15 years after the proclamation of the DS ban by Dalai Lama and the ex-TGIE (currently know as CTA) in 1996 and amidst the many developments and recent upheaval in the DS scene following the revelation of the supposedly pro-Dalai Lama Lamas to be in fact DS practitioners who had never given up their practice and them speaking up against the DS ban, such as the 101st Gaden Trisur Lungrik Namgyal Rinpoche, ex-Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche and Gyudmed Kensur Sonam Gyeltsen, many of us could have forgotten how the controversy arose in the first place or have a very vague idea of it now.
I was reading an old post by a friend and I thought he gave a very good summary and overview of the origins of this controversy. I have re-posted it below for people who are new in this scene or for those who have been around in the forum and would like to refresh their memory on this issue.
Article below was posted by a friend on March 3, 2008.
A SUMMARY OF THE POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS DISCERNIBLE IN THE DORJE SHUGDEN ISSUE
« on: May 03, 2008, 01:41:23 PM »
A SUMMARY
OF THE POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS DISCERNIBLE
BEHIND THE DORJE SHUGDEN ISSUE CREATED BY THE DALAI LAMA
1- First period of exile -The Dalai Lama seeks to establish his rule over all Tibetans in exile. To obtain this, he tries to mix the teachings and practices of the four main lineages of Tibetan Buddhism in order to be not only the political leader but also the sole religious authority over all Tibetans –which he had never been before.
2- The Gelugpa Lamas oppose this political project for religious reasons.
3- Mid seventies -The Dalai Lama chooses to prevail over the Gelugpa Lamas by destroying the reputation of Dorje Shugden, the special Protector of their lineage. He tries without much success to discourage his worshipping among the Gelugpas.
4- Eighties -The Dalai Lama becomes famous in Western countries. He talks about compassion and non-violence. The world perceives him as the Pope of Buddhism. He starts the campaign FREE TIBET and becomes the champion of Tibetan independence.
5- Overlapping the FREE TIBET campaign he maintains talks with China, and in 1988 for the first time he tells the Chinese that Tibet does not need to be independent, autonomy should be enough. This is not consulted with Tibetans nor publicized among them.
6- 1989 -The Dalai Lama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Tibetans hopes for independence grow exponentially.
7- Mid nineties. The seeds of an opposition against the the Dalai Lama's choice of autonomy against independence had been sterilized by his renewed popularity due to the Nobel award.
When hopes for Tibet vanish with the passing years, the opposition to autonomy takes shape. In 1995 the Dalai Lama's brother starts his Independence Walks and co-founds the Tibet Independence Movement, an open defiance to the Dalai Lama's decision about autonomy.
8- The Dalai Lama objectively needs to distract Tibetans, very emotional about their Motherland, from his unilateral decision to abandon independence.
March 1996 His government proclaims a BAN on the worshipping of Dorje Shugden. This old domestic matter with the Gelugpa Lamas is brought to the general Tibetan community more than 20 years later.
Tibetans are made to believe that Dorje Shugden harms the cause of Tibet and the health of the Dalai Lama. They forget about independence or autonomy and impose themselves the ban, even with violence, through segregation and rejection of practitioners of Dorje Shugden.
9- 2008- Year of the Olympic Games in China.
The Dalai Lama chooses a special date –February 2008, barely one month before the Tibetan riots– to implement the final blow against the practice of Dorje Shugden and its practitioners, first in the great monasteries, later in the whole of the Tibetan community. All Tibetans have to take an oath that they are not worshipping Dorje Shugden and that they are not having any religious nor social contact whatsoever with practitioners. The taking of the oath is exported abroad.
When a letter campaign to defend the practitioners from segregation is taking shape the March 2008 riots in Tibet make any complaint against the Dalai Lama sound ridicule or offensive.
Many think that the Dalai Lama inspired the riots in Tibet.
After the riots the Dalai Lama proclaims several times that Tibet needs only autonomy, not independence from China. He does not fear opposition to this fait acompli.
The Tibetans do not react any more to the loss of their country's hope for independence, they are busy implementing the segregation of the Dorje Shugden practitioners. Practicioners are treated as pariahs.
Journalists ignore the violations of the human rights of Dorje Shugden practitioners and the extermination of the Gelugpa lineage. They are busy proclaiming that the Dalai Lama is the only hope for Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama smiles and talks of religious tolerance in the world stage.
