Destruction of Larung Gar ‘unfortunate, against basic religious freedom'

[Ringo Starr]

This is so funny, coming from Lobsang Sangay.

http://www.neopress.in/destruction-of-larung-gar-unfortunate-against-basic-religious-freedom-tibetan-pm-in-exile/

[Rinchen]

It is indeed funny as it is said that there is religious discrimination from China to say that there is religious freedom yet to the CTA themselves are not giving religious freedom as well. The pot calling the kettle black. It is just ironic how they boycott people that are the same as them. Such phoney people. Especially their Sikyong Lobsang Sangay.

[SabS]

Although it is unfortunate that China is relocating the people of Larung Gar, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay is in no position to critisize China as CTA definitely do not practise religious freedom as seen in their ban on the practise of Dorje Shugden. His own harsh treatments and actions against his own people for propitiating enlightened Protector Dorje Shugden is infringing on human rights as well. So what right does Lobsang Sangay has at all in voicing against some other over what he is guilty of?

[DharmaDefender]

Like the rest of the Tibetan leadership LS is a hypocrite through and through. While he criticises the Chinese leadership for the destruction of a religious dwelling, he also fails to recognise a whole host of other health and safety related issues related to people living in such close proximity. What about the fact the dwellings are a fire hazard, built without adhering to whatever already-poor building codes might exist in China? What about the fact the buildings are not properly ventilated, lack proper plumbing and are in a general ramshackle condition?

What about the fact the gathering in itself isnt adhering to Chinese laws? The people there should have known what they were getting themselves into when they put together the community. They knew what the laws were and purposely flouted them so what do you expect the authorities to do? Turn a blind eye on tens of thousands of people gathering unlawfully? Let them get away with it and not enforce the law? Sorry, cry human rights violations all you want, but the fact remains these Larung Gar lot KNEW what the law was and flouted it intentionally. So they had it coming.

LS is basically encouraging people to break the laws of China. Well done you! Look LS, you got a problem with it? Raise the funds to build a proper monastery for Tibetans in Tibet. Im sure China would be more than happy to take your money!

LS is such a joke. Your talking about someone whose written Tibetan continues to be made fun of it to this day.

[pgdharma]

According to the county official on the demolition is that Lo-Nor Township is being upgraded to a town, and because Larung Gar monastery is close to Lo-Nor township it will naturally be integrated into the overall planning and construction and also the  motivation of this construction development is to build a more orderly, beautiful, secure and peaceful land where people can practice peace of mind, study more precisely, and allow the elderly to live more comfortably, and at the same time accelerate the pace of urbanization and development in Lo-Nor town.

I think Lobsang Sanjay has no right to criticize China. He claims that it is double standard of the Chinese Government, which says something and does something else. Well, isn’t he a hypocrite as well. The CTA are not practicing religious freedom too and that has caused so much hardship to the Shugdenpas.

[grandmapele]

From the few picture I've seen of Larung Gar, it looks so very densely populated. Hopefully, after this, there will be better sanitation and basic amenities made available for the inhabitants of Larung Gar. Maybe, CTA would like to raise the funds to rebuild a new Larung Gar with better amenities, like proper sanitation and water supply?

For Lobsang Sangay to criticise China for lack of religious freedom is laughable. Look, who banned the practice of Dorje Shugden? Who is not giving religious freedom, too? If CTA were to lift the ban tomorrow, maybe the rest of the world will stop laughing and criticizing the CTA over their claim that China is not giving religious freedom.

[Big Uncle]

The article really does not say enough about the issue. Why are the Chinese demolishing the buildings and from some news articles online, the demolition of the buildings in the monastery was due to the fact that the monastery is overcrowded. Most Tibetan groups claim that that is a violation of religious freedom.

I fail to see the point and find absolutely nothing wrong with the authorities limiting the size of the monastery, which sounds to me to be a safety concern. I would imagine if a fire did break out, it would be disastrous. Whatever is the case, I think that the outcry is over-exaggerated and it is typical of many western or western affiliated media to belittle China.

On a side note, I heard that the Sertar monastery is fiercely anti-Shugden, which in itself is hugely disappointment.

[vajratruth]

It cannot be ruled out completely that Chinese decision to reduce the scale and extent of Larung Gar is due to the government's concern that it has or may become a hub of anti-Chinese sentiments and activities. Therefore it is a security measure as unpopular as it is.

We must however remember that the Dalai Lama and CTA have never hesitated to use the Tibetan Buddhist religion as a political tool to agitate against the Chinese. Therefore if Larung Gar has become a risk to the Chinese, then significant blame must be assigned the Dalai Lama who made it so.

By right, no religious institution should be involved in politics but the institution of the Dalai Lama made it so. It is difficult to say where the politics end and the religion begins.

Personally I lament this news but I also see why it has to be so. Both the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government chose politics over religion. This is understandable for the Chinese but it is disturbing that the Dalai Lama should also use Buddhism as a device for statecraft.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Sounds like Mr Lobsang Sangay is describing the CTA. I am not one who is taking sides but looking at the current situations, I have not read enough on the reasons why the Larung Gar is being demolished. I felt sad too to read of the destruction of so many homes and buildings of the Buddhist practitioners.

Just thinking how the Tibetan Government felt when they incite hatred among their own citizens when the ban on Dorje Shugden was put on. Why are they splitting up their people? As if life was not tough enough to be living in someone's land after losing their mother land, their Government is telling them to give up the practice that were given by their teacher.

Please lift the ban on Dorje Shugden so that the people would have one less 'unfortunate' situation to deal with.