Sunday, November 16, 2008

Dorje Shugden practitioners denied medical care and friendship

Report from South India, November 7, 2008:

(1) Denying medical care to Buddhist monks at their own monastery
A meeting was held in Gaden Lachi to discuss the dispensary run by Shartse monastery. They came to this conclusion:

“The dispensary has a relationship with the Dholgyal* organization and some Shugden monks are coming to the dispensary. Therefore, the dispensary must post a notice on its door, announcing that Shugden devotees are not allowed in the dispensary.”
*Dholgyal is a disrespectful term for Dorje Shugden.

Letter later posted by the clinic
(Translation from Tibetan text)

To the public,

The monks of Gaden Shartse Thoesam Norling monastery have already taken the oath and given their signatures, declaring that we will never keep a spiritual or material relationship with those who worship Dholgyal. Therefore, we announce that the Dholgyal followers, whoever they are, are denied access anything in the clinic of the monastery, directly, indirectly or thoroughly.

Gaden Shartse Norling Clinic Association

(This undated letter was posted on November 20, 2008. This same letter was posted on the wall of Shartse Library.)

(2) Deliberate destruction of friendships between Buddhist monks
On November 11, 2008, Shartse Monastery convened a meeting, which was attended by the Abbot, Disciplinarian, Chanting Master, and so on. The Chanting Master Tenzin Namdak reportedly said:
“Some Shugden devotees and non-Shugden devotees are friendly like before they were separated. They ride motorcycles and jeeps together. We should stop this friendship and company between monks from Shar Gaden monastery and Gaden Shartse monastery.”
This last incident is both distressing and curiously hopeful, showing that once the Dalai Lama has lifted his illegal and unconstitutional ban on Shugden practice and stopped the witch hunt of Shugden practitioners, perhaps life may return to normal for all the monks relatively quickly? This and other reports from the monasteries of South India are indicating that no one is happy with the ban, Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners alike, and that Abbots and so on are only going along with it as mandated by the TGIE and Dalai Lama. As shown on the documentary on the Al Jeezera News Report earlier this year, the Dalai Lama says:
“Recently monasteries have fearlessly expelled Shugden monks where needed. I fully support their actions. I praise them. If monasteries find taking action hard, tell them Dalai Lama is responsible for this.”

Important Announcement
(Translation of Tibetan Text)

To the public,

The monks of Gaden Shartse Thoesam Norling monastery have already taken the oath and given their signatures, declaring that we will never keep a spiritual or material relationship with those who worship Dholgyal. Therefore, we announce that the Dholgyal followers, whoever they are, are requested not to contact the the monastery, directly, indirectly or thoroughly.

Gaden Shartse Thoesam Norling monastery

(This undated letter was posted on November 19, 2008. And the same letter was posted on the wall of Shartse library.)

10 comments:

Matthew said...

Hi- Just a point of fact for accuracy ...."Dhogyal" is not necessarily a disrespectful term, it is used even by such Lamas as Je Phabonkapa and Trijang Losang Yeshe. You can find many uses of the term in Trijang Rinpoche's own writings.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Wisdom Buddha Blog for this update.

Matthew, interesting. I assume "dholgyal" was not a disrespectful term when used by Je Phabongkhapa and Trijang Rinpoche as they would never disrespect Dorje Shugden. However, it seems to always be used disrespectfully these days. Are there examples of names that started out harmless but became weapons in the mouths of detractors?

What is the exact meaning of it, do you know?

Anonymous said...

afaik, it means "King of Dol" (which i believe is an area where Dorje Shugden practice originated? not sure - anybody know?).

while i believe it has been used, as in "Dolgyal Shugden", respectfully - certainly, the DL/TGIE's intention in using "Dolgyal", "Dolgyal" is to be offensive.

Anonymous said...

points of order re. the name aside, this is absolutely shocking - disgusting, even. how can this happen in a monastery? have they no shame?

more lies, i suppose, Tenzin Peljor?

Anonymous said...

Please can, the author of this blog, give any info on the source and reliability of the first report, in order to validate it either way, Thanks

Anonymous said...

The information was received as part of a regular update from the Dorje Shugden Society in India. Their sources in the monastery have all been reliable. You can contact the Society through their website here: http://www.shugdensociety.info/newsEN.html

James said...

What strikes me most is that people are restricted from being friends with Shugden followers. This looks to me like another example of how the Dalai Lama's claims about Shugden followers are often inverted - Shugden followers are portrayed as divisive, while the DL's policy is driving a wedge between them and the rest of Tibetan society.

Lineageholder said...

I hope the Dalai Lama is happy, driving a wedge between spiritual practitioners like this.

I agree that the friendship between Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners is a hopeful sign that things would return to normal when the Dalai Lama lifts his ban. This goes to show that the Dalai Lama's action is purely political and all the disharmony the Dalai Lama attributes to Dorje Shugden is complete rubbish. It's ludicrous that his cronies are demanding that such friendships shouldn't take place. THEY are causing the disharmony, not Dorje Shugden.

Anonymous said...

My statement is I am a member of the buddhist peace fellowship.
o about following gurus and things like that... I never followed my own mother this does not mean I do not love her.
At this stage one could make money on exit counseling as I conclude brothers and sisters are doing. I am a former journalist and very interested in mind manipulation. My feeling is western people should remain loyal to their roots which ar not following anyone. But this is not only west. Why is everyone so worried anyone follows anyone in the first place? Is it money, reputation I don'think so at this stage. I will go public soon when my friends are falsely slandered more which yes is a western value loyalty and friendship. Buddhism what is that?

Paul Cook said...

What does this teach us? That in Samsara we still have choices! And karma prevails:) Come and sit on the beach it is a lot better place....