Dorje Shugden in Broadway, New York City

[dsiluvu]

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). 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.

I like what Thor has said... write to all Tibetan shop owners in NYC and beyond. Petition for a boycott of these stores who are discriminating against Shugden practitioners. Call upon all right-thinking human beings who will do something to stop the unfairness, hate, total disregard of human rights.

It will be more effective than complaining it here for sure, might as well we take our complains and injustice to where it would be heard! Instantly something can be done... we can easily social media and tweet this forum page and image, tagging the right people, celebrities, and medias so they can see... what's really going on and well USA is not so "FREE" after all hu? Thanks Icy for highlighting it here though! Now we know how far this sick disease of discrimination has spread... even in the land of the FREE! 

[AnneQ]

I am of the opinion that any form of publicity bad or good is "good" because people in general like controversy and will be curious enough to look for "bad" elements. So having an Anti-Shudgen sticker will likely create curiosity and encourage 'investigation' into the subject, in this case Dorje Shudgen. I know I am one of those for instance, for I have a mind and I am curious. Haven't anyone asked you not to smoke because it's bad for you but you tried anyway. In any case, anytime someone wants to forbid you to do anything, makes you even more curious to try it out? So same for the whole anti DS movement. People will find out about it and in time know the truth.

[pgdharma]

It is a shame after all these years, there are still many people who follow the anti DS blindly and that even in New York this discrimination is still going on.  A big company like ABC Carpets should check out the truth about Dorje Shugden before displaying the sticker.

It will be good if more information is disseminated out to the New Yorkers to create awareness of who Dorje Shugden is.

[kris]

America / New York may be a a country of freedom, but then again, the ABC shop may be harassed by his own community to put the sticker there, and may be the shop owner just put it there to avoid all the hassle and just doesn't want all the problem.

To me, it shows only one thing: the ban is not lifted yet, and there are so much more we need to do to get the ban lifted. We just need to work harder to lift the ban. I do agree with thor we need to educate the shop owners, therefore, I have email them and ask them to visit this website for more info

[bonfire]

America / New York may be a a country of freedom, but then again, the ABC shop may be harassed by his own community to put the sticker there, and may be the shop owner just put it there to avoid all the hassle and just doesn't want all the problem.

To me, it shows only one thing: the ban is not lifted yet, and there are so much more we need to do to get the ban lifted. We just need to work harder to lift the ban. I do agree with thor we need to educate the shop owners, therefore, I have email them and ask them to visit this website for more info

This sounds like a sensible thing to do indeed, educate the whop owners first before trying to get to them with other means or through other people.
I hope that soon enough they'll have Dorje Shugden statues in their shop also.

[lotus1]

It's shocking to see in New York, there is still shop selling that and discriminate another religion practice.  It may also due to the shop is not aware that Dorje Shugden is a Buddha and about how many people are being discriminate because of this ban.
It's time we should work even harder to promote Dorje Shugden to the world and let them know about the truth behind the ban. We can share more articles that have solid facts from Dorjeshugden.com and this forum to more people. This will help people to see how ignorance to be anti-Shugden. Let's work together to lift the ban and let more people have the chance to receive the blessings and protection from Dorje Shugden.

[DharmaSpace]

If the Mindroling lamas could not contain Dorje Shugden, what can a mere sticker do against a Buddha/enlightened protector.

Sounds like this shop could use some literature and information on dorje shugden that could help him.  If this shopkeep could have known how fast the number of dorje shugden worshippers are growing around the world, this is short sightedness and ignorance will cause him to have less financial success.

[maricisun]

It's a shame to know that NYC being a freedom of speech  country of USA is against Dorje Shugden practice. Not sure if that carpet shop owner did any research on the ban or just follow blindly. Hope that the owner will be able to go into the DS website and learn more about the Protector. Everyone should work harder to help lift the ban earlier so that all practitioners around the world can practice openly and that DS can benefit and help the practitioners who have faith in him.

[Aurore]

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.

Actually I agree with you. There's plenty of anti-Christ stickers being sold everywhere. It doesn't make Christ any less popular. There will always be anti-DS people out there even after the ban is lifted I'll bet. So there really is nothing shocking about this. Perhaps it's the main intention of Dudjom Rinpoche for creating this image in the first place. To draw attention to DS. Isn't this what HHDL is playing at anyways?

[Aurore]

On the other hand, what's important is everyone learn to co-exist.

Everyone should learn to accept other's beliefs - Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Judaism, Anti-DS, Dorje Shugden practitioners, Witchcraft and so on. If everyone learn to live in peace by not offending each other, to accept anything and everything, we will have world peace. The ban should be an example for everyone to learn and practice acceptance.

[gbds3jewels]

US is definitely a free country and people can do anything about their religious practice openly without breaking the law. I think an anti anything campaign is actually the catalyst that make something more popular. In my opinion, the anti Dorje Shugden campaign actually caused people to be curious and would find out about Dorje Shugden and why there is an anti campaign against it. Hence the unexpected side effect of banning the practice is making the practice more well known.

[samayakeeper]

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.

I tend to agree. Most likely the shop owner(s) are only interested in the sound of the cash register ringing up sales. Whatever complaints made may fall on deaf ears unless they have broken retail laws or consumers rights in the US. Likewise if I have a shop and I retail pro Dorje Shugden materials openly, I would ignore if I received complaints from anti-Dorje Shugden customers.

[rossoneri]

Has Buddhism degenerated to the stage whereby some of the Tibetans claimed that they are Buddhist but it is in fact became a custom to them. We might claim ourself to others that we are Buddhist but have we really practise in the first place. Or it because of we were born in a Buddhist family and for convenient sake we claim we are but the true is we have no idea what Buddhism is about. No doubt, this is happening throughout the world and not only to the school of Buddhism.

We need more awareness for DS in the world.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

It is scary to know that in this modern age and time, there still exist people who practice blind faith. What is even more scarier is that most of these people are educated and living in a big city. To have a sticker that they believe would ward of Dorje Shugden reveals how misinformed they are.

Just as Rihanna have stated, would really want to see the reaction of the shop owner when asked if he is going to conduct any sales with a cash loaded Shugdenpa.

And yes, would also write to all the Tibetan shops and urge them to go to ds.com.

[Gabby Potter]

This idea is brilliant! We must always think of all ways to bring our precious protector to more people around the world, Lord Dorje Shugden is the one!  I really love this idea, it doesn't only get high chances of being seen by the public, it also helps to get Dorje Shugden imprinted into our mind streams. May more people are blessed by this holy protector. _/\_