Families Against Cult Teachings (F.A.C.T.): Naropa University, Shambhala and an Update on Ex Naropa Evil Teacher "Katsura Kan"

NAROPA UNIVERSITY, SHAMBHALA AND AN UPDATE ON THE EX NAROPA EVIL TEACHER “KATSURA KAN”:

As a follow-up to our previous expose series, we would like to bring some new information to your attention about the wicked cult leader Katsura Kan, and also about Naropa University in Boulder, CO and the international organization known as Shambhala International.

Unfortunately, many organizations and venues are still allowing Katsura Kan to perform and teach Butoh to vulnerable students, even after being presented with the overwhelming evidence proving how he exploited students mentally, sexually and financially, and also with evidence showing him as a Nazi sympathizer.

In response to our latest public awareness outreach efforts, we received this communication from a festival director located in Chiangmai, Thailand:

“I am festival director of Chiangmai International Butoh festival.

I would like to tell you to STOP all your action to my festival.

Please keep your personal revenge with you.

You are not allowed to do something like this to my festival.

Personally I would like to talk to you long time ago since I know this news.

And I feel your daughter in my meditation. I am meditation dance teacher and butoh dancer.

I am witness when Sharoni in Thailand. I am really sure she doesn't like the way you did.

Dear Tibor, I have daughter also. And I know how it is painful you lost your beautiful daughter.

But I am surely to revenge someone for 5 years. You didn't feel any better at all.

And it brings more suffering to your daughter spirit.

I wish we can sit and talk. I have been in Israel many times. And I like your country very much.

Peace and love,

[Name removed]

Here was the response from Tibor Stern, the founder of FACT:

“Hello Sonoko, this is not revenge. This is about stopping Katsura Kan’s evil sexual and mental exploitation of innocent young beautiful women, for which you are a willing participant by providing him platform to continue the destruction of innocent lives and families. Shame on you. I shall never stop up until he stops this abuse, for his sexual and controlling fulfillment. We at FACT will expose those institutions and entities that facilitate Katsura Kan’s evil doing. He promotes destruction of body and mind. He teaches to lose self-identity and authenticity, is this an art you promote? I have a long list of young women that he destroyed their lives. Those who don’t confront evil will empower him. - Tibor Stern”

Unfortunately it seems that Katsura Kan still has control of many followers who continue to support and employ him, including in the U.S., for example, the Vangeline Theater in New York City, NY (a business that is receiving funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs). It is interesting to note that all of Katsura Kan’s employers / supporters tend to respond in the same way to our awareness campaign, without ever mentioning anything about the evidence sent to them, as if to avoid a discussion regarding those facts. We welcome any opportunity for such a discussion, and ask those who are supporting Katsura to speak openly with us on the matter.

We recently published an informative video online about Katsura Kan, detailing his corrupt methodology, philosophy and abuses, which can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJnjADK8rs

For those unaware, Katsura Kan was employed by Naropa University (we believe without the proper teaching credentials, he is a construction worker from Japan), where the now deceased Sharon Stern first met this corrupt teacher. Katsura Kan taught in the classroom of Naropa an accredited University, he was allowed to teach philosophy and psychology and the destruction of body mind and ego. He taught an upper division, master degree program class to lose their identity and authenticity. As stated in our previous exposes, this school has a long and dark history of student abuses from faculty, starting with its founder, Trungpa Rinpoche. According to recent communications received by our organization, it seems that the faculty at Naropa is still misbehaving, to put it mildly, with claims being made that an ex-Naropa faculty member started their own destructive cult under the guise of a Buddhist temple. The complaint states that this ex-faculty member “has a troubling criminal history for physically, mentally, and financially abusing women and younger members of his organization...” Another complaint we received stated the following, “I too feel the same way you do about Naropa. I am fortunate that I did not end up homeless, on the streets, in a gutter somewhere after graduating. I was fortunate that my family picked me up and helped me put together the shattered pieces of myself, my mind, and my ego. There is an evil there, and a silence. They are a cult.”

Most recent comment received regarding Naropa University.

“ Hello, my name is XXXX. I’ve engaged with some of your past posts as I think the content is fascinating. In 2017 I enrolled briefly in Naropa University, and I can say 100% without a doubt that there is now a culture of fear there. Phenomenon began occurring where people in the community or enrolled in the schools work study were afraid to speak their minds against the zeitgeist of the group which is highly influenced by radical leftism. I can’t speak to any sexual abuse because I didn’t see any of that, but what I did see was an environment that played games with the perceptions of its attendees during the summer writing program in 2017 (hosted by Kerouac School which is the artistic and academic hub of Naropa a greater social circle). People began talking about knowledge of oppression hierarchies and calling it enlightenment, while the actual Buddhists like me were baffled at the inability for participants to ground themselves in any understanding outside of their politically tinged view. I am not saying being leftist is bad, I am saying that there is another layer to what is going on at Naropa and it involves students being indoctrinated into a totalitarian mindset, apologizing for Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Castro, etc, in the name of anti-capitalism.

Since my experience I’ve become interested in high demand groups and cults including material that you have published, because I was able to see what I would deem cultish influence up front and personal. Just wanted to share my information/experience and say I am here if you have questions.”

Tibor Stern, the father of the deceased Sharoni Stern, who was victimized by the evil Katsura Kan had this to say regarding Naropa.

”With my blessing I sent my perfectly happy beloved daughter to continue her education for her M.F.A. at Naropa University Boulder CO. Sharoni was a brilliantly talented, intelligent, vibrant, life loving compassionate soul who shared her love with her friends and family. Sharoni wanted to excel in her career of acting, producing and directing plays so she worked hard, and studied harder. While studying for her Maters degree at Naropa she was instructed to lose her identity, authenticity and ego by her teacher, Katsura Kan, a self called, dance teacher of Butoh (known as the dance of darkness, pain and suffering). In my opinion Naropa provided a platform for Kan to teach his wicked flawed evil philosophy and abuse that resulted in my beloved daughters death. How can an accredited University such as Naropa employ a construction worker from Japan without any documented credentials? Kan, instructed my daughter to steal for him and told her she is “stupid to follow kan into dangerous places in 2011.” Kan took her to a drug infested area in Copenhagen where she mentally collapsed. Kan exploited my daughter, sexually, financially, physically and when he realized he drove my daughter crazy he clearly instructed her “how to die.” Why would Naropa hire this kind of “teacher”? The answer is “crazy wisdom.” I do not believe this type of University should be accredited at all. I believe, Naropa has contributed to the death of my daughter and to the destruction of young students lives by providing a platform for unqualified wicked “so called teachers” to teach flawed dark and destructive subjects. One should not be surprised about Naropa, the current leaders of Naropa were once the past enablers of the “crazy wisdom,” sexual abuser, drug addict “guru” known as Trungpa. In my opinion, these enablers continue to worship the sick culture of silence, and exploitation of students that the University was founded on. Even after multiple attempts of contact with the former president Stuart Lord of Naropa University to intervene with Kan to help assist with the safe return of my daughter the University and the former President ignored my communications all together. So typical for Naropa and Shambhala. I believe with their help my daughter would still be alive today.”

-Tibor Stern on behalf of Sharoni Stern Estate