Dorje Shugden in Broadway, New York City

[icy]

We were at a large Tibetan store in ABC Carpets and home on Broadway in New York City.  It is a 6 story building with huge and beautiful items for sale. There is one section with massive and lots of Tibetan items. On the counter, they have a anti-Dorje Shugden sticker.

It was created by Dudjom in Nepal over 20 years ago for Nyingmas and others to repel against 'evil' DS.
It's amazing how much politics have pervaded the Tibetans even in New York City, the land of the Free.  One could not imagine one had to whisper the name of Dorje Shugden here for protecting their minds and maintaining peace.

Some people have taken advantage of the ban and some have practised Buddhism based on blind faith.  One could not fathom how is could be possible in this modern age where most people are educated but have a mind set of the unprogressive and illogic.  It is so chilling.

Nevertheless, this will not curtail the growth of DS here.  We have seen where there is oppression of Shugden, there will be far greater force in the development and increase of Shugden practice.

[Galen]

Wow…. The anti Dorje Shugden movement is still pervading in New York! I heard that there is a Tibetan community in New York but to actually see this sticker in a shop is incomprehensible because even after 20 years this sticker has been created, people still follows it blindly. There are so much information available on Dorje Shugden and people does not bother to find out but just follow.

Yes Icy, Dorje Shugden will continue to flourish and grow!

[dondrup]

This looks like a huge establishment selling Tibetan-related items.  While most commercial businesses would want to attract as many customers and as much sale as possible.  Here we have ABC Carpets who is selective and political about whom they want to do business with!  How much good fortunes that the owners of ABC Carpets are pouring down the drains by turning Dorje Shugden followers away?  How much negative karma the owners of this establishment is creating by going against Dorje Shudgen?  Rather than helping customers to better appreciate Tibetan Buddhism, ABC Carpets is promoting hatred against a fully-enlightened Buddha Dorje Shugden! How heavy could their negative karma be? 

On a side note, it would be wonderful if we can have a live theatrical performance on the biography of Dorje Shugden at the Broadway in New York City as well as in London!  That would be a perfect and great offering to Lord Dorje Shugden!

[Rinchen]

It is just so amazing how people can just follow some things blindly like that. I believe for the sake of sales this shop would also sell Dorje Shugden items if they are able to get their hands on some of these items. It clearly shows how fickle of minds of people can be.

For the sake of the benefits of themselves, they are willing to support causes that they do not even have knowledge on. For this case, just to do some propaganda and sales. It is horrible how a person's mind can work just based on that.

[fruven]

We were at a large Tibetan store in ABC Carpets and home on Broadway in New York City.  It is a 6 story building with huge and beautiful items for sale. There is one section with massive and lots of Tibetan items. On the counter, they have a anti-Dorje Shugden sticker.

It was created by Dudjom in Nepal over 20 years ago for Nyingmas and others to repel against 'evil' DS.
It's amazing how much politics have pervaded the Tibetans even in New York City, the land of the Free.  One could not imagine one had to whisper the name of Dorje Shugden here for protecting their minds and maintaining peace.

Some people have taken advantage of the ban and some have practised Buddhism based on blind faith.  One could not fathom how is could be possible in this modern age where most people are educated but have a mind set of the unprogressive and illogic.  It is so chilling.

Nevertheless, this will not curtail the growth of DS here.  We have seen where there is oppression of Shugden, there will be far greater force in the development and increase of Shugden practice.

Putting on the counter they are practically promoting anti-DS. It is like telling the customer to buy the sticker as a charm to ward against DS. It is very sad.

[thor]

Let me play devil's advocate for once. America is the land of the free. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression. The owners of the offending store are clearly Tibetans, and like most Tibetans, will follow the decrees of the Dalai Lama like a flock of blind sheep. So is it really surprising that anti-Shugden merchandise is flaunted even in a place of business in the land of the free? Of course not.

Instead of complaining here about what ABC Carpets is doing which is totally ineffective, do something else. Write to then directly on their website. In fact, write to all Tibetan shop owners in NYC and beyond. Petition for a boycott of these stores who are discriminating against Shugden practitioners. Discrimination is discrimination, period. Don't just call upon Shugden practitioners to do something. Call upon all right-thinking human beings who will do something to stop the unfairness, hate, total disregard of human rights. Those who choose to act out the Dalai Lama and CTA's self-serving policies should feel the pinch. Then perhaps, there will be change.

New York has been the stage for several anti Dalai Lama protests in the past (

Shugden Protest Footage in New York City	Small | Large

). Perhaps now it can be the stage for another type of protest - one that effects all blind followers of the Dalai Lama and makes them think about the consequences of their actions.

[diamond girl]

I'm sure ABC Carpets and Home do not just sell to Tibetans and they sell to New Yorkers and international tourists also. Like Thor says, perhaps people should write in to ABC and companies like this to highlight the discriminatory practices of such a shop. Can you imagine if a shop had an Anti-Southern Baptist, anti-Kalarupa or anti-Kuan Yin sign?

The shop keeper is probably just following what the Dalai Lama says and has no idea about the real story behind Dorje Shugden. They probably wouldn't even read if people sent them books to read but i think that a significant volume of emails/mails would make them sit up and take notice - after all, publicity about their anti-Dorje Shugden position could be potentially threatening to their business.

[Manisha Kudo]

  Oh... this is a very interesting finding, all the way in New York. Here is the contact to ABC Carpets & Home.

https://www.abchome.com/corporate-contact/

Perhaps informing the PR department of this anti-DS sticker and education them would help.

 


 

[Kim Hyun Jae]

This ABC shop may just be 1 of the many other shop selling Tibetan statues etc. in New York and I shared the opinion that the store owners or operators were just as ignorant or were anti-DS. However, if the purpose of the shop were to make profit of their products, they sure drew away future shoppers unknowingly with the anti-DS sticker of any kind in their display.

I agreed with Diamond Girl to write to the store to educate them the right away.

[Vajraprotector]

Thanks for letting us know, Icy. I think it is one of those things available to fulfill the need of some Tibetans staying in New York who may have heard of the availability of such items and I agree with what Icy said - blind faith. Nevertheless, the biggest anti-Shugden movement is still the ban.

However, do not be disheartened, there is a North America Gelug Buddhist Association, a group formed specifically to preserve the Gelug teachings with Dorje Shugden as their principal Dharma Protector.  (
http://www.dorjeshugden.com/videos/monasteries-locations/north-america-geluk-buddhist-assosiation/)

In North America, their rights to the freedom of practice will be protected and cannot be disturbed by anyone. Democratic government in the USA would never impose a ban on any religion/practice/worship.

Apart from writing to the shop, we should also let the North America Gelug Buddhist Association  (http://www.nagbausa.org/contactus.html) know, so that they too can take action and perhaps, initiate more effective methods to educate the Tibetans in New York.

[Q]

Hmm.... it's a shop, they probably do not know or do not have the view of being anti-ds despite having this sticker for sale. I highly doubt these shops are established to spread the Dharma, but more to make profit... so anything that sells, they'd put it up in their shop... which is quite sad coz why put up something that takes space in your shop? That means there are quite a number of people that buys these anti-ds sticker. Where there's demand, there's supply.

It actually amaze me on how some Tibetans in US behave towards the ban... I mean, migrating to a country that promises freedom in so many ways and yet they're still stuck, being a hypocrite... demanding similar rights as any regular US citizen but at the same time oppressing another's religious practice. 

[vajratruth]

One of the things I could not reconcile is how Dudjom Rinpoche who was apparently quite liberal is his view towards the different Tibetan Buddhist sects, suddenly became so anti-Shugden, a Protector closely associated with the Gelugpas.

Dudjom Rinpoche was once asked to support Rime' but instead of giving his support, insisted that, "Whatever practice a person is well-grounded in is what he should continue. Part of our purpose is to preserve all lineages as methods for attaining enlightenment. … as practitioners we should sustain our own tradition while respecting and rejoicing in the virtue of other traditions". So how did Dudjom Rinpoche go from wanting to preserve all lineages and recognising their individual efficacy in attaining enlightenment to singling out Dorje Shugden to attack?

Perhaps the clue lies in the fact the Dudjom Rinpoche was accused by his enemies, believed to be incited by the Tibetan government, as being a Chinese spy, and was duly arrested and jailed, presumably for not supporting the government and Dalai Lama's attempt to "unite" Tibet.  The move to unite Tibet was to come at the cost of destroying the uniqueness of the different lineages which Dudjom Rinpoche could not agree to. In page 130 of the book, Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom: The Life and Legacy of H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche, it is clearly written that Dudjom Rinpoche was a victim of a politically motivated attack. See: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=vg40t_XIOZEC&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=dudjom+rinpoche+arrested+siliguri&source=bl&ots=NNhzz_527X&sig=xfuvronKHguyY4xDv4Q-8oZMg9c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=crabUqq9NojZrQfdk4CoDg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=dudjom%20rinpoche%20arrested%20siliguri&f=false

Does this sound familiar at all? To be accused of being a Chinese spy, a terrorist, anti Tibetan cause simply due to one's refusal to toe the [wrongful] official line?. The Dalai Lama had used his influence to secure the release of Dudjom Rinpoche and it was only after Dudjom Rinpoche arrest and release that he created the anti-Shugden stickers. What was the price that was exacted on Dudjom Rinpoche for his release?


Still, its quite strange to see a somewhat tattered anti-DS sticker benignly lying about in an American shop waiting to be picked up by the curious collector. Dudjom Rinpoche would have known that the talisman could not work. After all, as Trijang Rinpoche stated in Music Delighting The Ocean Of Protectors, the following army of lamas tried and failed to get rid of Dorje Shugden by exorcism, because no number of lamas or fire puja can destroy an enlightened being (List of lamas who came together to attempt to exorcise Dorje Shugden):

Gadong Ngarampa Dondrub Gyatso, a vajra master of Dorje Drolo; the Fifth Dalai Lama, himself a supreme vajra master of Yang Sang Karma Dragpo, Super Secret Wrathful Karma Guru; two large groups of monks provided by Nangjung Ngachang Lozang Kyentse; the vajra master of Dorje Drak Tulku Pema Trinle; the vajra master of Mindrol Ling Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje; Choje Ugja Lungpa; the Tantrica of Katsal Zurpa Ngari Konchog Lhundrup; thus a glorious mountain of Tulkus did seven ritual practices, from Wrathful Guru Padmasambhava, to Yamanataka, Kilaya, Logtrixxxvii, and so forth.

[Rihanna]

 In New York, USA? The Land of the Free??? How shocking!So they only serve and sell to non Dorje Shugden practitioners?? And they will not sell anything to Shugdenpas? Hmm I wonder if they would refuse if a Shugdenpa wants to spend $20K in their stall? CASH. What do you all think? You know my answer.

[icy]

In New York, USA? The Land of the Free??? How shocking!So they only serve and sell to non Dorje Shugden practitioners?? And they will not sell anything to Shugdenpas? Hmm I wonder if they would refuse if a Shugdenpa wants to spend $20K in their stall? CASH. What do you all think? You know my answer.

This would be interesting to know.  When the shopkeeper is in full knowledge of serving a Shugdenpa who wants to spend $20,000 in his shop, I think he might overlook the anti Shugden issue.  Let's try it out shall we?

[yontenjamyang]

My view is that since the US is a free country, the ABC Carpets and home has the right to sell anti-Shugden stickers. For all I now they have the right to sell pro-Nazi stickers or Klu Klux Klans stickers.....! What is more important is that in the US, we can also promote the protector freely and this to me is the point.

We can flood New York, LA, Chicago and all of the US with our Protector's images, mantra, history, prayers, statues, pendants, starter kits..etc to benefit the people of the great country of America and there is nothing the Dalai Lama and the CTA can do about it.