Yangding controversies

[shugdenpromoter]

There are big provinces in China whereby majority Tibetans/Chinese are Shugden worshipper. They are very united and their devotion is very strong and not wavered over the years. Everyone knows Shugden and many of them attribute whatever goodness in their life is because Shugden assisted them. Therefore, I am not surprise that the table turns in Yangding.

Additional to this, these monasteries in these provinces are very well supported by the Chinese Government, some are made into a tourist attraction like the monastery in Shangri-la and it attracts on the average 10k visitors per day internally from China and also from other part of the world. What I want to say here is that no matter how Shugden practitioners and lamas are oppress in the world, the practice is growing bigger and more so in CHINA. The biggest population in the world.

[Ensapa]

This is such wonderful news to know that every monasteries in Daocheng County practise Dorje Shugden. It also amazes me that the people there are 100% devoted to Shugden. The ban on Dorje Shugden imposed by the CTA has propelled the great protector to worldwide fame. People all over the world are exposed to the truth and CTA must come out with new reasons on imposing the ban. It is so obvious now that DS is not a spirit as claimed and practicing DS does not shorten the life of HHDL. Just take a read on the stories of all the high lamas who were devoted to DS in their previous lives and came back again to continue their practice.

Yet, due to wanting to be on the right side of the fence, many people choose to not see the truth or the other side of the story and they wallow in their own fears. Sometimes, I do wonder why would people refuse to actually do research on this subject matter and instead go with popular opinion? Perhaps it is their fear, or perhaps they just want to play it safe and follow the crowd, what can go wrong, they said, but in doing so they actually go against the teachings that they were looking for because their motivation to seek the Dharma was wrong in the first place: they seek the Dharma for the sake of self preservation rather than for actual practice of wanting to benefit others. If results resemble the cause, what kind of results would one get if one seeks out a teacher or follow a particular tradition or study the Dharma based on selfish fears and reasons? Nothing good, right? So perhaps, this is the reason why some practitioners dont get results in their practice, because they are too engrossed in this "cult" thing until they are unable to see both sides of the fence anymore.

Dorje Shugden is growing at a very fast rate around the world now and there will be more and more mentions of him on the news. If there isnt, HHDL will bring him up and talk about him that will make people think about what is going on and make people actually investigate about Dorje Shugden rather than just follow the crowd. For China tho, Dorje Shugden is very big and it will only grow and increase from here.

[thor]

I did a bit of research about yangding monastery but unfortunately there isn't much information available in English. However, I did find this interesting excerpt about what may be yangding monastery:

Shonden Monastery
(12,400 feet and 10Km to the northeast of the township, Geluk Sect)
Originally it was a Kagyupa monastery.In 1415 a Geluk monk with the name of Lhodzui Lunje made a change. In the background of overwhelming Gelukpa in Tibetan areas it developed into the largest one in Daocheng.
Highlights: *No.1 Mani Pile
On the left of the monastery there is a huge Mani pile regarded as the first in Kham region
*Log Genitals
The locals believed there were  a lot of ogresses in Daocheng and they would stir up trouble. Lamas in monasteries were responsible for getting rid of them. Avoiding killing any life lamas erected these log genitals, with which those fleshly and conquettish succubuses would be satisfied and made no trouble.

Also this interesting story that shows just what the attitude in the Tibetan communities loyal to shugden is like:

In one of the huts, I met an old man named Tenzin: 

Tenzin had one peculiar thing in his hut: a picture of the deity Dorje Shugden. This god is very controversial in Tibetan Buddhist circles. Some religious authorities have suggested that it would be better not to worship Shugden, however the deity has many devout believers, both inside and outside Tibet, who have refused to give him up. In Xiangcheng, they are especially numerous. In fact, the whole county seems to be one hundred per cent believers in Shugden. The monastery overlooking the Xiangcheng County town, Ganden Shangpo Monastery, had a large gilt relief carving of Shugden inside. It is really a splendid monastery, with 800 monks and the finest interior furnishings I have ever seen in my travels in Kham. 

My translator, a conventional sort, would have preferred not to talk to these Shugden people. Having explained to me once about Shugden, he thereafter referred to the deity in veiled, derisive tones as " that god." When he spotted the picture on Tenzin's table, he said, "there is a picture of - that god." He could not, however, explain to me what's the problem with Shugden. Since then, I have discovered a great deal of information, both for and against, on the Web. The curious reader should have no problem finding out more. 

[brian]

It is heart warming to learn that there is a 100% spread of people practising Lord Shugden's practice in This Daocheng County. It is important when you have everybody's support in a county believing in a practice that benefits people very much in a county together, part of the reason why the the two Rinpoches from overseas failed in their attempts to discourage people from practising Lord Shugden is the unity of the people and people see the benefits from it. And also that there are more and more Lord Shugden practitioners (some even High Lamas) revealing themselves from their 'hideout' by declaring they are Lord Shugden practitioner gave them the belief that worshiping Lord Shugden is not worshiping a spirit that can shorten Dalai Lama's life.

[Ensapa]

If the rumor that practicing Dorje Shugden shortens the Dalai Lama's life was true, then with this amount of people praying to Dorje Shugden he would have passed  by now or had a stroke or something, right? HHDL is still in one piece, so it is pretty clear that he cannot be affected by a Dharma protector. If there are so many more monasteries like this one, dotted around Tibet, then for sure there are so many more people who practice Dorje Shugden in China alone. Lets not count in NKT, Lama Gangchen, etc...