Complaint Review: Ipswich Buddhist Centre

Here is the letter I wrote to the Ipswich Buddhist Centre, seeking an apology, shared for public interest reasons:-

Dear All,

As you can now see, taking 10 years to formally apologize to someone for abuse is disadvantageous to the party involved in the abuse, worse so when the same parties worsen their situation by being dishonest in an unsuccessful attempt to help a criminally fraudulent company cause me losses and my death (the same company that some of your Order members bad mouthed me to has now been implicated in inciting death threats, a very serious matter indeed).

It is most embarrassing for you all no doubt that the UK Courts refused to entertain the case citing abuse of process issues and problems with witness testimony (much of it was proven to be false and made in bad faith, just like yours). It is also no doubt very embarassing that there is proven evidence that you lend complicit support to companies involved in criminal fraud and other forms of abuse, and that you condone the behaviour, and express sympathy when their abuses fail. This embarrassment is undoubtedly compounded by the BBC Inside Out program and Bhante’s confession.

As I explained to you in 2015, helping those who would conspire to harm me would be very karmically disadvantageous and detrimental indeed,and here are the end results:-

urls removed (appear already in report)

The above postings (with 25+ more in the pipeline (including some extensive commentary on Buddhasiha’s and Saddharaja’s unfitness to lead retreats and calling for their resignations from the Order) have been made to ensure that you have to live with the karma of your abuse and disrespect toward myself for you have now learned that the karmic buck of the original abuse rests with yourselves (making you fully responsible for your own detriment I might add)

You will find none of the postings can be removed (bar one with a notary letter, but you did not want to write a notary letter, so why should I and plus I could never be coerced by a lawyer to lie in a notary letter, the last company that tried lost GBP 25,000 in legal fees and were stuck with the true PC review).

Thus it is clearly a karmic lesson for you all in that ignoring a problem does not make it go away, nor does insulting those who reflect back to you the dysfunctions in your movement, as expanded upon here:-

https://ipswichbuddhistcentre.wordpress.com/the-truth-about-the-ipswich-buddhist-centre/

You could ignore them, but then people will see that you do not apologize and draw their own conclusions.

It would appear that the karma of bad mouthing me is severe, especially when it involves direct dishonesty with no interest in correcting yourselves, as is the karma of trying to interfere with my relationships, and then ‘punishing me’ in 2008 by bad mouthing and causing me losses, because I left your Sangha to pursue a romantic relationship and because I would not stay in Ipswich.

There is also proof your movement does this often and other bloggers have the same opinion:-

https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2017/02/19/whitewash-dishonesty-culture-of-abuse-in-the-triratna-buddhist-order-tbo/

(see paragraphs 3-5 and attached)

There are also extracts from a book on Buddhist ethics which points out why downfall is the only end outcome of abusing a Spiritual Master, and also serves as a strong moral and ethical argument as to why yourselves are responsible for your detriment.

Now you will find you cannot ignore the matter as in around 6 weeks from now, the IBC will find Page 1 of Google rammed full of the indelible complaints and in the midst of a scandal and will remain like that for some years.

As to why the IBC are at the centre of the scandal, it is clearly because Buddhasiha was the one behind the heterosexual abuse, and the rest of the IBC rallied around to help and to support the abuse.

The IBC may consider suing but it and the wider movement probably would not want the messy PR consequences (deliberate dishonesty in a lawsuit is fraud and can result in prison sentences) and we also now know that the Court is on my side and not on the side of those who abuse people, hence I stand by my earlier opinion that you are now in zugzwang (namely that you have lost the dispute) and you may be well advised to take the loss in good sport and to take on board the lessons.

The core problem is that your leader is morally and ethically compromised beyond repair and the sooner you deal with that, the better.

Bhante’s karma, unfortunately,. will bring about the end of your movement. I sense after his death, your movement will become weak and divided. The bigger problem you have is the sheer number of people that think what he did was okay, and by thinking that, their behaviours become dysfunctional, and that’s where the abuse starts. You also have a problem that the bulk of the senior order also slept with Bhante and have been ethically compromised also.

You also have just 24 hours remaining to send me your apology PDF letters.

I would be within my rights to state online that you have declined to apologize should I not have received them by the end of tomorrow.

I have also CCd the East Anglian Daily Times and the Guardian in the public interest so they can see if you want to apologize or not.

Kind Regards

Free Spirit

The Ipswich Buddhist Centre now admits that controlling relationships is abuse as per their safeguarding policy which is available on their website for all to see:-

http://www.ipswichbuddhistcentre.org.uk/SafeguardingVulnerableAdults.pdf

It says

What is ‘abuse’? 

Abuse is the harming of a person usually by someone who is in a position of power, trust or authority over them, or who may be perceived by that person to be in a position of power, trust or authority over them; for example by a Friend, Mitra or Order member who is helping to run Ipswich Buddhist Centre activities those newer to such activities. The harm may be physical, psychological or emotional, or it may exploit the vulnerability of the victim in more subtle ways.

and

Signs of discrimination

Lack of respect shown to an individual

Other signs of abuse

Controlling relationships

So the Centre does now at least admit what form the abuse can take and that it can happen by an Order Member.

It is interesting they mention controlling relationships because this is what happened. I want to put the full text here just in case it is deleted and so people can see what the complaint was about in terms of controlling relationships.

It certainly falls under that category:-

Anyway, in those days I was still exploring my relationship life along with with my sexuality – like we all do at some point in this reality. It is part of being human. So I was still signed up for ‘internet dating’ and I would go and meet women in different towns – much to the disdain of the local Order.

Of course the Order had their own relationships and some of them running classes were also dating students on the side, something I would never advocate.

Thus I saw the movement had no serious spiritual credibility as it was tainted by serious breaches of the sexual conduct precept. I am not gay myself and have no issue with homosexuality in itself – but sexuality and spirituality rarely mix well and can give rise to a host of serious ethics violations and abuses.

One of my own relationships became serious so I gave 11 weeks’ notice to leave the shop team. Those 11 weeks were hard work as my girlfriend at the time was sick and lived 200k away. I only had to give 4 weeks’ notice but I felt I owed the shop team a favour so I stayed longer. Such a decision later proved to be to my detriment.

When I left the shop to start with everything was fine and no complaints were ever made.

….

I ended up going back to Ipswich for a year or so – which in retrospect was not such a great plan in light of what unfolded later. At the same time the Order did specifically invite me back to Ipswich and the Ipswich Buddhist Centre and thus invited me into their movement to be a mirror for any lessons that I later embodied for them.

So in 2007 when I wanted to work in the Evolution shop again the main Order member involved in its running – Saddharaja – became really challenged despite the Order inviting me back to the area to work and live. He sanctioned an illegal interview process in which I had to agree to not do internet dating and I was asked about my sexual practices. The shop team and himself claimed that previously I did not do much work, did not fulfil my
responsibilities and (to quote them) needed to be put in a very small box.

If I did not comply the box would get smaller and smaller!

I needed the work at the time so I was in a bit of a tight situation but very quickly things started to go downhill with this kind of control in place. If I was friendly with a female customer there was a follow-up interrogation to see whether I was trying to chat her up and it was forbidden to have a girlfriend visit the store in working hours (although others had the same privilege and used it often!).

Thus working with the movement the second time around was like being in an emotional straightjacket. Relationships with females outside of the movement became very alluring as a result and I went on to have secret dates on my days off that the shop never found out about. There was also a big deal about those in the movement should be looking to meet their need for emotional intimacy within the Order.

The only truble with that approach was that emotional intimacy and friendship was dangled in front of someone in a ‘carrot and stick’ manner – thus if one complied with the expectations and demands of the Order one got friendship, if one did not – one got chastised, ridiculed or badly treated in some other way. Thus the notion of spiritual friendship within the FWBO was very conditional – at least in my experience

I am the author of this report. I could not login with my other email as I no longer have the password.

I can say it is the truth that the Ipswich Buddhist Centre and Triratna, as well as Buddhasiha, have been invited to apologize to me.

Amongst other things (as part of a private settlement proposal, so not disclosed, this apology was asked for:-

An explicit and profound private apology in writing (now very long overdue) for the protracted abuse I suffered in the movement between 2006-2008 because I was into heterosexual romantic and sexual relationships (a matter that all human beings have the freedom to explore) and an apology for the subsequent abuse (bad references, bad mouthing, etc) because I left the movement to explore relationships and my emotional life in general.

The apology would naturally show sincere regret for the harm caused to Free Spirit in those areas.

Attached is the proof that Buddhasiha of the Ipswich Buddhist Centre bad mouthed me (one of the things the apology is to deal with). He implied I was involved in an episode and behaved indecently (for standing up to an abusive company involved in cheating and abusing people) He also violated a confidentiality agreement as it was agreed he (or the company Windhorse) would not make any adverse ststements about me.

Here is proof Buddhasiha is at the Ipswich Buddhist Centre

ipswichbuddhistcentre.org.uk/people.html

A second Buddhist also spoke ill of me in 2015, and falsely alleged harassment, but harassment law states a business cannot be harassed anyway.

This individual (James Belton) did not like the feedback I gave about his business, which also ignored a subject access request (for documents) and the Information Commissioner had to force their compliance with the act.

The subject of the complaint is expanded upon here

ipswichbuddhistcentre.wordpress.com/2016/10/26/ipswich-buddhist-centre-experience/

and concerns cult behaviour, heterosexual discrimation, as well as bad mouthing me behind my back (see screenshots).

This Buddhist Centre and in fact its movement as a whole has a history of sexual and emotional abuse toward those who question it (Google the FWBO files) and in my earlier years, tried threatening to sue me to keep me quiet about serious concerns about interference in peoples sexual relationships – and when that did not work, bad mouthing me later and then denying it.

They also caused me a five figure financial loss because of lost opportunities, which also they showed no interest in being sorry for.

One of the IBC members lied about me and insulted me behind my back and bad mouthed me

The IBC was not interested in correcting their mistake or retracting their claims (which would have involved a simple 10 minute trip to a notary office), which indicates they did lie about me and thus the adverse criticism should stand, because of the potential harm to others.

Anyone attending the IBC, may at first enjoy the meditations, but there is always a danger in the background that if you try and leave the Centre, it becomes cult-like, and that is when the abuse starts.

Such abuse may include sexual discrimination, bad -mouthing you so you cannot get work elsewhere, threatening to sue you, or paying lawyers to bully you into silence.

The meditation in itself is sound, but getting more involved with the Centre or working for the movement is risky to one’s wellbeing. Some of the people in the movement are not honest and are of questionable integrity, something which stems from the sexual abuse issues in the 60’s which still plague the movement today.

For evidence of the wider scandal in the movement see:-

buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2016/09/27/fwbo-triratna-sangharakshita-cases-of-sexual-abuse/

buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2017/02/19/whitewash-dishonesty-culture-of-abuse-in-the-triratna-buddhist-order-tbo/

and a UK press article:-

theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/19/buddhist-sexual-abuse-triratna-dennis-lingwood

The Ipswich Buddhist Centre have been informed of the outstanding complaints and have been given an opportunity to formally apologize. This is posted here also so it is transparent how the complaints are handled, because in the past they have complained to remove reviews (see admission in screenshot) and Rip Off Report do not remove reviews.

I testify that the above is true and accurate, and made under the legal defence of qualified privilege, as well as the defence of making statements to rebut false allegations (of harassment).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/19/buddhist-sexual-abuse-triratna-dennis-lingwood (facts, national UK newspaper, reliable source)

https://thebuddhistcentre.com/news/statement-urgyen-sangharakshita (apology by movement in which the leader a,so clarifies that his apology WAS a confession of wrongdoing)

Here is my experience in detail on a whistleblowing website:-

https://ipswichbuddhistcentre.wordpress.com/2016/10/26/ipswich-buddhist-centre-experience/

https://ipswichbuddhistcentre.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/legal-disclaimers-reporting-abuse-at-the-ipswich-buddhist-centre/

There is also a BBC news report that mentions the movement:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37432719 (an apology is also saught by another abused person)

and another website where the leader (who had confessed to abuse) is mentioned:-

https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2016/09/27/fwbo-triratna-sangharakshita-cases-of-sexual-abuse/

I also mentioned I was bad mouthed behind my back. I was talked about behind my back by Buddhasiha of the Ipswich Buddhist centre (who admits talking to someone about me), wrongly accused of harassment by another member of the movement (James Belton) and they were both subject to a legal confidentiality agreement (where they agreed not to speak ill of me), but they broke it. The screenshots show that talk behind my back (with emails scrubbed out for privacy)

Several subject access requests were made to clarify what was said, and with one part of the movement (Windhorse Trading) the Informatiom Commissioners Office (ICO) had to intervene to force their compliance with the act. They released some documents showing how they had talked about me behind my back and claimed I wrote them threatening letters which is false.

The Ipswich Buddhist Centre were given opportunities to formally apologize but they did not.

For clarity, I was not sexually abused (and instead degraded / emotionally abused, because I was heterosexual and would not give up relationships to give my life to the cult/sect/Order), but did witness members of the Ipswich Buddhist Centre talking about their questionable sexual practices with Sangharakshita, and thus I cannot now be gagged, as I may be a witness to a sexual abuse inquiry, as I know who has vital information about abuse in the past.

Those with serious concerns about the movement should contact the authorities, social services and their legal team, as appropriate. As a Spiritual Master, I can say the movement is NOT bonafide and people are at risk of harm (in my honest and professional opinion as a Spiritual Master), the harm being emotional and in rare cases, sexual abuse, although in the latter, I suspect that does remain in the past, but controlling cult behaviour was prevalent up to 2015 (in my experience).

I testify the above is true and will cooperate in any public inquiry into wrongdoing in the movement.

Spiritual Master