Have you experienced any harm from Dorje Shugden practice?

[WisdomBeing]

I was asked this question recently and my immediate reaction was of course not! In fact, it is the actual opposite - the benefits I have received from his practice are startling and too many to be a coincidence. Then I thought - all this criticism of Dorje Shugden being an evil practice, demonic, angry spirit etc - I have not heard of anyone who has experienced harm from his or her practice of this deity. I have not read about anything negative happening as a result of the practice of Dorje Shugden. So what is the actual issue?

From the biographies of the great masters such as Pabongkha Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, it doesn't appear that they suffered from this practice either and there definitely hasn't been much hellfire and brimstone because they reincarnate back very quickly.

Is this practice schismatic and sectarian? No - the only schism created is when people wish to separate from Shugden practitioners out of a misguided sense of loyalty to the Dalai Lama.

I hope that all those who think that Dorje Shugden practice is evil etc will take the time to learn about the truth about Dorje Shugden, and about the history and lineage of Dorje Shugden. There is so much information online - and this website is a great resource for anyone to learn - with the opportunity to discuss in this very forum.

[thaimonk]

Good post.

I have not experienced any negative effects since I took up Shugden as my protector. I didn't experience bad dreams re him or ill omens of any sort.

In fact there has been quite a few times where Shugden decisively assisted me in the nick of time. It was not my imagination.

And as for next life and going to the three lower realms for worshipping Shugden, well there are many lamas/monks who practiced Shugden and their incarnation's are back and some recognized by the Dalai Lama! If I was the Dalai Lama, I would not recognize incarnations of heavy Shugden practitioners. As it contradicts with what I said that Shugden is a spirit.
If you say worshipping Shugden is degenerating Buddhism as it is a spirit worship, then those who have been practicing should not be found. How can you recognize those practicing Shugden when it shows there is no ill effects. By finding them and recognizing them, it shows your wrong. There is no ill effects of practicing Shugden.

[Big Uncle]

Yes, What an intriguing question. Thank you WisdomBeing. I have never experienced any harm from Dorje Shugden. In fact, I think he always protects me when i need it most and offers me challenges so I mature spiritually. There are times when things are really bad for me, all i have to do is a black tea and I would see things improve rapidly.

Although, I am not the best of practitioners but he is always patient with me and never punishes me. In fact, when I am really sad and despondent, I will have a comforting dream and I think it is to remind me that he is there for me. Talking about this makes me feel fortunate to have met with such a close and affectionate Protector. He is really unlike anything they say about him at all. 

[WisdomBeing]

Big Uncle, yes I agree that Dorje Shugden does not punish - only our karma 'punishes' us. As Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being, he would never harm us, even if we do not propitiate him regularly or make offerings or break our commitments. I believe that if we do not propitiate him regularly, we simply do not create the causes for Dorje Shugden to help us as easily. So it is not dependent on whether he wishes or does not wish for us to benefit, but whether we create the karma for our own benefit.

[Zach]

Never. Only protection.
Ive had great fortune to be able to receive indications in dreams from him to...If one classes his advise to me when i was lost for practise of what to do ( Begin, progress, and complete ) Lamrim, Lojong, Mahamudra does this qualify as something a demon would want you to do or someone that wishes you harm would advise ? 

[pgdharma]

Definitely not. Ever since I came onto this website and downloaded the brochure and started this practice, my life has improved tremendously. I may not be a good practitioner, but Dorje Shugden has helped me on many occasions which I don't think it's just a  coincidence.

[triesa]

Thank you WB for posting this thread. Personally, I have experienced no harm whatsoever from my dear protector. In fact, he has been my greatest guilding light during a very difficult time in my life and he has been helping me every little step since then.

I share the same thoughts with WB and Thaimonk, how can people call Dorje Shugden an evil spirit when all he brings to his practitioners are help and benefits. The most obvious fact is that all the high lamas like Trijang Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche  and many more who were Shugden practitioners all came back and they did not go to hell. Many of which are even recongnised by the Dalai Lama himself. So what is the logic of saying Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit and Shugden practitioners are playing with black magic??? I really don't get this???

We really welcome those who do not know who Dorje Shugden is to visit this website which has a comprehensive information on the history of Dorje Shugden, the lineage masters, and an array of testimonials on how Dorje Shugden has helped or saved their lives.

Instead of just blindly following what seems to be like a juicy gossip, why not find out for yourself the true facts. Nothing is better than the truth as it stands firm and solid.

The greatest gift in my life is to have met my dearest protector, Dorje Shugden.

I hope many more practitioners will comeforth and share their experience with DS practice here.

[jessicajameson]

From the biographies of the great masters such as Pabongkha Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, it doesn't appear that they suffered from this practice either and there definitely hasn't been much hellfire and brimstone because they reincarnate back very quickly.

It's true, they have not suffered from His practice. Apparently in Trijang Rinpoche's short biography, it states that Trijang Rinpoche prepared for his death 2 weeks (or was it 2 months?) before he entered into clear light. He did a few pujas, of which one of them was a Dorje Shugden puja where he thanked DS for everything that He has helped Trijang Rinpoche in that life. Trijang Rinpoche also gave extensive offerings in thanks. His attendants and the monks who attended the puja heard the verbal "Thank You" to Dorje Shugden. (Do correct me if I'm wrong, by the way)

I have not experienced any harm from doing Dorje Shugden's practice. On the contrary, I feel extremely protected doing His practice. Like having an omniscient big brother who is unfaltering, even though I am.

My family has been protected and saved, and so have I. I'd be extremely ungrateful to say that his practice brings harm coz it does not.

Everyday I visualize Dorje Shugden as one with my guru, at the top of my head, facing forward, and as bright as the sun descending to my heart and then the light disperses to the tips of my body.

It's an odd way of visualizing and I don't even know if it's correct - but it makes me feel safe for the rest of the day. So, no, no harm at all from Dorje Shugden's practice. Rather the opposite.

[Vajraprotector]

Dear friends,
Ever since I got to know about Dorje Shugden from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Heart Jewel, I've always felt the closeness of this protector and I felt that it has protected me from many dangerous situations, the one that I recalled clearly would be to make my cab driver stop in time and not hit into another car while I was on my way to a very important business meeting.

I also know a few DS practitioners who said that not only themselves, but their loved ones too have been saved by Dorje Shugden.

I have full faith that this protector who protected many glorious Dharma masters like HH Trijang Rinpoche, HH Pabongkha Rinpoche and saved the life of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama cannot bring harm to anyone.

I think my experience is nothing "special" as there are many testimonials here on this website about how Dorje Shugden has helped them in many ways: http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=5072 . It is just amazing that this practice is so simple and yet can benefit many.

[vajrastorm]

Thank you Wisdom Being for starting this tread.I totally agree that people who imagine Dharmapala Dorje Shugden to be a malevolent spirit or its equivalent, should seek to know the truth about him by viewing, listening to and reading the contents of this website. This website gives all the information on Dorje Shugden in a clear and unequivocal manner.


Practitioners of the Protector have found only benefit from doing His practice.My own personal encounter with the great compassion and kindness of Dorje Shugden has been most amazing and comforting. It was at a time when I had just come to know him. He left no shadow of a doubt that he was there when a loved one passed away. He it was who ensured that my beloved relative had a calm and peaceful end although  it seemed, in the beginning, like it was going to be a troubled and difficult death. He is deeply entrenched in my 'psyche', where he is one with my beloved guru.

 

[DharmaDefender]

Never ever.

What an utterly stupid thing to imagine, an enlightened being harming you.

Dorje Shugden has not just saved my life, but my sanity. He comforts me, protects me and puts my mind at ease; when I am in trouble, I never worry because I know Dorje Shugden has got my back. He is like my mother and father all rolled into one. All I need to do is think of him, and he comes.

Someone asked me the other day if I could give up my practice. In short, hell no. If I give up a practice my lama has given me, where does it stop? What else will I give up? Because doing so creates the causes for me to give up my other practices and if I keep giving stuff up, eventually I will give up my lama...and then I will give up the source of any attainments I might possible achieve. Because to give up Protector practice is to slap the faces of all the lamas on the Guru tree, because Dorje Shugden came from under Tsongkhapa's throne.

I don't have the level of ingratitude in me to snub all of the help he has ever given to me. As long as he does not forsake me, I will not forsake him.

[Helena]

WB, this is such an excellent thread! I love this and I sincerely thank you for putting this topic up.

I feel it is so important for as many people as possible to know and learn of how Dorje Shugden has not harm a single soul and that all Dorje Shugden practitioners have only benefited from this Protector Practice.

The mass public does not understand why we would not give up our practice, especially when they are so used to hearing the unpleasant stories of how Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit and etc.

When we share our own personal experiences, we can refute the widely circulated un-true stories of Dorje Shugden. This is one of the many ways we can show or return our gratitude to our Protector, who has really done nothing, but help us since the very day we 'met' HIM.

I really love what WB wrote below :-

Dorje Shugden does not punish - only our karma 'punishes' us. As Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being, he would never harm us, even if we do not propitiate him regularly or make offerings or break our commitments. I believe that if we do not propitiate him regularly, we simply do not create the causes for Dorje Shugden to help us as easily. So it is not dependent on whether he wishes or does not wish for us to benefit, but whether we create the karma for our own benefit.

The above statement says it all for me.

I have NEVER experienced anything remotely bad with Dorje Shugden. Whatever bad situations or experiences I have experienced were caused by my own past karma and myself. In fact, when I realised what I have done wrong, I often turned to Dorje Shugden for help. Although no Enlightened Being can remove my bad karma, what Dorje Shugden has done for me is give me ways and resources to get myself back onto the right path and correct my past mistakes.

I only wish and pray that more people could see, read and understand how precious and wonderful this Dharmapala REALLY is.

When more people realise this, Dorje Shugden can even be of great help to them. Seriously, who would not need help when we are so stuck in samsara? All of us could use all the help we can get.

Thank you so much, WB. I deeply appreciate this thread.

[DharmaSpace]

If Dorje Shugden was a spirit, the oracles of Dorje Shugden should very ill being possessed by a spirit.
Spirits arose from negative circumstances, looking at the Dorje Shugden oracles you can see that they are really healthy, strong full of vitality.

Everytime I offer black tea to Dorje Shugden , yes some days are tough but somehow one is able to overcome it. And I have come out learning from the experience of that difficult day! Which matches the role of a protector to remove obstacles and create conditions for one to grow! 

[iloveds]

Never! All that bullsh&$t that Dorje Shugden harms practitioners is all lies. I am shocked that people believe so easily. The Buddha taught that we must ask questions until we are completely satisfied.

Can't say that today's so called practitioners are practicing this one point.

Helloooooo,
DS saved the Dalai Lama by giving accurate advice every step of the way when the DL was fleeing tibet, read Trijang Rinpoche's bio, the DL guru himself names DS as the protector who advised them.

Doesn't sound like harm to me but preservation.

On my side nothing untoward, life threatening or otherwise has ever happened. DS has helped me with legal matters, financial matters, stabilising my mind when it was running wild.

What do these anti DS people do in return? So ungrateful, makes me wanna bash someone!

[WoselTenzin]

Dorje Shugden has never ever harmed me.  On the contrary, he has given me so much protection physically and in my spiritual path.  The were quite a few times I have almost got into an accident but I managed to avoid it at the nick of time.   

Things have not been always smooth in my life. However, when I look back, on hindsight, the adversity I went through made me realize many things which I would never have if situation had been good all the time. In that way, Dorje Shugden gave me what I needed and has arranged the necessary condition for my spiritual development.

In the past, I believe that Dorje Shugden has even led me to my guru and my spiritual home.  It is through time I know how much Dorje Shugden has helped and watched over me. 

The things some people said about Dorje Shugden being an evil spirit that is malevolent and harmful does not convince me because from my own experience I know for a fact that he is not.