Misuse of Hospitality by some Tibetan Refugees

[WisdomBeing]

As I was browsing the net today, I stumbled across this 2008 article which interestingly shows an Indian perspective which appears sympathetic to the Dorje Shugden issue.

(FYI,  The Himalayan Beacon is a monthly news-magazine published in Darjeeling by The Mandalay Books India (Pvt.) Ltd., and distributed throughout Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim. It is now owned by The Mandalay Books India (Pvt.) Ltd., which publishes other periodicals, including the weekly newspaper ‘This Week’ and ‘The Himalayan Traveller’. It is the largest and the first magazine to be published by and for the Darjeeling Hills. Nicknamed the “Fire Hose” for its colourful appearance and undiplomatic journalistic style, it is often regarded as a source of record, meaning that it is frequently relied upon as the official and authoritative reference for modern events.)


Row Over Monastery Head – Misuse of Hospitality by some Tibetan Refugees
(http://thehimalayanbeacon.com/magazine/tag/dorjey-shugden-diety/)

Posted by Barun Roy on 2nd April 2008

By Norbu
The row over Monastery head in a nutshell represents the misuse of our hospitality by some of the Tibetan refugees owing allegiance to the Dalai Lama. These people have scant regard for the fundamental right to religion enshrined in our constitution and even in Indian soil behave as if they are still in a Theocratic state of Tibet. It was the Indian Gorkha Bhutias who bear similiar religion and culture to the Tibetans who sympathised with them and welcomed them in Darjeeling when they fled Tibet. Later on some of the Tibetans even misrepresented facts and enrolled as Bhutia Tribe and falsely acquired Indian citizens. They were used to mixing religion with politics in Tibet and tried to practice the same in Secular India even to the extent of ordering Indian monasteries to remove Dorjey Shugden diety while the administration watched haplessly. It was largely due to these people and their activities that the local Darjeelingeys became wary of them and the AAGSU had to openly criticize them. The Indian Gorkha Bhutias also started distancing themselves from the Tibetans.

[Big Uncle]

Wow, thank you WisdomBeing! This article is one of the rare opinions of Indians and I don't really think it was meant to be sympathetic to Dorje Shugden practitioners. I think the journalist wrote his honest observation of what he saw as the blatant disregard and abuse of Indian hospitality towards the Tibetans. The journalist feels that the ban is an utter disregard of the Indian constitution, the country that welcomed them.

After all, what do the TGIE and Tibetans contribute to India? They live on Indian soil and all they do is take up land, take away valuable resources, take up jobs and create trouble with this controversy. The question remains, what have the Tibetans did to return the kindness of its host, India? After all, returning kindness is of central importance in Buddhist practice but do the TGIE and Tibetans in general exemplify that?

[DSFriend]

Ones in awhile, I'll get questions from friends (Buddhists - but not Tibetan Buddhists, and non-Buddhists) about the confusion, the entanglement of politics and religion, theocratic ruling, ban, just to name a few associated to Tibetan Buddhism.

It is quite hard to explain and shed any light on these circumstances as outwardly we all can observe what's going on. The ban is a shame. The misuse of hospitality is a shame.

However, I find that these seemingly negative circumstances within the religion gives us such an opportunity to practice the pure teachings. It hits very close to home though, and without the guidance of a qualified Guru, it will be quite difficult to see beyond the circumstances.

How long will the Indian government still take in the Tibetan refugees?

[triesa]

Thank you WB for sharing this article.

I don't blame the Indians for having this feeling towards the Tibetan refugees. It is like when someone offer your family to stay in his house purely out of kindness and hospitality, and in return, you create trouble and even fights among your family members in the house, you think that person will welcome your family to stay in his house in the future? I won't.

It shows a total lack of appreciation of the Tibetans towards the government of India and the Indian people themselves. Yes, it is a shame and even more so when peace, harmony and compassion are the vitures in Buddha's teachings.

[Helena]

Thank you so much for sharing this article, WB.

I think its quite understandable how this has come to be.

At that time when India took in all the Tibetan refugees, it was at the height of so called sympathy for the Tibetans and obviously, India had her own disagreements with China.

However, things can easily change as they always do.

India would definitely want back their land and why not, especially if Tibetans are seen and regarded to be troublesome. India can do many things with their land.

If China and India get together on a new partnership of sorts, which is possible seeing how China can easily invest in many countries and in large amounts - Tibetans in Exile may find themselves truly homeless again.

It would not surprise me that India's Government would use all the excuses in the world to regain or reclaim their own property back and etc. Today it's the Karmapa, tomorrow it will be something else.

After the Dalai Lama's passing - Tibetans in Exile may face a fate worse than exile - they might just become "outcasts" overnight. Something similar to what TGIE did to all Shugden practitioners.

Talk about real Karma in FULL action.

Hence, what Tibetans in Exile should do now is really to NOT stir up any more trouble and act as if they still are governing some country which is not theirs and living in a land which is also not theirs.

Here and now, they should be more humble and very very grateful. Be more quiet would not hurt either.

 

[WisdomBeing]

Thank you so much for sharing this article, WB.

I think its quite understandable how this has come to be.

At that time when India took in all the Tibetan refugees, it was at the height of so called sympathy for the Tibetans and obviously, India had her own disagreements with China.

However, things can easily change as they always do.

India would definitely want back their land and why not, especially if Tibetans are seen and regarded to be troublesome. India can do many things with their land.

If China and India get together on a new partnership of sorts, which is possible seeing how China can easily invest in many countries and in large amounts - Tibetans in Exile may find themselves truly homeless again.

It would not surprise me that India's Government would use all the excuses in the world to regain or reclaim their own property back and etc. Today it's the Karmapa, tomorrow it will be something else.

After the Dalai Lama's passing - Tibetans in Exile may face a fate worse than exile - they might just become "outcasts" overnight. Something similar to what TGIE did to all Shugden practitioners.

Talk about real Karma in FULL action.

Hence, what Tibetans in Exile should do now is really to NOT stir up any more trouble and act as if they still are governing some country which is not theirs and living in a land which is also not theirs.

Here and now, they should be more humble and very very grateful. Be more quiet would not hurt either.

 

The change in the Indian government's stance towards the Tibetans is really impermanence in action.

With the current issue with the Karmapa and the government having a compulsory acquisition of the land Gyuto monastery is on, the Indian government is showing that they are in control, and definitely not the TGIE, which has zero political power in reality. The Tibetans are essentially governed by the constitution of India as opposed to the Tibetan one, and the Tibetan refugee camps are in existence purely on the generosity of the Indian government.

Should the Tibetans NOT respect Indian laws, they will see the Indian government take action. Especially in the sunset years of the Dalai Lama's reign.

The point of the Tibetans being outcasts is definitely a possibility with India being so infamous for their archaic but existing caste system. Which caste would refugees be under? Especially troublesome ones.

Yes, Karma will come round as it always does.

[Helena]

Dear WB,

You are always so eloquent in your explanation and sharing.

Thank you for that.

As I read through your post, I see how Tibetans In Exile and TGIE are no different from us. They are merely visitors or guests on Indian lands. They are not owners or rulers. Yet over the years, they have grown so accustomed to being in that space and have begun to think that they actually own that space. They think they RULE over that space and have power over that space.

I say we are like them because we are so attached to this shell of our bodies. We work so hard to please it and go after things which bring this body pleasure but ignore or neglect the more fundamental issues staring at us.

Impermanence makes it that we own nothing in the end. Not even this body that we treasure so much. We would have to leave it one day.

Anything can happen at any time to change our imagined state of being.

The only true ruler of all lands and men is KARMA.

Everything else is just a passing delusion.

I guess, this is for me, the biggest learning from all of this.

The realization that we are no different.

And we hang onto our attachments, our squabbles, wanting to be right, wanting to win, etc - in the end, everything will be gone or taken away.

Only Dharma and Karma will remain.

[WisdomBeing]

If anyone is interested in the changing status of Tibetan refugees in India, do read this interesting document (dated 30 April 2008 but still relevant): http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF183.htm

The conclusion is: "The problems facing Tibetan communities in India are twofold: the increasing intolerance of the Indian government as it warms up to China in an environment of diminished rights for Tibetans, and the challenge of a limited and overburdened infrastructure, land and social services in the face of an expanding population and resource depletion. 

The Indian government has been permissive, but not overly happy with Tibetans in exile in recent years. This position, which has thus far created an environment where Tibetans are able to live in exile, is also a position, which technically allows for wide governmental discretion in restricting their rights. In the context of renewed political volatility in Tibet, the new Maoist dispensation in Nepal and increasing pressure from China, India cannot be counted on to assure the rights protection of Tibetan refugees in the future."

The TGIE's days are numbered...

[Gabby Potter]

This is a sad article to read about actually, people who do Dorje Shugden practise are discriminated against and some even not provided with hospitality. So sad///

[grandmapele]

It never is proper to mix the secular with the spiritual. As is with Tibetans, even when the Dalai Lama has announced that he has retired from his political office, he is still viewed as their political leader. But, here again there is confusion as the Dalai Lama was never the spiritual leader of the Gelugs, much less all the Tibetan Buddhist School; the Gaden Tripa is the spiritual leader of the Gelugpas. Guess it was expediency that the westerners mixed that up for the Tibetans to play to it. That's why the Americans separate church from state.

[DharmaDefender]

All democratic nations in the world:

1) separate church from state, or at least make a better show of it

2) hold their leaders accountable. If anyone in our Parliament were accused of murder, let alone corruption and embezzlement, Scotland Yard would be on to them pretty quickly

3) have a system in place to groom future leaders

But not in Dharamsala because well, its not really a democracy is it?

[Dondrup Shugden]

DharmaDefender, thank you for the definition of a democratic nation.

It is not within the scope of international integrity for CTA in Dharamsala as it must be made known that CTA is not an international legal entity recognised and as such CTA and its members do not abide by any common well accepted rules.

CTA has defied and acted against the simple rule of freedom of religion by the Ban on Dorje Shugden worship.  This is really telling on who they are.