The Dalai Lama seems to possess two faces. For many supporters and believers, the Dalai Lama is popularly seen with a warm smile, a kindly demeanour, deep wisdom, pacifist views and great tolerance for having lost his entire country. However, the Dalai Lama is also increasingly seen as a deposed ruler with an agenda devoted towards restoring theocratic rule in Tibet.
People around the world suffer from the increasing disparity between the wealthy and the poor, lower job security, broken families, rising crime rates and so forth. People are becoming more and more dissatisfied with materialism; in the West, people are becoming disillusioned with the fallacies of the Christian Church. As such, many are looking towards other forms of spirituality to solve their problems. So, many are increasingly swayed by the Dalai Lama’s message and the promise of a spiritual tradition that has familiar prayers and icons, while exuding a wonderfully exotic vibe.
With the massive appeal of the Dalai Lama, especially in the West, many have turned a blind eye towards the ‘other side’ of the Dalai Lama. Perhaps, the West has a vested interest in the Dalai Lama and the Tibet issue because it is hoped that the support would trigger something like the Ukrainian Orange Revolution in China. The revolution was foreign-funded and shook Ukraine to its core in 2004; it was known that the whole production had been to serve the interests of the Americans in that region.
Then, in 2008, a TV news program in France shocked viewers when it broadcasted the Dalai Lama giving “a speech of rare violence in a South Indian University”. In this speech, the Dalai Lama told the exiled Tibetan community under his leadership to disassociate themselves from practitioners of the protector deity Dorje Shugden. This was to reinforce the earlier ban on the practice by the Dalai Lama in the Tibetan monasteries, settlements and governmental institutions, particularly within Tibetan communities outside Tibet.
Dorje Shugden is not an obscure Tibetan deity but one that is widely practiced in China, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Russia, Europe and America, to name only a few countries. The Dalai Lama’s ban on this Protector created rampant discrimination in Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal. Public notices were posted up which disallowed Shugden practitioners access to public places such as shops, hospitals and clinics. All civil rights and welfare of Dorje Shugden practitioners were revoked. Monks were expelled from their monasteries if they did not renounce the practice. Although the Dalai Lama himself practiced Dorje Shugden in his earlier years, he forbade the practice and has accused practitioners of being spies for the Chinese.
This is a huge contrast to the message that the Dalai Lama gives whenever he travels all over the world. He gives speeches about compassion, forgiveness and understanding between different faiths wherever he goes. The Dalai Lama is often seen in the company of different religious leaders in order to promote inter-religious harmony. People of all faiths, backgrounds, cultures and religious traditions are welcome to join the Dalai Lama’s teachings and public talks. He displays an incredibly warm and embracing energy to people all over the globe. However, this public appearance strongly contradicts what is happening within his own exiled Tibetan society in India, where fellow Buddhists are not permitted anywhere near the Dalai Lama simply because they have chosen to continue their Shugden practice.
There are two sides to how the world perceives the Dalai Lama but as long as people continue to see only one aspect and remain ignorant about the other, blatant discrimination within the Tibetan Buddhist society will perpetuate. Eventually this leads only to the weakening of the very message of compassion and tolerance that the world has so fondly come to associate with the Dalai Lama.
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Fanatica Mtsui
September 26, 2013
Contradiction is not something new in Buddhism. The Buddha himself is found to be contradictory in the different sutras that he has preached. If we take those words on the surface, we will be confused and blame the Buddha for confusing us. Instead of focusing on ourselves, why not we focus on the levels of the receivers of the teachings. This is very logical: if you are a uni graduate in mathematics, you see 1+1= with infinite possibilities, but try telling a kindergarten that only knew 1+1=2. This is no difference with HHDL who is seen by us as contradictory. Just ask yourself, what does he gets out of banning Shugden’s practice?
Anonymous
February 27, 2014
not being of any religious persuasion, this article and others like it, seem hellbent on discrediting HH The Dalai Lama. Having been a practioner in his earlier life, do you think he may have some experience? Is it possible that worshipping protector spirits is possibly going down the wrong path? Surely we must all look at our own selves and actions, rather than bow down to another entity for help. I think it’s great that people are attempting to improve their lives, and looking within to expand consciousness and further our human cause, but these types of reports are certainly not going to win over any discerning minds. It is my conclusion, therefore, that this type of reporting is only attempting to win over a mind that is weak.
If you are to gain any respect as an organisation, I would advise you to change tack, and maybe rise above this political nonsense. Surely, if you were right, your love and compassion would be even greater and you’d be writing with a whole lot more respect.
MonicaMillar
March 1, 2014
Just because the nun does not raise her voice one cannot say she is peaceful. It appears that she is either gifted or well trained at repetitive, accusatory , monochromatic assertions –This does not mean that her intent is non-violence.
Karlos Suzuisky
March 23, 2014
I think it is true. You can see there are so many Tibetan who are Dalai Lama’s followers suffering. Every monastery younger monks are suffering from lack of good food, clothing and basic needs. Owner of monastery travel in Benz Car, chartering helicopter, even they have families too. So, it is kind of business or way of living in the name Lord Buddha. It is way of living.
Kelly
November 14, 2014
It is true a lot of Tibethan are suffering a lot especially the DS practitioner who live in India. However the Dalai Lama action I think is not for us to comment because we do not know the actual reason but whatever is it the CTA should not hurt anyone I think this is not right. The CTA should not take advantage of the local Tibethan because being exile from your own country is already a lot of suffering so every Tibethan should work together to support each others and live harmoniously .