The Dalai Lama and the NXIVM cult

The Dalai Lama & Keith Reniere, 2009

Contents

Prologue
A series of unfortunate events
Conned & compromised
Chronology
People & titles
References

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1. Prologue

The present writer has been a supporter of the 14th Dalai Lama His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, and the Free Tibet movement, since the year 2000. However, that support is not a blind, cultish idolatry; it is an ever-evolving critical assessment of the teachings and actions of His Holiness and those of Tibetan Buddhism, alongside opposition to China's efforts at cultural genocide in Tibet - a country they invaded in 1949. When asked who he is, the self-effacing response of His Holiness has invariably been: I am a simple monk. Like every individual on this planet, the current incarnation of the Dalai Lama is very human and not without faults and failings. He is, for example, hated by some, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and adherents to the cultish New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). In addition, his reputation has been sullied on occasion, as in the instance of the one-off association with the US-based Keith Reniere NXIVM (nexium) cult as described below. However, the Dalai Lama's consistent striving for world peace, Tibetan freedom, and individual compassion remains a shining light for all those who care to look in that direction. Therefore, in the interest of what His Holiness himself stated back in 2009 at a NXIVM-related event, the following article attempts to ....make clear all these [NXIVM] allegations - truthfully, honestly, openly, transparently (His Holiness 2009). In doing so, it once again reveals Tenzin Gyatso's humanity and difficult role as a spiritual leader and public figure on a world stage in which the worst of the worst (e.g. CCP & NXIVM) often hold sway.

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2. A series of unfortunate events

On 6 May 2009 His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama delivered a teaching on Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times at the inaugural World Ethical Foundation Consortium conference in Albany, New York. In the audience was Keith Reniere (b.1960), leader, and co-founder with Nancy Salzman, of NXIVM, a self-help commercial operation famous for its celebrity clients and highly innovative Executive Success Programs (ESP), but which saw its demise as a result of the transformation into an abusive sex cult. The appearance was organised on Reniere's behalf by wealthy Seagram alcoholic beverages heiresses Clare Bronfman (b.1979) and Sara Bronfman (b.1976). A book of Reniere's teachings was published in April 2019 with a 300 word forward by the Dalai Lama - likely also edited by Raniere - which appeared to be an amended abstract of the forthcoming talk on compassion and ethics (Reniere 2019, Parlato 2021). The Dalai Lama's senior American representative, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, supported the event and was a friend of NXIVM at the time, corrupted by Reniere's manipulative agenda. Arising out of the appearance, the US-based Dalia Lama Trust received a substantial donation of $2 million from the Bronfmans (Parlato 2018). Was this a sell-out, a bad decision on the part of His Holiness, implicit support for a charlatan, an abandonment of core Buddhist principles? The following article attempts to address these questions.

One of the aims of the 2009 Albany event was clearly to provide legitimacy to Reniere and his teachings, which at the time were coming under increasing scrutiny due to allegations of cultish and abusive behaviour. In hindsight it appears to have achieved that. Reniere denied all the accusations during a visit to Dharamsala and meeting with His Holiness just prior to the conference. However, a decade later the truth was revealed in all its horrific detail. On 26 March 2018 Reniere was arrested in Mexico by the FBI, and in June 2019 found guilty on charges of sex trafficking, forced labour, racketeering and wire fraud. NXIVM was clearly a cult, and Reniere its "Master." He was sentenced to 120 years in gaol. Five of his associates also faced the courts.

Since its formation in 1998 NXIVM had proven itself highly successful in the rollout of the ESP self-improvement programs, with some 17,000 participants prior to its downfall two decades later. However, this success on an international scale masked the transition to cult status involving slavish adherence to the misogynistic and masochistic demands of Reniere. Allegations against NXIVM had first come to prominence during 2004 when cult expert Rick Ross published excerpts from their training manuals. The subsequent NXIVM Corp. v. Ross Cult Education Institute court case, brought by Reniere, found the use of the material for critique was transformative and therefore fair use. Whilst it then took more than a decade to bring Reniere to justice and fully reveal the horrific sex cult and other horrendous aspects of NXIVM, the intermediate 2009 episode with His Holiness rightly generated public criticism at the time. This came not only from local media such as the Albany Times Union newspaper, but also from within his American support community and senior advisors such as Robert Thurman, father of actress Uma Thurman.

As a result of the allegations being brought to the attention of His Holiness after he having agreed to attend the Albany event, a decision was made to cancel that agreement. This was despite the promise of a $1 million donation to the Dalai Lama Trust to assist in promoting the cause of Tibet in the United States. However, a subsequent visit to Dharamsala by Reniere and senior NXIVM management caused His Holiness to put the Albany visit back on the agenda. He appears to have been swayed, in part, by Reniere's personal pleading and rebuttal of all allegations. During the second visit to Dharamsala there was also apparently an offer made to double the donation. Aspects of this second visit are revealed in the following video, made at the time by a member of NXIVM.

How the Dalia Lama got conned by the NXIVM leader Keith Reniere, Matt Bywater, 19 June 2023, YouTube, duration: 3.06 minutes.

Arising out of all this, during the Dalai Lama's Albany teaching on 6 May 2009, he made a statement somewhat critical of Reniere and NXIVM, along with outlining the basic elements of the process involved in the reversal of the decision to speak. This decision, unfortunate as it was at the time, and even more so in hindsight, implied a level of support for what would prove to be a dangerous cult. The relevant section of the teaching is included in the following video.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama explains the decision to go to Albany, New York, on 6 May 2009, YouTube, duration: 6.35 minutes.

The following is an edited transcript of the section of the Dalai Lama's Albany teaching which concerns NXIVM and his thoughts at the time, based on the information he had received to date:

Transcript: Dalai Lama (DL): Firstly, I received an invitation that, in principle, I accepted. Then I received [a] request that I should not go there because this is controversial [due to] some allegations. Then we [carried out] further investigation. Then finally, this organization’s teacher [Reniere] and some friends came to see me in Dharamsala and I discussed. I observe, basically, they are carrying [out] some kind of movement about ethics. Then, as I mentioned earlier, it is my moral responsibility to support any movement, by any person, who are working for ethics, because of today's world. Many problems [are] essentially of our own creation, but nobody wants any more problems. Due to lack of ethics, lack of principle, this unwanted man-made problem [has] happened. Whether [it be] politician, whether businessman, whether religious person, whether anyone - moral principle is very essential, like backbone. So therefore, I felt - I feel - it is my moral responsibility [to come here]. But at the same time, [there are] these allegations. So when I met them personally in Dharamsala, I told them very friendly, very openly, ‘As far as your sort of work for promotion of ethics, I fully support [it]. It is my moral responsibility. But, at the same time, those allegations you must make very clear. If you have done something wrong, you must accept [that], you must admit, and change, [and] make correction. If you [have] not done [so], [then] make clear all these allegations - truthfully, honestly, openly, transparently.’

Then some media - I [am] always telling media people - media people should have long nose, as long as - wait, wait, wait - as long as an elephant nose, and smell, in the front and behind. That’s very important. And make clear to the public what’s going on, whether politician, or whether mayor, or religious people, the bishops, or myself. [They] must sort of watch and make clear, inform the public, provided it must be very honest, unbiased [and] objective. That's important. Sometimes .... say one company [is] financing a newspaper report and then [it is] a little bit biased - I think not as biased as Chinese propaganda - but sometimes you see a little sort of biased sort of version [that] also is happening. That must [be] avoided. They must be honest, truthful. So now I think, in front of the public, I want to tell the media people, ‘Please carry [out] continuously [a] thorough investigation - [in] all these spots where you have some doubt - [a] thorough investigation.’ And those concerned [on the] people’s side, also make clear all your work. [It] must be transparent.

So, that’s my view. So, I feel no problem [to] come here, meet people, and talk. Because of some criticism should I remain distant? [That is] not much use. Come face to face and talk, friendly, bluntly. Truth always wins with truth. So, more talk, more investigation. Truth become more clear, clear, clear, like that. So, that’s my answer.

This presentation is clearly a public rebuke of Reniere and NXIVM, directing them to be open and accountable in regards to their activities. It also offers support to their so-called ethical self-help programs which form the public face of the organisation. In his address on the day, the Dalai Lama emphasises the fact that he, NXIVM, Reniere and the media needed to address any and all allegations openly and honestly. Unfortunately this was not to be the case on the part of NXIVM and Reniere, for they lied at the time to the Dalai Lama and thereafter engaged in an active coverup, utilising all the substantial legal and financial resources at their disposal, alongside personal threats within the organisation. The accusations, however, would only worsen over the following years as Reniere's actions became more extreme. Those accusations presented to the Dalai Lama early in 2009 by Thurman and other would prove to be true, and the statements by Reniere (now known as Vanguard), and the senior members of NXIVM who had come under his sway, would turn out to be lies.

During 2018, prior to Reniere being apprehended and put on trail, an article appeared in The Daily Mail which referred back to the 2009 Albany event and some of its background. Though salacious in parts, it was largely factual, and as such is reproduced below in full. The article deals not only with the NXIVM issue, but also the subsequent firing of Lama Tenzin Dhonden due to accusations of corrupt conduct and his intimate association with certain members of NXIVM.

Dalai Lama was paid $1 million to endorse women-branding ‘sex cult’

Secret deal between Buddhist's 'celibate' US emissary and his Seagram billionaire 'lover'

By Ryan Parry | Daily Mail, 24 January 2018

The Dalai Lama was paid $1 million to travel to America to endorse a controversial ‘sex cult’ that brainwashes and brands women, DailyMail.com can reveal. The religious leader was paid to speak at an event hosted by NXIVM – a self-help organization described by former members as a ‘sex cult’. The deal saw the Dalai Lama speak to 3,000 followers of NXIVM and place a khata – a traditional ceremonial Tibetan scarf – around the neck of the group’s founder, Keith Raniere. Raniere’s supporters described the visit by the Buddhist leader as a ‘victory’.

Former computer programmer Raniere founded NXIVM in 1998, as a ‘personal and professional development program’ which he sold as Executive Success Programs (ESP), alongside his business partner, ex-nurse Nancy Salzman. It is pronounced ‘nexium’. The ambitious group holds seminars and training programs for people ‘concerned with developing their skills’ and claims to have worked with more than 16,000 people in 30 countries. But in recent years NXIVM has been exposed as a ‘sex cult’ with several former members lifting the lid on its dark side. Some members are allegedly blackmailed, branded and beaten with paddles and at least two Hollywood actresses are among 70 to 80 women ‘trapped’ in the group. Raniere also has a group of wealthy female recruits – including Seagram heiresses Sara and Clare Bronfman – who have plowed millions of dollars into NXIVM’s unorthodox practices. Now DailyMail.com can disclose the extraordinary steps NXIVM execs have taken to further the NXIVM cause worldwide.

The pièce de résistance of their grand plan to make NXIVM a global brand was to convince the Dalai Lama to speak at an event they were hosting in Albany, New York in 2009. The plot involved wooing the Tibetan Buddhist leader’s American aide; expensive gifts and foreign travel; an alleged steamy affair with the heiress to a drinks fortune, and claims of broken vows of celibacy. It raises questions over exactly what the Dalai Lama was told before he appeared at the event in NXIVM’s hometown, and whether he was duped into giving a powerful propaganda victory to an organization under increasing scrutiny for its treatment of women.

DailyMail.com has learned that the deal was set up by the Dalai Lama’s self-styled ‘personal emissary of peace’ to the U.S., Lama Tenzin Dhonden. He was replaced last month amid accusations of corruption. The Dalai Lama Trust removed Dhonden as its executive secretary, pending an investigation, following claims that the monk abused his position as a gatekeeper to the Nobel Peace Prize winner. According to court testimony Dhonden and Sara Bronfman were ‘closely associated’ and Dhonden agreed to help promote NXIVM. The monk arranged for Bronfman and her sister Clare Bronfman as well as Nancy Salzman, president of NXIVM, to travel to Dharmsala in India to meet with the Dalai Lama. There they expressed their desire to invite His Holiness to Albany to meet controversial NXIVM leader Raniere and offered to make a suitable contribution to the Dalai Lama for his worthwhile causes. DailyMail.com understands that offer exceeded $1million.

But, according to sources, what had been planned as a four-day trip to the U.S. visiting prestigious colleges alongside Raniere was suddenly cancelled after local media in Albany, N.Y., highlighted the Dalai Lama’s upcoming visit to the ‘cult’. Concerned over the negative media attention, the Buddhist leader decided against the visit and publicly announced the trip was cancelled. But it is understood that the Bronfman sisters later flew back to India, this time with NXIVM leader Raniere in tow, in a bid to convince the religious leader the press coverage was inaccurate.

Following the meeting the Dalai Lama agreed to attend a one day event during spare time in a scheduled trip to the U.S. which was centered on visiting Harvard University, in Massachusetts. Bronfman called the u-turn a success in a post on her blog. ‘After an onslaught of negative articles and powerful local personalities voicing their lack of support for his proposed visit, His Holiness postponed until the truth became evident,’ she wrote. ‘In the end the truth prevailed, but in the process we lost participants, money and good faith.’

In a YouTube video of the event held at the Palace Theater in Albany on May 6, 2009, Raniere can be seen in the audience on the front row as the Dalai Lama speaks. Sara Bronfman and sister Clare can be seen up on stage alongside the Tibetan Buddhist leader. However, the event seemingly backfired for NXIVM when the Dalai Lama, during a question and answer, was asked about his cancelled visit. The 81-year-old said of Raniere and NXIVM: ‘If you have done something wrong, you must accept, you must admit, change, make correction. If you have not done (anything wrong), make clear all these allegations (are untrue), truthfully, honestly, openly, transparently.’ Then he asked the media to investigate Raniere and report the truth of their findings.

Despite the rebuke, sources claim the visit was seen as a significant ‘endorsement’ by senior NXIVM members. Raniere was even called on stage and His Holiness placed a khata – a traditional ceremonial Tibetan scarf – around his neck in what was seen by NIXVM as a powerful symbolic gesture. And on April 13 2009 the Dalai Lama wrote and signed off on the foreword for a book co-authored by Raniere called The Sphinx & Thelxiepeia.

After the visit Sara Bronfman wrote on her blog that the visit was a ‘victory for us’ and that she was proud to have been part of this ‘great feat’. Her sister Clare wrote on her blog: ‘His coming brought about a certain contradiction: what is written about NXIVM, Keith, Sara and myself in the press – being labelled as a cult – and a world leader showing his support for us after thorough investigation.’

According to court documents, Raniere has ‘swallowed up’ more than $150 million of the Bronfman sisters’ fortune. What’s more Sara Bronfman, it appears, was instrumental in securing the Dalai Lama trip for NXIVM. According to court documents seen by DailyMail.com it is alleged the Dalai Lama’s aide Dhonden – who as a Buddhist monk took a vow of celibacy – was having an affair with Bronfman at the time the deal was struck. In fact Dhonden, 53, became so close to Bronfman, 41, that she allegedly purchased a house for him in Half Moon, New York. He is also believed to have spent time at her condo in Colonie, upstate New York, as well as her Manhattan condo in Trump International on Central Park West, which she sold in 2014 for $8.8 million.

If Bronfman did indeed buy Dhonden a property it raises further questions over his role with the Dalai Lama Trust and how he benefited from the deal with NXIVM. A former publicist who worked for NXIVM in 2007 and 2008 has told DailyMail.com that Sara Bronfman first met Dhonden, known as Lama Tenzin, in Idaho in 2007. ‘Sara told Lama Tenzin that the Dalai Lama might find NXIVM’s tools useful,’ he said. ‘He visited Sara in Albany and met NXIVM members including Keith [Raniere] in 2008. Keith thought that the Dalai Lama should come to Albany since his teachings were consonant with his own. ‘He wanted a ‘higher power’ endorsement and the Dalai Lama was perfect. Sara and Clare worked on the deal for over a year, and I was told by high ranking NXIVM officials that they donated a million dollars to the Dalai Lama Trust to make the visit happen.’

Parlato alleges that Sara Bronfman quickly became intimate with Dhonden while trying to win him over. He said: ‘He’s clearly not a true monk because we all knew he was having an affair with Sara and it was ill disguised. ‘NXIVM members have said they had seen Lama Tenzin at Sara’s house coming out of her bedroom, it was an open secret that they were having an affair, everyone was talking about it. Keith would call him Sara’s ‘husband’.

Susan Dones, a former top ranking member of NXIVM, alleged that ‘cult’ members were aware that Bronfman and Dhonden were romantically involved. She told DailyMail.com: ‘They travelled together to California, to Seattle, to Silver Bay, and Necker Island. ‘They were clearly a couple, but this was hidden to outsiders, and probably the Dalai Lama, since Lama Tenzin was supposed to be a monk, and he would have been defrocked if they found out.’

Parlato says Dhonden travelled with Bronfman to visit Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson at his luxury resort on Necker Island in the Caribbean. Photos obtained by DailyMail.com show the monk cheek to cheek with Bronfman and posing with actress and NXIVM member Allison Mack. Another shot shows the monk hugging Bronfman’s mother Georgiana Bronfman, who is married to British actor Nigel Havers. And in another photo a smiling Bronfman poses with their host Branson. According to Parlato, Bronfman broke up with Dhonden some time after the Dalai Lama’s visit. She has since married another man.

Parlato is currently embroiled in a legal battle with NXIVM after being fired after disagreeing with how the group was run. He was the first to make claims about the cult’s allegedly sordid activities on his website The Frank Report and says the reality is terrifying. The women’s-only group led by Raniere is known as ‘DOS’, which Parlato says stands for ‘dominus obsequious sororium’ – Latin for ‘master over the slave women’. He claims that to join, women are brainwashed into handing over blackmail-worthy material such as pornographic pictures or financial information. Once they are a member – or ‘slave’ – they are allegedly encouraged to recruit new women into their ‘slave pods’, stop dating, and be on call 24 hours a day to their ‘master’. If they don’t recruit enough ‘slaves’ or respond to their ‘masters’ fast enough, they’re beaten with paddles, Parlato claims. New members are later taken by surprise, told to strip naked and then forcibly branded, according to Parlato. They allegedly have to follow strict 500 to 800 calorie a day diets because leader Raniere prefers slimmer women and tells his followers that fat ‘interferes’ with his energy levels. The controversial leader is also said to have a harem of women who willingly sleep with him, believing that they will ‘be healed’ by having sex with the 57-year-old – who they apparently call ‘Vanguard’. The women are branded with the initials KR – after NXIVM founder Keith Raniere.

NXIVM has chapters in the US, Canada and Mexico, and has tried to expand to Ireland. They also attempted to recruit and hold indoctrination seminars in the UK. Former ‘cult’ member Dones said Sara Bronfman flew NXIVM teachers to Belfast, in Northern Ireland, on a private plane to try to get a NXIVM center established. ‘Because of Sara’s constant need to publicly worship Raniere, she was out of rapport with the people of Belfast who thought it was too much like a cult,’ said Dones. ‘The center was never established.’

NXIVM leaders deny the allegations that their group is a cult. Since the allegations emerged Raniere has moved from his Albany, New York home to Mexico. Sources say he fled to escape both the limelight of adverse publicity and the possibility of being arrested. US law enforcement is reportedly investigating Raniere and is focused on allegations of blackmail and coercive practices including branding.’

Parlato, who has worked to expose the workings of the ‘cult’, said: ‘I have spoken to at least a dozen escaped members. I have seen many texts including correspondence between a ‘master’ and a ‘slave’. I believe there are currently 70 or 80 women in the cult now – but not all of them have been branded. You don’t get branded right away. The branding is done by surprise and without disclosure.’ Parlato said Raniere uses self-help courses to recruit rich, famous or good-looking women to his inner circle. He said he was retained by NXIVM without a full picture of its activities.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Dalai Lama’s office for comment on the NXIVM event and Dhonden’s involvement, but received no response. Calls and emails to Sara Bronfman and to Dhonden’s legal counsel were not returned. It is not known what the outcome of the Dalai Lama Trust’s investigation is or whether they have reached any conclusions regarding Dhonden. In recent weeks Dhonden, who lives in La Jolla, outside San Diego, California, has vigorously denied the corruption accusation, which was made by a Seattle-based philanthropist. He has not publicly responded to the other allegations.

The Office of the Dalai Lama immediately issued a statement in response to Parry's article:

The 24 January 2018 Daily Mail article by Ryan Parry regarding an appearance by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at an event held in Albany, New York in 2009 contains incorrect statements and untrue allegations. We wish to categorically state that His Holiness the Dalai Lama never takes an honorarium or fee of any sort, nor does he require that any payment be made to charities or organizations, as a condition of his making a personal appearance. Therefore, the reported allegation has no basis. Neither His Holiness the Dalai Lama nor the Dalai Lama Foundation ever received the alleged $1 million in connection with His Holiness’s appearance in Albany. As reported in the Daily Mail, during His Holiness’s talk in Albany in 2009, he called on the media to investigate the allegations made about the NXIVM organization and its founder, and was quite clear that the truth should be exposed.

Whilst all of the above statements by the Office of the Dalai Lama is true, the fact remains that the Dalai Lama Trust received at least a $1 million donation as a result of the Albany event.

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3. Conned & compromised

The Dalai Lama's spirited teaching in Albany, New York, on 6 May 2009 emphasised the importance of truth, openness and ethical behaviour. No mention was made therein of the donation to the Dalai Lama Trust throughout the talk, and this was not unusual. The fact is, the Dalai Lama has long received significant financial support from prominent American individuals and organisations, including actors Richard Gere and Harrison Ford. Numerous donations are made to the Tibetan cause, not only in the US but around the world, and many are kept secret so as not to harm often strained relationships with China and those individuals, organisations and businesses who make such donations. It would therefore seem to the present writer that His Holiness and his advisors reversed their decision to attend the Albany conference when faced not only with the prospect of a large donation of $2 million to the US-based Dalai Lama Trust, but also with the opportunity to talk to a large group of people on the subject of the importance of ethical behaviour in the modern world. This decision followed on Reniere's personal apology and assertions to His Holiness that the cases against him were not based on fact, but only on rumour by disenchanted former NXIVM participants or their associates. Of course, Reniere's statements were outright lies.

The video record of the Dharamsala meeting, made available on YouTube subsequent to Reniere's imprisonment, is revealing both in what was said and what was not said, or revealed. Reniere's words were equivocations at best, and lies at worst, exposing, in hindsight, the slipperiness of his eloquence. The truth of NXIVM's activities would only be truly understood by the public when whistle-blowers came forward en masse from 2017 and Reniere was put on trial during 2019. Needless to say, he was quickly found guilty of all charges by a jury of his peers and given a sentence of life imprisonment due to their horrific nature.

Reniere throughout his time with NXIVM since 1998 had used typical cult-leader techniques to draw in new members and, in some cases, abuse them. He had exhibited paedophilia and the past and this sexual deviance continued through to NXIVM. Reniere was undoubtedly intelligent, but he used this intelligence to control. His co-founder of NXIVM - Nancy Salzman - was an expert in hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which Reniere utilised in his abuse of NXIVM victims which he personally identified for manipulation. He evidenced the uncanny ability to convince senior members of the cult, such as Hollywood actress and singer Allison Mack, to both support him and rationalise their own engagement in similar abhorrent activities. The term "brain washing" was mentioned in seeking to explain the abnormal behaviour of many of Reniere's followers during this period. An extreme example of this was Mack's support for the branding of a group of women Reniere selected to have sex with, and treat as his own personal slaves.

To an extreme degree, and as seen in many other cults, select members of NXIVM were subject to hypnotic-like manipulation in order to be deprived of their independence, relationships, and assets. They were clearly victims of a cult leader. Vanguard himself was misogynist, narcissistic and delusional. All this was eventually reflected in both the programs offered by NXIVM and his abhorrent sexual treatment of women to a degree, in some cases, of masochistic torture. On the surface it appears that many of his followers were as evil as him, but a deeper study of the man and the techniques he and NXIVM's co-founder Nancy Salzman used, reveals their overwhelming and tragic effect on psychologically vulnerable individuals merely seeking self-improvement.

Questions arise, even to the present day, at to whether the Dalai Lama was conned into meeting with Reniere and showing support through the public meeting in Albany? In the view of the present writer the answer is both yes and no; yes, he was conned by Reniere, and it can be argued that a bad decision was made in reneging on the initial decision not to attend the Albany conference; and no, His Holiness was not completely oblivious to the actions of Reniere and NXIVM, as evidenced by how he largely kept his distance from Reniere - they did not appear on stage together, nor was Reniere permitted to talk at the conference - and His Holiness did not make any statements that specifically supported NXIVM, apart from declaring his general support for organisations which claimed to teach ethical behaviour. At the end of the day, it appears that the decision to support the Tibetan diaspora financially via the Dalai Lama Trust, and to spread the message of the importance of ethical behaviour and compassion, took priority over unproven allegations.

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4. Chronology

The following chronology (timeline) provides a brief overview of the history of NXIVM and the activities of Keith Reniere, including his association with the Dalai Lama.

1960

* Keith Reniere is born.

1988

* June - Keith Reniere is accepted into Mega as having a genius level IQ. He would use this throughout his subsequent career to manipulate and create a false allure.

1992

* May - Reniere's business Consumers Buyline is investigated by New York authorities and shut down in 1993 as an exploitative pyramid scheme. Reniere continues to be involved in pyramid schemes until he is subject to final judicial legal restraint.

1998

* Keith Reniere forms NXIVM, a self-help company, with co-founder Nancy Salzman, an ex-nurse and expert in hypnosis. NXIVM subverts the pyramid scheme allegations, but proves to be just as manipulative and directed towards the creation of extreme financial hardship for many of its users.

2002

* The Bronfman sisters join NXIVM.

2003

* The Dalai Lama Trust is created in the United States, headquartered in Washington.

2004

* February - an investigation is carried out into the suicide of NXIVM member Kristin Marie Snyder, but nothing is found at the time which directly points to its responsibility.

* Wikipedia: In 2004, after Rick Ross obtained copies of NXIVM's training manuals from a former participant who had signed a nondisclosure agreement with NXIVM, Ross posted some content from the manuals along with his critiques on his website. For publishing parts of their manuals, NXIVM sued Ross's Cult Education Institute for copyright infringement. In NXIVM Corp. v. Ross Institute, the use of the material for critique was ruled transformative and therefore fair use.

2005

* The Bronfman sisters invest $65m into commodities futures trades on the advice of Reniere. All of this money is subsequently lost (Parlato 2018). It is possible that the money was corruptly secured by Reniere.

2006

* Allison Mack joins NXIVM. Her fellow Smallville actress Kristen Kreuk introduces her to the organisation, but subsequently leaves.

* August - a woman describes participation in NXIVM's ESP sessions as "psychological rape."

2009

* February The Bronfman sisters, Salzman and Lama Tenzin Dhonden travel to Dharamsala to arrange for His Holiness to speak in Albany in February. He agrees. A donation of $1 million will be paid to the Dalai Lama Trust.

* The Dalai Lama is subsequently informed of allegations of cultish behaviour by NXIVM, and withdraws from the event.

* In response, during April Reniere, Salzman, Clare Bronfman and Lama Tenzin Dhonden travel to Dharamsala and speak with His Holiness. Robert Thurman is in attendance, and is likely the source of the allegations against NXIVM. The Dalai Lama agrees to attend as part of a previously arranged visit to the US. An extra million dollar donation is proposed.

* 4 May - Paul Vandenburgh of 1300 Talk Radio, Albany, interviews Sara and Clare Bronfman regarding the forthcoming appearance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The 40 minute interview is archived on YouTube in six parts.

* Part 1 - 9.57 minutes.

* Part 2 - 9.50 minutes.

Part 3 - 7.24 minutes.

Part 4 - 7.56 minutes.

Part 5 - 7.35 minutes.

Part 6 - 6.15 minutes.

* 6 May - The Dalai Lama appears at the inaugural World Ethical Foundation Consortium conference in Albany, New York. He speaks on Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times, on stage with the Bronfman sisters, Catholic Bishop Howard Hubbard and Lord Mayor Gerald Jennings. Keith Reniere is in attendance, seated in the front row along with a crowd of 2,700, including NXVIM members. He is later singled out and given a silk scarf (khata) by His Holiness. The full teaching by His Holliness is presented in the following video.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times, 6 May 2009,Dalai Lama, YouTube, duration: 73.48 minutes.

* 16 May - The Dalai Lama Trust receives a donation of $2 million. On the 18th the Trust is registered as a Charitable Organization. This is likely the fee paid for the Albany visit.

2010

* Albany's Times Union reports on Reniere preying on students sexually and to satisfy his gambling addiction.

2011

* Reniere's previous girlfriend Toni Natalie charges him with rape.

2012

* The Times Union reports on Reniere's history of paedophilia.

2013

* NXIVM takes critics to court accusing them of stealing files.

2014

* Reniere founds media bias monitoring organization The Knife of Aristotle.

2015

* October - The Times Union newspaper reports on NVIXM's increasing use of law enforcement and threats of legal action to attack ex-cult members and whistle blowers. Their behaviour in this regard is similar to the litigious actions of the cultish Church of Scientology.

2016

* Pam Cafritz, founder of JNESS, dies.

* DOS is created, run by Mack but based on the decrees of Reniere.

2017

* October - The Master/Slave network within NXIVM is publically exposed by the New York Times.

* November - Reniere flees to Mexico.

2018

* 26 March - Keith Reniere is arrested by the FBI in Mexico.

* 20 April - Allison Mack is arrested.

* July - By this time NXIVM members arrested include Allison Mack, Nancy Salzman and Clare Bronfman.

2019

* March - A number of the NXIVM defendants plead guilty, except Reniere.

* 8 April - Allison Mack pleads guilty and assists the court in preparing the case against Reniere.

* May - Reniere trial begins. He does not call any witnesses.

* June - Reniere is found guilty on all counts and sentenced to 120 years in prison.

2020

* September - Clare Bronfman is sentenced.

* The Lost Women of NXIVM, Investigation Discovery, 8 November 2020, YouTube, duration: 15.47 minutes.

2022

* MLM to Cult of Horrors: The Complete Sage - NXIVM, illuminaughtii, 19 July 2022, YouTube, duration: 34.16 minutes.

2023

* 31 March - Nicki Clyne, the wife of Allison Mack, leaves NXIVM and issues a statement.

* July - Allison Mack is released from jail, with three years still to serve.

* NXIVM: Behind the scenes of a modern day sex cult, CBC Podcasts, 16 October 2023, YouTube, duration: 46.50 minutes.

* How the Dali Lama got played by NXIVM cult leader Keith Reniere, Matt Bywater, YouTube, 5 December 2023, duration: 7.29 minutes.

2024

* The sex cult disguised as MLN: NXIVM, Hailey Elizabeth, 20 January 2024, YouTube, duration: 58.12 minutes.

* The evil cult: Keith Reniere, The Dalai Lama, Smallville and NXIVM, Mystery Confidential, YouTube, 28 February 2024, duration: 13.59 minutes.

---------------

5. People and titles

Alex Betancourt - Benito Mussolini in a previous life.
Allison Mack - assistant to Reniere. Actor and singer.
Barbara Bouchey - Reniere girlfriend; Reinhard Heydrich in a previous life.
Cathy Russell - financial officer.
Clare Bronfman - member of NXIVM and major funder of the cult.
Daniella - one of 3 sisters, who stayed in her room for two years.
Edgar Bronfman - father of Clare and Sara and President of the World Jewish Congress.
Gina Hutchinson - one of the Reniere harem. Committed suicide.
Ivy Nevares - Reniere girlfriend; Joseph Goebbels in a previous life.
Keith Raniere - founder and leader of NXIVM. Also known as Vanguard.
Lama Tenzin Donden - Dalai Lama US representative. Said to have had an affair with one of the Bronfman sisters.
Lauren Salzman - daughter of Nancy Salzman and sentenced to 5 years probation.
Marianna - one of 3 sisters, who had a child to Reniere.
Mark Vicente - NXIVM finance officer, film maker for NXIVM and later whistle blower.
Nancy Salzman - assistant to Reniere and co-founder of NXIVM.
Pamela Cafritz - Reniere girlfriend.
Sara Bronfman - member of NXIVM.
Sarah Edmondson - cult member for 12 years, whistleblower and author of Scarred (2019).
Toni Natalie - Reniere girlfriend; Herman Goering in a previous life.
-----------------
DOS / Dominus Obsequious Sonorium / Master over slave women - a group of women led by Allison Mack and placed in a master / servant and sexual relationship with Reniere
ESP - Executive Success Program
JNESS - a group of women within NXIVM
MLM - Multi-level marketing company, or pyramid scheme
NXIVM - name given by Reniere to his company, taken from a video game
Society of Protectors - male members of NXIVM

----------------

6. References

Andrews, Suzanna, The Heiresses and the Cult, Vanity Fair, 13 October 2010.

Berman, Sara, Don't call it a cult: The shocking story of Keith Reniere and the woman of NXIVM, Steerforth Press, 2021, 336p.

Carroll, Rory, Controversial monk and Dalai Lama aide replaced amidst corruption allegations, The Guardian, 29 November 2017.

Gasbarre, Kristine and Sarah Edmondson, Scarred: The story of how I escaped NXIVM. The cult that bound my life, Chronicle Books, 2019, 248p.

Heller, Zoe, What makes a cult a cult?, The New Yorker, 5 July 2021. Review of Sarah Berman's book Don't Call it a cult. Includes 24 minute audio reading.

Home Box Office, The Vow [documentary], HBO Max, 15 episodes, 2020.

Hogendoorn, Rob, The Dalai Lama and NXIVM revisited, Open Buddhism, 8 November 2020.

-----, Dalai Lama's ties to Keith Reniere and NXIVM 'Were purely transactional', Open Buddhism, 1 September 2023.

Midkiff, Sarah, The real story behind the Dalai Lama's puzzling NXIVM entanglement, refinery29, 24 August 2020.

Natalie, Toni and Chet Hardin, Program: Inside the mind of Keith Reniere and the rise and fall of NXIVM, Grand Central Publishing, 2019, 304p.

NXIVM's experiments: Keith Raniere endorsed torture as treatment for "Luciferians", r/theNXIVMcase, Reddit, June 2024.

Odato, James M. and Jennifer Gish, Secrets of NXIVM (4 parts), Times Union, Albany, February 2012.

Oxenberg, Catherine, Captive: A mother's crusade to save her daughter from the terrifying cult NXIVM, Gallery Books, 2019, 416p.

Oxenberg, India, Still Learning, Metacortex Publishing House, 2024, 261p.

Parlato, Frank, Down memory lane with Reniere, Bronfmans, Lama Tenzin and Dalai Lama, Artvoice, 1 March 2017.

-----, PLGGDN: Raniere’s latest heist of Bronfman money involved $20M cell phone scam meant to foil NSA & FBI; it followed commodities and LA real estate scams, The Niagara Reporter, 31 December 2017.

-----, Exclusive: Raniere claimed he had proof for Holocaust denial, so Bronfman, Zionists, had to stop him at commodities, The Niagara Reporter, 2 January 2018.

-----, Dalai Lama Secretary denies $1 million paid to speak for Reniere; Yet Dalai Lama Trust founded 10 days after Albany speech with $2 million in donations, The Niagara Reporter, 27 January 2018.

-----, Keith Reniere admits he is a psychopath in shocking 2017 article in Spanish magazine, The Frank Report, 10 November 2019.

-----, Fact checking NXIVM stories: Did the Dalai Lama endorse Keith Reniere and NXIVM?, The Frank Report, 14 March 2021.

-----, Did the Dalai Lama really write the forward of Reniere's book?, The Keith Report, 14 March 2021.

Reniere, Keith (and Ivy Nevares), Odin and the Sphinx, Ethical Publishing, 2007.

-----, Sympathy for the Devil, Conocimiento Magazine, 2007. Translated in Parlato (2019).

-----, The Eyes of Oedipus, Ethical Publishing, ?2008.

-----, The Sphinx and Thelexiepia, Ethical Publishing, 2009, 352p. Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Tkacik, Maureen, Poor little rich girls: the ballad of Sara and Clare Bronfman, Observer, 8 October 2010.

Thurman, Robert, Why the Dalai Lama matters - His act of truth and the solution for China, Tibet, and the world, Beyond Words Publishing and Atria Books, 2008, 231p.

Unravelling UXIVM: a timeline of Times Union coverage, Times Union, Albany, 16 October 2020.

---------------

Last updated: 7 November 2024

Michael Organ, Australia

E: hokusai22@outlook.com

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