Dear Gabe,

 

Can this really be happening? You’ve known me for 50 year both privately and publicly; what have I done in all that time and under all that scrutiny that makes you distrust me so badly?

 

You saw me take Tara House from a debt of $120 grand and buy 2 properties with virtually no money. I gave it all I could, night and day. You know how committed I am to the Lamas but still you stood by without doing anything to counter a written statement that claims I won’t follow FPMT guidelines and that I am causing division at TI? What on earth is going on? This is serious stuff.

 

Do you not have any problem with having in writing that the EC is planning to lie to the Members about why Frank and I had the offer withdrawn? That is scandalous and will cause so much trouble.

 

Yes, I have a terrible lack of control under pressure. I’m full of shame thinking how Rinpoche and Geshela would view my behaviour and how they would view this situation we are in. It’s up to us to fix it. We must. Please. 

 

Lama Zopa has a reason or reasons for wanting me back at TI. Somehow, you distrust his wishes however you are not prepared to explain your reasons to anyone else.

 

Is this how a Dharma family should be behaving? I am convinced you understand that this is not what we should be continuing. This is not a healthy situation. We are a family, not friends and enemies. People we don’t like also have good ideas and worthwhile points of view but I hear those people being labelled as “useless”, “troublemakers” and “lazy”. That is not appropriate. We have to be open and not defensive.

 

One thing I have to point out is that you cannot avoid having to call another EC meeting to vote on retracting the offer to Frank and me. The one last Thursday has a fatal flaw that makes it invalid. You will have to explain why you are ignoring Rinpoche’s advice. The altered proposition voted 5 > 0 was an invalid proposition because FPMT Inc is unable to “revoke” an offer that they are not able to make in the first place. The horns of a rabbit. 

 

FPMT does not appoint CDs; by its own charter it aims to be arms length from the appointment of a centre’s CD. And it is clear in the Rules. Any revoking has to be done by the EC. So, inevitably when that required meeting is repeated for formality, the vote will be under the scrutiny of more members who are not that impressed by that decision.

 

People are beginning to approach me as “CD” and I am having to tell them I am not CD because the EC revoked their offer to Frank and me. Inevitably they ask how can that happen given Rinpoche’s advice.

 

It breaks my heart that you didn’t try to talk to me at all before taking the nuclear option. Don’t we have more going for us than that? What is the distrust that stops an open discussion to try to reach a workable understanding of whatever it is that is a problem between us?

 

I know you want the best for TI and I can’t understand why you don’t think that I have exactly the same objective. For the sake of TI, for the sake of our great friendship let’s talk. Please don’t blow this up. Please don’t allow the great work we have all done to be trashed with ugliness arising from unspoken personal issues.

 

Whatever happens, I have not changed in my feelings towards you. I know you have given your all to protect and grow TI and I can assure you that my love of you as a friend has not diminished in any way but that does not mean that I condone this division. I too only want to protect and grow TI.

 

There are three main options for resolving this impasse:

 

1) you and I sort it out like adult students of Lama Zopa (best)

 

2) the Members follow the public Division 3—Grievance procedure in the Rules of the Association (worst)

 

3) we hold a simple online poll of the Members to choose between the two options of Rinpoche’s advice or another option that is not his advice (intermediate)

 

Peter

 

Gil thinks that your reaction is due to you and Mark not understanding the need and advantages of having a board at the top of the structure. Understand that this is not some concept I just dreamed up; it is standard structure and that’s why you can find tons of info online without having to take my word for it. I have already run the idea past Roger and have no intention of ramming it into place without support. But it must be your responsibility to educate yourself to be better informed and not just build a wall of opposition to something you don’t understand.

For example, I just Googled