Viewers Please Note: This is NOT self-styled ‘Rinpoche’, ‘Padma Gonpo’, or Mr. Paul McDowell. This is a photograph of a Lama. Any resemblence is purely coincidental
So, What Does ‘Padma Gonpo’/Paul McDowell Look Like?
Clik the Links to See
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=189205827&albumID=0&imageID=314395
Please note that no Lamas were in any way mistreated or misrepresented in the creation of this posting.
I have requested ‘Padma Gonpo’ (alias Paul McDowell) on a number of occasions, to provide information to corroborate his claims, as being some sort of Tibetan Bon adept. I have made it clear, here, and elsewhere, that this is a critical and speculative enquiry of such claims, that asks questions and seeks to expose the facts. A reasonable objective, and one well in keeping with the principles of free speech, and dissent, that characterises a central role of the Internet. Despite my efforts to communicate, ‘Padma Gonpo’, has maintained a virtual silence, which required me to contact Paul McDowell via his MySpace account.
His response was curious, avoiding yet again any mention of the questions placed before him, it would appear attorneys (seemingly on the basis of stalking) are advising silence, why would that be? Is there some concerns that people may incriminate themselves? Surely the fact that he is seemingly unable to provide a shred of verifiable evidence to support his claims, is more than enough incrimination? He closes with a caution about slandering his ‘organization’ and ‘officers’.
Why the heavy handed threats? Is this a case of ‘the law being the last refuge of the scoundrel’? Why can ‘Padma Gonpo’ not answer the case presented to him?
The self-titled ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’ makes a number of interesting claims regarding his supposed training and recognition, these assert him as having received teaching in the Tibetan Bon tradition, being honoured with a prestigious religious award, performing rituals and teachings inside Tibet. It is an exotic résumé, and for the more impressively minded, seeking some ultimate esoteric truth, such claims may well appear genuine. One imagines ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’ (alias Paul McDowell) is equipped with a certain charm , intelligence, and probably well developed business sense, all of which could contribute towards convincing, the credulous?
The house-of-cards, which would seem to have been assiduously fashioned by this individual, is looking decidedly unstable, just remove one and the edifice collapses. One of the key claims to credibility he makes is that he was ordained as a Lama, by no less than a high ranking Tibetan Nyingma Rinpoche. In an email dated 1st January 2008, his group stated:
“Additionally, due to his strong ties with several of the Nyingma Lamas, and cooperation with the Buddhism in the west, he received Tibetan Nyingma Lamiac Ordination at Urgyen Same Choling, Montignac-Lascaux France during the years 1982 - 1985 at the hand of H.H. Dujom Rinpoche (Rigdzen Nuden Dorje).
Sadly, HH.Dudjom Rinpoche has passed away, the centre however is still open, lead now by HH Shenphen Rinpoche (Dudjom’s son). I contacted Urgyen Samye Choling directly, and thanks to the kindness and support of one of its administrators was able to explore a number of questions about the claim that ’Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’ (alias Paul McDowell) attended the centre, and apparently received ordination as a Lama.
They were rather puzzled by such a claim:
“ To be ordained a monk or to be trained as a Geshe are two different things…. but in the Nyingmapa tradition, that H.H. was head of, we do not have Geshes. We have Khenpos. . In any case there was, and is no training to be Khenpo, here in the West in our tradition. Perhaps he was ordained a monk by H.H. here, but that doesn’t make him qualified for anything in particular, other than to be a Buddhist monk. Being a Buddhist monk doesn’t mean that one is a Lama or a Geshe or a Khenpo”
So even if Padma Gonpo had attended the centre in France, his claim to having received “Tibetan Nyingma Lamiac (sic) Ordination” was being seriously eroded by the centre itself!
Efforts were then made to contact someone who had attended the centre, during the same period, that ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’ claimed to have attended. Thanks to the support of Urgyen Samye Choling, a person who had lived there was asked if they could recall, or identify a Paul McDowell as being at that Monastery. They could not.
The next step was to enquire about records kept at the centre, to document names of attendees and note key events, such as the ordination claimed by ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche‘. The reply was emphatic:
“….there are no records of any kind of this event here at the center. “
Clearly if someone is falsely claiming to be a Nyingma Lama, and asserting they were ordained by a high Tibetan Lama, this would generate concern, particularly to the Monastery itself. As a last line of enquiry the current head of Urgyen Samye Choling, HH Shenphen Rinpoche was approached in New York. If anyone can speak, with final authority on these claims, it is the son of HH Dudjom Rinpoche. I received an email on 2nd February 2008.
“Shenphen Rinpoché said he never remembers HH Dudjom Rinpoché giving a lama ordination here and that usually it is only given to a recognized tulku. The whole thing doesn’t sound right to Him“.
There we have it, according to Urgyen Samye Choling, they do not know either Paul McDowell or ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’
The centre does not perform such ordinations.
There is no record of any such event at the centre.
It is not possible to train as a Khenpos (Geshe) at Urgyen Samye Choling, , let alone train to be a Lama.
An individual who was living at the centre throughout the 1980s was unable to recollect either a Paul McDowell, or Padma Gonpo Rinpoche, as being there.
The current religious head of Urgyen Samye Choling, HH Shenphen Rinpoche, the son of the very Lama who is claimed to have ordained ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’ , is suspicious of these claims, and cannot recall any Lama being ordained there, a procedure reserved in any case for genuine Tulkus.
On the basis of this information it is difficult not to conclude that self-styled ‘Padma Gonpo Rinpoche’s’ claims are a nothing but a cynical fabrication, that seek to exploit a genuine Tibetan tradition, in this case the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism.
As the administrator of the centre noted:
“I’m really sorry that this person is making such claims. I’m sorry for him and for the people that he has gathered around him as students”
The silence continues from ‘Padma Gonpo’ (’PG’), who it would appear is either unable or unwilling to answer the key questions regarding his claims and background. Anyone of normal intelligence would wonder, why it is that an individual claiming to be following an ancient path of self-knowledge and development (that surely embraces, compassion, understanding and tolerance?) exhibits such an evasive, suspicious, and resistant response?
What reactions that have emerged, have largely been from a Mr.Corin White, who like his ‘teacher’ has avoided the central issues, preferring it would appear to indulge in emotional outbursts, characterised by an abusive and insulting tone. Not content with such venom, this dedicated student of meditation and self-knowledge, has embarked upon a crude effort, via a MySpace page, to discredit and misrepresent those who question the exotic claims of his self-titled ‘Rinpoche’.
This matter can of course be resolved in a more mature and civilized fashion, and that rests in the hands of ‘Padma Gonpo’, all that is requested is for that person to supply credible documentation to verify his outlandish account. A number of key questions have been presented to him, can he answer them?
