There is trouble in paradise as HH Dalai Lama and Lobsang Sangay argue over Tibetan succession, evidence of deep rifts within the Tibetan community
The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to [email protected].
By: Ashok Rao
An explosive article authored by Rajeev Sharma and published on SouthAsianMonitor.com has revealed a shocking and deep rift between the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The two leaders, one secular and one religious respectively, are supposed to be leading the Tibetan people’s cause in a united front. But as Rajeev Sharma exposes, there is nothing but turbulence within the upper echelon of Tibetan politics.
The spat which has sparked huge debate as to the tattered state of Tibetan politics centers around Lobsang Sangay’s cancellation of the 13th Religious Conference of the Schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition, which was scheduled to take place between November 29 to December 1 this year. What is shocking however is that he did so when the Dalai Lama was flying back from Japan, knowing full well that the Dalai Lama could not have stopped the cancellation of such a momentous conference. But the intrigue does not stop there. The Dalai Lama is said to have responded to Lobsang Sangay with a heated telephone conversation, a tirade full of expletives towards the duplicitous President. Throw into the mix the issue of the Dalai Lama’s succession and his possible return to China (a point which Lobsang Sangay is trying to take credit for) and you have all the ingredients for a huge explosion which could very well tear the fabric of Tibetan society in half.
One may label Rajeev Sharma as a sensationalist, but his credentials as an investigative journalist are more than sound. The Delhi-based journalist and author is a writer for The Diplomat and has been writing on international relations, foreign policy, strategic affairs, security and terrorism for over two decades. For someone of his character to publish such an article belies the fact that something is very wrong. The whole situation raises a number of interesting thoughts surrounding the current state of affairs of Tibetan politics:
- The Dalai Lama was angry and shouted expletives at Lobsang Sangay. Everyone knows that the Dalai Lama is in full control. He claims that he is retired from politics but this is just what the West wants to hear. When the West hear this, they keep funding his activities. It looks good to the West that he voluntarily gave up political power because it makes him look progressive. But the truth is that the Dalai Lama controls everything behind the scenes and if you don’t agree with this decisions or go against his will, he will be furious. Every Tibetan knows this very well, and Lobsang Sangay even more so since he got an ear-full after he cancelled the conference.
- The article mentions that the Dalai Lama’s cancer is terminal. Since the secret is out, why is the Dalai Lama himself trying to cover up this point. Who knows? What is the problem if people know he has cancer? And why are the CTA trying to play it down?
- The Dalai Lama will not let anyone else dictate who his successor will be. The decision will be on his terms only. Lobsang Sangay tried, but Tibetan society is not real democracy in practice. All Tibetans know that the Dalai Lama is the Lama-King. He is the only one who has full power and control over Tibetan society and no one may contradict him. The face he shows to the West, one that is soft, friendly, diplomatic, easy-going and democratic is just a facade. The face the Dalai Lama shows his own people is completely different. It is fierce and angersome. He is in charge and must be obeyed. That is the reality of the situation. While the West may not realise it, Tibetans know all too well that the Dalai Lama controls everything, including politics. People are not happy with this situation but dare not speak up, since democracy within Tibetan society in-exile doesn’t actually exist.
The CTA have since tried to counter the startling allegations made in Rajeev Sharma’s piece by publishing a statement to clarify the series of events on their own website (Important Clarification from Central Tibetan Administration, https://tibet.net/2018/12/important-clarification-from-central-tibetan-administration/). However, the damage to Tibetan politics has already been done. They simply state that Rajeev Sharma is lying, but give no evidence or outline their own arguments to counter Sharma who has been writing for two decades and has established a name for himself as being trust-worthy and accurate. With such a background, it is hard to refute what he wrote about Lobsang Sangay’s deceptive actions and the CTA’s state of affairs as being false.
Dharamsala is a scenic hill-station in Himachal Pradesh, one of India’s northern states. It is also the de facto capital of the Tibetans in-Exile, since it is where both the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration reside. This satirical political cartoon sums up the situation well. There is always some sort of drama, problem, corruption or mismanagement among the Tibetan leadership. Click to enlarge. Credits: cartoon by Tendor. Source: http://www.tibetanreview.net/weekly-cartoon-4/
It is obvious that Sharma has exposed the CTA more than they cared to be and it hurts. He has embarrassed the CTA and Lobsang Sangay, so they respond in the only way they know how, by condemning and punishing him by calling him a liar. This punishment tactic is an all too common occurance within the Tibetan community, which people like Dorje Shugden practitioners are well aware of. This group of people are condemned, ostracized and punished like Sharma, only to a far greater degree.
Rajeev Sharma tells the situation like it really is, breaking that mirage the Dalai Lama likes to keep people under. Finally the truth is coming out. The CTA is a regime in every sense of the word that depends on the hundreds of millions of free dollars it has been leeching from the West, Japan, Australia and so on. It exists on free money. It is not a good government and has failed all negotiations with China due to the arrogance of its leaders. Why arrogance? Because they think the world will force China to do what the Tibetan leaders want. They really do have an over-inflated sense of self-entitlement.
The Tibetans are at the top of no one’s agenda and they are facing China, an economic and military super power. China will never kowtow to Tibetan demands. Why would they when they have the upper hand? It is the Tibetans who must beg China to be friends and grovel for concessions if at all possible. In recent years, no country has ever dared stand up to USA, but China has. Year by year, China’s power grows and that is why countries all over the world are scrambling to be friends with China, inevitably saying goodbye to their support for the Tibetan cause. The Tibetan cause is something of the past. There are no economic or major political benefits to support the cause anymore. It’s dying, so it’s time to move on.
These days every country elects in leaders that can better their country’s economy. People want leaders who can improve their lives and end the misery caused by the global recession. There is no choice, every country has to do business, trade and side with China to improve their economy. If you side with the Dalai Lama and CTA, what do you get? Nothing! Leaders of countries realize this now and will continue to make friends with China and say goodbye to the Dalai Lama. On a personal level, the Dalai Lama may be rich and famous, he may even sell a lot of books, but that will not get the Tibetan’s their country back. That will not win the support of leaders of the free and democratic world, nor the support of other nations. China no longer wants to play ball with the Tibetans since the Tibetans have nothing to offer. The odds are now in China’s favor, especially since, thanks to Lobsang Sangay and the Dalai Lama, Tibetan politics seem to be in a downward tailspin leading to disaster.
Differences between Dalai Lama and CTA President put Tibetan politics in a tailspin
Click to enlarge and read the whole article. Source: http://southasianmonitor.com/2018/11/27/differences-between-dalai-lama-and-cta-president-put-tibetan-politics-in-a-tailspin/
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Thaimonk
December 7, 2018
According to the international current affairs magazine ‘The Diplomat’, Rajeev Sharma who is a New Delhi-based journalist-author has been writing on international relations, foreign policy, strategic affairs, security and terrorism for over two decades. He has published seven books so far, five of them non-fiction, two fiction. He is one of the writers of The Diplomat. He is established.
If CTA really wants to refute Rajeev Sharma’s writing, they should at least gather more solid evidence and arguments to counter back someone who has been writing for two decades and established his name. One leader’s demise which is the Nyingma head can make a conference involving so many leaders from all the Tibetan Buddhism schools cancel? Sounds suspicious. More ridiculous is it was postponed indefinitely. The key is that it’s postponed indefinitely. If it was cancel to respect the dead Nyingma head, they should have immediatly reset the date. But they didn’t.
This is not some international event or external big occurrence such as a war has broke out between India and China or any internal war taking place within India, or any natural disaster happening that makes the whole conference have to be cancelled without a proposed date to commence again be given.
It could be that what the writer has exposed is actually what has happened. It hurts. It embarrassed CTA and Lobsang Sangay so much, and CTA is using their usual way to “punish” and condemn those who are not buying their lies, not listen to their orders, just like how they has targeted Shugden people. CTA has to immediately condems Rajeev Sharma’s article. How can such a senior and respected writer be so negligent. I don’t think he was negligent but told the truth. The dirty truth about CTA.
Too bad for CTA.
Thaimonk
December 7, 2018
Lobsang Sangay is the worst ‘leader’ the Tibetan exiles have ever had. ☹️Since he was ‘voted’ into his position, he has done nothing for the Tibetans in and out of Tibet. People know this now. China is no close to bargaining with Lobsang Sangay or the Dalai Lama because China has all the power. Dalai Lama being the power from the throne in his small exile world of Tibetans will not tolerate Lobsang Sangay doing things behind his back as Lobsang Sangay did recently again. Dalai Lama expects to approve of all decisions in the exile government. If not, Dalai Lama will be furious and will show it privately also to his own people. There is no democracy.💔
Kelsang
December 7, 2018
There are just alot of drama coming from our Sikyong Mr Lobsang Sangay. Did he really think that he is the head of CTA now? He is so naive to believe that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will let go of the power and go behind the scene? I guess now he learnt his lesson. I guess he had it coming when he decided to cancel the event without His Holiness’s agreement.
From this incident, we can see that Mr Lobsang is now not in the same boat as His Holiness the Dalai Lama anymore. He is not supporting what His Holiness is working for Tibet which is Umaylam. He has been going around the world taking bad about China. His effort is not helping His Holiness and the fact he is delaying Tibetans’ return to Tibet.
Why is Mr Lobsang Sangay is doing this? He does not wish for Tibetan’s return to Tibet? He must have a hidden agenda for doing so. Perhaps he is afraid to go back to Tibet under China because China will not allow CTA to be in China anyhow. That means no more free money from western countries anymore.
David
December 7, 2018
This article is fake News.
Lobsang Sangay and all the CTA members are just PUPPETS.
Libsang Sangay’s money to study in US was provided by Dalai Lama
to guarantee a seat at Harvard. He won’t dare to go against Dalai Lama.
Secondly, Dalai Lama still uses ORACLE to control CTA.
CTA is Dalai Lama. And run by his family members.
THEOCRACY in disguise. Don’t think you can fool us. 😜
Anonymous
December 7, 2018
Tracy
December 7, 2018
Now Lobsang Sangay is showing his true colour, he openly goes against the Dalai Lama. He claims he is loyal to the Dalai Lama but he is not. The Middle Way approach is all over the CTA website, but Lobsang Sangay is still supporting the Free Tibet movement and activists, so what does he really want? It is very obvious he doesn’t agree with what the Dalai Lama wants.
Lobsang Sangay as the president of the Tibetans in exile has not done anything good for the Tibetans. He is busy making use of his position to gain personal interest. He has got himself some properties in the US and a foreign, while the Tibetans in exile are still stateless and are still refugees.
Lobsang Sangay and the CTA accuse Dorje Shugden followers are against the Dalai Lama. Lobsang Sangay himself is also against the Dalai Lama! He doesn’t want the Middle Way Approach otherwise he won’t be still supporting the free Tibet movement and activists. To Lobsang Sangay, money is more important than anything else.
David
December 7, 2018
Tracy/Dolma C Kazoc
Nice try. But CTA is Dalai Lama. Behind it is run by his families.
LS and all the members are just puppets of Dalai Lama.
LS’s education was provided by Dalai Lama fund.
And guaranteed a seat at Harvard. If he was a student in US, he will
Only get into State public college/ free tuition. So he won’t go against
Dalai Lama. Because he is LS’s master.
Anyway, Oracle is always there to get rid of anyone who against Dalai Lama. THEOCRACY in disguise. Fake democracy.
Tsering
December 7, 2018
Konchok sum.. Sangay is will lose . how can he win to Dalai Lama who is give to him the power .
SabrinaS
December 8, 2018
Hmm, it was mentioned that Lobsang Sangay wants the Karmapa to replace the Dalai Lama. So if the Dalai Lama were to go back to Tibet, then all the money follows the Dalai Lama. As we know, Lobsang Sangay is only all about the money and as such is targetting the Karmapa for his money?? Honestly speaking, what has Lobsang Sangay done for his people in all the years that he had been the President? Nothing much except to create more division in his people, wasting sponsored funds on propaganda instead of the welfare of his people, keeping his people in poverty for reasons to obtain donations, and always going against the Dalai Lama in his back, ie. the Rangzen movement vs. Middle Way approach, to negotiate with China but he instigate propaganda instead…. very Anti-Dalai Lama. Now we can see why. Lobsang Sangay is totally not into going back to Tibet. He is going to USA where he has his house and retirement fund secured. Definitely not one to be trusted at all.
Drolma
December 8, 2018
The truth is Lobsang Sangay cares about the money, he does not have respect for anyone, not even the people who voted him in. He tries to give people the impression that he is loyal to the Dalai Lama but he is not. He always does the opposite of what the Dalai Lama wants.
The Dalai Lama wants the middle way approach but the CTA and Lobsang Sangay are not taking the initiative to establish a better relationship with China. They are still talking about free Tibet and how China is inflicting pain and suffering to the Tibetans. They fail to see how much progress China has brought to Tibet since 1959.
There is no way the CTA or Lobsang Sangay will bow down to China, they are too arrogant. Besides, if China really accepts the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans, Lobsang Sangay and his gangs will lose their jobs! That is why Lobsang Sangay will make sure they don’t go back to Tibet.
Anonymous
December 9, 2018
NIce try Dolma c Kozac
Shalauddin
December 16, 2018
Eli Buchen
December 16, 2018
CTA rhetoric is ridiculous to blame an indian journalist as lying.
When things get too hot to handle, CTA loves to do things like this, their lies and deceptios have no place no place who have gotten to know about the underbelly of CTA.
tenzin
December 18, 2018
Tsk..tsk.. whether it’s CTA or HH it’s still the same. Nothing is done properly to ensure the Tibetans in exile to have hope of returning to tibet. Angering and mocking China will never help their situation. LS is nothing but a sneaky conman and liar. Puppet or not ever since he took power nothing good ever came from him leading CTA. Hh keeps saying he left politics yet he still dabble in it. DS ban has been going on for so long but he refuse to lift it knowing fully that there is NOTHING wrong with it. If he is truly Buddha of compassion perhaps he should heal the pain, discrimination and hatred that he caused DS people by lifting the ban.
Ryan Tashi
December 19, 2018
I hope Dalai Lama now realise the real plot of Lobsang Sangay or CTA using Dalai Lama to get money and trouble emerge when Dalai Lama wants to go back to China. This will mean the end of CTA for sure as there will be no more money left.
Geraldine Sarie
December 19, 2018
Whatever news that came right up, CTA will remaining same. LS will not make any changes in his administrations. CTA still corrupts, CTA still control, CTA still money hungers and sadly CTA still using DL. 😓
Belinda Mae
December 19, 2018
Based on the points given in this article, CTA is going down very soon. I think Karma is working its way to CTA and payback time for them to the Tibetans. May they find he solutions to deal with it.
Samayakeeper
December 19, 2018
Oh boy! This is juicy news! This Lobsang Sangay fella is a Tibetan jackass or rather a yak, flexing his muscles against the Tibetan Goliath, and always meddling in spiritual affairs that do not concern him. Let’s see what comes out of this.
Richard Tamlak
December 19, 2018
Dalai Lama, CTA, Lobsang Sangay, are all the same to us. Same corrupted, same money minded, whatever they do, they’re still looking for donation around the world. Well, it’s good to see that some internal news of theirs leak out, and that shows how long more CTA can “live”. Karma is always there.
Wangel
December 19, 2018
It seen like news about CTA is closing down soon, especially when H.H.Dalai Lama express himself want to go back China. Of course Lobsang Sangye disagree because his depand of Dalai Lama to get money from international. That is no loyalty to the holiness. Is about pure selfïshness to get money. Tibetan refegee and holiness become the tool for CTA to get money. The world has notice it long time about CTA what their doing.
Tianni
December 19, 2018
Tibetan in Exile in India hope is to be back to Tibet. The world knows that to be back to Tibet, the decision is on China. However Lonsang Sangay go round the world talk bad about China. He also wanted to show things in his control but reality show he is powerless, there is still a man control behind him that is the Tibet King Dalai Lama. Since both of them can’t work hand in hand, the victim will be the Tibetan. What both of their action will bring more suffering to Tibetan. Most important is do not use religion is the tools for surviving, it can’t help Tibetans but bring more suffering to Tibetans
Xi Man
December 19, 2018
I hope the H.H Dalai Lama & CTA can really act, being considerate & place the welfare of all Tibetans as their priority.
The biggest mistake of a ruler & politician is to only focus on one’s personal gain because people are the most precious property.
Tenzin K
December 20, 2018
Thank you so much for this article by Rajeev Sharma. Tibetan leadership has created so much suffering to their people and what they are more interested is their personal interest. More and more people speaking up to expose Tibetan leadership long time dictatorship and non-democracy act. Tibetan leadership should put more effort on the Chinese as the time is ticking and once His Holiness passed away what would be the faith of the Tibetan in exile?
Tibetan leadership should stop all the unnecessary ban but should unite all their people instead. They should be more matured and act as a real leader to look after their people’s welfare and put their people’s interest as their first priority.
Anonymous
December 22, 2018
Jing Jing
December 25, 2018
So now the left hand is slapping the right hand.. well don’t you think this a another opera show put up by HHDL and CTA which is his people again? What message they want to send out this time? Get attention from China? Show poor me to the west? Creating more disharmony, emotional among Tibetan, especially those in China? Well, are people still not learned?
Mountains
December 25, 2018
“What does Empress Cixi and the 14th Dalai Lama have in common?”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has a ‘method’ in his very powerful rule.
The Dalai Lama will always say it is not up to him and it’s up to his people. He gave up his power to the people. But it is not really up to his people. His people and his parliament must seek his approval for all decisions or carry out his will. If you ask his people do they want a 15th Dalai Lama after him, they have to say yes as the current one (14th) is watching them and you have to be politically correct to say yes. Who dares to say no? You don’t want to displease him. Who dares to say we want genuine democratically elected leaders. Remember, none of the Dalai Lamas were ever democratically elected (the penny drops). All the Dalai Lamas sit in power on the throne till the end of their lives.
Also how the next Dalai Lama will be found, the current Dalai Lama will definitely set the mechanics during his lifetime and then sit back and say, it’s the people who wanted it this way. It’s the people who wanted another Dalai Lama. Of course they have to say that. If they say they don’t want another Dalai Lama after this one, it is tantamount to treason. It will offend the current Dalai Lama and make him upset. In order for a stateless leader like himself to continue to get millions in aid for free as he has been for 60 years, he must appear democratic. How will he get money to support his vast expenditure of his lama court, if no free donations in the millions are given? So behind the scenes, Dalai Lama pulls all the strings but in front, he acts like he is doesn’t know anything and not involved and his elected leaders are running the show. Nothing can be further from the truth. Just like the last empress Cixi of China. She always enthrones little emperors handpicked by her from her royal family and extended families and controlled their power and ruled China from behind them as their regent during their adolescence. As a woman she could not be the emperor or ruler of all China, so she was clever and put young kids she chose from her royal families on the throne to be their regent and controlled them from behind the gauze curtain. She was suppose to hand power back to them when they reach the age of maturity to rule China, but she never did. She would place the young emperors on the throne during audiences and sit behind a curtain and dictate orders to the ministers in the name of the emperor as their regent. So in this way, she was acting in the name of the emperor (regent), but actually she was in full control. When time came to hand power over to the emperor, she would have them poisoned. Then place another new very young emperor on the throne. She did this for decades.
She was literally the power behind the throne. She could not be dethroned in this way yet she held all power. Like this, she ruled China till her death which was near impossible for any woman to do so. The last emperor Puyi she placed on the throne before the kingdom fell to civil war. (This spawned the movie by director Bernardo Bertolucci “The Last Emperor” and the emperor was played by John Lone.) When time came for the maturing emperors to take actual power from Dowager Cixi during her regencies, she would have them poisoned and install another young emperor and continue to be the regent. In this way, she stayed in power. She didn’t get a chance to poison Puyi because she passed away (rode the dragon to heaven) during his adolescence.
The other only female ‘emperor’ in Chinese history is We Xetian (Empress Wu). Another very incredibly intelligent woman who beat the men around her at their own game and ruled China as a woman.
The Dalai Lama started the Dorje Shugden ban. It came from him and only he can start it. But now he says, it is not him. Because it would make him look bad if he admits the ban came from him which it did. He claims everyone in the monasteries took a vote and they voted Dorje Shugden out. Ignorant western audiences wouldn’t know any better. They had no choice but to vote Dorje Shugden out or the abbots of the monasteries would be dishonorably discharged by the Dalai Lama himself. He places them in power and he can remove them. All Abbots of the great Gelug Monasteries are chosen by the Dalai Lama himself. He can remove them from power anytime, therefore the abbots are frightened of the Dalai Lama. Dalai Lama says he just advised to not practice Shugden, but his people, the abbots in charge, the monasteries took it to another step and outlawed Dorje Shugden and it’s the will of the people. So his ban on Shugden appears democratic. It was up to them. But it is not. He rules behind a ‘gauze’ curtain that he handed his power over to his personal ‘Puyi’ (Lobsang Sangay).
The Dalai Lama cannot show the world he is in full charge, because he would be seen as a dictator and therefore lose all free aid money which he and his government subsist on. Dalai Lama is behind the gauze and holds all power and Lobsang Sangay ‘Puyi’ is on the throne. Strangely similar to Empress Cixi. If Lobsang Sangay does things that does not please the Dalai Lama, you can bet your bottom dollar, he will be dethroned. Again, no Dalai Lama was ever democratically voted into a lifetime of power.
Photos-Empress Cixi of China.
Curious
December 26, 2018
Some say Lobsang Sangay wants the Dalai Lama to be back in Tibet, but I really doubt it. If the Dalai Lama is back to Tibet, Lobsang Sangay will lose his power and position in the CTA. Lobsang Sangay has to understand the person who really holds the commanding power is the Dalai Lama, not him.
Many sponsors donate to the Free Tibet movement because of Dalai Lama. Whose name and face do the activists use for their campaign? Lobsang Sangay or the Dalai Lama? Who is invited to go around the world to give talks to thousands and thousands of people? Lobsang Sangay or the Dalai Lama? So who can generate income? The answer is quite clear, it is the Dalai Lama!
What is in Lobsang Sangay’s mind? He does not get anything by going against the Dalai Lama, he is risking his own future. He can never replace the Dalai Lama. Without the Dalai Lama, the CTA or Lobsang Sangay will not be able to get so much financial support from the west. What game is Lobsang Sangay playing now?
Tsering Ngodup
December 29, 2018
‘Karmapa’ Ogyen Trinley no longer recognised by Indian govt as 17th Karmapa. Indian government is not happy he did not show respect to India for all the years he took refuge in India. He simply renounced his Indian protectorate papers and took a Dominican republic passport. He could have had the courtesy to let Indian government know beforehand and thank them.
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/67279793.cms?&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Alex
December 31, 2018
Just like the Empress Cixi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama rules behind the curtain. When His Holiness announced that he will be retiring and Lobsang Sangay will take over, it is a move where His Holiness will now move to the back of the curtain and Lobsang Sangay will be the puppet emperor for His Holiness. This is actually a very brilliant move. Recently, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been manifesting wrongdoings which resulted in the public’s anger and loss of faith in His Holiness.
Since Lobsang Sangay is the one in “power” now, all the blame will go to him and he will take the hit. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will still be the one calling the shots while all the blame will go to his puppet Emperor. No wonder Lobsang Sangay starts to rebel against His Holiness. I guess he is smart enough to know what is His Holiness is doing after all.
However, Lobsang Sangay forgot about his position and dare to challenge His Holiness. I guess His Holiness will replace him with another Sikyong who is more submissive just like how Empress Cixi remove his puppet emperor if they rebel against her. His Holiness’s influence and power are so strong that no one in Tibet can overthrow him. It is futile to go against His Holiness. I am amazed that Lobsang Sangay even dared to do it in the first place thinking that he is so smart.
Anonymous
January 2, 2019
Anonymous
January 2, 2019
😆
Sonam Choephel
January 3, 2019
As the so-called spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama strictly abstains from drinking alcohol in accordance to traditional monastic codes. However, it has recently been reported that the religious leader owns his own vineyard in Switzerland! Apparently, various celebrities, including the likes of Roger Moore, Sepp Blatter and Zinedine Zidane have all made trips to the vineyard. What will people say when they find out that a Buddhist monk, who promotes abstinence from alcohol, owns a vineyard that produces wine for sale? This is certainly not going to sit well with his image of a religious leader and member of the Buddhist monastic order.
http://video.dorjeshugden.com/comment-videos/comment-1546557813.mp4
Alex
January 10, 2019
Why is Lobsang Sangay still the president of Tibetan leadership after so many scandals and wrongdoings from him? He must have a super thick skin to feel that he is still qualified to be the president of Tibetan leadership. I wonder why fellow Tibetans still willing to follow the leadership of a man who involved in stealing money, womanising and also sexual abuse.
How can someone like him bring Tibetans to back to Tibet? How can Tibetans trust him that he can or will do the job? He is clearly all for himself and he has proven himself to be a useless president because there is no result after he has been elected as the president. Tibet is still under China now and there is no dialogue between Tibetan leadership and China.
While the Tibetans cause is still a failed cause, Lobsang Sangay has successfully paid off his mortgages and abused a few women. Everything that he achieves during his term as the president is negative and only for his own benefit. Now that he announced the Tibetan cause will be around for another 50 years, he is giving himself time to avoid the responsibility of fighting for Tibetan cause. He will probably be dead in 50 years and by that time, the new generation of Tibetan leadership will take over the mess that he left behind.
Jampa Youdon
January 10, 2019
Dear Tibetan government-in-exile (Dharamsala),
Sharmapa Rinpoche is the highest authority in the Karma Kagyu after Karmapa. By age-old tradition, Sharmapa is the one that confirms the real incarnation of Karmapa. He recognized Thaye Dorje as the genuine Karmapa. But Dalai Lama endorsed Orgyen Trinley as the real Karmapa. Dalai Lama is a great lama but there has never been a tradition of him recognizing a Karmapa.
Both ‘Karmapas’ have big followings in and out of Tibet. So which one should we follow? We have to follow the genuine Karmapa. If we follow the fake one, we will get fake teachings, fake lineage and no results. We can even take rebirth in the lower realms.
Only the Tibetan leaders can tell us which is the real Karmapa. You have told us which one is the real Panchen Lama. We follow the Panchen of your choosing. Since then we have condemned China and condemned the fake Panchen Lama. Now it is the same situation with Karmapa. We have denounced the fake Karmapa and ask him to step down. He is destroying the Karma Kagyu Lineage.
This issue has torn the Karma Kagyu sect in half. There are many who are so confused and some gave up Tibetan Buddhism altogether because of this. We must solve the confusion. This does not look good for the Tibetan government in exile because the confusion was started by Tibetan government. I support Dalai Lama and Tibetan government. But so many of us need to know the real Karmapa already. Don’t remain silent. Which one is the real Karmapa.
Tibetan government in exile, you have created two Gelugs (Pro-Dorje Shugden and against), you have created two Panchen Rinpoches, two Karmapas, two Dromo Geshe Rinpoches, two Kundeling Rinpoches and so on. When are you going to solve all the confusion. You are destroying Tibetan Buddhism.
Tracy
January 31, 2019
Lobsang Sangay has not brought any improvement to the CTA or the welfare of the Tibetans. The position of the CTA decreases day by day ever since Lobsang Sangay became the Sikyong. He is no longer called a prime minister but a president. He has been downgraded to a head of a union!
Lobsang Sangay works for nobody but money. He does not work for the Tibetans, he does not work for the Dalai Lama. He supports Rangzen because Rangzen group has the money, they are supported by the west to irk China, they have lots of funds. It will be stupid for Lobsang Sangay to go against them.
The Dalai Lama, on the other hand, cannot give Lobsang Sangay much benefit. He is older now so he cannot go on many world tours to make money for the CTA or Lobsang Sangay. Therefore, Lobsang Sangay will not reconcile with China, returning to China means Lobsang Sangay will lose his position and money, he will not do that! It is also not surprising that Lobsang Sangay and the Dalai Lama are not in agreement.
Carole McQuirre
February 1, 2019
I’ve been operating an online hate group on FB against the NKT. I use to be a part of that organization. I loved my guru Geshe Kelsang, but I didn’t like some of the underlings who ran the organization. I was there for over a decade and it was time for me to be given a position of a teacher and have the respect I felt I deserved. I didn’t get what I wanted and I felt angry and slighted. It reminded me of my abandonment issues I’ve had throughout my life. I’ve never belonged anywhere and people usually left me and I just couldn’t stand it. I got my personal emotional issues mixed up with my spiritual direction. I projected my personal issues onto my teacher and the organization and I have done that so many times in my life ruining good situations.
I left NKT and told whoever would listen to me who I was abused in NKT. I started a FB page to encourage other ‘victims’ to speak out against NKT. Being the vast organization that NKT is, it was not difficult to find other people who had left for one reason or another and had things to say against NKT. Our little group even got close to some of the events coordinators of the Dalai Lama and we were given a chance to take pictures with Dalai Lama which we promptly did. The photo with the Dalai Lama we thought gave us some validation towards our stance against NKT-but it backfired. It gave us a high to have a photo with the Dalai Lama but after a while we realized we can never be close to the Dalai Lama. We can never get the care and amount of teachings we use to get from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Being close to the Dalai Lama is like celebrity worship not so much as having a personal guru who is there for us.
I regret opening my FB page as it vented out my rage and it was the platform for many other people who had blame and anger issues to collect vast amounts of negative karma. We were never able to have any cases or legal suits against NKT with all of our bantering because there was nothing substantial or genuine in the so called abuses we claimed we received while in NKT. NKT continues to grow while the rest of us who left are nowhere in life. Nowhere in our spiritual practice and just living empty lives. For me I’ve gotten tired of the page I’ve started and FB and it’s a horrendous effort to go there to post things or read any comments. Barely anyone visits the page anyways these days. How much can people vent out their anger at someone or something which is not to blame in the first place?
I don’t have the courage to apologize to my teacher or rejoin NKT because I am a coward. I’ve always been a coward looking for the easy way out. But I am thinking about it. I realize my mistakes. I realized my mistakes which comes from me.
Drolma
February 3, 2019
The CTA always blame others for their failure, they never look at the root cause of the problem and try to solve it. What they discuss in the parliament are very petty things. As a democratic government, why are they so concerned about the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama? It should not even be a topic to be discussed.
The CTA should leave the religious issue to the monastery, separate themselves from the religion. Let the lamas do religious and spiritual work, they can be the advisers to the religious department but never get them involved in politics. When religion is mixed with politics, things get complicated and people will lose faith. Politicians can easily make use of religious issue to manipulate people if religion is to mixed with politics. The Dorje Shugden ban is a very good example.
Why the CTA is so concerned about the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama because things have not changed over the years. The CTA still does not have the commanding power to rule the Tibetans. The Tibetans listen to the high lamas more than their government. Therefore, in order to maintain their power, they have to have a high lama as their puppet.
Karma Kagyu School Does Not Need Dalai Lama
February 10, 2019
Karmapa Thaye Dorje Ignores the Dalai Lama
(1) Decades ago, the Shamarpa asked the Dalai Lama to endorse Thaye Dorje as the Karmapa. Shamarpa proved to the Dalai Lama that Thaye Dorje was the Karmapa. The Dalai Lama still refused as it will make the Dalai Lama look bad for endorsing Ogyen Trinley. ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJJXYAz3Bz0
It is known that Tai Situ Rinpoche recognized Ogyen Trinley by stealth. Tai Situ Rinpoche used the Dalai Lama’s fame to promote his Ogyen Trinley candidate in order to secure the Karmapa wealth of many generations.
(2) Even though the Dalai Lama endorsed Ogyen Trinley as Karmapa, Thaye Dorje could not be restrained and continues to grow immensely in popularity all over the world. Even without the Dalai Lama’s endorsement, the Karmapa Thaye Dorje is growing in importance. Tai Situ Rinpoche thought that without the Dalai Lama’s endorsement, the Karmapa Thaye Dorje would fall and become nothing. He was wrong.
(3) Shamarpa Rinpoche had asked the Dalai Lama to at least ordain Thaye Dorje as a monk when he was very young and the Dalai Lama refused. This refusal hurt Shamarpa and the Karmapa Thaye Dorje very much. The Dalai Lama sidelined Shamarpa Rinpoche and Thaye Dorje. It was a grievous insult and detrimental interference. In the Karma Kagyu tradition it is the Shamarpa who is the first and foremost to recognize the Karmapas and only in his absence do other regents recognize the Karmapas. Not only did the Dalai Lama interfere in Karma Kagyu affairs but the Dalai Lama took sides. That caused so much fighting and disharmony within the Karma Kagyu school of Buddhism. Tai Situ Rinpoche was wrong not to consult with Shamarpa Rinpoche in all of this.
(4) The Dalai Lama had no business interfering in Karma Kagyu traditions by recognizing a Karmapa. In the history of the Karma Kagyu school, there has not been one Karmapa recognized by a Dalai Lama nor did they ever need the Dalai Lama’s endorsement. This interference by the Dalai Lama has caused the Karma Kagyu school to take two sides and broke them up and created much disharmony. The disharmony, fighting and mud-slinging as to which one is the real Karmapa has continued to this day in 2019.
(5) Shamarpa Rinpoche passed away in 2014 and it is up to the Karmapa to recognize his incarnation without the endorsement or interference of the Dalai Lama.
(6) Now the Karmapa Thaye Dorje recognizes his son born in 2018 as Shamarpa Rinpoche’s incarnation and he does not ask the Dalai Lama to endorse this incarnation. He does not need it. The Dalai Lama has done enough damage. This will shift the dynamics of the Karma Kagyu school again in favor of the Shamarpa Rinpoche’s side. Unfortunately, it will make Ogyen Trinley look strange and left out in the cold. Within the Kagyu school, the Shamarpa is the next highest incarnation after the Karmapa. The Karmapas always recognized Shamarpas and vice versa. It shows that the Karmapa Thaye Dorje has the full authority to recognize the next highest incarnation within their school on his own. This Shamarpa will be spiritually trained by the Karmapa Thaye Dorje himself without the influence of the aged Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile which most Karma Kagyus consider a regime.
(7) During the Kagyu Monlam prayers in Bodhgaya on January 2019, Thaye Dorje was there leading the Monlam (New Year’s prayers) and so was the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya, giving teachings in another location nearby. The Dalai Lama, while in Bodhgaya, wanted to meet Thaye Dorje but Thaye Dorje refused. Thaye Dorje avoided the Dalai Lama. It was an insult to the Dalai Lama that he had to accept for all the damage he had done in their Karmapa affair and Karma Kagyu school.
The Dalai Lama had sidelined Shamarpa and Thaye Dorje when asked to endorse Thaye Dorje decades ago. Now that the Karmapa Ogyen Trinley has run away to the USA, the Dalai Lama wants to be friendly with Thaye Dorje so that he can get on the Karma Kagyu school’s good side. Without the Dalai Lama’s permission, the two Karmapas met in France and decided to mend the rift. This will make the Dalai Lama look bad. Even the Dalai Lama did not think in such a big way or a middle way to help mend the rift. Too bad and too late for the Dalai Lama to make friends with the Karma Kagyu school of Buddhism.
So much damage has been done. But the Karmapa Thaye Dorje is on the way to mending all this.
Karma Tsogyal
Rohit Sharma
February 22, 2019
Contemplate this:
Indian journalists sound desperate when they talk about terrorist attacks on India. As this article correctly states, there is little that India can do to address terrorism as they seem to operate from Pakistan. To deal with the terrorists, Indians will have to literally attack Pakistan which it cannot do.
Well, there is something India can do which is to stop Dharamsala’s terrorist activities against China being executed from Indian soil. The Tibetans have been attacking China for decades, yet they say they wish to return to Tibet. How do you return to a place you constantly criticize? The Dalai Lama is literally begging China to allow him to visit the Five Peaks of Manjushri pilgrimage site in China and also his birthplace in Amdo, Tibet. But if the Dalai Lama keeps criticizing China, why would they sit at the bargaining table with him? India allows for all of this to happen on Indian soil, so that would irritate China.
Yet India wants concessions from China on the terrorist issue. Meanwhile, Beijing equates Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed to India supporting the Dalai Lama against China for five decades now. Furthermore, India wants China to speak up against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Masood Azhar. But India does not speak up against Dalai Lama. Whether the world thinks the Dalai Lama is the good guy or not, he is a thorn in China’s side so anyone that supports him is not supporting China. Similar to the situation, LeT’s Hafiz Saeed and JeM’s Masood Azhar are a thorn in India’s side but they do not bother China and her allies, so why should China do anything about them? If India does something on the Dalai Lama, then it would be fair to ask China to do something about their support of Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Masood Azhar. Simple equation.
These reports are really bare-faced hypocrisy. It implies one nation is helpless against terrorists because the terrorists camp out in another country. But that did not stop the US from heavily bombing Iraq on the basis that it was harboring terrorists. The US did not hesitate to overthrow the government and murder its leader Saddam Hussein.
It is also very hypocritical that the same journalists who are outraged at China’s annexation of Tibet are quiet about Israel’s annexation of Palestine.
It is interesting to note that most terrorist attacks are aimed at the US and her allies. Everyone conveniently forgets that the US has been throwing their weight around for decades and can even determine which leader they want in other countries.
Back to India – if China can convince North Korea to have détente with the US, China can similarly help India with the JeM. India simply has to give up the Tibet card. The article is also a one-sided opinion piece because India faces as many terrorist threats from Bangladesh, with just as many terrorist camps, but because Bangladesh is not China, their involvement is not mentioned.
India is a great country. China and India as friends will be able to influence the globe literally economically and, eventually, militarily. But India has to play fair. By supporting the Dalai Lama, India will get nothing and furthermore, it will be a stumbling block to China’s 1.4 billion people becoming friends with India’s 1.3 billion people.
The Dalai Lama has to be compassionate and stop speaking against China because he has to consider the difficulty he places India in as his host. Each time he criticizes and allows his refugees to protest against China and ask for western support, it makes China look bad. So if the Dalai Lama wants China and India to become closer and benefit each other economically then he has to be silent on this already.
The Diplomat’s Prarthana Basu sums it up very well by saying in the article below that “Now with another terrorist attack infuriating India’s populace, the mystery behind this Chinese silence remains unsolved. While most attribute China’s apparent silence as a favor to Pakistan, as both continue to maintain their “all-weather friendship,” others argue that China holds India responsible for granting political asylum to the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, whom Beijing equates to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed.”
Roy
March 16, 2019
CTA is the biggest hypocrite and liar in the world. On the surface, they show a lot of respect to the Dalai Lama, but in reality, they are only using the Dalai Lama for their personal gain, they disregard the Dalai Lama most of the time. They have to show respect to the Dalai Lama because only the Dalai Lama can command the Tibetans and attract the sponsors.
It is not hard to see that CTA always uses the Dalai Lama’s name when they want to give instructions to the Tibetans or get sponsorship from the Dalai Lama. The CTA doesn’t have the commanding power to control the Tibetans and they are not able to garner support from the west if they are without the Dalai Lama.
Even though the Dalai Lama is so important to the CTA but the CTA doesn’t support the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama shows his commitment to the Tibet Cause by remaining as a refugee but most of the members of CTA have already become a citizen of the country they have chosen. The Dalai Lama wants to pursue the Middle Way approach but the CTA is not cooperative, they are still talking about Free Tibet. Because of the inefficiency of the CTA, the Tibetans have to suffer, they have lost faith in the CTA and they are left with no choice but to move on. So it is actually CTA who does not support the Dalai Lama, not the Tibetans.
Dhardon
April 15, 2019
By seeing how the CTA treated His Holiness the Dalai Lama, no wonder he declared that there will be no future Dalai Lamas anymore. I bet he is sick and tired to babysit the Tibetans constantly and there is no support from the Tibetan government at all. In fact, they are going against his wishes and created more trouble for him.
He is at a mature age where he can enter into clear light anytime now and Tibetans are still stranded in India without a clear and bright future. Tibetans in Tibet now are in a better situation compared to the Tibetans in India. CTA failed to provide for their own people.
Tibetans in India should find ways to go back to Tibet even if it is under the Chinese government. The Chinee government is sincere in developing Tibet and helping fellow Tibetans in getting back on their feet after centuries of serfdom that destroyed 90% of the population in Tibet. Now it is the time for Tibetans to rise again under China.
Mountains
April 27, 2019
1st Time Dalai Lama Finally Admits His Illness Was Serious
In the past it is customary to cover up the Dalai Lama’s illnesses. It could be to not worry his flock. It could also be to not show the world he is just another vulnerable human being. Or it could be he does not want to disappoint people to show he is not a god? Whatever the reasons, the Dalai Lama and regime are well known for covering up his serious illnesses. In the past few years he had cancer of the prostate and that was covered up till the press dug it up. Now with this new video just out April 2019, Dalai Lama admits he was recently very ill. It was serious.
Unfortunately the Tibetan cause will die with the Dalai Lama when he passes. He did nothing to groom up a new leader as he is a dictator. A ruler for life. He has been in power for over 60 years. He will never groom up another person to replace him because he is touted as a god.
http://video.dorjeshugden.com/comment-videos/comment-1556343635.mp4
Tracy
May 5, 2019
It is really not hard to see Lobsang Sangay is the lousiest leader in the world. Even though he has a qualification from the renown Havard University but that does not make him a qualified leader. Instead of bringing the Tibetan community to another level up, he brings the community down. His title as the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile was downgraded to a President. This president is nothing similar to the President of the United States, this President is like the leader of a worker union.
He says he is loyal to the Dalai Lama but in fact, he is not. He had an argument with the Dalai Lama recently. Not only that, he is not following the wish of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama only wants autonomous status for Tibet but Lobsang Sangay is still talking about free Tibet. He is going against the Dalai Lama’s wish but yet no one dares to say anything.
It is ok if Lobsang Sangay still wants to pursue the Tibet cause. But it is not ok for him to tell the Tibetans to fight for another 50 years and not knowing where they will be in 50 years. There is no short term, mid term or long term plan from Lobsang Sangay. The future of the Tibetans is very uncertain, this is absolutely not fair to the Tibetans.
Ngawang Jigme
May 31, 2019
Unlike 5 years ago, Tibetan leader Lobsang Sangay is not invited to Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony this time. It is clear that PM Modi of India snubs the Tibetan leadership once again in favour of deeper ties with China. The Tibetan leadership finds itself increasingly isolated as nobody wants to offend China by lending any support to the ungrateful Tibetans.
Dorje
August 1, 2019
It is amazing that Lobsang Sangay still serves as the President of the CTA after years of disappointment and no results. However, Tibetans in exile are slowly moving further away from CTA as they see that there is no change and improvement in their life after 60 years of being a refugee.
Many Tibetans had moved out of India and many of them found success in the country that they are in. This shows that Tibetans can make it and they are just lacking the opportunity to be successful which CTA can’t and won’t give.
The CTA wants to keep all the Tibetans in India so that they can use the Tibetans to get donations from the whole world. They manipulated the Tibetans and the sponsors into believing how pity they are and they do not have anywhere else that they can go. That is their main intention.
John
October 7, 2019
This kind of drama doesn’t benefit anyone and the more it’s the more ot reveal to people how unstable the Tibetan leadership is. Dalai Lama indeed is a dictator under the democracy coat. Sangay is just a puppet that only interested in milking money for himself. Both added will not bring any growth to Tibetan and that is the result from what we can see now which Tibetan lost their country and after being a refugee for 60 years situation just getting worse. It’s sad to see how situation degraded but looking at how the two managings the political and spiritual side of Tibetan we may only see the situation get worse.
Pema
November 10, 2019
Obviously Lobsang Sangay is not in line with Dalai Lama. Many of Lobsang Sangay actions shows that he is going against Dalai Lama direction and there is no way Dalai Lama can have Lobsang Sangay to help him to succeed in his plan.
Lobsang Sangay until today still continues to irritate China. This will not make any improvement for CTA and we know where this will lead the CTA to. Dalai Lama will just need to manage by himself without CTA involvement.
Chodag
November 26, 2019
Lately, we have been seeing how Lobsang Sangay action going against the Dalai Lama. Dalai Lama had voice out that he wanted to return to Tibet and live under the Chinese. This should be an indicator for Lobsang Sangay to workout with the Chinese to allow Dalai Lama and the Tibetan in exile to return back to their homeland. But we didn’t see much of positive action from Lobsang Sangay to achieve Dalai Lama wishes. Instead, we keep hearing how Lobsang Sangay keep irritating China, created disharmony and all the action that will make the Chinese not to meet the Tibetan representative.
The latest information that Dalai Lama had to ask his Tsangso to talk to the Chinese which doesn’t involve CTA at all. This is a clear indication to show that CTA will not help Dalai Lama in achieving their goal as well as for the Tibetan in exile.
This is definitely not good and this directly showing the separation within themselves. If Lobsang Sangay continues to act like this then there is no reason for him to continue to be at this position to get more money for himself.