How to deal with a monk who's reputation is tarnished by a sexual scandal?

I was very excited to listen to the following monk on his Dhamma talk about depression.
Then I further search for his talk and bump into a sex scandal about him.
Now I do not how to take it.

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=49,10104,0,0,1,0#.WlE7C9-WbV8

If the teaching was beneficial and in accordance with Dhamma then love the teaching not the teacher. The teaching was that of the Buddha. There are monks who I strongly disagree with on certain issues but have benefited from their talks and essays. This is how I approach them.

I haven’t googled the nature of scandal or even looked who this monk is. Obviously the nature of the scandal would have an effect for me. If it crosses the line of kammesu micchacara, then I would probably get my Dhamma elsewhere!

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Lama Choedak is not a monk. He is a Lama and Rinpoche but is not ordained as a monk.

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Thanks.
Why is he dressed like that?

I assume this is the kind of clothes that Rinpoches or lamas are allowed to wear in teaching. Alan Wallace wears a kind of robe when he teaches and is married.

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I do not think this is a good practice.

But anyway will continue the discussion.
I had this problem when my village monk disrobes for a woman.
Some people verbally abused him on the road after this incident.

Indeed. He has been a friend of mine, so this is all very disappointing. :pensive:

But the scandal is true, and in fact is underrepresented in the linked article. While married, he maintained multiple affairs with different women in different cities, who he seduced in his guise as a teacher. The “apology” referred to in the linked article was half-hearted and forced.


As to the main question, once a spiritual teacher’s conduct has been tarnished in such a serious way, I can’t take them seriously.

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I agree with you Bhante in principle.
What if a man who drink alcohol and smoke advise me to refrain from consuming alcohol and smoking?

One thing to consider is that the quality of a statement is a different thing from the quality of the speaker.

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