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When it comes to the Dorje Shugden conflict, few names have become more synonymous with the struggle for the Tibetan people to regain their rights to practice their beliefs than Adar Tsering. A familiar Tibetan face at the protests organized by the International Shugden Community, he has done much to bring world attention to the woes of Shugden worshippers and the fight against an unjust religious ban.
Adar Tsering is the General Secretary of the North America Gelug Buddhist Association (NAGBA), which consists of Tibetan monks and laypersons who are concerned about the erosion of the purity of Je Tsongkapa’s lineage which the Dorje Shugden practice became a casualty of. It is a position that Adar Tsering has had considerable experience in, having held similar positions in Dorje Shugden Societies in North India and Nepal, where persecution of Shugden followers is rife.
In his post as General Secretary of NAGBA, Adar Tsering has labored for the cause, not only through participation in the peaceful demonstrations against the Dalai Lama’s ban on Dorje Shugden, but also via NAGBA initiatives such as Tibetan Public Talk (TPT) which aims to educate Americans, Tibetans as well as the world public about the gross breach of human rights that the Central Tibetan Administration has hidden from the world.
The Dorje Shugden ban has created much suffering and perhaps Adar Tsering’s tireless drive is borne out of a desire to relieve others of adversities that the CTA-sponsored conflict has inflicted upon him personally. Previously a monk of Sera Mey’s Pomra Khangtsen, which was forced to become what is now Serpom Monastery, Adar Tsering is familiar with what Dorje Shugden monks have to endure.
Despite having left the sangha community, he could not escape the long shadows of the CTA’s persecution and propaganda campaigns against Shugden practitioners, and became the victim of a broken family torn apart by split loyalties. Adar Tsering is also a constant target for death threats and abuse by anti-Dorje Shugden groups, even appearing on the CTA’s hit list, but remains unfazed in his mission to end the unholy conflict.
DorjeShugden.com recently had the pleasure of speaking with Adar Tsering to get his views.
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Michael J
July 16, 2015
Thank the Buddha we have kind and persistent Dorje Shugden practitioners like Adar Tsering, Kelsang Rabten, Kelsang Ananda etc who are steadfast in pursuing all matters to bring down the Ban of Dorje Shugden.
Similarly we are so blessed to have the reincarnations of Boddhisattvas like Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche, Ganchen Rinpoche and Tsem Rinpoche who take rebirth in samsara to continue to spread the Dharma through Dorje Shugden to benefit all beings !!
Anonymous
July 19, 2015
I know this guy for long time, he is just lazy guy, who does not want to work, thats why he joint Chinese government to get easy money. There are thousands prove what he is doing. He doesn’t care the practice of Shugden, i wonder how far someone can go that far just for Money, hope one day he will realize n be a hard working human being. I just pray n hope. You have to think your actions before you go to bed. We all believe in karma.
Yonten
August 4, 2015
Adar Tsering a Tibetan clown,only Chinese government takes him seriously,let me think of this website!
Eli Buchen
August 23, 2015
@Anonymous @Yonten Oh yes the we make money from Chinese Government drivel again. Yeah bank accounts please show evidence of China Government, banking in money into prominent Dorje Shudgen people.
Anonymous
September 18, 2015
Not all you good people get money from China, they used you to become part of them, ask to himself how he often go to Nepal n collect money? You will know very details if he speaks truth. Yes you are right there is no bank account to show you but, i am not againts anyone but if someone manipulate innocent people for their own gain then how can we close our eyes n support them.
SabrinaS
June 6, 2016
@Anonymous, what you may or may not believe of Adar Tsering, I am glad that he is steadfast in helping to lift the ban on Dorje Shugden. The ban itself is very wrong and as practitioners, we know of the benefits of his practice. All the reasons given for the ban are unjustifiable and easily debunked. The only slogan that the Anti-Shugden uses is that Shugden practitioners are Chinese’s dogs and that we are paid by the Chinese. They use vulgarity and threats against anyone writing about the truth.
Wake up! We Shugden practitioners are fighting for our rights for religious freedom and to keep our pure lineage of Lama Tsongkapa intact for future practitioners. In these days and age, so much suffering is already going on and as more people become entrenched in the stress of secular activities, all the more the lineage have to be preserved to help them find that peace within. The Anti-Shugdens are not only wrongfully demonising an enlightened Protector, they are actually attacking the lineage Gurus and their attainments. How degenerate the Anti-Shugdens had become to be able to disparage enlighten minds of the Gurus. Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings are no longer held to be of value.
Whether Adar Tsering is or not receiving payments from the Chinese government (which we only have your word for this accusation), he is much to be admired for being part of the people who brought the issue of the unfair ban to the world’s attention. Besides, if CTA had not imposed the ban to gain political mileage, then there won’t be anything for the Chinese Government to support, right?
Lhakpa Dhendup
August 11, 2018
What will the all the people around the world and in Tibet do now? Dalai Lama says he is happy that Tibet is a part of China and should remain a part of China. So many Tibetans self-immolated for Tibet to be independent and now Dalai Lama did a 360 degree turn and says he wants to go back to Tibet and China and Tibet should be a part of China. So unbelievable. So many are angry and disappointed.
Dalai Lama should set things right
August 12, 2018
Dear Dalai Lama,
Since you started the cruel ban against the 350 year Dorje Shugden practice, how has it benefit your Tibetan society and Buddhism in the world? Things have become worse and most educated Tibetans can see this. They don’t speak out not because they don’t see your ban as wrong, but you instill fear in them and not respect. It is like fear of a dictator. I am sorry to say so. Everyone is divided. There is no harmony. Before your ban there was more harmony and unity.
By enacting the ban, you split the monasteries, split so many families, split regions in Tibet apart, split your disciples from you, split your own gurus from you, split Tibetan Buddhism apart. You have created so much disharmony.
It is not democratic what you have done to ban a religion within your community. You always talk of tolerance and acceptance and democracy and yet you do not accept and tolerate something different from your beliefs. When people practice Dorje Shugden you ostracize them, ban them from seeing you, ban them from using Tibetan facilities. You know you have done that. There are videos that capture your speech and prove this point. You even had people expelled from monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. Some of the monks you expelled have been in the monastery for over 40 years. Many older monks shed tears because of this.
Many young educated Tibetans lost confidence in you as they saw the damage the Dorje Shugden ban created and they lose hope. Many have become free thinkers. They reject what you have done. So many people in the west left Buddhism because of the confusion you created with this ban against Dorje Shugden which is immoral.
You could of had millions of people who practice Dorje Shugden to support, love and follow you, but you scared them away. They are hurt and very disappointed. They loved you and respected you deeply before the ban. It has been 60 years and you have failed to get Tibet back. Your biggest failure is not getting Tibet back after 57 years in exile. Now you are begging China to allow you to return to Tibet to the disappointment of thousands of people who fought for a free Tibet believing in you. So many self-immolated for a free Tibet and now you want Tibet to be a part of China with no referendum from Tibetans. Just like a dictator, you decide on your own. It was your government and you that lost Tibet in the first place. Your policies and style of doing things do not benefit Tibet and Buddhism. You have been the sole ruler of Tibet your whole life and you still have not gotten our country of Tibet back for us. Our families and us are separated. Yet you create more pain by creating a ban to further divide people. Please have compassion.
No other Buddhist leader has banned or condemned any religion except for you. It looks very bad. You are a Nobel laureate and this is not fitting of a laureate. You should unite people and not separate them by religious differences.
You said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi did not do right to the Rohingya people in Myanmar due to religious differences, but you are doing the same thing to the Shugden Buddhists within your own society. There is a parallel in this. You separate the Shugden Buddhists from the others in Tibetan society.
You have lost so many people who would have loved and supported you. You have lost so much support around the world. The Shugden Buddhists who love you number in the millions. When you are fast losing support from governments and private people, it will not do you well to lose more.
After you are passed away in the future, the rift you created between the Dorje Shugden and non-Dorje Shugden people will remain for a while and that will be your legacy. Disharmony. You will be remembered for this. Not as a hero but a disharmony creator.
Dorje Shugden will spread and further grow, but you will be no more as you are a human. No one wishes you bad and in fact we hope you have a long and healthy life, but we have lost so much hope and have so much despair because of you. All the hundreds of Dorje Shugden lamas, tulkus and geshes are maturing and there are hundreds of Dorje Shugden monasteries in Tibet who will not give up Dorje Shugden. You have made a mistake. These hundreds of teachers and teachers to be will spread Dorje Shugden further in the future.
The gurus that gave us Dorje Shugden as a spiritual practice and you have called these holy gurus wrong and they are mistaken in giving us Dorje Shugden. How can you insult our gurus whom we respect so much? If they can be wrong, then you can be wrong. Then all gurus can be wrong. So no one needs to listen to any guru? You have created this trend. It is not healthy. Your own gurus practiced Dorje Shugden their whole lives. Your own gurus were exemplary and highly learned.
Dalai Lama you have created so much pain with this ban against so many people due to religion. You are ageing fast. Are you going to do anything about it or stay stubborn, hard and un-moving. You show a smile and preach peace and harmony wherever you go. But will you do the same to your own people? Please rectify the wrong you have done. Please before it is too late. You can create harmony again or you can pass away in the future with this legacy of peace. May you live long and think carefully and admit what was a mistake in having this unethical ban against Dorje Shugden religion.