BUDDHA STATUE DESTROYED BY BUDDHIST NUNS!!!

[rossoneri]

On April 5th 1996, precisely 8 am, a group of nuns went into the Abbot's chamber at Ganden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala, India dragged a Dorje Shugden statue to a street by using a rope attached to its neck and spit on the statue, sat on it, break it into pieces and threw some parts to the town's garbage dump!!! Another sad news is this particular nunnery was founded by H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche & H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, both of them were the teachers to H.H. Dalai Lama. In the below link you can clearly hear H.H. Dalai Lama admitted that both of his teachers was "wrong" for them to practice Dorje Shugden which have already been practiced by a lot of High Lamas for 300 hundred years!!! For him the Dalai Lama should have more Guru Devotion than any of us i believed, yet it seems like he is not practicing it. How strange is this.

As for those nuns who destroyed the Holy Statue which consecrated by the High Gurus, what do you all think will happen to their karma? Will they be born in hell? If yes, why? But they are just practicing their devotion towards Dalai Lama. Aren't nun supposed to be compassion and be peaceful? And lets say Dorje Shugden is a spirit should we have a proper prayers to bless this spirit and have compassion for DS instead of them behaving like a bunch of uncontrollable hooligans.

The Dalai Lama's Actions Part 2: Destroying the Gelugpa, Kagyu and Nyingma Traditions	Small | Large

[beggar]

I think it's time to write another letter. i can feel the pain in my bones just reading this post.

The greatest irony in all this is how these people, these nuns and all the perpetrators of the ban claim to be devout Dalai Lama disciples and followers. So is this how students of the Dalai Lama act? Is this what he teaches his followers to do? To destroy other people's religious beliefs and items of worship? To wear nun robes and desecrate another person's religion? That doesn't sound very Buddhist, nor anything at all like the compassion that the Dalai Lama teaches.

It's quite true what the Buddha himself predicted, that Buddhism will be ruined not by any external forces but by Buddhists themselves. If you only see the way these nuns behave, it's would be enough for any non-Buddhist to look upon them and wonder why Buddhists act in this way. A turn off, if nothing else. Is this how we reflect the most famous Buddhist leader in the world today - the Dalai Lama? Sure they may "mean well" by upholding the Dalai Lama's "instructions" about the ban, but also, while much of what the Dalai Lama has said is harsh, I don't think I have ever heard an account of him encouraging people to go about breaking each other's statues and attack their own fellow Tibetans in such cruel ways. There's a big difference in upholding a ban by choosing not to do the practice yourself (for whatever reasons you might have) and actively going out to bash another person's decision to maintain the practice. Surely this is logical?

The world needs to know about incidences like this. Doesn't seem very different from Salem witch hunts or Spanish inquisitions - are we really still that primitive in this day and age? I really hope not.

[Carpenter]

Although Dalai Lama may say his Guru is wrong by practicing Dorje Shugden, for whatever reason behind, either because for a bigger picture or his own desire that took action, but no matter what, Dalai Lama never asked anyone to destroy Buddha’s statue, he never ask other monks or nuns to go harm Dorje Shugden Practitioner. Dalai Lama did not give that instruction.

As for the nuns, they acted on their own initiative, what motivation they have? Out of anger? Hatred? Or the show of superiority, whatever reason it is, destroying Buddha statue does collect huge negative karma, and the act that destroying a dharma practitioner’s image and good name, the amount of negative karma they collected is un-imaginable.

[dsiluvu]

What the nuns did to the Dorje Shugden statue was appalling! Even if Dorje Shugden was an evil spirit the should not have acted in this unBuddhist way. Nuns and monks should be evoking an energy of kindness and compassion. Even if they wanted to stop the practice and be politically correct they should at least put the statues away in a dignified manner. Dignified here means they should have acted with more dignity.

It is really their own reputation tht they are tarnishing and the karma if Dorje Shugden was a Buddha, the karmic repercussion would have been greatly a negative one. In relation to the 18 Root Bodhisattva Vow, I believe they would have transgressed the following... and especially no.8 Committing the five heinous crimes which is similar to wounding a Buddha/drawing blood from a Buddha...


8. Committing the five heinous crimes. ("Kings vow") The five heinous karmas are killing one's father, killing one's mother, killing a Foe Destroyer (Arhat), wounding a Buddha and creating a schism in the Sangha. Doing any of these very heavy negative actions will break this root vow.

9. Holding wrong views. Wrong views are such as denying the existence of the Three Jewels, the law of cause and effect, the conventional and ultimate truths, the Four noble truths, the 12 links of dependent origination and so on. Holding such wrong views will break this root vow because you will be unable even to benefit yourself, let alone others. For example, by denying karma you will not be concerned about the consequences of your actions and, with such carelessness, will continue to create negative karma and hurt others.

10. Destroying towns and so on. ("Kings vow") If you completely destroy any place inhabited by living beings, you will break this root vow. Destroying a city or country habitat, whether by means of fire, bombs, black magic or any other means, will kill many living beings.

I can't seem to find exactly what are the repercussions for such an act... does anyone know?

[michaela]

I think I have responded to similar post with the exact same topic.  My view remains the same we should view the problems as it is, a destruction of a statue, and not turn it into hate crime or condemnation. 

When a copy of Koran was flushed down the toilet by a US soldier in Guantanamo bay in year 2005, it has caused international outraged.  Many religious leaders condemned the act.  Only one person, a Buddhist monk of Theravadan tradition, Ajahn Bram, gave a reasonable answer.  He said that if this happened to Buddhist bible (being flushed down the toilet), he will call a plumber.

Again, we should focus on exposing the truth and arguing why the ban should be removed and why DS is the appropriate protector in this degenerate time, and not exaggerate and focus on what a group of nun did back in year 1996 - that is destroying a statue.

[Big Uncle]

I think I have responded to similar post with the exact same topic.  My view remains the same we should view the problems as it is, a destruction of a statue, and not turn it into hate crime or condemnation. 

When a copy of Koran was flushed down the toilet by a US soldier in Guantanamo bay in year 2005, it has caused international outraged.  Many religious leaders condemned the act.  Only one person, a Buddhist monk of Theravadan tradition, Ajahn Bram, gave a reasonable answer.  He said that if this happened to Buddhist bible (being flushed down the toilet), he will call a plumber.

Again, we should focus on exposing the truth and arguing why the ban should be removed and why DS is the appropriate protector in this degenerate time, and not exaggerate and focus on what a group of nun did back in year 1996 - that is destroying a statue.

Ha ha! You are quite direct with your opinions. I think that this is one of the many tragedies of the ban. Those statues are priceless because they are highly blessed by High Lamas and have the huge potential to benefit and plant spiritual seeds in so many who pray to them.

But at the end of the day, they are mere physical objects and are not real people. I think that the ban has caused much more harm to practitioners, especially those of Dorje Shugden Lamas, who are unable to manifest their activities. For example, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was unable to continue his monastic studies and eventually returned his monastic vows and even chose a consort. That is unprecedented as all his incarnations were monastics.

Nonetheless, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche is Vajrayogini incarnate and will definitely find a way to benefit many. Perhaps, his activities will manifest once the ban is lifted. Now, that's just one important Lama and there are many more who suffer in silence. I guess, the message here is to lift the ban. Enough harm and problems already! The ban has benefited nobody and so something must shift for it to happen and I wonder what. Any ideas?

[vajratruth]

I have my own views about why HHHDL called for the ban, and also to make such a preposterous claim that both his teacher were wrong in practicing Dorje Shugden.

What I find shocking and disgusting is the behaviour of the nuns. They showed such unrestrained anger and hatred and totally gave in to their emotions. To storm the Abbot's chamber and destroy a holy statue that has been consecrated by so many enlightened beings is bad enough but to suddenly turn on Dorje Shugden that has been propitiated in your own monastery for some time shows lack of loyalty, lack of discretion and respect and a total lack of wisdom. I mean, even if they were doing such things under instructions, there are still proper protocol and procedures to follow.

Did they even pause to consider the significance of their actions? What kind of vows did they take anyway?

[michaela]

Dear Big Uncle,

This incident of one group of Nun destroying a statue may be a juicy story, but it will not serve much purpose at the end.  It is the easiest to be commented upon though since not much knowledge or argumentation required hehe…

[Gabby Potter]

I really cannot imagine the amount of bad karma they have accumulated by doing all these negative actions. In my opinion, they are setting very bad examples for either the Sangha or lay people, nuns and monks should know better, they should know what needs to be done and what are the things that cannot be done.

[tingtong]

Buddhism strive for compassion and peace.. it's such a disappointment that even nun couldn't attain the meaning of compassion in their practise of Buddhism.. won't they own their own thinking? Destroying Buddha statues I believe is a huge karma to carry on.. don't they feel Buddhism is not merely focus on devotion towards root teaching?

[Tenzin Malgyur]

It's very true. Nuns should have compassion and also very mindful of their actions and behavior. The nuns in the video have acted in ways that have disturbed the minds of those who witnessed the event. Although Buddhas do not mete out punishments for destroying an image of them, the nuns have created a karma for themselves through this extreme foolish acts. My guess is, it is because of their devotion to HHDL which led them to their actions. They are only wanting to please their guru. It would not happen if there was not any ban on Dorje Shugden.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

It is heavy karma to destroy an image of a Buddha whom many believe is enlightened. These nuns or sangha who are holding the vinaya vows and fully ordained vows should not just follow blindly. They should follow up with logic instead.

They will have to live with that negative karma in many lifetimes.

[DharmaSpace]

What is worst than them destroying  the statue would be them breaking their spiritual bonds with their  benefactor,  if they have received teachings from HH Ling  Dorjechang or HH Trijang Dorjechang the repercussions will be even heavier.

Still the nuns should have investigated before taking any action. The ban creates many people lay or otherwise to create negative karma, hence the ban needs to come down real fast as it only damages people.

Buddha of course Cannot be harmed if the image representing  him is damaged and spit on.

[Gabby Potter]

Is this how Sanghas should act like? I don' think so, they are setting up very bad examples to the world. I'm very sorry to say this and I did not intend to insult anyone, but them acting like this, they are actually degrading the Buddha Dharma.