Well, we now know from Melodius' testimony above, that Rigpa/Sogyal's teachings involve sexual practice. My observation after posting on a number of Buddhist forums over the years, about clergy abuse of students, is that the people who protest the most vehemently are the people involved in charlatan-run Tibetan Buddhist movements that include sexual tantra, and that introduce students to that fairly early on. After doing Google searches on people who were the most angry and vociferous regarding exploitation of women students, I discovered that in ALL cases, it was either someone from Ole Nydahl's Diamond Way, or from Rigpa, or from the Dorje Shugden group, whatever it's officially called. That last one introduces sexual practice within the first two years of study, and no matter the age of the student--including teenagers.
Traditionally, tantric teachings are offered only to advanced students, and it takes many years to get to that stage. So you know something's off when a sangha introduces that in what is supposed to the beginning stage of TB instruction, namely--the "Hinayana" teachings phase. Tibetan protocol is to begin with the beginning of Buddhism, which would be the Buddha's early teachings, nowadays referred to as the Theravada school. Then after a few years at that stage, the Mahayana teachings are covered. After a few years of that, the first phase of the Vajrayana teachings are introduced. At that point, students are learning transformational visualizations; they meditate on themselves as the Buddha of Compassion, or other images. They're introduced to the Medicine Buddha, and may choose to attend an empowerment for self-healing. Only later would sexual imagery be introduced, and in the Gelug sect, the practice would by only symbolic, only using imagery, not actual consort practice.
These days, however, this strict structure isn't always followed, even in the most benign of sanghas. There isn't always this clear, delineated, progression.
Traditionally, tantric teachings are offered only to advanced students, and it takes many years to get to that stage. So you know something's off when a sangha introduces that in what is supposed to the beginning stage of TB instruction, namely--the "Hinayana" teachings phase. Tibetan protocol is to begin with the beginning of Buddhism, which would be the Buddha's early teachings, nowadays referred to as the Theravada school. Then after a few years at that stage, the Mahayana teachings are covered. After a few years of that, the first phase of the Vajrayana teachings are introduced. At that point, students are learning transformational visualizations; they meditate on themselves as the Buddha of Compassion, or other images. They're introduced to the Medicine Buddha, and may choose to attend an empowerment for self-healing. Only later would sexual imagery be introduced, and in the Gelug sect, the practice would by only symbolic, only using imagery, not actual consort practice.
These days, however, this strict structure isn't always followed, even in the most benign of sanghas. There isn't always this clear, delineated, progression.