Dorje Shugden is the keeper of the Gaden Mahamudra tradition...

[Atishas cook]

Can we just leave Dalai Lama out.

  well, not really! 


I'm sorry you feel like that, Thaimonk.  i had no intention of upsetting anybody - but i think you know that.

i've not posted here for a while, but those who know my posts know that, while i'll call a spade a spade, i don't hate the Dalai Lama.  it'd be very hard for anyone to ignore the fact that, ostensibly, he's creating a great obstacle to the flourishing of Je Tsongkhapa's tradition in this world.  many here hold the view that he is, in fact, an enlightened master, even an emanation of Dorje Shugden, acting out of skilful means to spread the practice of our holy Protector throughout the world.  many see this as evidence of Dorje Shugden's (and the Dalai Lama's) enlightened nature - using himself as the scapegoat or bait to spread his own practice!  this is a perfectly valid view to hold.

also, who or what is a Mara depends on your perception: i could be Sangha for you, or i could be Mara, depending on how you see me and what affect your perception of me has on your practice - and this can change as your perception changes!  nobody is a mara from their own side.  as we know, the 5th Dalai Lama, later in his life, regretted his wrong views and negative actions concerning Duldzin and made amends.  we pray that the 14th now follows in his footsteps.

it is my view that the Dalai Lama's actions are the actions of a deluded being and therefore he is worthy of my love and compassion.  as i've often said, though, i do find it necessary, appropriate and entirely in accordance with the Dharma to call him out on his actions - i see this as a loving action.  but that - really - isn't the point of this thread.  i won't argue this point any more here.

my main point was to say that it's possible to see our holy Protector as being intimately connected to the special, holy text known as the Kadam Emanation Scripture, from which so much of our practice derives: the Lama Choepa, the Ganden Lhagyema, the Mahamudra instructions, and so on.  this holy Dharma offers living beings in these degenerate times the opportunity to attain enlightenment, simply and easily, in one lifetime, just as Gyalwa Ensapa did.  because it is so blessed, so powerful, it invites its own, special obstacles, and it requires its own, special protection!  one view - the view i'm expressing - is that it was for this reason principally that Duldzin Dorje Shugden arose.

[Big Uncle]

Well, I didn't realise a mini-discussion developed since I last posted. I agree with Thaimonk that we shouldn't try to bring in the Dalai Lama. Well, I found this little explanation in the book, Enlightened Beings which incidentally is published by Wisdom Publications. It states that Dorje Shugden is one of the custodians of this highly sacred volume and I think that in order for Dorje Shugden to possess such a sacred volume means that he himself must be fully enlightened. I also see this as another piece of evidence of how highly regarded Dorje Shugden is in the old days. Frankly, I am surprised it passed through the politically correct editors and censors at Wisdom Publication without being snipped. Perhaps, they missed it because it is basically at the footnote towards the end of the book. 

[beggar]

Frankly, I am surprised it passed through the politically correct editors and censors at Wisdom Publication without being snipped. Perhaps, they missed it because it is basically at the footnote towards the end of the book. 

haha this is quite funny. Perhaps you have an older edition before the ban got "serious" so people could still get away with mentions (after all, Enlightened Beings, was first published quite a long time ago?)

There's a very clever footnote in the Lawudo Lama also, (Lama Zopa's biography) which indicates directly and clearly that he was recognised as a tulku by Dorje Shugden. I wonder how they missed that one too!

[Ensapa]

Extracted from pg 161- 162 of Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Gaden Oral Tradition by Janice D. Willis and published by Wisdom Publications.

114 The Tibetan given throughout these namthar for Great Miraculous Volume is sprul pa'i glegs bam chen mo. The giving over of the Miraculous Volume marks the "seal" of transmission and attests to the perfected realization of a disciple. As might be expected, the Miraculous Volume is not an ordinary book. According to the Gelukpa tradition, it is quite invisible and of the nature of light. There is a humorous story told about how the first Panchen Lama, Losang Chokyi Gyeltsen, kept an "empty" space on his bookshelves. When it was asked why he did this, one of the Panchen's disciples replied, "That is where the Miraculous Volume is kept."

Some Geluk masters assert part of the bLa-ma mchod-pa [the Gelukpa's most comprehensive liturgical text, composed by the First Panchen, was taken directly from the Great Miraculous Volume. Others maintain that the Volume is synonymous with the King Tantra itself, the Guhyasamaja Tantra, especially as explicated by Tsongkapa. Whatever the actual content of the Volume, it is viewed as most precious and as encompassing the whole pith Tantric teachings given directly by Lord Manjushri to Tsongkapa. These make up the Gaden Oral Tradition of Mahamudra practice.

The Gelukpa history of the respective human recipients of the Miraculous Volume is shrouded in mystery. The standard Gelukpa Mahamudra lineage as we now have it comes down to the present. However, there are at least two differing traditions regarding who was the last Geluk siddha to actually  receive and hold the Miraculous Volume. One tradition asserts that  Kachen Yeshe Gyeltsen  [given as no. 16 of the present lineage and compiler of the namthar anthology from which the present translations are derived] was the last recipient. He is said to have returned the Volume, for safekeeping, to the Ganden gods. This tradition asserts that Pabongka Rinpoche, Trinley Gyatso [no.33 of the lineage], using his powers of insight, then set forth the extended lineage, composing the prayer that gives the lineage up to His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche.

An alternate tradition maintains that the First Panchen himself was the last human to hold the Miraculous Volume and that he returned  it to the gods for safekeeping.  As to which particular Ganden god the Volume was entrusted to at that time, there are varying opinions. The most common speculation says that the Volume was returned to the wrathful protector Kalarupa. Another view asserts that the Volume was bound over to the protection of Dorje Shukden (rDo-rje Sugs-ldan).

Of the six namthar presented here, the Great Miraculous Volume is explicitly mentioned only in the first four: the lives of Jampel Gyatso, Baso Chokyi Gyeltsen, Chokyi Dorje and Gyelwa Ensapa.
 

Without a doubt, this shows that Dorje Shugden is the protector of the Ganden branch of Mahamudra teachings. It would be really a shame to give up on the Ganden Mahamudra in favor of being politically correct on Dorje Shugden. I would not want to trade the Ganden Mahamudra teachings in favor of being politically correct because that would really be against Buddhist practice in essence. Perhaps now, this book is out of print as there is a huge frenzy for everyone to be politically correct these days. They cannot change facts, what has been written in the lineage teachings must not be touched or else they are distorting the Dharma and there are severe repercussions that comes with that sort of action, unless of course they do not mind at all fabricating facts and passing it off as the truth. There is very little books on the Ganden Mahamudra tradition, apart from the Dalai Lama's version.

This does mean that if we discard Dorje Shugden as a protector, we are also throwing the Mahamudra lineage of Ganden out of the window. The implications here are kinda huge in some way, because it would mean that those who discard Dorje Shugden also effectively discard those teachings that come from the Miraculous book, also known as Kadam Emanation book. It is said that Guru Yoga, Gaden Lhagyama and Migtsema came from this book, so if we do not respect the protector of this book, it would be the same as discarding the teachings that came from  the book = discarding the Gelug tradition altogether....

[psylotripitaka]

It is worth noting that White Heruka long life Deity and Yellow Yamantaka long life Deity were also two other Highest Yoga Tantra practices that came from the Kadampa Emanation Scripture. Both of these sadhanas are available from Dechen Ling Press if you're interested in seeing these holy gems. The White Heruka sadhana is the uncommon seated aspect. Both the uncommon White Heruka and Yellow Yamantaka are rare initiations.

[lotus1]

Thank you for sharing this info. I can see that Dorje Shugden has been supporting the growth of Dharma around the world while compassion in helping anyone to clear their obstacles so that they will have a smoother journey spiritually.
Dorje Shugden is arose for a special reasons to keep the lineage and teaching of Buddha Dharma. It is CTA that making it political and causing lots of people suffer. May the ban be lifted soonest!