Hundreds of Buddhists Protest, Accusing the Dalai Lama

[WisdomBeing]

Anyone attending these demonstrations? I'm glad to see that people are taking action to remind people over the Dorje Shugden ban and how people are still suffering today. If anyone attends, please take photos and post them here so we can all take a look. I hope that these demonstrations will be covered by the media to bring attention to the ban. It would be better if the media interviews the Dalai Lama and asks him about this ban and how can anyone in the Dalai Lama's position encourage violence and oppression - the very antithesis to what he represents.


Hundreds of Buddhists Protest, Accusing the Dalai Lama of Religious Persecution and Human Rights Abuses
http://www.prweb.com/releases/DalaiLama/ReligiousDiscrimination/prweb11592622.htm

Impassioned protests against the Dalai Lama will be staged this week during his speaking engagements in California by the International Shugden Community. Demonstrators are accusing the Dalai Lama of using his political power to ban a mainstream religious practice and create a religious apartheid, segregation, and system of persecution in the Tibetan exile community, including refusal of medical treatment, violent attacks on citizens and making hundreds of monks homeless.

(PRWEB) February 19, 2014



Demonstrations:
Saturday, Feb 22 - San Francisco - Davies Symphony Hall, 11:30 am – 5 pm
Sunday, Feb 23 – Berkeley - Berkeley Community Theater 7am – 12noon
Monday, Feb 24 – Santa Clara - Leavey Event Center Santa Clara University 7am 12noon
Tuesday Feb 25th – Los Angeles - The Forum, Inglewood 10am – 2pm

Hundreds of Buddhists, including monks and nuns will stage impassioned protests against the Dalai Lama, during his speaking engagements this week in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The demonstrators want to bring attention to the hidden, intensive persecution by the Dalai Lama of thousands of Tibetan-exile citizens who practice a 400-year old mainstream tradition of making prayers to the Buddhist Deity Dorje Shugden (Al Jazeera Reports, Dalai Lama: The Devil Within, April 13, 2009, http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2008/09/200893014344405483.html or

Al Jazeera: The Dalai Lama, The Devil Within

).

Claiming that their prayers harm his personal health and the cause of Tibet, the Dalai Lama has imposed an aggressive, forced ban on this religious practice, which he himself engaged in for over 40 years (Cabinet of Tibet Government in Exile - Dharamsala 'Points of the Kashag's statements concerning Dogyal, 31 May 1996,
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/kashags-statement, Aug 1st, 2008).

Rebecca Foley, spokesperson of the International Shugden Community (ISC), an umbrella organization made up of Shugden practitioners from many Buddhist traditions, explains: "While the Dalai Lama enjoys a luxurious life for himself, making huge amounts of money through using Buddha's teachings, he causes millions of people to suffer by creating division between them and destroying their harmony and peaceful life. Because of their blind faith or extreme religious views people believe the Dalai Lama's intolerant words without investigation, and sincerely follow his misleading guidance. As a result his followers have been incited to extreme anger with Shugden practitioners. They have forcefully expelled Shugden practitioners from Tibetan society using public humiliation, provocation, intimidation and threats, including dismissing them from their jobs, refusing basic, even medical services to them, and publicly spreading lies and slander about them."

"This is clearly only for the Dalai Lama's own selfish political gain. Our prayers do not harm his health or the cause of Tibet!"

"Through this harm and intolerance he is acting in complete contradiction with Buddha's teachings and he is publicly showing great disrespect to Buddha and Buddhism."

"By our demonstrating at his public events we are telling the Dalai Lama to 'Stop lying, stop harming millions of people, stop abusing basic human rights, and stop religious discrimination'. Should we expect any less from this supposed 'man of peace'?"

More information at http://www.falsedalailama.com.

Find press updates and press pack at http://www.falsedalailama.com/press
Password: press1

[icy]

I look forward to hearing more updates to these demonstrations.  They will certainly create some awareness and bring to light the Dorje Shugden crisis where western media has deliberately not covered.  I hope our friends in California will take some photos of these demonstrations and update us here.

[WisdomBeing]

By the way, does anyone know who the International Shugden Community are? Are they the same as the Western Shugden Society (WSS)? Just wondering what's up with the name change. I know the WSS are responsible for the book "The Great Deception" and thus http://falsedalailama.com. Is the name change supposed to reflect that there are supporters from the east also?

[pgdharma]

I am glad that more people are willing to support human rights and religious freedom! With this upcoming demonstration, I hope that HHDL will soften his stance and that Dorje Shugden practitioners will be able to  practice freely!

[vajrastorm]

It is to be hoped that these protests and demonstrations will lead to the softening of HH Dalai Lama's stance against Shugden practitioners, and will bring about the lifting of the ban.

Yes, it is hard to reconcile the intolerance of The Dalai Lama and his condoning of all the atrocities against Shugden practitioners, with the peace and compassion that are the hallmarks of Buddhism. It is also difficulty to accept his contradictory behavior - how can he give up a practice he had carried out  for over forty years, to  a Buddha deity He had praised with such fervor in the "Melody of the Unceasing Vajra", on such flimsy grounds as an advice by an unenlightened Dharma protector(especially one who had given so many mistaken pieces of advice in recent times)?

[Jessie Fong]

Many practitioners have been treated as outcasts; deprived of their right to DS practice, otherwise they were segregated without access to many basic human rights. Many have lost their lives, fighting for the cause to lift the ban that was initiated by HHDL who had said that the DS practice is a threat to His life.

I hope that these protests will be carried out in a peaceful manner and brings the plight of the practitioners to more people and brings awareness to help lift the ban.

[icy]

By the way, does anyone know who the International Shugden Community are? Are they the same as the Western Shugden Society (WSS)? Just wondering what's up with the name change. I know the WSS are responsible for the book "The Great Deception" and thus http://falsedalailama.com. Is the name change supposed to reflect that there are supporters from the east also?

International Shugden Community (ISC) is an umbrella organisation made up of Shugden practitioners from many Buddhist traditions/organisations.

[dondrup]

Shugden followers around the world should give their fullest moral support to these kind and devoted Shugden followers who are involved in these demonstrations at the US now. The lifting of the ban on Dorje Shugden is long overdue.  Now is time that the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted!  The hypocritical Dalai Lama must be stopped from spreading more lies.  His Holiness Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) must be stopped from creating more damage to Tibetan Buddhism and the Shugden followers.  It is also the right moment to inform and remind the world about Dorje Shugden and the injustice done todate to the Shugden communities.  The World must be reminded about the suffering of the Dorje Shugden followers since the ban was initiated by His Holiness Dalai Lama.

We must inform the media covering the Dalai Lama talks in the US now the true facts and situations surrounding Dorje Shugden issues.  Now is the time to feed these media with the right information on how His Holiness Dalai Lama and CTA were completely wrong about Dorje Shugden.  His Holiness' appearances at these talks in US provide us with the right opportunities to prove Him wrong and to lift the ban once and for all. 

May the blessing of Dorje Shugden be with us.  Down with the ban!  OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA. 

[vajrastorm]

These peaceful protests present an opportunity for protestors to create an awareness of the true story  and picture behind the ban against Shugden practice. The protests are being staged in a country which advocates and practices religious freedom. So the protestors, if they play their card well,  will be able to open the eyes of a multitude of people to the plight of Shugden practitioners being victimized by the ban and subject to gross atrocities. Furthermore , with the help of the mass media, may the whole truth spill out in all directions and be unstoppable.

May this be the final step  that will bring to an end the whole ugly build up of violence towards the innocent. May their voices be heard , loud and clear.
 

[Tenzin Malgyur]

May all the planned demonstrations be able to open the eyes and minds of people everywhere towards the sufferings of Shugden practitioners under the rule of the CTA. As much as I would like to believe that His Holiness Dalai Lama is the emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion, I can't see the reason for putting all the helpless Shugdenpas under all the mindless persecutions. It is time the whole world get the real news.

[rossoneri]

May the demonstration somehow create an awareness to the entire world that the banned of practise of Dorje Shugden by the CTA and Dalai Lama is causing more harm and suffering to people who is still believed and practises Dorje Shugden. Really happy that all the practitioners stood together and making use of this opportunity to create an awareness to the entire world.

May this be a ripple effect and have the interest created, so that Dorje Shugden practitioners will eventually have the freedom to continue this practise which have been around for 300 years.

[Manjushri]

If we don't speak up for our rights, who will? If we want change, we gotta make the change, and do what we can do to achieve it. These protests are sure to bring light onto the issue of the unjust ban on Dorje Shugden and could result in the lifting of the ban. We have to create awareness, through as many avenues as we can such as the media, so that more and more people can see through the lies behind the ban. As support pours in, the ban will be lifted.

The key to the lifting of the ban - to educate as many people as possible on the contradictions in the preaching of His Holiness and the truth behind the ban.

I'm glad to read this, and that more and more people are being vocal in showing the rights that they deserve. No one should be subjected to this, as what the ban has done to so many.

[brian]

The more protests exists, the more exposure will be for Dorje Shugden controversy which might trigger public interest to know more about this precious protector practice. Hopefully these protests will be able to nullify HH Dalai Lama's stance against the practice of Dorje Shugden to an eventual outcome of lifting of the ban. As the ban will continue to spur violence, controversies and disharmony among the followers of Buddha's teachings.

[vajralight]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch5hCnq0fHQ#t=0



Demonstrations for Religious Freedom - San Francisco 2014



Vajralight

[DharmaSpace]

I do hope this time around all the Dorje Shugden lamas  and all the associated people will protest peacefully backed up with understanding of the dharma and wearing the armour of patience. 

Again the Dalai Lama is at the heart of this protest, he is the catalyst that is providing the platform for Dorje Shugden to gain world wide recognition. Another few more days of action to go in lifting the ban , so proud to be a Dorje Shugden practitioner.