Dear friends,
As a Western practitioner of Dorje Shugden who, like you, is trying to save our tradition and protect Dorje Shugden practitioners in India and elsewhere, I’m writing to ask for your help.
To make our claims against the Dalai Lama as convincing as possible so that they receive coverage in the media, we need to be able to answer the following questions posed repeatedly by journalists and various skeptics. Although we ourselves know that all this is going on, they need to be convinced through examination of the facts. They will not just take our word for it.
Can you please kindly take any time you may have to answer any of the following questions? Any links to documents etc of course would be most helpful. I know it is a bit tedious to go over the same old stuff when we know it is all going on, but if we could have it all here written down in a place where we can all easily access it, it will be very helpful.
And in other ways, too, these answers will be put to good use.
Thanks xx
1. Does anyone know how many Dorje Shugden practitioners there are in total worldwide? How many are there in exile? How many are there in Tibet? And how many Tibetans in exile are there altogether? These are useful statistics to put the situation in context.
2. We say that the Dalai Lama has banned the practice. Can someone put here a reference to the actual words or legal verbiage instituting the ban? What was the *legal status* of the ban? Was it purely a religious edict or did it have the force of law? Clarification is needed, especially with regards the status of Tibetans within the countries where they live.
3. The Dalai Lama continues to enforce the ban by means of the Tibetan Government in Exile and all other Tibetan Exile associations such as the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Women’s Association. Can anyone say clearly here what are the penalties of violating the ban? Were these penalties codified (i.e. a part of law)? Were they implied but not stated? Were they enforced, and by whom? Is it discrimination by individuals or institutionalized discrimination and do we have proof? (We need to answer this as journalists will continue to say that you cannot hold the Dalai Lama responsible for the actions of every overzealous person who acts on their own initiative even though he believes he is acting in accordance with the Dalai Lama's wishes. This point will come up again and again.)
4. What is the status of the ban today? Some skeptics are saying that it is no longer a strict ban, and in fact there was some sort of vote? Clarification is needed here.
5. Please give specific examples of each of the following if you can, including dates, places, people where possible, official documents that attempt to legitimatize the actions, anecdotal accounts from individuals using their own words etc. We want as many facts as possible.
(1) Monks and nuns unconstitutionally expelled from their monasteries and nunneries if they do not stop the practice
(2) Thousands of Tibetan lay Shugden practitioners are being forced to abandon the practice or lose the support of their government and face orchestrated public humiliation and intimidation
(3) People who refuse to renounce the practice are losing their jobs, their children are being expelled from schools, and their travel papers, which require prior authorization from the Tibetan Government in Exile, are not being endorsed
(4) Statues have been smashed, temples destroyed, books burned, practitioner’s houses attacked, and even death threats issued
6. In January 2008, the Dalai Lama issued a new proclamation requiring all Tibetans to sign a declaration forsaking the practice forever and promising not to associate in any way – spiritually, financially, socially or materially – with anyone who does not sign. Can someone provide here the proclamation and declaration form or any other useful documentation?
7. Also, did the Dalai Lama order the expulsions or did someone else do it? Does the Dalai Lama (or whomever is responsible) have a legal authority to expel the monks/nuns?
(A skeptic who looks at the expulsions may think "Well, it's too bad they were expelled, but as the spiritual leader doesn't the Dalai Lama have the right to do this? If he were a CEO of a corporation, this would be like him laying off employees that are doing things contrary to the mission of the company. Unfortunate if you are the one laid off, but it does not count as persecution.")
8. Do you have anecdotal or other evidence of Sangha being expelled from their monasteries and nunneries, forbidden to associate with other Tibetans, even to eat with or shop from them, and left to fend for themselves without any support.
9. Is the Dalai Lama depriving Tibetans in exile of the right to become Indian citizens and insisted that they all remain subject to his rule? Journalists ask whether those being persecuted can simply stop the problem by becoming Indian citizens.
10. Which Western Buddhist Centers with a connection to the Dalai Lama have been signing declarations promising not to engage in the Shugden practice or to allow into their Center anyone who does? Does anyone have any anecdotal or other evidence of this or of the insults and slander spread about Dorje Shugden practitioners in the West?
We know all this is happening, but can we work together to get all our facts in one place. Truly appreciated, thank you. I have tried to summarize the main points into ten questions, but if you have more questions and answers, of course include them.
