HHDL showing his human side

[Ensapa]

Dalai Lama: What do I really fear? Being eaten by sharks
A love of guns, bouts of anger, a devious assassination plot – the Dalai Lama is full of surprises. And then there is his lifelong interest in science, for which he is being awarded the £1m Templeton Prize.

Outside the Dalai Lama’s temple complex in Dharamsala, hundreds of young monks in crimson robes are locked in animated verbal combat. Against a Himalayan backdrop of jagged white peaks and a bright iris sky, the next generation are holding a debate, clapping their hands triumphantly when they score a point over their opponent.
Inside the high-security cloisters, the bravado gives way to a more sombre scene as selected devotees wait in line for the man they regard as their living god. These include local teachers waiting to be blessed for their devotion; a wealthy looking white-haired Western man in a black Tibetan robe; and a glamorous young Australian woman in a tight cheongsam and high wedges. As Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, passes down the line, the emotion is too much for some. One young woman starts weeping and locks her fingers into his, holding his fist to her cheek.
At the end of the line, the Dalai Lama stoops to meet the gaze of 81-year-old Lhakchung, a wheelchair-bound tailor now dying of cancer. He looks intently into his eyes. There are tears running down the old man’s lined cheeks – he knows this will be the last blessing before he dies and he is looking for comfort, perhaps even hope. Instead, the man regarded by Tibetans as a living incarnation of the Buddha of Compassion, places a traditional white scarf around his shoulders and urges him to come to terms with his fate. It is at once moving and hard, religious and scientific. “I have nothing to give. I told him to pray. We all have to die,” he explains afterwards, matter-of-factly.

The Dalai Lama at his temple complex in Dharamsala. 'If, at the time I pass away, or even before, the majority of the people feel the Dalai Lama institution is no longer relevant, the institution will automatically cease,' he says. 'I am not worried about that.' (Sameer Ashraf/Barcroft India)

Over the past 53 years, the Dalai Lama has been able to offer little more in the way of hope to Tibetans. Exiled since 1959, he watched helplessly as China imposed its totalitarian rule on Tibet. Today, Tibet is no closer to freedom but, without him, the Tibetans might have been forgotten, simply another group of exiles clinging on to a fragmented culture.

Despite Beijing’s countless efforts to discredit him, the Dalai Lama has become one of the world’s most revered leaders, praised for the non-violent way he has led his people, and has a rockstar-like following (tickets to next month’s lecture tour of Scotland, for instance, sold out within hours). Along with his close friend Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he remains one of the last great surviving 20th?century icons of peace.

Tomorrow he will be in London to receive the Templeton Prize at St Paul’s Cathedral. The honour is awarded annually to someone who has encouraged common ground between science and religion – Mother Teresa was its first recipient – and, with its £1.1 million purse, is by some measure the world’s largest prize. The Dalai Lama will announce how he is to spend the money during the ceremony. The award follows the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to non-violence, and highlights his championing of science as a vital element in religious life.
It is hard not to be in awe of a man billed as a living divinity, and his charisma is undeniable. But when I met him in Dharamsala last week, I discovered a less godly and more human leader than I was expecting; one who spoke of his achievements and regrets, his strengths and weaknesses, and his eventual demise, which poses the problem of a successor.

This is an interesting time for the Dalai Lama. Last year he passed the political leadership of exiled Tibetans on to an elected prime minister. He remains their spiritual leader – and the future Dalai Lama will be an exclusively spiritual figure. “So after my death I have no worries about the leader of the spiritual tradition,” he says. “I’ve made a significant contribution regarding the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture and also forming a Tibetan refugee community outside Tibet. It is now one of the most successful refugee communities in the world.”
However, his succession is unlikely to be an easy transition. The Karmapa Lama has been touted as Tibet’s next spiritual leader, and in Tibetan spiritual hierarchy he ranks only behind the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. But the current Panchen Lama was chosen by Beijing, and followers of the Dalai Lama do not recognise him. The Dalai Lama’s own choice was rejected by China; that particular boy then mysteriously vanished and has not been seen since.

The same could happen with the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. Indeed, such is his fear of Chinese attempts to impose a pro-Beijing successor that he says the Tibetan people could choose not to have another Dalai Lama at all. “If, at the time I pass away, or even before, the majority of the people feel the Dalai Lama institution is no longer relevant, the institution will automatically cease,” he says, adding, “I am not worried about that.”
The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Thondup. His family were farmers in the Tibetan region of Amdo, then already part of the Chinese province of Qinghai. He was selected as the “rebirth” of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, by a search party sent to look for the new incarnation. There had been a series of strange omens. For instance, the head of the embalmed 13th Dalai Lama, which was originally facing south-east, suddenly turned to face north-east, so the party headed in that direction. When Thondup was eventually found, he was presented with various items, some of which had belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. He correctly identified his possessions, crying: “That’s mine! That’s mine!”

At four, Thondup was taken in a procession of lamas (spiritual masters) to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, and renamed Tenzin Gyatso. His monastic education started at the age of six, but he was still allowed some fun. He describes a childhood in which he loved images of military hardware, marching soldiers and war – in particular Royal Navy gunships from the First World War.

“The war picture books kept by the 13th Dalai Lama, those pictures of the British Navy at the time – their guns, their battleship guns – I found very attractive,” he tells me. It is an unexpected confession for an icon of peace, but he waves away its significance.

“Every child loves a uniform,” he says, recalling children marching behind his Tibetan army parades in Lhasa before his exile.

He also inherited his predecessor’s wind-up film projector and a series of other mechanical gadgets which, he says, sparked his lifelong interest in science and logic. He dismantled, and then reassembled, each one to understand how it worked. If he were not a monk, he would have liked to have been an engineer.
Indeed, when he met Chairman Mao Tse-tung and Premier Chou En-lai in “Peking” – as he still calls the Chinese capital – for the 1954 talks following China’s invasion of Tibet, Mao himself told him he had a “scientific mind”.
He soon developed a close relationship with both men, despite them having unleashed the might of the People’s Liberation Army on his country. Mao served him with his own chopsticks, and Chou played him at ping-pong. “Chairman Mao gave me food in the Chinese tradition. I felt great honour but also fear. He was a chain smoker, too, lots of coughing, so I thought I might get a virus from his chopsticks,” he says with his trademark naughty giggle.

Mao had initially praised Lord Buddha as a “revolutionary”, but later told the Dalai Lama that “religion is poison”. Despite their closeness, five years later the Dalai Lama was forced to lead his Tibetan government into exile in Nehru’s India. The Dalai Lama made the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala his spiritual centre as well as his home, establishing a “government in exile”. Since then, several thousand Tibetan exiles have settled there.
The Dalai Lama has not had an opportunity to discuss religion – or play table tennis – with today’s Chinese leaders, and to outsiders the prospects do not look good. A series of anti-Chinese protests by monks throughout Tibet in 2008 was brutally put down by armed police, and children were among the estimated 160 killed.
China accused the Dalai Lama of organising the uprising – a charge he denies – and has since charged him with encouraging the self-immolations of Tibetan monks and nuns (there have been more than 30) in protest against government attempts to marginalise the Tibetan language and culture.

The Dalai Lama has so far remained silent, offering them neither support nor condemnation. “If I say anything negative, then their families will feel very sad,” he says. “Of course, I cannot say this is good. So I remain silent. I can only pray and share their determination, their willpower. Nobody normally sacrifices their own life without reasons – they’re concerned about Tibetan culture, Tibetan Buddhist faith.”

He still hopes that China will change its approach to Tibet and will initiate democratic reforms within his lifetime. “My lifetime means if I remain another 10, 20 years, then definitely we’ll see it. If I die next year, I don’t know.”
He believes that the Arab Spring has had a deep impact on China’s thinking, and that Buddhist logic could offer its leaders a way out of totalitarianism. “If they face the reality, then there is no reason for fear or distrust” – which he believes are the product of China’s rule. “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”

To some, this might seem naive. China furiously protested when President Obama held talks with the Dalai Lama, for instance. And last October, he was denied a visa to South Africa to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations (he was due to deliver a lecture). The Archbishop accused the South African government of bowing to pressure from China.

The Dalai Lama’s high profile may also account for reports of an assassination plot. Last year he was warned that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women to kill him using scarves laced with poison. “They would have said they were sick, to receive a blessing from me, and my hand would have touched them.”

He believes his popularity worldwide is due to his focus on common human desires for happiness and contentment. “Human beings – we are all physically, emotionally, the same. And importantly, everybody wants a happy life. We need money, it’s useful, but if we put all our hopes on these things, it’s wrong. We must look at our inner values, that’s the main thing to bring inner strength, self-confidence and inner peace. The ultimate source of happiness is within ourselves.”

He cites Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (“a very close friend; always joking”), Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein as people who inspire him, but says he has been most heavily influenced by the second-century Indian Buddhist monk Nagarjuna. “He said that there is a huge gap between appearances and reality. Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way – everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger.”
But he hasn’t quite mastered this himself, he concedes. He gets angry “quite often” with “advisers, secretaries, other people around me when they make some little, little mistake, then sometimes I burst. Oh yes! Anger, and I shout! And some harsh words. But that remains for a few minutes, then it’s finished.”

At 76, he doesn’t have time to allow his rage to linger. He wakes at 3.30 every morning, meditates for four hours, pounds the treadmill, and then uses Buddhist prostrations to relax. He hasn’t watched television for two years, doesn’t read novels or poetry, but stays up to date with Newsweek and Time and is a BBC radio “addict”. He stops work just after three in the afternoon and is tucked up in bed by 7pm.

He wishes he had been more studious and less playful as a young boy, and regrets not learning to swim. His great fear, though, is of flying and of sharks. “Long flights, those I really feared, but now I’m used to them,” he says. “The fear now is that I never learnt to swim so if the plane crashes on water, I would immediately go deep under the sea and be enjoyed by a shark. That I really fear.”

The greatest single thing in life, he says, is the intelligence of human beings. “With the help of human intelligence, we have the ability to develop infinite love and infinite compassion.”

It is what drives his dedication to others, and inspires his favourite prayer from an eighth?century Indian Buddhist master. “So long as space remains and suffering of sentient beings is there, I will remain to serve,” he recites. “That prayer really gives me inner strength.”

It seems that HHDL is trying to debunk that mystical side of him....why say this now? perhaps he is trying to shake the Tibetan's faith in him? Hmm. This is odd. Thoughts?

[Klein]

Gelugpa lamas always show the human side out of humility. They never blow their own trumpets and reveal their supernatural powers and so on. As my lama always say, what's most important is mind transformation. When high lamas like HHDL show the human side or in other words, come down to our level, it is easier for us to relate to. It also encourages us that even normal human beings like us can develop ourselves to be spiritually attained like them.

As Buddha said, all of us can be Buddhas. The last thing the lama want would be for us to worship him like a God when he reveals his powers. These powers are used to help people and not taken as evidence for followers to worship them.

I believe this article is for the westerners. Therefore, it is even more inappropriate for HHDL to talk about his mystical side. Westerners are brought up studying science and logic. They won't be attracted to mysticism.

[Rihanna]

Gelugpa lamas always show the human side out of humility. They never blow their own trumpets and reveal their supernatural powers and so on. As my lama always say, what's most important is mind transformation. When high lamas like HHDL show the human side or in other words, come down to our level, it is easier for us to relate to. It also encourages us that even normal human beings like us can develop ourselves to be spiritually attained like them.

As Buddha said, all of us can be Buddhas. The last thing the lama want would be for us to worship him like a God when he reveals his powers. These powers are used to help people and not taken as evidence for followers to worship them.

I believe this article is for the westerners. Therefore, it is even more inappropriate for HHDL to talk about his mystical side. Westerners are brought up studying science and logic. They won't be attracted to mysticism.

Just like the curved sword that Dorje Shugden holds on his right hand symbolising bringing dharma to beings through skillful means (whereas Manjushri's sword is straight and cuts through your ignorance), HHDL is doing just that. By showing his 'human side' , he gives us hope. That every one of us if we practice compassion, practice humility, practice guru devotion, keep our vows and words of honour, we have the potential to be like him. This is also symbolised by Dorje Shugden manifesting wearing the robes of  monk. To show us that practice of pure morality is essential in obtaining our spiritual goal.

[Ensapa]

Gelugpa lamas always show the human side out of humility. They never blow their own trumpets and reveal their supernatural powers and so on. As my lama always say, what's most important is mind transformation. When high lamas like HHDL show the human side or in other words, come down to our level, it is easier for us to relate to. It also encourages us that even normal human beings like us can develop ourselves to be spiritually attained like them.

As Buddha said, all of us can be Buddhas. The last thing the lama want would be for us to worship him like a God when he reveals his powers. These powers are used to help people and not taken as evidence for followers to worship them.

I believe this article is for the westerners. Therefore, it is even more inappropriate for HHDL to talk about his mystical side. Westerners are brought up studying science and logic. They won't be attracted to mysticism.

Unfortunately, a large number of them are attracted to the mystical side of things and the logical ones are rare and far in between. A lot of people tend to prefer Tibetan Buddhism due to its mystical and exotic effect rather than to go for the actual teachings. They are more interested in the rituals and the mystical practices of phowa instead of the many treatises on logic and cognition.

I have a feeling that many people would like and would be begging for HHDL to talk about mystical things, but HHDL chose to surprise them instead by talking about his fears and showing his human side. HHDL is trying to demystify himself to the people in the west as they often have this fascination that he is a god-like figure and whatever he says is right and they should take it blindly without logic or common sense.

Even on the net, there are more people who are attracted to stories of him manifesting his powers (which is extremely rare and he has only shown it once in an incident where supposedly a swarm of bees came as he was giving a sermon in bodhgaya and all he did was a mudra and the swarm of bees dispersed) which is quite popular around the internet, rather than his explanations on the 12 dependent origins.

That kind of shows that people are more taken in by mystical things, as much as we would like to believe that they prefer logic, but unfortunately this is not true. If it was true, people would have been more tolerant of Dorje Shugden practitioners and know that damaging others itself is not the right thing to do in the first place, and would not have alienated practitioners in the first place.   

[Vajraprotector]

I agree that it is His Holiness' skillful means to show that he too is a "normal" human being. For Tibetans who have strong faith that His Holiness is Avalokiteshvara, they will still see His Holiness as who they want to see him as regardless. We all know that enlightened beings very often manifests in a non-enlightened aspect, in order to teach us what we need.

However, there is the "other" side, which gives us hint of who His Holiness really is. For example, great Tibetan masters show utmost respect for the Dalai Lama as a teacher/spiritual master, not just as the spiritual leader of Tibet. His Holiness is charismatic, gives advanced teachings to monks and practitioners, and are able to convince and communicate Dharma to a vast spectrum of people. 

Also, His Holiness is a Tulku who has control over his own reincarnation process, which is impossible for us ordinary people. He grew up among great teachers and masters, so don't tell me he's a fake, surely so many great Lamas and his tutors are able to point out a fake "lama". 

[Barzin]

Many Lamas have manifest in different ways in order to suit our level of minds.  I once had this question in mind, do they actually communicate using their mystical power with the other lamas on their work, updates and progress?  I mean how would they know where to go, do they have an agreement in their dreams?  For example, if one Gelug Lama sets his foot into Italy and spread dharma; we wouldn't expect many more high Lamas of that caliber to do the same in the same region.  It might sound silly, but there must be a mystical side to it and His Holiness is the doorway for dharma to reach the world.

No surprise, the high Lamas are not suppose to share the mystical side maybe due to their Tantric vows but even at our level, monk is suppose to be humble right? and not boost their ego and tell people what they have or don't have.  On the other hand, by showing the human side; it is easier for us to relate to them because we are the same.  But showing us they have emotions, vulnerabilities, strengths and weaknesses, we can learn the dharma closely relate to our daily samsaric life.. only when our mind is stable, therefore we can only learn the higher teachings.

[dsiluvu]

Just like the curved sword that Dorje Shugden holds on his right hand symbolising bringing dharma to beings through skillful means (whereas Manjushri's sword is straight and cuts through your ignorance), HHDL is doing just that. By showing his 'human side' , he gives us hope. That every one of us if we practice compassion, practice humility, practice guru devotion, keep our vows and words of honour, we have the potential to be like him. This is also symbolised by Dorje Shugden manifesting wearing the robes of  monk. To show us that practice of pure morality is essential in obtaining our spiritual goal.

Oh liked how you said it Rihanna! Yes definitely His Holiness is very skillful! You can watched him being interviewed by so many different people and with each reporter depending on their personality he acts differently just like the recent one in Manchester with Russell Brand. His Holiness is merely adapting to the audience and definitely everyone who loves the mystical also loves the human part of someone like His Holiness that exudes a huge compassionate aura. Since day 1 His Holiness has remained consistent with His image of a "SIMPLE MONK" and this has been the biggest PR campaign message for His Holiness... so though the west are mystified by Him... they are more at awe when He shows his human nature... smart marketing or skillful means? You decide eh.

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama - Trailer	Small | Large

[vajrastorm]

In light of current circumstances, HH Dalai Lama is skillful in showing the human side of himself. There are many Tibetans who still cling to the belief that he is a "God-king". When he passes away,there is fear that the Chinese will choose his successor and foist their choice on all,as they did the Panchen Lama. So the Dalai Lama is now saying that Tibetans, can by choice and through a vote, decide to do away with the institution of the Dalai Lama. So, perhaps, to pave the way for that, he is now trying to 'debunk' the belief in the Dalai Lama as a "God-king".

I note the particular instance of his response to the 81 year old Tibetan man, who wheelchair-bound and dying of cancer, was looking to the Dalai Lama for blessings and the fulfillment of a hope for a miraculous cure from this emanation of compassionate Chenrezig. The blessing was most readily and warmly given. But, at the same time, the Dalai Lama, told him in a manner of 'stern realism' to come to terms with his fate, that he had nothing to give him, that "we all have to die" and just asked him to pray. 

The Dalai Lama also ,in a frank and disarming manner, says that though he believes in  Nargajuna's view of reality and interdependent arising as the view to adopt to maintain a peaceful mind to counter anger,he himself has not quite mastered it. Hence he still gets angry; but his anger, though quick to rise, is as quick to fall away.   

He has an avid interest in Science and thus makes himself an icon who is very much in keeping with the 21st Century.He has been awarded the Templeton prize for "encouraging common ground between science and religion" ( a prize which Mother Theresa had also received).

He has also achieved much in preserving Tibetan religion and culture in India and other places out of the country of its origin.That is an amazing and truly remarkable achievement, because in Tibet itself, the religion and especially, the culture, is dying as a result of Chinese suppression.

An interesting point he made is the following. When asked who had most inspired and influenced him, the Dalai Lama cited Nargajuna, the second century Indian Buddhist monk, who had propounded the Middle(Correct) View of Emptiness. It isn't a coincidence that Dorje Shugden arose as a Protector to especially protect Je Tsongkhapa's unexcelled propounding of Nargajuna's Middle (Correct) View of Emptiness! 

[Ensapa]

I have been thinking for quite sometime on why is the Dalai Lama saying this only now and not before. It is very difficult to phantom or try to understand, but to me, he is trying to tell his students to look beyond him and to look beyond his personality and instead, look at the teachings that he has taught. Looking around at his followers, i believe that the whole thing has turned into a personality cult to a certain extent, and the Dalai Lama wishes to cut that off.

Perhaps, the next step that he would take is to make people rethink on the ban that was placed on Dorje Shugden, if exhaustive investigations would take place, that Dorje Shugden is not what the Dalai Lama has been claiming about and that he is actually an enlightened being. If he is not, then so many lineage Lamas of Gelugpa who are affiliated with Dorje Shugden and also his incarnations which were the supporting founders of Sakya and Gelug (Sakya Pandita, Buton Rinpoche, Dulzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, Panchen Sonam Dragpa) would be wrong and it would mean that there is no results even if we practice Dharma all the way and have attainments like these great beings. It would also imply that the current versions of the kangyur and tengyur which were compiled by Buton Rinpoche is tainted and this would invalidate the whole Tibetan tradition.

So, after investigation and logic, how can it be that Dorje Shugden was good all this while, and then suddenly become bad? Surely, His Holiness saying about his human side now and the whole issue about Dorje Shugden is somewhat related.

[Positive Change]

I have been thinking for quite sometime on why is the Dalai Lama saying this only now and not before. It is very difficult to phantom or try to understand, but to me, he is trying to tell his students to look beyond him and to look beyond his personality and instead, look at the teachings that he has taught. Looking around at his followers, i believe that the whole thing has turned into a personality cult to a certain extent, and the Dalai Lama wishes to cut that off.

Perhaps, the next step that he would take is to make people rethink on the ban that was placed on Dorje Shugden, if exhaustive investigations would take place, that Dorje Shugden is not what the Dalai Lama has been claiming about and that he is actually an enlightened being. If he is not, then so many lineage Lamas of Gelugpa who are affiliated with Dorje Shugden and also his incarnations which were the supporting founders of Sakya and Gelug (Sakya Pandita, Buton Rinpoche, Dulzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, Panchen Sonam Dragpa) would be wrong and it would mean that there is no results even if we practice Dharma all the way and have attainments like these great beings. It would also imply that the current versions of the kangyur and tengyur which were compiled by Buton Rinpoche is tainted and this would invalidate the whole Tibetan tradition.

So, after investigation and logic, how can it be that Dorje Shugden was good all this while, and then suddenly become bad? Surely, His Holiness saying about his human side now and the whole issue about Dorje Shugden is somewhat related.

I too tend to believe this to be true Ensapa... why else would HHDL show this human side. HHDL is skillfully using his very life as a teaching. To make us see, as you say, beyond the so called personality cult. The whole "Dalai Lama product" has its pros and cons and the entire “institution” can be manipulated like any other but NOT HHDL and I believe that is the point he is making.

It has been said over and over again… how can illustrious teachers such as HH Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, HH Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang and Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, to name a few be wrong? If they were wrong, why are these beings back and in turn recognized by HHDL as well? How can HHDL, a living Buddha, the emanation of Avalokitesvara be wrong? And if they were or are wrong, then we are right? Preposterous! 

With logic and understanding one can clearly see that HHDL is doing what is needed to make us think beyond our perceptions and deduce for ourselves what the truth is.

[Ensapa]

I too tend to believe this to be true Ensapa... why else would HHDL show this human side. HHDL is skillfully using his very life as a teaching. To make us see, as you say, beyond the so called personality cult. The whole "Dalai Lama product" has its pros and cons and the entire “institution” can be manipulated like any other but NOT HHDL and I believe that is the point he is making.

It has been said over and over again… how can illustrious teachers such as HH Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, HH Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang and Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, to name a few be wrong? If they were wrong, why are these beings back and in turn recognized by HHDL as well? How can HHDL, a living Buddha, the emanation of Avalokitesvara be wrong? And if they were or are wrong, then we are right? Preposterous! 

With logic and understanding one can clearly see that HHDL is doing what is needed to make us think beyond our perceptions and deduce for ourselves what the truth is.

there are way, way too many people who claim to be supporters of HHDL and follow his advice blindly for whatever reasons, and will go fiercely against people who are "against" HHDL blindly as well despite the fact that HHDL has never given them a teaching personally, or blessing, or initiation. The only logical explanation to this, is either these people happen to be a living being that HHDL has benefitted in their past lives but for some reason feels strongly for HHDL but not enough to study and learn, or that they happen to be beings no connection to HHDL but are supporting HHDL because they believe that supporting HHDL alone makes them a better person and gives them a purpose in life (yet do little or nothing to study or pursue the Dharma.). So Which is which? Either way, the end result are that these people are unable to develop wisdom or themselves by supporting the Dalai Lama blindly, while ignoring everything else, and that is the definition of what a personality cult is.

I doubt that HHDL is amused or is happy that his followers are following him for the wrong reasons and he is fully aware of that. It has gone on long enough and he probably needs to stop it now and make people realize that they should be focusing on the teachings and not him.

[Manjushri]

Alot of the times, high lamas have to "degrade" themselves to our level, so that we can relate to them, and what they can achive, is more achievable for us. Alot of times, people would think "of course HHDL can do it, he's a Buddha, but we cant!", or " of course he can let go so easily, he's attained!, we're not!".. so with that thought in mind, we already limit ourselves from the potential that we can achieve, because we set those achievable qualities as un-achievable.

So high lamas are very compassionate, and very humble, to show us that if they do it, so can we. Therefore, they will always show their human side, never their "supernatural powers". They would deny that they would not know anything, and just like us, start from "scratch". Anyways what ultimately can lead one to enlightenment is not how much clairvoyant powers one has or whatever..it is about what their mind can perceive, learning and putting wisdom and compassion into action.

[Dolce Vita]

HHDL has always said that he is only a simple monk. I think he is trying to tell us we can also be like him if we put what we learn in Dharma into practice. He does not want people to follow him just because he is a reincarnated monk, he wants people to study, to understand and to PRACTISE Dharma, he does not want us to follow him blindly. I guess as people are getting more degenerated, the more they do not believe the mystical side of Buddhist teachings. Therefore, HHDL has to make himself a 'normal person' in order for people to want to listen to his teachings.

[Ensapa]

HHDL has always said that he is only a simple monk. I think he is trying to tell us we can also be like him if we put what we learn in Dharma into practice. He does not want people to follow him just because he is a reincarnated monk, he wants people to study, to understand and to PRACTISE Dharma, he does not want us to follow him blindly. I guess as people are getting more degenerated, the more they do not believe the mystical side of Buddhist teachings. Therefore, HHDL has to make himself a 'normal person' in order for people to want to listen to his teachings.

Sadly, many people do not see His Holiness as a simple or normal monk but as some kind of pope or superhuman leader. It is forgivable if the Tibetans and them alone hold this view, but it is a little ridiculous that the more intelligent western students hold this view not because they did not know any better but because they are just lazy to do their own homework and are wishing too much for a savior to just save them off their sufferings. HHDL by doing this is hoping to make these people wake up to the fact that he is not a god, he is merely someone who has gained results from hard practice and they should too. HHDL did not manifest for them to worship, neither did he appear to gain prayers and faith but he is here to spread the Dharma far and wide on earth and serve as a spiritual leader for all the world leaders and inspire them towards spirituality. This is what I see what HHDL is doing and the statements he made with regards to him being a normal person is a very strong indicator.

I do not think HHDL is happy at all that he has become a personality cult of sorts. It is very obvious to me that he does not like being a central omnipresent figure. But why are his students still doing something that he does not like?

[vajratruth]

An interesting point he made is the following. When asked who had most inspired and influenced him, the Dalai Lama cited Nargajuna, the second century Indian Buddhist monk, who had propounded the Middle(Correct) View of Emptiness. It isn't a coincidence that Dorje Shugden arose as a Protector to especially protect Je Tsongkhapa's unexcelled propounding of Nargajuna's Middle (Correct) View of Emptiness!

Thank you Vajrastorm for reminding us of this. HHDL cites Nagajurna as one of his great influences and that being the case, it follows that HHDL would also respect and uphold the teachings of Nagajurna’s Middle Way (Madyamika view) which in turn formed the basis of Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings.

And if HHDL holds Nagajurna’s teachings to heart, how can he possibly not also hold in his heart the very protector sworn to uphold the teaching?

An Uncommon Protector (as opposed to a general Dharma Protector) is a Protector who has sworn to protect a specific teaching. In this instance, the Uncommon Protector of Nagajurna’s specific teaching of the Madyamika view is none other than Dorje Shugden.

Everyone knows of the story where Nechung (who is the general protector of the Buddha dharma) appeared as a dove before Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen and requested Duldzin to be the Uncommon Protector of Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings of Nagajurna’s philosophy of the Middle way.  Duldzin promised that he would.

Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen began the Drakpa line of incarnation that led to the most powerful uncommon protector, Dorje Shugden.

Is there any doubt that HHDL is fully aware of the close link between Nagajurna and Dorje Shugden? HHDL message is subtle but very clear to all those who should understand. He is still very much a Shugden practitioner and a very loyal and silent partner.