Introduction

Below is a letter composed and compiled by dorjeshugden.com which has been sent out to Tibetan representatives, CTA representatives and other significant personalities within the Tibetan Buddhist community.

It is inspired by the many, many incidences throughout history and in our modern world of religious persecution imposed upon people of varying religions and faiths. While the situation with Dorje Shugden practitioners may not be as violent, the basis is the same – they are being persecuted, ostracised and attacked merely for their religious choices. This is still happening right now as we speak in Tibetan communities everywhere.

It is not our intention to insult anyone by sharing these videos. Rather, we wish to show how the terrible oppressions, torture and even murder of people of a different faith is not logical; nor does it reflect well at all upon our own religious beliefs and practices.

How can we claim to be protecting religious purity when the very acts we engage in to “purify” others’ beliefs are completely against what any religion would teach? How can oppression, hurt and murder be a rightful part of any religion, which is supposed to promote the betterment and improvement of mandkind?

We hope that by watching these videos and contemplating upon the points we have mentioned, leaders the over will realise that imposing such restrictions and control over their people does not help the growth and progress of their nations.

We hope especially that leaders of the Tibetan Buddhist communities will watch this and realise how unjustly they are treating Shugden practitioners; how their persecution of Shugdenpas is against everything that the Buddhadharma teaches; and how it does not reflect well in any way on their people and especially on their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

We dedicate these efforts to the swift lifting of the ban and for the freedom of religion everywhere.

DorjeShugden.com

To our friends of the Tibetan communities around the world,

We are writing to you today with a great wish for the continued success and growth of the Central Tibetan Administration and communities around the world. As you step into a new age, we understand the many challenges that you have struggled with in the last five decades as you reestablish your communities and leadership in places around the world. Your efforts are to be applauded.

However, we also believe that for a nation and its people to become truly progressive and compete on a global level, one needs to have a strong awareness of world history and issues, as well as a respect for the needs and freedoms of individuals.

We have recently come across some very powerful videos about some of the most unforgettable events in world history and current affairs. We would like to share them with you here, as an exchange of knowledge. We hope that this will help you in the development of your own policy and decision-making for the Tibetan people. It is important that we learn from the past, so we do not to make the same mistakes again in the future.

Below are six videos we have chosen specially for your viewing. We have also included here links to transcripts of each video for your easy reference. Below this are brief summaries of the videos with a few remarkable points of interest for you to consider and contemplate.

1. The Most Evil Men in History: Torquemada (of the Spanish inquisition)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSVlQRrywB8
Download transcript here

2. The Most Evil Women in History: Bloody Queen Mary of Scotland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjc7oxrEBwI
Download transcript here

3. The Last Days: a documentary by Steven Spielberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UlBo3GFgWY
Download transcript here

4. Christian Persecution in Iran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gLYOogKJe8
Download transcript here

5. Christian Persecution in Egypt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ2KC9RCTGY
Download transcript here

6. North Korea has the deadliest level of Christian persecution in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_trSJf7Zec
Download transcript here

As you will see from the first three videos, first-world developed nations – the UK, Spain, Germany and other major countries in Europe – had horrific histories and suffered many traumatic ordeals, pain and even thousands of cruel deaths. All this was done in the name of religion – to protect religion or to defend what they called religious purity.

The strength of these nations now lies in the fact that they have gone through horrific pasts and realized that such violent, unjust ways of suppression and conversion do not work and do not serve the people and country. These videos point to the evolutionary growth within these countries and the process that has led to them giving their citizens more freedom and personal power.

From the tragic events they suffered, these leading countries in the world now strongly promote and uphold personal freedoms – for example, the freedom of religion, speech and movement. When citizens of a free and truly democratic country have more freedoms, they are enabled, empowered and encouraged to do more for their country. They have the freedoms to learn and continuously explore new horizons.

This is why these countries now produce such progressive and world-famous leaders, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators etc. Imagine how different things would be if they had not gone through such histories – what dark ages they would still be in and what limitations their people would still suffer.

In contrast, consider the last three videos on the list above, which documents the strong, violent religious persecution that is still happening in countries today around the world. Iran, Egypt and North Korean have been featured in news reports globally for their terrible abuse of human rights and for their obvious oppression, discrimination and violence towards religious minorities in their country.

Then, consider the state of those nations – they are not progressive, nor are they counted among the most successful countries in the world today. They are still in much need of progress, are far behind on development and suffer continuously from internal conflicts. Comparatively, these nations are not wealthy and there are very few opportunities in life for their citizens. In the case of Egypt, the leaders oppressed their people so much that they eventually all stood up and revolted against the leader Mubarak to force him out of power.

So which situation will it be for the Tibetans? The success enjoyed by the progressive, democratic First World countries? Or the oppressed and limited state of these other more backward, undemocratic countries? Unfortunately, we know that the modern freedoms of the First World are not observed nor enjoyed within the Tibetan communities around the world.

The restrictions placed on people who practice the Protector Deity Dorje Shugden reflects the same kind of religious persecution found in these videos. They may not be as violent, but they come from the same basis: Shugden practitioners are not allowed to have freedom of religion and they are denied equal rights and liberties that are enjoyed by all other citizens.

The people supporting the ban of Dorje Shugden say that they are doing so to protect the Buddhadharma and preserve the purity of Buddhist practice. This sounds just like what Torquemada said during the Spanish Inquisition against the Jews, and what Queen Mary Tudor said to defend Catholicism as she killed hundreds of Protestant Christians. It is also what some Muslims are saying today as they destroy Christians in their countries.

People who do not give up the practice of Shugden are not given the basic freedoms and rights of all citizens – education, jobs in the CTA, medical aid and general welfare. They are not allowed to openly communicate or befriend non-Shugden practitioners. Many are even physical attacked or exiled out of the community.

Isn’t this very similar to what the Jews and Protestants went through in the past? Isn’t it the same as what is happening now to Christians in places like Iran and Egypt? Just see the videos to see what discrimination they suffered or are still suffering. There are many similarities to what is happening right now with Shugden practitioners.

As you watch the videos, consider for a moment what it means to establish policies and carry out actions against your fellow people in the name of religion. Is this what religion teaches us to do? It is illogical to say we want to preserve religious purity, but we are engaging in acts that are opposite to what our religions teach. There is no religion in the world that encourages us to harm another person in any way.

We are not sending these videos and letters to you as a criticism or to insult you. We are sending this out of a concern and with care to help your administration to be more progressive, to care better for your Tibetan people. It is to help you to evolve faster, the same way that all these powerful countries have developed throughout history. It is to help you to become a very powerful people and nation, with powerful individuals who can contribute actively and freely to the world.

We have only good hopes for your administration leadership and wish you the best for your future as a leading nature in the world. Please do take the time to watch these videos and take heed of our sincere request to you to open your views to these histories of world religion. May these videos and this letter contribute to the further growth, openness and freedoms of your government and community.

Our best wishes,
DorjeShugden.com | DorjeShugden.net | XiongDeng.com

Brief Summaries of the Six Videos

The Most Evil Men In History: Torquemada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwF4IGtlTRg
Download transcript here

Torquemada was a Spanish Catholic monk who lived during the 15th century and became known for the “religious purity” he tried to create in Spain, by persecuting and expelling tens of thousands of Jews and Muslims. They were persecuted and suppressed only because of their religion. This is very similar to what is happening with the Dorje Shugden practitioners who are excluded from their community only because of they hold different religious views.

As Torquemada was very close with the King and Queen of the time, he even managed to convince them and the Pope – the Supreme head of the Catholics – to give him full power to do as he pleased, in the name of religion.

For years, Torquemada oversaw and instructed the cruel interrogation, torture and deaths of Jews and Muslims in Spain, just because they were of a different religion. Ironically, Torquemada himself came from a Jewish lineage.

Neighbors and families turned against each other, entire communities were humiliated and later forced to convert or be exiled. Anyone who showed any resistance would be mercilessly tortured and burnt alive.

(0.55mins)
“In the name of his religion, Torquemada forced almost every Jew out of Spain, destroying their lives forever.”

(18.38mins)
“Bolstered by Torquemada in March of that year, Ferdinand and Isabella issued and edict of expulsion that gave Spanish Jews until July to accept Baptism or leave the country. Its terrible words read: “We command all Jews and Jewesses of whatever age to depart from our said kingdoms and dominions with their sons, daughters, manservants and Jewish manservants, or they shall incur the penalty of death without further trial, declaration or sentence.”

(19.30mins)
“After we had been exiled from Spain, our ancestors have vowed never to go back to Spain because of the sufferings we suffered and for no reason either, just simply because you are a Jew.”

(22.10mins)
“Torquemada’s relentless pursuit of the conversos and the Jews would continue for another 6 years, as the Inquisitor General tortured, burned and expelled his way to a “pure” Christian Spain.”

The Most Evil Women in History: Bloody Queen Mary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjc7oxrEBwI
Download transcript here

Queen Mary lived at a time when the religious scene of England was changing dramatically. By her father’s decree, a new school of Christianity was emerging – Protestantism.

Queen Mary, a devout and devoted Catholic, developed an intense hatred for the Protestants, feeling that they were deviants of the real church. For most of her life, she and her mother, Queen Catherine of Aragon were grossly mistreated by her father, King Henry the 8th. It was this king who created this new Protestant Church which would allow him to divorce and remarry another 5 times. Queen Mary saw this as the highest kind of betrayal and would use the rest of her life planning revenge upon all Protestants.

When she finally rose to power as the ruling Queen, Bloody Mary did everything she could to restore the religious “purity” of Catholicism in England. Protestants everywhere were rounded up and burnt. In her 3 ½ year reign, she sent 300 people to be burned in the name of her religious fanaticism, believing that doing this was a way of preserving religious purity. In the name of religious purity, she had hundreds of people killed just because their religious views were different. This is just like what the Shugden people are suffering now when they are segregated and ostracized from their community because of their religious beliefs.

(12.22mins)
“Now she was queen, Mary would return her country to the Catholic fold by all means necessary. Protestant England was about to experience the revenge of Mary Tudor. After years of confusion, paranoia and turmoil, the Catholic Queen Mary Tudor was in the position to avenge her Protestant tormentors. In her eyes, the crimes against her have been committed in the name of the Church of England. She would purge the nation of its satanic presence.”

(13.44mins)
“The horrific ritual of burning at the stake prove a useful tool for Mary and her government. ‘They want other people to watch and think heresy is an illness within the body politic and it needs to be purged, it needs to be burnt out and destroyed.’”

(14.22mins)
“Mary’s plan to cleanse England of the Protestant curse, turned into a frenzy of killing. Hundreds were burnt to death. First the bishops, then Protestant preachers and even their families. Burnings took place in town squares all over the country. Those classed as heretics were killed without mercy.”

The Last Days: A Documentary by Steven Spielberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UlBo3GFgWY
Download transcript here

This very moving documentary traces the journey of a five Hungarians who lived through the Holocaust of World War Two and survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. This was a time when the Nazis of Germany – under the leadership of Hitler – were gathering all Jews and racial minorities, and trying to exterminate them completely. (The Nazis were a very extreme, fascist political party that had come to power just before World War Two).

Hitler and his political party were obsessed with preserving the purity of the Aryan race, which he saw as superior. Therefore, this meant that he had to get rid of all other races that were regarded as “inferior”.

Millions of Jews and other minorities were rounded up and placed into large camps around Germany where they lived in poor, terrible conditions, made to work like slaves and mercilessly killed. It is estimated that 6 million Jews alone were killed during this time. Millions of other minorities – including disabled people and political opponents were also killed.

The Jews suffered all this torture, starvation and death all because of their religion. Doesn’t this sound like what is happening within the Tibetan Buddhist community, where Shugden practitioners are excluded, not given freedoms and even physically attacked because of their religion?

This documentary interviews 5 Jews from Hungary about their experiences during the time of the Nazis. It reveals the terrible ordeals they had to go through in the camps, seeing their families and friends being tortured and killed, and the traumas that have followed them for the rest of their lives. What kind of “purity” can we hope to achieve by doing so many terrible, impure acts to our fellow human beings?

(0.49mins)
“It was important to the [the Nazis] to kill the Jews than even winning the war.”

(Irene Zisblatt, 9.50mins)
“Most of them were people that we thought were our friends all these years, but they turned overnight on us, and went with the other side…”

(Irene Zisblatt, 13.34mins)
“Our friends, so-called, and neighbours, they were standing, lined up against the side of the road and they were yelling, ‘It’s about time. You go on out of here. We don’t need any Jews in our town. We need to get rid of all you Jews.’ I stood and I could not believe my eyes. The people I went to school with… their children. I went to school with their children, we were friends, we were sharing things together… Why are they so hostile? Why do they hate us all of a sudden?”

(Renee Firesome, 25.21mins)
“My mother was selected at the railroad station; gone to the left, while my sister and I went to the right. My mother was taken straight from the railroad station to the gas chambers. By the time my sister and I were processed into the camp, my mother as no longer alive.”

(Tom Lantos, 35.10mins)
“The sadism, the cruelty, the irrationality of the German and Hungarian Nazis of killing the remaining Jewish population when the war was all over, when they could have gained “brownie points” by being more civilized vis-à-vis these people, really was not present because their hatred was so blind.”

(Irene Zisblatt, 40:10mins)
“They took away my parents, they took my identity, they took away my siblings, they took away my possessions. There is something that they want from me. And then I thought of my soul and I said, “They’re not going to take my soul” and I decided right then and there, “I’m going to get up from this mud and I’m going to fight because I’m not going to become ashes.”

(Renee Firestone, 1:18:03mins)
“I don’t think that God created the Holocaust. I think that God gave us a mind, and a heart and free will, and it is up to man what he’s going to do with his life. And I blame man, not God.”

(Tom Lantos, 1:18:25mins)
“I cannot rationally explain, emotionally explain, intellectually explain the Holocaust. I cannot find a place for a higher authority in this nightmare.”

(Alice Lok Cahana, 1:18.44mins)
“What kind of people are we? What are the books teaching us? What is the difference between me and another child? What is the Bible teaching me? What is this about?”

(1:20:16mins)
“The Holocaust has to be taught as a chapter in the long history of man’s inhumanity to man. One cannot ignore the discrimination inflicted on many people because of race, colour or creed. One cannot ignore slavery. One cannot ignore the burning of witches. One cannot ignore the killing of Christians in the Roman period. The Holocaust is perhaps the culmination of the kind of horror that can occur when Man loses his integrity, his belief and the sanctity of human life.”

Christian Persecution in Iran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gLYOogKJe8
Download transcript here

Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is home to 75 million people, with 98% of the population adhering to Islam. At least 450,000 followers of Christ live in Iran but they are constantly harassed, attacked and suppressed for their religion.

Christianity is an officially recognised religion in Iran but in reality, many Christians face oppression from their neighbours. In Iran, converting from Islam to Christianity is an offence which can be punishable by death.

This is very similar to incidents within the Tibetan communities, where Dorje Shugden practitioners are harassed and mistreated by their fellow Tibetans. Just like Christians in Iran, Shugden practitioners live in fear that they will be attacked or kicked out of their communities just because of their religious beliefs.

(1.50 mins)
“Many people in the West are surprised to hear that in much of the Middle East, the majority of pressure against Christians comes from members of their own families. “The night that our family discovered that I’m a Christian and my wife is a Christian, they kicked us out of their house. For some time, we didn’t have any place and we were sleeping on the streets.”

(2.29 mins)
“Government and religion are the same in Iran so when you change religion, in one way you’re saying, ‘I’m rejecting your leadership in my life.’” The Iranian government won’t tolerate any form of opposition, or any form of grouping which is considered a threat to the Islamic Republic.”

(3.30 mins)
“The Iranian government imposes harsh punishments for anyone discovered to be a Christian, using violent tactics to pressure them to convert to Islam.”

Christian Persecution in Egypt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ2KC9RCTGY
Download transcript here

The Christian population of Egypt makes up 12.8% of the country’s population. Most of the Christians are known as Coptic people. This is a significant percentage but Christians remain a minority in a society that is very strongly Muslim.

The last 10 years have seen high levels of violence and terrible discrimination against what are called the Coptic Christians. It is not uncommon for girls to be raped, for Christian celebrations to be attacked by drive-by shootings and for Christians to be indiscriminately killed just because of their religion.

Harassment, discrimination and financial incentives for Christians to adopt Islam are also used to break the strength of the Christians. Although the country’s constitution allows freedom of conversion, Muslims converting to Christianity are not able to change their religion or their name on their identification cards. Without this change, Christian women remain designated as Muslims and are unable to marry Christian men.

This discrimination is very similar to what the Dorje Shugden practitioners experience. Shugden practitioners cannot marry or be friends with non-Shugden people. The Egyptian government claims that there is freedom of conversion but this is not true, as you see in the video. Similarly, the CTA claim that the Tibetans have freedom to choose whether they practice Shugden or not, but in reality, this is not the case: people who choose Shugden are not permitted any of the usual rights and freedoms of other citizens. What kind of “choice” is this?

(1.00 min)
“Although Christians and Muslims have lived in relative peace in Egypt, in recent decades, religiously-motivated violence against the Christian minority has been escalating.”

(5.29 mins)
“So if I was a Coptic wanting to become a Muslim, they’re free to do that. But to go the other way, you can’t do that. You can’t leave Islam, and join the Coptic Church or the Baptist Church, or an Evangelical Church or Presbyterian Church. It’s not permitted in their society.”

(6.22 mins)
“Mohammed Hijazi’s case, it caused quite a stir in the media, where you had Islamic leaders coming out and saying this man must be insane, and his own father said he would kill him.”

(8.19 mins)
“We don’t have anything to defend ourselves except through prayer, fasting and good will. And that’s it.”

North Korea has the deadliest level of Christian persecution in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_trSJf7Zec
Download transcript here

North Korean today continues to be run as a total dictatorship under the rule of Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung. Christian groups around the world consider this country the worst place in the world for Christians to live with the worst and most deadly kind of persecution.

Because the North Koreans are encouraged to “worship” nobody except their country’s leaders, any religious belief or worship of any one else could mean someone is killed – not just the individual but three generations of his family will be killed. The North Koreans are taught to view their leader like a God, and that everything he says must be followed or they will suffer grave and terrible consequences. Even speaking about their religion or being caught with any religious items on them can mean an immediate death without trial.

All this is happening right now as we speak in North Korea.

Isn’t this very similar to what is happening with Dorje Shugden practitioners? They suffer just like the Koreans: if a man practices Shugden, his whole family is excluded from society and denied any rights. Everyone is forced to accept what the Dalai Lama has stated even if he is not their Guru. This is like the North Koreans forcing everyone to “worship” their dictator leader Kim Jong-Il and persecuting people who choose to follow a different belief.

(3.19 mins)
“Today, an estimated 40,000 Christians are being held in North Korean prison camps. One out of every 10 Christians in this country is suffering cruel imprisonment.”

(3.38 mins)
“There were two of us who escaped. We were looking for a way to provide food for our family. The vast majority of people are extremely hungry. But Christians are the last to receive any allowance for foods. Everyone uses the black market to survive. My younger brother was taken by immigration authorities. Since then, no one has heard about where they took him or even if he is still alive.”

(5.54 mins)
“In North Korea, Christians constantly fear being discovered. There is severe punishment if they are found guilty. That’s huge because it means death! The North Korean government can’t stand Christians worshipping God since they force people to worship Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il as their gods.”

(10.49 mins)
“Many in the West are not aware of the suffering endured by North Korean brothers and sisters. In North Korea, if people believe in God and are caught by the Kim Jong-Il government, they are killed along with three generations of their family.”

In pursuing the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden, fostering schism in the Kagyu tradition, as well as other instances of meddling in all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is creating a modern day inquisition. As tensions in the Tibetan exile community rise, he has started to manipulate the Tibetans’ raw emotions and aim their anger against his own personal enemies.

or view here:
http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/video/dalai-lama-non-violence

In this video, the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying that his ban on Dorje Shugden “will be like a Cultural Revolution”, further threatening, “If those who do not accept the ban do not listen to my words, things will get worse for them. You sit and watch. It will grow worse for them.” This prompts a crowd of Tibetans (including monks!) to violently assault a group of Buddhist Shugden practitioners with stones and bricks. This incident in the video is from 1996.

There are further incidents that have transpired since then as the Dalai Lama and his supporters encourage systematic ostracism and intimidation of anyone against the Dalai Lama’s wishes. This campaign has spread from India into the West. In 2008, a mob of thousands of angry Tibetans surrounded a group of peacefully protesting Dorje Shugden practitioners and spit, harassed, and threw objects at the demonstrators.

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

Or watch on server | download video (right click & save file)

The police were forced to evacuate the protesters. This last event happened in New York City.

This paranoid campaign of painting a picture of ‘us versus them’ is not befitting of someone claiming to be the principal teacher of Buddhism in our modern world. Such behavior is completely inappropriate for any responsible human being… let alone, a Buddhist monk.

Source : http://wisdomnectar.tumblr.com/post/3391733204/the-tibetan-inquisition, April 2011

Background

From Ron Cook: Below was an email sent to Tenzin Paljor, the most vehement critic of Shugden practitioners and of the NKT. He will not post it. He will not answer these questions nor other important ones. He is very selective about what he chooses to respond to. These are some of the most important questions concerning the Dalai Lama and yet they remain completely ignored. If you (Tenzin Paljor) are so confident in your beliefs, why are you afraid to answer these questions?

Dear Tenzin,
Since you have taken it upon yourself or been asked to represent the views of the Dalai Lama, I wish to submit six important questions that hopefully you can provide clear replies to. Since you have gone to great lengths to accommodate the questions of a concerned citizen in Brighton, then in fairness please show the same willingness to address the questions below – they too come from a concerned citizen. If you are as fair and open minded as the people visiting your blogs indicate, demonstrate these qualities by providing the appropriate answers. There is no valid reason not to post these questions and let your readers draw their own conclusions.
Sincerely,
Ron Cook

Six Important Questions for the Dalai Lama or His Supporters to Answer

1. If it is appropriate for the Dalai Lama to decide what spiritual practices are appropriate, and seeing clearly that such a decision causes divisiveness, why are the reasons he cites for the ban on Dorje Shugden not being supported by the teachings of Buddha? What Sutras specifically dictate the need for invoking spiritual bans? If the ban is not politically motivated there must be an authentic spiritual basis for this action. The teachings of Buddha address all possible delusions that sentient beings are capable of generating, therefore, please cite the Sutras that necessitate imposing the ban on Dorje Shugden.
2. Why is the Dalai Lama consistently patient, apologetic, and conciliatory toward the Chinese and not Dorje Shugden practitioners? The Dalai Lama has never acknowledged any email, petition, fax, phone call, telegram, or verbal request, nor has he ever granted an audience to anyone wishing to try and solve the Shugden controversy. However, he makes effort to engage the Chinese at virtually every opportunity. Please explain this double standard of engagement.
3. The Dalai Lama says that Dorje Shugden practitioners are free to ignore his ‘advice’ and continue to practice their faith. How is this possible when his government, his siblings, his personal friends, and representatives of Buddhist traditions that he controls, at every opportunity, disparage and attack Dorje Shugden practitioners? What basis is there to believe that Shugden practitioners have freedom? The Dalai Lama has said:
   

   “Everyone who is affiliated with the Tibetan society of the Ganden Phodrang government, should relinquish ties with Dhogyal. This is necessary since it poses danger to the religious and temporal situation of Tibet. As for foreigners, it makes no difference to us if they walk with their feet up and their head down. We have taught Dharma to them, not they to us…‘Until now you have a very good job on this issue. Hereafter also, continue this policy in a clever way. We should do it in such a way to ensure that in future generations not even the name of Dhogyal is remembered.”

   (From a speech delivered July 14th 1996, in Caux Switzerland) Since the Dalai Lama has expressed an intention to utterly destroy the practice of Dorje Shugden, please explain the nature and type of freedom such practitioners shall enjoy.

4. Johan Candelin, director of the World Evangelical Fellowship’s (WEF) Religious Liberty Commission, invited the Dalai Lama to meeting in Helsinki on June 20, 1998. One of the topics discussed was the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka by Buddhists. The Dalai Lama said that any Buddhist who persecutes Christians “misunderstands the true nature of Buddhism.” Persecution is defined in the Random House College Dictionary (def. 3) to mean:
   

   “A program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religious or moral beliefs or practices.”

   If persecution of Christians is inappropriate and contrary to the true nature of Buddhism, why is the persecution of Shugden practitioners been not only acceptable, but advocated by the Dalai Lama? How can any reasonable person not consider the Dalai Lama’s words and actions to be hypocrisy in the extreme? Please clarify that persecuting Shugden practitioners is not hypocrisy.

5. The Dalai Lama freely admits that previous to his ban he was a practitioner of Dorje Shugden. He also composed a prayer to the deity entitled, Melody of the Unceasing Vajra, which is subtitled: ‘A Propitiation of Mighty Gyalchen Dorje Shugden, Protector of Conqueror Manjushri Tsongkhapa’s Teachings, by the Supreme Victor, the Great 14th Dalai Lama.’ Since the Dalai Lama is considered to be infallible and a fully enlightened being, how can these completely opposite beliefs be reconciled? Should we understand that the Dalai Lama was a faulty being when he practiced this deity in the past? If so, how is it that he can be considered to be faultless now? Enlightened beings cannot become more enlightened with time, nor can their perfect state degenerate. Moreover, such a pure being is omniscient, and would know indubitably that such a reversal of belief would cause tremendous confusion and problems. A flawless being should be able to provide a coherent, logical, and plausible explanation for this contradiction. The Dalai Lama has yet to provide such an explanation. Please explain how the Dalai Lama’s reversal on Dorje Shugden can be considered anything other than the confused and mistaken action of an ordinary being.
6. For nearly four centuries the deity Dorje Shugden has supposedly caused harm to many people. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama claims that since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Dorje Shugden has caused not only a consistent degeneration of Buddhism, but many other serious problems. If this is true, why is it not possible for any of the reincarnations of the Dalai Lama to subdue this being? It is claimed that each of the Dalai Lamas are successive manifestations of the Buddha of Compassion (Chenrezig). There are many accounts of high Lamas subduing malevolent spirits in Tibet, yet the succession of ten Dalai Lamas cannot accomplish a similar feat. Practitioners of Dorje Shugden claim that he is an enlightened being, and therefore impossible to subdue. Please explain the failure of these ten Dalai Lamas to subdue Dorje Shugden. Please explain the failure of thousands of high Lamas to do the same.

Posted courtesy of Ron Cook.

(Source: http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/09/six-important-questions-for-dalai-lama.html)

(Read Part 1)
Recently, France 24 sent journalists to India to investigate the claims of religious persecution by Dorje Shugden practitioners at the hands of the Dalai Lama and his supporters. This is what they found. Here we continue with Part Two of comments on this report. Part One can be found here.

Clarification of Inaccuracies Within the Report

While, generally speaking, the report documents well the persecution against Dorje Shugden practitioners, there are nonetheless a few points that require clarification.

• Dorje Shugden practitioners are Chinese collaborators. The inferences from the report range from Dorje Shugden practitioners are appreciative of the Chinese contribution to Tibet, through to they are receiving funding from the Chinese, through to they are outright collaborators with the Chinese. This can be clarified as follows:

1. There is no evidence whatsoever linking Dorje Shugden practitioners with the Chinese. This is just a baseless allegation repeated again and again. A lie repeated frequently does not become an actual truth, but it can become popular assumption, or at least enough of a rumour that people begin to doubt. A good example is the often-repeated accusation that Barack Obama is a Muslim.
2. The only evidence that has been produced to ‘prove’ that Dorje Shugden practitioners are working for the Chinese is a couple of pictures of Dorje Shugden supporters meeting with Chinese officials. Although there are far more pictures of the Dalai Lama with Chinese officials, nobody makes the absurd suggestion that such photos are a basis for saying he is working for the Chinese. Anybody who has dealings in Tibet will need to have interaction with Chinese officials. If there is ‘no doubt’ that Dorje Shugden practitioners are Chinese collaborators infiltrating the Tibetan community, then surely there must be more evidence than the picture of the back of somebody’s head! Surely this picture alone cannot be the basis of a systematic, 30 year campaign to completely eliminate ‘even the memory of the name of Dorje Shugden’ (the Dalai Lama’s self-declared goal).
3. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao would frequently declare that somebody was a Nationalist Spy or a Revisionist, and use this accusation as a means of discrediting any opposition. It seems the Dalai Lama is holding himself true to his words that his persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners will be like the Cultural Revolution.
4. Any time that Tibetan officials or defenders are pressed to provide evidence substantiating their claims, all they can do is say ‘everybody knows this to be so’. Everybody may believe this to be so due to 30 years of propaganda and slander by the Dalai Lama, but history is replete with examples of everybody in a population believing what the propaganda says (Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China, Kim’s North Korea, Castro’s Cuba, etc.). It is a fair question to ask ‘what is the basis of this belief?’ ‘What is the evidence substantiating this claim?’ If this is to be the basis of widespread religious persecution, a betrayal of the very principles that the Tibetan community is supposed to stand for (Religious Freedom) then surely it is fair to ask for proof whether the accusation is true or not.
5. Any independent investigation would reveal that Dorje Shugden practitioners are receiving no financial support whatsoever from the Chinese. Any independent investigation would reveal that these accusations are nothing other than convenient government lies designed to demonize and discredit any opposition.

• Objection: But what about the pro-Chinese comments of Kundaling Rinpoche. Surely this shows that Dorje Shugden practitioners are Chinese sympathizers.

1. It is possible that a few Dorje Shugden practitioners, such as the individual shown in the interview, may feel that Tibet is better off under the Chinese than under the leadership of the Dalai Lama. But this is an extreme minority view. Any independent investigation would reveal that the overwhelming majority of Dorje Shugden practitioners are just as committed to the Tibetan cause as any other Tibetan or Buddhist practitioner.
2. This statement confuses cause and effect. The Dalai Lama supporters say that Dorje Shugden practitioners are Chinese supporters (cause), therefore they need to be restricted (effect). But the causality is actually reversed. The Dalai Lama is persecuting Dorje Shugden practitioners (cause), which then may cause a small minority of them to prefer the Chinese (effect). Absent the persecution, there would be no basis for this preference. It is the ban itself that is creating sympathy for the Chinese cause; therefore, to remove such sympathy from Tibetan society, a more appropriate solution would be to lift the ban.
3. To be unambiguously clear, the pro-Chinese sentiments expressed by Kundaling Rinpoche are in no way reflective of the views of the Western Shugden Society or the overwhelming majority of Dorje Shugden practitioners. The Western Shugden Society has no political opinions whatsoever. Its only objective is the restoration of religious freedom for Dorje Shugden practitioners. It takes no position whatsoever on Tibetan politics, other than how it impacts religious freedom.
4. Besides, feeling that China has brought some benefit to Tibet does not make somebody a Chinese agent or infiltrator. This is a political opinion. Oppositional political opinions are illegal only in authoritarian regimes. The life blood of democracy is free opposition. Either the Dalai Lama wishes to make Tibetan society democratic, at which point he should embrace opposition; or he declares that any opposition is national treason, at which point he forfeits any claim at being a democrat.
5. Even if there do exist a few Dorje Shugden practitioners who are Chinese agents, this is in no way a justification for the ‘collective punishment’ of all Dorje Shugden practitioners. Why should innocent people be punished for the views of some? If action needs to be taken against some individuals, then it should be targeted against those individuals, not against an entire spiritual population.

• Dorje Shugden practitioners engage in violence, commit murder and instigate arson. Therefore, they need to be stopped.

1. This is another incidence of a lie repeated often enough becoming publicly held myth. With such a serious accusation, it is fair to ask the question: what is the evidence? Once again, when pressed, Tibetan leaders will reply ‘everybody knows this.’ This is not evidence — this is simply proof that the Dalai Lama’s smear campaign has been effective.
2. When the Indian police investigated the accused Dorje Shugden practitioners, no evidence whatsoever was found against them, and they were cleared of all charges against them. This has not stopped the Tibetan Government in Exile to continue to repeat and publish the accusation at every possible juncture. Read a detailed account of the police investigation.
3. Showing pictures of murdered people and saying it was Dorje Shugden practitioners who did it does not prove that Dorje Shugden practitioners committed such awful crimes, it merely proves that some people were murdered. It says nothing at all about who did it.
4. Such murders are tragic, and anybody who committed such actions is not Buddhist. Such violence must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and all genuine Buddhists, Dorje Shugden practitioners included, share the moral outrage that such crimes are committed.
5. The crimes of a few misguided extremists cannot be a justification for punishing and demonizing an entire spiritual population. Even if it was some extremist Dorje Shugden practitioners who committed these crimes (something we completely deny, this response is being made as a hypothetical), then it is those individuals who should be tracked down and punished, not the entire community of Dorje Shugden practitioners. Surely any thinking person would not say all Muslims are murderers and should be punished just because some extremists engage in acts of terrorism. The vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving, honourable people, and so should be treated with dignity, freedom and respect. The whole world shares the moral outrage at the collective punishment of all Palestinians due to the actions of a few suicide bombers. These are innocent people who should not be punished for crimes they did not commit. In the same way, even if some extremist Dorje Shugden practitioners did commit such awful crimes (which, again, we deny), this is not a justification for punishing and persecuting innocent people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we thank the producers and reporters of France 24 for having the courage and journalistic integrity to investigate the simple question of whether the Dalai Lama practices at home what he preaches abroad. This documentary demonstrates clearly that there are serious violations of religious freedom and other human rights taking place against Dorje Shugden practitioners and the source of such persecution is none other than the Dalai Lama himself. As the report accurately described: there is ‘spiritual apartheid’ taking place and it is ‘taboo’ to question the Dalai Lama.

We invite France 24 to investigate further the points clarified in this response. Baseless rumour and often-repeated allegation is not evidence. If an investigation were to take place, it would clearly show that these allegations have no foundation in reality and are nothing other than a government-orchestrated effort to silence and discredit any opposition. The truth can never be defeated.

Posted courtesy of Dspak.

(Read Part 1)

(Source: http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/09/part-two-tv-documentary-by-france-24.html)

(Read Part 2)

Recently, France 24 sent journalists to India to investigate the claims of religious persecution by Dorje Shugden practitioners at the hands of the Dalai Lama and his supporters. This is what they found. Please read on for comments to this TV documentary.

Introduction

First of all, it is wonderful that France 24 has taken the time to investigate what is actually going on within the Tibetan community in exile. In public, the Dalai Lama is the global champion of religious freedom, yet at home in secret he is persecuting his own people. It is almost unthinkable that the Dalai Lama would blatantly betray that which is he most known for. It would be like finding out that Santa Clause abuses children, so people just think ‘it can’t be.’ But as this documentary shows, there is truly spiritual apartheid.

Our fear is that such hypocrisy will destroy the Dalai Lama’s moral authority much in the same way that the US engaging in torture has destroyed any remaining US moral authority. In the end, all Dorje Shugden practitioners are asking for is for the Dalai Lama to practice at home what he preaches abroad.
These comments will first indicate what the documentary got right, and then in Part Two it will clarify some issues that were misleading.

What the Documentary Got Right

In general, except for the clarifications mentioned below, this documentary demonstrates beyond any doubt the types of things taking place within the Tibetan community against Dorje Shugden practitioners.
In particular, the report shows clear evidence of ‘spiritual apartheid’. Widespread persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners includes:

1. Dorje Shugden practitioners are denied entry into stores, shops and even hospitals. So they cannot get access to food, basic social services or medical care in their own community due solely to their religion.
2. The Tibetan people have taken an oath to the Dalai Lama swearing that they will deny material or spiritual support to any Dorje Shugden practitioner. And the Tibetan people are carrying out this oath.
3. Dorje Shugden practitioners are treated as outlaws. Their portraits are posted on the walls, like they are criminals.
4. Dorje Shugden practitioners have been shunned from their community, essentially being driven into exile from the exile community. They live in fear of people harassing them, threatening them, etc. Many Dorje Shugden practitioners have been forced to flee their community and live in exile.
5. Dorje Shugden practitioners are accused of being against the Dalai Lama, traitors, rebels and Chinese spies and collaborators.
6. The report shows that the persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners is politically motivated. The report correctly calls it a witch hunt motivated by fear of Chinese infiltration within the Tibetan community. It shows that opposition to Dorje Shugden practitioners is taking place at the highest political levels within the Tibetan community, including the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Prime Minister, Samdhong Rinpoche.
7. It shows that people are forced to choose between Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama, and if they choose to maintain their religion, then they are expelled from their monasteries and community.
8. The report shows it is extremely taboo to criticise the Dalai Lama. Since he is supposed to be a God, anything he says automatically becomes the rule of law. If somebody criticises the Dalai Lama, then it is taken as automatic ‘proof’ that they are a Chinese spy or collaborator who is against the cause of Tibet.
9. The report shows that Dalai Lama is a hypocrite – preaching tolerance and religious freedom around the world, but at home practicing persecution.
10. It shows that any reporting of what is going on receives a hostile response. Cameras are smashed, those speaking out against the ban are harrassed, etc. If this takes place with the cameras rolling, imagine what takes place when nobody is looking…
11. The report shows clearly how all of this comes from the Dalai Lama himself. The Dalai Lama is the one who is the origin of all of this persecution, and it is he who ordered that all Dorje Shugden practitioners be expelled from their monasteries and the Tibetan community at once.
12. The report shows the number of people who have been affected by this ban – more than 4 million Tibetans.

• Some argue that this number is exaggerated, saying that there is currently only a small minority of people practicing Dorje Shugden. However, it is historically undeniable that prior to the Dalai Lama beginning his crusade against Dorje Shugden practitioners 30 years ago, upwards of 60% of the 8 million total population of Tibet relied upon Dorje Shugden. So 4 million is actually a conservative estimate of the number of people affected by this ban.
• To say that this number is exaggerated and that there is only a small number of people who are (currently) affected by this ban is very misleading. The reason why there is only a small minority currently affected by the Dalai Lama’s actions is precisely because the Dalai Lama has been so successful over the last 30 years in systematically destroying the practice. The very fact that there are currently so few Dorje Shugden practitioners left today is itself the proof of the effect of the Dalai Lama’s actions. There are currently very few Jews left in Eastern Europe because Hitler almost succeeded in wiping them out, but this does not mean that the holocaust did not affect many people.
• There are two possibilities. Either there is a large number of Dorje Shugden practitioners, at which point the persecution being committed by the Dalai Lama is widespread; or it is a small number, at which point Dorje Shugden practitioners are not a threat, so they should be left alone to practice in freedom.

Posted courtesy of Dspak.

(Read Part 2)

(Source: http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/09/tv-documentary-by-france-24-dalai-lamas.html)

(Read Part 1 and Part 2)

Q: What prevents anyone from practising it anyway in his/her privacy?

A: In theory there is nothing to stop people practising ‘in secret’, but as part of his campaign to remove the practice from Tibetan society, each person either has been forced to swear an oath to Palden Lhamo (another powerful Dharma protector) or be ostracised from Tibetan society and be denied travel, food, family relationships and basic human conditions. In effect the Dalai Lama is forcing Tibetans to make a vow to break their previous commitment to their Spiritual Guides to practise Dorje Shugden, or to suffer ostracism if they refuse. The oath is as follows:

I swear on the name of the Dalai Lama and glorious Maxor Gyalmo (Protectress Palden Lhamo) to never venerate and worship Dorje Shugden and to never have any relation on material and other levels with those who worship Dorje Shugden.

The Dalai Lama is seeking to publicly denounce the practice of Dorje Shugden with a view to removing the practice and its adherents from Buddhism; and to oppose this requires public action such as demonstrations. He has already banned the practice in the Tibetan Community in India and moves are afoot to try to force Tibetans living in the West to sign a similar oath to abandon the practice. For example, The Dalai Lama’s sister Pema was recently in Paris starting the forced signature campaign of Tibetans in France, Tibetans in Australia told the demonstrators that they had already signed the oath, and the forced signature campaign is being arranged for Madison, US, next month (July 2008).
The discrimination against Dorje Shugden is already affecting Buddhist traditions in the West. For example, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, which was founded by Lama Yeshe (a very devout Dorje Shugden practitioner, now perhaps turning in his grave), no longer allows any officer, Teacher or Administrator of the organization to be a Shugden practitioner. Also, one of the pre-requisites for requesting ordination in the FPMT is not to be a Shugden practitioner. The irrational ban is spreading like poison through the bloodstream of all Tibetan Buddhist institutions loyal to the Dalai Lama, even Western ones. The aim is the complete eradication of Dorje Shugden practice and the authentic Gelugpa lineage.
The Dalai Lama travels throughout the world talking about tolerance, religious harmony and the need for dialogue with one’s enemies. He speaks sweet words taken from his Teachers, but at the same time he is seeking to humiliate and destroy the reputation of Dorje Shugden practitioners throughout the world such that they will no longer be regarded as Buddhists but as sectarian spirit worshippers. He is destroying the very lineage he is teaching from!
A lot of people think that religion and religious figures are hypocritical. Sadly, the Dalai Lama is busy proving them right. If the Dalai Lama cared anything for Buddhism and its reputation he would not act in such a hypocritical way because in the long term it will destroy the reputation of a religion that many people are increasingly turning to for solving their problems. For the sake of power and influence he is showing a callous disregard for the spiritual lives of others.

Q: What do protesters hope to achieve by going public, and by all accounts, sow, what appears gratuitous discord, amongst the Tibetan community? And apparently undermine the moral and representative authority of the Dalai Lama at a very, very crucial time for him and Tibetans. To the public at large it has all the appearance of a rather self-centred opportunity for these practitioners to embarrass the Dalai Lama, and to gain maximum leverage for their cause, whatever the merits of it may be.

A: What the Western Shugden Society hopes to achieve is dialogue with the Dalai Lama so that the destruction of a pure lineage of Buddhism can be averted. Our wish is for the pure spiritual practice of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition to remain for many aeons for the benefit of all living beings. We want to persuade the Dalai Lama to reconsider, give religious freedom to Dorje Shugden practitioners in his own community and to stop slandering the practice and practitioners throughout the world.
In short, we want him to stop causing disharmony and gratuitous discord in the Buddhist community by lying about the practice, and for him to give religious freedom. When something as precious as the Buddhist teachings is threatened, something has to be done, which is why the Western Shugden Society is organizing demonstrations against the Dalai Lama. As soon as he agrees to listen, the demonstrations will stop.
Some people have said “why are Westerners protesting when it’s only a problem for Tibetans in India? You’re free to practice, the Dalai Lama isn’t stopping you” Firstly, it’s not just Westerners who are protesting. If you look at the videos and pictures of the protest at Colgate University in New York State, for example, you will see many Tibetans, and many more will be at future demonstrations. Secondly, this is a problem for ALL Shugden practitioners worldwide and is increasingly coming to affect Western practitioners in terms of unchecked slander against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Just as a forest fire may begin in one part of the forest but will eventually spread and destroy everything if it is unchecked, the Dalai Lama is trying to stop all of us from practising Dorje Shugden by using his charisma and good reputation, first in his own community but later worldwide. We must oppose this.
Those of us who are in the New Kadampa Tradition have already suffered from ten years of the Dalai Lama labelling us as a ‘cult’, even mainstream news magazines like Newsweek in April 1997 repeated the misinformation spread by the Dalai Lama: “Nobody would pray to Buddha for better business, but they go to Shugden for such favours – and this is where it has become like spirit worship,” the Dalai Lama told NEWSWEEK. “This is a great pity-a tragedy.”
There are now hundreds of stories throughout the world of people strongly deterred by Tibetan Buddhist groups from coming to or returning to NKT Centers because they are cultists and evil spirit worshippers, and all other sorts of hurtful nonsense. NKT publicity is torn down or defaced, teachers are heckled during their teachings, NKT people have been shouted and spat at in the street, some other Tibetan practitioners wear protective ribbons and make mudras (hand gestures) upon encountering any Kadampas, there is a lot of negative talk about us on the internet, and faith is destroyed.
Yet what has the NKT done wrong except for trying to keep the Gelugpa tradition intact and give Dharma teachings unmixed with politics? What have they done wrong except to stand up to the Dalai Lama for their own and others’ spiritual lives? And it is clear that the source of this bias, disinformation and hostility is none other than the Dalai Lama himself. Tibetan Buddhists who are following the Dalai Lama’s view are practising sectarian discrimination against the NKT in particular and against Dorje Shugden practitioners in general, just as their teacher is.
For example, on the popular E-sangha Buddhist discussion forum it is not permissible to post about Shugden practice or the NKT except to criticise. We are all ‘banned’ from this supposedly Buddhist forum, just as the Dalai Lama would like to ostracise all Shugden practitioners from Buddhism. The Dalai Lama has created all these problems through his sectarianism. This kind of discrimination is not Buddhist and is against the Bodhisattva vows. Therefore, it’s incorrect to say that Western Shugden practitioners are unaffected by the Dalai Lama’s slander of our tradition.
It is not our wish to sow discord amongst the Tibetan community but to heal it by allowing everyone to practice freely. The Dalai Lama is the one sowing discord with his campaign against Dorje Shugden. He is driving a wedge between practitioners and their families and denying basic human conditions unless you renounce the practice. The Dalai Lama is abusing human rights and breaking Indian Law by engaging in Deity discrimination. His actions are clearly uncompassionate and unlawful.
In February 2008, 900 monks were expelled from their monasteries for bravely refusing to give up their practice.
As Geshe Sopa said recently when he travelled from America to join the demonstration in Oxford, what the Dalai Lama is doing is worse than what the Chinese did – the Chinese destroyed the monasteries but they could not divide the monks. The Dalai Lama has succeeded in creating a schism in the monastic community by enforcing a ban that has stirred up disharmony and bitterness.
The protest against the Dalai Lama is not self-centered but is an attempt to draw media attention to this problem. The Western Shugden Society has no choice because the Dalai Lama refuses to discuss this issue even though many attempts have been made to have a meaningful dialogue with him. The WSS is trying to prevent the destruction of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition and to re-establish the rights of Tibetan practitioners of this Deity who are being oppressed, to allow them to carry out their practice without political interference. Is that really so much to ask?
Posted courtesy of Lineageholder.
(Read Part 1 and Part 2)
(Source: http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/06/frequently-asked-questions-about-dorje_9205.html)

• The Dalai Lama claims that Buddhism is degenerating into spirit worship by relying on Dorje Shugden, yet he propitiates (and has a whole temple for) a spirit claiming to be Nechung whom he relies on for advice.
• The Dalai Lama accuses the Chinese of abusing the human rights of Tibetans, yet he is abusing the human rights of Dorje Shugden practitioners worldwide.
• The Dalai Lama is accusing Dorje Shugden practice of being ‘sectarian’, even though he is being sectarian by banning the practice that was done by his holy Teachers whom he says are ‘wrong’.
• He says that Dorje Shugden practice is causing problems in Tibetan society, but all such problems exist only because of the Dalai Lama’s actions of demonizing practitioners of this Deity, stiring up disharmony and causing divisions where no such divisions existed before by exploiting the issues of his health and the cause of Tibetan independence, which he has no intention of achieving anyway.
• He says that Dorje Shugden practice is divisive, but he has divided the Sangha, something that has never happened before in the history of Buddhism on this scale. Geshe Sopa said recently when he attended the demonstration in Oxford that what the Dalai Lama has done is worse than what the Chinese did, because the Chinese could not divide the monks, but the Dalai Lama has managed to do so.
• He is trying to enforce his ban of Dorje Shugden in Tibetan society, and in Buddhist society in general, saying that people are not listening to him; when he has refused for over ten years to listen to the petitions of Western Shugden practitioners who simply want religious freedom for all.

There can surely be no greater example of the ugly results of mixing religion and politics than the Dalai Lama’s present actions of destroying a pure spiritual tradition.

Posted courtesy of Lineageholder

(Source: http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/06/double-standards-apply.html)

About the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden

The Dalai Lama has given three main reasons for banning the practice of Dorje Shugden. Before we reply to those, we should point out that although he says he “strongly discourages” it, there is an increasing body of evidence to show he has banned it. Witness the ID card – Tibetans are forced to swear that they will never venerate Dorje Shugden nor have any spiritual or material relationship with those who do or they will not be given an ID card (effectively making them refugees amongst refugees). The resulting ostracism and denial of basic human rights such as food, shelter and companionship has created great suffering in the Tibetan community and is clearly documented.

Even if the Dalai Lama’s views on the practice were reasonable or true, which they are not, it would still be unacceptable to force these views on others in this way, using his political power to impose his religious will. Imagine if any other leader forced this signature campaign on Muslims, or Jews, or Shamans? There would be a huge outcry and people would be reminded of Germany in the 1930s.

As for his reasons, they are refuted in detail by the words and experiences of thousands and thousands of practitioners past and present – for example, see www.WesternShugdenSociety.org and www.WisdomBuddhaDorjeShugden.org. In particular, look at the article Replies to the three reasons for the Dalai Lama’s ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden.

Here, we answer them briefly.

• “The danger of Tibetan Buddhism degenerating into a form of spirit worship”. The practice of Dorje Shugden is not spirit worship because Dorje Shugden is viewed as the embodiment of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, arisen in this form to protect Buddha’s teachings. All Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners, including the Dalai Lama’s teachers and millions of Gelugpa Lamas and practitioners of past generations, are actual Buddhists who practice the complete Dharma of Buddha Shakyamuni. It is untrue, patronizing and insulting to say that they are not. It would also mean that the teachings that the Dalai Lama himself is giving are non-Buddhist as these come from his teachers who were Dorje Shugden practitioners
• “Obstacles to the emergence of genuine non-sectarianism”. The Dalai Lama allegedly promotes interreligious understanding and harmony, just so long as Dorje Shugden practitioners can be the exception to the rule. Even today, for example, everyone can attend the “formal religious teachings” by the Dalai Lama – come along if you are a Muslim, a Catholic, or an actual spirit worshipper, everyone is welcome! But a Buddhist Dorje Shugden practitioner? You will be asked to leave. That the Dalai Lama says he is a man of peace and tolerance makes this Buddhist apartheid even more intolerable. There is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that it is Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners who promote sectarianism; they are simply asking for the freedom to practice their ancient tradition without being persecuted and shunned. The Dalai Lama hides behind his celebrity status and blames the victim for the crime.
• “Especially inappropriate in relation to the well-being of Tibetan society”. Imagine if President Bush were to declare that someone’s spiritual practice was affecting his life and ability to govern and so it should be stopped? He would be considered dictatorial and idiotic. The idea that those who do their peaceful prayers to Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden for the protection of positive minds of compassion and wisdom is somehow detrimental to the government headed by the Dalai Lama and therefore should be stopped is likewise dictatorial and embarrassingly superstitious. The Dalai Lama is now 73 years old, in fine health, and he gave up the idea of Tibetan independence years ago. Scapegoating Dorje Shugden practitioners for the failure to win a free Tibet is a political ploy and, if it were not the popular charismatic Dalai Lama who was saying these things, this would have been laughed out of court a long time ago. It is not Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners who are destroying Tibetan unity, it is the Dalai Lama’s controversial and divisive actions of splitting families and communities down the middle.

The Dalai Lama has urged people to consider this and “to act accordingly”. We are confident that if you do take the time to critically examine his reasons and do some research, you will agree that they make no sense and that, even if they did, he has no right to impose these religious views on others through political processes such as the ID card.

Why would so many Tibetan and Western practitioners take all this time and expense to travel to demonstrate against one of the world’s most famous religious leaders if there were not some very urgent and compelling reason for doing so? We are here because there is a major problem in Tibetan exile society and it is just going to get worse if we do not have the courage to point it out.

For 30 years, Lamas and practitioners have tried to communicate with the Dalai Lama on this subject, and for 30 years he has either ignored or insulted us.

To say we are demonstrating because we are being paid by the Chinese is a lazy and laughable excuse – firstly because there is not a shred of evidence for this because it is not remotely true; and secondly because why would employed, educated and free citizens need Chinese money to make their voices heard?

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

(Source : http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/08/dalai-lamas-reasons-for-ban-of-dorje.html)

As you can see, the Dalai Lama’s political ban on a 350-year-old spiritual practice and attempt to discredit and outlaw the lineage of his teachers is a harsh and ongoing attempt to stamp out diversity and bring all Buddhist traditions (and hence all Tibetan Buddhists) under his authority. (It is not unlike the treatment of early Gnostic and other Christians at the hands of the authorized Church.)

These actions are not just bigoted and autocratic, they are also illegal and unconstitutional. Which begs the question, why does he think he can get away with it? And what is his motivation?

It may be easy to assume in the West, due to his reputation, that his motivation for doing this must surely be compassion even if his actual reasons are hard to understand. But is it not possible that, having being venerated since the age of four as both a god and as a political leader/feudal king, he may sometimes act like a political leader, motivated by the wish for control or power? In this instance, perhaps, power over all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism i.e. all Tibetans.

His own words in the section In the Dalai Lama’s words to the Tibetan people, exhorting them to seek out those who still worship Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden and “encourage” them to stop, have a very different tone and style to the words he uses for his Western audiences. So do his reasons for “discouraging” the practice. And his words and reasons to the Tibetans have had an incendiary effect, resulting in violence toward Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners, tension and disharmony which he has done nothing to quell – quite the opposite to his recent denunciation of the violence amongst Tibetans protesting in India and Tibet.

Is it so hard to believe that he could EVER make a mistake? Is he the first political (or spiritual) leader in history to have never made a single mistake? Indeed, he has made a number of mistakes that have been swept under the carpet, such as accepting money from the CIA (for his government in exile and $139,000 per year for himself) to sponsor an armed resistance, and accepting 2 million dollars from Shoko Asahara — see below. Why does the Western world want to believe that he is infallible and completely pure? Would it be so terrible if the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners were correct in this instance? Or if he admitted to his mistake?

Those who dare speak up about their wish to continue with their practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden freely and without harassment, both in the East and the West, sometimes feel like David pitted against Goliath due to the formidable reputation of the person who is leading the charge against them. But in truth we have the Declaration of Human Rights, the Indian Constitution, the Tibetan constitution, and Buddhist principles on our side.

(Source : http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden09.php)

1. Why do you deny that you are enforcing the ban on Dorje Shugden when there are videos of your speeches enforcing this ban?
2. If you are truly an advocate for human rights, why do you issue identity cards which make it extremely difficult for Shugden practitioners to get food, water, shelter, medical attention and travel visas?
3. Why do your followers view you as the Buddha of Compassion when you engage in such harmful actions toward your own people?
4. If you are truly an advocate for nonviolence, why don’t you ask your followers not to engage in violent actions toward Shugden practitioners?
5. Why do you teach your disciples that the heart practice of a Buddhist is reliance on the Spiritual Guide while you are having the thrones and images of your own Spiritual Guide removed from monasteries?
6. Why do you lie about Dorje Shugden, saying that he is a evil spirit harming the cause for Tibetan Independence when you have said that you are no longer working toward Tibetan Independence?
7. Why have you expelled over 900 monks from their monasteries for practicing what their lineage gurus have been teaching them in their monasteries for the last 350 years?
8. Why do you claim that you are following the example of the 5th Dalai Lama, when it was the 5th Dalai Lama who made the first statue of Dorje Shugden that can still be seen?
9. Why don’t you stop lying?
10. Why don’t you give religious freedom to Shugden practitioners?

(Source : http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/08/10-questions-for-dalai-lama.html)