Kirti Monastery - Happening now

[Vajraprotector]

Just when we thought Shugden ban is already a big problem causing distress and suffering among the Sangha, I'm sorry to share with you another sad news, which this time is really about politics.

China has stepped up security in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet’s Ngaba region that has remained tense since a Tibetan monk set himself ablaze in protest on March 16 marking 3 years since bloody crackdown on Tibetan protesters in 2008

According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Chinese security forces have cordoned off Ngaba Kirti monastery and additional troops were called in over the weekend.

Apparently, monks are not being allowed to move freely, gaps in the barbed wire towards north of the monastery have been filled up with concrete. The restriction on the monastery has led to shortage of food supplies for the monks who have been largely dependent on voluntary offerings from local Tibetan civilian population for the last few days. Chinese authorities have warned Tibetan civilians against offering any food to the monastery.

The centre says the current tense situation could lead to mass starvation in the monastery and eventual protests by the monks, which will give an excuse for the Chinese authorities to resort to extrajudicial killings as they did on March 16, 2008. 


About Kirti Monastery (Kirti Kalari Gon Tashi Lhundrub or Gerdeng Monastery)
It was founded in 1472 by Rongpa Chenakpa, a disciple of Tsongkhapa in Gyelrang. Now the two main Kirti Monasteries are in Taktsang Lhamo and Nagba prefecture, in Sichuan, China. Until the invasion of Tibet by China, the area was part of the historic Tibetan region of Kham. The monastery currently houses about 2,500 monks

The collected works of the 8th Kirti Rinpoche Rongchen Kirti Lobsang Trinley (1849-1904) include a number of rituals for various protectors, including a life entrustment (srog gtad/sogte) for Setrabchen and Nechung. There is also an initiation manual (rje gnang/jenang) for Dorje Shugden.

The current Kirti Rinpoche is the 11th Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin Jigme Yeshi Gyamtso Pal Sangpo, who is the Head of Kirti Jepa Dratsang (Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies), in Dharamsala.


Links to news:
1. Phayul: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=29365&article=Security+step+-+up+in+Ngaba+Kirti+monastery+likely+to+starve+monks%3a+right+group&t=1&c=1

2. The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article1546272.ece

3. Dossiertibet: http://www.dossiertibet.it/news/tibet-chinese-police-cordon-kirti-monastery-2500-monks-face-food-shortage

[Helena]

This is really painful to read. Imagine a monastery has turned into a prison. No one can leave and no one can probably go in as they like.

In situations like this, we see a holy sacred ground turned into a living hell.

We do not need to travel into the different 6 realms to see hell, it is right here in samsara.

People go through tremendous suffering and pain in so many places across the globe on a daily basis.

This is even more tragic because it is actually taking place in a holy place.

It saddens me to see that there is no more higher regard or respect given to ordained people and communities.

What is wrong with our world these days?

[WisdomBeing]

This is an update on this issue. Let's pray that this issue resolves peacefully and no one else gets hurt:

Dalai Lama Calls for Restraint Appeals to UN

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8800024-dalai-lama-calls-for-restraint-appeals-to-un

The Dalai Lama has called for restraint on both sides in the siege of a large, important monastery in what is now part of the Sichuan Province, China. He has urged the people involved to not do anything that would give the Chinese authorities an excuse to act in a more heavy handed manner. He has also called on the UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, to help settle the current situation and to look into the deteriorating human rights situation in Ngaba County.

“The current situation prevailing at Kirti monastery in northeastern Tibet is extremely grim,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement released on Friday.Radio Free Asia

This latest situation developed after a monk from the Kirti monastery set himself on fire to protest the treatment of the ethnic Tibetans. March 16 marked the third anniversary of the latest Tibetan uprising. Before the flames were put out, authorities were alleged to have started beating the monk, Phuntsok. He was rescued by fellow monks and carried back to the monastery, where he died. The resident monks refused to give up his body. This started a siege of the facility.
According to an article in the Taipei Times, the Chinese government has sent 800 soldiers to surround the monastery that holds about 2 500 monks in an effort to starve them out. People have been trying to bring food to the monastery, but on April 11 the people were attacked by authorities. There were deaths and injuries.

Some people have occupied roads surrounding the monastery as well in order to prevent the authorities from moving in vehicles and trucking off the monks to detention camps. There is real fear that if the authorities remove the monks that the local population will riot and bring down even harsher retribution on themselves.

[Helena]

Very very sad to read. I fear the situation will not improve if the Chinese authorities do not understand how Tibetans value their monastic heritage and environment. It is not place to be taken lightly such a commercial business center or a playground or a shopping mall that you can send in troops and just haul people left and right.

You are right, WB - their actions will cause retribution on all sides - from the monks, to the people, to the authorities. Bad actions lead to provoke more bad actions - such tragic cycle of bad karma.

Very grave situations arise from the complete lack of understanding and the disregard of respectful communication.

[jessicajameson]

I hate reading articles like these.

I hate feeling the immense sadness and anger.

Harming the unprovoked, disrespecting the holy, inflicting pain onto the helpless, murdering those who have chosen to live a life benefiting others.

STRATEGIZING how to starve monks?!

I pray that for every minute 2,500 monks are hungry, the heavy karma each soldier receives won't leave them burning in Avici for too many lifetimes.

For every baton struck onto a sangha's back, for every kick onto a sangha's abdomen, for every bullet pierced through a sangha's skin - best of luck to the Chinese's accumulated karma.

[triesa]

The Chinese Communist government has always acted in manners like this, it is very very sad to see that nothing has really changed in the handling of confrontation , it only make sense that Dorje Shugden's presence and practice is so vital in China.

May we all ask Dorje Shugden in our prayers to have this confrontation resolved as soon as possible so the holy sangha in Kirti Monastery or any civilians will not suffer anymore.

[DharmaSpace]

@jessicajameson

I do understand your frustrations. My lama however does mention that we should also have compassion for the chinese soldiers who are accumulating all the bad karma now for them to endure in the future.
Om mani padme hum, these chinese soldiers also could have been our mothers once .....

[vajrastorm]

It is like a dash of cold water to read about this very tragic turn of events for monks in Kirti Monastery that was triggered off by a monk attempting to perform self-immolation in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. It appears that this monastery also practices Dorje Shugden. The monks are being imprisoned in their own monastery and are being forced to starve to death.
However, I agree, with Dharma Space. My heart goes out in pain and sympathy for these poor monks. Nonetheless, like what Dharma Space says, we should pause for a moment and think of the terribly heavy negative karma that the Chinese soldiers are accumulating by these atrocious acts towards the Sangha and fold our hands in prayer for them as they have also been our mothers before ( as our own Lama and the Lamrim have also taught us).

May Dharmapala Dorje Shugden use his skilful and compassionate means to help resolve this inhumane situation quickly so as to end the sufferings of the monks.

[Barzin]

This is utterly devastating...  Tibet used to be such peaceful place, known for its beautiful preserved teachings and culture.  What happened to basic human respect?  What happened to respect to the Sangha and holy places?  Monastery is a place to produce elite master to benefit the people in samsara..  The chinese clearly know that.  I can imagine how hard it is actually to be for each of the chinese soldier to perform their duty of such; one way or another, i am sure that they know their ancestors or themselves were somehow touched by Buddhism before, if not now. 

This is really sad and difficult for any human being.   To go against your heart and the Buddha.  I pray that all of these will subside very very soon... whatever is happening now, may all of us be able to clear our obstacles, purify our bad karma.   By our collective merits, may all sanghas, gurus, and practitioners who exist in samsara be able to spread and bring dharma to the world to end the sufferings of the people who by choice or by force to perform such negative act in their present life.

[DSFriend]

There's no religious freedom under TGIE on Indian soil and no religious freedom in China.

What does this tell me?

What I like to believe is not the decline of Dharma but that Dharma is spreading worldwide. For us who have come across these pure lineage and teachings, may we have the merits to uphold the Dharma and achieve realizations.

Do I want to spend my life, being a  spiritual police to look for faults and persecute others? What kind of karma would cause a person to not see that these are ordained monks who have taken vows to not harm. Just like what JessicaJameson said,...I do fear for the karma which will return to those who have been part of these acts.

[triesa]

There's no religious freedom under TGIE on Indian soil and no religious freedom in China.

What does this tell me?

What I like to believe is not the decline of Dharma but that Dharma is spreading worldwide. For us who have come across these pure lineage and teachings, may we have the merits to uphold the Dharma and achieve realizations.

Do I want to spend my life, being a  spiritual police to look for faults and persecute others? What kind of karma would cause a person to not see that these are ordained monks who have taken vows to not harm. Just like what JessicaJameson said,...I do fear for the karma which will return to those who have been part of these acts.

A great lesson to reflect here, we should always look and think positive in spite of bad news. Where and when we can, may we always uphold the lineage and spread the dharma to all four corners.....

[WisdomBeing]

In sympathy for the monks at Kirti, monks at Camp 3 (Tibetan Settlement of Gaden, South India) have been on a hunger strike since Thursday (April 21st) last week.

Let's pray that no monk has to suffer - under any sort of oppression from within and without.

[WisdomBeing]

Latest news on Kirti - please pray for them.

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=29541&t=0

2 Tibetans arrested in Ngaba, absentee monks barred to return
Phayul [Monday, May 16, 2011 11:54]
By Kalsang Rinchen

Dharamsala, May 16 – Chinese authorities in Tibet's Ngaba County have arrested a 39 year old Tibetan monk of Kirti monastery on May 6, a Tibetan source living here said.

Lobsang Khedup was arrested from his monastic quarters but the reason for his arrest and his current whereabouts remain unknown, added the source.

In another incident of arrest emerging now after almost two months, a 60 year old Tibetan man named Gerik had been arrested on March 19, a day before the exile Tibetans went to polls for their PM and members of the Tibetan parliament in exile. Gerik, who belonged to Ge Tsang family of pastoral division no.3, Me’uruma township, was suspected of passing on information about the situation in Ngaba to the outside world since 2008, and especially about the self-immolation protest by Kirti monk Phuntsok in March this year.

Gerik’s family members including his wife Donkho and children were harassed by Chinese authorities who arrested Donkho on March 20 and tortured her. His 23 year old daughter Metok was arrested on March 22 and eventually released on April 2 after suffering immense torture at the hands of prison officials, the source said.

As Tibetan monasteries and communities in Ngaba, especially Kirti monastery, remain under tight restriction, the Chinese authorities continue to subject monks and local Tibetans to long sessions of ‘Patriotic Reeducation' campaign which requires the Tibetans to denounce the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, among other conditions.

The Kirti monastery continues to be under strict control by Chinese security forces in yellow uniforms that was never seen before while armed soldiers hiding in military trucks parked around the monastery trying not be filmed or get pictures taken as evidence of armed troops' presence in the monastery are keeping a close watch on the monastery that has been the centre of political dissent since 2008. The situation at the monastery remains tense even as Tibetan exiles around the world continue to lobby for a peaceful resolution of the crisis there.

Chinese authorities tightened security and its stranglehold on Ngaba in general and the Kirti monastery in particular since the death of a Tibetan monk named Phuntsok that sparked off protests by Tibetans and a massive arrest drive by Chinese authorities since mid March.

Around 300 monks were forced into military trucks and taken to unknown location on April 21, 2011 and two elderly Tibetans among a group camped near the monastery were beaten to death while they tried to stop Chinese security forces from taking the monks away.

The Chinese authorities have made public a list of monks who are not present in the monastery and warned them against returning to the monastery. The doors of unoccupied monastic quarters have been sealed with notices reading “Not to be opened”.

[daka]

Why should dirty politics affect innocent monks? It's so sad. However I don't think we should blame everything on the chinese soldiers, it's the government's fault, and the government did all these just because they don't have the opportunity to learn the Dharma. I'll pray for them. Hope that Buddha Dharma will flourish in China one day.

[Helena]

It goes to show that nothing much can be achieved by force and with force.

These abusive forceful actions carry very bad consequences, and we do not even have to go down the karma road of the future. We just need to look at what is happening now and all around. It is so clear that many people are so disturbed by this, both monks and lay people. Both within and outside of Tibet. There are so many reactions to this incident. Does not reflect well on China.

If China wants to be recognised as a world class leader and nation, then they need to re-evaluate the way they manage 'domestic affairs of their various ethnic communities'. Taking a hardliner communistic approach to resolve monastic issues just do not go down well. These methods will not endear the local communities to their sides, of which they should seriously think about.

Times are really changing whereby monastic communities and monks are no longer highly regarded and respected. Despite the monastic abode and attire, these monks are still regarded as lay people and treated with such unpleasant ways.

Tibet of the old is truly dying.