Your View: The Dalai Lama is no saint

[DharmaSpace]

By Jay Wang
Posted Nov. 14, 2014 @ 2:01 am

I am writing in response to Steven Bonney's letter about the Shugden protesters against the Dalai Lama's rejection of their faith ("Letter: Dalai Lama's critics lack legitimacy," Nov. 7).
Mr. Bonney dismisses the critics' legitimate concerns by first accusing and then, with sleight of hand, stating outright Chinese involvement without any evidence, as though that somehow would vaporize those concerns. He spoke of objectivity, so let us look at some factual perspectives.
Mr. Bonney defended the Dalai Lama as a virtuous, benevolent ruler who rejected the Shugden sect because of its intolerance of other sects. This is patently false. The Shugden sect had coexisted with others long before this Dalai Lama's rule. In fact, eye witnesses reported that the Dalai Lama had sought protection of a Shugden oracle before his flight to India.
How ironic is it that the "tolerant" Dalai Lama bans a sect because of alleged intolerance of other sects? It is well documented that the Shugden sect has been subject to persecution and physical violence in the exiled community.
The Dalai Lama advocates democracy, but was he elected to his position? The old Tibetan system, which some romanticize as a Shangri-La, was a serfdom, where a few hundred noble families owned nearly everything from wealth to the serfs and slaves, and cruelty toward the serfs ranged from gouged eyes to severed limbs.
The Dalai Lama professes to be compassionate, but to this day, he refuses to condemn self-immolation, tacitly supporting this tragic act because of ... what? Political expediency?
Publicly the Dalai Lama has been advocating nonviolence, but secretly took the CIA's weapons, training and money in armed conflicts to the tune of $1.7 million a year from late 1950s to the 1970s, including $180,000 per year earmarked by the CIA for him personally.
Aside from being a charming celebrity, what has the Dalai Lama done to improve Tibetans' lives? Since his escape, slavery was abolished, Tibetans' life expectancy rose from 35 in 1951 to 67 in 2000, and the infant mortality rate fell from 400 per 1,000 births to 20 per 1,000 births over the same time.
The Tibetans enjoy favorable policies over Han Chinese (majority) including preferential college entrance and exemption from the one-child policy for Han Chinese.
To be objective and charitable, one has to conclude that the Dalai Lama's words and deeds do not match. Far from it.
Jay Wang, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Physics Department, UMass Dartmouth. He is a native of China.
- See more at: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20141114/OPINION/141119661/101230/NEWS0301#sthash.vj9QOIQj.dpuf

It is inspiring to know the Chinese intelligentsia is taking an interest in the Dorje Shugden issue. Gaden tradition was a big part of the society at one time under the reign of the Manchu Emperors.

What the associate professor has written is true, there are no issue of Dorje Shugden before the exodus to India by the Dalai Lama and all the high lamas. So is the fact that this ban has created much discrimination and violence against Dorje Shugden lamas and practitioners.

[grandmapele]

The Dalai Lama, as he oft times admit is a simple monk. That's why he appointed Mr Lobsang Sangay to head the CTA. As a learned man of the world, Mr Sangay should advise the Dalai Lama accordingly of good practices for the good of all Tibetans whether in exile or otherwise. Obviously in this case, Mr Sangay is lacking in good sense.

[Rihanna]

[He definitely is lacking in good sense. He was appointed into office in 2011. It has been 3.5 years. What has he done which is of some significance for the Tibetans? Or is he too preoccupied with persecuting Shugdenpas?? You would think that some one who is educated will be more objective and less radical. Unfortunately he has become one with the other peasants Ministers. ]


The Dalai Lama, as he oft times admit is a simple monk. That's why he appointed Mr Lobsang Sangay to head the CTA. As a learned man of the world, Mr Sangay should advise the Dalai Lama accordingly of good practices for the good of all Tibetans whether in exile or otherwise. Obviously in this case, Mr Sangay is lacking in good sense.
[/quote]

[eyesoftara]

It is in fact mind boggling that the Dalai Lama on the provisional level has seem to contradict the practice of a monk that he is suppose to be by issuing the ban and thus causing infinite amount of sufferings to the Sangha and the lay alike.
But in contemplating the Dharma we need to look at the definitive meaning of the teaching and in this case the "edict" of the Dalai Lama with regard to the ban. Definitive meaning is more subtle and most likely requires the interpretation of a qualified Guru.
In this case we then have the "Big Picture" interpretation for the reason of the ban with the motivation that the ban will in the end bring more benefit than suffering to sentient beings as a whole.
The interesting thing and also the most important thing is the individual interpretation of the ban depending on the individual's demographic ie who he is, what kind of background, educational (secular or spiritual), political if any, family, groups and economic motivations. All the factor of the demographics serve as a kind of spiritual filter that leads to the acceptance of the ban or not. We cannot rule of the "grays", the ones that on the outer level seems to accept the ban  but on the inner level practice Guru Devotion and continue the practice. Still there seems to be an infinite types of people and motivations in the "grays" that are too complicated to totally discuss for now.
In summary whether the Dalai Lama is a Saint or not depends of what is your respond or reaction to the ban. How you act defines if he is a Saint or not.

[rossoneri]

All these stories is making me very confused, but i do know that to be a monk or a simple monk you have to practice on what you've urged and asked all the Buddhist in the world to be compassionate and do not to be violent. But yet, since the ban you have been keeping quiet whenever there are event of violent took place and by not saying anything and who is always said you are just a simple monk, it shows that you are not simple a all.