been is thin.
### Its people
### Sogyal Rinpoche
Sogyal Lakar
Founder, Rigpa · 1947 – 28 August 2019 · active 1979–2017
Before the law. Never criminally charged. The 1994 US civil suit settled confidentially.
Where things stand. Deceased 2019. Rigpa continues, restructured.
- 1979 Founds Rigpa.
- 1992 The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying published.
- 1994 Sued in the US for sexual abuse; settled out of court.
- 14 July 2017 Eight senior students publish the open letter; he steps down in August.
- SEPTEMBER 2018 THE INDEPENDENT LEWIS SILKIN REPORT — the UK law firm acting as a NEUTRAL THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATOR, commissioned by Rigpa itself — finds the allegations of sexual and physical abuse LARGELY SUBSTANTIATED, AND FINDS EVIDENCE OF A COVER-UP. The finding was not merely that senior figures knew, but that the organisation concealed.
- 28 August 2019 Dies in Thailand.
Checked 2026-08-24
### Chögyam Trungpa
Chökyi Gyatso
Founder, Shambhala International and Naropa Institute · 5 March 1939 – 4 April 1987 · active 1970–1987
Before the law. Never charged.
Where things stand. Deceased 1987. Shambhala survives in restructured form.
- JANUARY 1970 Arrives in North America.
- 1974 Founds Naropa Institute.
- 1975 The Merwin incident at the Snowmass seminary.
- 4 APRIL 1987 Dies in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 48.
- 1988–90 The Ösel Tendzin AIDS scandal; Tendzin dies in 1990.
- 2018 Buddhist Project Sunshine reports allege sexual assault by his son and successor Sakyong Mipham, who steps back.
Checked 2026-09-17
### Ösel Tendzin
Thomas Frederick Rich
Vajra Regent, Shambhala · 1943 – 25 August 1990 · active 1976–1990
Before the law. NEVER CHARGED.
Where things stand. Deceased 1990. At least one student died of AIDS contracted from him.
- 1976 Appointed Vajra Regent by Trungpa.
- 1987 Trungpa dies; Tendzin leads Shambhala.
- c.1985–88 Continues unprotected sex with students while knowing he is HIV-positive; senior staff are informed and do not act.
- December 1988 The community is told; the organisation splits.
- 25 August 1990 Dies of AIDS-related illness.
Checked
### Mipham Mukpo
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Leader, Shambhala International · born 1962 · active 1995–2018
Before the law. NEVER CRIMINALLY CHARGED.
Where things stand. Living, based in Nepal. He teaches through his own body, the Sakyong Potrang. SHAMBHALA IS NOW FULLY SEPARATE FROM HIM — self-governing, financially independent, and no longer under his direction.
- 1995 Formally enthroned as Sakyong.
- 1990s–2010s Expands Shambhala internationally.
- 2018 Buddhist Project Sunshine reports published; he steps back and the board resigns.
- 2019 The Wickwire Holm investigation substantiates several allegations.
- 2020s SHAMBHALA BECOMES SELF-GOVERNING AND FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT OF HIM. He is no longer engaged in its activity.
- 2025–2026 Relocated to Nepal; continues to teach independently through his own organisation, the SAKYONG POTRANG, and not through Shambhala.
Checked 2026-08-24 · living: health details are kept at home
### Andrea Winn
—
Shambhala survivor and investigator · born c.1966 · active birth–2018
Before the law. Never charged.
Where things stand. Living — no death record found, but nothing consulted reports on her since about 2020, when she STEPPED DOWN FROM BUDDHIST PROJECT SUNSHINE, effective 4 February, the project having run its course after two years. WHAT ONE PERSON’S GRASSROOTS PROJECT ACHIEVED IS WORTH STATING PLAINLY. She launched it in FEBRUARY 2017 as a second-generation Shambhalian. THE PHASE 1 REPORT forced the Shambhala leadership to publicly acknowledge widespread sexualised violence in the community. THE PHASE 2 REPORT set out allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against SAKYONG MIPHAM RINPOCHE, the head of the community — HE STEPPED DOWN FROM ALL DUTIES AND THE KALAPA COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY, RESIGNED EN MASSE. A Phase 3 final report followed.
- 1960s–70s Raised in the Shambhala community; abused as a child.
- 1990s–2010s Attempts to raise the issue internally without result.
- February 2018 Launches Buddhist Project Sunshine.
- 2018 Publishes three reports; the Kalapa Council resigns in full.
- 2019 The Wickwire Holm investigation substantiates several allegations.
Checked 2026-08-24 · living: health details are kept at home
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