Re: Former teacher at Boulder's Shambhala accused of sexuall
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 1:13 am
Lady Konchok Has Apparently Just Died
at Reddit
6/15/19
NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
Posted byu/SamtenLhari
2 days ago
Lady Konchok Has Apparently Just Died
I heard of this in an email. I don’t know any details.
onion_in_soup
2 days ago
Shambhala Times announecment / article:
https://shambhalatimes.org/2019/06/13/l ... s-samadhi/
SamtenLhari posted on the thread " Update on Marpa House from the Interim Board"
2 hours ago
I have heard that the Interim Board has signed a contract for sale of Marpa House for $5MM to a real estate developer.
So much for listening to the community — and paying attention to Shambhala’s non-profit mission.
It’s all about the money.
knowyenowbulkington8
11 hours ago
A lot of people who live/lived in MH slavishly supported a monarchy where there has been little transparency or accountability about money. This is what happens under those types of dysfunctional systems.
TharpaLodro
1 day ago
not gonna lie I half expected someone in this thread to be suggesting she'd been bumped off to smooth over the sale
SamtenLhari
1 day ago
No. The sale was already a done deal.
Let me explain do that you understand the level of distrust of many on this subreddit.
Shambhala is a charitable organization. It has a charitable mission. The operation of Marpa House as a residential practice center in Boulder is part of that mission and allows low income practitioners to remain and practice together in a community in the high priced Boulder real estate market. It is also one of the few remaining unchanged institutions from the time of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche — Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s father.
The Boulder community through incredibly hard work of many individuals formed a non-profit corporation, obtained 501(c)(3) tax status, obtained debt and equity financing and made a $3 million offer under an incredibly short time period. This group also had and has prospects for additional financing, including a $500,000 cooperative proposal from a Boulder community non-profit group that has a mission of promoting low income cooperative housing. There was also and is the additional prospect of raising more financing through a broader appeal to the Shambhala community.
What was the Interim Board’s response to this proposal? They rejected it out of hand and within days signed a binding contract for a $5 million sale to a commercial developer. They did not even respond to the Boulder community’s proposal. They issued a statement — which was a lie given their obvious intention to sign a binding contract — saying that they were interested in continuing to have discussions to keep Marpa House open. Apparently, those discussions can only take place now if the commercial deal falls through.
And what was the pressure to take the commercial deal? The excuse that a loan from the Potrang, an affiliated non-profit corporation, was coming due. If there were other reasons for needing cash quickly, they haven’t been explained.
This is why many people on this subreddit are pissed off and distrustful of the Interim Board and the Shambhala hierarchy altogether. It is motivated by our genuine concern for what has been lost — the vision of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche for the establishment of Buddhist practice lineages in the West in a community based on Shambhala principles of enlightened society. The loss of Marpa House is just one example that brings the general concern into sharp focus.
Many of us also knew Lady Konchok or knew of her and have great respect for her many years of practice — including many dark retreats — and her level of realization. So, please don’t assume that you know who you are talking to and dismiss everyone on this subreddit as some rude group of disgruntled anti-Shambhala people.
Dharmapala52
1 day ago
This is a perfect instance where transparency from the Interim Board would go a long way. There are a range of possible explanations for why/how this all went down, but it's hard not to draw unfavorable conclusions without real info. I'd be curious to know what sort of liens/loans the Potrang has on the property? It's possible they have mortgaged it to the gills and a stream of related liabilities from the whole current shitstorm has put them in this position. On the other hand, if the Potrang owns it free and clear why wouldn't they just roll the debt? I don't think there are any purely innocent explanations here, but the lack of clarity from the Board is disheartening.
SamtenLhari
1 day ago
Agreed. And I say this even though I have friends on the Interim Board. They screwed the pooch big time on this — certainly in terms of communication and very likely in terms of (i) callousness and insensitivity to Shambhala’s charitable mission in making the decision, and (ii) failing to take into account the fact that this decision will further alienate Shambhala members, limit future financial support, and increase Shambhala’s financial troubles.
The only reason I say “very likely” is that there may be factors of which I am not aware because the communication has been so poor.
Kilimahewa
20 hours ago
I thought I read in the latest financial report that the IB didn’t budget for the repayment of the loan by the Pötrang. The reasons for the need of cash is that other assets owned by Shambhala International are not free of mortgages. Still it would have been mandatory to work with the community initiative and issue a transparent and timely information.
Dharmapala52
11 hours ago
This is the gist of the nasty financial entanglement. The Potrang is very much separate when accruing assets. And yet somehow, when covenants are being tripped and liabilities are coming due, the Potrang and SI are entangled. I don't know of any explicit malfeasance and the maxim 'never ascribe to malice what can easily be explained by incompetence' probably applies. Yet, having watched decades of financial appeals and many people destroy their own personal financial lives in service of the kingdom it's sad not to have better communication in these matters.
cclawyer
1 minute ago
What we are witnessing is the Sakyong's corporate alter ego vacuuming up all the assets in sight to cushion his fall. Since his career as a spiritual fraud has come to an end, he has to think about his future, and how to keep himself and his Wangmo living in the style to which they have become accustomed. The financial documents released by the Interim Board disclose next to nothing about how funds gathered by Shambhala corporate cutouts have been funelled into the Sakyong's purse, and how funds obtained from the sale of Marpa House will be disbursed. This "non-transparency" will continue until there is nothing left to conceal, and it's quite possible that Shambhala Global Services (SGS), the central cutout that has become little more than a bag for liabilities, will be in bankruptcy within a year or two. Alexander Halpern, the keeper of secrets and orchestrator of lies who betrayed CTR's intentions by aiding in the theft of the Trungpa Lineage from Trungpa XII, the rightful heir, will send the bankruptcy case to one of his influential friends to handle in a friendly venue, and those holding SGS debt will be given pennies on the dollar. The Sakyong will be as comfortable as all of the third-world dictators who loot their national treasuries. That Shastri trying to make people guilty about depriving the Sakyong of revenue by holding Shambhala trainings and not sending him a cut is just one more appeal to sympathy and nostalgia intended to prevent serious inquiry into the fact that this man will likely die rich.
If anyone in this organization had a grain of legal sense, they would be filing complaints with the Attorneys General of New York, Vermont, and Colorado, requesting enforcement of the law that requires assets that are transferred out of a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit to be given to nonprofit purposes, and not to enrich the executives controlling the nonprofit. The members of the Interim Board should be notified that they may face personal tax consequences for orchestrating an "excess benefit transaction" for the benefit of the Sakyong.
From IRS.gov:
> The organization must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, and no part of a section 501(c)(3) organization's net earnings may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. If the organization engages in an excess benefit transaction with a person having substantial influence over the organization, an excise tax may be imposed on the person and any organization managers agreeing to the transaction.
Exemption Requirements, -- 501(c)(3) Organizations
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profi ... anizations
drala1008
2 days ago
Seems true . type: breeze of delight
on facebook
they confirm the new
onion_in_soup
1 day ago
From the Shambhala Times announcement:
" there is no need for any sukhavati, or burning of her photo "
(in other words, no funeral is planned)
breathing216
1 day ago
edited 12 hours ago
2nd paragraph of the announcement: "Further details on practices to be conducted in connection with her death and arrangements for her funeral will be posted on the Shambhala Times as soon as possible."
Kilimahewa
20 hours ago
I‘ve never heard about an incident that someone is so realized that no sukhavati is needed. And surely there’s no one on this planet so realized to assess if a sukhavati was needed or not.
at Reddit
6/15/19
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Posted byu/SamtenLhari
2 days ago
Lady Konchok Has Apparently Just Died
I heard of this in an email. I don’t know any details.
onion_in_soup
2 days ago
Shambhala Times announecment / article:
https://shambhalatimes.org/2019/06/13/l ... s-samadhi/
SamtenLhari posted on the thread " Update on Marpa House from the Interim Board"
2 hours ago
I have heard that the Interim Board has signed a contract for sale of Marpa House for $5MM to a real estate developer.
So much for listening to the community — and paying attention to Shambhala’s non-profit mission.
It’s all about the money.
knowyenowbulkington8
11 hours ago
A lot of people who live/lived in MH slavishly supported a monarchy where there has been little transparency or accountability about money. This is what happens under those types of dysfunctional systems.
TharpaLodro
1 day ago
not gonna lie I half expected someone in this thread to be suggesting she'd been bumped off to smooth over the sale
SamtenLhari
1 day ago
No. The sale was already a done deal.
Let me explain do that you understand the level of distrust of many on this subreddit.
Shambhala is a charitable organization. It has a charitable mission. The operation of Marpa House as a residential practice center in Boulder is part of that mission and allows low income practitioners to remain and practice together in a community in the high priced Boulder real estate market. It is also one of the few remaining unchanged institutions from the time of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche — Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s father.
The Boulder community through incredibly hard work of many individuals formed a non-profit corporation, obtained 501(c)(3) tax status, obtained debt and equity financing and made a $3 million offer under an incredibly short time period. This group also had and has prospects for additional financing, including a $500,000 cooperative proposal from a Boulder community non-profit group that has a mission of promoting low income cooperative housing. There was also and is the additional prospect of raising more financing through a broader appeal to the Shambhala community.
What was the Interim Board’s response to this proposal? They rejected it out of hand and within days signed a binding contract for a $5 million sale to a commercial developer. They did not even respond to the Boulder community’s proposal. They issued a statement — which was a lie given their obvious intention to sign a binding contract — saying that they were interested in continuing to have discussions to keep Marpa House open. Apparently, those discussions can only take place now if the commercial deal falls through.
And what was the pressure to take the commercial deal? The excuse that a loan from the Potrang, an affiliated non-profit corporation, was coming due. If there were other reasons for needing cash quickly, they haven’t been explained.
This is why many people on this subreddit are pissed off and distrustful of the Interim Board and the Shambhala hierarchy altogether. It is motivated by our genuine concern for what has been lost — the vision of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche for the establishment of Buddhist practice lineages in the West in a community based on Shambhala principles of enlightened society. The loss of Marpa House is just one example that brings the general concern into sharp focus.
Many of us also knew Lady Konchok or knew of her and have great respect for her many years of practice — including many dark retreats — and her level of realization. So, please don’t assume that you know who you are talking to and dismiss everyone on this subreddit as some rude group of disgruntled anti-Shambhala people.
Dharmapala52
1 day ago
This is a perfect instance where transparency from the Interim Board would go a long way. There are a range of possible explanations for why/how this all went down, but it's hard not to draw unfavorable conclusions without real info. I'd be curious to know what sort of liens/loans the Potrang has on the property? It's possible they have mortgaged it to the gills and a stream of related liabilities from the whole current shitstorm has put them in this position. On the other hand, if the Potrang owns it free and clear why wouldn't they just roll the debt? I don't think there are any purely innocent explanations here, but the lack of clarity from the Board is disheartening.
SamtenLhari
1 day ago
Agreed. And I say this even though I have friends on the Interim Board. They screwed the pooch big time on this — certainly in terms of communication and very likely in terms of (i) callousness and insensitivity to Shambhala’s charitable mission in making the decision, and (ii) failing to take into account the fact that this decision will further alienate Shambhala members, limit future financial support, and increase Shambhala’s financial troubles.
The only reason I say “very likely” is that there may be factors of which I am not aware because the communication has been so poor.
Kilimahewa
20 hours ago
I thought I read in the latest financial report that the IB didn’t budget for the repayment of the loan by the Pötrang. The reasons for the need of cash is that other assets owned by Shambhala International are not free of mortgages. Still it would have been mandatory to work with the community initiative and issue a transparent and timely information.
Dharmapala52
11 hours ago
This is the gist of the nasty financial entanglement. The Potrang is very much separate when accruing assets. And yet somehow, when covenants are being tripped and liabilities are coming due, the Potrang and SI are entangled. I don't know of any explicit malfeasance and the maxim 'never ascribe to malice what can easily be explained by incompetence' probably applies. Yet, having watched decades of financial appeals and many people destroy their own personal financial lives in service of the kingdom it's sad not to have better communication in these matters.
cclawyer
1 minute ago
What we are witnessing is the Sakyong's corporate alter ego vacuuming up all the assets in sight to cushion his fall. Since his career as a spiritual fraud has come to an end, he has to think about his future, and how to keep himself and his Wangmo living in the style to which they have become accustomed. The financial documents released by the Interim Board disclose next to nothing about how funds gathered by Shambhala corporate cutouts have been funelled into the Sakyong's purse, and how funds obtained from the sale of Marpa House will be disbursed. This "non-transparency" will continue until there is nothing left to conceal, and it's quite possible that Shambhala Global Services (SGS), the central cutout that has become little more than a bag for liabilities, will be in bankruptcy within a year or two. Alexander Halpern, the keeper of secrets and orchestrator of lies who betrayed CTR's intentions by aiding in the theft of the Trungpa Lineage from Trungpa XII, the rightful heir, will send the bankruptcy case to one of his influential friends to handle in a friendly venue, and those holding SGS debt will be given pennies on the dollar. The Sakyong will be as comfortable as all of the third-world dictators who loot their national treasuries. That Shastri trying to make people guilty about depriving the Sakyong of revenue by holding Shambhala trainings and not sending him a cut is just one more appeal to sympathy and nostalgia intended to prevent serious inquiry into the fact that this man will likely die rich.
If anyone in this organization had a grain of legal sense, they would be filing complaints with the Attorneys General of New York, Vermont, and Colorado, requesting enforcement of the law that requires assets that are transferred out of a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit to be given to nonprofit purposes, and not to enrich the executives controlling the nonprofit. The members of the Interim Board should be notified that they may face personal tax consequences for orchestrating an "excess benefit transaction" for the benefit of the Sakyong.
From IRS.gov:
> The organization must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, and no part of a section 501(c)(3) organization's net earnings may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. If the organization engages in an excess benefit transaction with a person having substantial influence over the organization, an excise tax may be imposed on the person and any organization managers agreeing to the transaction.
Exemption Requirements, -- 501(c)(3) Organizations
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profi ... anizations
drala1008
2 days ago
Seems true . type: breeze of delight
on facebook
they confirm the new
onion_in_soup
1 day ago
From the Shambhala Times announcement:
" there is no need for any sukhavati, or burning of her photo "
(in other words, no funeral is planned)
breathing216
1 day ago
edited 12 hours ago
2nd paragraph of the announcement: "Further details on practices to be conducted in connection with her death and arrangements for her funeral will be posted on the Shambhala Times as soon as possible."
Kilimahewa
20 hours ago
I‘ve never heard about an incident that someone is so realized that no sukhavati is needed. And surely there’s no one on this planet so realized to assess if a sukhavati was needed or not.