whose fault is it?

[polartortoise]

i was watching this movie based on true life events that happened in america. and i wanted to share that oppression and tyranny is the same throughout the ages. in this movie, it was inspiring that the message is that it takes only one person of integrity to lead with other like-minded souls to stand against injustice. this is an excerpt of his broadcast shown in the movie :

… the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one … we must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends on evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear of one another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for those who oppose … to keep silent or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the results. We proclaim ourselves, indeed as we are, the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. … (his actions) have caused alarm and dismay … And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius (in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceaser) was right. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

From the movie Good Night, And Good Luck
CBS television newsman, Edward R. Murrow
9 March 1954

[DharmaDefender]

i was watching this movie based on true life events that happened in america. and i wanted to share that oppression and tyranny is the same throughout the ages. in this movie, it was inspiring that the message is that it takes only one person of integrity to lead with other like-minded souls to stand against injustice. this is an excerpt of his broadcast shown in the movie :

… the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one … we must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends on evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear of one another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for those who oppose … to keep silent or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history but we cannot escape responsibility for the results. We proclaim ourselves, indeed as we are, the defenders of freedom wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. … (his actions) have caused alarm and dismay … And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn’t create this situation of fear, he merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius (in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceaser) was right. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

From the movie Good Night, And Good Luck
CBS television newsman, Edward R. Murrow
9 March 1954

Found this quote in the annals of the forum... thought it was pretty inspiring. There are a couple of quotes here I like which I like...

So I want to ask anti-DS people:

• Where is the proof that Dorje Shugden is a spirit / evil / unenlightened / out for revenge? What, because His Holiness said so? Repeating a lie three times does not make it the truth
• Where is the reasoning in abandoning your fellow Tibetans, simply because they do a practice you dont agree with? If you truly dug deep into your doctrine of Buddhism, one of the two wings of compassion, where is the compassion in ostracising your fellow men and women?
• Do you understand the concept of samaya, and its consequences? Because breaking your samaya with your Dharma Protector and your guru has consequences. It wont be that Dorje Shugden is taking revenge; rather its the heavy negative karma of breaking your relationship with your lama that will get you... and you have to be ready to take responsibility for that
• How do you have no shame, to teach the Buddhadharma to others when at home, in your own practice, you have destroyed the very foundations of any attainments you have received?

[Ensapa]

I have spoken to anti DS people many, many times on this issue and all of them have the same approach and same reply: That the Dalai Lama said so, so therefore it must be true. When questioned further and provided with facts, they will start to break down and get defensive with the whole thing.  They are unable to refute my points when i tell them that Dorje Shugden is actually enlightened and that they should come up with more proof that is not based on hearsay. Sadly, no one so far has been able to come up with proof that is solid, or has not shut me off with their claims that my information is incorrect. Most of them just dismiss the reasonings as propaganda in a very one sided, but they dont realize that they are doing the exact same thing too. And most of the time, these anti Dorje Shugden people just refuse to talk about the issue when they are being challenged with logic like how can Dorje Shugden harm the Dalai Lama when the Dalai Lama is a pure monk who holds his vows, the Buddha has declared that those who hold vows will not be harmed by spirits, so if Dorje Shugden is a spirit, why should they be afraid of him? If you pose this to most anti Dorje Shugden people, they will try to shut up the topic as deep down they know they do not have any basis for what they "believe" in.

Most of the people who go against Dorje Shugden have very little understanding of Buddhism and its basic topics of the 3 principle paths, Karma, merit, samaya, Guru devotion etc etc, they are in Buddhism for the wrong reasons and they lack understanding and refuse to study. That is why till this day, you do not hear anyone who is gelug, who is anti Dorje Shugden a prominent master. Dharma centers who adopt this policy tend to become stagnant or degenerate where less and less people go to them, or the followers give up Dharma altogether. I am sorry but they are not even real Buddhists to begin with if they lack all the basic info that they need to be Buddhist. But then again, not investigating and just laying back and accepting everything without investigation is definitely easier.