Selling Tibet to the World

The Age (Australian Newspaper of the Year)

Selling Tibet to the world by Michael Backman

Shugden supporters claim that the Dalai Lama took advantage of the worldwide groundswell of support that accompanied the Olympic torch protests earlier this year to move against them. They claim that on his orders hundreds of pro-Shugden monks were expelled from Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, mostly in India, leaving them without financial support and shelter. They now argue it is the Dalai Lama who is breaching human rights when it comes to freedom of worship.

While in Britain, the Dalai Lama gave evidence to a British parliamentary committee about the human rights situation in Tibet despite, as Shugden supporters pointed out, him not having set foot in Tibet for almost 50 years. Of course, before that, Tibet was ruled by the Dalai Lamas, under whom the human rights situation was nothing short of disgusting. The brand makeover since has been startling. It helps that Westerners find mountains romantic. Come down from them and anything can be excused.

Why is the Dalai Lama so hell-bent on moving against Shugden supporters? A reason might be that he genuinely believes Shugden worship is wrong. Another seems to derive from his desire to unite the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism - the Nyngma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelugpa. This has always been one of the Dalai Lama's problems. He is not the head of Buddhism; he is not even the head of Tibetan Buddhism. Traditionally, the Dalai Lamas are from the Gelugpa sect. But since leaving Tibet, the current Dalai Lama has sought to speak for all Tibetans and particularly all overseas Tibetans.

To enhance his authority, he has sought to merge the four traditions into one and place himself at its head. But Dorje Shugden presents a roadblock. One aspect of Shugden worship is to protect the Gelugpa tradition from adulteration, particularly by the Nyngma tradition. Nyngma followers respond by not wanting anything to do with Gelugpa followers sympathetic to Dorje Shugden. So to allow a proper merger of the four traditions, the Dalai Lama needs to get rid of the Shugden movement. If the Dalai Lama can claim to represent all Tibetans, it will increase his political prestige and clout with overseas Tibetans and with governments.

Defamatory accusations of murder repeated over and over again for ten years

These horrible murders took place over ten years ago, and in all that time not a shred of evidence has ever been found linking Dorje Shugden practitioners to them. Nonetheless, the Dalai Lama and Office of Tibet continue to repeat this calumny on their website and literature.

Repeating a lie over and over again does not make it the truth. We will not repeat the defamations here: you can check the Dalai Lama’s literature for the ghastly pictures of poor Lobsang Gyatso and the false accusations. We do however need to address the false accusations here, as they are parrotted over and over again by supporters of the ban against Dorje Shugden practice. This is even though they have already been proven unfounded by the Indian police years ago due to no evidence, and it is a lie to say that any “arrest warrants remain pending” as there are no actual suspects.

Any number of possible suspects
In reality, there are any number of possible suspects for the murders but the true culprits have never been found as the Dalai Lama prefers conveniently for his political objectives to keep the blame on Dorje Shugden practitioners. Why? To try and convince the world that they are evil and so his ban on their religious practice is reasonable. The fact is, these practitioners have never committed any violent actions. They are peace-loving Buddhists who follow the non-violence, love and compassion taught to them by Trijang Rinpoche -- the Dalai Lama's own teacher -- and other great Buddhist Lamas of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition.

According to a disciple of Geshe Lobsang Gyatso, as reported in the Austrian Buddhist magazine "Ursache und Wirkung", July 2006, page 73, before he was killed, Lobsang Gyatso had to face many death threats, but refused any personal security.

Lobsang Gyatso was very outspoken and had many targets, all of them those who disagreed with the Dalai Lama. For example, the Dalai Lama's own brother had a problem with his renouncing the cause of a Free Tibet. Also, in 1962 the Dalai Lama tried to unite all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under his authority, but this autocratic move was opposed by the Thirteen Tibetan Settlements and the 16th Karmapa. The Dalai Lama has many enemies, and Lobsang Gyatso goaded them all.

Helmut Gassner, an Austrian Buddhist monk who was a translator for the Dalai Lama for seventeen years around this period, spoke about the murders in a talk he gave to the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation Hamburg, on March 26th 1999:

“The Director of the Dialectics School was well known for his slanderous writings in which he would drag through the mud anything that veered even slightly from the course established by the government-in-exile: famous masters, the big monastic universities and even the Tibetan guerillas were his targets. In one of his last articles he wrote, "...these people will not cease to criticize the Dalai Lama until blood flows from their bodies...."

Given the character of the assassination and the humiliations the Tibetan guerilla movement had been subjected to in earlier years, one could have assumed that the search for the murderer would eventually also lead to them. But that obviously did not occur; already the next day, Dharamsala's local newspaper claimed that the murderer would certainly be found among the Dorje Shugden Society in Delhi. Aside from who committed the murders, this gruesome act was exploited to the hilt by the government-in-exile with only one aim in mind: Resorting to all possible means they tried to incriminate the Dorje Shugden Society in Delhi in order to put its leading monks behind Indian bars. For the benefit of the press, the image of a Dorje Shugden sect with bloodthirsty, cultish, terrorist and fundamentalist attributes was successfully established linking it effectively with the traditionally depicted wrathful appearance of the deity while cleverly neglecting to mention that many wrathful Buddhist deities are represented in considerably more terrifying ways.”

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso also made reference to other suspects for the murders in his reply to a 1997 article in Newsweek, where Robert Thurman offensively and ignorantly described Dorje Shugden practitioners as the “Taliban of Buddhism”:

"Robert Thurman is quoted as saying: "I think there's no doubt that Shugden was behind the killings." Of course, killing people is very bad, and I utterly condemn these appalling murders, but by reading the letter addressed to HH the Dalai Lama known as the 'Mongoose Canine Letter', we can clearly understand that HH the Dalai Lama has many enemies, so why are only Shugden supporters suspected? It is a great pity that Lobsang Gyatso who was a 70-year old Geshe died in the most horrible of circumstances, seemingly because HH the Dalai Lama has many enemies."

The Shugden Society in New Delhi has always denied any involvement in the murders or threats and after an investigation by the Indian police were found to have no involvement in the murders. [Mike Wilson, 1999, Schisms, murder, and hungry ghosts in Shangra-La - internal conflicts in Tibetan Buddhist sect.] This fact has been ignored by the Tibetan government in Exile, which continues to make the false accusation on its website.

There are therefore many people who might have wanted Lobsang Gyatso dead -- all enemies of the Dalai Lama, in fact. The Tibetan Government in Exile (TGIE) have exploited his death to cause problems for Shugden practitioners.

Shred of evidence?
There was only one possible shred of evidence, a supposed “threatening letter” found in Lobsang Gyatso’s office.

According to the Indian police in 1996, there was a “threatening letter to the monk Lobsang Gyatso, and it proves the direct connection of murderers with Shugden”. He also said: “The six murderers have fled to Tibet where they live under protection from China.” The investigation stopped there.

On a Swiss TV program discussing the subject, the TGIE minister Tashi Wangdu exhibited the “evidence” in front of the camera. According to the commentator, this was the death threat letter sent by Dorje Shugden followers to the murder victim as mentioned by the police.

Later, the Tibetan text on the letter was copied and translated by various Tibetan speakers. It contained absolutely no death threat at all. It was simply an impertinent letter containing a challenge to debate the issue so as to settle the differences.

As to where and how the Chinese are supposedly sheltering six murderers in Tibet, there has not been any evidence of this either in ten years. The Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society, whom apparently supplied the murderers, continue their peaceful work in India to oppose the ban and none of their members have fled anywhere.

See also the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society account.
See also Did Dorje Shugden practitioners issue death threats? (including the misinformation spread by Tashi Wangdi).

This repeated defamation, with blatantly political objectives, is one of the many reasons Western Shugden Society members everywhere are following the Dalai Lama to ask him to “Stop Lying!”

Champion of human rights and religious freedom?! Hard to see how.

All religions welcome! Come along to hear the Dalai Lama speak on tolerance and freedom!! (sorry, that doesn’t go for you Buddhist Dorje Shugden practitioners)

Tibetan Buddhist Centre Teaching Registration Form

This is the form from the Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Singapore that has to be filled in by those wishing to attend the Dalai Lama’s teaching tour 2008. There are forms like this all over the world.

In one section, you say what religion you are. It is utterly clear from this that you can be any religion whatsoever to attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings, just not a Buddhist Dorje Shugden practitioner.

Declaration:

“I hereby declare and categorically state that I am not a Dorje Shugden practitioner and am in not circumstances associated or affiliated in whatever manner with such practice and/or organization”

Dorje Shugden practitioners are shunned and outcast from their own fellow Tibetan Buddhists, yet all they are doing is continuing to practice a pure Buddhist tradition and prayer passed down from their holy teachers. These include some of the greatest Buddhist masters of the last century, one being the Dalai Lama’s own principal teacher Trijang Rinpoche.

What will it take for people to understand that the Dalai Lama is being cruel, two-faced and hypocritical?

Dorje Shugden practitioners cannot get ordained

The ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden continues to spread to Western Buddhists.

From the International Mahayana Institute

Students considering ordination should:

• have had Buddhist refuge for at least five years,
• have lived with lay vows for at least three years,
• NOT be a Shugden practitioner,
• be at least 20 years of age, etc etc

This is even though Lama Zopa says about himself and his teacher, the Founder of the FPMT:

"Of course, Lama and I practiced Dorje Shugden for many years. That was always the main thing that Lama did whenever there were problems to overcome. At the beginning of every Kopan course, Lama always did Shugden puja to eliminate hindrances."

This suppression of religious freedom and private belief amongst Western practitioners is even more ironic and tragic given that about 70% of their lineage Gurus were renowned Dorje Shugden practitioners! Where is their lineage now? It seems to start and end with the Dalai Lama (who is, interestingly enough, placed alone and above all the other great Lamas on the lineage Guru page, including his own teachers). The Dalai Lama is clearly destroying the established and ancient spiritual lineage not only of Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners but of Westerners too.

Are the Dalai Lama's reasons valid?

The Dalai Lama's reasons for the ban and refutations of these reasons.

In this radio interview in Nottingham May 2008, the Dalai Lama helpfully mentions most of his reasons for banning the practice of Dorje Shugden. Being a celebrity and political leader, he gets most of the airtime, but we have provided below some refutations of each of these reasons and hope you have the time and interest to read them. We would love to debate the subject with the Dalai Lama himself in true Buddhist fashion, but he has refused all attempts at dialog on the subject for the past 30 years. Please read on to decide for yourself whether the reasons are valid or not.

The Dalai Lama has also caused conflict and disharmony in other Tibetan Buddhist schools/lineages

Scroll down to see an open letter, remarks from the rightful leader of the Karma Kagyu tradition (the Sharmapa), links to this controversy, and a reply to Robert Thurman’s letter.

An Open Letter
From INTERNATIONAL KARMA KAGYU ORGANISATION
Extracts from An Open letter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Kathmandu, 17th March 2001

In 1961 the Tibetan government in exile proposed to merge the four Tibetan schools into one religious body headed by Your Holiness. This policy inflicted serious spiritual suffering on much of the Tibetan exile community. Rallying behind Karmapa's authority, thirteen Tibetan settlements challenged the Exile Government's plan and as a consequence the whole scheme was abandoned. Later in the seventies Karmapa came under blame because he had chosen to defend the autonomy of the three other lineages….

In July 2000, Your Holiness' involvement in the matter went even further. Your Holiness informed H.H. Shamar Rinpoche in writing that even if an authentic prediction from the 16th Karmapa was found and presented, it would not sway your insistence that Urgyen Trinley is the Throneholder-Karmapa. By doing so Your Holiness would retrospectively deprive the undisputed 16th Karmapa of his right to determine his own reincarnation. Such a preposterous claim goes against the Karma Kagyu tradition and sets the stage for a take-over of the Karma Kagyu School by Your Holiness' School and Government.

Up until Your Holiness' interference in 1992, no other Dalai Lama has ever played a role in the recognition of a genuine Karmapa. As Your Holiness well knows, the Karmapa incarnations precede the Dalai Lama line by over three hundred years. There is no historical precedent for Your Holiness' current involvement.

We highly respect and support Your Holiness' struggle for the welfare and freedom of the Tibetan people. We therefore request you to apply the same goodwill in the case of the Karmapa controversy. For the sake of the integrity of our lineage, we urge Your Holiness to gracefully bow out of this internal conflict of the Karma Kagyu School. We also ask for Your Holiness' support regarding our view that the whole world will benefit by preserving the rich diversity of all four schools, including the Karma Kagyu.We sincerely make wishes for Your Holiness' long life and continued health. Most respectfully, for and on behalf of all delegates to the International Karma Kagyu Conference
H.H. Luehrs (Chairman)

Later Comments from the Sharmapa
“I believe that the Karma Kagyu should be able to choose its own spiritual leader in the traditional way,” Shamar told his students. “Ogyen Trinley was not chosen in the traditional way, but through political interference from the Tibetan exile government, the government of China and many others. All the other religious schools of Tibet are able to choose their leaders on their own. Why can’t we choose ours? His Holiness Dalai Lama is putting politics before religion in this case.

“Because his devotees in foreign countries are not in the habit of questioning his actions, they blindly support His Holiness Dalai Lama in this case. I call such followers ‘package believers.’ They follow the Dalai Lama because he is a Buddhist teacher and leader of Tibetans, so that is all they need to know. They just accept the whole package without investigating for themselves whether what His Holiness does is really right in this case. For example, if I had a house, and the Dalai Lama wanted to take it for himself, these package believers among his devotees would say that I am wrong to protect my property or even to complain, and that he is right to take it.

“I understand when Tibetans feel this way; their livelihood may depend on being on good terms with the Tibetan exile administration in India. Maybe they would lose their job if they questioned the Dalai Lama’s right to choose the Karmapa. But for people around the world, this is an unhealthy development in Buddhism. If one man is so admired around the world that he can do anything he wants without fair scrutiny, then he is effectively a dictator. There is no oversight. And, if the Karma Kagyu school cannot choose its own leader, does this set a precedent for the other religious schools of Tibet? Will the Dalai Lama choose their leaders too?

Dharma is about thinking for yourself. It is not about automatically following a teacher in all things, no matter how respected that teacher may be. More than anyone else, Buddhists should respect other people’s rights—their human rights and their religious freedom.”

The Shamar Rinpoche also says elsewhere: "But if His Holiness is merely using his immense popularity in the Himalayas, in India , and around the world in an attempt to usurp control over the Karmapa Labrang, then I must respectfully reject his opinion about Rumtek. I realize that HH Dalai Lama wants to unite the Tibetan people to work for their freedom. But that is no reason to trample on the human rights and religious freedom of Buddhist believers. As our cause is just, so we should respect human rights in all situations, not only when it is convenient for us to do so.

All leaders, no matter how virtuous, must have limits on their power. Many popular, charismatic leaders in the past have used popularity and prestige to set themselves up as dictators. Perhaps these leaders had good intentions and hoped that by increasing their own power they could accomplish more good in the world. But in the end, absolute rule has always led to suffering.I hope and pray that His Holiness will not act like such a dictator, and that he will not use mass support to claim authority over the Karmapa that he does not have and to trample the religious freedom of Karma Kagyu believers."

Links to this controversy
Statement on HH Dalai Lama's Comments about Rumtek Monastery
The Karmapa Conflict
The Karmapa Controversy

Shamar Rinpoche's response to the attack by Dalai Lama supporter Robert Thurman
Letter to Robert A. F. Thurmanby Shamar Rinpoche

Excerpts from letter to Robert A. F. Thurman by Shamar Rinpoche

Here I agree with you completely. However much you are concerned by this issue - as you clearly are - I'm sure you can be sympathetic to how much more concerned I am. Traditionally, the Shamarpas lead the Karma Kagyu lineage in concert with the Karmapas. This means that I have the responsibility to protect the Karma Kagyu lineage. Please think about how strongly you feel, then put yourself in my shoes for a moment, and imagine how important it is to me to protect the autonomy of the Karma Kagyu.

I understand that you support H.H. Dalai Lama one hundred percent and support completely the Gelukpa school which is the only school you are devoted to. The attempt to give full authority over the four schools to H.H. Dalai Lama, however, cannot be supported and indeed does not have the support of any of the other schools.

Now I will move away from your letter and present you with a question for reflection: if you use the political situation at the time of the 10th Karmapa to prove that the Dalai Lamas have the authority to recognize the Karmapas, you should also consider that from the time of the Great 5th Dalai Lama it has been obligatory that the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas be approved by the Emperors of China. Setting the precedent that you attempt to do here, how will you prevent in the future, the Chinese government from claiming its historical right to recognize the Dalai Lamas?The heads of the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, Nyingma and Sakya lineages have never required the approval of either the leaders of China or the Dalai Lamas. The precedent you are setting here will pave the way for the collapse of every school of Tibetan Buddhism, Gelukpas included. Please consider the long-term effects.

The general outrage surrounding the whole Karmapa controversy is starting to resemble the howling of crafty coyotes so enthralled by their hunt that nobody can hear the soft voice of a lamb trying to sound a warning. Situ Rinpoche totally failed to prove the so-called prediction letter to be authentic, yet still this letter is waved around by many of his collaborators as some kind of authentic proof.

Outrage as Dalai Lama denounces Dorje Shugden

Buddhists picketed the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to the United States and Europe. They protested against the ban on the worship of the 350-year-old deity, Dorje Shugden, whom they say is one of the most revered in the Buddhist religion. In 1996 the Dalai Lama announced that worship of Dorje Shugden was banned and explained that his oracle, Nechung, had advised him that the deity was a threat to his personal safety and the future of Tibet.

The Tibetan Government-in-exile said its employees must stop worshipping the deity or be sacked. The office of the Dalai Lama told the superiors of the Sermey Monastic College in Bylakuppe, India: ‘If there is anyone who continues to worship Dorje (Shugden), make a list of their names, birthplace and class... Keep the original and send us a copy of the list.’

According to PK Dey, a human-rights lawyer from Delhi: ‘Those worshipping Shugden are experiencing tremendous harassment. It is not in a particular part of the country, but everywhere there are Tibetans. Dalai Lama supporters are going from house to house searching.’ For example, in Clementown, India, the house of a family of Shugden worshippers was stoned and then firebombed. Wanted posters describe people believed to be Shugden leaders as the top ten enemies of the state. The posters have been put up in monasteries, settlements and in Dharamsala by the Government-in-exile’s Department of Security.

Dorje Shugden worshippers say the ban and its implementation are in direct conflict with the proposed constitution of a free Tibet, laid down by the Dalai Lama in 1963. The constitution states that all religious denominations are equal before the law, and every Tibetan shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. But when Dorje Shugden worshippers challenged the ban, the Tibetan Government-in-exile stated that: ‘Concepts like democracy and freedom of religion are empty when it comes to the well-being of the Dalai Lama and the common cause of Tibet.’

During recent peace vigils a petition with 15,000 signatures was handed to the Dalai Lama stating the need for all Tibetan traditions to flourish. Protesters asked him to sign a declaration of freedom to worship Dorje Shugden. The Dalai Lama refused.

He says that he banned the worship of Dorje Shugden because it is a divisive deity that causes sectarianism among his followers, and is leading to the degeneration of Buddhism. But in doing so he has left many Tibetans confused. Gonsar Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama who has worshipped Dorje Shugden throughout his life, says: ‘I cannot accept this ban on Shugden. If I accept that all my wise and great masters are demon worshippers, then their teachings are wrong, everything they believe in is wrong. That is not possible.’

From New Internationalist

BBC News - Oxford Protests

Latest update of persecution May/June 2008

May/June 2008 in brief

Reports are coming through that:

Agents of the Dalai Lama are trying to destroy Palgyeling Monastery in Nepal.

Mobs supportive of the Dalai Lama’s ban burnt down the house and hotel of Tenzing Choegyal (Zongkar Choede) in New Delhi last Thursday.

A doctor who was helping Dorje Shugden practitioners was attacked yesterday at a clinic in a Tibetan settlement (Ooti) that was giving out medicines for tuberculosis.

The Dalai Lama’s sister Pema is in Paris starting the forced signature campaign of Tibetans in France.

The forced signature campaign is being arranged for Madison, US, in July 2008.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama has been in England talking about tolerance, religious harmony and the need for dialog with one’s enemies. He has still refused every single request to discuss the unlawful ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden.

Dalai Lama: Nottingham Protest

Hundreds of Buddhist monks and nuns gathered in the Old Market Square yesterday afternoon to protest against the Dalai Lama.

Members of the Western Shugden Society chanted and demonstrated against what they say was religious repression as the Tibetan leader has banned a traditional Buddhist prayer and Deity.

One placard read 'Dalai Lama Give Religious Freedom'. In 1996 the Dalai Lama advised Tibetans against using the Dorje Shugden prayer and worshipping Shugden, saying it could lead to Buddhism becoming a cult of spirit worship.

Although he had previously used the prayer and worshipped the Deity himself, he said he later realised it had been a mistake.

According to the protesters in Nottingham, Buddhists found practising Shugden worship in India, where the exiled Dalai Lama now lives, were being expelled and abused.

Organiser Kelsang Pema said: "People are suffering - people are having their houses burned and people are denied food and material things in monasteries if they are practicing this prayer."

Kelsang Pema said she was delighted with the turn-out and people had come from as far as New Zealand, Mexico and Brazil. She said: "Hopefully we will be able to get a meaningful discussion from the Dalai Lama from this."

The Dalai Lama was giving five days of teaching at the Nottingham Arena. He leaves the city today.

From This is Nottingham

Protest on Dalai Lama for banning Dorje Shugden - Nottingham

Monks protests against Dalai Lama

Hundreds of Buddhist monks gathered in the centre of Oxford this morning to protest loudly against a visit by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Dalai Lama is speaking at the Sheldonian Theatre and about 1,000 members of the Western Shugden Society turned up outside.

The protesters chanted "Dalai Lama stop lying" and other slogans as he arrived for the talk and 9.30am.

The chanting reached fever pitch as the Dalai Lama arrived in a chauffeur-driven vehicle and was escorted into the building.

The society claim the Tibetan leader has banned a traditional Buddhist prayer, while his followers are abusing the human rights of Shugden Buddhists.

The Sheldonian Theatre was cordoned off to members of the public who are not invited to the talk and there was a strong police presence including officers on horseback.

Supporters of the Western Shugden Society are thought to have come to Oxford from as far away as Brazil, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Many of the demonstrators have been following the Dalai Lama around the UK and protested at his engagements in London and Nottingham in recent weeks.

Kelsang Pema, spokesman for the Western Shugden Society, said: "The demonstration is very loud and we hope the Dalai Lama hears our message.

"When the Dalai Lama was 50, he decided that one very simple and pure spiritual prayer should not longer be regarded as Buddhist.

"But even if he experienced a change of heart himself, he should not have inflicted this on Buddhist communities throughout the world.

"We have tried to petition him peacefully since the 1990s but he will not listen and now people are being expelled from monasteries and schools for trying to practice this prayer."
The demonstration is expected to last until shortly after midday.

From Oxford Mail

Why is the Dalai Lama suppressing religious freedom?

Do you know that the Dalai Lama...

* the Nobel Peace Prize winner and supposed champion of human rights is busy at work removing the religious rights and freedoms of one section of his own Tibetan people and persecuting all those who are trying to stand up for these rights;

* and that he is using all his political power to destroy a well-loved and centuries-old religious tradition, causing huge confusion and pain among thousands of Tibetans;

* and that this religious tradition he is trying to destroy is the one taught to him by his own Spiritual Guide, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (1901-1981), the Junior Tutor of the Dalai Lama;

* and that in a world where the Western and American ideal is the separation of politics and religion to prevent such abuses of power, the Dalai Lama is the very embodiment of the union of politics and religion;

* and that his actions are illegal and unlawful, directly contravening the Declaration of Human Rights, the Indian Constitution, and even the Tibetan government-in-exile's own constitution;

* and all this makes the Dalai Lama's actions contradictory and hypocrital - if you go around preaching non-violence and religious tolerance, it is hypocritical to then actively suppress religious freedom to advance your own political agenda of keeping control of the Tibetans:
...From the AP reports, Seattle, April 14, 2008: Inside the (University of Washington) arena, the Dalai Lama received an honorary degree and spoke of the importance of employing dialogue and mutual respect to solve problems. "You will make this century of peace," the Dalai Lama told students. "Today's world (is) heavily interdependent. Destruction of your neighbor or enemy is destruction of yourself."

...From The Washington Post, April 20, 2008: Dalai Lama Urges Religious Tolerance. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Dalai Lama encouraged people gathered at the University of Michigan on Saturday to preserve their own religious traditions while respecting others with differing beliefs. "As you know, I always believed, since all different traditions have the same potential to bring inner peace, inner value, . . . it is important to keep one's own tradition," he told about 8,000 people at Crisler Arena.
* and when the Dalai Lama says "I now practice all Tibetan religious traditions and think you should too", what he really means is "I want to control all Tibetan religious traditions";

* and that the Dalai Lama's "spiritual" reasons for repressing the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden comes across as both superstitious and incompatible with basic Buddhist teachings:

For example, the Dalai Lama says that Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden is a spirit who causes harm to his own life and the cause of a free Tibet. However, every Buddhist knows that if you go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, you are protected from harm from spirits. So how can such a spirit harm a supposed Buddha? How can such a spirit affect the cause of a free Tibet? It makes no sense, but of course these reasons are designed to produce a powerful emotional response in the intensely nationalistic, devout and loyal exiled Tibetans.

* and that, because of the Dalai Lama's calculated and uncompassionate political campaign of religious oppression, many Tibetans in India are now outcasts within the exiled;

* and that even Western followers of the Dalai Lama are blindly repeating his claims that those who are following this tradition are spirit-worshippers and a sectarian cult, despite all evidence to the contrary (in this way deliberately setting out to destroy the reputation of Western Dorje Shugden practitioners and prevent people attending their Centers);

* and that no matter how many peaceful representations, letters and petitions have been sent to him over the last ten years begging him to reconsider, he has ignored every single one and refused to engage in any dialogue;

* and that just because the Dalai Lama is a media darling of the West does not mean that he is infallible and above reproach, and that just because he is a supposed God King and Nobel Peace Prize winner does not make him above the law or immune to grave mistakes;

If you now read points 1-30 about Dorje Shugden, you will see actions and behaviour that are contradictory and hypocritical. If you say one thing to everyone in the West, but in your own backyard you engage in systematic calculated political religious repression, then what is the world to think?

The purpose of this website is not to slander the Dalai Lama, but to point out a grave mistake that he is making. We urge him, yet again, to lift his ban on the practice of the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden and to ask his followers to stop persecuting Dorje Shugden practitioners right now.

We don't like hypocrisy. We hope you don't either.