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The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra

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Stephen T. Butterfield was a student of the school of Buddhism founded by Chogyam Trungpa in the 1970's. At first enthralled by the authentic, liberating practices of Tibetian Buddhism, he also comes to grips with the inevitable corruption and authoritarianism inherent in any large organization. He grapples with the issues that every religious practitioner must confront, the paradox that the very practices so enriching and enlightening are contained within a structure full of ego, psychosis and greed. He discovers that Buddhism is not any more pure than Christianity, and that this is part of the thin line that a truthful, honest practitioner must always walk. He also describes the stages and teachings given at the stages within the Vajrayana tradition. Always honest in his critiques as well as praises, Stephen captures the journey of a seeker unwilling to settle for dogma, always seeking the truth behind the words, in actual experience. Although his conclusions are not always happy and comfortable, his appraisal of his Buddhist education is quite engaging.

Raised in New England, Steve was well-indoctrined in our culture of plain speaking and no b.... For a time, opposition to the war and formation of a union occupied his best efforts, as well as an active teaching career. Then he discovered Tibetan Buddhism. What appealed to him most, I think, was its attack on vanity. When you strip away all the high-flown, hypocritical ideals that lead us hither and yon, what is left? Steve thus entered the cult already possessing what it had to offer, and not knowing it. One of the key tenets of Buddhism is no b.... (perfect honesty is the path of Nirvana). He practised that with might and with main. His total honesty in this book led the cult to reject him, and they refused to officiate at his funeral. One of his last memories was of standing unadmitted outside the hall listening to the drunken party going on inside and feeling hurt and rejected. The thing that made him hurt, that was his soul. He had one. I should know, I was his brother.

Butterfield, Stephen J. The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra was published in 1994 by North Atlantic Books of Berkeley, California. A long-time "student" of the Shambala (Dharmadhatu) tradition established by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche which, besides traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings incorporates certain elements of Zen within an idiosyncratic organizational framework, tells of his progress as well as the problems and conflicts experienced by him especially in the times immediately following Trungpa's death. His description of the travails of ngondro will be especially illuminating to beginners as are the aspects of Vajrayana which emphasize the role of the guru. This is an honest account of one person's experiences and it turned out to be both revealing and helpful rather than a depressing and discouraging expose.

A highly readable and sensitively written book.

Butterfield was a follower of a Buddhist cult (using the term loosely: it was more kooky than vicious) that revolved around the enigmatic but dissolute Chogyam Rinpoche.

The book is a chronicle of the author's years with these people, and why he, Siddharthalike, eventually had to turn and follow his own path.

Perhaps the book's chief merit lies in its deliberate dissection of what it's like to really want to get into a belief system, yet know in the back of your mind that it doesn't add up. You don't want to embarrass people, you don't want to strain friendships, you have so much invested, your friends will think you foolish, etc. And yet you are unsuppressibly aware the whole thing is horse-puckey.

Having said that, the book is certainly not an "expose" of Buddhism, or even of Rinpoche. It is clear that Butterfield has a high opinion of most of his co-religionists and is not necessarily out to take off Rinopoche's head or discredit the religion.

Rather, it is a respectful and thoughtfully-woven account of the author's years of involvement with this group, and how he grew to be dissatisfied personally with its teachings and practices.

And happily, this book is not so beset with specialized Buddhist terms that only the initiated could navigate it. I've seen some of those. No, it's fine material for a general reader, or for somebody just getting into Buddhism.

In Double Mirror, Stephen Butterfield discusses some of his experiences with the controversial Tibetan Buddhist guru, Chogyam Trungpa. There is quite a bit of information here on Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and rituals --the stages of initiation, the principle of "emptiness" and the fundamental law of absolute devotion to the guru. Butterfield never becomes fully reconciled to the latter. His feelings about Trungpa and his organization are ambivalent throughout this book. On the one hand, Trungpa is described as an authentic teacher of Buddhism, inspiring Western students with his "crazy wisdom" tactics (in many ways similar to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). On the other hand, Butterfield gives ample evidence that this was as much a cult as a religion. There is a strict hierarchy within the organization; higher-ups live in luxury while beginners are treated as serfs. Worst of all, Tendzin, Trungpa's second in command, knowingly infected many students with AIDS. To complete the picture, Butterfield describes both Trungpa and Tendzin as alcoholics. These facts seem to go beyond the limits of even tantra or crazy wisdom and into the realm of pure exploitation and hypocrisy. Butterfield never fully reconciles the two sides of his experience, which gives the title of this book a double meaning (the first meaning is that a Buddhist perspective sees the inner and outer worlds as mirroring each other). He tries to reconcile a skeptical mind with a tradition demanding absolute obedience to a guru. This is a very difficult issue for someone raised in a Western culture and following an Eastern discipline, so I can't really fault Butterfield for not solving this dilemma. Still, there is something askew about the way he alternately praises and condemns the organization. More than having mixed feelings about it, he almost seems to have a split personality regarding it. Apparently, he left the group very conflicted and unable to synthesize his thoughts and feelings into either a positive or negative conclusion. He tries to justify this using the Buddhist doctrine of nonduality (the double mirror again), but I don't think this kind of ambivalence is quite the ideal aspired to by mystics. I wish the book had a little more about Butterfield's life and experiences within the group and less about ritual. There are many pages of detailed descriptions of rituals, using technical Buddhist terminology. To me, this detracted somewhat from the larger picture. Still, very interesting and recommended for spiritual seekers, especially those interested in Eastern religions.

Butterfield, Stephen J. The Double Mirror: A Skeptical Journey into Buddhist Tantra was published in 1994 by North Atlantic Books of Berkeley, California. A long-time "student" of the Shambala (Dharmadhatu) tradition established by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche which, besides traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings incorporates certain elements of Zen within an idiosyncratic organizational framework, tells of his progress as well as the problems and conflicts experienced by him especially in the times immediately following Trungpa's death. His description of the travails of ngondro will be especially illuminating to beginners as are the aspects of Vajrayana which emphasize the role of the guru. This is an honest account of one person's experiences and it turned out to be both revealing and helpful rather than a depressing and discouraging expose.

Funny how some people will show such alarm when gazing into a mirror.
Somehow, they have never made the connection between the reflection perceived
and that which is being reflected. Beneath all of this is the discriminatory and
evaluative functions.

All of the "Teachers" from the East must either get together by phone, internet or
at a secret meeting at undisclosed locations and bust-a-gut laughing to the point
of peeing on oneself.

These skillful people from the East have skillfully created "something out of nothing" to fill
the bottomless pit in the Heart/Mind of shallow Westerners.

Eventually, after deeply reflecting on bad knees from decades on a Zafu,
or, recalling the Crazy Wisdom imparted to your wife "horizontally" by the Guru,
or, the "special teachings" involving what appears to be simple (or plain vulgar)sex,
or, the $thousands flushed down the cosmic toilet,
some people realize that no only is it ALL bull***t, but they CHOSE to eat up every
spoonful and pay a price as is it was the best caviar.

We, ourselves, are to blame.
Aside from the real pain, broken hearts and even lost lives, remember who is truly responsible.
At this point, what occurs is not of the mind and is not something produced by the mind.
You realize the Journey need not have been made but you could not have arrived anyway else.

Enlightenment as entertainment, as attainment, as achievement as "finality" simply never was.

Basically, it's not a big deal - never was.

As a longtime student of Tibetan Buddhism, I have valued this book since shortly after its publication. Butterfield is honest and eloquent. Other reviewers have focused on his criticism of Choegyam Trungpa, Osel Tendzin, and the Shambhala organization in general, but for me the great value of the book is his recounting of the transformative experience of doing the Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices--prostrations, going for refuge, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offering, guru yoga. I know of no other such personal and sensitive account of these practices, which are for most people what tantric practice is all about. It shows exactly what is the particular value of the tantric practices as opposed to other forms of Buddhist meditation. Butterfield writes very well (he was a professor of English). It is also worth noting that although he criticizes his teachers, he also expresses his gratitude to them. He criticizes their personal behavior, not what they taught.

Good book, very interesting. Stephen T. Butterfield is quite an entertaining writer. This book is especially good if you have read Trungpa's books. I found myself asking the same questions that Butterfield ask's after reading Trungpa, and came to the same conclusions he does. "Authentic response, fully experienced". Or as Trungpa himself once said, "perhaps there is no such thing as spirituality except stepping out of self deception".

The late Chogyam Trungpa has already been picked over by his former students and lovers (most of them his students). All one is left with at the end of the saga is the essential problem Tibetan Buddhism presents to westerners. It is a religion with a monocratic heirarachy that stresses unflinching obedience to the "teacher", who is supposed to embody the Buddhist teachings. Trouble is it is now exported without reform to a democratic west. It is fascinating to see how students manage this tension in their own lives. As charismatic an brilliant as he apparently was, Trungpa was an alcoholic philanderer with some sociopathic tendencies as well. Most of his students came through unscathed. Others, like Butterfield, did not. Read it and weep.