Dorje Shugden practitioners are still discriminated against

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, 'The Bad Boys of Buddhism'.  The writer is J.D. Lewis, 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.

J.D reports discrimination in the shops around Shar Gaden monastery:

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.

J.D. continues later:

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. 

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.

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.

Dalai Lama found guilty of persecution by High Court

We have recently received an update regarding the court case against the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile over their persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners and their breaking of the Indian Deity discrimination law.

There was a hearing on the Dorje Shugden case on the 14th of September at the High Court in Delhi. This was the 3rd hearing, which was convened to examine the written response from the Dalai Lama's representatives to the allegations of Deity discrimination and religious discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners. This is nine and a half months after that response was received by the Court.

The Judge dismissed the Dalai Lama's arguments as unconvincing, further asserting that there was sufficient documentary evidence to prove that the Dalai Lama was in fact persecuting followers of the deity Dorje Shugden and that this would have to cease henceforth. The decision was made to issue a warning to the Dalai Lama to stop the persecution. The Judge declared that punitive measures would be initiated if the Dalai Lama refused to comply.

A commentator remarked:

"Apparently, Dharamsala is mysteriously silent, and this is not new! They are probably contemplating on the next course of action--whatever it may be. It is possible that they may contemplate peaceful and violent means--or, on the contrary behave as if nothing has happened!"

Postscript: It's worth noting that, although the Western Shugden Society has stopped its protests against the Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lama has not stopped trying to destroy the practice of Dorje Shugden. He recently spoke out against relying on the Deity in his Medicine Buddha empowerment in Long Beach, California and during his visit to Washington, where he spoke directly to Tibetans about the issue. This is yet more evidence that the Dalai Lama is engaging in actions of religious discrimination, something he now legally has to stop in India.

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.

Trouble in Paradise

Journalist Will Spisak reports:

"The political undertones that surround Tibet make this issue all the more sensitive. With political, as well as religious, unity at stake, both sides have begun to ponder what a rift might mean for the future of Tibet. This presents a particular point of interest to the West. For decades, the Dalai Lama has been revered as a champion of peace and, as a result, we have developed a particular soft spot in our heart for him. However, if the claims made by the Western Shugden Society are true, and there is actual religious persecution occurring in Tibet and in the exiled communities, will the West be willing to confront our champion of peace on this issue? I am not suggesting that the claims are definite; however, if the problem persists and persecution becomes an undeniable reality, we will have to decide what is more valuable to us, a united Tibetan community able to reach an agreement with the Chinese or our basic belief in religious freedom."

To read the full article:
The Knight News

Pressure mounts on the Dalai Lama to solve the problem of religious freedom amongst Tibetan exiles

News Update from Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable Society, Delhi, India, September 16 2008

Delegation from the European Tibet Support group urge a resolution to the conflict

Recently, five delegates from the European Tibet Support group came to Dharamasala. They said:

“For the last few months, Shugden devotees have protested widely. They are alleging that there is no religious freedom in the Tibetan exile community. A lot of world have picked up on this news and people are starting to pay attention to the issue.

On the other hand, we are fighting for religious freedom in Tibet. When there is a claim of a violation of religious freedom amongst Tibetan exiles, it is difficult for us to do our work.

Therefore, it would be good if you could solve this problem among yourselves.”

The speaker of the Tibetan parliament and some others said that they would discuss the issue during the session and invite the European delegates. However, Kalon Tripa Samdhong said there was no need to invite them since it is a Tibetan issue, and that they are not yet ready to reply to the European delegates.

Court proceedings against the Dalai Lama and Kalon Tripa Samdhong

The first hearing was held at the Delhi High Court on September 12. The lawyer for the Dalai Lama and Samdhong Rinpoche sought more time, surprisingly saying that they could not reply yet. They have sought an extension until November 19 2008.

Posted courtesy of the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable Society

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.

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.

Demonstration against the Dalai Lama in Nantes, France: Aug 15-17

As Kelsang Pema, WSS spokesperson, said recently:

"The purpose of the Western Shugden Society is to bring the Dalai Lama's hypocrisy to the attention of the public in the hope that millions of Buddhists will be able to live in peace and harmony again. For this reason we protested in Philadelphia this week and will continue to protest around the world, wherever the Dalai Lama is scheduled to perform."

Why we were protesting the Dalai Lama, Philadelphia Daily News, July 2008

The Dalai Lama's Words in the Mirror of Reality

From the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable & Religious Society, July 2008

The justifications the Dalai Lama gives for his ban of the worship of the deity Dorje Shugden vary considerably depending on his audience.

The justification given to the Tibetan public, which destroyed the entire harmony of the Tibetan community, is: "Worshipping this evil deity is a danger for my life and for the freedom of Tibet. If you Tibetans want me to be dammed and don't care at all about the cause of Tibet, then go ahead with the worship of this deity."

On the contrary, to Western audiences the Dalai Lama repeatedly says that he issued this ban "In order to save this pure and profound Tibetan Buddhism from degenerating into spirit worship". And "This ban is applied in order to promote peace and harmony between the four Tibetan Buddhist traditions."

A further justification that the Dalai Lama sometimes mentions, and which he repeated on his recent visit to New York in July 2008: "This is for my personal gaining of religious freedom. I had the wish to ask Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen to give me the transmission of the Sangwa-Nyingpo-Tantra, and I consulted my teacher Ling Rinpoche about it, and he responded negatively, saying there is a lot of discussion about it. Actually my teacher was afraid of Dolgyal (Dorje Shugden). Thus I lost my religious freedom."

What is the reality behind these statements?

Anyone who accepts whatever the Dalai Lama says as literal, infallible, and unquestionable makes no attempt even to question any of these points for a second. However, if an analytical mind investigates the validity of these words of the Dalai Lama, comparing their meaning to reality, a big surprise about the enormous discrepancy between the Dalai Lama's statements and the factual truth will be inevitable.

Continue reading

Dorje Shugden practitioners ask for religious freedom

Dorje Shugden practitioners chant for religious freedom


Dorje Shugden practitioners pray for religious freedom

Can I help restore religious freedom?

Signing the Petition Please 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.

Mixed Aussie welcome for Dalai Lama

From Live News

The Dalai Lama has arrived in Australia to a warm welcome from supporters but was branded a "liar" and a "hypocrite" by some 50 protesting Buddhist monks and nuns.

Members of a Buddhist group known as the Western Shugden Society (WSS) accuse the Dalai Lama of suppressing religious freedom and driving them out of the Buddhist community.

They chanted "Dalai Lama stop lying" and waved placards calling for religious freedom when the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader held a meditation seminar at Sydney's Olympic Park.

"He is a hypocrite, and it's very sad to say that about a religious leader," said WSS spokesperson Kelsang Pema after the Dalai Lama flew into Sydney for a visit that includes talks with both the federal government and opposition.

"He is not practising what he preaches.

"He's here teaching about love and compassion but he endorses human atrocities, basically."

She said the Dalai Lama's "inflammatory" campaign against a Buddhist deity called Dorje Shugden had resulted in thousands of monks being expelled from monasteries, supporters denied food, medicine and travel visas, families being ostracised and Shugden temples being destroyed.

"It's mainstream Tibetan Buddhism, but he is making us look like an off-shoot because he has had a change of heart.

"He has banned a prayer which he himself engaged in for half of his life."

The protest was peaceful, so much so that the demonstrators took a morning tea break.