The Button Campaign

[psylotripitaka]

And now, monks are required to wear a special button to indicate they do not practice Dorje Shugden, so that those who do practice can be identified more easily.

[grandmapele]

This is the action of a government that does not know what is right or wrong morally and as a human. You want to discriminate against your fellow Tibetans. For goodness sake, look at where you are - an exile in a foreign country and you want to split hairs???!! Show the world what Tibetans as a whole, as a united people can do not what you can do to split yourselves into a million pieces. Who in the right mind will give you freedom when you destroy yourselves even without a country!

[kris]

This is clearly a serious form a discrimination against the Dorje Shugden practitioners. We are talking about a monastery, which is supposed to spread kindness and compassion. Not only the didn't practice that they learn in the scripture, they went opposite way and discriminate people based on their faith.

CTA, why would you interfere with the monastery, and mix religious with politics? It is time CTA to leave the monastery on its own!!

[angelica]

Monastery is a place for education and promoting Buddhism. Whereas CTA is a political party. They play different role in the society. CTA should not interfere in the operation of the monastery. CTA should put in extra efforts to unite the people of Tibet, taking care of their social benefits and welfare and work out something with China. Button campaign, is discrimination against the Dorje Shugden monks. By playing discrimination game will not do them any good. Stop all the harmful act and do the necessary for Tibetan.

[Joo Won]

This clearly only served to incite further discrimination and violence, towards Dorje Shugden practitioners. It brings no benefits to any parties - either Dorje Shugden practitioners and non Dorje Shugden practitioners as well. For Dorje Shugden practitioners, they will have to suffer more, continue the sufferings after 19 years of sufferings, discrimination and violence.

Why would a monastery or any organisation, imposes such a ruling that promote only discrimination? This is disgraceful and inhuman.

[Shugdener]

This move orchestrated by the CTA is a really morally wrong move.

The discrimination of Dorje Shugden practitioners has really gone out of hand, coming to the point where non Dorje Shugden practitioners are given badges so that it is easier for the CTA to identify between Dorje Shugden practitioners and non Dorje Shugden practitioners.

Is this what a Exile government should do? Splitting up it's very own people and treating one side cruelly and the other side fairly.

The CTA should stop with all this small petty actions to discriminate Dorje Shugden practitioners and instead unite all their people to show the world, Tibet as a united and peaceful country.

 

[VeronicaSmith]

This is terrible. Do you really want that kind of segregation? Ever heard of the holocaust? Before the mass killing, there were rules that made the sure that jews were identified with badges to show difference and they were separated like they were not people. We all know what happened next. So are we going to let something worse erupt from this like the holocaust came from that segregation or are we going to do something about it like the American Civil Rights movements to end the segregation there in the early 20th century? I think we should do something about this, and fast.

[James Bond]

This is terrible. How can monks be treated this way? This reminds me of how Hitler and the Nazi Party made all the Jews were Jewish stars to show that they were Jewish. This is basically exactly the same thing. We cannot discriminate people like this because of their beliefs, especially monks. I hope that this campaign is unsuccessful as it would make so many monks feel alienated if it were to succeed.

[Jason Statham]

Are they even serious? They are only trying to discriminate our fellow DS practitioners in India and Nepal further. What have we exactly done to them? Why can't they just let us practice Dorje Shugden in peace. Do they discriminate other religions? No, then why do they still discriminate us so much? What about the Agori? Even to this day, they are known to eat raw dead human meat by the cremation grounds, they even do such things as animal sacrifice, but why aren't they being discriminated? I am not saying that we should be discriminating them, I am just simply saying that DS practitioners have done nothing as such and yet we are being discriminated. What a joke to all these people, you call us demon worshippers, separate us from schools, stores, restaurants and even hospitals, now you are even trying to differentiate us even more. How can you call yourself a good follower of Lama Tsongkhapa or Dalai Lama, is this what Dharma has taught you? Think about it properly.

[grandmapele]

all said and done, it is discrimination of the worst kind. Yet, are the powers that be doing anything significant to stop this?

[SabS]

This is just deplorable. How can supposedly Buddhist practitioners mark others as the Nazis did during the 2nd World War? A button to distinguish Shugden practitioners from the Anti-Shugdenpas. How juvenile can CTA get? Shouldn't they instead be uniting their people to prove their strength to others? I find it strange that CTA creates so much anti-human rights activities and still expect the support for "free Tibet". Ironic to say the least!

[Celia]

Obviously the implementation of such badge system in Sera Jey Monastery is not a statement of identity, peace, harmony or anything positive at all but serve to create a greater schism and disharmony among the sangha. It stands as a blatant reinforcement of the injustice inflicted on Dorje Shugden practitioners as a whole. Such further discrimination is bound to bring more suffering and anguish to Shugden people, who have already suffered much persecution and ostracism. With this CTA has shown that they can actually sink lower and it is just preposterous for CTA to shamelessly espouse its stand on democracy. All the more so since the forced implementation of such badge system (in reversed but no less twisted manner), reeks of what had been enforced by Hitler to single out Jews to be a victim of the discrimination of the community and his tortures. This plainly violates human rights, is just ridiculously unethical, unjust and in no way conform with the Buddha’s teachings.

[Vajraprotector]

There is nothing to distinguish between a monk who practices Dorje Shugden and one who doesn’t as the robes of the monks are similar. This badge is designed to be a clear symbol to members of the community, especially  outside the monasteries and the members of the public, identifying which monks are Dorje Shugden practitioners and which aren’t.

In a society where scapegoat tactics have led to Dorje Shugden practitioners being physical attacked, given death threats and more, being able to clearly identify them in public seems to be marking them out for ‘segregation and discrimination’ in their community, and also make them easier targets.



I find it a juxtapose that Sera Jey Monastery, the monastic university "For Advanced Buddhist Studies & Practice" is doing this - how advanced is their Buddhist Studies & Practice if they cannot accord respect of religious freedom, or perhaps try to alleviate the discrimination and suffering of their other monastic brothers who practice Dorje Shugden? Instead, as expected, they try to maintain the "purity of the Buddha Dharma" by doing this.

I wonder what would Jamchen Chojey Sakya Yeshe think of his legacy? I wonder if he would agree with Sera's management to align themselves with the Central Tibetan Administration's policy to be politically correct, selling out and mocking real practice of keeping one's word of honour and loyalty to one's teacher and practice (sog-tae). Very sad indeed.

[grandmapele]

In recent times, the campaign has gone quiet. But the damage is already done. Guess that was what the CTA was after. But the damage is not only to the Shugdenpas but also to the monastery as well. For such a prestigious monastery with such impeccable teachings, this has only shown that the real teachings have left the monastery and the real essence is gone. Sera Jey Monastery has fallen onto hard times. So sad to see the fall of a monastic giant.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

A badge is just a badge. It is just the petty campaign of the CTA to show the world that they are doing their job. Whatever happened to the swearing ceremony where monks have to publicly denounced their Shugden practice? If the swearing ceremony was not effective to stop the monks, I don't see the point of wearing a little badge.

Only purpose to have the monks wear the badge is to openly segregating the DS practicing monks. And a very loud message to the world that CTA and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are discriminating the monks who chose to continue with their Shugden practice.