He used various means within his power to wipe out the worshipers from his group of followers including the use of secret police and assassinations. The Dalai Lama and his group in India have an unofficial status of regional government where they control the education, monasteries, police and even employment.

The Nobel peace prize winner – the Dalai Lama – orders the persecution of Dorje Shugden worshipers even when he is in exile. Imagine what he would do if he had control over the entire Tibetan Autonomous Region?

Do you need proof? Here is an appeal letter written by the followers of Dorje Shugden to the Prime Minister of India at that time. It is a scanned image with certified stamps so you know that no one has fabricated it.

I didn’t even know this matter existed until it resurfaced recently. In fact, the followers of Dorje Shugden will stage a protest against Dalai Lama when the Olympic torch passes through India. How ironic!

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