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For centuries Tibetans were isolated from the world because of the imposing Himalayan range. In this environment where exposure was limited to information delivered by a few adventurous Westerners, Japanese and Chinese, everyone grew to share the same opinion – the Tibetan leadership is always right, and their opinion overrides everyone else’s.
When the Tibetans fled into exile in the 1950s, they carried this attitude with them and over the years, little has changed. Although they have since been exposed to various cultures, ideologies and beliefs, they have also discovered that not everyone agrees with their views about religion and politics, and that their views on religion, if compared to democratic countries, are quite archaic and outdated. Unused to dealing with a difference of opinions, many have resorted to reacting the only way they know how.
Thus in a case of the cyber world imitating the real world, it has become commonplace for Dorje Shugden practitioners to be met with violent, abusive language on the Internet as well as death threats and actual physical violence. When Dorje Shugden devotees try to raise awareness about the lack of religious freedom and how they cannot practice their beliefs without discrimination, Tibetans react with vulgarities and threats. There are many examples of this which we have attached for you.
This language reflects the violent tendencies of the Tibetan people, and only shows that Dorje Shugden practitioners cannot freely express their beliefs. The instant a Dorje Shugden practitioner talks about their belief that religious freedom should be given to all, they are immediately issued with death threats, vulgar words and abusive, violent language. This is across the board, and applies to anyone in the Tibetan community whose opinion differs from the Tibetan government on matters such as the dilemma of autonomy or full independence for Tibet, the approach towards this goal and the loss of Tibetan culture with the Tibetans migrating around the world.
So if Tibetans are capable of such violence online, what are they capable of in the real world? We at DorjeShugden.com wish to pose a number of questions:
- Is this type of behavior and language taught at the Dalai Lama’s teachings? That those who practice Dorje Shugden should be sworn at and spat on?
- Is the Dalai Lama aware of his followers’ behavior? If he is, has His Holiness previously advised his students to refrain from such language and behavior? If the Dalai Lama has not given such advice, why is he remaining silent on the matter? Is his silence actually his approval and support for their abhorrent language?
- Do the Tibetans who direct such language towards Dorje Shugden supporters believe that their behavior reflects the Dalai Lama in a positive light? People who do not know Buddhism will see things very simply – if the Dalai Lama’s students are kind and compassionate, then it is because their teacher has taught them to be kind and compassionate. If the Dalai Lama’s students are vulgar and violent, then they must have learned it from somewhere.
- You can see clearly in videos that prior to attending the Dalai Lama’s talk, or directly after, the pro-Dalai Lama Tibetans are violent against the Dorje Shugden practitioners who have come to protest peacefully. Is this appropriate behavior for people who are there to receive teachings on compassion, love, tolerance and forbearance? How can they be violent outside of the teaching arena and then, upon walking inside, fold their hands and offer a khata (silk scarf wishing long life) to a man of peace? Does that make sense? The Tibetan leadership should curtail this type of behavior because it looks very fundamentalist, extremist and not befitting of the Dalai Lama’s spiritual stature. Remember many Tibetans are now living in free, democratic countries and their violent intolerant behavior against peaceful protesters will not be tolerated in these countries. Do not embarrass your leadership with your behavior.
While democratic nations treat religious freedom as an automatic human right, it would seem that religious freedom is still quite a difficult concept for many Tibetans to grasp. Freedom of worship is the connection of a person to a supreme being, supernatural being or any being that the person deems worthy of worship. The Tibetan leadership goes as far as saying that the Dorje Shugden worship is not even a religion, and thus the ban has nothing to do with religious freedom. However, the devotees of Dorje Shugden worship him as a supreme being, and pray and make offerings to invoke his blessings. If that is not deemed a religion or religious worship, then what is?
In reality, the situation is quite simple. Those who support the Dalai Lama should remember that their actions reflect their teacher. Every time they write vulgarities, rude comments, violent thoughts and wish ill-will towards Dorje Shugden practitioners, are they reflecting the Dalai Lama well? So if the Dalai Lama’s supporters were REALLY devoted then they should practice the message that their teacher travels all over the world to spread – compassion should be extended to everyone, regardless of whether they agree or disagree with your views. Scholars of Tibetan Buddhism should stop looking for ‘reasons’ to eliminate the practice of Shugden but embrace and accept religious freedom. After all, the greatest scholars of Tibet such as Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Domo Geshe Rinpoche, Panchen Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche, 30th Sakya Throneholder Sonam Rinchen, 31st Sakya Throneholder Kunkhyen Ngawang Kunga Lodroe, 33rd Sakya Throneholder Padma Dudul Wangchug, 35th Sakya Throneholder Tashi Rinchen, 37th Sakya Throneholder Kunga Nyingpo, 39th Sakya Throneholder Dragshul Thinley Rinchen, 41st Sakya Throneholder H.H. Sakya Trizin, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, Drayab Gyabgon, Geshe Rabten, Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche, Geshe Tendar, Geshe Ngawang Dhargye, Geshe Kenrab, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche – and the list goes into the hundreds for the last 350 years – have validated and taught Dorje Shugden is a pure and beneficial practice. No Scholar today can rival those great masters both learned and realized from the past.
In fact, since Dorje Shugden practitioners are considered errant, they should be shown more compassion, more wisdom, more tolerance, more understanding. After all, a Buddhist’s compassion should reflect that of the Buddhas who have even more compassion for those afflicted with suffering and ignorance. Therefore Dorje Shugden practitioners should be granted full human rights, the freedom to worship and be allowed to participate in mainstream Tibetan activities and all public events by the Dalai Lama.
Let us hypothetically say that their worship of Dorje Shugden is incorrect. Should that not raise the alarm that, more so compared to everyone else, they need to come for the teachings so that they can gain wisdom and eventually, through wisdom, “reject” this practice? Why reject those who are ‘evil’ or deemed misguided? Why throw them out into the cold to suffer? Nurturing them and not alienating them should be practiced by the Tibetan leadership. Furthermore, as leaders, they should find ways to unite their citizens by common values, not separate them by religious differences. All Tibetans whether Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, Bon, Nyingma, Gelug, Sakya, Kagyu, Shugden practitioners, young, old, male and female should be embraced by the Tibetan leadership as one nation and have full rights. Religion should never create nor have any part in dissension fueled by the leadership themselves.
The Dorje Shugden issue, the undemocratic ban and the suppression of Dorje Shugden devotees will not go away, disappear or be swept under the rug. The unfairness and dissatisfaction that arises from this ban is reaching and saturating mainstream media, so more and more people are becoming aware of this issue. Upholding the ban will only serve to damage the Tibetan cause, not because Dorje Shugden and his devotees are evil, but because the ban against them is unfair and incorrect. If the Tibetan leadership wants this problem to go away, they should remove the ban, effective immediately. They should be just like the democratic nations of the world who uphold their constitutions by allowing individuals any form of religious worship they choose or not.
The pro-Dalai Lama supporters should reflect their leadership well by being kind, even mannered, controlled, compassionate and tolerant.
Samples of abusive language
Scroll down to see a selection of more intolerant, abusive language that is directed at Dorje Shugden practitioners, including death threats and vulgarities. Click to enlarge the images to their full size.
Threats to Adar Tsering
Adar Tsering, a prominent Dorje Shugden practitioner, is regularly issued threats such as these which imply harm, if not death itself, will come to him soon. Is this appropriate behaviour for the Dalai Lama’s followers who learn about compassion and tolerance from the man of peace?
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Reactions on YouTube
This man was escorted out of the 14th Dalai Lama’s teaching in Frankfurt, Germany, May 2014, after expressing his need for religious freedom. Notice the violence and vulgarity he experienced on his way out. Is this how people who are sitting in a hall to learn about compassion, should really behave? How is violence arising from anger in any way compatible with peace and harmony?
Tibetans greeting the Dalai Lama in Oslo, Norway on May 7, 2014 were encouraged to cheer more loudly as the Dalai Lama stepped out of his car. Up until the Tibetan crowd cheered, the Dorje Shugden protesters could clearly be heard calling for religious freedom.
The timing of the Tibetan official’s encouragement was not a coincidence, and clearly designed to ensure the Dalai Lama would not hear the protesters. Why would a Tibetan official in democratic Norway be encouraging his own people to suppress freedom of speech?
Rotterdam, May 2014 – Tibetans on the way to attending a talk on compassion, love and tolerance by the Dalai Lama showed no compassion, love or any understanding towards the Dorje Shugden practitioners who assembled to peacefully protest the ban against Shugden. They peacefully requested the Dalai Lama to lift the ban as it was unfair and took away the religious freedom of millions of Dorje Shugden practitioners around the world. They have petitioned the Dalai Lama many times in the last 15 years and no dialogue or meeting was ever allowed. The Dalai Lama always promotes dialogue but for the Shugden practitioners, the rules would be different.
The Tibetan attending the Rotterdam talks were spitting on the protesters and even threw feces at the protesters. The security were not happy with the Tibetans attending the Dalai Lama’s talk at all and found them contradictory to what was being taught while the protesters were peaceful and had permits and full right to be there and protest. The issue of the unfair and undemocratic Dorje Shugden ban will not go away until His Holiness the Dalai Lama lifts the ban. Mainstream press is picking this story up and circulating all over the world. Dalai Lama should respect all religious practice and allow all to practice all religions and forms of worship as they like without bias and ostracizing. We Dorje Shugden practitioners that number in four million world wide request His Holiness the Dalai Lama to lift the ban and prejudice against Dorje Shugden practitioners world wide. The minute the ban is lifted, we will not protest or make any more issues of this.
Tibetans react angrily to Dorje Shugden practitioners outside Radio City Music Hall, New York. Reliable neutral sources say the crowd was provoked to react in this way.
Tibetans in Mundgod, South India participated in a riot organized and incited by the Tibetan leadership. The 3000-strong mob threatened to burn down the monastery should they gain access to it, as the Dorje Shugden monks remained inside reciting their prayers.
The Dalai Lama encourages the expulsion of monks from the monasteries, should they wish to continue practicing Dorje Shugden.
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happy sun
May 28, 2014
It’s so bad why some people can so rude and cruel to do this kind of things for others just to control or hold the power. It is sad that CTA always like this. They never learn how to respect other religion and human right, what they are tried to do is just for destroy and damage some thing is good.
No one has right to make others suffer and hurt others by intention. So, as one of the Dorje Shudgen practitioner, I will support all the way to make sure get the ban down.
beyond
May 29, 2014
西藏现在的人民开始思考和主见
不在是文盲 ，思开放了,开始明白事实的真相。
对多杰雄登修行者做出打壓和傷害種種恐嚇，还有天理？用这样肮脏的手段恐嚇多杰雄登修行者。佛法所教的，是慈悲为怀，不管什么宗教都应该和睦相处。不管他人修什么，信仰是什么，应该尊重。宗教不是自由的吗？
这么多的修行法门没有禁令？为什么只有多杰雄登被禁令，没有逻辑的多杰雄登禁令！
小虫
May 30, 2014
這是修行者所應該做的行為嗎？人在做，护法在看。無論什麼様的人在修行那一派的法門，都不應該有這一種行為的發生。親愛的無知者們 ：黑暗無法戰勝黑暗，只有光明可以；憎恨無法戰勝憎恨，只有愛可以。宗教是自由的。
小白兔
May 30, 2014
是的，宗教是自由的，不管你是什么派教，都不应该如此口出狂言，可恶。尊重别人就等于尊重自己。
请还多杰雄登修行者一个自由。
Manjushri
June 1, 2014
You know, the best and easiest way to prove that something is wrong is by facts, debating, and education. There is no need to use power and authority to scare someone so that they will stay silent because if what ever they were saying is false, then what are you so afraid of?
It’s so sad to see lay people and sangha alike so barbaric in stopping another individual’s right to practice what they would like. Ultimately, if they practise wrongly, they bear the end of the karma, not you, so why is the CTA, the Pro Dalai lama camp still stopping others from practising Dorje Shugden with such violent and degrading acts. It’s pretty disgusting and only reflects badly on yourself and what you have learnt.
supertara
June 6, 2014
达赖喇嘛表示禁止修持多杰雄登的原因是：多杰雄登在精神上与达赖喇嘛和CTA政府是有冲突的，对所有西藏人民的利益构成威胁，简直是一派胡言乱语！ 更可悲的是很多修持者没有接受上师的指示下就根隨着流亡政府展开一連串的恐嚇与暴行，粗言羞辱雄登护法修持者。试问那些 修持者的上師依止心何在？又或者是他们是随波逐流于流亡政府的流氓。呼吁有權有势的單位或人士尽快阻止流亡政府所有的不道德的举动 ，以避免更多的无辜者受到伤害。希望有人能够安全的站出来把真相公诸于世，还雄登护法—个清白！
小可爱
June 23, 2014
其实看到那么激烈的反应到底是心虚还是什么呢？ 修佛的人常说众生平等， 对所有众生都要慈悲， 不过CTA 却是背道而驰， 对于多杰雄登的打压还一直否认。
现在网络资讯那么发达， 难道要隐瞒你们做的坏事会那么容易吗？ 醒醒吧， 事实在眼前， 不管CTA怎么否认也不会阻止事实被曝露的。 你们那么激烈的反应只是证明你们心里有鬼。
还大家一个宗教自由吧！！
宏渡一切有情众
June 23, 2014
在藏传佛教里，无论那一个传承，依据佛陀的教诲，我们都必须学习对上师的依止心，并依循着《上师五十颂》里的每一个教诲，倘若没有上师，何来传承与成就呢？
那么倘若我们深信我们的上师是一位证悟的佛菩萨，在他的教诲里，充满着对一切有情众生的怜悯与慈爱，他依循着伟大佛陀的每一个教诲来教育弟子，那么弟子的行为，包括一言一行都应该是充满着如同上师般的大慈大悲，并不会做出伤害任何的一切有情众生的行为，因为佛法是能完全地包容与大爱的，因为佛法是无私的
那么倘若有一方，是不断地使用暴力并不止尽地迫害对方，并不断地自相矛盾，无法好好的解释并明确地来表达到底是什么原因要如此地伤害与攻击对方
而另一方却总是以更和平的方式来坚持并守护着自己的传承，并能有根据地，有理据地证明与解释为何我们需要守护着这修持法
那么那一方才是佛法呢？
Bamboo
June 24, 2014
在现在的年代，网络的资讯越来越发达。现在西藏的人民随时可以从网络得到最新的讯息，他们开始思考和有自己的看法。他们可以看到自己的同胞受到不公平的对待，尤其对多杰雄登修行者所做出的种种打压，恐吓和生命的威胁。西藏的人民不是都在追求独立和民主吗？这种种的欺压的行为都昰在分化西藏人民，让他们不能和睦相处和没有宗教的自由。
佛陀的教诲是慈悲对待每个有情众生。但那些自称为达赖喇嘛的追随者们可以如此说出那么猥亵的 话，这简直是在侮辱他们自己的宗教和上师。
我非常赞同这文章里的一个句子 – ‘The pro-Dalai Lama supporters should reflect their leadership well by being kind, even mannered, controlled, compassionate and tolerant.’。这才是佛法修行者必须秉持的态度。
pigpig
June 25, 2014
达赖喇嘛尊者是一位伟大的圣者，他禁止修持多杰雄登的原因是个迷？我个人想法，他可能想牺牲小我而完全打我的精神。全世界的迅速发展和进步，加上中国的崛起全世界是有目共睹的。要是西藏可以和中国统一，一国两制。佛法更可以弘扬全球。禁止修持多杰雄登可以是假象，这会引起全世界和西藏信徒转移视线来憎恨和抵制他，渐渐的消减藏独的动机和概念。将来要是西藏和中国中央政府可以统一，一国两制。那么流亡海外的藏族可以回到自己的国土再把藏传佛教快速弘扬和发扬光大， 把整个国土成为佛净土。