Reflections of Religion in the Modern Era

by Poleen Wu

In this 21st century of technology, interconnectedness and fast-paced changes, Proof and Evidence are very crucial and it is important that people in today’s world verify the information that they receive, as new information and ideas are churned out daily. Technology has brought people closer – psychologically, geographically, economically, cultural and spiritually through religion.

Since ancient times, religion has been inherently mystical, and even as it enriches the nature of Man and shapes the character of Mankind, at times Man is overwhelmed by it. More and more, there must be an emphasis on evidence and logic when discussing religion so as to avoid the danger of falling into the trap of blind faith as has happened in the past.

In my opinion, for any particular religion to establish itself in a modern pluralistic society, there are two prerequisites needed.

First, the basis of a religion has to be able to satisfy logical examination and reasoned analysis instead of demanding a practice based on fear and threats, imposing “moral judgment” as a means to coerce man to do good deeds.

Second, a religion must be able to meet and fulfil the spiritual demands of modern people in order to improve the common practices of a society, and create a better society, which promotes and practices the values of tolerance, acceptance and understanding.

This article is premised on the aforementioned prerequisites that a religion must be able to meet. It is an analysis of the sound reasoning which characterizes a modern society’s approach to religion versus blind faith and superstitions of the old ways.

I am a Buddhist; I love the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism, to me, is a religion yet at the same time a philosophy. The beauty of Buddhism lies in its ability to use logic and rational thinking to expound the teachings. Buddhism neither demands blind allegiance to deity or gods or spirits, nor does it call for unquestioning belief by all Buddhist followers. In fact, the Buddha insisted that all Buddhist practitioners must check the teachings against their own logic and experience. Such is the conviction of Buddhism that it is based on a truth that does not alter with time.

Buddhism places heavy emphasis on the equality of all sentient beings and states that all have the potential to be enlightened. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are able to bestow blessings and guidance, but in no way decide one’s destiny.

Karma and its mechanisms are cornerstones in Buddhist doctrines. This law of karma explains one’s situation and each arises from one’s actions and thinking in the past. We decide our own destiny, and we can transform our futures with a change of perception.

Buddha’s teachings are related to understanding the Mind and the subduing and controlling of it. Through logical analyses and debates based on reason, Buddhist concepts help us understand the world’s phenomena, how it operates and the reality behind all things.

Unfounded Fallacy: Accusations that Dorje Shugden is a Demon

For Dorje Shugden to be a demon is not logical and people should not be persuaded to blindly follow

The foundation of Gelugpa scholarship is pure analysis based on reason and logic, which is also synonymous with Buddhism as taught by Buddha Shakyamuni. It is only through a pure logical approach that the Buddha taught and his disciples studied and understood the root causes of suffering and the time-tested formula of its cessation. This formula has survived challenges and criticism because it ultimately adheres to logic, which cannot be refuted, instead of random superstition and ritualistic blind faith.

When we apply logic to support the status of Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being, the core principles of Dharma, karma, reincarnation and enlightenment come into sync with the status of Dorje Shugden as a Buddha. These core principles were realized by the Buddha in the course of his path to full awakening and it took the Buddha over 40 years to fully elucidate and teach these principles, separately and how they jointly work as a dharmic mechanism to explain all aspects of a belief system that has come to be known and accepted around the world as the truth of Buddhism.

In fact it is common for Buddhism as taught by the Buddha to be used to realize the truth and reality behind all phenomena and indeed, this has been its draw in recent times – that it does not demand of its practitioners to have blind faith but to check and verify based on reason. And this same system of thought, and the same basis that comprises Buddhism is precisely what supports Dorje Shugden as an emanation of the fully enlightened and all-knowing Manjushri.

On the other hand, accusations against Dorje Shugden reducing this deity to the status of a spirit run contrary to all the principles and core foundations of what the Buddha himself taught. Therefore, to support the baseless accusation that Dorje Shugden is a demon is also to completely dismantle the principles of Buddhism and to say that the Buddha erred in his realizations. If Dorje Shugden is a demon, then how should we explain the following three facts?

Could these three holy and virtuous Lamas be wrong in their teachings and practice? From left: H.H. Ling Rinpoche, H.H. Trijang Rinpoche, H.H. Zong Rinpoche

1. The Protector practice of Dorje Shugden was propagated by the great Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche who was one of the greatest lamas of the modern era and had himself attained Heruka. In addition, Pabongka Rinpoche was recognized as the leading Lamrim teacher of the 19th and 20th century, able to not only fully grasp but also perfectly elucidate Je Tsongkhapa’s Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment and summarized it in his Liberation In the Palm of Your Hand, which remains one of the greatest Lamrim texts today.Pabongka Rinpoche’s greatness can also be seen in the wisdom and high attainments of his students, of which Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was one of the most famous. Until today, no one doubts the greatness of Trijang Rinpoche. It is totally illogical that such a highly realized and attained lama as Pabongka Rinpoche could not discern between a Buddha and a demon. To say that Pabongka Rinpoche was “fooled” by a demon is to say that enlightened beings have no clairvoyance. Pabongka Rinpoche also advised that one should have Vajrayogini as one’s tantric yidam during these times. Was Pabongka Rinpoche also wrong about Buddha Vajrayogini? And if not, would it not be totally ridiculous for Pabongka Rinpoche to advise that the practice of Vajrayogini should be accompanied by the practice of the “demon”, Dorje Shugden?Dorje Shugden was also practiced by Kyabje Zong Rinpoche with full devotion. Zong Rinpoche was well known for his skills in monastic debates, which is the quintessence of logical understanding and knowledge of all aspects of the Buddha teachings. One cannot be skilled in debate without being an erudite scholar of the Dharma in all its interpretations. To accuse Dorje Shugden of being a demon means that the great Zong Rinpoche suffered a serious lapse in his proficiency of logic and reason and failed to detect a demon. On the other hand, the fact that such a logical mind as Zong Rinpoche’s worships the Protector confirms by pure reason that Dorje Shugden is a Buddha.The Dalai Lama himself was taught by two Dorje Shugden practitioners, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. These two erudite lamas were carefully selected over so many other candidates to be the senior and junior tutors of the Dalai Lama because of their brilliance and scholarly grasp of logical thinking and philosophy, as well as their attainments in spiritual practice.

   The Tibetan establishment placed critical importance on the selection of the young Dalai Lama’s tutors as they would, without doubt, shape the development of Tibet’s most important figure, not only from a politico-governmental perspective (king) but also from a religious perspective (god).

   To say that Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche were demon worshippers would mean that the lamas and the entire system of selection for the Dalai Lama’s tutors failed to identify demon worshippers. In fact, that would infer that the entire pantheon of Tibetan high lamas and lineage masters all failed in their wisdom, logic and clairvoyance and mistook an evil spirit for a Buddha.

   It is illogical to even consider that an entire nation of highly accomplished lamas and scholars would not be able to weed out a demon and contrary to their wisdom, empower the demon Dorje Shugden to infiltrate his way into the chambers of the Dalai Lama as well as that of so many high masters of various traditions, putting their respective lineages to risk.

2. At its core, Buddhism is about logic. In the Dharma we learn that we should only go for refuge with enlightened beings. This is even more critical for those who have taken monk vows – not to seek refuge in anything or anyone other than the Three Jewels. Going to demons and evil spirits for refuge is without doubt a cause to fall into the lower realms.To say that Dorje Shugden is a demon means that Trijang Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche and other equally attained lamas breached their refuge vows outright and sought refuge in a demon instead. The laws of karma are such that if the above were true, these lamas would not have any cause to take rebirth as human beings, let alone reincarnations of high lamas. And yet with these two high lamas, their reincarnations are back, recognized and enthroned.What is most surprising and self-defeating for the anti-Shugden camp is the fact that the reincarnations of these three lamas were recognized by the Dalai Lama himself! Does this mean that Avalokiteshvara also failed to recognize the incarnations of demon worshippers if for some bizarre reason these demon worshippers managed to bypass their karma of going into the lower realms for breaching their monks vows and reincarnated as humans?

Ironically, the Dalai Lama recognized the reincarnation of the late Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, H.H. Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche

The young Ling Rinpoche is back and He is learning the precious Dharma in the monastery now. Does a monk who takes refuge in a demon reincarnate in human form and do what this young and holy lama is doing now?

3. Dorje Shugden’s line of incarnations cannot be disputed, that the Protector arose from a lineal heritage that includes Panchen Sonam Drakpa, Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, Sakya Pandita… all the way to the great Mahasidda Virupa – all without doubt emanations of Buddha Manjushri. And what’s more, the recognition of Manjushri’s line of emanations were all confirmed by the highest lamas of the time including the Dalai Lamas.To say that an enlightened being of such noble spiritual lineage can suddenly become a demon, or to say that a highly attained lama such as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen took rebirth as a “demon” after his death (as Dorje Shugden’s accusers say he is) is completely in contradiction to the laws of enlightenment. Enlightenment is irreversible and for Shugden accusers to be right, they would essentially be arguing that the state of enlightenment is still within the grasp of karma and that enlightenment is one of the realms of samsara, which makes a mockery of one of the core tenets of Buddhism. Why bother to aim for enlightenment when in the next moment, you could again fall to the lower realms? And yet, at the core of accusations against Shugden, this is what is being claimed.

If these three points are logically investigated, I think everyone would come to the conclusion that the accusations leveled against Dorje Shugden are pure nonsense, superstitious and without proof.

In particular, there are some who claim Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen (who was a candidate to be recognized as the 5th Dalai Lama) became a spirit after his death and caused the sudden death of monks in monasteries. However, if we examine further, it is illogical that a spirit would able to kill monks. A monk is protected because of the vows he holds, just as anyone who has taken refuge is similarly protected against spirit harm.

If those accusations are true, then there is no need for us to be kind/act kindly. And there is no need for us to take refuge, practice and collect merits, purify negative karma and gain enlightenment. If monks who hold hundreds of vows diligently can still get killed/harmed by a malevolent spirit, then what about the average lay person who hardly holds any vows? It means the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha do not have power to bring us under their protection after we take refuge.

In fact, we don’t even have to use sangha as an example. If lay Dharma practitioners are protected from human and non-human harm just by holding their refuge vows, why not the sangha who wear robes and hold strict monastic vows? How can they be killed by an evil spirit? How can an evil spirit kill attained sangha?

If this is the case, the laws of karma in Buddhism are invalidated. Good actions create good results. Whatever causes we create, we will get the relevant results, as taught by Buddha himself. But why is it that when it comes to the Shugden ban, the laws of karma, stressed so much in Buddhism, all suddenly disappear?

Superstition does not contribute to the continuation of a religion

In order for any religion to flourish and remain in this world, it is important for that religion to apply strict reasoning which is cogent and consistent. Likewise, it is important for those interested in Buddhism to be able to understand the Dharma through a process of logic and eventually reach the state of self-realization, completely liberated and in a state able to benefit all sentient beings.

Like other religions, Buddhism will not survive if it relies on superstition and fear, put in place by the so-called ‘authorities’. Buddhism as a religion should not promote unreasonable and wrong values. However, in the case of the Dorje Shugden ban, the reasons and justifications for the ban create such discrepancies that not only do they seem counter-intuitive to the logic of Buddhism, but they are also void of common-sense.

If we look closely, these unreasonable, illogical claims and threats have only resulted in emotional havoc and misunderstanding. The inconsistencies arising from this farcical challenge of Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden have caused disagreements between Gelugpa students, followers and their family members. Even worse, it has caused distrust, intolerance and misunderstandings among traditions and their followers.

This brings no benefit for Buddhist practitioners because on one hand we are supposed to hold vows, develop equanimity and the bodhi mind according to the dharma hoping all beings and ourselves will be released from the sufferings of samsara, while on the other hand, the ban on Dorje Shugden’s practice causes the same practitioners to be confused, some even starting to doubt and think negatively about their gurus, or to be forced to abandon their guru-disciple relationship.

This discrepancy has even caused some to openly condemn their gurus or other practitioners. It doesn’t matter who is being scolded or who is scolding – at the end of the day, such actions are tantamount to breaking one’s vows and creating tremendous negative karma. This kind of split has caused doubts amongst Buddhist disciples, caused estranged relationships between students and teachers, and created distrust between the different lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.

For those who have chosen to continue with the practice of Dorje Shugden, their practices are not being accepted in any way, but there is no need to further discuss the reasons behind this. What I want to ask is, “Where is the freedom of religion? Where is the mutual understanding and acceptance between different religions?” If a person who can’t accept another religion is labeled an extremist or religious chauvinist, what more Buddhists who are supposed to promote peace and compassion?

Ultimately, this intolerance and blind faith has brought damage to Gelug practitioners and Buddhism. As a spiritual practitioner at this crucial time, it is extremely important for us to think and logically analyze the information at our disposal.

Is a religion meant to increase our wisdom; to bring about love, compassion, and acceptance in the world? Or is a religion meant to make us narrow-minded, intolerant, insist on blind faith, and depend on force and threats? At the end of the day, any religion should educate and guide its followers to make the right choices through understanding and acceptance, and not force them towards an opinion that has been formulated by those in power.