Tibetan Youth Congress breaking samaya with Dalai Lama.

[vajratruth]

The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) is the largest pro-Tibetan Independence movement with an estimated 30,000 members in the Tibetan diaspora alone. That's a large percentage (20% - 25%) of the Tibetan exile community. Combined with TYC members overseas and those Tibetans who prefer to live as free people, they form the majority of the Tibetan people in exile. On this coming February, commencing the 8th the TYC will hold a march campaign from Dharamsala to New Delhi which will no doubt stoke nationalist sentiments and renew calls for an outright independent state, free in every way of Chinese control.

This is clearly against the Dalai Lama's preferred Middle Way which is not for outright independence but an autonomous Tibetan state within  China. On the face of it, there is nothing extraordinary about this situation but against the backdrop of persecutions of Shugden worshippers, this highlights a certain hypocrisy that has come to define the Tibetan people.

In Tibetan Buddhism it is said that the relationship between the guru and the student is sacred and to break one's samaya with the guru can indeed be a cause for the shortening of the guru's life. Those who have supported the Shugden ban have used this to justify their anger towards their own kin who have refused to break with their practice of Dorje Shugden,. The rationale is, the guru's health is harmed when the student goes against his wishes.

But what is surprising here is that seeing the Dalai Lama's wish is for all Tibetans to adopt the Middle Way approach, isn't demanding or supporting any movement for outright independence also going against the Dalai Lama's wishes and therefore a threat to his life? If so shouldn't all TYC members be regarded and similarly as how Shugden worshippers have been all these years since the ban?

How is it that the "law" applies to Shugden people and not TYC if indeed it is true that by refusing to abandon their belief, Shugden people are harming the Dalai Lama?

http://phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=34437&article=TYC+to+hold+walk+campaign+marking+55+years+of+exile

[WisdomBeing]

Perhaps - like the Dorje Shugden controversy -  it is just the bigger picture, orchestrated by the Dalai Lama. Perhaps the Dalai Lama really wants independence, and NOT the Middle Way, but he cannot say that because it would infuriate the Chinese. As if the Chinese are not already infuriated enough as it is. Or perhaps for the world to see that the Dalai Lama is trying to compromise for the Chinese so that he gets support from the Western governments (which has been quite lame thus far).

Ergo, the Dalai Lama gets the TYC to speak up for independence where he cannot. So they are not really breaking samaya, they are doing as the Dalai Lama wishes.

Now, if we follow the bigger picture hypothesis of the Dorje Shugden controversy, they are not breaking samaya there too - however the difference between the TYC and DS practitioners is that one is persecuted and one is not. Therein lies the rub.

[yontenjamyang]

Now I am confused. Either there is outright dissension from the Tibetan Youth Congress or the the Dalai Lama orchestrated the TYC to remonstrate his true intentions. Or it could be that the TYC is breaking with the Dalai Lama which means the his has lose control. Worse still, this will also mean that the Dalai Lama is not regarded as the majority of the Tibetan diaspora.

[WisdomBeing]

hmmm that is an interesting point - if what you say is true - that the TYC do not support the Dalai Lama anymore, then perhaps we should ask them to support the Dorje Shugden practitioners so that they are no longer persecuted under the Dalai Lama's grossly unfair edict.

Perhaps the TYC - being the younger generation - are brought up outside of the Tibetan culture and absolute allegiance to the Dalai Lama and they can actually think for themselves. Though i had hoped that the Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay would have been that new generation of intelligentsia who would breathe fresh air into the Tibetan diaspora, but his actions - or lack of - thus far does not hold promise.

[dsiluvu]

Interesting contemplations and discussion about this TYC's campaign.

If you ask me... I think I would follow WB logical reasons... though still speculations...

Perhaps - like the Dorje Shugden controversy -  it is just the bigger picture, orchestrated by the Dalai Lama. Perhaps the Dalai Lama really wants independence, and NOT the Middle Way, but he cannot say that because it would infuriate the Chinese. As if the Chinese are not already infuriated enough as it is. Or perhaps for the world to see that the Dalai Lama is trying to compromise for the Chinese so that he gets support from the Western governments (which has been quite lame thus far).

Ergo, the Dalai Lama gets the TYC to speak up for independence where he cannot. So they are not really breaking samaya, they are doing as the Dalai Lama wishes.

Why because, you see if anyone really goes against what the Dalai Lama wishes and wants... they will be executed or harm... like the Sugden practitioners... excommunicated and life threatened, even the high Lamas like Pabongkha, Trijang and Gangchen Rinpoche gets it! So why would they not dare threatened these lay Tibetans if really they are causing obstacles to the goals of HHDL and the betterment of all Tibetans, so to speak?

The fact HHDL and CTA allows it, and do nothing to speak against them or stop them, shows you their deep intentions. No wonder China do not trust HHDL or bother listening to the CTA. Cos it's simple logic, if they really are asking for autonomy, then they would tell these TYC to please SHUT UP already. Obviously it seems to be all fine and the campaign keeps going. The TYC may say they do not believe or trust the Dalai Lama any more and be able to get away with it... not fearing the CTA at all, yet the CTA does nothing to them. So you see deep down that is what they are also wishing for but have to play the "good guy" in front of the "western media and diplomats" and of course China.     

[diamond girl]

i think that the Dalai Lama is orchestrating the whole scenario - the middle way approach vs independence, the Dorje Shugden controversy etc. Why do i think that. well, Dalai Lama is either Chenrezig or he is not. He cannot be Chenrezig when giving initiations and teachings and not be Chenrezig when telling people to not worship Dorje Shugden. It's one thing or the other, so i guess i choose to believe that he is Chenrezig and there is a greater good in hand.

[vajratruth]

Update:

DHARAMSHALA, February 8: Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile today embarked on a month long ‘Tibetan Uprising March’ to the Indian capital New Delhi.

55 people from Delhi, Dehradun, Mainpat, Nepal and other places are taking part in the march that will mark 55th National Uprising Day in New Delhi on March 10, 2014. Each participant symbolizes “a dark and painful year under Chinese rule.” The eldest and youngest marchers are 72 and 21 year-old respectively.

The march, TYC says, aims to highlight the current crisis inside Tibet, support the demands and aspirations of the Tibetan self-immolators, and to show solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet.

[source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?article=TYC+begins+%E2%80%98Tibetan+Uprising+March%E2%80%99&id=34537]

What is strange is that 3 days before this, the Sikyong in his speech in Shillong reiterated that the CTA is NOT seeking a separation from China, meaning very clearly that they accept Chinese rule:

DHARAMSHALA, February 5: The Tibetan Prime Minister Dr Lobsang Sangay reiterated the Tibetan government in exile's commitment to Middle Way Approach to resolve the issue of Tibet saying that it will not seek separation from China if given 'genuine' autonomy in the future.

[Source: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=34532&article=We+don%27t+seek+separation+from+China%2c+Tibetan+PM+says]

Its such a pity to see Dr Lobsang Sangay undermining the efforts of the Tibetan Youth Congress instead of supporting the wishes of the majority of the Tibetan people. It is a greater pity that the TYC continues to support the CTA's ban on Shugden. Time to wake up TYC?