Drepung Shugden Dramas

[Ensapa]

WOW!
There is urgency on this matter!
It is so obvious, the longer it takes, the more difficult it will be for the old lamas to pass on the oral transmissions openly and to many and to assist Dorje Shugden into the world as a whole.

I have heard that when something very beneficial is about to come up, the obstacles and difficulties that arise for it will be tremendous. Perhaps all of these obstacles and difficulties for Dorje Shugden is in reality to accelerate the growth and spread of Dorje Shugden even more worldwide. If the practitioners can go through so much suffering and oppression now and still hold their faith steadfast to the protector, the merits that they have generated just by holding that must be supreme. If the Buddha has said that monks and nuns of this degenerate age hold their vows for just one day, it would be equivalent to someone who is holding the vows for one entire lifetime during the Buddhas's time. When the ban is lifted, they would have so much more merits to spread the practice further and wider than ever before. This is another angle that I can think of about all the sufferings that our practitioners have went through.

[hope rainbow]

I have heard that when something very beneficial is about to come up, the obstacles and difficulties that arise for it will be tremendous.
Perhaps all of these obstacles and difficulties for Dorje Shugden is in reality to accelerate the growth and spread of Dorje Shugden even more worldwide.
If the practitioners can go through so much suffering and oppression now and still hold their faith steadfast to the protector, the merits that they have generated just by holding that must be supreme.
If the Buddha has said that monks and nuns of this degenerate age hold their vows for just one day, it would be equivalent to someone who is holding the vows for one entire lifetime during the Buddhas's time.
When the ban is lifted, they would have so much more merits to spread the practice further and wider than ever before.
This is another angle that I can think of about all the sufferings that our practitioners have went through.

A spiritual practitioner looks towards obstacles as propelling platforms.

Obstacles ahead look like mountains, those behind look like strolling hills.

A spiritual practitioner goes through obstacles knowing that it is purification in action, and therefore rejoices through the difficulties.

A spiritual practitioner has a mind of renunciation, he renounces the causes of suffering, not the obstacles.

Surmounting obstacles on one's spiritual path, especially through the instruction of one's Guru creates merits.

[vajrastorm]

Drepung Monastery was the monastery of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. It was where he resided and where he was murdered and arose as the King Protector Dorje Shugden. Thus, it is sad and ironical that it is the only one of the three great Gelug monasteries built by Je Tsongkapa which has not spawned a Shugden monastery alongside it, as is the case with  Gaden and Sera.

However, there are great attained Masters and Lamas of Drepung Monastery who have gone underground to practice Dorje Shugden, and continue to defy threats against them by the anti-Shugden officials of the Dalai Lama and the CTA. They are all eagerly awaiting the lifting of the ban when they can come out in the open to practice Shugden. These Lamas and Geshes and monks , who practice Shugden,realize that their numbers are too small and their resources too limited for them to come out in open defiance and break off and form another Monastery with Shugden as Protector. We have seen how the ladrangs of high Lamas have been abused and stones thrown at them because these Lamas defied the ban and practiced Shugden openly.

It is amazing and illogical that news of the very inauspicious incident of the crashing of the Victory Banner from the roof of the Drepung monastery (after being hit by lightning) was deliberately suppressed, especially when Protector Setrab(Dorje Shugden's "twin"), through an oracle, had spoken and said that He had actually caused that incident to happen to show His wrath at the ban and the atrocious treatment of Dorje Shugden practitioners.

[pgdharma]

Quote from Vajrastorm: "These Lamas and Geshes and monks , who practice Shugden,realize that their numbers are too small and their resources too limited for them to come out in open defiance and break off and form another Monastery with Shugden as Protector. We have seen how the ladrangs of high Lamas have been abused and stones thrown at them because these Lamas defied the ban and practiced Shugden openly. "

Yes, it is true that they do not have the resources to show open defiance, but if more Dorje Shugden practitioners give them the support morally and financially, then I believe another Dorje Shugden monastery can manifest. We have seen so many DS monasteries grow and grow and the statues getting bigger and bigger.
 
Let us give our support by creating more awareness of the truth so that the ban can be lifted soon and all the Lamas, Geshes and monks can practice openly without being abused and stones thrown at them.

[kris]

@TK, thank you for your juicy updates..

While there are many who openly practice Dorje Shugde (bravo!), I have also heard that many people are practicing quietly. I have also heard that many people in Dharamsala are still practicing, even some of the high level CTA officers.

Sometimes I felt that people who practice quietly and secretly are as "difficult" as those who practice it openly, especially those who want to "come out" but cannot. I have even heard of Lamas who wanted to practice openly but was stopped by His Guru.

For whatever the reason a practitioner who cannot practice openly, may we all pray hard to get the ban lifted in the next few years. On top of that, we should also skillfully use the internet and social media to get more governments, human rights groups, authorities, etc to know about the discrimination/ban to give pressure to CTA to lift the ban.

[dsiluvu]

It is however, heartening to hear that high Lamas are still doing the practices quietly (even if grumbling every now and then about the ban!). There is hope then, that their students are perhaps also continuing the practices quietly. Drepung, outwardly is one of the most successful Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India now.
If and when the ban does blow over (we hope soon), and these great lamas are still there, they would be able to do very much to bring DS out into the world, with the might of Drepung behind them. Let's hope that they live to see the day the ban lifts.

Yes there are many many Lamas out there practicing Dorje Shugden quietly I am sure of it. Many may not understand the seriousness of what consequences faces them and their Gurus if they were come out to show who they are. They would probably not be allowed to travel back to their monasteries, their Gurus ostracized and not to mentioned the smear campaign that would be going on on them and the huge obstacles they would face in spreading the Dharma.

Religious Freedom is but a fake word because they do not have that because their so called Exiled Govt CTA does not wish to recognised them as part of their own citizen! Yet they claim they are a democratic govt! Very very SAD.

These Gurus and practitioners that do their practice silently behind the scenes, they do not wish to do so, they are biting the bullet because until the BAN is lifted they are subjected to be shadows behind the scenes. Quietly from behind they push forth to spread Dorje Shugden in many ways, we just don't know but i am sure they do.

Hence the urgency of it all is definitely HERE and NOW. Dorje Shugden can benefit so many and because this benefit is huge, hence the bigger the obstacles as well. Let's not wait a few more years, lets demand it happens, it get lifted NOW! How well we can start by downloading all the fabulous Free comic and brochures http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=5069 and distribute them to as many as possible!

[Ensapa]

Yes there are many many Lamas out there practicing Dorje Shugden quietly I am sure of it. Many may not understand the seriousness of what consequences faces them and their Gurus if they were come out to show who they are. They would probably not be allowed to travel back to their monasteries, their Gurus ostracized and not to mentioned the smear campaign that would be going on on them and the huge obstacles they would face in spreading the Dharma.

Religious Freedom is but a fake word because they do not have that because their so called Exiled Govt CTA does not wish to recognised them as part of their own citizen! Yet they claim they are a democratic govt! Very very SAD.

These Gurus and practitioners that do their practice silently behind the scenes, they do not wish to do so, they are biting the bullet because until the BAN is lifted they are subjected to be shadows behind the scenes. Quietly from behind they push forth to spread Dorje Shugden in many ways, we just don't know but i am sure they do.

Hence the urgency of it all is definitely HERE and NOW. Dorje Shugden can benefit so many and because this benefit is huge, hence the bigger the obstacles as well. Let's not wait a few more years, lets demand it happens, it get lifted NOW! How well we can start by downloading all the fabulous Free comic and brochures http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=5069 and distribute them to as many as possible!

There are many, many lamas who practice Dorje Shugden secretly and although they may not openly say that they do the practice, they do leave many signs here and there that they are still carrying out with their practice. For example, Lama Zopa has a very skillful and long advice on Dorje Shugden, why his students should not criticize him but at the same time do not practice him: http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=335 and also the fact that he visited Trijang Rinpoche's stupa: http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=11310 is more than enough signs to indicate that he is a Dorje Shugden practitioner but at the same time he follows he Dalai Lama's instructions as an example to his students.

I believe that soon when the ban is removed, these lamas will come out and spread Dorje Shugden to be bigger than before and they will be able to teach it to many students. These lamas are actually very courageous to on the surface, comply with the Dalai Lama in order to keep the lineage alive in the monastery although the conditions are so difficult for them. At least within Drepung, the lineage has not died out and it will be spread from the few courageous Lamas who has held on to the practice, although conditions were such that they could not stop the monastery from printing such damaging flyers to themselves and to others about Dorje Shugden. I believe that no harm will come to them as they are very brave and they have kept their samaya clean with their Gurus by holding on to the practice.

Even setrap has shown his displeasure at the activities of the monastery for printing the fliers, and indirectly giving them a warning to follow HHDL's advice and not be too overzealous about it when the monks cannot speak too much or else they would be kicked out of Drepung. The protector will always oversee these monks even if they cannot do his practice openly but they can still find a way to supplicate him to keep the connection. And that to me is nothing short of the perfection of determination as they practice Dorje Shugden so that more people can benefit.

[Vajraprotector]

Even setrap has shown his displeasure at the activities of the monastery for printing the fliers, and indirectly giving them a warning to follow HHDL's advice and not be too overzealous about it when the monks cannot speak too much or else they would be kicked out of Drepung. The protector will always oversee these monks even if they cannot do his practice openly but they can still find a way to supplicate him to keep the connection. And that to me is nothing short of the perfection of determination as they practice Dorje Shugden so that more people can benefit.

I think there is a difference between following a rule to show obedience and overdoing it. Perhaps the monks of Drepung should really reflect on what they have done, and whether or not it was necessary to go to that extent.

However, knowing the course of events, perhaps it is related to His Holiness' actions during the opening ceremony of Drepung Loseling monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka State in January 2008, and the Drepung monks are trying their best to 'please' His Holiness. 

His Holiness was quoted to say: “With strong emotion, Samdhong Lama accused Shugden devotees, saying that they have made open and overt contact with the People's Republic of China.” His Holiness added that he thinks it is very difficult for the monks to remain like fish and tadpoles together in the three monasteries of the Gelug Tradition.

In the afternoon, the Dalai Lama convened a meeting in Drepung monastery, which was attended by Kolon Samdong Lama, Tsering Phuntsok, the Tibetan minister of Culture and Religion, abbots and ex-abbots. The Dalai Lama urged them to take action to clean up Shugden devotees. He reprimanded the abbots of Jangtse and Shartse monasteries for not taking a rigid stand against Shugden devotees.

The Dalai Lama rebuked the Shartse abbot: "Shugden devotees are growing in your monastery. If you are this inept, you had better resign." The Dalai Lama also reprimanded the Jangtse abbot: “You said that the monastery is clean, but there are still some Shugden devotees. You must do better." Hence, perhaps to show that Drepung is 'clean', they had to do all that.



Attached below is a picture of the notice from Drepung Loseling. Why do they do that?

"Important Notice

The devotees of Shugden and those who have contact with Shugden worshippers, whoever you are, please remember not to come here in Loseling dispensary.

The Administrative office of Loseling dispensary"

[michaela]

I think there is a difference between following a rule to show obedience and overdoing it. Perhaps the monks of Drepung should really reflect on what they have done, and whether or not it was necessary to go to that extent.

However, knowing the course of events, perhaps it is related to His Holiness' actions during the opening ceremony of Drepung Loseling monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka State in January 2008, and the Drepung monks are trying their best to 'please' His Holiness. 

His Holiness was quoted to say: “With strong emotion, Samdhong Lama accused Shugden devotees, saying that they have made open and overt contact with the People's Republic of China.” His Holiness added that he thinks it is very difficult for the monks to remain like fish and tadpoles together in the three monasteries of the Gelug Tradition.

In the afternoon, the Dalai Lama convened a meeting in Drepung monastery, which was attended by Kolon Samdong Lama, Tsering Phuntsok, the Tibetan minister of Culture and Religion, abbots and ex-abbots. The Dalai Lama urged them to take action to clean up Shugden devotees. He reprimanded the abbots of Jangtse and Shartse monasteries for not taking a rigid stand against Shugden devotees.

The Dalai Lama rebuked the Shartse abbot: "Shugden devotees are growing in your monastery. If you are this inept, you had better resign." The Dalai Lama also reprimanded the Jangtse abbot: “You said that the monastery is clean, but there are still some Shugden devotees. You must do better." Hence, perhaps to show that Drepung is 'clean', they had to do all that.

Attached below is a picture of the notice from Drepung Loseling. Why do they do that?

"Important Notice

The devotees of Shugden and those who have contact with Shugden worshippers, whoever you are, please remember not to come here in Loseling dispensary.

The Administrative office of Loseling dispensary"

Dear Vajraprotector

I think they put the sign due to HHDL's warning as you stated in your post.  But I do agree with you that they may be overdoing it.  When a position and title cause you to do things that are not in accordance with your conscience, perhaps it is better to resign?

[Vajraprotector]

Dear Vajraprotector

I think they put the sign due to HHDL's warning as you stated in your post.  But I do agree with you that they may be overdoing it.  When a position and title cause you to do things that are not in accordance with your conscience, perhaps it is better to resign?

I was just thinking that if all the abbots of the great Gelug monasteries resigned, perhaps it will be a strong message to His Holiness that Shugden practitioners are serious about their commitment and it is beyond spirit worshipping - great abbots cannot all resign because they want to continue to pray to a worldly spirit and they are wise scholars and leaders of the monastic communities.

But again, I don't think that will be the case, mainly because Tibetans will not outwardly go against the Dalai Lama and of course, we should not show disrespect to His Holiness. Perhaps it takes a real bold abbot to do so? I think the most encouraging news like this was when Gaden Trisur Rinpoche Jetsun Lungrik Namgyal defects to Shar Gaden (http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=567.0).