Dear western Shugden propitiators,
You must know that Tibetan Buddhism has been preserved and protected under the great leadership of HH the 14th Dalai Lama in exile. When Tibetans faced the most unprecedented challenge in the history of Tibet, HH the Dalai Lama, though only a teenage boy, shouldered the full responsibility, and exerted all his compassion and wisdom to guide the nation and its people. When everything related to religion including Tibetan Buddhism was destroyed by Red China, it was HH the Dalai Lama who, with his pre-eminent foresight, established the well-found monastic institutions in India. On account of this distinguished vision of HH the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism has spread from the East to the West, where some people have even deemed it as a panacea, though being exaggerated. It has indeed become an opportune rain for many, particularly for those who have suffered mentally due to lack of a secure and compassionate environment. I absolutely understand why so many people have become cynical and full of loathing against the culture and religion they are born in.
It is a pity that instead of cherishing and valuing what HH the 14th Dalai Lama has done for the sake of those who need such Dharma to alleviate their sufferings, some have even attempted to attack and slander him due to being misled. This is truly what we called “Reply to Kindness with Ingratitude”. It seems that some are indulging in confounding black and white and making deliberate prevarications. Having said this, I have to underscore again what HH the Dalai Lama has said about the propitiation of Shugden, “As a spiritual leader, it is my responsibility to tell people what is proper and what is improper; however, the ultimate choice is your own.” Does anyone find there is any mistake within this piece of advice? Moreover, he has never used the word “ban” on Shudgen practice.
Dear Shudgen propitiators, you have constantly claimed that you all are the true followers of Je Tsongkhapa and practicing pure dharma. I really doubt that because the basic doctrine of any religion is not to lie and distort the facts. I don’t know what kind of cult creed you are indeed practising. Is this what your self-claimed geshe, Kelsang, at first a vagabond Tibetan refugee, and then a multi-million-pound boss under the name of Tibetan Buddhism, has preached to you? Kelsang was expelled from his monastery since he had broken Samaya and he has now established the Shugden fundamentalist base in Britain. At the same time, he managed to recruit quite a number of Kelsang jihadists, whose main responsibility is to attack HH the 14th Dalai Lama and distort his original versions, and to create baseless fake video footages and upload them on YouTube or Facebook, etc.
Dear western Shugden propitiators, you are welcome to seek refuge in the authentic Tibetan Buddhism if it helps you cure your mental illness and reduce your depression and anxiety, as more and more psychologists have stated that modern science alone cannot be a solution to the increasing symptoms of mental illness. Tibetan Buddhism, derived from Buddha’s authentic teachings, has formed its unique system through many centuries of enrichment and contributions of our great masters. As a Tibetan, I am so happy to see that the religion and culture developed and expanded by my ancestors have become the greatest healing power for gloomy and anguished people. I am happy to see that more and more westerners engage in the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and benefit from it.
Half a century ago, Tibetan Buddhism was still an unknown concept for westerners. Many had no idea about what it basically emphasized. But then under the outstanding leadership of HH the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, Tibetan Buddhism has been introduced to the West from the exiled society in India, and is now being practised by many. During the process of being introduced to the West, Tibetan Buddhism has been misused and hijacked by some disqualified religious opportunists. One of the emblematic instances of such being is this egoistic self-claimed geshe Kelsang. Many westerners have been misguided by such fake geshes who are trying to seize the opportunity to set up their respective dharma centres, where they turn innocent and unwise followers to evil way, because they lack the necessary experience to distinguish the right one from the bogus one. The textbook example of such phenomena is western Shugden followers who have been used by NKT, the headquarters of Kelsang Gyatso, to engage in baseless slanders and calumny against the HH Dalai Lama, who is the sole hope and sun of the six million Tibetan people. The actions of those Western Shugden followers are clear signs of declaring a war against six million Tibetans, who have essentially undergone so much under the repressive regime of Communist China. Even some leaders of the Chinese Communist Party have privately expressed how they value and respect HH the Dalai Lama. In this regard, the Shugden followers are worse than the Communist Chinese.
Many are wondering how people have become such blind and fanatical followers of a disqualified geshe! There are many mysterious events going on at the “Headquarters of the Cult Centre”, as an ex-member of NKT has described: “Shugden is used by NKT as a psychological technique to silence and control the most committed ‘insiders’ using ‘meditation’, and secondly, to silence critical ‘outsiders’ …” Nowadays, even the Tibetan people are not so religious and superstitious, while there are so many religious fundamentalists emerging from the “dharma centres” in the West! Isn’t it bizarre and laughable?
There have been substantial and undeniable facts showing that those Shugden followers have colluded with the Chinese government. And one cannot overturn this mounting evidence. Therefore, it is clear why those Shugden followers have been so “enthusiastic and energetic”.
Finally, with regard to your fierce protests against HH the 14th Dalai Lama: To the majority of the Tibetan people, though the external appearance of your protests may look smooth and gentle, in a deeper sense the action is very violent and disgraceful. On the contrary, sincere actions and words done with positive motivation are essentially non-violent.
Therefore, I sincerely request you to stop continuously causing conflict within Tibetan society, and you are welcome to practice the authentic Buddhism. Thank you!
Nathan Gyatso
NEW YORK CITY, US
16 November 2014
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily that of Tibet Sun
Thank you Nathan Gyatso for the Wonderful, yet powerful article.
A dagger straight into the heart!
Those Western Shugdenpas appear to have simulated as “Savior” for some alleged “Victims”; nonetheless, for those who understand the truth, what those Westerner are trying to tell is some fantastic tales, which have been completely disproved. []
Tibetans Shugden followers in India have their own monasteries; their children have enjoyed all benefits, including the right to receive education at the schools run by the Tibetan government, right for medication, right for legally staying in the hosted country. They also travel freely with the documents provided by the Tibetan government. Most importantly, those Tibetans who legally reside in the Western Countries have obtained the legal status because of the Exile Tibetan government.
When these [Tibetan] Shudgen followers apply for asylum, they claim that they are the victims of the Chinese government, once they obtain their legal status, [i think some] have colluded and become good friends of the Chinese government. In this case, the Western government should have revoked their legal status [].
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[In my view this] article is [very] out of touch with the truth of religious discrimination going on in the Buddhist community.
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Thank you Nathan Gyatso for your excellent and timely article.
Please pray so that the Tibetans who protested outside the talks given by the Dalai Lama can have the religious freedom that you and I have. Thanks.
@Patrick.
[I do not see that anyone is banned from worshipping dogyal.]
Are the monks of Serpom banned from worshipping dogyal?
http://serpommonastery.org/home1.html
[This link says] no.
Are the monks of Shar Ganden banned from worshipping dogyal?
http://shargadenpa.org/
[This link says] no.
Are the NKT banned from worshipping dogyal?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaTdFH2vLJk
[This link says] no.
Are those that attended dogyal initiations in Tibet banned from worshipping dogyal?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOniGdo1Nc
[This link says] no.
[It seems to me that by making these accusations], NKT/ISC making things more bitter for shugden followers in India and Tibet.
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[I feel that i would like] people to be free from [what i see as] sectarian intimidation perpetrated by the gyalpo worshippers [].
[I see that] the NKT may [feel that] their protector is a [] buddha, but Trijang Rinpoche was clear it was a mundane protector that punished those that opposed the narrow sectarian version of Je Rinpoche’s tradition as expounded by Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo.
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[I feel that i am seeing the NKT speaking — ] here they come playing [what i see as] propagandist word games. [In my analysis] the game is to create a false issue where they can pretend to place themselves on the morally superior side of the argument. [But to me] the truth is that the argument that they wish to rest their case upon, is entirely spurious, i.e., is not what it purports to be.
The Tibetans in the demonstrations mostly live in the West and they ALREADY HAVE religious AND poitical freedom, as they do in India too, unlike the Tibetans about whom [i believe] you can’t care less, whose human rights are really under attack by totalitarian Red China, whose agenda you seem to so thoroughly support. Patrick, [to me] your claims are spurious and totally deceptive – [and i feel that the same words] just about sum up the New Kadampa Tradition (ISC) perfectly.
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This is a complex issue and we would like to have discussions about it with the Dalai Lama. So far, for the last 20 years, he has refused. We are not evil, devil worshippers. We are ordinary people who wish their Tibetan Shugden practitioner counterparts the same freedom we have in the West. [I think that] there is a climate of intimidation in the Tibetan Community in exile. The very least the Dalai Lama can do is request his followers not to harm or ostracize Shugden followers. [I don’t think he is doing this.]
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This is indeed a very complex issue. You guys very casually talk about religious discrimination and ostracism. I’m not saying that there are not some people who maybe ostracising. But my question to you is what about the right to safety and security of any humble, god-fearing, simple person who doesn’t believe in the spirit, who believes that the spirit has harmed people in the past as stated by Zemey Rimpoche?
Mind you, i know that that Zemey Rimpoche and others mention this with the belief that it is a good sign and strong power of the spirit, when actually they couldn’t be more wrong. I am so sad that where there is so much Dharma flourishing, also at the same time there was and is still so much distortion and wrong understanding and wrong view. Enough of your shouting and screaming and get down to your real Dharma practise. Nobody is bothering you.
Hi Jima, I would not like to mingle with Shugden followers who [i have heard] have murdered three people right under the nose of HHDL residence, beaten elected Tibetan settlement officers and their families and monks and lamas who don’t agree with them. Violence and arson on monastery that speaks against this sectarian practice.