I'll kick off this discussion with a couple of facts about life in Tibetan-related culture. Bhutan, that land of the Gross National Happiness, discovered that domestic violence is rampant. Somehow, that fact had escaped their assessment of the Gross National Happiness.
[www.reuters.com]
They also discovered, on a later occasion, that child monks had venereal diseases. How does a child get an STD? This uncovered the hidden practices of child rape in the monasteries, and "thigh sex" between teen and young-adult monks. It's a sort of masturbation using a partner, that they feel technically doesn't transgress the strictures of the monks' behavior code, the Vinaya.
It was also discovered, while investigating the matter of monastic children with STD's, that said minors, as well as some older monks, were suffering from stress, and other emotional afflictions. A number of monks admitted to availing themselves of the services of psychotherapists. The silver lining in this shocking and distressing story is that to its credit, Bhutan actually has psychotherapists and counselors. Tibetans in their ethnic communities in India and Nepal are not so fortunate.
The issue of child rape in Tibetan monasteries was first blown sky-high from an insider, by the young Kalu Rinpoche, who posted a "confession" of his suffering, including a murder attempt, on youtube. It turns out, even prestigious "tulkus"--reincarnations of high lamas--are not immune to sexual abuse in monastic institutions. Following his confession, a secularized tulku living in New Jersey revealed to journalist Mary Finnigan, that he, too, had suffered this type of abuse when he was growing up in a monastery, and he remarked on how brave Kalu Rinpoche was, to go public.
To add insult to injury, although ordinary Tibetans have been sympathetic with Kalu Rinpoche's revelation, officials in the Tibetan government reacted with outrage at the news, and blamed the victim for abandoning his vows! As if he had committed a willful act. The level of personal denial is very strong in persons in power who have siblings in monasteries who may have suffered such abuse unbeknownst to their family members. Of course, denial like this only dooms hundreds--probably thousands--of children to continue suffering in this way.
Denial of such profound suffering, needless to say, contradicts Buddhist principles of compassion, and refuge vows of devoting one's life to the liberation from suffering of other sentient beings. Of course, the monk perpetrators of this abuse are oblivious to the trauma caused to the boys, and the lasting effects trauma has on victims' life trajectory.
[www.reuters.com]
They also discovered, on a later occasion, that child monks had venereal diseases. How does a child get an STD? This uncovered the hidden practices of child rape in the monasteries, and "thigh sex" between teen and young-adult monks. It's a sort of masturbation using a partner, that they feel technically doesn't transgress the strictures of the monks' behavior code, the Vinaya.
It was also discovered, while investigating the matter of monastic children with STD's, that said minors, as well as some older monks, were suffering from stress, and other emotional afflictions. A number of monks admitted to availing themselves of the services of psychotherapists. The silver lining in this shocking and distressing story is that to its credit, Bhutan actually has psychotherapists and counselors. Tibetans in their ethnic communities in India and Nepal are not so fortunate.
The issue of child rape in Tibetan monasteries was first blown sky-high from an insider, by the young Kalu Rinpoche, who posted a "confession" of his suffering, including a murder attempt, on youtube. It turns out, even prestigious "tulkus"--reincarnations of high lamas--are not immune to sexual abuse in monastic institutions. Following his confession, a secularized tulku living in New Jersey revealed to journalist Mary Finnigan, that he, too, had suffered this type of abuse when he was growing up in a monastery, and he remarked on how brave Kalu Rinpoche was, to go public.
To add insult to injury, although ordinary Tibetans have been sympathetic with Kalu Rinpoche's revelation, officials in the Tibetan government reacted with outrage at the news, and blamed the victim for abandoning his vows! As if he had committed a willful act. The level of personal denial is very strong in persons in power who have siblings in monasteries who may have suffered such abuse unbeknownst to their family members. Of course, denial like this only dooms hundreds--probably thousands--of children to continue suffering in this way.
Denial of such profound suffering, needless to say, contradicts Buddhist principles of compassion, and refuge vows of devoting one's life to the liberation from suffering of other sentient beings. Of course, the monk perpetrators of this abuse are oblivious to the trauma caused to the boys, and the lasting effects trauma has on victims' life trajectory.