The Dalai Lama is loved and revered as both a god and a king by the Tibetan people

The propitiation of Dorje Shugden can be traced as far back as 400 years ago. And in that time, Dorje Shugden was revered as an enlightened Dharma Protector who is in fact the emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri. This view of the Protector was held by virtually all Gelug high monastic establishments including, at one point in time, the 14^th Dalai Lama himself. Historical accounts confirm that it was the oracle of Dorje Shugden whom those closest to the Dalai Lama trusted and consulted in 1959 to seek divine intervention to assist the Tibetan God-King’s escape from Tibet.

However, this all suddenly changed without much explanation. In 1996, the Dalai Lama went from worshipping and praising the deity Dorje Shugden to publicly renouncing and condemning it as a demonic practice. Turning against Dorje Shugden, the Dalai Lama began repeatedly calling for the cessation of the Dorje Shugden practice, primarily citing that it harms his life and the Tibetan cause.

In swift response to the Dalai Lama’s new negative sentiments, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Dalai Lama’s loyal supporters undertook drastic measures and employed very questionable and persecutory tactics as a means to stamp out the Dorje Shugden practice. Essentially, the Tibetan leadership’s purposeful opposition of a religion is an infringement on the freedom and rights of the Shugden practitioners, not to mention a blatant breach of the Tibetan Constitution.

The Parliament and Cabinet of the Tibetan government-in-exile even went as far as passing resolutions effectively decreeing the worship of a Tibetan deity, a criminal act. As a result, those who steadfastly believed in Dorje Shugden, ordained and lay practitioners alike, were singled out, marginalized, refused public service and jobs, denied voting rights and systematically discriminated within the Tibetan exile communities. Hence, the start of the Dorje Shugden controversy that continues to plague the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhism to date.

Many cannot understand why the Dalai Lama, an established icon of peace, harmony, compassion and tolerance, would act in complete contrast to all the values he appears to stand for. Over time, one insubstantial reason after another was advanced to explain the ban but when tested against established Buddhist doctrines and also secular logic, they were easily debunked.

The ban is now 20 years old and much damage has been inflicted on both sides of the divide. Still, no viable justifications or plausible explanations that have withstood the test of reason have been given for the Dalai Lama’s violent move against an ancient religious tradition.

In this article, we will look at some theories that are frequently raised to explain the Dalai Lama’s perpetuation of the ban against the Dorje Shugden practice.

1. The Dalai Lama genuinely believes that the Dorje Shugden practice is just spirit worship and it harms his life

The Dalai Lama asserts that Dorje Shugden is not enlightened and is merely a spirit. Hence, stopping the propitiation of Dorje Shugden is necessary to prevent Tibetan Buddhism from “degenerating into a form of spirit worship”. Ironically, if one agrees with this theory, one inevitably is not only undermining the enlightened status of the Dalai Lama but also the power of taking refuge in the Three Jewels. If we believe the Dalai Lama’s statement, we are actually agreeing that the Dalai Lama, supposedly an emanation of Chenrezig, the embodiment of the compassion of all Buddhas, is powerless against a mere spirit. Also, if that is indeed the case, why bother taking refuge in the Buddhas?

In addition, many are perplexed that the Dalai Lama has gone on record stating that all high lamas who believe in Dorje Shugden, including his own guru, H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, are wrong without providing solid evidence to substantiate such statements. Their concern takes into account that;

1. In Tibetan Buddhism, lineage is very important as it ensures the authenticity of the teachings. Therefore, such serious assertions cannot be made lightly without strong justifications. If any teaching by a teacher or Guru can be negated by mere allegations, it will throw the whole system of belief and teachings into question, not to mention the legitimacy of the lineage that survives on the basis of a teacher passing the lineages pure and intact to the next generation of qualified student-masters.
2. Furthermore, the Guru in Tibetan Buddhism is viewed as the Buddha and central to practice, especially for Tantric practice, without which the training cannot yield positive results. Thus, by rejecting Dorje Shugden in such a high-handed manner, the Dalai Lama has also severed his allegiance to his Guru, which sets a dangerous precedent that calls into question the very foundation of the practice, leading to the degeneration of Vajrayana Buddhism.

2. The Dalai Lama genuinely believes he has to consolidate power and to do that it is necessary to destroy old customs like the Dorje Shugden practice

This theory stems from the fact that for most Tibetans, religion is the foundation of their lives. Therefore, reverence towards their respective lineage teachers is paramount. This would also mean that the Dalai Lama was never in complete control over the Tibetan population. It is said that in exile, those close to the Dalai Lama saw either an opportunity or the necessity to consolidate power and therefore the various religious sects had to be forged into a single entity under the Dalai Lama’s lordship.

However, the great Gelug lamas were in the way and as long as they were around, they would continue to command the hearts and minds of the people. Over time, as the Dalai Lama’s consolidation plans stalled, the Dalai Lama came to view them as a threat to his political ambitions, and hence their preeminence had to be brought down and traditions that upheld their significance, abolished. However, it would be difficult for the Dalai Lama to attack these lamas directly as many were his teachers and teachers of other notable Tibetan people. And so the Dalai Lama commenced hostilities against Dorje Shugden whose lineage is synonymous with the high lamas whose power the Dalai Lama wanted to subvert.

Many have questioned the Dalai Lama’s motives in wanting to unite all Tibetans, considering that it is the ban itself that has and continues to split the Tibetan community. Some have even ventured that the Dorje Shugden ban is another attempt by the Dalai Lama to wield greater control over the masses for less than honorable reasons. The Dorje Shugden ban appears to be a repeat of the Dalai Lama’s divide-and-conquer tactics previously used in the Karmapa controversy, where the Dalai Lama overstepped boundaries and traditions and interfered in the succession process of the Karma Kagyu school that resulted in two rival Karmapas and a rift within the sect that persists even today.

3. The ban is the Dalai Lama’s weapon and bargaining chip with China

The Sino-Tibetan conflict is the classic David and Goliath story. In facing China, the new global super-power, the Dalai Lama has no military or financial power to speak of and seems to be totally helpless. However, the Dalai Lama does command the affection and loyalty of 6 million Tibetans inside what is now known as the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), who hang on the Tibetan God-King’s every word.

China on the other hand wields tremendous economic power and has the largest army in the world. But there is one thing that China fears above all, which is inchoate unrest from its many ethnic tribes that may be triggered by the discontent of 6 million fevered Tibetans.

According to this theory, in imposing the ban the Dalai Lama had hoped to create a headache for the Chinese government. Of the 6 million Tibetans in TAR, approximately 70% belong to the Gelug lineage and of that, most would have been Dorje Shugden worshippers given the widespread influence of Shugden lamas such as H.H. Pabongka Rinpoche and H.H. Trijang Rinpoche.

The Dalai Lama’s decree for all ‘loyal’ Tibetan people to abandon their faith and teachers is a calculated move to prove to the Chinese authorities that he still wields the power to spark riots that will then become the catalyst for ethnic uprising against the ethnic tribe overlords. The Chinese regard the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist and this is exactly what they fear – that the Dalai Lama would ‘weaponize’ the Buddhist religion and turn it against the Chinese.

By imposing the Shugden ban, the Dalai Lama creates latent unrest amongst 6 million Tibetans in China, a serious headache for the Chinese

4. Dorje Shugden is a convenient scapegoat

This theory revolves around the fact that on many occasions, the Tibetan leaders had promised the Tibetan people that they would soon return to their homeland. In addition, many people around the world had contributed funds and effort believing in the Tibetan cause for liberation. In fact, over the 50-year period since entering exile, the Tibetan leadership has done very little to advance the Tibetan dream or provide a future for the loyal Tibetans who had followed the Dalai Lama into exile.

To deflect the blame away from themselves, the Tibetan leaders used Dorje Shugden as a convenient scapegoat. By pointing the finger at Dorje Shugden practitioners, the Tibetan leadership has been quite successful at diverting the majority of the Tibetans’ attention away from their incompetence and failures, thus enabling them to escape accountability for their actions. It has also directed the frustrations and angst of the people towards Dorje Shugden practitioners instead of the Tibetan leadership, acting like a “Get Out of Jail Free Card” for the Tibetan leadership.

However, it is no longer just the Tibetan people who are getting restless but also a global community of supporters who have donated countless millions towards the Tibetan cause. The “Get Out of Jail Free Card” no longer works as the majority of this group of people have no qualms about questioning the Tibetan leadership, if they see such need to do so. United States Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Maura Moynihan (daughter of United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan) are but two of a number who are beginning to take the Tibetan leadership to task for their failures and misrepresentations to the public.

Imposing the ban against Dorje Shugden takes attention away from the Tibetan leadership’s failures

5. The Dalai Lama is not who people think he is

Generally, the mere mention of the Dalai Lama conjures up the image of a humble monk, the embodiment of Buddhist values, an icon of peace in these degenerate times. Yet, many are finding it difficult to reconcile such persona of the Dalai Lama with his extreme position in respect of the Dorje Shugden ban. On a spiritual level,

1. The imposition of the ban has forced many people (who are under the reign and control of the Dalai Lama) into breaking their samaya with their (other) spiritual teachers, which is in fact spiritual suicide especially for those who have been initiated into higher practices. This not only destroys their spiritual life now, but endangers the happiness of their countless future lives.
2. With the ban, the Dalai Lama has created a schism in the Sangha, which is one of the Five Heinous Crimes of immediate retribution. It is said that anyone who commits such an action will go straight to Avici Hell at the end of that life, which is why it is called an action of ‘immediate retribution’.
3. By triggering and perpetuating the ban, thus resulting in much harm, pain and suffering to Dorje Shugden practitioners, the Dalai Lama is clearly acting contrary to Lord Buddha’s teachings and breaking a whole host of Root Bodhisattva vows in the process.

Who is the Dalai Lama really?

Hence the premise of this theory, as why would a Sangha relentlessly perpetuate the Dorje Shugden ban when the resulting spiritual damage is so foreseeably enormous?

On a secular scale, the Dalai Lama’s insistence on the Dorje Shugden ban despite the obvious severe consequences and harm towards Dorje Shugden practitioners runs afoul of his calls at international platforms for universal peace, harmony and compassion. It is hypocritical that the Dalai Lama continues to espouse his views about religious harmony, democracy and compassion for all whilst continuously ignoring the plight, pain and suffering of Dorje Shugden practitioners despite clearly being aware of them.

6. It is part of the Dalai Lama’s “bigger” plan

Some believe the Dorje Shugden ban is actually part of the Dalai Lama’s bigger plan of spreading the Dorje Shugden practice. This stems from the fact that the imposition of the ban by the Dalai Lama has resulted in much attention on the Dorje Shugden practice, with many being exposed to and becoming aware of the existence of this Protector. It has culminated to a situation where any mention of the Dalai Lama is always followed by the mention of the Dorje Shugden controversy. Hence, according to this theory, the ban is said to have in essence led to the widespread fame of Dorje Shugden.

The Dalai Lama practiced Dorje Shugden for over 40 years of his life

In addition, the Dalai Lama’s ban has served to separate the wheat from the chaff. Through the ban, real practitioners who have steadfastly kept their vows and promises to their Gurus at all costs are clearly distinguishable from those who readily abandon their practices and integrity in exchange for benefits. It has also caused many to really examine the state of their own practice and the value of the Dorje Shugden practice. Such exercise has even led to many becoming more resolved to practice and even to defend the lineage accordingly.

Some have sought to discredit this theory by dismissing it as merely idealistic views of those who try too hard to find justifications for the Dalai Lama’s conflicting actions. However, regardless of whether one agrees with this theory or not, looking at the situation at hand, it would appear that such result bears striking similarities to actions of the great awakened Mahasiddhas of the past who similarly conducted themselves in a manner that appeared to contradict the Dharma but much later was revealed to be their unconventional ways to ultimately benefit Buddhist practitioners.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

The World Shugden Convention, sponsored by a Tibetan Buddhist organization known as the North America Geluk Buddhist Association (NAGBA), was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 2-3 April 2016. The meeting was graced with the presence of over 20 notable Shugden lamas, practitioners and defenders of the lineage, who came from the United States of America, Canada, France, Switzerland, and from Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China.

Dorje Shugden is one of the most important Dharma Protectors worshipped by the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism for the past few centuries. As one of his main functions is to protect Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings and bring peace and wellness to Gelugpa monasteries, a large pool of Gelugpas are dedicated to his practice.

However in 1996, the Dalai Lama, who was the political and religious leader of Tibetans in exile at that time, made an official announcement that Dorje Shugden was a detrimental practice that harmed the current Dalai Lama and Tibet’s cause. The practice of Shugden was subsequently banned due to these baseless claims, which later triggered severe consequences as Shugden disciples became the object of discrimination and blame for Tibet’s lost cause. Faced with much oppression and harassment from the exile community, many Shugden practitioners in India were forced to practice in hiding, or were once again forced to travel to foreign lands where their religious rights would not be challenged.

The World Shugden Convention was organized by Dorje Shugden practitioners to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Dorje Shugden Devotees’ Charitable and Religious Society, which was established shortly after the Dalai Lama banned the practice; and also to consolidate actions against continuous suppression by the Dalai Lama and his followers. As a result of the meeting, a consensus was reached on how to consolidate and act against the on-going suppression and a resolution was tabulated to achieve the removal of the ban on Dorje Shugden’s practice.

Throughout the convention, participants exchanged views and information on the universal value of Religious Freedom, the background of Dorje Shugden and his practitioners, factors that shaped the Dalai Lama’s decision to ban Dorje Shugden, and the hardships and problems faced by Shugden practitioners on a day to day basis.

The participants also shared information and undisputed evidence of the Dalai Lama’s actions which have caused much turmoil within the exile Tibetan community. Representative Rapo Gyatso shared how the Dalai Lama harnessed his religious authority to influence political situations. Although the Dalai Lama slanders Dorje Shugden as a harmful influence for Tibetans, much of the actual harm that Tibetans have faced up to this day has been caused by the 14th Dalai Lama, as his works toward the Middle Way Approach and separatism have led to many undesirable events.

Besides the Dorje Shugden ban, we have seen many other Tibetan societies fragmented due to the Dalai Lama’s interference. Amongst these, the most well-known are the issues between the two Karmapas, the two Panchen Lamas, the division of the Chushi Gangdrug and Tibetan Youth Congress; and most severely, the separation of the Gelugpa sect when the Dalai Lama commanded total obedience to his policy of giving up the practice of Dorje Shugden, with severe consequences of religious and secular cuts should the instruction not be complied with. These acts of tyranny are similar if not worse than the dictatorships of the communist country that took over Tibet.

In the past two decades, the ban on Dorje Shugden has split the Gelug lineage into two, forcing many Shugden loyalists to flee India due to the daunting treatment of isolation, discrimination and even threats that were cast upon them and their families. Dechen Rinpoche reminded the audience how the Dalai Lama ordered all monasteries to sign pledges to halt all religious and secular relations with Dorje Shugden practitioners, an action which caused much religious and secular discord. This confusion led to Shugden practitioners being prohibited from buying necessities from their local stores and even turned away from receiving medical treatment in the hospitals. These acts are all in violation of the international laws of Human Rights.

The discrimination against Shugden practitioners does not end there. Geshe Thupten pointed out how many practitioners lost their livelihood for remaining loyal to their Shugden practice. Many who had businesses found that their patrons stopped visiting overnight, while others lost their jobs when their practice of Dorje Shugden was discovered. The exile community’s situation became more and more dire due to the discrimination and ban on Shugden, to the point that monks refused to carry out funeral rites for the deceased, if they were Shugden practitioners.

Another of the main topics discussed during the convention was to have efforts to consolidate all Shugden practitioners for a more productive and effective method of lifting the ban on Shugden. Presently, within Tibet itself, there are 54 different Dorje Shugden associations, and any consolidation to increase solidarity and strengthen the Dorje Shugden cause can only be done by preventing any division or segregation within practitioners. The representatives unanimously agreed that Shugden practitioners must consolidate their groups so that they may gain sufficient influence to draw international attention that eventually leads to a solution for the Dorje Shugden ban. The representatives are dedicated to show the Dalai Lama and the world that they are not going to be bullied into giving up their practice, regardless of the cost to their personal lives.

Shugden practitioners from Tibet who were in attendance also shared their experiences with regards to their spiritual practice. They revealed that the Chinese government provided Tibetans with a favorable environment and legal system which allows freedom of religious belief and a respect for personal practice. Compared to the Kashag, which has intentionally instigated various conflicts within the exiled Tibetans, these ethnic Tibetans from China enjoy relative peace between the rural and urban people, which is a result of the Chinese government doing their best to maintain harmony for the benefit of the country. In light of these events, the leaders of the Shugden groups have formed an initiative to launch a demonstration against the Dorje Shugden ban which is still being enforced by the Dalai Lama and his corrupt government.

Most importantly, the World Shugden Convention was a strong reminder to all Shugden practitioners that the fight to lift the ban is far from over, and we have to work extra hard to see this long battle to its end. The representatives of Dorje Shugden practitioners from all over the world request the Dalai Lama to stop his suppression of Shugden practitioners, to lift the ban against Dorje Shugden, to respect Shugden practitioners’ Religious Freedom and to publicly apologize for wrongfully accusing Dorje Shugden as being a harmful practice.

The next assembly is scheduled for 2018 with many more representatives in attendance.

Disclaimer: This article was submitted by a third party author and does not necessarily reflect the official opinion of DorjeShugden.com. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

His Eminence Kundeling Rinpoche speaks openly, from the heart and logically about the Dorje Shugden ban. How this ban has affected himself, his students, his life, the lives of Tibetans and practitioners around the world. Kundeling is one of the few lamas who contribute to the lifting of the Shugden ban risking his life as he has received numerous death threats which has not deterred him. He continues to guide his students all over the world to continue to ‘fight’ peacefully to remove the illegal ban on Dorje Shugden by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has never once told his followers not to perform violence on Tibetans who speak against his policy. In fact on the official CTA website, they make known to the Tibetan world who dare protest against the Dalai Lama. You can see for yourselves here: http://tibet.net/dolgyal-shugden/ Which democratic government in the world will post pictures of peaceful demonstrators? Included are their backgrounds and also addresses in some cases. It is clearly to incite the Tibetans to take action against these fellow Tibetans while the Tibetan leadership sit back and say “We didn’t tell them to do it”. But CTA posted their pictures which is worse. Tibetan leadership (CTA) dare not post the pictures of non-Tibetan Protestors, which you should take note. If these Tibetan protestors were a ‘danger’ to the Dalai Lama’s life, surely the other foreign protestors would be the same threat by logical deduction? Why are they not posted? Because CTA dare not castigate the financial help they are receiving from foreign governments by inciting hatred towards their respective citizens.

Kundeling Rinpoche has done much work to remove the ban against Dorje Shugden and we can only say he continues to do so by various means which would not be spoken about here as it would further endanger his life. The Tibetan leadership in their history has been known for violence, murder, arrests, torture and basically defamation. Kundeling will continue his works solely due to his devotion towards his lineage, teachers and practice.

Kundeling Rinpoche’s perfect command of English, indepth knowledge of the political/spiritual issues within the Tibetan communities makes him an authority on why the ban was put into place at all. His direct and clear cut explanation would help anyone trying to understand this ban, which has caused confusion for millions around the world.

This is a must watch interview in which the listener can learn so much about the inner workings of what was the formerly known Tibetan Government and now named the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). Some of the information Kundeling Rinpoche reveals is heartbreaking as well as shocking, but necessary.

Kundeling Rinpoche’s intelligent talk shows exceptional courage in how he faced the bleakest moments of his life by simply following his heart in his spiritual convictions. He didn’t choose his spiritual path for political reasons whatsoever, but it has become political and threatening his life at times. But he remains stalwart and firm in his convictions handed to him by his erudite masters.

This must watch interview is moving, informative and at the same time highly necessary to understand why the ban was put into place. You can agree or not agree with Kundeling Rinpoche, but one thing is for sure, what he says is compelling and from the depths of his personal experience.

Please take note: When pro-Shugden people protest against Dalai Lama it hurts the Dalai Lama supporters. But how about when pro-Dalai Lama supporters and Tibetan leadership say negative things about Shugden lamas, practice and the Shugden protector? Also having printed and online material against Shugden?  It also hurts does it not? The Tibetan leadership and CTA started this.  Because prior to the ban, everyone was in harmony. The Tibetan leadership have hurt and damaged the sentiments of millions of Shugden pactitioners in Tibet and around the world. How come they must remain silent? When this is done, do they not have the right to protest, speak up and be heard?  Why not peacefully speak up and rectify the situation?  Now there is no harmony within Tibetan Buddhism. The disharmony will continue as the Shugden ban issue will not die down. The practice will not go away. Who knew about Shugden purported damaging effects prior to this. No one, as there was none. The Sakya and Gelugpa Traditions peacefully practiced  Shugden for 350 years while being in harmony with all other Buddhists.  People were practicing for hundreds of years and there was no damage to anyone by Shugden. Impossible.  It’s only when the Tibetan leadership instituted the illegal ban on Shugden all the disharmony arose. The disharmony continues and is growing.

Everyone deserves the right to practice or worship any deity they wish and no one should criticize. If they do criticize, be prepared for opposition.  Only the Dalai Lama can change this by removing the ban. Why hurt the sentiments of one group of Tibetans and millions around the world. We appeal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to have an open and fair dialogue and find a solution to end this irrational ban. No one is enjoying this turmoil.

Jigme K
(Student and admirer of Kundeling Rinpoche)

Advice on Dharmapala Dorje Shugden By HE Kybje Kundeling Rinpoche (In English)
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(Disclaimer: The views of the person above are that of their own, and may not necessarily represent the views of this website or this account holder)

Thangkas and scriptures have been destroyed upon the instruction of the Dalai Lama as he tries to enforce the ban on Shugden worship. However, Dorje Shugden remains in our world to protect Buddhists and non-Buddhists as these beautiful thangkas clearly show.

I am writing to you to draw your attention to a most important issue within the Tibetan Buddhist community. This is not about any Free Tibet issues. This is something even more important about the freedom of people within the Tibetan community and among each other.

1. It is well known that His Holiness the Dalai Lamas throughout their incarnations over the centuries have been both secular and spiritual heads of the Tibetans. This may have worked in the past, in a country that was isolated from the rest of the world. However, many countries throughout the modern world understand that the mixing of secular and religious affairs cannot work. This system has failed time and time again, throughout history, in all the largest nations in the world.

But this is not so in the exiled Tibetan community living in India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, up until very recently, held both secular and spiritual leadership of his people. Decisions and policies made for the country encompassed both secular and religious edicts at the same time. This has become very pronounced during the Dalai Lama’s ban on the religious worship of the Buddha Dorje Shugden.

2. As a spiritual leader of his people, it may be the prerogative of the Dalai Lama to proclaim a ban on a particular religious practice. In fact, he has even banned all Dorje Shugden devotees from attending his sermons, rituals and special religious ceremonies. Within a spiritual sphere, perhaps this is still permissible, since he is their religious authority. Also, any Lama has the right to determine which students are permitted to attend their ceremonies.

However, as the secular leader of his people, the Dalai Lama should maintain an unbiased concern for all citizens of the nation under him, no matter what their religious choices are. He should NOT exclude people from coming to see him as their political, secular leader during his non-religious activities, talks or appearances. Unfortunately however, this is what is happening: Dorje Shugden devotees are not permitted to have anything to do with the Dalai Lama or his people, solely because of his religious beliefs.

At the same time, although this is a spiritual matter, the secular institution of the Central Tibetan Administration (formerly known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile) has also become deeply involved. They actively search for Dorje Shugden people to create obvious segregation and undemocratic bias. When they find them, the CTA ostracizes, attacks and ridicules Dorje Shugden practitioners. They deny them any of the welfare, voting rights or privileges that all citizens of a country should be equally entitled to.

Through the ban, Tibetans are forced to make an exclusive decision – choose to follow the Dalai Lama or Dorje Shugden. However, if they choose to continue with Dorje Shugden, they do not only lose connections to the Dalai Lama. They are also severed from all voting rights, education, social welfare, medical aid or even social interaction with their fellow Tibetan citizens. This is because the Dalai Lama has said clearly that Tibetans must completely sever all social, working and religious ties with Dorje Shugden practitioners.

This is NOT RIGHT. The Dalai Lama may have supreme spiritual authority over his people, as their religious leader. However, as he is also their secular leader, he should still have equal care and concern for his people as citizens of his nation. This goes beyond one’s religious orientation, which is every individual’s freedom to choose. Even if someone is not allowed to associate with the Dalai Lama for religious reasons, they should still have the right to associate with their secular, political leader. After all, they are still citizens of the community – shouldn’t all citizens be granted equal liberties and civil rights, regardless of their religious choices? Shouldn’t every secular leader have equal concern for the people under his leadership and take care of their welfare irregardless of their religious beliefs and orientation?

There are also Tibetans who are not Buddhists, but are Muslims, Bonpos and the likes. They are allowed to attend all the Dalai Lama’s religious ceremonies and secular gatherings. Basically, all citizens of Tibet are allowed to interact with the Dalai Lama, whether on a religious and/or secular level EXCEPT Dorje Shugden practitioners. How does the Tibetan leadership address this when every other democratic country in the 21st Century will not tolerate this kind of blatant discrimination.

3. Lastly, in more recent times, the Dalai Lama has retired as the secular head of the Tibetan exiled community. In 2011, the respected Dr. Lobsang Sangay has stepped into the position as the Tibetans’ new prime minister, overseeing all secular affairs of the state.

However, Dorje Shugden devotees are still not permitted to associate with him, only because of their religious orientation. Why is this so? There is now a clear distinction between the spiritual leader (Dalai Lama) and the secular leader (Dr. Lobsang Sangay). But it seems that religious edicts have also overlapped onto the secular affairs of the Tibetan community. The spiritual dictates from the spiritual leader are also being upheld by the secular leaders of the community. Why is this so? Why have spiritual affairs become a part of the political affairs of a country; and vice versa?

SO, I WOULD LIKE TO POST THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, WHICH NEED TO BE ASKED AND ADDRESSED:

- As a religious leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not allow people to come to his talks. The world respect and understand that. It is his prerogative as their spiritual leader. However, on a secular level, as the leader of all six million Tibetans, why does he not allow these same Tibetans to join in his secular activities, talks, rallies and events? If not, why not? After all, His Holiness is still their leader.

- Now that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has passed his secular power to the first Prime minister of Tibetans, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, what do all the Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners do? Are they allowed to talk to and interact with their new secular leader? Or are they restricted from doing so purely because of their religious choices? What are they expected to do?

- Dr. Lobsang Sangay (Prime Minister) is a secular leader, a layman who was newly and democratically elected who is not a Spiritual Guru or Dharma teacher; only strictly a worldly leader for the benefit of all Tibetan citizens. How do Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners relate to him? How should they relate to him? How should Dr. Lobsang Sangay, as their Prime Minister, relate to them? Can they even consider him their leader although they are Tibetans who still practice Dorje Shugden? They certainly do not have any spiritual bond (samaya) with him and their religious practices would not have any bearing on their relationship with him, as it might with the Dalai Lama.

- In future, how do Dorje Shugden practitioners relate to the next prime minister after Dr. Lobsang Sangay? And the one after that? And after that? How should all these future prime ministers relate to the people?

I do not mean disrespect to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, or to Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the CTA or any Tibetans. However, we need to ask these questions. They are logical and necessary at a time when the world does not operate solely by religious edicts. It is unfair, undemocratic and a travesty of human freedoms. I call for reconsideration of this ban and how it is being conducted and wish that all have the freedoms to make their own religious and worldly choices.

With respect,
[YOUR NAME]

By now, the religious ban on the deity Dorje Shugden, as instructed by the Dalai Lama, has drawn worldwide attention. For the first time in Buddhist history, Buddhists are being excluded from Dharma teachings and social welfare, brutally attacked and discriminated against by their own Buddhist community, simply because of a spiritual choice they have made. Dorje Shugden practitioners everywhere are suffering from this unjust and illogical ban, which denies them the most basic human right of religious freedom.

It has come to our attention that the Tibetan-government-in-exile (now called the Central Tibetan Administration) has been sending letters to monasteries, institutions, organizations probing if certain monks or individuals are practicing Dorje Shugden. We find this act appalling and extremely despicable. No civilized government in the world would write letters to their religious institutions or organizations interrogating them about the private practices of individuals and which deities they choose to pray to. Only a witch-hunting government from the Middle Ages would abuse their power to do something like this to intimidate its own people.

One of the very few things that Tibet is famous for throughout the world is its religion – Tibetan Buddhism. However, instead of preserving and supporting the monks who dedicate their lives in the monasteries to study, practice and teach Buddhism, the CTA goes the opposite way to suppress and persecute the very Sangha that made Tibetans famous in the world. Instead of writing letters to encourage, congratulate and support these monks who have dedicated their whole lives to Dharma, excelled in their studies and made the Dharma grow in the world, the CTA writes letters to interrogate, instill fear, suppress and ostracize the good Sangha and Dharma practitioners who did nothing but practice Dharma sincerely and only have good thoughts always in their mind.

These monks teach Dharma, conduct pujas, raise sponsorship and gather support to bring huge benefits to the monasteries. These monks build new monasteries, establish spiritual monastic communities, renovate chapels, erect new statues, feed monks, build hostels and help the lay community. When the Tibetans first fled Tibet in the 1950s to seek refuge in India, these monks did everything they could to reestablish their religious practice and community in this foreign land. Despite the many obstacles of language, unfamiliar territory, climate and separation from their Sangha, families and even their teachers, they built up the monasteries again from scratch. They have even helped the governments to set themselves up again and rebuild the Tibetan exiled community.

Now, the CTA turn against these very same monks, claiming that they are bad and evil for practicing Dorje Shugden. They claim that by continuing their practice of Dorje Shugden, they are traitors to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause and accuse them of being Chinese spies. These monks are expelled from their monasteries, denied any welfare or rights and even have to suffer physical attacks from people who call themselves Dalai Lama devotees. Is this fair?

By doing so, the CTA effectively nullify all the contributions that these monks have made to the Tibetan exile community and the new Tibetan Buddhist monastic communities throughout India. All that the monks have done – the sponsorship they have raised, the teachings they have given, the institutions they have helped to build – are forgotten, only because of one religious choice they have made.

We call for a different response. If the CTA wants to nullify all those contributions by ostracizing monks who they deem “bad”, “traitorous” and “evil”, then the CTA should also return all the contributions, all the money, the roofs, the tiles, the floors, the bricks, the food, the furniture, the fixtures, the statues, the offerings, the thangkas, the books, the buildings etc. to all the monks who sponsored and gave all these things to the monasteries. If the items given have already been used up (such as food, building materials or study materials), then the equivalent amount of money should be returned. Then, it is a fair game.

If the monks who are being ostracized and discriminated against by CTA are really that bad, then it follows that their contributions and everything that they have given before must also be bad and stained. These monks are being punished for their practice of Dorje Shugden because it is deemed evil and impure. If they are so bad and evil, then surely all their actions, contributions, sponsorship and support are based on a foundation that is also bad and evil. If the CTA and all the monasteries wish to remain so “pure” and “good” then shouldn’t they also remove and return all these “impure” things and sponsorship also? Why remove the impure person but keep the impure things given by them?

Even buildings and infrastructure being used by the CTA today were first supported, sponsored and built by Dorje Shugden Lamas. Now, the CTA make accusations against these Dorje Shugden Lamas and even issue “wanted” lists against them… even though they are sitting on and using the very things that the these Lamas gave them and build for them! Is this fair? We don’t think so. We find this ungrateful, very unkind and seriously hypocritical.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was instrumental in helping to rebuild the Tibetan exiled community. Trijang Rinpoche also physically donated so much to the monasteries – a majority of statues that are still in Gaden Monastery today are there because Trijang Rinpoche sponsored and donated them.

Today, the young incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche has had to leave his monastery in India and move to America because he suffered a tremendous number of threats and physical attacks while he was still living in Gaden Monastery as a child. He is disliked and viewed with great suspicion by Dalai Lama supporters and the CTA, simply because he was a Dorje Shugden practitioner in his previous life, and continues to be in this incarnation. Do you see the hypocrisy in this? He is so viciously hated by so many of his own Tibetan people, but at the same time, they are all very happy about using the many things he has built up for them. The very statues that the monks continue to pray to were sponsored by Trijang Rinpoche. If Trijang Rinpoche is really so bad and evil for his practice, then why pray to the statues that he made and donated? The Tibetans and the CTA should return every last cent that Trijang Rinpoche contributed in this and previous lives.

They should also return all the teachings that Trijang Rinpoche so compassionately gave to thousands of people. If he can make such a grave and terrible “mistake” to practice something “bad” and “evil” like Dorje Shugden; and if he is such a “bad”, “traitorous” and “evil” person for doing this practice, then all his other practices and teachings must also be tainted, wrong and impure.

Within the Gelugpa lineage, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was the sole and main source of teachings, which he generously shared to many, many, many other monks, Lamas and practitioners, including the Dalai Lama. Today, 99% of Gelugpa practitioners in the world can trace their lineage and practice back to Trijang Rinpoche. But why keep practicing his teachings and lineage when he is being ostracized, attacked and hated for his worship of Dorje Shugden? How can we say that his Dorje Shugden practice is wrong and evil but his Lamrim teachings are incomparable, as the Dalai Lama himself has said? If we accept someone as our Guru, we should also accept all his teachings as pure and correct – if not, why accept him as our Guru in the first place, to teach us everything we need to get to enlightenment?

If Trijang Rinpoche was wrong about Dorje Shugden, then there is a high chance he can be wrong about all the other things he has taught us. So if you wish to be totally sure that you are “clean” and completely disassociated from Dorje Shugden practice, then you should return EVERYTHING that you have received from Lamas like Trijang Rinpoche – from the physical and material sponsorship he gave, to the teachings and practices he gave. If you wish to cut off from Dorje Shugden practitioners, then honor your word and do it all the way – remove and return everything completely. Keep yourself totally “pure” and “untainted”. Have some integrity and disassociate yourself completely. Do not pick and choose what you keep or give up, to suit your own conveniences.

At the most basic human, ethical level, even women with dignity return their wedding rings to their husbands if the marriage ends! From a spiritual, ethical point of view, this is even more important – shouldn’t we return things to people who we believe to be evil? Why take the risk of having something so evil and bad in your life? And why keep things that were given by someone you disagree with and are so strongly against? Again, isn’t that very hypocritical?

Some may argue that they are keeping things given by Dorje Shugden practitioners for their benefit, to help them collect merit. This is completely untrue and illogical. If you really care about the welfare and benefit of Dorje Shugden practitioners, you should not force them to give up their practice in the first place; you would not apply such terrible pressure on them to take oaths against their lifelong practice; you would not expel them from monasteries and then deny them any welfare, support, help or access to Dharma teachings. If you really were concerned for Dorje Shugden practitioners, you should be even more kind to them, more patient, welcome them all the more to Dharma teachings so that they can learn what they are doing “wrong” and make any necessary changes. There is so much contradiction and hypocrisy in the way that Dorje Shugden practitioners are treated.

We urge you to think carefully about how much damage the ban has created. It is ruining lives and causing so much hurt to Buddhist practitioners everywhere. It also creates tremendous harm to the people who are enforcing the ban – it creates a terrible image that this is how cruel and unkind the Dalai Lama’s supporters are. The world will look at Tibetan Buddhists and see how uncompassionate, unforgiving and hateful they are towards their own people. It will cause Buddhism to be destroyed from within our own community.

Please think about how hypocritical the situation has become. Think about the logic we have pointed out in this letter. It is not meant to criticize or harm, but to show you clearly that the actions carried out because of this ban do not make any sense and completely contradict the teachings of the Buddha. Also, this is not how a modern 21-century government should act. How will you ever progress in the world and gain independence for your country if you cannot even be kind and united to your own people?!

We request you to reconsider your actions and urge you to lift this unnecessary, hurtful, damaging ban. We beg you to please practice kindness towards all sentient beings, which include Dorje Shugden practitioners.

Yours sincerely,
(YOUR NAME)

I hope all you lovely people are well. I have been reading the Dalai Lama’s website and I have a few things to say about it.

I love everything about His Holiness the Dalai Lama! I love everything from his warm benevolent face to his amazing teachings. I was so lucky to have met him five years ago while he was giving teachings in Dharamsala. I was one in a long line of foreigners offering white silks scarves to the Dalai Lama. He was so warm and compassionate but at that time, I didn’t know what to say except a trembling hello and thank you.

This was way before I came across your website and read the strange statements the Dalai Lama has issued on this Protector deity. I don’t know much about it but I can’t fathom why a religious leader who is so compassionate like the Dalai Lama would say such a thing. In Europe, we have so many religious practices and witch craft. We have Druids and white witches that worship spirits and nature gods. They are respected and accepted as of any mainstream religion. I don’t think the Dalai Lama would want to ban them and if not them, why would he ban this Shugden spirit.

I am not really a Buddhist but I am exploring Buddhist meditation and I can’t seem to understand what’s wrong about worship Shugden. I have a huge problem reconciling the amazing teachings the Dalai Lama gives on compassion and this terrible ban. I am sorry but it makes the Dalai Lama sound hypocritical and it disturbs me very much. And I can imagine how much it would disturb millions of other people who look up to the Dalai Lama as a beacon of peace and compassion.

The world needs the Dalai Lama’s presence and teachings very much but the world does not need another unfair and unjustifiable religious ban. I do not know his profound reasons for issuing the ban and frankly speaking, I don’t really want to know. I would still say these things to him in the face if I had the chance and I would even say it nicely and politely because I respect and love him very much. Whatever it is, I do hope that all of you, who represent the Dalai Lama, do your part to represent the Dalai Lama well. And if you can, please remove all the nasty parts on Shugden. It really does not represent the Dalai Lama well. That’s really all I have to say about this for now.

Peace and love,
(YOUR NAME)

It has been 12 years since I first heard Dorje Shugden’s name. Under normal circumstances it’s best not to talk about protectors openly. This is because the sanctity and potency of the protectors would be compromised, and you don’t really want their assistance to wane. Best kept in silence, they serve as fuel on the path to enlightenment.

In monasteries, the protectors’ shrines are closed, only to be opened on special occasions. This is how one would treat their guardian angel, for one to secretly cherish them helps to fulfill one’s commitment.

Let’s have a look at a non-Buddhist example. Elie Wiesel, the Jewish writer, said that his thoughts upon waking are always about war and how it could be possible for mankind to be so cruel. He used the thought of suffering as an anchor in his mind. In this way the suffering during the war provided him with the inspiration to work relentlessly to gain insight and write, with the hope of preventing the human race from making the same mistakes again.

Buddhists too are worried about human suffering and work towards enlightenment.

Now, a person could try to be a good Buddhist but they could easily be distracted by mundane things that are likely to take them off track. Not every Buddhist wakes up with the thought to relieve mankind of suffering and so most people need a special wake up call. My teacher’s teachers used the thought of Dorje Shugden to keep their minds on the right track, as did the Dalai Lama’s teachers, and many more in the Gelug and Sakya lineages.

Buddhists generally don’t say one lineage is better than the other. However we do place maximum trust in our own teachers, while at the same time always examining the purity of their words. Their words shouldn’t be discredited so easily and should be highly respected. This is because they are seen to be the Buddha’s own words meant for us in our present situation.

The wisdom they carry has the power to bring us to enlightenment and end suffering. If you find you can’t trust your teacher’s own words, either your teacher is not good and does not have a Buddhist motivation, or you are having trouble understanding what Buddhism is all about.

The deity Dorje Shugden is said to be the spirit of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, a famous enlightened High Lama who was a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama. He turned out to be more famous than the Dalai Lama himself, which incited jealousy amongst the Dalai Lama’s entourage. Eventually, he was brutally murdered by some of the servants of the fifth Dalai Lama while he was away from home. Being enlightened, the Lama had to help his assailants to kill himself. Being absolutely pure, their swords and spears could not hurt him but produced extra mystical eyes on his body.

He told his assailants he had a little leftover negative karma that could be used to kill him in a very violent way. Upon his death, this made him assume the form of a powerful protector. There are other versions of this story but this is the one that the present Dalai Lama himself must have heard from his teachers who initiated him into the practice.

Now, he says that he made a mistake for relying on this deity. His criticism of his own teachers comes conveniently at a time when they have all passed away. So, now that others who share the same teachers disgree with the Dalai Lama’s stance on Dorje Shugden. In response, some of the Dalai Lama’s supporters accuse his opponents to be supported by China.

“The Shugden and the Chinese are obviously allies,” the Tibetan prime minister in exile Samdhong Rinpoche said in a recent interview with France 24 TV. “Their cult all over the world is being financed by the Chinese.”

The Dalai Lama says he has investigated this matter to the best of his ability. However, in the end this was his decision: Ban the ghost.

Source: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-faith-column/2008/08/dalai-lama-teachers-away-dorje

Kundeling Rinpoche of Drepung Gomang Monastery and Zawa Rinpoche

I am a Dutch student of Kundeling Rinpoche, one of the Dalai Lama’s major critics in the Gelugpa tradition. I’ll try to give an explanation of the Dorje Shugden controversy that is both understandable for those who are not initiated in the Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist tradition and still explains the very crux of the problem.

When I met Kundeling Rinpoche in 1995, I was interested in Buddhism and thought he might teach me more then what I learn from the zen-meditation class I kept falling asleep in. I was apprehensive with the idea of following a guru. However, I attended some of his lectures and was especially impressed by the search for purity that his form of Buddhism stands for.

This together with the attitude of examining the mind to find out how thoughts function, gave me the enthusiasm to meet up with him again in 1996. ‘Tame your mind’, and ‘mind is always stronger than matter’ are two teachings that were very appealing to me back then.

Buddhism is not about faith but about examining your present situation. Being in a fragile body that can break down at any moment, how do you make your life meaningful? You shape your own destiny and if you want to grow towards enlightenment like the Buddha himself did, you can progress towards that goal.

This was the first time I heard a Protector Deity existed and he is a sort of helper on this path towards enlightenment. In fact, it is nothing more then a powerful thought and this deity is helpful in keeping the mind focused on the goal of enlightenment that one chooses to pursue. A protector helps to create the right circumstances to study Buddhist Dharma, and he is said to have given up his life to protect the serious Buddhist practitioner that relies upon him.

However as I said before, it was just a thought. However as thoughts seem to be more important then matter, it really does make a difference if one has the backing of a fierce thought! Then, I heard that the name of my teacher’s protector deity was Dorje Shugden and that the Dalai Lama had banned this specific deity from the pantheon of protector deities. The Dalai Lama’s explanation was that this specific deity causes hindrances in solving the Tibetan diaspora and was bad for his health. Supposedly people who relied on this deity were just after money instead of Buddhism, so this deity seemed to be out of order.

My lack of understanding at the time was such that I had no shame to ask Kundeling Rinpoche why he did not just choose another deity to protect him. In the end, this deity-reliance is just a powerful thought, it’s just about faith and if you put your faith in another deity, why wouldn’t this work just as good or maybe even better then Dorje Shugden, surely the Dalai Lama will know, won’t he?

This article is related to another article written by the same author below: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/?p=3635

Editor’s Note: The article came out a while back but it is clear that the ban on Dorje Shugden practice created more issues than solving them. The ban has split the Tibetan diaspora, caused students to abandon their teachers and Lamas and monks were harmed, threatened and ostracized.

Despite the Dorje Shudgen practice prevailing and increasing worldwide since the ban was first implemented, the Dalai Lama enjoys a healthy life way above the average Tibetan. The Tibetan cause has got nothing to do with the Dorje Shugden practice. If all of us were to stop practicing Dorje Shugden; Tibet is still not going to be free from China’s influence. The law of cause and effect cannot be undone by giving up our freedom to practice.

Perhaps, if the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) were to give freedom of religion back to Dorje Shugden Lamas and practitioners, it could turn into a powerful cause for self-autonomy of Tibet in the future. Give freedom and get back freedom in return. This could be put into effect by Dorje Shudgen Lamas who have a very good standing in China.

Source: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-faith-column/2008/08/dalai-lama-deity-banned

The anti Dorje Shugden website that used to be run by Dharamsala recently apologized for wronging Dorje Shugden! Check it out here: http://antishugden.com/