It has been two decades since the Dalai Lama and his Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) unfairly and illegally imposed a religious ban against worshippers of the deity Dorje Shugden. And yet, because of who the Dalai Lama is perceived to be and because of his popularity and clever denials, many people are still unaware of the sufferings of Tibetan Buddhists because of their worship of their chosen deity.

Despite the atrocities, the Dalai Lama has denied that there is a ban and this denial is deftly propagated on a number of platforms run by Dalai Lama sycophants who know that the Tibetan people in the exile communities have little means to get stories of their plight out to the world, namely due to fear of retaliation by the CTA.

However, it has been 20 years and you can only oppress people for so long, even if you’re the Dalai Lama, before they reach a point where they choose to no longer fear. In the 20 years since the ban was imposed, the victims who were much younger during the onset of the religious persecution have grown up, and many Dorje Shugden practitioners have become aware of their rights. Some can no longer tolerate the CTA’s incompetence and its bullying ways. Others organized themselves on an international scale to defend their rights to religious freedom. People began speaking out.

This is the testimony of Kalsang Dolma, who was dragged into the controversy in 1996 when she was merely a young girl. She has witnessed how the Dalai Lama and his government have broken the Tibetan community at large, as well as individual families, with this ban. After much suffering, she has decided to speak up. This is her story.

Hello DS.Com

As you say I must consider to share my experience of this ban, I would like to start now.

I was born to Tibetan refugee parents, in Gurupura Tibetan Settlements in Southern India.

My father was in a Tibetan guerrilla army and very kind hearted. His patriotic nature landed him in guerrilla army, fought with Chinese army on the way to India and was never happy with the way the present exile government was moving forward with lies and corruption.

(Editor’s note: the guerrilla army refers to the Chushi Gangdruk who fought against the Chinese army for Tibet’s liberation. The Chushi Gandruk also escorted the Dalai Lama along the perilous journey from Tibet to India)

My mother was a housewife and trying her best to meet the ends. We are five brothers and sisters.

I was with my parents till I completed my class ten. I felt my parents’ pain, my father’s nature, my mother’s hardship.

My father’s enthusiasm and straight forwardness was slowly inviting enemies inside the village. His greatest regret should be his sacrifice for the people and the Dalai Lama, his duty as an army to fight against Chinese.

After 6 decades in India, Dalai Lama became the face of Tibetans in the world, he forgot his escape and hardship, the government started to lie and create confusion among Tibetans, even the guerrilla armies went into two parts.

That very instance when Dalai Lama went against the guerrilla army and mentioned something which was beyond acceptable according to his notion, my father lost his faith in the government and the Dalai Lama.

I can see it was hurting him a lot. Then not long ago, came the Shugden issue to disturb him mentally.

[Editor’s Note: The Chushi Gangdruk had trusted Dorje Shugden and consulted the oracle of the deity numerous times. In 1956, Dorje Shugden had in fact already known through his omniscience that the Dalai Lama’s life would eventually be in danger and through the Panglung Oracle, had insisted that the Chushi Gandruk be formed in preparation to escort the Dalai Lama to safety: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/panglung-oracle-chushi-gangdruk/

Related article: Chushi Gangdruk forced to swear against their deity, Dorje Shugden: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/chushi-gangdrug-made-to-swear-against-dorje-shugden-who-helped-them/ ]

My father trusted and had faith in Shugden because he experienced how Shugden saved his life from the well trained, well-armed Chinese army.

But we never had Shugden picture in our house, never do special kangsol and all.

Unless the Dalai Lama himself declared ban on this, I was not aware of the deity Dorje Shugden.

It was in year 1996, I was not aware of the deity. During the teaching, Dalai Lama declared that those who worship Shugden should not attend his teachings because he will not bless them. The Dalai Lama said Shugden stands as an obstacle in the struggle of freedom of Tibet. As long as I remember, he gave the above reason. That time I know we don’t worship and it was not meant for us.

But my mom told me that our neighbour ‘Dhondrup’ do all the rituals and worship the deity. I felt so bad for him.

And then, I carried on with my studies and since I don’t gossip much, I have no idea what was happening in the society. One fine day after few years of the Dalai Lama’s declaration against Shugden, I went back to my village and I was taken aback by the people’s reaction towards my neighbour just because of his worship of Shugden. He was boycotted in the village.

During prayer sessions in the village, people made offerings to only two of the lamas which actually was for three i.e. Ling Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama and Trichang Rinpoche. They purposely neglected Trichang Rinpoche. Their action poked my father’s sentiment and he tried to make sense with them. His sentiment was leading him to the darker life in the village.

As a daughter, I could not bear to see him sad and grumpy. I told him many times to let them do whatever, not to bother but he never let it go. If in those days, the Shugden worshippers raised their voice against the bully, and had taken proper legal measure, it will be stopped by itself… that’s my thinking.

Then, slowly, villagers actually didn’t like my father’s straightforwardness and friendship with his old guerrilla-days friends who are also Shugden worshippers.

All I remember is that the ban imposed by the Dalai Lama was carried further by the member of the legislation of exile government (the Central Tibetan Administration – CTA) and the poor ignorant villagers.

I was to marry a Shugdenpa and that news didn’t go well with the villagers.

My father passed away and the offering we used to distribute, they (the villagers) didn’t accept. So, my sister went to ask why it was rejected… why we have been met with this reaction. The amdo mla who was main during that time lived nearby said that they have boycotted us considering us as Shugdenpa. We were rejected because of the ban against Shugden and anyone regarded as Shugdenpa was rejected.

In dismay, my family could not do much. That time I was very young and naive.

I wish I was a bit brighter and had complained to the representative office though I know they were the one who initiated this problem. I would have known more clearly about the situation.

For the final rituals for my father’s passing, the monks in Gyurmey Datsang didn’t want to do the prayers for us because of the persecution against Shugdenpa. Fortunate enough, so many monks from Sera Pompara came to finish the rituals.

That was the time my family, my mother, my eldest sister, and my youngest sister openly embrace them and learnt more about the deity in question. My family was broken, those who are married to anti-Shugdenpa, carried on with their life.

I am sure the situation we went through has left a hole in them (who do not follow Shugden ) against the Dalai Lama’s initiation of the issue. Me, I am still learning about the deity. I raise my voice against the bullying, and against the people who step on other’s rights.

Now it’s my youngest brother who is suffering, and left confused.

He studied in SOS (Editor’s note: SOS Children’s Villages) run by the Dalai Lama’s sister. He didn’t embrace the deity but that’s his choice. But villagers never let him be in peace because we, his family were already labelled Shugdenpa. First they demanded a formal letter from his pledging that he will not worship Shugden. Even after that, he is still in dilemma about his status among Tibetans. They can even do this to an innocent boy who only wants to go to school. These Tibetan people still don’t accept him because he was always linked to us.

See, after going through all these emotional break downs, even though we accept it’s our karma, I still feel that Dalai Lama has done that to break the community because first he tried with guerrilla army and since, it did not serve his whatsoever purpose, he did with this. I feel it’s totally wrong and should not play with people’s mind.

I am stronger and wiser today to tackle with these kind of bullying which continues. I sort of become very sensitive when I see people get bullied.

I want to be there and help them raise their voice and encourage them to tackle them as long as you are with the laws.

Oh… this turmoil of emotions goes through thousands of worshippers and worse, few met with the stones, houses burnt, and even stabbed.

[End of Kalsang’s testimony]

Kalsang’s story of persecution continues and her experience is shared by many, not only in the exile towns controlled by the CTA but also worldwide. The Dalai Lama and his government continue to deny the ban even as more and more accounts of their persecution of Shugdenpas surface. Looking at how Dorje Shugden lamas and people in free countries are abused just because of their Shugden practice, one shudders to think what Tibetan Shugden worshippers who have no choice but to live in the CTA-controlled exile villages undergo daily.

Kalsang Dolma is one of four million Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world who face discrimination and marginalization daily. And as more step forward to tell their stories, the world community is beginning to see the sinister nature of the Tibetan government in exile, who on the one hand demands justice and freedom from China but at the same time oppresses the people it is supposed to represent and protect. (See: http://internationalshugdencommunity.com/testimonies/)

Examples of online abuses against Shugden worshippers, made with the CTA’s encouragement:

As a result of the CTA’s smear campaign, even highly venerated lamas are disparaged because they worship Dorje Shugden. This is the CTA clearly undermining the sanctity of Tibetan Buddhism.

Shugden worshippers and monks receive such verbal assaults daily. Does this not indicate persecution against people based on their religion? Why doesn’t the Dalai Lama speak against such abuse?

Those who have been victimized are fed up and these few lines by Kalsang Dolma capture the rising sentiment amongst the Tibetan people:

I am stronger and wiser today to tackle with these kind of bully. I sort of become very sensitive when I see people get bullied. I want to be there and help them raise their voice. Encourage them to tackle them as long as you are with the laws.

Kalsang Dolma’s words reflect the winds of change that are blowing in the face of the self-serving politicians in the CTA. Times are changing and as a new breed of Tibetan leaders such as Lukar Jam Atsock emerge, who are prepared to see the Shugden controversy for what it really is, the CTA’s days are quite clearly numbered.

I am confident I will resolve this [Shugden] controversy, which is threatening to tear apart the Tibetan community. To me Shugden is a small issue, but due to the mistaken policies we have made it a big issue, basically we have blown it out of proportion.
– Lukar Jam Atsock, http://www.tibetanpoliticalreview.org/articles/manifestooflukarjamatsock

I’ve always known that life is unpredictable. From the time my father left us so suddenly after the family business collapsed, all he left my mother was debt. Life was difficult, so difficult that it was a miracle she put my siblings and I through college, but somehow things worked out. It was these bleak moments in life that drove me to be successful in my career later on, but none of these early beginnings prepared me for what I was going to face in my mid 30s.

At the height of my success, I did everything, tried everything I could imagine, living each day as if it were my last. It was all I ever knew and along the way I earned many enemies for being a world-class annoyance. In the midst of enjoying life to the fullest, my life took an about turn during one of my regular social gatherings with friends and colleagues.

Unknowingly, I had consumed a drink containing illicit drugs. Within minutes, I fell into an epileptic shock and later into a coma. After 17 days absent from the world, I woke up to find the left side of my body completely paralyzed. I fell into depression; it was easier being dead than living with a disability.

That was just the beginning. Throughout the following months, countless problems arose from my being paralyzed. The mismanagement of my companies leading to the closure of one of my factories and 300 people being made redundant was just one of the many. There were also other problems that were fairly insignificant but added to my worries. Worst of all was the disappearance of my fiancé – the person I planned to spend the rest of my life with conveniently left because I was becoming a burden.

I was devastated. Close friends and relatives tried to console me but failed. Even my mother, the person I admired most for her strength, could not do much for me because I could not accept the situation I was in. I became completely self-absorbed, self-pitying and people visited me less often until it reached a point when no one came.

Months of depression went by painfully slowly. My life was a living death, and if euthanasia were legal, I would have lined up for it in my motorized wheelchair. It was during this time when an old friend of mine dropped by for a visit.

She gave me a bag with a present for me and also in the bag, there it was – a little green brochure (similar to the one on this website). I tossed the brochure away; I did not want religion. My friend started explaining how this meditation could heal body, mind and spirit. She was so persistent that I finally gave in, thinking I had nothing to lose, and after all, I could definitely use some healing.

I found my way to this website and devoured its contents in less than a month. There really isn’t much for a partially paralyzed person to do besides reading. I never considered myself a religious person; however I found the Dorje Shugden controversy fairly interesting and that got me reading. Over time, I also started reciting Dorje Shugden’s prayers and even printed out a picture of him that I found on the website.

My interest in Buddhism grew alongside the prayers I was reciting daily. I began reading more extensively about Tibetan Buddhism, particularly Lama Yeshe’s books, which helped me regain some of my confidence and optimism. Dorje Shugden’s prayers in particular eased my mind and after so many months of being trapped in depression, it was a relief to have my mind unclouded gradually, so much so that I was willing to give physical therapy a try.

One year on, I am still partially paralyzed, and my problems are still present, although many of them are slowly dissipating. But I am happier and each day passes with greater hope as I have a more positive outlook on life. I just wanted to share my chance meeting with Dorje Shugden and how it changed my life for the better. I hope this story can perhaps inspire others with similar or even worse conditions, to not give up. Dorje Shugden’s practice is amazing; he lifted me up from my depression and I truly appreciate what he has done for me.

~ Fiete Michi

I was introduced to the practice of Dorje Shugden more than fifteen years ago and I have kept up with the practice until today. I thank my kind and compassionate lama for this wonderful practice without which I would not have progressed as quickly in the study and practice of Buddhism.

Back when my lama gave me the practice, he said that I should call upon Dorje Shugden and rely on him when faced with difficulties in life. And I did. After all, Dorje Shugden is The Uncommon Dharma Protector, the Enlightened One who manifested to protect the Dharma during difficult times like now when distractions are plenty.

For instance, a few years ago I was hospitalized with a viral infection, a common yet potentially life threatening disease without a known cure. All the doctors could do was to hook me up to IVs and prescribe plenty of rest so that my body could regain its strength and for my immune system to kick in.

I prayed hard, rested well and listened to the doctors and nurses’ advice. Within three days, my blood palette count practically returned to normal. I was discharged on the fourth day with a clean bill of health. The doctors and nurses were amazed with my swift recovery. Of course, they attributed the success to their advanced medical attention and to my cooperation. But I knew Dorje Shugden played a big part in it.

There were also many instances when I was in deep financial trouble and I prayed fervently to Dorje Shugden, requesting Him to help me ride through the difficult times by removing some of my obstacles. Sure, I had to put in a lot of effort too but there were some insurmountable odds that were stacked heavily against me. There was no way that I could have physically and humanly pulled through without divine intervention and assistance from Dorje Shugden.

Yes, I should not depend on Dorje Shugden for mundane affairs. But just like everyone else, when I was faced with life threatening situations, I prayed and asked Him for help; when I was faced with financial problems, again I prayed and asked Him for help. For I firmly believe that Dorje Shugden helps and assists Dharma practitioners like me, relieving me of sufferings albeit temporarily, so that I can continue on the Dharma path.

Now my business is stable, my relationship with my family is good, my health is good. I have the right conditions to continue with my Dharma learning and practices. I say these are opportune conditions provided through the compassionate love, care and protection from my beloved lama and my enlightened Dharma protector, Dorje Shugden.

In the past, I would never hesitate to explain Dorje Shugden’s practice to those who wish to know more. But with the ban enforced by the Dalai Lama and blindly carried out by his more than eager followers in the Central Tibetan Administration and beyond, it makes sharing of this wonderful Dharma Protector’s practice very difficult.

Not only has the ban made the practice of Dorje Shugden very dangerous for the Tibetan people, it has also greatly affected non-Tibetans around the world. I was refused entry to a Dharma teaching by a visiting Geshe in the country where I live. I was told the reason is because I was a Dorje Shugden follower. How absurd is that? A dog has a better chance to receive Dharma from such Dharma centers.

Buddhism is a religion that is supposed to teach loving kindness, tolerance, generosity, etc. but the Dalai Lama is now turning it into a cult. How can the world just sit by and allow the Dalai Lama to enforce a ban on one of the most established Vajrayana Buddhist practices and instead declare it to be demon worship? Moreover there are people who with blind faith follow and enforce what the Dalai Lama says. If these undemocratic actions are not considered to be inhumane acts that infringe on religious freedom, what is?

It is getting more difficult to share Vajrayana Buddhism with my friends and the people I meet. This is just one of the many obstacles that this ridiculous ban has created for the propagation of Dharma. Therefore it is imperative that the ban be lifted so many more will receive the benefits that I have through practice and reliance on Dorje Shugden.

The world must know of the unfair and unjust religious ban imposed by the Dalai Lama. A ban that infringes on religious freedom; a ban that has brought untold sufferings to people who have been practicing for decades; a ban that leaves most Tibetans between a rock and a hard place.

Some are voicing their right to religious freedom through peaceful demonstrations, others have started websites to provide more information about the truth. For those who are not able to do these things, you may talk to your friends and co workers about how the practice of and reliance on Dorje Shugden has benefited you.

And for those who are not Buddhist, please look at how innocent people are being deprived of their religious freedom. All because of what the Dalai Lama has done i.e. creating a ban on a religious practice which is enforced by the Central Tibetan Administration in such a manner that has negatively affected the lives of Tibetans and non-Tibetans alike.

All I am asking is that I, and millions of people worldwide, be left in peace without fear of bodily harm to continue with our practice of Dorje Shugden.

You have to get that deal, the pressure is on. That multi-million dollar project will either make or break your career, and you know that you need to ace your sales pitch to the right person to catapult you onto a fast-track path to success.

So there I was, stressing out for a month before our sales pitch for a massive project. We were in full force for our preparations – our presentation, ideas, concepts, strategy and plans had to sell. I had heard that we weren’t the only ones tendering for the project and we were up against some of the top players in the industry. What kept me grounded during the late night slogging was my prayers and faith in Dorje Shugden. That’s about it.

After a month of late nights and meetings, we were up for our presentation. It was finally here, and we were all ready. We had given it our all and were mentally prepared. As we walked into the meeting room, to our horror, we found out that the man-in-charge, the director, couldn’t attend the meeting. He was the one that would be key in deciding who gets the tender, and he wasn’t there.

So we had to present, to 3 other guys, the executives, who would then convey their thoughts to the director. It wasn’t the same, and we were dismayed. After our presentation, we thanked them and left, knowing that luck wasn’t on our side and that the message from our presentation wouldn’t be conveyed to the director by the executives in a manner we would’ve liked. This promising 3 year contract we had a shot at was fast slipping away.

I called them up a few times after to ask for another meeting with the director, this time to present our pitch to him directly. I didn’t get any callbacks – I was desperate and so were my prayers. Each night, I had prayed for another opportunity. It was all I asked for. One day, a thought struck me, that instead of sitting around and waiting, I should go directly to the office, to create an opportunity for myself. Why not? There was nothing to lose.

So the very next day I went to the office, and just as I was walking to the entrance of the building, the director, the guy I needed to see, was walking out! So I stopped him on his way, and literally introduced myself and a short brief of what our company had to offer in less than 2 minutes. I think I must have made an impact and did a pretty decent job – he immediately scheduled in an appointment for us the very next day to give our team an opportunity to do our full presentation again! I was over the moon.

We did our presentation, and we nailed it. There were some negotiations on the quote, but after that was settled, we got the contract! The director was impressed with what we had to offer, and he did say that when his executives told him about our team, he was half-hearted and wasn’t very interested. He was glad we were able to present what we had to offer directly to him.

Sometimes we just need the right conditions to appear, and this time, I believe very much that it was because of my consistent prayers to Dorje Shugden that we got a second chance. I do not think that it would be so coincidental that all the right thoughts and conditions arose from sheer fate. I also reckon that I was blessed with the power of persuasive speech, to turn the mind of the director around! It definitely is the divine help and protection that my guiding light, Dorje Shugden, gave to me and I am eternally grateful for the boost He has given to my career.

~ Marc Evans ~

I was first introduced to Dorje Shugden by a close friend, who told me to read an article about him in this website.  Since then I have been following this website but not so consistently.

A few months later, I was once again introduced to Dorje Shugden by another dear friend, who asked me to learn more about this Protector, the Gelugpa lineage and if possible, to also do his prayers.

I followed her advice to understand and learn more about Dorje Shugden, I started incorporating his prayers into my own and have been doing this for quite a while now. Interestingly, I started noticing some changes in my family environment.

• My husband who works on his own has been given jobs consistently from the time I started with the Dorje Shugden prayers.
• My son landed his first job  in a big company just a week after completion of his 3-year degree. All his friends are still job-seeking with no success.

Ever since I started my Protector practice, my whole family has benefited from his blessings and protection from harm one way or another.

I sincerely wish and hope that the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted as soon as possible so that more people will be able to benefit from his practice as I and my family have.

~ Jillian Lepore ~

Before, if I became angry with someone, it would take me two to three hours to calm down. It is different now – I still get angry but I also calm down very quickly. Sometimes, the anger disappears within just a few seconds. And even if people are sometimes screaming or shouting at me, I can accept it much more easily than I could before and not hold on to it.

Another specific example of how the Protector has helped me was while I was working in theatre a few years ago. In one particular production, I faced a lot of obstacles. People would cancel on me at the last minute, leaving me in the lurch without the right people to finish the job. I felt constantly tense and a bit nervous; I really didn’t know what to do.

However, in my heart, I prayed strongly and sincerely to the Protector. You wouldn’t believe it – the very next day, someone called me and said he wanted to help me find people for the areas I was struggling to fill. Within two or three days, the people and materials I needed all came together completely. We made the deadline! I believe that it was because of the Protector that my obstacles disappeared so quickly. Very blessed!

~ Mary ~

There were so many procedures and we had to submit many documents to different places in order to obtain the visa. Everything went smoothly and during our interview with the immigration officer, he suddenly offered me a multiple-entry visa so that I would be able to travel in and out of the country easily. My husband and I were very surprised; we never knew that there was even such a thing as a multiple-entry visa. We had expected to get only a single-entry visa.

This multiple-entry visa made things much more convenient because it enabled me to travel to other countries for work and to go home to my own country. I said a big thank you to my Lama for his love and care, and did a thanksgiving serkyem offering to thank Dorje Shugden for clearing all obstacles so that I could obtain my visa without any problems.

Throughout my first pregnancy, I was very worried and nervous about the delivery. Since I was very young, I have always been very scared of pain; I would even avoid an injection if I could! Giving birth to a baby – be it by natural childbirth or by Caesarian – is a very big thing and I was very scared.

My Lama again kindly advised me to chant Dorje Shugden’s mantra daily and blow onto my stomach after I finished chanting for the benefit of the baby. I did this everyday, and during my pregnancy, the usual migraines I suffered disappeared and I suffered no sickness, headaches, flu or fever (which I usually get once every few months). I only had a little vomiting after meals, which is normal during pregnancies.

My Lama also gave me advice on what to do during my labor and the visualizations I should do. He told me to not worry, not to be scared of the delivery, and that everything would be fine.

On the day of the delivery, I went through all the procedures without any problem. Even as the baby was moving down, which caused pain in my back, it was still at a level of pain I could bear. I followed what my Lama had advised me: I thought about my Lama and Dorje Shugden as one and chanted Dorje Shugden’s mantra. I visualized that any pain experienced by the people I knew would come to me and that I could absorb their pain so that they may be free of suffering. I thought about this again and again, starting with the people who are close to me, and moving on to include strangers.

Finally, the baby moved down and came out by natural delivery. I was conscious throughout the birth and knew everything that happened. I just felt very weak (as I was not allowed to eat for a whole day in case there was an emergency and I needed to go for an operation.)

My baby was born healthy and well. I chanted Manjushri’s mantras and blew on her mouth and ears right after she was born, as advised by my Lama. I stayed at the hospital overnight and was allowed to go home the very next day with my baby. My baby was easy to take care of throughout her infancy and hardly ever cried unless she was hungry. She was blessed by Dorje Shugden.

I’m very grateful to my Lama and my Protector. They have protected me and my family, and have helped me during difficult times, to make sure everything went smoothly. Their love and care towards us are unending and they really benefit all beings.

~ Winnie Wong ~

When I first became involved actively with the study of the Lamrim, and as I did further research on the Internet about the Gelugpa teachings and its lineage, I came across the controversy of Dorje Shugden. At first, I searched more to find out what it was about and quickly realized that I just could not make any sense of it AT ALL!

The statements of the Dalai Lama seemed contradictory and it didn’t make much sense at all to me. Then I saw the images of monks demonstrating with banners asking the Dalai Lama to stop…. lying???? Some were even describing him as a… dictator??? Then, he also said that his own teachers were… wrong??

I had been through some parts of the Lamrim by then, and had the determination to study it more as it was answering all of my questions. So I decide to COMPLETELY ignore the topic of Dorje Shugden. Every time I came across it on the Internet, I just did not look at it, did not read anything about it and kept it at the back of my mind, to be explored later when I would have sufficient knowledge and be able to understand the dynamics at play.

I did this because there was one answer from the Dalai Lama to a formal request for clarifications sent by Western Gelugpa monks: “Your main concern should be the study and realization of the 18 volumes of Lama Tsongkhapa”. And so, following the Dalai Lama’s advice, I too set myself to study the Lamrim before entertaining a polemic in my mind.

It was only months later that, through the kindness of my teacher, I was given more detailed explanations and gained more understanding as to why the whole thing seemed to make no sense at all: The very fact that it made no sense indicated that sense is to be found at another level, at a larger scale. Then, instead of undermining my determination to learn and practice, the controversy made it stronger. I realized that His Holiness was acting out of great compassion and with a pure and sincere motivation. His actions are truly remarkable! The controversy is helping many and will continue to help many more!

I run my own business, and very, very soon after having connected with the Dharma and with Dorje Shugden, my business collapsed and all my ventures got suspended or cancelled. ALL! And all within only four weeks. I had 18 employees in October 2008; by the beginning of 2009, I only had two left and we were working only four-day weeks with salary cuts.

Until then, I lived out of a suitcase, travelling 20 days a month, from the States to the Maldives, Dubai, Singapore, China… As such, I would not have been able to study the Lamrim, as I was away most of the time. So, by losing all my jobs, I suddenly had lots more free time at hand. I must say here that I never panicked in this situation. Instead, I took the opportunity at hand to study the Lamrim; I knew that it was a unique opportunity.

My business never collapsed completely and it survived. As a matter of fact, we are now busy working on projects that are spreading the Dharma, and now, even my working hours have been made meaningful!

This is a story I do not talk about openly to just anyone because in the mind of new practitioners, Dorje Shugden is supposed to “protect” us, so how could he have created conditions such that my business collapsed? If some people heard this story, they may not even want to make prayers to Dorje Shugden or do his practice.

Dorje Shugden is a Dharma Protector and his “role” is to create conducive conditions for people to practice the Dharma. In my case, the loss of business created the conditions for me to practice Dharma and as a result, my life is now meaningful, I am happier and, looking at the bigger picture, I have received tremendous help from him. I feel very fortunate.

I wish for my mind to be completely free of any confusion, and may such achievement come to be helpful to others.

~ Eva ~

Then, as evening fell, large dark clouds started to gather from the west. As one of the main organizers of this evening, I became very worried because we anticipated more people would come to the festival for dinner and we still had a whole night of traditional cultural performances lined up.

There was nothing I could do but make strong prayers to Dorje Shugden in my heart. You may think this is a coincidence but soon after, the black clouds slowly shifted away and there, in front of all of us, rainbows appeared instead!

Thank you, Protector. Once again, you show that if we have a sincere motivation, you would help practitioners.

~ Bernie ~

Over time, I have felt that Dorje Shugden has always been at my side guiding and protecting me. There have been many instances throughout my life where I believe Dorje Shugden was instrumental in helping me along, even if I didn’t think much about how it happened at the time.

After receiving this practice, all went quite well until one day, due to extenuating circumstances, I could not continue my practice in the Dharma centre of my first Guru. However, my faith in this Guru, who was in a faraway country, and Dorje Shugden has never waned and I was determined to continue my practice on my own regardless of the circumstances.

A short while after this happened, through a chance meeting, I met another Guru from the same lineage, who practiced the same Protector as my first Guru and who lived just minutes away from me! It was unbelievable. I never thought such a teacher even existed in my country and there he was, right at my doorstep, fully qualified and full of compassion, like an emanation of my first Guru. Most of all, I felt a strong connection to him and could relate to him as my Guru immediately.

The rest is history. I have studied under this teacher whom I have held as my Guru ever since. On hindsight, I do not think what happened was a coincidence. I strongly believe that it was Dorje Shugden who arranged this most conducive condition for my spiritual path and I will always be grateful to him. I have been most fortunate to have met within one lifetime two Gurus who practice Dorje Shugden. In my heart, both of them are equal and I will forever be indebted to them for guiding me in my Protector practice.

~ Willow ~