SAVE THE GANDEN TRADITION AND ALL OTHER SPIRITUAL PATHS FROM PSEUDO REFORMISTS, MEGALOMANIACS AND MONOPOLIES
The Ganden Lineage has survived 7 centuries but never has it undergone such difficult times as those of today. Buddhamuni Dagom Rinpoche - my kind preceptor - said to me in 2004 that whatever unfortunate circumstances had happened since 1996, were in fact a powerful blessing from Dorje Shugden himself! Who amongst the followers of the Ganden tradition would have such an insight as this? Everybody refers to it as the year in which misfortunes for Shugden followers had begun! My master also added to this that in the years since 1996, people became united in their goals briefly. Amongst Tibetan followers of Dorje Shugden. There was a fellowship of respect and harmony and the will to stand up together, and support each other. But after 2000, when Dharamsala's vendettas seemed to briefly calm down (which was actually not the case as it was preparing for a long drawn battle with followers of DS) Shugden followers returned back to the same reticent lifestyle of self-cherishing agendas.
This was said to me in a serious vein by the Guru, who seemed deeply concerned. Today he is not here anymore physically amongst us.
THE BAN WAS AN ATTACK ON THE TEACHINGS BUT A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
As for the initiatives to segregate the Monasteries and cause schism in the Sangha and the Tibetan populace in 2008, had my Lama been alive, he would have proclaimed this as the best ever Activity(Thinlay) performed by a Deity! But in my own perception, our followers are seemingly becoming ever more lethargic and self-centred. Unfortunately, a considerable number of Dorje Shugden followers are busy building castles and their fortunes in this illusory world; busy promoting their Institutions and parochialism - all in the name of Dharma! This is not a good sign and is detrimental for the future of Dharma. Some people are of the opinion that simply by forcing all Tibetans not to share spiritual and material provisions with Shugden followers, the Dalai Lama and Samdong Tulku had virtually opened the way for the freedom of Shugden followers to build up their lives and Institutions. But the fact remains that Shugden followers - mostly in India and Nepal - are ‘stateless’. Since they are a race and a people as Tibetans, they are living in societies – both in the East and the West – clustered together but not assimilated into their respective mainstreams. By promoting Tibetan Buddhism in their respective countries of residence, many feel their roles as messianic and hence they do not feel they have something to adopt and learn from the cultures and societies that actually give them asylum! Some time back, a Chinese friend of mine said to me that ‘Tibetan Lamas in the West are on a treasure hunt and self centred. They teach their students to do nothing but engage in religious practices (he meant by this,sadhanas and retreats)and fund their temples(meaning center related projects of the Lama).The Lamas in Tibet Autonomous Region,' he continued, ‘are more altruistic and serve their populace selflessly, without hopes for remuneration and any other expectations'. There is an element of truth in this, unfortunately, and I consider myself to be one of these Lamas!
LEARNING FROM THE HISTORY OF OTHER FAITHS
We must not forget that many genuine believers of their respective faiths have experienced persecution and were on the verge of extinction, in the manner of a holocaust. But once many of the persecuted followers could re-emerge from these predicaments and grow in strength and numbers, they would also become powerful and oppressive, nurturing all forms of unimaginable debauchery. Look at the History of the early Christians - the desert Fathers and Gnostics and their growth into a mighty force since the patronage it received from the times of Constantinople the Great. All one requires is to peek into the annals of institutionalized Christianity and see the horrors of the Crusades and the Inquisition. That ruined the sanctity of what was a pure movement at its inception. Tibetan Buddhism and institutionalized Gelugpas have not been an exception. All one need do is look at the profile and orientation of the big monastic institutions claiming to be the Seats of the Gelugpas. They are behaving like the Pharisees, with the Tibetan Leader seeming like one of the notorious Popes! Claiming Shugdenites to be enemies of the Tibetan Cause, harmful to harmony and worshippers of the Devil, greatly resembles what The Vatican and the Spanish Inquisition Council did to exterminate Gnostic Christians, followers of pagan faiths, healers and even those of other monotheistic religions.
JUDGING THE MERITS OF THE BAN AT THE CONVENTIONAL LEVEL
Today, if the Dalai Lama is emboldened and determined to exterminate the very practice of Dorje Shugden, it is because he knows that many of our Lamas and Geshes who are actually in a position to oppose him, will not do so! This is simply because many are afraid of his political clout. There are again those who claim that because they have taken Teachings from him, opposing him would be breaking samaya with a Guru. Necessarily, as, the Lamrim teaches us that all Gurus are to be treated with equal reverence and a Root Guru does not become an excuse for disregarding all the other Gurus, this is understandable. Even so, it only requires some basic intelligence to comprehend that in these degenerate times, Mara too can appear as the Guru! And that it is ultimately the intention, the Teachings and the virtuous goal served - and not an individual’s words or conventional appearances - that ought to be judged. As Buddha outlined with the words: 'Do not look at the person (the vehicle or medium) but the Dharma itself, the Meaning and not the mere words the Ultimate and not the relative.' Whether the Tibetan Nobel Laureate is truly Avalokiteshwara and is merely testing our wills and commitment to practice the pure Ganden lineage, even at the cost of our lives, or that because of his deeds in banning Shugden and fanning hatred against Shugden followers, he has actually made Shugden practice widespread is an idea somewhat naive.
Scores of followers have broken their commitments. This involves not only the Mahayana outlook of not discriminating sentient beings but also disparaging one's Lineage Masters and tutoring others to see holy beings as Devil-worshippers and enemies of the Tibetan Cause - whatever that may be! There is confusion, burning hatred and distrust amongst people and not merely Tibetans. The deaths of their foremost Refuges Dema Gonsar Rinpoche in Tibet and Dagom Rinpoche in Nepal, the threats to the lives and activities of many other prominent Gelugpa Lamas - too many to mention, and one of the causes for Yongyal Rinpoche to seek asylum in the US - these are but a few examples to cite.
HOLINESS IS TO BE JUDGED BY ACTIONS AND THEIR RESULTS AND NOT BY POPULAR BELIEFS
In 2003, when I was in Singapore, I made a call to the Venerable Denma Gonsar Rinpoche. At that time he revealed to me something intriguing, which I never forgot. He related to me an incident in which a monk from the Sera Je Monastery in India, who was on a visit to Lhasa, had specifically come to him with a message from the Dalai Lama. The substance was this: that the Rinpoche performed great activities for Tsongkhapa's Teachings, but his practice of Dholgyal was a grave error! That he should cease with the practice because it could cause him obstacles in his activities. Rinpoche then turned to me and said that there was no greater threat to the Ganden Lineage than the Dalai Lama himself! Then he recalled a passage in the Secret Biography of Gungthang Rinpoche - a great 17th century Ganden Throne holder - and said: 'There are stated to be one amongst the 1st to the 7th amongst the Dalais that could be an Avalokiteshwara Emanation. From the 8th until the 13th, one could be a manifestation of the 16 Arhats. The 14th is alleged to be one born as a result of negative aspirations himself’. He mentioned to me that he had only revealed this to the Phabongkha Rinpoche and myself. Gurudeva Rinpoche said to me in 2004,as a parting advice in his residence at Ulan Bator, that the ban on Dorje Shugden was a camouflage and a catalyst to destroy the Ganden Lineage!
The Kadam Legbam (scriptures of the Kadampa) and Kathang Denga (The Five Testimonies) given by Guru Padmasambhava, have similar indications of a lord amongst humans being possessed of a demon and causing great harm to the Tibetans! Tsongkhapa is known to have said that someone of his standing in the future will harm his teachings! By this he did not mean someone endowed of Realisations like himself. It would be somebody with equal fame and a vast following like himself. This is what it actually means. Most prophecies in Tibet cannot be taken at face value. Like the institution of Incarnations or the discovery of Hidden Treasures. It would also be outright stupidity to dismiss these by claiming all incarnations as products of Tibetan politics or all Termas and prophesies as apocryphal!
UPHOLDING THE TEACHINGS IS NOT FULFILLED BY MERE CONVENTIONS AND LIP SERVICE. IT IS ALSO BY ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TIMES AND NEEDS OF THE HOUR
It is correct to say that only sincere practice of the Teachings is the means to preserve and spread them. But spreading the Teachings means genuinely practicing them oneself. This does not call for anyone to first establish Monasteries and Centres. As the spread of the Teachings is judged by the true adherence of the individual within his or her mind-stream and definitely not in the numbers! This is the actual meaning of the ‘spread of Dharma’. Most of our practicing Shugden followers are not hermits. If this was the case, then nothing but one's practice in solitude would matter. By coming out into the open to agitate at random but then ceasing all agitation completely, will not help in the long run. Gyalwa Gendun Dupa, posthumously claimed as the 1st Dalai Lama, had forsaken the Throne of the Ganden Throneholder. At a time when he was being petitioned to ascend the throne, he said: 'I need to build a fortress on enemy ground, as this will serve the Teachings of my Master better than my role as his Regent’. By this he meant to refer to the aggressive posturing of the Kagyupa followers and their political supporters, who were viewing the proliferation of the Ganden followers with anxiety. This of course had nothing to do with the holy Kagyupa Lineage, from within which the Mahamudra and Six Yogas of Naropa are common and equally sacred to followers of Tsongkhapa. It had much to do with the ‘pseudo’ followers of that hallowed lineage, who were deluded in their outlook.
Therefore, I humbly appeal to all those who cherish the Teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa - while also rising up even for other beliefs and freedom of expression and conscience - to stand by this Holy Lineage, for the future well-being of those who will desire to practice it. We not only owe to future generations a physically clean and peaceful environment and all its resources. We must create the conditions whereby others will not have to suffer persecution and the tragedy of making the pure Buddha Dharma into a vehicle or weapon for promoting political agendas. We must reject theocratic leadership, the creation of a Tibetan myth. We must raise our voices for all others oppressed who are looking for freedom, from those trying to monopolise spirituality for their own ends. Rejecting theocratic leadership and removing Ganden Lineage from the Tibetan cultural trap, is the need of the hour. Some of our Gelugpa Masters have attempted to do this, but they are a rare few. Tibetan Shugden followers must integrate into the mainstream of their societies. To put it across aptly, as in the saying 'When in Rome, they must do as the Romans do.'
The attempt by the Shugden Society in India, to take judicial means in solving the on-going persecution, was an attempt in tune with the byelaws and the Constitution of India. The effort was not a failure (as the Establishment of the Dalai Lama wants people to believe). It is a catalyst for any Shugden follower, if threatened and abused, could and should use the channel of the Law within their respective countries. This is clearly visible from the final judgement and concluding remarks of the Honourable Judge. The latter had dismissed the case on the grounds that Shugden adherents had not taken recourse to filing FIR (First Instance Report). Many Shugden followers living in the West have not been able to follow the Case, either due to little or no interests in the development. When I did present a write up on the problems involved in the Court Process and future possibilities of technicalities posted by some enthusiast on one of the Shugden websites, a Western Shugden adherent simply remarked in a huff that it was ‘all technical mumbo-jumbo!’ If this is the kind of resistance shown by somebody born and brought up within a culture where such undertakings and language are a day-to-day affair, it should naturally prove worse for a Tibetan who does not even speak the language!
TULKU DAKPA GYALTSEN'S MANIFESTATION AS THE DHARMAPALA DORJE SHUGDEN IS A TEACHING IN ITSELF FOR ALL TO RISE UP IN ACTION !
Now, there is need for action, and not words! What we can and should do is initiate or take part in peaceful agitation, using the Channel of the Media and taking recourse to judicial means. All Shugden followers should join in the initiative for the above mentioned goal. Buddhist teachers should be to the forefront and not depute their students. I admired the peaceful initiatives of the Ven.Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and his courage in standing up to the might of the Dalai Lama, while I also do believe it is not for one individual to decide and conclude a movement. I believe what the Venerable Geshe had intended was to inspire the masses with all of his students and centres and this was a gesture asking other Shugden stalwarts to rise up to the occasion. Whether you believe in oracular institutions or not, is not the point. The institution of the Delphi Oracle served its purpose in the West for centuries until it lost its legitimacy. But if one would test the legitimacy of Shugden mediums, their merits ought to be judged by their pronouncements. The deity in possession has always said: 'If you can stand up, speak out, disseminate against untruthfulness and injustice. The truth will prevail only through the combined efforts of Humans and Deity.' This makes sense today.
Written by Kundeling Rinpoche, Mysore, 26th June 2010.
