Nyentog Tashi Dargyeling Monastery in Tibet.

Despite the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) eagerness to engage in talks with China for greater autonomy of the Tibetan region, the CTA’s ridiculous policies and enforcement of the Dorje Shugden ban has once again caused a stir and generated unrest in their homeland.

On 18 September 2016, Tashi Dargyeling Monastery in the Nyentog region of Tibet released an official letter warning of the monastery’s boycott of all Shugden practitioners and those who have connections with these practitioners. A rough translation of the letter issued by the sangha of the monastery is as follows:

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Letter from Nyentog Tashi Dargyeling Monastery

Generally, the Buddha’s Dharma and especially H.H. the 14^th Dalai Lama’s life is harmed by Dorje Shugden. Recently, some people within our community have been making thangkas of this deity and supporting this practice. We would like to inform that the monks of Nyentog Monastery firmly protest against these works and urge them to stop. If these individuals do not conform to the monastery’s requests and continue to worship Dorje Shugden or remain connected to the deity’s practitioners, we will cut connections with these said individuals completely. For those who refuse to distance themselves from the practice, the monks of the monastery will not go to the homes of these individuals to perform pujas (prayers). If there is anyone who passes away in these households, the monastery will not be open to them . These are the three conditions that our monastery is firm with, and this promise is witnessed by our Protectors Kalarupa and Chechog Sheltred.

Signed by all Sangha members of Nyentog Monastery

Looking at this letter, let us first examine the spiritual implications it has on the community.

1. Setting A Bad Example

As human beings, there are three crucial moments that are most important in our lives, which are birth, illness and death. These are three occasions when many seek comfort and blessings from their religious order.

However, with the recent letter from Nyentog Monastery, it will no longer be possible for Shugden practitioners in that area to receive these basic religious rites in times of need. Even though the families of these practitioners have supported the monastery for many generations, they will now be deprived of even funeral services, which are much needed during one of life’s most trying times.

This letter is nothing more than blackmail to force Shugden practitioners in Nyentog into abandoning their religious beliefs, and is particularly unacceptable because it comes from an institution that people have put their faith and trust in.

2. The Real Harm to Buddha’s Dharma is Segregation

The Buddha himself predicted that the Dharma would not be destroyed by external sources but by Buddhists themselves. By subscribing to the ostracism and segregation of Shugden practitioners, the sangha of this monastic community have successfully broken one of their root vows, the Bodhisattva Vows.

Even when faced with an individual who has committed heinous crimes, as a religious order the monastery should provide solace, blessings and ensure that the person goes to the afterlife peacefully. Instead, the sangha of Nyentog Monastery are doing the exact opposite.

The question everyone should ask here is, how can following the Dalai Lama’s advice cause the monks of Nyentog Monastery to become less compassionate, more discriminatory and even break their Bodhisattva Vows? If proving one’s loyalty and absolute obedience to the Dalai Lama comes at the price of harming others in the process, then clearly something is very wrong.

3. What is the True Purpose of the Monastery?

Monasteries are formed to help relieve the sufferings of sentient beings, whether on a basic level or to the ultimate level of Enlightenment. However, with the recent actions by Nyentog Monastery, the results are the exact opposite. The effect of their letter on the small community of Nyentog will, without a doubt, be discrimination against Shugden practitioners. The ‘condemned’ community will soon be treated as social pariahs by their own people.

The experiences of the exiled Tibetan community in India when the ban on Dorje Shugden was enforced some 20 years ago will be replicated in Nyentog. Families will get into arguments over the issue and break apart; people such as the thangka painter in the news will shortly find themselves unemployed; innocent people who have done no wrong except practice Dorje Shugden will soon find themselves ostracized by their own neighbors.

All these unfortunate events will take place just because the monks of Nyentog Monastery want to ‘prove’ their loyalty to the Dalai Lama. Great Buddhist masters of the past have been known to take on the sufferings of others quietly, and the sangha have historically been placed on a pedestal by the lay community for their selfless acts. However, the monks of Nyentog Monastery have displayed nothing but their concerns of self preservation, succumbing to the pressure created by the CTA’s cronies and throwing Shugden practitioners to the wolves. They have absolutely no regard for the chaos and harm resulting from their actions as long as they themselves are safe.

4. The Claim that Dorje Shugden Harms the Dalai Lama’s Life is a Lie

Apart from the government, religious institutions such as monasteries or temples have great influence over the community in most small villages. In some cases, they have even greater influence than the government officials. As such, the monasteries have a great responsibility and it would behoove them to uphold and educate the public of the truth. To most Tibetan Buddhists, the 14^th Dalai Lama is considered to be the emanation of the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara. Thus, claiming that the Buddha can be harmed by any worldly being is contradictory to Buddhist principals, beliefs and philosophy. On top of that, in recent times, the Dalai Lama himself has declared that Dorje Shugden does no harm to his life. Thus, the monks’ actions to spread this lie by capitalizing on the lay community’s lack of knowledge is unbecoming.

Another Perspective

These spiritual implications may not be of significance to everyone. However, we should also examine the situation from a more practical point of view on how the actions of this monastery (and all communities who shun Dorje Shugden practitioners) have deprived innocent people of their basic human rights.

With 5000 years of history and a melting pot of 1.3 billion citizens, China has seen its fair share of civil wars and the effects of disunity within its borders. If China is ever to fall, the fault would most certainly lie in the destabilization of its internal security. It is a known fact that the authorities in China have clamped down on individuals who have caused unrest in Tibet in relations to the Shugden issue, and have also released statements indicating they are aware that the Dorje Shugden issue is being used as a tool by the CTA to create disunity within China.

As such, monasteries such as Nyentog Monastery do not help the Dalai Lama’s vision of Umaylam. With each incident such as this one, China’s distrust of the Dalai Lama grows and the Dalai Lama’s wish for a peaceful return to Tibet becomes more unlikely. If the Dalai Lama being in exile can create such disharmony within Tibet leaving the Chinese authorities to clear up the mess, what would be the effect of the Dalai Lama and the CTA once they return to Tibet? Thus, if Tibetans really want the Dalai Lama to have an opportunity to return to Tibet, they should avoid creating further unrest through the Dorje Shugden issue lest China clamps down even harder on the Tibetan leader in exile. After all, any country/government can implement new laws as and when necessary especially when internal security is at stake; we can see this most recently in the news about France’s unpopular ban on the burkini.

While some people claim that China lacks religious freedom, we should also question why a supposedly “suppressed” Tibetan religious group would further suppress the religious rights of their fellow Tibetans? Why cherry pick on China but allow people like the monks of Nyentog Monastery to get away scot-free with their religious suppression of Shugden practitioners? When a religious group encourages discrimination and causes disharmony and riots, it is no longer a religious issue but a matter of security and social harmony.

Radio Free Asia Article

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English Translation

Recently, a big Shugden thangka appeared at Nianduhu Village in Tongren County, Qinghai. The local sangha community protested against the thangka and a statement has been released to urge the people to boycott this deity.

The spreading of a photo of the large Shugden thangka appearing in Nianduhu Village at Tongren County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture led to strong criticism amongst netizens, denouncing the local people for practicing Shugden and going against His Holiness’ instructions as well as destroying the uncontaminated relationship of lineage Gurus and students.

On Friday, a source informed RFA that it is true that the Shugden thangka appeared in Nianduhu Village of Tongren County. However, that thangka had nothing to do with Nianduhu Monastery and in contrast, the sangha community of Nianduhu Monastery released a joint statement protesting against the thangka. They hope to make their stance clear in the media.

The source told RFA: “Since the photo of the Shugden thangka was widely spread, Nianduhu Village and its monastery are under constant criticism, thus some of the elderly people in Nianduhu Village and the administration of Nianduhu Monastery gathered for a meeting and concluded the following: In the future regardless of which village they are from, those who have Shugden’s picture, statue or thangka found in their houses should be totally cut off from us. If their family members are sick or pass away, Nianduhu Monastery’s sangha will no longer perform rituals for them.”

The source also said: “Nianduhu Monastery’s sangha community also released a joint statement on 18^th September 2016 urging the villagers to boycott Shugden.”

“None of the monks in Nianduhu Monastery practice Shugden. In the joint statement released by the sangha community of Nianduhu Monastery, it says clearly that practicing Shugden not only brings harm to Buddhism, it also is harming the Dalai Lama’s long life. That statement is protesting against the actions of some villagers who are producing Shugden thangkas, and stressed that if the people producing these Shugden thangkas insist on continuing their works, Nianduhu Monastery will cut them off from the monastery, no puja will be performed for them and they will be banned from entering Nianduhu Monastery.”

Another source also told RFA about the origin of the “Shugden thangka” incident.

The source said, “This is the whole story: There is an ex-monk in Nianduhu Village. Even though he is not a practitioner of Shugden, one time after he returned to Nianduhu Village, he received an order to produce a Shugden thangka. He then assigned some of his acquaintances to paint the thangka and he paid them upon completion of the work. After Nianduhu Monastery found out what was happening, some of the monks and the elderly people in the village not only had a meeting to address this issue, they also went to each family in the village to explain the harm of practicing Shugden and requested the villagers to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right. After releasing the joint statement, the sangha community also distributed their statement to the villagers, stressing that they would implement the contents of their statement and advising the people to conduct themselves well.”

The Shugden issue has lasted for almost 400 years since the 5^th Dalai Lama’s time. The origin of Shugden is in fact a local deity, but to its practitioners, Shugden is within the fundamentalism of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. However, after the investigation conducted by the 5^th and 13^th Dalai Lama, they explained in detail that Shugden is a demon and it is harming Buddhism, and Shugden is the cause of the disharmony between the different sects. Gelug lineage lamas from the past to this day also oppose the practice of Shugden. After closely observing the issue, in the mid-seventies, the 14^th Dalai Lama officially gave advice to all Tibetan Buddhists to stop the practice of Shugden and claimed that he has responsible for educating people about Shugden’s background, characteristics and the negative impact of this practice. However, it is up to the people’s personal choice to practice Shugden or not.

This image of Dorje Shugden is unusually peaceful and has been repainted based on an old thangka from the 1960′s. Similar to another downloadable thangka, this thangka has a plain background, bringing out the main features of Dorje Shugden. Like many Dorje Shugden images, the facial features are said to resemble Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, who was one of the most influential Gelugpa lineage masters at the time.

Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche was responsible for the spread of Dorje Shugden’s practice throughout the Gelugpas, which was continued by his student, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.

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

Some very courageous monks from both Gaden and Sera Monasteries have recently revealed many very interesting facts as below, which contradict what has been popularized. It seems that the truth has been covered up and denied by the Tibetan Government since the escape of the Dalai Lama and his people in 1959:

- First, it was under H.H. Trijang Rinpoche’s advice that the Dalai Lama sought the counsel of the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden through the most famous oracle in the land, Panglung Oracle.

- By following Dorje Shugden’s instructions, the Dalai Lama escaped many terrible fates. For example, once, when the Chinese invaded the Norbulingka Palace (Dalai Lama’s summer home), they literally could not see the Dalai Lama and so he was not harmed. At that time, the Dalai Lama was carrying a Dorje Shugden thangka.

- Through the Panglung Oracle, Dorje Shugden advised the Dalai Lama to leave Tibet immediately and advised him which route to take. Dorje Shugden assured that he would protect the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama followed this instruction and left immediately. The day after, the Dalai Lama’s palace, the Potala, was completely shelled and bombed. He and his entourage were protected throughout the escape and arrived in India safely.

- The Gaden monks explained that the Dalai Lama had made an offering of THIS THANGKA PAINTING to his Guru Trijang Rinpoche. However, when he needed to escape Tibet, the Dalai Lama requested Trijang Rinpoche to borrow this thangka as protection. Knowing the tremendous benefit that the Dalai Lama would bring to the world through teachings and the Tibetan Buddhist lineage, Trijang Rinpoche immediately lent him the thangka.

- The Dalai Lama carried this thangka on his back throughout his escape towards India.

- All this points clearly to the fact that Dorje Shugden saved the Dalai Lama’s life and helped him escape unscathed from the dangers in Tibet. Because the Dalai Lama survived, he was able to reestablish the teachings and lineage outside of Tibet. He has since also become one of the most prominent Buddhist personalities in the world, responsible for bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the highly respected status that it now holds. The prominence that is given to all Tibetan Buddhist schools and practices now can be attributed to the kindness, protection and blessings of Dorje Shugden who led the Dalai Lama and his whole entourage to safety.

- This thangka still exists and is currently preserved by the monks of Trijang Ladrang in Gaden Monastery.

- As the Dalai Lama escaped, he was accompanied by an entourage of 30 monks from Sera Monastery. To this day, these Sera monks remember that the Dalai Lama had consulted Dorje Shugden and been advised to leave Tibet when he did. They also remember that the Dalai Lama carried this particular Dorje Shugden thangka. See how deeply saddened this Sera monk is as he recalls that journey and reflects on the Dalai Lama’s current ban on Dorje Shugden:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ2V8wdWMTI
• http://www.shugdentoday.com/?p=8850

Now, the Dalai Lama has instituted a ban against Dorje Shugden, claiming that he is an evil spirit and will harm the Dalai Lama’s life. This is totally illogical! Why would Dorje Shugden help the Dalai Lama escape Tibet safely, and now be a threat to his life and works? Why would such a highly attained Lama like Trijang Rinpoche give his student a practice, deity or even a thangka that would harm him in any way?

Because of the ban, Dorje Shugden devotees have been attacked and families have been separated; Gurus are not allowed to see their students; monks are denied welfare and even expelled from their monasteries, which is unheard of in Buddhist history. Spiritual practice has become inseparable from politics, and people cannot do their practices in peace without being implicated in the politics.

The Tibetan exiled Government in India makes defamatory reports to the police about Dorje Shugden practitioners. They spread rumors that these practitioners are Chinese spies and even try to stop Dorje Shugden practitioners from entering India!

Because the current young incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche continues to practice Dorje Shugden, there have been countless attacks on his life. Monks revealed that there was an incident many years ago where masked men charged into Trijang Ladrang in Gaden Monastery carrying sticks and wanting to kill Trijang Rinpoche. Fortunately, many monks protected him. The monks of his household had to be on constant vigilance, taking shifts to protect the holy body of Trijang Rinpoche against such attacks. In 1995, the 15-year-old Trijang Rinpoche finally left the monastery and India to America. The main reason for his leaving was because of the many threats on his life, which arose from this ban on Dorje Shugden,

There is now talk among monks that the Dalai Lama wants to be the spiritual leader of all schools of Buddhism in the world, like a pope of Buddhism. He is achieving this by breaking apart individual, smaller schools of Buddhism. He instigates political rules such the ban on this Protector Dorje Shugden, which then creates splits within Buddhist schools – in this case, he is creating a lot of schism to divide practitioners and monks within the Gelugpa school. He has also done the same with the Kagyu school, interfering with their independent religious traditions and implementing political decisions that have divided them into separate camps following different heads. It is his hope that when these schools are divided, weakened and have no strong leader, he will be able to step in as supreme head to “unite” all Buddhist sects everywhere under him.

However, the revelation about the truth of this Dorje Shugden thangka now creates shockwaves in the Buddhist world. Underlying the ban, all its twisted “reasoning” and the misery it has created for Dorje Shugden devotees, THIS THANGKA reveals a whole different story. It proves that the Dalai Lama’s success today, and the success of all Tibetan Buddhist teachers, lineages and centers in the world, actually began first with the blessings and protection of Dorje Shugden as he led the Dalai Lama to safety. All the claims about Dorje Shugden being an evil, harmful spirit are completely unfounded and untrue. The implementation and upholding of the ban by the Tibetan exiled government has accomplishing nothing but to create disharmony within the Buddhist world, alienate fellow Buddhists and infringe upon the basic right of religious freedom.

By sharing this, it is our hope that we can show the world the truth about Dorje Shugden, and that the ban can be lifted to allow more religious freedom, peace and tolerance everywhere. It is our call to action, to share the true nature of this practice – contradictory to popular belief now, Dorje Shugden is not harmful. On the contrary, it has been the basis of tremendous, worldwide benefit, peace and wisdom that Tibetan Buddhism has brought to every corner of the globe. It all began with that single Dorje Shugden thangka…

We have attached some photographs of the special Dorje Shugden thangka and other related subjects for your reference.

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The thangka that His Holiness the Dalai Lama carried with him. Borrowed from His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, this thangka assured the Dalai Lama’s safe escape from Tibet. Upon his safe arrival in India, this thangka was returned to Trijang Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama and until this very day, this thangka is enshrined in a very honoured, special place in Trijang Rinpoche’s personal house in Gaden. This is the actual thangka that the Dalai Lama carried in a container on his back throughout the whole 1959 exodus

A close-up of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche’s thangka that guided His Holiness the Dalai Lama to safety. It was carried by the Dalai Lama on his back until he reached safety

This is the 1959 exodus in which His Holiness the Dalai Lama carried with him the Dorje Shugden thangka that brought him safely into India

Gen Jampa, Jangchub Norbu, Gen Dawa spoke passionately about the ban and how people had attempted to harm His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche. These monks are seniors and leaders in the monastery, and very devoted students of the late previous Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. These are the monks who revealed the information about the Dorje Shugden thangka and are now the guardians of this thangka in Trijang Ladrang

As the young Dalai Lama fled Tibet to safety in India, he carried on his back a thangka borrowed from HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. The thangka was of Dorje Shugden. Dorje Shugden protected the Dalai Lama’s party to freedom in India. However, the Dalai Lama has always attributed his escape to Palden Lhamo. This video reveals the truth about the Dalai Lama’s escape

Dorje Shugden initiation given by Geshe Wangchuk at Markam, Chamdo, Tibet

In the video, you can see the Tormas (8:12) prepared for Dorje Shugden’s initiation. You can also see the thangka of Dorje Shugden (10:44)

This video is part 1 (of two parts) of a commentary on the Guru Puja by His Eminence Dagom Rinpoche (in Tibetan, with no English subtitles).

Dagom Rinpoche was the highly respected lama who had commissioned the Gelug Lineage tree thangka to include Dorje Shugden among the group of supramundane protectors portrayed in this thangka (View the beautiful thangka as commissioned by the previous Dagom Rinpoche)

In one of Dagom Rinpoche’s previous lives, he was the great Pelgyi Dorje. Pelgyi Dorje had killed the evil King Langdarma, who had been trying to suppress Buddhadharma in Tibet.

Available in two sizes:
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Antique thangka of Dorje Shugden with Guru Rinpoche directly above Dorje Shugden.

Surrounding them are various well known Yidams propitiated by the Nyingmapa order as well as Yidams mostly propitiated by the Gelugpa order.