In Tibetan Buddhism, names like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, Geshe Rabten, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe are legendary, illustrious and almost illusive. Hence it would take a practitioner of exceptional merits to have met, and to have received teachings and empowerments from such high lamas. Claudio Cipullo is one such practitioner and deservedly so.

Claudio Cipullo began his practice of Buddhism during its renaissance in the West and he was amongst the fortunate first group of Westerners to have received teachings from lamas who were pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet’s borders. Others in the group include famous personalities such as Professor Robert Thurman and Stephen Batchelor.

He is one of the rare few people who have personally studied under His Holiness the Dalai Lama (for whom Claudio also did translation work), Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang (from whom Claudio received certain tantric empowerments and personal advice), Lama Yeshe (who was Claudio’s root guru), Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (who was Claudio’s preceptor and who ordained Claudio into the Tibetan Buddhist Sangha), Lama Zopa (whom Claudio translated for and assisted), Kyabje Gangchen Rinpoche and many others. Claudio was also one of the founders and directors of Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, and a founding member of Kopan Monastery.

In over 40 years of unbroken practice, Claudio has received many important empowerments and instructions, including the initiation of Dorje Shugden from Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang (which Claudio received alongside Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Piero Cerri). Behind a certain humility that Claudio wears with ease is a highly realized Vajrayana practitioner. Today, Claudio Cipullo is a close student of Kyabje Gangchen Rinpoche and also serves as a tutor in Gangchen Rinpoche’s Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre in Italy.

With over four decades of exposure to high lamas and key events in Tibetan Buddhism, Claudio’s experience provides important insights into the Dorje Shugden controversy. It is interesting and noteworthy that with the onset of the Dorje Shugden ban, a practitioner of Claudio Cipullo’s caliber chose to continue with his Dorje Shugden practice and was happy to forego the status and recognition he had earned with Lama Zopa and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Had Claudio chosen to remain with the FPMT at the cost of his vows to Lama Yeshe, Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang and his Dorje Shugden practice, Claudio would no doubt be holding a lofty position within the FPMT network today. Therefore it was an honor and a pleasure for DorjeShugden.com to speak with Claudio Cipullo regarding his views on the Dorje Shugden conflict.

There is clear evidence that the ban on Dorje Shugden’s practice, which was decreed by the Dalai Lama, has created dissension and division within the Tibetan exile communities in India and abroad. Dorje Shugden practitioners are alternately labeled as spirit worshippers who are destroying Tibetan Buddhism from within, Chinese spies who are paid to create discontent within the Tibetan population, or samaya-breakers who are endangering the Dalai Lama’s life. The followers of the Dalai Lama ostracize Shugden practitioners as a direct result of these pronouncements.

Consequently, the ban has driven a deep wedge into the heart of Tibetan society, resulting in families broken, marriages estranged, and friendships lost. Nowhere is the effect of the ban felt and seen more clearly than in the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries of the Gelugpa lineage where, not only are spiritual friendships rent asunder but worst of all, the sacred bond between teacher and student is severed in the name of the ban. This has culminated in the great expulsion of Shugden-practicing monks from their mother monasteries, and in the formation of Shar Ganden and Serpom monasteries, which are home to well over 1,000 Shugden monks today.

For over 20 years, the Dalai Lama has taken an unyielding stance against Shugden Buddhists, openly and repeatedly condemning the practice, while his administration has passed parliamentary resolutions criminalizing the followers of this enlightened Buddhist deity. Yet, in spite of all the abuse and false accusations hurled against Dorje Shugden and his practitioners, the honest truth is that the Dalai Lama owes his fame, success, and even his life to Dorje Shugden and the attained masters that uphold this practice.

Here are just a few examples of why the Dalai Lama is indebted to the great Dorje Shugden Lamas, both past and present.

The Two Tutors

An official portrait of the Dalai Lama (center) and his two tutors, H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche (left) and H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (right)

When the 14th Dalai Lama came of age in Tibet, two imperial tutors or Yongzins were appointed for him. The imperial tutors are responsible for the Dalai Lama’s formal education in grammar, arithmetic, dialectics, philosophy, lamrim, and innumerable tantric initiations and oral transmissions. Given their great responsibility, it is to be expected that the Dalai Lama’s tutors would be carefully selected from among the most erudite masters of the time. Thus, it was no surprise that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was chosen to be the Dalai Lama’s Senior Tutor and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the Junior Tutor.

The relationship between the Dalai Lama and his two extraordinary Gurus was very close and spanned over 30 years. So close was their relationship that Ling Rinpoche was likened to be the Dalai Lama’s father while Trijang Rinpoche was the mother. Ling Rinpoche was primarily occupied with giving teachings on Buddhist philosophy, while Trijang Rinpoche taught the Lamrim and the tantras. In fact, most of the Dalai Lama’s tantric initiations were received from Trijang Rinpoche.

Just like a mother nurtures her child, Trijang Rinpoche also taught the Dalai Lama everything else he needed to know for someone of his position. As the Dalai Lama’s birth father died young and his mother came from a peasant background, his parents could not teach him the proper behavior befitting such a high lama. So it was ultimately Trijang Rinpoche who taught the Dalai Lama “how to be a Dalai Lama” – how to speak, how to receive guests, noble manners, grooming, etc.

It is important to note that both tutors were very close students of Kyabje Pabongkha Rinpoche and received a great number of lineages, teachings and transmissions from him, including the practice of Dorje Shugden. Therefore, most of what the Dalai Lama teaches in his stadium-packed events today is largely due to the kindness of these brilliant masters: Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche AND Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche.

Yet, the Dalai Lama dishonors the kindness of his tutors and the lineage masters with every negative statement he makes against Dorje Shugden. Not only were Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche staunch Dorje Shugden practitioners, they also proliferated Dorje Shugden’s practice. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche composed a fulfillment text propitiating Dorje Shugden, while Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche composed ‘Music Delighting An Ocean of Protectors‘, a commentary of Dagpo Rinpoche’s praise to Dorje Shugden called ‘Infinite Aeons’ and one of the most definitive and complete documents on Vajradhara Dorje Shugden, his nature, function and history.

During a 1997 teaching in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama did acknowledge how much he owes Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, saying:

I received immeasurable kindness from him even when I was very small. It may seem a little boastful if I give you this example of my strong faith in Trijang Rinpoche. I often dream of my lamas, and in one clear dream Kyabje Rinpoche was urinating and I was lapping it up. So, I do have single pointed faith in him.

Yet, in an interview with Swiss Public Television in 1998, the Dalai Lama vehemently said that his Gurus were wrong about the nature of Dorje Shugden (watch the interview here). Once again, the Dalai Lama contradicts himself. If the Dalai Lama really means what he says about his faith in Trijang Rinpoche, why doesn’t he uphold ALL of the teachings and lineages that were bestowed upon him, including the practice of Dorje Shugden, as a sign of his devotion to his lamas?

The Western Buddhist Pioneers

Dalai Lama (centre), Geshe Rabten (left) and Gonsar Rinpoche (right) with members of Tashi Rabten during the Dalai Lama’s visit

Europe

The late Geshe Rabten was an erudite scholar, unexcelled debater and a fearless lama who first introduced the complete and complex teachings of Buddhism in the West. Appointed as the philosophical assistant to the Dalai Lama in 1964, Geshe Rabten moved to Switzerland in 1974 to serve as the Abbot of Rikon Monastery in Tosstal, at the Dalai Lama’s request. Combining his understanding of the Western mind and ideas with his ability to explain Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy with powerful clarity, Geshe Rabten quickly gained a following of Western students and became the pioneer in spreading Tibetan Buddhism in Western Europe.

Unknown to most, it was Geshe Rabten who arranged the Dalai Lama’s very first visit to Europe in 1973, inviting him for a tour that included Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, and UK. During this trip, the Dalai Lama gave a discourse on adaptating to Western civilization at Rikon Monastery, Switzerland, on 6 October 1973.

It was also Geshe Rabten who arranged the Dalai Lama’s very first public teaching in the West. Geshe-la invited the Dalai Lama to visit Tharpa Choeling in Mt Pelerin, Switzerland in the summer of 1979, and 900 members of the public attended these historical teachings.

Thus, it is partly due to the kindness of Geshe Rabten that the Dalai Lama has mastered all the Buddhist philosophy and dialectical lessons needed to become the great scholar, debater and master of Buddhism that he is today. And it is entirely due to the kindness of Geshe Rabten that many doors in the West were open to the Dalai Lama, resulting in his eventual fame as the figurehead of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama gave a discourse on adaptating to Western civilization at Rikon Monastery, Switzerland, 6 October 1973

1979: His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives his first public teaching in the West in Tharpa Choeling, with B. Alan Wallace and Helmut Gassner translating

America

A rare portrait of Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Jigme

In 1971, Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Jigme established the Dungkar Gompa Society in the United States. A property was found in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and was named Gangjong Namgyal, the All Victorious Snow Land.

Then in the summer of 1981, Domo Geshe Rinpoche invited the Dalai Lama to visit the United States, hosting his stay at Gangjong Namgyal. After that initial visit, the fame and influence of the Dalai Lama grew exponentially and resulted in innumerable other trips to America. Thus, it was partly due to the kindness and foresight of Domo Geshe Rinpoche that the way was paved for the Dalai Lama’s eventual popularity in the USA.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche is yet another Dorje Shugden lama who was renowned for creating the Dungkar Oracle that took trance of Dorje Shugden, and for pacifying and installing Namkar Barzin within the entourage of Dorje Shugden.

Today, the Dalai Lama misuses his fame and reputation as a Tibetan Buddhist leader to mislead audiences worldwide into believing that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit and that his practice is harmful. Yet, Geshe Rabten, his heart disciple Gonsar Rinpoche and Domo Geshe Rinpoche are all renowned Dorje Shugden practitioners. Thus, when the Dalai Lama renounces Dorje Shugden’s practice, he is ‘biting the hands that fed him’ and that put him on the world stage.

The Dalai Lama’s fame, stature and success today is due to the kindness of Dorje Shugden lamas, past and present

The Life Savers

The 6th Panglung Kuten, Oracle to the Protector Dorje Shugden

The Dalai Lama also appears to have forgotten how Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Dorje Shugden saved his life during the tumultuous period of Chinese military presence in Tibet. It was through Trijang Rinpoche’s counsel that special arrangements were made to seek the advice of Dorje Shugden via the Panglung oracle. And it was Dorje Shugden via this oracle who instructed the Dalai Lama to leave Tibet and revealed the escape route for the fleeing party.

It was also Dorje Shugden practitioners, in the form of the Chushi Gangdruk, who successfully escorted the Dalai Lama out of Tibet in 1959, at the cost of their lives. The Chushi Gangdruk was a society of Khampa warriors, formed at the advice of Dorje Shugden a few years prior. Through his omniscience, Dorje Shugden already knew in 1956 that the Dalai Lama would have to leave Tibet in 1959, and thus insisted the Chushi Gangdruk be formed to escort the Dalai Lama to safety.

Chushi Gangdruk Self Defence Forces, Lhokha, U-Tsang Province, 1958.

And on yet another occasion in December 1999, the Dalai Lama was on the road from Gaya in Bihar to Sarnath on the outskirts of Varanasi when he met with a car accident. The car that was carrying him exploded and would have killed the Dalai Lama had it not been for a bodyguard who pulled the dazed Dalai Lama out of the wreckage just in the nick of time. That bodyguard was in fact a student of Domo Geshe Rinpoche and a staunch Dorje Shugden practitioner.

Thus, on more than one occasion, the Dalai Lama owes his life to Dorje Shugden and his practitioners. Why then does the Dalai Lama say that Dorje Shugden’s practice endangers his life, since the reverse is clearly the case?

The Right Hand Man

Samdhong Rinpoche (right) followed Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s instructions to assist the Dalai Lama

The 5th Samdhong Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin was elected into power as the Kalon Tripa or Prime Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in 2001. He played an instrumental role in implementing many of the Dalai Lama’s policies. However, before his appointment into office, Samdhong Rinpoche was another staunch Dorje Shugden practitioner, a direct student of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche who was known to take Dorje Shugden pujas very seriously.

Originally, Trijang Rinpoche was grooming Samdhong Rinpoche as a teaching lama who would give initiations, oral transmissions, teachings and blessings. However, when Samdhong Rinpoche entered the political arena, his root teacher Trijang Rinpoche told him to go all the way and follow the Dalai Lama’s advice. During one of his last speeches in office, Samdhong Rinpoche revealed that he did not really care about Tibetan politics and only did his job because it was one of his Guru’s last instructions to him.

The Ingratitude?

It is apparent from these examples that the Dalai Lama has received tremendous benefits from Dorje Shugden and his practitioners. Almost everything the Dalai Lama has – his lineage, teachings, initiations, fame, success, popularity, manners, grooming, even his life – was received from or obtained through the efforts of Dorje Shugden practitioners. Unfortunately, the ban on Dorje Shugden has alienated and outcast the very same people who have brought so much benefit to the Dalai Lama and his works.

From a logical perspective, these examples illustrate how the Dalai Lama’s reasons for the Dorje Shugden ban are weak and hollow.

From a spiritual perspective, it is clear that Dorje Shugden’s practice only brings benefit to everyone that it touches.

And at the most basic level, it is clear that the Dalai Lama’s actions have the result of making him appear ungrateful. This is completely unbefitting of a world-renowned Buddhist master. After all, the virtue of gratitude should be inherent in such an illustrious master, spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner. It would, therefore, very much behoove the Dalai Lama to address the Dorje Shugden issue to reconcile the differences between the pro- and anti-Shugden parties – if not for the sake of correcting a mistake, then at the very least, in remembrance of the kindness of these great Shugden High Lamas to whom the Dalai Lama is indebted.

H.E. Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche

In the great assembly of Gelugpa Masters, His Eminence Gonsar Rinpoche stands out, not only as an erudite scholar in his own right, but also for his crucial role in the protection, tutoring and nurturing of two of the most important masters of the modern era who represent the pure lineage of Je Tsongkapa, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche and His Eminence Tenzin Rabgya Rinpoche.

Biography

His Eminence the Fifth Gonsar Rinpoche was born in Shigatse, Tibet in 1949 to an aristocratic family known to be descendants of the ancient Tibetan kings. Rinpoche’s father held the honorable position of Governor of the Tsang province in Western Tibet. When Rinpoche was three years old, he was recognized as the present incarnation in the exalted line of Gonsar Tulkus, and in fact confirmed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama himself.

The first Gonsar Rinpoche lived during the time of the 7th Dalai Lama and was famous for his particularly wise and comprehensive teachings of the complete path to enlightenment. The story of the first Gonsar Rinpoche is a famous one. It is said that during the time of the 7th Dalai Lama, a poor young man from Amdo sought to be accepted into the house of one of his countrymen in Sera monastery near Lhasa. However, due to his poor and shabby appearance, he was refused. Turning away from the house, he met an old woman in the grounds of the monastery who suggested to the young man that he might fare better if he tried another house named Chadrel. The old lady assured him that he would be accepted there.

The young man did as he was told, and after joining the monastery he showed great enthusiasm in his studies and very quickly displayed the extraordinary qualities of a great master. It is said that the old woman who had led the first Gonsar Rinpoche to his monastic college was an emanation of Palden Lhamo.

The young man spent a lot of time meditating in a cave in the mountains near Lhasa, the very site on which the Gonsar retreat monastery would eventually be built. When the people of Lhasa observed the new monastery, they began to refer to Rinpoche as ‘Gonsar’ which in Tibetan means ‘the lama of the new monastery‘.

In time, the first Gonsar Rinpoche became well-known as the great Master Ngawang Thöndrup and extensively served the teachings of the Buddha as the Abbot of Sera Je monastery and as one of the tutors of His Holiness the 8th Dalai Lama. This name has remained with the lineage of the Gonsar Rinpoches until today.

The line of Gonsar Rinpoches has produced many legendary figures. One of Gonsar Rinpoche’s past emanations was Yeshe Yang, a lay disciple of Padmasambhava, counted among his twenty-five main disciples. He is credited as having transcribed many of Padmasambhava’s treasures, and concealing many of them himself, thus earning his name Ba (sba, conceal) Yeshe Yang. He is said to have received the knowledge of the secret script directly from the dakinis, having traveled to their realm in a state of meditation. Yeshe Yang lived for a number of years at forested mountainsides with Sogpo Lhapel (sog po lha dpal), and is believed to have flown into the sky and disappeared.

The fourth Gonsar Rinpoche, the previous incarnation to the present one, also studied in Sera Monastery. After completing his Geshe studies and examinations in his early twenties, he travelled to Mongolia and became one of the greatest lamas amongst the later Buddhist masters of Mongolia. Teaching there for more than thirty years and frequently showing supernatural powers, he was greatly cherished by the population and almost all contemporary masters of Mongolia became his disciples. He returned to Tibet at the outbreak of the Bolshevik revolution and continued his vast activities there. The family of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama were amongst his distinguished disciples.

At the age of six, the present (5th) Gonsar Rinpoche commenced his traditional education in Sera Monastery under the guidance of the Venerable Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. Gonsar Rinpoche received many teachings and transmissions from a number of erudite and highly attained masters including H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche who was one of Rinpoche’s root gurus.

In 1959, Gonsar Rinpoche followed his teacher and many other Tibetans into exile in India, where he continued his education under the care of Geshe Rabten. In addition to completing his traditional studies, Rinpoche also learned English and Hindi, despite the hardships they had to endure for many years while living first at a refugee camp in Buxa, and later in Dharamsala.

In 1969, Gonsar Rinpoche began translating Geshe Rabten’s teachings into English. Due to many requests on the part of Geshe Rabten’s Western students, in 1974 Geshe Rabten and Gonsar Rinpoche went to Switzerland, where they founded The Center for Higher Tibetan Studies, Rabten Choeling.

When Geshe Rabten entered clear light in 1986, Gonsar Rinpoche assumed the responsibility of managing and guiding the students of Rabten Choeling as well as those of affiliated centers in Austria (Tashi Rabten), Germany and Italy, after having spent thirty three years as Geshe Rabten’s heart disciple. (It would also be Gonsar Rinpoche who would discover the reincarnation of his beloved guru three years later)

Around the same time, Rinpoche was appointed the Abbot of Zongkar Choede, a monastery in South India. Gonsar Rinpoche is also a co-founder of Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Monastery in Indiana, USA which Rinpoche inaugurated on July 5th, 1998. At present, Gonsar Rinpoche is director of the center ‘Rabten Choeling’ in Mont-Pèlerin, as well as the centers in Austria and Germany.

Lama Yeshe, Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche, Lama Zopa and Geshe Rabten in Switzerland, 1975

All incarnations in the line of the Gonsar Tulkus are significant yogis of the Hayagriva Tantra and are well-known for their clear, precise and logical teachings. The first Gonsar Rinpoche was famous for his particularly vast and profound teachings on the complete path of mental development to full enlightenment. The present Gonsar Rinpoche is renowned as one of the very few contemporary masters capable of transmitting every aspect of the Buddha’s teachings as a clear and moving experience in Hindi, French, English, German and Tibetan to both Eastern and Western audiences.

All of us at DorjeShugden.com make this virtual offering of a butterlamp to the most erudite master, His Eminence Gonsar Rinpoche, requesting him to remain for another 1,000 years to continue turning the wheel of Dharma and benefiting countless beings.
 

More about H.E. Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche

• Rabten Choeling Switzerland
• Kyabje Gonsar Rinpoche and Ven. Rabgyä Rinpoche in Lumbini
• How Five Powerful Lamas Are Changing the World

This year’s visit was no different. Following a special invocation ceremony, the Gameng oracle took trance of Duldzin (the peaceful form of Dorje Shugden) who gave special blessings to both His Eminence Tenzin Rabten Rinpoche and His Eminence Gonsar Rinpoche.

Present during the trance were notable Geshes and monks, amongst them Geshe Thubten Rinpoche, a great scholar who taught in both Serpom and Shar Gaden monasteries, Geshe Kunga and Geshe Losang Tsepa from Sera Monastery, Geshe Kunga from Tibet, guests from Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s Dungkar Gompa in Darjeeling, and many others.

During the trance, Gonsar Rinpoche also requested Lord Duldzin for teachings and advice. Speaking through the Gameng oracle, Duldzin requested Gonsar Rinpoche to live long and continue the work he has been doing for the growth of the Gaden lineage and for the benefit of all sentient beings. In particular, during these current times when the situation is very difficult for our vajra brothers and sisters, Duldzin advised Gonsar Rinpoche to continue shouldering this sacred responsibility as he has been doing for so many years.

During these degenerate times when knowledgeable and experienced spiritual guides from a pure, untainted lineage are difficult to come by, senior lamas like Gonsar Rinpoche are truly precious, especially with the ban on Dorje Shugden’s practice still in place. Thus, in his great compassion and wisdom, Dorje Shugden has recognized the importance of the work H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche, H.E. Rabten Rinpoche and their students are engaged in for the furtherance of Lama Tsongkapa’s lineage.

We at DorjeShugden.com would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche for his kindness and continuous effort to turn the wheel of Dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings. We pray that H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche will have a long and healthy life, and for the continued growth of his works.

Clothes of the oracle in Rabten Choeling

Dorje Shugden in Rabten Choeling

Shize (Vairocana Shugden) in Rabten Choeling

Gyenze (Ratna Shugden) in Rabten Choeling

Wangze (Pema Shugden) in Rabten Choeling

Trakze (Karma Shugden) in Rabten Choeling

Rabten Choeling is one of the first Tibetan Buddhist monasteries to be established in the West after the exodus of Tibetans into India. Located 820m above sea level on Mount-Pelerin, above Lake Geneva in Vevey, Switzerland, the centre is an institute for Higher Tibetan studies and the pursuit of Tibetan Buddhist practices. At present, there are about 30 monks, 5 nuns and 20 lay students living in the centre.

Early Beginnings: Geshe Tamdrin Rabten Rinpoche

Geshe Tamdrin Rabten Rinpoche

Rabten Choeling was founded by Geshe Tamdrin Rabten Rinpoche. After escaping from Tibet, Geshe Rabten Rinpoche along with Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was appointed as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s advisor on philosophical matters.

Later in 1974, at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Rabten moved to Switzerland to serve as the Abbot of Rikon Monastery in Tosstal. During this time, Geshe Rabten and a handful of monks lived in a rented house in the tiny hamlet of Schwendi, located 4 km from Rikon Monastery.

Geshe Rabten with a group of monastics in Rikon Monastery in 1976

H.H. the Dalai Lama gave a discourse on adaptating to Western civilization at Rikon Monastery, Switzerland, 6 October 1973

Geshe Rabten was an extraordinary lama, able to explain Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy with powerful clarity. Combined with his understanding of the Western mind and ideas, Geshe Rabten quickly gained a following of Western students and became the pioneer in spreading Tibetan Buddhism in Western Europe. It was also during this time that Geshe Rabten started training Westerners to become qualified Buddhist teachers in their own right.

Geshe Rabten Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India with his Western students

A year and a half later, Geshe Rabten and his entourage of students moved into Le Colibri, a larger property in Mount Pelerin, which later came to be known as Tharpa Choeling. A strong and closely knit Buddhist community was formed and enthusiastic lay students began settling down in the area, each finding their own unique way to contribute to the growing Dharma community. Some studied, while others helped with the more mundane works such as administration, finances, kitchen work and even gardening.

Venerable Abbot Geshe Tamdrin Rabten (with sunglasses) and the monks of Tharpa Choeling in 1978. From left to right: Glaude Grenier, Stephen Schettini, Christopher Pace, Laurence Williamson, Brian Grabia, Arnold Possick, Dominique Monmayeul, Stephen Batchelor, Helmut Gassner, Eckart Zabel, Bruno Le Guevel, Alan Wallace, Geshe Tamdrin Rabten, Geshe Jhampa Lhodro, Geshe Gendun Zangpo, Elio Guarisco and Gen Lo Norbu on the occasion of the novice ordination of Laurence, Dominique and Eckart

A younger Geshe Rabten Rinpoche

The Geneva Group

Anne Ansermet

Comprising of businessmen and industrialists, the Geneva group was led by Anne Ansermet, daughter of a famous Swiss conductor, Ernest. Coming from a privileged background, Anne was well-connected to the movers and shakers of the day, and it was this group that arranged and financed the purchase of Le Colibri. They funded the institute, put visas in passports, and provided sufficient funding for living expenses and books.

At the age of 70, Anne was drawn to Buddhism and even traveled to India to be ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She was an amazing woman to whom the residents of Tharpa Choeling owed much of their spiritual pursuits. It was the hard work of Anne and her group that allowed the ordained and lay people in Tharpa Choeling to live a life of study and contemplation without having to worry about their material needs.

The Geneva group on the other hand, approved of the study programs in Tharpa Choeling, confident that their hard work, money and time were well spent, and that things were moving in the right direction to help disseminate Buddhism in the West.

Anne Ansermet in Dharamsala with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Visits

In the summer of 1979, Geshe Rabten invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Switzerland. It was in Tharpa Choeling that His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his first public teaching in the West. Under the direction of Geshe Rabten, Stephen Batchelor was placed in-charge of organizing the Dalai Lama’s visit. He was given a total budget of 30’000 Swiss Francs to prepare for a free public teaching by the Dalai Lama to accommodate 1,000 attendees.

At that time, the organizing committee’s request to the Swiss police for security forces was declined with the argument that “The Dalai Lama is not an endangered person”. On top of that, despite intensive advertising, only about 900 attendees turned up for the Dalai Lama’s teaching.

1979: His Holiness Dalai Lama (left) in Tharpa Choeling, Mt Pelerin, Switzerland humbly sat on a few cushions instead of the throne prepared for Him. Seated beside the Dalai Lama are translators: B. Alan Wallace (centre) and Helmut Gassner (right)
(Photo by Fred von Allmen)

1979: His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives his first public teaching in the West in Tharpa Choeling, with B. Alan Wallace and Helmut Gassner translating

10 Years Later: H.E. Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche

H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche

H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche, one of Geshe Rabten’s closest disciples, served his teacher for 33 years until Geshe Rabten’s passing in 1986. Gonsar Rinpoche considered it his personal responsibility to continue Geshe Rabten’s works, and Tharpa Choeling was renamed to Rabten Choeling in Geshe Rabten’s memory. At present, Gonsar Rinpoche is the director of Rabten Choeling as well as other Rabten centres across Europe.

Gonsar Rinpoche also led the search for Geshe Rabten’s incarnation, Tenzin Rabgye Rinpoche. Born in India in 1987, he now lives at Rabten Choeling under the care and tutelage of Gonsar Rinpoche. In the spring of 1998, the then ten-year-old Tenzin Rabgye Rinpoche gave his first teaching in front of 200 people in Rabten Choeling.

H.E. Tenzin Rabgye Rinpoche

Trijang Rinpoche and Rabten Choeling

Rabten Choeling was also host to H.H. Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche during his younger days. Due to increasing hostility against practitioners of the dharma protector Dorje Shugden, Trijang Rinpoche, a great Dorje Shugden proponent, had received several death threats from the Secret Society of External and Internal Enemy Eliminators which forced him to relocate to Switzerland for his own safety.

Having since moved to USA and established Trijang Buddhist Institute in Vermont, Trijang Rinpoche continues to maintain close ties with Rabten Choeling, especially with Tenzin Rabgye Rinpoche and Gonsar Rinpoche.

Kyabje Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche visits Rabten Choeling in 2012

Rabten Choeling Today

Rabten Choeling is both a monastery and an international school with students from 14 different countries. The sangha of Rabten Choeling perform daily prayers, monastic rites such as sangha confessionals, summer retreats and monthly pujas in the centre. Several guest rooms are available in the centre for retreats and for those interested to visit the monastery.

The residents of Rabten Choeling conduct prayer recitations twice a day, at 7 am and 6 pm, except during the weekends. Tsok offerings are also performed every fortnight according to the Tibetan calendar. A general class is held every Sunday, 3 pm, and several public seminars are conducted throughout the year.

Rabten Choeling Monastery

Centre des Hautes Etudes Tibétaines
Chemin Derochoz 2
1801 Le Mont-Pèlerin
Vevey, Switzerland
Phone: +41 21 9213600
E-mail: info@rabten.ch
Website: http://www.rabten.eu/visitSwiss_en.htm

More pictures of Rabten Choeling

Rabten Choeling Monastery in Switzerland

Front view of Rabten Choeling

Inside Rabten Choeling

Regular blessings ceremonies are conducted

The Dorje Shugden altar in Rabten Choeling

The magnificent view from Rabten Choeling

Prayer flags around the monastery

In Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, there is a temple that faithfully remains loyal to the practice of Dorje Shugden. Established in 1990, the Tugs Bayasgalant Nunnery was built with great perseverance through a ten-year of struggle, and is now maintained and operated by a group of Mongolian women and lay nuns who have strong faith and devotion to Dorje Shugden. The gonpa (main prayer hall) of the nunnery features a beautiful shrine dedicated to Tara.

Tugs Bayasgalant, which means Heaven of Joy, is one of the few nunneries in Ulaanbaatar. Led by its current Abbess, a lay Buddhist nun named Gantamur, the temple focuses on Buddhist study and practice. In fact, in 2008 there were 21 nuns at Tugs Bayasgalant nunnery, half of which had graduated with a Bachelors degree in Buddhist studies from Zanabazar Buddhist University. This was the first time Mongolian women had been granted such an honor.

Tugs Bayasgalant has been blessed with visits from erudite Dorje Shugden lamas including H.H. Trijang Rinpoche, H.E. Zasep Rinpoche, H.E. Zava Damdin Rinpoche and many others, who fearlessly dedicate their lives to spreading the lineage and practice of Dorje Shugden worldwide.

May all at Tugs Bayasgalant nunnery continuously be blessed with the wisdom of Dorje Shugden and continue to propagate the Gelugpa lineage and practice of Dorje Shugden to many Mongolian women in Ulaanbaatar.

The main gompa at Tugs Bayasgalant

Dorje Shugden altar in Tugs Bayasgalant

A close-up of the Dorje Shugden altar

A beautiful shrine dedicated to Tara

The nuns of Tugs Bayasgalant

Abbess Gantamur, the head of the nunnery

An extremely old and precious thangka of Lama Losang Thubwang Dorje Chang that survived the cultural revolution, passed down through many generations.

A statue of Guru Deva Rinpoche in Tugs Bayasgalant

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche visited Tugs Bayasgalant and expounded the Dharma to the lay nuns

His Eminence Zava Damdin Rinpoche, an erudite Mongolian Lama of the Gelug tradition has also visited Tugs Bayasgalant

The current incarnation of Geshe Tendar at Tugs Bayasgalant

Zasep Rinpoche enthroned in the main gonpa of Tugs Bayasgalant Nunnery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Zasep Rinpoche giving audience to the Abbess and nuns of Tugs Bayasgalant. Zasep Rinpoche is the Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West

Zasep Rinpoche, the Abbess Gantamur (center) and some lay nuns

Geshe Rabten Rinpoche was born in January 1920 in the district of Kham, Tibet. A true Dorje Shugden Lama showing every sign of being a highly accomplished master in both Sutra and Tantra, his root-master was none other than the great Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.

An extract from Geshe Rabten’s Biography – “Life of a Tibetan Monk”

“From the time I was a small child, I met monks in their maroon robes returning from the great monastic universities near Lhasa. I admired them very much. I also occasionally visited the large monastery in our region; and when I watched the monks debating, I was again filled with admiration. When I was about fifteen years old I began to notice how simple, pure and efficient their lives were. I also saw how my own home life, in comparison, was so complicated and demanding of tasks that were never finished. In order to be counted as a qualified monk in the nearby Dhargye Monastery, one had to spend at least three to four years studying and training one’s mind in the Buddha Dharma in one of the three monastic universities near Lhasa. With the thought of becoming such a monk in Dhargye Monastery, I decided at the age of seventeen to go to one of these monastic universities, although at that time I had no desire to become greatly learned in the Dharma.”

When he was eighteen Geshe Rabten went on a three month journey from his birthplace in Kham in the Eastern province of Tibet to Lhasa in central Tibet where he became a monk in the monastic university of Sera. Very soon teachers and fellow students became aware of his magnificent character traits.

While studying and meditating he went through unbelievable hardship. Hence teachers and fellow students gave him the name ‘Milarepa’. Due to his clear and precise way of logical debate, people compared him to Dharmakirti, the great Buddhist logical thinker.

After having studied for about twenty years, he passed the Geshe exam in front of monks from the three great monasteries. He was given the title of the highest rank, ‘Geshe Lharampa’. This is the greatest honor, which is given by the examiners and by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He also spent many years in solitary retreat, and wrote the book “Song of the Profound View” about his meditation experiences.

In 1964 Geshe Rabten was chosen to be the philosophical assistant of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, whose task is to assist His Holiness when taking teachings from his two tutors as well as to engage in debate with His Holiness on philosophical subjects.

In 1969 the Dalai Lama sent the first Western students to Geshe Rabten and then later, due to the amount of Western students that had accumulated he asked Geshe to move to the Tibetan monastery in Rikon, Switzerland to become the Abbot of that monastery and propagate Dharma.

Geshe Rabten was the first Tibetan Buddhist master to introduce the complete Vinaya-tradition and the study of the five major topics of Buddhism to the West. Hence Geshe became the ‘path breaker’ of the complete and complex teachings of Buddhism in the West. Many masters, who are famous in the West today, were Geshe’s students, namely: Gonsar Rinpoche, Sherpa Rinpoche, Tomthog Rinpoche, Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, Geshe Penpa, Geshe Tenzin Gonpo, Geshe Thupten Ngawang, Geshe Thubten Trinley and many more.

Geshe Rinpoche was able to bring the essence of the thoughts of Buddha close to the listeners. No matter if the listener was from the West or the East, whoever followed his words felt all the unclearness disappear and in its place a clearness and calmness started to spread in one’s mind. His examples encouraged people to practise sincerely.

Geshe founded the center for higher Tibetan studies, Rabten Choeling at the lake of Geneva (originally Tharpa Choeling), the Tibetan center in Hamburg, Tashi Rabten at the Letzehof, Puntsog Rabten in Munich and Gephel Ling in Milan.

The Passing of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche

This manifestation of the Buddha has no equal. If you are really determined to tame your mind, he will even give you his heart.
Geshe Rabten on Gyalchen Dorje Shugden

The extraordinary signs that occurred when Geshe Rabten passed away in 1986 made his pupils realise that they were witnessing not only the passing of a great teacher but that of a truly enlightened master. During the months after his death, many students experienced an unusual closeness of Geshe during their meditations.

Rabten Rinpoche, the current incarnation of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche

Three years later, Gonsar Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten’s dearest and closest disciple discovered Geshe’s incarnation, and by a thorough series of consultations with various authorative sources including H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, Kelsang Tsering, the son of Mr. Tenzin Dargye and Mrs. Pasang Gyalmo, was confirmed as the true incarnation of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche out of 180 potential candidates.

Kelsang Tsering was given the name Ven. Tenzin Rabgyä Rinpoche and now lives at Rabten Choeling under the tutelage and care of H.E. Gonsar Rinpoche.

In spring of 1998 the ten year old Ven. Tenzin Rabten Rinpoche gave his first teaching in front of a group of two hundred people in the monastery Rabten Choeling at the lake of Geneva. Unexpectedly and unprepared, the young Rinpoche gave people advice on taking refuge. He spoke in the clear manner of Geshe Rabten’s own special way. The listeners were deeply moved and many of Geshe Rabten’s former students had tears in their eyes.

The current Rabten Rinpoche

All of us at DorjeShugden.com make this virtual offering of a butterlamp to the incomparable master His Holiness Rabten Rinpoche, requesting him to remain for another 1,000 years to continue turning the wheel of Dharma and benefiting countless beings.

For more information about this great master, check out these links

• Lama Yeshe and Geshe Rabten
• Rabgyä Rinpoche Celebrates His 25th Birthday
• Tenzin Rabgye Rinpoche
• Rabten Choeling (Tibetan Temple in Switzerland)

In exile, a new government was created according to democratic rules, and the great monastic universities were rebuilt. By these efforts, the Tibetans were able to maintain their culture. The political efforts to regain a free Tibet, however, have been without success.

In the 60s and 70s an increasing interest in Buddhism led to many new contacts between exile Tibetans and the western world. The first appearance of the Dalai Lama in front of a large western audience took place in 1979 on Mont-Pelerin near Lake Geneva, following an invitation by Ven. Geshe Rabten. This event was followed by further visits to the west. Buddhism became known as a religion of tolerance, peace, and reason. Thanks to a growing number of new Dharma centres and Tibet support groups, a broad spectrum of the population was made aware of issues that concerned the Tibetan people. Tibetans were viewed favourably by many western people and were seen as a peaceful, friendly, and unjustly oppressed people.

Causes of the current conflict

In March 1996, the Dalai Lama announced a ban against the worship of the Buddhist deity Dorje Shugden, declaring that such worship posed a “danger to his life and the cause of Tibet”. The exile government then began to enforce this ban. Houses were searched and a signature campaign was carried out. People were coerced into signing their name agreeing to abandon all worship of this deity from then on. Those refusing to sign were openly declared enemies to the cause of Tibet and as endangering the life of the Dalai Lama. The consequences were dire for those who stood by their faith: employees of the exile government were pushed out of their jobs and children of uncompromising parents were denied school attendance. Even the constitution of the exile government was adapted to this change of policy: “The presiding judge of the Judiciary Commission … must not be a worshipper of Gyalchen Shugden …”

Dorje Shugden is one of many Buddhist deities worshipped as a protector of the teachings of Buddha. He is worshipped by many of the most venerated Masters of the Gelug and Sakya traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as by many monasteries, families and entire regions. The Dalai Lama himself has a close connection with this deity. His own teacher, Trijang Rinpoche, one of the most revered Buddhist Masters of recent times, and Geshe Rabten and Lati Rinpoche, two highly regarded Masters who were selected in 1961 by the Dalai Lama to be his religious assistants, are all worshippers of Dorje Shugden. Moreover, entire departments at the monastic universities of Sera and Gaden, as well as most families in entire regions like Chatring (East Tibet) have been worshipping this deity for centuries.

The actions of the Dalai Lama were seen as shocking because Buddhism is a religion of tolerance, not dogma or force. No Lama has the right to change the content of religious doctrine. Differences in opinion are resolved with clear logic in public debates. The use of political power to impose religious opinions is unthinkable.

The events since 1996 have created deep divisions, as well as conflict and suspicion, in all levels of Tibetan society: in families, monasteries, and schools.

Background

The background to the reasons for the Dalai Lama’s actions has become a source of much speculation. One easily recognized factor is the increasing influence of the state oracle over the Dalai Lama since the 70′s. The Tibetan state oracle goes back to a pre-Buddhist shamanic deity. In Tibetan history, this deity has proved helpful at times, but at other times has been destructive. For this reason, the state oracle was not consulted during the Dalai Lama’s escape in 1959. All details of the remarkable escape were arranged by Trijang Rinpoche in connection with an oracle of Dorje Shugden. After the successful escape, the Dalai Lama expressed his gratitude towards Dorje Shugden. This apparently caused the state oracle to become jealous and to begin defaming Dorje Shugden.

The Dalai Lama fell increasingly under the influence of the state oracle. In recent years there have been three more oracles, including a young woman who grew up among the Chinese in Tibet. All these oracles currently live together with the Dalai Lama in his palace compound, and the Dalai Lama seems to base most of his political decisions on the statements of these oracles.

A further member of the close group surrounding the Dalai Lama is Gyalo Dondrub, the elder brother of the Dalai Lama. In Tibet, the family of the Dalai Lama was respected, but had no political power. Gyalo Dondrub, however, has used the changed situation in exile to gain a powerful influence over Tibetan politics. He is continuously occupied with “secret” business behind the scenes, and although he maintains contact with the CIA, he is the only direct contact the Dalai Lama has with the communist leadership in Beijing. He is regarded as the “secret boss”, and his role, as well as his goals are unclear.

In Switzerland

A similar signature campaign was also carried out in Switzerland. Many families, which had the tradition of worshipping Dorje Shugden for centuries, as well as those who didn’t, refused to sign their names renouncing this practice. Those signatures that were gathered were then handed over to the Dalai Lama during his brief visit to Switzerland in 1996. In a private meeting in Caux near Montreux, the Dalai Lama urged his representatives to “continue these efforts in a clever way. We should ensure that future generations will not even know the name Dholgyal” (Dorje Shugden). (These statements have been verified through notes made by representatives present at the meeting.)

Violence, Destruction and Death

Nothing fans the flames of the fanaticism of Tibetans more violently than the thought that the Dalai Lama could be in danger. The Dalai Lama deliberately gave this as a reason justifying the ban of Dorje Shugden, and thus triggered within a few weeks, fights, the destruction of statues and houses, and assassination attempts through rival mobs. The repeated pleas of concerned individuals were ignored by the Dalai Lama.

In one incident, in June 1996 in Dharamsala, the retired Tibetan Minister Kundeling expressed his worries about the new direction of the exile government. As a consequence, while in his own home just a few days later he was nearly stabbed to death in an attempted assassination.

In February 1997, the director of the School of Dialectics in Dharamsala and his two assistants were murdered. Worshippers of Dorje Shugden were immediately suspected, but although the director had supported the Dalai Lama’s new direction by many defamatory writings, he had attacked many who had criticized the exile government and in so doing he had attracted many enemies. Although he was very close to the Dalai Lama, he was also known as a troublemaker. A few months earlier, he had been denied entry into Mongolia for this reason.

Manipulation of Public Opinion

The Indian press initially reacted with critical reports regarding the new developments in the Tibetan community. From the west came concerned questions about how the actions of the exile government could be compatible with freedom of religion and democracy. The exile government soon carried out an extensive campaign to shape public opinion. These were aimed especially at Tibet support groups, Buddhist centers and the western media. The Indian police force was also greatly influenced.

The original reasons for the belief that “the worship of the deity is a danger to the Dalai Lama’s life and the cause of Tibet” was quickly questioned in the west. How could the worship of a deity endanger the Dalai Lama? What is the cause of Tibet? Is it a political or a religious issue?

New justifications were created which sounded more credible to western ears. Dorje Shugden was depicted as an evil spirit who destroyed the harmony of the Buddhist traditions of Tibet. Historical facts which contradict these statements were manipulated. The fame and respect of the Dalai Lama seemed to be enough to make it easy for the exile government to spread false statements. When Walt Disney Productions made the film “Kundun”, which tells the story of the Dalai Lama, they consulted the exile government. Decisive historical events in the Dalai Lama’s life were misrepresented in order to justify the exile government’s current anti-Shugden campaign. There are still eye witnesses alive who can verify these falsifications.

Representations of Dorje Shugden which are closer to reality can be found in many writings of important Tibetan masters of the past 300 years. There has also been a study carried out at the University of Tokyo in 1995 which describes in detail the relationship between the 5th Dalai Lama and Master Dragpa Gyaltsen, the historical source of Dorje Shugden.

The Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society

In the months following March 1996, monks of the monasteries affected by the ban attempted to negotiate with the Dalai Lama, but to no avail. In June 1996, the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society was established. Their aim was to use historical facts in their struggle against the exile government’s intensive spreading of false information. For some authors who have contributed to the preparation of these historical records, the consequences have been tragic. The house of the retired teacher Dr. Thubten from the Tibetan settlement of Clementown was barricaded by a mob, bombarded with stones and set on fire. Although Dr Thubten and his family managed to escape with minor injuries, a monk who was with them was hospitalized with severe head injuries. Dr. Thubten, a respected Tibetan teacher with 33 years of service, now lives in reduced and difficult conditions in Delhi. The reason for the hostility against Dr. Thubten is that he had criticized the exile government’s new policy regarding Dorje Shugden.

The Dorje Shugden Society was also advised to take the case to the highest court in India, because the new direction of the exile government obviously violates the Indian law of freedom of religion. Although all the necessary documents for such a case have been prepared, no serious measures have been taken – presumably out of respect for the Dalai Lama.

Thus, it came as no surprise that after the murder of the director of the School of Dialectics, the exile government made great efforts to directly incriminate the leading monks of the Dorje Shugden Society, in the hope of eliminating their obstinate opposition. Although the details of the murder remain unclear, a connection to the Dorje Shugden Society could not be proved. The exile government has nevertheless been successful in influencing worldwide media to such an extent that the worshippers of Dorje Shugden are described as “violent fundamentalists who are after the blood of the Dalai Lama”.

The paradox of the story: The teacher and two assistants of the Dalai Lama, as well as all of those who made the Dalai Lama’s escape out of Tibet possible, and most of the Khampa guerrillas who gave up their lives to create a safe path to India for the Dalai Lama, were worshippers of Dorje Shugden. How can these people be said to be the ones endangering the Dalai Lama’s life?

A Conflict with a Solution

This conflict was started by the Dalai Lama. It can be ended by him at any time, if he grants his people unlimited freedom of religion. Up until now, the Dalai Lama has done nothing to settle the dispute. The exile Tibetans are dependent on the good favor and support of the west. However, if the western media recognized and accurately represented the current behavior of the Tibetan exile government, many of those who are currently in positions of power might lose their influence.

Influences in Tibetan Exile

At the age of 16, His Holiness the Dalai Lama became responsible for the politics of a Tibet which had already been occupied by Chinese troops. Of his two teachers, it was Trijang Rinpoche in particular who instructed His Holiness not only in religious matters, but also in political procedure and conduct. Many of the speeches made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama up to the late 70′s were composed with the advice and help of Trijang Rinpoche.

In old Tibet, political matters were in the hands of the nobility. After the successful escape from Tibet, it was these families in particular who established settlements, schools and political representation in foreign countries.

Gyalo Dondrub, the Dalai Lama’s elder brother, used the new situation in exile to gain more influence than had previously been possible for him. Phala, Surkhang and Yuthog, experienced nobles from the old Tibet, achieved great benefit for the Tibetan people in exile. They, however, stood in the way of Gyalo Dondrub’s striving for increased power. In the mid 60′s, the Dalai Lama’s brother succeeded in setting public opinion against Surkhang and Yuthog, who were thus forced to leave India and move to Taiwan. Phala was assigned representation in Switzerland and thereby lost his direct influence in India. In order to gain further influence, Gyalo Dondrub also had to break the close contact between Trijang Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama. This may have been the purpose of his attempt to marry the Dalai Lama to an American woman.

Oracles and Deities

Another person who sought influence in exile was the Tibetan state oracle. The flight from Tibet had been successful thanks to the oracle of Dorje Shugden. The Dalai Lama, therefore, exhibited an increasingly strong connection to this deity, which thereby limited the power and significance of the state oracle.

Tibetan Buddhism recognizes various types of deities. Supramundane deities are aspects of Buddha who generally cannot be contacted directly. Worldly deities are beings invisible to humans, yet nevertheless have a close connection with this world and with the fate of mankind. Some of these help humans; others hurt them. Their perceptive faculties regarding past, present and future are higher than those of ordinary humans. By means of oracles, such deities can be contacted.

An oracle is a human being whose body can be used by a supramundane being appearing in the aspect of a worldly deity, or by a worldly deity. The deity puts the mind of the human into an unconscious state and then uses the body of this human to provide consultation. One can imagine the great benefit humans can derive from such a deity if the deity is a powerful being in complete control of the oracle’s body, and is a being with perfect perception of situations and developments and solely driven by the desire to help humans to achieve a wholesome life. If the deity is less powerful and the mind of the oracle remains active during consultation, then it is uncertain who speaks: it may be the deity, but it may also be the ordinary human being. Moreover, if the deity or still active oracle is motivated by selfishness, then its responses will hardly be of use to humans and can be the source of tremendous disturbance to a society.

In Tibet there were hundreds of oracles with deities of varying quality. The Tibetan state oracle (Netchung) was said to have been a shamanic deity that was overcome by the Indian master Padmasambhava and then forced to protect Tibet. Many decisions in Tibet’s history have their source in statements by the state oracle. Sometimes the advice was beneficial; at other times it was fatal. When the British army marched towards Lhasa at the time of the 13th Dalai Lama, the state oracle was consulted. The British, under Lieutenant-Colonel Younghusband, had no intention to attack the Tibetans. The state oracle however advised, “Now the time has come to destroy the enemy.” The Tibetan army attacked, suffered extensive losses and was defeated within a few hours. The 13th Dalai Lama was very displeased with the state oracle and forbade further prophecies for a long time.

Dorje Shugden is considered the incarnation of the Master Dragpa Gyaltsen, who appears in the form of a worldly deity. Dragpa Gyaltsen and the 5th Dalai Lama were masters of similar rank at Drepung Monastery, although Master Dragpa Gyaltsen enjoyed far greater popularity and renown than the 5th Dalai Lama. The chief minister of the 5th Dalai Lama is said to have murdered Dragpa Gyaltsen in 1656 out of jealousy, unable to accept a possible rival to his own protégé. Master Dragpa Gyaltsen took rebirth in the form of the deity Dorje Shugden with the purpose of protecting the teachings of Buddha in general, and in particular the teachings of Master Je Tsongkhapa.

There exist several oracles of Dorje Shugden. Through his oracle of Panglung Monastery, Dorje Shugden gave precise instructions for the escape of the Dalai Lama in 1959. Panglung Rinpoche, the head lama of Panglung Monastery, is now a teacher at the University of Munich, and the oracle of Panglung now lives in Taiwan.

Oracles in the Exile Government

In the 70′s, the state oracle gained increasing influence over the decisions of the Dalai Lama. Repeated prophecies were made that Tibet would gain its independence within a few years. The predicted time has since long passed, but Tibet’s independence has not been achieved. It is known that the uprising of the Tibetans in Lhasa in the eighties took place as a result of the advice of the state oracle. The consequences were devastating, as many Tibetans lost their lives, and nothing was gained. The recent conflict concerning the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama is also attributed to the state oracle, who advised that the identity of the boy be announced before he was brought out of Tibet and into safety.

The state oracle blames its failures on Dorje Shugden: “Everything would have occurred as I predicted if Dorje Shugden had not prevented it.” These statements seem to be taken seriously by the exile government and this may be the actual source of such phrases as, “The worship of Dorje Shugden damages Tibetan matters.”

Oracles have played a role in Tibetan history for a long time. Their influence, however, has never been as dominant as now in Dharamsala.

Those Surrounding His Holiness the Dalai Lama

In recent years, three further oracles have joined the state oracle. In addition to Gyalo Dondrub, the narrow circle around the Dalai Lama seems to consist of more and more people attempting to use the Dalai Lama merely for their own selfish purposes. This development has been noticed with great concern within the Tibetan community. On July 15, 1997, a Tibetan went on hunger strike in order to draw attention to the dangers posed by those surrounding the Dalai Lama. It was said that groups of Tibetans were forming in Dharamsala with the intention of violently opposing the actions of those Tibetans who disagree with the present policies of the Tibetan government.

Source: www.schettini.com