Dalai Lama speaks about Dorje Shugden at Kalachakra, Washington DC (July 11, 2011)

Dear John,

1. People who have never practiced, it’s easy not to start. No problems there.

2. People who are older than His Holiness Dalai Lama, or have received the practice from another root teacher, then there’s the conflict. They have been practicing for over 30-40 years and they have sworn to their lama they will practice till the end. Should they give up the practice because the Dalai Lama says so? They are practicing because they have faith in their teachers. They respect their teachers. Why does Dalai Lama’s spiritual advice override their own personal teachers? Status and rank should not be the criteria for spiritual authority alone.
Then what about the teachers and students of other sects? Do they all have to practice and follow the Dalai Lama’s practices although they have their own? His Holiness is a great teacher but not the only teacher. There were and are many great teachers still.
Dalai Lama does not need to repeat over and over again we do not need to go see him or participate in his events. We do not need to participate in his events. So if he’s repeating, then he is using his popularity/celebrity-hood to perhaps coerce people into not practicing what he sees as a mistake. He does not have to repeat about the ban over and over again in his sermons. There are much bigger issues to talk about.

3. If the Dalai Lama says re the disbenefits of Shugden once and purely as an advice then let all make up their own minds, that is fine. But he had the Tibetan Constitution in exile amended to say those who practice Shugden should not participate in mainstream Tibetan lives/activites/institutions eg. hospitals, employment, schools etc. In fact the monasteries have been split and separated because of this. Monks who wish to practice are not issued their travelling papers. Tibetans who practice are ostracized and made to be separate from other Tibetans who don’t practice. This is not a simple spiritual advice, but it has become a religious ban.
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=8157

4. The 5th Dalai Lama composed prayers to Shugden and build chapels that still exist. Since the fourteen Dalai Lamas are in one reincarnated mindstream, then how can one build and the other destroy. The Dalai Lama’s personal teachers, debate partners, assistant lamas from Tibet practiced Shugden. Are they all wrong?
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?page_id=341

5. Great teachers that practice Shugden have reincarnated back. Their reincarnations identified by Dalai Lama himself. If they are worshipping spirits their whole lives, then their refuge commitments broken and they cannot obtain a good rebirth by logic. The fact they are back shows clearly this practice is not harmful. The fact they are back shows their practice was pure and correct.

6. Dalai lama consulted the Shugden oracle via his teacher Trijang Rinpoche. It was Shugden who advised him to leave Tibet immediately during the hostile invasion in 1959. It is the kindness of Shugden, Dalai Lama was not killed and escaped in a timely manner. See this video clearly:
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=1239

7. All the great lamas, tulkus, abbots, masters, sangha have been worshipping Shugden in Gaden, Sera and Drepung for 350 years now. Suddenly everyone is wrong? Doesn’t make sense. Many are still practicing and in secret.

8. His Holiness the previous Panchen Lama who is considered an emanation of Amitabha practiced Shugden. In his Monastery of Tashilunpo a large Shugden Chapel has been erected. Pujas go on everyday in Tashilunpo to Shugden. Is Panchen Rinpoche also wrong? His whole Monastery of thousands of monks worship.
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=220

9. If Dalai Lama investigates that Shugden is suddenly a spirit, then how he can be the only right one and all other lamas are wrong. If Dalai Lama can say his teachers are wrong, then what is to stop people from saying Dalai Lama is wrong? Dalai Lama’s disciples can also turn around and say he is wrong. Dalai Lama set the precedence. This is not Tibet. One person does not rule. It has to be democratic. Anyone can practice any religion/god/deity/supreme being they wish and no one has the right to condemn or they can be held in court for infringement of rights. If the Dalai Lama wishes to make his presence known in the US, Europe and Asia, then he must also abide by the rules, laws and freedoms that govern those countries.
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=1478

Your Holiness is also worshipping and propitiating ‘spirits’ for advice in form of the Nechung Oracle. Please investigate:
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=2022
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=3934

We have nothing against His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We bear no ill will nor disrespect. But we would like him to stop infringing on our universal rights to worship as we like without him condemning our form of chosen worship. Please stop condemning. It hurts people. It creates confusion. He loses alot of prestige also. Before his ban on Shugden, there was no problems with the practice.
We will continue to practice and in fact the practice is growing tremendously in many parts of Tibet and outside of Tibet.
The pictures of the lamas we have included in our webpage are of Lamas who practice. We have clear and precise information on this no matter what their representatives inform the public. You see it’s religious ‘suicide’ to practice Shugden openly because of the unfair ban. Remember, if these lamas gave up their practice, that would mean they are not very attained or reliable. They can make mistakes in Dharma and practice. How can that be? Then that would disqualify them as reliable teachers perhaps also. So we should not follow them. The lamas included have practiced most of their lives for sure and continue to practice. The sheer number of teachers that practice should show you how prevalent the Shugden practice is and how Shugden was trusted and practiced by so many great lamas. How can Shugden be harmful. Should the ideas, practice and lineage of only one Dalai Lama be the rule for everyone. I think not, as we need variety. Different methods, different lineages, different teachers and different deities.
I leave you with this quote from the root teacher of the 14th Dalai Lama for 30 years:
• ” But some who are narrow minded, not understanding this point, consider this Dharmapala to be like an ordinary worldly being and, with supposed faith in the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, disparage him; or else they indeed admire this great Dharmapala but criticize the Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama. Using either one as a reason not to admire the other and speaking badly about either in any way is the conduct of an ordinary being who, under the influence of attachment and hatred, just tries to help friends and hurt enemies; it obscures the increase of these great holy Aryas’ deeds and creates the karmic cause to experience unbearable suffering in the future.”

- Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s advice in Music Delighting The Ocean Of Protectors:, 1967
• “Even these days, some suspect those who rely upon and propitiate Gyalchen (Dorje Shugden) of conjuring ghosts, but it is the babbling talk of those who don’t understand the definitive meaning.”

- Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang Losang Yeshe, Symphony Delighting an Ocean of Conquerers, 1967

We hope we have helped you with our reply. Thank you.
Admin