An announcement is made: The Dalai Lama is coming for four days to work with Keith Raniere to create a new ethical movement. It is to culminate with a giant lecture in front of 17,000 people at the Times Union Center.
Raniere is to be paired with the Dalai Lama; two compassionate teachers.
He will be seen by a quarter of the people who live in the Capitol Region: Raniere vindicated by the Dalai Lama,
Instead it backfires.
The press goes wild at the thought that the Dalai Lama would associate with a creepy Cult leader Raniere.
Bad press.
The Dalai Lama cancels the four day event. More bad press.
Somehow he is persuaded to change his mind. More and more bad press as allegations surface that the Bronfmans bought him off.
He finally comes to Albany but not for the four-day event originally planned but for a single afternoon lecture [which does not even sell out the smaller 2800 seat theater).
Onstage the Dalai Lama and Raniere do not appear together and make no statements about Raniere’s concepts.
There is no endorsement of Raniere.
Raniere only appears for a brief moment onstage when the Dalai Lama gives Raniere a white Katak scarf, a traditional Tibetan gift, which, in his culture, symbolizes the pure heart of the giver, not the pure heart of the person receiving the gift.
The Dalai Lama also gave a Katak scarf to the Bronfmans, the Albany mayor and a Catholic prelate, the latter three sitting silently onstage with the Dalai Lama as he gave his talk.
During the talk the Dalai Lama does not endorse Raniere or mention him by name. He does discuss briefly the controversy with Raniere/NXIVM and tells the audience that the press should investigate all such controversies thoroughly.
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