The Five Causes That Will Bring Down The Ban

The heat is on. While the International Shugden Community’s ongoing protests for the Dalai Lama to lift the Dorje Shugden ban is getting the most attention from the media, public, the Tibetan administration and certainly the Dalai Lama himself, there are four other powerful, unstoppable rivers that are flowing into the walls of the ban, slowly but surely bringing it down.

 

#1: Trijang Rinpoche and Up-and-Coming Young Lamas

Firstly, there is Trijang Rinpoche and capable young lamas like him, for example Domo Geshe Rinpoche, Geshe Tendar and Denma Gonsar Rinpoche) who are growing up, maturing, teaching, and deservedly gaining full respect for their teachings and achievements, past and present.

Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche (left) and Rabgya Rinpoche. The future of Dorje Shugden’s lineage rests in the hands of these great masters.

Trijang Rinpoche, who is now thirty-one going on thirty-two, is one of the biggest names in Tibetan Buddhism, equal to the Karmapa, and was teacher to numerous illustrious lamas including the Dalai Lama in his previous life. His incarnation has reached maturity, and is a powerful force for the growth of Dharma.

Trijang Rinpoche is now teaching, travelling, doing dharma work and does not oblige the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in any way. They have tried to bribe him, tried to offer him prestigious positions, tried to lure him back into their fold. When that didn’t work they threatened him, tried to kill him, they beat up his assistants and his Ladrang people, but Trijang Rinpoche will not budge and he is very firm on his Dorje Shugden practice.

There is no doubt that that this is the genuine Trijang Rinpoche because of his achievements, and because this Trijang Rinpoche was recognized (finally) by none other than the Dalai Lama himself as well as Dorje Shugden. Indeed, Trijang Rinpoche’s increasing power and stature will be one of the main causes to bring the Dorje Shugden ban down.

Remember that it was the Dalai Lama who made an exception and allowed Trijang Rinpoche to practice Dorje Shugden. Yet, the irony is that Trijang Rinpoche, whose previous life was the Dalai Lama’s Guru, is not allowed to attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings on account of his Shugden practice. If Dorje Shugden is so bad, why didn’t Trijang Rinpoche go to the three lower realms? Why is Trijang Rinpoche doing so well?

This year, Trijang Rinpoche is travelling to Australia, New Zealand and Mongolia, and will be going to Indiana soon to officiate the opening of the American oracle’s new center. Trijang Rinpoche’s activities aren’t getting smaller; they are getting bigger and bigger. And he will be a huge thorn in the CTA’s side.

 

#2: Established Dorje Shugden Lamas and Monasteries

The second cause to bring down the ban is the likes of established high lamas such as Lama Jampa Ngodup and Lama Thubten Phurpu in Tibet, Gangchen Rinpoche and Gonsar Rinpoche in Europe, and many other lamas who are teaching the Dharma and spreading the lineage of Dorje Shugden tirelessly.

Two great Dorje Shugden Lamas of today; Lama Jampa Ngodup (right) escorting Gangchen Rinpoche (middle)

Indeed, such is the popularity of Lama Jampa Ngodup and Lama Thubten Phurpu that both have been sponsored by the Chinese government to go abroad to teach. Each year the Chinese government sends a Dorje Shugden lama abroad – last year it was Lama Jampa Ngodup and this year it is Lama Thubten Phurpu.

Both these illustrious lamas command thousands of people at their teachings and are making Dorje Shugden’s practice grow tremendously. A look through photos and videos of Lama Jampa Ngodup and Lama Thubten Phurpu in Tibet will reveal how their teachings are attended by thousands of people, members of the sangha as well as lay students.

Both lamas are also very outspoken about Dorje Shugden. Not only does Lama Jampa Ngodup speak freely about Dorje Shugden, he criticises the CTA very openly too during his teachings and thousands listen and follow his lead.

One does not hear of lamas of other lineages who can command such massive crowds in Tibet, except for the great Gelugpa lamas. Furthermore, Tibet is full of Dorje Shugden monasteries, strongholds of Dorje Shugden’s lineage including Chatreng Sampheling Monastery, Denma Gonsar Rinpoche’s monastery in Kham, Lama Jampa Ngodup’s monastery and Lithang Monastery, just to name a few. Dorje Shugden’s practice is definitely growing in Tibet.

Thus, the many Dorje Shugden lamas in Tibet combined with the many Dorje Shugden monasteries which number tens of thousands of monks is another thorn in the CTA’s side. These are the teachers of today, the teachers of tomorrow, and they’re growing and getting bigger by the day.

 

#3: Shar Gaden and Serpom Monasteries

The third cause against the Dorje Shugden ban is the existence of Shar Gaden and Serpom monasteries, established for the sole purpose of preserving and upholding Dorje Shugden’s lineage and practices. Both monasteries are open and thriving, and their activities encompass the full range of monastic programs including Geshe degrees, initiations and oral transmissions, international tours, Buddhist festivals and celebrations.

Serpom Monastery

Shar Gaden Monastery

These two eminent monasteries are and will continue to be an educational base for high Lamas such as Domo Geshe Rinpoche and other future lamas to come. They are learning centers, hubs from which Dorje Shugden’s lineage is practiced and transmitted, and where Guru Devotion is strong and powerful.

With approximately 600 monks in Serpom Monastery, 800 monks in Shar Gaden Monastery and with these numbers increasing over the years, the very existence of these monasteries is a thorn in the side of Ganden, Sera and Drepung monasteries because they are right next door! More importantly, they are out of the CTA’s reach. The CTA cannot touch them, cannot close them down, cannot harass them, cannot do anything to them because they are legal entities licensed and protected by the Indian government.

And although their numbers are fewer than those in non-Dorje Shugden monasteries, each master, scholar and monk in Serpom, Shar Gaden and many other thriving Dorje Shugden monasteries is akin to a piece of solid gold – much better than having thousands of steel or silver pieces. They are definitely the third thorn in the CTA’s side, particular Serpom and Shar Gaden who produce many qualified Dorje Shugden geshes and scholars every year.

 

#4: The New Kadampa Tradition

The fourth cause to bring down the ban is the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), the largest Tibetan Buddhist-based organisation in the world. No other Tibetan dharma organization in the world can compare, not the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) nor any center from the other Tibetan Buddhist lineages.

Nor can any other lama compete with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the founder of NKT. He is 80 years old, hale and healthy, has authored many books and established hundreds of centres all over the world. Not forgetting the peaceful protests organized by the NKT and later the International Shugden Community (ISC). The protests are a huge thorn in the CTA’s side because wherever the Dalai Lama or CTA go, there is a protest.

These protests are embarrassing – they are making it into the international news and getting attention all over the world. While it may be “normal” to see Chinese nationals demonstrating against the Dalai Lama, it is shocking to see Westerners and Tibetans protesting against the supposed icon of world peace. People are noticing the protests, researching it, asking questions about it.

Even young Tibetans are beginning to question it, a clear sign of progress in the on-going efforts to bring down the ban. Prime Minister Sikyong Lobsang Sangay recently visited Upper TCV school in Dharamsala and during a Q&A session, teenage students asked the Sikyong earnest questions about the Dorje Shugden ban which he could not answer satisfactorily, nor could he hide his anger at being questioned (Read more).

In an attempt to mitigate the damage done by the students’ questions and the Sikyong failing to answer them directly and sufficiently, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, Penpa Tsering, stepped forward to speak and began criticising both the previous and current incarnations of Trijang Rinpoche. He also criticised Pabongka Rinpoche harshly and upset a great many Tibetans as a result, opening their eyes to see how the CTA is negative, critical and divisive in their actions (Read more).

Clearly, the CTA are beginning to crack at the seams and the protests, the 4th cause to bring down the ban, are having the desired effect.

 

#5: DorjeShugden.com

Last but not least is DorjeShugden.com and the Dorje Shugden Fanpage on Facebook. Without access to the protests, monasteries or Tibetans, the majority of people get their information from the Internet, and whenever someone searches for “Dorje Shugden”, DorjeShugden.com will appear on top.

The Dorje Shugden fanpage has also reached over 100,000 fans, meaning that every time an article is posted, more than 100,000 people are reading it. The numbers have grown on their own without advertising or campaigning, and it continues to increase daily.

Therefore, through their network of contributors and supporters, DorjeShugden.com and its associated online assets are the premier source of information about all things Dorje Shugden. The website in particular is a treasure trove, a Kangyur and Tengyur, and a massive encyclopaedia of knowledge, wisdom, history, practice, multimedia, events, and even a thriving community forum. Everybody quotes from it – the media, bloggers, other websites and even the CTA themselves. This is the final factor that will bring down the Dorje Shugden ban.

 

In summary, the five factors that will bring down the ban are:

 

  1. The emergence of Trijang Rinpoche and other young Dorje Shugden lamas

  2. Established high lamas in Tibet and elsewhere spreading Dorje Shugden far and wide

  3. The unstoppable growth of Serpom and Shar Gaden monasteries

  4. The protests and the New Kadampa Tradition

  5. DorjeShugden.com and the Dorje Shugden Facebook fanpage

These factors are in no particular order. They are interconnected and inter-related. These five rivers are flowing and there is nothing that can stop them from bursting the dam holding of Dorje Shugden’s precious practice.

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17 total comments on this postSubmit yours
  1. I find this article very well thought out. I can add more to it, but so far what it has seems quite plausible. Very good summary of events will that will bring CTA to a change of stance regarding Shugden’s ban.

  2. Let’s not forget that http://www.dorjeshugden.com has over 1,753,000 views up to date we have noticed. This website is getting very close to two million views. This says quite a lot. That many views means the information here has reached hundred of thousands of people around the world. Just scroll down and you can see the numbers for yourself. Good job for sure! Our group in Switzerland find this Shugden website the most comprehensive and prolific. It has news, facts, information, history, updates, prayers, pictures, background and everything you may want to know about Shugden. Amazing for sure! It is an open platform for ALL Shugden practitioners around the world and not associated with one centre or Lama. Very open and fair. This is what makes this website successful.

    I agree with the five components as described in this article that will bring the Dorje Shugden ban down. I heard some HIgh Lamas predict it will be soon.

  3. Keep hoping and keep wishing it to be so. Good luck!

  4. Definitely, the ban is ending pretty soon. The ban cannot withstand the powerful forces of the 5 rivers when they merge in unison to benefit the world. This is inevitable and is a fact not just wishful thinking. You will live to see the ban disintegrate.

  5. Let not forget the power of the masses, the undying devotion from Dorje Shugden practitioners all over the world. They faith and their courage so the linage will not dry up,,,,,it remains and flourishes in our mind continuum…

  6. The motivation of these 5 groups of people are Pure, as their intention to bring down the Ban is to protect those who are discriminated and treated badly plus open up the precious teachings to benefit all ! May the Tsongkhapa teachings be protected from delusions and flourish to all corners of the world, to benefit all sentient beings !

  7. These five factor are very important points to know about. Even in certain alternative medicine there are pressure points, so pressing the pressure points will result in a faster result to be achieved.

    All these five factors should be shared with others so more people can assist in the lifting of the ban.

  8. Much gratitude to the high lamas, Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche, Lama Jampa Ngodup, Lama Tubten Phurpu, Gangchen Rinpoche, Gonsar Rinpoche and many other lamas who are working tirelessly to spread Dorje Shugden lineage. May the ban be lifted as soon as possible so that more can be benefited from Dorje Shugden.

  9. Through these five unstoppable rivers and the faith and strong devotion of Dorje Shugden practitioners, it will certainly bring down the ban. The growing viewers on http://www.dorjeshugden.com, showed that this website which provides clear, logical information has reached out to so many people worldwide. Dorje Shugden practice is striving and it will bring the ban down soon!!!

  10. HH Trijang Rinpoche has been very active now going around the world to spread dharma, that is an indication DS will not get any weaker but stronger. We must all support Serpom and Shar Gaden so that the pure lineage of Je Tsongkhapa will continue on, more teachers will be able to spread Dharma far and wide. DS.com is incredible, always providing up to date and truth to people out there who are not aware of what is happening to DS practitioners. What I like about DS.com is that there is always logical discussion, promoting respect and harmony, non-violence. Please keep up the good work.

  11. I would like to extend my sincere thank to the creator/owner of this website who came out this brilliant idea of spreading and sharing dorje shugden news online. It’s this platform, I cleared my doubts and learn and practice and today, I’m a very devoted dorje shugden practitioner. Thank you for being so fearless to preserve lord tsongkhapa’s lineage. It’s through your perseverance and strength, also the fearlessness in you to go against the norm (HHDL and CTA) that has changed many people’s lives. Big thank you! I bow to all high Lamas for contributing to the lift of ban.

  12. Rejoice for all the high Lama and people who work towards lifting the band is very meritorious to lift this ban because is going to help a lot of being to release their suffering the only way to lift the suffering us the holy Dharma once the ban lifted then all these Lama will be able to spread the teaching and lineage we as a practitioner should support all the activities hopefully the ban will lift as soon as possible.

  13. When we think about it and when we observe the comments, the views and how much this website has benefitted and has provided a beacon of hope for a simple practitioner like myself. I rejoice and hope that the Shugden ban would indeed be lifted by none other than the Dalai Lama himself.

  14. Long live his holiness long live dalay lama – F R E E T I B E T
    om ma ni padme hum

  15. Please Tibetans, do not fight one against the other. Stay together and liberate from the chinese tortures and chains.
    we are not against chinese people, but against chinese regime, terrorifying tibetans in their own homelands.
    Freedom for all and love for all that worship divine light saturating the mass of the universe, creating live and love for all :-)
    om ma ni padme hum

  16. To date it looks like this website ds.com has reached over 2.5 million views !!! Impressive indeed !!
    It has certainly served me well. From this website the news are current and the information has depth and substance. Those who disagrees are also given a platform to debate. I think thats very fair. However, I do notice not many actually debates but instead they go on social media to slander Dorje Shugden and the DS Lamas with foul language and lies. I am mostly dumbfounded when witnessing this and totally do not comprehend why there cannot be a humane and professional platform where this ridiculous ban can have a discussion and friendly debate to iron out all the controversies which create nothing but sufferings for many.
    May the ban end very soon !

  17. Dear Dalai Lama,

    Since you started the cruel ban against the 350 year Dorje Shugden practice, how has it benefit your Tibetan society and Buddhism in the world? Things have become worse and most educated Tibetans can see this. They don’t speak out not because they don’t see your ban as wrong, but you instill fear in them and not respect. It is like fear of a dictator. I am sorry to say so. Everyone is divided. There is no harmony. Before your ban there was more harmony and unity.

    By enacting the ban, you split the monasteries, split so many families, split regions in Tibet apart, split your disciples from you, split your own gurus from you, split Tibetan Buddhism apart. You have created so much disharmony.

    It is not democratic what you have done to ban a religion within your community. You always talk of tolerance and acceptance and democracy and yet you do not accept and tolerate something different from your beliefs. When people practice Dorje Shugden you ostracize them, ban them from seeing you, ban them from using Tibetan facilities. You know you have done that. There are videos that capture your speech and prove this point. You even had people expelled from monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. Some of the monks you expelled have been in the monastery for over 40 years. Many older monks shed tears because of this.

    Many young educated Tibetans lost confidence in you as they saw the damage the Dorje Shugden ban created and they lose hope. Many have become free thinkers. They reject what you have done. So many people in the west left Buddhism because of the confusion you created with this ban against Dorje Shugden which is immoral.

    You could of had millions of people who practice Dorje Shugden to support, love and follow you, but you scared them away. They are hurt and very disappointed. They loved you and respected you deeply before the ban. It has been 60 years and you have failed to get Tibet back. Your biggest failure is not getting Tibet back after 57 years in exile. Now you are begging China to allow you to return to Tibet to the disappointment of thousands of people who fought for a free Tibet believing in you. So many self-immolated for a free Tibet and now you want Tibet to be a part of China with no referendum from Tibetans. Just like a dictator, you decide on your own. It was your government and you that lost Tibet in the first place. Your policies and style of doing things do not benefit Tibet and Buddhism. You have been the sole ruler of Tibet your whole life and you still have not gotten our country of Tibet back for us. Our families and us are separated. Yet you create more pain by creating a ban to further divide people. Please have compassion.

    No other Buddhist leader has banned or condemned any religion except for you. It looks very bad. You are a Nobel laureate and this is not fitting of a laureate. You should unite people and not separate them by religious differences.

    You said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi did not do right to the Rohingya people in Myanmar due to religious differences, but you are doing the same thing to the Shugden Buddhists within your own society. There is a parallel in this. You separate the Shugden Buddhists from the others in Tibetan society.

    You have lost so many people who would have loved and supported you. You have lost so much support around the world. The Shugden Buddhists who love you number in the millions. When you are fast losing support from governments and private people, it will not do you well to lose more.

    After you are passed away in the future, the rift you created between the Dorje Shugden and non-Dorje Shugden people will remain for a while and that will be your legacy. Disharmony. You will be remembered for this. Not as a hero but a disharmony creator.

    Dorje Shugden will spread and further grow, but you will be no more as you are a human. No one wishes you bad and in fact we hope you have a long and healthy life, but we have lost so much hope and have so much despair because of you. All the hundreds of Dorje Shugden lamas, tulkus and geshes are maturing and there are hundreds of Dorje Shugden monasteries in Tibet who will not give up Dorje Shugden. You have made a mistake. These hundreds of teachers and teachers to be will spread Dorje Shugden further in the future.

    The gurus that gave us Dorje Shugden as a spiritual practice and you have called these holy gurus wrong and they are mistaken in giving us Dorje Shugden. How can you insult our gurus whom we respect so much? If they can be wrong, then you can be wrong. Then all gurus can be wrong. So no one needs to listen to any guru? You have created this trend. It is not healthy. Your own gurus practiced Dorje Shugden their whole lives. Your own gurus were exemplary and highly learned.

    Dalai Lama you have created so much pain with this ban against so many people due to religion. You are ageing fast. Are you going to do anything about it or stay stubborn, hard and un-moving. You show a smile and preach peace and harmony wherever you go. But will you do the same to your own people? Please rectify the wrong you have done. Please before it is too late. You can create harmony again or you can pass away in the future with this legacy of peace. May you live long and think carefully and admit what was a mistake in having this unethical ban against Dorje Shugden religion.

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.…Instead of turning away people who practise Dorje Shugden, we should be kind to them. Give them logic and wisdom without fear, then in time they give up the ‘wrong’ practice. Actually Shugden practitioners are not doing anything wrong. But hypothetically, if they are, wouldn’t it be more Buddhistic to be accepting? So those who have views against Dorje Shugden should contemplate this. Those practicing Dorje Shugden should forbear with extreme patience, fortitude and keep your commitments. The time will come as predicted that Dorje Shugden’s practice and it’s terrific quick benefits will be embraced by the world and it will be a practice of many beings.

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