The Hypocrisy of Wisdom Publications

[Drolma]

Wisdom Publications aka FPMT are hypocrites. Their founding Lama Yeshe practiced Dorje Shugden his whole life. All their lineage lamas such as Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten (Switzerland), Pabongka Rinpoche all practiced Dorje Shugden. So when FPMT stopped practicing Shugden they went against all their lineage lamas. They are saying all their lineage lamas are wrong.

Now here they are publishing books by their lineage lamas they have already invalidated. So it must be for pure profit. Too bad. Everything is about money. Things were better when Lama Yeshe was running FPMT for sure. Many older students left when FPMT gave up Dorje Shugden. They betrayed their lineage lamas.

They are indeed hypocrites, they invalidated their lineage lamas but at the same time they are publishing and selling the books of these lamas! I guess if they don't sell these books, they will not have anything to sell. Their Dharma centers will become empty.

Since they want to follow the instructions of the Dalai Lama, why don't they just take away everything related to Lama Yeshe and just put the Dalai Lama's statues and photos in their centers? Lama Zopa should pay respect and show devotion to the Dalai Lama since he wants to be on the Dalai Lama's side. But why is he still paying so much respect to Lama Yeshe?

Lama Zopa clearly understands what guru devotion is, why is his action the opposite of what he preaches? His behaviour is very confusing. Is there some inside story that we don't know? Whatever it is, I am not very impressed with what FPMT is doing.

[dsnowlion]

Wisdom Publications aka FPMT are hypocrites. Their founding Lama Yeshe practiced Dorje Shugden his whole life. All their lineage lamas such as Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten (Switzerland), Pabongka Rinpoche all practiced Dorje Shugden. So when FPMT stopped practicing Shugden they went against all their lineage lamas. They are saying all their lineage lamas are wrong.

Now here they are publishing books by their lineage lamas they have already invalidated. So it must be for pure profit. Too bad. Everything is about money. Things were better when Lama Yeshe was running FPMT for sure. Many older students left when FPMT gave up Dorje Shugden. They betrayed their lineage lamas.

They are indeed hypocrites, they invalidated their lineage lamas but at the same time they are publishing and selling the books of these lamas! I guess if they don't sell these books, they will not have anything to sell. Their Dharma centers will become empty.

Since they want to follow the instructions of the Dalai Lama, why don't they just take away everything related to Lama Yeshe and just put the Dalai Lama's statues and photos in their centers? Lama Zopa should pay respect and show devotion to the Dalai Lama since he wants to be on the Dalai Lama's side. But why is he still paying so much respect to Lama Yeshe?

Lama Zopa clearly understands what guru devotion is, why is his action the opposite of what he preaches? His behaviour is very confusing. Is there some inside story that we don't know? Whatever it is, I am not very impressed with what FPMT is doing.

Well, we can all see now that it obviously that WISDOM publications wisdom is all about the money! It looks like Tibetan Buddhism under the exile leaders is just a money making machine to sustain those in power to stay in power to control their people. The sad part is these people do not even have a country and they give all their faith and hope to the Dalai Lama and because of that they are willing to suffer being rules under pure corrupt and hypocrisy of a government.

Those who have the money, they know well enough to pack up and migrate. Perhaps, these are the few who formed the Rangzen group that consistently does the opposite of what the Dalai Lama says. Yet no one talks about them opposing the Dalai Lama but we can see that their cause is totally opposite.

As for Lama Zopa and FPMT... just horribly DISAPPOINTING. They could actually be a huge influence for the greater good, but they choose to also follow the money.

[SabS]

Well, we can all see now that it obviously that WISDOM publications wisdom is all about the money! It looks like Tibetan Buddhism under the exile leaders is just a money making machine to sustain those in power to stay in power to control their people. The sad part is these people do not even have a country and they give all their faith and hope to the Dalai Lama and because of that they are willing to suffer being rules under pure corrupt and hypocrisy of a government.

Those who have the money, they know well enough to pack up and migrate. Perhaps, these are the few who formed the Rangzen group that consistently does the opposite of what the Dalai Lama says. Yet no one talks about them opposing the Dalai Lama but we can see that their cause is totally opposite.

As for Lama Zopa and FPMT... just horribly DISAPPOINTING. They could actually be a huge influence for the greater good, but they choose to also follow the money.

The saddest thing is seeing how CTA had reduced the power and purity of Tibetan Buddhism which had carried through lineage after lineage from the times of Buddha Sakyamuni to saleable commodity. It was a practice that many crave for and had given up worldly attachments to pursue, for it was seen to be pure and results can seen in form of the eminent Lamas. With the illogical ban on the Dorje Shugden practice, many would be, could be practitioners prefer to sit back as now doubts about Tibetan Buddhism and the Lamas arise due to CTA's propaganda. Imagine the karma created when another stop their Dharma pursuit due to these propagandas. It is unbelievable to me that CTA and their followers, being so close to the Dalai Lama and his wisdom just do not know of the consequences. Did they think that they are immune to Karma by proximity to the Dalai Lama? Last I heard, we have to bear with our own Karma as even the enlightened Buddha can't eliminate karma of another. No wonder the state of being for the Tibetans in exile are getting worse.

[Alex]

To the President, CEO, Editors and members of the Board of Wisdom Publications,

Please read this piece of advice from Lama Zopa before you proceed in publishing anything which is critical of Lama Yeshe's practice of Dorje Shugden.

Being a knowledgeable lot, you should be able to grasp and understand the dire significance of publishing this upcoming book whether spiritually, morally or karmically. By publishing it, you would have trespassed what should not be trespassed.

Dorje Shugden Practice
Date of Advice: May 1997
Date Posted: November 2005

A student asked Rinpoche questions about the practice of the protector Dorje Shugden. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had asked his students to stop performing this practice. Many students had received initiations from their gurus and taken commitments to perform the practice before His Holiness made this request. Despite not having any commitments to do the practice himself, the student was concerned about maintaining pure view of his other teachers who have done the practice. On May 16, 1997, Rinpoche commented as follows.

With regard to your question about the protector and your concern about not generating negative thoughts and losing faith toward other lamas, the decision that you have taken is correct.

Kopan Monastery had been performing the Dorje Shugden practice from the beginning, as this was Lama Yeshe’s main protector, on whom he relied whenever he needed help for anything. But since His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the one who holds, preserves, and spreads the entire Buddhist Dharma—both the lesser vehicle and the Mahayana, Paramitayana, and Secret Mantra Vajrayana—without the existence of His Holiness, not only Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism but Buddhism in general would suffer in the world. It would be similar to when children are left behind when their parents die. It would be like that.

Therefore, support for His Holiness becomes very important. Another thing is that His Holiness is the main source of world peace. In this aspect, His Holiness gives so much peace and happiness to so many millions and millions of people in this world. This aspect of His Holiness is the greatest inspiration, bringing many millions of people’s hearts toward Buddhism. Even though we have many high lamas, not everyone is able to manifest this particular aspect, even though from my side the virtuous friends are of the same essence.

Therefore, it becomes very important to support His Holiness and to fulfill His Holiness’ wishes. For that reason, Kopan Monastery stopped doing this practice. This was done for His Holiness. This does not mean that Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, and His Holiness Zong Rinpoche have made mistakes. It does not mean they are wrong. Nor does one have to look at the protector as evil. For us ordinary people it is difficult to judge, because we cannot see these lamas ’ minds.

Another side of the teaching is that it is mentioned that the protector is an Arya Bodhisattva, a manifestation of Manjushri. So, then, there is also the risk of our creating very heavy karma in that context.

In addition, if one has received teachings, initiations, and so forth from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso*, including the practice of Dorje Shugden, there is a way of practicing lam-rim in relation to this situation. In the lam-rim, it says that the Buddhas—for example, Buddha Vajradhara, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, and so forth—manifest in ordinary form and guide us to enlightenment. That means they manifest in an ordinary aspect that shows mistakes, such as having delusions, performing mistaken actions, and so on. One can also think in this way about the situation, according to the lam-rim. In reality, there is no mistake here, but the guru is showing the aspect of making mistakes, like a movie actor.

Thinking in this way and relating the situation to that part of the lam-rim helps keep one from losing faith, from losing guru devotion. It only inspires one. Why? Because without the ordinary aspect that shows mistakes, we have no other way to be guided. There is no other method for the Buddhas to guide us to enlightenment.

Another way to look at this situation is that although in reality there is no mistake on the guru’s part, nevertheless we see mistakes according to our karma. The guru shows mistakes because we only have the karma to see this manifestation at this moment, and nothing else.

In this matter, that aspect becomes most precious and important for us, for our minds. As it is mentioned by Gyalwa Ensapa, “Until one becomes separated from evil karmic obscurations, even if all the Buddhas without exception directly descend in front of one, one will not have the fortune to see the supreme holy body, adorned with the holy signs and exemplifications, but rather only the present appearance (the ordinary view). ”

Even if a guru kills another guru or kills many millions of people, as Hitler or Mao did, since one has made a connection with him or her, one should never lose faith from one’s own side. Unless from his or her side the virtuous friend tells you, “Now I am no longer your guru. You should not follow me anymore,” unless he gives this permission, one must not give up one’s faith in that teacher.

One time, after I had listened for three days to one person’s teachings, that person told me not to follow him. The bodhisattva Khunu Lama later explained to me that it was acceptable not to follow that person, but important not to criticize, to keep the mind in equanimity regarding him.

It is said in the tantric teachings, “If one thinks one’s own guru is bad-tempered, one will be reborn in the hell realms for 60 eons.” If one does not cultivate devotion after one has made a Dharma connection—which means having received teachings with the recognition of guru and disciple—then it is said in the teachings that one will be reborn as a dog one hundred times, and then be reborn in a lower caste—or, as His Holiness Zong Rinpoche mentioned, as a scorpion. This applies even if there are no negative thoughts arising toward the guru, such as heresy or anger, but one still does not develop devotion and follow the teacher after listening to even just one stanza, even if one no longer regards that teacher as one’s guru or forgets one ’s guru-disciple relation.

The conclusion is that both ways of looking at the situation with the guru are correct, because there is a purpose to both: that is, to benefit others. These ways of thinking are what protect our mind from the heaviest karma.

[url]https://www.lamayeshe.com/advice/dorje-shugden-practice[url]

This is a very powerful message from Lama Zopa to everyone. It shed so much light on Lama Zopa's thinking and his stance on Dorje Shugden practice. From this message, I can see that he is a real and true lama. His way of explaining the Dorje Shugden issue and why their centres and Kopan monastery is stopping the practice is very skillful.

He did not say he is giving up the practice himself and he stressed that the lineage masters are not wrong and Dorje Shugden is not evil. He just said that they stop the practice because they want to support His Holiness the Dalai Lama which everyone wants to hear. He is winning on both sides of the argument.

Lama Zopa also dedicated 1 paragraph to defend Dorje Shugden when he talked about Dorje Shugden is Lama Yeshe's main protector and the success of Lama Yeshe is attributed to Dorje Shugden. Hence, he is saying Dorje Shugden is a genuine protector that helps to spread Buddhism and even Lama Yeshe personally relied on him for so many years.

After reading this, I think Lama Zopa did not give up Dorje Shugden practice and that is why he is still so devoted to Lama Yeshe. He is practising it secretly and he only gave up the practice openly to support His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

[vajratruth]

Wisdom Publications aka FPMT are hypocrites. Their founding Lama Yeshe practiced Dorje Shugden his whole life. All their lineage lamas such as Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten (Switzerland), Pabongka Rinpoche all practiced Dorje Shugden. So when FPMT stopped practicing Shugden they went against all their lineage lamas. They are saying all their lineage lamas are wrong.

Now here they are publishing books by their lineage lamas they have already invalidated. So it must be for pure profit. Too bad. Everything is about money. Things were better when Lama Yeshe was running FPMT for sure. Many older students left when FPMT gave up Dorje Shugden. They betrayed their lineage lamas.

They are indeed hypocrites, they invalidated their lineage lamas but at the same time they are publishing and selling the books of these lamas! I guess if they don't sell these books, they will not have anything to sell. Their Dharma centers will become empty.

Since they want to follow the instructions of the Dalai Lama, why don't they just take away everything related to Lama Yeshe and just put the Dalai Lama's statues and photos in their centers? Lama Zopa should pay respect and show devotion to the Dalai Lama since he wants to be on the Dalai Lama's side. But why is he still paying so much respect to Lama Yeshe?

Lama Zopa clearly understands what guru devotion is, why is his action the opposite of what he preaches? His behaviour is very confusing. Is there some inside story that we don't know? Whatever it is, I am not very impressed with what FPMT is doing.

The reality is, without Pabongka Dechen Nyinpo and Trijang Dorje Chang, FPMT and Kopan are nothing. They will simply be a hollow organisation without a lineage. Hence, on the one hand they collude with CTA to demonise Dorje Shugden but they cannot ignore the Gelug greats who depend on Dorje Shugden and regarded the deity as Manjushri.

On the upside, selling books about Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche is spreading their name, and their teachings which ultimately covers propitiation of Dorje Shugden.

I think if Dorje Shugden lamas like Tsem Tulku and others continue to teach and spread the truth and this site continues to carry news about about Dorje Shugden, then the more the name of Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche spread the more people will come to know the truth about Dorje Shugden. It is not so easy for a few money driven people to out-think karma and also Manjushri.

[Alex]

I really do wonder what they teaching in FPMT. How can they not know the importance of lineage and the blessings of the lineage gurus? They should know that once their samaya with their guru is broken. There will be no blessings in whatever spiritual activity that they engage in. Having a clean and pure samaya with one's guru is fundamental for Tibetan Buddhism.

Now that they have given up the practice of Dorje Shugden, they had broken their samaya with Lama Yeshe who is the founder of FPMT. Lama Yeshe is a famous Dorje Shugden practitioner who was a devout Dorje Shugden lama up until the moment where he drew his last breath. He said many times that he owes the success of FPMT to Dorje Shugden.

Hence, it is very odd for FPMT to give up the very Dharma Protector who made the centre possible in the first place. They are trying to be politically correct so that they will not lose out the benefits of being in the same side with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They have made a grave mistake for abandoning Dorje Shugden practice as the negative karma of breaking their samaya with Lama Yeshe is extremely heavy. It is obvious that the negative karma had started to manifest itself because Lama Yeshe's current reincarnation is not interesting in Dharma or life of an ordained. He is more comfortable in the secular world and he is drifting further and further away from FPMT. This is the direct effect of a broken samaya.

[Drolma]

This is really something I don't understand. The anti-Shugden people are very firm in not wanting to have anything to do with Dorje Shugden followers. They don't want to befriend with Dorje Shugden followers, they refuse to talk to them and they always abuse Dorje Shugden followers verbally sometimes physically. But yet they are studying the texts written by very devoted Dorje Shugden Lamas.

The text Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is the result of Pabongka Rinpoche's teaching in Lhasa. This book is widely used by the Gelugpas all around the world. If the anti-Shugden people think Dorje Shugden followers are demon worshippers, why are they studying the text written by Pabongka Rinpoche who was a very devoted Dorje Shugden practitioner?  In the monastery, they are still studying the text written by Panchen Sonam Drakpa who was one of the incarnations of Dorje Shugden.

What these anti-Shugden people are doing does not make sense. On the one hand, they say Dorje Shugden followers are demon worshipper so they are impure. But on the other hand, they are studying the text written by Dorje Shugden Lamas. Won't that make them impure too?

[Alex]

The Wisdom publications is a publication that is anti-Shugden. It is supporting of banishing Dorje Shugden practitioners and they are connected to FPMT who is a group who originally does Dorje Shugden practice but gave up to be aligned with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is fine for them to choose their stand on the Dorje Shugden issue but it is not okay for them to be selective about it.

Since they believe Dorje Shugden is a demon then whoever that is practicing him will be a demon worshipper. Then why are they still publishing books of Lamas that is great Dorje Shugden practitioners? Why are they still selling books that are connected to Dorje Shugden lamas? Those teachings will be regarded as demon worshipping teachings and it is unfit to be taught to the public.

Books such as Lamrim, Liberation in the palm of your hand by Pabongkha Rinpoche will need to be taken off the shelves. However, they are still selling the book and still spreading the teachings from a Dorje Shugden lama. They are being hypocritical here which is not okay. They are exploiting Dorje Shugden lama's work while persecuting the lineage and practice just for profit.

[Tracy]

Not just the Wisdom Publication, all of them who are against Dorje Shugden practice are hypocrites! They have a double standard just like the CTA. These people don't have the principle, they want to have an easy life, they change their stance in order to be on the favourable side.

Let's look at the monasteries. Sera, Drepung and Gaden in India were built by Dorje Shugden lamas. The money to rebuild the monasteries were raised by the Dorje Shugden lamas. These lamas include Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, Gangchen Rinpoche, Geshe Lobsang Tharchin and many more. If Dorje Shugden practitioners are polluting the pure Dharma, why do these monasteries still want to use the facilities built by these lamas? They should make themselves clean by not using anything sponsored by the Dorje Shugden lamas!

The CTA claimed Dorje Shugden practitioners will take rebirth in hell but why is the Dalai Lama and the CTA recognising Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, Domo Geshe Rinpoche and many other Dorje Shugden lamas? Didn't the CTA say they will take rebirth in hell? Is this a double standard or the CTA is lying to us? The CTA is full of lies and they cannot be trusted.

[Tracy]

This is really something I don't understand. The anti-Shugden people are very firm in not wanting to have anything to do with Dorje Shugden followers. They don't want to befriend with Dorje Shugden followers, they refuse to talk to them and they always abuse Dorje Shugden followers verbally sometimes physically. But yet they are studying the texts written by very devoted Dorje Shugden Lamas.

The text Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is the result of Pabongka Rinpoche's teaching in Lhasa. This book is widely used by the Gelugpas all around the world. If the anti-Shugden people think Dorje Shugden followers are demon worshippers, why are they studying the text written by Pabongka Rinpoche who was a very devoted Dorje Shugden practitioner?  In the monastery, they are still studying the text written by Panchen Sonam Drakpa who was one of the incarnations of Dorje Shugden.

What these anti-Shugden people are doing does not make sense. On the one hand, they say Dorje Shugden followers are demon worshipper so they are impure. But on the other hand, they are studying the text written by Dorje Shugden Lamas. Won't that make them impure too?

This is hard to believe, isn't it? Debate is one of the subjects in the monastery the monks have to  do. Through debate, they learn to analylse things with logic and they have to provide supporting points to what they say. However, when it comes to the Dorje Shugden controversy, all of a sudden, they are not logical anymore. They don't apply what they learn in debate to look at the issue. What is the point to learn to debate then if they cannot apply it in life?