H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama's Visit to California February 2014

[DharmaSpace]

Nechung is a spirit too but the Dalai Lamas have been in association with Nechung for many lifetimes and so does the Tibetan Government, they work side by side with Nechung.

So who is really the spirit worshipper?

[brian]

worshiping?? not for a Buddha like Dorje Shugden. How about Nechung? Nechung is not enlightened if i am not mistaken. Why lose your cool over a nun asking for religious freedom? Am just so interested to see what will the reaction of people outside seeing this happening?

[icy]

Wonderful news, Dorje Shugden is receiving media attention in USA.  Thanks to the Dalai Lama.  The Dorje Shugden protest had been reported by NBC Bay Area: Dalai Lama to Speak at Santa Clara University, Protesters Expected

Sunday, Feb 23, 2014  |
The Dalai Lama is on a Bay Area tour. His Holiness landed on Friday, and today, he spoke to a sold-out crowd in Berkeley. It hasn't been all peaceful as some demonstrators have protested his visit. NBC Bay Area's Chase Cain reports from Santa Clara University where the Dalai Lama will be tomorrow.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Dalai-Lama-Continues-Bay-Area-Tour-at-Santa-Clara-University-246811731.html?

[icy]

The Daily Californian reported on the protest during the event in Berkeley.  Much publicity was  on the ban by the Dalai Lama.  PLEASE GO TO THE LINK below and leave your comments to KATHLEEN TIERNEY of the daily.  It is our opportunity to create more awareness and bring down the ban!

Berkeley's News | The Daily Californian
Monday, February 24, 2014

Shugden Buddhists protest during Dalai Lama’s visit to Berkeley


More than 100 Shugden Buddhists protested Sunday against the Dalai Lama during his talk at the Berkeley Community Theatre.

BY KATHLEEN TIERNEY
 
More than 100 Shugden Buddhists gathered to protest the Dalai Lama during his visit to Berkeley on Sunday morning, demanding religious freedom for Shugden practitioners in the second of four planned demonstrations during the spiritual leader’s visit to the West Coast.

Chanting, “Stop lying, Dalai Lama” and “Religious freedom Dalai Lama give” outside the Berkeley Community Theatre, where the Dalai Lama was giving a speech about happiness, the protesters urged him to renounce his 1996 condemnation of Dorje Shugden, an ancient Tibetan deity. The protesters allege this condemnation has led to the “persecution” of many Shugden Buddhists around the world.

The Dalai Lama has stated that Dorje Shugden is a spirit who is in conflict with the Dalai Lamas and the Tibetan government and is a threat to the interests of all Tibetan people.

“All he has to do is lift the ban. He had the power to enforce the ban in 1996. He has the power to lift it,” said Len Foley, spokesperson for the protesters. “He appears to be a man of peace, but his decision has caused a lot of pain and suffering.”

According to Foley, members of exiled Tibetan communities in India have been forced to sign oaths and carry cards stating they are not Shugden practitioners. Those who refuse face religious and social persecution and are being denied access to schools, hospitals and employment, Foley said.

Jigdol Ngawang, a Tibetan Buddhist who volunteered at the event, says Shugden practitioners are not being persecuted, as the protesters say.

“The Dalai Lama has no way to persecute people,” Ngawang said. “Why would a Tibetan (hurt) another Tibetan?”

The protesters refute the Dalai Lama’s claim that Dorje Shugden is a threat to the well-being of Tibetan Buddhists, arguing that people have been worshiping Dorje Shugden for 400 years. They add that the Dalai Lama himself worshiped the deity for more than half of his life without any negative consequences and that he might have ulterior motives for imposing the ban.

“He’s using his religious authority to accomplish political goals,” said Thekchen Kelsang, a Shugden Buddhist monk.

Shugden Buddhists protest during Dalai Lama's visit to Berkeley

Some followers of the Dalai Lama, however, say the protesters are the ones with the ulterior motives, accusing them of colluding with the Chinese government in order to attack the Dalai Lama’s authority and in turn weaken the movement for Tibetan independence from China.

But the protesters deny any association with the Chinese government, saying that they feel socially ostracized in many Buddhist communities and that they are standing up for Shugden Buddhists in Tibet and India who do not have the freedom to protest themselves.

The Shugden Buddhist protesters intend to demonstrate at the Dalai Lama’s two other events this week in Santa Clara and Los Angeles.

Contact Kathleen Tierney at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @kathleentierney.

http://www.dailycal.org/2014/02/23/shugden-buddhists-protest-dalai-lamas-visit-berkeley/

[icy]

While the Dalai Lama Spreads Message of Compassion at Santa Clara University, Lord Dorje Shugden gets publicity from Kris Sanchez |Bay City News Service.  You many wish to leave your comments at their column.


http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Dalai-Lama-Spreads-Message-of-Compassion-at-Santa-Clara-University-246976981.html?

[Q]

This time around, the ISC really made it big in the news. Great achievement for all Shugdenpas. Hopefully with more people being well informed about the issue of Dorje Shugden, that there is actually nothing wrong about the practice spiritually, but due to political benefits, the practice was banned... With understanding, hopefully people will see DS practitioners in a different light and not ostracize us.

[icy]

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 PRWeb

Dalai Lama’s Visit to Los Angeles Will Be Met by Protestors Continuing to Accuse Him of Religious Persecution
The Dalai Lama’s US tour this week has been trailed by hundreds of protestors, including Buddhist monks and nuns, from the International Shugden Community, accusing him of religious persecution. The group, which will be protesting outside his event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, have stated that they will continue to demonstrate at his events until he agrees to stop persecuting practitioners of their religious tradition Dorje Shugden.

[icy]

More news covering the protest on the ban by NBC Southern California as the Dalai Lama speaks on Compassion. 


http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Dalai-Lama-The-Forum-Los-Angeles-California-Tibet-247050521.html

[icy]

Dalai Lama Caught on Camera Insulting Buddhist Nun and Criticizing Ancient Buddhist Practice
In an incident captured on an iPhone camera by a surprised hotel guest, the Dalai Lama was seen pointing his finger at and refusing to accept a request for religious freedom by a quiet Buddhist nun.

(PRWEB) February 26, 2014

In an incident captured on an iPhone camera by a surprised hotel guest, the Dalai Lama was seen pointing his finger at and refusing to accept a request for religious freedom by a quiet Buddhist nun.
As his entourage encouraged him to leave, he returned to criticize the nuns spiritual tradition by denouncing it as not a religion but as spirit worship, and therefore not eligible for religious freedom.
The nun was part of a group of Buddhist practitioners who have been requesting dialogue with the Dalai Lama for 18 years, asking him to give religious freedom to Shugden Buddhists by lifting a ban he imposed in 1996 on their 400-year old spiritual practice.

Spokesperson, Len Foley, for the International Shugden Community, a group representing the rights of Shugden Buddhists said “We have tried to have a discussion with him for many years now. This is the only time a Shugden Buddhist has gotten close enough to him to question him directly. His reaction brings us great sadness”.

Len Foley continues, “By imposing this ban, his words and actions have and are causing millions of people to suffer by creating division between them and destroying their harmony and peaceful life. There have been many incidences where his followers have been incited to extreme anger with Shugden practitioners, resulting in public humiliation, provocation, intimidation and threats, including dismissing them from their jobs, refusing basic, and even medical services to them. We do not ask that he likes our religion but that religious freedom should apply to all traditions whether he likes them or not. This is our only point. Because we cannot get dialogue with him, the only voice we have is to demonstrate against him at all his events including this week in California and next week in DC”.

(Cabinet of Tibet Government in Exile - Dharamsala 'Points of the Kashag's statements concerning Dogyal, 31 May 1996,http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/kashags-statement, Aug 1st, 2008).
More information at http://www.falsedalailama.com
Other news articles on the demonstrations include:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Dalai-Lama-The-Forum-Los-Angeles-California-Tibet-247050521.html
http://www.abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=9441887

[Manisha Kudo]

A man of peace, like the Dalai Lama is seen to be pure and incapable of meting out orders like banning the continuation of a 400-year-old religious practice. Many claim that it was a political decision or a step that was shrouded by secretive Chinese agendas. If the human minds in this era thrive on controversies and propaganda, then perhaps more would be exposed to Dorje Shugden if he was more controversial. Again, this is a speculation.

So the point still remains that the Dalai Lama has unjustly banned a practice, harmed religious freedom and brought shame, pain and suffering to the Shugdenpa. Let's just hope that the lifting of the ban would proceed smoothly without incurring further violence.

[icy]

Dalai Lama Attended Star Studded Los Angeles Luncheon Including Sharon Stone, Larry King, Anna Kendrick, Lupita Nyong'o, Amber Heard, Eva Longoria, Naomi Watts, Jeremy Renner, Jim Carrey, Nikki Reed, Joshua Jackson, Malin Akerman, Christina Hendricks, Rosario Dawson, Sandra Oh, Amber Valletta, Joanna Krupa and Lisa Vanderpump



For further reading:

http://www.ibtimes.com/dalai-lama-attended-star-studded-los-angeles-luncheon-including-eva-longoria-amber-heard-jim-carrey?

[icy]

Who is Dalai Lama's good friend among the stars?




Actress Sharon Stone and His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the California Science Centre

Actress Sharon Stone was in top form when she met the Dalai Lama at a special charity fundraiser at the California Science Centre yesterday.

The pair have been friends for several years, a bond somewhat tested back in 2008 after the actress cited the Tibetan spiritual leader as her "good friend" when she controversially said China's earthquake was bad "karma" for its handling of Tibet.

The Dalai Lama was forced to distance himself from the comments.

Confirming "yes, I've met that lady", the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Sydney he did not share her viewpoint on the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people.

"Of course from a Buddhist viewpoint, every event is karma," the 72-year-old monk said.

Irish Independent

[icy]

Is the Dalai Lama safe? - by Jamyang Norbu

Jamyang Norbu discloses power struggle within the CTA that led to the negligence of protecting the Dalai Lama from the gentle nun who embarrassed the Dalai Lama during the protest at California.
The author is a Tibetan independence activist and writer, currently living in the United States. He is one of the founding members of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro - independence group of the Tibetan Diaspora.

Phayul[Sunday, March 02, 2014 01:31]

I came across this YouTube video yesterday morning that left me depressed and angry for the rest of the day. An inji nun, a Shugden follower, confronts His Holiness in a hotel lobby in San Francisco and keeps up a litany of insulting comments: “Stop lying Dalai Lama”, “Religious freedom for everyone”, “Stop lying”, “Dalai Lama you must stop lying.” and so on. His Holiness attempts to argue with her but she keeps up her slogans till His Holiness finally leaves. The video is just 38 seconds but it feels much longer, painfully longer.

About ten years ago I wrote a two essays on Tibetan superstitions and oracle cults where I touched on the Shugden controversy.

An excerpt:

Of course, people must be allowed their beliefs no matter how ridiculous or wrong we may perceive them. I believe people have the right to worship Shugden or any other deity they want, while the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader certainly has the right to object to this on theological grounds and ask people to refrain from such practices. But that is not the problem. The trouble is that the Tibetan government has been inducted to implement the Dalai Lama’s proscription of Shugden worship. The Tibetan government claims it has not issued any orders or appeals to people to harass or ?ght Shugden worshippers. Yet it has produced and distributed literature and videos demonizing Shugden worshippers.

But this latest confrontation with His Holiness by Shugden followers is completely unacceptable. The whole thing (camera and all) appears to have been a deliberate set-up to embarrass His Holiness. The nun didn’t even try to have a discussion with His Holiness. She just repeated slogans. The same slogans that other Western Shugden followers outside the hotel were chanting and which they had printed on their placards and banners.

Far be it for me to say that you can’t disagree with His Holiness. I have been an open and vociferous critic of the Dalai Lama on the issue of Tibetan independence for a few decades now, but I have always made sure that nothing I wrote could be used as ammunition against him or the cause. I have also consistently drawn the line at being deliberately disrespectful, and attempting to humiliate His Holiness publicly as happened at San Francisco goes way beyond that line. The behavior of the Western Shugden followers, at the very least, reveals an insensitivity to the hopes and dreams of those Tibetans suffering under Chinese rule who yearn for the day when the Dalai Lama will return to an independent homeland.
But on reflection I could not sustain my anger at the Western Shugden followers, who are, after all, not Tibetans and don’t share our values, and who at least came out openly (and peacefully) to express their grievances. But where on earth were our very own ministers and officials who always somehow manage to be alongside his Holiness in all his travels (and in every accompanying photograph and video). Where were they? Why didn’t one or two of them at least stand before the nun and tell her to leave, or better yet hustle her out gently. I remember seeing a video of a previous such incident where a Tibetan official, Kalon Tashi Wangdi, came out before a large crowd of Shugden protesters and talked calmly to them providing a kind of barrier between them and His Holiness. Why didn’t at least one official come between His Holiness and this one small nun who seemed rather nervous and scared herself.

Or more to the point, what security arrangements were there in place to ensure His Holiness’s safety? We all know that over the last decade Western Shugden supporters have picketed His Holiness’s talks and appearances in the West. It was no secret that this time around they would do the same on his California visit. So why weren’t adequate precautions taken. I have written on a number of occasions that Dharamshala should be extremely careful in vetting visitors to the Dalai Lama, not only to ensure His Holiness’s physical safety but also to ensure that nothing untoward, unseemly or embarrassing could happen. One speculation I picked up over the exile grapevine was that the nun managed to get access to His Holiness because she was an inji, a Westerner, it being a given that Tibetans have a harder time getting access His Holiness than a Westerner does.

These days Chinese visitors from the PRC are reportedly coming in droves to Dharamshala and seem to have absolutely no difficulty in gaining admittance to His Holiness. Knowing how the system operates in China, I do not think it would be an exaggeration to say that a considerable percentage of these visitors will have some connection to Chinese intelligence and security agencies.

So in the specific instance of San Francisco, why the oversight, the negligence? I have been given to understand there has been a major power struggle in the Tibetan political world over control and management of the Dalai Lama’s visits abroad, especially those to the United States. Hence it appears that the energy and acumen of our concerned officials were focused more on this turf battle and less on security preparations for His Holiness’s trip.

As annoyed as most Tibetan have been with the slogan-chanting nun and the other Western Shugden followers, it would be for the best if we forget all about them. In fact I think it might be advisable for Dharamshala to reach some kind of minimal understanding with Shugden followers regarding their behavior during His Holiness’s visits to the West, even if for the moment we are unable to resolve the fundamental aspects of the schism. Otherwise I can quite easily see things getting out of hand, and angry exile-Tibetans battling it out with Shugden followers on the streets of New York or London, doing irreparable damage to our cause and to His Holiness’s international reputation.

And we should never forget that we have a far more frightening and sinister enemy poised to do the ultimate harm to His Holiness life and legacy. This enemy has murdered hundreds of lamas, slaughtered many thousands of Buddhist monks, and “disappeared” the child Panchen Lama; and as I mentioned earlier, it has been sending a stream of its agents to our exile-capital for purposes that are at the very least, disquieting. How seriously prepared are we to deal with that?

It doesn’t bear thinking.