Death of the 13th Dalai Lama

The 13th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Thupten Gyatso Jigdral Chokley Namgyal

Until today, no one is willing to speak the truth about who is responsible of the death of the 13th Dalai Lama. It was an uncalled for incident which blindsided a nation, who was at that time fighting a war for independence and stability. Sir Charles Bell, in his book “Portrait of the Dalai Lama”, wrote explicitly about how the Nechung oracle intervened when the 13th Dalai Lama was afflicted with a very strange sickness.

Quoting from the book:
It appeared that the Precious Protector had gone to the Field on the last day of the tenth Tibetan month, corresponding with the middle of December. The day of the week was Sunday. According to Tibetan ideas, if a man dies on a Sunday or a Tuesday, it is an evil omen. People say, “He died on a stormy day”.

Bell relates certain stories which were circulating around Lhasa at that time, about the cause of the sudden sickness. Perhaps these stories were more than just rumors, as Bell recounts his visit to Tibet approximately seven months later.

Of note was Bell’s visit with the son of a steward, who was working in close proximity with the Dalai Lama during the last two years of his life. Bell writes a detailed account of the story, describing how the 13th Dalai Lama’s sickness began with a small cough on the first day, and yet by the second evening, the Dalai Lama had skipped his usual soup, which resulted in a summoning of the servants.

Bell continues:

“At about 11 p.m. the Precious Protector (the 13th Dalai Lama) ordered the medium of the Oracle of Nechung, whom Kunpel La had hastily summoned, to worship the goddess, name Palhajok, whose image is in the Temple in Lhasa. The medium had come at once in a great hurry; he had not even stopped to put on his robes before coming.

The same night, between 1 and 2 a.m., the medium gave the Precious Protector some medicine in the form of a powder. When the medium came out, Champa La, the Presence’s regular doctor, said to the medium,

You have made a mistake in the medicine (Men di norra nangzha).

So soon after this the medium gave the Presence another powder in accordance with what Champa La prescribed. During all this time the Presence uttered no word.

Then, on the next day in the evening, he passed away. In addition to Sir Charles Bell’s biography, Melvin Goldstein’s History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951 also covers this matter, followed by a more detailed analysis of preceding and subsequent events (from page 141):

On this occasion, the Nechung oracle said that the Dalai Lama should take a medicine known as “the seventeen heroes for subduing colds” (chamjom pawo chupdun) and himself prepared the medicine in a cup with water. Most respondents report that the Dalai Lama refused the dose and that the state oracle had literally to pour it into his mouth. The Dalai Lama’s condition immediately deteriorated, and by noon he was unconscious. He never said another word.

We can see clearly how the wrong medicine was the cause of the Dalai Lama’s death, and it can be traced back to the Nechung oracle. There is written proof of this and until today the Central Tibetan Administration (the CTA, previouly the Tibetan Government in Exile) did nothing to shed light on this matter.

If the Dalai Lama claims that Dorje Shugden is a spirit capable of harming his life, what about Nechung who directly and blatantly took his previous incarnation’s life away by giving him the wrong medicine? And even if naysayers wish to debate on whether the medicine was correct or not, the fact is, people witnessed the cause of the Dalai Lama’s death, yet persecute another deity for a similar crime that he did not commit.

The disparity and unfairness of the Dorje Shugden ban is clear. The deity who brought real harm to the Dalai Lama (one could even go as far as to call him a murderer) continues to be allowed in the Dalai Lama’s presence in Dharamsala. And in contrast, the CTA denounce the practice of Dorje Shugden, saying that he is an evil spirit who brings the leader, the country and the Tibetan Buddhist religion down. What sort of logical mind would do that?

We’d like to point out the fact that the CTA have never thought things through in detail or with logic. Their incompetent way of ruling the Tibetan community in exile has resulted in their being reduced to just a small administrative office, incapable of doing anything on an international scale without riding on the Dalai Lama’s coattails, let alone take care of his welfare.

We see clearly how incapable the CTA are, whose eyes are so shrouded by ignorance and greed for power that they would even overlook the health and well-being of their leader. If nothing changes, the CTA’s track record will cause the death of their country, their leaders, and their hope for a Free Tibet, not because of Dorje Shugden or any other outer causes, but through their greed and ignorance.

The book, Portrait of the Dalai Lama by Charles Bell