Manhattan Protest

In recent years, Dorje Shugden has become a controversial issue in which many Western Buddhists who follow the Dorje Shugden deity of Tibetan Buddhism have raised the issue of religious freedom under the Dalai Lama.

CNN’s report on Dorje Shugden:

Dalai Lama Greeted by Protesters in Manhattan

http://cnn.com/US/9805/03/buddhist.dissension/index.html

As I did my research on Tibet, I saw an Internet newsgroup called alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan, where many Buddhists were arguing over the Dorje Shugden issue. A search via the Deja News search engine yielded over two thousand messages posted in the newsgroup on the subject of Dorje Shugden. Much of the details are very religious in nature, but I have gathered the more introductory posts that offer a glimpse of the issue.

James Burns, a British Buddhist devoted to Dorje Shugden, has written many highly informative posts on the Internet newsgroup ‘alt.religion.buddhism.tibet’. Here are links to his posts, listed in sequence of introducing the background of the issue to the eventual ban, and the reactions of Dorje Shugden followers.

Burns explained his feelings in a post on Sept. 15, 1998:

“In the UK how would you feel if you were not allowed to travel abroad because you are a Buddhist?

How would you feel if you were not allowed to hold a legal, government or medical post because of your religion?

How would you feel if your children and relatives were banned from attending state schools?

How would you feel if someone was sick in your family but you were frightened to ask for medical help because people would find out what your religion was?

How would you feel if people boycotted your business or profession just because you held certain beliefs?

How would you feel if your relatives and friends were encouraged to spy on you and report what you did just because of what you believed?

How would you feel if people came into your house uninvited and removed those things that you held most sacred?

How would you feel if you lost your pension and state benefits just because you were a Buddhist?
 
How would you feel if, on the same basis, your UK citizenship was removed?”

(For a look at the original article mentioned in this post, please see: His Material Highness: http://www.salon.com/1998/07/13/news_79/)

The Mongoose-Canine Letter:
This is one of the most interesting posts that includes a letter by a Tibetan insider, addressed to the Dalai Lama, that showed many intricate secrets of the Tibetan government in exile. James Burns begins to see the truth behind the Tibetan propaganda.

“To people in the West we seem to think that the exiled community is and has been united behind the Dalai Lama throughout its existence. However as is well known to the Tibetans themselves the truth is very far from this.”

“The Dalai Lama has exercised Power and control most effectively through the flow of information.”

“It is remarkable how effective such information control has been on the minds of Westerners. We are only now beginning to see a cultural questioning of issues Tibetan and this has long been overdue. The Dalai Lama has felt so confident about his propaganda efforts that in a speech earlier this year he was proclaiming how his fame would be the determining factor in the Dorje Shugden issue.”

A disillusioned Dorje Shugden follower (view 1)

James Burns wrote: “Yes Chris. I have got to say that for many years I was a firm supporter of the Dalai Lama and all that he stood for and tried to do. When the Dorje Shugden issue came to a head by the introduction of the Ban, I still supported him although I felt that he had made a serious mistake on this issue and that he needed to change.”

“However when I began to look into matters it also began to be clear to me that there were a lot of other things that I could not approve of with regards to the actions of His Holiness. It was quite contrary to what I had expected of him.”

“For example I found out that the beatings so graphically shown of Tibetan Monks in the monasteries in the late 80′s were not being carried out by the Chinese as was being suggested but were actually carried out by Tibetans! The style of the beatings were typically Tibetan and quite beyond the style and methods of Chinese soldiers or police.”
[For facts presented by a Tibetan that may back up this point, please read: "Tibetans and the Cultural Revolution".]

A disillusioned Dorje Shugden follower (view 2)

James Burns wrote: “As I have pointed out previously let no-one be in any doubt that it is the Dalai Lama who is behind the United Cholsum Organization. It is commonly perceived, in the Exiled Community, to be the public vehicle of his private office. In trying to handle the Dorje Shugden issue through this vehicle he is no doubt attempting to give himself an escape route should the actions of the United Cholsum Organization be subject to the International condemnation that it so richly deserves.”

“The people on this newsgroup who continue to support the ban on Shugden is persecuting a section of society and are a disgrace to Buddhism and to humanity. Such people are not Buddhists. If they were then they would do what they could for those in distress. The sectarian and fundamentalist attitudes that these people complain of can most clearly be seen in their own ranks. The right of all people to enjoy freedom of spiritual belief and practice must be universally proclaimed. Where such freedoms are not to be found it must be condemned with the utmost energy. Tyranny in any disguise must be recognised for what it is and firmly opposed.”

“People who speak universally of freedom, democracy and openness, yet persecute and restrict their own people must be seen for the hypocrites that they are. There is no room in modern society for this form of behaviour and we must make it known that people who do so can expect no support for their activities.”

(Source : http://journeyeast.tripod.com/shugden_buddhists.html)

What are some human tendencies in responding to conflict?

While walking this morning along the streets of Oxford (to a conference I am presenting at the weekend), I saw a group of people gathering and asked what was happening. They said the Dalai Lama was coming. So, like any tourist, I wanted to see him and get a picture if possible. I came back in an hour when there was a much larger crowd and heard people shouting something in a chant.

I will soon post here some pictures from the event. I didn’t end up getting a picture of the Dalai Lama, but I did get a lot of conversations that were perhaps even more valuable.

I assumed the shouting was either from Tibetans protesting China or Chinese protesting the Dalai Lama. Then I looked over the crowd and started to realize it was separated into three parts. Only a part of the crowd was holding Tibetan flags on one side, there was a small gathering around a Chinese flag in the center, and then a large group on the other side – many of which were dressed in long Buddhist robes – holding signs that said the Dalai Lama was lying. This is where the shouting was coming from. Buddhists protesting the Dalai Lama?

So I went back and forth between the different groups in the crowd in order to get a better understanding of what was happening. I have captured the conversations that came from it, and I think you will find it interesting how people reason and make sense of the situation.

The situation itself is interesting, but the conversations around the protest is what I am more interested in discussing and hearing your thoughts about. They surprised me in some ways, and helped me understand a little more about how people deal with conflict: always questioning the motivations of others (especially repelled by any sign of hypocrisy), making quick judgments based upon assuming negative motivations, asking so few questions (and usually only the kinds of questions which help them justify their previous opinions), and then giving labels for the people they feel are opposed to them.

CONVERSATION #1 (To a person with a Tibetan flag)

Who are the protesters, and what is their concern?

“They are all just a bunch of communists.”

CONVERSATION #2 (Walking over to a protester who hands me a pamphlet)

What are you protesting? What do you think the Dalai Lama is lying about?
“He is lying because he is hypocritical – saying he supports human rights, but he suppresses them amongst his own people. He has outlawed people from being able to practice something called Dorje Shugden (a prayer to a certain Buddhist deity) – said there was an evil spirit in it – and if people do practice it then they have had their houses burned down, and some people have even been killed.”

Why do you think he outlawed the practice?
“For political reasons. He wants to unite Buddhists, and while politically that might make sense, spiritually it is very destructive.”

Oh, someone told me that you were communist protesters.
“Yeah – they don’t really know what they are talking about.”

CONVERSATION #3 (Walking back to someone with a Tibetan flag draped around them)

What do you think they are protesting about?
“Oh, they are angry that about the practice of a certain kind of prayer that the Dalai Lama has spoken against. It is a complicated split in Tibetan Buddhism. But they don’t even know what they are talking about. Go over there and ask them, and most of them are just westerners and don’t even know why they are protesting. They don’t even know what they are talking about. You don’t see any Tibetans over there, do you?

The Dalai Lama just said that he wasn’t going to practice the Dorje Shugden anymore, but he does allow religious freedom to people, but just asked if they follow him not to practice the Dorje Shugden as well. He doesn’t say that they cannot practice it, just that he finds an evil spirit about it.

You don’t see any Tibetans over there, or hardly any. They don’t even have any intelligent chants. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were paid to come together. You know that happens. Paid mob.”

[And she handed me a statement from the Tibetan government describing their view on what had happened.]

CONVERSATION #4 (Walking again over to a different protester)

What do you think the Dalai Lama is lying about?
“He has suppressed the practice of Dorje Shugden – even though his spiritual leaders practiced it. In Buddhism, you are supposed to follow your spiritual leaders. Now, people in the Tibetan communities of India (where they are living in exile) are forced to carry cards that indicate that they do not practice the Dorje Shugden. If they do not have the card, they get persecuted – and even their lives are in danger. There are even stores that say above the entrance that if you believe in Dorje Shugden then you can not shop there.”

Why did he think the Dorje Shugden was an evil practice?
“Oh, it was just some dream he says he had. Stupid. Really he is both a spiritual and political leader, and so he  makes certain decisions for political reasons that are devastating spiritually. Westerners understand that you cannot do this, that it is unhealthy and wrong, and so we are speaking up to try and get his attention. We do not hate him, we love him, we have peace in us, and we cheer at the end of each chant to show it is a peaceful rally. But we just want him to listen and he is not even open to dialogue. It is not democratic at all, but more like medieval ages in the west when the rulers made spiritual decisions for political reasons and then forced them on people. That is the problem when someone is both the spiritual and political leader.

In the west we know that is wrong, but that is where they are stuck. It is not a democracy at all, he won’t even discuss it with people. Western media is just so nice to the Dalai Lama, not recognizing the hypocrisy – but we are trying to change that with demonstrations like this.”

Why do you think there are not more Buddhists protesting?
“There is a couple, but they are putting their life at risk by being here. The Dalai Lama has a group that will find him out and punish him if they can. All the ones over there feel they need to be submissive to him no matter what, they think that he can’t be wrong because he is their spiritual leader, and the Buddha. [He did a mock bowing motion]. Crazy. In the west we know that is not right.”

CONVERSATION #5 (To the Tibetan on the protester side)

Why are you protesting?
“I went into the monastery when I was 12. I was there for 40 years, but because I did not want to agree, I was cleared out. After 40 years! That was my home. If I had a family in India, and they did not have the passes, then the children would be cleared out of their schools, they would be cleared out of their community.”

Why do you think that the Dalai Lama felt this Dorje Shugden was evil?
“There are four branches of Buddhism in Tibet, and he is only the spiritual leader for only one of them. He wants to weaken the strongest branch, if he can, so that he can be a stronger leader by making all the branches more equal. The main thing is that in the west is freedom of speech – and he does not allow that.”

Why do you think more Tibetans don’t stand up to this?
“They just don’t understand.”

CONVERSATION #6 (Then talking to a couple of Chinese representatives who gave me a pamphlet about how beautiful Tibet is)

Why are you here?

“We just want China to be one – to be united.”

Why do you think Tibet want to be free from China?

“I really don’t know.”

What percent of people in Tibet want to be free of China?
“I don’t think there are many left in Tibet that want to be free anymore. It is just a small percent. But they are doing violent things, surrounding the Olympics, and that is not good.”

What do you think the Dalai Lama wants?
“I think they were just in power before China took over, and so they just want the power again.”

They say that you might be getting paid to be here. Is that true?
“No! We are just here. That is not the reason we are here! Just look at the flag – we don’t even have enough money to buy a good flag.”

What do you think about the recent talks between Chinese government and the Dalai Lama?
“We support them. It is a good thing, and we hope it continues. The Dalai Lama just keeps speaking the same things – and there is no progress. We want to see things improve.”

CONVERSATION #7 (Walking once again to the Tibetan side and talking to a Caucasian woman holding a Tibetan flag)

Why do you think the people over there are protesting?
“I can’t imagine!”

Why do they say that the Dalai Lama is lying?
“They’re just horrible people! They are shouting horrible things! I’m Roman Catholic, but I know the Dalai Lama stands for peace! I don’t know why they would do such a horrible thing!”

Why does Tibet want to be free from China?
“I would want to be free from them! They’re barbarians – they murder their own students. They are just horrible barbarians.”

CONVERSATION #8 (To a Tibetan man holding a Tibetan flag)

Why does Tibet want to be free from China?
“The Chinese do not allow any religious freedom. They make it so that we cannot pray and practice as we would like to.”

Why do you think the people are protesting?
“They are upset about some direction that the Dalai Lama gave on changing something. But it was even his own practice, and he recognized that he needed to change too.”

And then I had to get back to the conference…

I’m sure there are a lot of nuances in the actual conflict which I am not aware of. But I don’t want to discuss the conflict itself – I am more interested in discussing the approach to the conflict that was taken by people on different sides of the argument.

First let me say that I am aware that people frequently can have less-than-the-best of intentions – and so it makes sense that as humans we are always questioning the motives of others.

My questions for you:

• At the same time, doesn’t this tendency to quickly label the intent and intelligence of others frequently lead to unnecessary labels/judgments and miscommunication?
• Do you agree/disagree – or see anything else in these conversations?
• Any suggestions for how to get around skepticism, quick labeling, and the resulting miscommunication?

(Source : http://www.clintrogersonline.com/blog/2008/05/30/is-the-dalai-lama-lying-conflict-hypocrisy-and-miscommunication-%E2%80%93-the-dorje-shugden/)

H.H. 14th Dalai Lama

Several of my friends have approached me with eagerness to say, “The Dalai Lama is coming to Cincinnati! Are you going?” I remained neutral and answered that H.H. the Dalai Lama has requested that anyone from my lineage not attend his teachings.

“What! Why?”

Because of a hundreds-of-years-old conflict concerning a certain Dharma Protector (protecting the words and knowledge of the teachings of the Buddha) named Dorje Shugden. Many years ago, H.H. the Dalai Lama—a wonderful man who has done much for the world — wrote praises and poems revering Dorje Shugden. Then he changed his mind, and announced that Dorje Shugden is a demon. He asked that anyone revering Dorje Shugden (as my teachers do, and as I do), to not come to his teachings.

Many negative events occurred following this pronouncement, which came close to violence and death in the Tibetan Community. Nonetheless, these people without a land of their own, are divided against each other.

The saddest event came about by way of an order given by H.H. the Dalai Lama, that my teachers’ home monastery in Southern India, Gaden Shartse Monastery which houses, feeds and schools thousands of monks, was to send all the monks revering Dorje Shugden onto the streets without any food or shelter. This action left hundreds of monks and nuns homeless.

The Mongolian, American and Tibetan support for these outcasts enabled them to build an entirely new monastery, also in Southern India, which held its official opening in 2009. There is a Dorje Shugden Society to be found on a website.

This news is vastly unexposed, yet my teachers have been denied entrance to H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teachings anywhere; one of my special teachers was in the middle of a crowd of hecklers coming close to violence, so much so, that the police had to put my teacher and his fellow monks on a bus to protect them.

I try not to get depressed or disillusioned about this, because the words of the Buddha are pure and good, just as the words of the Catholic faith are merciful. But look at what is happening in the Catholic Church with its many child-molesting priests. Are there similarities here? Humanity means human frailty, and H.H. the Dalai Lama is no exception. I wish him a long life, happiness and prosperity. And I will continue my Dharma practice with joyous effort.

Editor’s note: In this opinion piece, despite the difficulties posed to the author and his teachers though the ban and the actions of His Holiness, the author chooses to see that there is good in His Holiness.

(Source : http://karmalifereadings.blogspot.com/2010/10/sad-relatively-unknown-news-of-tibetan.html)