Often when reading about the Dorje Shugden Controversy online, one encounters quotations that are supposedly drawn from the works of Je Pabonka rinpoche. For many Tibeatna Busshosts, the name of this precious lama haver come to be equated with sectarian hatred and persecution.
Knowing the Je Pabongka was a pure monk and a pure Buddhist, we know that his deeds were pure.
I am interested to see if
a) We can establish if these quotes are actually the words of Je Pabongka
b) They are translated well
According to internet debate standard, most of the offensive material is to be found in Pabongka Rinpoche's collected works, volume cha.
Can anyone verify that these words are truly to be found there? We need to understand clearly so we are not continually blindsided by these quotations in debates. Are they real? Are they well translated? If so, to whom was JE P speaking and what was the purpose of using such strong speech which seems to despise other practices when we know from the man's life and works he did not feel this way.
For an example, see below.
Pabhongkha in his letter to the novice Nyu’u Tshalmo Trang:
“Apart from the doctrine of Manjughosha Tsongkhapa alone, these days the views of all Sakyas, Kagyus, Nyingmas and so on are erroneous. They are not even Svatantra or Cittamatra, let alone the view of Prasanga Madhyamaka– meditating only the nihilist view like tirthikas and Hashang. If one upholds the nihilist view, the result is nothing other than going to Avichi hell. Since they can’t recognize subtle lethargy, even their meditation is defective. Apart from the thunderous noise of their pretentious boasting about profound secret mantra, they don’t even know the direction of bliss and emptiness, luminosity, union and so on. Since for them liberation and path of omniscience does not exist, realization will not arise even if they practice for a thousand years, as pointless as wishing for butter by churning water.”
