DalaiLama.com series: The Shugden Affair: Origins of a Controversy (Part I)
(Source: http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/ganden-tripa/the-shugden-affair-i)
CTA, no wonder you are downgraded
The Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGiE) has been forced by the Indian government to rename themselves to the lesser-sounding Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). It makes perfect sense for the Indian government to do this…
Gaden Monks Forced to Swear Against Dorje Shugden (video)
Part 2 THIS IS A RARE AND UNSEEN BEFORE VIDEO This video was taken sometime in 2008-2009, which showed monks in Gaden Shartse monastery in some kind of swearing ceremony, but this was no normal ceremony, it was a ceremony to swear against the pracrtice of Dorje Shugden. The monks were first lectured by some…
THE TRUTH behind who saved the Dalai Lama’s life
and Read this article An incredible revelation has come to light about the H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama’s perilous escape from Tibet, and the truth about who really saved his life during those most dangerous times. Some very courageous monks from both Gaden and Sera Monasteries have revealed many very interesting facts as below, which…
The Dorje Shugden Controversy
In his wrathful type, he could be the terrifying star of a Japanese horror film. His three eyes are burning with anger. His fangs protrude from a twisted smile. In his ideal hand he holds a razor-sharp sword and perhaps ready to slice up any person or anything that approaches. Equally terrifying is the snow…
Dorje Shugden practitioners are still discriminated against
It’s sad to report that Dorje Shugden practitioners are still being discriminated against by the Tibetan public. The evidence comes from a recent blog post, ‘The Bad Boys of Buddhism’. The writer is J.D. Lewis, an accomplished American actor and playwright who has appeared in popular TV programmes as ‘Friends’ and ‘Suddenly Susan’. He has…
Press release: Sept 1st, 2011
Today we would like to bring to the attention of all those who believe in peaceful co-existence of all faiths and beliefs in this world, and particularly the attention of the people who believe in freedom of religion and human rights. 2nd September is The Tibetan Democracy Day, but the irony is that the Tibetan…
Dorje Shugden – The Divisive One
What saddens me is that so many strong minds are preoccupied with defending or attacking an invisible spirit rather than honing the skeptical empiricism to which the Buddha dedicated his life. The Dorje Shugden affair that emerged in the 1970s has brought division and strife to the Tibetan Buddhist community; sadly, murder too. This dispute…
Another controversy surrounding the Great Fifth
Extract from Pg 208 of The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation by Glenn H. Mullin Another controversy surrounding the Great Fifth concerns the details of the death of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, a famous Gelugpa lama of the period. He was one of the most prominent lamas of his day, and in fact…
My Position on Dorje Shugden
This will not be a re-hashing of the pros and cons of this controversy. In this respect, I take a position of neutrality. Recent conversations with Lamas and other Dharma practitioners have convinced me that it is time for me to make a public statement. As a long-time Dharma practitioner in the Gelug Lineage, this…
What Can Not Be Controlled Must Be Suppressed
It has been said that a picture paints a thousand words, the following pictures point towards more questions than answers. Who is the Sharmapa? Shamarpa (“Holder of the Red Crown”), also known as Shamar Rinpoche or more formally Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche is a lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the…
An Open Letter to Gelug Monasteries and Sangha Regarding Dorje Shugden
Gyudmed Monastery (Lower Tantric College) Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen’s Letter to Tibetan Buddhists and Tibetan Government-in-exile: An open Letter to Gelug Monasteries & Sangha Regarding Dorje Shugden Dear all Gurus and monks, Regarding the letter sent December 30, 2010, and received on January 13, 2011. The content of this letter asked me to give up the…
Tibetans Religious Freedom – The True Face of Tibetan Government in exile
16 April 2008 “Religious prosecution”, “Human rights violation”, “Demand religious freedom”. If you heard these words from a Tibetan in exile, you would think they’re talking about the P.R.C. Can you imagine that they may be referring to the Tibetan government in exile? In December of 1996, a protest was held in India against a…
The Tibetan Inquisition
In pursuing the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden, fostering schism in the Kagyu tradition, as well as other instances of meddling in all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is creating a modern day inquisition. As tensions in the Tibetan exile community rise, he has started to manipulate the Tibetans’ raw…
New book about Dalai Lama shows his true face
Source: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gdxw/t855134.htm PARIS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) — A recently released book about the Dalai Lama shows a different, darker side of the person deified by some Western politicians and media experts. Maxime Vivas’ “Not So ‘Zen’: The Hidden Side Of The Dalai Lama,” the first book of its kind published in the West, refutes the…
The Dalai Lama’s sectarian “non-sectarian” approach
The Dalai Lama makes a great deal of being non-sectarian and claims that those who practise Dorje Shugden are sectarian. He quotes ‘sectarianism’ as one of his main reasons for banning the practice of Shugden: 2. Obstacles to the emergence of genuine non-sectarianism: His Holiness has often stated that one of his most important commitments…
Persecution within Buddhist communities world-wide: a request to everyone
Western Shugden Society Studio 177, 56 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RG, United Kingdom Tel: + 44 (0) 2071939206 E-mail: [email protected] www.westernshugdensociety.org 17 August 2011 AN OPEN LETTER Persecution within Buddhist communities world-wide: a request to everyone Dear Everyone, With this letter, we, the Western Shugden Society would like respectfully to request you to use your…
Condemned to Silence – Part 3
A TIBETAN IDENTITY CRISIS (1996-1999) © by Ursula Bernis PART III – ATTEMPTING TO MAKE SENSE The Dalai Lama said about the Dorje Shugden conflict, “This is not my issue: it is the issue of Tibetan religion and politics…” I will follow this lead and examine the uniquely Tibetan mix of religion and politics primarily…
Point 13: Documentary Film
Point 13: Documentary Film http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/documentary-film Editor’s Note: The Dorje Shugden controversy has been on going for over 300 years since the time of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen due to jealousy. Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s popularity and influence invoked jealousy amongst the Great 5th’s supporters to kill Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. The attempts…
Point 12: Violent Events with Images
Point 12: Violent Events with Images http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/violent-events An extract from the ‘Sternstunde’ transcript (Swiss television) of an interview conducted with Mr. Prithvi Raj, SP Kangra on the triple murder at Dharamsala: Prithvi Raj (PR), Chief Police of Kangra District: We have identified two of the murderers, and we have clear indications that the murderers are directly…
Point 11: The Shugden Affair: Origins of a Controversy (Part II)
Point 11: The Shugden Affair: Origins of a Controversy (Part II) (Written by Georges Dreyfus) http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/ganden-tripa/the-shugden-affair-ii Keeping the Ge-luk Tradition Pure We now begin to understand the main message of the founding myth of the Shuk-den practice. We are also in a position to grasp some of the reasons for the troublesome nature of this…
Point 10: The Shugden Affair: Origins of a Controversy (Part I)
Point 10: The Shugden Affair: Origins of a Controversy (Part I) (Written by Georges Dreyfus) http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/ganden-tripa/the-shugden-affair-i In recent years the community of Tibetan Buddhists has been agitated by an intense dispute concerning the practice of a controversial deity, Gyel-chen Dor-je Shuk-den (rgyal chen rdo rje shugs ldan). Several Tibetan monks have been brutally murdered, and…
Point 9: Contemporary Scholars – The 100th Ganden Tripa (Ganden Throneholder)
Point 9: Contemporary Scholars – The 100th Ganden Tripa (Ganden Throneholder) http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/ganden-tripa Statement of His Eminence The 100th Ganden Tri Rinpoche (Head Of the Gelugpa Sect) regarding the worship of gods and protectors As stated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his recent speeches regarding the worship of gods and protectors, the six major…
Point 7: The Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies’ Resolutions
Point 7: The Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies’ Resolutions http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/atpd-resolutions Resolutions Passed Unanimously in June 1996. (Parliament in Exile) In the interest of Buddhism and the Tibetan national cause, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has openly advised against the propitiation of Shugden. On behalf of the Tibetan people, both in and outside Tibet, the Assembly of…
Point 8: Resolution Passed by the Tibetan Youth Congress (1997)
Point 8: Resolution Passed by the Tibetan Youth Congress (1997) http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/tyc-resolution Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama has evaluated the advisability of worshipping Dholgyal for many years and has addressed the issue repeatedly since 1978, and Whereas there has been negligence on the part of the public toward these addresses, with active propagation of this…
Point 6: Kashag’s Statement Concerning Dolgyal
Point 6: Kashag’s Statement Concerning Dolgyal http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/kashags-statement (Cabinet of the Tibetan Government in Exile – Dharamsala – May 31, 1996) After nearly forty years in exile under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the chances of achieving our goal of freedom for Tibet continues to improve. Tibetans stand out among all the refugees…
Point 5: Historical References
Point 5: Historical References http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/historical-references The Fifth Dalai Lama Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen (1677-1751) Phurchok Ngawang Jampa (1682 – 1762) Yongzin Yeshi Gyaltsen (1713 – 1793) Thukan Lobsang Choekyi Nyima (1737–1802) Phabongkhapa Dechen Nyingpo (1878–1941) Jigme Dhamchoe Gyatso (1898–1947) Editor: Please note that most of these so-called historical references do not even mention Dorje Shugden. It…
Point 4: Concerning Dolgyal with Reference to the Views of Past Masters and other Related Matters
Point 4: Concerning Dolgyal with Reference to the Views of Past Masters and other Related Matters http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/speeches-by-his-holiness/dharamsala-teaching A talk on Dolgyal by H.H. the Dalai Lama during the course of religious teachings in Dharamsala, October 1997 There may be many among you who have never been involved in the practice of Dolgyal at all. In…
Point 3: Speech to the Second Gelug Conference
Point 3: Speech to the Second Gelug Conference http://fpmt.org/images/stories/organization/announcements/shugden/SpeechbyHisHolinessatGelugconferenceedohdl.pdf (PDF format) Speech by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to the Second Gelug Conference (Dharamsala, 6 December 2000) We meet here today with Ganden Tri Rinpoche, the representative of Jamgon Gyalwa (Lama Tsong Khapa), chiefly gracing us with his presence. The abbots representing the three…
Point 2: Speech to an Audience Dominated by Tibetans from Tibet on 27 March 2006 during the Spring Teachings
Point 2: Speech to an Audience Dominated by Tibetans from Tibet on 27 March 2006 during the Spring Teachings http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/speeches-by-his-holiness I thought that I would talk to you about the Dolgyal issue. Actually, I have already spoken a great deal about this over a period of time and, therefore, most of you know about it….
Point 1: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning Dolgyal (Shugden)
Point 1: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning Dolgyal (Shugden) http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/his-holiness-advice Following long and careful investigations, His Holiness the Dalai Lama strongly discourages Tibetan Buddhists from propitiating the fierce spirit known as Dolgyal (Shugden). Although he once practised Dolgyal propitiation himself, His Holiness renounced the practice in 1975 after discovering the profound historical, social…
Condemned to Silence – Part 2
A TIBETAN IDENTITY CRISIS (1996-1999) © by Ursula Bernis PART II In this section, I will present the documentation for the interviews of Part I. It is not a history, since that would require a different kind of research possible here, which would have to include Tibetan texts, both published and unpublished. The material presented…
Condemned to Silence – Part 1
A TIBETAN IDENTITY CRISIS (1996-1999) © by Ursula Bernis Preface “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…” “Whereas…the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech…
Dorje Shugden Controversy
Views on the Conflict According to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile According to the Dolgyal Research Committee, instituted by the Tibetan government in exile (TGIE), prominent opponents to the practice have included not only the 5th, 13th and current Dalai Lamas but also the 5th and 8th Panchen Lamas, Dzongsar Khyentse…
The will to refuse a jungle of views
I have been scouring the internet for as much information as I can on Dorje Shugden. I have compiled a lot of notes (thanks to Google Notes) so I will now present what I have found with regards to this “deity”. At this moment in time I have no affiliation with any Buddhist Schools nor…
Conventional Untruths: Orchestrated Deception in the ban on Dorje Shugden Prayer
Following the media coverage of the protests against the Dalai Lama by the Western Shugden Society, one inevitably comes across a very basic contradiction. On the one hand, here is this Buddhist group protesting the ban on Dorje Shugden practice, and on the other hand there is the world’s generally accepted “face” of Buddhism, His…
Darkness behind the guru-bubble
Mike Carlton June 18, 2011 After careful thought, I have decided, like the Prime Minister, that I have no time in my busy schedule to meet Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, aka His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. This may be my loss. When Tony Abbott saw the bouncy bonze on Tuesday he…
It’s the Dalai Lama vs Shugden
The ongoing temporal struggle between the Dalai Lama as head of the Gelugpa sect and the Britain-based Shugden community is part of a tradition that goes back to power plays between spiritual leaders in old Tibet. This time, Western followers of various forms of Tibetan Buddhism are adding fuel to the flames. ~ by Deepak…
What does the Dalai Lama’s ‘retirement’ means for religious freedom?
There are recent reports that the Dalai Lama’s decision to retire from politics, expressed earlier this month, has been accepted by the Tibetan Parliament. So does this mean that the Dalai Lama has really retired, and what are the implications for Dorje Shugden practitioners who are still experiencing discrimination at the hands of the Tibetan…
Mixing Religion and Politics: The Dalai Lama’s ban on Dorje Shugden Prayer
The fact that the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile have been able to subject the Tibetan populace to an oath swearing campaign, whereby they promise not to engage in prayer to Dorje Shugden or have dealings with anyone who does, harkens back to the religious persecution in England during the 17th century…
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