Shar Gaden Monastery

In this picture, you can see a Buddhist monk taking an exam in the prayer hall of the new Shar Gaden monastery. On the throne is a picture of Venerable Trijang Rinpoche, the root Guru of the 14th Dalai Lama until the Dalai Lama rejected him. Trijang Rinpoche is the source of almost all the Dalai Lama's popular Dharma teachings in the East and the West. In the shrine cabinet behind this, to the right, there is a picture of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the founder of the New Kadampa Tradition, which is dedicated to preserving and passing on the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa as transmitted through the great Je Phabongkhapa and Trijang Dorjechang.

Gaden monastery was founded around October 22, 1409. Exactly 600 years later, around October 22, 2009, Shar Gaden monastery opened through the kind support and assistance of sincere Gelugpa practitioners. This was after the 14th Dalai Lama separated Tibetan society from Je Tsongkhapa's pure Gelugpa tradition and expelled hundreds of Buddhist monks who did not agree with his ban on the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. This is the monastery to which the head of the Gelugpa tradition, the 101st Ganden Tripa, recently defected.

Prayers to Wisdom Protector Dorje Shugden taken from Heart Jewel:

"May the glorious Gurus who uphold this tradition
Have indestructible lives, as stable as the supreme victory banner;
May they send down a rain of deeds fulfilling the wishes of disciples,
So that Je Tsongkhapa's doctrine will flourish.

Through increasing the study, practice, pure discipline, and harmony
Of the communities who uphold the stainless doctrine of Buddha,
And who keep moral discipline with pure minds,
Please cause the Gedan (Gelugpa) tradition to increase like a waxing moon."

Head of the Gelugpa Tradition Breaks Rank with the Dalai Lama

It's oldish news now, but an astounding recent development has been the 'defection' of the 101st Ganden Tripa (Head of the Gelugpa Tradition, the holder of Je Tsongkhapa's throne) Lungri Namgyal Rinpoche to Dorje Shugden worshipping Shar Gaden Monastery following his retirement.

Rinpoche, who is now referred to as the Ganden Trisur, which indicates that he a retired Ganden Tripa, has officially left Ganden Shartse, a monastery under the control of the Tibetan Government in Exile, for Shar Gaden Monastery. Shar Gaden is a new monastery that has recently been formed by those monks and lamas that have been expelled or otherwise made unwelcome at Ganden Shartse. It proudly and openly upholds the tradition of practising Dorje Shugden as a wisdom protector of Manjushri Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings.

In 1999, the Dalai Lama changed the system of selection of Ganden Tripa from one of democratic election within the monastic system to one where the Ganden Tripa is appointed by him, the political leader of Tibet. Perhaps it was so that he could make sure that that future Ganden Tripas wouldn't be Dorje Shugden practitioners. In any event, this move gave the Dalai Lama unprecedented control over who would be the throne holder of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition.

Ganden Trisur Lungri Namgyal Rinpoche waited until his retirement to make this move. It shows that while he held the office, it simply would have been too controversial. The Ganden Tri would likely have been removed from his office by the Government. The fact that he had to wait until he was no longer subject to the Dalai Lama’s control to express his views is indicative of the air of intimidation created by the Tibetan Government in Exile.

It was reported in the forum of www.dorjeshugden.com that news had been received from Ganden Trisur's personal assistant:

HH Trisur Rinpoche had to wait this long until the term of office as Gaden Tripa completed to MAKE THIS MOVE BECAUSE IF HE HAD MADE THIS MOVE EARLIER, THE DALAI LAMA WOULD HAVE REMOVED HIM FROM OFFICE. And that would not be good for the Gelug on the whole. NOW THAT HE HAS FINISHED HIS TERM, HE CAN DO WHAT HE LIKES. NO ONE CAN TOUCH HIM, DISTURB HIM OR DISGRACE HIS POSITION. INCREDIBLE PLANNING. THIS WAS RELAYED BY HIS PERSONAL ASSISTANT!

This shows what control the Dalai Lama has over the Ganden tradition and that he is ruling by fear. There are doubtless many Lamas like Ganden Trisur who must simply keep quiet and do their Dorje Shugden practice in secret for fear of provoking the wrath and censure of the Dalai Lama.

Now that he is retired, with great courage both the 101st Ganden Trisur and his labrang (office) have all moved to Shar Gaden. In this way, they have followed Trijang Tritrul and Domo Geshe Rinpoche who have, with all their disciples, also joined Shar Gaden.

This is a beacon of hope for Dorje Shugden practitioners who have refused to give in to the Dalai Lama's ban as it shows that, no matter how draconian the measures the Dalai Lama may introduce to destroy the practice of Dorje Shugden, the faith and devotion of true Gelugpas cannot be extinguished by politically motivated intimidation.

Ganden Tripa Authorizes Dorje Shugden Practitioner to Represent the Gelugpa Tradition

April 23, 2009

I, the undersigned, Lungri Namgyel, the official head of the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism (Ganden Tripa) and successor to the said order’s founder, Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), whose headquarters are Ganden Monastery in Karnataka state, south India, hereby confirm that:

• His Eminence Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche, having been educated in the teachings of the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism, and officially recognized by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as being the incarnation of the late Trijang Dorje Chang, Tutor to the 14th Dalai Lama and one of the greatest twentieth-century Buddhist masters of this order, is fully qualified to act in the capacity of director of Trijang Buddhist Institute in the state of Vermont, United States of America, where he is currently residing at 210 Morning Star Lane, Northfield, Vermont 05663 USA.

• I confer upon Trijang Buddhist Institute the authority to represent and transmit the teachings of the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism in the United States.

• Thus authorized, Trijang Buddhist Institute is dedicated to preserving, representing, and transmitting the Buddhist teachings of the Gelug tradition.

Signed,

Ganden Tripa Lungri Namgyel

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