10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

1. Why do you deny that you are enforcing the ban on Dorje Shugden when there are videos of your speeches enforcing this ban?

2. If you are truly an advocate for human rights, why do you issue identity cards which make it extremely difficult for Shugden practitioners to get food, water, shelter, medical attention and travel visas?

3. Why do your followers view you as the Buddha of Compassion when you engage in such harmful actions toward your own people?

4. If you are truly an advocate for nonviolence, why don’t you ask your followers not to engage in violent actions toward Shugden practitioners?

5. Why do you teach your disciples that the heart practice of a Buddhist is reliance on the Spiritual Guide while you are having the thrones and images of your own Spiritual Guide removed from monasteries?

6. Why do you lie about Dorje Shugden, saying that he is a evil spirit harming the cause for Tibetan Independence when you have said that you are no longer working toward Tibetan Independence?

7. Why have you expelled over 900 monks from their monasteries for practicing what their lineage gurus have been teaching them in their monasteries for the last 350 years?

8. Why do you claim that you are following the example of the 5th Dalai Lama, when it was the 5th Dalai Lama who made the first statue of Dorje Shugden that can still be seen?

9. Why don’t you stop lying?

10. Why don’t you give religious freedom to Shugden practitioners?

Taken from Western Shugden Society blog by Golden Mala.

Dalai Lama's Reasons for the Ban of Dorje Shugden

About the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden

The Dalai Lama has given three main reasons for banning the practice of Dorje Shugden. Before we reply to those, we should point out that although he says he “strongly discourages” it, there is an increasing body of evidence to show he has banned it. Witness the ID card – Tibetans are forced to swear that they will never venerate Dorje Shugden nor have any spiritual or material relationship with those who do or they will not be given an ID card (effectively making them refugees amongst refugees). The resulting ostracism and denial of basic human rights such as food, shelter and companionship has created great suffering in the Tibetan community and is clearly documented.

Even if the Dalai Lama’s views on the practice were reasonable or true, which they are not, it would still be unacceptable to force these views on others in this way, using his political power to impose his religious will. Imagine if any other leader forced this signature campaign on Muslims, or Jews, or Shamans? There would be a huge outcry and people would be reminded of Germany in the 1930s.

As for his reasons, they are refuted in detail by the words and experiences of thousands and thousands of practitioners past and present – for example, see www.WesternShugdenSociety.org and www.WisdomBuddhaDorjeShugden.org. In particular, look at the article Replies to the three reasons for the Dalai Lama’s ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden.

Here, we answer them briefly.

1.“The danger of Tibetan Buddhism degenerating into a form of spirit worship”. The practice of Dorje Shugden is not spirit worship because Dorje Shugden is viewed as the embodiment of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom, arisen in this form to protect Buddha’s teachings. All Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners, including the Dalai Lama’s teachers and millions of Gelugpa Lamas and practitioners of past generations, are actual Buddhists who practice the complete Dharma of Buddha Shakyamuni. It is untrue, patronizing and insulting to say that they are not. It would also mean that the teachings that the Dalai Lama himself is giving are non-Buddhist as these come from his teachers who were Dorje Shugden practitioners.
2. “Obstacles to the emergence of genuine non-sectarianism”. The Dalai Lama allegedly promotes interreligious understanding and harmony, just so long as Dorje Shugden practitioners can be the exception to the rule. Even today, for example, everyone can attend the “formal religious teachings” by the Dalai Lama – come along if you are a Muslim, a Catholic, or an actual spirit worshipper, everyone is welcome! But a Buddhist Dorje Shugden practitioner? You will be asked to leave. That the Dalai Lama says he is a man of peace and tolerance makes this Buddhist apartheid even more intolerable. There is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that it is Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners who promote sectarianism; they are simply asking for the freedom to practice their ancient tradition without being persecuted and shunned. The Dalai Lama hides behind his celebrity status and blames the victim for the crime.
3. “Especially inappropriate in relation to the well-being of Tibetan society”. Imagine if President Bush were to declare that someone’s spiritual practice was affecting his life and ability to govern and so it should be stopped? He would be considered dictatorial and idiotic. The idea that those who do their peaceful prayers to Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden for the protection of positive minds of compassion and wisdom is somehow detrimental to the government headed by the Dalai Lama and therefore should be stopped is likewise dictatorial and embarrassingly superstitious. The Dalai Lama is now 73 years old, in fine health, and he gave up the idea of Tibetan independence years ago. Scapegoating Dorje Shugden practitioners for the failure to win a free Tibet is a political ploy and, if it were not the popular charismatic Dalai Lama who was saying these things, this would have been laughed out of court a long time ago. It is not Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners who are destroying Tibetan unity, it is the Dalai Lama’s controversial and divisive actions of splitting families and communities down the middle.

The Dalai Lama has urged people to consider this and “to act accordingly”. We are confident that if you do take the time to critically examine his reasons and do some research, you will agree that they make no sense and that, even if they did, he has no right to impose these religious views on others through political processes such as the ID card.

Why would so many Tibetan and Western practitioners take all this time and expense to travel to demonstrate against one of the world’s most famous religious leaders if there were not some very urgent and compelling reason for doing so? We are here because there is a major problem in Tibetan exile society and it is just going to get worse if we do not have the courage to point it out.

For 30 years, Lamas and practitioners have tried to communicate with the Dalai Lama on this subject, and for 30 years he has either ignored or insulted us.

To say we are demonstrating because we are being paid by the Chinese is a lazy and laughable excuse – firstly because there is not a shred of evidence for this because it is not remotely true; and secondly because why would employed, educated and free citizens need Chinese money to make their voices heard?

More accounts of human rights abuses of Dorje Shugden practitioners in India

The problem is still spreading.

Please see the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society website for more information.

Journalists researching the ostracism are intimidated at Otty Tibetan market, May 22, 2008
Two independent French journalists visited Otty, in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, to interview the families of Shugden devotees, who told them their stories of discrimination and human rights abuses. At 6 pm, the journalists went to the Tibetan market where Shugden devotees and non-devotees used to sell clothes together. (The story of how the Shugden devotees have been ostracized by the others in the market has been documented here, along with many other reports of discrimination).

The journalists questioned the officer there about the ostracism being experienced by Shugden devotees. Because the officer denied that Shugden devotees have any problems, the journalists later brought a Shugden devotee to the office and pointed out that there is indeed a problem.

The officer got angry and said: “Why do you question us? You must question the Tibetan representative in Bangalore and the Dalai Lama.” The office was then surrounded by Tibetan men and women – some of whom tried to snatch the journalists’ camera and smash it on the ground. They threatened to beat the journalists, who immediately fled to the nearby police station for protection.

After that, a meeting was convened in the office. Shugden devotees are now in great stress, scared about what will happen to them after the meeting.

Indians helping the journalists carry their luggage lose their jobs, May 28, 2008
At the time when the two French journalists received intimidation at the hands of Tibetans in Otty on May 22, there were two Indians employed to help carry their luggage. The Tibetans of Otty Tibetan market demanded that the employers fire the Indians from the market on the mere charge that they had helped the journalists. So they have lost their jobs and cannot work with the Tibetans at the market again.

Dorje Shugden practitioners barred from public temple, May 28, 2008
Shillong is a city in Magalaya State, North India, where over a hundred Tibetans run restaurants and shops. There is a temple built by public funds for the purpose of prayer services and social gatherings. This year, Sera-jay monks have been managing the temple. When Shugden families went to the temple as usual to make prayers and have a picnic, they found the temple locked. When the Sera-jay monks were asked the reason for the temple being locked, they replied that they have signed and sworn not to share religious or material contact with any Shugden followers. These innocent Buddhist parents and children have therefore been barred from the publicly funded temple.

The oath-taking continues in the Tibetan settlements, June 25, 2008
The signature and swearing campaign is currently being conducted in two different Tibetan settlements in North India, Deradun and Lakenwala. Tibetans in the refugee camps are made to sign an oath that:

• He/she will never worship Shugden
• He/she will never share material or religious ties with Shugden followers

As the Dorje Shugden devotees in India say, "Thus this disease is still spreading and being exported, flying in the face of the Delhi High Court Case and international demonstrations."

Is the WSS the NKT in disguise?

Whenever the Western Shugden Society (WSS) demonstrate, there always seem to be a few individuals waiting to jump on the blogs to insist that the WSS is the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT).

This theory is incorrect.

As it says on the Western Shugden Society website (translated into 9 languages):

“The Western Shugden Society (WSS) is an ad hoc coalition of Dorje Shugden practitioners from many different countries. The immediate aims of the WSS are expressed in a recent letter we sent to the Dalai Lama.”

The WSS includes many Tibetans, both in India and in countries in the West. For example, if you look at the WSS website, particularly at the news reports from the demonstration at Colgate University, you will see photos of some of these Tibetans in the West.

The Tibetans who are suffering under the Dalai Lama’s ban and subsequent ostracism and human rights abuses in India are of course not free to travel to demonstrate – they need identity cards to do anything and are not issued these if they are Dorje Shugden practitioners. The WSS is demonstrating on their behalf. At this point, the Dalai Lama cannot force Westerners to give up their practice of Dorje Shugden, although he has created a great deal of tension and bad feeling in Western Buddhist Centers through his actions.

As one Tibetan, Tenzin Gelek, said today in reply to a blogger (June 12 2008):

“Western Shugden society is coalition of Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world including Tibetan. It is not NKT group. We do share same lineage and teachers. As a Tibetan I am very grateful to all demonstrators for bringing helping us Tibetan, who are suffering, because of this ban. The suffering of Dorje Shugden practitioners in Tibetan Exile is true and real. Many westerners are misinformed by Dalai Lama and his publicity machine accusing Dorje Shugden practitioners as support by Chinese and devil worshipers or there is no real ban. Until 1996 we all lived in harmony in monasteries and Tibetan community. Dorje Shugden practitioners are suffering, monks are kick out of monasteries, children are ban from school and denied aid given by western aid group etc. We urge all freedom loving peoples of world to support our religious freedom and human rights. Thank you all.”

If you read the account of the demonstration given earlier on this blog, you will also get more of a feeling for who is in the WSS.

As for those who follow the New Kadampa Tradition, it is clear that many Kadampas are also Western Shugden Society supporters as they rely upon the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. However, by no means all WSS supporters are NKT, not even a majority. There are potentially hundreds of thousands of WSS supporters worldwide and over the coming months (or years if needs be) they will engage in more and more activities to bring the Dalai Lama’s unlawful and unconstitutional actions to light. For example, check DorjeShugden.com for some other Western Shugden practitioners and ShugdenSociety.info for some of the Shugden practitioners in the exile community in India.

In May 2008, at the Spring Festival at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (the Spiritual Director of the NKT) explained that he was supporting these demonstrations because the spiritual lives of Shugden practitioners throughout the world are in danger and he wants to help them.

This is the motivation of many of the people practicing in the New Kadampa Tradition. As one NKT practitioner expressed it: “For example, I am an NKT practitioner, but I am also individually and by choice (not by NKT policy) a supporter of the Western Shugden Society as I want to help restore the religious freedom of Shugden practitioners in India -- those are two different hats.”

If the demonstrations were organized by the NKT, there would have to be a decision taken by the NKT Board of Directors. But they have never met about the issue nor made such a decision.

Finally, it is worth noting that NKT practitioners are free to attend the demonstrations or not as they choose (and they do choose), as these have nothing to do with the NKT organization.

Check out these websites for other Western Shugden supporters in the West:
DorjeShugden.com
Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling
Sumati Arya

and in India:
ShugdenSociety.info

Can I help restore religious freedom?

Signing the Petition Let the Dalai Lama know that his behaviour on this issue is completely unacceptable, and petition him to stop intimidating Dorje Shugden practitioners and to allow them religious freedom.

Making Donations Donate towards Shugden practitioners, including the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable Trust in India who are helping to document the abuse and working to restore human rights. Please send an email to: dharma.protectors@gmail.org for information on how to make donations.

Prayers and dedications Please make prayers and dedications for the success of our campaign, the preservation of the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa, and peace and freedom for everyone in our world.