Letter to the western Shugden propitiators

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