WHO MADE LAMA ZOPA A RINPOCHE?

[happysun]

The letter wrote by Lama Zopa Rinpoche is touched. Rinpoche was mentioned he come from poor family. Because of this Rinpoche has practice patient in his student. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is not my guru, but I his compassion and love to all sentient really amazing. I respect Rinpoche very much. For example Rinpoche give up his part of body to insect and animals, do you believe it??

From generally views of it, no one will believe it and may be people will thought this person going to crazy. Yes it is crazy behaviour but the motivation is pure. Rinpoche don’t care money, what he care is no one suffer.   

[Helena]

Hi Happy Sun,

I think what you wrote probably speaks the same truth in all Lamas and Gurus regarding their work and attitude towards their students.
What Lamas and Gurus really care about is that no one suffer.
However, the term 'no one suffer' is in the ultimate sense and carries a higher meaning than just the gross and temporary samsaric definition.

[DharmaSpace]

@happy sun thats very interesting to read about Lama Zopa thank you for sharing. Well those with compassion it is said they can consider their bodies like vegetable , I mean we can easily give vegetable away right? Yes in many lifetimes when Buddha Shakyamuni he gave himself to others for the sake of others and he eventually became a fully enlightened Buddha.

The deeds of ordinary beings and the Buddhas are like night and day. The motivation and actions of past buddhas really take them along the spiritual path, whereas ordinary beings create more causes to stay in samsara.
 

[shugdenpromoter]

It is amazing how FPMT could conveniently and selectively erase their history/background of their lineage. And they turn around and say they do not practice DS. Don't get me wrong, I have my highest respect for both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa, their work has been a big part in promoting Buddhism in this era.

However, I feel FPMT should take a step back and see where their organisation is heading. By them going against DS and "harming and critising"

(I've personally heard from reliable sources about certain students of FPMT critising and also influencing other lama sponsor to stop sponsoring)

devotees who practice DS has not brought negative results to them so far. Look, what happened to their Maitreya Project? What happened to Lama Osel? and etc. And I find it very strange that Lama Yeshe own PERSONAL DS statue is sitting in Gangchen Ladrang. If it was my guru's I will guard his items with my life for his next incarnation.

It is still not too late for FPMT to repair the samaya with Lama Yeshe for the growth of their organisation and also Tibetan Buddhism.

[Vajraprotector]

Dear Sangye,

Welcome to the forum. It is indeed sad to know that Kopan cut their ties with Pabongkha Rinpoche because of politics, worse still, influence Rinpoche's sponsor against him, wow, what kind of a Dharma person or organisation is that  ? I really hate to say this, but there are many centres around the world who really do things that are non-Buddhist out of 8 worldly concern.

What is the purpose of a centre to go on spiritual witch-hunts to condem other centres then? If they are genuinely concerned, they should organise a meeting with the centres (since they are in the same cities!) and influence them to give up the practice.

I read that an organisation has written to the FPMT asking them to desist from criticizing their tradition (especially on internet forums) and specifically mentioning some individuals on the Geshe program; but nothing has improved.   


Silly! If they criticise those who practice Shugden as spirit worshipper, then their own Lama is a big spirit worshipper as well and the organisation was founded on spirit worship.

Lama Yeshe is a great Lama who worked very hard to establish Dharma in the West. I hope his students will not continue to criticise and also act in non-Buddhist way as it tarnishes the good name of their organisation and all of their Lama's hard work.

I remember reading that that Lama Yeshe once acted out in pantomime to a Spanish woman who knew no English and who was worried about her son and his family, and that Lama Yeshe assured her that he himself would keep an eye on them and make sure they were well. Such a pure Lama with a great heart to benefit other, I hope the political situations will clear and their organisation and others around the world can stop taking "sides".

All of us must work hard so that this political ban ends soon. We must take the responsibility to stop the criticism and controversy by action. Let the rest of world know that Shugden practice is not spirit worship and we ourselves must nor criticise and condemn others to show that we are real Dharma practitioners.
 

[yontenjamyang]

Whew. Powerful stuff. This proves beyond any doubt in my mind that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector. That he is the protector of our time. The whole thing has been planned 350 years ago to help the being of our time. To think that many great Lamas can out of their compassion act out of our projections just to bestow a sacred practice on the majority, is beyond anything I can think of.
How fortunate we are!

[triesa]

Politics and spirituality should never be mixed, when mixed, the esscence of spiritual practice will not only be tarnished but vanished completely.

I want to ask  FPMT to look into what would happen when Lama Zopa one day leaves this earth, and who will be the spiritual guide for FPMT? Are they sure Lama Yeshe incarnation, Osel, would come in as the spiritual head for FPMT?

With power and politics in mind, (want to look good poltically on HHDL's side), FMPT easily and conveniently erase or hide evidences of all the help, blessings and miracles performed  by Dorje Shugden to their organization, what kind of spirituality or buddhism are they practicing??

What's more, their organization goes on a witch hunt against Dorje Shugden devotees in order to look good and stay "Politically" correct with Dalai Lama. Are they practicing "Guru" devotion or "Politics" devotion?

To me, it is really sad to see such a great dharma center, which was started by Lama Yeshe, a dorje Shugden practitioner, chose "Politics" rather than their own "Guru" as refuge. No wonder Lama Osel does not want anything to do with FPMT, isn't that an enough warning to FPMT members?

I sincerely hope FPMT members could make amends with Dorje Shugden, and sincerely request Lama Osel to return so that he can manifest his full potential like his previous incarnation.

Take refuge in your guru for your spiritual growth and never sway away from your guru's advice and waste time on unnecessary politics that casue harm for others.

 

[Galen]

The facts cannot be changed no matter how much they want to hide it. Lama Zopa is recognised by Dorje Shugden, do you think he practices DS?

Lama Osel has gone onto his own path to discover himself. The link below tells us how he will work together with FPMT for Buddhism. We never know, maybe his way will suit the new age group of people, since he is studying film. We never know what his lama are thinking.

http://www.mizozo.com/world/06/2009/11/osel-hita-torres-wise-young-lama.html

[vajralight]

"While Osel has renounced Buddhism, it seems like he is taking a more Agnostic approach to the religion."

This is just terrible, what a bad example. And yes  I know maybe he is a highly realized being and has his reasons etc etc... bla bla big picture etc... But wouldn't it be nice for once to have a "recognized " tulku who doesn't give up his robes. One who shows an example of a modern day Buddhist practitioner  who can inspire others to follow the buddhist path to liberation and enlightenment.

With all the recent problems with tulkus (just now the Kalu rinpoche scandal) I seriously wonder what the benefits of the tulku system are. Maybe it still works in the Tibetan setting, but in the west it is not working.

If they are superior beings, high bodhisattvas, I feel they should help people by spreading Buddhadharma in an accessible and practical way, suitable for this modern age.

But what do I know............

vajra

[beggar]

"While Osel has renounced Buddhism, it seems like he is taking a more Agnostic approach to the religion."

This is just terrible, what a bad example. And yes  I know maybe he is a highly realized being and has his reasons etc etc... bla bla big picture etc... But wouldn't it be nice for once to have a "recognized " tulku who doesn't give up his robes. One who shows an example of a modern day Buddhist practitioner  who can inspire others to follow the buddhist path to liberation and enlightenment.

With all the recent problems with tulkus (just now the Kalu rinpoche scandal) I seriously wonder what the benefits of the tulku system are. Maybe it still works in the Tibetan setting, but in the west it is not working.

If they are superior beings, high bodhisattvas, I feel they should help people by spreading Buddhadharma in an accessible and practical way, suitable for this modern age.

But what do I know............

vajra

There are many benefits of the Tulku system if it is explained properly and people do have the opportunities to meet and learn with a real Tulku. I understand your concerns that it is something that maybe people of today cannot understand or relate to, but there is a lot within the Dharma we don't understand or relate to - it is a matter of explanation and gaining the right knowledge.

The tulku system, when understood properly brings a much needed continuation to the lineages and the teachings. The actions themselves of a tulku can inspire a tremendous amount of faith in disciples to better their practices. For example, learning about the works on your Lamas' previous lives, and then seeing the similarities in what he is doing in this life, is a very valuable teaching for us in karma, reincarnation etc. A true enlightened Tulku of course may not subject to the laws of karma in the same way that we are but it is still a very clear teaching to us that we continue to engage in actions now depending very much on the actions we had engaged in in previous lives. Tulkus prove this very much by their continuous work to benefits others lifetime after lifetime.

How a Tulku manifests in this lifetime (if he does at all), is also a clear reflection of the students' practices and samaya. I think it is incorrect to "lay the blame" on Tulkus for disrobing or going off track or to think that it is only a result of their own whim and fancy. Often, whether a Lama teaches and is able to continue the works with his previous lives' disciples is largely dependent on whether the students have created the causes for themselves to maintain that connection with that teacher and receive his teachings. The Lama may take on other forms to benefit other groups of people instead... it is not that he simply disrobes and that's it. At their level of attainments, they must have plans on a much longer term. A clear example is that of the 6th dalai lama who, from all outward appearances seemed to be totally derailed from the path, but who manifested many signs and revealed many teachings in his writings, which were only recognised after his death.

Yes, i do agree with what you have said about teachers manifesting in ways that will be most approachable and practical for modern students. But even within the context of "modern students" there are vast, vast differences. There may be a large number of modern students who may not benefit by being in contact with the tulku system (in which case Lamas may manifest as simple monks with no title at all), but there may also be a large number of modern students elsewhere in the world who still need to be in contact with the tulku system to develop faith in the Dharma... so there are different kinds of teachers and teachings manifesting in all different forms all over the world, to suit all the 84,000 different types of minds! It is not correct to say that one way works or doesn't work because you have to consider all the different kinds of minds out there. One group doesn't deserve Dharma more than another.

[vajrastorm]

At this point in time, Osel may seem to have given up Buddhism and be going off in a different tangent from what people expect him to do or be. However, as the incarnation of such a great Holy Being like Lama Yeshe, whatever he does must surely arise from a mind of great compassion and wisdom. As events continue to unfold, we will be getting a clearer picture of the course and direction that Osel will take.

In his letter, he writes about why he goes into movies. As he puts it, movies and documentaries are a (very compelling  ) medium of presenting  visions of Peace at different levels, including the Peace attained by people who have reached a certain level of the Path. And isn't Ultimate Peace the goal of all Buddhists who tread the Path to Enlightenment? Here again, I feel that he is still on the Path, but perhaps skillfully using the tools of the modern age to reach out to people in this degenerate times with its many distractions.

Furthermore, I agree with what Beggar says about a Tulku manifesting in ways that are 'a reflection' of the samaya and practices of his students. Again, whether a Lama teaches or continues the work of his previous incarnation will depend on whether his students have created the causes for this to happen.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Thank you Sangye for this informative article. I agree with you fully this website helps me to see things in a clearer and wider perspective on the practise of Dorje Shugden. Although I practice DS, I still have the deepest respect for HHDL. It is always very sad indeed when spiritual is mixed with politics. I deduced that whatever we do must be done with the right motivation. And yes of course, I should look into future lives because I have learnt that our life don't end when our bodies die. Your article is a great resource and inspiration to new practitioners like myself in these time as DS is not openly practiced in my area.

[LosangKhyentse]

From time to time I return and re-read this letter. It is very powerful and opens our eyes to many truths. Well written and very sincere. From a true practitioner. I very much hope one day Lama Osel will read this letter also.

Would be interesting to see if any previous life imprints open regarding Shugden if it has not already in Lama Osel's mind when he reads this letter.

TK

[triesa]

You are correct TK. This is a very powerful post started by Sangye some time ago.

As a matter of fact, Lama Osel was seen in FPMT Italy recently, On April 12, 2012. He was giving a teaching there. I am really happy to see those pictures of him, even in lay man clothes, I could see he was very much at ease and was happy to share his knowledge there. Look at more information in the following link. Very nice pictures of Lama Osel.

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=1895.0


My personal guess is that Lama Osel's recent show up in FPMT Italy may be sparkled by his recent visit to Lama Zopa, who  had a stroke and was very ill. Lama Zopa could have hinted or requested Lama Osel to come back to FPMT. I really look forward to seeing more Lama Osel giving teachings. What a waste of a great teacher for this age if he could not manifest his role due to the broken samaya of the students?

But then of course, this all depends on the FPMT members, do they still want to pursue the "political" role, going about to witch hunt practitioners of Dorje Shugden, whom is actually the protector of the founder of FPMT, Lama Yeshe; or are they going to stop all these and just concentrate on their spiritual practice, no lama bashing, no center bashing, and no practitioners witch hunting? Where do FPMT members want to go?

[Ensapa]

Btw, can someone tell me if there is really no reincarnations of the Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen? Is his line of incarnations really cut off to this day? No one has made any attempt to find his new incarnation? Many thanks. I'd truly appreciate it as I am new here.

It is believed that the Ngari line of Tulkus are direct descendants of the Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen line. This is because Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen himself had said before that he will go to Ngari before he passed away. The current Ngari Rinpoche also happens to be the current Dalai Lama's brother.

The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) have published texts which provide compelling evidence that Dorje Shugden and the Ngari Tulkus are one and the same. In particular, texts authored by Dorje Shugden’s previous incarnation (3) Panchen Sonam Drakpa. Panchen Sonam Drakpa states that the first of his incarnations was one of the five disciples of Lord Tsongkhapa. This incarnation was Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, renown for being a pure holder of the Vinaya.

Panchen Sonam Drakpa then goes on to state that his next incarnation will be Ngari Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen i.e. his next incarnation falls in the line of Ngari Tulkus. This information is summarized from the original text written by Panchen Sonam Drakpa in the Overview of Buddhist Tantra, translated into English.

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/dalai-lamas-brother-is-tulku-drakpa-gyeltsen/