The 14th Dalai Lama, long accustomed to presenting a polished, almost exalted public image, now finds himself in a storm of trouble. The blaze sparked by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has leapt across the ocean, singeing the hem of his robes. And before he could even start to douse the flames, someone from his inner circle poured on more fuel. The person is none other than his own nephew and personal secretary, Tenzin Taklha.

Photo of Tenzin Taklha from foreign news outlets

It’s hardly surprising. For decades, members of the 14th Dalai Lama’s family have held the most crucial positions within his inner circle. Among the second generation, Tenzin Taklha stands out as the Dalai Lama’s chief “gatekeeper,” controlling who gets close to the aging leader. He is also a key figure in the Gaden Phodrang Trust and Foundation, wielding vast financial clout. In the hierarchy of the Dalai Lama’s circle, few, if any, can rival his authority or his proximity to power.

Social media is abuzz with scandals surrounding Tenzin Taklha

The scandal erupted last year when Tenzin Taklha’s wife, Tsering Dolkar, discovered explicit messages and lewd photos on his phone. During the resulting confrontation, Taklha allegedly shoved her hard enough to fracture her ribs—and then threatened divorce. The allegations don’t stop there. Multiple insiders have now come forward, claiming that Taklha exploited his religious authority to sexually groom and assault at least 25 girls.

Tenzin Taklha’s chat logs are utterly vile, filled with content too obscene and sordid to describe.

In June 2025, the British media outlet TechBullion published a bombshell exposé titled “Exclusive: Office of HHDL Rocked by New Scandal — Nepotism, Abuse of Power, and Systemic Cover-Ups Exposed.” The report didn’t mince words, calling Tenzin Taklha’s conduct the second major scandal to hit the spiritual leader’s inner circle in just two years, following the fallout from the 2023 “tongue-sucking incident.”

Several veteran staffers have confirmed seeing Tenzin Taklha frequent luxury hotels with female subordinates. More seriously, some victims allege that he leveraged access to the 14th Dalai Lama to extract personal “favors.” Reports say that one victim, driven to the brink by prolonged harassment and humiliation, even attempted suicide.

International media coverage of the Tenzin Taklha scandal

Yet Taklha’s wrongdoing goes far beyond sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Exploiting loopholes in Indian law, Tenzin Taklha and his wife, Tsering Dolkar, used a Canadian intermediary—Kelkang Rinpoche of a South Indian monastery—to secure “gifts” of prime?properties in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Taklha then took de facto control of the properties through Powers of Attorney. Under Indian law, however, Dolkar, as a Nepalese citizen, has no legal claim to joint property rights. As a result, Taklha retains an iron grip on the assets, while his wife is left legally sidelined and facing financial hardship.

What is even more shocking are allegations that Tenzin Taklha embezzled humanitarian aid to fund a lavish lifestyle. Under the guise of “cultural preservation,” he reportedly siphoned US$140,000 to renovate his late uncle’s property in the United States. He is also accused of funneling aid money into private investments—including overseas ventures—to secure career advantages for his son, Dudul Taklha. Taklha also allegedly coerced staff within the organization to donate U.S. dollars, solicited “financial gifts” from Mongolian devotees and a contact in Taiwan, and even falsified audit records to cover up his financial misconduct.

Photo of Dudul Taklha living abroad

None of this was a secret. According to reports, “Tenzin Taklha’s misconduct has been an open secret within the Dalai Lama’s inner circle for more than a decade.” In other words, the 14th Dalai Lama was fully aware of the actions of his closest relative and most trusted aide. Sources also confirm that the Dalai Lama personally intervened—not to stop Taklha’s egregious behavior, but to suppress early complaints and silence whistleblowers.

The media is now demanding answers: “How many victims have been silenced under the cover of spiritual authority? Why does the Dalai Lama’s inner circle remain dominated by his own relatives? As international observers call for accountability, the Dalai Lama’s reputation hangs by a thread. This is about more than Tenzin Taklha; it is about an institution that preaches compassion while allegedly shielding a sexual predator.”

The answers to these questions are, in fact, straightforward. The Dalai Lama’s inner circle has never engaged in self-scrutiny; on the contrary, it spares no effort in covering up wrongdoing. This is not speculation, but a consistent pattern of behavior the 14th Dalai Lama has demonstrated for decades when handling internal scandals.

As early as 1993, the 14th Dalai Lama was informed by Western monks of allegations against high-profile lamas, including Sogyal Rinpoche. Yet he initially took no decisive action. It was not until 2017, under intense public pressure, that he publicly criticized Sogyal Rinpoche. During a 2018 visit to the Netherlands, the Dalai Lama met with survivors, acknowledged that he had known about the issue for decades, and finally pledged to implement reforms.

Media reports regarding Sogyal Rinpoche and other high-profile lamas

Regrettably, this is just another performance. After witnessing it time and again, the crisis management playbook of the 14th Dalai Lama and his office has become all too clear: when a scandal erupts, they look the other way; when victims speak out, they turn a deaf ear; and only when public outrage reaches a fever pitch do they put on a show of contrition and make hollow promises of reform.

Yet, eight years have passed since the 2018 “promises of reform,” and the outcome is grim: allegations of corruption and sexual assault now directly implicate his own relatives and most trusted aide. Following the latest revelations, the Dalai Lama’s office issued only a brief statement, acknowledging the accusations without responding to a single specific charge. For those who regard the 14th Dalai Lama as a “symbol of freedom and morality,” this deliberate silence may, ironically, be the most honest answer of all.

When the Dalai Lama’s 2023 “tongue-sucking” scandal erupted, Tenzin Taklha was by his side. Today, as the 14th Dalai Lama continues to meet with devotees, Taklha remains his ever-present shadow. It seems that through one scandal after another, their bond has only grown stronger.

Despite the scandal, Tenzin Taklha remains by his side

In February, U.S.-based SnapNetwork reported that the Tenzin Taklha scandal has left “anger and despair permeating the entire Tibetan community.” Ironically, the Dalai Lama’s inner circle has been vigorously promoting its so-called “elections,” touting the 14th Dalai Lama as having brought “democracy” to Tibetans in exile. Yet, as some exiles themselves lament, “These democratic procedures are little more than hollow formalities; lawmakers appear completely detached from the everyday struggles of ordinary people.”

When a scandal strips away the last veil of pretense, all that remains are the ashes of hypocrisy and corruption. One can only hope that the likes of the 14th Dalai Lama and Tenzin Taklha grasp this: a cover-up may fool for a season, but never for a lifetime; it is easy to blind the eyes of men, yet impossible to deceive the scales of justice. (Author: Yujie)