Reasons for the ban... and why they are all codswallop

[beggar]

Full article here: http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=3883
And here it is in full too:

The Dalai Lama’s Reasons for the Ban and Refutations of These Reasons

1. Dorje Shugden practice is not “religion”, it is “spirit worship”

To say that Dorje Shugden practice is “not religion” but “spirit worship” is plainly insulting to many peoples’ beliefs on different levels – not only to Buddhist practitioners of Dorje Shugden (who are not spirit worshippers) but also to other practitioners of other religions worldwide that may include spirit worship, including the ancient Bon tradition of Tibet.

Most of the hundreds of thousands of people who rely upon Dorje Shugden are pure Buddhists in the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Others are pure Buddhists in the Sakya and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

Dorje Shugden is considered by them to be a Dharma Protector, an emanation of the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, whose specific function is to protect the Buddhist or “Dharma” realizations or experiences in practitioners’ minds.
The Dalai Lama travels the world expounding religious tolerance but doesn’t recognize the contradiction in his words and intolerant actions against fellow Tibetans in banning an ancient religious practice dear to their hearts.
Many great Buddhist Teachers or Lamas, including the Dalai Lama’s own principal teacher Trijang Rinpoche, wrote long proofs showing how this Buddhist Deity was special and has a long history of protecting the Dharma, Buddha’s teachings. The fact that numerous past and current Lamas (including even the Fifth Dalai Lama!) have recognized Dorje Shugden as a Deity worthy of “worship” is enough recognition for their followers.

Indeed, determining whether Dorje Shugden is a Buddha or not is beyond the scope of public policy.  Nevertheless, many have chosen to follow the beliefs expounded by many high Lamas pre-dating and contemporary with the Dalai Lama who claimed and continue to claim that he is a Buddha. To insult these beliefs and these great Masters is not religious tolerance.

[Also, on another level of irony, this accusation indeed appears a bit bizarre when one remembers that the only monastery/temple dedicated entirely to a spirit is Namgyal monastery. This is the Dalai Lama's personal monastery, where Nechung abides, who has been declared a worldly spirit by the Dalai Lama himself, the Dalai Lama having also clearly stated that Nechung's oracular advice is not always reliable. Nevertheless, Nechung is propitiated with big offerings and rituals daily at Namgyal monastery, and is invoked through various oracle mediums very often - some say more than ever. If we look at the completely and utterly contradictory statements Nechung has made about Dorje Shugden when advising the Dalai Lama to give up the practice, or the disastrously wrong prediction that Tibet would be free by the year 2000, one might indeed worry about spirit worship in seemingly unexpected places!]

2. Dorje Shugden practice causes the degeneration of the pure Nalanda tradition

The Dalai Lama claims that he follows the “Nalanda Tradition”, and this Deity somehow causes the degeneration of that, yet gives absolutely no reason or proof to back up this claim.

Ironically, does the Dalai Lama happen to know who was the last Abbot of Nalanda? It was Shakya Shri Bhadra, who was the previous incarnation of Buton, who was the previous incarnation of Dulzin Dragpa Gyaltsen, who later appeared as Dorje Shugden. There is no way around this. (http://www.dechen.org/articles/html/shakyashri.html)

The Dalai Lama is the one who is degenerating Buddhism by taking the view of the state oracles that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit (see below) over the view of his own principal teacher or root Guru, Trijang Rinpoche. (In Buddhism, relying upon the spiritual guide is said to be “the root” of the Buddhist path to enlightenment.) Trijang Rinpoche always maintained that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being and, according to close disciples, was “disappointed” when the Dalai Lama gave up the practice (the Dalai Lama waited for Trijang Rinpoche to die before he instigated the ban).

The major degeneration that is happening is the unprecedented conflict, which can easily be verified with accounts of the discrimination and disharmony in the Tibetan settlements and monasteries. The communists destroyed many monasteries, yet the tradition on the inside flourished quite well under the leadership of Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche (the Dalai Lama’s teachers, both Dorje Shugden practitioners) and other great Lamas (many of them Dorje Shugden practitioners) in exile.

What is happening now, through the will to mislead and incite disharmony with heavy-handed political actions, discrimination, and wrong information, is ruining many thousands of people’s lives. It has caused unprecedented problems in the monasteries in South India and continues to torment practitioners in Tibet, India and all over the world.

3. The Fifth Dalai Lama considered Dorje Shugden to be an “evil spirit” (and the Thirteenth Dalai Lama banned the practice)

It actually does not matter what view people hold of Dorje Shugden. It is still against the Indian Constitution, the Tibetan Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights to prevent freedom of worship of any Deity. Belief is personal and an unassailable human right. People are free to worship a tree, if they so choose.

But there are layers of irony in using the Fifth Dalai Lama as a reason for holding Dorje Shugden to be an evil spirit. In the interview, the Dalai Lama doesn’t even provide half of the story – namely that the Fifth Dalai Lama wrote in his own autobiography that the so called “evil spirit” arose from a highly respected Lama, Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen, who was murdered by the Fifth Dalai Lama’s administration; and that later in the Fifth Dalai Lama’s life he changed his mind about the nature of Dorje Shugden and wrote a prayer to him as an enlightened Protector. He also offered a temple in Lhasa to him called Trode Khangsar that is still there today, and created a statue with his own hands and placed it at a monastery called Phelgyeling (in Nepal, which is now in the process of being destroyed by the Dalai Lama’s followers).

Elsewhere, the Dalai Lama claims that he is also following the tradition of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama in banning the practice. However, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama never banned the practice. After condemning Dorje Shugden, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama is said to have changed his mind on the issue and taken up the practice himself (Exploring New Religions, page 239).

The biography of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama does not mention any ban of Dorje Shugden or his oracle. On the contrary, it mentions advice given by Dorje Shugden through the oracle at Tromo Dungkar Gonpa, which the Thirteenth Dalai Lama appreciated and followed (‘phags.pa ‘jig.rten dbang.phyug gi rnam.sprul rim.byon gyi ‘khrungs.rabs deb.ther nor.bu’i ‘phreng.ba.bzhugs.so, compiled by Phurchog Yongzin Thubten Jampa Tsultim Tenzin, Dharamsala, 1984, pp. 621, 630 and 648). Moreover, at no time did the Thirteenth Dalai Lama close Trode Khangsar in Lhasa, a residence of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen that the 5th Dalai Lama had authorized to be turned into a special Protector temple for Dorje Shugden.

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama had great faith in Tomo Geshe Rinpoche, a well-known Dorje Shugden practitioner, whom he called “a manifestation of Je Tsongkhapa.” According to page 620 and 649 of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s autobiography, Dorje Shugden came spontaneously through the Tromo Dungkar Gonpa Oracle in trance in front of Tomo Geshe Rinpoche and informed him that there was danger from foreign aggression toward Tibet. Dorje Shugden advised renovating two stupas, “the eastern and western one”. Upon receiving the message, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama immediately renovated the great golden stupa at Ganden and the Potala in Lhasa. The Potala is huge, so this was no small feat! In his autobiography, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama praised Tomo Geshe Rinpoche for having helped to avert a possible national crisis.

In any event, even if the Dalai Lama were right on this (which he is not), the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Dalai Lamas did not ban the practice, so the preponderance of precedent is towards allowing the practice.

4.  Many past Lamas have considered Dorje Shugden to be an evil spirit

The Dalai Lama makes a brief mention in this interview that reflects a number of claims suggesting that important Lamas over the last 370 years have warned against Dorje Shugden. These claims are all unsubstantiated and the evidence he has provided does not even circumstantially make this case against Dorje Shugden. The Fifth Dalai Lama’s example is given above. Phurchok Ngawang Jampa doesn’t say anything about Shugden or “Dholgyal” in his history of the four great monasteries. Trichen Ngawang Chokden never mentions Dholgyal specifically. All Yongzin Yeshi Gyaltsen mentions is a “new protector”; there is nothing about Shugden or “Dholgyal” in his work. Far from saying harm comes from Dorje Shugden, in his collected works Ngulchu Dharmabhadra answers a question about Dholgyal and Ganden Lha Gyema in which he confirms that Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen is Dorje Shugden, appearing as a wrathful Manjushri (a Wisdom Buddha). And so on.

5. This has remained “very controversial worship” for more than 370 years

The Dalai Lama has failed to provide anything to substantiate this claim. The controversy has only unfolded in the past 30 years after the Dalai Lama spoke out publicly against the practice of Dorje Shugden, even though it is a private practice. Instead of trying to resolve any dispute about this privately in any discussion with any person, including his own teachers, he took it into the public sector as a divisive issue.

Dorje Shugden was even practiced by Nyingma adherents (who he supposedly attacks) for many generations in Gyasumdo, Nepal with no conflict of sects.  This was described in anthropologist Stanley Mumford’s work “Himalayan Dialogue” in which he also observed the controversy unfolding in the late 1970?s:  “Recently the Dalai Lama, as leader of the Tibetan people, has made a historic judgment. He has determined that the guardian deity called Shugs-ldan is not only too dangerous, but he also has promoted a vicious factional rivalry between the Gelugpa and Nyingmapa religious orders.” (pages 134-135.  Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989).

6.  It “is not true” that the Dalai Lama banned Dorje Shugden practice

These words in the Interview can only be described as lies: “So then it is my duty or moral responsibility to make clear, but whether listen or not, up to them. So some people criticize me, I banned that sort of spirit worship, that is not true.”

It has not been “up to” anyone to listen or not – everyone has been forced to listen and to act, thousands and thousands of them against their wishes. And the Dalai Lama has very clearly banned the practice. See his own words on the subject over the past 30 years.

Some examples:

March 10th, 1996, during annual teachings at the Thekchen Choeling Temple in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama imposes a ban on worshipping Dorje Shugden: “Whether outside of Tibet or within Tibet, this deity is discordant with our government and all our deities; this is serious in the context of the common cause of Tibet. It will be good if you comply (with what we are saying) without our having to resort to this last step. It will be the last resort if we have to knock on your doors if you do not follow this advice.”

November 19th-21st, 1996, the Dalai Lama travels to South India to visit Tibetan monasteries at Mundgod, without the traditional request, which is unprecedented for a Dalai Lama. The Dorje Shugden Society holds off a peaceful demonstration in the hope of reconciliation with the Dalai Lama. They petition the Dalai Lama, but they are denied an audience. The Dalai Lama speaks in even harsher terms about the ban, and threatens, “You might feel that by publishing letters, pamphlets, etc. against this ban, the Dalai Lama will revoke the ban. This will never be the case. If you take a hard stand, I will tighten this ban still further.”

The Tibetan Government in Exile and all exiled groups made policies to enforce his wishes. Petitions were sent to all Tibetan settlements requiring them to renounce Dorje Shugden in 1996.

January 13th, 1999, to monks at Trijang Labrang (the home of his teacher, now deceased) in India who questioned the ban: “There will be no change in my stand. I will never revoke the ban. You are right. It will be like the Cultural Revolution. If those who do not accept the ban do not listen to my words, the situation will grow worse for them. You sit and watch. It will grow only worse for them.”

In January 2008 he precipitated a vote through demagoguery to castigate anyone who did not sign a petition renouncing any loyalty to Dorje Shugden.  As a result, many monks have been removed from the monasteries.  Also a major hostel, Do Khangtsen, belonging to the monastic college of Ganden Shartse, has completely removed itself from the monastic establishment.  This is unprecedented in the history of the Gelug tradition.

There has been a great deal of segregation and persecution as a result of this ban and it will continue every day until the Dalai Lama stops his hypocrisy and practices what he preaches, namely freedom of worship.

7.  Dorje Shugden practice is sectarian

Since the purpose of praying to Dorje Shugden is to increase love, compassion, and wisdom and to overcome our negative minds including hatred, attachment and ignorance, there can be no link with Dorje Shugden and religious discrimination. Tolerance and respect for all other traditions is highly promoted by Je Tsongkhapa and his emanation Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.

Sectarianism arises when one tradition imposes its views on other traditions. Shugden practitioners respect the freedom of others to practice according to their wishes. It is the Dalai Lama who is acting in a sectarian way by using the instruments of state power to enforce others to practice according to his view.

Sectarianism can also be seen in the exclusive attitude of the Dalai Lama who allows anyone in the world, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, to attend his teachings except those who pray to Dorje Shugden.

Gelugpa followers rely upon Dorje Shugden as a Dharma Protector of the Gelug sect or tradition of Je Tsongkhapa, but that doesn’t mean it is a sectarian practice. Dorje Shugden practitioners only wish for the freedom to follow their tradition in peace and there is no evidence that they have been intolerant to any other tradition. To say the practice is sectarian is again to slander many of the greatest upholders of the Buddhist teachings in the past three centuries, including the Dalai Lama’s own teacher Trijang Rinpoche.

Numerous statements have been made by current Dorje Shugden practitioners to say that they welcome and respect all traditions and the Dalai Lama has not provided any evidence to indicate that this is not the case. According to the Dalai Lama’s translator in the 1990s, Helmut Gassner: “When during an Anti-Dorje Shugden information meeting in Switzerland the Dalai Lama’s Private Secretary sketched the picture of three hundred years of trouble with these Dorje Shugden people, someone asked him to mention some of the incidents that had occurred during that time. He was unable to come up with even one.”

Also, the ritual aspects of Dorje Shugden practice are even taken from the Sakya tradition, where it was practiced widely until the 20th century. The Dalai Lama says that Dorje Shugden is against the Nyingma tradition, yet as mentioned above Dorje Shugden practice was also practiced by some Nyingma followers, who were also put under the pressure of the ban to give up the practice, as mentioned in Mumford’s book.

The accusation that this practice is sectarian is certainly now inciting vastly more sectarian division and disharmony than any privately recited requests to Dorje Shugden to simply protect the tradition of Je Tsonghapa. The Dalai Lama’s ban and subsequent persecution have brought about the greatest schism within Tibetan Buddhist history – monasteries, communities and families are divided in a way that Mao’s Red Guards from the outside could never achieve.

Being non-sectarian does not mean that you have to receive teachings from all other lineages – it means respecting all other lineages (without the sectarian actions of criticizing or discriminating against them) whilst being content with one’s own. In this respect, it is the Dalai Lama who is being sectarian and Dorje Shugden practitioners who are being non-sectarian.

8. Dorje Shugden is hostile to the Dalai Lama’s government

Another common reason not given in the Nottingham interview appears on a “Brief abstract concerning His Holiness’s the Dalai Lama’s advice regarding the practice of Dolgyal (Shugden)”, issued by the Office of Tibet, Tibet House, 1 Culworth Street, London NW8 7AF, May 2008

    “History shows, and His Holiness’s investigations have confirmed, that this spirit is hostile to the Dalai Lama’s government and has been since it was founded by the 5th Dalai Lama. Especially now that Tibetans are facing a struggle for survival, it is a mistake to worship something that is hostile to the Dalai Lama’s government. Therefore, it is in the interest of Tibetans as a whole to refrain from propitiating this hostile spirit.”

That institution, i.e. the Ganden Podrang government, is defunct. It lacks any legal basis or official recognition at this point. It exists today only in the person of the Dalai Lama (and arguably his government in exile, which includes a large number of his own relatives). How can Dorje Shugden then harm that institution? The future of the Dalai Lama’s personal religious lineage is put in question only by the Dalai Lama himself, not Dorje Shugden.

No explanation is given as to how Dorje Shugden harms the institution of the Dalai Lama, there is just the claim.

If the Dalai Lama is supposed to be the political leader of all Tibetans, then his persecution of many thousands of his own people surely harms the institution more than the private prayers of individuals.

Also, for the Dalai Lama’s demand for religious freedom to have greater credibility in the eyes of the Chinese, the Dalai Lama should himself protect religious freedom, not undermine it.

The Dalai Lama’s “investigations” involve invoking Nechung through the human State Oracle, who has had the following things to say (perhaps some of these were given in a false trance? It is difficult to know.):

1st answer of the State Oracle: “Dorje Shugden a powerful deity, only to be worshipped by beings with high realizations. However worshipping this deity would upset Goddess Palden Lhamo (a superior protecting deity, who does not have an oracle)”

2nd answer of the State Oracle: “the deity is appropriate to be worshipped by an individual, but not by a group”

3rd answer of the State Oracle: “Dorje Shugden is a deity, suitable to the others, but not to the successor of the 5th Dalai Lama and those working for the Gaden Phodrang Government established by the 5th Dalai Lama.”

4th answer of the State Oracle: “Dorje Shugden is a spirit born out of a Kagyupa-monk who hated the Tibetan government, and not the incarnation of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen”

5th answer of the State Oracle: “Dorje Shugden is the spirit of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen, whose Samaya bond to the 5th Dalai Lama was not good, thus it is harmful for this government.”

6th answer of the State Oracle: “Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen was a good lama, whose works of composition are praiseworthy, therefore Dorje Shugden cannot be the spirit of such a master.”

7th answer of the State Oracle: “Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen himself was a false Tulku, who came to be among the candidates for the 5th Dalai Lama and failed to be chosen, but through clever tactics of his mother on the first Panchen Lama Chokyi Gyaltsen, he was recognized as the fourth reincarnation of Panchen Sonam Dragpa (the teacher of 3rd Dalai Lama), but was then born as an evil, trouble-making spirit to harm the Tibetan government.”

All in all, it is hard to see how the Dalai Lama is talking “frankly, straightforwardly and honestly”, let alone how he is being “sincere”. Once again we request him to lift the ban on this Buddhist tradition and allow everyone freedom of worship.

Moreover, even if the Dalai Lama had said “they are free to choose” (which he has not, except to Western journalists), human rights legal scholars have said when assessing religious freedom that it is not enough for somebody to be ‘free to choose’ if they cannot exercise that choice freely without fear of political, social or economic penalities. Dorje Shugden practitioners face serious penalties for their choice, thus they cannot choose freely.

(Source: http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/dorjeshugden061.php)

[beggar]

There's a whole section at the bottom of the front page of dorjeshugden.com which features a whole series of original articles from Dalai Lama's website regarding the ban on Dorje Shugden (who they also refer to, rather derogatorily, as Dolgyal). There's a twist of course! ds.com went through every article with a fine toothcomb and gave refutations and counter arguments on each point. Do go check it out and clear your head! For now, another snippet (original article in black, and ds.com counter arguments in red)



His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Advice Concerning Dolgyal (Shugden)
http://dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/his-holiness-advice

Following long and careful investigations, His Holiness the Dalai Lama strongly discourages Tibetan Buddhists from propitiating the fierce spirit known as Dolgyal (Shugden). Although he once practised Dolgyal propitiation himself, His Holiness renounced the practice in 1975 after discovering the profound historical, social and religious problems associated with it.

(Ed: The people who support this ban – and who most probably wrote this article – are the same people who believe that the Dalai Lama is an emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. To say that he only suddenly discovered the “problems” associated with this practice in 1975 is to say that a fully enlightened being like Chenrezig is capable of making such a basic mistake and is unable to differentiate between a Buddha and a spirit. How is this possible? It is very contradictory to say on the one hand that the Dalai Lama is enlightened and on the other, to say that he is making such basic errors in judgment.)

He did so with the full knowledge and support of his junior tutor, the late Kyabje Trichang Rinpoche through whom His Holiness first became associated with the practice.

(Ed: it is not accurate to say that Trijang Rinpoche supported Dalai Lama renouncing this practice. If Dalai Lama requests to stop this practice and had no sogtae (empowerment), what else can HH Trijang Rinpoche say. Of course Trijang Rinpoche ‘agreed’. But remember, after Trijang Rinpoche ‘agreed’ to Dalai Lama stopping his propitiations to Shugden, Trijang Rinpoche continued to practice Shugden all the way till the end of his life. This shows clearly Trijang Rinpoche saw no faults in the  practice of Shugden.  Trijang Rinpoche spoke widely and spread Dorje Shugden’s practice throughout his lifetime until the end. When the ban was implemented, Trijang Rinpoche has already passed away. Zong Rinpoche had passed away. Dalai Lama did not institute any ban during the lives of these great masters. As these Masters can speak out against any ban. Dalai Lama only officially banned the practice much later on.  Trijang Rinpoche is not recorded anywhere for having endorsed  or supported the view that Dorje Shugden is a spirit. He wrote a vast commentary on Shugden to preserve the practice in fact.

Further, his current incarnation is the only person in the world who is permitted by the Dalai Lama to practice Dorje Shugden. Why would the Dalai Lama allow the incarnation of his Guru to continue this practice when, apparently, he had already “known of and supported” the ban on this practice?

Also, why would the Dalai Lama allow the incarnation of his own teacher to practice something that is supposedly so threatening and harmful? If it is because Trijang Rinpoche is the only person powerful enough in the world to control this “spirit”, then why doesn’t Trijang Rinpoche just subdue, control and tame him completely so that he is no longer a threat? The many issues that are related to Trijang Rinpoche are very contradictory – not because Trijang Rinpoche is causing any contradiction but rather by the ways in which his name is being wrongly use and misappropriated.)

Even within the Geluk and Sakya schools – the Tibetan Buddhist traditions to which majority of Dolgyal practitioners belong – the propitiation of this spirit has been controversial throughout its history. Historical investigation reveals that Dolgyal practice, which has strong sectarian overtones, has a history of contributing to a climate of sectarian disharmony in various parts of Tibet, and between various Tibetan communities.

(Ed: Historically, this is incorrect. There are accounts in many high Lamas’ writings, including those of Trijang Rinpoche (the Dalai Lama’s own tutor) and highly respected oracles that there was great harmony between the sects. Trijang Rinpoche was even famous throughout Tibet for having bestowed Dorje Shugden’s practice on many practitioners in other sects.

We must also remember that historically, Dorje Shugden was first and long propitiated by the Sakyas before his practice was brought into the Gelugpa school of Buddhism. The Sakyas wrote beautiful verses and prayers in praise of Dorje Shugden being an enlightened being and enjoyed peace throughout those many years.

Where exactly do these “sectarian overtones” appear in history? There has never been any direct nor substantial proof that Dorje Shugden’s practice has ever caused any sectarian problems or issues between the schools of Tibetan Buddhism.)

Therefore, from 1975 onwards, His Holiness has regularly made public his view that this practice is inadvisable, based on the following three reasons:

1. The danger of Tibetan Buddhism degenerating into a form of spirit worship: Tibetan Buddhism originally evolved from the authentic and ancient tradition upheld at the great Indian monastic university of Nalanda, a tradition that His Holiness often describes as a complete form of Buddhism. It embodies the original teaching of the Buddha as developed through the rich philosophical, psychological and spiritual insights of such great Buddhist masters as Nagarjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga and Dharamakirti. Since the great philosopher and logician Shantarakshita was instrumental in establishing Buddhism in Tibet in its earliest stages in the 8th century, philosophical enquiry and critical analysis have always been important hallmarks of Tibetan Buddhism. The problem with Dolgyal practice is that it presents the spirit Dolgyal (Shugden) as a Dharma Protector and what’s more tends to promote the spirit as more important than the Buddha himself. If this trend goes unchecked, and innocent people become seduced by cult-like practices of this kind, the danger is that the rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhism may degenerate into the mere propitiation of spirits.

(Ed: It is completely incorrect to say that Dorje Shugden is a spirit, as he has been clearly acknowledged and recognized by many high and enlightened Lamas as an emanation of the Buddha Manjushri. These Lamas include the Dalai Lama’s own root Gurus as well as the Dalai Lama himself in the earlier part of his life. Many, many highly attained and enlightened teachers throughout history have also relied on Dorje Shugden and clearly acknowledged his enlightened nature. How can it be that all these Lamas are wrong in their judgment?

There has also been clear evidence and acknowledgement of Dorje Shugden’s enlightened incarnation lineage. One of his previous incarnations, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, has even been identified as an emanation of Tsongkhapa – so this would definitely an enlightened being! It is not possible for a being to be enlightened in one lifetime and then degenerate into being a spirit or samsaric being in the next. This is completely impossible. See the full story here:http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=5741/

His previous incarnations, such as Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, Panchen Sonam Drakpa and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen were widely recognized as enlightened beings in their own right. Texts composed by Panchen Sonam Drakpa continued to be used as central study texts for the Geshe degree in Gaden and Drepung Monasteries. Isn’t it contradictory to claim that Dorje Shugden is a spirit, but simultaneously be studying texts composed by his previous incarnation?

If indeed Dorje Shugden really is a spirit, then why doesn’t the Dalai Lama, or any of the high Lamas in the world (of which they are many) simply destroy him, subdue or control him? To say that he is not controllable is to say that all the enlightened and attained Lamas of the world are not able to control a mere spirit; it is saying that a spirit is more powerful and has more influence than a fully enlightened being. This is not possible and defies all of the most basic Dharma logic.

There are many contradicting accounts which claim that Dorje Shugden was destroyed in fire pujas during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama. Witnesses even claimed that they could smell burning flesh, which was considered to be proof that he was killed. If this was the case, then why are we still so worried and threatened by this “spirit”? Why should we be living in such fear of a spirit that has supposedly been destroyed hundreds of years ago?

It is clear therefore that no rituals, throughout these many hundreds of years, have been able to destroy or “tame” this “spirit”. Actually, there is only one type of being that cannot be destroyed in any way – a Buddha. The fact that no one, of any enlightened or attained level, has been able to destroy Dorje Shugden is a clear enough sign that he is no ordinary samsaric being or spirit, but a fully enlightened Buddha.

Lastly, It is also completely contradictory for the Dalai Lama to claim that we should not propitiate Dorje Shugden because he is as spirit. The state oracle of the Tibetan government has been Nechung for hundreds of years – and he is widely acknowledged and accepted as a subdued spirit. He is most definitely far less enlightened than Dorje Shugden! Why does the Dalai Lama and his government rely on and seek the advice of a spirit themselves but ban the practice of a fully enlightened Protector?)

2. Obstacles to the emergence of genuine non-sectarianism: His Holiness has often stated that one of his most important commitments is the promotion of inter-religious understanding and harmony. As part of this endeavour, His Holiness is committed to encouraging non-sectarianism in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In this His Holiness is following the example set by his predecessors, especially the Fifth Dalai Lama and the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. Not only is a non-sectarian approach mutually enriching for all Tibetan Buddhist schools, but it is also the best safeguard against a rise of sectarianism that could have damaging consequences for the Tibetan tradition as a whole. Given the acknowledged link between Dolgyal worship and sectarianism, this particular practice remains a fundamental obstacle to fostering a genuine non-sectarian spirit within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

(Ed: This is completely illogical. How can a single practice cause sectarianism? Dorje Shugden did not arise as a Protector to cause any conflict between the schools. He arose to protect the teachings and practitioners of Tsongkhapa, but this does not mean it is at the expense or detriment of other schools. Remember that he had also served as a Protector for the Sakyas for hundreds of years. How can he be sectarian if he so happily protected practitioners of another school for this long?

There is absolutely no proof that Dorje Shugden’s practice has caused any direct problems in sectarianism between the schools of Buddhism. To say that Dorje Shugden practitioners are sectarian is illogical. There are different sects within Buddhism (not just within the Tibetan Buddhist lineages, but throughout all Buddhist traditions in the world). Each sect will have its own practices, methods and teachings; practitioners within those sects would thus focus on the teachings of their school. If they are not fully engaged with other schools, this is not considered sectarianism. It simply means that they wish to focus on the teachings of their own school first until they have attained a stable foundation and understanding of the teachings. It is not uncommon for more advanced practitioners to begin taking teachings from other schools also; but only when they are firm in their study and practices.

This is very common practice throughout all schools of Buddhism, and is no different for practitioners of Dorje Shugden. If one claims that Dorje Shugden’s practitioners are sectarian, that would be akin to saying that anyone else who practices Palden Lhamo or Mahakala or Kalarupa etc exclusively as their Protectors are also sectarian, which of course is illogical and ridiculous.)

3. Especially inappropriate in relation to the well-being of Tibetan society: Propitiating Dolgyal is particularly troublesome, given the Tibetan people’s present difficult circumstances. Textual and historical research demonstrates that the spirit Dolgyal arose out of hostility to the great Fifth Dalai Lama and his government. The Fifth Dalai Lama, who assumed both the spiritual and temporal leadership of Tibet in the 17th century, personally denounced Dolgyal as a malevolent spirit that arose out of misguided intentions and is detrimental to the welfare of beings in general and the Tibetan government headed by the Dalai Lamas in particular. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama and other respected Tibetan spiritual masters have also spoken out strongly against this practice. Therefore, in the current Tibetan context, in which unity among the Tibetan people is vitally important, engaging in this controversial and divisive propitiatory practice is inappropriate.

(Ed: Again, Dorje Shugden did not arise to create any hostility or cause any harm to any being! He arose to safeguard and spread the teachings of Tsongkhapa. How can this be harmful in any way? Further, he was encouraged by Nechung to arise as a Dharma Protector. How is it logical that this same Protector that Nechung encouraged is now being banned as a spirit? Is that to say that the Dalai Lama is going against the advice of his entire state’s own Protector?

There has also never been any proof of any “harm” that Dorje Shugden has caused to practitioners. Any evidence so far has been mere assumption or very loose accusations. There is no substantiated proof at all anywhere.

It is important to note that the 5th Dalai Lama had also written verses and prayers in praise of Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being. So to say that he only denounced Dorje Shugden as a spirit is historically incorrect. Other incarnations of the Dalai Lama, such as the 11th, had also been known to propitiate Dorje Shugden, even building chapels in his honor. If we consider that the Dalai Lama is of one mindstream from lifetime to lifetime, then isn’t he supposedly displaying a very contradictory nature? Which lifetime do we choose to follow? The ones that promoted the practice or the ones that denounced it? In this very lifetime, the Dalai Lama also used to propitiate Dorje Shugden strongly and has also written praises in honor of his enlightened nature. As mentioned above, is it really that the Dalai Lama is this fickle and uncertain?)

His Holiness has strongly urged his followers to consider carefully the problems of Dolgyal practice on the basis of these three reasons and to act accordingly. He has stated that, as a Buddhist leader with a special concern for the Tibetan people, it is his responsibility to speak out against the damaging consequences of this kind of spirit worship. Whether or not his advice is heeded, His Holiness has made clear, is a matter for the individual. However, since he personally feels strongly about how negative this practice is, he has requested those who continue to propitiate Dolgyal not to attend his formal religious teachings, which traditionally require the establishment of a teacher-disciple relationship.

(Ed: Yes, spirit worship can be damaging to anyone who chooses to engage in this, but it is clear that Dorje Shugden is NOT a spirit and his practice is NOT harmful. There has been no substantiated evidence anywhere to prove that he is harmful. Moreover, there are many, many high Lamas who were famous for having propitiated Dorje Shugden throughout their lifetime – e.g. Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten, Pabongka Rinpoche etc. If this “spirit” was so harmful, why weren’t any of them harmed? If his practice is so damaging, then why weren’t any of them “damaged”? On the contrary, these Lamas all returned and many of these Lamas’ unmistaken incarnations were recognized by the Dalai Lama himself! Isn’t this all very contradictory?)