The Dalai Lama and the King Demon – Dorje Shugden by Raimondo Bultrini

[WisdomBeing]

This sounds like an interesting read and i will definitely order one. I'm surprised there are not more books on this controversial issue. So far I have only come across the Great Deception, which is a good chronological account of events though rather biased against the Dalai Lama.

One of the comments on this article says: "So I think pro and con Shugden people will find rich material in the book like the quoted report about Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche’s own speech in Dharamsala Radio. If you read it carefully you will see that it includes reports of planned violence from both sides, pro and con Shugdenpas …

The book offers a rich amount of unknown information that is the only attempt that I have seen to show the international relations, actions and effects of the Dorje Shugden Controversy. As a investigative journalist I think Bultrini offers something nobody was able to offer so far."

I can't wait to see it myself!!



The Dalai Lama and the King Demon – Dorje Shugden by Raimondo Bultrini

MAY 16, 2013 BY TENPEL 7 COMMENTS

http://thedorjeshugdengroup.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/the-dalai-lama-and-the-king-demon-dorje-shugden-by-raimondo-bultrini/

Those who are interested to get a broader and more detailed background knowledge about the Dorje Shugden controversy and their global players might find the book “The Dalai Lama and the King Demon – Tracking a Triple Murder Mystery Through the Mists of Time“ http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/books/0967011523/the-dalai-lama-and-the-king-demon by Raimondo Bultrini, an investigative journalist from Italy, very useful. (You can only pre-order it, the publication date is 1st Jul ’13.)

Bultrini is a senior journalist who worked for different Newspapers, including La Republica, and who wrote investigative and featured articles on Mafia, Red Brigates and on the new fascist bloodbath killings which occurred in Italy during those years. Bultrini is a member of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu’s Dzogchen Community in Italy.

The upcoming book by Bultrini about the Dorje Shugden Controversy is a translation of ‘IL DEMONE E IL DALAI LAMA’ (2008, 406 p.) from Italian into English.

In this book Bultrini shows the different players and their different involvements, including that of the Chinese authorities and the Dharamsala’s counter-espionage http://thedorjeshugdengroup.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/chinas-involvement-in-the-dorje-shugden-controversy/ , the New Kadampa Tradition’s/Kelsang Gyatso’s involvements as well as that of Lama Gangchen Rinpoche, Kundeling Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama, his sister, the Delhi ‘Shugden Society’, the assassination of Gen Lobsang Gyatso … and vicious plans from here and there. To give you an idea about some of the dynamics most Westerners just don’t know, here an excerpt:

In a talk broadcast in 2002 by a Tibetan radio station, the young Trijang offered a number of disturbing revelations. He recounted how, while still in Dharamsala, he was told of a plan by the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Women’s Association to attack his Labrang [the residence of the lamas.]. “Consequently,” he said, “the Chatreng community appealed to me to immediately come to Delhi and thereafter to leave for Densa [Ganden monastery in south India]. I did so, leaving my attendant, Tharcin, in Dharamsala to request an interview with His Holiness.

Anonymous letters and telephone calls were received at the Labrang, where masked men were seen trying to enter my residence at night. As a result, the Chatreng community deputed around twenty guards for my security. In 1996, Gonsar Rinpoche and others decided to move me to Switzerland. The situation in India deteriorated and grew tense between the followers and non-followers of the Protector, consequently delaying my return. Later that year with my aide Tharcin, I had an audience with His Holiness during his visit to Switzerland. Tharcin apprised him of the threats to my life and we agreed I should continue my studies abroad. Six years have passed since then.”

Trijang recounted how he had subsequently had other audiences with the Dalai Lama in Europe, during which the Tibetan leader had asked him to choose between his spiritual guide and the protector. “I could decide against him”, he said, but nor could I stop propitiating Shugden with whom my relationship dates back to previous incarnations. I find myself in an immensely difficult situation. The followers of the Protector would not have listened to me”, he added, “and no one seems to care about the difficulties I am facing (…) I also don’t want the people of Chatreng, who have great expectations of me, to be disheartened. But if I continue to propitiate the Protector publicly, I would be compelled to become a sort of head of his worshippers, and this would be an offence to the Dalai Lama from whom I received my Bhikshu ordination, and has always treated me with extraordinary benevolence. I cannot even hope to keep a low profile as they [the Shugden devotees] would not let me.”

The broadcast contained another series of remarkable revelations. “I have reason to believe”, he said, “that my return to India may possibly result in internal chaos, attempts on lives and other immoral activities bringing disgrace to His Holiness (…) I cannot sleep and I have had health problems. I am worried about thinking what will happen next. It is quite terrifying to think that I might be a cause of disgrace instead of serving the Tibetan people and His Holiness (…) Some have told me, “If you abandon the Protector [Shugden], there is no knowing what will happen. We will not consider you a lama [as guru]. The people of Chatreng are strange, very wild and unruly. We do not know what they may do.”

It is very clear my life might be in danger. So I have decided to leave my Labrang and disrobe, so that none of the Shugden worshippers can ask me to be their leader. I hope that this way I can respect the wishes of the Dalai Lama and still revere the protector, practicing in private and far from everyone. I intend to follow a middle way, neither for nor against Shugden. I appeal to both parties not to contact me.”

His account ended with another dramatic twist. “In my own Labrang,” he said, “I have recently witnessed a kind of factionalism and I have discovered that one person in particular was planning an evil conspiracy. This plan was to murder my assistant, Tharchin, and to implicate His Holiness’s government in exile with this odious crime. The conspirator aimed to become chakzoe [manager] of my estate. Tharchin has been very kind to me, more so than my own parents, and has taken care of me since I was three years old. As well as managing the affairs of my Labrang. With my own ears I heard this person discussing on the telephone a plan to assassinate Tharchin. It is really a matter of great sadness and surprise, especially since the person involved in this ploy has been very close to me as well. If he succeeds in his plan, it would be a cause of great trouble for the Labrang, as well as a cause of disgrace to the Tibetan government and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. These are not lies, but true facts which I want everyone to know. That is why I made this statement.”

Trijang concluded his message urging the followers of the Protector to stop seeking him. “I do not wish to be in touch with you,” he said. [After this declaration, Trijang moved to the United States with a small number of his most faithful followers.]

The young Trijang Rinpoche’s radio message created no little embarrassment among the Gyalpo’s practitioners. The image of a community, ‘living peacefully and devoted to the Buddhadharma’ promoted in their propaganda material was seriously damaged, and, for a long time, the polemics against the Dalai Lama seemed to be diminishing. But hopes that they would fade away completely have not been fulfilled – far from it.

I have still to check if the book includes also something about the New Kadampa Traditions’s ‘Western Shugden Society’ campaign http://info-buddhism.com/Western_Shugden_Society_unlocked.html, which started in April 2008, and the lawsuit against the Dalai Lama http://thedorjeshugdengroup.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/religious-fundamentalism-in-buddhism/ and the TGIE by Kundeling Lama which was finally not even accepted by the Delhi High Court (see PDF: Delhi High Court Dismisses Dorjee Shugden Devotees’ Charges by TibetNet/CTA http://info-buddhism.com/tibet.net-Delhi_High_Court_Dismisses_Dorjee_Shugden_Devotees_Charges.pdf).

For the publisher’s announcement see:
The Dalai Lama and the King Demon Tracking a Triple Murder Mystery Through the Mists of Time http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/books/0967011523/the-dalai-lama-and-the-king-demon – By Raimondo Bultrini http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/authors/6388/raimondo-bultrini

More by Raimondo Bultrini:
A Spirit of the XVII Century by Raimondo Bultrini
Interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama by Raimondo Bultrini

Dorje Shugden – Academic Research:
Academic Research regarding Shugden Controversy & New Kadampa Tradition
http://thedorjeshugdengroup.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/academic-researches-regarding-shugden-controversy-nkt/
 
Last edited by tenpel on May 17, 2013 at 09:05 pm

[Zach]

As Soon as I read it was written by a Student of Namkai Norbu I concluded it would be a waste of time reading.

[Ensapa]

Personally, I think that this article has been doctored and facts distorted to put Dorje Shugden in a negative light. And as what lineageholder has pointed out, Namkhai Norbu is one of the Nyingma lamas that really go all out against Dorje Shugden so if the article was indeed written by one of his students, it would probably be biased against Dorje Shugden as we can see here. Or perhaps, this article was commissioned to cover up for the closure of Trijang Rinpoche's ladrang by the CTA because the facts are quite inconsistent such as the murder plan of one of Trijang Rinpoche's ladrang staff are not found elsewhere, and we all know for a fact that the Ladrang was closed down by the CTA and not by Trijang Rinpoche.

[Rinchen]

The contents of it definitely sounds a little fishy here and there. But since the book is now published, we can get our hands on it to see if it is really biased.

I would really love to know what other stories are being written in the book before making any judgments. I think that it is not fair that we judge so quickly even before we see the story to it.

It is also true that because it is written by a student of Nyingma Lama, it can be biased against Dorje Shudgen to get into the good books of Dalai Lama. But the thing is that who this person is we are also not very sure. It is not as though there is proof to say that he is definitely a student of a Nyingma Lama.

I guess we will still have to stand on neutral ground before we have read the book.

[Ensapa]

The contents of it definitely sounds a little fishy here and there. But since the book is now published, we can get our hands on it to see if it is really biased.

I would really love to know what other stories are being written in the book before making any judgments. I think that it is not fair that we judge so quickly even before we see the story to it.

It is also true that because it is written by a student of Nyingma Lama, it can be biased against Dorje Shudgen to get into the good books of Dalai Lama. But the thing is that who this person is we are also not very sure. It is not as though there is proof to say that he is definitely a student of a Nyingma Lama.

I guess we will still have to stand on neutral ground before we have read the book.

Obviously, the book is nothing more than a fact-twisting journey down the rabbit hole. There is nothing much to it and it is not that this has not been done before. By blending in truth with lies, it is enough to convince any unsuspecting reader that its contents are 100% true when it is not.  There were books like these before, the most famous one being the cuckoo's nest book, whose sole intention is to demonize Dorje Shugden and NKT, and NKT managed to launch a lawsuit against it to prevent it from launching. Books like these should not be published at all, IMHO.

[Rinchen]

Obviously, the book is nothing more than a fact-twisting journey down the rabbit hole. There is nothing much to it and it is not that this has not been done before. By blending in truth with lies, it is enough to convince any unsuspecting reader that its contents are 100% true when it is not.  There were books like these before, the most famous one being the cuckoo's nest book, whose sole intention is to demonize Dorje Shugden and NKT, and NKT managed to launch a lawsuit against it to prevent it from launching. Books like these should not be published at all, IMHO.

I would say that if a book should be published or not should not be judged by the author. Just like if a written article should be published or not, it will not be judged by the writer him/herself. As the writer will always be proud of their work no matter what, even if the article is really bad or pointless they will still treat it like their baby, wanting to publish it. Hence, the same thoughts for a publishing for a book.

The ultimate way to judge the book is by the number of readers and the reader feedback to to the book. If it is republished, means that it is good, but if it is not, means that the readers all know that what is being written is nonsense.

[Ensapa]

I would say that if a book should be published or not should not be judged by the author. Just like if a written article should be published or not, it will not be judged by the writer him/herself. As the writer will always be proud of their work no matter what, even if the article is really bad or pointless they will still treat it like their baby, wanting to publish it. Hence, the same thoughts for a publishing for a book.

The ultimate way to judge the book is by the number of readers and the reader feedback to to the book. If it is republished, means that it is good, but if it is not, means that the readers all know that what is being written is nonsense.

I doubt that this book has wide readership because 1) it is on a niche subject, that is not accessible to many people and many are unaware even of what is going on with the ban itself and thus would have no interest at all to buy the book  and 2) even amongst those who adhere to the ban, they are discouraged to read up on Dorje Shugden for fear of getting 'bad luck' (yeah, the Nyingmas and Kagyus really believe this) and thus will avoid this book as well. Only online scholars who wanna go all out against Dorje Shugden would buy and read this book. Seriously.

[Rinchen]

I doubt that this book has wide readership because 1) it is on a niche subject, that is not accessible to many people and many are unaware even of what is going on with the ban itself and thus would have no interest at all to buy the book  and 2) even amongst those who adhere to the ban, they are discouraged to read up on Dorje Shugden for fear of getting 'bad luck' (yeah, the Nyingmas and Kagyus really believe this) and thus will avoid this book as well. Only online scholars who wanna go all out against Dorje Shugden would buy and read this book. Seriously.

I beg to differ. If the book is really good, no matter what subject the book is people would want to read about it. No matter if they know about the ban or not, some people will just read because they think that the book is interesting and they would like to know more about the written topic. Hence, if it is a good book, no matter what the topic is the selling still will be a hit.

[Blueupali]

I would say that if a book should be published or not should not be judged by the author. Just like if a written article should be published or not, it will not be judged by the writer him/herself. As the writer will always be proud of their work no matter what, even if the article is really bad or pointless they will still treat it like their baby, wanting to publish it. Hence, the same thoughts for a publishing for a book.

The ultimate way to judge the book is by the number of readers and the reader feedback to to the book. If it is republished, means that it is good, but if it is not, means that the readers all know that what is being written is nonsense.

I doubt that this book has wide readership because 1) it is on a niche subject, that is not accessible to many people and many are unaware even of what is going on with the ban itself and thus would have no interest at all to buy the book  and 2) even amongst those who adhere to the ban, they are discouraged to read up on Dorje Shugden for fear of getting 'bad luck' (yeah, the Nyingmas and Kagyus really believe this) and thus will avoid this book as well. Only online scholars who wanna go all out against Dorje Shugden would buy and read this book. Seriously.

Hi Ensapa,
  Some Kagyus and Nyinmgas may believe that they would get bad luck; the ones I studied with were nonsectarian and would even (gasp) talk to Dorje Shugden practioners in India and Nepal.  I am sure it depends on the Kagyu and on the Nyingma; remember the Karmapa thought we'd all be relying on Shugden someday:)

[paolorossi]

Raimondo Bultrini is an old disciple of Namke Norbu,ah ah ah what a coincidence! who beleive in his words as absolute truth?

[Rinchen]

I doubt that this book has wide readership because 1) it is on a niche subject, that is not accessible to many people and many are unaware even of what is going on with the ban itself and thus would have no interest at all to buy the book  and 2) even amongst those who adhere to the ban, they are discouraged to read up on Dorje Shugden for fear of getting 'bad luck' (yeah, the Nyingmas and Kagyus really believe this) and thus will avoid this book as well. Only online scholars who wanna go all out against Dorje Shugden would buy and read this book. Seriously.

Hi Ensapa,
  Some Kagyus and Nyinmgas may believe that they would get bad luck; the ones I studied with were nonsectarian and would even (gasp) talk to Dorje Shugden practioners in India and Nepal.  I am sure it depends on the Kagyu and on the Nyingma; remember the Karmapa thought we'd all be relying on Shugden someday:)

I do agree with Blueupali, it is not all that believe that it is bad luck as it is just a custom that people may or may not believe. At the end of the day, Karmapa lineage has alreaday written articles and has proof that there would be a day where all would has to rely on Dorje Shugden and all would worship him.