Two staunch anti-Shugden supporters express how disheartening it has been for them to watch the Tibetan leadership publish their hit list of the top 20 Tibetans to protest against the Dalai Lama
The recent protests against the Dalai Lama on the Dorje Shugden issue, which started in February 2014 in the West Coast of USA and extended to Europe recently, seems to have irked the Tibetan leadership further. Besides the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan officials being confronted with the deluge of protesting crowds at the entrances and exits the Dharma talk venues, the Dorje Shugden group had more than once openly confronted the Dalai Lama in the midst of the public talk itself.
Obviously this has irked the Tibetan leadership to step up their measures to “protect” the Dalai Lama, including claims that the Dorje Shugden group is threatening the Dalai Lama’s safety, having some anti-Shugden outspoken people like Robert Thurman write article denouncing Dorje Shugden and its practitioners in the media, etc. in order to counter the protests. Robert Thurman may be learned, but he is definitely not an expert in Dorje Shugden history and issues. He should read the commentary by His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche on Dorje Shugden. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA; the Tibetan leadership) claiming that the Dorje Shugden group threatening the Dalai Lama’s safety is just trying to take the attention away from the actual issue. No Dorje Shugden practitioner wishes harm to the Dalai Lama, nor has threatened him and his followers. They have peacefully protested for the Dorje Shugden ban to be removed and for the followers of this four million strong faith to be respected. The ban is an infringement on religious freedom. No government or leadership has the right to deny freedom of religious worship. To say publicly as the Tibetan leadership has done, that we have the freedom to worship, but simultaenously condemn this form of worship, is tantamount to a ban also as many Tibetans take what the Dalai Lama say literally.
Click image to enlarge. Originally from http://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2014/05/22/no-naming-names-the-cta-should-continue-with-a-measured-response/
All these were usual and reasonable actions of opposing camps bantering back and forth each claiming their own stand, until this – the official Tibetan Government-in-Exile (now the CTA) website recently listed the names of 20 key people in the protests against the ban. It is obvious what the motivation behind is; it is sinister to say the least.
Without stating the obvious, the Tibetan leadership is instigating something to be done against these people. It is no different than a “wanted, dead or alive” list for terrorists and criminals. Not only were the names and photos published, but the background, residence and place of the protesters were also listed clearly, obviously making the people in the list easy targets for anti-Dorje Shugden people who would like to take matters into their own hands. This is putting the people in the list under duress and they may possibly have to go hiding for fear of their personal safety. This has happened many times in the past. Violence, threats and ostracization created and instigated by the Tibetan leadership against the Dorje Shugden practitioners in the Tibetan community are well-known and is the order of the day. Un-Buddhistic is an understatement, so much so that the action of putting up this “hit list” has drawn opposition even from people who usually take a neutral or pro-Dalai Lama stand.
Tenzin Peljor (or Tenpel) is a prominent anti-Shugden critic and pro-Dalai Lama supporter. Even he notes that the publication of the list was a serious political and public relations misstep
It is a public relations disaster, which is starting to backfire and is raising question towards the Tibetan leadership’s integrity and motivation behind the ban on Dorje Shugden. Obviously the ban against Dorje Shugden is politically motivated to say the least, in order to gain full control and power.
One can argue and debate about ideological differences, but once it gets personal by coming up with individual names, it puts the credibility of Tibetan leadership in severe doubt. And this exactly reveals the true color of Tibetan leadership – malignant, hypocritical, and likes to resort to violence to take care of matters, leading to the revelation of the real perpetrator behind the whole Dorje Shugden issue, so much so that it now draws outcry from even neutral groups and people who have been sympathizing towards the Tibetan leadership until now.
Love, wisdom, skillful means and compassion are what the Tibetan leadership always espouses and preaches to the West in order to get financial and political support. They also compare themselves to the so-called human rights violations in China to make themselves look like martyrs, when they themselves are perpetrating even worse atrocities with the ban on religious freedoms within their own communities.
Tenzin Peljor believes that to target people simply for protesting is not the appropriate response for anyone, let alone an administration
The Dalai Lama has now toned down his rhetoric against Dorje Shugden in Western public gatherings, but not in Tibetan circles, due to many who have warned Dalai Lama that it is a public relations disaster. To the Western crowd he will say that he does not ban the Shugden practice and everyone has the right to practice, and it is his duty to warn people that this is a spirit practice. Why is it his duty? To label Shugden practitioners as ‘spirit worshipers’ is not his duty nor is it respecting the rights of freedom of worship. What is the point if giving freedom to worship in one breath, but in another breath saying that it is a harmful spirit practice? You want to look like you are open and democratic, but in truth you are denigrating a form of worship that you have no right to criticize. The Dalai Lama should not disrespect the Westerners, Easterners, Tibetans and anyone who wishes to practice Dorje Shugden or any faith. Do not mention Dorje Shugden practice is spirit worship. What follower of any religion would appreciate someone demonizing their form of worship? Do not call Shugden followers ‘spirit worshipers’. This is a judgment of their personal beliefs which he has no right to make especially publicly. Even the normally pro Dalai Lama people are waking up to this unjust persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners.
More examples
See below for another example of opinions shared by the anti-Shugden crowd regarding the list published the the Central Tibetan Administration earlier this week.
Thierry Dodin and Jamyang Khedrup are of the opinion the Central Tibetan Administration made a huge political and public relations mistake in publishing this hit list
Read more about the CTA’s hit list on Shugden practitioners
Update – 1st June 2014
The CTA’s hit list grows, adding 14 more Dorje Shugden practitioners to their original 20-person target list. The question is, is this the end or will the CTA continue to add more names to their list, until the world can no longer ignore the obvious lack of religious freedoms, and intentional targeting and discrimination of Shugden practitioners?
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Jacob
May 24, 2014
I am extremely baffled by the CTA’s complete audacity to put up such a list on their website trying to incite violence. Even anti-shugden followers are disappointed by the fact how dumb the CTA can be to put up the list and then take it down. Dorje Shugden practitioners has always in history till present been protesting peacefully and for the CTA to come up with this “hit-list” publicly just isn’t right especially from the spiritualistic point of view. This is further clear proof that the CTA is malicious, vindictive and violent. The more they themselves show their true colors the more the truth comes out and more people would understand and learn about the injustice for Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Solomon Lang
May 25, 2014
Dear CTA,
Please consult your ex-leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on this.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks to a general audience, to people like me, he makes a certain division that is very helpful. He speaks of three: Buddhist science, Buddhist philosophy, and Buddhist religion.
In Buddhist philosophy, he likes to give one example of the way in which Buddhist thinking works – The Four Noble Truths.
First, there is suffering, “all the problems that we all face”.
…Yes CTA, the Tibetan people are suffering…
The second fact is that these problems come from causes.
…Yes CTA, a cause of the Tibetan peoples’ suffering is you…
The third fact is that there is such a thing as a stopping, a getting rid of the problems.
…Yes CTA, you can lift the ban!…
And the fourth fact is that the way we get rid of the problems is to get rid of the causes of the problems, and that is by means of following some sort of… it’s usually called a path, but it’s referring to a way of understanding, a way of acting, a way of speaking, and so on.
…Yes CTA, if you don’t lift the ban soon, you will all be voted out!
Tenzin K
May 25, 2014
Shugden practitioners have come to a point to stand up and speak up for their freedom of religious. The suffering from ban cause by the Tibetan leader for 18 years have push them to this state where we will see more people will not just protest publicly but talk with the rational, humanity and peaceful manner to claim their right for religious freedom. More and more interview to show to the world the truth of what happening in the Tibetan community, how much suffering and violent attack from the Tibetan government that the Shugden practitioners have gone through.
The people in the interview are the heroes to motivate more people to speak up and show more evident on how bad the CTA has treated them. These people knows they will be in danger and may even add in to the CTA Shugden followers protest list : http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/tibetan-leadership-makes-a-huge-mistake/
But if so the name in the list will just keep growing as more and more people will come out and tell the world the truth of their suffering from the CTA! Will come to a point that the list is no longer meant for anything because there are too many to list for their freedom of religious!
Icy
May 27, 2014
The Central Tibetan Administration in India think they are still in ancient Tibet. Their mentality is still so primitive.
john sharp
May 27, 2014
The Tibetan Prime minister Mr.Lobsang Sangy is a lawer ,graduated from Havard Law School. He should know the International Law on Human Right and Religious Freedom. If he is sincere with his degree then he should advise Dalai Lama on these matters.
Where lies the real power of State when such crise is urgently to be solved??
ANDREA KEATING
May 30, 2014
It is very sad to learn the news of CTA publishing the list of names of the 20 key people in the protests against the ban. What their intention was is no longer the question, but the implication of the post may lead to exposing the personal safety of these people. Did they not think? Or was imposing fear to stop others from practicing what they claim to be spirit worship is more important? Obviously it is another of those political thing about getting what they want at all cost agenda. What is CTA so afraid of? Something for us to think about.