Recently, I visited your official CTA website and have noticed that you have removed many negative information, articles and videos regarding the Dharma Protector Gyalchen Dorje Shugden. This is a right step in a democratic direction.

As an avid follower of dorjeshugden.com, which speaks out for millions of Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world, I would like to join them to congratulate you, fold my hands in respect and say that you are going in the right direction. Please allow us to explain why, below.

Because you are a secular government, run by a secular leadership, the Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of Tibet, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, should relate and interact with ALL citizens of Tibet and of Tibetan descent, regardless of their religious orientation. To bar them, restrict them or segregate and create bias against them due to their religious beliefs is archaic, something from the Middle Ages and an outdated thing of the past.

For a secular government like you to have put bans on your website, in the past, against Shugden or any other religion is very bad public relations for yourself and your government. As such, your new stance to remove any negative references about Dorje Shugden and any spiritual practice is the right direction to take because the secular government (the state) and religion must be separated. You must rule, guide and lead all Tibetan citizens regardless of their background, religious choices and province.

In summary, all Dorje Shugden followers around the world, like myself, would like to congratulate you for moving towards building a truly democratic government and administration. In the future, all further negative references against Shugden and any religions should also be removed from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s website (www.dalailama.com). It is a very bad image for the Dalai Lama.

With folded hands,
[YOUR NAME]

I am writing to you to draw your attention to a most important issue within the Tibetan Buddhist community. This is not about any Free Tibet issues. This is something even more important about the freedom of people within the Tibetan community and among each other.

1. It is well known that His Holiness the Dalai Lamas throughout their incarnations over the centuries have been both secular and spiritual heads of the Tibetans. This may have worked in the past, in a country that was isolated from the rest of the world. However, many countries throughout the modern world understand that the mixing of secular and religious affairs cannot work. This system has failed time and time again, throughout history, in all the largest nations in the world.

But this is not so in the exiled Tibetan community living in India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, up until very recently, held both secular and spiritual leadership of his people. Decisions and policies made for the country encompassed both secular and religious edicts at the same time. This has become very pronounced during the Dalai Lama’s ban on the religious worship of the Buddha Dorje Shugden.

2. As a spiritual leader of his people, it may be the prerogative of the Dalai Lama to proclaim a ban on a particular religious practice. In fact, he has even banned all Dorje Shugden devotees from attending his sermons, rituals and special religious ceremonies. Within a spiritual sphere, perhaps this is still permissible, since he is their religious authority. Also, any Lama has the right to determine which students are permitted to attend their ceremonies.

However, as the secular leader of his people, the Dalai Lama should maintain an unbiased concern for all citizens of the nation under him, no matter what their religious choices are. He should NOT exclude people from coming to see him as their political, secular leader during his non-religious activities, talks or appearances. Unfortunately however, this is what is happening: Dorje Shugden devotees are not permitted to have anything to do with the Dalai Lama or his people, solely because of his religious beliefs.

At the same time, although this is a spiritual matter, the secular institution of the Central Tibetan Administration (formerly known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile) has also become deeply involved. They actively search for Dorje Shugden people to create obvious segregation and undemocratic bias. When they find them, the CTA ostracizes, attacks and ridicules Dorje Shugden practitioners. They deny them any of the welfare, voting rights or privileges that all citizens of a country should be equally entitled to.

Through the ban, Tibetans are forced to make an exclusive decision – choose to follow the Dalai Lama or Dorje Shugden. However, if they choose to continue with Dorje Shugden, they do not only lose connections to the Dalai Lama. They are also severed from all voting rights, education, social welfare, medical aid or even social interaction with their fellow Tibetan citizens. This is because the Dalai Lama has said clearly that Tibetans must completely sever all social, working and religious ties with Dorje Shugden practitioners.

This is NOT RIGHT. The Dalai Lama may have supreme spiritual authority over his people, as their religious leader. However, as he is also their secular leader, he should still have equal care and concern for his people as citizens of his nation. This goes beyond one’s religious orientation, which is every individual’s freedom to choose. Even if someone is not allowed to associate with the Dalai Lama for religious reasons, they should still have the right to associate with their secular, political leader. After all, they are still citizens of the community – shouldn’t all citizens be granted equal liberties and civil rights, regardless of their religious choices? Shouldn’t every secular leader have equal concern for the people under his leadership and take care of their welfare irregardless of their religious beliefs and orientation?

There are also Tibetans who are not Buddhists, but are Muslims, Bonpos and the likes. They are allowed to attend all the Dalai Lama’s religious ceremonies and secular gatherings. Basically, all citizens of Tibet are allowed to interact with the Dalai Lama, whether on a religious and/or secular level EXCEPT Dorje Shugden practitioners. How does the Tibetan leadership address this when every other democratic country in the 21st Century will not tolerate this kind of blatant discrimination.

3. Lastly, in more recent times, the Dalai Lama has retired as the secular head of the Tibetan exiled community. In 2011, the respected Dr. Lobsang Sangay has stepped into the position as the Tibetans’ new prime minister, overseeing all secular affairs of the state.

However, Dorje Shugden devotees are still not permitted to associate with him, only because of their religious orientation. Why is this so? There is now a clear distinction between the spiritual leader (Dalai Lama) and the secular leader (Dr. Lobsang Sangay). But it seems that religious edicts have also overlapped onto the secular affairs of the Tibetan community. The spiritual dictates from the spiritual leader are also being upheld by the secular leaders of the community. Why is this so? Why have spiritual affairs become a part of the political affairs of a country; and vice versa?

SO, I WOULD LIKE TO POST THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, WHICH NEED TO BE ASKED AND ADDRESSED:

- As a religious leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not allow people to come to his talks. The world respect and understand that. It is his prerogative as their spiritual leader. However, on a secular level, as the leader of all six million Tibetans, why does he not allow these same Tibetans to join in his secular activities, talks, rallies and events? If not, why not? After all, His Holiness is still their leader.

- Now that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has passed his secular power to the first Prime minister of Tibetans, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, what do all the Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners do? Are they allowed to talk to and interact with their new secular leader? Or are they restricted from doing so purely because of their religious choices? What are they expected to do?

- Dr. Lobsang Sangay (Prime Minister) is a secular leader, a layman who was newly and democratically elected who is not a Spiritual Guru or Dharma teacher; only strictly a worldly leader for the benefit of all Tibetan citizens. How do Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners relate to him? How should they relate to him? How should Dr. Lobsang Sangay, as their Prime Minister, relate to them? Can they even consider him their leader although they are Tibetans who still practice Dorje Shugden? They certainly do not have any spiritual bond (samaya) with him and their religious practices would not have any bearing on their relationship with him, as it might with the Dalai Lama.

- In future, how do Dorje Shugden practitioners relate to the next prime minister after Dr. Lobsang Sangay? And the one after that? And after that? How should all these future prime ministers relate to the people?

I do not mean disrespect to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, or to Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the CTA or any Tibetans. However, we need to ask these questions. They are logical and necessary at a time when the world does not operate solely by religious edicts. It is unfair, undemocratic and a travesty of human freedoms. I call for reconsideration of this ban and how it is being conducted and wish that all have the freedoms to make their own religious and worldly choices.

With respect,
[YOUR NAME]

Kalon Tripa Lobsang Sangay
Kashag
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamshala – 176215
H.P.,
India
September 10, 2011

Dear Katri,

First, Congratulations to you for becoming new Kalon Tripa. I wish you good luck and hope you can do a lot of good things for the Tibetan people. I pray His Holiness Dalai Lama bless you and all of us for success.

Many Tibetans living in exile in India and also all around the world have a lot of hopes with you. For so many years since we left Tibet, there is still so much difficulty for Tibetans. For example travel is so difficult. Nobody recognize or accept Tibetan travel papers like the way they respect other country. Nobody respect us because nobody respect where we are coming from. How come no one respect us? How come Tibetan government doesn’t work on infrastructure or methods to make us respected so people don’t put us down in every place we go. Why Tibetan government doesn’t do more things on a world level to bring up reputation.

Now in modern world, there is no really famous Tibetan. Apart from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, no Tibetan has become world famous for anything like science, writing, music, art, business, medicine etc. Why? Why Tibetan have nobody famous except religious people. For last 50 years, Tibetan government in Dharmasala focus too much on religion issue, lamas, practice, protectors and sects. This focus on religion does not help us to get our country back, also does not help Tibetan cause in the world. You must stop talking so much religion things. Actually, whatever religion, practice, lama, sect, Buddha or protector that Tibetans choose, the government must give freedom. Government must not interfere in this kind of private things. Tibetan government should never talk about religion like all other government in the world don’t talk about religion and have focus on religion all the time.

The Tibetan government never provide any good opportunity for after education. There is no help for Tibetans to have good career and good work life and chances for growing. The government never help to produce any world-class Tibetans. If you can promote us to be successful in different area, then we will be more famous in the world and have more respect. Then if Tibetans talk about Tibetan cause, it will be more powerful and more people will listen to help us. But Tibetan government never help Tibetans to be successful. We cannot even travel so how we can achieve more bigger things?

Instead of trying to do more bigger things for your people, the CTA spend so much time talking about small, religion things. This issue about the Dorje Shugden, I am not interested in this. Most people in the world is not interested. Even my friends asking me why Tibetan government always talking about this things and put down people because of religion. I heard these people cannot get medicine help or education. It looks very behind and for Tibetans, it is embarrassing. There is not progression or democratic action. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is so big and famous and good but why on his website, there is these things on Dholgyal and Dorje Shugden? (dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden). This thing make Dalai Lama image go down. No big famous religion leader or nobel prize people putting things on their website talking bad about religion. This things makes Dalai Lama and Tibetans look like very not compassion and very small mind. Writing this thing does not look like give advice but make His Holiness look like suppressing religion freedom and religious practice. You must remove this section on Dalai Lama website please!

The Dalai Lama always say that everybody is welcome to go to his dharma talks. Anybody from every religion can go, except Dorje Shugden people. This is not fair. Why Dalai Lama have no compassion and love for Dorje Shugden people? If Dorje Shugden people so bad, Dalai Lama must accept them for his talk and help them to change to be good. If he don’t let them come in, how to help them? How can religious teachers stop anybody to join them for prayers and good religion talks? No religion leader today stop people to come and see them and help them. This kind of message make Dalai Lama look very small mind and not kind and have bias. We all know Dalai Lama is very kind and have a lot of love. But this things on website make him look opposite and make him look like bad although it is not true. The Dalai Lama is the doctor, dharma is medicine. Samsara people is all sick. Even Dorje Shugden people is sick and all need help like all of us. So why Dalai Lama don’t let them come to his talk to help them and give them healing? All people deserve to have this medicine and dharma. How can the Tibetan government support something like this? It makes Tibetans very old-fashioned. It is not modern and no democracy. There is no human rights and it will make the world have no more respect for Tibetan policy and ideas. Please do not mix up religion things and politics anymore.

Now it is so difficult for Tibetans. Later, when His Holiness Dalai Lama pass away, what will be the future for the rest of Tibetans? The rest of the world will respect us less when there is no more Dalai Lama. Until now, the Tibetan government did not create any respect for itself or its people. Without Dalai Lama, it will be even more difficult to make other people to listen to us.

Dr Lobsang Sangay, I really hope that you can improve condition for the Tibetan people. Many of us still having so many problems now because the government did not fight enough for Tibetans, always focus on small things and religion things instead of development. Now the world is getting smaller but Tibetan people still have so much trouble to be respected because we don’t have good opportunities for working life or for politics. Actually, it is very sad Tibetan government name already change to CTA. It shows that government reputation and name and honour already go down in the world. The CTA need to catch up to rest of the world and have progress. I hope very much you can achieve this progress.

I wish you many Tashi Deleks and I am sorry maybe my words hurt you. Also, I am sorry have to writing to you in English. My Tibetan writing is not so good, so I ask my friend to help me with writing this letter. I hope it is okay.

YOUR NAME