Have you lot been able to read this and leave a comment? Sidelining Shugden practitioners has no benefit for the Tibetan leadership, despite what they might think. Spiritually, economically, politically speaking, theres been absolutely no benefit at all.
In fact, in the last 20 years, any casual observer will easily notice that the Tibetan leadership have actually experienced a decline in their international standing and reputation. Makes you wonder eh, what they were banning Shugden for all along? ::)
Anyway, heres an extract for your lazy convenience ;)
Shouldn’t Dorje Shugden people be allowed to redeem themselves?
[url]http://www.dorjeshugden.com/?p=54354[/url] ([url]http://www.dorjeshugden.com/?p=54354[/url])
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Left to right: Kungo Palden-la (in Tibetan dress; the devoted attendant of H.H. Trijang Rinpoche), H.E. Kensur Lati Rinpoche (background), H.E. Zemey Rinpoche, H.H. Zong Rinpoche, H.E. Kensur Rinpoche Lobsang Denpa (second from right) and H.E. Kensur Jampa Yeshe (far right). Despite the immense scholarship and attainments of these senior practitioners, if they were alive today, none of them would be allowed back to Gaden Monastery for the sole reason that they all practiced Dorje Shugden. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, these senior practitioners of such great repute would never be allowed to 'redeem' themselves in the hallowed halls of Gaden. Also in the picture is a young H.H. Pabongka Chocktrul Rinpoche.
One of the main points of contention against Dorje Shugden is that engaging in his practice leads us to the three lower realms. His practitioners are frequently accused of engaging in spirit worship, a big no-no in the Buddhist tradition. It is said that engaging in spirit worship results in taking rebirth as an animal, hungry ghost or in the hell realms.
Notwithstanding the lack of logic in that statement, let us for a moment assume that it is accurate to claim that Dorje Shugden practice sends us to the three lower realms. That being the case, since this is our last human rebirth before we are reborn in the lower realms, would it not behoove a supposedly Buddhist government like the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; the Tibetan leadership) to allow us the opportunity to redeem ourselves by engaging in religious activities that they deem real? If the Tibetan leadership, who are based in Dharamsala, had so much conviction in their claim that Shugden practitioners will go to the three lower realms, it should actually motivate them to try even harder to ‘save’ Dorje Shugden practitioners by giving them even more opportunities to engage in religious activities that they approve of. Yet, through the machinations of the ban, all of those opportunities are denied to Dorje Shugden devotees.
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Do these supporters of the Tibetan leadership, seen here outside one of the Dalai Lama's talks on compassion and tolerance, look like they are serious about helping or saving Dorje Shugden practitioners? Do they look as though they would ever be tolerant, let alone accepting, of Dorje Shugden devotees? This is the type of behavior that the Tibetan leadership encourages.
A simple comparison can be made with the Christian faith to see why the technique of segregation will not work in the Tibetan leadership’s favor. For people who are not Christian, do the Christians ban these non-believers from their churches? Or do they invite them in, hoping to find an opportunity to convert them to Christianity? And should they fail to convert someone to Christianity, do Christians give up or do they keep trying again? Do Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, stop at the first door that closes in their face or do they keep knocking and knocking until someone finally answers in a positive manner?
Using this very simple comparison, you can see why the Dorje Shugden ban does not make sense and ultimately, will fail. Failure to convince Shugden practitioners to swear out of their practice should in fact compel the CTA to try and get even closer to Dorje Shugden practitioners, to try and find a way to convince them to swear out. Instead, unlike the faithful Christians, the Tibetan leadership opts to ostracize Dorje Shugden practitioners, enacting mass discrimination against them. Dorje Shugden practitioners are not given the chance to redeem themselves by becoming born-again Buddhists, because they are marginalized in mainstream society and not brought back into the fold.