The International Shugden Community (ISC) brought their message of religious freedom and their struggle for the release of the Dorje Shugden ban to Australia, following His Holiness the Dalai Lama as he travelled from Sydney to Brisbane in June 2015.
DorjeShugden.com has been closely following the protests organised by our fellow Shugdenpas to bring our readers this compilation of news, pictures and videos. Please do visit this post over the next few days as we continue to update this article with new photos and videos. If you have more pictures or information to share, please email us at [email protected].
News Coverage
RADIO AUSTRALIA
THE GUARDIAN
MATICHON ONLINE
Source: http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=143347734
THE AGE
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
9 NEWS
Source: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/08/03/33/dalai-lama-to-speak-in-blue-mountains
DAILY MAIL
SKY NEWS
Source: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/06/08/dalai-lama-urges-a-compassionate-future.html
ABC NEWS
SBS NEWS
Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/06/10/shugden-buddhists-protest-over-dalai-lama-persecution
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
BRISBANE TIMES
Source: http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/qld-news/dalai-lama-creates-religious-hatred-6605477.html
ABC NEWS
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-11/who-are-the-shugden-buddhists/6539968
NEWS.COM.AU
9 NEWS
Source: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/12/15/47/treat-all-as-brothers-sisters-dalai-lama
METRO TV NEWS
UCA NEWS
Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/in-brisbane-dalai-lama-leads-multi-faith-congregation-in-prayer/73772
ABC NEWS
HERALD SUN
THE COURIER MAIL
Dalai Lama Visits Brisbane
From Ten Eyewitness News
Or watch on server | download video (right click & save file)
Photos of the Australian Demonstrations
Sydney
Brisbane
Anonymous
June 28, 2015
Please be happy, n you must check youtube: Boston truthful Tibetan public talk episode 17. At least most of you will open eyes for own peace of mind n harmony, when we have toooo much attachment, we loose our sense of judging right or wrong.
Hannah
June 28, 2015
@Anonymous – that video is so full of crap. That ‘monk’ only talks and doesn’t produce a single shred of evidence. He talks about having proof but where is his proof? He doesn’t show any paperwork, any photographs, any bank deposit slips, any receipts. All he does is talk, and anyone can appear in front of a camera and talk lies. No one logical or with common sense will believe that video as ‘proof’ or ‘real’. He is a fake lama trying to be a Rinpoche, and going around blackmailing Sakya Trizin and Penor Rinpoche by using the Dalai Lama’s name. We know who he is.
Sunitta
June 28, 2015
In my humble opinion religious freedom should be given to everyone. Religion is definitely a very personal thing; no one can or should coerce another to stop a practice or force another into their practice. Mutual respect for each others religion is important to achieve peace and Enlightment !!
Anonymous
June 28, 2015
Hannah, you are right, you used the word crab: this lama used to be the most important person in shugden world for last so many years. He knows exactly how some shugden lamas use innocent western dharma practitioner to protest. Its sooo sad. I am quite sure since i know this lama who was chairman of shugden group. Truth will come out very soon, jus relax n be patience. By the way what proof you guys have to protest except those propaganda? Ignorance is causes of all the sufferings. May truth prevail sooon, so people like you n me can live together as true dharma friends, be careful for those who using you n creating lots of confusion hate towards other Buddhist practitioners for their own gain to fullfill the communist chaina. So please we need to be careful.
Nima Dorji
July 1, 2015
Everyone check out the fundraising scandal of the Dalai Lama foundation! How can he claim himself the Tibetan spiritual leader while using the money for other use……
http://grace-vivian.tumblr.com/post/122932600218/the-fundraising-scandal-of-the-dalai-lama
Dhondup
July 4, 2015
@ Anonymous:
The proofs that you ask from Hannah are all there on this website.
Have you seen those photos with posters from the Tibetan Settlement in India where it reads that in Clinics, Restaurants and Monasteries Shugden Followers are not welcome. That is segregation ( apartheid) which is one of the worst forms of discrimination.
Charles Bros
July 6, 2015
The discrimination and segregation of Dorje Shugden practitioners from their basic rights is definitely real and still happening today. People who do not believe should personally go visit some of these communities in India and see for themselves. Something must definitely be done to get rid of such unfair practices. I pray daily for this ban to end. It does not benefit anyone at all. Both sides of pro and anti-DS is not benefiting from this situation. We should move on and allow religious freedom for all.
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.