Author Topic: Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama  (Read 4178 times)

WisdomBeing

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Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
« on: January 22, 2012, 03:40:31 AM »
These monks are willing to be jailed rather than denounce the Dalai Lama. Others are willing to die for Tibet. What is the world coming to when monks are willing to denounce their Dharma Protector, a practice given to them by their Guru(s)? I thought that these practices are practices that should be kept at the cost of our lives? Especially those who have received the sogtae or empowerment of Dorje Shugden? Yet to curry favour with the Dalai Lama and CTA, many have denounced this practice. Something to contemplate.

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Monks+jailed+for+refusing+to+denounce+the+Dalai+Lama&id=30714

Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
Phayul[Thursday, January 19, 2012 23:39]
By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, January 19: Two abbots and seven monks of Karma monastery in the Tibetan city of Chamdo were arrested late October 2011 for refusing to denounce Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Dharamshala based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) in a release yesterday said that abbots, Lodoe Rabsel, 40 and Namsey Sonam, 44, along with seven other monks of the monastery were arrested after they refused to “cooperate” with the Chinese officials conducting patriotic reeducation campaigns at the monastery.

“The monks refused to denounce the Dalai Lama and consider Tibet as part of China as required in the patriotic re-education classes,” TCHRD said in its release.

Following the self-immolation of Tenzin Phuntsog, a former monk at the monastery and the reported bombing of an empty municipal office in the region, last year, monks at the monastery have been facing severe restriction.

Speaking to Phayul, the newly appointed director of TCHRD, Tsering Tsomo said most of the monks have either been arrested or have fled the monastery in order to avoid growing Chinese repression and surveillance.

"The monastery initially had over 300 monks but now not many are left,” said Tsomo. “For instance, the dialectic department in the monastery had to be shut down as all of its 120 students left the monastery".

"Many monks fled to escape the repeated visits and questionings by security officials," Tsomo added.

Although no casualties were reported in the October blast, local Chinese authorities directed their suspicions towards Karma monastery without any evidence.

The monastery was locked down and strict restrictions were placed on its monks, resulting in the arrest of 70 monks while over 40 monks escaped into the hills. Whereabouts of the detained monks still remain unknown.

"In addition to attending patriotic re-education classes, monks at Karma Monastery were questioned for long hours. The repeated questionings had deep psychological impacts on monks many of who chose to flee the monastery," the release stated.

Following Tapey's self-immolation in 2009, 17 Tibetans have burned themselves in Tibet, calling for freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.
Kate Walker - a wannabe wisdom Being

DSFriend

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Re: Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2012, 04:29:25 AM »
These monks are willing to be jailed rather than denounce the Dalai Lama. Others are willing to die for Tibet. What is the world coming to when monks are willing to denounce their Dharma Protector, a practice given to them by their Guru(s)? I thought that these practices are practices that should be kept at the cost of our lives? Especially those who have received the sogtae or empowerment of Dorje Shugden? Yet to curry favour with the Dalai Lama and CTA, many have denounced this practice. Something to contemplate.

I'm sure it is most difficult having to follow or not follow the instruction of HHDL regarding Dorje Shugden because it requires one to take sides and the repercussions that follows either way one decides. As we all know, many curry the favour with HHDL is because they see him as Avalokiteshvara, their Guru whereby his every instructions must be followed. The big question is do the Tibetans follow EVERY instructions of HHDL? I'm sure there are more instructions to prolong HHDL's life instead of just abandoning Shugden's practice.



Following Tapey's self-immolation in 2009, 17 Tibetans have burned themselves in Tibet, calling for freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

Acts of such demonstrates again, the loyalty to HHDL. I do wonder how supportive the chinese govt is towards Buddhism though we are seeing more and more support in the recent years. Is the support given due to political reasons alone? When HHDL is no longer around, will the support continue?

DSFriend

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Re: Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2012, 05:14:50 PM »
Source : http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NA26Ad04.html
China losing media war over self-immolation
By Vishal Arora

NEW DELHI - A series of 15 self-immolations by Tibetan monks since last March has thrown a harsh spotlight on China's Tibet policy. While Beijing insists the acts are "separatist propaganda" incited by exiles, international opinion is not swaying in its favor.

Observers have few options in deciding who is right. China doesn't allow journalists or investigators into sensitive Tibetan areas, and often the sole source of information on the incidents are Tibetan media and organizations based in India and the West.

The office of Lobsang Sangay, the prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile based in the north Indian town of Dharamsala, is one such source.

Almost all the Tibetans who self-immolated called for "restoration of freedom in Tibet and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama", Sangay told Asia Times Online from a representative office of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

China has neither denied reports of self-immolations nor disputed that the monks were calling for freedom and the return of their spiritual leader. The crux of Beijing's argument is that human-rights conditions in Tibet do not elicit self-immolations, while alleging that the suicides were incited by exiles hoping to make a case for Tibetan freedom.

However, Sangay, a former scholar from Harvard Law School, claims the level of repression is peaking. Since the 2008 Tibetan unrest, China has "adopted hardline policies leading to crackdowns, an undeclared martial law and the presence of troops everywhere" he says, pushing the monastic community to "the brink of desperation".

Members of the Communist Party are dictating the functioning of almost all monasteries in Tibet, added Sangay.

"When someone gives a vow to give up worldly life and joins a monastery, that's their world, their family," he said. "And when they are expelled because they refuse to denounce His Holiness [the Dalai Lama] or to stamp on his photograph, then hopelessness sinks in."

COMMENT : Well said Lobsang Sangay about how " hopelessness sinks in " if monks are forced to denounce. Wouldn't monks feel the same when they are forced to denounce/swear in against Shugden?!

Kirti Monastery in Sichuan, where a monk set off the ongoing wave of self-immolations, had more than 2,000 monks, but the number has gone down to "a few hundred [due to expulsions]", alleged Sangay, who was sworn in as the Dalai Lama's political successor in August last year.

In a letter published in The Guardian, Dai Qingli, an official from the Chinese Embassy in London, suggests that the immolations are part of "a separatist agenda under religious cover", pointing out that "pro-independence Tibetans outside China were quick to publicize the self-immolations, sometimes within a few minutes of their occurrence".

However, Sangay cites the example of an exiled monk who attempted self-immolation in Nepal. The monk had planned it for September, but a friend who came to know about it prevented him from burning himself.

He made another attempt in November, but survived. "It shows that self-immolators do it alone ... Anyone who comes to know about it will not let it happen. We do not even have the pictures of the burnt bodies. If it was for international support or publicity, then they would do something to get the attention of journalists."

The act is down to "desperation and is a sacrifice for a cause", Sangay insists.

Sangay agrees that monks remain at the forefront of the Tibetan movement. But adds that they believe in non-violence and democracy.

"We advocate for the Middle Way policy, which seeks genuine autonomy within China even though Tibet was an independent nation and in international law one could argue for a separate nation."

The Dalai Lama, who is blamed by Beijing for the self-immolations, has condemned the incidents while claiming repression in Tibetan areas.

At Kalachakra, a 10-day teaching session the spiritual leader held at Bodh Gaya in east Indian state of Bihar in early January, 200,000 people came, Sangay said. "Including spies from China," he added, and laughed.

Beijing often boasts about social and economic development in Tibet. It has earmarked a budget of over $46.89 billion for 226 projects in the region to speed up development. However, Sangay insists this is not what Tibetans really want.


There has been a generation change since the Dalai Lama and 80,000 Tibetans fled to India following a failed uprising in 1959, he said.

"Almost 99% of this generation has never met the Dalai Lama. Still there is a strong sense of the Tibetan spirit. All the self-immolators, the eldest one is in his 40s, grew up under the Chinese system, education, politics, history, and [yet] they are dying. No matter what kind of education you provide and no matter what propaganda you subject them to, they are saying, it's better to die than live under those circumstances."

These are serious allegations against China, and the international community mostly believing the Tibetans. Due to Beijing's unwillingness to allow journalists to investigate, its claims naturally sound like defensive rhetoric.

"These actions clearly represent ... enormous anger, enormous frustration with regard to the severe restrictions on human rights, including religious freedom, inside China," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland in January. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also taken note of restrictions on basic freedoms and authorities' interference in monasteries across the Tibetan plateau.

Beijing has shrugged off Western support of the Tibetan movement as a conspiracy. But, if sympathy among the Chinese population grows due to as the media highlights the immolations, Beijing could face problems.

Many Chinese may side with their government out of nationalism, but others will not. After all, more than 100 million people in China follow Buddhism.

COMMENT : 100 million people in china follow Buddhism while Tibetan population stands at approx. 3 million (statistics as of 2011). Incredible potential growth of Buddhism in China. And oh, don't we all know that the Chinese govt fund dorje shugden monasteries! Looks like the voice of the ban will be drowned out very soon. 

While Beijing could show more transparency in its Tibet policy to avert international criticism, Tibetans-in-exile also need to discourage self-immolations more strongly. Though a drastic step, these acts cannot result in more than statements of support by Western nations.

Vishal Arora is a New Delhi-based journalist. He researches and writes on politics, culture, religion, foreign affairs and human rights, primarily but not exclusively in South and Southeast Asia. His articles have appeared in the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, USA Today, World Politics Review, Foreign Policy in Focus, the Religion News Service, and many other outlets. He can be contacted at [email protected] and some of his articles can be read here. Follow him on Twitter:vishalarora_in

(Copyright 2012 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

Thom

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Re: Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2012, 10:06:16 PM »
The Good news is we have Split from the Dalia Lama's cult~We have our own monasteries and really need not pay him any mind, In fact, the less energy we give him the less power he holds over anybody! We all make choices in this world, the monks and lamas you refer made theirs for better or worse. Cattle, chattel. serfs and slaves will need more time to heal from their captivity under the Dalia Lama lineage institution. Lies do not make for truth~Soon he will be recycled and that will be the end of that as the Panchen Lama divines his rebirth.

Gabby Potter

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Re: Monks jailed for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2015, 03:13:01 PM »
This is how devoted some people can be, they are so devoted that they are willing to give up their lives to serve their Gurus. I am not saying that this is a goof news, it's not because this has proved that there's no religious freedom given to some people. They should not be treated this way, where is the the kindness and compassion?