We know, the Gelugpa school has been very prominent and is in a very strong position within the Tibetan Buddhist world. Even the Dalai Lama himself is Gelugpa, with very strong and influential Gelugpa teachers such as Trijang Rinpoche. The prominence of this Gelugpa schools became so strong that the other sects naturally opposed the concept of uniting all sects for they feared the further suppression and dilution of their own sects and the continually growing influence of the strong Gelugpas.
Therefore, in order to water down the strength of the Gelugpa, the Dalai Lama made the most politically astute move to suppress his own sect. The most effective way would have been to target the worship of Dorje Shugden, a practice most closely and exclusively associated with the Gelugpas. Simultaneously, while he ‘put down’ the practice of Shugden, he also worked to groom the Karmapa, of a different sect (the Kagyus), as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. With this, Tibetan Buddhists would perhaps be more agreeable to the idea of uniting the four schools, thereby achieving the goal of preserving Tibetan Buddhism on a long-term basis. With unity comes preservation.
Thank you for this analysis dsiluvu. There is a theory that has been proffered to explain the Dalai Lama's ban of Dorje Shugden. Again, the Dalai Lama does not believe that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit. He never did. His Holiness knows that the contrary is true. According to the explanation, within the Gelugpas are lamas who are "inclusive" i.e. they welcome and incorporate trainings from other schools into their practice. Then they are those who are "exclusive" and prefer to keep purely to the training within their lineage, taking the view that Tsongkhapa's teachings are already the perfect synthesis of essential practices.
It is thought that the lamas who practice exclusivity are a threat to the unity of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and also pose an obstacle to the unification of the Tibetan people. I do not know if this is true, and if it were true that there were some elements of exclusivity within the Gelugpa School, I wonder if that still applies today. Tibet today is very different to the Tibet of old and I very much doubt if there is any Gelugpa lama, inclusive or exclusive, who do not wish the return of Tibet's independence. Most people inside Tibet and outside undertake a practice for the sake of having Dharma in their lives and without any political objectives. I suspect that like me, most people practice Dorje Shugden, not out of sectarian pride but because they see and experience how the practice have benefitted them and so many others.
I have not for a second, felt that my practice of Dorje Shugden obligates me to turn away from the other schools and in fact my Protector practice has made appreciate how so many are seeking the Dharma through means that came natural to them, just like Tsongkhapa's lineage practice came into my life quite naturally. And yet, the ban has had its most terrible effect on the ordinary practitioner, not the politicians who must be few in number compared to so many who were made to carry the burden.
However, I do appreciate the Dalai Lama's efforts to preserve Tibetan Buddhism as a whole and I cannot imagine what heavy burdens His Holiness has had to bear as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism. I think that is why Trijang Rinpoche and Dorje Shugden through the oracle have always insisted that we keep supporting the Dalai Lama. If the Dalai Lama laid the weight of suffering on Shugden practitioners, then His Holiness MUST have known, that Dorje Shugden will be able to hold his children together during this crisis and with the passing of time, this has proven to be true. The Dalai Lama knows that with trials come the testing of perseverance, and with perseverance, even greater faith in the Protector. One thing the ban has done is to separate the wheat from the chaff – those with strong samayas and those who are weak in their devotion and loyalty.
That would explain many things, especially why the ban never did seem to have a proper basis of spiritual or secular logic. But isn’t it time already to remove this weight of the shoulders of many? The ban has not united the Tibetan people but split them further and the effect is detrimental to the Tibetan cause. How many more must go to the graves with broken hearts, Your Holiness?
