Doing always comes with a risk of wrong-doing.
Not-doing is better than wrong-doing and far worse than doing.
Robert Thurman may have said silly things about Dorje Shugden's practice indeed, misleading a large number indeed.
This is the big probem of being a famous figure, we have a power that must be utilized only with great refection and intelligene, or not utilized. In doubt, better not use this power... I do hope that the Dalai Lama fixes this and lifts the ban
in a skillful way, he could ask his followers to embrace all practioners, he could rehabilitate Dorje Shugden as the enlightened gelug protector. When he does that, I would like to see how his students explain the apparent shift...
Separate the stable from the unstable?
I never thought of that actually... Another facet of the skillful means of His Holiness.
The stable will practice with intelligence and devotion, and the unstable will practice with devotion... So both do collect merits?
After all, the students that blindly gave up on the practice of Dorje Shugden fulfilled 4 things that should bring about merits;
(A) they follow an instruction from their Guru, without analsyis, without intelligence, without looking broader, but they still follow.
(B) they participate to make Dorje Shugden closer to the many that are "against" the Dalai Lama.
(C) they make Dorje Shugden parctitioners stronger both inside and outside the Tibetan community, because it forces these practitionners to be more educated about their practice, to be more certain about it, to be more faithful.
(D) they particpate to make Dorje Shugden famous in many places.
So do they collect merits on the above ground, or do they loose?
I am not sure of the reply, but I would be inclined to think that they do collect some merit, as a result of the highly skillful means of The Dalai Lama, by the power of his instructions.
Though, I would add that those that went overboard and did more than what was asked may cetainly not collect merits. I mean the Dalai lama did not ask for discrimation, nor did He ask to close access to hospitals for DS parctitioners, He did not even ban them from attending some of his talks... These are actions done by zealous people assuming too much, not clarifying anything.
Lets take for example, Robert thurman. he even begged for Dorje Shugden's sogtae from Domo Geshe Rinpoche who did not grant him (well, he saw it coming) and now he defected to the Dalai Lama's camp and wrote a lot of nonsense about Dorje Shugden and passing them as facts. He was even a monk before but for a year but flipped back to be a layperson. you can read the whole story here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/the-two-faces-of-robert-thurman/
Although in some way they are 'promoting' Dorje Shugden, at the same time they do also mislead many people about Dorje Shugden and that alone would generate a lot of negative karma, perhaps neutralized by them following the Dalai Lama's instructions. Dont forget the politicking and attacks against other Dorje Shugden Lamas that they also do.
