tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27022080513587612382024-02-02T17:24:22.987-05:00Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden BlogThe official blog of the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Website, providing the latest news, videos, and updates on the Dalai Lama controversy.Wisdom Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06025486158660796815noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-22603000873876705762014-09-05T17:08:00.000-04:002014-09-05T17:08:56.766-04:00The dark side of the Dalai Lama in his own words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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An interesting juxtaposition of words and worlds. </div>
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The Dalai Lama's words to the Western media are the complete opposite to his words to Tibetans.</div>
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Judge for yourself.</div>
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<br />Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-30732893790864089472014-09-05T16:53:00.002-04:002014-09-05T17:09:58.499-04:00The unelected God King of Tibet<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The Dalai Lama was enthroned age 5 in Lhasa, Tibet in February 1940. Since then there has been over 70 years of unelected rule in which the Tibetan (and since 1959 the Tibetan exile community) has had ONE political and religious leader whose decisions can never be questioned.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-53015908839884834462014-05-14T19:13:00.002-04:002014-05-15T14:59:25.267-04:00The 9 Lies of the Dalai Lama RefutedIn the Press Release below the Dalai Lama says:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“They shout: “Stop lying,” but I don’t know what they think anyone is lying about.”</span> <br />
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If this is true then the 14th Dalai Lama has even deceived himself into believing what he says.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 1<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“We’re Buddhists and the Buddha advised us not to take refuge in ordinary deities and spirits. The Shugden followers as good as take refuge in that spirit. The spirit arose in the 17th century at the time of the 5th Dalai Lama. He wrote that it was a harmful, evil spirit.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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In fact, the 5th Dalai Lama originally feared that Dorje Shugden was a spirit, and this fear was the beginning of the myth propounded by today’s Dalai Lama. The 5th Dalai Lama and many other high lamas tried to destroy Shugden but could not do so and eventually he came to regard him as an enlightened Dharma Protector as is attested by many historical documents. Also just as the Buddhist monuments and structures in the Indian subcontinent are undeniable testaments to Buddhism’s past establishment in these regions, similarly Trode Khangsar temple (spro bde khang gsar) in the heart of Lhasa, Tibet, illustrates how the protector deity Dorje Shugden was officially established. In the 17th century Trode Khangsar was designated as a "protector house" (btsan khang) for the deity Dorje Shugden by the Fifth Dalai Lama.( see Trinlay Kalsang: www.dorjeshugdenhistory.org)<br />
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In conclusion,the 14th Dalai Lama is going in the opposite direction to his predecessor, the 5th Dalai Lama, who in the latter part of his life revered Dorje Shugden as a Buddha.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 2<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“One of its harmful aspects is a strident sectarianism, whereas I am committed to an inclusive non-sectarianism.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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Sectarianism is discriminating against another tradition, religion or school. It implies being bigoted or narrow minded. There is not a single piece of evidence to show that Shugden Buddhists are like this in any way. Some may think that being non-sectarian means practising all traditions but this is not correct. It means having respect for all traditions and not criticizing them. Being non-sectarian also means practising all the teachings of a particular spiritual tradition, not favouring some teachings and rejecting others. The problem that Shugden Buddhists encounter, that of being marginalized into a “sect” as opposed to part of mainstream Buddhism, stems from the Dalai Lama’s words above. The Dalai Lama is saying publicly that Dorje Shugden practice promotes sectarianism, but the incredible paradox is that it is the 14th Dalai Lama himself who is unlawfully enforcing a ban on a nearly 400-year old religious tradition resulting in many clearly documented horrible sectarian physical and verbal attacks from his followers.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 3<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“Because of this spirit, people have destroyed the images and scriptures of other traditions, particularly the Nyingmapas.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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There is not even a tiny shred of evidence to support this lie. On the other hand there is widespread evidence both on video and in personal testimony to show how by following the Dalai Lama’s view many images of Buddha Dorje Shugden have been destroyed. In fact it was the 14th Dalai Lama himself who ordered the first image destroyed at Ganden monastery in India - he has explained this himself to journalists in London in 1996 as follows:<br />
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“The statue of this spirit in Ganden I removed. In a dream I dreamed one of my bodyguards - Chogyal - Kalarupa - the real protector of the Gelug tradition was dismantling a monk’s disciplinary stick - symbol of Dorje Shugden and saying “It must be discarded” Then I woke up and made a mala divination “Should I take the dream seriously or not?” The answer was - take seriously. That day I passed through the main temple of Ganden and said that I’d do a divination in the prayer hall of Ganden. There were three options: <br />
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1 Remove the statue when the main hall is rebuilt<br />
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2 After some time remove the statue<br />
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3 Immediately remove. <br />
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I prayed and did the divination - the answer came “Immediately remove”. I told them at Ganden and immediately they accepted..” So in fact it is the Dalai Lama who is destroying Buddha images but he lies that it is Shugden practitioners.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 4<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“Normally we would expect the spirit to be protecting people, but in this case there are people trying to protect the spirit.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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Dorje Shugden, as a Buddha of course does not need protecting - what an absurd suggestion. But the freedom of individuals to say prayers publicly and without fear of punishment definitely needs protecting. The International Shugden Society (ISC) is organized in response to the illegal and unethical actions undertaken by the Dalai Lama to ban this prayer practiceso as to accomplish his political agenda. The ISC is committed to securing religious freedom for any Buddhist who wishes to engage in Dorje Shugden practice, and to restoring harmony, respect and cooperation between Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners around the world. ISC also endeavours to preserve the purity of the Buddhist religion by protecting it from further pollution by politics.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 5<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“They shout: “Stop lying,” but I don’t know what they think anyone is lying about. It’s my duty to let people know about this. The demonstrators say I’ve banned this practice, but that’s not so, I haven’t ....”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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Here are the facts: On May 8th, 1996 in a public address in Dharamsala (on video tape), for example, the Dalai Lama says, “It has been twenty years since I first mentioned the Dorje Shugden public restriction (ngas dam.bsdrags byed..pa.yin). Also, in an address on May 5, 1996, the Dalai Lama say, “It may have been about ten years ago. While giving a lam.rim teaching at Drepung, I once gave my reasons for issuing the ban.” (Tibetan: dam.bskrags); Select Addresses of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Issue of Propitiating Protector Deities, Sherig Parkhang, Dharamsala, July 10, 1996, p. 175; and “In this way came the reasons, on account of which I have issued the ban (Tibetan: dam.bsgrags) in recent times. In banning [this reliance on Shugden], many came forward and declared that henceforth they will abide by my injunctions....” p. 183.<br />
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Whatever the Dalai Lama keeps repeating in public there is a vast wealth of evidence to prove that he instigated and is maintaining a ban.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No 6<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“...and the monasteries associated with Shugden in South India are evidence of this.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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Here the Dalai Lama makes it appear that he has somehow been kind in allowing Shugden monasteries to continue growing in India. The truth is that under his orders almost 1000 monks were expelled from their own monasteries and made homeless in 2008. Through international fund-raising and their own hard work it has been possible for these ‘excommunicated’ to build new monasteries. Everybody knows this so why does he perpetuate such falsities?<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No. 1 repeated<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“When one of them raised a question during my public talk, I told him that this is not a new issue. It began at the time of the 5th Dalai Lama. Shugden is said to be a manifestation of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen, but the 5th Dalai Lama wrote that he had arisen as a result of distorted prayers as a perfidious spirit. He said as much to a Sakya master from whom he sought help.”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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As stated previously the 5th Dalai Lama originally perceived Dorje Shugden as a spirit but later changed to a correct perception of him as a Buddha.<br />
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Dalai Lama Lie No 8<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“Ling Rinpoche objected to the practice,”</span><br />
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Refutation<br />
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Ling Rinpoche greatly respected Dorje Shugden, encouraged his practice and composed a prayer to him. So again, it is not true that he objected to the practice - in fact the opposite is true. In Ocean of Truth Explained (Tib: gtam drang bden rgya mtsho) written by a Tibetan government employee, it says:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">“...in Dharamsala, India, Ling Rinpoche died with deep disappointment because the Dalai Lama refused his request to stop encouraging Gelugpas to practise the Nyingma Tradition. And Trijang Rinpoche died with deep disappointment because the Dalai Lama refused his request to stop banning the practice of Dorje Shugden”</span><br />
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http://uspolitics.einnews.com/pr_news/204237127/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-travels-from-oslo-to-rotterdamWisdom Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06025486158660796815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-73896927577700392082014-02-27T17:23:00.003-05:002014-02-28T15:59:18.691-05:00A Firsthand Experience of Religious DiscriminationI am a monk at Shar Gaden Monastery. I live in a Tibetan community of about 10,000 Tibetans. There are over 600 monks here at Shar Gaden but we are all branded as enemies due to this ban.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7syCoo_dXAZPR5YPyYjL9TZKOOP4Qj3EtqzEhWJT3Cc-hv0MNeFP2-lt3sN_AzkEdWR57wKE_7u39y2cWHDfq6RNprpJJty_zptjk9Q20I5hUiihhUzctBEzQgDjugFTNbFU9R1aW_g4/s1600/1653676_10152664048003975_246461626_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7syCoo_dXAZPR5YPyYjL9TZKOOP4Qj3EtqzEhWJT3Cc-hv0MNeFP2-lt3sN_AzkEdWR57wKE_7u39y2cWHDfq6RNprpJJty_zptjk9Q20I5hUiihhUzctBEzQgDjugFTNbFU9R1aW_g4/s1600/1653676_10152664048003975_246461626_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelugpa Monastery. Sign reads: "Those who propitiate Dorje Shugden or Have Association with Followers of Shugden May Not Attend or Explore The Territory of the On Going Teaching Program."</td></tr>
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I have heard so many stories of suffering told to me by my brothers due to this ban that it would take days to recount them all. Monks getting attacked, vandalism, even a house of a family close to our monastery getting fire-bombed in Camp 2 years ago.<br />
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I also have experienced first hand some of this abuse. I have been spit on, called names, asked to leave shops, denied entrance to restaurants, shops, and a clinic. I am scowled at wherever I go as everyone knows that I am the foreigner who lives at Shar Gaden.<br />
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There have been times where it seems that things are getting better and people are relaxing but every time the Dalai Lama speaks about this issue again, the tension and abuse starts all over again.<br />
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This suffering is real.<br />
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As I have said before, I could care less if others claim Dorje Shugden is a ghost, demon or whatever. That is not my concern. What IS my concern is this unnecessary suffering.<br />
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To do the right thing, all the Dalai Lama would have to do is ask his followers to stop this violence and abuse. Simple. A few words.<br />
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<b>Another very recent example: </b><br />
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We need to protest for an 80-year-old woman they call Ama-la (mother) who was the only person in her village who would not give up this practice. She sold vegetables from her garden for a living. The town stopped buying from her, she lost her little income. They completely ostracized her. At night she would barricade herself in her home because the townspeople threw rocks at her house. She was threatened daily. Some monks from Shar Gaden found out about this and went and got her.
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She left her home, her possessions, her memories behind. Though she now has living quarters at the monastery and they provide her with food and this is only one of the 1,000's of heartbreaking stories we hear about. What was it like for this 80 year old gentle woman to lie in her bed, listening to sounds of hatred and the rocks on her house? Wisdom Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06025486158660796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-18146561566596875972014-02-26T14:44:00.001-05:002014-02-26T14:44:30.842-05:00NBC Coverage of the Dalai Lama Protests<script type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" src="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/portableplayer/?cmsID=247127041&videoID=_gbOpKrPiDtP&origin=nbclosangeles.com&sec=news&subsec=local&width=400&height=225"></script>Wisdom Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06025486158660796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-17089596151076447902014-02-22T16:24:00.001-05:002014-02-22T16:24:42.731-05:00Dalai Lama loses his cool on peaceful protestorA peaceful nun delivers a message to the Dalai Lama from the Shugden protestors. This is his response.
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Kd00Jbd3jFY" width="420"></iframe>Wisdom Buddhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06025486158660796815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-58575822388557215442011-11-24T11:00:00.000-05:002011-11-24T11:00:44.001-05:00Abbot of Gyumed Tantric College Speaks Out on Dorje Shugden<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></b><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Gyudmed Monastery Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen’s Letter to</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tibetan Buddhists and the Tibetan Government-in-exile</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">An open Letter to Gelug Monasteries & Sangha Regarding Dorje Shugden</span></strong><br />
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Dear all Gurus and monks,</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Regarding the letter sent </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">December 30, 2010</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">, and received on </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">January 13, 2011</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">. The content of this letter asked me to give up the protector practice, let me explain:</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW-STsZu5pFgar9W_jXxsvT3GNudI7y65QoVDMa7ea-8iix-YIaXOFMRUgC-ponEDNS2goDTrscruooZsmgWDu3LPXxQ9Zgurjb26rhWYjF2GUCf9tY-LoL1aDwI08NnaxHPFgwdXSvIv/s1600/kensurSonamGyeltsen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW-STsZu5pFgar9W_jXxsvT3GNudI7y65QoVDMa7ea-8iix-YIaXOFMRUgC-ponEDNS2goDTrscruooZsmgWDu3LPXxQ9Zgurjb26rhWYjF2GUCf9tY-LoL1aDwI08NnaxHPFgwdXSvIv/s1600/kensurSonamGyeltsen.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">In 1996 I was the Khenpo (abbot) of Gyudmed Monastery, at that time, from the Khenpo to the new monks at the end of the seats, everybody was to submit a statement to stop propitiating protector. Besides this, the letter also mentioned that we must make sure to cut off all Dharmic and worldly connections with people who pray to Gyalchen (Dorje Shugden) Protector. Such an order is impossible to carry out, please allow me to state my reasons:</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jangtse Dratsang (Gaden Monastery North College) is not a newly built monastery in India, there have been many Gurus, Rinpoches, and Geshes who propitiated Gyalchen Shugden: the attained Gurus that spread the Dharma nectar to learning monks in the Dratsang – Serkong Dorje Chang, his incarnation the 2nd Serkong Dorje Chang, Kenchen Tendakwa Rinpoche, Phara Rinpoche Lobsang Yeshe Sonam Chokyi Wangchuk, (Hardong) Geshe Rinpoche Kenrab Samten, (Gowo) Kensur Yeshe Gawa, (Tsawa) Drokmi Jampa Lodro Rinpoche, (Gowo) Geshe Nyima Gyaltsen, (Gowo) Ken Rinpoche Sonam Kunga.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">These great Lamas are great masters who taught Sutra and Tantra teachings in Jangtse Monastery, if we swear to cut off all Dharmic and worldly material relationship with them, it is totally unacceptable. Forcing ourselves to cut off all Dharmic and worldly material relationship with our Gurus is something impossible to do even for non-Buddhists, let alone Buddhists like ourselves. </span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Where did you get your Sutra and Tantra lineage from? Maybe you dug it out from the ground. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ken Rinpoche Sonam Kunga tirelessly taught us a lot of great scriptures, he received the teachings from his Gurus and Geshes. From Serkong Dorje Chang to Ken Rinpoche Sonam Kunga, and all the Dratsang great masters in between, it is widely known that they practiced protector Gyalchen Dorje Shugden.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">You forced us monks to cut off all Dharmic and worldly material relationship with them, I cannot do it, because I am a monk, according to Tibetan traditional vinaya code a monk is not allowed to swear. This code is also in Shakyamuni’s Vinaya scripture towards the end, page 392, you can go and check for yourselves. You should request Samdhong Rinpoche, “Please be compassionate, don’t let the monks swear, because monks are not allowed to swear.” But you didn’t request, and you followed Samdhong Rinpoche’s order and you swore, and caused the great Gaden Monastery to fall apart into different factions. I did not swear because I did not want to create schism among Sangha. Some people abuse the vinaya power in their hands, this is widely known, it is like our Tibetan proverbs “The person in charge of the water flour mill is not the main person-in-charge, the head of the farm village is not the government officials.”</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">I have already quoted the scriptures for you in my letter above, and have shown to you with valid and solid proofs that Gyalchen Dorje Shugden is a saint, is a protector, is a Gelug protector. I am not trying to show off my knowledge in my letter, I wrote it because I had no choice.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">It seemed like our government-in-exile had nothing better to do, they spent so many years to create chaos, excommunicate many monks, divided a fine dratsang into two factions, I wrote this letter because I had enough, it is too much.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
Regarding Dorje Shugden, we just have to check the historical materials and we will understand the original facts. I wish the unnecessary chaos created in these 40 years can be pacified very soon.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">This letter is sent to the religious department, Samdhong Rinpoche and various dratsangs, please read it openly in front of all sangha.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">Gyudmed Monastery Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen<br />
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">January 13, 2011</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
written in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">West Europe</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div><h2 style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Gyudmed Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen Rinpoche</span></span></b></h2><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Gyudmed Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen Rinpoche, or known as Geshe Sonam or Gen Tati, was born in the Year of the Tiger fire, the 13th day of the first Tibetan month (</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">March 13, 1926</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">), in a large family of nomadic herders in Atsa Region, between Kongpo and Kham in central </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Tibet</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">. Rinpoche entered religious life at the age of 5.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">On </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">March 23, 1959</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">, like thousands of his countrymen, Rinpoche fled </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Tibet</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> for exile in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">India</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">. In 1971, Rinpoche passed the exams of “Geshe Lharampa” (Doctor in Buddhist philosophy) where he obtained the first rank.While at Gaden Jangtse, Rinpoche studied under teachers like Phara Rinpoche, Geshe Samten Kenrab, Geshe Nyima Gyaltsen, Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In 1974, Rinpoche completed a 600-pages doctoral thesis which the theme focuses on “mental images” at the University of Varanasi, India. Rinpoche arrived in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">France</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> in 1980, where Rinpoche lived until 1990. That year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Vice-Abbot, then three years later, the Abbot of Gyudmed Dratsang until 1996. After that, Rinpoche returned to and lived in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">France</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.918); color: blue; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">From 2002 to 2006, Rinpoche went into a solitary retreat. Since 2004, Rinpoche devotes his time to writing. Rinpoche completed a treaty on the Vinaya, specifically the ordination of Bhikshuni. It traces the history of the introduction of the Vinaya in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Tibet</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> and chronicles the debates, the decisions taken by great masters, and supporting references.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-40683663010177200272011-11-17T04:41:00.002-05:002011-11-17T05:10:44.718-05:00Why Dorje Shugden Practitioners are not Isolationist - Part 2<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnK0NdQa8nHrxc-Pga6zRRBccMWbPMSSugJAHDG8HWWcXCjSI96cqQxRFWpoDD4V25eq768-VOkmd_suouC6BtsfbM-5afEyAISKSilrOMBEC7RQo0EBi9zlJI7cCOG8IoRc5C3eMkN4/s200/080128042949AO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnK0NdQa8nHrxc-Pga6zRRBccMWbPMSSugJAHDG8HWWcXCjSI96cqQxRFWpoDD4V25eq768-VOkmd_suouC6BtsfbM-5afEyAISKSilrOMBEC7RQo0EBi9zlJI7cCOG8IoRc5C3eMkN4/s200/080128042949AO.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Monks being forced to vote </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">on a </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">religious practice is </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> clearly wrong</span></b></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Isolationism was intensified when in 2008 the Dalai Lama started a new phase of persecution against Shugden practitioners. Whilst ostensibly on a religious visit to Drepung Loseling monastery in South India, instead he instigated a political referendum on whether the monastery wanted Shugden monks to remain in their ranks. <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden15.php">He forced the monks to vote</a> by having them select a stick of either red (for Dorje shugden) or yellow (for the Dalai Lama) colour in a public referendum. Very few monks were brave enough to go against the Dalai Lama and as a result of the 'referendum' which was undemocratic and unconstitutional - since when do monks engage in a political vote on a spiritual practice? - nine hundred monks were expelled from their monasteries. The Dalai Lama himself is on video shamelessly praising the Abbots of the monasteries for expelling the monks. </span></span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <br />
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<em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This intensified the schism in the Sangha that the Dalai Lama has instigated with the introduction of the ban in 1996. Eventually the monks found a home in two new monasteries that were purpose built for them by various Western benefactors, Shar Gaden and Serpom. It was clear that the monastic community was completely split. High walls were erected between the new monasteries and the old to separate the two factions.</span></span></span></span></em></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The Central Tibetan Administration quickly introduced a process of oath-swearing for Tibetans whereby the had to swear in front of Palden Lhamo not to share material or spiritual resources with Shugden practitioners. Just as the monasteries were divided, this split families and set family members against each other as some swore and some bravely refused. The suffering that this caused was incredible and further isolated Shugden practitioners, making them pariahs in their own communities. It's difficult to believe that a so-called 'Buddhist' society could countenance this, but out of blind faith in the Dalai Lama, the ordinary people have instigated his evil actions. There are many examples in history where the weak have been influenced by powerful and charismatic dictators to create evil - this unfortunate situation is just another one of those.</span></span></span></span></em></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
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</div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">All of these actions, instigated by the Dalai Lama, clearly show that he is not a qualified Buddhist Teacher, nor even a Buddhist, as it is a commitment of Buddhism not to harm others.</span></span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">(continued in part 3)</span></span></span></span></em></div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-26377469209547324522011-11-14T05:48:00.000-05:002011-11-14T05:48:23.522-05:00The Dalai Lama: "Shugden practitioners: you're not welcome"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2007/10/29/dalai-lama-cp-3815854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2007/10/29/dalai-lama-cp-3815854.jpg" width="140" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dalai Lama: "don't come and <br />
receive teaching from me"</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">We recently received another sad proclamation from the Dalai Lama, who regularly makes an issue of the practice of Dorje Shugden in his public teachings, and encourages his followers to stop this venerable, traditional Dharma practice. This time his teaching is from Mongolia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We're grateful to the Dorje Shugden Society for translating this news item which appeared on Norway Tibet Radio (Voice of Tibet) on 9th November 2011:</div><b><br />
</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>Broadcaster:</b> Since the Dalai Lama is giving Avalokiteshvara initiation tomorrow, he has announced that Dholgyal devotees (Shugden) should not attend the initiation. He also said the propitiation of Dholgyal has caused detrimental to the harmony among Buddhists.</blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Dalai Lama: </b>Today it is like I am giving a lecture. It is not necessary that you listen by recognizing me as Guru. It is alright if you come to listen, saying what Dalai Bashi is saying. Tomorrow you will take a teaching. I am giving an initiation. I am giving vow. Therefore there will be Guru and disciple relationship. Pure commitment is necessary. During the course of initiation, the pure commitment is necessary. In time, I worshipped the so-called King Shugden. I didn't know and I make a mistake. Then, having paid attention, it was wrong. Also, during the course of through analysis, king Shugden emerged during the time of the fifth Dalai Lama. If I say about the way the fifth Dalai Lama recognize king Shugden, according to his text, the nature of king Shugden is evil spirit; its cause was the wrong prayer; and its function is to harm Buddhism and living beings. So if you say this is a protector of Buddhism, or a protector of Gelug Tradition, it is disgrace and shame. Je Rinpoche has empowered and entrusted Six hands Mahakala and Dharmaraj. Je Rinpoche has seen capability in them. Simply speaking, he didn't empower them on guesses. (laugh). If you worship king Shugden, you have broken commitment with the fifth Dalai Lama, and so to the thirteen Dalai Lama. If you receive an initiation from me, you will break commitment with me. If there is anyone who worship king Shugden – actually it is your choice whether or not you worship - , please don’t come to receive teaching from me. If you are a monk or a lay, please don’t come tomorrow. If you are deceived by saying that business and luck would flourish, you should stop from now. You don’t need to be afraid at all. In case a case is necessary to be filed, I would file the case. You don’t need to be afraid. It is a freedom if you contempt although you know it is wrong. It doesn’t matter if you walk upside down.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">The only detriment to harmony is the Dalai Lama's sectarian and exclusive attitude towards Dorje Shugden practitioners. He alone is destroying harmony in the international Buddhist community by making an issue where is none.</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-39242061521064165932011-11-10T10:50:00.002-05:002011-11-10T20:37:38.300-05:00Why Dorje Shugden Practitioners are not Isolationist - Part 1<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Some people criticise Dorje Shugden practitioners for being 'isolationist' or 'sectarian', but it's important to understand why these perceptions have come about because it may appear that 'Shugdenpas' have deliberately decided to separate from Tibetan society or Tibetan Buddhism as taught by the Dalai Lama, however, as will be explained, this is not the case.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRVC4Ri6-BBtjXNA3rlIj_pMri1z2IJC8wGVwn5NEcHo5kfFsvzw3-OajTuzfpjSpGrGmFAwDR3aLFvSqgOvKlDaSG3GB2CBg5AkusZPqooTzafWuKOWGAM72KmJQ1z0WSnkTKq5bkSk/s1600/lama-bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRVC4Ri6-BBtjXNA3rlIj_pMri1z2IJC8wGVwn5NEcHo5kfFsvzw3-OajTuzfpjSpGrGmFAwDR3aLFvSqgOvKlDaSG3GB2CBg5AkusZPqooTzafWuKOWGAM72KmJQ1z0WSnkTKq5bkSk/s200/lama-bush.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Despite showing an open and </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>accommodating face to </b><b>Westerners, </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>the Dalai Lama is a religious dictator</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> who </b><b>controls Tibetan Buddhism </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>completely</b></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The principal cause of isolationism is ostracism by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama for political reasons. The Dalai Lama has banned the practice of Dorje Shugden, but unlike some religious disagreements where there is a 'live and let live' attitude, the Dalai Lama will never allow anyone to remain neutral on the issue. He has forced Tibetans to swear an oath in front of the Tibetan protectoress Palden Lhamo not to share material or spiritual resources with Shugden practitioners. Thus, it's not possible to abstain or remain neutral on this issue if you are Tibetan, because if you do not swear an oath, you are excluded from Tibetan society.</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This ostracism began very early on, in fact, as soon as the Dalai Lama decided, for incorrect reasons, to stop practising Shugden. He then formed a plan to destroy the practice by exploiting the blind faith of the Tibetan people which has been encouraged by giving many public Kalachakra empowerments. The problems started in 1976 when the Dalai Lama gave up the practice. This caused many problems from the beginning. <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/talk.religion.buddhism/msg/c594eecc8ff4934b?pli=1">Geshe Kelsang Gyatso explained how this ostracism began</a>:</span></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.phayul.com/images/thumb.aspx?src=090423115532JG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://www.phayul.com/images/thumb.aspx?src=090423115532JG.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Out of sectarianism, the Dalai </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lama </b><b>has made </b><b>it impossible for </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Shugdenpas </b><b> to be his students</b></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><blockquote class="tr_bq"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Lama Yeshe was the general spiritual director of Manjushri Center, while I had the responsibility of organizing the daily programmes. We were both very happy to have the picture of HH the Dalai Lama on the shrine because we hoped that the people of Manjushri and HH Dalai Lama would develop a good spiritual connection and relationship. <b>Many times we invited the Dalai Lama to come to Manjushri Centre, although we both knew, even then, that he had rejected the practice of Dorje Shugden. We assumed it was not his real intention because we found it difficult to believe that he really wanted to destroy the practice of Dorje Shugden.</b></i></span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>So for a long time we continued to practise Dorje Shugden and kept faith in the Dalai Lama. Then later the situation deteriorated because he intensified his ban on Dorje Shugden worship. I heard that he said in public that those who practise Dorje Shugden cannot be my friend. Then my mind gradually changed, especially as we received criticism from people who were saying that Manjushri Centre had broken its guru devotion to the Dalai Lama because of our continued practice of Dorje Shugden. As his picture was on our shrine, people believed that he was our root Guru -- on the other hand because we practised Dorje Shugden people thought we were against the Dalai Lama. Due to this contradiction we received a lot of criticism.</i></span></span></span></em></blockquote><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Dalai Lama never visited Manjushri Centre because he was displeased that Lama Yeshe and Geshe Kelsang continued to practise Dorje Shugden. </div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Because the Dalai Lama's stance on Dorje Shugden was not to allow any religious freedom, Tibetan Buddhism began to polarise into two distinct camps – those who followed the Dalai Lama's view that Dorje Shugden was a harmful spirit and those who had faith in the traditional Gelugpa lineage view of Je Pabongkhapa and Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang that Dorje Shugden was a protector aspect of Je Tsongkhapa himself. The Dalai Lama made it clear on many occasions that he wanted to eradicate the practice of Dorje Shugden completely, and so it became a case of 'if you're not with me, you're against me'. This caused a lot of suffering for Shugdenpas who were torn between their faith in the Dalai Lama and their faith in their Lineage Gurus and Shugden himself. They had to make a choice, and no choice was comfortable as it involved the loss of something precious in either case.</span></span></span></em></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></em></div><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><em><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">(to be continued in part 2)</span></span></span></em></div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-12991235835878950932011-10-26T08:47:00.000-04:002011-10-26T08:47:36.017-04:00Dorje Shugden practitioners are still discriminated against<a href="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/jd.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/jd.png" /></a>It's sad to report that Dorje Shugden practitioners are still being discriminated against by the Tibetan public. The evidence comes from a recent blog post,<a href="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/?p=724"> 'The Bad Boys of Buddhism'</a>. The writer is <a href="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/?page_id=2">J.D. Lewis</a>, an accomplished actor and playwright who has featured in such programmes as 'Friends' and 'Suddenly Susan'. He has also established a well respected actors coaching school called 'The Actor's Lab' in Los Angeles.<br />
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J.D reports discrimination in the shops around Shar Gaden monastery:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">In this isolated area of south-central India where an entire community of monks live, there is a great divide. As I walk down the street with my friend, Losang Tenpa, or as the boys and I call him, Monk Duke, he is glared at and in certain shops, they even refuse to serve him.</blockquote><div><br />
J.D. continues later:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">Over the last few years, words have been spoken, rocks have been thrown and most disturbing, great walls built around each of the many monasteries in the area. What’s wild is that, after the split, the properties here were allotted in a strange way so that some of Shar Gaden’s building are surrounding by building gained by the other monasteries that have issue with this group, making it an uncomfortable and tense living situation. </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_2146-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.twelveintwelve.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_2146-300x225.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">As an experiment the other day, Monk Duke and I visited a local store famous for not serving Shar Gaden monks. I went in and smiled, bought some flip flops for Buck, and then Duke came in to buy some incense. They wouldn’t even look up at him. So I piped in, “Hey, how much for the incense?” … they replied, “Forty Rupies”, and then I said, “I’ll pay for it.” They then smiled, took my money and when we went to leave, the man behind the counter and Monk Duke exchanged a smile. I felt like it was one step closer to Nirvana and I had done my small part to bridge a chasm between the two factions. Who knows… that simple meeting of the minds could have been the beginning of the reunification of the Tibetan Buddhist Federation. Or maybe not… I think it’s going to take more than a westerner’s smile to sort things out here. I’m thinking of coming back next year and shooting a documentary on the subject.</blockquote><br />
Let's hope that J.D. Lewis does indeed come back to this troubled part of India to shoot his documentary - the monks of Shar Gaden could do with a little high profile support to highlight their plight and to put pressure on the Dalai Lama to reverse his policy of discrimination and ostracism against Shugden practitioners, which is against Buddhism.</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-1557580152712932232011-09-02T12:29:00.001-04:002011-09-02T12:44:06.513-04:00Tibetan Democracy Day? If only.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Press release from Shugden Society USA: </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sept 1st, 2011 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Today we would like to bring to the attention of all those who believe in peaceful coexistence of all faiths and beliefs in this world, and particularly the attention of the people who believe in freedom of religion and human rights.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">September 2nd is The Tibetan Democracy Day, but the irony is that we the Tibetan people do not have true democracy due to the policies of the Tibetan government in exile, under the powerful guidance of the Dalai Lama, that undermines the rights to Religious Freedom as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and other international conclaves. Hence, we, the proponents of equal human rights, are commemorating the date of September 2 to create a global awareness of the plight as the Dorje Shugden believers continue to struggle against the religious persecution and segregation that has been imposed in the Tibetan community throughout the world by the Dalai Lama. </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Scroll below for the most recent developments this year.)</span></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Check out this <a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/">video by Al-Jazeera, which recounts the atrocities committed by Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile</a>. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On 9 January 2008, the Dalai Lama declared: </span></span></div><blockquote style="color: #660000;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"Dorje Shugden devotees are supported by the Chinese and therefore there is no need for them to be in exile, they can go back to Tibet (under Chinese rule)”. </span></span></div></blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Othe same day, he also called for: </span></span></div><blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #660000;">“holding an open referendum, to decide if the majority of the Tibetans want to coexist with the devotees of the deity”. </span></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This is an invitation for open segregation in the Tibetan society, in the disguise of practicing democracy. Furthermore, because of the Dalai Lama’s position and influence, his statements become government policies, and therefore have great consequences. These statements from Dalai Lama’s position, undermine the fundamental rights: the right to exercise freedom of religion, right to peaceful living, and right to equal opportunity for the people. These statements have great potential to cause communal violence in the society and mislead the Tibetan people into believing that the Dorjee Shugden practitioners as the enemy. As a result, the followers of this deity and their family members have been victims of ostracism and violence. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In 2008, we gave a deadline to a Tibetan Government in Exile and Dalai Lama to stop the religious persecution and segregation of the Shugden practitioners and their families, including children at schools. <i><b>However, the situation is getting worse every day, and now in 2011 things have not improved </b></i>-- the Dalai Lama has declared a war against the Shugden people, demonizing and segregating Shugden worshippers since 1996. This "war" has been fuelled by outrageous rumors promoted by the Dalai Lama and his supporters that if a non Dorje Shugden follower should kill a believer that is not considered a sin! and furthermore it provides cumulative merit towards the Dalai Lamas long life! Other such "non sins" include destroying Shugden monasteries, stupas and religious documents. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Recent developments in 2011</b></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Following are few of the recent incidents of violence towards Shugden devotees (more details of the atrocities can be found <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/chronicle/1997-2008/">here</a>):</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The most recent developments occurred this Summer (July 2011) when the Dalai Lama was here in the USA in Washington DC performing the Kalachakra Initiation which he requested that no Dorje Shugden followers attended. His tone seemed edited for the Western audience. Following this meeting,on August 23rd 2011 the Abbot of the Namgyal Monastery (the Dalai Lama's private monastery) in Dharamsala who travelled with him to the USA called an emergency meeting with the Lithang Organization of NY. As a result of this meeting anyone who is caught associating with a Shugden follower is automatically expelled from the organization and subject to persecution. This is religious persecution right here in New York City, USA right now in 2011!</span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Also, this year in January the Dalai Lama speaking at a Tibetan Monastery in South India angrily said that <i style="color: #660000;">"Dorje Shudgen harms the Tibetan Government of Tibet"</i> and proceeded to expel several High Lamas including the ex Abbot of Jumay Monastery who wrote to the Dalai Lama and the prime minister Samdong saying it was illegal as well as morally wrong to segregate and engage in religious persecution, even though he himself is not a practitioner of Shugden. Because of this repudiation of the segregation and ostracization of the Tibetan people, he was immediately expelled.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span>On March 10th the Dalai Lama dissolved the "Tibetan Government in Exile" creating the Tibetan Organization of which he is still the head. While the rest of the world believes that he is resigning from political power, he is still in fact making decisions and ruling behind the face of the the Tibetan Organization</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Some earlier examples of ostracism and persecution</span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Another example of an unfortunate development occurred when the Chushi Gangdurk Organisation, New York USA (which is a political association) met with the Dalai Lama on May 2010 and informed him that they had removed the members who believed in Dorje Shugden and vowed to disassociate and remove any Shugden believers in the future for His Holiness' happiness.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">On 26th February 2010, the Central Chushi Gangdurk Organisation's headquarters in New Delhi gave a letter to the Dalai Lama which stated that they hadn’t associated with the Shugden believers since 1996, and vowed to continue disassociating from the Shugden people in the future too.</span> </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">On February 20, 2010, 68 of the 100 invited guests as well as performers left the wedding party in New York City because a few Dorje Shugden devotees were invited. Those who left apologized and explained that they did not want to break the oath that they had taken to segregate from the followers of Dorje Shugden.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">In July 29 2009, the Tibetan section of Radio Free Asia, with the intention to turn the general Tibetan people against the Shugden devotees, demonized the Shugden devotees of being responsible for the abductions of Tenzing Thakpa, Woeser Rinpoche's father, and a 13-year-old boy along with few goats and sheep in Markham, Tibet. In reality, Woeser Rinpoche's father and the boy were victims of flood and Tenzing Thakpa was seen alive and well, traveling in Lhasa and India. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">In 2008, the oath and signature campaign of breaking off religious and material relationship with Shugden devotees was introduced in the monasteries and Tibetan settlements.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Another example was the shutting down of Tibetan Association of Western Massachusetts, in US on October of 2008 because it had some Shugden believers as its members.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">In July 2008, wanted posters of several monks involved in the Western Shugden Society protests appeared in Queens, New York. Al Jazeera reported about the wanted posters saying, "No Shugden worshipper has ever been charged or investigated for terrorism and yet the monks that continue to worship Shugden remain victims of name and shame." </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">On 2006, the burning of thousands of autobiographies written by Lamdrim Rinpoche (from Deipung Monastery, Tibet). </span></div><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">On April 5, 1996, after the Dalai Lama's teaching, Gaden Choeling nunnery in Dharamsala dragged the Shugden statue out, trod on it, and flung into a garbage pit. Throughout India and Nepal, tens of thousands of Dorjee Shugden statues, literature and scriptures were desecrated.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Threatening the lives of people who believed in Shugden and ostracizing them from the Tibetan community throughout the world.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">An attack on Gaden Shartse monastery in South India by over three thousand Tibetans settlers resulted in 40 people wounded and properties damaged.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 27pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">In Clement town, there was also an attempt of arson on a Shugden devotee's family house.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">These are just a few cases from countless incidents of atrocities involving violence and discrimination towards Shugden followers. Some Westerners are beginning to understand the issues and the plight of the Tibetans people and editorials such as this one <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/darkness-behind-the-gurububble-20110617-1g7si.html#ixzz1WiMO9qzN">"Darkness behind the guru-bubble" by Mike Carlton for the Sydney Morning Herald</a> are popping up here and there in international media. Still, these articles and the truth are few and far between.</span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i style="color: blue;">"Silliness is one thing. Nastiness is another. The so-called apostle of kindness has been ruthless in crushing a rival Tibetan Buddhist sect known as Dorje Shugden, expelling its monks from monasteries and ostracising or exiling its adherents."</i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div></blockquote></div><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our demands </span></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In reference to the letter to the prime minister of the Tibetan Government in exile, Samdong Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama, dated April 25, 2008, we had appealed to the Tibetan government to enforce our demands within the deadline of September 2, 2008. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our demands were:</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To entitle us to the fundamental rights of freedom to speech, beliefs, and the rights to live peacefully as guaranteed in the Constitution of Tibetan Government-in-Exile and Democratic countries.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To lift the ban on Shugden practice and the religious persecution of its practitioners.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To stop the systematic process of segregation in the Tibetan communities in exile, that has led to the social, psychological and physical torture of Shugden practitioners.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></li>
</ul></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As our demands were repeatedly blatantly ignored, and in addition to the plight:</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Tibetan government in exile continues to ostracize and segregate the Shugden practitioners from the rest of the Tibetan society. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hundreds of monks who worshipped Dorje Shugden were ostracized and expelled from the monasteries. As a result, a new wall at Ganden monastery in Southern India was built in March 2008 to segregate the Shugden worshippers. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Monks who worshipped Shugden were denied medical services from the health clinics in the Tibetan communities in exile.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Students whose parents practiced Dorje Shugden were ostracized in the schools' system. </span></span></li>
</ul><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Until the Dalai Lama stops religious segregation and and admits his horrific mistakes, we will continue to fight for the peaceful coexistence of all faiths and beliefs in this world, and particularly the attention of the people who believe in freedom of religion and human rights. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">************* </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2011/08/dalai-lamas-secret-life-now-available.html"><b>Free eBook, A Great Deception, by the Western Shugden Society</b></a></span></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you would like to help raise awareness in order to bring </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">all this to </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">an end, please share this <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2011/08/dalai-lamas-secret-life-now-available.html">free eBook, A Great Deception,</a> with your friends and family. </span></span></div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-56027736502285508172011-08-19T13:44:00.008-04:002011-08-19T13:51:35.019-04:00The Dalai Lama's Secret Life -- now available as a free eBook <br />
<a href="http://www.agreatdeception.com/book/"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Great Deception</span></a>, explaining the secret life of the 14th Dalai Lama, is now <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/">available as a free eBook</a> on the Western Shugden Society website.<br />
<br />
Wherever you stand on the issue of the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden, or the Dalai Lama and other controversies, this book is certainly worth reading. It is well-researched and contains a great deal of documentation from third-party sources. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRadrzJCSiDcaizp3bRMOpUHg2at1pn2oG-9c9z8G1dcMwde45YZPGrFvtlFE8ollXANxqjluSpPwhYzKiWrHj8rlRIItDL620l64VTbOtRZRAHnu_qhbIp8oDzxKvrxcexY1pVgJn7ZD/s1600/a+great+deception.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRadrzJCSiDcaizp3bRMOpUHg2at1pn2oG-9c9z8G1dcMwde45YZPGrFvtlFE8ollXANxqjluSpPwhYzKiWrHj8rlRIItDL620l64VTbOtRZRAHnu_qhbIp8oDzxKvrxcexY1pVgJn7ZD/s320/a+great+deception.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
There is also a letter that is being sent along with the paperback version of <i>A Great Deception</i> to people around the world. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/files/2011-08-17_WSS_Open_Letter.pdf">Read the Open Letter to Everyone</a><br />
<a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/our-cause/open-letters-to-british-political-leaders/">Read the Open Letter to British Political Leaders</a><br />
<br />
<b>What is in the book</b><br />
<br />
This book shows that the <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-nature.php">Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden</a> is the manifestation of <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden03">Je Tsongkhapa</a>, who is the embodiment of the wisdom of all Buddhas. It also brings to light the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso's actions in <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/chronicle/">banning this traditional spiritual practice</a> and causing its followers to be persecuted.<br />
<br />
It also highlights other controversies, including the mixture of church and state for political and personal ends, the Dudjom Rinpoche affair, the assassination of Gungtang Tsultrim, the Karmapa affair, the politics of the Kalachakra initiations, the defamation of revered Buddhist masters, the Dalai Lama's being on the payroll of the CIA, the Dalai Lama's involvement with Tibetan Guerillas and the Tibetan arms trade, the attempted coup in Bhutan, the Dalai Lama's fascination with Nazism, the friendship with Shoko Asahara, the strange and somewhat sordid history of all the Dalai Lamas, and how the Dalai Lama really "won" the Nobel Peace Prize.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">From the Preface:</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #000099;">The purpose of this book is to achieve the following four aims:<br />
<br />
</div><ul style="color: #000099;"><li> to liberate millions of innocent practitioners of the Buddhist Deity Dorje Shugden and their families from suffering;</li>
<li> to restore peace and harmony between Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners;</li>
<li> to re-establish the common spiritual activities of Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners; and</li>
<li> to free Buddhism from political pollution.</li>
</ul><div style="color: #000099;">Achieving these aims depends solely upon whether the present Dalai Lama will accept the four points set out at the conclusion of Chapter 4 of this book.</div><div style="color: #000099;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #000099;">The Dalai Lama wishes to ban Shugden worship in general; and in particular to remove Tibetan Shugden worshippers from their communities, and Western Shugden worshippers from the international Buddhist community. Since 1996 the Tibetan exile government has continually applied effort to fulfil these wishes. In February 2008 alone, 900 monks who are Shugden practitioners were expelled from their monasteries in India.</div><div style="color: #000099;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #000099;">In 1996 the Tibetan exile government publicly decreed to the Tibetan communities of each country, including Tibet, that Shugden practitioners were their national enemies and were against the Dalai Lama's wishes. The decree stated that unless Shugden practitioners promised to stop Shugden worship they would not receive any official position or job, nor any help or support, even medical assistance, either from the Tibetan exile government or from individual members of the Tibetan community. Further, any connection at all with Shugden practitioners should be cut. Children of Shugden practitioners were no longer permitted to attend Tibetan schools, and Shugden practitioners themselves could not join community meetings, social events and so forth....</div><div style="color: #000099;"><br />
</div>(... and the situation has gone <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden01.php">from bad to worse</a>.)<br />
<br />
Download the <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/">free eBook</a> today to find out more. Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-61929309479532471502011-03-24T07:55:00.002-04:002011-03-24T08:02:12.538-04:00What does the Dalai Lama's 'retirement' means for religious freedom?<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJj3d9Icb7Vn6Aobbv5ayXSapgQ4pDXYi76V30K4WQf85yhS_TkSCPsM5ehTuBVVqLzI6zykrE3VSonEAxP_Aih2DMsd0BdO7C8_J1uUaOAzfYdGOOn3W3V-rcESMtWRQ-2a3yfDo8lrf/s1600/Dalai+Lama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJj3d9Icb7Vn6Aobbv5ayXSapgQ4pDXYi76V30K4WQf85yhS_TkSCPsM5ehTuBVVqLzI6zykrE3VSonEAxP_Aih2DMsd0BdO7C8_J1uUaOAzfYdGOOn3W3V-rcESMtWRQ-2a3yfDo8lrf/s200/Dalai+Lama.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The romantic image of the Dalai Lama <br />
as Spiritual Leader - a holy man in robes</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are recent reports that the Dalai Lama's decision to retire from politics, expressed earlier this month, has been <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tibetan-parliament-accepts-dalai-lama-decision/766440/">accepted by the Tibetan Parliament</a>. So does this mean that the Dalai Lama has really retired, and what are the implications for Dorje Shugden practitioners who are still experiencing discrimination at the hands of the Tibetan Government in Exile?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Time will tell. Perhaps the Dalai Lama has simply retreated into the background to create a 'democracy with 'Tibetan characteristics' (a continuing Theocracy) and from a practical point of view will continue to control all aspects of life for ordinary Tibetans, as has been the case for the past sixty years and beyond, or perhaps his decision heralds a new era of openness and true democracy with a genuine democratically-elected secular leader, the Kalon Tripa. The main question is - what will happen to religious freedom in this new system; will things be better or worse?</div><br />
<b> The hypocrisy of the Dalai Lama's 'non-sectarianism'</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCh-WLtzl6CAgZWHxINL_wHPu5fjQPhUFjdY0ZA6KSSTxz_QL0zRBYDfa-M7lexi_DOZqY69-xZ-BVM5NeeCZQpGFDn3DoYAPYIyydSuVc6SHSA_-nzI7FOVnurpB_T5xQ8d5wKEqtus/s1600/Toward-a-True-Kinship-of-Faiths-9780385525053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCh-WLtzl6CAgZWHxINL_wHPu5fjQPhUFjdY0ZA6KSSTxz_QL0zRBYDfa-M7lexi_DOZqY69-xZ-BVM5NeeCZQpGFDn3DoYAPYIyydSuVc6SHSA_-nzI7FOVnurpB_T5xQ8d5wKEqtus/s200/Toward-a-True-Kinship-of-Faiths-9780385525053.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Dalai Lama's <br />
words and actions<br />
don't match</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Although the Dalai Lama has encouraged Tibetans to freely practice all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and not to see any differences between them, a policy that heralds disaster for the future of Tibetan Buddhism and that is not even in accord with the Rime or non-sectarian movement of the last two centuries, he has been consistently hard on those who practise Dorje Shugden. To the Western world, the Dalai Lama proclaims that we should be respectful and open minded towards all faiths, even writing a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Toward-True-Kinship-Faiths-Religions/dp/0385525052">book on the subject</a>, but, with characteristic hypocrisy, he has been less charitable towards the followers of Dorje Shugden, the main Protector practice of many powerful Gelugpa Teachers for four hundred years, and has preached anything other than peaceful co-existence. He has introduced an undemocratic ban on the practice, galvanising both Tibetans and Westerns to abandon the practice and ostracise those who refuse to give it up. Tibetans have had to swear an oath to do these two things, even in free, democratic countries such as Switzerland and the USA.<br />
<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Ostracism and discrimination</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.westernshugdensociety.org/primary/visual_centre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://images.westernshugdensociety.org/primary/visual_centre.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The unacceptable face of the <br />
Dalai Lama's sectarian ban</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The ban has meant that Shugden practitioners are <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/guest-blogs/untouchables/">denied basic rights</a>, such the freedom to travel, enter certain shops and receive medical treatment and education. You can watch <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/video/dalai-lama-devil-within/">Al Jazeera's unbiased report</a> on this issue. It seems that Dorje Shugden has been the Dalai Lama's particular political obsession of the past thirty years, along with the problem of Tibet, but it has only ever been a means to an end, a smokescreen to distract from his failure to secure any autonomy for Tibet. Behind the scenes, he has tried to cement his position of holder of supreme spiritual and political power in Tibetan society while at the same time, showing a public face of tolerance, peace and compassion to the Western media. This policy of having two faces has served the Dalai Lama very well up to this point, but what does the future hold?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>What is the Dalai Lama's role now?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rigpawiki.org/images/5/5c/DalaiLamaV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.rigpawiki.org/images/5/5c/DalaiLamaV.JPG" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Deification of the Dalai Lama <br />
began with the political machinations <br />
of the 'Great Fifth' </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Although loved by the Tibetan people and held to be a Buddha by Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama's role as a spiritual leader is completely unnecessary because each tradition of Tibetan Buddhism has its own Head, so what is his role? It seems that, over the past nearly four hundred years, the Dalai Lama has made himself indispensable to the Tibetan people, where they cannot think to do anything without his guidance. He built the Potala palace and made himself into a God-King. It's shocking to realise that the Dalai Lama has played the role of the cloying mother for four hundred years who, out of fear of redundancy, has refused to let her children grow up and stand on their own two feet. He has dictated Tibetan religio-political policy, creating the <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/dalai-lama/lama-policy/">'Lama Policy'</a> that has poisoned Buddhism and threatened the pure teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni in this world, and he has used them to build a fortress of respectibility to the point where he is considered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_100">one of the most influential people in the world</a> by Time Magazine.<br />
<br />
<b>The future for Shugden practitioners<br />
</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2677043438_8cbb3ee48d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2677043438_8cbb3ee48d_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Shugden ban - largely ignored by the world's media <br />
despite extensive protests worldwide</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>What does the Dalai Lama's retirement from front line politics mean to Shugden practitioners who have been persecuted by him and his followers for the past thirty years? At this point, it's hard to say. It's hard to imagine that the Tibetan Government in Exile will immediately change their policy, given that it is clearly one of the Dalai Lama's most treasured, but maybe over time a true democracy and non-sectarianism will emerge if the Dalai Lama's influence is allowed to fade. The draconian ban of Shugden practice is clearly not a democratic policy but the heart aim of just one person, so there is every hope that things will change. However, in the meantime, as a 'spiritual leader'. the Dalai Lama will have more time on his hands and this doesn't bode well for Shugden followers as he will have many opportunities to speak out and further poison the hearts of Tibetans and Western followers of Tibetan Buddhism towards the practice and its devotees. It's hard to believe that he will stop following his long treasured aim of destroying the practice and only time will tell what this all means for true democracy and religious freedom.</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-55998559565022672722011-02-11T16:43:00.000-05:002011-02-11T16:43:03.564-05:00The Dalai Lama's sectarian "non-sectarian" approach<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Dalai Lama makes a great deal of being non-sectarian and claims that those who practise Dorje Shugden are sectarian. He quotes such 'sectarianism' as one of his main reasons</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> for banning the practice of Shugden:</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><blockquote style="color: #990000;"><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">2. Obstacles to the emergence of genuine non-sectarianism:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> His Holiness has often stated that one of his most important commitments is the promotion of inter-religious understanding and harmony. As part of this endeavour, His Holiness is committed to encouraging non-sectarianism in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In this His Holiness is following the example set by his predecessors, especially the Fifth Dalai Lama and the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Not only is a non-sectarian approach mutually enriching for all Tibetan Buddhist schools, but it is also the best safeguard against a rise of sectarianism that could have damaging consequences for the Tibetan tradition as a whole. Given the acknowledged link between Dolgyal* worship and sectarianism, this particular practice remains a fundamental obstacle to fostering a genuine non-sectarian spirit within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.</span></div></blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">(*Dolgyal is a derogatory term for Dorje Shugden)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span><br />
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Bigotry, discrimination, hatred</span></b></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">So how non-sectarian is the Dalai Lama? This is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarianism">definition of sectarianism</a> </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarianism"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">from Wikipedia:<br />
<br />
</span></div><blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: normal;">Sectarianism</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion or factions of a political movement. </span></div></blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9gHOfdKIG9D4eSz55AethT6UesNpPfsfGVBFa2Mp2zW8XhMVzWjkNbqihXUfDK-2c35ABfKE8ntY-ZRFkvj-LS51c5gD7zihR__rYE6TV7hutOA7lPLYu2eLg5CLtFBcXsTOP8a25kJZ/s1600/signature+campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9gHOfdKIG9D4eSz55AethT6UesNpPfsfGVBFa2Mp2zW8XhMVzWjkNbqihXUfDK-2c35ABfKE8ntY-ZRFkvj-LS51c5gD7zihR__rYE6TV7hutOA7lPLYu2eLg5CLtFBcXsTOP8a25kJZ/s1600/signature+campaign.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Identity Card</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_eNVzGgMmffaUXpIdzoMRsv0IZaSxEYHYtzAU4pP6WQH37_3cOf1-kRA1U_zbhrs39dVCrmGldgRuINDGi8riZRS4HCc_J5yaDRrBt7UED7srArC3Y_aw_r7YBcSn6AFlZF3JZAlgkZV/s1600/Trijang+Rinpoche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_eNVzGgMmffaUXpIdzoMRsv0IZaSxEYHYtzAU4pP6WQH37_3cOf1-kRA1U_zbhrs39dVCrmGldgRuINDGi8riZRS4HCc_J5yaDRrBt7UED7srArC3Y_aw_r7YBcSn6AFlZF3JZAlgkZV/s1600/Trijang+Rinpoche.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trijang Rinpoche</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">This definition contains many powerful words such as 'bigotry, discrimination and hatred', all of which apply to the Dalai Lama's public pronouncements about the practice of Dorje Shugden. An enforced signature campaign to stop the practice has led to Tibetans practising bigotry and hatred towards those who disagree with the Dalai Lama's political ban of the practice. Discrimination is exactly what Shugden practitioners are experiencing in Tibetan communities throughout the world (shockingly, even in democratic Western countries such as the USA, France and Switzerland) as they are branded as spirit worshippers by the Dalai Lama. Paradoxically, this makes the Dalai Lama's own Guru Trijang Rinpoche a spirit worshipper and invalidates the whole Gelugpa lineage; but this unwanted consequence doesn't seem to have dawned on the Dalai Lama.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Considering the evidence of ostracism and discrimination, and the Dalai Lama bringing the subject of Shugden up at every public meeting of Tibetans in an attempt to completely stamp out the practice, how can the Dalai Lama be said to be non-sectarian?</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Rime</b> </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Another red herring is the Dalai Lama talking about 'Rime' or 'Rigme' (pronounced Reemay). Here is an example from a talk he gave on 14th January 2011 as reported by <i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;">Voice of Tibet</span></i> radio:</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><blockquote style="color: #990000;"><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Since I, as an ordinary body of Amdo, got the name of fourteen Dalai Lama, I ought to follow the steps of my predecessors. It is my responsibility to serve the <i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;">Rigme</span></i> teachings of Tibet.</span></div></blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rime is a non-sectarian movement that began in Tibet, prompted by the political infighting between the different traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is claiming the Rime is non-sectarian and should be followed whereas the practice of Dorje Shugden is sectarian. By making such false claims, and encouraging discrimination against a religious tradition that was promoted by his own Teacher, the Dalai Lama shows himself to be sectarian. The approach of Rime is quite different to that of the Dalai Lama. <a href="http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/A%20-%20Tibetan%20Buddhism/Authors/Ringu%20Tulku/The%20Rime%20Movement/THE%20RIME%20%28%20Ris-med%20%29%20MOVEMENT.htm">Ringu Tulku says</a>: </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />
<br />
</span></div><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><blockquote><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ris or Phyog-ris in Tibetan means "one-sided", "partisan" or "sectarian". Med means "No". Ris-med (Wylie), or Rimé, therefore means "no sides", "non-partisan" or "non-sectarian". It does not mean "non-conformist" or "non-committal"; nor does it mean forming a new School or system that is different from the existing ones. <i style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;">A person who believes the Rimé way almost certainly follows one lineage as his or her main practice. He or she would not dissociate from the School in which he or she was raised.</span></i></span></blockquote><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;"> <br />
</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;"></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rime therefore doesn't mean practising all traditions. It also doesn't mean blurring the lines between traditions, as the Dalai Lama is wont to do:<br />
<br />
</span></div><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><blockquote><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rimé is not a way of uniting different Schools and lineages by emphasising their similarities. <b style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;">It is basically an appreciation of their differences and an acknowledgement of the importance of having this variety for the benefit of practitioners with different needs.</span></i></b><b style="color: blue;"><i> </i></b><i style="color: blue;">Therefore the Rimé teachers always take great care that the teachings and practices of the different Schools and lineages and their unique styles do not become confused with one another.</i><span style="color: blue;"> </span>To retain the original style and methods of each teaching lineage preserves the power of that lineage experience. Kongtrul and Khentse made great efforts to retain the original flavour of each teaching, while making them available to many.</span></blockquote><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJj3d9Icb7Vn6Aobbv5ayXSapgQ4pDXYi76V30K4WQf85yhS_TkSCPsM5ehTuBVVqLzI6zykrE3VSonEAxP_Aih2DMsd0BdO7C8_J1uUaOAzfYdGOOn3W3V-rcESMtWRQ-2a3yfDo8lrf/s1600/Dalai+Lama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJj3d9Icb7Vn6Aobbv5ayXSapgQ4pDXYi76V30K4WQf85yhS_TkSCPsM5ehTuBVVqLzI6zykrE3VSonEAxP_Aih2DMsd0BdO7C8_J1uUaOAzfYdGOOn3W3V-rcESMtWRQ-2a3yfDo8lrf/s200/Dalai+Lama.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fourteenth Dalai Lama</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">This shows that the Dalai Lama is using Rime for his own political purposes of uniting all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism (and even the non-Buddhist Bon school) under his control. He has distorted the meaning of the teaching. This is clear from a talk he gave to a Russian audience on 27 November 2010 in response to a question about receiving empowerments from different traditions:<br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><blockquote style="color: #cc0000;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #990000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">There is no problem.<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal;"> No differences are there at all.</span></b> You should receive Gelug empowerment; you should receive Nyingma empowerment; you should receive Sakya empowerment; and you should receive Kagyu empowerment. As for me, I receive all of them. Well, all Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geden are students of seventeen Mahasiddas and scholars. Shugden worshippers are saying that if a Gelugpa worship Shugden, it is incorrect to keep a text of Nyingma. That is wrong. In twenty century, because of Shugden, sectarian is developing in Tibet. This is wrong.</span></blockquote><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <br />
</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Notice that the Dalai Lama uses this occasion to unfairly brand Shugden practitioners as sectarian. He also uses wrong logic to justify eclecticism: <i><span style="font-family: Arial;">'Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geden are students of the seventeen Mahasiddhas and scholars'.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;"> </span></i>While this is undoubtedly true, there are important differences in their presentation of Buddha's teachings which are appreciated by those who follow Rime but not by the Dalai Lama. We can therefore see that true Rime celebrates diversity, whereas the Dalai Lama's idea of Rime is to amalgamate the schools by claiming there is no difference and everyone should practice all schools, expressly against the Rime edict that one should follow one lineage as one's main practice and no dissociate from that school. The Dalai Lama has dissociated himself from the Gelugpa school and from his root Guru through his criticism of Dorje Shugden practice and practitioners. His actions are therefore sectarian and non-Rime, even though he claims to have banned the practice because he's non-sectarian!</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ask yourself this question: How is someone non-sectarian by banning a religious practice and outlawing it? This is clearly contradictory. It's against the Rime teachings that the Dalai Lama claims to support.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucEDHyht72euOvXW-LV9hW3HfFSFh2_H52ar28pgseMu_zpujpsr-f8S2vMsoR6KyYIGGowUiLoPu8mFp2lRnZ0-oDNWLjactNE_jWBck1PNjTr6mZJqaGaGFyFjwieutx75k_UyyfLy9/s1600/Gendundrub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucEDHyht72euOvXW-LV9hW3HfFSFh2_H52ar28pgseMu_zpujpsr-f8S2vMsoR6KyYIGGowUiLoPu8mFp2lRnZ0-oDNWLjactNE_jWBck1PNjTr6mZJqaGaGFyFjwieutx75k_UyyfLy9/s1600/Gendundrub.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Je Gendundrub, First Dalai Lama</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">There are further contradictions in the Dalai Lama's position. In his speech of 14th January, the Dalai Lama says he must follow his predecessors by protecting the Rime school, but the First Dalai Lama, Je Gendundrub wrote a beautiful praise to Je Tsongkhapa called <i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Song of the Eastern Snow Mountain</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;"> </span></i>in which he says: </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">From now until enlightenment<br />
I shall seek no refuge other than you.<br />
O Venerable Father and Sons (Je Tsongkhapa and his two spiritual sons, Khedrubje and Gyaltsabje)<br />
Please care for me with your compassion.</span></div></blockquote><div class="Quotations" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Rime system didn't exist until the nineteenth century, five hundred years after the First Dalai Lama proclaimed his sole refuge to be Je Tsongkhapa. Rime is therefore a relatively recent development. The present Dalai Lama seems to have forsaken Je Tsongkhapa's tradition for the sake of following no tradition (he's not following Rime, as clearly explained) and he has also forsaken the kindness of his Gurus by having them branded as spirit worshippers.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Finally then: why doesn't the present Dalai Lama show the example of his ultimate predecessor, the First Dalai Lama and remain within the Gelugpa school of Buddhism while respecting all others, appreciating and celebrating their differences as a true Rime practitioner would? Instead, he has chosen the path of sectarian intolerance by banning one of the main practices of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition, which he seems intent on destroying, and merging all schools of Buddhism into one by claiming they are all the same. The only explanation can be that Je Gendundrub was a pure spiritual practitioner whereas the present Dalai Lama is, first and foremost, a politician with worldly concerns who is twisting the meaning of non-sectarian and Rime for his political ends: power and influence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-47971368549190755542011-01-23T19:18:00.001-05:002011-01-26T14:23:14.274-05:00The Dalai Lama's Shady PastThere is another book out about the previous Dalai Lamas, called <br />
<i>Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama: The Untold Story of the Holy Men Who Shaped Tibet, from Pre-history to the Present Day</i><br />
<br />
Part of its write up says:<br />
<blockquote style="color: #20124d;">His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is known to the world for his efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and for his inspiring spiritual teachings. Often unnoticed, however, is the long, colorful history from which this most beloved of holy men has emerged. In <i>Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama,</i> Alexander Norman tells this story in full for the first time, from Tibetan Buddhism’s foundational narratives to the present-day crisis faced by Tibet.<br />
<br />
And what a story it is. Along with dedicated monks selflessly serving the Tibetan people, among His Holiness’s spiritual forebears there are a Dalai Lama who waged wars, a womanizing and inebriated poet, and several who wound up dead following disputes over temporal power. Also, while Western practitioners focus on Tibetan Buddhism’s liberating vision of enlightenment, it simultaneously contains ritual practices of prophecy and magic, as well as a vivid pantheon of deities and demons.</blockquote><br />
"Holy men"??! Upon reading the history of the previous Dalai Lamas, the only "holy men" amongst them would appear to be the first four and the Seventh, none of whom had political power or abused their position as spiritual teachers.<br />
<br />
It is a stretch to call the rest "holy men". That is unless you call womanizing drunks (the Sixth), violent power-hungry people (the "Great Fifth" and the "Great Thirteenth") and political dictators (the current Fourteenth) "holy men". The Eighth handed over his political power to regents, and the Ninth, Tenth and Twelfth died too young for anyone to make their mind up about them.<br />
<br />
During a rebellion of the Karmapas in Tsang, the Fifth Dalai Lama (the 14th Dalai Lama's favorite "spiritual forbear") issued orders:<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="color: #20124d;">[Of those in] the band of enemies, who have despoiled the duties entrusted to them:<br />
Make the male lines like trees that have had their roots cut;<br />
Make the female lines like brooks that have dried up in winter;<br />
Make the children and grandchildren like eggs smashed against cliffs;<br />
Make the servants and followers like heaps of grass consumed by fire;<br />
Make their dominion like a lamp whose oil has been exhausted;<br />
In short, annihilate any traces of them, even their names.</blockquote><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2JEluLnh5jV_doygCaa70W5YG1oJmvP0z6Q5FM-ti3EZ3XGFNChZfXDNdM6oQ0GoBTnHJkO9cqneH75xcKG2GTMNgDwGFj0CViz8ZdCyPeM4XXGfRuy-rcKMg-p2GnK2GqyMatMHS6bM/s1600/mutilation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2JEluLnh5jV_doygCaa70W5YG1oJmvP0z6Q5FM-ti3EZ3XGFNChZfXDNdM6oQ0GoBTnHJkO9cqneH75xcKG2GTMNgDwGFj0CViz8ZdCyPeM4XXGfRuy-rcKMg-p2GnK2GqyMatMHS6bM/s200/mutilation.jpg" width="108" /></a>The "Great Thirteenth" (1876-1933) (the current Dalai Lama's other favorite "spiritual forbear") was also a cruel leader. As chief judge he commanded severe punishments to be meted out to trouble-makers, including floggings, amputations and exile. His friend Sir Charles Bell gave the damning verdict:<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #20124d;"><i>He loved the work... and he liked the power which the work gave him.</i></div><br />
Doesn't sound very holy to me. Nor does the current Dalai Lama's current ban of a beloved spiritual practice and the threatening language he uses to back it up, such as (to monks in India who questioned the ban on practicing Dorje Shugden):<br />
<br />
<blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv68v_CxI7ehcz4TZX7cxwg-Tw7yo71wJoeGgtHw0YPaRkdBPJGAvMu6r8-jpxvLvxjsXFzGuNp6Yt2XsA5gr7XZ2HRSMx-dnJMzkPHDcZW7Dk2Te3eExo5_ggWYG1RLrhe12Ey2EBza0f/s1600/dalai+lama+inspecting+troops+at+Chakrata+in+1972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv68v_CxI7ehcz4TZX7cxwg-Tw7yo71wJoeGgtHw0YPaRkdBPJGAvMu6r8-jpxvLvxjsXFzGuNp6Yt2XsA5gr7XZ2HRSMx-dnJMzkPHDcZW7Dk2Te3eExo5_ggWYG1RLrhe12Ey2EBza0f/s1600/dalai+lama+inspecting+troops+at+Chakrata+in+1972.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>14th Dalai Lama inspecting </i><br />
<i>troops at Chakrata in 1972</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #20124d;">"There will be no change in my stand. I will never revoke the ban. You are right. It will be like the Cultural Revolution. If those who do not accept the ban do not listen to my words, the situation will grow worse for them. You sit and watch. It will grow only worse for them."</div></blockquote>As for the 14th Dalai Lama's "inspiring spiritual teachings", they come from the kindness of his precious Spiritual Guides. Yet he superseded and denigrated all of them as he assumed more and more temporal power.<br />
<br />
Sometimes cliches hit the mark: Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.<br />
<br />
This all sounds incredible. It is true though. To find out more, including all the sources for this information, read <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/">A Great Deception</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is a very good article on why we feel it is <a href="http://dorjeshugdentruth.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/why-criticise-the-dalai-lama/">okay to criticize the Dalai Lama</a>.Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-27519779989661698092011-01-15T14:42:00.000-05:002011-01-15T14:43:29.991-05:00Dalai Lama messes with Tibetans' minds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sfx5sCvU4SP9JWs-YIc4tgXY3HY_WHO58_xDfldnGbgioXKH4Tk3dS4qQCSD9bIaOVLRBoCHhqD05nSk5W7ILgVlLX0xpSEWBRuQstr_F3a_-Fgo_8urgv4ubIKGnlKnhprvrFrz375X/s1600/Dalai+Lama+speech.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sfx5sCvU4SP9JWs-YIc4tgXY3HY_WHO58_xDfldnGbgioXKH4Tk3dS4qQCSD9bIaOVLRBoCHhqD05nSk5W7ILgVlLX0xpSEWBRuQstr_F3a_-Fgo_8urgv4ubIKGnlKnhprvrFrz375X/s200/Dalai+Lama+speech.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562491145970397538" border="0" /></a><br />The Dalai Lama continues to spread pain throughout the Tibetan communities. Recently a speech given to his followers during teachings in the Himalayan region of India were reported on the Tibetan radio station 'Voice of Tibet'. Here is a transcript:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Pachen Dorje (reporter): </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Today on the second day of his teaching in Varanasi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, public jewel and supreme leader of Tibetan religion and politics, was kind to deliver a special advice to over six thousand devotees from Bhutan, Nepal and Indian Himalayan regions, who came to receive his teachings. On the occasion His Holiness explained he knew that some people of Shugden society recruited children in the name of education in Himalayan regions, and that if parents send their children with full awareness of the Dalai Lama's ban on worship of Shugden, he does not question and oppose. However, he also explained that there would be problems in future if children are sent without any knowledge.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /><br />Dalai Lama:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> I heard that the so-called Geshe-la of Shugden society comes there, and they take children, saying that children would have good education. Similarly this is possible in Gashar; it is possible in Monpa; it is possible in Nepal.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> I do not oppose if the guardian parents send their children after knowing everything about Gyalpo Shugden; everything about the reasons of the ban imposed on it, and that the Shugden society is opponent of the Dalai Lama. Do you understand? If you do not know, are deceived, and say that there are good facilities and education, later your children have no way to meet the Dalai Lama.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTu12HoDjvrWrdNpJ3ri28sm8zL6PK-C2CBAW30xkkN8IVC4DAlb2BLbK0Q2a0zoqCtlICFPb7G5_Z7jsxiazm8o6OwShzpMGvAALzQUQC2r6vATDLV_m4PokdCLyWcmWyoNPVO5LmDAp/s1600/serpom00.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTu12HoDjvrWrdNpJ3ri28sm8zL6PK-C2CBAW30xkkN8IVC4DAlb2BLbK0Q2a0zoqCtlICFPb7G5_Z7jsxiazm8o6OwShzpMGvAALzQUQC2r6vATDLV_m4PokdCLyWcmWyoNPVO5LmDAp/s200/serpom00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562492866201339458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Here the great Prayer Festival is held. Many monks from Sera, Drepung and Gaden monasteries came here. Down there, the monks from Dhokhang Khamtsen of Gaden and Dholgyal worshippers of Pomra in Sera Mey have no way to come here. (slight laugh) When I went to the seats down there (South India), they have no way to come to my teachings, except that they stay performing puja separately.<br /><br />I clearly state that Guru and disciple require uncontaminated commitment. If someone with degenerated commitment receives teaching, it rather harms Guru; it doesn't help disciple.<br /><br />Therefore it is unnecessary that you send your children to Dholgyal worshipping organizations, and you regret later when you come to realize. First you need to know. When Tibetan monks come and say you have place to go, you must ask their affiliation.</span><br /><br />The Dalai Lama spooks the Tibetan community with his heavy-handed language. For example: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">“later your children have no way to meet the Dalai Lama”</span> and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"if someone with degenerated commitment receives teaching, it rather harms Guru; it doesn't help disciple."</span><br /><br />When he first introduced the ban on Dorje Shugden, the Dalai Lama used similar rhetoric, claiming that the practice of Shugden harmed his health and shortened his lifespan. In this way, the Dalai Lama plays on the spiritual fears and superstitions of his audience.<br /><br />The Dalai Lama, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">“supreme leader of Tibetan religion and politics”</span>, is using this self-proclaimed status within Buddhism to enforce his own biased view. He demands compliance from an audience who may have a Guru-disciple relationship with him and/or who fear dire consequences if they do not fit in with the crowd.<br /><br />Such use of Buddhism for political aims is distasteful. The Dalai Lama’s bigoted views and oppressive actions are also contrary to the love and compassion with which Buddha originally gave his teachings.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn-6FU1oIE2a66TujJoAt50rAN8f3sydIQv8q_rsoBtoru5VF5ztsUGzWefycyHa8BPYg_YiZ6wse5hMrFIl95KujC6pSnrTlYb3NVSMK0Dx1OQc-tU3FW70gPxV705BLjTJ6GmgMCOEc/s1600/TrijangRinpoche.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn-6FU1oIE2a66TujJoAt50rAN8f3sydIQv8q_rsoBtoru5VF5ztsUGzWefycyHa8BPYg_YiZ6wse5hMrFIl95KujC6pSnrTlYb3NVSMK0Dx1OQc-tU3FW70gPxV705BLjTJ6GmgMCOEc/s200/TrijangRinpoche.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562492388138091378" border="0" /></a><br />Sadly, there is only one source of religious disharmony in the Tibetan community, and it is the Dalai Lama. He uses his position to split the Tibetan community by spreading his wrong views about Protector Dorje Shugden, bringing pain to his people who are torn between loyalty to the Dalai Lama and their heartfelt commitments to their other precious Gurus who gave them this practice.<br /><br />Many bravely continue to practise in secret, waiting and hoping, fearing the witchhunt should they reveal their true feelings.<br /><br />It is sad that someone who preaches love, compassion and religious tolerance should continue to be the source of division, disharmony, and fear. Particularly someone who wears the robes of a Buddhist monk.<br /><br />For more information, see <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Great Decep</span><span style="font-style: italic;">tion</span></a>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-13113195602548360342010-11-29T22:31:00.007-05:002010-12-01T13:50:06.257-05:00Dalai Lama receives the Mother Theresa Award for Social Justice<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >First of all, if you have not yet read the ground-breaking book, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/">A Great Deception</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, it is a real page-turner. Everything is backed up and all facts consistent with the </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/our-cause/">Western Shugden Society claims</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, and it contains a wealth of other material to do with the Dalai Lama that might raise your eyebrows. It is very well researched, documented, and written.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >This book is not just about the Dalai Lama’s destructive ban against Dorje Shugden, though it puts that ban in the clearest possible context. It will prove to be historically very significant, signalling an end to the pollution of Buddhism by politics, by showing the utter corruption, power struggles, violence and deceit that have marked the government of the Ganden Phodrang since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, especially during the reigns of the 5th, 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas of Tibet. This book is worth reading even just for its chapter on the history and institution of all the Dalai Lamas, 1st through 14th.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama is still at it, and we will continue on this blog and our website, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/">Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, to call him on his deception and hypocrisy whenever we see it (if we can keep up). He was given the Mother Theresa Award for Social Justice in Delhi on Thursday 18 November. At a glittering ceremony at the Hotel Taj Palace, Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee presented the award to the Tibetan leader.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >In his address to the gathering, the Tibetan leader lauded India for its ancient tradition of Ahimsa (non-violence) and harmonious existence of various religious traditions for many years.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >“India (is), I feel, the only country where major world religious traditions live together. Occasionally some problems happen, that’s understandable, over billion human being, some mischievous people always there.”</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >The Tibetan leader said India’s tradition of Ahimsa and religious harmony is not only an ancient one but also very relevant even in today’s world.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >“So I myself lived in this country for 51 years, and I am carrying to various parts of the world these two messages, message of Ahimsa based on love and compassion, and message of religious harmony,” </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >said His Holiness.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >So why was the Dalai Lama given this award?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >His championship of non-violence?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >As it says in </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >A Great Deception</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, page 220:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >“Of all the lies that surround the Dalai Lama, surely the greatest is that he is the champion of non-violence.”</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >For example, during the Dalai Lama’s reign in Tibet, </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/photos/torture-in-old-tibet">serfs were routinely tortured</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > just down the hill from his grand Potala palace and he turned a blind eye. He spent a lot of time </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/dalai-lama/dalai-lama-nazi-connections/">with Nazis</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >. He wrote </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/photos/dalai-lamas-hymn-to-mao/">hymns to Chairman Mao</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >. He was close friends with </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/video/dalai-lama-shoko-asahara/">Shoko Asahara</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, the deadly leader of the Japanese AUM Cult. Newly declassified US State Department documents show that from the mid-1950’s to the mid-1970s there was an active and violent </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/photos/dalai-lama-about-resistance">Tibetan resistance movement</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > that was funded by the CIA with the full support of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama was also responsible for the </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/photos/dalai-lama-olympic-protests/">2008 demonstrations by Tibetans</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > in the lead-up to the Chinese Olympics that caused death and destruction to property. And that is not all you'll find out about if you read the book.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Moreover, the Dalai Lama has not once spoken out against the on-going violence inflicted by his followers on Dorje Shugden practitioners. Indeed, the Dalai Lama has encouraged disharmony and hatred with his words that, when it comes to him, “it might be justified for one or ten enemies to be eliminated”, leading to the Tibetan Administration’s </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Ten Most Hated Enemies of the Dalai Lama and Tibet</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > and </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5sOm-uQH9Y&feature=PlayList&p=0A9CBA448EF465A2&index=0&playnext=1">Wanted Posters</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > being circulated throughout Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal. These give precise details of their names, families and living places and are clearly designed to encourage violence. There is plenty of </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden28.php">documented violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >His championship of religious harmony?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >One news report claims that he received the Mother Theresa Award for 'his commitment to human values, fostering inter-religious dialogue and the welfare of Tibetan people'; yet he doesn't even foster dialogue between Buddhists. He has managed to interfere in all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, with disastrous consequences, as explained in detail in </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >A Great Deception</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >. The Dalai Lama has repeatedly failed to take up offers of discussion to resolve the conflict over Dorje Shugden; rather his public pronouncements have led to more bitter entrenchment and angry accusations </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >towards Shugden practitioners. They are </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqON2lxArek">treated like criminals</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > even though they have done nothing wrong.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >On the subject of religious harmony, the Dalai Lama has caused religious DISharmony by </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.newint.org/features/1998/08/05/update/">banning the practice of Dorje Shugden</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > and disparaging his own Teachers who promoted this holy practice. He is responsible for schism in the international Buddhist community because of the ban. Check out the </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/press/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">growing number of</span> news articles and programs</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > that attest to this.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >The Dalai Lama has denied human rights (the very foundation of social justice) to Dorje Shugden practitioners by ostracizing them from Tibetan society. In an </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden16.php">enforced signature campaign </a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >by the Tibetan Government in Exile, Tibetans have had to swear to have nothing to do, materially or spiritually, with Shugden practitioners. Those who refused to give up the practice are still denied medical treatment, education and even </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-dalai-lama-demons-india-buddhism-dorje-shugden">freedom to enter shops run by Tibetans</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >. Nor are they issued with travel permits because of their beliefs. This is a strange implementation of social justice that does not fit the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice">definition</a>!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Even those who obey his religious edicts have received no benefit from him. He has repeatedly failed to achieve any agreement with the Chinese government on the future of Tibet. Those in Tibetan communities throughout the world are under his power of his repressive theocracy where, ironically, there is no real freedom or benefit even though that's what he's being awarded for.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >On the two messages that he claims to carry to the world -- non-violence and religious harmony -- his actions fall woefully short of his speeches. He 'talks a good talk', but unfortunately doesn't practice what he preaches to the masses.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Are there any valid reasons for giving the Dalai Lama an award for Social Justice?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >It seems that the Dalai Lama garners awards simply for being the Dalai Lama and not for any other reason. These awards seem to be given for what people imagine the Dalai Lama is doing to benefit others. This must be so because the Dalai Lama, in reality, is doing the c</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/press/coverage/unmasking-the-real-dalai-lama/">omplete opposite of what he claims to stand for</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Through the publication of </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >A Great Deception</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >, may this charade be brought to an end, and Buddhism finally freed from pollution by Tibetan politics.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" lang="EN-GB" ><br /></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-14003981944472860482010-11-18T22:15:00.007-05:002010-11-18T22:41:19.367-05:00A Great Deception - freeing Buddhism from political pollution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlsJAocfoojwTxV-XvkTmnqPNoyDN-1N5DFyAmzn932-d0ptBnhScj1q0vyLiEHQd36-IHEHAn2UvonN8xAxufq-khwGwM6rKlossa5b4UnjodoNhveglie6BU7StdVKgcwOkdevh4eX1/s1600/great_deception_straight.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlsJAocfoojwTxV-XvkTmnqPNoyDN-1N5DFyAmzn932-d0ptBnhScj1q0vyLiEHQd36-IHEHAn2UvonN8xAxufq-khwGwM6rKlossa5b4UnjodoNhveglie6BU7StdVKgcwOkdevh4eX1/s200/great_deception_straight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541100357068289122" border="0" /></a>The latest edition of <a href="http://www.agreatdeception.com/book/"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Great Deception</span></a> has just been printed, with some additions.<br /><br />This book will be distributed widely by the <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/our-cause/">Western Shugden Society</a>. It clearly shows that the <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-nature.php">Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden</a> is the manifestation of <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden03">Je Tsongkhapa</a>, who is the embodiment of the wisdom of all Buddhas. It also brings to light the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso's unconscionable actions in <a href="http://www.westernshugdensociety.org/chronicle/">banning this beloved spiritual practice</a> and persecuting its followers.<br /><p style="font-weight: bold;">From the Preface:</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">The purpose of this book is to achieve the following four aims:</p> <ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><li> to liberate millions of innocent practitioners of the Buddhist Deity Dorje Shugden and their families from suffering;</li><li> to restore peace and harmony between Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners;</li><li> to re-establish the common spiritual activities of Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners; and</li><li> to free Buddhism from political pollution.</li></ul> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Achieving these aims depends solely upon whether the present Dalai Lama will accept the four points set out at the conclusion of Chapter 4 of this book.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> The Dalai Lama wishes to ban Shugden worship in general; and in particular to remove Tibetan Shugden worshippers from their communities, and Western Shugden worshippers from the international Buddhist community. Since 1996 the Tibetan exile government has continually applied effort to fulfil these wishes. In February 2008 alone, 900 monks who are Shugden practitioners were expelled from their monasteries in India.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> In 1996 the Tibetan exile government publicly decreed to the Tibetan communities of each country, including Tibet, that Shugden practitioners were their national enemies and were against the Dalai Lama's wishes. The decree stated that unless Shugden practitioners promised to stop Shugden worship they would not receive any official position or job, nor any help or support, even medical assistance, either from the Tibetan exile government or from individual members of the Tibetan community. Further, any connection at all with Shugden practitioners should be cut. Children of Shugden practitioners were no longer permitted to attend Tibetan schools, and Shugden practitioners themselves could not join community meetings, social events and so forth....</p><p>(... and the situation has gone <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden01.php">from bad to worse</a>.)<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.agreatdeception.com/book/">Read more...</a><br /></p>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-77261107460319437872010-10-19T06:34:00.007-04:002010-11-01T09:11:29.581-04:00Mountain Phoenix on Dorje Shugden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bU8Sn1tDkHN95M3vaMEhswTb2xUBpIC7K4KMSaPsC44INFm827IJaCK8SwILbczDwKfzxWuWrzYOZfEJ9fBtcH7H4XM7v8Bykl2hjwHyCxfTMSEDXdPyXJGX18JQgb70iK2nSYwm8YR8/s1600/Dorje+Shugden.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bU8Sn1tDkHN95M3vaMEhswTb2xUBpIC7K4KMSaPsC44INFm827IJaCK8SwILbczDwKfzxWuWrzYOZfEJ9fBtcH7H4XM7v8Bykl2hjwHyCxfTMSEDXdPyXJGX18JQgb70iK2nSYwm8YR8/s320/Dorje+Shugden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529716971394677986" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>I'd like to draw your attention to a couple of blog posts by Tibetan Mountain Phoenix on her blog 'Mountain Phoenix over Tibet' which provides some interesting analysis of the Dorje Shugden issue from a less biased point of view than other Tibetan commentators:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://mountainphoenixovertibet.blogspot.com/search/label/Dorje%20Shugden">http://mountainphoenixovertibet.blogspot.com/search/label/Dorje%20Shugden</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even though the blog posts are a couple of years old, the issues she refers to still pertain, unfortunately. For example, in her first post, amusingly titled 'Ghostbusters: I ain't afraid of no ghost', she says:</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></div><div><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 18px;font-family:Ubuntu,UbuntuBeta;font-size:13px;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:arial;" ></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Even if the pro-ghost people </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">were all unpatriotic, selfish, pro-Chinese, Kundun-haters, and devil-worshippers, I’d wish Kundun followers wouldn’t behave like riffraff. Honestly, it’s not flattering to the Dalai Lama to have such a following. I would wish for His Holiness to distance himself from this kind of behaviour. And I would also wish he would stop raising the issue in public. From an innocent bystander view, it would be more effective to debate the issue with the defiant Lamas and Geshes directly. After all, it’s them who are meant to be persuaded. The collateral damage of raising the issue in front of the public has reached a frightening dimension.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Actually, I wish Kundun would consider dropping this thing altogether - just like some of the Tibetan-language media. He has successfully discouraged the practice for years. So then the ones who remain stubborn just can’t be helped, can they? Why not leave it at that? There can’t be too many renegades left by now, can there? A couple of Lamas here and there, most keeping a low profile. If Kundun stops to speak against the practice, they will stop defending themselves. If he intensifies his efforts, they will too. The way I see it, Kundun can control this</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 18px;font-family:Ubuntu,UbuntuBeta;font-size:13px;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-family:arial;font-size:medium;" >'Kundun' is a name for the Dalai Lama. The destruction of Dorje Shugden practice has been an obsession of the Dalai Lama's for over thirty years. He can't stop mentioning it in public. As Mountain Phoenix says: </span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-size:13px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:13px;" ></span></span></span></span></span></div><blockquote><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-size:13px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:13px;" > <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The collateral damage of raising the issue in front of the public has reached a frightening dimension.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It certainly has. Every time the Dalai Lama mentions it, there is a witch hunt in which innocent Dorje Shugden practitioners are persecuted. They are already denied basic human rights such as travel permits, education and medical treatment. They are also barred from shops because of their religious beliefs. This has gone on for far too long now, and has even resulted in a split in the spiritual community. Dorje Shugden worshipping monks have been expelled from the monasteries under the control of the 'Ganden Podrang' or Tibetan Government in Exile and have had to build their own monasteries of Shar Gaden and Serpom. The division caused by the Dalai Lama's words is probably irreparable, even if he were to retract his statements tomorrow.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mountain Phoenix wants to say this to the Dalai Lama:</span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-family:Ubuntu,UbuntuBeta;font-size:13px;" ></span></span></span></span></div><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:13px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Dear Kundun, do you surf the net sometimes? - I really hope so. I humbly wish you would read what a fellow Tibetan has to say and people like Acha Purbu-la think. I wish you would agree that this ghost hunt leads us nowhere and is disrupting social harmony. I wish you would stop making the ghost an issue and lead us again on the path to cope with the big problems that lie ahead of us as a people.</span></span></span></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16px;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sadly, because she fo</span>llows the Dalai Lama, she refers to Dorje Shugden throughout as 'a ghost', even though later she acknowledges that there is a view held by some that he is a Buddha:</span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16px;" ><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;font-size:medium;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 18px;font-family:Ubuntu,UbuntuBeta;font-size:13px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">To be fair to the other side, I should mention that they don’t think they are worshipping a ghost. For them, the ghost is an enlightened being (a Buddha or something to that effect). A view, that many people don’t like to hear, no Tibetan media reports on, and nobody wants to openly talk about. Nevertheless, if the other side believes the ghost is a divine thing, it’s their right. Just as it’s the right for the mainstream to believe the ghost is a deamon. Believe one or the other but keep quiet. Or opt out altogether and keep quiet.</span></blockquote></span> </span></span></span></span>She refers to the view that Dorje Shugden is a demon as mainstream. This shows how much damage the Dalai Lama's views have caused in thirty years. Through blind faith in 'Kundun' and his draconian ban on the practice, Tibetans have turned away from the practice of Dorje Shugden, a once mainstream Gelugpa practice, with the result that those who are sincerely wishing to keep their commitments to their spiritual Teachers and who steadfastly refuse to abandon the practice have been marginalized and ostracised from Tibetan society.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her final conclusion, from her later post '"Evil Spirit" puts Tibetan democracy to test' which is fairer and more balanced:</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 18px;font-family:Ubuntu,UbuntuBeta;font-size:13px;" ></span></div><blockquote><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); line-height: 18px;font-size:13px;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The way Tibetans have been handling the Dholgyal/Shugden issue says quite a bit about the state of our democratic values. We Tibetans are okay with dissenters being forced into obedience. We see nothing wrong with this political style. We have no issues with the Dalai Lama exerting pressure on dissenters by using secular government organs and tolerating oaths and signature actions in his name. Some even believe it is their duty to expose Dholgyal/Shugden supporters and slander them.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><blockquote></blockquote></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Sadly, we can report that not much has changed since Mountain Phoenix wrote her original blog posts two years ago. The Dalai Lama is still speaking out against the practice (even as recently as <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2010/09/dalai-lamas-ban-on-dorje-shugden.html">last month</a>) and Dorje Shugden practitioners are still ostracised and vilified by the majority of Tibetans.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dalai Lama, please give religious freedom.</div>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-42947366230900359382010-09-02T16:38:00.005-04:002010-09-02T16:52:32.745-04:00The Dalai Lama's ban on Dorje Shugden continues to cause suffering and disharmony<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Because there is no recent Western media coverage, the Dalai Lama continues to disparage Dorje Shugden practitioners with no fear of being exposed; and there is ample evidence that he is still working to destroy this Buddhist practice in both the East and the West. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On 1st September he gave a talk at Sera Mey monastery in southern India that was broadcast on Voice of Tibet Radio, a mouthpiece of the Tibetan government in exile:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Reporter: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dalai Lama said that it was more harmful than beneficial if anyone who worshipped Dholgyal (Shugden) came to receive his initiation. He also made a statement with respect to Shugden.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The Dalai Lama: <span style="font-style: italic;">As for Kyabje Pabongkha, he is really like the real Heruka. He is the lord of Chakarasambhara’s father and mother; he is lord of Lamrim and Mind Training. That is really amazing. It is wrong that some criticize him. The previous Dalai Lama imposed a strict ban on Shugden. When the predecessor passed away, he has made great efforts with respect to Shugden. That is wrong. Therefore, knowing all things, I imposed a ban on [Shugden]. It is wrong that some says this is order of the Dalai Lama. I am aware of the significance and reasons, as well as what the previous lamas have done. Then I imposed a ban [on Shugden]. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >These days, they are being supported by Communist China. Shugden devotees in Tibet are given special help. They encourage people to worship Shugden. Some monasteries are asked to worship [Shugden]. These are the reasons. Most of you already know. Today once again… over there they are making loud noises (laughs). They are debating. The debating is good. When they are making noise, it is not right if I say nothing (laughs). Sera-May monastery faced serious difficulties. Basically it is Pomra Khamtsen. Shugden devotees, being headstrong, …to beat and to kill.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >…became real Chinese spirit. Therefore [they] do not know. I have nothing to say if they voluntarily and knowingly [worship Shugden]. It is religious freedom. It is up to you whatever deity you want to worship. But I should explain its source and background. This is my responsibility. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">His speech is full of contradictions: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pabongka_Rinpoche">Je Pabongkhapa</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> is “real </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://kadampa.org/en/books/essence-of-vajrayana/">Heruka</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">”, a fully enlightened being, how could he be wrong about Dorje Shugden practice? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Dalai Lama says that he imposed a ban on the practice, which is true; but then says that people have religious freedom to choose whatever Deity they want to worship! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">He also claims that Shugden practitioners are receiving support from Communist China, a statement that has no basis in fact. This is a calculated political statement, a lie, guaranteed to turn Tibetans against Shugden practitioners. The Dalai Lama knows this, yet he shamelessly creates religious disharmony for his own purposes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Despite his use of the words, 'religious freedom', there is no freedom because of the Dalai Lama's religious dictatorship; there are many unpleasant consequences for those who refuse to give up the practice. Here are some recent examples provided by the Dorje Shugden Society:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• May 2010: Chushi Gangdurk Organisation, New York USA (which is a political association) met with the Dalai Lama and informed him that they had removed the members who believed in Dorje Shugden and vowed to disassociate and remove any Shugden believers in the future for His Holiness' happiness.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• 26th Feburary 2010: Central Chushi Gangdurk Organisation's headquarters in New Delhi gave a letter to Dalai Lama which stated that they hadn’t associated with the Shugden believers since 1996 and vowed to continue disassociating from the Shugden people in the future too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• February 20, 2010: 68 of the 100 invited guests and performers left a wedding party in New York City because a few Dorje Shugden devotees were invited. Those who left apologized and explained that they did not want to break the oath that they had taken to segregate the followers of Dorje Shugden.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• July 29 2009: The Tibetan section of Radio Free Asia, with the intention to turn the general Tibetan people against the Shugden devotees, demonized the Shugden devotees for abducting Tenzing Thakpa (Woeser Rinpoche's father) and a 13-year-old boy, along with few goats and sheep in Markham, Tibet. In reality, Woeser Rinpoche's father and the boy were victims of a flood and Tenzing Thakpa was seen alive and well, traveling in Lhasa and India. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• 2008: The oath and signature campaign of breaking off religious and material relationship with Shugden devotees was introduced in the monasteries and Tibetan settlements</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• October 2008: The Tibetan Association of Western Massachusetts, USA, was shut down because it had some Shugden believers as its members.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">• July 2008: Wanted posters of several monks involved in the Western Shugden Society protests appeared in Queens, New York. Al Jazeera reported about the wanted posters saying, "No Shugden worshipper has ever been charged or investigated for terrorism and yet the monks that continue to worship Shugden remain victims of name and shame." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Due to the Dalai Lama's words and actions remaining unchallenged, acts of discrimination and ostracism are being perpetrated even in the USA, let alone in undemocratic Tibetan society. From this we can see that the Dalai Lama has caused a deep, worldwide schism in the Buddhist community that is affecting Buddhists everywhere. This poisonous disharmony is completely contrary to Buddha's teachings on love and compassion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Finally, another recent case of blatant discrimination in a Western country is to be found at </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.shedrupling.at/kalapa/english/ChodenR.html">Kalachakra Kalapa Centre in Austria</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. As the course publicity prominently states: </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“Please note: Shugden practitioners or practitioners following Geshe Kelsang Gyatso cannot participate in this event.” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Practitioners of other religions are not excluded, only Buddhist followers of Je Pabongkhapa and Trijang Rinpoche, who were the lineage holders of Kalachakra and other transmissions in the Gelugpa tradition.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">With no apparent sense of irony, the publicity finishes with: </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“May all beings be happy”!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">From this we can see that it is still the Dalai Lama's aim to remove Dorje Shugden practitioners, both Eastern and Western, from Buddhist society and he is working very hard for this aim. He is abusing his position and authority, encouraging others to engage in actions of ostracism that are damaging the international Buddhist community.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-60539718274262183262010-07-28T16:56:00.005-04:002010-07-28T17:18:23.745-04:00Frequently Asked Questions about Dorje Shugden<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >We are currently preparing a section of Frequently Asked Questions on the subject of Dorje Shugden for our website, and here is a preview.<br /><br />(If you have any questions you'd like us to answer on our upcoming FAQ, please include them in the comments section.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Q: What exactly is the Dorje Shugden practice and what does it involve?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A. Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the wisdom of all Buddhas appearing as a Dharma Protector to protect and increase the Dharma realizations within our minds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The practice of relying on Dharma Protectors was taught by <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden01">Buddha Shakyamuni </a>and practised by Indian and Tibetan Buddhists. There are many Dharma protectors such as Mahakala, Kalarupa, Palden Lhamo and Dorje Shugden. In order to protect the Dharma realizations in one's mind, Dharma Protectors must necessarily be emanations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and are therefore part of the Three Jewels of Buddhist refuge, specifically the Sangha Jewel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Although Dorje Shugden helps everyone because he is a Buddha, his main job is to protect the Gelug tradition of Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), and especially the Ganden oral lineage instructions. The practice of Dorje Shugden involves making offerings and requests with faith to Dorje Shugden -- who is seen as one with Je Tsongkhapa and the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri -- to protect the teachings of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition, to pacify all obstacles to its growth throughout the world and to bestow favorable conditions for the Buddhadharma to flourish both in our minds and in the world in general.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You can read more about this subject <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-about.php">here</a>. If you would like to see the prayers to Dorje Shugden that are recited every day by faithful practitioners, you can do so <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-prayers1.php">here</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Q: What benefits do people derive from doing the practice of Dorje Shugden?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A: In the introduction to the practice of relying upon the Dharma Protector in the <a href="http://www.tharpa.com/uk/sadhana-Heart.Jewel-66.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heart Jewel </span>sadhana</a> published by Tharpa Publications it says:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >“This sadhana includes two practices revealed by the Wisdom Buddha <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden02">Manjushri</a>. The first is a special Guru yoga in which we visualize our Spiritual Guide as <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden03">Je Tsongkhapa</a>, who himself is a manifestation of Manjushri. By relying upon this practice, we can purify negativity, accumulate merit, and receive blessings. In this way, we will naturally accomplish all the realizations of the stages of the path of Sutra and Tantra, and in particular we will attain a very special Dharma wisdom.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The second practice is a method for relying upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden. Through this, we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our Dharma realizations. If we rely upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden sincerely, our faith in Je Tsongkhapa will naturally increase and we will easily gain experience of the pure Buddhadharma transmitted directly to Je Tsongkhapa by the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >If we practise these regularly and sincerely, we will reap a rich harvest of pure Dharma realizations, and eventually come to experience the supreme joy of full enlightenment.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You can read more about the benefits of relying upon Dorje Shugden <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-benefits.php">here</a>. Here are a couple of extracts:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"Dorje Shugden always helps, guides, and protects pure and faithful practitioners by granting blessings, increasing their wisdom, fulfilling their wishes, and bestowing success on all their virtuous activities."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"If we rely sincerely upon Dorje Shugden, he will arrange the conditions that are most conducive for our Dharma practice but these will not necessarily be the ones that we ourself would have chosen! Dorje Shugden will bless our minds to help us transform difficult situations into the spiritual path, and he will open the wisdom eyes of his faithful followers, enabling them always to make the right decisions."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Q: Where did the practice of Dorje Shugden originate, and what is its significance today for practitioners?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri who arose as a Dharma Protector to fulfil a promise he had made in a previous life when as Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsän, one of the principal disciples of Je Tsongkhapa, he promised to become a protector of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition. This is explained by the Dalai Lama's teacher and Gelugpa lineage holder, <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden06">Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche</a>, in his text called “Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors” which can be downloaded <a href="http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?page_id=52/#1">here</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ngatrul Dragpa Gyaltsen (1619-54), a revered teacher who lived at the same time as the fifth Dalai Lama, predicted that he would arise as Dorje Shugden. He was the last incarnation in a long line of enlightened Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Masters which includes Manjushri, Mahasiddha Biwawa, Sakya Pandita, Butön Rinchen Drub, Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsän, Panchen Sönam Dragpa, and many others. See <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-about2.php">biographies of these previous incarnations of Dorje Shugden</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For its significance for today's practitioners, see the answer to the next question.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Q. How does the practice of Dorje Shugden fit in with Buddhist teachings and practices and help practitioners implement those into daily life?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A: The practice of Dorje Shugden supports and enhances our practice of Sutra and Tantra in daily life. By making requests to Dorje Shugden and relying upon him sincerely -- just as the great enlightened Masters of the Gelugpa tradition have done for centuries -- we will be cared for so that we can accomplish our final goal of full enlightenment as swiftly as possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Buddhas can and will appear as anything that will benefit living beings, including as Spiritual Guides and in a protecting aspect as a Dharma Protector. In this spiritually degenerate time it is very difficult for spiritual practitioners to make progress on the paths to liberation and enlightenment on their own; there are many obstacles and we have little merit or good karma. We need help to remove obstacles and to manifest good conditions for our practice and this is the unique function of a Dharma Protector. The Dharma Protector is seen as an aspect of our Spiritual Guide to help us to accomplish pacifying, increasing, controlling and wrathful actions that are necessary for making spiritual progress.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There are many different Dharma Protectors that we can rely upon, but it is said that at this time Dorje Shugden is the protector who is most able to help us. We have a special karmic connection with this Deity, which means that we can receive swift and powerful help by relying upon him as opposed to other protectors. Check <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden-about.php">here </a>for more information about Dorje Shugden.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We will just like to give some relevant quotes to help at this point:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >"There is no difference in the compassion, wisdom, or power of the various Dharma Protectors, but because of the karma of sentient beings, one particular Dharma Protector will have a greater opportunity to help Dharma practitioners at any one particular time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Among all the Dharma Protectors, four-faced Mahakala, Kalarupa, and Dorje Shugden in particular have the same nature because they are all emanations of Manjushri.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >However, the beings of this present time have a stronger karmic link with Dorje Shugden than with the other Dharma Protectors. It was for this reason that Morchen Dorjechang Kunga Lhundrup, a very highly realized Master of the Sakya tradition, told his disciples, 'Now is the time to rely upon Dorje Shugden.' He said this on many occasions to encourage his disciples to develop faith in the practice of Dorje Shugden."</span></span>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-37637057293532281052010-06-25T11:25:00.011-04:002010-06-26T16:40:41.522-04:00Help stop discrimination against Dorje Shugden devotees seeking asylum<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-family:verdana;" align="center"><span style="font-style: italic;">Discrimination toward a devotee of Dorje Shugden<br />at the Indian Embassy in Nepal </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Please write to Indian Authorities using the information below,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">in a language that is simple, clear, and well mannered, avoiding harsh language against the Dalai Lama or Tibetan Government in Exile that would offend the authorities, who, in India, if addressed with proper protocol and manners,<br />are very helpful.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Thank you.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">(Please note, we have added some sample letters below in the comments section, written and sent by followers of this blog. Please feel free to put your letter here too to help others compose theirs. Thank you.)</div></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The following incident took place in Kathmandu, Nepal. On June 3, this year 2010, 14 newcomers from Tibet went to the Indian Embassy to obtain Entry Permits, which allows them to seek asylum in India. All but one of those newcomers received a permit. The asylum seeker whose Entry Permit was refused is Jampa Gyaltsen, 18 years old.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Jampa is a devotee of Dorje Shugden. He came to Nepal to join </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2010/04/serpom-monastery-website.html">Serpom monastery</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and to study Buddhism in India.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tibetan refugees go to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/11/story-of-16-young-tibetan-refugees-in.html">Tibetan Reception Centre</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, and through this centre they apply for an Entry Permit. In view of the consistent discrimination and abuses faced by devotees, there is a strong misgiving that the Tibetan Refugee Reception Center was behind the rejection. They might have provided a note which triggered the rejection of the permit for Jampa.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This obviously indicates that the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/10/tibetan-government-bans-dorje-shugden.html">Tibetan Government in Exile</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> tries to stop Shugden devotees coming to India. They wish the Shugden monasteries to dry up and vanish. And the Tibetan Government in Exile have attempted several times to stop Shugden devotees coming to India from Tibet.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We have a growing concern about Tibetan refugees (who are associated with the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden10reasons.php">Deity Dorje Shugden</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">) who might face the same fate in future, unless the rejection is revoked and he is issued the permit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It would be very helpful if each of you wrote to the following authorities with a request and a prayer to ensure that no Shugden devotee has to experience discrimination because of their religious faith, as well as to provide an entry permit to Jampa Gyaltsen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">1) External Affairs Minister</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">S.M. Krishna</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax : 0091 11 23013254 / 23011463</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Email : </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="mailto:eam@mea.gov.in">eam@mea.gov.in</a><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://meaindia.nic.in/" target="_blank">http://meaindia.nic.in/</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2) Foreign Secretary</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Smt. Nirupama Rao</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax : 0091 11 23016781</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Email : dirfs@mea.gov.in; </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="mailto:psfs@mea.gov.in">psfs@mea.gov.in</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3) THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">P.CHIDAMBARAM</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">HOME MINISTER</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Email : </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="mailto:hm@nic.in">hm@nic.in</a><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://mha.nic.in/" target="_blank">http://mha.nic.in</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax : 0091 11 23092462</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4) HOME SECRETARY</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Gopal K. Pillai</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax : 0091 11 23093003</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Nepal Indian embassy</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5) Sh. Rakesh Sood</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ambassador</span><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.indianembassy.org.np/embassy.php" target="_blank">http://www.indianembassy.org.np/embassy.php</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Email : </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="mailto:amb@eoiktm.org">amb@eoiktm.org</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax: 00977 1 4420130</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">6) UNHCR IN NEPAL</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Stephane Jaquemet</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Representative</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Anil Kuti, Maharajgunj,</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Kathmandu, P.O.Box 2374 ,</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Nepal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fax : 977-1 4412853</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Email : </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="mailto:nepka@unhcr.org">nepka@unhcr.org</a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Website : </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.unhcr.org/" target="_blank">http://www.unhcr.org</a>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-16927815601322767052010-06-21T20:40:00.004-04:002010-06-21T21:03:24.020-04:00Dalai Lama criticizes anti-whaling protestors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiudf3kWtzkbHeUrzkKPNBPSx9t_eKAQPXc-so2HiBS9o_OWaC9zjc8MtX2foGTtz2tnUipiwzMhDpWxg8mh08XQnhp-H8glfBZqrkRmBOQ8u9tTeK8g-xmuj_5PkaFHnwCwFOSE5Q_RT/s1600/whale.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiudf3kWtzkbHeUrzkKPNBPSx9t_eKAQPXc-so2HiBS9o_OWaC9zjc8MtX2foGTtz2tnUipiwzMhDpWxg8mh08XQnhp-H8glfBZqrkRmBOQ8u9tTeK8g-xmuj_5PkaFHnwCwFOSE5Q_RT/s200/whale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485395422713800578" border="0" /></a>There are two articles about this here:<br /><br /><a href="http://shugdensociety.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/dalai-lama-criticises-anti-whaling-protesters/">Dalai Lama criticises anti-whaling protestors</a><br /><a href="http://shugdensociety.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/dalai-lamas-double-standards-with-regard-to-whaling/">Dalai Lama's double standards with regard to whaling </a><br /><br />How can it be that a man who preaches compassion will not show it for defenseless animals? He shot birds with his air rifle from the Norbulinka Palace in Tibet, is an avid eater of meat, and now is speaking out publicly against anti-whaling protestors.<br /><br />The Dalai Lama shows that he lacks integrity and principle when he bows to political influence and says what people want him to say -- in this case, the Japanese authorities. This is the problem of mixing religion and politics. It is another example of why the Dalai Lama is basically untrustworthy, a self-seeking worldly politician masquerading as a popular religious figure.<br /><br />For more on the Dalai Lama's deceptive dual nature as politician and religious leader and the harm this has caused in Tibet and India, see <a href="http://www.agreatdeception.com/">A Great Deception</a>.Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2702208051358761238.post-29042652620222135512010-06-12T14:26:00.008-04:002010-06-12T14:56:57.505-04:00Letter from the CTA and Dalai Lama urging ostracism of Dorje Shugden familySadly, these two pieces of information from someone currently staying at <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/">Shar Gaden</a> show us nothing new -- Buddhist Dorje Shugden practitioners are still being ostracized for their beliefs due to the immoral and intolerant <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-what-authority-does-dalai-lama-do.html">ban of the 400-year old practice by the 14th Dalai Lama</a>:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Here is a picture on the gate of Gaden Jangtse warning people about the family in camp 4 that are Dorje Shugden practitioners and people should not go to their shop in camp 4. I took this photo yesterday. Very sad that this is the first thing you see upon entering such a beautiful monastery."</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRuH_OL0d4d4M4gTJUgSuPZJAT0HUHUDh3zhXGXz-EB2EZfQaIwIynnz4nNLory9Pnmqbb-AQEoMMADADt2Ov37eyFe1zcXpwGnISg0lGZO7vhX5UapXmwvR2vWwRu2yz9RTMHy410PV_/s1600/Gaden+Jangtse+letter.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRuH_OL0d4d4M4gTJUgSuPZJAT0HUHUDh3zhXGXz-EB2EZfQaIwIynnz4nNLory9Pnmqbb-AQEoMMADADt2Ov37eyFe1zcXpwGnISg0lGZO7vhX5UapXmwvR2vWwRu2yz9RTMHy410PV_/s200/Gaden+Jangtse+letter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481956476622697314" border="0" /></a><br />If you look closely, you will see that this notice is issued by the Office of the Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration of the Dalai Lama. A terrible example of using political power to further supposedly religious aims, that of destroying a spiritual tradition passed down through generations of Gelugpa Buddhist masters, including the Teacher of the Dalai Lama himself. Click here for <a href="http://wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.blogspot.com/2010/05/persecution-of-dorje-shugden.html">more</a>.<br /><br />And of course there have been <a href="http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden04.php#4">numerous incidences of violence </a>toward Dorje Shugden practitioners over the years, such as:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Trokhang DechenChog is a Dorje Shugden chapel not far from Shar Gaden and is within feet of the Gaden Shartse debate ground. It is actually closer to Gaden Shartse than Shar Gaden... One monk is in charge of doing the daily pujas there and keeping the chapel safe from harm. He has been beaten up more than once due to his devotion to this chapel."</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLwVMNDLj7CW4T5Af31dbD2p5GoVBNZOyZ4YDGTGptj_Zy0fir-5tXWzDdrfCQ49bLByxaBBMGc_1lM9zHfqir9xBkrVhQwtz3-lcb2dY4JWxkPO-7sSZniV-LBw6T8bzC5nffJ-YHcts/s1600/DS+gompa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLwVMNDLj7CW4T5Af31dbD2p5GoVBNZOyZ4YDGTGptj_Zy0fir-5tXWzDdrfCQ49bLByxaBBMGc_1lM9zHfqir9xBkrVhQwtz3-lcb2dY4JWxkPO-7sSZniV-LBw6T8bzC5nffJ-YHcts/s200/DS+gompa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481957666092610546" border="0" /></a><br />Tenzin Sungrab originally went over to the monastery to help (as have other Westerners) because, as he put it:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Being able to be there, standing in solidarity with our dear monks, is an opportunity for me to show support in my own limited way. This is one way for people to directly oppose the ban: cross the line, help the monks, talk to them, support them, encourage them, feed them, share with them... everything the ban says not to do."</span><br /><br />And yet he finds that the monks at Shar Gaden are not giving up despite years of ostracism and persecution, refugees amongst refugees:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"These monks have given so much to our lineage and continue regardless of how hard it has been at times. That is the true meaning of Dharma commitment and is a never ending source of inspiration for me. I am really just a nobody, but being amongst so many who work so very hard to practice the pure Dharma has changed me in ways hard to describe. Every day that I wake up here is a gift. I feel that all of this is due to the blessings of Gyalchen Dorje Shugden and my deep faith in him. May he always care for us with love, like a mother for her children. Shar Gaden is a place like no other and everything these monks do here is for the benefit of ALL suffering beings who dwell in this realm."</span><br /><br />See <a href="http://friendsofjetsongkhapa.blogspot.com/">his blog</a>. <a href="http://friendsofjetsongkhapa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a>Wisdomswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871697574494687050noreply@blogger.com2