Comments on: Dorje Shugden Cham Dance in Tibet

By: Drolma

Drolma — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:55:02 +0000

Dorje Shugden practice might not have a long history but his incarnation lineage does have a long history. No one will agree with the CTA anymore after studying carefully the incarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden. Dorje Shugden is not an ordinary protector, he is a result of a highly attained master who dedicated his life to protect and preserve Buddhism.

All of Dorje Shugden’s incarnations are highly attained Buddhist masters or practitioners. He was Magadha Sangmo, a very devoted student of Buddha Shakyamuni who invited Buddha to come to her house using incense. He was Virupa, whose teaching is greatly relied on in the Sakya tradition. He was Sakya Pandita, who is one of the Five Sakya Forefathers. He was also Emperor Kangxi. With an impressive ‘resume’ like this, how can Dorje Shugden suddenly be a spirit?

It is important to preserve the history of Dorje Shugden so people can know more about him and strengthen their faith in him. It is good that in Tibet they have this special Cham dance to present the story of Dorje Shugden. It is also nice to know China allows the monastery to do this special Buddhist dance.

By: brian

brian — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 05:27:32 +0000

This is classic! Haven’t seen this before in my life and thank you so much for sharing this here! The photos were very nice! Such blessings to even see it virtually let alone being able to be there witnessing it LIVE in action!

By: samayakeeper

samayakeeper — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 03:47:02 +0000

Such a religious and spiritual ritual dance was and is still being performed in the past and present by the great peoples in all parts of the world namely the native Indians of the Americas, Africa, Asia, etc. In the past such dances is part of the storytelling the elders tell their children and grandchildren as education to pass on their religious and spiritual belief and lineage.

This article really provide me and other readers to this wonderful website, how alive and growing the practices of Dorje Shugden are in Tibet.

May the unjust and undemocratic ban on religious freedom for the practice of Dorje Shugden be lifted soon so that such a beautiful ritual may be witnessed by the world without fear of harm and prejudice to the practitioners and performers.

By: Dharmacrazy79

Dharmacrazy79 — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 08:42:02 +0000

How fortunate are we to be able to set eyes on such a sacred performance.

I often revere the ordained community for their ability and willingness to let go of their worldly concerns and dedicate their lifetime to preserving and and spreading the Dharma teachings of Lord Buddha. However, with great respect, I notice that the Sangha community do things that are similar to us, the vast difference is in the motivation and the impact their action has on others.

Why do I observe this? The beautiful performance of the Cham dance is a form of art and “entertainment” for the audience. We have ample selection of performances in samsara from operas to theaters to movies at the cinema. However, our performance and “art” is based on less virtuous motivations of personal gain of wealth, fame and control instead of preservation of tradition and lineage that is salvation to humanity. Similarly, the entertainment of samsara brings little benefit after a “good time” and in some cases can even cause damage like in the case of clubs and bars; the entertainment of Dharma brings blessings, peace and harmony with beings in the various realms.

I see possible of application of this view in many other activities. For example, in the secular world, we dedicate time and effort to develop mastery in doing business to make money and out-do our competition, which could ultimately harm the competing party. In the world of Dharma, we study and practice hard to develop mastery that can be used to heal and protect others.

I do not share the above observation to downgrade the Cham dance or any of the beautiful rituals upheld by the pure Sangha members. I share my thoughts with the intention to illustrate that we, lay people, are already engaged in and keeping busy with similar types of activities. The shift we need to make is in our intention so that the consequence is one that benefits many sentient beings…and not limited to just “having a good time”.

By: Amber Sonam

Amber Sonam — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 00:17:25 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing this ancient yet alive tradition of the Dorje Shugden Cham dance! It is very amazing that the Tibetan culture have such a wonderful way to educate people. It is like how we apply visual aids in modern days to help the students in understanding subject matter. Ancient lineage like this has again proven that the practice has been preserved since long ago and it has been practice by prominent lamas including the Dalai Lamas. This is definitely another piece of strong evidence for the CTA wish not see and can easily brush it off as a cultural thing. Again, which part of Tibetan Buddhism has no relation with its culture?

By: pgdharma

pgdharma — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:21:08 +0000

The Cham dance is very powerful and through the dance which depicts the truth of Dorje Shugden, it is an effective way to educate lay people who are illiterate to understand the history and lineage of Dorje Shugden. The dance is very sacred and may it leave a karmic imprint in the minds of those who witness it. May they understand the truth and not be blinded by the false accusation by the CTA that Dorje Shugden is a spirit.

It is good that this tradition is still preserved and that the monastery is still practicing this dance. May the ban be lifted soon.

Thank you to ds.com for your strong devotion and hard work to always provide clear logical information about Dorje Shugden.

By: Celine

Celine — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 21:49:27 +0000

How nice to be able to organise this cham dance to travel the world to bless people and also to introduce Dorje Shugden to them. This is part of Tibetan culture and heritage that must be preserved.

By: Manjushri

Manjushri — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 08:02:41 +0000

The lineage clearly shows how Dorje Shugden arose as a Dharma Protector. By having such a illustrious line of incarnations, how can Dorje Shugden be regarded as an evil spirit? Furthermore, the lineage can be traced back directly to Manjushri, hence Dorje Shugden is also the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. If Dorje Shugden was a spirit, then by that logic, many other emanations of Manjushri, who has the same mindstream of Manjushri, can be regarded as spirits as well?

If Dorje Shugden wasn’t an influential aspect of the lineage, then there would not be a Cham dance about Dorje Shugden in the monastery. Since Cham was first performed around 760-770 AD by the Indian saint Padmasambava, it is definitely a sacred and authentic tradition, and for such a sacred tradition to be performed on Dorje Shugden, it must mean that Dorje Shugden is an enligtened being.

By: aurore

aurore — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 07:37:42 +0000

Thank you for such detailed explanation. I know it’s asking too much as the team behind this website has done so much to give information to everyone, but I do wish there is an English version of this thangka.

During this time with the ban, it becomes even more crucial to keep the lineage and tradition of Dorje Shugden pure and revived serving as a reminder of DS’s origins. As it’s being constantly distorted with false, many with unstable minds are easily swayed by negativities. This dance also serve as an obstacle clearance from negative forces while inviting peace, harmony and joy for the coming new year.

By: Solomon Lang

Solomon Lang — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 07:10:44 +0000

Sure looks like a safe protector practice to me. Don’t see any spirit worship.