by Gereon Willamar
A friend of mine who is not a Buddhist asked:
I read some interesting online news that some Tibetan Buddhist people are not allowed to pray to this deity called Dorje Shugden. Why is this so? I thought Buddhism taught freedom of religious views and practices, tolerance, acceptance, love, giving, non-violence, compassion etc?
Good question.
Why are Dorje Shugden practitioners not allowed to attend Dharma teachings in certain monasteries and Dharma centers all over the world?
When teachings were conducted by resident or visiting lamas, certain Dharma centers advertised, “All are welcome.” But a sign was put up in their center saying that Dorje Shugden practitioners are not welcome. A dog would have a better chance of attending a Dharma talk in these Dharma centers!
These centers falsely claim that Dorje Shugden is a demon yet the Dharma centers’ committee members do not ask other attendees if they worship spirits or worldly gods. So, it means that shamans, black arts practitioners, spirits worshipers, worldly gods’ worshipers, etc are welcome at these Dharma centers. But they deny entry to worshipers of the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.
A demon is described as a usually malevolent spirit that may be conjured and controlled. These Dharma centers vehemently claim that Dorje Shugden is a demon but no fire puja rituals by any Tibetan lama, including all the Dalai Lamas, could subdue this demon. How is this possible? It would be easier, spiritually and politically correct and humane to snuff out Dorje Shugden, if he was a demon, rather than enforce a ban on his practice – a ban that has brought on so much suffering to innocent Dharma practitioners. In actuality, Dorje Shugden could not be harmed nor killed because He is an enlightened Dharma protector.
In fact, many lamas have not given up on Dorje Shugden at all. Some may indeed be practicing secretly for good reasons, while others are practising openly despite living in fear for their lives, because they practice real guru devotion, compassion, and upload their commitment to Dorje Shugden’s lineage, and to protect and defend the teachings of Lama Tsongkapa. Some of these great lamas include Kyabje Zemey Dorje Chang, H.E. Denma Gongsar Rinpoche, Lama Jampa Ngodrup Rinpoche, Kensur Rinpoche Lobsang Chojin, Ven. Zawa Tulku Rinpoche and recently Kyabje Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche, just to name a few.
It seems that compassion is just an intellectual word that is analysed and spoken of but not practiced. So is the word Tonglen (Tibetan), loosely translated as “giving and taking.” The practice of Tonglen involves all of the Six Perfections; giving, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom. These are the practices of a Bodhisattva. H.H. The Dalai Lama, who is said to practise Tonglen every day, has said of the technique:
Whether this meditation really helps others or not, it gives me peace of mind. Then I can be more effective, and the benefit is immense.
(Extracted from Wikipedia)
But where is the giving, when it comes to Dorje Shugden practitioners? For the Tibetans, there is no democracy, no religious freedom and no rights for Dorje Shugden practitioners. Only dictatorship and a military-like government. One is damned if one does not listen and do as the CTA say. All the problems arising from the Dorje Shugden ban stemmed from the dictates of one man (the Dalai Lama), blindly followed and executed by his government (the CTA) and the citizens of his country. No wonder the Tibetan ex-government lost their country and now they have no choice but to exist and operate in Dharamshala through the kindness of the Indian government and its people.
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Dharmacrazy79
March 9, 2014
I understand that the Dharma is taught by the kind Lord Buddha to benefit and transform all, even the most hopeless being. Milarepa was a mass murderer who dedicated his early days to the dark arts and killed an entire village for revenge. After relaizing his mistake, Milarepa was given the chance to practice pure Dharma by his Guru, Marpa, and gained liberation within the very lifetime.
The story of Milarepa is a clear illustration of the level of compassion of the Dharma. If a mass murderer who used demonic practice to murder is welcomed to the Dharma, why not Dorje Shguden practitioners? In fact, if it is true that Dorje Shugden is evil and all, then those who uphold His practice should be even closer to the pure Dharma.
I understand that there is not contradiction in authentic Dharma teaching and practice. Therefore, the glaring and repetitive contradiction in the stance taken against Dorje Shugden and His practitioners is a good sign to everyone that there is something very fishy about this ban.
samayakeeper
March 26, 2014
This article does highlight the irony of the ban by the Dalai Lama and enforced by the CTA depriving people of their religious rights to freedom of religious practices and taking away their human rights, the total segregation of Dorje Shugden practitioners and the untold sufferings these people went through and are still going through. Yet. the Dalai Lama and those lamas supporting the ban are going around teaching loving compassion and kindness, and CTA officials making public statements wrongly portraying themselves as peace loving people. And these people want Tibetans and other foreign governments to support them for an independent or autonomous Tibet? For what? So that the CTA can continue putting down their people just because of their religious beliefs and rights? CTA is just interested in one thing, power. The power to rule the people and with that, the financial wealth they hope to accrue for their own families. And with power and wealth, they further cling on to pride.