Puja for the long life of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche at Shar Gaden

[DharmaSpace]

Puja for the long life of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche this morning at Shar Gaden Monastery, with extensive offerings (100 water bowls, etc.) - elegant and beautiful. Today is Choekhor Duechen, the celebration of Lord Buddha's first teaching (the day he taught the Sutra on the 4 Noble Truths to his 5 former ascetic companions) which also happens to be Geshe Rinpoche's birthday according to the Tibetan calendar.

  - This was posted in the Shar Gaden Monastery Facebook.

This is truly happy news to hear. NKT under Geshela is a powerful institution, is this a warming and thawing  of relations? I feel hope one day teachers from NKT and the current monasteries Shar Gaden and Serpom can have a dialogue , exchange ideas. Lama Tsongkhapa Tradition, the monks preserved the lineage by working in harmony with one another and that monks from all this great institutions can teach and share across the board. As a collective I think Je Tsongkhapa tradition is stronger and more resilient, than working independently. Like the Borg sorry star trek terms creeped in. I can HOPE.   

[Losang_Tenpa]

Puja for the long life of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche this morning at Shar Gaden Monastery, with extensive offerings (100 water bowls, etc.) - elegant and beautiful. Today is Choekhor Duechen, the celebration of Lord Buddha's first teaching (the day he taught the Sutra on the 4 Noble Truths to his 5 former ascetic companions) which also happens to be Geshe Rinpoche's birthday according to the Tibetan calendar.

  - This was posted in the Shar Gaden Monastery Facebook.

This is truly happy news to hear. NKT under Geshela is a powerful institution, is this a warming and thawing  of relations? I feel hope one day teachers from NKT and the current monasteries Shar Gaden and Serpom can have a dialogue , exchange ideas. Lama Tsongkhapa Tradition, the monks preserved the lineage by working in harmony with one another and that monks from all this great institutions can teach and share across the board. As a collective I think Je Tsongkhapa tradition is stronger and more resilient, than working independently. Like the Borg sorry star trek terms creeped in. I can HOPE.   

 Shar Gaden has had life-life pujas for Geshe Kelsang Gyatso the past few years. The Abbot is a long-time friend of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. No need to worry about dialog. There is no problems in that department. There is much respect for Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at Shar Gaden. Most monks have a picture of Geshe la on their altar.

[Ensapa]

Shar Gaden has had life-life pujas for Geshe Kelsang Gyatso the past few years. The Abbot is a long-time friend of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. No need to worry about dialog. There is no problems in that department. There is much respect for Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at Shar Gaden. Most monks have a picture of Geshe la on their altar.

That is very beautiful to know because Geshe Keslang Gyatso has worked so hard for the Dharma and all alone to boot despite receiving death threats and neverending obstacles from fanatical western followers. Despite having to go through all of these, he has not given up on Dorje Shugden or the Dharma but only work even harder for them in response to this. This is a quality that everyone definitely can emulate and is definitely something that we all need to admire in Geshe Keslang Gyatso in addition to his wisdom.

[Blueupali]

I am rejoicing that the monks are celebrating Geshe-la and making offerings to his long life.
 
Quoting Ensapa,
That is very beautiful to know because Geshe Keslang Gyatso has worked so hard for the Dharma and all alone to boot despite receiving death threats and neverending obstacles from fanatical western followers.

Ensapa, may I ask whose fanatical western followers are you referring to?
 

[Ensapa]

I am rejoicing that the monks are celebrating Geshe-la and making offerings to his long life.
 
Quoting Ensapa,
That is very beautiful to know because Geshe Keslang Gyatso has worked so hard for the Dharma and all alone to boot despite receiving death threats and neverending obstacles from fanatical western followers.

Ensapa, may I ask whose fanatical western followers are you referring to?

I'm referring to people who have been very against him and see him as a cult leader as opposed to a Dharma teacher. I'm also referring to people who have been collateral damage from the politicking that is happening in NKT (I mean it happens everywhere, dosent mean NKT is bad) but yeah there's even a group out there for 'survivors of NKT' and it's really these people that keep trying to attack NKT all the time and also Dorje Shugden and try their best to make both NKT and Dorje Shugden look bad. this is what i am referring to.

[WisdomBeing]

Unfortunately the Dorje Shugden issue has made Tibetan buddhism become unfairly associated with cults and demon worship. Of course all those who know Dorje Shugden know that this is not true, but it does not stop people from spreading unfounded rumours about it. NKT, which has been single-handedly built up by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, has done much to spread Dorje Shugden's practice, as well as indirectly raising awareness against the ban on the practice.

I am glad to know that there is a strong relationship between Shar Ganden and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Dorje Shugden practitioners are already separated from mainstream Tibetan Buddhists. We should not divide ourselves further but instead, unite and have harmony between ourselves so that the harmony can also spread to others. If Dorje Shugden practitioners bicker amongst themselves, how can a house divided grow? it can only fall. Dorje Shugden practitioners should be even more harmonious to show others a good example of what Dorje Shugden represents.

[Blueupali]

I am rejoicing that the monks are celebrating Geshe-la and making offerings to his long life.
 
Quoting Ensapa,
That is very beautiful to know because Geshe Keslang Gyatso has worked so hard for the Dharma and all alone to boot despite receiving death threats and neverending obstacles from fanatical western followers.

Ensapa, may I ask whose fanatical western followers are you referring to?

I'm referring to people who have been very against him and see him as a cult leader as opposed to a Dharma teacher. I'm also referring to people who have been collateral damage from the politicking that is happening in NKT (I mean it happens everywhere, dosent mean NKT is bad) but yeah there's even a group out there for 'survivors of NKT' and it's really these people that keep trying to attack NKT all the time and also Dorje Shugden and try their best to make both NKT and Dorje Shugden look bad. this is what i am referring to.

Hi Ensapa, I see what you mean.  Yes, interestingly, every school of Buddhism I have been associated with, some group tries to tell me is a cult.  I first started off at a Kagyu Center, because it was the side that was recognized by the Dalai Lama, a Christain Japanese friend tried to tell me it was a cult--- because of the poison gas in the subway.  I tried to explain it was a different school, but to no avail.  Then I went to the side of the Kagyus the Dalai Lama doesn't recognize, and people tried to tell me that Shamar Rinpoche (whom I see as Amitaba) was a demon.  Then I went to the Nyingmas, and they said it was a cult because they had a lot of donations and a Western woman was recognized.  None of this had any basis in any sort of conventional reality.
  So, when I got to the NKT, and I heard some people thought it was a cult, I thought, well, that is what they are always saying about all Buddhists.  Basically, if we have an image of Buddha, whom some think to be an idol, then someone will say we are a cult.  I am glad I had been to all the other schools first, so it really wasn't as much of a problem/obstacle for me.  Also, I had noticed that I didn't agree with the Dalai Lama on other issues such as the Karmapa recognition, the DL's general involvement in politics, so I wasn't at all concerned about his opinion.  I can imagine its confusing, maybe for newer people, but I did not experience this particular worry.

[samayakeeper]

Unfortunately the Dorje Shugden issue has made Tibetan buddhism become unfairly associated with cults and demon worship. Of course all those who know Dorje Shugden know that this is not true, but it does not stop people from spreading unfounded rumours about it. NKT, which has been single-handedly built up by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, has done much to spread Dorje Shugden's practice, as well as indirectly raising awareness against the ban on the practice.

I am glad to know that there is a strong relationship between Shar Ganden and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Dorje Shugden practitioners are already separated from mainstream Tibetan Buddhists. We should not divide ourselves further but instead, unite and have harmony between ourselves so that the harmony can also spread to others. If Dorje Shugden practitioners bicker amongst themselves, how can a house divided grow? it can only fall. Dorje Shugden practitioners should be even more harmonious to show others a good example of what Dorje Shugden represents.

United we stand, divided we fall.....as the saying goes.

[brian]

Absolutely good news. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was the first few High Lamas that i came to know about when i first came to chance upon Buddhism and from then on I too through my good karma perhaps came across Dorje Shugden's teachings and learnt about this protector of our lifetime (thanks to dorjeshugden.com). Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's great works are for all to see by the result of NKT plus all of Geshe-la's centers around the world. Despite a lot of rumours smearing Geshe-la's name but that does not fade Geshe-la's name but i felt Geshe-la's popularity grew even more. May Geshe-la have long life to continue to turn the wheel of Dharma.