Abbot of Gyumed Tantric College Speaks Out on Dorje Shugden

Gyudmed Monastery Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen’s Letter to Tibetan Buddhists and the Tibetan Government-in-exile
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An open Letter to Gelug Monasteries & Sangha Regarding Dorje Shugden

Dear all Gurus and monks,

Regarding the letter sent December 30, 2010, and received on January 13, 2011. The content of this letter asked me to give up the protector practice, let me explain:

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:

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.

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. 

Where did you get your Sutra and Tantra lineage from? Maybe you dug it out from the ground. 

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

This letter is sent to the religious department, Samdhong Rinpoche and various dratsangs, please read it openly in front of all sangha.

Gyudmed Monastery Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen
January 13, 2011
written in West Europe

Gyudmed Kensur Sonam Gyaltsen Rinpoche

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 (March 13, 1926), in a large family of nomadic herders in Atsa Region, between Kongpo and Kham in central Tibet. Rinpoche entered religious life at the age of 5.

On March 23, 1959, like thousands of his countrymen, Rinpoche fled Tibet for exile in India. 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.

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 France 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 France.

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 Tibet and chronicles the debates, the decisions taken by great masters, and supporting references.

The Dalai Lama's Secret Life -- now available as a free eBook

 
A Great Deception, explaining the secret life of the 14th Dalai Lama, is now available as a free eBook on the Western Shugden Society website.

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.

There is also a letter that is being sent along with the paperback version of A Great Deception to people around the world. 

Read the Open Letter to Everyone
Read the Open Letter to British Political Leaders

What is in the book

This book shows that the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden is the manifestation of Je Tsongkhapa, who is the embodiment of the wisdom of all Buddhas. It also brings to light the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso's actions in banning this traditional spiritual practice and causing its followers to be persecuted.

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.

From the Preface:

The purpose of this book is to achieve the following four aims:

• to liberate millions of innocent practitioners of the Buddhist Deity Dorje Shugden and their families from suffering;
• to restore peace and harmony between Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners;
• to re-establish the common spiritual activities of Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners; and
• to free Buddhism from political pollution.

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.

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.

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....

(... and the situation has gone from bad to worse.)

Download the free eBook today to find out more.

A Hypocrite

Here is another excerpt from the new Western Shugden Society book, 'A Great Deception', taken from the fourth chapter, 'A Hypocrite'

Although the Dalai Lama talks constantly about love and compassion, his own actions have brought and continue to bring misery and unhappiness. Since 1996, this false Dalai Lama has unceasingly inflicted heavy and unjust punishment on Dorje Shugden practitioners – all of whom are completely innocent of any crime or misdemeanour. Using his people like an army, the Dalai Lama has destroyed many Shugden temples and shrines, caused millions of people to experience inhumane situations and unbearable feelings of pain, and expelled all Shugden practitioners from the Tibetan community. He has caused innocent people to become severed from their families, friends, monasteries and communities. Thousands of Shugden practitioners have been forced into refugee status for the second time in their life, as they try to escape the inhumane treatment by seeking exile in other countries.

On 8 February 2008, this Dalai Lama caused the expulsion of 900 monks from their monasteries in India. Earlier, on January 9^th, he had been invited to inaugurate a Prayer Hall for a large monastic community in South India. At this supposedly spiritual event he publicly announced a 'Referendum on the practice of Dolgyal' (Dolgyal is the false name for Dorje Shugden, which the Dalai Lama uses with a negative attitude), insisting on a collection of votes on this issue by the deadline of February 8^th. Each monk was required to cast his individual vote. But since when did any spiritual practice become the object of a political vote like this?

The voting itself was held in public, in full view of monastery administrators, by casting coloured sticks indicating either 'yes' or 'no', with no possibility of abstention. As a direct result of this so-called referendum 900 innocent monks were then summarily expelled from their monasteries.

Most of the 900 monks were very poor and had no other place to live; many were fearful of the future and actually wept as they were forced to leave. The false Dalai Lama is clearly breaking the law by inflicting such blatant religious persecution. Making this difficult situation worse for the expelled monks is the message now being issued by his representatives to the Tibetan community, that anyone who helps Dorje Shugden practitioners will receive similar punishment. Furthermore, anyone who dares not to follow the orders of the Dalai Lama is publicly denounced by his government ministers and declared a 'Chinese supporter'. Not satisfied with this, his ministers encourage groups within the Tibetan community to humiliate, discredit and ostracise the people denounced, and to distribute 'wanted'-style posters giving their names, addresses and biographical details, and those of their families.

Becoming aware of the international public horror at these recent violations, which clearly stem from the single-minded policy of the Dalai Lama alone, the Tibetan Prime Minister and other officials within the exile Tibetan government then started a campaign to distance the Dalai Lama from this referendum, and from the resulting inhumane victimisation of a whole section of the Tibetan community. Such official deception, hypocrisy and duplicity is truly astounding.

One only needs to hear the speeches of the Dalai Lama and to witness current events within the Tibetan community to understand the truth. It should be clear to the international public, and to world leaders, governments and other organisations that it is the false Dalai Lama himself and no one else who solely initiated and who solely maintains the prevalent discrimination, persecution and intolerance within Tibetan society today.

Dalai Lama supporters attack young monks

Two young tulkus (reincarnate Lamas) recently had to leave Gaden Jangtze Monastery as a result of the Dalai Lama's ban on their spiritual practice. They joined the newly formed and fast-growing Shar Gaden Monastery so that they could openly practice Dorje Shugden without fear of reprisal.

It didn't work. On the night of May 30 these two young monks, Lobsang Damchoe and Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen, were severely beaten up by six monks from Gaden Jangtze. The six attackers are all supporters of the Dalai Lama's ban, and have admitted to planning and carrying out the attack, which was completely unprovoked. There is no news yet from the monastery as to whether or not they will receive any discipline for this premeditated crime.

Shar Gaden Monastery is just 10 minutes walk away from Gaden Jangtze Monastery.

The two young tulkus have been admitted to hospital and are now recuperating.

Once again, the Dalai Lama's ban on Dorje Shugden practice has caused hard-line anti-Shugden supporters -- even Buddhist monks -- to act out unlawfully and in violence against their own kind who practice Dorje Shugden.

Please write in to Gaden Jangtze Monastery to let them know the world is watching:

Attention: Abbot, Gaden Jangtze Monastery, P.O. Tibetan Colony-Mundgod, Lama Camp No. 1, N. Kanara, Karnataka State, India 581411

See also the report on the Western Shugden Society Website.

Samdhong Rinpoche Blames Abbots for Signature Campaign!

It seems that the Abbots of Sera Je, Sera Mey, Gaden Jangtse, Gaden Shartse, Drepung Gomang and Drepung Loseling were recently summoned to Dharamsala by the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, Samdhong Rinpoche.

Unbelievably, Samdhong Rinpoche scolded the Abbots for pushing the signature campaign on all monks to renounce Dorje Shugden in the three great seats of Sera, Ganden and Drepung Monasteries.

He said that their "insistence on the signature campaigns has made personal difficulties for the Dalai Lama."

Could this be Samdhong Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama's attempt to wriggle out of being implicated in the September Indian Supreme Court case, where they are on trial for Deity discrimination? Could it be because the international public are increasingly wary and suspicious of the Dalai Lama undermining others' religious freedoms? By blaming the Abbots, they might let themselves off the hook?

In the short term they may look better in the Indian supreme court and in the court of international opinion, but in the long term this new strategy will likely backfire as it presents irreconcilable contradictions.

Why? Because there are many recorded public tapes of the Dalai Lama available on the mainstream press and the Internet at large where he is very clearly encouraging the Abbots of these three Monasteries to expel and remove all monks who refuse to sign the declaration that they will no longer associate spiritually or materially with Dorje Shugden practitioners.

See videos here.

This indeed is why Shar Ganden and Serpom Norling Monasteries are arising -- communities of monks expelled under the Dalai Lama's orders who are continuing with their practice of Dorje Shugden.

At least we can be thankful that the Abbots are now being scolded instead of praised for their enactment of the oppressive and unlawful signature campaign mandated by the Dalai Lama, ironic (and hypocritical) as this reprimand may be.

See also another article on the subject.

Al Jazeera Top Story -- Revisits Court Case against the Dalai Lama

Al Jazeera’s People and Power has named ‘The Dalai Lama: The Devil Within’ one of their top two stories of 2008. As a result, Al Jazeera is now featuring it again.



The reporter has added at the end of the updated report:

"The case against the Dalai Lama is still with the courts. We hope to bring you an update later in the year."

As the lawyer for the persecuted Shugden practitioners, Shree Sanjay Jain, explains:

"It is certainly a case of religious discrimination in the sense that if within your sect of religion you say that this particular Deity ought not to be worshipped, and those persons who are willing to worship him you are trying to excommunicate them from the main stream of Buddhism, then it is a discrimination of worst kind."

Al Jazeera adds:

"No matter what the outcome of the court case, in a country where millions of idols are worshipped, attempting to ban the Deity is an uphill battle. One in which many Buddhist monks have lost their faith in the spirit of the Dalai Lama."

For a full transcript, see Al Jazeera News Documentary, October 2008.

An open letter to Tsering, a monk at Sera Monastery

Dear Tsering,

I hope this letter find you well and happy. I'm responding to recent comments you made on Tenzin Peljor's blog 'refuting' the points made by Shugden practitioners on various Western Shugden Society websites.

In general, I find your letter to be defensive and high in accusatory rhetoric but low in references and logic that refute these claims by the Western Shugden Society. Just saying that someone is wrong does not make them wrong, and just saying that someone is right does not make them right. This is the main problem with the Dalai Lama's claims about Dorje Shugden for example – everyone believes him although he has provided no actual evidence. Such blind belief is not acceptable in Western countries where we like to examine evidence and think for ourselves. This also used to be the case for Gelugpas in the Tibetan tradition in previous times. Sadly, now, the Dalai Lama's word is truth and law and not questioned by most (not that they have any power if they disagree.)

You have provided no evidence to refute the points made by the Western Shugden Society. For example, with respect to the Dalai Lama coming from a Muslim village, Taktser, the only thing you say is:

Moreover, by calling Taktser, the hamlet in Amdo Kubum where His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was born, as a Chinese Muslim village is implying that the area belonged to China, thus flagrantly contradicting the historical facts and holding out the historically Tibetan area to PRC.

If I understand you correctly, the only thing you are refuting is that Taktser is Chinese. It is agreed that at the time when the Dalai Lama was discovered, the village was, indeed, in Tibet. However, you have not given any evidence to refute that the Dalai Lama is from a Muslim village and family, so I can only assume that you accept this as true.

I'm personally not familiar with the booklet you quoted, 'Expressing the Ocean of Truth'. You say it is an anonymous publication, but, if so, that is hardly surprising. You cannot be unaware that if someone in feudal Tibetan society speaks out against the Dalai Lama, they can put themselves in grave personal danger. For example, it is well known that the 9th Panchen Lama had to flee Tibet in 1924 in fear of his life for having offended the 13th Dalai Lama. Gunthang Tsultrim was shot in 1976, allegedly for opposing the Dalai Lama's plans to unite all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism under him. Such retribution for opposing the Dalai Lama is well known. Tibet was no Shangri-la and certainly no democracy. There are many bloody tales of revenge in Tibetan history.

You attribute this book to Shugden practitioners, but on what evidence? This is like the TGIE accusing Shugden practitioners of murdering Ven Lobsang Gyatso and his assistants while providing no evidence. Shugden practitioners have been providing a useful scapegoat for the Dalai Lama and his followers for everything that goes wrong in Tibetan society, and congruent with that is the fact that anyone who dares criticize the Dalai Lama is immediately assumed to be a Shugden practitioner and/or the PRC! However, it is clear that it is not just Shugden practitioners who are critical of the Dalai Lama and unhappy with the direction he has taken, both secular and religious. There are documents and articles written by Tibetans that are implicitly, if not explicitly, critical of the Dalai Lama. The Mongoose Canine letter is explicitly critical, but there is also a growing amount of implied criticism on the Internet.

For example, there are many now who recognise the need for a genuine democratic system of government for the Tibetan people, and they aren't getting it. In an article about the separation of religion and politics, Samten Karmay says:

The separation of church and state does not imply abandoning the practice of the established religion. Far from it, it secures freedom of religious exercise and therefore the right of personal choice whether one wishes to practice a religion or not.

Freedom of religious exercise is clearly not what the Dalai Lama wants. He faces a dilemma because if he allows a truly democratic Tibetan society, he will no longer be able to dictate a ban on Dorje Shugden practice. It's probably for this and many other reasons that it's unlikely that there will be be true democracy in Tibetan society while he has power.

Samten Karmay concludes:

A secularization of the exiled community should contribute towards solving the unending sectarian problems and lead to true unity amongst the Tibetan people, without any further religious interference in the political domain.

In banning the practice of Dorje Shugden and making laws to prohibit it, we can see TGIE's political interference in the religious domain – but they are fulfilling the Dalai Lama's wishes. Samten Karmay's solution is to separate 'church and state' as a means of eliminating sectarianism, not banning the practice of Dorje Shugden, although to be fair he clearly agrees with the Dalai Lama's view.

You also say:

The second unjustifiable allegation that the pro-Shugden has made in their writings is about the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The writers in the same website, says that the monks in Sera and Ganden are not happy with the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It further claims that the monks are wary of His Holiness again speaking on the "Shugden issue" and inspiring "provocation."

This assertion of the Shugden supporters are absolutely untrue. The visit, first of all, is heartily welcomed by all Tibetans from all walks of lives, including the monks of Sera monastery barring few handfuls of Shugden supporters. We as a monk community, feel it very fortunate to once again be in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to blessed by his kindness and benevolence. And by saying so, I also meant many of those who follow Shugden propitiation, if their claims of respecting His Holiness are not mere empty words.

This clearly shows that you're not a Shugden practitioner and have no idea what suffering they're going through. You're completely out of touch with reality on this one, but that's hardly surprising since Shugden and non-Shugden monks are now segregated in the monasteries and encouraged to have nothing to do with each other. You don't even know the people you're living next to.

I personally find it amazing that, even though Tibetan Shugden practitioners are suffering because of the Dalai Lama's actions, they still find it in their hearts to love him. This is a testament to their spiritual realizations. The monks are apprehensive about his coming visit because it was the Dalai Lama's visit to the monasteries in January 2008 that re-ignited the bad feeling over the Shugden Issue and the subsequent 'referendum' that met no standards of democracy and that split the monasteries. It is the Dalai Lama himself who is causing all this suffering and disharmony due to his fanatical pursuance of his self-made policy of banning Shugden worship. He will not leave things alone, so of course the monks are afraid of his next visit. You can love your mother while at the same time knowing that because of her anger or mental illness she will still beat you. These monks are in a similar predicament. How can they be happy when the Dalai Lama himself said:

Recently monasteries have fearlessly expelled Shugden monks where needed. I fully support their actions. I praise them. If monasteries find taking action hard, tell them Dalai Lama is responsible for this.

The monks obviously fear that after the Dalai Lama's next visit, at best they will be put under more pressure to give up their practice and at worst they will be homeless. Knowing this, would you look forward to his visit, Tsering? You have security because you either never engaged in the practice of Dorje Shugden or you have renounced it. Can you imagine how it feels for a Buddhist monk to have their security threatened by their ordaining Master and Buddhist Elder simply because they refused to renounce their Protector practice that they took a commitment to do? They are keeping their spiritual commitments to their Spiritual Guides, and the Dalai Lama is not! It beggars belief. The Dalai Lama acts more and more like someone who's become an irrational control freak – who, under his power, would not be afraid? The Dalai Lama should be a refuge and protector of others, not an unpredictable threat.

This goes to show how crazy this situation is – it's the complete opposite of what it should be. Your complete lack of empathy for the Shugden monks displays your single minded devotion to the Dalai Lama and your lack of understanding of what he's doing to them. Why should the Shugden monks fear a famous Buddhist Teacher who preaches love, compassion, tolerance and acceptance unless he isn't practising what he's preaching? This is sad, but true.

It's laudable that the Dalai Lama is coming to the monasteries to grant ordination to those who could not afford to travel to Dharamsala, but how many of those would-be monks will be Shugden practitioners? The answer is “none” because he refuses to ordain anyone who practises Shugden. Denying ordination to those who practise Shugden unless they give up their practice is yet another despicable method of control.

Then you say:

Thirdly, whereas the retaliating against the actions of Shugden supporters is concerned, it would have been done a long time back if it were not His Holiness the Dalai Lama's advice to His followers to observe restraint.

The Dalai Lama started this problem and I don't see any restraint from his side. There was no restraint when he split the monasteries this year, precipitating the formation of the Western Shugden Society, their letter and demonstrations against the Dalai Lama's ban. Can't you see that the Dalai Lama is the one responsible for fomenting all this conflict and misery?

Please quote passages from his speeches where he said not to harm Shugden practitioners. Let's see some evidence. Rather, there is evidence for the opposite:

Recently monasteries have fearlessly expelled Shugden monks where needed. I fully support their actions. I praise them. If monasteries find taking action hard, tell them Dalai Lama is responsible for this. Shugden followers have resorted to killing and beating people. They start fires. And tell endless lies. This is how the Shugden believe. It is not good.

These are terrible falsehoods. Shugden practitioners of course have done none of these things. Does this sound like the Dalai Lama is really trying to create harmony between Shugden and non-Shugden Tibetans?! Are the Wanted Posters in Southern India, Dharamasala and even New York -- giving the addresses and photographs of Dorje Shugden practitioners -- encouraging restraint? On the contrary, they are there to encourage violence. The recent mob at the New York demonstrations did not seem to be showing any restraint. It was only due to the quick thinking and action of the New York Police in evacuating the demonstrators that a riot was averted. There are suspicions that this near riot was incited to teach the demonstrators a lesson.

In comments on a Tricyle blog, one Tibetan said:

Therefore you NKT/WSS people ought to be careful––New Yorkers are restrained compared to the reception you may get if you persist in staging media stunts in future, if you get thrashed, you may regret not heeding this tip.

In the 1990s, the Dalai Lama himself refused to acknowledge that wanted posters existed or that Dorje Shugden practitioners were being harmed. This is from the Swiss TV Documentary in 1998:

Reporter: Why don't you simply advise people not to worship the deity Dorje Shugden and instruct others to be tolerant and avoid violence towards those who continue to worship it?

Dalai Lama: Nobody harming! Nobody harming on them!

Reporter: But I've seen the calls for violence in the newspapers

Dalai Lama: No, no, no

Reporter: I've seen it with my own eyes

Dalai Lama: No, I think rumors!

How could the Dalai Lama deny what the reporter had personally witnessed? How stupid does he think people are? This is denial, not advising restraint -- he is simply denying that there is violence because it would destroy his reputation.

You conclude by saying:

The recent Special General Meeting in mid November that saw the representation of all walks of lives of the Tibetan people, reaffirmed the supreme leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and therefore, harping otherwise by few handful of Shugden supporters would do nothing good except distancing themselves from the mainstream Tibetan society.

I doubt that you are in touch with the thoughts of all your own countrymen and women. In her blog, a Tibetan woman called 'Mountain Phoenix' says of the meeting:

This meeting could have been both special and historic, if we had taken the bold and painful step that I believe is unavoidable: To allow the Dalai Lama to retire into the religious sphere, and set the stage for the separation of religion and politics.

Are you going to characterise all critics of the Dalai Lama's approach as Shugden-worshipping-Chinese-sympathisers? This is lazy and wrong and it prevents the Dalai Lama from seeing that there are many Tibetans who disagree with his stance on both political and religious issues. The comments from Tibetans on the Samten Karmay article are unanimously supportive of a separation of religion and politics, so there are many who disagree with you concerning the 'supreme leadership of His Holiness'.

I'd like to say that, despite refuting your obvious wrong claims, I personally have no interest in Tibetan politics. My only interest is the religious freedom of Shugden practitioners. I wish all Shugden practitioners to be able to practise free from slander or persecution by the Dalai Lama.

On Behalf of Concerned Dorje Shugden Practitioners in Europe and India

(The author first offered this open letter to Tenzin Peljor's comments section (on his anti-Shugden website, Western Shugden Society Unlocked), but Tenzin Peljor declined to post it. He claimed that Tsering had sent his letter originally to this blog, but we never received anything from Tsering.)

Dorje Shugden practitioners denied medical care and friendship

Report from South India, November 7, 2008:

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

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

*Dholgyal is a disrespectful term for Dorje Shugden.

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

To the public,

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

Gaden Shartse Norling Clinic Association

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

(2) Deliberate destruction of friendships between Buddhist monks
On November 11, 2008, Shartse Monastery convened a meeting, which was attended by the Abbot, Disciplinarian, Chanting Master, and so on. The Chanting Master Tenzin Namdak reportedly said:

“Some Shugden devotees and non-Shugden devotees are friendly like before they were separated. They ride motorcycles and jeeps together. We should stop this friendship and company between monks from Shar Gaden monastery and Gaden Shartse monastery.”

This last incident is both distressing and curiously hopeful, showing that once the Dalai Lama has lifted his illegal and unconstitutional ban on Shugden practice and stopped the witch hunt of Shugden practitioners, perhaps life may return to normal for all the monks relatively quickly? This and other reports from the monasteries of South India are indicating that no one is happy with the ban, Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners alike, and that Abbots and so on are only going along with it as mandated by the TGIE and Dalai Lama. As shown on the documentary on the Al Jeezera News Report earlier this year, the Dalai Lama says:

“Recently monasteries have fearlessly expelled Shugden monks where needed. I fully support their actions. I praise them. If monasteries find taking action hard, tell them Dalai Lama is responsible for this.”

Important Announcement
(Translation of Tibetan Text)

To the public,

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

Gaden Shartse Thoesam Norling monastery

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

'Very hard for us' - Dalai Lama and religious freedom

Taken from Cincinnati City Beat

Tibet Fest supports endangered tradition

BY Gregory Flannery | Posted 09/18/2008

Kuten Lama, who teaches at the Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Colerain Township, hosts Tibet Fest this weekend in Clifton.

When the Dalai Lama fled persecution, he found refuge in India. But where do people persecuted by the Dalai Lama go? Cincinnati.

This weekend the monks of Gaden Samdrupling (GSL) Buddhist Monastery will serve Tibetan cuisine, exhibit elaborate hand-painted silks (thangkas) and talk about peace at Tibet Fest, a two-day celebration at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center. Proceeds benefit a spiritual lineage that's under threat of extinction.

These refugees from a most unlikely oppressor -- the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner -- have found a home in a most unlikely setting. GSL is less than a mile from the hyper-suburban sprawl of Colerain Avenue, a proximity belied by the quietude that reigns over the 8.5-acre monastery.

Given the pressure the GSL monks have faced, a festival might seem surprising. But that hints at the very point that the monks want to make: You can't find peace by trying to change your enemies.

"The true enemy is in ourselves," says Kuten Lama, resident teacher at GSL.

"In our delusions is the true enemy. If you want to defeat the enemy, you need to defeat your delusions and anger."

'Very hard for us'

Myths about the Dalai Lama abound in the West. He is not, in fact, the head of Buddhism around the world; he isn't even the head of Tibetan Buddhism. Before the Chinese invasion, he didn't preside over Shangri-la; Tibet was a feudal society, a place of extreme poverty ruled by a theocracy supported by a wealthy nobility.

While the Dalai Lama smiles beatifically, his policies as head of the Tibetan Government in Exile have suppressed religious freedom.

At issue is a devotional practice the Dalai Lama once followed but has now decided to stamp out. This involves honoring Dorje Shugden, a wisdom Buddha who is an important part of the lineage that GSL Monastery and millions of Tibetans follow.

The Dalai Lama hasn't simply discouraged honoring Dorje Shugden. Declaring the deity an evil spirit, he's vowed to crush the tradition.

The Tibetan Government in Exile denies identity cards to Tibetan nationals who refuse to sign oaths renouncing the deity, leaving them unable to travel, hold jobs or receive aid, according to Lisa Farnsworth, a law professor at Indiana University. Monks who hold fast to their loyalty to Dorje Shugden have been expelled from monasteries, she says, and others have been denied food or barred from participating in prayer rituals.

"We're talking about basic human rights -- being able to eat, being able to have housing, (not) having your life threatened," Farnsworth says. "You can talk about love and compassion all you want, but people are being hurt by the Dalai Lama's actions."

The issue attracted attention earlier this summer when a crowd leaving the Dalai Lama's lecture in New York City started heckling Dorje Shugden followers who held signs saying, "Dalai Lama, Give Us Religious Freedom." Police officers urged the protesters to leave the scene for their own safety.

"There were 50 police officers there who said, 'We can't protect you. You've got to get on the buses and get out of here,' " Farnsworth says.

Farnsworth is a lay student at Dagom Tensung Ling Monastery in Bloomington, Ind., GSL's "sister" monastery.

"There was one primary reason why we established our monastery: to preserve our lineage," Kuten Lama says. "The hardship is because (the Dalai Lama) took our religious freedom, our human rights. But it is very hard for us ordinary persons to explain to the world because he is so powerful and famous and our words are not too important."

Taming the monkey

The spirituality and culture that GSL will celebrate this weekend at Tibet Fest are rich in color and flavor. The monks prepare the meals, featuring Tibetan vegetables, noodle threads and momos.

"Momos are dumplings with meat or with potatoes and cheese, but it tastes different from the dumplings that you get in Chinese restaurants," says Jamyang Lama, a monk, translator and teacher at GSL. "They contain secret Tibetan spices and a lot of love."

The festival includes a photography exhibition documenting a 2007 pilgrimage to Mongolia by monks and students from Cincinnati and Bloomington. The photos of shrines in the Gobi desert, like the prayer room at GSL, capture something of the paradox of Buddhism -- a tradition that employs an intricate iconography while holding that all phenomena are essentially empty.

"Tibetan culture is very intricate, very ancient, very colorful and very symbolic," Jamyang Lama says. "The most important is how art and culture connects with the mind and happiness. When you study the Tibetan culture and heritage, you learn how to cultivate happiness and be kind."

The festival includes lectures such as "Taming Monkey Mind."

"'Monkey mind' is a metaphor," Jamyang Lama says. "Our mind is like a monkey, always jumping and striking things. It never sits still. In this lecture, we talk about meditation so everything you do can be more productive and beneficial."

Tibet Fest is part of a fundraising effort for construction of a new monastery in traditional Tibetan architectural style. Students at UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning helped create the concept for the new building.

The expansion bodes well for a lineage experiencing a double persecution.

"We are hoping to build a monastery and heritage center that will be a great asset to Cincinnati," Jamyang Lama says. "It will be very special for the city because there are few cities in this country that have this kind of presence. There is a growing interest in studying our beliefs and traditions in the community. Therefore our space in the monastery is too small."

TIBET FEST will be held 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave. Admission is free.

Segregation and ostracism of Dorje Shugden practitioners in India and the West

Update from the Dorje Shugden Devotees Society in India:

Sera-Jay monastery is situated in the Tibetan settlement at Bylakupee, five hours by bus from Banglore City, Karnataka State, India . Until this year, it was a monastery that was used by Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners alike. Since the introduction of the ban on Shugden practice made by the Dalai Lama, such harmony has been destroyed and great division and discrimination now exists in the monastery. The posters in these three pictures announce:

"Shugden followers are not allowed."

Picture 1: Sidharta Guest House, which is run by Sera-Jay School.


Picture 2: Visual Section run by Sera-Jay monastery.


Picture 3: Guest House of Sera-Jay monastery.


The posters have been here for the past few months. Taking photographic evidence was not possible before now because of the vigilance in these places.

These three posters show clearly the naked and open discrimination and abuses against Shugden practitioners. It is time for the world to know the terrible apartheid being conducted by monks against monks. We have the spiritual and social responsibility to raise this awareness and to help free these suffering monks from being outcast.

Untouchability

As these three posters show, we are witnessing the creation of a new class of untouchability in India. This is something prohibited by the Indian constitution.

ARTICLE 17 of The Constitution of India
"ABOLITION OF UNTOUCHABILITY - "Untouchability" is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising of "Untouchability" shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law."

(Ed: Worth noting that the monastery is only there because the Indian government gave it permission to be there, and it is still on ground belonging to the Indian government.)

Latest discrimination by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT)

Dorje Shugden practitioners are now completely outcast from the FPMT in the West as well, even though the Founder of the FPMT, Lama Yeshe, practiced Dorje Shugden until his death, as did many of the lineage masters mentioned on their teachers page. Lama Yeshe’s senior disciples relying upon Dorje Shugden have already either had to go underground or give up their life commitment to Lama Yeshe in order to stay as a teacher or ordained person in the FPMT. Now they have to do this merely to attend teachings. This is a sickening echo to the Jim Crow “separate but equal” laws segregating blacks and whites in the American south, except that Shugden practitioners are now officially not just separate but unequal.

From the FPMT website: "Restriction: FPMT has recently issued a new policy regarding the Shugden practice in accordance with the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has expressed the wish "not to have a guru-disciple relationship with anyone who is practicing Shugden."

This is a clear policy of discrimination against other Buddhists. It is extraordinary that it has been enacted, let alone advertised on their website, in this 21st Century.

Since Lama Zopa is still the nominal head of the FPMT, this means that Tibetan politics has now irreversibly permeated the FPMT. It means that not even Lama Zopa's precious teachers, Trijang Rinpoche (or his reincarnation) or Lama Yeshe, would be allowed to attend Lama Zopa's teachings.

FPMT members have long accused the Dorje Shugden practitioners in the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) of being a sectarian cult. The irony is that the NKT is an open and tolerant organization that has never turned anyone away from a teaching due to their religious beliefs. That this religious belief is the 400-year old practice passed down through generations of fully accomplished Buddhist masters, including half the lineage Gurus of the FPMT, is beyond comprehension.

Meanwhile, it is unclear whether or not Lama Osel (the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe) would countenance this latest extraordinary development. He has kept his distance from the FPMT for the last few years. The de facto head of the FPMT is now the Dalai Lama.

Demonstrations against the Dalai Lama in Nantes, France

Partying for Freedom in Nantes : A first hand account of three days of demonstrations against the Dalai Lama's ban of Dorje Shugden

I've just got back from a tiring but incredibly rewarding three days in Nantes. We were demonstrating outside the Zenith Metropole concert hall where the Dalai Lama was giving talks. I heard that they only allow two demonstrations per year at this venue, so we were fortunate.

The demonstrations began on the morning of the first day with a march at La Baulle, a local beach resort. 400 demonstrators took part and we were cheered and clapped by many locals and holiday makers who had taken advantage of a French national holiday to have a long weekend. We marched and chanted along the beachfront for an hour before boarding our coaches and heading off to the main demonstration site.

The weather was bright and sunny to match the mood of the 700 demonstrators, who were from Mexico, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, India, France, Holland, Ireland, UK and the USA. I'm constantly inspired by the dedication and determination shown by WSS demonstrators who travel long distances because they care so much about the future of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition and are totally determined to stop the Dalai Lama from destroying it.

We were delighted to be joined by a group of Tibetan Shugden practitioners, including Geshes and monks who had been expelled from their monasteries when Dorje Shugden practice was first banned in 1996. Along with many placards, the Tibetan flag flew over our enclosure once again.

Over the course of the three days, many brochures were given out and the situation explained to an often incredulous public. They had come to see an iconic man of peace, but when some heard they were actually attending the talks of a hypocritical and divisive religious dictator, they left.

The demonstrations get better and better and we are able to chant for longer. On the first day, cries of 'Dalai-Lama, menteur!' (Dalai Lama, liar!) and 'Dalai-Lama donne la liberté religieuse' (Dalai Lama, give religious freedom) were accompanied by the sound of clapping and water bottles being bashed together as impromptu percussion instruments that gave a light and joyful air to the proceedings – surely no one would think that we were angry as we all looked to be having such a good time? It was one big rave for religious freedom!

On the second day, drums and bongos appeared, giving a definite Latin feel to our chanted requests. Many demonstrators were dancing to the infectious rhythms and looked a lot happier than anyone who was attending the Dalai Lama's teachings ;-) Our chants went on for well over an hour at a time and at no time did anyone look tired or bored as we were jointly energised by our dedication to our cause and the party atmosphere that crackled through the crowd like high voltage electricity.

Unfortunately we didn't get close to the Dalai Lama as we had in Oxford, but each day as he arrived and departed from the venue he was greeted with 700 people simultaneously bellowing 'menteur!....manteur!', rolling like thunder across the arena.

However, on the final departure on Day Three, circumstances led to a golden opportunity. Access to the venue was obtained by crossing a footbridge over a main road, and each day the Gendarmes would close it off prior to the DL's departure, not allowing anyone to cross it, presumably to prevent someone from dropping something onto his car as it sped underneath. On that final day, many Shugden supporters arrived back late from the cafe on the other side of the road and were prevented from crossing the bridge. They lined the road on one side and the rest of us lined the road on the other. When the DL left, instead of driving him away from us as they had the day before, his motorcade came straight between the two lines of Shugdenites! He was greeted with exuberant roars of 'menteur!' - from both sides of the road this time! He can have been in no doubt after his three days in front of an adoring French public what we, who know of his dishonesty, thought of him.

Well done everyone; see you in Basel!

Posted courtesy of Lineage Holder.

Are Dorje Shugden practitioners supported by the Chinese?

Now I understand that there is a belief that because the Dalai Lama has banned the religious practice of Dorje Shugden, Shugden practitioners must be in league with China, a country with which the Dalai Lama has political problems.

I would like to add that other than this illogical reasoning, there is not one shred of evidence connecting Shugden Buddhists with the Chinese. But while there is no link between Shugden Buddhists and the Chinese, there is, on the other hand, direct evidence pointing to the ban. Watch some of the Dalai Lama's speeches here:

So if the Shugden practitioners are not supported by the Chinese, how do Western Shugden Society supporters get to the demonstrations to protest against the Dalai Lama? How can we afford it??? What would we do without the Chinese financing us??!!?? These naive claims make me chuckle.

Do you want to know the truth? Most Shugden practitioners have JOBS! Most of us have cars. And most of us can drive. Shugden practitioners are lots of people: doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, software engineers etc -- not exactly people who need to take a loan from the Chinese to support a trip across the border to an American demonstration. I have got to tell you, it ain't that expensive to demonstrate! The fact that the Dalai Lama teaches mostly on weekends has also been very helpful.

As any spiritual person knows, it is worth booking off holidays from work to defend their right to pray.

I can tell you that Canadians of many different backgrounds have given money to support these demonstrations. A Canadian friend said to me. "Of course I want to help financially. Dorje Shugden is in my heart too".

I think it is strange that "Buddhists" want to take away a prayer from other Buddhists. Why do they tell me that I cannot make these prayers of love and compassion? Why? And why do they tell me that I am being sectarian because I am continuing to say this prayer and not following their command to stop? Who is being sectarian here?

This foolishness comes about because people wish to believe that the following misconceptions are true:

1) the Dalai Lama is the head of Buddhism
2) the Dalai Lama is the head of the Gelugpa tradition
3) the Dalai Lama has the right to ban a prayer taught to him by his spiritual teacher.
4) the Dalai Lama has the right to enforce this ban in the monasteries
5) the Dalai Lama has the right to enforce this ban in the lay community
6) the Dalai Lama has the right to deny rights and privileges to both the lay and monastic communities even though this is against international law.

Posted courtesy of Lotus in Canada.

Dalai Lama destroying legacy of one of Tibet's greatest Buddhist Masters

August 5, 2008

The Dalai Lama is destroying the legacy of one of Tibet’s greatest Buddhist masters

Ganden Lachi and Shartse monasteries are situated at Mundgod in South India. In both these monasteries stands a throne for Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the spiritual master of the Dalai Lama.

Ganden Lachi and Shartse monasteries were threatened: "You must remove these thrones or else we will not hold the great prayer festival together in Drepung monastery."
It is quite certain that the thrones will be removed forever from the monasteries in order to appease the Tibetan Government in exile and the Dalai Lama.

Many old Tibetans used to display the photo of the Dalai Lama sitting with his two masters, Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche. Nowadays, many Tibetans cover the photo of Trijang Rinpoche with another photo. They are afraid that they will be labelled "Shugden worshippers" if others merely see their photo of Trijang Rinpoche.

Tibetan Followers of the Dalai Lama Gather to Protest Against the Beijing Olympics and the Dorje Shugden Society at the Same Time!

Thousands of Tibetans from different parts of India and Nepal have gathered in New Delhi to protest against the Beijing Olympics. (To see what happened last time “peaceful” pro-Dalai Lama Tibetan monks protested against the Chinese, see Response to letter from the Australian Sangha Association.)

Many protesters have been saying amongst themselves: "Along with the protests against the Beijing Olympics, we should also attack the Dorje Shugden Society so that they will not file the writ petition in the court nor dare to protest against the Dalai Lama."

The Dorje Shugden Society has received many calls from sympathizers asking them to be cautious. The Society has alerted the Indian Government and Intelligence Agency.

Does This Remind You of the Cultural Revolution?

Also, out of jealousy, rich Tibetan families are now often denounced as "Shugden worshippers".

Posted Courtesy of the Dorje Shugden Society in New Delhi, India

Wanted Posters of Tibetan Western Shugden Society supporters

On the bus from New York City to Madison, on the way to the Western Shugden Society Demonstrations in Madison, Wisconsin, July 19, 20, 21

I had the good fortune to be on the bus from New York to Madison with over 30 Tibetans. They were part of the Tibetan WSS contingent going there to protest the Dalai Lama in order to protect their spiritual lineage from his unpopular political ban.

After journeying for a few hours deep in the woods of Pennsylvania, the Tibetans in the front of the bus began to sing a folk song. Upon its conclusion the Tibetans in the back of the bus reciprocated with another folk song. After much whooping, hollering and applauding, the Tibetans in the front of the bus then came back with yet another folk song -- and so it went for over an hour.

We the Westerners felt quite culturally deprived as we realized that we would hardly be able to pull together even two complete songs before running out. The Tibetans were easily demonstrating the richness of their culture as well as their joie de vivre even in these trying times. It was a poignant and touching moment to hear these beautiful voices celebrating their culture. As Lobsang (not his real name) later said to me:

"They accuse us of being Chinese agents and against Tibet, but we love our country. Of course we want a free Tibet. This is why we bring the Tibetan flags to our demonstrations. It is because of the Dalai Lama's words that we have been thrown out of Tibetan exile communities. Now we are like refugees among refugees.”

All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the bus changed and the Tibetans began speaking amongst themselves in hushed tones. Some of them started texting and making phone calls. Clearly something had come up.

One of the Tibetans who spoke good English came and sat down next to me and explained that they had just received a text. All their photos had been posted on the wall of a Tibetan restaurant in Queens, wanted posters, along with sentences such as: "These people are paid by the Chinese", "These people are bad", and other implicit and explicit threats.

For a while the Tibetans discussed what to do, but then they decided that they could not run from this.

As Lobsang explained to me: “Where am I going to go now? I've already left India for America. There is no place else to run. Now is the time for me to make my stand. I have to do this even though I have a mother in India and they have threatened her, and told her that she must stop all contact with me, her son. My wife and children don't want me to do this but I feel I have no choice. The Dalai Lama and his government and security forces are destroying our lineage. They are killing our Gurus.

We have to take these threats in Queens very seriously. They have killed people. For example, it is an open secret -- everyone in the Tibetan community talks about this -- that Dagom Rinpoche was quite possibly poisoned in 2006. Two or three days afterward, one of the oracles of Dorje Shugden was killed in similarly mysterious circumstances. They can use sophisticated poisons; after all they are trained by the CIA. When two young and healthy pro-Shugden leaders die for such unexplained causes, this is a strange coincidence. [NB No autopsy was performed and the cause of death remains unknown.]

Lobsang continued: “Most of the Tibetans on this bus do not have family in India. Their families are in Tibet. Most Dorje Shugden practitioners in the West who still have families in India feel that they are not able to stand with us in public demonstrations because it puts their families in danger. However, they call me and thank me for what we are doing. They say they want to help, for example with money.

There are hundreds of Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners in the New York area. There are hundreds in the Madison area. All of them are behind us, but mostly they cannot show their support in public.

In Tibet, there are still whole regions where people practise Dorje Shugden and so there is no danger in those areas at this time. However they have begun to bring the oath swearing to Tibet as well.

They are very skilful. They have one piece of paper that is kept hidden and the other one that is legal. The secret one is the Dalai Lama's saying that you have to sign this. The legal one is how would you like to have a vote in which you decide whether to do this or not?

Most of the Tibetans here used to be monks. We were all forced to leave our monasteries after what happened in 1996 when the Dalai Lama first implemented and enforced the ban on Dorje Shugden.

For example, for one of the Tibetans, what took place during the New York demonstrations [when thousands of Tibetans started shouting and pelting us with spit, water bottles and coins] was nothing in comparison to what happened to him in India. He said: "Oh that was nothing. When the monks demonstrated against the ban in 1996 in India, we were pelted with stones and sixty monks had to be taken to hospital."

All we want to do is practice our lineage in peace. Lately the Dalai Lama has been giving a new justification. He says: "I give religious freedom and they take it away." This is completely untrue. We don't want to restrict anyone's right to practice their religion. Why should we? We are just trying to protect our own lineage from being destroyed. Now we need to make a stand. We had a big meeting in which we decided this and now we will see it through. What else can we do?

All of us on this bus and elsewhere have had to flee India for America. Now that they are bringing in the signature campaign and destroying our lineage even here in America, I have nowhere else to run to. When you know that they are destroying your lineage and killing your Gurus, you have to make a stand. I have no choice. I don't care if I myself die. Of course I am worried about my wife, children and mother. But I have taken out life insurance so then I don't need to worry.

Many of these people here don't have a wife or children because they used to be monks until they were expelled from their monastery and home. I used to run my own monastic community. A small monastery that practiced Dorje Shugden. Now I work twelve hours a day, six days a week, in a restaurant.”

[Another Tibetan, who was actually a Rinpoche, laughingly told me that he used to debate for twelve hours a day in a monastery. Now he spends twelve hours a day cutting vegetables.]

Lobsang continued: “We were very happy to come to America because at least we have freedom here to do our spiritual practice. But even now here in America we are completely ostracized from our communities. My child cannot go to a school where there are other Tibetan children because they have been told to ignore any child connected with a Dorje Shugden practitioner.

We have been discussing these threats against us in Queens. And we have made a decision. We will contact Radio Free Asia and let them know that these threats have been issued and let them know that if anything should happen to any one of us, it will be the Dalai Lama's responsibility. Previously we would never have said it like this but now we have no choice. It is his responsibility to protect his people but instead he is doing the opposite.”

I reflected to myself on the reasons articulated in the recent New York Times article for the Dalai Lama's defence of his position on the practice of Dorje Shugden, where he had said that 99 percent of his people are with him and only 1 per cent against him. He said: "I am for freedom of expression so let them have freedom of talk."

It is considerably more than 1 percent of his people who are against him. Once upon a time, the practice of Dorje Shugden was relied upon by almost every Gelugpa, which was the largest of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. However, even if it was only 1 percent, any normal Western politician would actually have said that the 1 percent is very precious to our democracy and that they need to be protected. They wouldn't just be given freedom to talk but freedom to practice.

The Dalai Lama's statement "give them freedom to talk" was actually patronizing and dismissive and clearly did nothing to curb the anger of the Tibetans listening to him, who came out in New York and promptly attacked us. It is amazing how people are bedazzled by his words and overlook his contradictory actions.

I thanked Lobsang for his explanation and first-hand stories. He replied: "I know it is useful to hear personal first-hand accounts. When you just read the various words, it is easy to develop doubts and therefore we feel the need to tell our stories.”

An increasing number of stories are coming to light. See the Western Shugden Society website for more videos and testimonies, including the recent documentary by the French news team.

Published by Western Shugden Society demonstrator and kind courtesy of Lobsang.

Can anyone explain the Dalai Lama's stance on non-violence?

Dalai Lama's stance on non-violence: In 1996, outside a monastery in southern India, a group of pro Dalai Lama supporters (including monks) surrounded hundreds of peaceful monks who had gathered to demonstrate against the Dalai Lama's ban on the mainstream Buddhist practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden.

See the chronology of persecution of Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners for more information on events leading up to this unhappy event.



The angry mob of pro Dalai Lama supporters, including many monks, threw stones and bricks at the Dorje Shugden practitioners. 60 of them were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Dalai Lama's ban affects children

Segregation Wall Built in Ganden Monastery

WATCH THE NEW VIDEO about the Ganden monastery wall.

See The Segregation Wall at Ganden Monastery by the Western Shugden Society for more information.

Religious Persecution by the Dalai Lama

Dorje Shugden monks are forced to leave their monastery and then their water is cut off

Apartheid at Ganden Monastery due to the Dalai Lama's ban of Dorje Shugden

This new wall at Ganden monastery in Southern India was built in March of this year. It has no gate, no entryway along its entire length. It is designed only to separate, to divide monk from monk. It stands nine feet tall.

At first the wall was planned to be just five feet tall like all the other walls on the property. But many monks complained. They argued that the Shugden practitioners could still be seen from the windows of the higher floors of adjacent buildings. They should not be able to be seen—none of them. No-one wanted even to breathe the same air as them. So higher the wall became—reaching nine feet—an ugly reminder of religious apartheid spreading through Tibetan society due to the Dalai Lama's actions.

Read more of The Segregation Wall at Ganden Monastery

Religious Persecution by the Dalai Lama