The Abbot of Gaden Shartse... with his own agenda... HMMMMMMM

[DharmaSpace]

This is very worrying for Lama Tsongkhapa's institution to hear this. This is what happens when politics seeps into spiritual organisation. I mean if the elite lamas of the Gelug tradition leaves the monasteries this is what happens cant they see how much trouble is Gaden Shartse getting into. So much lineage , knowledge, tradition, initiations have left the halls of Shartse since the split.

I hear the monks in Serpom is very strict in their discipline and how they conduct themselves as they really struggled when they first came out of sera. Yes it is a real shame how can the top learning universities website look like how it is like now, where is the sense appropriateness!!

[harrynephew]

The disciplinarian of Gaden Shartze Monastery to which Jangchup Choeden belongs to scolded the abbot. Yes you heard correctly. During the puja gathering of monks, the disciplinarian Geshe Jangchup Dorje in front of the sangha said the abbot is rarely around, does not give classe, take in students, train students, improve the facilities of Gaden, attend debates sessions to oversee, does not raise funds for the needs of the Gaden Shartze sangha. The sangha of Gaden Shartze are unhappy with the abbot and awaiting for him to resign.

This abbot Jangchup Choeden is a student of Kensur Jampa Yeshe and Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, yet he speaks against Shugden asking monks to renounce Shugden's practice. He does his best to join in on all Dalai Lama talks and teachings around the world neglecting his duties at Gaden.  He wants to be seen with the Dalai Lama as much as possible. He has gone on personal fundraising tours in America and Europe to raise funds for himself but never for the sangha-for this he has a very bad reputation. It's time for him to practice the dharma of all the teachings he has already received. He is now 47 years old and when he was chosen by Dalai Lama as Abbot of Gaden Shartze all the sangha was shocked and taken aback when there are so many senior and learned Geshes available. But it is clear now, he was chosen as he will fall in line with the destruction of the Shugden lineage or rather the policies on the ban on Shugden.

The Gaden Shartze Abbot's political agenda perhaps makes him look good now in the eyes of CTA, but eventually he will lose his position and retire without the respect of the sangha. As of now, they are already waiting for him to retire and let someone dedicated to the welfare of Tsongkapa's doctrine and Gaden ascend the throne of Gaden Shartze Monastery. I am apologetic to say, I hope a new abbot will arise should this abbot not change his direction. The ban on Shugden has promoted people in positions that they should never have been given.

He takes more interest in his own blog site than the whole website of Gaden Shartze Monastery which is very dated. The abbot speaks and writes English and understands the power of social media, yet does nothing for Shartze's website.

Abbot's private blog:

http://www.msullivangraphics.com/jangchoe/Khen%20Rinpoche%20%20Jangchup%20Choeden%20Biography.htm

Gaden Shartze's website:

http://www.gadenshartse.net/

TK

(photo of Abbot of Gaden Shartze Monastery)

I personally echo what TK has said not because I listen to just hearsay but I am a close supporter of this Lama as well until I heard of news recently of how this Khenpo has ill treated the monks of Shartse. Initially I thought it was just mere hearsay but things came into sight which I found out recently matched the rumours which were hovering some time back.

Khenpo is ALWAYS on trips all over the world and his main concern is just to please HHDL and nothing else. He has been busy for many months to a year now 'raising funds' for HHDL to come to Gaden to teach and he 'stresses' himself all year round with his students and supporters abroad re this. Little do we know that within the monastery walls, there's so much to be done but there is so much lacking.

When will this man, put to power by HHDL rise to his role?

BTW, I overheard it from the mouth of the abbot himself that he's looking forward to his retirement!

Khenpo with Dearest HHDL some years back when HHDL came to Gaden, which created more disharmony than good......sigh

[dsiluvu]

Oh dear this extremely depressing to know!

I cannot imagine the accumulative negative karma CTA and this Abot will be getting when the show is over. Now he may be basking in his glory but soon it will all catch up. You wonder if He even knows about karma? Does he think He will have the same support, treatment and respect as he is getting now after he is no longer an Abbot. And once he finishes his Abbotship ends does he think the CTA will continue to care for him? 

This sure shows how Dharma is degenerating from within and how Tibetans are causing the downfall of their most precious asset - Spirituality. Shameful indeed.

[dsdisciple]

There is only one thing I can rely on regarding DS issues and its this forum and its varied and many contributors. Thank you.

Gaden Shartse is always in my heart and prayers not because of it being a special place (which it is) but because of ALL the people that have made it what it is today.

Abott I humbly request you take into consideration the ALL part of the equation (ALL the Sangha)...the senior monks in India and many who died in exodus 1959, kind sponsors from around the world - who have Donated and Helped in many ways because they wished to preserve and expand Gaden.

The living Gaden is the hearts and minds of ALL the Sangha who are in your care. That is the real Gaden everyone see's when they come for the first time. Not the buildings or holy places, relics etc...In my humble opinion they are the end results of the living Buddha's walking amongst us (some with titles some not).

Wouldn't you want to have the walking, talking,  living version? Of course you would, anything else would come in a poor second. Who will replace the senior monks of the same calibre? (living knowledge holders to pass to the next generation of teachers).

So back to my point, the job of the Abott is to inspire and grow the dharma in the hearts and minds of ALL the Sangha. Also it is our collective responsibilty as DS practitioners to keep our practice and vows clean, YES it is sad situation for sure but...

What is dharma but another opportunity to practice - Life is impermanent...Karma is absolute.

Thank you again for keeping us informed as always! 

xo

[Ensapa]

I have been thinking about this issue and I have been pondering on HHDL's decision to put such a person in charge  even when this person will obviously be causing a lot of damage to himself and others, and also generating a huge amount of negative karma for people who put him there and allow him to stay. How can HHDL do such a thing and cause his own tradition to degenerate knowingly?

Perhaps, just maybe, HHDL is trying to show that following the ban blindly with no investigation, and also to blindly do things just to please others politically will lead to nothing but destruction, wrong directions and unfortunate results. It is a very long and painful lesson with many casualties in more ways than one, but perhaps this is the only way where CTA and the tibetans will learn what they need to.

The real Ganden is the Ganden where the monks hold their vows and practice the pure lineage that has been handed down by Shakyamuni, all the way to Tsongkhapa, to Pabongkha and to us. The real Ganden does not allow political issues veiled in religion to affect the welfare of monks and the quality and integrity of the sangha and focuses purely on the Dharma rather than focusing on pleasing leaders for whatever reason.

I have a feeling that this abbot will not serve his full tenure. Something will happen in some way that will cause him to lose his abbotship but in a very, very humiliating and dishonorable way. Perhaps this is what HHDL is intending, and it is going that direction karmically and now all the situation needs is a trigger for the karma to be triggered for the movies to start..

[kris]

At first I have some doubt about the accusation toward Jangchup Choeden, but after comparing his own website and the monastery website, it is very hard to defend that he has done a very poor job as an abbot in promoting the monastery.

I have a few questions though: Is the abbot appointed by one person? Or selected by a panel? What is the system? If it is appointed by one person, is that HH Dalai Lama?

If Dalai Lama is Chenrezig and all knowing compassion, why would he appoint an abbot who does not do his job and cause the monastery to suffer? Is that because of the bad collective karma of the people?

On the other hand, I like the Shar Gaden website. It is not very fancy, but it is new, and well maintained:
http://shargadenpa.org/ and it has social media too!!

[LosangKhyentse]

At first I have some doubt about the accusation toward Jangchup Choeden, but after comparing his own website and the monastery website, it is very hard to defend that he has done a very poor job as an abbot in promoting the monastery.

I have a few questions though: Is the abbot appointed by one person? Or selected by a panel? What is the system? If it is appointed by one person, is that HH Dalai Lama?

If Dalai Lama is Chenrezig and all knowing compassion, why would he appoint an abbot who does not do his job and cause the monastery to suffer? Is that because of the bad collective karma of the people?

On the other hand, I like the Shar Gaden website. It is not very fancy, but it is new, and well maintained:
http://shargadenpa.org/ and it has social media too!!

For Sera, Ganden and Drepung, they submit the list of all Geshes to Dalai Lama and Dalai Lama chooses the Abbot. There is no voting. There is no other process. It should be Gaden Tripa (head of the Gelugs) who picks the Abbot, but he is not given this power. The Dalai Lama himself handpicks the abbots.

TK

[WisdomBeing]

This is certainly shocking news about the abbot of this famous monastic university. If politics are entering these supposedly spiritual havens, where do we go from here? Why does HH the Dalai Lama, who is not the head of the Gelugpa school (HH the Gaden Tripa is the supreme head of the Gelugpa school) select the Abbot and not let it be a democratically elected position? If it is an appointment, surely it should be done by the Gaden Tripa - the throneholder of Tsongkhapa on earth? I thought that Tsongkhapa created the Gelugpa school which is based on meritocracy rather than incarnation status precisely so that the best qualified can reach the highest position in the Gelug tradition. However it seems that in this case, someone not qualified can become an abbot simply because he tows the party line? We truly live in degenerate times.

[Ensapa]

For Sera, Ganden and Drepung, they submit the list of all Geshes to Dalai Lama and Dalai Lama chooses the Abbot. There is no voting. There is no other process. It should be Gaden Tripa (head of the Gelugs) who picks the Abbot, but he is not given this power. The Dalai Lama himself handpicks the abbots.

TK

But what if HHDL's candidate falls in line with HHDL's policies but harms everyone else like in this case? What would happen? Will HHDL personally remove this abbot publicly or will he turn a blind eye and continue to allow the sangha to suffer? And the karmic repercussion that this so called abbot accumulates wont be a small amount either. It would be quite scary to even think about what would happen to him.

In the lamrim, it talks about monks who eats food offered to the sangha without dedicating them first being reborn in a temporal hell, taking the form of a large creature that is in constant pain and suffering. But this person seems to be misusing the sangha's trust in him as well as the money and goodwill that is allocated to the sangha for his own personal gains and needs...i wonder where will that lead him to?

If HHDL's choices are based entirely on who follows his commands, and it does not matter if the person that follows is capable or not, this is dangerous as it would mean that anyone at all could take the position of the abbot as long as they followed HHDL's views and it wouldnt matter if this person were to burn down the entire monastery because HHDL picked him...? thats kinda scary to me.

Does HHDL intend to dilute or surpress the gelugs's power and influence in this way by using incompetent abbots? This was the exact same method employed by the communist vietnamese government during the 1960s where Buddhist temples were impregnated with gangsters and hooligans to dilute its influence over the people until the monk immolated himself to protest the rule.

Are the other lineages so insecure that they had to allow or pressure HHDL to do something of this nature? I hope that HHDL does not intend to do so just to level Gelug down with the other lineages to the point that gelug can no longer recover but it seems to be heading that way, although serpom and shar ganden would ensure that all of us would have a pure and untainted lineage even if this happens...

[samayakeeper]

I have heard of similar accounts from contacts in the Tibetan circle and I am not surprised. Many years ago, at one of the teachings of Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, I met Jangchup Choeden. Back then he was not appointed as the abbot for Gaden Shartse but words has it that he will be picked as the one. I wanted to make offerings to Kyabje Lati Rinpoche after the teaching but he did not make it easy for me to do so. Yes, he is bilingually fluent in English and Mandarin and was the translator during the talk. Ever since, I have thought and still think that he is not quality material, sorry.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

After reading the article by tk, I clicked into the two links provided. I was very impressed by the private blog of abbot Jangchup Choeden. It looks like he has spent a lot of effort in it. Since he is the abbot of Gaden Shartze, I expected the website of the monastery would also be of the same ,if not better organised with much information and details. But sad to say, they are world apart. I agree with tk that he takes more interest in his own blog than that of the monastery. It is also so disheartening to read another story about a student not continuing the practice of his teachers but urging other monks to renounce Shugden's practice. It is very obvious why he was picked when there are more suitable and qualified candidates.

[thor]

My monk friends in Dokhang Khamsen tell me that Geshe Jangchup Choeden is a fine geshe. Well read, well learned and fully capable. Unfortunately, he is not respected in the monastery as he doesnt contribute towards the monastery's growth at all, not as a normal Geshe and certainly not as Abbot. He is reluctant to have students - why? You'd think that students would raise his profile and esteem but its too much work and detracts from his travelling all over the world.

I took a look at his blog and had a sad laugh... Nothing about Shartse but everything about the Abbot. Even on his facebook page, he titles himself as Abbot. Where is the humility?
http://www.facebook.com/GasharKhenRinpoche (what happens when he is no longer the Abbot?)

Thank you TK for clarifying how abbots are elected. It is a surprise to me that the Gelug Abbot is chosen by the Dalai Lama instead of the Ganden Tripa. If other lineages do not extend the Dalai Lama the privilege of electing THEIR abbots, why does the Gelugpa acquiesce? Is it on the basis that the Dalai Lama is the head of Tibet?

That being the case, now that Dalai Lama is no longer in power, who will choose the next Abbots? Not Lobsang Sangay surely. Will the Ganden Tripa be allowed to assume his rightful role to select the Abbot of the Gelugpa monasteries? To choose the candidate that will BEST further the growth of the Gelugpa teachings instead of a political puppet? Will the Gaden Tripa do something NOW instead of allowing Ganden Shartse to further languish in the uncaring hands of the current Abbot?

[beggar]

Well, we all know that being academically sound in Dharma never necessarily equates to being a good practitioner. It is well known within the monasteries that geshes aren't respected merely for having attained this level of study, but for their practice and what they do with what they have studied. Since the highest practice is teaching - as so many of the previous abbots have been so well respected for - then a monk gains the greatest respect for this, and for making the teachings more available to even more monks (or laypeople). As the Abbot of such a grand monastic education institute, surely the priority must be in education - improving resources for this, funding for the monks' learning, creating conducive conditions for them to receive the best kind of education - perhaps bringing in foreign language teachers, for example, so that new generations might be trained up to bring the teachings to the rest of the world.

This is presumptuous of me to say, of course. I do not purpose to be better than the abbot. But what I said about teaching being the highest practice is definitely true, and not something I determine myself. Lama Tsongkhapa's very mudra is one of teaching!

Hearing about this abbot is all the more saddening for what we know about what has been happening to other other highly practice, attained and devoted Lamas. The expulsion of the old Kensur of Jangtze springs immediately to mind and the huge disparity it represents: how is it just or logical that an Abbot emeritus with so much devotion for his monastery is removed upon a mere suspicion, and Jangchup Choeden is allowed to continue on the way he is? See the discussion about that here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=1068.0

[Ensapa]

I guess now it is official that Ganden has gone political with the whole ban thing where the people who are qualified to be the abbot are not chosen, but instead someone who is politically aligned with HHDL and the CTA is chosen instead even if it means that this person is far from qualified or if this person does not deserve the post. That is politics and it is sad to see that this has surfaced in Ganden, of all places.

However, it does seem a bit odd that HHDL would do something like that to Tsongkhapa's seat. Perhaps he is trying to teach the other abbots a huge lesson, that being politically correct and kissing up to HHDL does not bring happiness and long term benefit but such practice will only result in things going down? Because to me it seems that that is what that has been happening before this and HHDL wants to put a stop to that.

I wouldnt say that I would be a better abbot or not, but in this case, results show and the entire monastery is burdened and suffering due to the actions of this abbot who seems to care for himself more while neglecting the rest of the monastery and allowing things to go broken. He likes to be seen with HHDL, but with his behavior it would only make himself look bad, on how little he has improved despite hanging out with HHDL so much.

I am not saying anything, but wouldnt there be better choices for the position of the abbot where they would actually take care of the welfare of the monastery? Or that the more qualified abbots have not been chosen due to the political issue, and due to that the entire monastery has to suffer? I dont think that is justified, but perhaps HHDL is manifesting this condition to burn this painful lesson into the minds of the current practitioners..

[Zach]

Surely if you guys are going to give respect to the Dalai lama who has created a schism within the Sangha not seen since the days of well ever, Then surely this Abbot deserves some respect as well.