In only four days, the campaign to get signatures for the petition "Dharma Teachers: Please Retract Your Homages to Sogyal" has been a meaningful success. So far we have 376 signatures on the petition, and there is no doubt that will have an impact on the lamas who authored the insensitive, insincere and distasteful eulogies to Sogyal. And we can do better! Over 4,792 have seen the petition, so ten times as many people have viewed the petition as have signed it. The petition has been shared 176 times, so that means only around half as many of the people who signed it took the further step to share it on social media or via email with their Dharma friends. If you can share this petition with just a few more friends, we can make a real impact. Here's the link to cut and paste into any email or social media: http://chng.it/KgWVMwfh
We have received a lot of great comments, too, of which I copy just three to inspire you:
- It is well past time for dharma teachers to stand up rather than tow the party line on never saying anything against fellow dharma teachers who have caused irrevocable harm to many. Stop perpetuating the fantasy that these people were treasures to the dharma.
- By overlooking and ignoring abuses by so-called “Dharma” teachers, by not holding those guilty accountable for their harmful actions, we do real damage to the integrity and continuation of the Dharma.
- Unconscionable hypocrisy! Period!
With just a little more effort, you can help to raise the dignity of the Dharma, and educate the Vajrayana community in how we can take group action to make our practice community into a truly compassionate, decent Sangha.
Yours in gratitude for speaking truth to power,
Charles Carreon