Protestors 'to confront Dalai Lama'
Buddhist protestors angry at "illegal and aggressive ban" on prayer.
Claire Stockdale on Friday 30th May 2008
Photograph: Western Shugden Society
The organisers of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Oxford have predicted that as many as 1000 protesters could assemble outside the Sheldonian Theatre, where he is due to speak today.
From 9am onwards, Buddhist protesters, led by the Western Shugden Society, will be on Broad Street to confront the Dalai Lama with allegations of threats and intimidation from his representatives. Protesters have followed the Dalai Lama throughout his visit to the UK.
They want to encourage the Dalai Lama to lift “an illegal and aggressive ban on a much loved, centuries old Buddhist prayer.”
The prayer, known as ‘Dorje Shugden,’ is said to have been a traditional part of the Buddhist religion for 400 years, which the Dalai Lama is said to have practised himself until he was 50 years old. He is currently 72 years old.
In a press conference yesterday, a Kelsang Pema spokesperson for the Western Shugden Society, said: “The Dalai Lama has imposed this ban and has left Buddhists no choice...he is impeding human rights.”
The Western Shugden Society claims that 900 monks have been expelled from monasteries by Dalai Lama representatives, and Dorje Shugden practicioners are “receiving threats and are ostracised from communities because they practise the prayer.”
The Dalai Lama has previously commented on his decision to ban the prayer.
He said, “The fifth Dalai Lama considered this an evil force, evil spirit…
The 13th Dalai Lama also placed restrictions on this evil spirit. So then I realised my mistake and then I stopped completely worshipping this.”
The Western Shugden Society claims that the Dalai Lama has “two hats; one political and one religious.
“There is a false perception that he [Dalai Lama] is the leader of Buddhism. He has inherited the title through reincarnation... three quarters of Buddhist would not say that he is their spiritual leader.”
When asked if the Society would be concerned that they would be seen as pro- China, a spokesperson said: “We are not connected to the Chinese although the Dalai Lama says that we are...this is religious discrimination not political.”
Comments
JM Lee
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How long has Buddhism been around? More than 2500 years. So what is 400 years out of 2500? The Dalai Lama lineage existed long before Shugden even became a spirit. This deity appeared only after the 5th Dalai Lama, so it is hardly essential to worship this spirit in order to be a Gelugpa. So many great Gelug masters did not even do this practice but they make it sound as if it was an essential part of the Gelug lineage. What would Lama Tsong Khapa say when he saw this? He specifically mentioned protectors for the Gelugpas, yet these people are going against this very advice.
The website "Western Shugden Society" - unlocked or "Who is behind the Western Shugden Society?" has moved and is now available under: http://info-buddhismus.de/Western_Shugden_Society_unlocked.html
he calls _non sectarian_ how can that be if he is banning another?)and he has self appointed himself as the spiritual leader of all. The real situation is very sad and unacceptable. Please help.
Sorry I did not realise the messages were limited and had to break it in three.
"The Dalai Lama has investigated this issue for many years, and he has given reasons on the spiritual, Buddhist & political level"
Tenzin Paljor, if you want to believe this, fine but it's not true. The Dalai Lama didn't investigate anything, he simply believed the 5th Dalai Lama's writings over his own Teacher. He superstitiously consulted an oracle (something that is not even Buddhism) and had a few dreams! Not the best basis for making a decision. He banned a revered and trusted spiritual practice. HHDL has shown the worst example of a Teacher/Student relationship in Buddhism and that I can think of. His reasons for this ban are laughable and he simply doesn't believe his Teacher, even though his Teacher was the 97th Ganden Tripa, the throneholder of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition. When are you going to see the Dalai Lama's politicking for what it is - a blatant attempt to gain power over all schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Some neutral sources:
"Sowing dissent and undermining the Dalai Lama by TibetInfoNet :
http://www.tibetinfonet.net/content/update/116
The Tulkus and the Shugden Controversy by Prof. Dr. Michael von Brück (Ludwig Maximilan Universitity Munich)
http://info-buddhismus.de/dorje_shugden_controversy.html
The Shuk-Den Affair: Origins of a Controversy by George Dreyfus, Associate Professor of Religion at Williams College:
http://tibet.com/dholgyal/shugden-origins.html
Behind the protests is a new religious movement called the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). The leader and sole authority in that group is Geshe Kelsang Gyatso who was expelled in 1996 by 15 Abbots and Geshes from his monastic community, because the monastic community felt his conduct as not being in accordance of that of a Buddhist monk. Former members refer to NKT mostly as a cult, and INFORM has received many complaints about the NKT. contact: http://www.inform.ac/index.htm
In regard to this situation, this protector of the doctrine, this witness, manifests his own form or a variety of unbearable manifestations of terrifying and frightening wrathful and fierce appearances.Due to that, a variety of events, some of them having happened or happening, some of which have been heard or seen, seem to have taken place: some people become unhinged and mad, some have a heart attack and suddenly die, some [see] through a variety of inauspicious signs [their] wealth, accumulated possessions and descendants disappear without leaving any trace, like a pond whose feeding river has ceased, whereas some [find it] difficult to achieve anything in successive lifetimes." (see Dreyfus's research)
A little background for those who are unaware;
Gelug and Sakya schools of Tibetan Buddhsim have practiced Dorje Shugden for over 300 years. This diety is considered by its practitioners to be an englightened being, the same mental continuum as Wisdom Buddha Manjushiri. The Dalai Lama has chosen to ban this century old practice on the grounds that he considers this diety to be an 'evil worldly spirit' that will reduce his own life span and damage the Tibetan Cause. This, of course begs the question that if the Dalai Lama is indeed the emanation of the Buddha of Compassion Avalokiteshvara, does he really need to fear a worldly spirit? This itself sheds doubt on his spiritual authenticity!!! Evil worldly spirit or not, history tells us that the Dalai Lama is treading on dangerous grounds.
He has the power to get away with anything as long as he labels his opponents as "pro-Chinese".
Dear danielshaw, what you say is simply wrong. The Dalai Lama has investigated this issue for many years, and he has given reasons on the spiritual, Buddhist & political level. That he practised this is due to the influence of one of his tutors who gave him that practice, when he was quite young. However I agree the combination of religion & politics makes things more difficult. Raimondo Bultrini wrote in "A Spirit of the XVII Century" (2005) about the complex subject matter. See http://info-buddhismus.de/Spirit_of_the_XVII_century_by_Raimondo_Bultrini.html
I think it is very wrong to accuse others of humiliating & discriminating whilst neglecting the humiliating & discrimination of Shugden proponents. I would be good if they contemplate what they have done, to face a situation, that so many Buddhists disagree with them. A result of pride and elite-thinking is the loss of high status, power & influence. This is their suffering.
ilies have been divided, people work as informers, beatings, etc. This is not feudal Tibet anymore, is the 21st century and Westerners are not afraid of exposing a very sad true, and many Tibetans are now used to democratic aways and are also telling the truth about this leader who continues mixing religion with politics, using the faith of their people while igniting sentiments of patriotism and then using it for political motives. The Dalai Lama has dissappointed and harmed many people and many groups, not only the Shugden practioners. He has divided the four schools and created one that he calls "non sectarian" (how can that be if he is banning another?)and he has self appointed himself as the spiritual leader of all. The real situation is very sad and unacceptable. Please help.
Is this the same Tenzin/Michael whose avowed agenda is to destroy the NKT and Dorje Shugden practice?! The holier than thou monk who broke his moral discipline with his old teacher yet is so full of his own righteousness and so obssessed with his grudge against his old tradition and teacher that he posts on every blog and dedicates several websites to slandering it? Of course it is. His animosity fills the internet and probably makes up 80% of the bad things said about the Dorje Shugden practitioners. Maybe more. Thank you Tenzin Peljor, Tashi, Michael, Michael Jackel, kt66 etc, but we have heard enough. You have cut and pasted the same old arguments over and over again, even though every one has been refuted at other times. When are you please going to get on with your FPMT Geshe studies, stop your obssession with your old tradition, try and get some realizations and leave everyone in peace?
The Shugden practice is seen by the vast majority of Tibetan Buddhists and Buddhist masters as very harmful, it was e.g. used to assassinate Gelugpas (high Lamas and Government members), who practised also different traditions; and finally three Shugden opponents were killed in a very brutal manner. It is not that this practice is a "harmless prayer for a pure mind of love" as Kelsang Pema claimed at BBC. One has to see and get the complete story and not only fractions of it. The harm received the Shugden opponents, and people who have no idea about its harmful nature & context. It is common sense to put restrictions on it, I think. Neutral academical research (Mills): "in defence of the deity’s efficacy as a protector, named 23 government officials and high lamas that had been assassinated using the deity’s powers." Mills, Martin A, Human Rights in Global Perspective, p.56 see also: http://tibet.com/dholgyal/shugden-origins.htmlbers),
There is also the quote in Pabongkhas Supplement to the practice: "[This protector of the doctrine] is extremely important for holding Dzong-ka-ba's tradition without mixing and corrupting [it] with confusions due to the great violence and the speed of the force of his actions, which fall like lightning to punish violently all those beings who have wronged the Yellow Hat Tradition, whether they are high or low.[This protector is also particularly significant with respect to the fact that] many from our own side, monks or lay people, high or low, are not content with Dzong-ka-ba's tradition, which is like pure gold, [and] have mixed and corrupted [this tradition with ] the mistaken views and practices from other schools, which are tenet systems that are reputed to be incredibly profound and amazingly fast but are [in reality] mistakes among mistakes, faulty, dangerous andmisleading paths.In regard to this situation, this protector of the
continued from above;
Some examples of human rights infringements caused by the Dalai Lama’s ban includes, Dorje Shugden ordained practitioners’s expulsion from monasteries and being cut off from material and spiritual benefits making them destitute and other extreme examples include lay and ordained Shugden practitioners being subjected to physical violence and death threats. The Indian media has covered this since 1996.
Who is behind this mysterious Western Shugden Society? It is a so called "front organisation" of The New Kadampa Tradition, a highly controversial group, which is faced since years with cult alligations. A website unlocks its background: "Western Shugden Society - unlocked" http://www.flickr.com/photos/27319854@N08/
In a society where religion is not separated from the state, you can be humiliated, discriminated or worse if your view is different from the leader. The Dalai Lama himself had been worshiped the deity until he was 50. He then changed his view abruptly, but those people who had followed his teaching for life did not make the change fast enough or do not want to change their religious view have been targeted. This is another example why church has to separate totally from the state.
I have been in India many times and I have been a Buddhist for more than 30 years, I also speak Tibetan and have studied with many lamas, and I know that it is true what the Western Shugden Society is saying. The Tibetan community and now the Western Buddhist community too are divided and experiencing terrible moral and physical sufferings due to the religious ban by the Dalai Lama against the practice of Dorje Shugden. The Dalai Lama and his government are brutally implementing this ban in ways that remind you of the horrors of feudal times. The Tibetan community in their settlements in India are living in fear, exposed to continuous acts of violence, shrines, statues and books have been destroyed, hundreds of monks have been expelled from their monasteries, their water supply has been cut, they are denied food, medical services, the lay people who practice Shugden are ostracised, they lose their jobs, mobs will burn their houses, fami
Could somebody shut these cunts up?
wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org
westernshugdensociety.org
dorjeshugden.com
Cool! Please see: www.newkadampatruth.org
This site aims to offer factual, neutral and independent information on the current controversies against Dorje Shugden, NKT, etc.
These Shugden people seriously are misguiding themselves and the media. They have the full freedom to practice whatever religion they want. But, that does not mean HH the Dalai Lama must accept their religious practices or promote them. Religious freedom does not mean your religion will be accepted by everyone. No one is being prosecuted. The Tibetan Gov't In-Exile is exactly that-- a gov't in exile. It has no authority over people in India. The media seriously needs to wakeup to the falsehoods spread by Shugden people.
ALL the Tibetan lineages consider this devil worship to be disgusting. Shugden embodies the sectarian belief that other Tibetan lineages should be destroyed. There is a dark history associated with this devil. This is horrifying, these practitioners should leave us all alone!!!
On one hand, some may consider this to be an internal spiritual issue within Tibetan Buddhism but the human persecution of Tibetan Shugden practitioners in India makes this a HUMAN RIGHTS issue that the world can not ignore. Why isn't the Dalai Lama made accountable for the decade of human rights abuses that are resulting from his actions? For the sceptics out there please discover the evidence for yourself- it is there. I myself have drawn my own conclusions based on my research - and there is clear evidence of the persecution and ostracism of Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners in India because of the Dalai Lama's actions. One such evidence is provided by a documentary made by Swiss TV called 'Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugdan'. (Someone has kindly posted this on Youtube - it is definately worth watching).
On one hand, some may consider this to be an internal spiritual issue within Tibetan Buddhism but the human persecution of Tibetan Shugden practitioners in India makes this a HUMAN RIGHTS issue that the world can not ignore. Why isn't the Dalai Lama made accountable for the decade of human rights abuses that are resulting from his actions?
Diety discrimimation (which exactly is what Dalai Lama's actions are ) breaks India's constitutional law and persecution and discrimination on religious ground breaks Article 14 of Human Rights Act. I hope that we all use our wisdom and not be fooled by the Dalai Lama's celeberity status and his deceptive Maroon robes. I would urge the Western Media to go and investigate this issue further and uncover the evidence for yourself. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES concerns us all and we cannot sit back and do nothing!!!
The patronising, violent and self righteous attitudes on both sides of this debate is shocking.
Why is vilifying those who disagree with the Dalai Lama any different from Religious persection in the name of the Pope or any Mulla...
It is interesting both sides think they are different from western religions....you look the same to me!!