I agree Thai monk I here the Dorje Shugden oracles are highly accurate. While the NKT doesnt do reliance upon oracles Geshe-la doesnt disparge those whom do as such like his own spiritual guide and many of his students relied upon and still rely upon Dorje shugden oracles. The difference being that the NKT is trying to present the Dharma in accordence with western culture and oracles are rather alien to the modern west. While not suitable for what the NKT is aiming to do there is certainly nothing wrong with relying upon the Great king when he takes form through a medium, I would love to be able to meet some and receive advise but i guess i will just have to settle for the occasional dream manifested advise which to date has been extremly helpful
Hi Zach
It's interesting that you say that oracles are alien to the west because in London, consulting mediums and tarot card readers is really quite common. Perhaps Geshe Kelsang Gyatso wants to distinguish between the medium/tarot card consulting public and genuine Dharma seekers.
I'm glad you agree that there is nothing wrong with seeking advice from the Great King himself. I hear that his advice is very accurate and sometimes appear surprising and illogical, but if you follow his advice with faith, the logic will surface later.
Having you palms read by the local Gypsy is one thing seeing the Dorje shugden oracle go through the ritual and then go into trance is another
Do remember friend that in the western culture while there may be mediums and so on these are not really accepted as the norm and are generally considered to be spirits and so on, If people come to a Dharma centre for instance knowing little and they witness the Great king go into trance via his oracle they may well develop harmful misunderstandings of what Dharma is about mistaking it for backward ritualism and spirit worship. Now there is certainly nothing wrong with Dharma oracles they bring enlightened beings a bit closer to us for advise and I throughly rejoice in those that wish to keep this tradition going as its very helpful but for the NKT it is not the presentation Geshe-la wishes to give people but something a bit more simple and relatable to. Because we do not practise this oracle tradition it doesnt mean we should disrespect it or disparge those whom rely upon it as it is completely valid but as I said its not the presentation that the NKT is seeking to present.
Dear zach, please don't be so Western-centric. Not everything revolves around our Westerners and what we think. On the other side of the coin, NKT could be losing out on a tradition as practiced by our lineage lamas.
In the east, this tradition is alive, valuable and very much respected. Remember there are more people in the east than the West. In many of the Dorje Shugden Tibetan Buddhist centres around the world both East and West get assistance from the oracles. And have been greatly benefitted by them in fact.
You are right, there is absolutely nothing wrong with consulting the Dorje Shugden oracles. It is an incredible event when King Dorje Shugden takes trance and speaks. A decade or more ago, Dorje Shugden took trance in Choyang Dulzin Kuten in Manjushri Centre of NKT and gave the Avalokitesvara initiation. Dorje Shugden himself conferred the initiation through the oracle in NKT. That was very valid. Many senior NKT ppl are still engaged in the practice of Chenresig from that occasion.