Shugden Followers’ Baseless Allegations – A Rejoinder from the Central Tibetan A

[DharmaSpace]

8 May 2014

For Immediate Release

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) based in Dharamshala, India, strongly condemns the protests against His Holiness the Dalai Lama organised mainly by non-Tibetans who are linked to the fundamentalist cult associated with the propitiation of Dolgyal (Shugden). Their allegations of human rights abuses against those Tibetans who propitiate this spirit are baseless.

“The fact that Dolgyal groups welcome the Norwegian government’s decision not to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama due to pressure from the Chinese government clearly confirms this group is doing the political bidding at the behest of the Chinese government. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a beacon of hope for millions of Tibetans and peace-loving individuals across the world.  As the Shugden-related groups sustain their campaign to mislead the public with false allegations against both His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration, we trust the public will see through these unfounded allegations,” said Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay.

In fact, far from denying them their religious freedom, Tibetan Dolgyal propitiators continue to travel within India and abroad on documents issued by the Indian government with the endorsement of the Central Tibetan Administration. In seeking legal status or political asylum in North America and Europe, Dolgyal followers could be using denial of religious freedom as an excuse, but the very documents on which they stay in India and travel abroad, is issued by the government of India and endorsed by the Central Tibetan Administration. Therefore, the CTA has neither denied them their religious freedom nor obstructed their rights to live in India and travel abroad.

For example, Chime Tsering, the then Secretary General of Dorje Shugden Devotees’ Charitable and Religious Society, travelled on an Identity Certificate (IC), to the US, issued by the government of India with the endorsement of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Delhi. His Indian Registration certificate (RC) was issued by the government of India with the recommendation from the local Tibetan Settlement Officer of the CTA. Furthermore, Athar Tsering, a former secretary of the North American Gelug Buddhist Association (USA) also travelled to the US using travel documents issued by the government of India and endorsed by the CTA. So do many others Dolgyal followers.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has advised Tibetans and Buddhist followers that propitiating Dolgyal will lead to sectarianism and spirit/cult worship, which is fundamentally against the teachings of the Buddha. As a spiritual leader, he considers it is his responsibility to guide his followers on the correct spiritual path. Ultimately, it is for each individual to decide whether or not to listen to his guidance. His Holiness has emphasised on numerous occasions that propitiation of Dolgyal (Shugden) is a personal choice.

Despite this well-known fact, groups associated with Dolgyal propitiation persist with baseless allegations that Tibetans who are Dolgyal followers are discriminated against in their access to education, healthcare and other social services. There is no shred of evidence of this as Dolgyal followers continue to go to monasteries and send their children to schools run by the CTA and other autonomous Tibetan schools.

In June 1998, after a thorough investigation, Amnesty International concluded there was no evidence to support these accusations against the Central Tibetan Administration. Similarly, in 2010, a verdict issued by the Delhi High Court, dismissed a case filed by the Dorjee Shugden Devotees’ Charitable and Religious Society against the Central Tibetan Administration and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Central Tibetan Administration has repeatedly expressed its willingness to investigate any instances of discrimination if provided with concrete evidence.  Dolgyal-related groups have yet to provide such information.

Dolgyal groups are violent as demonstrated by the murder of the Principal of the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and his two disciples in Dharamshala in 1997.  Local police authorities confirmed clear indications that the murderers were directly linked to the Dolgyal (Shugden) groups which include the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), Dorjee Shugden Devotees’ Charitable and Religious Society and the North American Gelug Buddhist Association. Subsequently, the Interpol issued arrest warrants against two Tibetans who committed the murder. The Indian and US governments have stated that the Dolgyal organisations and their agents pose serious threat to the security of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Further information about Dolgyal (Shugden) is available at: www.tibet.net.


The Kashag

Dharamshala

8 May 2014

Well finally the Sikyong has voiced out about the Dorje Shugden issue. I wonder why he was not at the fore front of this issue earlie which affects many Tibetan Buddhist and the Tibetan diaspora.

We are not doing the protest against the ban due to the the Chinese lining our pockets. We are doing it for free because it is the right thing to do.

We would gladly do it for the monks and practitioners harmed by this ban.
We would happily do it to proof to the world that Dorje Shudgen is Manjushri.
We would willingly do it because Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche cannot be all wrong.
We would adamantly do it because there is no way Buddhist practice cannot overcome a spirit.

We would gladly protest against this ban. It is FOC.

How can the CTA engage in propitiating Nechung? Nechung is definitely not enlightened.

There is no proof that that the murders are linked to Dorje Shugden groups. If the Dorje Shugden groups are involved many of the people in those Groups are freely and openly still around. Why no arrests have been made on these ring leaders? Is it because there is no hard concrete evidence linking these allegations to the Groups. Surely when the groups act outside the realm of the law the leaders of those Dorje Shugden groups is accountable. Why no names of who are the mastermind behind the murders have been persecuted pr charged? This is purely conjectural by the Sikyong. 

Sikyong if you have the courage to resolve this issue lets have a dialogue.

[prodorjeshugden]

Indeed protesting peacefully is a right... Shugdenners are pushing for their freedom, why? 1.The ban was made based on false stories. 2.Shugdenners receive harsh treatments due to those false stories... 
We Shugdenners are humans like anyone else, if you torture us we feel the pain, if you poison us we die... So why still be so harsh? 
The ban won't solve any problems and it won't allow the Dalai to live longer, and in the end the only person that will end up worse is the CTA and the people behind the ban...

I really hope that everyone can unite together to solve common problems rather than creating problems.. 

[grandmapele]

The ban is illogical and not solve any problems. It is just a convenient scapegoat. It is just so that the Dorje Shugden practitioners will be too busy fending off attacks by the CTA and their people to have time to fully address the problem of non-action by the CTA towards Tibet's freedom.

And, the CTA's followers will too busy attacking and being blinded by hatred that they will not think to question why there is no progress towards Tibet's freedom. Anger is very blinding.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

The ban is illogical and illegal too. Besides the few Tibetans who managed to get their travel documents to travel abroad, have we read enough about the numbers of Tibetans who were denied access to medical care and education? How did the Shar Gaden Monastery and Serpom Monastery came about? Why are those practicing Dorje Shugden barred from attending teachings conducted by HHDL? If they were so wrong in their religious choice and is worshiping a spirit as claimed, shouldn't they be shown some compassion instead of being ostracized?

CTA, please unite all your citizens. Don't divide the Tibetans further.

[ShugdenProtector]

Sorry to say but ince His Holiness the Dalai Lama passes then bye bye CTA...you are finished! It would be much smarter for you to unite all your people... Tibetans for Tibet instead of splitting them up and causing internal disunity. Now is not the time to you to create fractions with your own people. And if you don't want China to use Shugden as an issue against you, then you don't make it an issue for them to use. Lift the Shugden ban, join your people together again, then there is nothing China can use anymore. How simple.

And by the way your Western supporters are all kowtowing to China, hence you are not going to get Western to support you! It would smarter (if u can think that far) to make friends with China instead of going against them, work with them and you may be able to get what you want Umaylam unless that is not what you want. Because no way Rangzen will ever win. Wake up and smell the coffee... hey even Africa is making good friends with China... learn from them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8XzR-vTLww&feature=youtu.be

[grandmapele]

ShugdenProtector, I totally agree with you. Now is the time to unite. Now is the time to lift the ban and not give ammunition to China to further split a Tibet that is already fractured by the ban.

If CTA really wants leverage, then a united Tibetan is their key. How can any government trust a body that encourages division? What does CTA hope to achieve with a divided front?

Well put, ShugdenProtector

[pgdharma]

Well said, ShugdenProtector.

The ban has caused so much friction. If the CTA is smart, they should unite their fellowman instead of dividing them. They should not condemn the protests against the Dalai Lama. It is a peaceful protest of Dorje Shugden practitioners to voice their disagreement on the ban and appealing for their rights and freedom to practice.

[Celia]

Agree that definitely would be illogical for CTA to still have the Dorje Shugden ban in place which serve to weaken their efforts for Tibet’s cause and cause internal unrest with the Tibetans. But then again, that is on the assumption that CTA will act in the interest of Tibetans.

Judging from CTA’s actions to date, it is really getting harder to believe that they are really serving Tibetans’ interests. Even if we put aside all the integrity issues and allegations of crimes as well as wrong doings of the office bearers, CTA’s actions are obviously questionable. Take for example, the continued imposition of the Dorje Shudgen ban, which democratic establishment would trample on some of their citizen’s right and openly call for their discrimination? Especially since the reason provided (i.e. harm Dalai Lama’s life) has clearly been rebutted and negated (by Dalai Lama himself). Further, it is painfully clear that unity is the way to go in the current situation but yet CTA actually go the opposite way to perpetuate hate and divisiveness.

Basically, it really is looking more and more like CTA wanting to keep Tibetans busy fighting each other so they won’t focus on the real issue i.e. CTA’s incompetency. From that perspective, it is also then logical for CTA to provide issues, like Dorje Shugden ban, which China can leverage on.  If China takes the bait, then CTA can harp on to use it against China to continue fuelling hate against China (which is being done by CTA). Even if China doesn’t react, CTA can still divert attention away from the real issues at hand, at both international and domestic level. And obviously, CTA plan to continue milking the situation (and filling their own coffers) as much and as long as they can.