There is trouble in paradise as Tibetan President Lobsang Sangay (center) is accused of sexual assault and Information Secretary Dhardon Sharling (right) abruptly resigns leaving Tibetan politics in tatters. Sharling was once considered Sangay’s “protégé” and touted as the main executor of his political agendas.

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.

By: Shashi Kei

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the 14th Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, is falling apart. The Sikyong (President) of the CTA, Lobsang Sangay has been globetrotting under the guise of reigniting interest in the Tibetan cause which has waned considerably after commanding the world’s attention for 60 years. But instead of trying to rekindle foreign support for the CTA, Sangay should have been more concerned about the state of his own administration in Dharamsala.

The cracks that have been building up in the CTA became visible when Lobsang Sangay publicly clashed with Penpa Tsering (ex-Speaker of the CTA and also Sangay’s main rival for the 2016 Sikyong elections) after the latter raised questions about financial irregularities in North America’s Tibet House whilst under the charge of its previous administrator, Kaydor Aukatsang. As an appointee of Lobsang Sangay, it was understood that Aukatsang only took instructions from Lobsang Sangay, who appears to have circumvented proper protocols. Penpa Tsering was unceremoniously sacked on what he regarded as trumped-up charges and has since filed a suit against Lobsang Sangay for defamation in the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission. The rivalry that has been building up between Lobsang Sangay and Penpa Tsering has now become acrimonious with a lot of bad blood continuing to accumulate.

As a firestorm continues to brew over the Sangay-Tsering estrangement, signs are that the fallout from their confrontation will be more severe than anticipated. We know this when ambitious politicians like Dhardon Sharling suddenly decamps the CTA like a rat fleeing a sinking ship. On 12th December 2018, Dhardon Sharling announced her resignation from her somewhat vaguely formulated designation of ‘Secretary equivalent’ of the CTA’s Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR). Dhardon Sharling is regarded as Lobsang Sangay’s lieutenant and her official title was literally created by Sangay to keep Sharling in his administration after she was voted out by the Tibetan parliament-in-exile as a Minister in the Cabinet for having misled the government on an age prerequisite. Dhardon Sharling cited an interest to further her studies in the US being the reason for her to suddenly relinquish her post. But the rumor is that she has been manoeuvring to escape being caught in the middle of Lobsang Sangay and Penpa Tsering’s looming showdown. It is a showdown that started with a fractious rivalry during the 2016 Sikyong elections, and has most recently escalated in Penpa Tsering filing legal suits against the Tibetan Cabinet and Lobsang Sangay.

Dhardon Sharling was voted out of the Tibetan parliament in-exile after lying about her age. It was only after the intervention of Lobsang Sangay that she was given the position of Information Secretary which Lobsang Sangay created specifically for her.

Dhardon Sharling rose out of obscurity in October 2016 as the de facto head of the DIIR. The CTA’s website states that the DIIR’s purpose is to “educate the Tibetans and international public opinion on the political, human rights and environmental conditions in Tibet”. However, it is well known that under Dhardon Sharling, the DIIR only served to carry out Lobsang Sangay’s personal agenda and propaganda campaigns.

For the most part, Dhardon Sharling’s time in the DIIR was utilized in driving the CTA’s persecution of Dorje Shugden worshippers. Dorje Shugden is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist practice observed by virtually all followers of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism which accounts for the largest percentage of Tibetans inside China and in diaspora. While the Shugden practice is apolitical, the oath of spiritual allegiance sworn by Dorje Shugden practitioners to their lineage masters, as is common for any tantric practice, represents a hindrance to the CTA’s desire to dominate that space. So Lobsang Sangay criminalized the religion, another painful milestone in an already 20-year campaign that infringes on the basic human rights of Tibetans and Dorje Shugden adherents worldwide. It was Dhardon Sharling’s job to launch one disinformation campaign after another against Dorje Shugden Buddhists causing a complete disintegration of the Gelugpa lineage. That, in turn, fractured the Tibetan community in general, a prime factor in the disempowering of the Tibetan struggle when the Tibetan people became distracted in sectarian conflicts and lost sight of the Tibetan struggle to regain their homeland.

Lobsang Sangay (center) and Dhardon Sharling (right) launching another anti-Dorje Shugden propaganda book. The pair have concentrated their efforts on denying the Tibetan people their religious rights instead of fighting for the Tibetan cause and improving the lives of Tibetan refugees in their charge.

As for Dhardon Sharling’s real job, her brief two years in office did not yield much result with some of her programs ending in disaster, for example the ‘2018 Thank You’ campaigns which was supposed to be a series of events for the CTA to thank countries that have supported the Tibetan cause. In reality, the project was an effort by the CTA to curb fading alliances with world nations against the trajectory of China’s rise. Dhardon Sharling’s ‘Thank You India’ campaign fizzled with the Indian government instructing top officials to avoid participating in any CTA-organized functions. In the meantime, for the ‘Thank You Taiwan’ campaign, Dhardon Sharling arranged for the placement of billboards with the Dalai Lama’s image all over major cities of Taiwan, the release of books in Chinese containing the Dalai Lama’s talks and also various paraphernalia purporting to support the Tibetan struggle. A few months later, these steps resulted in a major swing against Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that had gone along with Dhardon Sharling’s campaign. In the recent local elections, the DPP suffered a crushing defeat, losing 15 out of the available 22 cities they contested for. Under Sharling, CTA events became the kiss of death.

Thank You Taiwan posters with the Dalai Lama was placed all over major cities in Taiwan. The CTA’s often fights its anti-China campaigns on foreign soil to the detriment of welfare of countries sympathetic to the CTA.

Dhardon Sharling’s ignoble legacy will be that she gained notoriety by trickery and colluding with Lobsang Sangay; that instead of using her time in office to advance the welfare of the Tibetan people, she injected enmity into Tibetan communities worldwide and denied many Tibetans their most basic freedom; that she irreparably damaged Tibetan unity; and that when the Tibetan struggle was on its knees, she abandoned the cause and fled for the United States on her Indian passport which she procured at the same time the CTA was telling common Tibetans that to do so would undermine the Tibetan struggle.

Dhardon Sharling’s resignation is not an isolated case. A few months before, Tenzin Palkyi of the Office of Tibet in Washington similarly resigned suddenly. Even before that, in 2016, seasoned CTA politician Dicki Chhoyang resigned from Sangay’s Cabinet. In a press conference, Chhoyang alluded to being gagged by Sangay from addressing matters that should be of concern to the Tibetan people. In the same year, another Tibetan official in Sangay’s Cabinet, Dongchung Ngodup joined the list of people exiting from Sangay’s administration. Even the State Oracles of Tibet in trance of the deities Pehar and Tseringma have expressed disapproval of Sangay’s administration for lacking in integrity.

Allegations of Lobsang Sangay’s sexual abuses will discredit the Tibetan cause further.

Coincidentally Dhardon Sharling’s resignation came one day after a #MeToo movement was launched against her boss Lobsang Sangay, claiming that he sexually assaulted a number of women. It began with a news article in the Tibet Star reporting that allegations of sexual assault by Lobsang Sangay can be traced back to as early as 2011 when he sexually violated a young American intern at the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). It is alleged that Sangay has in fact sexually assaulted even more women, mainly Tibetan nationals, exploiting his position as Sikyong of the CTA. The Tibet Star is a Tibetan-focused news site operated by Mila Rangzen known to be an outspoken commentator on Tibetan issues, and who has reliable contacts within the Tibetan leadership. It remains to be seen whether the “MeToo” movement on Sangay will uncover more incidents of abuse. However, Sangay who came to power in 2011 is not without scandals and controversies of his own making. These include:

Due to Lobsang Sangay and the CTA’s ongoing glorification of self-immolation as a viable form of protest against China, Tibetan suicides continue to rise.

1. Launching a book that glorifies self-immolation in 2012 and supporting a member of his government in publishing a four-step guide for Tibetans to self-immolate effectively. That resulted in the highest number of Tibetan self-immolations that year with 86 Tibetan people burning themselves to death. Lobsang Sangay proved his preparedness to sink to barbarity in order to serve his political objective.
2. Travelling into China using an Overseas Chinese Visa, an act which raised many eyebrows. When queried, Sangay initially lied but subsequently recanted while insisting that travelling on an Overseas Chinese visa does not make one a Chinese national. In his rebuttal, the renowned Tibetan author and activist Jamyang Norbu responded, “But although the Overseas Chinese visa does not make you a citizen of the PRC (People’s Republic of China), it clearly makes you of Chinese birth or descent (or partial Chinese ancestry) living outside the PRC, and resident or citizen of another country…but to travel to China, to Beijing, on an OC visa for something as unimportant as meeting some run-of-the mill Chinese academics (not “great scholars” khelwang) clearly demonstrates that the person has no problem being regarded as Chinese.”
3. Attempting to damage Sino-Indian relations during politically uncertain times. In July 2017, when Sino-Indian relations were extremely volatile due to the Doklam conflict, Lobsang Sangay unfurled the Tibetan flag at the border of India and China. Sangay hoisted the Tibetan flag as a taunt, knowing full well that it would enrage China. Ex-Indian diplomat R.S. Kalha noted that Sangay’s act at Pangong Tso was an overtly political move that took advantage of the fact India was at its weakest point in the standoff with China. Therefore it was a calculated and self-serving move from Lobsang Sangay, designed to drive India deeper into conflict with China, thereby making the ‘Tibetan card’ ever more significant to India. Lobsang Sangay’s mistake would cost the Tibetan struggle dearly as a few months later India began to shift its stance on the Tibetan cause, deciding that in the final analysis, it is not worth a war with its mighty neighbor. The Dalai Lama’s efforts to return to China lost considerable traction due to Sangay’s frivolous provocations.
4. Undermining the Dalai Lama’s efforts to improve Sino-Tibetan relations. It has not escaped observation that Lobsang Sangay’s has been quietly undermining of the Dalai Lama’s efforts, including leaking news of Samdhong Rinpoche’s secret mission to China, made on behalf of the Dalai Lama to resurrect dialogue for the return of the Tibetan people to Tibet. It is worthwhile to note that on such a vital mission, the Dalai Lama chose to send the ex-Prime Minister of the CTA, Samdhong Rinpoche and not the current President Lobsang Sangay. And earlier this year, the Dalai Lama’s attempt to build a bridge with the Beijing authorities by recognizing the China-enthroned Panchen Lama was duly undone by Sangay. It is no secret that the relationship between Lobsang Sangay and the Dalai Lama is at its lowest since the Dalai Lama started taking active measures to regain Beijing’s trust, something the aging Dalai Lama has had to resume doing because of Sangay’s negligence of his duty as the Sikyong. It has been reported that in recent times, an ongoing war of words between Lobsang Sangay and the Dalai Lama has struck up behind closed doors.

An aging Dalai Lama who is said to be at odds with Lobsang Sangay now.

It would be difficult to find news of Lobsang Sangay initiating projects to improve the lives of the Tibetan refugees, or taking concrete steps to foster Tibetan harmony or undertaking tangible measures that could lead to the realization of the Dalai Lama’s dreams for the Tibetan people to return to their homeland. Sangay’s Presidency is characterized by his various breaches of the Tibetan democratic Constitution, his denial of the Tibetan people’s human rights to practice the religion of their choice and to exercise their freedom of opinion, his manipulation of election rules to ouster rivals, his appointment of cronies to key positions, his misuse of funds meant for the Tibetan refugees, his empty and grandiloquent speeches to foreign officials, his vicious fights with political rivals like Penpa Tsering and now, his sex scandals. The lives and future of 150,000 Tibetan refugees depend on the CTA, as does the survival of the Tibetan heritage and the continuance of the Tibetan people to regain their freedom. Lobsang Sangay was entrusted by the Tibetan people to perform an important task and by right, his time in power should have been invested to support the Dalai Lama’s initiatives and to prepare for the next phase of the Tibetan struggle, one that will take place in the absence of the Dalai Lama. But with such serious improprieties, a focus on his personal agendas and culture of deceit and dishonesty that Sangay has sowed with his internal politicking, how can the Tibetan cause ever hope to survive? Only time will tell.

Tibetan investigative journalist Mila Rangzen
launches “Me Too” campaign

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Dhardon Sharling submits resignation letter

Click to enlarge (Source: https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2018/12/12/dhardon-sharling-submits-resignation-letter)

I hope you are in good health. I am writing to bring your attention to an important issue within the Tibetan Buddhist community today and hope you will join us to make a change for real religious freedom.

While Buddhism is a very open religion which encourages tolerance and harmony between all people, there is now a big division within the Tibetan Buddhist community. This is because of an instruction that the Dalai Lama issued to stop the practice of the Protector Deity Dorje Shuden. People are now not permitted to practice this Protector or associate with anyone who does. If they do, they are expelled from monasteries, excluded from all Tibetan communities, refused access to welfare and suffer verbal and physical attacks.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the governing body of the Tibetan exile community living mainly in India, have been very aggressive in maintaining this ban. They exert a tremendous amount of pressure on Dorje Shugden devotees, accusing them of being traitors to the Tibetan cause and being Chinese spies.

This is contradictory to the practices of Buddhism as a whole. Buddhists are encouraged to be kind to all beings, including animals and even spirits! Anyone of any religion and culture is permitted to attend Dharma teachings and the Dalai Lama’s talks – except for Shugden practitioners. For anyone to associate with Shugden practitioners is considered a very bad traitorous act and they risk being completely excluded from their community. Should this be the behavior of a culture and people who are most famous the world over for their spirituality?

It seems to us that it is because the CTA failed to obtain independence and freedom for Tibet that they have turned their attention to Dorje Shugden instead. Because of their failed policies and their inability to get their country back, they have lost much respect in the eyes of their own people. So they have placed the “blame” onto Shugden instead, declaring that this practice threatens the Tibetan independence cause. Naturally, while everyone got caught up in the “excitement” of the Shugden ban, everyone forgot about the Tibetan freedom cause for a while and the attention moved away from the CTA to Shugden. Was this just a convenient action for the CTA, to distract the public’s attention and blame away from them?

Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, there are many groups engaged in practices that are questionable or which appear to move away from the established lineages and practices. An example currently being discussed online is an organisation in Australia called Chinese Han Tantrayana Buddhism – Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism: www.jingangdhyanaincnet.org (Photos and extracts of the discussion are attached below). We are not in a position to judge all religious groups but this clearly does not seem to be in accordance with traditional Vajrayana practices. Even the shape of their hats have never been seen or recognised in any established Vajrayana or Tantric schools.

Our question is this: Why don’t the CTA examine groups like this further? They are using the sacred name of Tibetan tantra but not following the established practices – shouldn’t this be under investigation? The CTA speak openly and issue public statements about the need to preserve the purity of Buddhism; this is their reason for stopping Dorje Shugden’s practice because they claim it is not a pure practice. If this was really the case, then why do the CTA put so much effort, time and money into stopping the practice of Dorje Shugden, but allow all these other strange practices and groups to continue everywhere else? If they want to protect the purity of the Buddhadharma, then they should monitor all such strange groups that use the name of tantra so casually.

The CTA cannot claim to be a secular government but issue orders and instructions only for selected religious issues. On the other hand, IF they are going to start commenting on religion and establishing themselves as a religious authority or monitor, then they should also do this fully and investigate all questionable tantric groups. To focus only on Shugden practitioners is very selective and makes the CTA seem very biased against a minority group. Is this a fair way for a democratic government in the modern world to treat their own people?

We do not mean disrespect towards anyone, but we call for fairness and equality. If Shugden practitioners are being constantly questioned and examined, then other unconventional groups also should be. To act in any other way reflects on the CTA badly and shows them to be biased, undemocratic, intolerant and not progressive. We hope you will heed our advice and create a better religious future for all Buddhists.

Best wishes,
dorjeshugden.com
dorjeshugden.net
xiongdeng.com

Topic: Maybe CTA should look into this Chinese Tantra Buddhism Organisation?

Discussions on the dorjeshugden.com forum:
www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=1734
Topic started by “namdrol”

I don’t know how to begin, but I just found this in some Chinese forum, it is an organization in Australia called Chinese Han Tantrayana Buddhism – Holy Tantra Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism…something like, even the name is confusing, but looks like it has something to do with Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhism.

I am not in a position to judge another guru/organization so I will not comment on their authenticity, but from the physical outlook, it is quite unorthodox if it is a Vajrayana group.

Since it could be Vajrayana, then perhaps the CTA should look into it? Didn’t CTA persecute Geshe Michael Roach for his long hair and other stuff a few years ago? And I think this Chinese Tantra Organization surpasses Geshe Michael Roach’s “weird look” by miles?

And what about the Tsongkhapa-hat-look-alike thingy? Can CTA please kindly write to them and ask them not use a hat similar to Gelugpa’s yellow hat because it may create confusion to the public? Please help us to protect the purity of Gelugpa’s image will you CTA since you are the Vajrayana’s highest authority.

Since CTA is so engrossed to be a religious police in Vajrayana, can CTA pls go check this organization out? Give the Shugden monks a break will you? At least Shugden monks still wear proper monks’ robes, hold their vows, do their pujas, serve their gurus…

I will keep looking out for organizations like this for CTA to keep them busy, so that they can leave Shugden monks alone for a while…

Other comments and responses:

“samayakeeper”

Why is the CTA so selective and target only the Dorje Shugden practitioners? Why the selective witch hunts targeted at only Dorje Shugden practitioners? Well, the CTA may say they have the right only over Tibetans who are Dorje Shugden practitioners, so should not CTA also ban Tibetans who are practitioners of Bon or other religions and deprive them of their basic human rights?

It is time already for CTA to focus and help Tibetans in their daily needs and lives and STOP playing being the highest governing spiritual body for Tibetan people!

“Dorjedakini”

in response to samayakeeper

It is what they should do and focus on since day one. They just hide behind Shugden issue and did not do their best to improve the living quality of their citizen, worse is that they create disharmony and doubt between their people.

“Triesa”

I am hopeful Dr Lobsang Sangay, the present Kolan Tripa of CTA, will slowly relax the pressure for DS practitioners, after all this is the 21st century, how he runs CTA is being watched and observed by heads of other countries. And the language spoken in the 21st century is freedom of religion, freedom of human rights. Why prosecute your own people because of a difference in belief in one dharma protector and accept all the other religions with even more differences in the whole context of the spiritual practices?

“dsiluvu”

I remember when I was holidaying in Singapore one time, there was this YELLOW BOOK that were placed in several strategic center around Singapore… they even got it translated in to Chinese! Well this is the kind of ways that the CTA poke their noses and centres that like to rub shoulder with His Holiness to get fame and sponsorships do, could do to make other people’s life difficult even though it is not in their jurisdiction to do so. Many accounts of such negative experiences, really you cannot even practice Dorje Shugden freely even though you are outside of Dharamsala. There are many centers who will judge, ban and condemned you, sometimes even smear your name to others saying you worship a “demon” hence you cannot even enter their center or events! Down right religious discrimination!

Basically a statement was put out in every forms of Amitabha Buddhist Center, Singapore (http://www.fpmtabc.org/), whether it is a trip to attend Dalai Lama’s teaching in South East Asia, Kalachakra, or a trip to Dharamsala. On top of name, passpost number, addresses etc. personal details, you need to declare that you do not practice Dorje Shugden first.

So yeah, not only our dear sanghas in Dharamsala are going through injustice, we outside of India and Nepal are also going through such ridiculousness which why it is high time we put a stop to such injustice. And we shall do so by working harder to educated anyone who crosses our path on Dorje Shugden.

Thank you Namdrol for saying it! CTA why don’t you look at those who are more weird then the Shugden practitioners?

“Aurore”

CTA may not have the authority over others outside of Tibetan community of India, however they have done a lot to destroy reputations of certain lamas which creates a rippling effect to other mindless Vajrayana/Buddhist councils around the world.

There are politics involved everywhere and not only within the Indian community. CTA … please focus on organizations that looks weird rather than lamas which are proven authentic already. If this will get them off their case, then I support Namdrol to continue scouting.

Chinese Han Tantrayana Buddhism group

Chinese Han Tantrayana Buddhism group

Chinese Han Tantrayana Buddhism group

We have been recently alerted of some very good news and we are writing to congratulate you for this big step in the way of progress for your administration and people.

We noticed your very honest and humble apology on the website antishugden.com withdrawing your previous negative claims and smear campaign against the Protector Dorje Shugden. We applaud your decision to take down all the negative material and to put up this encouraging notice in its place. It shows that you are progressive in your way of thinking and not afraid to admit your mistakes or to speak the truth. These are the ingredients for any government or leadership to gain respect and support.

We are very happy, most of all, that you are now actively encouraging people to embrace this practice instead of suppressing it. This will give so much hope to thousands everywhere as well as to your own Tibetan people.

However, we wish to also call your attention to the CTA’s official website (Tibet.net) where you still have very long and negative statements against Dorje Shugden (calling him Dholgyal). This is very contradictory to what you have posted up on the antishugden.com website!

It reflects very badly on your administration and people to have this kind of religious content on your official website. If you look at the most successful democratic countries around the world, none of them would ever publish writings on their websites about what religious practices their citizens are allowed to practice or not. They respect every individual’s freedom of religion and freedom of choice. This is what makes them progressive and developed.

Publishing religious matters like this on your official government website makes you look very backwards and petty. It makes you look like you restrict your own citizens and you are not equal or fair to your people. It reflects badly on your leader, the Kalon Tripa, because it shows that he is an intolerant leader who focuses so much energy on religious matters, instead of improving the welfare of his people.

More importantly, it reflects very badly upon His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who represents the Tibetan people globally. By publishing material like this, you lower down his status and make it seem that he is imposing religious dictates on a secular government. We all know how compassionate and giving the Dalai Lama really is, but when you put up material like this on your websites, it is very bad public relations for yourself and for the Dalai Lama. You make him look negative, intolerant, forceful and unkind towards his own people. You make the Dalai Lama look like he is not supporting human rights and contradicting his own teachings of compassion!

Actually, in recent times, the Dalai Lama has withdrawn from dealing in secular matters, leaving it all to the Kalon Tripa and your administration to handle. So now, there is really no reason for your secular administration to be discussing or publishing religious matters on your official websites and literature. Continuing to do so only makes the Dalai Lama look more and more intolerant and dictatorial. People will start to question why a Nobel Peace Laureate is promoting such restrictions on religious freedom, on his own Tibetans and fellow Buddhists.

In fact, as the secular government, you should be helping and reaching out to all your citizens, the Tibetan people. You should be interacting with them equally, whatever their religious beliefs. Wouldn’t this be most fair and democratic? Surely every citizen deserves equal rights and opportunities for welfare, education, job placement, medical facilities, participation in state affairs, travel and voting etc.? If you make it difficult for them to receive any of these things, then you are not being a democratic nor fair leader to them. If you are using their religious beliefs again them – like you have publicized on your websites – then your government is still not progressive. It is still engaging in methods that are very outdated and used only hundreds of years ago.

The rest of the world will look at your website and what the CTA are saying there about religious affairs and Dorje Shugden. They will see how backwards and undemocratic you are and it will not help you to gain any global support or respect.

We write to you not out of malice or with any intent to hurt you. We write with much concern for the betterment of your people and government. We write with care for the tens of thousands of Shugden practitioners that are facing discrimination just for their religion. We write for equality, democracy and the basic human freedom to choose and follow our religious beliefs.

We hope you will sincerely take heed of what we have to say and take action to remove such material about Dorje Shugden from all your public websites and literature. It will make a huge difference for thousands of people and most importantly, for yourselves as the leader of Tibetans everywhere.

With hope and concern,
DorjeShugden.com
DorjeShugden.net
XiongDeng.com

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 world was horrified when the Taliban blew up images of the Buddha carved into the rock in Afghanistan. This religious terrorism has also been happening in India since the 1980s. For 30 years, the Dalai Lama’s Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has been ordering the destruction of statues and other holy images of the Wisdom Buddha, the Protector Deity of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and encouraging monks and nuns to engage in such terrible negative karmic actions.