Addressing the FPMT Family and Board regarding recent events

Foreword To The FPMT Family

Hello dear dharma and childhood friends, cherished sisters and brothers.

First of all, i wanted to let you know that i am absolutely delighted to learn that the reincarnation of Lama Zopa Rimpoche has been confirmed by His Holiness, and that he is in Nepal. This is a wonderful opportunity to rejoice together, and to redouble our efforts for the union of our dear spiritual family, so that the child can be surrounded by love, kindness and compassion and can grow up in the best possible environment to be able to flourish and shine in all dimensions.

I am very happy to read the letter of H.H. the Dalai Lama which is dated March 19th 2025 to the FPMT family. It is such a blessing for all of us, and we are so lucky to be able to receive advice directly from our Guru.

We are fortunate that he has reminded us of the great contribution that Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rimpoche have made to the Dharma, as well as the special bond that has been established between Him and all of us, for so many years. His Holiness wrote in his recent letter to the FPMT: "It is fundamental for all of us to generate the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the aspiration to attain enlightenment to help other sentient beings, as well as the view that things do not exist as they appear."

I am also very happy to know that the FPMT family is reunited in Kopan this week in the CPMT meeting. I send my goodwill with prayers and convey the hope that there will be a lot of improvements implemented in the process. I would have loved so much to be there with you, but unfortunately i was not invited to join the summit in Kopan by the board. Nor was i invited to participate in Lama Zopa Rinpoche's reincarnations search team.

As you know, Lama Zopa Rinpoche recognized me when i was 14 months old, as the tulku of his dearest Guru. As we have an extremely strong connection i would have been so happy that this rare and precious connection between him and me could have somehow been useful in finding the child in Nepal. Either way i am available. My prayers and good wishes go with them.

This is probably a sign that unfortunately the trust has not been fully restored between the FPMT board and myself yet. I very much regret this.

This is why i'm writing this statement to the board publicly today; because when letters are exchanged in private between the board and myself there seems to be a wide gap where things are not addressed properly and there is very little follow up of key points that are important. The board seems to focus only on what is interesting for them at the moment and they tend to ignore the rest indefinitely.

So i believe that it is preferable that people are aware today so that these things can be addressed at the CPMT while it's still happening and everyone is still present and together in Kopan. It's important that there is more transparency in the organization instead of everything happening behind closed doors. This is my contribution for the influence towards an open culture where things can be woven in a more democratic way. Also that people are not totally forgotten, cast aside or condemned to silence, as seems to be the wish of the board right now in my case.

Public Statements

Dear FPMT board members,

I am grateful for your March 31st letter informing me of your intention to talk to me, but only after the CPMT is finished.

Generally, i feel it is very important to explain to you all in detail my perspective on all these recent events, and i sincerely hope that you will be able to understand what i have been going through and how i have been feeling for several months; it is always very beneficial to exchange one's perspective, to be able to understand and move forward together.

Because i feel that there has been a huge injustice, particularly in the way you have spoken about me and dealt with me for the past few months, i have consulted a lawyer. It is the only way i have found to make you understand that i have rights and that you must respect them too, as you should respect every sentient being on this planet. It makes me really sad to have to remind you that respect, compassion and consideration are so important in every circumstance and with everyone, especially inside our dear family.

The first thing that you should be aware of is that the statements that the FPMT board has made about me in writing and orally, constitutes a case of false statements and public defamation. You don't have the right to say whatever you want about me on behalf of the FPMT community without considering the consequences it may have on my life and my son's life.

I'm not mentally unstable or an addict as implied in your statements, and i certainly don't need rehab or forced therapy. As you know, i have been working with a therapist specialized in childhood traumas for several years now, and not only does she confirm that i am completely mentally stable, but also that i am a great father to my son, since i offer him everything that i didn't have the chance to have, and everything that i deeply missed in my own childhood. My sons well-being and emotional stability are of utmost importance to me.

Beside that, the vague public declarations that you've made about my so-called "alarming behavior", "ongoing issues" or "sensitive matters concerning my private life" leave the door open to all kinds of terrible interpretations, which seriously damage my reputation and cause heavy prejudice. People can imagine anything, even the most horrible abuses, which i would obviously be incapable of doing. My Buddhist upbringing and code of conduct instinctively prevents me from harming sentient beings. If i've hurt someone by my words or my attitude, again, i would be glad to review and apologize. But it is really shameful to let people think horrible things about me and to have no faith or trust in what constitutes the very foundation of my existence, let alone writing a tibetan letter to all FPMT Geshes implying that i have criticised Lama Zopa Rimpoche, and that i don't follow his advice and wishes, which is totally unacceptable. This has to be corrected in another letter in tibetan to all the Geshes officially by the board. Thank you.

Complaints

I have also studied with my lawyer the way in which you have dealt with the complaints you have received, and of which i still do not even know all the details yet, even though you have already drawn conclusions publicly. It seems that you have not followed the process that should have been put in place at all, which is quite a big issue for you as board members, and a huge injustice towards me.

The complaints you have collected from individuals are not evidence, legally speaking, as they are only from their point of view and can be biased. You have not listened to me or other people involved. You drew conclusions too fast, without first ensuring the veracity of the facts that have been brought up to you. Why have you forgotten about me in this process? Why not listen to me, or try to really understand what happened with equanimity?

As far as complaints within the FPMT are concerned, you should have heard my side, as well as all the people involved, and resolve the issue through a proper mediation involving all parties concerned. You didn't follow that process at all. This is a big problem for FPMT in general because it means that there is no guarantee for people's basic rights inside a Buddhist foundation. And it can't go on like this in the long run, because it is a major ethical and legal offence and breach.

Private Life

Another important piece of information is that as far as my private life is concerned, you really have to understand that it's not up to the FPMT board to interfere.

Everyone has the right to a private life, you as much as me. You don't have the right to investigate my life and i don't have the right to investigate yours, what you're doing at home, or in your close relationships. Privacy is a fundamental basic right in democracies. And it is also a space that can sometimes be so complex, especially on the relationship level. One cannot understand every aspect and dynamics of it, from scraps collected from the outside.

Basically, according to the law, the FPMT board doesn't have the means and above all the legal power to investigate my private life, nor has any grounds to make public statements about it based on its own biased and subjective conclusions. This could be considered an invasion of privacy.

The only person who can have this right ultimately in our society is a judge, if necessary, after an investigation conducted by the police and legal teams. And it takes years sometimes to get the truth of a situation. And why is that? Precisely because complaints are not considered as truths. Appearances can be deceiving. Everybody can complain about anything. I could complain too. But it must be proven to be true. This is a big difference, and this is exactly what protects citizens against all forms of injustices.

Therapy

The FPMT board has no right to force and coerce me to go to therapy or rehab. It is illegal.

This falls solely into the jurisdiction of a criminal court, after a long legal process. You are therefore going way too far, well beyond what you have the right to say or do according to the law. What would you say if someone forced you to go to therapy, locked up within four walls for an indefinite period of time, because they had randomly decreed that you were "sick", without any medical certificate, or court decision on the matter? It wouldn't make any sense to you either.

Funds

In the March 31st letter you (the board), kindly offered to reinstate the monthly stipend Lama Zopa Rimpoche offered to me indefinitely but with a small difference, you want to now send it to Universal Clear Light (UCL) organisation instead. This is certainly a very positive step towards returning to a beneficial relationship between us. But we still need to discuss all of this, because unfortunately it is not possible to transfer these funds through Universal Clear Light bank accounts as you suggested, for different reasons.

One of these reasons is that any transfer of money from UCL to my personal account would be illegal, due to UCL articles of incorporation. (Article X: Limitations): "No part of the net earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, its directors, officers or other private persons…"

It is obviously impossible for me to relinquish my position as one of UCL's directors and board members in order to receive the funds, since i am an integral part of the organization.

You should also know that cutting off my funds without warning could be examined from a legal point of view as the document signed in this regard gives no conditions or information about the duration of these funds, which were promised to me by Lama Zopa Rimpoche. It is only mentioned that these funds will be reviewed every January, every year.

It is not a salary, it is a long term stipend for my life and my son's life which was decided when Lama Zopa Rimpoche was alive. There is no room for interpretation, nor to impose new conditions. Legally speaking, it is not possible to modify the terms of this commitment after the passing away of Lama Zopa Rimpoche, in an arbitrary way. The oral conditions given by Lama Zopa Rimpoche were, are and always will be respected.

Here we are talking about a commitment between Lama Zopa Rimpoche and myself. So ultimately, we are talking about a commitment between two lineage holders of the organization. How could you even think that you would have the right to interfere in that? It is so disrespectful.

It belongs to me and me alone to honor that commitment and the requests of my Guru, in the same way that it is up to you to fulfill your own commitments. The only structure that exists to "control" so to speak the fulfilment of these commitments is each individual's heart and conscience. Why didn't you think about that aspect? How can you pretend that you know better than me that i don't respect my commitment to my Guru ? Please let me know what happened to your mind in this process.

Since none of the oral conditions given by Lama Zopa Rimpoche have been breached from my side, there is therefore absolutely no reason not to return these funds to me in my own name, as it has always been the case.

The statement that your fiduciary duty is to ensure that all funds donated by your donors are used exclusively for ethical purposes is understandable but disingenuous. Setting the fact apart that the funds received have been used ethically, FPMT should earmark the monthly stipend from a different source of income than donations in order to shield itself from any donor's concerns. FPMT certainly can use unrestricted funds, if it so desires.

My feeling is that now you complicate this process so much that nothing makes sense any more. I remain convinced, as i said in a previous letter, that Lama Zopa Rimpoche would never ever have tolerated what you did to me and my son in this regard, supposedly in following his vision and advice. You didn't even have the decency to ask me if i had enough to live on properly on my own without this stipend. You made very serious decisions about my life and my son's life without even thinking about the consequences just for a tiny moment. How can you possibly believe that this still aligns with an attitude of care, and loving kindness for the entire organization?

Proposals

Now this is what i will suggest for the moment, despite all the disappointment and sadness that you have created in my heart and in the eyes of the people who are watching us, many people don't understand how, as board members of a Buddhist foundation and disciples of Lama Thubten Yeshe, you could just decide to leave me and my son without income without an inch of compassion. And how you could write these horrible things about me publicly without any decency towards me. This attitude creates so many obstacles to the harmony and stability for the future of FPMT.

In order to correct misunderstandings, i am at your disposal for a drug test, and/or a medical certificate proving that although i have childhood traumas, i am not mentally unstable. Besides that, Norbu's psychologist can also confirm that he is emotionally stable and that i am a caring and present father. This is for the sole purpose of correcting the defamatory and false statements you've made about me, and for you to apologize and confirm publicly that i am welcome in any FPMT center including the next and future CPMT meetings.

I really hope to recover the long term donation promised to me by Lama Zopa Rimpoche as soon as possible, including the missing payments this year from January, February, March and April, as well as a decent level of compensation for the deep suffering, stress, anxiety and pain that myself and my 7 year old son have had to endure in the past five months.

Here i must add that this compensation and reparations should also include all the years of suffering and traumas that i went through in my childhood. I need to make peace with my past, and this includes the board taking responsibility for ignoring the innocent child that i was at your disposal and mercy from the age of two, with very few people having any regard for my emotional well-being in general. The board did not protect my childhood, and barely nothing to address the negligence I suffered throughout those years. These powerful traumas, will follow me all my life, even though i have been working with therapists for decades to overcome them as best i can and will continue to do so from my own free will as i wish to be a better person as a whole. I hope this experience can be useful to help others overcome their traumas and hardships.

I hope you will be willing to listen sincerely to my point of view and my legitimate requests.

I can't just stand at a distance and watch you throw so much injustice at my face, especially after everything i've already offered, done and had to endure throughout my life. As the living representative of Lama Thubten Yeshe today i cannot tolerate such a lack of ethics and so much disrespect from your part and do nothing, especially when Lama Zopa Rimpoche is not here as an adult yet to make you understand his vision.

Hopes For The Future Of FPMT

His Holiness mentioned in his letter, that it is appropriate to discuss the future direction of our community. I hope that these recent events will enable FPMT to move forward with greater ethics, accountability and transparency in the years to come, starting with a profound restructuring, of the board.

To me it would be so important to set up a rotation of board members every 4 years, and also a limit of age, maybe 78. I would like younger generations to have their place and their chance at the top of our organization. I also think it would be important to do annual health tests for the board members, to make sure that they all still have all their entire capacities to run this organization as it is required, including mental disabilities such as dementia etc.

Time has come today to totally rethink the functioning FPMT board in a more ethical and compassionate way, and it could be so beneficial for the education of Lama Zopa Rimpoche's tulku. His childhood has to be protected at all costs. I believe that my personal experience when i was a child would be so useful for his education.

I continue to appreciate the board's past support and remain hopeful that we can work together and continue to honor the vision of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

As His Holiness wrote in his recent letter to the FPMT on March 19th 2025: "It is fundamental for all of us to generate the awakening mind of bodhichitta, the aspiration to attain enlightenment to help other sentient beings, as well as the view that things do not exist as they appear."