Man Evicted from Samdhong Rinpoche’s Talk

[kris]

I have just read about this article and watched the video:

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/man-evicted-from-samdhong-rinpoches-talk/

This act of evicting the person who asked question is totally not acceptable. I don't think the person is there to protest as claimed by the organizer, but he indeed has a very difficult question for Samdong Rinpoche. The organizer of this event could have just behaved in a much better civilized manner, but we all know this is not an easy question for Samdong Rinpoche to answers, therefore, they choose the "easy" way out, which is to evict the person.

This also shows the standard operating procedure of CTA: If they like what they hear, they don't discuss about it, instead, they just throw you out. This is gangsterism if I may say so. It has been more than 50 years since their exile, and they have many years of practice in democracy, and this is what they are today.

Tibetan in exile are harping on the wrong tree to gain back their independence. If Tibetans in exile really wants their independence, their number one enemy is the old and backdated mindset of the people in CTA. I am not asking the people to go on riot and overthrow their government, instead, I am asking the people to challenge their leader to think in a truly democratic way; to resolve issues through dialogue; and to unite the people instead of dividing people.

I think the organizer forgot that they are having the talk in USA, not in Tibet. They openly discriminate people who ask difficult question, and that itself is against the law of USA.

[Q]

This is just shameful and a direct effort to censor opinions in public. This is what the CTA is... if you go 'against' them for having a separate belief (in this case, our choice of religion which is private in nature, but they make it their business)... then they will do all sorts of nasty things to silence you. Like in this case, that man is obviously an American, asking a fair question (which they didnt allow him to finish asking), but instead of getting a clear explanation or at least listen out of courtesy... they threaten him with arrest and dragged him out of the hall as if he is a criminal. Just like they wrote in their 'government' website, stating Shugden practitioners a 'criminals in history'... guess they're proving their point here.

The CTA needs to be less corrupted and think more for their exile Tibetans. Now it only appears that they're thinking for themselves and are extremely lazy in doing their job. They want the 'power' but don't take responsibility for it.

There are many cases in the past where Tibetans were forced out of exile! They've already been exiled once from Tibet, and when the Shugden ban came along, they were exiled from their exiled community... I am surprised that Tibetan Shugden practitioners are not bitter and sad. Take for example Guru Deva Rinpoche, whom was forced out of India to Mongolia because of the Shugden issue... and Serkong Tritu Rinpoche, had to leave for Taiwan... and HH Trijang Rinpoche had to leave Gaden because of the Shugden ban.

The ban only brought destruction and suffering... but at the same time, it forced all the lamas to go to various foreign countries, and there they taught the Dharma. I hope tha ban will end soon... it is very disappointing to see so much discrimination and religious bigotry in this modern century. We've come so far in terms of morality and human rights, it is a shame to see this happening to a class of Buddhist practitioners.

[Dondrup Shugden]

In any talks, the presenters will always leave time for a Question and Answer session which are normally very open minded. However after Samdhong Rinpoche's talk that this session was permitted was interesting as shown evidently the ex Chief of Tibetan Government in exile would not questions that they do not wish to answer.  It is the pretence of democracy that makes the whole situation most dishonourable.

If we are to listen to the video, the questioner even asked if he could ask a question and Samdhong rinpoche answered affirmative.  Then why was the question not answered and the questioner removed like a convict.

It is this lack of integrity that the CTA will never be able to gain anything for the poor Tibetans in exile with the Chinese authorities.  CTA in their lack of integrity will find it hard to come to any formidable conclusion with the worlds second economic Power. 

Besides having great compassion for the Tibetans in exile being led in such a autocratic manner, it is this same attitude that makes it very difficult for the Shugdenpas to convince CTA of religious freedom.  A very sad illustration for the world to see.

[DharmaSpace]

Sunnyside speech draws protesters
Queens’ Shugden community say they are targeted, kept from families

When the former prime minister of Tibet, Samdhong Rinpoche, gave a speech at Sunnyside Community Hall last Friday, a crowd of around 60 protesters, most of them of the Dolgyal Shugden religion, gathered outside.
Rachel Jeffrey, a spokesperson for the group, said they are against what they see as Rinpochae’s unfair treatment of Shugden believers, who worship a Buddhist spirit not recognized by the Dalai Lama.
“What we’re protesting is the religious hatred and segregation system that was put in place by the Dalai Lama and then predominantly enforced by Samdhong as the former prime minister,” she said. “Even though the Dalai Lama speaks of peace and tolerance, in reality he’s created this atmosphere of religious hatred.”
Jeffrey added that in exiled Tibetan communities, primarily in Indian towns, Shugden Buddhists are barred from some stores and government positions.
There was a resolution passed in June 1996 in the Tibetan exiled government stating, “Efforts should be made to challenge the Shugden activists’ campaign to intimidate and deceive non-Shugden practitioners.”
The group said there are four million who follow the same beliefs worldwide, but this number is questioned by some scholars.
Many Tibetan organizations say the members’ accusations against the Dalai Lama are unwarranted and derogatory.
Ah Dahr, a Queens resident, said there are more than 500 people from his hometown living in the area, and in 2008, community members asked Shugden believers to renounce the faith or they would be shut out from the community. Dahr did not agree.
“Since then we cannot talk to our old friends, we cannot talk to my hometown people, we cannot do the BUSINESS,” Dahr said, adding that within the next week, he received calls from fellow Queens residents saying they would “kill him” and “finish him.”
“I cannot talk to my parents. I cannot talk to my brothers, my sister,” Dahr said, adding he and his wife had to divorce.
Protesters held up signs of Rinpoche warped into an image of the devil and shouted, “Stop lying, Samdhong, evil and corrupt.”
Rinpoche’s stance on the Shugden believers aligns with the Dalai Lama’s.
The Dalai Lama did recognize Dolgyal Shugden, a spirit, but renounced the belief in the 1970s, according to his official website. He called it a negative and “fierce” and “strongly discourages” the worship and has requested those who continue to propitiate Dolgyal “not to attend his formal religious teachings.”
Worshipers of Dolgyal Shugden say the spirit is a protector and enlightened being.
Dob Den, a Brooklyn resident who came to hear Rinpoche speak, observed the crowd from afar.
“I know it from my childhood,” Den, an India native, said, before later adding about the protesters, “They want trouble.”
Dechen Tulku, another Queens resident, said he has received dirty looks from other Tibetans on the No. 7 train “so many times.”
“If I have to go out after 9 p.m., I have no choice, I have to take a taxi,” Tulku said, adding that the community is small and residents know each other. “It is very, very difficult, we are suffering a lot ... United States is freedom of speech, freedom of religion practice, but it’s very difficult to live here.”
Tulku lived with his wife and 2-year-old before moving in with a friend last year.
Jeffrey, the spokesperson, said there were others who have experienced similar things, but were afraid to speak.
“Some people have been spreading lies that individuals were harassed and their objects of worship seized for propitiating Shugden, and that government officials were expelled from job, etc.,” reads a statement on the Central Tibet Administration’s website. “Not a single of these allegations were found to be true. Should such an incident ever take place, it must be noted that this is neither the wish of His Holiness Dalai Lama, nor the policy of the Tibetan Administration.”
Five officers from nearby precincts were present at the event; one said it was expected to stay under control. At 9:30 p.m., protesters were still demonstrating.
“It is what it is,” said one woman who attended the speech, which was partly organized by the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey. “These are their beliefs.”
Jeffrey said the Dalai Lama should act.
“He just needs to tell the Tibetan community that people should not be harassed,” Jeffrey said. “He says that, it will stop immediately.”

More coverage on the Samdhong Rinpoche talk. It is quite amazing that it is not only Tibetans i india face problems from being Dorje Shudgen but also Tibetans who are American faces problems from their fellow Tibetans despite all of them are in the land of the free USA.

[DharmaSpace]

This is the link to the "Sunnyside speech draws protesters"
http://www.qchron.com/editions/western/sunnyside-speech-draws-protesters/article_c8e5d5bc-082b-53b8-bac2-ae3ebec655fb.html

[kris]

Samdhong Rinpoche is a very important figure in CTA and what he says represents the values of CTA, and unfortunately, this incident shows us what is CTA's core value: CTA is not interested in people who ask questions they don't like to be asked, and for they, they would rather keep their citizens uneducated so that they can be easily manipulated.

One of the reasons why the Europe countries and America grow very fast, is because the government encourage and educate their people to think and challenge. Through this thought process, new technology, new ideas etc arise. This act of evicting people out of the hall just because the person has a valid question, teach the younger generation Tibetan that is is OK to be barbaric and uncivilized.

It is indeed very sad to see where CTA is heading: to make their people more and more dumb, so that they can stay in power without being questioned. SAD.

[James Bond]

The CTA are wrong to do this. Especially in a place outside Tibet. They have no rights to simply remove someone from a talk when they say something they do not like, in Tibet and out of Tibet. This shows the dictatorship of the CTA, how they control people and do not even discuss whether or not this is the right thing to do. A system of Democracy must be established to avoid situations like this in the future.

[lotus1]

Agreed with kris and Q. CTA would just silent anyone that speak about Dorje Shugden. They do not let anyone to talk or debate about Dorje Shugden. They have done nothing for the Tibetan to grow. What they want to do is just blaming Dorje Shugden on Tibet cause. Sad to have such government. May the ban be lifted soonest so that the Tibetan can enjoy more freedom of speech as well as grow in social economy.