Tibetan Public Talk, comprising of a group of outspoken Dorje Shugden practitioners, has recently been filming the experiences of Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world. This is the first time Tibetans have spoken so openly and directly against their leadership’s illegal and undemocratic acts. The fact these videos are becoming more frequent is a reflection that Tibetans are growing desperate after 18 years of suppression from their leadership.
These videos come after the Tibetan leadership has refused all requests for dialogue with Dorje Shugden practitioners for the last 18 years. As the suppression and undemocratic ban shows no signs of ending, it is only natural that the feeling of dissatisfaction amongst Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners will increase. As it increases, more Tibetans will reveal themselves as Dorje Shugden practitioners to peacefully pressure their leadership to give them religious freedoms. It can only be desperation that motivates them to engage in peaceful protests. After all, what logical person would readily identify themselves as a Dorje Shugden practitioner if they knew doing so would put them in harm’s way?
This violence against them is a very real possibility because the Tibetan leadership have just proven that they are very capable of directing harm towards their citizens. They recently published a list of 20 Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners, conveniently excluding non-Tibetan practitioners. In excluding the non-Tibetans, the leadership identified their real intention – they want their supporters to harass and threaten Tibetans who refuse to give up Dorje Shugden’s practice, and they focused on Tibetans because they are more accessible and easily intimidated than their foreign Dorje Shugden counterparts (who have the protection of their democratic governments).
These Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners are very brave for speaking up at the risk of their own lives. Not only does it reflect their desperate situation but they value religious freedoms so much that they are willing to make targets of themselves, to ensure every Tibetan has the freedom to worship whoever and whatever they wish. Now it remains to be seen if and when these brave men and women will appear on their leadership’s next hit list, so that other Tibetans are provoked into acting against them.
It is obvious in the videos that Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners are just ordinary people leading ordinary lives. They are not wealthy individuals who hold high-paying, influential jobs. They are men, women, sons, daughters who just want to practice in peace. They are normal people who will be scared if they are threatened by an administration that receives millions in donations from their foreign sponsors. Yet, understanding the danger to their life, these practitioners agreed to be filmed speaking about their experiences as Tibetan devotees of Dorje Shugden. In doing so, they are ordinary people who become extraordinary because of their courage to speak up.
These practitioners’ everyday, normal appearance contradicts the Tibetan leadership’s claim that Dorje Shugden practitioners are spies or terrorists receiving money from Chinese sources. As Len Foley says in the video above, if the Tibetan leadership wishes to accuse Dorje Shugden practitioners of receiving money from Chinese sources, they should produce evidence like check stubs or bank deposit slips to back up their claims. Otherwise, their accusations are nothing more than baseless, false allegations with the clear intention of character assassination. The Tibetan leadership’s intention is to imply that Dorje Shugden practitioners are anti-Tibetan (which they are not) for receiving money from the Chinese, to provoke Tibetans into attacking them for being traitors.
And what about the thousands of Dorje Shugden practitioners in the West? For the Tibetan leadership to accuse all of them of receiving money from Chinese sources is preposterous. How would it benefit the Chinese to provide funds to religious foreigners? It will not lead to an increase in investments, tourism, education or learning for the Chinese; four million Dorje Shugden practitioners cannot do anything for the 1.351 billion Chinese people.
Two staunch anti-Shugden supporters express how disheartening it has been for them to watch the Tibetan leadership to publish such a list
As more videos like these are produced, the effect on the Tibetan leadership’s supporters will be interesting to observe since they claim Dorje Shugden is a minor, fringe practice. Already we are starting to see that the leadership’s illogical accusations and illegal acts are affecting the morale of their supporters. As the Tibetan leadership grows more frantic in their efforts to suppress the truth about the ban, they will not be able to keep up with their own lies and will start to make more and more mistakes.
On behalf of the four million Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world, we at www.DorjeShugden.com sincerely pay our deepest respects to these Tibetans in the video who risk life and limb for their democratic rights to freedom of spiritual worship by speaking up. They literally put their life at risk as the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) could perhaps incite the Tibetan public to target these people. What the free world does not understand is in Tibetan society, differences in opinion and protest against Tibetan leadership are not allowed. The CTA portray themselves as open, democratic and ready to listen to their people which is false. Like any developing or underdeveloped nation, the opinions of the public are stifled by the ruling party’s hold on power. For if the CTA’s brutal handling of dissent within their people were made public to the world, then monetary assistance as well as moral backing would be lost and this would be the CTA’s greatest fear. The people who spoke are indeed brave and adding to the collective power of the truth to remove the undemocratic ban against the 350 year old practice of Dorje Shugden.
RECENT EMBARRASSING INCIDENTS
First, we saw a press statement declaring Dorje Shugden as the official Tibetan leadership’s protector. It is embarrassing that on such a fundamental issue for them, such an error could have been made in such an important press statement. Then the Tibetan leadership remained silent on the attack on Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s Ladrang, their silence being their approval for what is happening there which is clearly illegal. Even more recently, the Tibetan leadership identified, published and in effect, officially approved violent acts against a list of 20 Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Click image to enlarge. For more information, visit http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/tibetan-leadership-publishes-hit-list/
The more frequently the Tibetan leadership makes mistakes, the faster their supporters will tire of the way their leadership constantly sabotages their efforts to oppose Dorje Shugden practitioners. While the Dorje Shugden practitioners are calm and rational, the Tibetan leadership appears hysterical when they sanction violence and vulgarities to ensure the world does not hear about the lack of religious freedoms in Tibetan society. As Jamyang Khedrup asks, what is the point of investing so much effort and time into supporting a leadership that proves time and time again that it is outdated and archaic in its thinking? Is this a recipe for success, an indication that the Tibetan leadership is capable of governing its people fairly and democratically? Or is it indicative of a leadership that is operated by self-serving officials who will exploit their power every chance they get?
Notice that all of the Tibetan leadership’s actions are geared towards inciting violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Their accusations that Dorje Shugden practitioners are funded by the Chinese implies they are traitors, thereby encouraging violence against them; their publication of the lists encourages violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Their insistence that Shugden practice shortens the Dalai Lama’s life encourages violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners; their continuous and insistent talk about the ‘*Dolgyal’ issue encourages violence against Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Is this how a democratic leadership behaves, dividing their population, and encouraging violence and in-fighting? Is this how supposedly BUDDHIST leadership behaves, encouraging schism and disharmony?
We hope that videos like these will continue to inspire brave Tibetans to expose the truth about the illegal ban, the lack of religious freedoms in their society and about a leadership that bullies its people into submission. Only when the Tibetan leadership realises that everybody knows the truth about their methods of operation, and they have nowhere to hide and no logic to explain the human rights violations they commit against their own people, will they realise that it would be in everybody’s best interests to give the religious freedoms to all, as is their right.
*Dolgyal is the CTA’s derogatory term to refer to Dorje Shugden
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Tenzing Ketsun Jampa
May 24, 2014
I hope the Tibetan CTA will catch these people and ask them why they speak like that. Dalai laama never make mistake and these people cannot ask question to our Holiness. Our Holiness is perfect leader.
Victor D.S. Man
May 25, 2014
And they called Shugden practice a cult when followers of the the Dalai Lama make comments like this one.
scott Lee
May 25, 2014
More Tibetans should speak up, in fact everyone should speak up and stand out to confront CTA and their wrong doing. Anyone with a logic and clear mind would have figure out why on earth CTA would published people’s pictures and addresses? This is a criminal planning getting these innocent people and family hurt and attack. HHDL is supposedly holy and compassion, so is CTA’s terrorist behavior reflecting that quality? For those who supporting CTA, do you realized that? Well some people like Jamyang Kedrup does see the truth! For a religious organization like CTA and HHDL, shouldn’t we use the peace method and give dharma knowledge instead of using violence?
Kalon Lobsang
May 25, 2014
Whatever the CTA prints out on their website, the Dalai Lama will know as everything is reported to him.
Dalai Lama should stop this witch hunt. Even if they remove the witch hunt list now, all the Tibetan who wish to harm these 20 persons have already downloaded the list.
If any violence occurs against them, CTA is responsible just like the violent attack on Gen Chonzey recently: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/cta-creates-violence-again/
Tenzing Wangchuk
May 26, 2014
I am assistant of Zong Rinpoche for over 30 years. I will never give up Dorje Shugden and his practice. Zong Rinpoche’s previous great master and tantra master practice and worship Shugden his whole life and nothing wrong. We have to becareful because the Tibetan government do not give us religious freedom to pray. Our new Kenpo of Shartse now also cannot do much about this situation as he not strong or focus on Sharte.
pgdharma
May 26, 2014
The Tibetans are getting very desperate of the suppression and it is time that they speak up for their rights! They are willing to risk their lives to speak up and exposed themselves to be threatened or killed by the CTA. What they ask for is just religious freedom. Isn’t that the basic human rights? Why can’t they be granted that right?
Kudos to all the brave Tibetans to publicly speak up to let the world know how the DS practitioners are so badly treated and have to suffer because of the ban!!!!
Jazz
May 26, 2014
I rejoice seeing all the Dorjeh Shugden Practitioner from all over the world to fight for their religions freedom to practice Dorjeh Dhugden. I wished i can be their to join them. They are so brave.
What DDLM think Dorjeh Shugden is does not mean this is what everyone think. Why using the violent and political power to force others to drop the practice? We didn’t harm anyone. we just do the practice because Dorjeh shugden is helping us in many ways so that we can practice better. Then how can we say he is demon? What has Dorjeh Shugden done to DLLM? Why is Dojeh Shugden not Buddha but demon? There’s no debate because we are not allow to and there’s no advidence nor proof.
So many people suffer, separated from family, discriminated by their own people. They didn’t do anything to harm. we practice because we want to achieve enlightenment and save all sentient beings. What’s wrong is that? How wrong can it be? Tibetan should come together as one not bullying among yourselves. The world will soon lost their respect to DLLM need not talk about CTA.
Thomas Canada
May 26, 2014
http://chinatibet.people.com.cn/96112/99691/index.html
Peter
May 27, 2014
CTA are the devils within the Tibetan community. They are not good with anything except to witch hunt Shugden protestors. CTA, your days are numbered and the whole world is watching you!
Thomas Canada
May 28, 2014
Atisha Cook~
You represent the Central Tibetan Administration. On your website, you say: “Based on the spirit of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter [of the Tibetans in Exile, your Constitution] guarantees to all Tibetans equality before the law and enjoyment of rights and freedom without discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, language and social origin.” You aspire to be a democratic government for the Tibetan nation in exile, and you take pride in your electoral process and your parliament.
Why then do you continue to pursue policies of religious discrimination against the majority of Gelugpas, together with a minority of Sakyapas and some Nyingmapas, who rely on the Dharma Protector Duldzin Dorje Shugden? Despite your above statement, the Charter has even been amended to explicitly deny access to government jobs to these practitioners! This is completely contradictory.
What is even worse, if that is possible, is the list of twenty Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners who protested against your ban and persecution, which you have posted on your website with the apparent intention of doing nothing other than intimidating them and inciting acts of hatred and possibly violence against them. This is inexcusable! It is illegal and it makes a complete mockery of your claim to democracy. These are the actions of a totalitarian state, not a democracy.
You claim that you are acting following the advice of the Dalai Lama that Dorje Shugden is a spirit and that reliance on him leads to sectarianism, damages the cause of Tibetan independence and harms the life of the Dalai Lama. You have accused Shugden practitioners of being agents of, or supported by, the Chinese government. These claims are utterly ludicrous! You have NEVER provided one single shred of evidence for these ridiculous claims!
In fact, the status of Dorje Shugden – as a gyalpo spirit or an enlightened Dharmapala – is completely irrelevant. What possible right does a democratic government have to dictate the religious beliefs of the people it has been elected to serve? What right does the Dalai Lama have to issue a ban on their worship? To say that this is not a matter of religion because the Dalai Lama does not recognize Dorje Shugden as a Buddha is quite simply irrelevant, not to mention insolent. Who is he, and who are you, to decide what is and what is not religion? Does he claim that the Bonpo should equally have no religious freedom in Tibetan society, because they worship “spirits”? This discrimination is absurd in modern society! It is abhorrent. How dare you?
Your actions are becoming increasingly outrageous. You must know that the world is watching you. The Hollywood image of Tibet as Shangri La is wearing very thin. YOU are responsible for these actions, as the elected representatives; YOU will be held responsible and will have to answer for your crimes. You should, all of you, STOP following the false Dalai Lama – and start acting like the modern, democratic government for ALL your people, whatever their beliefs, that you aspire to be! Right now, you are a laughing stock.
Sort it out now – before more people are harmed in the terrible sectarian strife that this ban and your actions is causing. Save yourselves, and save your country: lift this ban now, before it is too late.
Yours, in exasperation,
A committed practitioner of the lineage of Je Tsongkhapa and follower of Duldzin Dorje Shugden
The pissed off Gypsy
May 31, 2014
Poor Tibetan practitioners, the undemocratic government is harassing and threatening them because they are more accessible and easily intimidated, they live in total fear everyday, they can’t even see their own families. I absolutely don’t find any benefits from this ban. The population is being divided, violence is getting harsh on families and Sanghas, practitioners are put under spotlight as if they are criminals. One ban could bring so much negative damaging impact and so many innocent is affected, why don’t just lift this ban and everyone lives in harmony? Stop the discrimination already, it does not bring any benefit to any party. If you really study compassion.
Manisha Kudo
June 15, 2014
During the Edo period, the Japanese government used fumi-e to reveal practicing Catholics and sympathizers. Fumi-e were pictures of the Virgin Mary and Christ. Government officials made everybody trample on these pictures. People reluctant to step on the pictures were identified as Catholics and were sent to Nagasaki. The policy of the Edo government was to turn them from their faith, Catholicism; however, if the Catholics refused to change their religion, they were tortured. As many of them still refused to abandon their faith, they were killed by the government. Executions sometimes took place at Nagasaki’s Mount Unzen, where some were dumped into the volcano.
Execution for Christianity was unofficially abandoned by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1805.
It does not matter what religion, which ruling government or when did it happen, forcing a person to denounce and deflower one’s faith and religion are morally, spiritually and ethically wrong. Imposing sanctions that are inhumane are totally not acceptable. Whether it is Dorje Shugden, Mother Mary or Krishna, that was never the real issue. Religious intolerance stems from the deep rooted need to control and convert anything that questions the authority. Anything that teaches an individual to think and to have an opinion is negated by a greedy leader. Seeing how Shugden practitioners are chastised and deprived by the CTA, the fearful Tibetans who have lost so much will just follow and do as they are told. But the scale of justice will always tip to the side of truths. The ordinary people whose Declaration of Human Rights were meant to protect finally spoke.
But why is the world standing by to just watch? Haven’t the people of Tibet suffered enough already?
Kelly
June 18, 2014
This is ridiculous the laypeople just want to leave their life there is no way they will receive any money from China to give harm to Dalai Lama life , is so unfair to these Tibetan who are DS practitioner .
Ana Teresa Santos Pereira
September 1, 2014
We believe in CTA. We worshipp HH Dalai Lama. In HH Dalai Lama we trust. ‘Silent is sometimes the best answer. ‘ You Tibetans should be united not divided. Or would you like to end as the eternal war beetween Hindus and Muslim? It never ends.
Thugje che la
We stand by Tibet
Pema
October 14, 2014
Dear Ana Teresa Santos Pereira,
Why having a ban when you want to stay together? DS is harming no one. I agree, Tibetans should stand together but why creating so much fear and harm? Why having a ban?
The CTA is creating so much trouble for DS practitioners. DS practitioner have to hide themselves. They don’t have access to basic needs as buying food in a store or getting health care in their place. They have to travel far away to get admitted to an hospital. What does this say about the CTA?
Where can you find this? For sure not in a democratic system!!
dharmacrazy
December 8, 2014
These are true heroes and real practitioners of Buddadharma. Why? Because Dharma as taught by Lord Buddha teaches us to make choices and act to benefit others and the decision to speak up against the Dalai Lama for imposing the ban on Dorje Shugden is the exact manifestation of engaging in actions of body, speech and mind to benefit others.
The courage of these men and women combined with the consistent effort of DS.com to provide updated and accurate information about the Dorje Shugden controvery is causing positive affect amongst the anti-Shugden camp. Conversations of doubt like that of Jamyang Khedrup is simply tangible proof that His Holiness’ supporters are beginning to see for themselves the conflict, contradictions and inconsistency of the actions of the CTA and the Dalai Lama.
Those who actually believed that there are valid reasons for the ban are beginning to see through the lies of the CTA to impose such injustice upon Dorje Shugden practitioners. Perhaps, in realizing the futility of the entire controversy and related suffering, these individuals will direct their efforts away from causing unnecessary harm. Instead they should start focusing their time and resources on true study and practice of the teachings of Lord Buddha.
Tenzin Gyaltsen
February 8, 2015
If/when Dorje Shugden issues don’t end in Tibetan communities around the globe, it compels Tibetans to be Muslim.
Doreen Park
October 31, 2017
Why a hitlist, CTA? You are SHOUTING your intentions to the world. You want violence for the people in the hit list. You want them to be brutally hunted down. What have these people done to necessitate their being put on the hit list? Nothing except to stand firmly behind the practice of Dorje Shugden whom they firmly embrace , a 400 year old practice that has been practiced by great Masters and attained holy beings.
In a ‘democracy’ that should by right be safeguarding the freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice , autocracy is practised instead by the CTA . The whole negative propaganda targeting Tibetans who are practicing Dorje Shugden is designed to incite harm and violence against them, making them blacker than black sheep, labelling them as paid Chinese spies with no real evidence whatsoever to support the allegations.