I have not written about J. Michael Shoemaker AKA Swami Chetanananda lately, because I have been busy.
I have had some interesting sources bring me a lot of new information about him. And I plan to trot this out.
Among the reams of new information I have is more about Liz Bazzani, who might have committed suicide after all.
More on that later.
Funny, when I stopped writing about it, people came out of the woodwork, and I now have a more informed picture of J. Michael Shoemaker and the varying credibility of some of those who have claimed victimization.
I prefer to call him Shoemaker going forward, for his pretense of being a swami does not comport with the standard idea of a swami being a monk who adopts the vows of poverty and chastity.
As I recall, Jessica Becker [above] was the first woman to tell me about Shoemaker, whom she calls Chet.
Jayne Lyons was the second. She told me about her daughter Eva, who became close to the Shoemaker.
From subsequent information, some of it quite recent, I learned that Eva appears to have replaced Natacha as Shoemaker’s ‘beloved goddess,’ and helpmate, even successor in teaching the world. This may have driven Natacha, in a drug-addled state, to attempt suicide by jumping off a bridge.
It is clear that Eva was in the same kind of relationship with her Swami as was Natacha. Following him as both a disciple and as his “submissive” in a BDSM relationship, she began an intense sexual and purportedly tantric teacher-lover interchange.
That relationship included what appears to be consensual BDSM practices, much like Natacha and Shoemaker did for years.
There now seems to be almost no doubt that Shoemaker frequently employed rough BDSM sex practices, along with the use of drugs, as his preferred sexual activity.
He was fairly transparent that this was his preference, although sometimes he would surprise a woman with a quick bold act of physical dominance. As far as I can ascertain from interviews with numerous women, many of them recent, every woman knew that it was BDSM, that it was not monogamous, and that he also said this BDSM practice would benefit her spiritual understanding.
A number of woman are sadder, but wiser.
Some are still enamored with the Swami and say he delivered on his promise; some of these are educated professionals and that BDSM is a method of learning more about oneself and about the ephemerality of the human condition and not entirely merely for the pleasure of the participants in a sexual or recreational practice.
It appears that the reason for Eva’s hospitalization was a night of BDSM sexual practice that included strangulation, or what BDSM practitioners call “breathplay” mixed with being hung in an upside down position, which led to a fall, which led to injuries that required an ambulance and hospitalization.
The reason charges were not lodged, apparently, is that it was ostensibly consensual. Like Natacha after her jump, Eva attempted to return to the Swami after her fall, but her mother fiercely intervened and in time extricated Eva.
Natacha’s mother also tried to extricate her daughter, who would have none of it at first- her mother going to the length of relocating near Shoemaker’s mansion called an ahsram, or “The Movement Center,” knowing that this Swami, her daughter’s much-older boyfriend and teacher, was leading Natacha down a grim path, one that was not healthy for her adult daughter. A mother’s intuition shouldn’t be easily discounted.
Natacha preferred her own path, and the result was not, it seems, at all good for her though who knows what growth might come from it, or already has come, in the internal being of this sensitive soul?
But at the time, she broke from her mother and sister, and, as others were rising stars in the eye of her lover, she, dejected, quite possibly deeply jealous, and addlepated by constant use of drugs, a choice she made with her swami’s encouragement, made an ill-fated trip to a bridge.
There are others who have had varied experiences, and it seems the kind of BDSM Shoemaker practices has, because it’s rough and physically demanding, has aspects, obviously, that include inherently imminent physical danger.
Some women told me they benefited from it even if they would not return for more. Many are conflicted. Time has changed the viewpoint of some.
There are many stories to tell, and a deep part of this study may lie in Shoemaker’s despair about his inadequacies and resentment toward women. Interwoven in this is the question of shared responsibility for what befalls women who agree to participate, and later regret it.
How much is she responsible for her adult decisions?
Where is the line of coercive control, brainwashing or even rape drawn against the stark opposition of factors such as adult and verbally expressed consent, respect for a woman’s cognizance, and her ability, presumed (or capriciously not presumed) in law and hoped for in fact, to cognize her own participation as an adult in her own quest in life, even if that be found solely in her own, conscious, freedom-loving choice to follow a man as a teacher or lover or both down a potentially danger-laden path, consensually, knowingly, willingly – knowing there are risks she alone must accept and bear, and not impossible impractical consent for it lacks of the ability to consent as a perpetual infant called female, and that that consent, even to the bizarre and eccentric, frightening, terror-ridden and physically dangerous, in the name of sex or religion, is just as much hers to trod as it is indisputably a man’s, and that this, nevertheless, must be construed as adult consent and a protected freedom, and that later regret does not permit retroactive withdrawal of consent – as if one is incapable of consent for she is woman, for to permit that is to invalidate the law that woman is legally capable of consent as much as she is capable of voting or working or aborting the fruit of her conception.
The women in NXIVM were able to retroactively withdraw consent because and only because Keith Raniere had palpable blackmail material held on them. In the eyes of a jury, consent was invalidated. Otherwise, the activities of he and the women of DOS were legal, even the branding.
The brand of Keith Raniere on his slaves was not found illegal.
Just as there are minimum ages of consent, there is a presumption in law that a woman who has passed this age can consent to sex, even BDSM, unless there is coercion, or some species of blatant fraud. We run into slippery territory when we say Shoemaker is a fraud as a spiritual teacher, hence a criminal, because it is not the role of American government to determine what is true or is fraud in the domain of religion, or such as threats of hell, of rewarding God or gods or goddesses or variations on a theme called life after death are capable of government intervention and bureaucratic fiat as to which is true and what is fraud. You can’t license yoga or patent or copyright it.
Which brings me back to Jessica Becker.
In our next post, Becker, the first to speak out, wants to be heard again. She has a statement.
Stay tuned.
[…] Back to the Swami Chetananda, Who Will Henceforward be Called J. Michael Shoemaker […]
Is Shoemaker still connected to The Movement Center and on-site?
What did Rudi’s spiritual cannibalism actually refer to? The teacher takes advantage of the student, and the student takes advantage of the teacher? Is that what he meant by that? Well, time has shown, that whatever he did mean does not work.
Not only that, there is a dishonesty embedded in it. As, everyone finds out, sooner or later.
Shoemaker uses everyone.
Sadhvi claims that sex with Swami was consensual.
Not true in all cases. Take a lie detector test.
These titles: Sadhvi; Swami: these people no longer can claim to be part of the lineage of Nityananda. They are a disgrace. They have no right to claim any lineage! Denounce them. Turn your backs and walk away from them. These demons can go straight back to hell.
Try using your knowledge and skill of Chod on THEM.
Let’s get this over with then…
Frank–when is the next article coming out? You aren’t done with this asshole yet, are you?
I have something from Jessica Becker, who asked me to publish something.
What would we trust her? She told her stories in full details about the abuses she experienced, and then retracted all of it and said she lied because she was jealous that she want invited to live with Michael in Goldbeach. She flipped like a crazy person. She is unstable and has proven herself to be an unreliable witness. Unless she fesses up and tells her real truth, and admits to what really made her change her tune, we aren’t interested.
I’m interested in what she has to say! Her voice matters even though her words are to be examined:
Shoemaker confided all soRts of weird dirty secrets to Miss Becker during their binges- let’s see it Frank!
Michelle is being watched
Theresa, we are watching you. Sadhvi we are watching you. Moni and Jen, peek a boo. We see you.
Karma is a bitch. Karma will come back on you. All of you.
Not only is Shoemaker a bully/orge, but he is a coward as well. He abused women, and made up lies about what really happened. Victims were blamed. The cult “machine” did it’s thing to marginalize these people. That makes Shoemaker a certified coward.
Frank: look into Krystyn Wong.
Why did the worst come out in everyone?
Especially those who are closest to Swami.
Huh?
Why?
Vanessa Allen was thrown under the bus.
Frank- research this
I have been looking at this.
Her Mother’s name is Jherri Allen
Unconditional love turned out have lots of strings attached.
Which means it wasnt unconditional after all.
Nice idea wasn’t it?
Shoemaker is a phony
“Eva appears to have replaced Natacha as Shoemaker’s ‘beloved goddess,’ and helpmate, even successor in teaching the world.”
Gimme a break.
We all saw the texts between her and Shoemaker after Eva’s mother’s visit. It was like a child-parent relationship. This is what he does to his “lovers” as you call them. Women are infantalized by him. It is more akin to a pedophile than any kind of consensual affair. He’s disgusting.
Excellent post.
I think the swami is an asshole. It’s not a violation of law to be an asshole.
Cults can’t be prohibited by law because fortunately we have freedom of religion, of association, and of speech in this country. So people need to exercise a little common sense and look out for their own interests. Which means if some clown wearing an orange bedsheet and sandals tries to sell you some bullshit about “enlightenment”, tell him this is Portland not freakin’ Tibet, the ‘60s are over and keep walkin’.
Reply to Aristotle’s Sausage, 2-7-2023 and a message for Frank
It is not that cults are illegal, it is the behavior of the members of the cult, especially the leaders, what they do, that is what is illegal. Their criminal acts are what law enforcement focuses on. The Raniere case has opened the door to going after illegal activities within cultic systems of abuse. When cult members engage in criminal activities religion will not protect them, look at Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, money will not protect them, ask Frank about the Bronfman money. Frank worked with Catherine Oxenberg to produce the “evidence packet” that was given to the New York Attorney General’s office. Catherine Oxenberg wrote that Frank Parlato had aggregated piles of evidence over the years after countless victims had reached out to him…..”He was like a fire-breathing dragon sitting on his mountain of loot”, that is how Catherine described him.
The criminal complaint that Frank helped develop against Keith Raniere asserted that Keith, along “with others, did knowingly and intentionally conspire to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit persons…..knowing that means of force, threats of force, fraud and coercion…..used to cause such persons to engage in one of more commercial sex acts…..” in this context the engagement in the commercial sex act was in exchange for something of value, Raniere promised personal growth, Shoemaker promised “spiritual enlightenment”.
Frank, I am glad you are not giving up on getting information about the abuses of Shoemaker. Please continue putting it out there so others are aware of his criminal behavior and can also comment on what they read. Please, if you have a “mountain of loot” like Catherine wrote about what you collected on Raniere, if you have this same “mountain of loot” on Shoemaker, please continue to work to bring him to justice. We need an “evidence packet” like you and Cathreine put together and your “mountain of loot” is the framework to build on.
Rape is a violation of the law.
How much did the Swami pay you?
How much do you think?
He’s using his position of power to exploit the trust of those looking for guidance. He’s protected as he’s not a licensed therapist— where there are ethical lines that shouldn’t be crossed (of course they cross them anyway)- but there is no oversight of Michael shoemaker. No rules, laws or accountability. It’s an anything goes construct, where he preys upon the weak and manipulates others for his personal benefit.
Kind of like hanging with the wrong crowd and taking the fall for the actions of the stronger, smarter leaders.
But no crime.
WHAT!!
Shoemaker barely follows the laws in the United States; this monster spends half his year (for 50 years) traveling across Nepal, India, Tibet, and more! He goes to places where children can be bought and sold for their rituals. The tradition of a “Kumari Goddess” is nothing more than a way for these sick fux to traffic, enslave and sexually abuse young girls. The girls who are chosen as a Kumari Goddess are between the ages of 5 and 17. They are “chosen” and taken from their families and put into the house of the Guru. Shoemaker proudly poses in a picture he entitled “my Kumari goddess”. I saw a commenter once say the child simply looks bored during this fire ritual they were participating in. She looks drugged to me. And the corresponding pictures of Shoemaker from that night show his eyes to be that of a highly intoxicated or deranged person.
I want to know as much as possible about Shoemaker’s trips to Asia. I have heard all sorts of stories but who knows what is true? If you want to share the truth, I am all ears.
This monster should be on House Arrest.
Nepal stories, share what you have heard. I want to know why was Anna Howe at the Gold Beach mansion visiting Shoemaker and Theresa and Salmon? She is working for a child welfare organization as a fund raiser.
Next Generation Nepal. If she did her due diligence, she would see Frank’s articles, does she really want to get a donation from a conman, a serial rapist, an extortionist? Would Shoemaker give anyone money that did not benefit him in some way?
Anna works with vulnerable children, Theresa and Salmon sell carpets from Nepal. There is child labor exploitation in this business. What is and has gone on with this association? There are rumors of abuse at the hands of Shoemaker of his young Western devotees who would travel to Nepal to be his “students”. Who can speak to this? Who was harmed? Who was raped, who was conned?
Frank- you said you have new information on Swami. This story is rehashed TV dinner stuff. Let’s hear the new material. And , no Jessica Becker and Ruth Graham are not credible sources. Sorry. But they are not.
Corruption, consent in Albany, what Catherine Oxenberg found out
“I came across so much of what looked like cover-ups of Nxivm’s criminal activities, if these stories are accurate, this organization has been blatantly breaking the law for years, decades, and no one in law enforcement has done anything about it and gone after them. I read about officials and politicians being paid off or compromised in some way. It is possible, Anne, (Catherine Oxenberg’s lawyer) that what I read was really true, or is it too far-fetcher?”
Anne chuckled. “Oh Albany is famously corrupt!”
“We didn’t get anywhere with law enforcement there when I told them about the branding and the sex slaves. All I heard was the everyone was a consenting adult. That can’t be right” taken from Catherine Oxenberg’s book, “Captive: A Mother’s Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult.”
“Cult leaders and their henchmen/women, the people who run the cult, use deception and misrepresent their motivation and goals. They extract secrets about you, they expose your vulnerabilities. Their ulterior goal is to exploit you. Destructive cults are well-oiled machines. Your daughter never stood a chance. It doesn’t mean she’s weak, defective, malleable or stupid… Everything that cults do is calculated, it’s all a trap……No one who’s brainwashed thinks they are, the term brainwashing is really describing a synthesis of coercive persuasion and influence techniques used to gain undue influence over people. The way you recognize undue influence is you will see people acting against their own best interest but consistently acting in the best interest of a person who has undue influence over them.”
Rick Ross quoted in Catherine Oxenberg’s book, “Captive: a Mother’s Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult.
Understanding concepts like brainwashing, spiritual abuse, thought reform, and coercive control may not happen until after you leave the cult. Indoctrination, exposure to coercive control and adherence to undue influence leaves scars and can leave you wondering how you ever believed or acted in accordance with the demands of the cult leader and the group.
This article’s tone is hard to read, and I hope you’re playing devil’s advocate tinged with anger at the documentary producers rather than actually believing it. Yes, these are some “facts,” but they are such a surface level presentation of complexities that are not being addressed. As students we were all groomed to be obedient and subservient. It occurred over years. As his “lovers” (as you call them) this is magnified exponentially. “Lovers” is such a misdirection btw. It implies a relationship of equals. There was no such relationship here. It was the misappropriating of proffered submission to a Guru-disciple principle for spiritual growth and twisting it into his sick Master-sex slave perversion. This is not consent. It’s bait and switch. Manipulating his female students for vanilla sex that actually leads nowhere is bad enough. But what he did is so vile, I’m sure many have never even spoken some of it to anyone. Once involved in something like this, it’s very difficult to see your way out. And it’s not ‘retroactive withdrawal of consent,’ it’s finally waking up to the reality of what happened to you.
Maybe, as you say, some women enjoyed it and wanted it, believe it helped them spiritually. I did not and those I’ve spoken to did not. As far as I know, only Monica has spoken publicly about how wonderful it is for her, and Jen allegedly told “Jim” how great it was to get gang banged as presented in one of the early stories on FR. I have my own opinions about the mental stability of those two individuals and most do.
I second every single word of this comment.
And, the main idea pushed is, “I am doing all this “stuff” to destroy your ego, to set you free (ie for your benefit).”. Sorry, but a broken person is not free. A physical trainer doesn’t break the muscles of the athlete to make him/her stronger. A psychiatrist doesn’t traumatize the patient to free them from their psychosis to make them a healthy minded person. A doctor does not kill their patient to cure them. When the mind and body are healthy and balanced… needing nothing… obsessed about nothing, one can see beyond the concerns of both. Torturing the mind and body of a student is just a game for someone who craves power and is bored with life. If I’m wrong… please list the names of all those enlightened students who have gone on to greatness.
If we willingly enter into a poker game for cash… you might say it is a consensual affair. But later if it is shown that the other person cheated… they cannot just say… “Well, you are an adult… You agreed to it.” Shoemaker is not an honest person. One only needs to look at him and his behavior to know (objectively) that he is not a realized person, as he is a slave to his own addictions. So a troubled addict cannot free another person since they are not free themselves. The cardplayer believed the game was honest. It was not… and no one agreed to be cheated.
Amen.
Precisely this. Also, the game was poker when started and through deception, became something else entirely.
I attended a satsang in London when a well known guru came for a visit. His practise is Hindu in origin, but he had stretched it to the point it no longer resembled real Hinduism. He was in his seventies but was surrounded, and I mean SURROUNDED by girls under the age of 25 years old. I’m much older, but I stood in line to meet him. As he extended his hand to me, a girl knocked it away, and shoved me roughly, I almost fell off the podium, it was a four foot drop, not high, but I wasn’t prepared for it. He took two steps towards me and grabbed my arms preventing my backwards fall. He hugged me tight and told me he loved me. I looked over his shoulders at the girl who had pushed me, and to be honest, I wanted to punch her in the face. It was an awful moment.
I immediately cancelled my plans to spend time in his facility in Portugal. And avoid him and his followers ever since. There have been two suicides linked to the cult, and he only appeals to very young women. He has been highlighted in Guru Watch. He was criticised for allowing deity like behavioural problems, touching the feet, and allowing people to worship him like a God, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was wasn’t in receipt to plenty of ‘tail’. He is married, or was then to a very young girl. His name is Mooji.
Yes, he also became a charlatan monster.
There are so many complicated influences that create cultic thinking and cause people to slip away from reality and into a world of dreaming they are on a special mission for God. Brainwashed people deny they are brainwashed. They argue that they are free, happy, and acting of their own free will. Victims of trafficking often say the same thing; they often do not even identify themselves as trafficking victims at first. Only after waves of painful realizations, some distance, and some healing do people begin to realize how badly they have been harmed while being exploited for the benefit of someone else. And you know that special mission for God that they sacrificed so much for to help prepare humanity for the end of the world? It was all in vain. That realization creates an agony so deep it hurts like a death. The grieving can be incomprehensible.
Eventually, some will realize that they were victims of a cunning predator all along. They will remember all the warning signs, contradictions, failed prophecies, and doubts that they dismissed. The heartbreaking choices they made, like giving up their dreams or families or finding themselves in jail, were not choices they ever would have made if that master deceiver and manipulator had never come into their life. Their critical thinking and free will was hijacked to benefit the cult leader. The cult leader benefits with more sex, money, and power at the expense of the followers. This is a pattern.
Vocies for Dignity
His birth name is Joseph Michael Shoemaker (j.michael shoemaker)
The Church of Divine Dirty Business.
Ever heard of it?
Does anyone here NOT know that?
A few might not, new readers all the time.
Swami Chetanananda is fabulous. No one wants anything to do with Michael Shoemaker.
Jessica Becker?
Is she out of rehab again?
Sadhvi-how do you feel knowing that Eva’s Mother, and Natasha’s Mother were so deeply upset by the way their Daughter’ s were treated by this monster that they spoke out (and acted out) against your Swami? You witch. You wouldn’t know, since you like dogs better than you like people.
What the fuck kind of a person are you? You call yourself a spiritual person. You are no different than the catholics who talk Jesus, and fuck altar boys. You just wear orange instead of black.
Fuck you, and go to hell. Your Swami Guru deserves to go to jail for abusing his spiritual position, and then denying it. Apologize to everyone all of you. You have my permission.
Swami told women that sex with the guru would advance their cause spiritually. This is the oldest trick in the book, and represents a complete abuse of position and power.
There is zero evidence that his idea actually works. Those who had sex with him were left worse off, not better
He was ducking with Natasha’s body, mind and spirit, and she jumped off a bridge to get his attention.
Then, he took credit for her recovery.
What a guy!
Throw him in jail where he belongs.
Michael Shoemaker
So the Swami is associated with Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University and the late Sex Doctor Alfred Charles Kinsey.
Who else is associated with Bloomington, Indiana?
The Dalai Llama and his older brother.
The same Dalai Llama who played footsie with Keith Raniere and the NXIVM harem.
There is a strong tie between Buddhism and these twisted American sex cults.
MONASTERIES AND MONKS THAT MADE THEIR HOME IN THIS COLLEGE TOWN
One of the best things about Bloomington is the diversity of people who come here, and the reasons why. It might surprise visitors to know that two of the largest Buddhist centers in the Midwest are right here in Bloomington. Tucked away in heavy woods that act as a buffer from the outside world, the spiritual centers are places where people can marvel or meditate, or both. These centers are part of the fabric that makes this community so colorful, and offer visitors a unique and unexpected experience.
You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to explore these quiet and sacred monasteries. Their brightly colored temples, altars with gilded Buddha statues, and peaceful grounds are open to the public. Both centers welcome visitors of all faiths who are looking for a cultural experience or simply a few tranquil moments.
The longstanding Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center is on the southeast side of Bloomington, and the newer Gaden KhachoeShing monastery is on Bloomington’s north side. Both monasteries have four resident monks who chant and pray daily in the temples.
Both centers were established to preserve Buddhism in Western culture and both are rooted in the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism, but their practices veer from there – the two are not affiliated. Here’s what to expect when visiting these Bloomington landmarks.
At the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, a winding drive seems to offer something new at every turn: monuments, the temple, a prayer-wheel pavilion, a pond with lotus flowers, and cottages for rent. Set back on a heavily wooded 108 acres – just 10 acres of which are developed – the center hosts individual visitors looking for meditation as well as large events, including a handful of visits from the Dalai Lama (he even has a private apartment at the Center for those visits).
The Center was founded in the 1970s by the late Thubten Jigme Norbu, the eldest brother of the 14th Dalai Lama and a professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University. Today, the Center’s director is Arjia Rinpoche, who fled Tibet and wrote a memoir about it called “Surviving the Dragon.” Rinpoche was recognized as a reincarnate lama when he was two years old and he was tapped by the Dalai Lama to become the director in 2005.
The center promotes diversity and interfaith prayer, which is why a Bible and Koran are on display in the temple, says Chenli Reije, the Center’s manager and nephew of the Center’s director. Yoga, meditation classes, and Sunday morning prayer are some of the ways the Center engages the community.
Reije says he hopes that visitors enjoy seeing a different perspective at the Center.
“In Buddhism, one of the main teachings is not having attachment. Life is impermanent,” Reije says. “[People] usually look for guidance from Buddhist teachings to break their rituals and look at the bigger picture. For visitors, we just want them to be able to see something different.”
Past the temple, visitors will find a lotus pond, cottages nestled in the woods, and an outdoor teaching pavilion, which was used by the Dalai Lama on his visits to the Center. The renovated cottages resemble traditional Mongolian yurts but with the comforts of home. They have air conditioning and heating, electricity, plumbing, and kitchenettes, and go for around $100 a night. They’re often rented out for spiritual retreats, but they also fill up on busy weekends in Bloomington as an alternative to a hotel, Reije says.
Also on the grounds are two tall, striking monuments known as stupas, whose simplified shapes are said to represent Buddha. There’s also a structure that houses a prayer wheel – giving it a spin clockwise is the equivalent of saying hundreds of thousands of prayers at once. There’s even a gift shop in the community building, which offers Tibetan items including necklaces, slippers, and books.
In addition to retreats and classes, the Center hosts celebrations for Buddha’s birthday in the spring, the Dalai Lama’s birthday in the summer, and the Tibetan new year in late winter or early spring.
Meanwhile, at Gaden KhachoeShing monastery, about seven miles north of downtown Bloomington, the temple features a grand, gilded 32-foot-tall statue, one of the largest anywhere outside of Tibet, says Jamyang Lama, a resident monk and co-founder of the monastery.
The temple may be new – it opened in fall 2014 – but the monastery was founded in Bloomington in 1996 in a different location. Set on 128 acres in the woods and at the end of an unpaved road, Gaden KhachoeShing feels remote. A clearing gives way to a large three-story building that houses the temple, living space for the monks, and a large dining hall and kitchen used for retreats and celebrations. Annual events include the Tibetan New Year and Taste of Tibet, a feast of traditional foods like momos (dumplings) and teas.
Many features of the temple were imported from Nepal, Lama says, including the ornate doorknobs on the entrance and the three gilded statues on the altar that represent past, present, and future Buddhas. The space is made incredibly vibrant by colorful tapestries and paintings, brightened with natural light.
The temple is used daily by the resident monks, but also for retreats, classes, and gatherings for visiting teachers from around the world. “Coming here is a spiritual destination,” Jamyang Lama says. “It is a place where people can be contemplative and ultimately inspired to become a Buddha.”
The center welcomes people of all faiths to talk with monks and students, or simply to practice silence, he says. “Some just want to come here to gain some peace in their mind,” Lama says. “We are here for everyone.”
The temple was built with eco-friendly features like LED lighting, low-flow faucets, and rainwater harvesting.
IF YOU GO
Both centers welcome visitors of all faiths. Gaden KhachoeShing asks that visitors call ahead; the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center is open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and large groups should call ahead.
A few pointers on etiquette at the temples: Take off your shoes and place them in the cubbies/racks provided before entering – shoes are removed to keep the spiritual space clean and to symbolically leave negative thoughts behind. Don’t touch statues, tapestries, or paintings. It’s absolutely okay to take pictures, talk with the monks, and ask questions.
“You don’t have to be a Buddhist to come here and talk to one of our monks,” says Reije, “We are everyday people.”
Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center
3655 Snoddy Road
Bloomington, IN 47401
812-336-6807
Gaden KhachoeShing
2150 E. Dolan Road
Bloomington, IN 47408
812-334-3456
Didn’t Allison Pimp Mack travel all the way to Mongolia to visit a Buddhist Temple?
All she had to do was visit Bloomington, Indiana.
https://www.visitbloomington.com/make-a-plan/virtual-visitors-guide/buddhists-in-bloomington/
Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight ended up coaching in Lubbock Texas at Texas Tech.
Say could you send me the link to a decent Airbnb? Thanks for the tourism info.
“There is a strong tie between Buddhism and these twisted American sex cults.”
Hilarious. Buddhism has about as much to do with Keith Raniere as Christianity has with Adolf Hitler.
Before I even read this post I’m stopping to say Thank You. The greedy rat bastard is nothing but a POS. Never has been, never will be a swami. Just a slimy jerk in an orange dress.
Oh boy. I’ve gotta get a cup of coffee and get comfortable to enjoy this.
I have SO missed your M.O.!
This is exciting.
And just so all y’all know, the gathering of facts IS ongoing.
Even while Frank was busy with other things.
Great reporting Frank! I am happy to hear others are coming forward in an open and honest manner!
Considering Shoemaker’s exploitation, Raniere’s exploitation and Nusbaum’s exploitation, do we know which is worst?