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: Tyr Beswick
The President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Lobsang Sangay has announced that Tibetans do not wish to present any inconvenience to their Indian hosts. The irony is that the CTA, who are the Tibetan exile leadership based in Dharamsala, have done nothing BUT inconvenience India for the last 60 years.
They have inconveniently used India as a base from which they can constantly protest against China. These protests directly impact India’s efforts to mend bilateral relations with China; as long as Tibetans stay in India and have their protests, China will always see India as indirectly supporting the Tibetan cause. Is that not an inconvenience for India?
Lobsang Sangay talks about not wanting to inconvenience India but he does nothing to stop his people from flying the Tibetan flag, instead of the Indian one. Why are Tibetans inconveniencing India by flying the Tibetan flag, which is a symbol of protest against China? Why are the Tibetans, who have lived in India for 60 years, still refusing to fly the Indian flag and refusing to integrate into Indian society, when most of them have never even been to Tibet?
So why doesn’t Lobsang Sangay put his money where his mouth is and, for the first time, actually show REAL gratitude to the Indian government instead of just paying lip service? If the Tibetans are so unhappy in India, and they do not wish to integrate or become Indian citizens after 60 years of using their host country, they are always free to go back to Tibet. They can just join the hundreds of other Tibetans who are queuing up outside the Chinese embassy in Delhi every single day, for visas to return home!
Lhakpa Dhendup
August 10, 2018
What will the all the people around the world and in Tibet do now? Dalai Lama says he is happy that Tibet is a part of China and should remain a part of China. So many Tibetans self-immolated for Tibet to be independent and now Dalai Lama did a 360 degree turn and says he wants to go back to Tibet and China and Tibet should be a part of China. So unbelievable. So many are angry and disappointed.
Dalai Lama should set things right
August 12, 2018
Dear Dalai Lama,
Since you started the cruel ban against the 350 year Dorje Shugden practice, how has it benefit your Tibetan society and Buddhism in the world? Things have become worse and most educated Tibetans can see this. They don’t speak out not because they don’t see your ban as wrong, but you instill fear in them and not respect. It is like fear of a dictator. I am sorry to say so. Everyone is divided. There is no harmony. Before your ban there was more harmony and unity.
By enacting the ban, you split the monasteries, split so many families, split regions in Tibet apart, split your disciples from you, split your own gurus from you, split Tibetan Buddhism apart. You have created so much disharmony.
It is not democratic what you have done to ban a religion within your community. You always talk of tolerance and acceptance and democracy and yet you do not accept and tolerate something different from your beliefs. When people practice Dorje Shugden you ostracize them, ban them from seeing you, ban them from using Tibetan facilities. You know you have done that. There are videos that capture your speech and prove this point. You even had people expelled from monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. Some of the monks you expelled have been in the monastery for over 40 years. Many older monks shed tears because of this.
Many young educated Tibetans lost confidence in you as they saw the damage the Dorje Shugden ban created and they lose hope. Many have become free thinkers. They reject what you have done. So many people in the west left Buddhism because of the confusion you created with this ban against Dorje Shugden which is immoral.
You could of had millions of people who practice Dorje Shugden to support, love and follow you, but you scared them away. They are hurt and very disappointed. They loved you and respected you deeply before the ban. It has been 60 years and you have failed to get Tibet back. Your biggest failure is not getting Tibet back after 57 years in exile. Now you are begging China to allow you to return to Tibet to the disappointment of thousands of people who fought for a free Tibet believing in you. So many self-immolated for a free Tibet and now you want Tibet to be a part of China with no referendum from Tibetans. Just like a dictator, you decide on your own. It was your government and you that lost Tibet in the first place. Your policies and style of doing things do not benefit Tibet and Buddhism. You have been the sole ruler of Tibet your whole life and you still have not gotten our country of Tibet back for us. Our families and us are separated. Yet you create more pain by creating a ban to further divide people. Please have compassion.
No other Buddhist leader has banned or condemned any religion except for you. It looks very bad. You are a Nobel laureate and this is not fitting of a laureate. You should unite people and not separate them by religious differences.
You said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi did not do right to the Rohingya people in Myanmar due to religious differences, but you are doing the same thing to the Shugden Buddhists within your own society. There is a parallel in this. You separate the Shugden Buddhists from the others in Tibetan society.
You have lost so many people who would have loved and supported you. You have lost so much support around the world. The Shugden Buddhists who love you number in the millions. When you are fast losing support from governments and private people, it will not do you well to lose more.
After you are passed away in the future, the rift you created between the Dorje Shugden and non-Dorje Shugden people will remain for a while and that will be your legacy. Disharmony. You will be remembered for this. Not as a hero but a disharmony creator.
Dorje Shugden will spread and further grow, but you will be no more as you are a human. No one wishes you bad and in fact we hope you have a long and healthy life, but we have lost so much hope and have so much despair because of you. All the hundreds of Dorje Shugden lamas, tulkus and geshes are maturing and there are hundreds of Dorje Shugden monasteries in Tibet who will not give up Dorje Shugden. You have made a mistake. These hundreds of teachers and teachers to be will spread Dorje Shugden further in the future.
The gurus that gave us Dorje Shugden as a spiritual practice and you have called these holy gurus wrong and they are mistaken in giving us Dorje Shugden. How can you insult our gurus whom we respect so much? If they can be wrong, then you can be wrong. Then all gurus can be wrong. So no one needs to listen to any guru? You have created this trend. It is not healthy. Your own gurus practiced Dorje Shugden their whole lives. Your own gurus were exemplary and highly learned.
Dalai Lama you have created so much pain with this ban against so many people due to religion. You are ageing fast. Are you going to do anything about it or stay stubborn, hard and un-moving. You show a smile and preach peace and harmony wherever you go. But will you do the same to your own people? Please rectify the wrong you have done. Please before it is too late. You can create harmony again or you can pass away in the future with this legacy of peace. May you live long and think carefully and admit what was a mistake in having this unethical ban against Dorje Shugden religion.
Ojas
August 14, 2018
Supreme Court of India JUSTICE Mr. MARKANDEY KATJU (RETD) writes that Tibet is much better under the Chinese than it was under the lamas who only wanted to make the populace slaves. It was feudal and it will never return to the backwardness again.
Vardaniya
August 20, 2018
The cracks in Tibetan society are starting to show, and it is now coming to the attention of local Indians who have all but identified the Tibetan leadership as the source of the divisions. According to this author, disunity amongst the Tibetans is now creating problems for Indian law enforcement agencies, and this disunity may culminate in young Tibetans holding silent grudges against their host country. It is incredible that after six decades of generosity from India, Indians are now facing the very real possibility Tibetans can be ungrateful towards India. The Tibetan leadership totally failed to impart positive values upon their exiled community, like gratitude for those kindest to them and the need to repay these kindnesses with real, tangible results. It’s also very unlikely that the Tibetan leadership will now start to do this, after six decades of failing to do so. Indians need to realise this, and see that there is no benefit for their nation to align themselves with the Tibetan leadership, and there never will be.
Anonymous
August 24, 2018
Drolma
August 26, 2018
The Tibetans in exile should just go back to China. Just face the truth, the CTA is not capable at all, after 60 years of fighting, what is the results? How many more years one has to wait for a cause to succeed? If a cause does not show any progress after 60 years, perhaps it is time to conclude the cause is a mission impossible.
In fact, it is maybe better for Tibet to be part of China. China has done a good job in developing Tibet. Tibetans have a better living environment and better job opportunities now. At the same time, they are also allowed to learn their own language and practice their religion.
China seems to provide a better condition and environment for the preservation of Tibetan language and culture. Most of the younger generation of the Tibetans in exile are not so familiar with the Tibetan language anymore as they are educated in India, Nepal or the western education system. Thus, for the continuity of the Tibetan culture, it is better Tibet remains as a part of China.
Tashi Wangdi
September 20, 2018
When compared to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in Dharamsala that does not take any responsibility for their people like any proper government normally would, China is radically different and liberal for allowing sex abuse victims to express themselves on social media, despite its heavy censorship of the Internet.
For people like Luo Xixi, whose online postings on sex abuse has garnered millions of views on Chinese social media, said that the government is gradually opening up to the #MeToo movement, a hashtag catch-phrase movement that encourages and empowers sex abuse victims to stand up against sex abuse. In China, those who are convicted of sexual abuse are severely dealt with by the law and laid off from work. The Central Tibetan Administration should take heed of how such cases are dealt with in China and not allow sex abuse perpetrators, especially Tibetan lamas to continue committing their crimes unchecked and without consequence.
Thupten Lungrig
September 20, 2018
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s speeches create headlines nowadays not because they bring wisdom and enlightening thoughts, but rather unpleasant feelings and disapprovals. From the sexist quip in 2015, his gaffe on Nehru, and his recent comment about Europe that caused him to be labelled as White Supremacist, there is now one more to add onto the list. In order to be congenial and consistent with the image of a Nobel Peace Laureate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been issuing statements, especially about Islam, such as redefining Jihad as an interior struggle.
More and more people are expressing their doubt, with some even directly pointing out the mistakes in the Dalai Lama’s speech. This pattern of speech of strong statements that ends up in denial or apology seems consistent with his advice concerning the practice of Dorje Shugden. With the reasons behind the ban shifted so much over time, perhaps there really was never any validity behind the ban at all.
Ngawang Jigme
October 2, 2018
The fact that rangzen activists aim for the goal of Tibetan independence is at odds with the Dalai Lama’s goal for Tibet’s autonomy. This is nothing new but it is an undeniable fact that the Dalai Lama is the most recognisable Tibetan face and representative for the Tibetan Cause. However, for years now there has been a deficit of trust between China and the Dalai Lama, which leaves the future of Tibetan refugees in limbo.
Recently, the Dalai Lama tried to take conciliatory steps towards China by acknowledging that development in the Tibet Autonomous Region is beneficial and expressed his desire to return to China. He even said he wants to go on pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, China’s most famous Buddhist site. The fact that the Rangzen people are still protesting against China however shows their true colour. They are against the Dalai Lama and want to make sure that his efforts to help Tibetans are unsuccessful.
Tracy
October 15, 2018
Lobsang Sangay does not want to inconvenient India? Is he for real? His action does not match with what he says. Isn’t he on a world tour again and is very proud of the newly formed free Tibet support group in the Czech Republic?
If Lobsang Sangay and the Tibetans don’t want to inconvenient India, they should stop condemning China. They should end the free Tibet movement since it is a failure anyway. To show appreciation to India is to help them strengthen their relationship with China. I think 60 years of support to the Tibetans, India deserves it. The CTA should also look into the problems where Tibetans are cheating the subsidy money from the Indian local government.
If Lobsang Sangay is sincere, he will immediately address these issues. Be grateful for once, don’t keep taking India for granted. If India is pleased with the Tibetans, they will be able to help the CTA to negotiate a good term for the Dalai Lama to go back to China.
Palmo
October 16, 2018
It is hilarious to see the Tibetan Government telling India that they do not wish to create inconvenience for them. This is because the Tibetans have not been doing anything BUT creating inconvenience to India. They are deluded to say that they are not.
Since 60 years ago when the Tibetans escaped into Tibet from China’s invasion, they had already giving inconvenience to India. With all those resources and funds given by foreign countries, the Tibetan government still failed to get back Tibet and not even simple task like maintain the Tibetan settlements.
With all those free lands and exemption from paying taxes is India’s kindness to them. However, they are not doing anything back for India the past 60 years.
ashrao
November 1, 2018
China and India are becoming closer and in a recent meeting have agreed on some points. One of these points is that the Dalai Lama will not be allowed to carry out any more political activities against China on Indian soil. Being a spiritual leader, why is he so political anyway? The Indian leaders are slowly silencing the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans in India. The Dalai Lama and his Tibetan government in-exile regime had better make friends with China already. They should either go back to Tibet/China or become Indian citizens and remain silent.
The CTA is a failure
November 16, 2018
The Dalai Lama has mentioned many times he wants to go back to Tibet, he will opt for the Middle way approach to only have autonomous status for Tibet. Lobsang Sangay kind of says it is a good idea. However, Lobsang Sangay’s action is totally opposite of what he says.
Recently, another Friend of Tibet group is set up in the Czech Republic and Lobsang Sangay is very happy about it. Is he challenging China? To tell China he will continue to condemn China and fight for Tibet’s freedom? This is hypocritical.
Lobsang Sangay puts more focus on the Tibet cause than to find ways or formulate a strategy to bring the Dalai Lama back to Tibet. The Dalai Lama is getting older every day, he doesn’t have much time to wait for that to happen. Instead, the CTA keeps sending the Dalai Lama for overseas visit to make money. It is so sad to see the Dalai Lama is only a money making tool to the CTA.
What's wrong with Tibetans
November 20, 2018
Tibetans have been like this since they are in India. They received so much kindness from India but they do not reciprocate the kindness that was shown to them. They are given free land to stay, exempted from tax, travel documents for a refugee. Where on earth can a refugee have such privileges? India is more than kind to them. India is taking care of them like their own citizens.
However, Tibetans only look down on Indians because they are not on par with them. That is what they think. They rather go overseas and become a refugee there than becoming an Indian citizen. India even made the process for them to become a citizen easy but still they do not appreciate it. They rather stay in their Tibetan settlement as a refugee than being an Indian citizen.
This is how they mock and disrespect India. Indian’s patience with Tibetans is running out quite fast. Many Indians now leave messages against Tibetans and their leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on public social media platforms. If Tibetans still continue with their way, soon Indians will have to make them leave their country.
Thaimonk
December 3, 2018
TIBETANS SHOULD NOT HAVE MONKS AS LEADERS, THAT IS A BIG MISTAKE
Note what Namdol Lhagyari said is progressive and unlike the usual Tibetan rhetoric:
“The problem I see right now is how reliant we are on one individual,” Namdol Lhagyari, 32, the youngest member of Tibet’s exile parliament, said. “I understand that every freedom movement requires one role model, one leader, who would push everyone in the right direction, bring everyone to one goal. But he has reached an age where we will have to prepare ourselves for a post-Dalai Lama.”
Source: https://themediaproject.org/news/2018/12/3/as-the-dalai-lama-ages-tibetan-exiles-turn-to-secular-unity-over-sacred
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These are important points to remember:
1. Tibetan lamas and monks SHOULD not enter politics. They should not hold positions of power, leadership and political roles. It will demean the Dharma. They are not trained, nor qualified nor have the credentials to be in government. They also do much damage to religion as people start to respect them less. The lines between respecting them as spiritual beings (sangha) and speaking against them when they are in government and make wrong decisions become blurred.
2. Monks and nuns should not get involved with the running of the country but should stick to education. Giving good education to the public about ethics, morality and in some cases Buddhism. No one wants to see a political monk or nun. Because it contradicts the very reason they renounced the worldly life in order to enter a life of contemplation, learning, meditation and gaining enlightenment.
3. Look at other countries where Buddhism is strong where sangha is sangha and never get involved with government or being public officials. In Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Sri Lanka etc where there are tens of thousands of sangha, you don’t see them in the government at all. Local or national governments both do not have sangha. Even in Christian countries you don’t see priests in government. That is Tibet’s big mistake to place monks/high lamas in so many government positions and as public officials. Very dangerous for the country as it has proven with Tibet and Tibetans.
4. Monks, nuns and high lamas should do dharma practice, produce books, videos, give teachings, guide the public, do funerals, blessings, be a nurturer, study dharma, build real temples, keep existing temples spiritual, animal shelters, environmentalists, be mediators, help with orphanages, shelters, the poor, half way houses, poor houses, and basically all sorts of charities that benefit the mind and body of sentient beings that is NOT GOVERNMENT BASED. If sangha gives good education, they can produce kind and good leaders to run the country.
Tibetans should never never never allow Sangha (monks, nuns and spiritual personages) to be involved with government, politics and rule of law because it ends up in disaster. That is how Tibet lost it’s country and will never get it back. There are too many monks in the Tibetan Parliament and as leaders remember Samdhong Rinpoche as the prime minister of exiles. That was very bad. The King of Tibet currently is a monk. How does that look? Very political.
Tibet made that huge mistake and Tibet will never recover from it.
Forum: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=6226.0
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.
Tenzin
March 22, 2019
It has been 60 years since the Tibetans fled Tibet and took refuge in India. India is so kind as to have opened their doors to them and hosted them. India went all the way by providing lands for them to develop their own community and even allow their government to operate on their grounds. This is totally unheard of in the world where a country will allow another government to set up and operate on their land.
However, the Tibetans are taking their own sweet time to resolve their situation and get out of India as soon as possible to avoid being a burden to them. Lobsang Sangay even announced to the world that Tibet cause will need another 50 years. This means that Tibetans will stay in India for a total of 110 years which is over a century!
Who in the world will be willing to host refugees in their country for over a century? India is not obligated to do anything for the Tibetans and they certainly do not appreciate the help that they are getting. They have so much of donations and support from all over the world but they failed to make any changes to their situation. This shows that the Tibetan government are comfortable with their current situation and they do not wish to get out of it.
Roy
April 8, 2019
China will not want Lobsang Sangay or anyone in the CTA to be part of the administration should the Chinese government decides to let them go back to Tibet. The CTA has not initiated anything to show they want to have a dialogue with China. They know the Dalai Lama wants to go back to China but there is no solid plan.
Lobsang Sangay is still traveling around the world to condemn how China is oppressing the Tibetans. Just recently, Lobsang Sangay went to visit the Czech Republic and meet with “Friends of Tibet” group, whose purpose is to look into the Tibet issues. Clearly, Lobsang Sangay is not going towards the direction of being friendly with China.
If Lobsang Sangay continues to do that, what kind of message is he sending to China? His action is actually quite selfish because it has already been 60 years and there is no progress in the free Tibet movement, what is his plan for the Tibetans in exile? To let them remain as refugees for another 50 or 60 years? They are without an identity, they cannot move around freely, shouldn’t the CTA do something for Tibetans by now?
Tim
August 3, 2019
Tibetans’ life have not improved a bit under the ruling of the backward and corrupted government. Free Tibet movement is the longest movement ever in the world, it has been 60 years now but there is no result. The CTA does not want to take the responsibility so they created the Dorje Shugden ban to put the blame of a Buddhist deity for their failure.
In fact, I think CTA is sabotaging their own movement. Without the Free Tibet movement, CTA can no longer get donations from the west and they will not have money to survive. In order to ensure they continue to get the free money, they have to make sure Free Tibet movement continues. That is why, they are not keen to make the Free Tibet movement a success.
Lobsang Sangay has no shame at all to continue to ask India for help. He thinks Tibetans are entitled for the help given by India and they always take India for granted. The “Thank you India” event was just a show without sincerity. As a result, the Indian government didn’t even bother to send representative to attend or make it a big event.
Drolma
October 15, 2019
When Lobsang Sangay says he does not want to inconvenient India, it is a lie! India has been so kind to them for the past 60 years, allowing them to settle down in India but look at what they are doing to India? President Xi is visiting India and Tibetans are taking this opportunity to create troubles. Tibetans know very well that India wants to have a better relationship with China and this is a very important meeting between the two countries but Tibetans still want to mess it up.
With such behaviour, of course India will distance itself away from the Tibetans and slowly withdrawing the support for the Tibetans. The Tibetans are wasting Indian’s resources unnecessary. The Indian government has to use their security forces to control the Tibetans to make sure they don’t create troubles when President Xi comes to visit India.
Tibetans are very short-sighted and ungrateful. They can never free Tibet, this is the fact.
Anonymous
October 25, 2019
When Lobsang Sangay said he does not wnat to discomfort India, he was just being diplomatic, he didn’t mean that. If he means that, he will not still leech on India, and abuse India’s kindness. If he really does not want to discomfort India, he should tell the Tibetans to assimilate into Indian society, go back to Tibet or migrate else where. Don’t be a burden to India anymore, Tibetans have been a refugee for the past 60 years and getting support from India, how much more do they expect from India?
Indian has their own problems, if Lobsang Sangay really wants to repay the kindness of India and show appreciation to India. First, stop become the issue between India and China. Next, give an identity to the Tibetans so they belong to somewhere. If Tibet is their home, just go back. Being part of China is not that bad.
Dennis
October 29, 2019
The Tibetans have used so much of Indian’s resources including natural resources and monetary resources but they never give anything back. All the Tibetans give to India is problem after problem. India wants to have a better relationship China but the Tibetans are getting in the way.
So if Lobsang Sangay meant what he says, he should try to help India improve its relationship with China. They can also assimilate into Indian society and start to contribute into Indian’s tax system. These will be better than just saying it.