The Reform Conversation Is Already Happening
In the aftermath of multiple high-profile abuse scandals, a growing number of voices within Tibetan Buddhism — practitioners, scholars, senior teachers, and survivors — have articulated a substantive reform agenda. This is not a conversation happening only outside the tradition. Many of the most compelling calls for change come from people with deep commitment to Tibetan Buddhist practice who believe that genuine dharma is best protected, not undermined, by accountability and transparency.
This article surveys the key elements of the reform agenda that has emerged from these discussions.
Governance Reform
The most fundamental structural issue identified across cases of institutional abuse is the concentration of authority in a single individual — the teacher — with no independent oversight. Reform advocates have called for:
- Boards with genuine independence: Governance structures that include members who are not students of the teacher being overseen, with real authority to investigate and act.
- Separation of spiritual and administrative authority: The teacher's role as spiritual guide should not automatically confer authority over an organization's finances, personnel decisions, or governance.
- Financial transparency: Regular, audited financial reporting accessible to community members, covering teacher compensation, organizational expenses, and the use of donations.
Complaint Mechanisms
Effective complaint processes are a prerequisite for any genuine accountability. Existing mechanisms in most Tibetan Buddhist organizations are inadequate because they report up the same chain of authority that produced the problem. Proposed reforms include:
- External reporting options: Relationships with independent bodies — whether religious ombudspersons, ethics councils, or professional services — that can receive and investigate complaints without institutional conflict of interest.
- Non-retaliation protections: Explicit organizational commitments to protect individuals who raise concerns from social ostracism, loss of access to teachings, or other forms of punishment.
- Clear process and timelines: Complainants should know what to expect, what information will be gathered, who will make decisions, and when they will receive a response.
Doctrinal Clarity
Institutional reform cannot succeed if doctrinal frameworks continue to be used to suppress accountability. Reform-minded teachers have called for explicit, public institutional statements clarifying that:
- No teaching within Tibetan Buddhism — including teachings on guru devotion, pure perception, or samaya — overrides the obligation to report and address genuine harm.
- Students have both the right and the responsibility to evaluate teacher conduct and to report concerns without fear of spiritual consequences.
- The category of "crazy wisdom" or unconventional teaching methods does not provide cover for exploitative or violent behavior.
Survivor Support
Reform must also address the needs of those who have already been harmed. This includes:
- Formal acknowledgment by institutions of harm that has occurred
- Material support for survivors' recovery, including access to counseling services
- Public apologies where appropriate, issued by institutions rather than deflected onto the individual conduct of a single actor
The Role of the Wider Network
Individual organizations cannot reform in isolation. The broader network of Tibetan Buddhist teachers, lineage holders, and umbrella organizations has a significant role to play. When teachers with large platforms explicitly refuse to recommend, endorse, or appear alongside teachers facing credible misconduct allegations, the social and financial costs of misconduct increase substantially. When networks establish shared ethical codes with genuine enforcement mechanisms, the accountability landscape changes.
Some steps in this direction have been taken. More remain to be taken. The practitioners, scholars, and survivors who have sustained this conversation deserve acknowledgment — and the structural changes their efforts have made visible.