The Predator Behind Dakini Translations

Adele Tomlin’s role as founder and international promoter of Dakini Translations, coupled with the platform’s documented political-category advertising, places her in the category of a public figure whose public work is subject to commentary and scrutiny. Read the tagline closely: First female-founded (and solo-authored) resource by published scholar-translator-practitioner, Adele Tomlin, for original, new translations and research, music, interviews and more on Buddhism and Vajrayana. When someone consistently brings up the fact that she is a lone woman to pre-empt criticisms (most likely to frame them as harassment), you should be wary of that repeated claim, especially since a thorough audit of its 899 posts reveals that only 7% of its contents are translations. Despite having a platform Dakini Translations and Publications with 21K followers on Facebook, running politcal ads, operated by 5 admins from different countries, Adele Tomlin wants you to see her a lone woman – weak, harmless, deserving your sympathy and support, bringing hidden Dharma into the light. But this carefully crafted image conceals something far more calculated: a predator, using Buddhist language and spiritual symbols as weapons of control.
This is not about gender, victimhood, or translation. This is about manipulation, narrative capture, and spiritual distortion – the kind that leaves readers drained, confused, and unknowingly caught in someone else’s personal theater.

The Mask of a Translator

Tomlin’s website, Dakini Translations, claims to offer faithful renditions of lineage texts. But look closely, and the “translations” reveal themselves as vehicles for her own voice. She inserts commentary, reframes sacred teachings with sensational headlines, and uses every text as a stepping stone to self-promotion. Translation is sacred work. In Vajrayana, it is bound by samaya and humility. A translator should be invisible, allowing the teacher’s wisdom to shine. Tomlin does the opposite: she becomes the story, using the lineage as a backdrop for her self-inflation. When you read her work, ask yourself – are you hearing the voice of the Karmapa, or Adele’s personal frustrations, erotic projections, and conspiratorial thinking?

Predator Archetype: How She Hunts

A predator doesn’t strike by force; it waits, seduces, and traps. Adele’s predatory patterns follow a clear structure:

1. Victimhood as a Lure. She constantly paints herself as the outsider, the lone female voice against corrupt institutions. This guilt-bait makes readers hesitate to critique her – who wants to be accused of attacking a “brave truthful lone woman”?
2. Eroticized Spiritual Power. Tomlin often blurs the line between translator, devotee, and “wisdom consort.” She positions herself as an intimate interpreter of the Karmapa’s intent, implying a closeness others cannot access, often sounding patronizing. This is not translation – it’s symbolic possession of spiritual authority.
3. Rewriting Lineage History. Through long, conspiracy-laden posts, Tomlin rewrites Kagyu history to elevate her own role while casting suspicion on authentic institutions like the Gelugpa or CTA. This creates a distorted lens for readers – a lens where Adele is always the enlightened truth-teller, and others are always oppressors.

The Energetic Cost of Her Texts

In Vajrayana logic, the mind-state of the author seeps into the words they produce. When texts are born from anger, wounded pride, or manipulative intent, they carry that vibration. Tomlin’s writings – full of accusations, self-aggrandizement, and veiled seduction – do not transmit Dharma; they transmit confusion.
Reading her work is not harmless. It is like drinking water from a poisoned cup – the poison is subtle, but cumulative.

Examples of Distortion

Karmapa Reframing: She often reframes Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s statements, adding commentary that turns his words into “Adele-corrects-the-Karmapa.” Readers walk away thinking they’ve understood the Karmapa’s mind, when in fact they’ve been absorbing Adele’s editorialized version.

Weaponized Gender: By framing herself as the silenced female voice, she cloaks herself in moral authority, using gender politics as a shield against scrutiny.

Conspiracy Hooks: She peppers her posts with unverified claims – black magic, political suppression, hidden enemies – creating an atmosphere of distrust that elevates her as the sole “insider” who knows the truth.

Predator vs. Practitioner

A true Dharma practitioner dissolves ego and speaks with humility. Adele Tomlin amplifies ego, creating a one-woman theater where she plays victim, savior, and insider all at once. This is not the path of a Dakini but a predator using spiritual language as camouflage.

What You Can Do

Inoculate Your Mind: Treat Dakini Translations not as a Dharma resource but as a narrative minefield.

Cross-Check Everything: If you read her translations, compare them with verified lineage sources. You will see the distortions.

Withdraw Attention: Like all predators, she feeds on focus. Stop feeding her narrative with clicks, shares, or outrage.

Protect Samaya: Don’t allow contaminated texts to shape your relationship with authentic teachers and teachings.

Unmasking the Predator

Adele Tomlin is not a harmless translator. She is an operator, leveraging spiritual symbols, lineage names, and victim narratives to position herself as an authority. Even the Contact page of Dakini Translations and Publications is fully weaponized, what can you infer of the platform’s intent? The sooner readers see this, the sooner her entire construct collapses. The antidote is clarity. The weapon is truth. The predator only thrives when you mistake her mask for the Dharma itself.