In 2017, approximately 100 Tibetans gathered in Dharamsala to protest against the Tibetan leadership and to call for integrity in the Tibetan leadership. Scenes like this are becoming increasingly common; even the idea that the Dalai Lama might be disturbed to hear about their protest no longer makes these frustrated Tibetans hesitate. However, because they called for greater accountability in their government, these Tibetans were denounced as traitors. But will this soon be a thing of the past? When will Tibetans brave enough to protest against the leadership no longer be harassed and called “anti-Tibetan” or “anti-Dalai Lama”?

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Sil Klose

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s reputation is increasingly lying in tatters, Tibetans are growing emboldened when it comes to voicing their opinions against him.

Contextually-speaking, it is not easy for Tibetans to speak up against the Dalai Lama. Centuries of indoctrination to worship the Dalai Lama as a god-king has developed a culture of unquestioned obedience to everything he says. Backing this up is the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; Tibetan leadership in Dharamsala) who enforce his diktats, under the guise of supporting his work but usually using his instructions as a cover to settle personal scores and vendettas, and fulfill private agendas.

So while to Westerners the Dalai Lama appears to be a smiling, giggly, charming old monk (and by nature, he truly is), Tibetans know differently. They know that the Dalai Lama should be obeyed without question, and that to displease him or to displease those who claim to represent him, can invite swift and oftentimes violent retribution in the name of “protecting the Dalai Lama”. They know that to hint, let alone speak, against the Dalai Lama’s policies can result in segregation and discrimination, as has been the experience of Dorje Shugden practitioners who have refused to abide by his ban against this centuries-old Buddhist deity.

Dorje Shugden practitioners have been kicked out of their homes and monasteries and rendered homeless, and refused service in shops, restaurants and even hospitals. The children are bullied in school, the parents are refused employment and the lamas are detained and questioned without basis, to prevent them from being able to teach. In the worst of cases, they are attacked and stabbed, or murdered whether it is by poison or being driven off the road. So to speak up against the Dalai Lama, Tibetan leadership and their policies can be fatal and the fact Tibetans are overcoming centuries of Dalai Lama-worship to join the chorus speaking up against him is a surprise indeed.

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It started with a Tibetan teenager, Tenzin Sherab, making fun of Samdhong Rinpoche, the ex-Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) and current personal emissary of the Dalai Lama. At a public celebration in New York, the young man bravely took to the stage and mocked Samdhong Rinpoche’s manner of speaking, mimicking the inflections and cadence of his voice. The only reason he probably felt brave enough to do so is because he was in America and not India, and therefore away from the oppressive hand of the CTA.

Nevertheless, it was unprecedented that anyone might conceive of publicly mocking a monk who is the Dalai Lama’s right-hand man in this manner. Even more damning for the CTA’s reputation is that the audience laughed uproariously and gleefully circulated the video on social media. In years gone past, Samdhong Rinpoche would have been untouchable and beyond reproach; as the Kalon Tripa and the Dalai Lama’s emissary, the same courtesy extended to the Dalai Lama would have been extended to him. It now seems to be no longer the case, thanks to the CTA’s actions and how they have destroyed people’s faith in and respect for the monastic community.

The public mocking of Samdhong Rinpoche was followed by Tibetan students questioning Lobsang Sangay when he visited the Tibetan Children’s Village school in Dharamsala. The youths asked about the CTA’s role in the Dorje Shugden controversy and the “President” of the CTA reacted by showing his displeasure, his face instantly darkening and a snarl forming on his lips. Instead of answering their questions, he skirted around the subject and attempted to change topic. There are a few issues with this:

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1. Why even hold a public forum if some questions cannot be asked? And how can the CTA’s top leader, albeit a mere figurehead, be so uncouth as to refuse to answer the electorate’s questions? As future voters of the Tibetan community, the students had every right to ask their leader whatever they want. Is the CTA really a democracy when its leader tries to dictate what topics are appropriate for discussion and what are not?
2. Is this Harvard-educated lawyer so easily shaken? If the equilibrium of the CTA’s top leader can be thrown off balance due to a couple of questions from a few youths far younger than him, is he really fit to be the President of an entire diaspora of Tibetan people? Is he qualified to lead the people in the Dalai Lama’s absence?
3. True to form, the teenagers were summarily detained and questioned, and asked about their affiliations, allegiances and personal beliefs. It is worrisome that a few simple questions can result in the draconian treatment of children and it is insulting that the CTA thinks their own people are not smart enough to think and form their own opinions, but need to be fed the questions and put up to asking them.

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Unfortunately for the CTA, the difficult questions are not going away. In more recent times, members of Parliament have been questioning the accuracy of the Nechung Oracle in official parliamentary sessions which are recorded and broadcasted. It is well-known that the Dalai Lama heavily relies on the Nechung Oracle and the forthcoming proclamations during the trance. His predictions however, have been shown to be unreliable and because people cannot question the Dalai Lama without being attacked for it, they are instead choosing to question the people he relies on. The logic is as such – if you cannot question the man who is making the decisions, then question the decisions he is making and the people who are helping him to make them.

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That is to say, why does the Dalai Lama rely on Nechung if he has been proven over decades to be unreliable? Surely that is a reflection of other potentially-poor choices and decisions the Dalai Lama has made, including the ban on Dorje Shugden and his involvement in the recognition of the Karmapas. As seen in this video below, these members of Parliament (MPs) have even been trying to dissociate themselves from the Nechung Oracle, ashamed and embarrassed that a so-called democracy is relying on spirits and gods for their policy-making.

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After MP Tenpa Yarphel questioned Nechung, it opened a floodgate of uncomfortable questions to be raised in the Tibetan Parliament. This latest series of videos contains the most overt criticism of the Dalai Lama yet to be made public. Some MPs are now openly saying there is no need to listen to everything the Dalai Lama says. Others are now saying that people who question or criticize the Dalai Lama should be left alone and not be harassed for their opinions, nor labelled a “Dalai Lama hater” just because they do not share the same views as him.

This is big, big news as the people now protecting critics of the Dalai Lama are not ordinary Tibetans, but those who are supposed to be the leaders of their community. First, MP Khenpo Kada Ngedup Sonam is actively discouraging Tibetans from following the Dalai Lama’s advice on universal ethics, saying that the advice applies only to the Dalai Lama’s Western audiences. Then the MP Andruk Tseten tells the listening MPs that people who dislike the Dalai Lama, like Dorje Shugden practitioners, do not affect the Dalai Lama’s life. That in fact, it is people who claim to be devoted to the Dalai Lama but disregard his instructions who actually harm the Dalai Lama’s life. In saying this, he backtracks on what the Dalai Lama has claimed all along (that China and Dorje Shugden practitioners are anti-Dalai Lama and anti-Tibetan).

What all of this does is allow Tibetans to feel it is possible to speak up against the Dalai Lama, because now they know their words will not have an effect on his life. In the past, it was always claimed that people who criticize the Dalai Lama will harm his life; now, Andruk Tseten says that this is not the case. On the one hand, cynics might think Khenpo Kada Ngedup Sonam and Andruk Tseten are posturing, saying things that will never happen just to look democratic and open-minded to the outside world. But even if it is posturing, there is always the risk that their posturing will backfire and Tibetans will take their words as encouragement, and it will embolden them to talk.

Instead of things improving for the CTA, they are becoming decidedly worse. The Dalai Lama’s reputation in the Western world is on the decline, amongst both governments who refuse to meet with him as well as the general public, given the exposé of his refusal to act on the sexual abuse cases. When the Dalai Lama is no longer the unquestioned leader he used to be, the CTA will need all the friends they can get for on their own, the CTA has not achieved much and without the reputation of the Dalai Lama backing them, they have no standing of their own.

So rather than continuing down this path, before they reach the point of no return, it would be prudent for them to extend a hand of reconciliation and create as many alliances as possible, even with those whose friendship they have previously rejected such as Dorje Shugden practitioners. Loyalty takes a long time to build up, but is easily destroyed overnight. Case in point – 60 years of goodwill is now in danger due to the Tibetan leadership’s silence over the abuse of women. If the CTA has any hope of enjoying the fruits of loyalty in the future, they had best start protecting and forming it now before it is too late.

Members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile
speak against the Dalai Lama

“Don’t act on everything just because Dalai Lama says so,” says Khenpo Kada Ngedup Sonam

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Khenpo Kada Ngedup Sonam, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (MP), reminds his fellow MPs that it is not necessary for them to listen to the Dalai Lama’s instructions.

He announces to all of them that whenever the Dalai Lama speaks about universal ethics, that is for his Western audience and the instructions are not for them (the Tibetans). As such, they do not need to follow it.

If people want to follow the Dalai Lama’s teachings on universal ethics, Khenpo Sonam says that it is enough for them to follow the 16 Pure Human Laws (མི་ཆོས་གཙང་མ་བཅུ་དྲུག).

Khenpo Sonam then reminds the listening MPs that the Dalai Lama recently gave the same instruction, saying that, “We Tibetans do not need to follow, I have already said that the universal ethics are not for us.”

How come Tibetans are exempt from practicing universal ethics?

Why is the Dalai Lama telling Western audiences one thing, and Tibetan audiences another?

“Leave Dalai Lama’s critics alone,”
says Tibetan MP Andruk Tseten

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Member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Andruk Tseten, reminds Tibetans of the importance of following the Dalai Lama’s instructions and not disappointing him.

He said that considering the Dalai Lama’s advancing age (84 years old), it will be good for him to lessen his public programs if they are not important. Andruk Tseten says that it is important to make the Dalai Lama’s body and mind be relaxed and at peace, and the way to do this is by not disappointing the Dalai Lama.

Andruk Tseten says that if people like Dorje Shugden practitioners dislike the Dalai Lama, that is due to their ignorance. And if those ignorant people choose to disregard the Dalai Lama’s instructions, it is not a big deal. Andruk Tseten says that their choice will not affect the Dalai Lama’s life and activities. That is good Andruk Tseten says that because in a democratic society, people do not have to agree with everything the leader says and this does not make them ignorant. They do not need to be penalized for thinking different from their leaders. It just shows they have their own way which might be just as good. 

But if people who call the Dalai Lama their precious lama do not follow his instructions, then it will harm his life and activities. Those people who follow the Dalai Lama, but disregard his instructions, are the ones who disappoint and harm him. They are the people who do not bring peace to the Dalai Lama.
 

Manjushri Buddhist Centre

From Más Allá de la Ciencia

Number 103/9/1997, by J.C. Deus
(Translated from Spanish; scroll down to see scans from the original Spanish magazine)

For the first time in history, the Dalai Lama is having to confront serious accusations made against him publicly for infringing the religious freedom and human rights of his own people. His attempt to eliminate a deity which he describes as ‘suspicious’ and ‘defiled’ is causing him, the highest Tibetan authority, endless problems. Even though the feared ‘demon’ is in fact harmless, the internal demons of Tibetan Buddhism seem to have woken up from their sleep.

Readers of MAS ALLA DE LA CIENCIA will remember that I have written two articles about the religious persecution which the Dalai Lama has implemented against one of the most revered of the countless number of deities within Tibetan Buddhism, a deity known as Dorje Shugden (see numbers 94 and 100). These articles were also recently published on the Internet. In these articles we can read about the ban of the worship of this deity, who has officially been declared as evil, about the persecution of his devotees, and public demonstrations by a number of dissidents who, for the first time in the history of the Tibetans in exile, accuse the Dalai Lama of being a dictator and an oppressor. Finally, there were three murders at the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the court of Dharamsala, for which the dissidents were blamed. This was an obvious sign that ‘the blood had reached the river’ and that this quarrel, which at first just seemed like another of the countless quarrels that have characterised the history of this theocracy (which has not yet lasted a millennium), is becoming a story that has heavy consequences for the future of these people.

For this reason, it was not surprising that one day I received a message through the Internet from someone who complained about my bias in favour of the Dalai Lama, and who offered to tell me the other side of the story. This person was a Basque-born Buddhist nun called Kelsang Dewang, who has been studying with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso – known as Geshe-la by his followers. This Lama has been brave enough to contradict the orders of the Dalai Lama, to protest publicly against them, and to lead a movement of disobedience. The organisation that Geshe leads – the New Kadampa Tradition – not only regards the deity Dorje as a ‘divine emanation’ and one of their main spiritual practices, but is also an important group within Western Buddhism, since it is the one that is growing the most at present.

In this way, we started exchanging messages, with much discussion, not only about the decision of the Dalai Lama, but also about a little-known story of alleged abuse, persecution and despotism by the man who the media has enthroned as a symbol of tolerance and the embodiment of human rights. However, the new image presented by his critics is that of a man hungry for power, cruel to those who oppose him, and ruling the Tibetan government-in-exile with an iron hand while preaching compassion around the world.
 

The Demons of the Dalai Lama

But let’s do a bit of history. The Dalai Lama himself previously revered the deity Dorje Shugden, as had his tutors and teachers, until inexplicably in 1978 he changed his view and adopted a hostility [towards the deity]. Initially this hostility was expressed only within the complex labyrinth of his feudal court and in the puzzling organisation of the Tibetan religious apparatus in exile.

But in 1996 this repudiation of Dorje Shugden was made public and what until then had been only exhortations, often ignored, became prohibitions implemented with violent persecution of the followers of this [deity], now a so-called ‘demon’. The Dalai Lama presented his attack as a matter of life or death for the Tibetan cause. Dorje was portrayed as an evil being responsible for the failure to attain Tibetan independence and for many other problems. If he were not completely abolished forever, he would sink the Tibetan people into the greatest of catastrophes. He was even harmful to the life of the Dalai Lama, the highest leader in Tibetan Buddhism.

His assertions stunned the devotees of this deity, to the extent that the lama Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, director of the New Kadampa Tradition, ignored his orders, and his followers organised public demonstrations in England and Switzerland protesting against the Dalai Lama’s decision. Officials of Tibetan Offices, representing the Dalai Lama in the West, promptly relayed to the media accusations against the New Kadampa Tradition, describing it as a dangerous sect, worshippers of the devil, and people who had sold their soul to a Satanic cult in exchange for Mephistophelian favours of money and power. Dorje was portrayed as a demon, hungry for blood and responsible for a cult that brainwashed and financially exploited innocents who fell into its hands.

For this reason, doubts assailed me when Dewang, the Basque-born Tibetan Buddhist nun and member of the New Kadampa Tradition, invited me to see for myself that these accusations were completely false, to visit their main centre and interview their leader Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and to know about Dorje Shugden directly. Thoughts such as ‘Am I going into the very mouth of the wolf by going to the headquarters of a fanatic group? What if the Dalai Lama was right and Dorje Shugden really bites?’ arose.
 

In the House of the ‘Demon’

The Manjushri Buddhist Centre is located in the north of England, five hours by train from London, next to a bay in the midst of idyllic green fields. It is a huge mansion, whose property includes a large wood, a beach and several secondary smaller buildings. It is certainly impressive, especially since the purchasing price twenty years ago was only £75,000, as Dewang hurried to tell me in order to counter rumours.

The problem of owning such a mansion, said Dewang, is not so much buying it but maintaining and repairing it. Religious communities are free from this problem as their members work diligently in exchange for room and accommodation, work being considered as ennobling. Dewang took me to see the new temple that was to be inaugurated in two weeks’ time, when more than 1600 followers of the New Kadampa Tradition from all around the world would be gathering for their annual festival. In stone, wood and glass, it is a magnificent place with capacity for about 700; a great work of art made exclusively by the members of the community. I saw impressive bronze statues ready to be placed in the shrine, monks sand-papering the wood and painting walls.

I was guided by Dewang around the whole property, going up and down a labyrinth of staircases, visiting large and beautifully-maintained meditation rooms, and listening to detailed explanations about the statues, mandalas, pictures and shrines of the vast pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism. I was introduced to some of the monks and nuns who had arrived from many of the 200 centres of the New Kadampa Tradition around the world. The fact that it was a mixed monastery, with [some people keeping] vows of chastity, gave the place a charming hippie touch. The nuns with their short hair had a good appearance; they looked at you smilingly, and you forgot that they were nuns. Their faces were beatific, and I couldn’t find anything that was weird or suspicious.

Finally I saw Dorje, as he appeared in Newsweek, holding a blazing sword and riding a wrathful white lion that steps over a human body. A Dorje of wrathful fangs and bulging eyes, including the third eye. Dewang explained that in Tibetan Buddhism there are thousands of beneficial deities with wrathful aspects, and that they only subdue evil and show their wrath against obstacles that prevent spiritual realisations.

I looked and looked at it, but I didn’t feel any fear. It reminded me of the silly things shown to children during the Valencian fallas [typical Spanish fiestas of Valencia]. It was placed in a huge glass cabinet surrounded by four other representations mounted on different animals. If the one mounted on a dragon was quite repulsive, the ones riding a horse and an elephant had kind faces. Perhaps to compensate for his wrathful representation, the most well-known, Dewang insisted on me looking at another of his manifestations, a handsome peaceful youth that seemed to have come out of a poster from the Chinese cultural revolution. Undoubtedly, I could see nothing that was strange, or which you would not see in any one of the hundreds of religious movements that presently exist around the world.
 

A New Portrait

Then the time came for me to meet with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the thin and enigmatic person who from his photos seems difficult to reach (see the interview that follows). With his English and mine, we struggled to understand each other. He would continually put his hand at his heart to express that his objectives were pure. He looked happy and very little affected by the controversy. When we finished the interview, he surprised me with a hug and gifts of a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a pen.

Then I had supper with James Belither, the Secretary of the New Kadampa Tradition, who lives in one of the little houses that surround the main building, and where the Buddhist families live. He is not a monk but a lay person, a gentle English man. That day he was a little taciturn as he told me of the difficulty of knowing the exact number of people affiliated to the New Kadampa Tradition, estimating that there are between two and four thousand. He explained that he could not understand why the Dalai Lama had launched such an absurd witch hunt, and expressed his concern about the possible future harmful effects of ill-intentioned rumours spread by some people against them.

From what I gathered in my conversations with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the nun Dewang and James Belither, there emerged a surprising portrait of the Dalai Lama from which we can conclude that although he is considered a world hero, he is in reality a superstitious dictator who relies heavily on oracles and divinations. It also gave a dark description that tore through the idyllic veil of his propaganda; a scenario filled with intrigues more suited to a medieval court in which cruel feudal men fight to the death, while court favourites and sorcerers manipulate the sovereign. Demons and deities fighting to control people’s minds; spells and curses…

It was said, for example, that the new favourite medium or oracle of the Dalai Lama is a young girl who has recently arrived from Lhasa, expert in fanning the inquisitorial fire against the deity Dorje. Recently, in the middle of a public religious ceremony, this young girl, who invokes a favourite spirit of the Dalai Lama called Nechung, entered a trance and accused an old and respected lama of being a secret servant of the demonic deity [Dorje Shugden]. The old lama slapped her. Later, it was agreed to keep quiet about the incident.

An oracle of the protector Nechung

At midnight I switched off the light, mindful that my door had no lock. I slept very well and woke up early in the morning. I had a walk in the woods, went down to the beach, looked at the various buildings and took some pictures. I spoke with a young monk from Barcelona who insisted that the way Geshe Kelsang Gyatso presents Tibetan Buddhism is much more accessible to Westerners than the way shown by other lamas and traditions. Later on, Dewang showed me the local prehistoric stone circle, and we also had time to visit the New Kadampa Tradition’s office. There was nothing else to see, nothing else to discuss, my stay had come to an end.

On the train back to London, I reflected on the conflict. It is a repeat of one that occurred three and a half centuries ago between the then-Dalai Lama and Ngatrul Dragpa. That conflict finished with the Dalai’s assumption of military-political power, the assassination of Ngatrul by [suffocation with] a katag (the traditional white silk scarf), the blaming of problems on the vengeance of Dorje, and the Dalai’s repentance. Would the story repeat itself again?
 

Intrigues at the Palace

For many years, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, guru of the New Kadampa Tradition, was not allowed to work independently until his followers threatened to expose publicly the dirty linen of a drug trafficking operation organised by certain organisations in order to finance Tibetan centres. The truth is that the growth of the New Kadampa Tradition in the West is causing fear to some, and is the envy of many. Its rapid development over the last six years provides Geshe Kelsang Gyatso with a growing leadership which is a threat to the Dalai Lama. Because of this, the followers of the Dalai Lama are trying to destroy Dorje Shugden, his protector and emblem. However, he has shown himself to be an independent figure and it will be difficult to silence him.

According to one of the personal translators of the Dalai Lama, there is a secret society, the self-styled Secret Organisation of External and Internal Enemy Eliminators [of Tibet] that has threatened to kill anybody who continues to practise Dorje Shugden. The translator, who has offered to prove and expand on his assertions, says that the accusations against the Dorje Shugden Society in Delhi of having planned the three recent assassinations at the court of the Dalai Lama are totally unfounded.

“The Lama who was killed in February 1997″, says the translator, “was known for his strong attacks on Dorje Shugden and those who worship him. It was said that he had returned from Taiwan just a few days before, carrying a lot of cash. Among the hypotheses that circulated at the palace-in-exile in Dharamsala about the motive of the crimes were: there was disagreement about the distribution of the money; Mr Gyalo, a brother of the Dalai Lama, was involved in the crimes, and that he was in contact with other secret organisations; the murders were committed by the Khampa guerrilla organisation that led the fight in 1959 and who are also in disagreement with the Dalai’s government; or by a desperate individual follower of Dorje Shugden; or by Chinese or Taiwanese secret agents; or even done purposely to incriminate the Dorje Shugden Society.”

The accusations that the Dalai Lama and his court are obsessed with eliminating internal dissents are also confirmed by this translator and Western monk: “While the Tibetan government-in-exile has shown itself powerless against the Chinese occupation, they have concentrated on repressing Tibetan opposition to the point of eliminating it, as is shown by the suspension in 1996 of the only independent newspaper in the Tibetan exile community, the recent amendment of the Tibetan Constitution so that a Supreme Judge cannot possibly be a devotee of Dorje Shugden, and by rejecting attempted mediation by abbots of the great monasteries.”

While the followers of the Dalai Lama say that the practitioners of Dorje Shugden are the Talibans of Tibetan Buddhism, they themselves did not show a very good example or good sense when, in July 1997, Lobsang Thubten, one of the leaders of the Dorje Shugden Society in New Delhi was furiously attacked by 200 followers of the Dalai Lama. On the other hand, the Shugdens deny allegations that they use their deity to obtain material and personal favours. They say that they rely on him only for help in their spiritual progress and in their praying for the happiness of all beings. The followers of the New Kadampa Tradition admit that pictures of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, their spiritual director, take pre-eminent place in their meditation rooms and that they also have special prayers for his long life but as they explain, this is a common practice in Tibetan Buddhism, in which the figure of the guru, or spiritual guide, is crucial.

In summary, all this indicates that the Dalai Lama will not stop until he manages to stop Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. And if the latter has the powerful deity and protector Dorje Shugden on his side, the Dalai Lama tries to counteract this power with his own protector, the spirit Nechung. Lama against lama and deity against deity, it is possible that behind this bloody religious battle, which is not short of threats, intrigues and assassinations, there hides manipulation, which is not spiritual, by a feudal monarchipope trying to eliminate a dangerous rival. On his side he has world public opinion, headed by Hollywood. But in matters of gods and demons one never knows….
 

Deus writes here that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche practiced Dorje Shugden. Click to enlarge.

The Friends of the ‘Evil One’

Among famous Lamas who have already passed away, Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, the tutors of the Dalai Lama, were probably the most renowned figures who worshipped the controversial deity and protector Dorje Shugden. But there are also many famous living Lamas and teachers whose responsibility has been to keep this tradition alive. Despite their cautious silence, they have all become direct opponents of the official line promulgated by the Dalai Lama, and many continue their practice in secret due to fear of reprisals.
 

Geshe Kelsang Gyato: The Dalai Lama is Infringing Human Rights

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The difficult responsibility of leading the opposition to the Dalai Lama has fallen into the hands of the highest authority in the New Kadampa Tradition, the independent and intellectual lama Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. But his disagreement goes further than the question of the intrinsic virtue or otherwise of a figure within the Buddhist pantheon. Behind his words, well measured and respectful, throb doubts and accusations of greater depth.

His private residence is on the second floor of Manjushri Buddhist Centre, on top of the visitors’ rooms and next to a meditation room where there is a big statue of Vajrayogini, a female Buddha with naked, swollen breasts who does not seem to take such prominence in orthodox monasteries.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s house is similar to an upper middle class apartment in any Western city. In the kitchen, next to a machine for making organic bread, I was served tea, and then in the sitting-room I finally met him, a gentle man of indefinite age – actually he is over sixty – who has published sixteen books over the last ten years, after completing a three-year retreat in which he alone knows what happened.
 

J.C. Deus: Is there a solution to the serious conflict that divides Tibetan Buddhism in relation to the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden, the deity you regard as an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: If the Dalai Lama decided to give freedom and allow the practice of Dorje Shugden, the problem would finish automatically.
 

J.C. Deus: What steps should be taken to resolve the situation?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: The Dalai Lama has to understand that his ban and the methods his government-in-exile is using to implement it are illegal, cruel and inhumane. The Dalai Lama is infringing the human rights of many people.
 

J.C. Deus: Are there other important figures in Tibetan Buddhism who are disappointed with the Dalai Lama? If so, why don’t they make their criticism public?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: There are very many indeed who do not agree with him, but they cannot express their critical point of view for fear of reprisal. In Tibetan society, no one is allowed to express ideas that oppose those of the Dalai Lama. If you do, they will destroy you. They will discredit you to the point of making you a pariah, if they don’t resort to violence.
 

J.C. Deus: Is it possible that the Dalai Lama is just a moderniser of Tibetan Buddhism who is clashing with more traditional sectors? Or are you amongst those who think that he is hungry for power and wishes to monopolise all Tibetan religious and political power?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: The second description seems closer to reality.
 

J.C. Deus: What, in your opinion, is the real reason why on 14th July 1978 the Dalai Lama publicly went against the deity and protector Dorje Shugden?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: I think that there are many reasons. One of them was the influence of the spirit Nechung, the protector of the Dalai Lama. The oracle (medium) of Nechung with the consent of the Dalai Lama wants to have all the power. Many people think that jealousy was an important factor because the practice of Dorje Shugden was, and still is, very popular among many Lamas, including the tutors and root gurus of the Dalai Lama, as well as many scholars and thousands of other practitioners. But there is also a factor of ignorance and superstition, because the Dalai Lama based all his decisions to implement this ban on divinations, oracles and dreams. He himself says so in the discourse he gave in July 1978.
 

J.C. Deus: Do you think this is an attempt to stop the preponderance of the Gelug tradition in Tibetan Buddhism?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: Yes, this is clear.
 

J.C. Deus: Who is responsible for this problem, the Dalai Lama or the human oracle through whom the spirit Nechung manifests? Who is this oracle, how was he elected and whose interests does he represent?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: The Dalai Lama chooses everything. He also chose Nechung. I don’t know much about him but they themselves say he is a spirit.
 

J.C. Deus: It is said that the Dalai Lama has more oracles (mediums) than ministers, that he is surrounded by oracles and that he does not take a step without consulting them. What do you think about such reliance? Do you think that there is a hidden power at the palace in Dharamsala?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: This reliance is inappropriate. These methods of divination are often the source of many problems, conflicts and quarrels, and give rise to superstition. The person who gets into the habit of relying upon these methods ends up losing self-confidence, and there comes a time when he becomes incapable of taking a single decision by himself based on logical reasoning and using his own wisdom, or relying on the wisdom of other experts who could advise him. Buddha did not teach these methods; they are not Buddhist practices. About the second part of the question, whether or not there may be a hidden power in Dharamsala, all the power is in the hands of the Dalai Lama. If tomorrow he were to say that all Tibetans have to worship Dorje Shugden, they would put photos and images of this deity on their shrines. If the next day he said the opposite, they would remove all these images. This is his power.
 

J.C. Deus: Has the Tibetan government-in-exile failed? Do you think that the fight for independence should be abandoned and instead accept dependency on China?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: It is obvious that the Tibetan government-in-exile has failed in its principal task: to gain independence for Tibet. But I prefer not to comment about political matters, so I will abstain from replying to the second question.
 

J.C. Deus: How do you see the Dalai Lama’s role as a political Tibetan leader? Do you think that he may have become a puppet of the United States in its disputes with China?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: I think that it is a serious error to have a political leader who is at the same time a spiritual leader. Politics and religion are two different things, and to mix them gives rise to many political and religious problems. Often they use religious methods, such as devotion to the spiritual guide, to attain political objectives. It is very problematic. To me it is unacceptable that the government-in-exile forces all of us to take the Dalai Lama as our spiritual guide or guru. In Buddhism there is complete freedom; no one can force you to choose someone as your spiritual master, this is something that each of us has to choose with complete freedom.
 

J.C. Deus: Would you say that the Dalai Lama runs a dictatorship over the Tibetan exile community?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: Yes, in many aspects it is a dictatorship. There are no elections and an opposition is impossible in present Tibetan society, and these are two of the main characteristics of a dictatorship.
 

J.C. Deus: Finally, do you think that it was a serious mistake to have chosen the present Dalai Lama? Is it possible that he may not be the actual reincarnation of his predecessor?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso: I think that political leaders should be elected democratically, and it is a mistake that the same person embodies and administers both the political and religious power of a country.
 

Interview with Kelsang Dewang, Buddhist Nun

The Dalai Lama makes decisions based on oracles, and dreams, and throwing little balls of dough into the air.

Despite her name, Kelsang Dewang is a Spanish nun who converted to Buddhism twenty years ago. She is the translator and personal assistant of the leader of the New Kadampa Tradition. As a practitioner of the deity Dorje Shugden, her voice has been listened to in this controversy, and presents a serious and critical point-of-view about the historical roots of Tibetan Buddhism and the present role of the Dalai Lama.
 

J.C. Deus: You are a practitioner of Dorje Shugden, a deity that is accused of being a demon and of taking the souls of those who worship him.
Kelsang Dewang: No, he is not a demon. He is a protector of Dharma and these protectors, by definition, are emanations of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas (realised and liberated beings), and the practitioner relies on them seeking help to attain spiritual realisations. Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom and one of the main protectors of the Gelugpa tradition.
 

J.C. Deus: Are we in fact facing a political conflict and a battle for power which is obscured by an apparent religious confrontation?
Kelsang Dewang: It could be, religion and politics are very much mixed in Tibetan society. The truth is that the Gelugpa Tradition is the most widespread and the most successful, and this always gives rise to jealousy and envy. It is a conflict that has its roots in the XVII century, but it is dreadful to bring these resentments into the present. It does not matter that some people think that Dorje Shugden is a spirit and others think that he is a Buddha. In democratic countries we have freedom, and we should also respect those who have different views to us. Besides this, they cannot prove that Dorje is an evil spirit. When they try to, they only tell superstitious stories. If someone has a bad dream, if someone gets sick, if the crops are not good, or if a Lama falls off a bicycle and dies, all these are blamed on Dorje Shugden. Just recently a young girl in Dharamsala was raped, and they immediately said that the perpetrator was a follower of Dorje Shugden. Tibetan culture is very superstitious, but this has nothing to do with Buddhism. Buddhism and Tibetan culture are two different things, and we have to learn carefully to unwrap the precious treasure of Dharma from the dirty wrappings in which we have received it.
 

J.C. Deus: It seems that the attack is not limited to Lama Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and to the New Kadampa Tradition, but that they are also trying to discredit the whole Gelugpa tradition by forbidding the essential practices of this tradition. News has been heard that some of the Lamas of this lineage have been discredited. Are there any details of this situation?
Kelsang Dewang: It has been said that they have started to suppress the practice of Lama Chöpa, and that the Dalai Lama has also publicly criticised the famous Jamyang Shaypa. But the principal objects of the attack are the lamas that have brought the Gelugpa tradition into the present day, Pabongkha Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche. This criticism implies that they were not realised beings, but were ordinary beings with delusions, so it would follow that their teachings lack blessings and are not valid. From this it would follow that the Gelugpa Tradition is a degenerate path. But the paradox is that the Dalai Lama himself was educated as a Gelugpa, and received all his instructions from Trijang Rinpoche, his root guru, whom he now criticises. In reality, in Tibetan society there has never been any democracy. In the VIIth century in Tibet they threw criminals over a cliff, and in the XXth century the way of punishing those who oppose the Government has not changed so much, even in exile.

Before the present Dalai Lama escaped to India, members of his government assassinated the great Gelugpa Lama Reting Rinpoche. He was poisoned in 1947, after it was decided that to throw him over a cliff was not an appropriate way to kill a lama of such rank. And this lama was killed just because he did not agree with the government’s activities. Because of these reprisals, Tibetans are forced to wear two masks: with one they smile to the Dalai Lama, and with the other they criticise him. All the power is held by the Private Office of the Dalai Lama and its orders have to be followed at all costs. No one has the opportunity to express a different view. This institution [the Private Office] is in charge of passing on information to the people. When it criticises someone for holding different views, and that person does not retract his views or keep silent, he will start receiving threats. Many people feel unhappy for other reasons also. For example, the Dalai Lama and his government have spent the last twenty six years fund-raising for the purpose of Tibetan independence, but now the Dalai Lama says that he is not interested in the independence of Tibet, so for this reason many people feel that they have been cheated.
 

J.C. Deus: What is the relationship between the Dalai Lama and other schools and traditions?
Kelsang Dewang: The Dalai Lama has a very bad relationship with the other main Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Kagyupas. Recently they underwent a lot of suffering due to the interference of the Dalai Lama in the choice of the reincarnation of the new Karmapa, the head of the Kagyupas. The Dalai Lama forced the recognition of a boy that the Chinese authorities had recognised as the new Karmapa, but the Kagyupas had already found a boy they believed to be the true incarnation. Besides, the Dalai Lama has no power to recognise officially this reincarnation and in doing so, he has divided the Kagyupas into two main factions: those who follow the Dalai Lama and those who follow Shamar Rinpoche, the lama in charge of recognising the Karmapas. Consequently, the Tibetan Government has done everything possible to make this lama another pariah. In Gelugpa society, the problems created by the ban of the practice of Dorje Shugden has forced many lamas and monks, who cannot accept abandoning their religious practice, to escape to Nepal or Mongolia. Many monks demonstrated, and several of them were expelled from their monasteries.
 

J.C. Deus: Nechung is the spirit protector of the Dalai Lama. How does he manifest?
Kelsang Dewang: Nechung is a worldly spirit, they say so themselves. Tibetans like spirits and divinations very much. In the New Kadampa Tradition, we do not follow these methods because we do not consider them to be truly Buddhist. In my opinion, often the medium or oracle is just a good actor. When the spirit has entered the body of the oracle, people ask questions and he replies. I find this way of answering questions incorrect and open to criticism, because often a medium will reply according to his personal interests. Also, I cannot understand why the Dalai Lama, if he is an enlightened being as some say, needs to consult a worldly spirit. The Dalai Lama decided that he had to ban the worship of Dorje Shugden following the advice he received from the spirit Nechung transmitted via a medium. The writings of the Dalai Lama confirm that he makes his decisions based on divination through oracles, dream interpretation and throwing little balls of dough into the air. Considering that his internal and external political activities are based on these methods of discrimination, we should not be surprised that in all these years in exile he has [only] managed mainly to become one of the idols of Hollywood stars. Besides, the spirit Nechung is notorious for making many mistakes. The 13th Dalal Lama died because Nechung gave him poison by mistake.
 

J.C. Deus: Do you think that the Dalai Lama has degenerated?
Kelsang Dewang: A being of high realisations cannot degenerate. There is a point on the spiritual path when it is impossible to go backwards. It is not possible for the Dalai Lama to be a Buddha and then to degenerate; therefore, the only possibility is that he is an ordinary being and his actions are showing it. A real Buddhist does not need to be afraid of spirits, so why should he be?

J.C. Deus
 

Addendum

Spanish author José Catalán Deus is renowned for having worked with the likes of CNN, and other big name newspapers and magazines. He has even published book after book of historical reporting, giving factual accounts of events and issues. His article in a 1997 issue of the Mas Alla magazine is no different. Aiming to fulfil the magazine’s aim to report on events and matters regarding religion, spiritual affairs, and metaphysics, he has provided a balanced, unbiased overview of a somewhat tricky situation – the conflict surrounding the practice of Dorje Shugden, as orchestrated by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; Tibetan leadership in Dharamsala). Published well before the height of this coordinated ban, the article is free from the CTA’s machinations to hide the truth.

The CTA have long spewed the false claim that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche did not practice Dorje Shugden but as Deus reports, this is not even close to the truth of the matter. He clearly interviewed the right people and as an independent commentator, discovered that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche did in fact practice Dorje Shugden and has even composed prayers to the deity. In fact, it was not only Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, the senior tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama who practised the deity, but Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the junior tutor to the Dalai Lama as well. The CTA often claim that these two primary teachers of the Dalai Lama were not involved with the practice, but as Deus’s objective reporting clearly indicates, they both in fact did practice. And Deus has no recourse to lie or take sides on the matter, as such a blunder would have ruined his reporting career – neither he himself nor the magazine he was writing for were linked to Tibetan Buddhism in any way, and therefore have no reason to report either in support for or against the Dorje Shugden ban.

The very fact that an unbiased author, in a matter-of-fact reporting manner, reaffirmed the truth that both tutors of His Holiness the Dalai Lama practised Dorje Shugden, undermined the CTA and exposed them for what they are – liars. What they propagate is nothing near the truth, and here it has been exposed for all to see.

You can scroll down to page 33 of the magazine to see where José Catalán Deus specifically mentions that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche both practised Dorje Shugden.

The cover of the September 1997 issue of Mas Alla magazine in which the article by José Catalán Deus was published. Click to enlarge.

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José Catalán Deus highlights the fact that both Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche were practitioners of Dorje Shugden here on page 33 of the magazine. The sentence in English reads “Among famous Lamas who have already passed away, Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, the tutors of the Dalai Lama, were probably the most renowned figures who worshipped the controversial deity and protector Dorje Shugden.” Click to enlarge.

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Only in the Tibetan leadership does the head of government pay obeisance to, and take advice from formless deities who cannot be held accountable for what they say. In this image, the Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay bows to Nechung. Nowhere else in the world will any democratic leader or head of state rely so heavily on an unseen being or spirit. And it seems the Tibetan leadership knows this, as is reflected in their inconsistent relationship with spirit Nechung.

The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.

By: Shashi Kei

As the old adage goes, it takes two hands to clap and therefore when examining the failures of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; based in Dharamsala, North India), it is merely due diligence to examine their closest advisors too and one of the Tibetan leadership’s closest advisors is the spirit Nechung. Nechung is the common name for the State Oracle of Tibet who takes trance of a deity Pehar and / or Pehar’s spirit-ministers.

In relying on Nechung, what we see is a totally unprecedented situation not witnessed anywhere else in the world. In this instance, a so-called democratically-elected leadership relies heavily on an undemocratically-appointed Oracle to advice, guide, shape and influence the entire community’s and government’s policies. Those with even a passing, Hollywood-induced familiarity of Tibet will be aware of their leadership’s reliance on oracles for spiritual matters like identifying candidates for the next Dalai Lama.

On the one hand, the CTA claims they are a democratic government. On the other hand, they have a designated State Oracle. No other modern democratic nation has an oracle on retainer whom they invoke as a matter of tradition, to “consult on important matters”. (Source: http://tibet.net/2017/06/kashag-invokes-state-oracle-nechung-to-offer-obeisance/)

What they will be less familiar with is the depth of reliance from the Tibetan leadership on all matters political. If people assume that the Tibetan leadership’s reliance on Nechung for political decisions is just a one-off, they could not be further from the truth. And yet, despite this immense reliance on the Nechung Oracle for both secular and spiritual advice, it has been proven time and again just what a dangerous folly it is to implement advice given by the Nechung Oracle.

The Unreliability of the Nechung Oracle

The Nechung Oracle is known for his long history of inaccurate proclamations, which include (but are not limited to):

• Prescribing the wrong medication to the 13th Dalai Lama, which hastened his passing. In his book Portrait of the Dalai Lama which documents the life of the 13th Dalai Lama, Sir Charles Bell wrote, “On this occasion, the Nechung oracle said that the Dalai Lama should take a medicine known as “the seventeen heroes for subduing colds” (chamjom pawo chupdun) and himself prepared the medicine in a cup with water. Most respondents report that the Dalai Lama refused the dose and that the state oracle literally had to pour it into his mouth. The Dalai Lama’s condition immediately deteriorated, and by noon he was unconscious. He never said another word.” Because his advice resulted in this catastrophe, the deity Nechung was flogged while taking trance in the Oracle.
• Giving disastrously wrong advice to the Tibetans during the 1904 British incursion into Tibet. When an Expeditionary Force led by Lt. Col. Sir Francis Younghusband began to advance on Central Tibet after failed negotiations, the Nechung Oracle duly proclaimed that the British Army would reach Central Tibet. He then predicted that the Tibetan army would be victorious. True to his prediction, the British did arrive in Lhasa but unlike in his prophecy, they easily defeated the poorly-equipped Tibetans. The result was the Dalai Lama fleeing Tibet’s capital city, Lhasa, along with the Nechung Oracle. Upon his return when the British had departed, the Nechung Oracle was summarily dismissed from his position as the State Oracle.
• Wrongly and dangerously advising His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to remain in Tibet during the political turmoil of 1959. It was later discovered that there had been a plot to arrest and harm the Dalai Lama and many other religious leaders. Had Nechung’s advice been followed, it is likely that the 14th Dalai Lama would have been harmed. Instead, the Dalai Lama followed Dorje Shugden’s insistent advice that the Dalai Lama leave Tibet immediately for India. Dorje Shugden also specified the exact time and day of departure, the escape route, and also gave further instructions on what to do to ensure a successful escape. This entire incident was well-documented by the very people who accompanied the Dalai Lama on his escape into exile (see video below).

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• Time and again, Nechung has wrongly proclaimed that exiled Tibetans will return to their homeland. He issued such proclamations in 1986, 1987, 1995, 1997 and 2012. The most recent incident involved an Indian girl, Sambhavi, who traveled to Dharamsala claiming to be an incarnation of a Hindu goddess. Her parents demanded a private audience with the Dalai Lama, claiming that the girl had a special message for him. In “trance”, she warned the Dalai Lama of health concerns and also gave an optimistic prediction that Tibetans would return to Tibet in 2012. The incident was covered by Al-Jazeera news network and French Channel 5. To verify the girl’s claims, the Nechung Oracle was invoked and the deity duly concurred with the girl’s predictions. One of the Oracle’s assistants was even filmed (see video below) saying that when the Dalai Lama returned to Tibet at the appointed time, people would be so overjoyed that they would die. Instead, 2012 came and went and nothing happened.

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• Last but not least, Nechung has wrongly advised the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government to ban Dorje Shugden’s practice, the single most divisive policy of the CTA due to the large percentage of people affected (seeing that the Gelugpa is the largest Tibetan Buddhist sect). It was in 1996 that the Dalai Lama announced the worship of Dorje Shugden was banned and that his oracle, Nechung, had adviced him that the deity was a threat to his personal safety and the future of Tibet.

Given these incidents, it is unsurprising that there is so much doubt surrounding Nechung’s trances. For example, the illogical basis of the Dorje Shugden ban – that Shugden practice will harm the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause – has made people question the Oracle’s motivation.

When Nechung first entered into exile, he became aware of the Dalai Lama’s growing affinity with Dorje Shugden. Thus in the 1990s, he entered trance and proclaimed that if the Dalai Lama were to receive sogtae (life entrustment) of Dorje Shugden, it would anger the Buddha Palden Lhamo and would be detrimental to the cause of Tibet – never mind the fact that Palden Lhamo is enlightened and cannot be angered by anything, let alone the practice of another enlightened being like Dorje Shugden.

The Tibetan leadership, already worried about Tibet and suitably panicked by this prophecy of doom, promptly issued a ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden. In casting doubt on Dorje Shugden’s practice, the Nechung Oracle had accomplished what he wanted. Without any ‘competing’ Oracles, the whole Tibetan leadership would have to rely on only him for prophecies and advice. The Nechung Oracle would henceforth be the only Oracle issuing instructions to the Tibetan leaders. This maneuver cemented his position and job and to this day, the Oracle is kept on somewhat of a retainer – as recently pointed out by the Tibetan Member of Parliament Tenpa Yarphel, it is a well-known fact that the Oracle’s salary and Nechung Monastery’s expenses are provided for by the CTA’s Department of Religion.

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Therefore, it is not a new thing for the Nechung Oracle’s motivation to be called into question and in fact, the trances have themselves been problematic for a long time. For decades prior to the fall of Tibet, there had been doubts about exactly what deity was entering the Nechung Oracle. It is said that it was not actually the spirit Nechung entering the Oracle but a malevolent being by the name of Nyatrul. Nyatrul was a monastic official who had been brutally murdered by the Tibetan leadership, and he took a vow of revenge as he died. Since then, Nyatrul has been entering the Nechung Oracle to give inaccurate prophecies and create suffering and problems for the institution who had him killed.

That it is Nyatrul (and not Nechung) entering the Oracle is so well known that back in pre-1959 Tibet, when people heard their government was invoking Nechung, they would avoid going to the trances. They knew that Nyatrul was going to inhabit the Oracle and give inaccurate, damaging prophecies. However, if Drepung Monastery was invoking the trance, then the people would go and seek blessings. Nyatrul would not enter the Oracle at that time because it was not Drepung Monastery he wanted to seek revenge against.

Hence on all levels, it is clear that Nechung – both the deity and the Oracle – is unreliable. The clearest sign of this is the fact that he has, for many decades, given incredibly inaccurate prophecies and advice which has adversely affected the entire Tibetan population. The fact that Nechung has been proven to be unreliable is reflected in the CTA’s inconsistent relationship with both deity and oracle.

The Unreliability of the Tibetan Leadership

Up till today, Nechung is still taking trance primarily for the Tibetan leadership and the Dalai Lama. Yet throughout history, the Nechung Oracle’s relationship with the Tibetan leadership has been an unsteady, tenuous one at best. Therefore, despite this track record and Nechung’s long history of inaccurate prophecies, the fact the Tibetan leadership continue to promote his position within the government is downright illogical. It is almost as though they are setting their people up to fail, and to remain in exile as refugees in the long-term.

The hypocrisy of the leadership is staggering. On the one hand, the Tibetan leadership claims to be a modern democracy. On the other hand, they are recognized all over the world to heavily rely on oracles and deities to guide and shape their government’s policies. Those unfamiliar with the Tibetan political situation may wonder what kind of advice the Tibetan leadership receives from Nechung. The troubling answer is “everything”. Since going into exile, the Tibetan leadership has relied on Nechung to advice them on everything from the political position of Tibet, to how to deal with China, to the direction they should take for the welfare of their people.

It is one thing to rely on Nechung for spiritual advice, but to subject all Tibetans to Nechung’s political advice or force them to rely on the Buddhist tradition of oracles (when not all Tibetans are Buddhist), is downright undemocratic, unfair and unconstitutional.

It is one thing to rely on oracles for spiritual advice, but for the entire Tibetan leadership to be given political direction by unseen beings has no place in a modern democratic society. Amongst the Tibetans, there are many non-Buddhists, for example Tibetan Christians, Tibetan Muslims and Tibetan Bonpos, and all of them may not necessarily appreciate being told what to do by an unenlightened spirit. Why, therefore, are the Tibetan leadership subjecting all of their people to the prophecies of these beings? How come Tibetan Christians, Muslims and Bonpos are having their lives and their futures dictated by spirits like Nechung?

No other government in the world relies on oracles for their decision-making. Not even neighboring Bhutan, who is also Buddhist, relies on oracles for political decisions of the state. Truth be told, it may be one of the reasons why Bhutan remains independent and continues to flourish to this day.

Motivated by Money?

All of this begs the question – if Nechung is so unreliable and if his advice has not improved the Tibetan situation, and if there is no benefit in relying on him, then why even bother? The answer lies in the way in which the Tibetan government promote and talk about Nechung.

For Western audiences who appreciate the concepts of democracy, equality and political transparency, the Tibetan leadership will downplay Nechung’s role in their decision-making process. This is in stark contrast to their treatment of Nechung in the early days of their time in exile. Back then, the CTA were keen to highlight the more esoteric processes of their governance. It somehow made them special, different, compared to other refugees and it was this unique aspect of Shangri-la that appealed to many of their early supporters. Over time, having realized how much the wider community disapproved of their reliance on oracles for state decisions, the Tibetan leadership have worked hard to draw attention away from this fact.

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In the past, the Tibetan leadership’s own website had articles that spoke glowingly of Nechung, even referring to him as the Dalai Lama’s minister or a member of the Dalai Lama’s cabinet. These days, if you try to access those articles, you are met with an error of “Page Not Found”.

This is what happens when you go to the CTA’s official website to read about what the Dalai Lama said regarding Nechung. Why go through all the trouble of removing the article so completely from the Internet, if not because they wish to hide what it says? (Source: http://tibet.net/buddhism/nechung_hh.html)

The Tibetan leadership took great pains to delete all traces of these articles, and invested quite a bit of effort to distance themselves from these proclamations. Luckily, hard copies of this evidence continues to exist. In the July-August 1992 issue of the Tibetan Bulletin, a feature spread on Nechung was published. In it, the Dalai Lama was quoted as referring to Nechung as his cabinet minister. The Tibetan Bulletin is the Tibetan leadership’s own publication, and in the article Nechung was painted as someone as crucial and indispensable to the Dalai Lama as his publicly elected officials. You can click here to download a copy of the publication.

It is precisely this kind of promotion of Nechung which Westerners, who provide the bulk of the Tibetan leadership’s funding, are wary of. But it is this kind of promotion of Nechung which leads Tibetan audiences to follow Nechung’s prophecies unquestioningly.

The Tibetan leadership’s reliance on its State Oracles is encouraged by the Dalai Lama, who is frequently seen with them, thus legitimizing their status.

To Tibetan audiences, the Tibetan leadership boosts Nechung’s role, hinting that it is somehow bad karma to go against his prophecies. The Tibetan leadership works hard to draw a picture of closeness between the deity and the Dalai Lama. It is hardly surprising therefore, that the Tibetan leadership have been known to use Nechung’s proclamations to pursue their personal interests. The manipulation of Nechung’s position in Tibetan society is designed so that the wider public will ignore the government’s transgressions, and allow the leadership to justify their self-serving behaviors, all of which are designed to increase their bank balances.

After all, how can the public comment on any of the government’s decisions, when those decisions are being made by a formless being whom no one can hold accountable? Even more so when the Dalai Lama refers to Nechung as a member of his Cabinet or his Minister. It leads the Tibetan public to immediately assume that going against Nechung’s prophecies or questioning them, is akin to going against the Dalai Lama and questioning him, since monk and oracle are very close. Within Tibetan society, to be viewed as anti-Dalai Lama immediately invites violent retribution and repercussions. Just look at what happened to the member of Parliament Tenpa Yarphel when he questioned Nechung in the Tibetan Parliament. Since then, he has been labelled anti-Dalai Lama and anti-Tibet, and called all manner of vulgar names and profanities.
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

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On reviewing the situation, it is obvious that the Tibetan leadership’s changing treatment of Nechung is motivated by only one thing – MONEY. By changing how they refer to Nechung, they can placate donors from different backgrounds and therefore upkeep the financial support from happy sponsors flowing into their coffers.

Conclusion

Hand in hand with this unreliable and inconsistent government is their dependence on a deity who has been proven time and again to be unreliable. In light of this situation, what chances do the Tibetan people have of fulfilling their political goals?

In the 60 years since the Tibetans went into exile, their position has not improved. Aside from the Dalai Lama, there are no famous Tibetans or world renowned Tibetans. Tibetans as a whole are no closer to achieving their political aims, and continue to languish in exile waiting and hoping for a breakthrough with China. Dialogue with China has in fact stagnated, with no signs of resuming any time soon and none of the Tibetan leaders have shown any signs of being capable of reinitiating this dialogue.

All this while, in a clear example of misplaced trust, the Tibetan people pin their hopes on an unseen deity whose political advice is interpreted and disseminated by a leadership who have been shown to be motivated by self-benefit. Indeed, to analyze the Tibetan situation is to analyze a sorry state of affairs, one that is underwritten by greedy ambition. If the Tibetans do not want to spend the next 60 years lamenting their situation, all signs point to an urgent need for a new way of decision-making and perhaps even a new wave of decision-makers. It is the only way they will ever be able to break away from the failures of their past.

The Tibetan leadership are known to heavily rely on the advice of the State Oracles for their political decision-making. Seen here is the Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay waiting to receive guidance from Nechung.

The State Oracles and their trances often take precedence at official events and state affairs, in front of thousands of Tibetans who witness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government receiving the oracles’ advice over and over again.

The Dalai Lama has such a close relationship with the oracles, and relies so heavily on the deities that he has even been pictured inviting them into his private quarters to take trance.

For decades, Tibetans have witnessed the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership form a very close relationship with the oracles, whom they rely heavily upon for all matters political.

The Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay is seated in the background, patiently waiting for an audience with Nechung

Nechung Dorje Drayangling Monastery is not far from Drepung Monastery in Tibet

The Nechung oracle is the state oracle of Tibet. The governing council of Tibet and the Dalai Lama consult him on all matters of state. Usually, it is the chief minister of the Dharma Protector Pehar by the name of Dorje Drakden who takes possession of the oracle and acts as the mouthpiece for Pehar. The Horpas, an ethnic group that lived east of the Kokonor Lake, originally worshiped Pehar. According to oral tradition, this deity was one of the many deities and powerful spirits that challenged Guru Padmasambhava when he first came to Tibet. Consequently, he was subjugated and sworn to protect the Dharma. According to another source, a Bön (indigenous shamanistic tradition of Tibet) general by the name of Tara Lugong brought back the worship of this deity when he seized a meditational center near Kanchow of the Bhata Hor, a tribe of Uighurs, towards the end of the 8th century CE. Pehar was the protector of Samye Monastery and also a protector of the Dharma in general. During the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1642-1682), the worship of Pehar first moved from Samye to Tse Gungtang and then to the present site of Nechung Monastery. At Tse Gungtang, Pehar was believed to have started a fire at a monastery. This angered a powerful high lama there who, using his meditational powers, captured Pehar in a box and threw him in a river.

A thangka representation of Nechung Pehar

This box floated westwards into the vicinity of Drepung Monastery, where an abbot requested an attendant to retrieve it. While the attendant was carrying the box back to the monastery, he opened the box out of curiosity. Pehar, in the form of a bird, escaped and perched upon a nearby tree before disappearing. It was around this tree that a chapel was later built to Pehar. The Fifth Dalai Lama expanded this chapel which later became known as Nechung Monastery. Then, he installed the Nechung oracle as the state oracle of Tibet. In spite of holding the respected position of state oracle, the Nechung oracle over the centuries has been beset with numerous controversies. Hence, many high lamas both in the past and today refuse to consult the Nechung oracleeven on the smallest of matters as this oracle has been proven to give inaccurate pronouncements and prophecies over the years.  

During the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama

A statue of Dorje Shugden riding on a horse that was believed to have been made by the Fifth Dalai Lama

It is generally believed that the current Dorje Shugden ban was substantiated by a long-standing feud that extends back to the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, who had initially blamed the calamities befalling Lhasa at the time on the spirit of the deceased lama, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. The Fifth Dalai Lama commissioned Nyingma lamas to perform powerful fire pujas to eradicate the ‘spirit’, Dorje Shugden. However, the pujas were ineffective as Dorje Shugden was of the same indestructible nature as Yamantaka. The Dalai Lama realized this and composed a praise to Dorje Shugden, built the shrine Trode Khangsar and crafted statues according to the vision he had of Dorje Shugden. According to the elder monks of Gaden Phelgyeling Monastery, the Fifth Dalai Lama was the one who appointed Dorje Shugden to be the protector of their monastery as well. Thus, whatever issues that might have existed between Dorje Shugden and the Fifth Dalai Lama were resolved. Since then, many Dalai Lama incarnations have arisen with no issues with Dorje Shugden.  

During the time of the 13th Dalai Lama

It is believed that issues with Dorje Shugden resurfaced during the time of the 13th Dalai Lama but historical records reveal the truth of the matter – that he merely reshuffled state approval of deities. At that time, Tibetan society was rife with the worship of innumerable deities and oracles. Charlatans had taken advantage of the situation, posing as oracles of make-believe deities and cheating people of money and offerings. To curb the situation, the 13th Dalai Lama outlawed the worship of a number of such deities and oracles. On the other hand, the Dalai Lama continued to approve of the state oracles of Nechung and Gadong, Dorje Shugden from Trode Khangsar, Tsangpa (believed to be the peaceful aspect of Setrab) and the Tenma oracle from Drepung.

The embalmed holy remains of Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kelsang (1866-1936) – the only known image of him

There was a high-ranking police officer for British India by the name of Legden. He was a Sherpa (of Tibetan ethnicity) from Darjeeling, and had maintained special relations with the 13th Dalai Lama. He often traveled to Tibet and was bestowed a high rank by the Dalai Lama for being the founder of the first Tibetan police regiment in Lhasa. On one occasion, he was requested to investigate a money-forgery racket by the Dalai Lama and was successful in arresting several Nepalese men in Calcutta who were involved in this racket. He was also awarded medals of honor by the British government in London for his service in India. His memoirs include a personal letter from the 13th Dalai Lama thanking him for his service to Tibet, and several gifts including a walking stick. The Dalai Lama also gave him some special sacred items which were to be sent to a modern temple of Dorje Shugdenas well as a Guru Rinpoche temple, both founded by Domo Geshe Rinpoche. The above are some noteworthy anecdotes that confirm the 13th Dalai Lama had actually approved of the worship of Dorje Shugden, contrary to what is disseminated today.  

Younghusband British invasion and the demise of the 13th Dalai Lama

The Nechung oracle is infamously linked to the defeat of the Tibetans at the hands of the British expedition in 1904. Prior to this, the Tibetans had taken measures to curb the growing influence of the British in the Sikkim area. On the advice of the Nechung oracle, the Tibetans forcibly occupied a mountain within the influence of the British. The Nechung oracle said that the magical powers emanating from the mountain would fend off the advance of the British troops into Tibet. Needless to say, the British forces recaptured the mountain fairly easily with a feeble resistance from the Tibetans. Then in 1904, the Younghusband Expeditionary Force began to advance into Central Tibet after a failed negotiation attempt. Colonel Francis Younghusband led the British troops into the Tibetan heartland. The Nechung oracle was invoked and proclaimed that the British army would reach Central Tibet and predicted that the Tibetan army would be victorious. The British did arrive in Lhasa but, unlike Nechung’s prophecy, easily defeated the poorly equipped Tibetans. The Dalai Lama fled the country along with the Nechung oracle. Upon his return when the had British departed, the Nechung oracle was dismissed from his position as the state oracle.

Expedition leader Col Younghusband (centre) with Captain Hayman (right) and other officers in Tibet in 1903

When the 13th Dalai Lama fell ill, the Nechung oracle was traditionally invoked to advice on the best course of action to heal the Dalai Lama. Towards the end of the 13th Dalai Lama’s days, the Nechung oracle was summoned whereupon he prescribed a certain herbal remedy and prepared the medicine in a cup of water himself. Witnesses said that the 13th Dalai Lama refused to drink the concoction but the Nechung oracle insisted and literally poured the tonic down the Dalai Lama’s throat. The Dalai Lama’s condition deteriorated after that and he soon lost consciousness and never said another word. It was said that the Dalai Lama was prescribed the wrong medicine for his condition and that was what killed the Dalai Lama. It is widely believed that, since the time of the 13th Dalai Lama until today, the Nechung oracle has been under the influence of an evil spirit instead of Nechung/Pehar, thus causing much mischief and problems for the Tibetan peoples such as the untimely death of the 13th Dalai Lama. Some believe that a tulku of Nyarong who had become a raging spirit is entering the Nechung oracle. Another source claims that the Nechung oracle is taking trance of a previously deposed oracle. Whatever it is, rumors and controversy have been shadowing the Nechung Oracle ever since, not to mention glaringly wrong predictions and prophecies.  

The 14th Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet

The biography of the 14th Dalai Lama states that, during the tumultuous period of 1959, it was Nechung via his oracle who told the Dalai Lama that it was time to escape from Tibet. However, according to letters and documents from Changtso Lobsang Yeshe, it was in fact a message from Dorje Shugden that prompted the Dalai Lama to begin his flight to India. After the Chinese forces fired two cannon shots at the Potala Palace, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche had requested Rato Chowar Rinpoche and Kensur Ngawang Dakpa of Sera Mey Monastery to consult the Panglung Oracle about the imminent threat to Tibet. Changtso Lobsang Yeshe became the main intermediary between Kensur Ngawang Dakpa and Dorje Shugden via the 6th Panglung Oracle because the Chinese were observing Kensur Ngawang Dakpa rather tightly. Thus, it was Changtso Lobsang Yeshe who ended up representing Kensur Ngawang Dakpa at a private audience on this pressing matter with the Protector Dorje Shugden on 10th March 1959 via the 6th Panglung Oracle. During that period, a sinister Chinese plot to have the Dalai Lama and many other religious leaders arrested and harmed was uncovered. And it was at this crucial juncture that Dorje Shugden gave specific advice for the Dalai Lama to leave Tibet without further delay. Dorje Shugden also specified the exact time and day of departure, the escape route, and also gave further instructions on what to do to ensure a successful escape. Conversely, the Nechung oracle had adviced the Dalai Lama to remain in Tibet. Thus, the 14th Dalai Lama’s life and the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in the world is attributed to Dorje Shugden and not the Nechung oracle.  

How Nechung misled the 14th Dalai Lama

In 1970, the 14th Dalai Lama was still practicing Dorje Shugden, exactly as he had been taught by His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. It was also widely known that the Dalai Lama had his personal monastery, Namgyal Monastery, perform monthly pujas to Dorje Shugden. However, around the time when the Dalai Lama was about to receive Dorje Shugden sogtaeor life-entrustment initiation from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the state oracle took trance and misled him away from the practice with negative counsel about Dorje Shugden. Therefore, it is clear that the Dorje Shugden ban did not start from a vision or meditative realization but was influenced by an external source.

In the 70s before the ban, the Dalai Lama’s private Namgyal Monastery was doing monthly Dorje Shugden pujas

The Dalai Lama had two extraordinary gurus, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Of the two tutors, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was the ‘father’ and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was the ‘mother’. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche not only gave teachings on the Lamrim and other Dharma topics to the Dalai Lama but also taught everything else he knew from table manners to the proper etiquette expected of a high lama. In fact, the Dalai Lama has received the most tantric transmissions and Lamrim teachings from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Even Kyabje Ling Rinpoche received the Lamrim teachings from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Thus, whenever the Dalai Lama gives lamrim teachings, he should recite the prayer to solicit the blessings of the lineage masters beforehand, according to tradition. However, due to the Dorje Shugden controversy, Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche have been omitted from the list of lineage masters. This is a travesty of tradition and lineage – these two great masters are major lineage holders of the Gelugpa tradition and omitting them would mean that the lineage is broken.  

Pisu Jola’s Book

Pisu Jola was an educated lay Tibetan man. He sponsored the Dorje Shugden statue in the great prayer hall of Gaden Tsokchen, which was consecrated by the Dalai Lama, the two tutors – Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and other high lamas. However, when the ban on Dorje Shugden began, the Dalai Lama decreed that the statue was to be removed. Thus, the Gaden oracle had the statue placed in his own temple instead. When Pisu Jola found out about this, he was very disturbed and pleaded with the religious affairs office not to carry out the plan. At that time, Nyingma Lama Kamtrul was the person in charge. Pisu Jola pleaded with him not to do so. He said, I do not have a very long time to live. I do not want to die in such great disappointment… In other words, he was very respectful. But the lama responded by admonishing the old man saying, You stupid old man! If you are afraid of your death, you should listen to the Dalai Lama. Disheartened by the state of affairs, Pisu Jola decided to write a small but powerful book about the Dorje Shugden issue. Guru Deva Rinpoche sponsored the publication of Pisu Jola’s book. The Central Tibetan Administration were very unhappy when the book began circulating, as it contained many true stories that they wished to suppress. So desperate were they, that the CTA even offered a reward for each copy of Pisu Jola book that was handed over to them!

The Nechung Oracle in full regalia as he takes trance of Dorje Drakden who acts as a mouthpiece for Nechung

So what is all the fuss about? Well, one of the stories in Pisu Jola’s book is the famous story of the circumstances surrounding Kyabje Ling Rinpoche’s passing. When Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was seriously ill, Ling Ladrang (household), Changtzos (assistants) and the Abbot of Sera Mey Monastery at that time requested for an emergency trance with the Nechung oracle in order to consult the Dharma Protector Nechung for a way to heal Ling Rinpoche’s illness. The paper containing the questions pertaining to Ling Rinpoche’s health was presented to Nechung in trance, who took it, crumpled it into a ball and put it under his buttocks. Nechung then proclaimed that if Ling Rinpoche’s condition improved in three days time, there would be no harm to Ling Rinpoche’s life. Nechung further commented, Obstacles from the big is put on the head of the small. This was interpreted to mean that the Dalai Lama’s obstacles (‘big’) were being suffered by Ling Rinpoche (‘small’). This statement got the old Ling Ladrang Changtzo worked up. “How can the Guru be considered the ‘small’ and the student the ‘big’?” the Changtso said. The Ling Ladrang Changtzo grabbed Nechung in trance by his clothes and scolded Nechung to his face saying, Every day we offer you liquor, tea and pray to you. And in difficult times like these, you say such things and never help!!!Nechung left the body of the oracle and never took trance in the presence of the Changtzo again.  

The Great Return to Tibet

The Dalai Lama with the Indian beggar girl who claimed to be the incarnation of a Hindu goddess

In more recent times, an Indian beggar girl traveled to Dharamsala a few years ago claiming to be an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Sambhavi. Her parents demanded a private audience with the Dalai Lama, claiming that the girl had a special message for him. In ‘trance’, she warned him of health concerns and also gave a prediction that Tibetans would return to Tibet in 2012. The incident was covered by the news channel Al-Jazeera and French Channel 5. To verify the girl’s claims, the Nechung oracle was invoked and the Dharma Protector concurred with the girl’s predictions. However, the year 2012 came and went and nothing happened. Even earlier in 1986, the Nechung oracle offered another prediction concerning the Tibetan cause. The oracle pronounced that in the Year of the Dragon, something extraordinary would happen; the Tibetans in exile and abroad would reunite and that this day was very near. At that time, a Geshe was visiting Lhasa and people would come up and ask him, “Are you from abroad?” When he said yes, they asked further, “Did you know that our state oracle has given this prediction?” And they showed him a slip of paper that had the prediction written on it. On another occasion, the state oracle said, I will send 100 million divine soldiers to China Come 1987, the Year of the Dragon, the Tibetans organized an uprising against the Chinese, optimistic that Nechung’s prediction would come true. However, the Chinese police swiftly crushed the uprising and no divine soldiers came to assistant.In fact, Nechung would make further (and similar) predictions about the Year of the Ox (1997) and the Year of the Pig (1995) but with no success. The Tibetan situation remained the same.  

Conclusion

It is clear from these anecdotes that Nechung has a track record of making unreliable, inaccurate and plain-out wrong pronouncements and prophecies. These incorrect predictions have created tremendous trouble for the Dalai Lama and for the cause of Tibet. Yet, it is puzzling to note that despite all the problems that arose due to the reliance on the state oracle, the Nechung oracle is still very much revered and consulted to this day. Generally, many high lamas still have high regard for the Dharma Protector Nechung, and some believe that the being entering the Nechung oracle’s body is not necessarily Nechung himself. In fact, some say that a powerful malignant spirit of someone who had been murdered by the CTA has been entering the state oracle, and intentionally making incorrect pronouncements – karma coming back for the Tibetan leadership. Whatever it is, there is a general belief that the trance of the Nechung oracle is not and has not been pure. In all likelihood, Nechung’s pronouncement against Dorje Shugden is yet another fake prophecy designed to create more harm in Tibetan society. Very plausible considering that all the Dorje Shugden ban has achieved is to create suffering, misery and heartache for all involved.

Addendum

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s autobiography ‘A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada’, published in 2016, provides historical evidence and irrefutable proof that the Central Tibetan Administration is falsifying the facts when it comes to the practice of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.

The autobiography of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a high lama of the Gelug lineage, provides accurate historical accounts of the Dorje Shugden practice. Click to enlarge.

The back cover of the book, click to enlarge.

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Historical accounts show that prior to the politicization of the Dorje Shugden practice by the Central Tibetan Administration, this popular deity was relied upon by Dharma practitioners to help in their spiritual practice. Contrary to detractors’ claims about Dorje Shugden being ‘anti-Dharma’, this Dharma Protector practice was traditionally deemed to be suitable to be practiced alongside the Highest Yoga Tantras.

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Zasep Rinpoche and his family were able to escape to safety prior to the events of 1959 through the clairvoyance and prophetic advice of Dorje Shugden through one of his oracles, Lama Gelong Chojor Gyamtso.

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Oracles of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden were known for the accuracy of their prophecies due to Dorje Shugden being a fully enlightened deity with perfect clairvoyance. As stated clearly by Zasep Rinpoche in his autobiography ‘A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada’, Dorje Shugden warned the Tibetans of the impending loss of their homeland but his advice was mostly ignored by the Tibetan government.

The Tibetan government chose to consult the worldly state protector Nechung, and Nechung advised that the Dalai Lama should remain in Tibet where he would be safe. This was mistaken advice, as historical events would later show. Fortunately for Tibetan Buddhists all around the world, Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang had great faith in Dorje Shugden and consulted the protector for advice on the Dalai Lama’s safety. Dorje Shugden via the Panglung Oracle urgently adviced the Dalai Lama to leave for India immediately and gave the exact escape route. In saving the Dalai Lama from certain harm, Dorje Shugden prevented the destruction of Tibetan Buddhism and preserved the future of the Tibetan culture and people.

Zasep Rinpoche’s account of events concur with monastic records that it was indeed Dorje Shugden who saved the Dalai Lama instead of Nechung, contrary to the claims of the Tibetan leadership.

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Dorje Shugden’s practice was first established within the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya Throneholders regarded this Dharma Protector as an enlightened being and Dorje Shugden, together with Dorje Setrab and Tsiu Marpo formed the triune of Sakya Protectors known as Gyalpo Sum. Today, Sakya practitioners claim that Dorje Shugden was never widely practiced by their lineage but history proves otherwise. The undeniable fact is that before the CTA’s religious ban, Dorje Shugden was practiced first by the Sakyas and was later transmitted to the Gelug school where it was practiced by the majority of the Gelugpas.

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Contrary to the CTA’s claims that Dorje Shugden’s practice is sectarian, Zasep Rinpoche’s autobiography shows how practitioners of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism lived and practiced together in harmony, especially during the early years of exile in India. It was only when the CTA launched a virulent smear campaign against Dorje Shugden that the general public began to label Dorje Shugden a sectarian practice. In truth, Dorje Shugden’s practice is no more sectarian than the practices of other Dharma Protectors such as Mahakala Bernagchen, Achi Chokyi Drolma or Dorje Legpa, who protect the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and Nyingma schools respectively.

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By the 1980s, the Tibetan government had failed to fulfil multiple promises to return the Tibetan people to their homeland. A scapegoat was needed and they made one out of an ancient Buddhist practice, pinning the loss of Tibet and the failure of the Tibetan cause on Dorje Shugden. In his autobiography, Zasep Rinpoche is of the same opinion, stating that “…the [Dorje Shugden] controversy was orchestrated by the Tibetan Central Administration…”

The Tibetan leadership effectively sanctioned witch-hunts on Dorje Shugden practitioners and persecuted them using government instruments, declaring that simply by being a Shugden worshipper, one was effectively an enemy of the Tibetan nation.

As a result of the hatred against Dorje Shugden practitioners instigated by the Tibetan leadership, virtually all Shugden Buddhists had to fear for their lives, or at least for their safety.

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Dorje Shugden’s beneficial practice has continued to thrive due to the courage and commitment of high lamas such as Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.

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For centuries, Dorje Shugden has been practiced alongside the highest practices of the Gelug and Sakya lineages. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s list of transmission is an indication that the highest scholars viewed the Protector as an enlightened being compatible with their yidam practices.

The validity and nature of Dharma Protectors is a very relevant topic in recent times, particularly in the wake of the Dorje Shugden affair as instigated by the 14th Dalai Lama. Is it possible to differentiate between enlightened and unenlightened deities, and how does one do that?

This video highlights nuances in Tibetan Buddhist culture and ritual to make a distinction between worldly and awakened beings, through the tradition of oracles in Tibetan culture.

The 13th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Thupten Gyatso Jigdral Chokley Namgyal

Until today, no one is willing to speak the truth about who is responsible of the death of the 13th Dalai Lama. It was an uncalled for incident which blindsided a nation, who was at that time fighting a war for independence and stability. Sir Charles Bell, in his book “Portrait of the Dalai Lama”, wrote explicitly about how the Nechung oracle intervened when the 13th Dalai Lama was afflicted with a very strange sickness.

Quoting from the book:
It appeared that the Precious Protector had gone to the Field on the last day of the tenth Tibetan month, corresponding with the middle of December. The day of the week was Sunday. According to Tibetan ideas, if a man dies on a Sunday or a Tuesday, it is an evil omen. People say, “He died on a stormy day”.

Bell relates certain stories which were circulating around Lhasa at that time, about the cause of the sudden sickness. Perhaps these stories were more than just rumors, as Bell recounts his visit to Tibet approximately seven months later.

Of note was Bell’s visit with the son of a steward, who was working in close proximity with the Dalai Lama during the last two years of his life. Bell writes a detailed account of the story, describing how the 13th Dalai Lama’s sickness began with a small cough on the first day, and yet by the second evening, the Dalai Lama had skipped his usual soup, which resulted in a summoning of the servants.

Bell continues:

“At about 11 p.m. the Precious Protector (the 13th Dalai Lama) ordered the medium of the Oracle of Nechung, whom Kunpel La had hastily summoned, to worship the goddess, name Palhajok, whose image is in the Temple in Lhasa. The medium had come at once in a great hurry; he had not even stopped to put on his robes before coming.

The same night, between 1 and 2 a.m., the medium gave the Precious Protector some medicine in the form of a powder. When the medium came out, Champa La, the Presence’s regular doctor, said to the medium,

You have made a mistake in the medicine (Men di norra nangzha).

So soon after this the medium gave the Presence another powder in accordance with what Champa La prescribed. During all this time the Presence uttered no word.

Then, on the next day in the evening, he passed away. In addition to Sir Charles Bell’s biography, Melvin Goldstein’s History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951 also covers this matter, followed by a more detailed analysis of preceding and subsequent events (from page 141):

On this occasion, the Nechung oracle said that the Dalai Lama should take a medicine known as “the seventeen heroes for subduing colds” (chamjom pawo chupdun) and himself prepared the medicine in a cup with water. Most respondents report that the Dalai Lama refused the dose and that the state oracle had literally to pour it into his mouth. The Dalai Lama’s condition immediately deteriorated, and by noon he was unconscious. He never said another word.

We can see clearly how the wrong medicine was the cause of the Dalai Lama’s death, and it can be traced back to the Nechung oracle. There is written proof of this and until today the Central Tibetan Administration (the CTA, previouly the Tibetan Government in Exile) did nothing to shed light on this matter.

If the Dalai Lama claims that Dorje Shugden is a spirit capable of harming his life, what about Nechung who directly and blatantly took his previous incarnation’s life away by giving him the wrong medicine? And even if naysayers wish to debate on whether the medicine was correct or not, the fact is, people witnessed the cause of the Dalai Lama’s death, yet persecute another deity for a similar crime that he did not commit.

The disparity and unfairness of the Dorje Shugden ban is clear. The deity who brought real harm to the Dalai Lama (one could even go as far as to call him a murderer) continues to be allowed in the Dalai Lama’s presence in Dharamsala. And in contrast, the CTA denounce the practice of Dorje Shugden, saying that he is an evil spirit who brings the leader, the country and the Tibetan Buddhist religion down. What sort of logical mind would do that?

We’d like to point out the fact that the CTA have never thought things through in detail or with logic. Their incompetent way of ruling the Tibetan community in exile has resulted in their being reduced to just a small administrative office, incapable of doing anything on an international scale without riding on the Dalai Lama’s coattails, let alone take care of his welfare.

We see clearly how incapable the CTA are, whose eyes are so shrouded by ignorance and greed for power that they would even overlook the health and well-being of their leader. If nothing changes, the CTA’s track record will cause the death of their country, their leaders, and their hope for a Free Tibet, not because of Dorje Shugden or any other outer causes, but through their greed and ignorance.

The book, Portrait of the Dalai Lama by Charles Bell

During the time of the 13th Dalai Lama Thupten Gyatso, Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche was the Abbot of the Tantric College of Gyumey. Among his students were high lamas such as Jampa Chodak, who held the post of the 90th Gaden Tripa. Jampa Chodak was also the student who wrote a biography of Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche.

Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo was also a student of Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche, receiving teachings and initiations that may have well been passed down to many of the most prominent Gelugpa lamas in the world today. In fact, it was from him that Pabongka Rinpoche received the initiation of the Vajrayogini’s tantra in the tradition of Ngulchu Dharmabhadra.

Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche was born in a large town known as Ganzey located in the Eastern part of Tibet, in the Trehor region of Kham. He was also known by the name of Lobsang Tsultrim Denpay Gyaltsen. The name “Trehor” originates from Mongolia, from the time when the Mongols under the rule of Gushri Khan established themselves in the Kham region after defeating the King of Beri. As a young monk, Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche studied the Five Great Treatises at Drepung Loseling College in Lhasa and went on to become the seat holder at Ganzey Monastery. Eventually, he ascended the prestigious and respected position as abbot of Gyumey.

Among the texts written by Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche, we find notable commentaries on the First Stage of Yamantaka, Quick Path Lamrim, the Profound Path of the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Kalachakra Tantra and the Profound Guru Puja. In particular, there is also a specific series of texts on the Kalachakra written by Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche that are still being used to this day.

Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche was also known to have written rituals specifically to protectors. In the fourth volume of Trehor Kangsar Rinpoche’s collected works, we find protector rituals for invoking Dorje Shugden, Setrap and Nechung oracles that were written as a “tangrang” (thanksgiving) for the deities’ activities following auspicious oracle invocations.

In the short request for activity to Dorje Shugden, the Protector is described as riding a snow lion, a description missing from earlier Gelug descriptions. The text also mentions the role of Dorje Shugden as the protector of Manjushrigarba, which is the name of Lama Tsongkhapa’s incarnation in Tushita land. The short request for activity also contains a reminder to protect the Dharma and a request to protect the practitioners from illnesses, for them to have long lives and to be assisted on their path to gain attainment of realisations.

Some contemporary scholars claim that the practice of Dorje Shugden arose and was promoted predominantly by Pabongka Rinpoche. However, the discovery of texts like those written by Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche and other Lamas before him prove that the practice was very much alive and propitiated long before Pabongka Rinpoche.

Later, Pabongka Rinpoche composed the kangsol to Dorje Shugden at the request of a lama of the Kham area, and not on a personal initiative. This alone denotes that Dorje Shugden’s practice and rituals were already established in the region prior to the arrival of Pabongka Rinpoche, countering these scholars’ assertions.

Further, Trehor Khangsar Rinpoche writings referenced the fact that oracle invocations of Dorje Shugden were very much practiced at the time, contrary to later claims that Shugden was restricted by the 13^th Dalai Lama and established only by Pabongka in the mid 20th century.

The catalogue of Lobsang Tamdin lists this particular work, which also means that Dorje Shugden’s practice had found its way to Mongolia. The practice was not confined only to Tibet, but by this time, there were many lamas who had also brought Shugden, as well as other Gelugpa teachings, into Mongolia where it was also flourishing.

Like most high incarnations, this 8^th Rongchen Rinpoche met with a very early start in Dharma. Kunkyen Jamyang Shepa first recognized him as the reincarnation of Rongpo Choje and named him Lobsang Trinley Tenpa. He was bestowed his initial ordination vows by Je Kongchog Monlam at the age of seven after which he was given the Getsul ordination a year later when he was eight.

While the monastic education is a vigorous one, Kirti Rinpoche was already studying the classes at the feet of many great masters from the mere age of 11 and excelled in them. He was fully ordained as a monk at the age of 24 and a year later, at only 25, he founded a new monastery in Ngapa and established himself there.

A debate and tantric college owed its existence to this eminent lama. Many monasteries in Amdo and Mongolia were graced by visits throughout his life and he became known too for creating a remarkable number of monasteries – both tantric and debate colleges – including for example, Ngaba Monastery, Tagtsang Lhamo Loseling Collect and Tagtsang Geden Tashi Kyil.

Many rituals for many protectors were written by Eighth Kirti Rinpoche and among his many notable literary accomplishments were the life entrustment rituals he composed for the Dharma Protectors Setrabchen and Nechung, as well as rituals for Tsangpa, Karma Vajra. The ritual of most interest is an initiation manual he composed for Dorje Shugden, called Dorje Shugden Gyi Jenang Chetsul, which details the method of initiation for Shugden.

It is also said that the previous incarnation of Kirti Rinpoche had such strong connections to Dorje Shugden that people in the area would specifically consult and ask Kirti Rinpoche for advice and protection. People would travel specifically to seek him for initiation of Dorje Shugden.

An account written by a Lobsang Tayang tries to trace the origins of this particular Jenang composed by Kirti Rinpoche. It is said that an earlier incarnation of Kirti Rinpoche had also had close connections with Dorje Shugden would who give him clear instructions and promised to protect colleges associated with him.

Later, as he was dying, Kirti Rinpoche passed this initiation an Alag Chojor and instructed to keep the lineage going. By certain requests, this initiation continued to be passed on – records trace that it was passed an Amdo lama known as Vajracharya Chogtrul who then bestowed the initiation to his own students in his own monastery.

Some more contemporary scholars have suggested that the Dorje Shugden practice was proliferated greatly in the late 19th century. It has been further surmised that the diffusion of the Dorje Shugden practice was on the basis of a minor deity but this summary is clearly mistaken.

There is evidence to suggest from this initiation composed by Kirti Rinpoche and the accolades used, the status of Dorje Shugden was definitely being promoted beyond that of a minor worldly protector. Case in point, the title of the initiation manual uses the term “special emanated Protector of the Doctrine of the Second Conqueror Manjunatha”, a very clear indication of the prominent status that this protector held within Tsongkhapa’s lineage.

Another notable aspect of this initiation and other significant works of Kirti Rinpoche are praises he included in his writings to Panchen Sonam Drakpa. Closer study of his writings indicate that Kirti Rinpoche recognized the connection between Dorje Shugden and Panchen Sonam Drakpa – this is especially significant because the core of many major monasteries’ curriculum are based the works of Panchen Sonam Drakpa.

These works continue to be studied today in Drepung Loseling and Gaden Shartse and form the basis of every Geshe’s studies and degrees. This tradition of following these texts can thus be traced back to this time – or even further – which clearly disproves certain scholars claims that Dorje Shugden is propitiated only as a worldly deity and not as an enlightened teacher in his own right.

Further, according to the text Some Historical Accounts of the Secret Activities of Lamas, Gods and Protectors, the proliferation of Gelugpa monasteries and colleges in Mongolia arose as a result of direct advice from the oracles of Setrapchen and Dorje Shugden. According to such accounts, the adherence to specific curriculum, especially that of Panchen Sonam Dragpa, was another important reason in starting up the new colleges. Again this proves the central part that Dorje Shugden – as a later incarnation of Panchen Sonam Dragpa – played in the creation of these monasteries.

What is more interesting is that this remarkable initiation text composed by Kirti Rinpoche is actually a divergence from the lineage derived from Dakpo Dorje Chang and Pabongka Rinpoche. It seems that while the initiation still finds its roots from what was being practiced in Central Tibet, a a new approach was created outside of Tibet and would later spread to Mongolia.

Unfortunately, the works of Dorje Shugden from Central Tibet overshadowed this rare text and lineage and it was not been paid much attention in recent times. It does however, provide us sound evidence that the practice of Dorje Shugden had taken off in various directions, being spread and proliferated by Lamas outside of the central, more famous lineages of Tibet.

A very special boy was born in 1779 in Mongolia. The boy would come to be known as Ngawang Khedrup, one of the greatest Mongol teachers of the Gelug tradition. He received his novice vows in Urga (modern day Ulaan Bator) and was enrolled into Tashi Chophel Monastery.

When he was old enough, he traveled to Tibet and enrolled into Drepung Gomang Monastery to study the five great treatises. At the monastery, he studied under a line of illustrious teachers including the Fourth Jetsun Dampa, the Eighth Dalai Lama and the Second Reting Rinpoche, one of the earliest Gelug Lamas to embrace the practice of Dorje Shugden.

While he was residing in Lhasa, there were certain adversaries fueled by jealousy who accused him of breaking his monk vows. However, with his strong faith and reliance on the Protector Dorje Shugden, he was soon absolved of all accusations when he went to consult the oracle of Trode Khangsar. Interestingly enough it was Nechung to advised him to consult Shugden on this matter, stating that only Shugden would be able to determine the truth in such disputes. This in itself is a clear indication of Shugden’s enlightened nature, for it is only Buddhas who have the highest level of unbiased wisdom to discriminate between right and wrong.

After he completed his monastic studies and received his Rabjampa degree, he decided to return to Mongolia. Upon his return, the Emperor Daoguang awarded him with the title of the Supreme Chief Khenpo. At that time, he took up office as the Abbot of a Gelug college which was renowned for specializing in the practice of Hevajra in the 19th Century. It was called the Hevajra Practice College of Urga.

Throughout his lifetime, Ngawang Khedrub wrote extensively and his collection of works includes sadhanas, hagiographies of Jetsun Dampa, commentaries of the Lamrim and a text detailing the death process. He seemed to have an especially close connection with Maitreya – his writings on sadhanas seemed to be centered on the Buddha Maitreya, including a praise to Maitreya. The book Mongolia and the Mongolians even details that a statue of Maitreya, standing at more 120 feet, was apparently commissioned by Ngawang Khedrub.

In a short text on Panchen Sonam Dragpa’s hagiography, Ngawang Khedrup wrote that the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden arose from the omniscient wisdom of Panchen Sonam Drakpa. It is therefore not a surprise that one of his disciples, Ngawang Yeshe Thubten, became the author of one of the earliest Dorje Shugden ritual texts.

Later Gelug masters including Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche frequently quote from this same text, drawing a direct link between Dorje Shugden and Panchen Sonam Dragpa as a previous incarnation. It is thus from great Lamas like Ngawang Khedrub that the lineage and practice of Dorje Shugden continues to grow in Mongolia.

The Dalai Lama has been extremely kind to bring Tibetan Buddhism and Dharma teachings out to the world. Because of the Dalai Lama, millions now know of the peaceful methods of Buddhism, which is what the Dalai Lama represents.

However, over the last 10 years or so, there have been drastic changes within Tibetan Buddhist communities which do not reflect these teachings of peace. Since the ban on Dorje Shugden, Tibetan people within the exiled communities in India and Nepal are divided and facing disharmony. This is all being blamed on the Protector Deity Dorje Shugden. But is he really such a bad guy?

Attached is a very clear and detailed forum post written by someone who calls himself TK, a passionate and very learned Buddhist on the DorjeShugden.com forum. This forum welcomes many discussions about this Dharma Protector, studying the many issues that have come out from the ban as well as providing more information and shared experiences about this practice.

We invite you to read this particular post, where TK proves very clearly why Dorje Shugden is not as bad as we think and that, in fact, he is working together with the Dalai Lama for the growth of Dharma. May this article bring you a much deeper understanding of the issues and the practice, and may it work to relieve many who have been suffering because of the ban.

Yours in Dharma,
DorjeShugden.com
DorjeShugden.net
XiongDeng.net

Part 1: An Article

Extracted from http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=599.0

May 14, 1995 – Tsangpa Oracle Prophesy I

Prophesy (kha.lung) through the Tsangpa Oracle requested by the Private Office of the Dalai Lama, Prophesies of the Tibetan Government Oracles, published by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan Administration of the Dalai Lama, Dharamsala, 1996, p. 13.

“It is important that Tibetans should observe their commitments (dam.tsig) which is their obligation. Particularly, the issue of Gyalchen [Dorje Shugden] is a bad omen. In this direction, we, the formless, are aware that it does not harbor good. This should definitely be stopped (mtshams.’jog) in the region of Tibet. With respect to the issue of the unity of religion and politics [of Tibet] and the Ganden Potang government in particular, Gyalchen [Dorje Shugden] cannot demonstrate even a grain of benefit. He can never bring happiness for Tibet [or Tibetan people?].

June 14, 1995- Tsangpa Oracle Prophesy II

Prophesy (kha.lung) through the Tsangpa Oracle requested by the Cabinet of the exile government: Prophesies of the Tibetan Government Oracles, pp. 14-17.

“An important current issue is that if you continue to go through the motions of government service as if it were punishment instead of serving the Ganden Potang government with total loyalty it is possible that this may pose a serious threat to the well being of Gyalwa Tenzin Gyatso [the Dalai Lama]. A grave issue has arisen concerning the administration of the Ganden Potang. One thing that I, the Tsangpa Dhungthoed Chan, have to say about this explicitly is that [Tibetan] worship of deities has now reached a critical stage. It is extremely sad that Gyalchen [Dorje Shugden] the Chinese spirit is being worshiped.

Even though [Gyalchen] angers Gyalwa Tenzin Gyatso [the Dalai Lama], there are those who worship him [Dorje Shugden] and who revere him in secret. Not only are there such worshipers in Tibet, there is deep reverence for him even among government employees. This is very harmful. That he is of great harm has already been said by Dorje Dragden [Nechung].

In this regard there is a popular perception that there is acrimony between Dorje Dragden [Nechung] and Gyalchen [Dorje Shugden]. That can never be true. For the success of Buddhism and the Ganden Potang government, Dorje Dragden continues to extend to me complete support and since I too am to pursue this path completely, that if the Cabinet and the People’s Deputies [Assembly] do not strictly decide this issue and adhere to it, even though Buddhism may spread and even though the causes for the speedy freedom for Tibet may have begun [to grow], Gyalchen [Dorje Shugden] is sowing dissension [among Tibetans] by employing Chinese spirits and [furthermore] taking advantage of being a formless entity to vocalize and spread misinformation and thereby supporting China. This is a grave matter. Interesting to note here is that the Buddhists who rely on Dorje Shugden strongly favor Tibetan independence. Thus, it is difficult to reconcile that they would be working for the Chinese who are so adamantly against Tibetan independence. It is almost as if someone were trying on purpose to divide the Tibetan people along these lines, zeroing in on the deepest karmic weakness of the Ganden Potang government brought forward into the twentieth century. One has only to ask, in whose interest would such a division be?

We recommend rituals toward the well being of Gyalwa Rinpoche [the Dalai Lama]. Nevertheless, it is our serious concern that there needs to be strict adherence to the wishes of His Holiness and internal unity. Whether it be the People’s Deputies or an ordinary Tibetan, it is unacceptable for anyone to engage in partisan politics.

Of the honest guidelines stipulated by [His Holiness] in this regard, the most important is that regarding the worship of deities. If the common Tibetans and the government employees in particular do not heed those guidelines, there will be great loss for all.”

When in 1995 someone claims that the seeds of freedom for Tibet are flourishing when the Chinese have vowed to wipe out even the name of the Dalai Lama from history seems a blatant contradiction. In fact, this sounds so absurd that one must conclude something else entirely must be going on here. I think it is that the demonization of the Dalai Lama by the Chinese which started in 1995 is passed right on to Dorje Shugden. Perhaps he is strong enough to carry such a heavy burden.

Who is to say which would be a greater loss to the tradition of Buddhism, a Dalai Lama shouldering the blame for the loss of Tibet, no doubt unjustly, or Dorje Shugden and the split banning him has caused within Buddhism? All we know for certain is that the demonization of Dorje Shugden split the Tibetan community. It drove underground many genuine Buddhist practitioners and their practices, leaving in the larger public view mostly those who know how to play their political card correctly.

Another interesting point about this “prophesy” is the claim that acrimony between Nechung and Dorje Shugden is impossible. This is a statement from an ultimate and exclusively religious point of view also held by Buddhists who rely on Dorje Shugden. Clearly there is a danger to the Ganden Potang government of the Dalai Lama. The Chinese have been working hard to destroy it for the last fifty years.

Blaming Dorje Shugden for the actions of the Chinese makes the issue a political one. Dorje Shugden is — even for the government protector through this oracle — a matter of politics. The issue the oracle points out, it is about the [deposed] Tibetan government, that is, the institution of the Dalai Lama. It is political, especially when it concerns the Chinese.

In one trance ceremony of Tsering Chenga, the female oracle tells that Dorje Shugden prevented her from raising the Tibetan flag on the Potala in Lhasa. Some of the prophesies of these oracles are published by the exile government’s Department of Religion and Culture, 1996: gzung.bsten bod.skyong lha.srung khag.gi rdo.rje bka’.lung bzhug.so // implying that Dorje Shugden works for the Chinese.

1995- Exorcism Rituals Against Dorje Shugden

Most government rituals are performed by Namgyal Monastery, special to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government. In the course of the ban, other monasteries were also asked by the government to perform anti-Dorje Shugden rituals, often without the participating monks knowing specifically who had ordered them. They performed massive exorcism rituals against Dorje Shugden. For some, the Dalai Lama is present. It is said that for thirteen days after the Tibetan new year celebrated in spring 1996, the government did rituals against Dorje Shugden.

Part 2: A response to the article from “TK” on the DorjeShugden.com forum

This forum post has been extracted from this forum thread: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=599.0

Dear everyone,

This extracted article above is very powerful. I will share my thoughts and comments on the article above. It is what I have believed also for the last decade and a half. It concurs with the prophesy from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche in the late 70′s which is that, in the future, it may look like the Dalai Lama is at odds with Dorje Shugden, but in actuality they are helping each other to make the Buddha Dharma grow in the world.

1. Dorje Shugden acts in the Bodhisattva manner accepting criticism, hate campaigns and the ‘destruction’ of his practice. He does this because it serves a bigger purpose for the overall survival of Buddhism in the world for the future. Why? It is easier to resurrect or perform a “Lazarus” on Dorje Shugden in the future when the smoke clears, than it would be for the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a man and controlled by media, opinions, people, circumstances and etc. But Dorje Shugden is a formless entity that can “rise” above all of that very quickly when the time is right.

2. Whenever Dorje Shugden takes trance in any of the oracles, he never criticizes the Dalai Lama. In fact, he is known for telling the audience to always withhold criticism towards Dalai Lama. He does not have to say this; he could say nothing about the Dalai Lama and just keep quiet. Dorje Shugden is well known for not answering questions that have little meaning, or that are insignificant or unacceptable to the listener. When questions are presented to him through the oracle, he often bypasses questions which should not be answered at that time or which have no meaning.

3. With all the destruction happening against him, he never comments, speaks against nor gives advice towards undharmic actions. This is because the situation can all be fully reversed in a short time when the time is right.

4. Temporarily, Dorje Shugden will accept the claim that he is the cause for the loss of Tibet, or the cause for why Tibetan cannot be regained… but in the end truth will arise. Dorje Shugden will reveal the true “plot” which Trijang Rinpoche had already hinted at in the late 1970′s. (I fold my hands to Trijang Rinpoche and prostrate my full body to Him. I offer my head as a stepping block for his feet. I truly have confidence in this great being.)

5. Dorje Shugden is strong enough to carry such a burden. Dorje Shugden practitioners are resilient enough to not abandon his practice during this crisis. Both Dorje Shugden and his true followers will not abandon each other no matter what is said and done temporarily at this time. Both can carry the burden. I personally do not dislike or hate the Dalai Lama but have confidence in him and my own sacred Protector Dorje Shugden. I choose to believe and take refuge in Trijang Rinpoche’s prophecy. The other two options of hating Dalai Lama and /or abandoning Dorje Shugden are not open to me, nor would I choose any of the two options.

6. Why would Dalai Lama act, talk and promote so many contradictory actions that makes himself look unstable? …. Unless it is all being done on purpose. I believe that truly. He is not stupid.

7. If Kache Marpo (Dorje Shugden’s main attendant) has ‘destroyed’ Lamas, people and practitioners in the past for breaking samaya or polluting the Yellow Hat teachings (Gelugpa), then why are Samdhong Rinpoche, the Kashag, Kalons, Ministers, Kunga Tara, and even the Dalai Lama himself spared? … Unless there is a much bigger soup brewing.

8. Nechung is the one who requested Duldzin Dragpa Gyeltsen to arise as a uncommon Protector to protect Nagarjuna’s view, as embodied within Lama Tsongkapa’s lineage, 350 years ago. Why would the same Nechung be speaking the opposite now when he talks and advises against Dorje Shugden?… Unless there was a larger plan between Dorje Shugden, Dalai Lama and Nechung. Seems like a hopeful fantasy? Well, to many more, the idea of a Dharma Protector or Dorje Shugden itself is a fantasy made up by the Tibetan Lamas. So which do we choose to believe?

9.If Dorje Shugden is so powerful (which he is), why doesn’t he do something to stop all this? Perhaps it is because it is not time to ‘stop’ all this yet. In fact, Dorje Shugden is putting his followers through ‘hell and back’ (excuse me) and we have to just take it. Yes we will ‘take’ it. There has to be a much bigger game plan. Dorje Shugden takes the blame and Dalai Lama works hard to make the Buddha Dharma grow while all of the next generation of elite Lamas and teachers are still young.

Those who take refuge in the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden will not give up on both. They are strongholds for the growth of Buddhadharma and the ‘re-arisal’ of Dorje Shugden in the near future. If the Dalai Lama is so powerful (which he is), why doesn’t he just do a binding ritual or fire puja himself and rid the planet/samsara of this horrible demented being called Jamgon Gyelway Tensung Gyelpo Dorje Shugden? And then stop spending so much time, money, heartaches, energy, resources to keep going against Dorje Shugden?! Just get rid of him once and for all. The end. Why not?

The Dalai Lama hasn’t done this because he cannot destroy a being who has actualized the complete path of Guhyasamaja in both completion and generation stages – in other words a being who is a Buddha. The Dalai Lama cannot destroy Buddha Dorje Shugden who is one with Guhyasamaja and whose 32 deities in his mandala are the same as the 32 deities in Guhyasamaja’s entourage.

So for the bigger purpose, the Dalai Lama has to put the blame of all the ills of Tibet’s misfortune onto Dorje Shugden who is strong enough to shoulder this. Dorje Shugden plays the bad guy for now. If the blame was placed on the Dalai Lama, it would spoil his reputation. This would limit him from spreading the Dharma on a global scale, which is what he is doing now. He is planting seeds of Dharma on a global scale so that they will ripen for the young Lamas as well as Dorje Shugden to take over later.

The ills of Tibet are not the Dalai Lama’s nor Dorje Shugden’s fault, but the Tibetan people’s own fault. However, for most of the world, karma is not accepted, so the blame would go to the leader of the people – which is the Dalai Lama. We cannot afford this at a time when no one else can spread Buddhism the way the Dalai Lama can.

Think through this carefully to come to terms with the pain in your heart. I do not blame you for the pain. You are not at fault. You are part of a bigger plan. I’ve had many pains in my heart that I have come to terms with and am some still working on because of this issue. We are all part of a bigger plan. This sounds clichéd, but it is true. It is easier to get through the storm with this way of thinking.

10. If the Dalai Lama loses his reputation because he is the ’cause’ for the loss of Tibet, then it would stain his reputation greatly and that would hinder his promotion of the BuddhaDharma around the world, to say the least. No other Lama of any tradition can match the skills, persona, knowledge, title and charisma of the Dalai Lama to spread Buddhism so far and wide around the world.

11. Why can’t the Tibetan Government and various Monasteries destroy Dorje Shugden through binding rituals? Because they have tried to and not been successful – Dorje Shugden has not been destroyed. This shows the power of Dorje Shugden purposely. People will keep this power in mind, remember it when they re-adopt Dorje Shugden’s practice later. This leaves a mark in people’s minds that Dorje Shugden cannot be defeated nor destroyed.

12. The Dalai Lama has given the incarnation of his teacher, Trijang Rinpoche, the special exception to practice Dorje Shugden. Why is Trijang Rinpoche allowed to practice Dorje Shugden if it harms the cause of Tibet and brings danger to the Dalai Lama’s life? Because it leaves a mark for the future, to make the point that Dorje Shugden does not hinder the cause of Tibet nor the Dalai Lama. These are small traces of hints left by the Dalai Lama for the survival of Dorje Shugden. Someone has to take the blame. That is samsara.

13. Why does Dorje Shugden himself sit on the fence?’ He says on one hand to respect and follow what the Dalai Lama says, but on the other hand, he told the Shar Gaden monks (who are ardent Dorje Shugden practitioners) that if their motivation for opening Shar Gaden was for the growth and preservation of the lineage, then it would be auspicious in the future. Doesn’t that look contradictory? C’mon, which one is it, Dorje Shugden? Clear it for us. If we were to follow what the Dalai Lama says, why open Shar Gaden and Serpom Monastery? If we were to follow what Dorje Shugden says, then why even be on this forum as he tells us to always respect the Dalai Lama?

Should we open Shar Gaden which ‘opposes’ the Dalai Lama or should we listen to the Dalai Lama and abandon Dorje Shugden’s practice? Even the great Dorje Shugden sounds contradictory.

Why does Dorje Shugden continuously take trance and give advice even to those who do not give their allegiance to the Dalai Lama while practicing Dorje Shugden? Doesn’t that damage the samaya of the individual with Dorje Shugden or with the Lama who initiated him into Dorje Shugden’s practice? Whichever way you look at it, you damage the samaya with either your guru or Protector.

The previous Zong Rinpoche, Dagom Rinpoche, Yongyal Rinpoche, Geshe Tendar, the current incarnations of Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche and Pabongka Rinpoche, Gonsar Rinpoche, the oracle monks, Gangchen Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, etc. all took teachings from the 14th Dalai Lama, at one time or another. Let’s not forget that. If we have taken teachings from any of these Lamas, then 14th Dalai Lama is also our lineage Lama who we must respect. Isn’t this logical?

Since we say that the Dalai Lama must respect our lineage Lamas such as Pabongka, then we must also reverse the situation and respect the Dalai Lama as our lineage Lama. Either way, the system is set up for you to ‘lose’. If that is the case, there must be a MUCH BIGGER PICTURE so that current infractions with our lineage Lamas can be repaired later FOR THIS BIGGER PICTURE.

After all, with or without the current issue of Dalai Lama / Dorje Shugden, we were doing a great job collecting negative karma, breaking commitments, and generally creating the causes for our personal samsaras to remain in tact and strong on our own. Neither the Dalai Lama nor Dorje Shugden are to blame. Nor are they adding to it. We were in samsara before the Dalai Lama’s name and Shugden even ‘existed’ as we know them today.

Yes the Dalai Lama does look like he always contradicts himself. But so does Dorje Shugden. Again, this leads me to believe that they are cooking up something much bigger… or it is something that’s nearly cooked.

Yes, it is nearly cooked.

It is best to have respect for the Dalai Lama and keep up our practices towards Dorje Shugden steadily. Whatever the case, whether we go to the Dalai Lama’s ‘camp’ or we go to Dorje Shugden’s ‘camp’, we go against our lineage Lamas. So it is best to maintain equilibrium by thinking things out logically, following the law of cause and effect, and engaging in our practices to develop attainments within our continuum. With the great attainment, we win freedom totally. Then (without meaning any disrespect), we won’t need the Dalai Lama, Buddha, Dorje Shugden or anyone else. Actually, that is their original intention.

I have stated my thoughts at this time and I sincerely hope this will bring peace/understanding to the many practitioners that visit this great website. I do not wish to offend anyone with my thoughts, or to be right. It is just my attempt to think and reason things out at this time when not many other options are available. Again, I will never give up my Dorje Shugden commitments nor my commitment to the Lamas who gave me the practices. Nor will I demean and hate His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I will not hate those against Dorje Shugden, but forgive them.

Much success to all,
TK

The original forum post can be viewed at: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=599.0