Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Samdhong vendetta continues

Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, obviously doesn't know when he's fighting a lost cause. Despite the fact that Tibetan Gelugpa Shugden practitioners are flourishing, having just opened the new Shar Gaden and Serpom Norling monasteries and other positive news, Samdhong recently spoke out against Dorje Shugden practitioners while in Switzerland as reported on Radio Free Asia:

August 30, 2009

Broadcaster:
Scholar Samdhong
Rinpoche, Kalon Tripa of Tibetan Government in Exile has given advice to the public in Swiss that people should pay special attention about the Shugden issue. Please listen to the news sent by Tsering Phuntsok

Tsering Phuntsok: During the visit by Scholar Samdhong Rinpoche, political leader of Tibetan Government in Exile, in Switzerland recently, he said that Dholgyal (Shugden) issue is not only a religious issue, but it became a tool for Chinese government. And he advised public should pay special attention.

Samdhong Rinpoche: In terms of our religion and politic, some Shugden followers became like a tool which is used by political authorities of People Republic of China. Apart from that, be it in Tibet or in Exile, over 95 percent of monks and nuns and lay people have abandoned what is to be abandoned and have practiced what is to be practiced (meaning that they abandoned the worship of Shugden), and they are very well. In present situation, for example, although there were few Shugden followers in the Seats (Sera, Drepung and Gaden monasteries), they were separated and became clean, after religious and material connection are cut off. Among them Tibetans are very few. It is a human group composed of many from border side who do not know the matter, and who are deceived by materials. . I think this will be clean before long. However, Dholgyal followers became like a subject to be used for both politics and propaganda by People Republic of China. Therefore, it is not a question of religion; it falls under situation of politics only. Therefore, yet in Europe and particulary around Swiss, some dispute of Dogyal followers remain in unfinished-work. Recently if you look at the media – in newspaper – of around this country, they try their best to rise after death. Regarding these matters, Swiss public took firm stand. If you continue it to end, the public has responsibility to try to vanish their continuity, which is like air of poison, without letting it to increase in future. Therefore, you must take it into consideration.

A scan of the Tibetan version of the transcript is shown above.

The Kalon Tripa is once again stirring up unrest and disharmony in Tibetan society. He incorrectly says that the Shugden issue is only a political one. This is not true since the main objections to the practice voiced by the Dalai Lama are religious ones and it has been a religious debate. If Samdhong means that the Shugden issue is one that has come about because of the mixing of religion and politics by the Dalai Lama, he's certainly correct! Rather than China using Dorje Shugden as a political issue, it's the TGIE who have done so.

It's sad to say that although the Western Shugden Society has suspended its campaign of protests against the Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lama and his government officials never stop trying to harm Dorje Shugden practitioners behind the scenes. Although the Dalai Lama talked about how he is dedicated to democracy during his recent visit to Taiwan, there is little evidence of democracy in his government when he instigated this present situation regarding Dorje Shugden by cutting off material support for Shugden practitioners and forcing their families to do the same. He's not giving Tibetans the democratic freedom to follow the tradition of Shugden practice given to them by their spiritual masters.

Despite Samdhong's statements about 'cleaning' Tibetan society (which is scarily like statements by dictators about ethnic cleansing), the Tibetan Government in Exile's hopes are in vain as Shugden practice is healthily flourishing in Tibetan society as well as throughout the world and there is nothing they can do about it.


A reminder: The annual Medicine Buddha Festival will held in Serpom Monastery on Sept 29, 2009, when hundreds of monks will perform pujas three times a day for a week 'for the well-being and prosperity of all living beings, and particularly of devotees and well-wishers of the Peace Deity Dorje Shugden'.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Da-Lie Lama and Sam-camun-dhong Rinpoche - they really fit each other!

Anonymous said...

cant believe hes taling about cleaning the society it reminded me of nazi and the open admission of denying people resources until they comply- I suppose Nechung the new Gelupa protector told them to do that

Anonymous said...

you should watch that clip on France tv interview with Samdong (excuse me if I leave out the Rinpoche part-as he does not deserve it). He was referring to dorjee shugden followers as terrorist. ??? What? This is a pure politics. The only way we can avoid such things happening in future to Tibet is to SEPARATE POLITICS FROM RELIGION. There will never be a good, like now, when politic is mixed with religion. Sad... so, where are we interms of getting our independence? what stage are we at? what is the strategy? what can i do, rather than shut my mouth up and stay peacefully (or otherwise, i am against the god -dalai lama). Tibetans...we got to be open minded and be practical. we have to do something ourselves. look at israel, india, usa. they freed themselves. No one us come and free us but ourselves. And Dalai lama and his hardheaded followers making this dorjee shugden mess will not help a bit.