Letter from Je Phabonka Rinpoche's Assistant

[Robert Thomas]

Clearing through some boxes recently I cam accross this letter from 1998. My friend had written to the Tulku of Je Phabonka seeking to discover the truth behind the Dalai Lama's assertions. The response was very interesting and re-affirms something I have heard several times since, that if you were able to speak to old Nyingma Lamas who actually knew Je Phabongkha, they would confirm that this precious and holy lama was not sectarian. Sadly this is no longer possible.

[Zach]

Clearing through some boxes recently I cam accross this letter from 1998. My friend had written to the Tulku of Je Phabonka seeking to discover the truth behind the Dalai Lama's assertions. The response was very interesting and re-affirms something I have heard several times since, that if you were able to speak to old Nyingma Lamas who actually knew Je Phabongkha, they would confirm that this precious and holy lama was not sectarian. Sadly this is no longer possible.

[WisdomBeing]

Dear Robert

Thank you for sharing that letter! I wish the old monks could be interviewed on record so that we can clear HH Pabongkha Rinpoche's reputation. Would you know if any of these masters are still around? After all, this letter was written more than 10 years ago and the monks said to be in their 80s would be in their 90s if they are still alive.

I know that HH Pabongka Rinpoche does not seek a good reputation but it is upon clearing his reputation that Dorje Shugden's reputation can also be cleared. Dorje Shugden lamas and practitioners have been condemned as sectarian for so long - a clarification is long overdue.

[Ensapa]

Thank you so much for the letter! It is indeed heartfelt to see the letter from Pabongkha Rinpoche and to know that although his activities has been suppressed by the CTA, he is still carrying on and he still is teaching and receiving letters and correspondences from people around the world. It would be sad indeed if people forget about this great lineage Lama because it would be the same as throwing away our Dharma practice. How ironic it is to do our sadhanas but not respect our lineage Gurus? I hope that Pabongkha Rinpoche is well and may he be invited to give more talks in the near future.

[Big Uncle]

Thank for sharing this letter from the office of Je Pabongka Rinpoche. To be honest, I am pretty convinced about Pabongka Rinpoche already. It is sad that nothing but controversy plagues this Lama's reputation. How can he be responsible for authoring accurate and powerful treatises on the Lamrim, Vajrayogini's meditations and sadhana, Yamantaka and so forth and yet capable of being sectarian? It just doesn't register and it is already a well known fact that Pabongka Rinpoche's popularity in his heyday was a direct thread to many of the lesser Nyingma Lamas. Ever since, there had been much rivalry and distrust between the traditions. This is just very sad and the ban on Dorje Shugden render further damage to the reputation.

[beggar]

Robert Thomas, thank you very much for sharing this letter with all of us. This is incredible and evidence as ever of the truly equanimous, non-sectarian nature of our lineage Gurus.

You will note that in many of the biographies of these lamas, such as Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and the Choyang Kuten (oracle), they talk frequently and freely about their associations and interactions with practitioners and lamas of other sects and traditions. It was never a problem in old Tibet, from either the side of the lamas or the side of the students. One recognised that the teachers were great in themselves and practitioners of all traditions would travel the breadth of the country to receive a teaching or initiation from someone like Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche - this was a very well known fact.

Trijang Rinpoche's biography can be read here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/downloads/texts/download-kyabje-trijang-dorjechangs-autobiography/

Choyang Kuten: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/great-masters/recent-masters/autobiography-of-his-eminence-choyang-duldzin-kuten-lama/

(there's also a discussion about this oracle's biography here on the forum: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=578

[Robert Thomas]

Dear Kate

Unfortunately I don't have more infomation. But I think this extract from a discussion Geshe Kelsang had on the internet many years ago is illustrative of the same point:

"For instance, although Sera, Ganden, and Drepung (in Tibet) were Gelug monasteries, many Nyingmapa and Bön practitioners joined to study the philosophical teachings. In my class in Sera-Je I had some friends who were from a Nyingma monastery in eastern Tibet. Their daily practice was Nyingma, and no-one was unhappy about this. They had complete freedom. We never had any problems because the abbot gave complete freedom for individual practice.

Although most of my family are Gelugpas who rely on Dorje Shugden, some of them are Nyingmapas. My younger sister married a Nyingmapa Lama from western Tibet from a renowned lineage, he was called Ngora Lama. They had many children, and I visited them frequently, sometimes he and I would do puja together. I would do Dorje Shugden puja and he would do his own practice. We had a very good relationship until his death in Mussourie, India. Now his youngest son and my sister are living in Manjushri Centre in England.

When I lived in Mussourie I had many good friends from the Nyingma tradition, one of whom in particular was called Ngachang Lama. He was an old man, a lay practitioner; one winter he and I did retreat in the same house. In between sessions we talked Dharma, each talking about our experiences. His oldest son would often invite me to his house to do puja. Also, I was often invited to do puja at houses of other Nyingma families. I was so surprised to hear the Dalai Lama and others saying that Dorje Shugden practitioners and Nyingmapa practitioners are like fire and water!"
from https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!msg/talk.religion.buddhism/r-MXKVy6GnE/S5P0j8zulMUJ

[beggar]

Further to what I posted about the the autobiography of Choyang Kuten, I'd like to share the following extracts from these writings, which provide much evidence that neither the practice of Dorje Shugden, nor Dorje Shugden lamas / practitioners were in any way sectarian; that there was actually much harmony between the traditions.

Full article can be read here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/great-masters/recent-masters/autobiography-of-his-eminence-choyang-duldzin-kuten-lama/

Extracts:

1. Phagri itself has many traditions and Dharmapala Dorje Shugden is protector to all families there, irrespective of their traditions.

2. I stayed at Buxa for ten years at the request of the officials of His Holiness and served as an oracle. Whenever there was a major decision to be made I was consulted, irrespective of any tradition posing the questions. I also served as a representative at many conferences in New Delhi and Dharamsala during this time.

3. But I did not remain only as an oracle. I served as a sort of secretary of the monks’ society of about 600 monks who came south. There are monks from the four traditions included in this society.

4. During my tenure as Secretary I worked very hard for obtaining the funds for the monks’ quarters, not only for Ganden but also for Drepung, and the Nyingma and Sakya monks as well

[Ensapa]

The myth that Pabongkha Rinpoche and Dorje Shugden was sectarian was cooked up by people who were jealous of Pabongkha Rinpoche and the growth of Dorje Shugden's practice. Basically, what they did was start a rumor that Pabongkha Rinpoche was directing his students to destroy statues of Guru Rinpoche and forcibly converting Nyingma monasteries into Gelug (which is untrue at all) and unfortunately this rumor persisted until now as a result of another one of those "scholars" who is unable to differentiate between rumors and the truth by the name of david kay. he asserted that this was what really happened without much evidence or proof and thus the rumor circulates. I personally think it is extremely sad that people like this is allowed to make claims and mislead people for sectarian purposes.

[harrynephew]

This piece of proof really reaffirms that Je Pabongkhapa was non-sectarian and was very influential in the land. Another point to rejoice is that this view and thought of him is still alive within the land of snows up till a decade ago. I know for a fact that through HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, many of Je Pabongkhapa's teachings, lineages and practices are available for us to read and practice today.

Vajrayogini, Yamantaka, Gaden Lhagyama, Kalarupa and Dorje Shugden's prayers, sadhana and transmissions are available for us to receive in today's degenerate age and time due to Je Pabongkhapa's kindness. It is due to his kindness we are fortunate enough to read and understand the sacred Lamrim through his amazing 24 days teachings of the Liberation in the Palm of your Hand.

As such, false claims such as Je Pabongkhapa being sectarian is so awfully untrue and should be wiped up from records and we should educate people with the REAL thing.

[dsiluvu]

Dear Robert Thomas,

Thank you so much for posting the letter from Je Pabongkha secretary... I definitely agree and believe 100% that there was not sectarianism and like what GKG said there was total freedom for anyone to practice what they wish and there was no problems. How can there be any problems really... how can you say you practice Buddha's teachings of compassion, wisdom to gain Bodhichitta and Sunyata and then you have conflict, you fight, you argue, throw rocks, spit and beat your Dharma brothers and sisters??? Then what Dharma are we really practicing?

I am sure it was really not like that at all in the past. But I cannot help to think... if this silly Ban did not happened, if HHDL did not create such a huge controversy and basically brought it to a world wide attention, I wonder would the Dorje Shugden Lamas and students be doing as much work so passionately to spread the Dharma as they are all doing now? If everything was hunky dory, what is there to do or anything to promote or hype up about? We would be sitting happily in our little centers and do our practices quietly and probably not promote or educate anyone about Dorje Shugden as much as we're doing now. This forum would probably not exist... this website to come to think of it....

Sooooo in a way it is quite good to give us this push to work harder, faster to spread Dorje Shugden and Dharma. And in the midst of all this... we also see who are the loyal ones, who has Guru Devotion, who is really practicing Dharma. I always try to look at the glass half full

[DharmaSpace]

Sectarianism and enlightenment are like fire and water. Dorje Shugden arose 400 years ago, and when it first emerged then it had the support of the Great 5th Dalai Lama. The Great Fifth then had total control of Tibet spiritually, militarily and politically so why didn't Dorje Shugden and the gelug  lamas move against the Nyingmas then, why wait for another 300 years when Je Pabongka came into prominence to persecute the Nyingmas.

The stories about Je Pabongka being sectarian and the Nyingma persecutions make no sense whatsoever. Just fairy tales made up to scare people.

[Ensapa]

Sectarianism and enlightenment are like fire and water. Dorje Shugden arose 400 years ago, and when it first emerged then it had the support of the Great 5th Dalai Lama. The Great Fifth then had total control of Tibet spiritually, militarily and politically so why didn't Dorje Shugden and the gelug  lamas move against the Nyingmas then, why wait for another 300 years when Je Pabongka came into prominence to persecute the Nyingmas.

The stories about Je Pabongka being sectarian and the Nyingma persecutions make no sense whatsoever. Just fairy tales made up to scare people.

Well, the sad part is that many non Gelugs (and sadly and ironically some Gelugs) do believe that Pabongkha is bad and where did they get that from? their Gurus or the Guru's assistants who are jealous of the success of the Gelug lineage. Incidentally, they are also the same group who is very against Dorje Shugden and says that the reason why Pabongkha is sectarian is because he practices Dorje Shugden.

However, I am still very surprised at the sheer number of westerners who really believe that Pabongkha Rinpoche is bad and they actually believe those rumors to be true....and we're not taking about the ordinary practitioner here, but scholars who claim to have done a lot of research on everything...but how did such educated people come to believe and propagate such venomous rumors? Maybe the Tibetans are good at tricking people? I dont know but one thing for sure is that someone does need to stand up and clear Pabongkha's name and point out that those are just rumors...

[Rihanna]

Clearing through some boxes recently I cam accross this letter from 1998. My friend had written to the Tulku of Je Phabonka seeking to discover the truth behind the Dalai Lama's assertions. The response was very interesting and re-affirms something I have heard several times since, that if you were able to speak to old Nyingma Lamas who actually knew Je Phabongkha, they would confirm that this precious and holy lama was not sectarian. Sadly this is no longer possible.

Thank you for the letter Robert. Although the letter is great and definitely gives written confirmation of the opinion of these lamas, we can also judge Pabongka Rinpoche's attainments and qualities by the results of his work. It is obvious he attained compassion and wisdom by simply looking at the qualities of his students like Trijang Rinpoche.

[DharmaSpace]

I do thank the Nyingma Lamas and practitioners for their compassion and courage to tell the truth as it is. Not to give in to hearsay, but to employ all faculties to investigate the truth behind, one such luminary I believe is His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
http://www.dorjeshugden.com/great-masters/tributes/a-tribute-to-his-holiness-the-3rd-kyabje-penor-rinpoche/