Shugden practitioners excluded in Sarnath

[Lineageholder]

I was reading a travelog blog of a friend who has been on pilgrimage in India

https://sites.google.com/site/dharmadepository/travel/pilgrim-s-tale

When I came across this photograph:

[Lineageholder]

Sorry, I don't know what went wrong with the formatting, but I submitted it before I finished.



As you can see, Shugden practitioners are excluded from the Gelugpa monastery in Sarnarth, the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma for the whole world.  It's shockingly open discrimination in a holy place.  Dharma is for everyone, but not according to the Gelugpa monastery there.

[Lineageholder]

Here's a higher resolution image so you can see it more clearly

[lightning]

Sorry, I don't know what went wrong with the formatting, but I submitted it before I finished.



As you can see, Shugden practitioners are excluded from the Gelugpa monastery in Sarnarth, the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma for the whole world.  It's shockingly open discrimination in a holy place.  Dharma is for everyone, but not according to the Gelugpa monastery there.

first of all, Buddha's birthplace is open to public and the compassion of the Buddha teachings and the Buddha shine like sunlight and encompass all sentient beings without discrimination of good or evil
there is no use getting angry with these people and there is no point too to do so. it is the work of some petty minded that install that sign. Let's us just smile with compassion and ignore the work of petty minds with a heart of great magnitude.

[Lineageholder]

Sorry, I don't know what went wrong with the formatting, but I submitted it before I finished.



As you can see, Shugden practitioners are excluded from the Gelugpa monastery in Sarnarth, the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma for the whole world.  It's shockingly open discrimination in a holy place.  Dharma is for everyone, but not according to the Gelugpa monastery there.

first of all, Buddha's birthplace is open to public and the compassion of the Buddha teachings and the Buddha shine like sunlight and encompass all sentient beings without discrimination of good or evil
there is no use getting angry with these people and there is no point too to do so. it is the work of some petty minded that install that sign. Let's us just smile with compassion and ignore the work of petty minds with a heart of great magnitude.

I'm not angry, I just want to demonstrate that discrimination against Shugden practitioners is still going on and how widespread it is, like a cancer, infecting even the place where Buddha gave his first teachings.

[Mana]

Sorry, I don't know what went wrong with the formatting, but I submitted it before I finished.



As you can see, Shugden practitioners are excluded from the Gelugpa monastery in Sarnarth, the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma for the whole world.  It's shockingly open discrimination in a holy place.  Dharma is for everyone, but not according to the Gelugpa monastery there.

first of all, Buddha's birthplace is open to public and the compassion of the Buddha teachings and the Buddha shine like sunlight and encompass all sentient beings without discrimination of good or evil
there is no use getting angry with these people and there is no point too to do so. it is the work of some petty minded that install that sign. Let's us just smile with compassion and ignore the work of petty minds with a heart of great magnitude.

I'm not angry, I just want to demonstrate that discrimination against Shugden practitioners is still going on and how widespread it is, like a cancer, infecting even the place where Buddha gave his first teachings.

Lineageholder, thanks for bringing this notice to everyone. It is indeed one hundred percent discrimination. To not be allowed into a place because of your religious beliefs. The very reasoning behind not allowing someone into this temple shows the temple did not fulfill the very purpose of it's existence.

We will put this up as a permanent article for the world to see the obvious religious discrimination happening right now.

Mana

[jeremyg]

What I don't understand is how these buddhists can practice such discrimination. After all isn't it the mission of the buddha to help all, and not discriminate against others. So by putting this sign up isn't it going against the main idea of buddhism. I myself don't truly understand what they are trying to accomplish by not allowing Shugden practitioners into this monastery. If they were really trying to help everyone wouldn't they just allow anyone to walk in. Shugden practitioners may have been shunned, but at least they should be let into the monasteries to receive some blessings? I understand that all they are doing is listening to the Dalai Lama, but they should not practice such segregation. It is like we are going back to the old ages, in a religion that is said to be one of the most peaceful and compassionate.

I want to understand, but cannot. Can some one please elaborate?

Thanks

[Namdrol]

Discrimination right at the doorstep of Buddha itself. Imagaine this happening during Buddha's time, in front of the great Nalanda University, a sign was erected that read "Those who practise Vishnu are not allowed to attend Buddha's teaching"

How degenerate, shame shame shame on the monastery who has the audacity to put up this sign in Sarnath, what a slap on Buddha's face.

[kris]

There are so many people who practice all the bad actions, such as killing etc, how come they are not specifically listed? Why only ban the Dorje Shugden practitioners? If Dorje Shugden is really that bad, then the practitioners should be encouraged to go in and get the blessings and go back to the "correct" path. Right?

Buddhism is famous for its non-discriminative nature, and now with this sign, it just confuse the **** out of the people and it is a laughing stock.

What can we do to get them to remove this sign board?!

** Has this sign board generated any curiosity in people to get them to want to find out who is Dorje Shugden?

[WisdomBeing]

Thanks for this lineageholder. I only saw this today and I’m pretty shocked as Sarnath is a universal place of pilgrimage and not related to Tibetan Buddhism, yet this sign is allowed. I just called and told my friend about this sign, and he told me that he was in Bodhgaya a couple of years ago and saw Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s Heart Jewel sold in the book shop at the Mahabodhi Temple site. He had thought that it was very progressive of them and no, he did not see any anti-Shugden signs there. Perhaps the sign at Sarnath is the result of an overzealous Buddhist who did not know any better. I hope so. Perhaps we can write in to Sarnath and request them to remove the sign with a summary of the logic that has been continuously expounded on in this forum by various people – eg why Dorje Shugden is not evil, why is he a Buddha, why is discrimination wrong etc.

[harrynephew]

hey Lineage holder

I was in Sera last summer and saw the same signages as well. Can you imagine? Sera, one of the three Great Seats of Lama Tsongkhapa's teachings and they put up this sign forbidding monks and lamas to go in. I wished I took a picture and posted it up here!

It was heart wrenching and well, it didn't stop me from visiting(I must say) but it is a total waste of mundane effort to obstruct spiritual aspirants from their home!

[pgdharma]

It is a shame to see this type of signage on such a holy site where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma! It's very disrespectful and contradicts the teachings of the Buddha. Why are sinners, criminals or those who committed negative actions not banned from this holy site except Dorje Shugden practitioners? This is pure religious discrimination!

May we as Dorje Shugden practitioners show compassion to those people who are so ignorant towards the truth!

[Lineageholder]

May we as Dorje Shugden practitioners show compassion to those people who are so ignorant towards the truth!

Absolutely!  What a wonderful sentiment.

[triesa]

Sorry, I don't know what went wrong with the formatting, but I submitted it before I finished.



As you can see, Shugden practitioners are excluded from the Gelugpa monastery in Sarnarth, the place where Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma for the whole world.  It's shockingly open discrimination in a holy place.  Dharma is for everyone, but not according to the Gelugpa monastery there.

All what you all said is absolutely correct. Religious discrimination and shame shame shame on them who erect this sign.

But look at it this way, it is like HHDL always reminds people whenever he makes a public appearance or teachings to stop propitiating Dorje Shugden. It is FREE publicity! All we need to do is to put up a sign next to this saying VISIT WWW.DORJESHUGDEN.COM FOR MORE JUICY INFORMATION!

[dondrup]

Lama Tsongkhapa like all Buddhas became enlightened for the sake of ALL sentient beings. Lama Tsongkhapa never established the Gelugpa lineage to discriminate any sentient beings.   Hence all Gelugpa monasteries that truly carry the Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure lineage will and should never discriminate against Dorje Shugden practitioners. 

This monastery is blatantly showing its disrespect of its founder – Lama Tsongkhapa - and the pure Gelugpa lineage.  It is bringing disrepute to Buddhism for its lack of compassion for Shugden practitioners.  This monastery does not even qualify to be a Buddhist Monastery because all Buddhist institutions welcome all sentient beings.  It should not restrict people from going into its monastery.

I agree with Triesa that a signage can be erected right next to this signage to explain the truth about Dorje Shugden.  Perhaps a continuous campaign to distribute our DS brochures from this website all over Sarnath especially near this monastery can be initiated to counter this discrimination?