Shugden Buddhists

[DharmaSpace]

I have really been comfortable that people label Dorje Shugden people conveniently as Shugden Buddhists. We are practitioners of the Gelug tradition who still maintains the Dorje Shudgen practices is more like but naturally that does not sell papers or convenient enough.

Yes I do Dorje Shugden mantras and practices daily, and it is an important aspect of my life that helps me a lot definitely, however there is so much more to practice and learn within Buddhism. I guess I just don't people to think we only just do protector practices, there is a lot of meditations and tantric practices also. Am i just too free and nitpicking ? Thoughts?

[fruven]

I have really been comfortable that people label Dorje Shugden people conveniently as Shugden Buddhists. We are practitioners of the Gelug tradition who still maintains the Dorje Shudgen practices is more like but naturally that does not sell papers or convenient enough.

Yes I do Dorje Shugden mantras and practices daily, and it is an important aspect of my life that helps me a lot definitely, however there is so much more to practice and learn within Buddhism. I guess I just don't people to think we only just do protector practices, there is a lot of meditations and tantric practices also. Am i just too free and nitpicking ? Thoughts?

The media is conveniently lumping all those doing Dorje Shugden practice as the same 'kind' of people. I would think it is a form of word misuse and in fact... it is discrimination as well.

I do a few mantras. Should I be called Setrap Buddhists, Tsongkhapa Buddhists as well?

[grandmapele]

"I do a few mantras. Should I be called Setrap Buddhists, Tsongkhapa Buddhists as well?" - fruven.

Nice thought, good question, fruven. So, I am now a Tsongkhapa Buddhist and my aspiration would be to be Yamantaka Buddhist and a Vajrayogini Buddhist!!!!! LOL All these labels for what? A Buddhist is a Buddhist is a  Buddhist. The core, the heart is the same. The tenets are the same. Why the need for minute labeling? Are you going to tell me next that you are different in that your blood bleeds green? Maybe when you move to Venus!!!

We should all just concentrate on what the Buddha taught and is still teaching if only we open our eyes and heart. _/|\_

[yontenjamyang]

I have really been comfortable that people label Dorje Shugden people conveniently as Shugden Buddhists. We are practitioners of the Gelug tradition who still maintains the Dorje Shudgen practices is more like but naturally that does not sell papers or convenient enough.

Yes I do Dorje Shugden mantras and practices daily, and it is an important aspect of my life that helps me a lot definitely, however there is so much more to practice and learn within Buddhism. I guess I just don't people to think we only just do protector practices, there is a lot of meditations and tantric practices also. Am i just too free and nitpicking ? Thoughts?

I know what you mean but for the lack of any way to differentiate, we are called Shugden Buddhist. So it this way the word "Shugden" is an adjective to describe the word Buddhist which is the object or people being referred to.

On the other hand, I am actually glad that "the so called "Shugden Buddhist" has always been peaceful and act with respect even in the face of adversity and in situations like in a demonstration which can easily get out of hand. This shows a lot about the discipline and the practice of "Shugden Buddhist". And this is good.

[kelly]

I fully agree with what Grandmapele said we should focus on the Buudha teaching because this is the most important why we become a buddhists, without the teaching no matter how many mantras we do we also cannot trasnform and liberate ourself as also others.

[christine V]

Shugden Buddhist, i think this word is more not to put us down as some Tibetan who are extreme have name us "Doygal" worshipper which it is mean a demon worshiper.
At least in to other who are not a Buddhist, we are category as a Buddhist. This is what i think

[Jason Statham]

It is really weird that people put us into section called Shugden Buddhists while we are just simply following our Gurus instructions and we are also the old generation of the Gelugpa Tradition. It is really annoying that even Buddhist monks would criticize us for just practicing Dorje Shugden, I mean what is the big deal? We are just Buddhist practitioners who also follow the Lama Tsongkhapa's teachings except that we take Dorje Shugden as our protector. I can't believe all these chaos had been created just because the 14th Dalai Lama said. Ps: Dalai Lama is not the head of the Gelugpa Tradition and He is famous because He is a monk who is also a politician at the same time.

[DharmaSpace]

We are Gelugs first, I think

[fruven]

Shugden Buddhist, i think this word is more not to put us down as some Tibetan who are extreme have name us "Doygal" worshipper which it is mean a demon worshiper.
At least in to other who are not a Buddhist, we are category as a Buddhist. This is what i think

Unfortunately there are some instances the media have associated people who have practiced Dorje Shugden as cult and and harmful without doing more thorough research. This is what anti-Dorje Shugden people would want the general public to perceive because the media says so. The anti-Dorje Shugden people does not follow Buddha's teachings as they use whatever means to achieve their aims by hate, lie, misinformation, and actions to silence individuals who are against the ban and promoting peace. Therefore the anti-Dorje Shugden people seemingly become righteous? Do they really?

[yontenjamyang]

It is really weird that people put us into section called Shugden Buddhists while we are just simply following our Gurus instructions and we are also the old generation of the Gelugpa Tradition. It is really annoying that even Buddhist monks would criticize us for just practicing Dorje Shugden, I mean what is the big deal? We are just Buddhist practitioners who also follow the Lama Tsongkhapa's teachings except that we take Dorje Shugden as our protector. I can't believe all these chaos had been created just because the 14th Dalai Lama said. Ps: Dalai Lama is not the head of the Gelugpa Tradition and He is famous because He is a monk who is also a politician at the same time.

It doesn't really matter if we are called Shugden Buddhists because there is still the main object in that description which is Buddhists and Shugden is describing the practice itself which involve the practice of the Protector Dorje Shugden and is the main differentiator from others. Yes we are part of the Gelug School because we follow the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa as the main practice where the Lamrim is the supreme practice.

Normally, Dorje Shugden's practice is strictly for the tantric practitioners and form a part of the inner refuge of Guru, Yidam and Protector. There are commitments involved in the practice. This explains why it is so hard to give up a practice that is given by the Guru because it constitutes breaking samaya with the Guru and the Protector.

So I feel "Shugden Buddhist" is an apt label for us. The most important thing is to practice the Dharma well and act accordingly so that we can show others what being a "Shugden Buddhist" really means.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Whatever we are called is not important.  But it does seem appropriate that we are called Shugden Buddhists as a lineage who trust and have faith that our Protector Dorje Shugden will remove our internal and external obstacles so that we can practise the doctrine of Je Tsongkapa diligently and well.

Pure practice of Guru, Yidam and Protector.  What an empowering practice. 

[Rinchen]

Personally I feel that having the label of Shugden Buddhists are way better then being called as Dogyal worshipers. At least we are Buddhists. There is no difference being a buddhist or not. It is just a label that people give so that they are able to better differentiate all of us.

But honestly, there is nothing so different from anyone of us. It is just like saying this person is a Thai Buddhist, a Mahayana Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, etc. It is just a label that is being put on so that people can better differentiate. But by the end of the day, what is being aimed to achieve is all the same. Which is enlightenment.

Thus, I think that we should not be so hang up on what we are being called as. The most important thing that we have to do is to be doing what we need to be doing for our spiritual paths. As long as we do not sin and that we know that we are walking towards our end goal, it should be fine.

[grandmapele]

At the core, it's Buddhism not Theravada, Chinese Mahayana, Zen or Tibetan. Not even Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, Bon or Jonang. All these are nothing more than labels. The various Buddhas and attendant deities, protectors are practices to help the practitioner along. All these labeling, worldly concerns and what nots are mentioned in the Buddha's teachings. All that is going on are what the Buddha has cautioned on the pitfalls of the practice.