Fresh alerts of terror strikes on Buddhist population and monasteries

[WisdomBeing]

This news is quite frightening. Dharamsala is under threat. And if the Indian Mujahideen operative was caught in Hubli, that is close to several Buddhist monasteries in Mundgod of Ganden and Drepung, including of course our very dear Dorje Shugden monastery, Shar Ganden.

What karma has the CTA created that makes the Tibetan community unsafe even while in exile? Perhaps time is running out and if the CTA realizes this, they should quickly amend the situation and lift the ban on Dorje Shugden so that he can protect Tibet again.

Fresh alerts of terror strikes on Buddhist population and monasteries in Himachal
Phayul [Tuesday, July 23, 2013 11:39]
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=Fresh+alerts+of+terror+strikes+on+Buddhist+population+and+monasteries+in+Himachal&id=33766

DHARAMSHALA, July 23: Police in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, exile home to thousands of Tibetans including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration, have been alerted of possible terror strikes on Buddhist population and monastries.

According to Indian media reports, India’s central counter terrorism unit, the National Investigation Agency, has alerted Himachal police about possible terrorist strikes on Buddhist population and monasteries across the state by Islamic militant group Indian Mujahideen.

NIA reportedly sent a communiqué to the state police on Monday evening, cautioning them about the possible terror strike on Buddhist monasteries in Himachal Pradesh. The plans to strike the monasteries are believed to have been revealed by an operative of the Indian Mujahideen in Hubli after the module was busted recently following the serial bomb blasts in Gaya earlier this month.

On the morning of July 7, a total of ten bombs exploded within the complex of the two millennia old Mahabodhi Temple and at other locations, including the Tergar Monastery, the seat of the Gyalwang Karmapa in Bodhgaya,

Responding to the communiqué, the Crime Investigation Department’s Additional Director General of Police Sita Ram Mardi confirmed that the state police has sent an alert to all district police chiefs and directed them to tighten security in Buddhist-populated areas.

Dharamshala, located in Himachal Pradesh, is the exile residence of Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Laureate, the Dalai Lama and the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. The exile Tibetan administration, headed by its democratically elected leaders, is also based in the hill town.

Himachal Pradesh is home to more than a dozen Tibetan refugee settlements and several Buddhist monasteries, including the Tsug-la Khang, which is situated in close proximity to the Dalai Lama’s residence and the Gyotu Trantic Monastery, the residence of Gyalwang Karmapa.

According to reports, the state CID has also sent a communiqué to the Home Department, pushing for a total revamp of the security of the Dalai Lama and the installation of explosive detectors at his residence.

Following the terror attacks in Bodhgaya, the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile had written letters to the Indian Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, urging for a “heightened level of protection” to ensure the personal safety of the Dalai Lama and Gyalwang Karmapa.

The Tibetan lawmakers apprised the central and state governments on the need for greater security at Buddhist places of worship while urging heads and leaders of the major lineages of Buddhism and their monasteries to pay close attention to the security aspects of their respective places.

[Ensapa]

With the acts of some insensitive Buddhists in Sri lanka and Myanmar, Buddhists all over the world are now under threat.  It is sad that the rest of the Buddhists have to suffer as a result of the callous actions of a few Buddhists who are championing their own negative ideologies using Buddhism as a front to gather followers. i guess nothing much can be done on this front unless the world's Buddhist community denounce and disassociate themselves from these two buddhist fundamentalist groups, or else there will be more trouble ahead. 

[Rinchen]

It is just sad to see that because of the minority that has created the chaos between religions, are causing the monasteries in India that has nothing to do with all these differences to be disturbed and threatens a few major monasteries. These trouble makers should put their cases down and make a public apology to ease the minds of the Muslims, not harming the rest of the Buddhists that are innocent from all sorts of nonsense that they have done.

[samayakeeper]

It is very sad that such acts of terrorism are being carried out so often now. These terrorists strike into the heart of peaceful citizens of the world, from school children to innocent citizens. Now we hear of the latest terrorist act, from people of their own faith against people of different faiths. What is today's world turning into? What would the world be for our children and their children? What do these terrorists regardless of their beliefs hope to gain from such dastardly acts? I guess these people do not have dharma in them.

[Rinchen]

It is because in these degenerated times people's minds are all very twisted in their own way. Hence, even if they do have Dharma in their lives, they would twist the teachings to ways that they think would suit and praise what their racism/terrorism acts. It is saddening how we have came to become like this. Peace and inter religious should be promoted in all religions instead of causing troubles for each other.

[Blueupali]

It is because in these degenerated times people's minds are all very twisted in their own way. Hence, even if they do have Dharma in their lives, they would twist the teachings to ways that they think would suit and praise what their racism/terrorism acts. It is saddening how we have came to become like this. Peace and inter religious should be promoted in all religions instead of causing troubles for each other.

After the first bombing at Bodh Gaya, I was thinking about the karma of the place of Buddha's enlightenment being a target of violence; I am making a lot of purifcation prayers for the world.  I think it is clear that the whole world is having some sort of really serious karma that we need to purify when Bodh Gaya is attacked; the group attacking it is good to purify for of course the whole world has this happening to this holy place.

[WisdomBeing]

It is tremendously ironic that religion, which is supposed to be promoting peace, is one of the most common reasons for conflict. People who get tremendously offended by what you say about their religion, their teachers, their God/Deity, belief system, just because they do not share what others believe in. Even on the more relatable level, look at how people look down on Dorje Shugden practitioners, how they are rude about Dorje Shugden lamas and teachers, just because they do not believe what we believe in. And then some Dorje Shugden practitioners will fight back - because they will defend their protector and teacher at the cost of their lives. Thank Buddha that there are no self-immolations because of the Dorje Shugden issue. I pray that Dorje Shugden will bring peace and harmony to the world. We sorely need it.

[kris]

It is indeed very sad and ironic to hear that Buddhism the religion which emphasize a lot on peace is now under threat. I do not quite agree with WisdomBeing that CTA creating the ban has anything to do with the "revenge". Like Ensapa said, it is due to some teachers in the Sri Langka and Myanmar who taught their students the "wrong" Buddhist way and that created hatred between different religions. Therefore, it is extremely important we get the qualified Guru...

[Blueupali]

It is indeed very sad and ironic to hear that Buddhism the religion which emphasize a lot on peace is now under threat. I do not quite agree with WisdomBeing that CTA creating the ban has anything to do with the "revenge". Like Ensapa said, it is due to some teachers in the Sri Langka and Myanmar who taught their students the "wrong" Buddhist way and that created hatred between different religions. Therefore, it is extremely important we get the qualified Guru...

Okay, I think you are both right, because if we look at it like karma from this and past lives its really any negative karma the world has created that could cause this sort of thing to happen, I think.  The relative cause might be that we have Buddhists in Sri Lanka and Myanmar creating difficulties between themselves and Islamic people; however, I think the whole world is lacking merit if Bodh Gaya is attacked.

[WisdomBeing]

Dear Blue

We are living in the kaliyuga times - the degenerate times when people prefer materialism to spiritualism - and it is the time when Buddhism will wane and at the end of it all, tantra will be extinct. When we have this perspective in mind, we should think of how we can maximize our time on earth, as we are fortunate enough to be living as human beings in a time where tantra still exists. Some of us have the great fortune to be near qualified tantric masters in this lifetime also. The universe (or our karma) is conspiring against us - so we should try to make the most of what we have in order to gain as much attainments as possible.

Which is why we so badly need Dorje Shugden.

I believe that the negative speech and actions against Dorje Shugden over the years DOES have karma. And it will manifest in different ways. For those of us fortunate enough to practice this great Buddha Protector, we must persevere to protect our practice and the centers and teachers who introduced this practice to us.

[Blueupali]

Dear Blue

We are living in the kaliyuga times - the degenerate times when people prefer materialism to spiritualism - and it is the time when Buddhism will wane and at the end of it all, tantra will be extinct. When we have this perspective in mind, we should think of how we can maximize our time on earth, as we are fortunate enough to be living as human beings in a time where tantra still exists. Some of us have the great fortune to be near qualified tantric masters in this lifetime also. The universe (or our karma) is conspiring against us - so we should try to make the most of what we have in order to gain as much attainments as possible.

Which is why we so badly need Dorje Shugden.

I believe that the negative speech and actions against Dorje Shugden over the years DOES have karma. And it will manifest in different ways. For those of us fortunate enough to practice this great Buddha Protector, we must persevere to protect our practice and the centers and teachers who introduced this practice to us.

I also believe that it has negative karma that people are talking against Dorje Shugden and other Buddhas, like Je Pabonkapa.  I think too, that we have a lot of these impurities of mind manifesting because of the degenerate times; basically I understand that we must generally have more negative past life karmas than people in better times, such as the very fortunate that listened to Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings in person.  Though we lack merit and may have heavier karmas to clear, we still had enough virtue for a precious human rebirth, so we still have the opportunity to help beings by becoming Buddhas.  The lack of merit of beings right now,  manifests in various ways, all of which produce difficult karmas, like speaking against Buddhas or causing Islamic people to become upset with local Buddhists; so if Bodh Gaya is attacked then I think it is a sign that we need to purify and offer mandalas to help the world gain more merit; people have attacked Buddhist sites in the past, but unfortunately we now have the capacity for mass destruction, which we previously did not have.  Furthermore, we are supposed to be in the last 500 years of Buddha Shakyamuni's doctrine surviving.  Maybe if we have enough merit we can extend that time, since karmas are changing; according to Penor Rinpoche's students, one of the stupas that he consecrated in the U.S. is partly there to help mitigate the predicted time of darkness and weapons; mitigating is good! My point with mentioning that is that we need not give up hope, but rather practice harder, hoping to help beings as much as possible.  I also think Dorje Shugden is for me, indispensable, since he is protecting everyone's path and arranging our conditions.

[Rinchen]

After the first bombing at Bodh Gaya, I was thinking about the karma of the place of Buddha's enlightenment being a target of violence; I am making a lot of purifcation prayers for the world.  I think it is clear that the whole world is having some sort of really serious karma that we need to purify when Bodh Gaya is attacked; the group attacking it is good to purify for of course the whole world has this happening to this holy place.

I do not believe that it is the karma of the venue itself, in this case Bodhgaya. But instead, I believe that it is because of the accumulation of the speech karma of all Buddhists around the world that has caused the bombing to happen in such a holy place such as Bodhgaya that has so much significance in Buddhism.

[psylotripitaka]

Another wonderful reminder to concentrate on emptiness vigorously. Your inner eyes need to bulge like the Protector!

[Dondrup Shugden]

After the first bombing at Bodh Gaya, I was thinking about the karma of the place of Buddha's enlightenment being a target of violence; I am making a lot of purifcation prayers for the world.  I think it is clear that the whole world is having some sort of really serious karma that we need to purify when Bodh Gaya is attacked; the group attacking it is good to purify for of course the whole world has this happening to this holy place.

I do not believe that it is the karma of the venue itself, in this case Bodhgaya. But instead, I believe that it is because of the accumulation of the speech karma of all Buddhists around the world that has caused the bombing to happen in such a holy place such as Bodhgaya that has so much significance in Buddhism.

With the latest earthquake in Nepal and the destruction of so many holy places, I do believe that we Buddhists need to be more conscious of our actions of body, speech and mind to put a hold on our degeneration.

As mentioned by Chokyi Dorje another wonderful reminder to concentrate on emptiness.