Author Topic: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?  (Read 20553 times)

PrajNa

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In March this year, Uma Thurman told her #MeToo story to op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd at the New York Times, describing her disturbing encounters with Harvey Weinstein, former film producer who had over 80 women made allegations against him for sexual abuse. While Uma came out with these sexual abuse revelations, her father, Professor Robert Thurman, embraced, protected, supported and promoted sexual predators like Sogyal Lakar for decades. Thurman said that "We all owe Sogyal Rinpoche such a huge debt of gratitude". Really? Gratitude for a lama who keeps a western harem of women inside his sanghas and thinks that the ideal female consort is twelve-years old?

Someone asked, why are we looking to surrogates for these androcentric misogynists in robes, like Uma and her father? How long more Professor Thurman? Why are you silent on this while you attack Dorje Shugden practitioners, calling them “Taliban of Buddhism”? Why did you support the real Taliban of Buddhism like these lamas and continue to support them by keeping quiet now? As the Dalai Lama's man in America and being in the Tibetan Buddhist scene for decades, definitely you are well informed about sexual abuse by Buddhist teachers against their followers.

Uma's anger is clearly displaced. She should question her father's silence on this serious matter if she is serious about making a stand for sexual abuse. See some of the images currently shared on social media by people who are really angry and not trying to pull a publicity stunt.


















pemachen

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2018, 09:25:17 PM »
Unfortunately, we will not see that happening. Robert Thurman is a known bigot. In one of his interviews, of which he spoke about Geshe Michael Roach, he said that someone like Geshe Roach became a megalomaniac because there is no reality check. There is a possibility that it may be true because Geshe Michael Roach did live in his own secluded community, but we can't say the same for sex abusers like Sogyal Lakar who is the Dalai Lama’s best friend and benefactor, a favorite lama of California and Richard Gere, and thus the Hollywood jet set.

Within the Buddhist community, Sogyal Lakar has long been a controversial figure. For years, information have circulated on the internet about his abusive behaviour, and in the 1990s a lawsuit alleging sexual and physical abuse was settled out of court. Yet his position as one of the foremost Buddhist teachers in the West has remained remarkably intact, thanks to people like Robert Thurman who endorses Sogyal.

Well Bob, qui tacet consentire videtur, I am sure you know that he who is silent is taken to agree, so what do you have to say about Sogyal Lakar and the rest of the lamas who misbehaved and dragged the name of Tibetan Buddhism through the mud now? You are quite vocal in many matters related to Tibetan Buddhism, so why quiet now?
« Last Edit: September 16, 2018, 09:27:39 PM by Vajraprotector »

Rowntree

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2018, 09:28:26 PM »
Now we know Robert Thurman is also a supporter of sexual abusers. He has no empathy and compassion for many who are sexually abused by Sogyal Lakar and many Tibetan lamas, as well as others who have sexual allegations made against them, including Harvey Weinstein. His daughter Uma Thurman is a victim of Weinstein's sexual abuse.

Months ago, Robert Thurman openly supports killing through Menla Dewa Spa founded by him. He encourages fly fishing in the Catskills where the spa is located hoping to attract more customers to the spa. It has proven to be a failed strategy and bad PR for Menla that is supposed to run based on Buddhist principles.

While Thurman is vocal in the unlawful ban of Dorje Shugden, he has failed to support the self-immolated Tibetans, the victims suffered from sexual abuse and the wildlife in Catskills. As the Dalai Lama's man in America, an Emeritus Buddhist Professor, a co-founder of the Tibet House for Tibet Cause, a father and a grandfather, you would expect him to expose the sexual abuse of Sogyal Lakar and many more Buddhist teachers he is well informed to conduct such crime. Instead, he is more concern about his wealth and built his career and business by using dharma and the fame of the sexual abusers.

Robert Thurman is, therefore, an accomplice in the sexual abuse of the Buddhist students and his own daughter. He is really a disgrace of Buddhism and a shame of Americans and the Thurman family. The more I learn about him, the more I see a selfish and greedy old man who would do everything for his own benefits. No one matters to him, including his daughter!

Ringo Starr

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2018, 04:10:19 PM »
With another #metoo fwiend.
How can he not feel guilty and do something, anything.
Last I read, Uma is going to migrate to some Scandinavian country, perhaps to get away from it all.

dsnowlion

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2018, 07:53:39 PM »
The ones that are loved and who are so-called "popular" are always the ones getting away with bad behaviour and crimes because they think no one will ever fault them or find out. It is always these so-called teachers who everyone wants makes such a big deal about and in the end see what they do.

Yet the Dalai Lama says nothing and condemn Dorje Shugden practitioners. We're not even allowed even to attend His Holiness's teachings.

This goes to show that titles do not mean anything as the Rinpoche's and masters.
I guess you will never know. We have to really check what these teachers and teachings and if they walk the talk. Just because he/she has a huge following, doesn't mean they are really practising what they preach, but the saddest part is seeing so many supported him like Robert Thurman. And what a shame indeed, especially since his own daughter had that similar experience.

Ringo Starr

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2018, 07:39:13 AM »
Why isn’t Uma Thurman Mad at her Dad’s Sexually Abusive ‘Religion?’


I find it ironic that everyone is making  Hollywood stars, like Uma Thurman or Madonna,  their new heroes for the Post-Modern Feminist movement. Women, like Madonna,  who wear designer pink hats, representing their labia, screaming hysterically about being tied to their biology and emotions by an abusive patriarchy.  Women who think the answer is to emasculate and abuse men. Or women like Uma, who are finally coming out with these sexual abuse revelations against Harvey Weinstein and others, but are as blind as a bat to her father’s sexual abusing favorite cult, Lamaism, that he has promoted for decades, in the New York Times, Huffington Post, and on Panels, and symposiums, and at Universities.  How will Bob Thurman cover this one up and how long will Uma help him?

Do these women, like Uma, know anything about the ‘religion’ of Tibetan Lamaism? That her father has embraced, protected, and promoted for the last thirty years?  A ‘religion’ that in practice objectifies and uses women for their own sexual imaginings of ‘enlightenment?”   Keeps western harems of women inside their sanghas?  Thinks the ideal female consort is twelve-years old?

Apparently, not.   Why are we looking to  Hollywood along with Entertainment news that passes as ‘informative’ while continuing  to censor real news, like Lama Sogyal, promoted and protected by Hollywood and her father?

Perhaps Uma’s anger is displaced.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/sexual-assaults-violent-rages-inside-dark-world-buddhist-teacher/

Why are we looking to surrogates for these androcentric misogynists in robes, like Uma and her father?

I don’t think a woman, who has been oblivious to the ‘religion’ that her father embraces, where the lamas  keep western harems, and who believe women can only achieve spiritual realization by sleeping with them, only for blessings for their next life to be reborn a man, should be made a hero for gender equality.

Nor should they look to Hollywood who has let this Tantric influence inside their milieu  spread to such an extent that there is now a ‘false feminism’; a disdain and abusive view of womanhood that is harmful to both women and men.   Where the logical outcome will be the total emasculation of the western man and a bullying, harping, hysterical woman, who can no longer distinguish between a sexist remark and rape.

Another mission accomplished to trivialize real sexual abuse and the predators and enablers that keep it going. Like Uma and her father’s favorite lamas.

Here is her father at a panel for ‘distinguised’ Tibetan Buddhist teachers, like Lama Predator Sogyal and her father.

There is Sogyal to Bob Thurman’s right (page far left) introduced as the ‘cream of the crop.”  Disgusting, all of it. That is what Uma should be really angry about, if she wants to do something about institutionalized sexual abuse, Hollywood’s favorite ‘religion.” Thurman is late, and takes his seat (51:04) next to Sogyal, whom he has supported, protected, and enabled, for the last forty years.

Dad Thurman has been protecting Lama Sogyal,  promoting him and denying his sexual abuse and keeping of western female harems for the last 40 years.  Why did he let someone like Sogyal or any of these lamas near his daughter Uma?  I say Uma was already primed to accept the sexual abuse in Hollywood long before she started acting there.  After all,  it was her father that made this institutionalized sexual abusive cult of Lamaism the ‘highest of Buddhist teachings’ in the world. A model for everyone; a universal religion of peace.

Aggressive Buddhist Appeasement

Maybe its time to look at the female Hollywood enablers of this sexual abuse,  who said nothing until there was a groundswell of safety in numbers, and who have gotten many perks for letting sexual abuse become normalized and denied for the last forty years and who now want to be heroes.

Maybe Uma should start looking at the hidden causes and conditions that came together in Hollywood, not least of which is the spread of these Tantric ideas, that would keep her lips sealed for so long.

https://extibetanbuddhist.com/why-isnt-uma-thurman-mad-at-her-dads-sexually-abusive-religion/

Alex

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2018, 04:50:33 PM »
Robert Thurman is a selfish father that put his own personal gain above his daughter's welfare. How can a father still treat sexual abusers like Sogyal so well while his own daughter had been abused by one? That does not make sense unless he does not care about his own daughter's feeling.

Other than that, he is supposed to be the Dalai Lama's man in the west and he promotes sexual abuser Lamas like Sogyal? Is he trying to say that it is okay for Lama's to behave like this? Is he trying to do the same since he is some sort of "lama" as well? This is just disgusting.

Being a Buddhist professor, he does not act like one and he is certainly harming the Buddha's teaching but endorsing inappropriate behaviour such as sexual abuse and abusive speech online? He has been notorious in speaking against Dorje Shugden practitioners online and even goes to the extent of hiring people to defame and tweet out nasty things about famous Dorje Shugden people.

SabS

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2018, 06:10:27 PM »
Nothing that I have read of Robert Thurman had ever promoted him as a genuine practitioner of Buddhism. It is just another portal for him to gain fame through association with the Dalai Lama, to promote his own self interest. In his pursuit, he willing endorsed and took pictures with so many lamas whom he thought are "famous", but in reality are real social criminals, ie Sogyal Lakar who already had recorded case against him in 1990's. He clearly fails as a father in allowing his daughter, Uma's abuse to be demeaned by his endorsement of sexual offenders that he associates himself with. Being a professor of Buddhism, I am just worried that so many students are being influenced by this bigot with wrong views and attitude. Shame really.

Pema8

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2018, 08:29:48 PM »
This is again a slap in the face of all Buddhists. Instead of exposing such harmful behaviour, people such as Bob Thurman will show himself on pictures and promote themselves with sexual abusers as we can see in the pictures. This is not what anyone would expect, is it?

Now, on top, Thurman knows about the #metoo movement and I guess knows that his own daughter has suffered under such sexual abusers, yet he shows no regret and instead of exposing them, he stays quiet. Is this how you protect your family and friends?

Very disappointing!

PrajNa

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2018, 12:47:54 PM »
You will be shocked to know what Sogyal Lakar did, and you will really wonder why Robert Thurman can condone and befriend such a character. It goes to support the rumours, and now truth perhaps, that Thurman is just after power and fame.

"Rinpoche surrounded himself with a “harem” of beautiful young women he called his “Dakinis” or angels. Their duties, ex-followers say, included wiping his backside after he used the toilet."

Gosh :o :-[! He's all over the papers in the UK today:

‘Most famous Buddhist teacher after the Dalai Lama’ is accused of sexually abusing female followers and keeping a harem
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6196101/Most-famous-Buddhist-teacher-Dalai-Lama-accused-sexually-abusing-female-followers.html

Celeb Buddhist guru ‘sexually abused harem of beautiful young women'
A CELEB Buddhist guru has been accused of keeping a “harem of beautiful women” who he sexually abused.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/731512/Sogyal-Rinpoche-guru-sex-abuse-Rigpa-Dalai-Lama-Buddhist

THE BAD BUDDHA Dark side of celeb guru Sogyal Rinpoche who ‘sexually abused’ the beautiful young women dubbed his ‘Dakinis’
The 71-year-old is the most famous Buddhist teacher after the Dalai Lama, and his book influences numerous celebrities  – yet for the young women who claim they were sexually abused by him, he's anything but a wise and pious holy man
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7319165/celeb-guru-sogyal-rinpoche-sexually-abused-women-dubbed-dakinis/

pemachen

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2018, 03:33:45 AM »

"Rinpoche surrounded himself with a “harem” of beautiful young women he called his “Dakinis” or angels. Their duties, ex-followers say, included wiping his backside after he used the toilet."


This is definitely wrong. It is very bad to have lamas, who are supposed to be the object of the students' refuge to victimize the students and do all sorts of weird things. This really drags the name of Tibetan Buddhism through the mud. Why is Thurman allowing this when he's always vocal about petty issues like #fakenews? Perhaps he is still getting benefits from Sogyal Lakar/Rigpa? If not, what could it be?


DharmaSpace

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2018, 04:36:53 PM »
Maybe Bob Thurman needs to change his glasses.

He needs to see it clearly the very people how sexually abused his daughter, are the very people he is chummy with.


pemachen

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2018, 04:31:13 AM »
Now news about Sogyal Lakar is published on Thurman's home ground, the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2018/09/23/buddhist-teacher-forced-devotees-into-sex-wiping-his-butt/

Still, no sound from Thurman who seems to be sympathetic with #MeToo victims. Why the silence Bob? Also, what a coincidence, Bob Thurman is also a Dalai Lama wannabe!  8)


Buddhist teacher forced devotees into sex, wiping his butt
By Melkorka Licea September 23, 2018 | 10:20am

A Dalai Lama wannabe was more like a gross Svengali, according to a damning new report.

Once one of the world’s most respected Buddhist teachers, Sogyal Rinpoche forced his devotees to have sex with him and wipe his butt, an international Buddhist organization named Rigpa found in an investigation.

Rinpoche, who sold more than 3 million copies of his tome, “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying,” subjected some of his inner circle “to serious physical, sexual and emotional abuse,” The Sun reported.

Alex

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2018, 05:53:03 PM »
How can a father of a sexual abuse victim still can be so comfortably close to another sexual abuse offender? That does not make any sense. Either he is totally oblivious or he does not care about his daughter Uma Thurman's feelings at all.

Sogyal has been known to be a sex offender for years and it is impossible for the Dalai Lama's man in the west to not know anything because rumours about Sogyal has been around for years. Imagine what Uma will feel when her father is supporting a sex offender and she was so hurt by one, years ago.

Drolma

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Re: If she says #MeToo, why is Robert Thurman empowering sexual abusers?
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2018, 11:58:51 AM »
If I were Uma Thurman, I will be so disappointed with my father. I was sexually abused and now he is seen getting so close to a sex offender. What kind of message does Robert Thurman want to give to her daughter and the public? It cannot be he doesn't know about the crime Sogyal Rinpoche has committed.

Because Sogyal Rinpoche is endorsed by the Dalai Lama so Robert Thurman has to be friendly to Sogyal Rinpoche? But then I am not surprised that Robert Thurman will do that, he wants to be in the good book of the Dalai Lama, he too still needs the endorsement from Dalai Lama for him to sell his books and his meditation program. Therefore, he cannot go against the Dalai Lama. Robert Thurman will do anything for money, even if it means doing something that will hurt his daughter.

I don't how will Uma Thurman feel if she sees the photo of her father holding the hand of a sex offender so tightly with a big smile on his face. I think she will be so disappointed and frustrated. I hope Uma will understand what her father is doing, is not Buddhist at all, please don't lose faith in Buddhism. It is quite common that people have a lot of knowledge about Dharma but they are not able to put the knowledge in practice.