Female living Buddha condemns Dalai Lama

[theloneranger]

i just found this article on the following link http://tools.ntnews.com.au/rss_article.php?news_id=2534461

Reuters

30 April 2008

Female living Buddha condemns Dalai Lama

TIBET'S only female living Buddha, who is also a top regional official, said she was upset and angered by riots in Lhasa last month, and accused the Dalai Lama of violating Buddhist teachings, state media reported.

The twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo said that since Tibet's incorporation into Communist China it had been transformed from the backwards feudal society of largely illiterate serfs with little medical care that she knew as a child.

"Old Tibet was dark and cruel, the serfs lived worse than horses and cattle," she told the official Xinhua agency.

Born in 1942, she was chosen as the incarnation of the deity Vajravarahi aged five. Now head of the Samding monastery, she is also vice-chairwoman of the standing committee of the Tibetan Autonomous Regional People's Congress, or regional parliament.

She was in Beijing for a meeting of a national consultative body to Parliament when rioting broke out in Lhasa on March 14, after days of monk-led protests.

"Watching on television a tiny number of unscrupulous people burning and smashing shops, schools and public property, brandishing knives and sticks to attack unfortunate passers-by I felt boundless surprise, deep heartache and indignant resentment," she said in Lhasa.

China has accused the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, of plotting the riots and unrest that spread across many ethnic Tibetan parts of the country, in a bid to overshadow the Olympic Games and push for independence.

"The sins of the Dalai Lama and his followers seriously violate the basic teachings and precepts of Buddhism and seriously damage traditional Tibetan Buddhism's normal order and good reputation," the Samding Dorje Phagmo was quoted as saying - though she did not detail what his transgressions were.

The Dalai Lama rejects China's claims, saying he supports the Olympic Games and seeks only greater autonomy for Tibet.

Beijing last week offered talks with his aides, after an international chorus urging dialogue. But state media continue to unleash a barrage of criticism of the Dalai Lama or the Tibet he ruled before the arrival of Communist troops in 1950.

[a friend]

"ONLY" female living Buddha?
Who says?

Happily -whether we know it or no- we are surrounded by many of them.
Happily the Mother of the Buddhas has lots of emanations. Hommage to her, to them!

[Rinchen]

Be it the only female Buddha or not is not the point. The point here is that she does not agree with H.H. Dalai Lama's ways. It shows that although the whole ban might be a divine play, but the results or the consequences in between cannot be accepted.

I will not argue to check if she is indeed the only living female buddha, but what I can say is that she is indeed the incarnation of Vajravarahi and she is located in Samding Monastery. She is known to be the third highest incarnation in Tibet after Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama.

[Rinchen]

This is some information about her that is found on Tsem Rinpoche's blog.

Introduction to the Samding Dorje Phagmo
The Samding Dorje Phagmo is recognised as the highest female incarnation line in Tibet and the third highest incarnation line within the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. This incarnation line is unique because since the 1st Samding Dorje Phagmo Chokyi Dronma, the Tulkus (Nirmanakaya or emanation body) of this line of incarnations have always chosen to be born in female form. She is considered the emanation of Buddha Vajravarahi and the incarnation of Machig Labdrön, a renowned 11th century female Tibetan tantric Buddhist master.

The Samding Dorje Phagmo is associated with the Bodong tradition of Tibetan Buddhism although several incarnations also took teachings from Nyingmapa, Karma Kagyu and Gelug traditions. The current incarnation, the 12th Samding Dorje Phagmo, has also received teachings and empowerments from Gelugpa Lamas such as His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Emanation
The Samding Dorje Phagmo is regarded as the emanation of Vajravarahi, one of the main forms of Vajrayogini that is associated with Chakrasamvara Tantra. According to Judith Simmer-Brown, the Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies at Naropa University, “Vajravarahi’s iconography is very similar to that of Vajrayogini, but she is often [depicted as] having more prominent fangs and a more wrathful expression, and she prominently displays a sow’s head above her right ear.” In general, Vajravarahi is described as having a sow’s head protruding above her right ear, which represents the transmuting of ignorance.

Iconography
One of the distinctive features in the Samding Dorje Phagmo iconography is the black hat that is similar to the black hat of the Karmapa. This hat is often associated with Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal, the consort of the great Indian Tantric teacher Padmasambhava.

Incarnation line
1st Samding Dorje Phagmo Chokyi Dronma (1422 – 1455)
2nd Samding Dorje Phagmo Kunga Zangmo (1459 – 1502)
3rd Samding Dorje Phagmo Nyendrak Zangmo (1503 – 1542/3)
4th Samding Dorje Phagmo Orgyen Tsomo (b. 1543)
5th Samding Dorje Phagmo Yeshe Tsomo (17th century)
6th Samding Dorje Phagmo Dechen Trinle Tsomo (17th century)
7th Samding Dorje Phagmo Chodron Wangmo (d. 1746)
8th Samding Dorje Phagmo Kelzang Choden Wangmo (1746/7 – 1774/5)
9th Samding Dorje Phagmo Choying Dechen Tsomo (d. 1843)
10th Samding Dorje Phagmo Ngawang Kunzang Dechen Wangmo (b. 1857)
11th Samding Dorje Phagmo Tubten Choying Pelmo (b. 1896)
12th Samding Dorje Phagmo Dechen Chokyi Dronma (b. 1938)

For more of the article you can read it here: http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-samding-dorje-phagmo-the-courageous-female-incarnation-line.html

[SabS]

Thank you Rinchen for sharing the information on Samding Dorje Phagmo. Being such an enlightened incarnation, it must have taken much to cause her to speak up against the Dalai Lama. Its is funny how we keep hearing how the Tibetans-In-Exile in their quest to return to Tibet and to be free of China. Yet I wonder if they really realise the implications of their wishes. What was the conditions of their lives during the reign of the Dalai Lama? Reuters published this statement of Samding Dorje Phagmo "the backwards feudal society of largely illiterate serfs with little medical care. Old Tibet was dark and cruel, the serfs lived worse than horses and cattle". Are the exiled citizens willing to go back to that state of governing after having the taste of living outside for 60 years? All the conveniences of modern living under democratic rule and freedom to own, freedom to practice, freedom to live. At the current handing of governance under CTA, I really don't see much change from the old Tibet happening as the refugees in India are also living that state now. It is to CTA's advantage after all, to be able to manipulate their people as they wish. As in the case of the Dorje Shugden ban where many were manipulated to act against the Shugden practitioners. Even if by rule by autonomy, the 17 points manifesto gives them control of their rule so the Tibetans-In-Exile better think deep and clearly.

[Ringo Starr]

The current Dechen Chökyi Drönma was recognised by the present 14th Dalai Lama as a true incarnation and served as a vice president of the Buddhist Association in 1956 while he was president, and the 10th Panchen Lama also a vice president.

She went to Lhasa in 1958 and received the empowerment of Yamantaka from the Dalai Lama and the empowerment of Vajrayogini from the Dalai Lama's tutor, Trijang Rinpoche.

Source: Diemberger, Hildegard (2007). When a Woman Becomes a Religious Dynasty: The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet. Columbia University Press.

She is recognized my HH Dalai Lama and other High Lamas, no doubt about that.

[Rinchen]

Thank you Ringo Star for sharing that information. It is indeed true that this incarnation is no doubt the incarnation of the mind (which is referred to as the 'true incarnation'). It is fascinating as she is against what H.H. Dalai Lama is saying. It is definitely worth a thought.

She is the third highest ranking person in Buddhism in Tibet after Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. If what H.H. Dalai Lama is doing with regards to the banning of Dorje Shugden practice and having DS practitioners boycotted and even being looked down at Tibetan meetings. Even enforced by the CTA so that DS practitioners are not able to attend tibetan class, hold governmental positions, not allow them their basic right of getting a passport to travel, forcing DS practitioners to swear out of their practice. All these are all works that are causing segregation among the Tibetans that is started by H.H. Dalai Lama and his minions (CTA).

So if she is saying that what H.H. Dalai Lama is doing is wrong, will that mean that what is going on is not a part of a divine play? If it is not, then why should anyone suffer at all with all the kind of things that they have to go through because of the unethical ban that is illogical. So with what is said by her, does this mean that the true Dalai Lama is not the current Dalai Lama.

Whatever it is, I believe that harmony and unity will help to bring a country or group very far. I really hope that this unethical ban will end soon. The kind of treatment that Ds practitioners need to go through is definitely unacceptable.

[grandmapele]

If Dechen Chökyi Drönma was recognized by the 14th Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama, i have no wish to argue with that. Only living female Buddha or not, is immaterial.

That she sees the extra sufferings and acts of violence shows her compassion both on secular and spiritual level. Violence is totally not spiritual and definitely not Buddhist. Even the 14th Dalai Lama said recently at an interview with Channel Four.

"Once you are involved in bloodshed you are no longer a genuine practitioner of Buddhism or Islam".
The Dalai Lama condemns those who commit violence in the name of any religion while at the EU parliament.

https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10154065143611939/

So, it is refreshing to see a living Buddha, female or otherwise, to voice against violence. So, is the Dalai Lama going to at least something against the acts of violence by these monks and followers of his? Surely a simple word from the Dalai Lama will stop all these violence in Tibet as well as in Dharamsala? These acts of violence against innocent passers-by in Lhasa as well as violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners are wrong.

So, the Dalai Lama by keeping quiet about these matters shows his consent for violence.