Author Topic: The Gyalwang Drukpa's Statement on Forceful Conversion of Drukpa Monasteries  (Read 11237 times)

icy

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What has become of Buddhism?  We see and read of violence amongst engaging Buddhists around the world.  Read another violence of forceful conversion of the Drukpa lineage monasteries in the Mount Kailash region by the Karma Kagyu lineage and Drukpa monks were made to exile in the name of Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee.


The Gyalwang Drukpa's Statement on Forceful Conversion of Drukpa Monasteries

10th September 2014

Over the last few days I have been receiving disturbing information from Tibet regarding the forced conversion of Drukpa Lineage monasteries in the Mount Kailash region by the Karma Kagyu Lineage. My followers in Tibet tell me that nearly all of the historic Drukpa Lineage monasteries in Mount Kailash region are being forcibly occupied by the Karma Kagyu Lineage, using money, coercion and certain Chinese support. Monks of the Drukpa Lineage looking after the monasteries, are suddenly exiled from their spiritual homes by the Karma Kagyu monks.

Historically the Drukpa Lineage and the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism have shared a deep and close spiritual bond. The Gyalwang Drukpas and Gyalwa Karmapas were known as Gyalwa Kar-Druk Yab-sey or “spiritual father and son” because whoever was elder would give spiritual guidance to the younger one. This close bond continued till the time of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.

More than 15 years ago, Dri-ra Phug monastery, the seat of Gyalwa Gotsangpa who was the most illustrious disciple of the 1st Gyalwang Drukpa Tsangpa Gyare, was forcibly taken over by monks of the Karma Kagyu, saying that they were instructed to do so by His Holiness Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee. I did not believe then that His Holiness Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee would have given such an instruction because he was just a child at that time. Even today the name “His Holiness Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee” is being used to forcibly take over and convert the Drukpa Lineage monasteries to the Karma Kagyu. Historic pictures, images and art of Drukpa Lineage Lamas are being defaced and removed by the Karma Kagyu in an attempt to rewrite history. Despite what I have been informed, I still do not believe that His Holiness Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee would give instructions to forcibly take over Drukpa Lineage monasteries and convert them to Karma Kagyu.

However, it is definite that some high Lama of the Karma Kagyu with certain Chinese connections is misappropriating the name of Karmapa. Therefore, for the sake of religious and humanitarian harmony, I urge His Holiness Karmapa Ugyen Thinley Dorjee, as head of the Karma Kagyu, to instruct his followers in Tibet and elsewhere to refrain from taking over and forcefully converting Drukpa Lineage monasteries, and to issue a statement so that those within his lineage who have been using his name to conduct such oppression to leave forcibly occupied Drukpa Lineage monasteries and return those sacred heritage of all kinds, taken forcibly, to the Drukpa Lineage.

The Gyalwang Drukpa

http://www.drukpacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=990:the-gyalwang-drukpa-s-statement-on-forceful-conversion-of-drukpa-monasteries&catid=85&Itemid=495&lang=en

Blueupali

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This is the Dalai Lama's fault, actually.  And it is really terrible.
  You see, the Dalai Lama backed Tai Situpa, when Tai Situpa lied to him that all regents thought the Karmapa was this urgen thrinely guy that China liked.
  Shamar Rinpcohe had not been consulted on the matter, when Situpa faxed the DL, who was then in South America.
  But, the DL decided to back it, and then continued to do so, despite Shamarpa (the rightful finder of Karmapa) telling the DL that the DL had been lied to by Situ.
  So, anyway, CHina wants this pretend Karmapa, Urgen Trinley, and then the Dalai Lama, just wants to be more powerful than the real Karmapa, so he helps divide the rival school.
  So, someone on the psuedo Karmapa side is forcibly converting the Drugkpa Kagyu monestaries to the pretend (China/DL) Karmapa.
  Okay, follow me here, why would China care who the Karmapa is?  Why, because they wanted to use the pretend Karmapa as a potential puppet--- they want to boss the Tibetan people around--- oh listen to this Karmapa, he was chosen by the Dalai lama--- and then like a bunch of donkeys, people will do it?
  Well, the pretend Karmapa had a Chinese education, so the Chinese can try to say he is acting to benefit mother China or something....
  Meanwhile, the same bunch of western fools who hate Shugden, just because the DL said so, are constantly demonizing Shamarpa (the legit Kagyupa side), just because the legit Kagyu lineage head had the AUDACITY to uh.... be the legit Kagyu lineage head and find the Karmapa.
  So, this is what happens when people are not paying attention and let politics in the Dharma--- we get the Dalai Lama fooling around trying to be in charge of everyone and everything Buddhist, we get China trying to control Buddhism to control Tibetans, and we get the U.S. thrown into the mix because they up-play the DL as part of their anti-communist brainwashing device (I can not like communism all by myself thank you, I don't need the brainwash), so then everybody walks around thinking this guy is better than Ghandi or something, because of fears the U.S. had back during the cold war.  So, I feel really terrible about this; this is the sort of intrigue and terror that was the same as the 5th Dalai Lama--- very terrible for all of Buddhism that the politics is so intent on destroying the religion.
  I think we should do big Dorje SHugden pujas to counter this--- he is supposed to help keep politics out of religion--- I am praying for the Drukpa Kagyupas.... and all living beings....

dondrup

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How very sad that Tibetan Buddhism has come to this stage of destruction or near destruction! We have His Holiness Dalai Lama and CTA wanting to destroy Dorje Shugden lineage. Then His Holiness Dalai Lama was one of the causes that had divided Karma kagyu Tradition into two groups with two different karmapas! Now some evil kagyupas are causing damage to the Drukpa lineage! For whatever reason it might be for the forceful conversion, the present Drukpa Lineage holders must take the necessary and swift actions to preserve and protect their rich heritage that had originated from an emanation of Buddha Avalokiteshsvara -  Drogon Tsangpa Gyare - the founder of the Drukpa Lineage. Tsangpa Gyare was prophesized in many Sutras and Tantras and was recognized as the indisputable emanation of Naropa (1016-1100). Buddha Shakyamuni spoke of the coming of Tsangpa Gyare in the Fundamental Tantra of Manjushri (Toh. 543):

Three thousands years after my nirvana,
Sonam Nyingpo will appear,
in his future incarnation in the land of snows.
He will be born in the Hwashang (Chinese) race
and given the name Gelong Yeshe Dorje.
He will renounce worldly existence
and voluntarily embrace the essential meaning.
He will establish sentient beings in liberation,
and while abiding in the essence free from the two extremes,
he will flourish my doctrine. 

Blueupali

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Yes, Dondrup, that's true that Tai Situpa and China were both the other causes in dividing the Kagyu school.
  So my understanding is that before the 16th Karmapa even showed passing, people from the Dalai Lama's school approached Situpa about uh helping find a Karmapa.... the normal court intrigue of whichever Gelugs are closest to the Dalai.... so, then when it was time to find the Karmapa, Situpa apparently went off to find him, found a boy that was the son of a nun in his monestary, but the search committee rejected that boy, so Situ found the one China liked.  (yes, it was China's choice.  The Dalai Lama backed China.  This is going to cause big problems okay.) http://www.karmapa-issue.org/news/statement_2014.htm
  However, if the Dalai Lama had not gotten involved in picking China's candidate, then maybe it would have blown over, and we would just have the traditionally chosen valid candidate, Karmapa (Thaye Dorje).
  Now, we have some evil Kagyus (equals Kagyus who betrayed the real Karmapa by allowing the Gelugpa school to pick their candidate (who was also chosen by China) to take over monestaries.  Now, the Dalai Lama doesn't care about preserving lineage; he wants to be in charge of all 4 schools, and also to get rid of Shugden (my theory is that that way he'd be more popular than Trijang Rinpoche, who has to keep a low profile in order to stay alive).  China just wants control of Tibet; they don't probably believe reincarnation happens, so they just want someone favorable to them.
  So this sort of thing, where we let Dalai be despot is not helping us, okay.  It's killing off Buddhism; it's killing off Shugden, the real Karma Kagyu has difficulties, and now the Drugpa Kagyu are being forcibly converted to the pseudo-Karmapa--- not only will they lose their lineage, but they would not be even given pure dharma to replace it.... not that they should have to lose their lineage. 
 

icy

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This is His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa:



TARA

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His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa has written this article on 7th October 2014 in the face of the illegal and forceful takeover of Drukpa Monasteries in Tibet in the name of the Karmapa. 

This illegal and forceful takeover of monasteries reminds me of the illegal occupation of Gaden Choling Monastery in Phedong belonging to Demo Geshe Rinpoche on May 18, 2014 by a group of 40 monks and laypeople from Tharpa Choling in Kalimpong.  These 40 people are a group of the Dalai Lama's followers.


Abuse in the Name of Guru Devotion

Abuse in the name of guru devotion is a very common thing these days, especially among Vajrayana practitioners. In Sanskrit, "Guru" has a very heavy meaning of being the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance, therefore a guru is heavy with the qualities of realisation, compassion and wisdom. Unfortunately, in the degenerate time we are in today, as Vajrayana practitioners, we are always confronted by the confusion on guru devotion. When we declare ourselves as Vajrayana practitioners, we are told that we would be going to Vajra hell if we doubt our lineage or our guru's activities.

In Vajrayana, we are taught "The activities of the Guru are the activities of the Buddha." There is a big BUT, that is depending on whether the guru is enlightened or not. This is the 21st century, you as a student must be given the opportunity to investigate. Buddha Shakyamuni himself says all the time that you as a student must investigate your guru thoroughly. Only after you have investigated your guru thoroughly that you then confirm to start the practice of Vajrayana path.

And also, after giving many profound teachings, Buddha Shakyamuni said to his disciples, "I have given the teachings, and you have to now check and investigate before you follow. But you don't really have to follow just because these are my doctrine." So for us, we have to check and investigate the teachings taught by our masters and then decide whether we want to follow or not.

Some people believe that whether the guru is enlightened or not is not important, as long as what he or she teaches Dharma, the students will be able to gain enlightenment within a lifetime. I doubt so. For example, you are a student of a cooking class, the class teacher may be a celebrity cook because he or she knows how to promote himself or herself commercially, but have you tasted the food he or she cooks? Recipes of delicious food are given to you from this celebrity teacher, but has he or she cooked based on this recipe or it is just intellectual knowledge? Does he or she have any experiential knowledge or experience in cooking?

Experiential knowledge is very important in spiritual guru-disciple relationship. This is why in Vajrayana, the pure relationship of a qualified guru and a qualified student is extremely vital to gain enlightenment within a lifetime. But again, I want to remind that you must first investigate the guru, take time to find out about his or her qualities and activities, about the lineage.

You should not be denied of this basic right as a student. Ultimately, you are practising to be enlightened for the benefit of all beings. You should not jump onto the band wagon, like a blind fan after a celebrity, this is not a fan club. Obviously, you don't want to be stuck in a cult as well, losing your basic intelligence and basic common sense. You need to be as normal as possible, and more open-minded and more spacious after following a genuine guru and a genuine lineage. There is no lineage if the guru is not genuine and there is no guru if the lineage is not pure.

Even if your guru asked you to jump from 20th floor down, and you have great doubts about this, you can bow down in front of him or her, saying without anger that "There is no point for me to jump from here, so I wouldn't like to jump." In Asvagosha's Gurupancashika ("The 50 Verses of Guru Devotion"), it says very clearly in verse number 24 that "If you lack the knowledge or ability to do what the Guru says, explain in polite words why you cannot comply."

Something that your guru asks you to do, though it looks okay, you cannot do it and you cannot accept it, you can ask and clarify to clear your doubts. For example, I as your guru, tell you, "Do not take off shoes in my room." You can feel free to ask me, "Why do you like us to wear shoes in your room?" because this is something you don't like, and you like the idea of taking off the shoes, but I don't like the idea of taking off the shoes. You can ask me for my reason, because you don't know, and I should have a good reason why you should not take off shoes in my room. Good reason means that the reason should be logical to make you feel comfortable about wearing shoes in my room, the reason should not without common sense.

It is unfair and illogical for me as your guru to expect you as my student to accept everything I say, without you having the chance to investigate and think. I as your guru must have a good reason that is logical and with common sense to tell you, then from today onwards, you will put on your shoes in my room, because you know and you understand. Up until then, you have the right to ask, but not with anger, you have to understand the logic behind the guru's instruction.

In one of Buddha's previous lives as a Brahmin disciple, he had a guru who told his disciples to go out and steal for him. His logic was that since the universe was created by Brahma, it was okay as Brahmins or sons of Brahma, to take things belonging to his father without asking, so it should not be considered as act of stealing. But Buddha did not follow his guru's instructions, saying "Theft is at no time religious" and explaining in many ways why stealing was not good and was harmful to others. Buddha became one of his guru's best disciples.


http://www.drukpa.org/index.php/en/news-updates/news-in-2014/357-abuse-in-the-name-of-guru-devotion

herukachoo

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I haven't seen any evidence so far that it's the Dalai Lama/Urgyen Trinley faction who have been taking over the Drukpa monasteries. Is it possible that the action is being taken only by the Chinese, in an effort to simplify Tibetan Buddhism and make it easier to regulate? Or is there positive evidence pointing to Dharamsala?

Blueupali

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I haven't seen any evidence so far that it's the Dalai Lama/Urgyen Trinley faction who have been taking over the Drukpa monasteries. Is it possible that the action is being taken only by the Chinese, in an effort to simplify Tibetan Buddhism and make it easier to regulate? Or is there positive evidence pointing to Dharamsala?


So, the action is being done in the name of Urgyen Trinley, who was China's choice, so what's the difference?  He is not the legitimate choice according to Kagyupa tradition, the DL likes to try to take over all of Tibetan Buddhism this life.  http://www.karmapa-issue.org/arguments.htm
  It is terrible that the monestaries would be foricibly converted to the Urgen Trinley Karma Kagyu--- the real Karmapa wouldn't stand for forcible conversions to his school; the Dalai Lamas of Tibet (in some recongitions that didn't act at all enlightened like the 5th) often forcibly convert Kagyu to Gelugpa.  So, the Dalai Lama backs China's Urgen candidate, getting the lesser regent (Tai Situ) to agree over the rightful head, the highest regent Shamar Rinpoche.  This gives Situ more power, gets the DL power to brainwash Karma Kagyus in the west--- etc..  This gives China politcal leverage if the (China/Gelugpa) Karmapa goes back to Tibet; they can control people via this fake Karmapa and their fake Panchen lama.... (separate religion and politics, for real....).  So you know, whether the DL would give official word ---, whether the Gelug-China Karmapa would give word --- the fact is that it's happening, and the DL should never have interfered, because now we have a fake Gelugpa Karmapa.
  Okay, always converting everyone to his view, the DL.  Has students who come to NKT Centers who try to convert people from Shugden, while pretending to be newbies or members of the NKT.... DL wants to be in charge of everything and always keeps doing that in various recognitions.