The real reason for HHDL's Kalachakra initiations

[Ensapa]

I found this very interesting piece that may lead us to understand why is the entire kashag not allowed to go against the Dalai Lama's policies or change them:

In the article ‘Tibetan Religion and Politics’, posted on Phayul, Samten G Karmay makes a powerful case for separation of church and state based upon the incompatibility of the role of head of democratic government with being a spiritual master:

In this theocratic system the head of the state was not only the political leader of the people, but also their spiritual master. In other words, the whole population was subjected and put in the position of spiritual disciple to the master. Within the context of this essentially religious bond no devotee would ever dream of opposing the view of the master, because that would be tantamount to breaking the sacred relationship between the master and the disciple. How does this fit with the discussion of democracy among the Tibetans in exile for whom HH the Dalai Lama is the political leader, but who nonetheless bestows on them the Kalachakra initiation?

This ties in with the Mongoose-Canine letter, in which the writer says:

Moreover, to challenge Lamas you have used religion for your aim. To that purpose you had to develop the Tibetan people’s blind faith. In the end you adopted the same activity that you yourself had pointed out was mistaken in other Lamas. For instance, you started the politics of public Kalachakra initiations. Normally the Kalachakra initiation is not given in public. Then you started to use it continuously in a big way for your politics. The result is that now the Tibetan people have returned to exactly the same muddy and dirty mixing of politics and religion of Lamas which you yourself had so precisely criticised in earlier times.

The implication is that the Dalai Lama has used his position as a Spiritual Leader through Kalachakra initiations to keep the Tibetan people docile because they would never challenge their Teacher with whom they have ‘samaya’ (sacred bond) through initiation. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso of the New Kadampa Tradition has been branded ‘a samaya breaker’ for the very reason that it is claimed that he received this initiation from the Dalai Lama in 1954 and has subsequently spoken out against him (N.B. he never received this initiation).

The point of the Dalai Lama using Kalachakra for political purposes is mentioned again later in the Mongoose-Canine letter:

Nowadays you have given the Kalachakra initiation so many times you have made the Tibetan people into donkeys. You can force them to go here and there as you like. In your words you always say that you want to be Gandhi but in your action you are like a religious fundamentalist who uses religious faith for political purposes.

Samten G Karmay’s article was well read and received many supporting comments from Tibetans. Some examples:

religion and politics should be separated in order to have a true democratic system.people will more freely speak out when its a religious person most people don’t want to speak freely.the present tibetan govt needs to listen to people and stop calling people who give their opinion as chinese spy etc.this is not democracy

As you know, Tibetan government in exile, in realty there is no democracy. It’s like still old Tibet style empire rules, Lama Rules or one of the linage rule. One man leader for ever and at the same time they call it real democracy. In fact no Democracy and it’s like banana democracy. Young educated Tibetans have no chances to become a Top leader of Tibet as a ‘President”.

You are right — majority Tibetans has no power to tell or comment to the head of the exile. Because our head leader is Religious one. One of the four linage of mahayana Tibetan Buddhism. If you do so there is Dhamtsik Samaya breaking between a guru and the deciple.

Since the Dalai Lama alone has the power to determine whether democracy is introduced or not, and there is no democracy, the facts speak for themselves. Thurman should not whitewash this situation by pretending that the Dalai Lama is pro-democracy when his clear lack of action in this area shows that he is not. Either the Dalai Lama is fooling Thurman, or Thurman is fooling us.

So with the threat of breaking samaya, the CTA does not dare to lift the Dorje Shugden ban. But hey, work is work, spiritual practice is spiritual practice. Also you can always just avoid Dorje Shugden, not put hitlists. But still, an interesting perspective.

source: http://robertthurman.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/a-critique-of-why-the-dalai-lama-matters-by-robert-thurman-part-4/

[Rinchen]

Either that or the CTA could have suggested policies to the Dalai Lama, letting him know what will be going on. If he is silent and does not say anything then go for it. Remove the Dorje Shugden ban. Even if the Dalai Lama says something when they are suggesting the policy, they could still use the policy, but not push it as hard.

But at the same time, Dalai Lama has sad that he has redrawn his work in the political scene, remaining at the religious scene. Hence, even by removing the ban after notifying the Dalai Lama I guess it is also correct.

[Ensapa]

Either that or the CTA could have suggested policies to the Dalai Lama, letting him know what will be going on. If he is silent and does not say anything then go for it. Remove the Dorje Shugden ban. Even if the Dalai Lama says something when they are suggesting the policy, they could still use the policy, but not push it as hard.

But at the same time, Dalai Lama has sad that he has redrawn his work in the political scene, remaining at the religious scene. Hence, even by removing the ban after notifying the Dalai Lama I guess it is also correct.

I think you have kinda missed the point of the topic. The topic was pointing that the Dalai Lama giving out Kalachakra initiations to put a figurative collar on the necks of people, so that they are bound to follow his words or else risk a transgression of samaya with the Dalai Lama and suffer spiritual consequences. It is by this that the Dalai Lama can control the entire parliament at his fingertips and is what gives him the power. Therefore, saying or hinting anything that goes against his advice is considered sacrilegious.

[yontenjamyang]

The logic put forward here seems very sound from the surface. However, we must examine the true intentions of the HHDL in giving the Kalachakra initiations. While according to the article the initiations seems to be with the objective of creating a Guru disciple relationship and to "enslave" the mass public, (the true Guru Disciple relationship is actually with the root Guru as the predominant practice); the profound reason is to create affinity with the initiates and the open the seed of the Buddha Nature of these initiates.
According to the law of karma, nothing happens to us without the cause being created in the first place. If through these initiations, the mass public who attend these initiations seem enslaved, then the benefit at least is the affinity with the highest of Lama on Earth. That is not a bad deal. The rest is their own Karma ripening.

[Ensapa]

The logic put forward here seems very sound from the surface. However, we must examine the true intentions of the HHDL in giving the Kalachakra initiations. While according to the article the initiations seems to be with the objective of creating a Guru disciple relationship and to "enslave" the mass public, (the true Guru Disciple relationship is actually with the root Guru as the predominant practice); the profound reason is to create affinity with the initiates and the open the seed of the Buddha Nature of these initiates.
According to the law of karma, nothing happens to us without the cause being created in the first place. If through these initiations, the mass public who attend these initiations seem enslaved, then the benefit at least is the affinity with the highest of Lama on Earth. That is not a bad deal. The rest is their own Karma ripening.

That is the profound reason and intent of the initiations in the long run, but for the time being, it does seem a lot like the main goal of the initiations is for the Dalai Lama to have a grip on the officials as they now cannot do anything to go against the Dalai Lama either openly or secretly or else they will face severe repercussions both from their own community and from a spiritual level. Although it is supposed to bless these people and their mindstreams for their future lives, it does have a not so good temporal side effect too.