Why can’t the Dalai Lama ‘bind’ Dorje Shugden?
Dear friends around the world,
Yesterday I was inspired to speak on a topic related to the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden. I wanted to address one of the reasons why the Tibetan leadership says we cannot engage in this practice.
According to the Tibetan leadership, Dorje Shugden is a spirit and when we rely on him, we are actually engaging in spirit practice. In doing so, we break our refuge and monk vows, and are no longer considered a Buddhist. That’s according to the Tibetan leadership.
I found this reason to be quite illogical because Dorje Shugden has been practised for over 400 years. My root teacher His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden and his teacher His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden, and his teacher before him practised, and so on and so forth. Even His Holiness the Dalai Lama relied on Dorje Shugden for over 30 years and even wrote a praise of him to encourage others to rely on him too. So the practice stretches all the way back and includes countless of scholars and masters, not just from the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism but in the Sakya, Nyingma and Kagyu ones too.
Therefore according to the Tibetan leadership’s so-called logic that relying on Dorje Shugden means we break our Buddhist refuge vows, does that mean every single Dorje Shugden practitioner for the last 400 years, including all of the high lamas of Tibet, are no longer even Buddhist? That means our Buddhist traditions in Tibet are broken, is this what the Tibetan leadership are saying? That means even the Dalai Lama is no longer a Buddhist, and he wasn’t a Buddhist for the over 30 years he practised Dorje Shugden, how can that be possible? So for me, this ‘logic’ and ‘reasoning’ did not make any sense.
And speaking of high lamas, what I found strange is that the Tibetan leadership are calling Dorje Shugden a spirit, when there are so many high lamas in Tibet who are famous for or have a history of subduing, dispelling and vanquishing spirits. In fact, when I first came to Malaysia, that was the reputation of Tibetan lamas. If there was a black magic problem, or a spirit disturbance, people would often seek out Tibetan lamas for assistance because they felt they were very powerful. I heard this from many, many people.
So I decided to speak on this topic, to dispel some of the myths and ignorance that surrounds the ‘logic’ that Dorje Shugden is a spirit. In short, I don’t believe he is a spirit simply because:
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama is Chenrezig. It is not possible that as Chenrezig, His Holiness the Dalai Lama did not have the clairvoyance to see Dorje Shugden’s true nature 30 years ago.
- As Chenrezig, it is not possible that the Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shugden, if he’s a spirit which the Tibetan leadership like to claim. How can a Buddha like the Dalai Lama who is Chenrezig, be harmed by a so-called spirit? If a Buddha is like an ordinary person and can be harmed by a spirit, what is the point of practising to become enlightened and a Buddha?
- Finally, how come the high lamas of Tibet have not been able to subdue or bind and destroy Dorje Shugden if he is a so-called spirit? How come the Dalai Lama, who is Chenrezig, has not been able to subdue Dorje Shugden so there is nothing for the Tibetans to be afraid of? How come all of the other high lamas, who are attained beings themselves, are not able to bind Dorje Shugden and make him swear an oath, which is what Padmasambhava did to Nechung? Is it because the high lamas are powerless, or is it because Dorje Shugden is a Buddha and not a spirit, and therefore does not have the karma to be controlled in this manner? Once he is bound or subdued, then there will be no more Dorje Shugden problems right? Wouldn’t it be easier to subdue one Dorje Shugden deity than to constantly try to ‘bind’ the tens of thousands of Dorje Shugden followers around the world and not to mention the hundreds of thousands in Tibet? Take care of the ‘problem’ from the top would make more sense.
For these reasons, and many more which I cover in the video, I decided to speak out against this reasoning. When we think of enlightened beings as spirits, and we call them spirits, insult them and degrade them, the negative karma of this is very, very heavy. It creates the causes for us to be away from the Dharma, for us to see positive things as negative, and for us to develop aversion to good things and attraction to activities that create even more negative karma for us. So it is very dangerous for people to do this, and the Tibetan leadership encourages people to do this over and over again. So I request you to please watch this video and to share it with others, so they can understand and learn a little bit more about Dorje Shugden. They don’t need to practise Dorje Shugden but at least respect even people they do not agree with. If they can do that, that is a more enlightened way of thinking than automatically hating and being angry at others who do not share their views.
Tsem Rinpoche
Click here to view my other live streaming video “Why Accepting Dorje Shugden Is Good for Tibetan Democracy“
VIDEO: In the face of Dorje Shugden,
are the high lamas of Tibet impotent?
TRANSCRIPT
Tashi Delek. Hello everyone. My name is Tsem Tulku, and I am a Buddhist monk from Gaden Shartse Monastery. But Gaden Shartse has split, so we are previously from Gaden Shartse Monastery.
Today, I want to talk about some things because the Tibetan leadership always mention about Dorje Shugden, and a lot of things they mentioned changes over time. I think when people examine it over time, if they look at it carefully it with logic and they debate it out, they would find that the reasoning behind the prejudice and the negative stigma against Dorje Shugden is not logical.
If you have seen any of my other tapes, I already mentioned that I am 52 and I received this practice over 30 years ago from my root teacher, and this was back in the 80s. My root teacher was Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, of course he has passed away. He gave me this practice because I requested the practice to remove obstacles for my life. He personally gave me this practice and personally granted it to me. In Tibetan Buddhism, what your lama gives you, what your lama grants you, what your lama assigns to you, what your guru, your teacher or your lama assigns to you, is what you keep for the rest of your life. No other lama can override the instructions of your root teacher. So if your root teacher tells you to pray to Green Tara for the rest of your life and keep that as your main practice, keep that as your main meditation, keep that as your main yidam, and keep that as your main tutelary deity, and by instruction of your root lama, you can meet a hundred other lamas who recommend you to do instead perhaps Dzambala, so if you meet another lama who tells you to do Dzambala, another one that tells you to do Dzambala, another one that tells you to do Dzambala, you can do Dzambala and incorporate that into your practice, but your main practice, or your root practice or your focus should still be Green Tara.
If another teacher tells you that Dzambala will be more effective for you and you should do Dzambala instead of Green Tara, or you should stop Green Tara altogether or you should spend more time on Dzambala instead of Green Tara then you can politely tell the other teacher or the other masters, “thank you for your advice, it’s very kind of you but I will continue my Green Tara practice”. The reason is because it was assigned to you by your teacher, the person you chose, the person you have agreed with, the person you have in your heart and said this is my root teacher for life. We can have 20 teachers, 15 teachers, 30 teachers, 16 teachers. We can have many teachers, but the root teacher is the one that touches us the most. The one that influences us the most. The one that inspires us the most. So that is the one that we listen to primarily. If we have other teacher, we can add on to what our root teacher said. For example, if our root teacher said that we have to do 100,000 prostrations and the other teacher says that we should do water offerings, we can do prostrations and water offering, but at no time do we substitute our root teacher’s instruction. At no time do we eliminate or delete our root teacher’s instruction for another teacher’s, even if another teacher is very famous, even if another teacher is very great and very well-known, very renown, and very erudite. It doesn’t matter because we should not switch teachers on the basis of fame, or name, or how many people they have. We should stick to our root teacher because we have checked out our root teacher, we have agreed for this person to be our root teacher, we have agreed to follow our root teacher.
The hour-long filming took place in my study and office
So, in the Tibetan Tantric tradition, it’s very important once we have committed to our root teacher you follow our root teacher and his or her instructions all the way until the end of our lives, and no other teacher can override that.
So, I myself have 16 teachers. I have received teachings on various sutras and tantras, and many transmissions and commentaries from these 16 teachers, but my primary and root teacher whom I chose was H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. So, what I practice, what I meditate on, what I do daily in my recitation, and in my meditation and contemplation are what Zong Rinpoche gave me primarily. I have some practices and meditation given to me by my other teachers, but I do mainly what Zong Rinpoche gave me. And if I was to ever change what Zong Rinpoche gave me, or to delete or to amend or to adjust, I would need Zong Rinpoche’s permission. But some people might ask, what happened if Zong Rinpoche has passed away and he is not around or you are not able to get a hold of him. Well, whatever you promised him last, you have to keep that promise. That means if we promise him to do certain practices, since we cannot get his permission to stop the practices, we must continue the practices. This is called samaya or guru devotion or integrity. Having integrity for our gurus. We should not give up our practices because we are lazy, we should not give up our practices because we find excuses not to do it, we should not give it up because we don’t see any results, because the results come over time as everyone is different.
We should not give up the practices because another guru told us to, we should not give up our practices because someone famous told us to, we should not give up the practices if someone told us that our practices are not effective or not good. Why? This is because we have already taken refuge and our faith with our teacher, our root teacher. Whatever our root teacher has given us is what we must stick to. If we are not going to stick to it, we have to seek the permission of our root teacher to be excused from it.
If our root teacher has passed away, not around or uncontactable, then we have to keep doing our practice. If we delete or adjust the practice of our root teacher, overriding them with another teacher’s advice, then what happened? It says in the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion by Ashvaghosha, that one will not gain results from one’s meditation. For example, Milarepa studied with the great Marpa and Marpa did not give him much Dharma in the beginning. Milarepa did many negative actions that that would become obstacles to his meditational practice. So Milarepa being someone with a lot of negative karma, Marpa in his compassion decided to purify the karma of Milarepa before giving him teachings and even higher teachings. For years, Milarepa cooked for Marpa, the wife Damema and the child. He did farming for his guru, he was cutting wood, he was planting, he was harvesting, cultivating, he did a lot a lot of work for his guru.
Every time his guru Marpa gave teachings, Milarepa would go into the teachings but he would be escorted out. Marpa would wrathfully tell him to get out and don’t come for the teaching. So, after a few years of working so hard for the guru, serving the guru, and being around the guru, all Milarepa ever received was scolding and he was not allowed to go to any of the teachings. So Milarepa became very disheartened. His guru’s wife, Damema felt a lot of pity and compassion for Milarepa. She wrote a letter in Marpa’s name and she took a gift, a big piece of turquoise in Marpa’s name, gave it to Milarepa and sent him to one of Marpa’s leading students to receive teachings. Milarepa, with the letter and the gift was sent off and he left Marpa’s house to receive teachings from one of Marpa’s main students. When he arrived at the house of Marpa’s main student, when this person read the letter and saw the gift, he immediately obeyed because he thought Marpa had ordered him to teach and give teachings to Milarepa. Milarepa never told him Marpa gave permission for him to teach Marpa’s students. Marpa never said that anyone can teach Milarepa and Milarepa kept quiet. Marpa’s student then gave very powerful teachings to Milarepa from esoteric teachings, initiated him into Tantra and put him inside a cave nearby to meditate. The practice that this person gave to Milarepa was very potent, and most people who did this meditation would receive signs within a few months. He would give teachings and instructions to Milarepa and Milarepa would go and meditate. A few weeks later, he asked Milarepa whether Milarepa received any signs, “Did you receive any signs, did you have any dreams, did you experience this?” Milarepa would say no. Then the same thing would happen again. He would call him back and ask, “Did you experience any dreams or any signs or any sort of auspicious omens?” Milarepa would again say no.
So, it confuses the teacher, and he would have said, “That’s impossible! That’s impossible that I gave you these teachings and there were no signs.” So, he decided to question Milarepa stronger. What he asked Milarepa was, “Did Marpa actually send you here? Did Marpa actually ask you to come here to receive teachings?” That was when Milarepa confessed, “No, he did not. His wife sent me.” So, the student of Marpa was very upset and ashamed. He immediately packed up Milarepa’s things, took Milarepa back to Marpa’s house, prostrated to Marpa and said, “I am so sorry, Great Marpa. I have been teaching your students without your permission.” And then he realised that by teaching Marpa’s student without the permission of the guru, Milarepa did not receive any signs.
This story represents that when we do not have our guru’s/ teacher’s permission, it is very hard to get signs in Tantric practices. Similarly, if our teacher gave us a practice, if we practice it, we believe and we trust, we will get very powerful siddhis.
Now what I want to speak about today was His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang and many other well-known lamas from Gaden, Sera, Drepung, Tashi Lhunpo and Amdo Tashi Kyil who have taught the lineage, practices and gave initiations of Dorje Shugden to tens of thousands of students for the last 400 years. Prior to Pabongka Rinpoche, tens of thousands of students have received the practice, the lineage and the meditation of Dorje Shugden in the Sakya lineage. Within the Gelugpa lineage and from Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, thousands of students have received Dorje Shugden practice.
To do Dorje Shugden practice, you request your teacher and your teacher would give you a life entrustment which is sogtae. Sogtae is literally translated as life entrustment ceremony and that’s when the guru tells Dorje Shugden to watch this disciple until he gains Bodhicitta. And then the disciple would make a vow to Dorje Shugden that he would hold Dorje Shugden as his principal protector until he achieves Bodhicitta. So the student is bound to the protector by the power of the lama. The lama or the guru introduces Dorje Shugden to the student, the student agrees, then the lama will ask Dorje Shugden to take this disciple to watch over and to care for this student until he or she achieves Bodhicitta, and the agreement is made. When the agreement is made and solidified by the ceremony and offerings that is embodied in a sogtae, when you received that sogtae from your lama, you practice Dorje Shugden for the rest of your life. Most of us have received sogtae although it is a secret practice, just like most of Tantra is and we cannot give that practice up.
So, His Holiness the Dalai Lama whom I respect very much and the Tibetan leadership have asked us to give up Dorje Shugden. They have stated many reasons why we should give up Dorje Shugden and I know many great Tulkus, Geshes, masters, yogis and Mahasiddhas whom I have met personally have told me that Dorje Shugden is no other than the Buddha, and no other than Manjushri himself. So, I have met many great masters in Gaden, Sera and Drepung. Some have passed away and some are still alive. We are talking about erudite masters who are top in debate class, top in scriptural class, top in the study of Tantra, graduated from Tantric colleges such as Gyuto and Gyume monasteries. Gyuto and Gyume Monasteries are where the monks from Gaden, Sera and Drepung will go to study the Tantra. So, I have met monks, lamas, yogis, Geshes and high lamas who have graduated from Gyuto and Gyume, who were excellent in drawing a mandala, who were excellent in rituals, masters of Sang De Jig Sum, Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Heruka, they are masters of Do and Ngak, Do Ngak, the Sutra and Tantra and they are excellent in debate and some of them are abbots. They themselves are abbots and they have ordained hundreds of monks. They themselves have told me many many times that Dorje Shugden is a Buddha.
Therefore when the Tibetan leadership says that Dorje Shugden is not a Buddha and that he is harmful, it makes me think how is that possible? How is it after 400 years of thousands and thousands of Sakya disciples, monks, nuns and lay people, tens of thousands of Gelugpa lay people, monks, nuns and high lamas have been practicing Dorje Shugden, that in these 400 years no one saw that he is negative, that he is a horrible spirit and he is a harmful spirit? Why is it that none of these lamas for the last 400 years, I am talking about hundreds of erudite masters, did not get signs, dreams and indications that he is negative. In fact, instead of saying he is negative, they are saying that he is enlightened and he is Manjushri.
So now, I think there is a very good solution for all of this. I think there is a very good solution for all of this. What I want to talk about is how the Tibetan leadership tells us that Dorje Shugden harms the Dalai Lama, Dorje Shugden harms Nyingma people, Dorje Shugden harms people who don’t stay within the Gelugpa school. So, what I wanted to do was to offer some simple examples of how all of this is absolutely not true.
1. For Tibetans, for people who study in the monasteries, the steps and stages for persons to purify their mind, to realise emptiness, and to gain full omniscience are not easy tasks. Once you gained omniscience or you become a Buddha, when you become a fully enlightened Buddha Chom Den Day, or one who has jumped over samsara, who has left samsara, it can never reverse back. What does that mean? It simply means that once you become a Buddha, you can never become un-Buddha, you cannot be not a Buddha anymore. So once you become a Buddha, you are a Buddha. Once you become a Buddha, your body, speech and mind become one. So you can emanate in thousands of forms, you can emanate in hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands of locations in samsara.
Remember, planet earth is just one speck in samsara. There are thousands, millions, billions, and trillions of universes, solar systems, existences, on different planes; there’s the form realm, formless realm, desire realm. Within the form, formless and desire, which is Do Jya Kyi Kam Dang Su Kam, formless realm, form realm, desire realm, within those places, there are billions and billions of existences. So samsara isn’t just planet earth. There are Buddha’s teachings in many places many dimensions, places that are different that are not even remotely similar to us because a kangsa, or a living being is not dependent on just having one face and two arms and looking like a human. There are humanoids all over, therefore a Buddha can appear all over the universe, all over in time. They can appear as animals, they can appear as animate objects and inanimate objects. There are no limitations of how these beings can appear.
Therefore, in Tibet, in the Indian Mahasiddha tradition, in the Tibetan tradition, we know and we believe that once a person becomes enlightened, they are enlightened on the basis of their Bodhicitta and their realization of shunyata or emptiness. It can never ever reverse and due to their powerful realisation or the achievement of Bodhicitta, they will continuously emanate to benefit beings. They will emanate as good people, as bad people, as women, as men, as robbers, as prostitutes, as presidents, as kings, as monks, as high lamas, they will emanate as beggars, as Mahasiddha, as yogis, and even as crooks and robbers. They will emanate in many forms because each one of those emanations play a different type of function, to benefit certain group of beings.
Similarly in Tibet, we believe that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a highly realised being and he is in fact Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig). Some people may believe that he is Chenrezig Avalokiteshvara, some people may not believe that. Let me go on the route that people believe he is Avalokiteshvara, which means that he is a 10th stage Bodhisattva – one who cannot return back to samsara, one who has achieved Buddhahood. Some people may say that Chenrezig is someone who defers his enlightenment in order to benefit sentient beings. That is according to the Sutra view. On Tantra view, Avalokiteshvara is fully enlightened, manifesting as a Bodhisattva. Therefore, if we take the Tantric view, Avalokiteshvara is a fully enlightened Buddha, manifesting as a 10th stage Bodhisattva, manifesting as one of the eight main disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha in order to question Shakyamuni so that Shakyamuni will be prompted to turn the wheel of Dharma. This is because without requesting teaching, you cannot get teaching. Avalokiteshvara is actually a fully enlightened Buddha.
In fact, if you actually listen to some of the Dalai Lama precious teachings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has mentioned a few times in his teachings, which I heard, that sometimes he has deja vus and premonitions that he was sitting in the audience 2,500 years ago listening to Shakyamuni as he taught. He has this kind of premonitions or type of feeling, remembrance of previous lives that he was a direct disciple of Shakyamuni and was sitting there in the audience on the outskirts. He mentioned that himself, I heard that myself. I don’t doubt that at all. Many people in the Tibetan society, many people believe His Holiness to be Avalokiteshvara. He has shown many signs to be a sublime being, to be a highly realised being, to be a powerful being. Therefore, since the Dalai Lama is Avalokiteshvara, he is an enlightened being. If he is an enlightened being, he is free from all karma; he is free from all results of karma, and the creation of karma. He creates no karma. Since he creates no karma, he is unable to experience the result of negative karma.
A negative condition that the Dalai Lama comes across, is not the condition that he experiences or creates on his own or that is the result of his own karma. It’s the result of the people around him. He needs to go through with this people and experience their karma in order to benefit them. If he is in the hot plate, it is not his karma that makes him suffer the heat, it is the karma of the people in that area. Therefore, when he goes to that area, he feels the heat and he experiences the heat, but it is not the result of his negative karma, that is what the Tibetans believe.
Now if that is the case, if HH the Dalai Lama is Avalokiteshvara Chenrezig, he is omniscient, he is all-knowing, he has full clairvoyance, he has full Tantric power and Mahasiddha power, he is basically a Buddha. He is a Buddha emanating in a form of a man, in a form of a human being, in a form of a great monk. Although he is emanating as a great monk, he still is a Buddha. Therefore, how can a Buddha be harmed by evil spirit? How can Dorje Shugden harm the Dalai Lama? If Dorje Shugden can harm the Dalai Lama, then the Dalai Lama cannot be a Buddha. So, if we say he is a Buddha, it creates a lot of other questions. Then similarly, how can Dorje Shugden harm any high lama who has achieved high realisation? It is impossible.
Therefore, if I practice Dorje Shugden and I attend the Dalai Lama’s talks, the Dalai Lama’s ceremony, and I attend the Dalai Lama’s religious rites, there is no way I can harm him. The reason why there is no way I can harm him is because the Dalai Lama has no karma to be harmed. Therefore, when people say Dorje Shugden will shorten the Dalai Lama’s life, Dorje Shugden will harm the Dalai Lama, Dorje Shugden will obstruct the Dalai Lama’s wishes, that is impossible. Why is that impossible? How can any so-called negative being harm an enlightened Buddha? If the Dalai Lama can be harmed, there is no point for us to take refuge in a Buddha. There is no point in us meditating and aspiring to become a Buddha because if we become a Buddha and we can be harmed, then what’s the point of becoming a Buddha? What is the point? So that does not make sense at all.
2. Let’s say there is another school of thought, perhaps in the West that does not really believe that the Dalai Lama is the emanation of Avalokiteshvara, we still have to accept that he is a monk and he has held his vows. He is a pure monk and he has been a monk for over 67 years. It is said in the Vinaya Sutra that those of us who take on the robes and take on the vows of a monk, the gods, devas and spirits cannot harm us. Demons and magic cannot harm us because we are holding the vows given to us originally from Shakyamuni Buddha. So, by having the vows of a Sangha, without doing any rituals, without doing any sort of special practices or meditation, we are actually protected from negative spirits, demons, ghosts, magic and harm.
If an ordinary monk like myself is protected from negative spirits or negative demons, magic and curses, surely someone as enlightened, attained, and as pure as the Dalai Lama cannot be harmed. If you look at it carefully, the Dalai Lama cannot be harmed because he is Avalokiteshvara and Avalokiteshvara cannot be harmed. Whatever we do around Avalokiteshvara, nothing bad will happen to him. For example, at the last stage of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment, in the fourth watch of the night, when Mara came and he emanated as beautiful ladies to seduce the Buddha. He emanated as powerful warriors shooting weapons, molten lava, and throwing boulders and all kinds of fearful weapons, he tried to throw Buddha off, he was not able to. At the last stage when Buddha reached the last point when he let go of his “I”, he became enlightened. Mara and his games, his threats, and all his magical illusions cannot harm the Buddha. Therefore, we can conclude that the Buddha has no karma to be harmed. That goes for any Buddha, it is not just the historical Buddha, any Buddha. Therefore, the Dalai Lama being a Buddha cannot be harmed- cannot be harmed by Dorje Shugden, cannot be harmed by anyone. There is no need for restrictions of Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Secondly, in Tibetan Buddhism, we have many powerful rituals. Powerful magical rituals to bind spirits, to control spirits, to negate spirit or to even destroy spirit if they are very harmful and send their consciousness to a Buddha realm. For example, the State Protector of Tibet, who is used by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership, his name is Nechung. Nechung is actually not a Tibetan deity. According to John Avedon, in his book ‘Exile from the Land of Snows’, in the chapter called The Wheel of Protection, he wrote very clearly and I have checked what he wrote with other lamas and my Gurus, that Nechung is a very evil, negative, harmful spirit that originally came from Persia. He came with the traders and ended up in Tibet.
When Tibet was practicing shamanism and nature worship, the Tibetan King started inviting Buddhist masters to Tibet. When they invited the first masters, such as Santarakshita, then Nechung, along with his host of minion of spirits and demons, and the other mountain gods of Tibet, who were against Buddhism, started to create a lot of obstacles such as hail, fire, and earthquakes, to prevent these Buddhist masters from giving teachings.
So, when the first teacher Shantarakshita, who was a very renowned, erudite, and learned monk tried to give teachings, something would happen that would stop the teaching. For example, there would be hail and people could not come to the teachings, or the tent where he was to teach would fall.
Since Shantarakshita did not have any occult abilities, he told the Tibetans, I’m not able to do much here, but you must invite the occult Tantric master Guru Padmasambhava. If you invite him, he will be able to proliferate the Dharma in Tibet. The King and leaders of Tibet listened to him and they invited the great master Lopon Rinpoche or Guru Rinpoche to Tibet. When Guru Rinpoche came, sure enough Nechung did his job again, and they went into psychic wars. There were many psychic battles, they fought and in the end, Nechung lost. Nechung then appeared as a young boy to Guru Rinpoche, folding his hands and said, “I submit to you”. Guru Rinpoche took his vajra, placed it on the boy’s head, took some of his inner offerings, which is alcohol and placed it on the boy’s tongue, ordaining him as a protector of the Dharma. He made Nechung swear that in the future, he would do no harm to the Tibetan nation, that he would bring no obstacles to the growth of Buddhism in Tibet. In fact in the future, a couple of hundred years later, after Guru Rinpoche passed away, there would be an incarnation, the Holder of the Lotus, and that is another epithet for Avalokiteshvara, who would come to Tibet and Nechung would assist him to proliferate the Dharma, and to that Nechung had sworn.
Guru Rinpoche was able to go into psychic battles, overcoming this pernicious, evil, malicious and very malevolent spirit that was very powerful, who could even chase away Shantarakshita. Nechung was subdued, bound and made to swear to protect and help the Dharma by Guru Rinpoche. We have to realise that Guru Rinpoche, being an enlightened being, has the quality that all enlightened beings have. Surely, the Dalai Lama and the High Lamas of Tibetan Buddhism can get together and do a puja or binding ritual to capture Dorje Shugden, capture his spirit, and make him swear to stop harming, maybe even turn him into a Dharma Protector. I don’t understand why His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many other High Lamas do not have a little Tantric get together, call Dorje Shugden, bind him and make him swear as was done to Nechung by Guru Rinpoche.
Now if we bind Dorje Shugden, since we are here to assume he’s negative and he’s so powerful, and everybody is so afraid of him, surely an enlightened being, a Tantricly-attained being such as the Dalai Lama can bind him. If the Dalai Lama cannot bind Dorje Shugden, then what does it say about Dorje Shugden, that Dorje Shugden is more powerful than the Dalai Lama? Or that the Dalai Lama does not have the power to bind him? How could that be? How can the Dalai Lama, who is a Buddha, not be able to bind an evil spirit? If we bind Dorje Shugden, guess what will happen? Then the Tibetan Government in-Exile, which is called the Central Tibetan Administration or in short, the CTA in Dharamsala, do not have to write negative things about Dorje Shugden on their websites, nor do they have to advise people against Dorje Shugden on Tibet.net and DalaiLama.com. They have sections where they actually advise you against practising Dorje Shugden, warning you how negative Dorje Shugden is, and frightening you by telling you how evil he is. It is similar to the age-old battle between God and the Devil in Christianity. My question is, God can just get rid of the Devil and then nobody would sin again. So why leave the Devil alive? Surely God is more powerful than the Devil? Similarly, you have the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden in Tibetan Buddhism. Surely the Dalai Lama is more powerful than Dorje Shugden. I am not saying this to be facetious, to be sarcastic, or try to infer something.
I really believe the Dalai Lama is very powerful and he is enlightened, I never ever thought otherwise. Among my students, I have never said even one negative word about or against His Holiness the Dalai Lama and that is my policy because I respect him very much. If the Dalai Lama would bind Dorje Shugden and do a puja to bind him, well guess what? We don’t have to spend money on writers, on website masters, on people who maintain the websites, and the servers to have sections on DalaiLama.com or Tibet.net that specifically talk against Dorje Shugden. You can save yourself time.
The second thing is, His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his Dharma talks year after year, month after month, always slips in a word or two about how bad Dorje Shugden is, how we should not practice him and that we should be careful of him. Well, my very respectful request to His Holiness is that he does not need to warn us about Dorje Shugden anymore if he would just bind Dorje Shugden and make him into a positive being, just like what Guru Rinpoche did to Nechung. Remember, Nechung in Tibetan history and Tibetan Buddhist history, is actually a negative evil spirit that was bound to help. You can do research. In fact, the Dalai Lama says that Nechung’s picture, the depiction of Nechung should not be put on the altar equal with Dalai Lama, but on a lower space. Then on top of that, the Tibetan government do not have to spend hundreds of thousands of rupees on writers and contract people to write books, and then print thousands of books, distributing them all over the world to all types of people to discourage them against Dorje Shugden. They can save money on that.
If the Dalai Lama and other High Lamas of Tibetan Buddhism keep talking about how harmful Dorje Shugden is, how we should stay away from Dorje Shugden, how if you practice Dorje Shugden you should not go to their Dharma talks; with the deepest respect, it makes the Dalai Lama and other High Lamas look pretty impotent. It makes them look pretty powerless. How can the Dalai Lama and all these High Lamas be afraid of a spirit? Why don’t all these High Lamas or the Dalai Lama, or together, bind the spirit? Call him, bind him and keep him quiet once and for all. Now if Dorje Shugden is such an evil, malevolent spirit, there are rituals that you can use to sever his consciousness and send his consciousness to the pure land. There are rituals for that, such as fire pujas. In a fire puja, for example, in a Yamantaka fire puja, you can invite the negative consciousness of the evil spirit to come onto your ladle, and with meditation, mantra, mudra, and pure samadhi, that’s concentration, you can dump the consciousness of the evil spirit into the wisdom fire, and from that the consciousness burns, and immediately it takes a new rebirth in a pure land of a Buddha. When we do fire pujas of Yamantaka, you can definitely do things like that. You can send this spirit to another place.
Another question is, we have Nechung, another famous protector Palden Lhamo, Mahakala Gonpo Chadrugpa – Six-armed Mahakala, Gonpo Chashipa – Four-armed Mahakala, Gonpo Sheshipa – Four-faced Mahakala, Gongkar – White Mahakala, Chamsing, Namsey – Vaishravana, Citipati – Kinkara, Kalarupa Chinangsum – Choegyal Chinangsum (inner, outer and secret Kalarupa), we have all these powerful protectors. Are you telling me Dorje Shugden is more powerful than all of them? If we pray to Palden Lhamo or we pray to Mahakala, you mean they cannot protect us from a negative evil spirit? Why cannot they protect the Tibetan nation, the Dalai Lama, and the Tibetan people from one evil spirit? Does that make sense to you? Is Dorje Shugden more powerful than all these protectors? Well you say “No, he is not, he definitely can be subdued by these powerful protectors.” Well, if he can be subdued by Kalidevi Palden Lhamo, Kalarupa Damsing Choegyal, Gonpo Chadrug – Six-armed Mahakala, Namtose – Vaishravana, if he can be subdued by these protectors, then why are these protectors not subduing him? Why are these protectors allowing him to create havoc and broken samaya within the Gelugpa school of Buddhism? Doesn’t make sense. Either he’s more powerful than these protectors, or these protectors know that he’s not an evil spirit and there is nothing to subdue. Surely these protectors can protect us, right?
In the late nineties and early two thousands, when I was in Gaden Monastery, the CTA spread news that if we practice Dorje Shugden, it becomes a conflict with Nechung. If it becomes a conflict with Nechung, then Nechung cannot help us get Tibet back. Because when people practice Dorje Shugden, Dorje Shugden creates obstacles for people to get Tibet back. That also does not make sense. How can one single so-called ‘evil’ spirit block the Dalai Lama to get our country back? How can he block Ling Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche, and all the other High Lamas of the other lineages? How can Dorje Shugden block all the Dharma Protectors, block the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the arhats, the Dakas, Dakinis, the enlightened supramundane protectors, and the Twelve Goddesses of Tibet – Tenma Chunyi? How can he block everyone and their power and their blessings to get Tibet back?
You mean all the Dharma Protectors, all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, deities, Yidams, Tutelary Deities, High Lamas, the Dalai Lama, and the lineage lamas, all of them do not have enough power to overcome one evil spirit? That also does not make sense. It does not make sense at all. Therefore, Dorje Shugden cannot harm the Dalai Lama. Dorje Shugden cannot harm any monks or nuns. Dorje Shugden cannot harm any sentient being, especially if they have refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, or if they practice Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, or Kalarupa. Dorje Shugden cannot harm the wishes of Tibet, some Tibetans wish for independence, some wish for autonomy. Rangzen (independence), Umaylam (the Middle Way or autonomy policy), they have various wishes. But the point is that Dorje Shugden cannot block the wishes of Tibetans. If that is the case, what is Dorje Shugden actually harming? What is Dorje Shugden harming if you think about it?
Everyone can go the Dalai Lama’s teachings, if you practice Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Shintoism, Jainism, Druid, witchcraft, Voodoo. I mean, there are people who actually practice Satanism, that practice the Devil. They actually pray to the Devil and make animal sacrifices and blood sacrifices. In Western countries, it is enshrined in democracy that you can practice any religion you want, as long as it follows the law. So, there are people in Western countries who practice Satanism. There are Satanists that creates harm, there are Satanists that does not create harm, there are different types of Satanism. Same thing with Voodoo, there is White Voodoo, and there is Black Voodoo. All these people and atheists can attend the Dalai lama’s rituals, Kalachakra, teachings. You know when they are attending these teachings many of them are not going there to really attend the teachings, they are just looking, watching and just kind of listening to what he is saying. They are allowed to attend, but Dorje Shugden people are not allowed to attend.
That is really strange because Dorje Shugden people believe in the Buddha, believe in the lineage lamas, believe in the Dharma, believe in the Sangha. They hold their vows, they practice the same meditational deities. They belong to Gaden, Sera, Drepung. So what does not make sense is why only the Dorje Shugden people cannot attend teachings by the Dalai Lama? Some people might argue that since your faith is different from the Dalai Lama’s you cannot go, but there are many people in the Dalai Lama’s audience who are not Buddhists, who do not subscribe to the Buddha’s teachings, who do not believe or trust the Buddha’s teachings, but they like to go and listen to the Dalai Lama. They are allowed to go. We, Dorje Shugden people, believe in the Buddha, believe in the Dharma, believe in the Sangha, but we are not allowed to go because we practice Dorje Shugden.
How about people who practice New Age religions? They practice a mishmash of different religions, not that it is wrong, that is their choice. Some people practice Krishna, Jesus and Buddha, they put it all together and they practice a little bit of Voodoo. They do Druid practices, they do nature practices, they worship the Goddess Ishtar, Isis, Satan, they do all that – do a little mishmash, and they go to the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Their religious views are completely opposite, wouldn’t that contradict the samaya with the Dalai Lama? The samaya is the religious relationship with the Dalai Lama. That does not make sense.
The Dalai Lama is not only the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, he is also the secular leader and the King of Tibet. Maybe recently he has passed some of that responsibilities to somebody else, but behind the scene, he is still the biggest leader in Tibet. He would always be, forever. As a secular leader of Tibet who speaks for the Tibetan people – their welfare, their languages, their culture, their music, their cuisine, their health, their education, he’s a secular leader. As a secular leader, why is it that when he gives a public talk, Dorje Shugden people are not allowed to attend? Why is it that in the Tibetan government, Dorje Shugden people are not represented? They are not allowed in the monasteries, they are not allowed in the Tibetan hospitals, they are not allowed in the Tibetan institutions and schools. It is clear in the Tibetan government charter that if you practice Dorje Shugden, you cannot work for the Tibetan government. So how come Dorje Shugden people are not represented in the Tibetan Parliament? I mean whether we practice Dorje Shugden, or we do not practice Dorje Shugden, we should be represented because we are Tibetan people. People are people regardless of their religion. So, that does not make sense.
We have many paranormal shows these days that have psychics who can see spirits. They do healing, exorcism, clearing, they send the spirits into the light, there are many psychics these days that go to houses and say “Oh wow, there’s this ghost here, there’s this demon here, there’s this spirit, and I’m going to send them into the light and clear them”. You have hundreds of psychics and hundreds of paranormal shows these days, you can go onto Youtube and see these psychics sending evil spirits into the light. Why does not one single Tibetan lama send Dorje Shugden into the light? Then we never have to talk about him again. And then we can all unite, we can sit together, we can all be friends, we can be one. Wouldn’t that be very good?
For example, if one great Tibetan lama would send Dorje Shugden into the light, and he has gone, he does not exist anymore, even if we have pictures, thangkas, statues, tsa tsas or drawings of him, we are praying to a dead spirit, a dead God. So, nobody should be afraid of a dead God or a dead spirit. So why does not one Tibetan lama do that? If the Tibetan lamas cannot send Dorje Shugden into the light, why don’t they Google and find a psychic in Europe, in America or Asia, and hire the psychic to send Dorje Shugden into the light? Then guess what? We do not need to be afraid of him anymore. We do not need to have websites against him. We do not need to write books against him. His Holiness the Dalai Lama does not need to speak against him. We do not have to separate the monasteries, we do not have to separate Dorje Shugden [practitioners], alienate and segregate them anymore. Then these people are not Dorje Shugden people anymore, they become just people. Wouldn’t that be nice?
In conclusion, the Tibetan CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) will save themselves a lot of money and headaches if they send Dorje Shugden into the light. What do you think?
First, there are many rituals in Tibetan Buddhism to bind, exorcise a negative spirit to send them away, bind them to stop doing negative harm or to bind them and turn them into positive beings. Some rituals even destroy their consciousness and send their consciousness to a higher plane to take rebirth. Why doesn’t one Tibetan lama do that instead of talking about how evil the spirit is, making chakras, and all kinds of amulets against him? This is ridiculous.
Secondly, the Dalai Lama is a Buddha and when we take the Dalai Lama as our guru, he protects us. We are in his divine mandala. Dorje Shugden cannot harm the Dalai Lama, Dorje Shugden will not harm the Dalai Lama, Dorje Shugden is unable to harm the Dalai Lama. Dorje Shugden cannot harm the Dalai Lama because the Dalai Lama is a Buddha.
Thirdly, all of us who take refuge in the Buddha, who surrender ourselves and trust in the powerful compassion of the Buddha, in the realisation of the Bodhicitta and Shunyata of the Buddha, and we practice the Dharma, we totally have respect for the Sangha. In fact, when we take refuge in the Three Jewels, there is no way any negative spirit can harm us. So, what is everybody talking about, what is everybody worrying about?
“Oh, that’s a Dorje Shugden person, I can’t go eat with them”.
“That’s a Dorje Shugden person, I can’t marry them”.
“That’s a Dorje Shugden person, I can’t be seen with them”.
“That’s a Dorje Shugden person, they can’t come to the Dharma talk”.
A final note, since Dorje Shugden is advertised and marketed by some Tibetan lamas as very negative and evil, the people who practice Dorje Shugden are the greater ‘sinners’ on the face of Tibetan Buddhism. So since the people who practice Dorje Shugden are the greatest sinners, the ones with the most sin because they are praying to the Devil, they are praying to an evil spirit, they are sinners. Shouldn’t the good Buddhists have more compassion for these sinners? Shouldn’t they invite the sinners to their teachings and talks, and slowly teach them and turn their minds against Dorje Shugden instead of expelling them, segregating them and biasing against them? Isn’t that simple? Didn’t Jesus Christ teach, “to love thy enemies”? To be meek, to take care of the meek, to take care of the humble, to love thy enemies. If one hits you on one cheek, to give your other cheek to them, even Jesus Christ taught that. The Buddha said the same thing.
If we read the ‘Eight Verses of Thought Transformation’, what does it talk about? To forgive those that harm us, to let go of those who harm us. The great master Dipamkara Srijnana Atisha specifically invited one old monk from India with him who used to scold and criticise Atisha. Everything Atisha did, this monk would just scold him and criticise him. Atisha brought this monk with him to Tibet in order to take care of the monk, and also for Atisha himself to develop great patience. So instead of chasing this monk away who always create problems for Atisha, Atisha kept this person near him in order to generate more compassion, more Bodhicitta and to reach a state that even the people who harm him, he has no hatred and no anger towards them.
For great practitioners of Buddhism, for great practitioners of Lojong, the mind teachings, the mind transformation teachings, the great practitioners of Bodhicitta, they actually keep many harmful people around them. They keep harmful people around them, people that make harm, trouble, difficulties and in turn, always try to help and assist them, always try to give them another chance, because it is a practice of unending compassion, that their compassion does not end.
When the person says good things to you, does good things to you, you like them. When the person does bad things to you, you do not like them. The whole spirit of Buddhism is to reach equilibrium, not to hate or love but to treat everybody equally.
So, as Buddhist practitioners, shouldn’t the Tibetan lamas invite, reach out and specifically send invitations to Dorje Shugden people and invite them to the teachings, the rituals, and gatherings because they need more blessings than others because they are the biggest ‘sinners’. Shouldn’t they love the sinners more and have more compassion for the sinners instead of segregating them and chasing them away? Now, that is assuming that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit. But the argument and the debate here is not that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, of course, he is not. All the same, people who practice Dorje Shugden should not be segregated or separated.
Today’s talk was about how it is impossible for Dorje Shugden to harm someone, especially someone like the Dalai Lama. It is impossible for Dorje Shugden to harm anyone who has refuge. It is impossible for Dorje Shugden to destroy the purpose of Tibet. It is impossible for Dorje Shugden to not help Tibet get its country back. It is impossible for Dorje Shugden to harm people in any way, shape, or form. And also, why don’t the high lamas bind him? Why don’t the high Lamas do something and change him? If the high lamas do that and change him and bind him and make him swear not to harm anymore, then all our problems are gone.
If the high lamas keep talking about how much harm Dorje Shugden can do, but they don’t have any powers or rituals to bind him, it makes them pretty impotent looking, doesn’t it? And then, they put on, their students put on Facebook, “Oh, that person does Dorje Shugden, don’t go near them. That person does Dorje Shugden, they are bad. That person does Dorje Shugden, they are not good.” That is very bad, that segregates people. That is very bad.
Tibetan lamas should not advise people against any spiritual practice. Tibetan lamas should let people practice whatever religion they want, and if they choose a religion that the Tibetan lama do not like, the Tibetan lamas should not comment and say their religion is bad. Can you imagine a world leader, a prime minister or a president saying, “Everybody can come to my political talks except Lutherans. Everybody can come to my political talks except Baptists. Everybody can come to my political talks except Catholics because Catholics are evil. Everyone can come to my political talks, gatherings and parties, they can be my friend except Jews. Imagine if a world leader of a democratic and free nation was to stand up and say something like that and segregates one religion.
In America, you practice any religion you want but the government, the leaders, the presidents, the governors, the mayors, and the civic leaders, all cannot show any bias or prejudice or hatred or make any laws against you because of religion. America was created for that reason. America was created for religious freedom because the Quakers and the Shakers could not practice their religion in England, so they got on a boat, went over to America, did away with the American Indians and they started practising their own religion. How did they do away with the Indians? They pushed them more to the west and started taking over the east.
America was created specifically for religious freedom, so how can an American person in America say you can’t come to my centre if you practice Dorje Shugden? You can’t come to Dalai Lama’s talk if you practice Dorje Shugden? This is against democratic principles. America stands for that. I am from America. I am American, so that is against democratic principles to restrict someone from doing something simply because of their religion.
Then if you want to say Dorje Shugden people will harm the Dalai Lama? Look, there are good and bad people in every religion. There are good and bad people in every race, economic background, gender, and religion in the world. There are good and bad Dorje Shugden people, there are good and bad Christians, good and bad Jews, good and bad Muslims. There are good and bad Hindus. It’s just the way of the world; there are good and bad Americans, there are good and bad Indians, good and bad Chinese, good and bad Japanese, you can’t just say because they practise Dorje Shugden, everybody is bad. How can that be? How can Dorje Shugden people be bad suddenly when the practice has been around for 400 years? That doesn’t make sense.
Conclusion number one, it’s impossible that the Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shugden. It is impossible that any high lamas can be harmed by Dorje Shugden. It is impossible any sincere Buddhist can be harmed by Dorje Shugden because they have refuge. It is impossible that any monk or nun can be harmed by Dorje Shugden. It is impossible that anyone who trusts their particular Dharma Protector can be harmed by Dorje Shugden. So if that is the case, who can Dorje Shugden harm?
Second, high lamas should get together, do a ritual and send Dorje Shugden into the light. Then we do not have to worry about it. Third, instead of segregating, spitting on and saying very vulgar things to Dorje Shugden people, they should actually show compassion and love. We should show compassion, love, tolerance and understanding to someone who thinks different than us, who practises a different religion, who is a different colour, a different gender, a person who is into an alternative sexual orientation. However different the other person is, instead of always looking at the differences, why don’t we look at the similarities, we are all humans. If we do that, it will be a much happier and nicer world.
In conclusion, this was not set to show any disrespect to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I very much love the Dalai Lama and I respect the Dalai Lama. I wish the Dalai Lama long life, longer life, and much more success in bringing Dharma to many beings. Having said that, I will still be very loyal to my root lama, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche who gave me the practice of Dorje Shugden. There are hundreds and thousands of us in Tibet and outside of Tibet, and in India who continue to practise Dorje Shugden. Not because we want to counter the Tibetan leadership, but because we have made a commitment to our lama. It is as simple as that.
Last but not least, I will continue sharing my religion, Buddhism, and within that the protector Dorje Shugden to people who are karmically connected. All laws in democratic countries especially in the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) should not be bias against someone due to their religion. That is how I feel.
Thank you very much.
I am very humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on the Dorje Shugden issue with everyone. Thank you all very much for watching, I hope you found it helpful.
During the live-stream, viewers from around the world left many queries and comments. I am grateful to my wonderful team of hardworking writers who responded to them. Thank you to everyone for your participation. You can click on the image above to enlarge it and read more.
Thank you for all your comments. Click to enlarge and read more.
Click to enlarge and read more.
A gentleman from Bhutan writes about his experiences as a Dorje Shugden practitioner in his country. I was glad to be able to offer him some encouragement. Click to enlarge and read more.
Addendum
Central Tibetan Administration’s Website
Below is a screenshot of Tibet.net, which is the Tibetan leadership’s website. In it, they have a section with “information” about Dorje Shugden which is designed to promote hatred, negativity and direct vulgarities towards Shugden practitioners. What kind of democratic leadership has a section like this on their site targeting a religious group? Imagine the uproar there would be if the American or Canadian, or any other democratic government had sections like this on their site for the public!
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Website
This is a screenshot of DalaiLama.com which is the official website of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When this section exists on His Holiness’ website, it actually emboldens Tibetans to discriminate against and segregate Shugden practitioners. This section is basically the Dalai Lama’s ‘endorsement’ of such behaviour; when anti-Shugden individuals see this, they think it is okay to segregate against the practice “because the Dalai Lama said so”. I don’t think the Dalai Lama would agree with this but the webmaster and shadow writers behind his website should not put this type of anti-Dorje Shugden section which subscribes to discrimination against a group because of religion. In the 21st century, this is not fitting of a great spiritual leader like His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Do not discriminate tolerate; is the way to go.
If the Dorje Shugden ban is just advice and not a ban, then why is a section like this necessary on any website?
Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile’s Resolution Stating Government Employees Should Not Rely on Dorje Shugden
In 1996, the Tibetan leadership passed a resolution stating that all departments (and ergo their employees) should not rely on Dorje Shugden (point 8). The resolution also stated that individuals who do engage in its worship will harm the Dalai Lama’s life and the so-called Tibetan cause. That being the case, how will anyone within the Tibetan settlements and government be able to openly engage in Dorje Shugden practice after that, if their worship has been widely labelled as anti-Dalai Lama, anti-CTA and treasonous? To openly practice after that will leave them open to criticism, vulgarities, harassment and discrimination, as Dorje Shugden practitioners have been for the last 20 years. So they will be left with three options: to give up the practice (which many will not do), to practice secretly, or to give up their jobs.
Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile’s Resolution Naming Dorje Shugden Practitioners as Criminals in History
This is a screenshot of tibet.net, the Central Tibetan Administration’s official website, which shows the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile’s unanimous resolution dated 17 March 2014 naming Dorje Shugden practitioners as criminals in history (point 3, paragraph 2).
VIDEO: Dalai Lama bans Dorje Shugden practice
and expels monks
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was recorded in Drepung Monastery in 2008 clearly stating that those who refused to give up their Dorje Shugden practice should be expelled from the monasteries. His Holiness even said that if people found it difficult to fulfill this instruction, that they should say that the Dalai Lama told them to expel Dorje Shugden practitioners.
My question is this: if giving up Dorje Shugden practice is just advice, and it is up to us who we wish to rely on, then why are there such heavy repercussions for people who choose to keep the practice? As a result of His Holiness saying this, thousands of Shugden monks were expelled from the monasteries, and were forced to set up their own monasteries where they would be able to continue their Dorje Shugden practice.
VIDEO: Dorje Shugden practitioner rejected
from Gaden Shartse Monastery Guest House
A Dorje Shugden practitioner enquiring about room rates at the Gaden Shartse Monastery Guest House in Majnu-ka-tilla, Delhi was rejected by the hotel staff and asked to leave.
VIDEO: France 24 reports on the Dorje Shugden issue
France 24 is a reputable news network based in France, known for their objective reporting style. They covered the Dorje Shugden issue extensively, surely a reflection of the seriousness of the issue for them to devote so much airtime to it. In their video, France 24 captured on film the discrimination against a Dorje Shugden monk.
VIDEO: Al Jazeera reports on the Dorje Shugden issue
Based in the Middle East, Al Jazeera was formed in response to the heavy influence of Western culture on the media. They are known to cover controversial topics that other news agencies may be reluctant to cover, and provide hard-hitting, objective coverage of current affairs.
Evidence of the Ban
Over the years, my students have collected evidence of the ban against Dorje Shugden. Personally, I find it quite disappointing and sad that they have been able to collect so much evidence because it just goes to show how widespread and pervasive this ban has become. As you can see below, notices banning Dorje Shugden practitioners can be found just about anywhere in the Tibetan settlements. Whether a Dorje Shugden person is trying to access healthcare or enter a restaurant, or try to buy something from a shop, they are banned everywhere and refused service. How is this just ‘advice’ when the repercussions of practising Dorje Shugden are so violent inside the Tibetan communities and settlements?
For more interesting information:
- Dorje Shugden People Do Not Go to the Three Lower Realms
- Why Accepting Dorje Shugden Is Good for Tibetan Democracy
- The Dorje Shugden category on my blog
- H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s first live streaming!
- Manjushri Nagarakshasa comes to KFR!
- They were not wrong
- Can Tibetan Lamas Make Mistakes?
- My plea to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- My plea to His Holiness (Tibetan) | ངའི་༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་ལ་སྙན་ཞུ་ཞུ་རྒྱུར།
- The Fourteenth Dalai Lama & Dorje Shugden | ༧གོང་ས་ཆེན་པོ་སྐུ་འཕྲེང་བཅུ་བཞི་པ་མཆོག་དང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན། | 十四世达赖尊者与多杰雄登
- The Fifth Dalai Lama & Dorje Shugden | ༧གོང་ས་ལྔ་པ་ཆེན་པོ་དང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན། | 第五世达赖尊者与多杰雄登
- Dorje Shugden: My side of the story
- Should there be a separate autonomous Dorje Shugden state? Part 1
- Should there be a separate autonomous Dorje Shugden state? Part 2
- To Sum It Up
- The Buddhist Divide – An Unholy Campaign against Religious Freedom
- Tibetan Leadership’s New Anti-Shugden Video
- Updated: Dorje Shugden Teaching Videos
- The Dalai Lama Speaks Clearly About the Dorje Shugden Ban
- Nechung – The Retiring Devil of Tibet
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Its sad how those Dorje Shugden practitioners had suffered and life is tough for them. Could’nt imagine not allow to enter premises such as hospitals for treatment, schools for education , securing a government job and so forth. Our very own Kecharian had even denied hotel rooms just because we practice it. This controversy had been going on for too long , hopefully it will dissolve soon with H h Dalai Lama saying we can practice it . All can live happily, no discrimination, with peace and harmony then. Interesting read.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor David. Of course a hand of applauds to those kecharian who have been working hard to collect all the evidence of the ban against Dorje Shugden.
The HH Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and considered to be the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. HH Dalai Lama will definitely have the clairvoyance to notice if Dorje Shugden is a harmful spirit or demon. Dalai Lama has worshipped Dorje Shugden for decades and even consulted the oracles of Dorje Shugden . If Dorje Shugden is a demon or spirit, he could easily subdue by any highly erudite attained lama.Then why can’t the Dalai Lama ‘bind’ Dorje Shugden?
Dorje Shugden has benefited many people and even had helped Dalai Lama in his escaped to India from Tibet during the Chinese invasion.
May the ban be lifted soon for the sake of peace and harmony among the Tibetans. The Tibetans had suffered for too long , its time to have peace and heal the misunderstanding for world peace.
Thank you Rinpoche for these wonderful clear explanation post, profound teachings and the powerful video to get across the globe for more people to understand better.
Mantras are sacred verbalized words that invoke the protection and blessings of the deity to whom the mantra is ascribed. Mantras are also the manifestations of Buddhas in the form of ‘sounds’, hence the various mantras of Dorje Shugden contain the essence of the Protector.
Dorje Shugden’s main mantra 多杰雄登主要咒语
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace 平和咒语
For gaining attainments through the energy of Peaceful Shugden, peace of environment and mind, harmony in one’s abode and dwelling area, and calming of disasters
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SHANTI SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for health 福寿安康咒语
For long life, increasing life, healing of disease and protection from diseases
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA AYU SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for increase 增长咒语
For gaining great merits and increase of all necessary needs, both material and spiritual
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA PUNYE SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for control 控制咒语
Of worldly deities, negative people and nagas and for influencing friends towards the positive
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA WASHAM KURU HO
Dorje Shugden’s mantra to grant protection 庇护咒语
Visualize that you are in the Protector’s mandala, fully protected from outside interferences. Recite when in danger or for dangerous situations, for protection while travelling or when residing in dangerous/hostile places
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA RAKYA RAKYA HUNG
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videouploads/comment-1544345059.mp4
Dear friends,
Tibet has produced many powerful meditations, rituals and guidelines to help us gain spiritual protection, gain wisdom and higher states of consciousness. In general Tibet has produced many powerful methods for the growth of our spiritual evolution. Dorje Shugden is an angel, a saint, a powerful spiritual protector-warrior who originated 350 years ago when a highly awakened Tibetan Lama fulfilled his vows to become a special being to grant protection, wisdom, material needs, safety when travelling (normal and astral travel) and spiritual awakening. Both the Great 5th Dalai Lama and the current His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama composed short yet effective prayers to invoke upon the power and blessings of this special saint and protector. One can recite either one of the prayers that you feel suits you, anytime or even daily. When you feel a special need for help, you can recite either prayer anytime. When you are feeling down, afraid or just need a blessing, you can recite them. After reciting either invocation, it is good to chant the mantra of Dorje Shugden: Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha.
You do not have to be a Buddhist or practitioner of any religion to invoke upon the blessings and protection of this special enlightened and awakened angel Dorje Shugden. He helps all without discrimination or bias as he is filled with compassion and love. Divinity has no boundaries, they help all who call upon them.
Enclosed are the prayers in English, Chinese and Tibetan.
May you be safe, protected and blessed.
Tsem Rinpoche
More on the Great 5th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2w7KHv6
More on H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2QdaL4n
Chapel (Trode Khangsar) built by the Great 5th Dalai Lama dedicated to Dorje Shugden in Lhasa – https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
—
亲爱的朋友们，
西藏产生了许多有助于我们得到精神庇佑、取得智慧和更高层次之觉悟的强大禅修法、仪式和教诲。总括来说，西藏产生了许多有助于我们在修行上取得提升的强有力方法。多杰雄登是一个天使，一位圣人和一名护法战士。他的崛起始于350年前，当一位高度觉悟的西藏高僧履行本身的承诺，化身为特别的护法，赐予我们守护、智慧、物质需要、出入平安（平日外游和神游时）和灵修上的觉醒。任何人都可以随时随地在任何时候念诵适合自己的祈愿文。当你需要特别的帮助时，你可以随时念诵任何一篇祈愿文。当你感到沮丧、恐惧或仅是需要加持时，你也可以持诵这些祈愿文。在念诵任何祈请文后，你应该接着念诵多杰雄登的心咒：嗡 班杂 维格 毗札那 娑哈 Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha。
要祈请多杰雄登这位特殊、觉悟和觉醒的天使赐予加持和庇佑，你无需是佛教徒或任何宗教的修行者。他总是没有分别或偏见，充满慈悲和慈爱地帮助一切众生。神圣是没有界限的，圣者会帮助有求于他的任何人。
以下附上英文、中文和藏文的祈愿文。
愿你平安，常受庇护和加持。
尊贵的詹杜固仁波切
更多关于第五世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2zsC3tG
更多关于第十四世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2r4aaDN
第五世达赖尊者为多杰雄登护法在拉萨建造的护法殿（布旦康萨）— https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
Divination (‘mo’) Text by Dorje Shugden
This is an important divination (‘mo’) text composed by Dorje Shugden himself. Dorje Shugden took trance of the Choyang Dulzin oracle lama, the senior oracle of Gaden Shartse Monastery, and instantly on the spot composed this text within two hours.
The divination text contains information on how to use dice to do divination for the future and is known to be highly accurate. When practitioners use this text, they will be in direct contact with Dorje Shugden to get answers to questions about the future. It is for those who have good samaya with Dorje Shugden and are free of the eight worldly dharmas to be of benefit to others in divining the future.
Tsem Rinpoche
DS-MO-choyang.pdf
Be blessed with these rare videos featuring explanation and advice about Dorje Shugden practice by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in his own voice. The teaching was requested by Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the earliest masters who taught Tibetan Buddhism in the West.
Video 1: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Explains Dorje Shugden Initiation and Benefits (With English Subtitles)
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet. At the request of Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Tibetan Buddhism in America, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives clear explanation and advice about the life-entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden and how to go about the practice and get the maximum benefits in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzFMvlxAqtc&feature=youtu.be
Video 2: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche speaks on the History and Lineage of Dorje Shugden (With English Subtitles)
In this video, an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche talks about the incarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden and how the practice arose, with examples of Dorje Shugden’s previous lives that reveal his powerful spiritual attainments and contributions. This very rare teaching was given at the request of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s student, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Buddhism in the West to many disciples since the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzKSJgK618&feature=youtu.be
For more information: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/kyabje-zong-rinpoches-advice-on-dorje-shugdens-practice.html
For the first time available, Dorje Shugden and his entourage of 32 asssistants of his mandala.
Dorje Shugden is a powerful protector deity who is also an emanation of Manjushri, a wisdom bestowing Buddha. Therefore, he has great ability to help us to progress further on the spiritual path. He does this by helping us to overcome obstacles and problems for the modern individual.
Due to his enlightened nature, Dorje Shugden is able to manifest 32 deities and within the same abode resides Setrap and Kache Marpo:-
1. 5 Dorje Shugden families or emanations. They consists of the following:-
– Dulzin Dorje Shugden, which performs activities to eliminate inner and outer obstacles.
– Shize, which performs activities to pacify all illnesses and disease.
– Gyenze, which performs activities to increase all desirable material and spiritual wealth.
– Wangze, which performs activities to control difficult people and circumstances.
– Trakze, which performs activities to wrathfully eliminate all insurmountable obstacles and life-threatening situations.
2. 9 Mothers. They represent protection of the five senses and developing control of the four elements. These are all attributes that signify their ability to assist tantric practitioners with their higher meditations.
3. 8 Guiding Monks. They represent the Eight Great Bodhisattvas (Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, Kshitigarbha, Akashagarbha, Sarva-nivarana-viskambini) and they bring about the growth of the Dharma, through the Sangha, Dharma practitioners and Dharma establishments.
4. 10 Youthful & Wrathful Attendants. They represent the ten wrathful attendants to avert inner and outer obstacles. They are beings who are from Mongolia, China, Kashmir, India, Bengali, etc.
5. Setrap. He is a senior Dharma Protector from India and an emanation of Amitabha Buddha. He had enthroned Dorje Shugden as an authentic Dharma Protector. Therefore, he also resides within the same mandala of Dorje Shugden.
6. Kache Marpo. He is not an emanation of Dorje Shugden but he is still an enlightened Dharma Protector in his own right. He was originally known as Tsiu Marpo of Samye Monastery. However, he has placed himself under the service of Dorje Shugden as his chief minister, performing many activities in order to protect and benefit practitioners. Therefore, he stands guard at the main entrance of Dorje Shugden’s mandala. He often takes trance of qualified mediums to speak.
7. Namkar Barzin. He is the reincarnation of an old Mongolian monk and when he passed away in Phari area of Tibet, his spirit was placed as a powerful assistant of Dorje Shugden. He guards and protects buildings and great institutions especially those that benefit others. He rides on a mythical Gyaling animal that resembles a goat but with scales.
These sacred images are available on *Vajrasecrets. They are made of high quality alloy and are one of a kind. They are based on the lineage of His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s monastery, Tashilhunpo in Shigatse, Tibet. In fact, the iconography of these statues are based on detailed photographs taken by H. E. Tsem Rinpoche during a trip to Tashilhunpo’s protector chapel. These are based exactly as the 10th Panchen Lama’s personal collection.
Dorje Shugden mandala: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=131570
Dorje Shugden’s benefit and practice: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=62422
Dorje Shugden’s origins: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=106424
Dorje Shugden chapel in His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=68698
*Stand not included
His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama
Tibetans commonly refer to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and His Holiness 10th Panchen Lama as the “sun and moon” of Tibetan Buddhism. They are the center of Tibetan Buddhist civilization, which draws to its sphere of influence millions of non-Tibetan practitioners. The Panchen Lama’s incarnation line began with the 16th abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Lobsang Chokyi Gyeltsen (1570 – 1662). He was bestowed the title of Panchen Lama by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama after being declared as an emanation of Amitabha.
After being given the title, his three previous incarnations were posthumously also bestowed the title, making Lobsang Chokyi Gyeltsen the 4th Panchen Lama. He became a teacher to many Tibetans, Bhutanese and Mongolian religious figures, including His Holiness the 4th and 5th Dalai Lamas, and the 1st Jetsun Dampa of Mongolia. A prolific author, Chokyi Gyeltsen is credited with over a hundred compositions, including a number of commentaries and ritual texts that remain central in the Gelukpa tradition today. Along with his role as a teacher of the Dharma, the Panchen Lamas are usually responsible for the recognition of the rebirths of the Dalai Lamas, and vice versa.
The 10th Panchen Lama, Lobsang Trinley Lhundrub Chokyi Gyeltsen (19 February 1938 – 28 January 1989) continued both the spiritual and political roles of his predecessors. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, his contemporary, was even heard to say and echo the Panchen Lama’s own words that the Dalai Lama would safeguard Tibet from the outside while the Panchen Lama would safeguard Tibet from the inside, as he never left Tibet after the political troubles of 1959. He was truly loved by the Tibetans, all the way until his passing. When he taught, thousands of people would attend, not only from his own Gelug lineage, but masters and practitioners from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
At his sprawling monastery of Tashi Lhunpo, he has a special chapel specifically dedicated to Dorje Shugden, where prayers and rituals are performed on a daily basis. In his great omniscience the Panchen Lama held Dorje Shugden as the principal Dharma protector of the monastery. He also personally propitiated Dorje Shugden among other Dharma protectors, and even wrote extensive prayers and rituals to Dorje Shugden. These rituals and prayers are contained within his ‘sung bum’ or collected works, which are provided here. As such a great lama, with an erudite and clear understanding of the Buddhist scriptures, a teacher to millions in both Tibet and China, from an established incarnation line and an emanation of the Buddha Amitabha, he could not be mistaken about his practice of Dorje Shugden.
His Holiness 10th Panchen Lama is known for his composition of commentaries and practice texts that are still in use by contemporary Buddhist practitioners both in Tibet and across the world. One of these is a powerful ritual composition propitiating the compassionate Dorje Shugden.
Upon the request by Acharya Lobsang Jangchub to compose a shorter version of the prayer (sadhana) for the exhortation of activities of Dorje Shugden, Panchen Lama immediately composed an abbreviate form of Dorje Shugden’s Kangsol. This text is entitled “Manjunatha’s (Tsongkapa) Lineage protector Dorje Shugden and five forms wrathful propitiations and confessional prayers and fulfilment of activities rites” or “Melodious sound of Accomplishment of the Four Activities” for short. Once the prayers were completed, he had signs and strong feelings that Dorje Shugden has been working hard to protect the Buddhadharma in general and the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa specifically.
Mirroring the abilities of one of his earlier incarnations, Khedrub Je, a disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa and master of both sutra and tantra, the Panchen Lama used his compositional skill and poetic prowess to create a masterful sadhana. Worthy of note is a praise in which the first letter of each verse is a Tibetan vowel. Such compositions are rarely seen, and have historically only been used when propitiating senior Dharma protectors such as Palden Lhamo and Kalarupa.
The Panchen Lama also stated that while composing the Dorje Shugden sadhana (prayers) he was filled with a sense of happiness and bliss. He ends the composition with not only his official title but his ordination name, Tenzin Trinley Jigme Choje Wangchuk, endorsing the validity of his work. He composed the sadhana in his own Tashi Lhunpo monastery while in the Hall of Clear Light and Bliss.
See the Panchen Lama’s writings and download: https://bit.ly/2KIfeXb
This elderly & innocent monk in India was brutally attacked, find out why. Shocking – https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=163953
“If the Dalai Lama, if His Holiness the Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shugden, then we might as well not practice Buddhism anymore. If His Holiness the Dalai Lama can have his life shortened by a so-called evil spirit, any evil spirit, then can he be Avalokiteshvara? So on one hand you say, we say, I say, everybody says, he is Avalokiteshvara; on the other hand you’re saying that he can be harmed by an evil spirit… Which one is it? Can he be harmed by an evil spirit or is he Avalokiteshvara? Do you think Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Tara all take refuge in something else to protect themselves from Dorje Shugden? How illogical is that? How illogical of people to say His Holiness the Dalai Lama can be harmed by an evil spirit, any evil spirit or “Dorje Shugden” evil spirit. How is that possible?” – Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
Photo: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, young Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s tutor Kensur Rinpoche Jampa Yeshe
DON’T MISS THIS! FANTASTIC NEW GREAT STUFF! High quality videos redressing the misinformation about Dorje Shugden practice and people and the current sad Tibetan situation and why they are losing ground in the world. Powerful and truthful – CLEAR VIDEOS – https://bit.ly/2LJbo35
Sakya tradition’s thangka of Dorje Shugden sitting on a throne within his palace with his four emanations and high Sakya Lamas nearby. Tsem Rinpoche
Antique Pelden Lhamo thangka with sacred Dorje Shugden at the bottom right. Can see Tsongkapa and Guru Rinpoche on the top also. Beautiful and holy.
Isn’t this just lovely?! Look at these cute Tibetan kids singing praises to Dorje Shugden during Losar celebration in Tibet! Great blessings to all – Click to watch! ???
https://video.tsemtulku.com/chat-videos/chat-1519938132.mp4
This video condensed and made simple the history of the Dorje Shugden ban and the sufferings Dorje Shugden people experienced and continue to experience for 20 years. The video also laid out and reveal the truth and facts that Dorje Shugden was the Protector who advised His Holiness the Dalai Lama to flee to India and hence His Holiness’ life is saved. There is no religious freedom for the Dorje Shugden people worldwide because of the Dorje Shugden ban executed by the Central Tibetan Administration. We are, until today being discriminated and persecuted for simply practising our choice of religion and this is the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gis2vaURT40
Why fuss over a ‘spirit’ when Tibetan Lamas are famed to easily subdue the most difficult and dangerous spirit? It is absurb to hype up this illogical ban and create so much suffering to Dorje Shugden practitioners. Clearly, Dorje Shugden has been made as scapegoat to detract the Tibetan Leadership’s failure in the Tibetan cause. Be it autonomy, rangzen, umaylam, the Tibetan Leadership has not been able to make any progress in the Tibetan cause. China is firm in their stand and the Tibetan Leadership has not been able even to secure a dialogue with her.
Which protector in the world could have with-stand the massive political beating over a prolong period of time so well as Dorje Shugden? If Dorje Shugden wasn’t a Buddha the ‘spirit’ would certainly have been battered and the hatchet long burried. But why is Dorje Shugden practice going from strength to strength, geographically and in popularity for the past 60 years since Dorje Shugden practice has been ostracized? The answer is obvious and most of the people have been taken for a ride by the Tibetan Leadership for the length of time.
How riduclous for CTA to claim democratic governance when they violate democratic principle to grant religious freedom. Instead CTA has instituted apartheid on Dorje Shugden practitioners. CTA please do not mix religion with politic if you have a heart and mind for the good of the society.
A lot of logical reasons explained by H. E. Rinpoche in the video. If Dorje Shugden is a demon or spirit, he could easily subdue by any highly erudite attained lama such as HHDL. Since Dalai Lama was a Boddhisattva Cherigze, why he didn’t take any action? On the other hand, CTA endulge masterminding the Tibetan into swear out their practices of Dorje Shugden which caused separation of monasteries, separation of relations among Tibetans and also worsen religious culture.
Religion shouldn’t involved with politics. Religion is a freedom choice of everybody believes. What is most important thing is religion teaches us not to harm or hurt anybody. But it sad CTA uses violence on Dorje Shugden practitioners, which is very wrong and bad karma. ?
Dorje Shugden’s name did appeared in Kangyur ( hidden within the 108 names of Manjushri). This proved that Dorje Shudgen not a demons or devil.
Here is the link http://www.dorjeshugden.org/blog/the-hidden-name-of-dorje-shugden-in-the-kangyur
As many Tibetan know that H.H Dalai Lama is Avalokitesvara, so H.H is impossible harm by any sipirits or demons because Buddha or Bodhisattva has no karma to be harm.
Dorje Shugden is emanation of Manjushri so he can’t be “bind” by any means.
I plea to H.H Dalai Lama to have a dialogue with Dorje Shugden Practitioner to find a solution to bring back harmony and peace to TIBET.
H.H Dalai Lama need to advice CTA to withdraw all the untruth statement on Dorje Shugden which was posted on TIBET.net
For the website dalailama.com, H.H Dalai Lama need to verify all the defame and segregation statement on Dorje Shugden Practitioner.
H.H Dalai Lama is a Nobel Peace Winner, and I am sure H.H also want a peace and harmony among Tibetan communities.
I am sincerely wish Dorje Shugden Ban will lift soon and Tibetan unity and live in peace and harmony.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing so many logical explanation which will help us more understand on Dorje Shugden Ban issue.
Jason
If the CTA keeps saying Dorje Shugden is a spirit. They might as well add the title, Dorje Shugden – The world’s first “unboundable” spirit, terrorizing everyone, even the Dalai Lama himself. This is making a mockery of all Buddhas in the 10 directions, all living enlightened gurus. How insulting can they be? Does someone need to inform the buddhas to move over, there’s a new boss in town? The untouchable “spirit” is here to rule the world.
Something doesn’t add up. Pehar, which was a much much older and powerful spirit was bound immediately. There was no ban on the practise of the Pehar spirit, no segregation of people who did / did not worship the Pehar spirit. Pehar was bound. End of story. Here comes Dorje Shugden, a relatively young “spirit”. There’s a ban, there’s division of people, there’s so much talking, accusations, threatening, fighting, un-buddhistic actions from buddhists. Why drag the issue? You have the solution already. Just bind Dorje Shugden and be done with it. If it cant be done, Dorje Shugden is NOT a spirit. Its so obvious. Doesn’t require much wisdom to come to this conclusion.
As explained by his Eminence Tsem Rinpoche in the video. I strongly believed that Lord DS is not a spirit as what said by CTA.
Lord DS is obviously an Enlightened Beings as evidences from:
a) The Previous Existences namely Magadha Sangmo, Mahasiddha Virupa, Thonmi Sambhota, King Trisong Detsen, Mahasiddha Naropa, Ra Lotsawa, Lotsawa Loden Sherab, Shakya Shri Bhadra, Sakya Pandita, Buton Rinchen Drub, Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, Panchen Sonam Drakpa, Sonam Yeshe Wangpo and Ngawang Sonam Geleg and Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen
b) Practice by High and renown Lamas in Tibet for more that 400 years including HHDL
c) Practice by 4 main schools in Tibet namely Gelugpa, Sakya, Nyingma and Kagyu
So instead of creating havoc among Tibetan. HHDL and CTA should work hand in hand to preserve Buddhism by allow freedom of religion and maintain peacefulness among the nation.
The HH Dalai Lama is considered the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The HH Dalai Lama worshipped Dorje Shugden for decades and even consulted the oracles of Dorje Shugden. In fact Dorje Shugden assisted His Holiness’ escape by providing safe journey. HH Dalai Lama will have the clairvoyance to notice if he said Dorjeje Shugden is a spirit and can harm him. Dorje Shugden will never harm any one but has benefited many.
It seem CTA covering some matters and putting the blame on Dorje Shugden issue. May H.H Dalai have a peaceful conclusion on this Shugden issue which are affecting millions of people and has divided apart monasteries, monks and communities around the world. So many millions of people live within un happy circumstances and yet the CTA did not take the initiative to change their situation to have a peaceful and harmony community.
Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only achieved by understanding
We love HH Dalai Lama and we love DORJE SHUGDEN.
Please have a dialogue and dissolve the ban on Dorje Shugden .
Thank you Rinpoche for these wonderful clear explanation post, profound teachings and the powerful video to get across everywhere for more people to understand better.
Thanks to the blog team as well.
What Rinpoche mentioned above made so much sense. It also showed that Rinpoche has very strong Guru devotion towards all Rinpoche teachers. I believe if Rinpoche understand all these points, all Lamas and monks should understand too. But why nobody among so many high Lamas didn’t take any action on binding Dorje Shugden. May be they did, but Dorje Shugden cannot be subdued because high lamas today has no power?? or Dorje Shugden is not a demon?? But we all know that high lamas like Rinpoche have been helping people subduing spirits all the time. Tibetan lamas is famous for that. So, not subduing Dorje Shugden because He is Buddha aka Manjushri in nature indeed!!
Then why CTA ban Dorje Shugden? Why discriminate and segregate Dorje Shugden practitioners?? Why CTA used Dorje Shugden to split Tibetan people?? Are they using religion to control people’s mind? It’s 2017 now! The fact is CTA failed to do anything for their people and they remained refugees after 60 years. WHY? CTA has been miss used the billions of funds that they collected for the last 60 years for personal purpose. Dorje Shugden is used to blamed to get away for that!
Let’s take Malaysia as an example, Malaysia gained it’s independent in 1957, today we are a democratic country with multiracial and religion. We have grown and stable in economy. We also have religion freedom. We received no donation from anyone. Why Malaysia can make it but Tibetan in exile cannot? What went wrong?? It’s time for all to think!
Thank you Rinpoche for this profound teaching. ???
Rinpoche has shown a strong guru devotion with having integrity for his root guru – His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. It is great reminder to everyone that we should not easily give up the practice which give us by our guru because we have taken refuge and our faith with our guru. Rinpoche does said that in the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion by Ashvaghosha, that one will not gain results from one’s meditation by sharing the Milarepa’s story.
Rinpoche has gave very clear explanation, points and examples to prove that Dorje Shugden is not an evil, Dorje Shugden is a Buddha.
With summaries as below:
1. It is impossible that Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shudgen because Dalai Lama is a Buddha.
2. It is impossible that any sincere Buddhist can be harmed by Dorje Shugden because they have take refuge in the Buddha.
3. It is impossible that any monk or nun can be harmed by Dorje Shugden because they are
holding the monk vows given to them originally from Shakyamuni Buddha.
4. It is impossible that anyone who trusts their particular Dharma Protector can be harmed by Dorje Shugden because Dharma Protector can protect them from evil spirit.
Another good point is the high lamas should get together to do a ritual and send Dorje Shugden into the light because there are many rituals in Tibetan Buddhism to bind, exorcise a negative spirit to send them away, bind them to stop doing negative harm or to bind them and turn them into positive beings. This is the most effective way to subdue Dorje Shugden, then there will be no more Dorje Shugden problem anymore. Then, CTA can save hundreds of thousands of rupees on writers and contract people to write books, and then print thousands of books, distributing them all over the world to all types of people to discourage them against Dorje Shugden. They should use the money to improve the Tibetan people welfare and promoting their cultures. As Guru Rinpoche had bind Nechung and turn him into positive being, then why not they do the same to Dorje Shugden? This is because Dorje Shugden is not evil spirit.
CTA claimed that when people practice Dorje Shugden, Dorje Shugden will creates obstacles for people to get Tibet back. This doesn’t make sense that how a single evil spirit enable to block them to get Tibet back. This is ridiculous. CTA should united the Tibetan people to get stronger and work together to live harmony and peacefully instead of segregating, spitting on and saying very vulgar things to Dorje Shugden people.
Dorje Shugden people have been living in suffering and treated unfair where they are restricted not allowed in Tibetan schools, are not allowed to work in Tibetan government positions, are not allowed to enter Tibetan hospitals, are not allowed to enter Tibetan associations, and receive any benefits that other Tibetans have.
I hope His Holiness the Dalai Lama can end this Dorje Shugden ban immediately to free the Dorje Shugden people from suffering and Tibetan people can be united to live harmony. ???
All Tibetans and millions of Buddhist around the world believe that the Dalai Lama is Chenrezig, a Buddha. So, if the teachings are true, a Buddha has no more karma to be harmed by mara or spirits. To say that the Dalai Lama can be harmed is to be disrespectful to the Dalai Lama and saying he is not Chenrezig and not a Buddha and has no attainments.
Moreover, this so-called spirit has not been subdued all these hundreds of years. I don’t believe that all the lamas have no attainments and thereby no power to subdue a mere “spirit”. I don’t believe too that this “spirit” is more powerful than the Buddhas but rather that Dorje Shugden is a Buddha and therefore need no subduing.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this valuable reasoning about Dorje Shugden Practice. This is very illogical for Dalai Lama who accused Dorje Shugden as a demon that can harm him because His holiness is a fully enlighten being , in actual fact if someone who has achieve enlighten state of mind they should be very compassion and practice bodhichitta how possible a person like Dalai Lama who are highly respect by million people around the world to ban someone from practicing a deity and also accusing a deity that is a Buddha that is so unreasonable , I think is very wrong for His Holiness to do that an actions don’t forget all these tibetan who resides in India is a refugees that the only person they can rely on is their leader Dalai Lama I can’t imagine that all these refugees has to endure all this segregation or discrimination that impose on them just because they are practicing Dorje Shugden.
Dalai Lama is a poltic Leader.
If he is a good moonk of
Buddism,he can understand about Lord Dorjeshugden
We practitioners make no mistakes. So does all the Guru’s and the Lineages.
Dorje Shudgen is definitely not Spirits or Demons.
Some of them were even reincarnations of Dorje Shugden himself, coming back as Sakya throneholders to lead the whole lineage
30th Sakya Throneholder Sonam Rinchen (1705-1741)
31st Throneholder Sachen Kunga Lodro (1729-1783)
33rd Throneholder Padma Dudul Wangchug (1792-1853)
35th Throneholder Tashi Rinchen (1824-1865)
37th Throneholder Kunga Nyingpo (1850-1899)
39th Throneholder Dragshul Thinley Rinchen (1871-1936)
Can a demon reincarnate?
Whatever mention by CTA is not true. CTA is creating unnecessary suffering for Tibetan and Dorje Shudgen practitioners by discrimination and segregation.
Sincerely hope that the ban be lifted up and all parties can unite and resolve it in a peaceful manner.
???????????
The explanations given by Rinpoche in this article is irrefutable. People should not label Dorje Shugden as a spirit and that it can harm the Dalai Lama. If this was so, the Dalai Lama ot other High Lamas or the CTA would arrange for this “spirit”to be subdued or destroyed. But in the past two decades since they proclaimed that Dorje Shugden is a spirit, no one has acted to subdue this spirit (or at least nothing successful in this context). All that have been done are speeches, videos, signages and actions to discriminate the practitioners of Dorje Shugden, creating pain and disharmony amongst the Tibetans.
If in the time frame of 20 years, Dorje Shugden cannot be subdued or controlled, it can only mean that HE IS NOT A SPIRIT !!
Despite the slanders and back lash, Dorje Shugden continues to help many. Many people can affirm to this fact, many have benefited from the Wisdom and Compassion of Dorje Shugden. I am one such person – with folded hands.
This video of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche has brought out all the comment and the issue ban Dorje Shugden practice will harm to people. All the explaination are logical and people have doubt with Dorje Shugden protector. The fact that tibetan leadership ban this practice are not the real issue, the real issue is use religion to separate among people and control small group of tibetan who follow it to get support and raise fund for it. Gorvernment of the exile Tibet ( CTA) are talking about democracy and another hand create dishormony between by using religion practice freedom reinforce to the tibetan refugee and Dorje Shugden practitioner.
I assume CTA as buddhist. As the buddhist, we should not talk bad about other religion and Dorje Shugden practice are from Tibet. Looking like CTA is slap on their face keep bashing Dorje Shugden practice and demonlism him without given the real fact wth logical reason why people should not practice it.
Is over the 20 year now since the ban start on it. Tibetan living in India under control of CTA to brain washing their believe rather then helping poor tibetan suffering living at exile country. I wish more people will step out more talking logically about this issue rather then quiet. If you concern this matter and care about your friend and familly happen that suffering in this ban should raise your voice to stop this ban.
Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector, there is no doubt.
No one knows why did Dalai Lama called Dorje Shugden a demon, because as the emanation of Chenrezig, aka Kuan Yin, Dalai Lama definitely has the power to subdue any spirit in this world, how can a Buddha lose to a spirit? It doesn’t make sense.
No one knows why Dalai Lama stop everyone from practicing Dorje Shugden but he opened the door to Trijang Rinpoche, Shar Gaden and Serpom Monasteries, if DS is really a demon, isn’t Dalai Lama should ban everyone from practicing with no exception? If DS is really harmful, why allow some and don’t allow some? It doesn’t make sense.
No one knows why Dalai Lama claimed Dorje Shugden will shorten his life, as a Living Buddha, Dalai Lama is not bound to the karma and anything from this world, he can control his lifespan and pick his next rebirth, he has achieved Nirvana, how can such highly attained being can harmed by a spirit? It doesn’t make sense.
CTA claimed DS as a ‘Demon’ is affecting the unity of Tibetans and making them lose their countries, well, if DS as a ‘demon’ will make them lose the countries, how about other countries? like Malaysia, Western countries and European countries, many people are practicing Demons / spirit to get what they want, so how come they didn’t lose their countries? DS is practicing worldwide, so how come no one is being harmed by DS, I have never heard a single case that people who practice Dorje Shugden lose their friends, family, country, etc, except those from the work of CTA who went on to split their family apart. Who is more harmful here?
When Dalai Lama and so many more highly attained lamas in this world, when none of them can subdue this ‘spirit’, so what does it tell you? I have never heard a Buddha cannot subdue a spirit, but I have heard that a Buddha cannot subdue a Buddha, because they are both enlightened beings, they don’t need to subdue each other. So it is very clear that only enlightened beings cannot be subdued by a Buddha, that means when no one lama in this world can subdue DS, DS is an enlightened Protector. I wish Dalai Lama to lift the ban, I wish CTA to stop harming their own people who is a DS practitioners, because this ban has already created a lot of blood and tears within their community, it is time to stop already, no more blood and tears whould be shed already, DS practitioners and non DS practitioners are also human, they needed freedom, love and care, so please give DS practitioners the freedom to believe and practice what they want without discrimination.
Thank you, Tsem Rinpoche! What you said and provided as evidences regarding the BAN on Dorje Shugden practice, they have all hit on the BULLEYE! They are LOGICAL & RATIONALE.
There is no space for the Ban to stay ON & cause unnecessary sufferings to all.
Good is for All, everyone derseve a better life.
Please stop discrimination!
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing. When I was young, I heard from people saying Tibetan high monks and monks in the monestery is so powerful. Tibetan monks are able to help to remove it when one person get caught with an evil spirits distirbance.
In my thought, I wonder what did they do to remove an evil spirits distuebance that been cursed by a shaman and with my little knowledge and heard from around that only high forest shaman is able to remove the spirits disturbance which is not many are successfully did. When there is a story says that only Forest shaman is able to remove it then from there also heard of saying High Monks from Tibet are very capable to remove spirits disturbance.
When I learn more in Tibetan Buddhism and from there I realised few factor to be able to remove spirits disturbance which as High monks or lamas that practice tantric and highly reincarnated with practices over the life time after life time are able to do that and with specific pujas / rituals to be conducted.
Now this are making sense and logical for me as if Dorje Shugden is an evil spirits and high lamas are able to do, there is no exception for Dorje Shugden to be removed as a spirit. There are also question in my mind about what are the fear of all Tibetan people and high lamas that are afraid of Dorje Shugden accused as an evil spirits? Can’t they subdued? If Dorje Shugden can’t be subdued like what Padmasambawa / Guru Rinpoche did Nechung, then there must be something like either the high monks are fake or the rituals are not working? If Tibetans proclaimed His Holiness Dalai Lama is an emanation of Avalokestivara /Chenresig / Kuan Yin which is Buddha’s heart disciples. They should believe that HHDL able to subdue Dorje Shugden too and why till now did not do it since the banned implemented? This part does not make sense to me.
Victor
Is Dorje Shugden so powerful that high lamas are incapable against him? Do we accept that high lamas attainment cannot subdue spirit as claimed by CTA leadership? It put lamas in a bad light that their attainments is insufficient to control spirit. Whatever happens to the fact that any Buddhist masters can protect people from spirit harm? CTA is doing extreme harm to make people belief that Buddhism has no power over spirit, and people can only merely avoid them. This is a very negative lies that cause people to lose faith on the Three Jewels.
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for giving us this precious talks. From the talks we understand more that what is true dharma means. It means, to have harmony, to learn to accept everyone and to have more logical thoughts.
My summary:-
Guru Devotion
In Tibetan Buddhism, before we engage in any of the practices, we are to learn about Guru Devotion. Once we have engage a root guru, means that our spiritual path, our life and death is depends on the Guru. E.g: Chenrezig as a Bodhissatva, He still put His Guru on top on His head even though He have become a Buddha. He did not forget his Guru.
When we denied the practices that given by our Guru, in which the person we trust so much for our spiritual path, we are actually destroying our spiritual path. When CTA asked peoples to denied on the Guru who give Dorje Shugden’s practice they are overriding on the guru, they are “bigger” than the Gurus. In this case, why have a Guru, just believe in CTA and pray to CTA enough.
Gelugpas lineage
For the last 400 years.H.H Pabongka Rinpoche, H.H Trijang Rinpoche, H.H Zong Rinpoche have gave Dorje Shugden practices to many peoples. They not only known as erudite and highly attain masters they are also Gelugpas lineage masters. Many of the Gelugpa’s monasteries is still using their teachings as the monasteries co-curiculum. If practicing Dorje Shugden is consider we are no longer a Buddhist, then the whole monasteries is not practicing Buddhism. Then why are the monasteries still give dharma, dharma is corrupted anyway.
In human nature, we always like to introduce something good to our loves one to help them in their difficult time. Why would our Guru, who give us loves, gifts, nurture us give us something that could harm us? Would you give something to harm your loves one? Thus, when the lamas gave Dorje Shugden to us, is because they care and they knew in this degenerate time, only Dorje Shugden could guide us.
Tibetan Buddhism
Other than Gelugpas, Sakya is the first who propitiate Dorje Shugden and introduce Dorje Shugden to the worlds. If CTA saying that to practiced Dorje Shugden is wrong, are they trying to say the whole of Gelugpa lineage is wrong, the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyigma is wrong? By saying that, they are corrupting entire Tibetan Buddhism. What is the intention of CTA? Why are they trying so hard to corrupt the lineage? And why did many monks listened to the lay persons? After all, recently the H.H Dalai Lama have allowed us to practice Dorje Shugden. Why the CTA still insist on the ban?
H.H Dalai Lama
It is so true that if Dorje Shugden is so bad. Why not H.H Dalai Lama bind Dorje Shugden? Why need to spent so much time, effort to talk about Dorje Shugden and even to spent billions of the funding to ban Dorje Shugden? CTA have nothing to do? How about spent million of the fund that donated by other countries to take care of the welfare of their own refugees in exile, and not trying to make the Tibetan in exile stayed in poor stage and make the families separated because of the ban! The funding that the CTA get from international countries is not use to separate their own refugees and cause suffering. It is used to aid the suffering.
Pujas
Pujas in Tibetan Buddhism is very powerful to dispel curses, black magic, bad spirit, if the Pujas is not powerful to bind Dorje Shugden, then why believe in the tibetan pujas? All the monasteries should stopped the pujas, because it is not effective.
By believing in Dorje Shugden, it make me understand more issues and think more on the essential of Buddhism. E.g: the meaning to be compassion and skillful. Thus, if Dorje Shugden is bad, all i have is negative emotion and spread vulgar words towards people who hate Dorje Shugden. But, it is the other way round, i have try to learn the reasons on the ban, and, how illogical the ban it it is. From the issues, i have learned how precious is to have a lineage and to have Guru Devotion. I have learned to be patient and understand why it is people are afraid and out of fear, they will harm another person blindly. Just like CTA, the intention to ban Dorje Shugden have create so much trouble, pain and suffering towards own people. Yet, they still insist it and now with the Rangzen movement which oppose the view of H.H Dalai Lama, it is so clear that they wanted to separate their people for their own political benefit.
Thank you Rinpoche for the teachings and gave us Dorje Shugden.
Bowing to Rinpoche’s lotus feet With love,
Freon
Thank you Rinpoche for your sharing and clear explanation on the illogical claim by the CTA.
The Dorje Shugden ban has a very strong impact on all the Droje Shugden practitioners. If we stop our Dorje Shugden practice which was given by our Guru, we will break our samaya. If we continue, we will be subject to discrimination and not allow to attend Dalai Lama teachings. Without our Guru, we will not achieved anything in our spiritual attainment. This is a lose lose situation for Dorje Shugden practitioners.
CTA, what has this goverment in exile done for the Tibetan? After so many years, are they closer now to achieving the Tibetan wishes? Are Tibetan under the CTA live a better life or those still in Tibet under the China government has a better quality of life and better opportunity to excel? I am sure the Tibetan know what is best for them.
If Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, it need to be subdued just like what Guru Rinpoche did with Nechung. Why allow it to stay and continue to harm others? There are so many powerful rituals that can subdue evil spirit, why is this not done? Or these powerful rituals will not be able to subdue Dorje Shugden, cos Dorje Shugden is not a evil spirit.
The ban has done a lot of damage and caused suffering to many innocent Tibetan that do Dorje Shugden practice. The ban need to be ended to allow freedom of practice and end suffering.
If His Holines Dalai Lama is a living enlightened being or “Buddha” or “Bodhisattva” (which I and many, many millions believe with folded hands His Holiness is), then it cannot be that His Holiness can be harmed by a spirit as claimed, because his mind cannot be nudged or bent into a tailspin.
On this note, what I would like to bring to light however is with regards to the being that has been taking trance in the Nechung Oracle which to date is (still) believed to be Pehar/Nechung/Dorje Drakden.
This being is showing all the signs of not being elightened, or at the very least a being that has been duly subdued and sworn to oath to protect the Dharma as Pehar/Nechung/Dorje Drakden has.
Who is this being? What is he saying? Can anyone understand him? Who appoints the oracle secretaries? Are the secretaries qualified? Why the many mistakes?
Thank You Rinpoche for your kindness and compassion to share these valuable information and teaching with us. The more I read and practice Dorje Shugden praying, I felt I have been deeply attracted by Him. My positive thought has been growing to be better me. In fact, Dorje Shugden has been helping me with my life and Dharma practice a lot. Thank You Rinpoche for introducing such powerful Protector to us.
I totally agreed what Rinpoche has explained and it is very logical to me.
1) Dalai Lama is manifestation of Chenrezig, He is Buddha Himself. He has no karma to be harmed by devil or black magic. How can He be harmed or His life will be shortened because of Dorje Shugden?
2) There are a lot of powerful Protectors or binding rituals can be performed to subdue Dorje Shugden but nobody has done so instead of spending million of dollars to broadcast the “fake” news to tarnish His reputation or treaten those Dorje Shugden practitioners.
3) As a Buddhist, we all should have fundamental quality of Buddhism which is Compassion. How can a sincere Buddhist hurting or harming others who merely sincere to their belief (Dorje Shugden practice) which given by their Gurus.
4) If Dorje Shugden is blocking Tibetan to take back their country, why Dorje Shugden adviced H.H.Dalai Lama to escape from Tibet in 50s before invasion of China?
5) If Dorje Shugden is devil, why it has been practising by so many high Lamas such as H.H. Trijang RInpoche, H.H. KYABJE PABONGKA RINPOCHE, H.H. Panchen Lama etc?
6) The praise of Dorje Shugden was composed by H.H.5th Dalai Lama but the practice is banned by H.H.14th Dalai Lama. It does not make sense to me.
7) Even H.H.14th Dalai Lama claimed in public recently that He does not feel that Dorje Shugden practice affecting His life or His health. Why CTA refuse to listen to H.H. Dalai Lama?
It is clearly and logically explain that Dorje Shugden is not evil, in fact, He is enlighten being who will help to provide any form of assistance to spread the Dharma wider and futher to the world.
Regardless the threaten from CTA, I will stick to Dorje Shugden practice, the precious practice given by my Guru, H.E.Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. I will continue sharing and introducing this Powerful Protectors to my family and friends.
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) just came up with so many fake reasons to create problems for Shugden practitioners, one the most ridiculous one is that Dorje Shugden harms the Dalai Lama!
Following the thinking of CTA that Dorje Shugden is a spirit, many Buddhists know that by taking refuge in the Three Jewels, one cannot be harmed by a spirit, more so if one takes on the vows of an ordained Sangha. So, definitely, His Holiness the Dalai Lama cannot be harmed by a spirit. If all the High Lamas and Dalai Lama combined cannot subdue a spirit, I think we should look for psychic to learn to protect ourselves, or switch to a more ‘superior’ religion.
If they cannot win you to their side to ostracise and discriminate Dorje Shugden practitioners, then they will tell you the next reason is that it shortens the life of the Dalai Lama. In 2015 at Tsuglakhang, the main Buddhist temple in Dharamshala, India, while accepting a long-life offering, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed confidence that he would live to be more than 100 years old. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now in his 14th incarnation, and as a believer of reincarnation and Tulkus, I believe His Holiness the Dalai Lama has control of his lifespan and his choice of where and when he will take rebirth, so definitely a “spirit” or any being cannot shortern His Holiness’ life.
As for harming the cause of Tibet or Tibet’s wishes, due to the ban and encouragement of CTA to ostracise Shugden practitioners, non-Shugden practitioners have become extremely angry with Shugden practitioners. They have forcefully expelled Shugden practitioners from Tibetan society, using public humiliation, provocation, intimidation and threats, including dismissing them from their jobs, refusing them basic services and publicly spreading lies about them. This cause disunity and disharmony in Tibetan communites and circles of Tibetan Buddhists worldwide. So who is actually harming the Tibetan people, the cause of Tibet and Tibet’s wishes, disrupting the lives of the Tibetans around the world? Surely it is not Dorje Shugden!
What a joke for CTA to say that Dorje Shugden can harm His Holiness. If Dorje Shugden is an evil spirits, His Holiness would be able to send Dorje Shugden into the light with powerful rituals as His Holiness is Avalokiteshvara. His Holiness is a Buddha. He has the power to bind all spirits. He will not able to be harmed by Dorje Shugden.
His Holiness also can see through Dorje Shugden as a Buddha as His Holiness has composed prayers to Dorje Shugden earlier too. (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/the-14th-dalai-lamas-prayer-to-dorje-shugden.html) His Holiness cannot be wrong. ?
I think rinpoche has given a rather compelling overview and talk about the Dorje Shugden ban. There are many powerful points in the talk but there are a few points that stick out for me because they were slightly different from what is usually explained out there. What I really like about Rinpoche’s explanation is that it distills all the information from the news and many website articles to give a perspective of the overall picture.
Aside from the explanations was the stories of Milarepa and the origins of Nechung which I really like because rinpoche always imbue each story with much immediacy and impact that captures people’s imagination. Of course, Rinpoche is a natural storyteller that adds a lot of feeling and flavor to the recounting of these tales.
One of the points that stuck out for me was mentioned in the title. The High Lamas could easily bind Dorje Shugden in the manner Nechung, an evil spirit was bound by Guru Rinpoche to be a Dharma Protector. Since Dorje Shugden is touted to be an evil spirit, why don’t the attained lamas just bind him and make him swear to protect the Dharma. Surely out of so many high lamas in the various traditions have some sort of tantric power to do so? That is so logical and powerful point especially if you are familiar with TIbetan Buddhism and what the high lamas are capable of doing. You will never hear of another powerful spirit that is so fear by so many high lamas.
The other point was the fact that in the refuge tree, there are so many powerful enlightened Dharma Protectors. What happened to them? Why can’t they be propitiated to stop Dorje Shugden. Surely one evil spirit can overpower all of these great protectors? These are just some of the more interesting points of a really great explanation.
मैंने वास्तव में Dorje Shugden मुद्दे पर ज्यादा ध्यान नहीं दिया। सच कहने के लिए, मैं इसके बारे में अब तक नहीं सोचा था। इस मुद्दे की सच्चाई को मेरी आँखें खोलने के लिए रिनपोछे धन्यवाद। मुझे जो कुछ बताया गया था उससे पहले मुझे बहुत कुछ समझना चाहिए था।
Once we are enlightened and become a Buddha, we cannot be un-Buddha. For me, this is one of the basics for me to have faith in Buddhism. If a Buddha can be reversed, then why would I need to work so hard to train my mind and practice Buddhism for many lives time to be a Buddha? I might as well relax and do the things that I like in Samsara since become buddha can be reversed? No point working hard for something that it can be reversed totally right?
Dorje Shugden is recognised as a Buddha by many high lamas and some of the high lamas such as HH Trijang Rinpoche, HH Dalai Lama that we believe they are Buddha themselves too.
1. if Dorje Shugden is a Buddha, how would it possible be un-Buddha and become an evil spirit?
2. If the high lamas are Buddha, how would they not know Dorje Shugden is a Buddha or an evil spirits? If Dorje Shugden is an evil spirits, they will surely not practice it.
3. If Dorje Shugden is evil, they will surely bind him and not letting him harming others. Just like Guru Rinpoche can subdue and bind Nechung. It is definitely possible for high lamas such as HH Dalai Lama or Gaden Tripa to subdue Dorje Shugden right?
HH Dalai Lama is Avalokitesvara, Chenrezig/Kwan Yin. He is a Buddha. Buddha has all the power and he will not be harmed by evil spirits. If Buddha can be harmed, he would not be the object of refuge anymore right? Therefore, it is not logic at all to say HH Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shugden. It must be Dorje Shugden is not an evil spirits to harm HH Dalai Lama. If it is an evil spirit, HH Dalai Lama will surely able to bind him as HH Dalai Lama is a Buddha.
The excuse given by CTA tht Dorje Shugden can harm HH Dalai Lama has no basis at all.
Dear friends
हामीले दोर्जे शुग्देन मान्नु नराम्रो होइन हामीले दलाई लामालाई पनि मान्नु पर्छ र दोर्जे शुग्देन पनि हाम्रो कुनै पनि धर्ममा छैन न मान्नु भनेर हामी सबैले साेत्रत रूपले चाहिँ मान्नु पर्छ दोर्जे शुग्देनले सबैकाे लागि सहयोग गरनु हुन्छ र म धेरै माया गरछु दोर्जे शुग्देनलाई र मेरो परिवारले धेरै बिसवास गरनु हुन्छ ।
धन्यवाद ।
仁波切很清楚并逻辑性的解释了多杰雄登不是邪魔，更不会伤害到达赖尊者。从藏传佛教微观的角度来探讨，如一位高僧大德，之能够成为高僧，拥有万千的信徒，肯定在修持有很大成就，比如在密续修持上，就如达赖尊者。他是公认的观音的化身。高僧有一定得能力自我保护，避免被邪灵伤害。更有法力降伏它们。
如果说修持多杰雄登会伤害到达赖尊者，逻辑上是不成立的！难道说多杰雄登护法力太强了？达赖尊者都拿他没办法？还是说多杰雄登本来就不是魔，而且还是证悟的佛，所以达赖尊者从来都不必担心自身的安危，只是藏人行政中心有私心，所以捏造了自导自演的笑话？
仁波切抛出很多CTA不合逻辑的论述和证据，让大家可以思考，辨认是非。
总的来说，别让有心人的个人议程给蒙骗。无论是雄登修持者或不是雄登修持者，都应该往正面的方向去探讨，并且以一个温和的方式来解决它。也恳请达赖尊者公开的发表，解除多杰雄登禁令，避免藏人社会继续分裂，让欢笑声洋溢藏人社会。
谢谢。
What Rinpoche explained here is so logical for me. Rinpoche explained to many of us before and it just made so much sense. The points are easy to understand.
Anti Dorje Shugden people always say that Dorje Shugden is a ‘demon’ but they never present facts or logic. It’s just because HHDL said so and they believe.
If so then they should really watch the teachings above and ask themselves how wrong their views are.
The point that states HHDL is Chenrezig therefore he cannot be harmed is already the best point to talk about. And the other highly attained Lamas and lineage Lamas (eg. HH Trijang Rinpoche) who are still practicing Dorje Shugden, how can they be wrong? If they are wrong then HHDL is also wrong then because our lineage masters all stem from the same. Very illogical.
During the time when Santaraksita was spreading dharma in Tibet, Nechung together with many other evil spirits who against Buddhism were doing lots of harm to Santaraksita while he was giving dharma talk. Nechung and the evil spirits will made hail storms, fire and earth quake to disturb Santaraksita to prevent the spread of Buddhism. Eventually Santaraksita advised Tibetan King to invite the Tantric master Guru Rinpoche to Tibet, and because of that, Guru Rinpoche used his power and successfully subdued Nechung to become one of the dharma protector, and made him swear that he will never do harm anymore. Right after the obstacle was removed, Samye Monastery was build successfully. This history was well known among the Tibetan. My point is that if Dorje Shugden is an evil spirits, im very sure that H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and together with many other high lama in Tibet could have use their tantric power to subdue Dorje Shugden to become a dharma protector, just like what Guru Rinpoche has done to Nechung. Some lama can even perform fire puja or use their Vajra power to “kill” evil spirits and send them directly to the pure land. If all this has been done and still cannot harm Dorje Shugden, then either HHDL don’t have the power or Dorje Shugden is in fact an enlighten being. After examined all these facts, I only can said that Dorje Shugden is in fact a Buddha, because I believe HHDL is a Buddha too, HHDL is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. Because Dorje Shugden is an enlighten being, he has no karma to be harm, therefore fire puja can’t harm Dorje Shugden.
Dear all, Tashi delek. i am from nepal i join gaden shartse monastery 1997 i believe dorje shugden because he save me and my family please dalai la and tibetan peple please undastent dorje shugden is not spirit dorje shugden is budha some peple dorje shugden spirit please dontsay that dirje shugden is buddha Thank you karma
I personally have been doing Dorje Shugden practice for years now and Dorje Shugden really helped me with all of my works and difficulties. I find it baffling when there is a ban on Dorje Shugden practice and to add salt to the wound, we are segregated, slurred and attacked online (without really wanting to debate with us). CTA, being the government didn’t do anything to protect it’s people but of all, i felt encouraged it onto it’s followers by publishing wrong informations about Dorje Shugden on their websites and it is even in HH Dalai Lama’s website. I find it strange as Buddhism encourages us to be harmony and accept others but in this case this is not being done in a very compassionate level i felt.
Which also leads to my questions below:
1. Why can’t Dalai Lama see if Dorje Shugden is really an evil spirit before the ban? HH Dalai Lama is seen to be the Chenrezig among all of us Tibetan Buddhism worshippers and this can’t be wrong as highly Enlightened beings such as HH Dalai Lama will have the clairvoyance to notice.
2. Why having practiced Dorje Shugden for most part of His Holiness’ life, he has no problems with HH’s health and still looking strong well into his 80s? There were claims that if people were to practice Dorje Shugden, HH’s life will be shortened but in this case, HH Dalai Lama don’t seem to be suffering from any illness and going on strong.
3. Why when the 5th Dalai Lama actually composed a prayer to Dorje Shugden 400 over years ago recognising Him as an Enlightened Dharma Protector (after all Lamas failed to bin Dorje Shugden) and now the 14th Dalai Lama “realised” Dorje Shugden is a spirit? If Dorje Shugden is really a harmful evil spirit, big enough for Dalai Lama to come out and ban this practice, why not just bind Dorje Shugden and send to another realm as per Tsem Rinpoche’s live stream.
4. Why when HH Dalai Lama said Dorje Shugden is a spirit and asked everyone to stop doing the so called spirit Dorje Shugden practice, then on the other hand HH consults Nechung (with all respect) is actually also a spirit?
5. Why HH Dalai Lama’s junior tutor (Guru) HH Trijang Rinpoche is the only one permitted to practice Dorje Shugden while the rest can’t? If HH Trijang Rinpoche practices, i am convinced HH Dalai Lama also practiced Dorje Shugden before, then by doing that, isn’t it breaking samaya with HH’s Guru? Unlikely for someone of HH Dalai Lama’s calibre.
If Dorje Shugden is truly an evil spirit, am sure His Holiness would have had Dorje Shugden subdued or sent to some Pureland.
This whole Dorje Shugden controversy is just CTA’s way to cover up for their failure to regain their country.
I thank Tsem Tulku for speaking up. The world needs more Tsem Tulkus.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for speaking out for those who can’t. I am glad to have had the opportunity to catch the live streaming and there are many good points and one of the points that stood out the most for me is how CTA is, in fact, negating His Holiness’s emanation by claiming that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit that can harm His Holiness. Kinda odd to claim that a mere spirit can harm Buddha Chenrezig.
Another point that I found so logical is that if Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, why not get one of the high master to perform binding rituals or send Shugden “to the light”. If until now, no high lama is even doing any rituals to subdue Dorje Shugden, to prevent this evil spirit from creating more harm, this could just mean that Dorje Shugden is not evil after all.
Bowing at your lotus feet.
多杰雄登已经是有超过400年历史的萨迦与格鲁派的传承，
当下持续有许多高僧大德与信众们依然修持着多杰雄登护法，
可见这个修持法门是不会带给人们任何伤害。
西藏中央政府（CTA)一派胡言困惑他的子民们，说修持多杰雄登会伤害到尊者的生命长短
和可以阻挡西藏的发展。既然如此，西藏中央政府（CTA)应该马上召集各派的高僧来进行法会，降伏多杰雄登护法就行了。然而他们并没有这样做，有两个可能。其一，多杰雄登护法太强大了，没有任何高僧大德和护法有能力降伏。其二，多杰雄登护法是证悟的，是没必要给降伏的。如此看来，那就证明了多杰雄登护法是证悟的护法，也是智慧佛文殊菩萨的化身。
现在科技如此发达，人们可以随时随地掌握资讯和事实，西藏中央政府（CTA)也应该了解他的人民不会再被轻易迷惑了。
他们应该解除多杰雄登护法的禁令， 达到民主制度还人民宗教自由，把人民团结一致，迈向更好的未来。
谢谢仁波切的教诲和资讯，世界各地的人们可以更了解事情的真相，为在受苦和被排斥的多杰雄登修持者讨回人权和宗教自由。
多杰雄登已经是有超过400年历史的萨迦与格鲁派的传承，当下持续有许多高僧大德与信众们依然修持着多杰雄登护法，可见这个修持法门是不会带给人们任何伤害。
西藏中央政府（CTA)一派胡言困惑他的子民们，说修持多杰雄登会伤害到尊者的生命长短
和可以阻挡西藏的发展。既然如此，西藏中央政府（CTA)应该马上召集各派的高僧来进行法会，降伏多杰雄登护法就行了。然而他们并没有这样做，有两个可能。其一，多杰雄登护法太强大了，没有任何高僧大德和护有能力降伏。其二，多杰雄登护法是证悟的，是没必要给降伏的。如此看来，那就证明了多杰雄登护法是证悟的护法，也是智慧佛文殊菩萨的化身。
现在科技如此发达，人们可以随时随地掌握资讯和事实，西藏中央政府（CTA)也应该了解他的人民不会再被轻易迷惑了。
他们应该解除多杰雄登护法的禁令， 达到民主制度还人民宗教自由，把人民团结一致，迈向更好的未来。
谢谢仁波切的教诲和资讯，世界各地的人们可以更了解事情的真相，为在受苦和被排斥的多杰雄登修持者讨回人权和宗教自由。
作为一个佛教徒，我不明白为什么要有这种针对多杰雄登的禁令。达赖喇嘛不是强调和平吗？既然如此，干嘛要实施这项禁令。无论他是什么用意，但导致佛教徒之间的分裂，本身就已经违背了佛教强调和平和慈爱的精神。
况且在今日世界，全球都提倡民主、人权和信仰自由，这么做很显然跟全球趋势背道而驰。作为诺贝尔和平奖得主的达赖喇嘛岂可能不知道这基本的道理？
我时常都有阅读达赖喇嘛的书籍，也赞同他的许多教法，然而这样的一项禁令，我只看到破坏，毫无建设可言。希望达赖喇嘛能认真看待这件事和它背后深远的负面影响。
Rinpoche has presented very logically, and step by step, all the reasons why it is impossible for the Dalai Lama, or any high lama or monk, or any Buddhist who has sincerely taken refuge in the Three Jewels to be harmed by Dorje Shugden.
To this day and up to this point in time, I still cannot figure out how the Dalai Lama being Chenrezig, an EnlIghtened Being, can ever make a mistake for decades of seeing Dorje Shugden wrongly as a Buddha .One can feel the faith, fervor and devotion he put into composing “Melody of the Unceasing Vajra” a prayer and praise to Dorje Shugden . Furthermore, he DID recently say that he never said we cannot practice Shugden.
But the point that really got me is , if Dorje Shugden were a spirit, how is it that the Dalai Lama and other highy attained Lamas could not subdue him and send him to the light, or bind his consciousness and compassionately send it to a Pure Land? Or bind him by oath to serve as a Dharma Protector,like what Guru Rinpoche did for Nechung.There are rituals that can be done , like the Yamantaka fire puja. Yes , that would undoubtedly have prevented all the unnecessary anguish and suffering of segregating and discriminating against Tibetans who are Dorje Shugden practitioners.
The facts are overwhelming and obvious. Dorje Shugden cannot be bound as he is a Buddha and not a spirit. There is no reason why H.H. the Dalai Lama would not be able to subdue a spirit and no spirit would ever be able to harm H.H. the Dalai Lama. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for this post and the video. The information provided here are very clear that there’s a ban on Dorje Shugden practice and until this day and age, there is no action from CTA to lift this illogical ban.??
When the first time Rinpoche explained the logic of reasoning why Dorje Shugden is not a spirit/demon, as explained clearly here, it made such a great impact on me. The reasonings are so clear and I did not need to ask more questions. I strongly believe Dorje Shugden is NOT a spirit/demon but an Enlightened Being. My family and I, and many people in Kechara and outside of Kechara, have received so many blessings, spiritual and mundane assistance from Dorje Shugden that many of us are very fortunate to even be alive today.
It is not whether the practice of Dorje Shugden is harmful and demonic but it is about the religious right of individuals that have been taken away just because HH The Dalai Lama claimed so. Why let innocent peoplecontinue to suffer for something that is good. Why does the CTA continue to force the people to stop their chosen religious practice, that of Dorje Shugden, and create segregation among Tibetans.
This kind of wrong talk and actions by the CTA should stop immediately so that those who are affected may unite and heal; to forgive and to love each other. Let compassion rule over hatred. Either that or get together some lamas and get rid of Dorje Shugden. Enough talk already.
谢谢仁波切的分享。
多杰雄登禁令已经实施多年， 那么多年来多杰雄登禁令带来的影响非常大。 在印度， 藏人的寺院被迫分开- 甘丹寺驱逐继续修持多杰雄登的僧侣，修习多杰雄登的僧侣必须成立萨甘丹寺以安置继续修习多杰雄登的僧侣。 有些僧侣被迫停止修习多杰雄登法门， 让他们打破与上师的三昧耶。外界对于达赖喇嘛不允许多杰雄登修持者出席他的开始让他们对佛教却步和对佛教有邪见。 有些流亡在外的藏人必须与家人分开， 而且失去身为人类的权利， 不可到藏人行政中央的医院接受治疗， 不可到学校上课， 甚至不允许到某些商店购物。 这些总总多杰雄登禁令带来的负面影响甚多。 不只是在印度的藏人失去人权， 对于整个藏传佛教的发展也产生负面影响。
藏人行政中央自从1959年来一直都没有改善流亡藏人的福利，朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨， 藏人行政中央高层一直把外界的捐款占为己有， 而不是帮助草根人民。 而藏人行政中央一直都在炒作多杰雄登课题来转移大家对他们做事不力的事实。
仁波切说得非常对， 多杰雄登禁令一点都不合理， 只是藏人行政中央一直在炒作的课题。 仁波切提出非常多的要点来反驳多杰雄登禁令。 其中一个就是多杰雄登是邪灵， 会伤害达赖喇嘛。 达赖喇嘛是观音菩萨的化身， 难道会被一位邪灵伤害？
还有如果多杰雄登真的是邪灵， 难道那么多藏传佛教的高僧们， 护法们都无法降伏多杰雄登？ 反而还闻之丧胆。 那么你们不是在自打嘴巴， 在贬低达赖喇嘛及佛教？？
当然仁波切还有非常多要点来反驳多杰雄登禁令， 这里就不再一一重述。
总的来说， 多杰雄登禁令根本就是一个笑话， 只是一个让我们看清藏人行政中央的无知和无能的笑话。 大家的眼睛都是雪亮的， 可以分辨是非。
当然也愿达赖喇嘛本着观音菩萨慈悲的精神， 为那些因为多杰雄登禁令而受尽痛苦的人发声， 结束多杰雄登禁令， 让佛教世界回归平静， 佛法可以继续弘扬。
谢谢
Thank you Rinpoche for clearly explained that the reasons why Dorje Shugden could not be a spirit. The evidence support that Dorje Shugden ban is baseless & illogical. In addition, just check the life stories of the great masters such as His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang , HH Tagpo Kelsang Khedrub Rinpoche, HH Domo Geshe Rinpoche to see their qualifications and their teachings. All these great Masters are practise Dorje Shugden and they are completely trustworthy.
Over past twenty years the ban have caused disharmony, division and suffering to the Buddhist community. If you agreed that the ban did not bring benefits but suffering, please speak up and help the ban to be lifted immediately. If you did not feel the suffering but think that it is no logical for the ban, help us to lift the ban.
When the Tibetan government made a ‘demon’ out of a holy Protector, they made a mockery out of the holiest and most respected lamas who represent the pillars of Tibetan Buddhism, including and especially His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. After all, didn’t the Dalai Lama propitiate and praised Dorje Shugden in a prayer he wrote?
The Shugden ban was an extremely bad miscalculation on the CTA’s part. They gained nothing except disharmony and infamy as a dishonest government. But what shocks me most is how the Tibetan leadership insists on going down this path even after they have been caught out misleading the people.
What makes this post and Tsem Rinpoche’s video very powerful is how effectively it dispels the disinformation about Dorje Shugden with simple logic. With this post, the ball really is in the CTA’s court – Why not get rid of this ‘bad spirit’ once and for all?
Rinpoche has raised some very important questions re Dorje Shugden is a evil which can harm His Holiness’ life and can destroy the Tibet cause; and he answered logically.
All who know more or less about the rituals that subdue spirits or sending them to rebirth, should know these rituals are really powerful and effective. But how come they are not when comes to Dorje Shugden? Are these rituals no more effective come to this age? Or all these while these are only rumours? Or Dorje Shugden is not able to destroyed by these rituals, because He is an enlightened being? The answer is quite clear. Dorje Shugden is not some evil spirits which can be subdued or destroyed, but Buddha. A Buddha that cannot be un-Buddha.
To prove the accusation of Dorje Shugden is a spirit must come with the result a or some high lamas subdued this spirit. If not, keep saying Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, only making high lamas in Tibetan world looks pale and helpless, or making Tibetan Buddhism funny. Or, better it’s to immediately stop using the accusation of Dorje shugden as an evil spirit to demonise the practice or the practitioners. Accusation and lies as such making many to suffer, and will not give the Tibetan government in exile or any accusation party any gains. People will search internet, ask around and think; eventually will see the truth that Dorje Shugden is not a spirit, and accusations are being made with selfish agenda.
When the Tibetan Government In Exile, now known as the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) says Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit that harms the Dalai Lama and Tibet cause and Dorje Shugden is the cause Tibet lose their freedom, there are 2 major problems in this statement itself:
1. How can a spirit makes a country loses their freedom? So was the World War 1 and World War 2 were evil-spirit-fight? If an evil spirit is enough to “harm” a country, there’s no need to have weapons, buy and make weapons right? My point is, what CTA is saying is totally illogical. And this shows how CTA operates – when things are not right, blame the gods, blame the spirits. The human does not need to be responsible. CTA is fooling its people by telling such thing. This is not what a democratic government would do and in democratic governments and countries, no ones blames the god or spirit when they are not doing well.
2. Like what H.E. Tsem Rinpoche said in the video, within the Tibetan Buddhism there are so many enlightened Dharma protectors that are so powerful. And if a spirit can create such a huge harm, there should be Dharma protectors that can help to give protection right? If not what’s the point of having Dharma protectors? What’s the point of practicing the Dharma? Dharma(one of the 3 Jewels) is something we can rely on to have protection and to gain enlightenment. If there’s enlightenment, there’re Buddhas. If there are Buddhas, then is CTA saying Buddhas can’t stop an evil spirit like Dorje Shugden from creating harm????!!!
CTA is the one who pollutes and damages Buddhadharma by sending the wrong message out that none of the Dharma protectors and the 3 Jewels can stop “evil spirit” Dorje Shugden from creating harm. CTA is harming Buddhism, not Dorje Shugden practice.
The Tibetan leadership has been “advising” and “educating” their people that practicing Dorje Shugden means breaking the Buddhist refuge vows, it will harm the H.H the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan course. If this is true, the high lamas who practice Dorje Shugden since 400 years ago, all of these high lamas broke their Buddhist vows? H.H the Dalai Lama broke his Buddhist vows too because he has been practicing Dorje Shugden for 30 years? This is not logic at all.
When we take refuge to the The Jewels, we are protected from spirits. If Dorje Shugden is a spirit, he couldn’t harm any sincere Buddhist. If Dorje Shugden is a spirit, high lamas should be able to perform rituals to subdue him, bind him or send him into the light not to cause trouble anymore. Why Dorje Shugden not been sent into the light? Is that means Dorje Shugden is so powerful that none of the high lamas and dharma protectors can subdue him? Even H.H the Dalai Lama who is Chenrezig , not able to bind Dorje Shugden? Or is it because Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Buddha so need not to be subdued? It is clear that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Buddha.
All these false accusations are from The CTA for their own political interest. They spent so much time, energy and money making their websites and book publishing “educating” and “advising” their people against Dorje Shugden practice, causing segregation and discrimination among the people for 20 years. The CTA claimed themselves as democratic, but what they are doing is undemocratic, it is against human rights.
Thanks to technology and social media, information with solid truth and facts are available worldwide. The CTA may fool around with his people back in 20 years ago because of their selfishness and greediness. The CTA should realize that their people are more and more aware of their incapability as a government. The CTA should bring down the ban, gives human rights and religious freedom to their people, be like a democratic leader which they used to claimed to be. And please H.H the Dalai Lama gives a statement to unite the Dorje Shugden people and non-Dorje Shugden people. They are all Tibetan people, they deserve peace and harmony.
Thank you His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche for the explanation with such logic. It makes everything so clear, it clear away all the doubts and some of the misunderstanding I have. When Rinpoche explain in this way to clear any misunderstanding, misconceptions with logic and most importantly with love and compassion to stop further misunderstanding and sufferings might be causing to many more; it sounds so beautiful, touched my heart.
You are the real guru for all. I thanks again for your teachings.
With folded hands.
Norbu Rinchen
I must admit that I had believed the Dalai Lama’s version of things and its still find it difficult to comprehend why the Tibetan government would go to such extent to distort the truth. Such lies about Dorje Shugden harms not only this protector’s followers but the entire Tibetan Buddhist religion.
On a personal level, I do not worship Shugden and I do not necessarily agree that it is an enlightened protector but actually it doesn’t matter. If I don’t believe in a god or deity, I just don’t worship it. What matters is a lot of people believe this deity to be worthwhile to worship just like I find the deities I worship to be worthy of my praises and supplications. And we should all be free to practice our faith.
The part that made me question the integrity of the CTA and Dalai Lama’s version is this essential question – why not bind Shugden? I have heard that many lamas subdue malevolent spirits and this ability is not exclusively a Tibetan Buddhist phenomena. It seems like utter madness to allow a spirit if indeed Shugden is one, to cause all these alleged problems. Makes no sense.
I think the only malevolent spirits are the ones whispering in the minds of the Dharamsala officials.
I think this is an extremely logical question raised by Rinpoche that refutes claims that Dorje Shugden is a spirit!
If Dorje Shugden is really a harmful spirit, why not just send him to the “light” and be done with it instead of creating an international worldwide news on Dorje Shugden? There is no other “spirit” who is this popular. ?
So, why don’t the Dalai Lama perform a Fire Puja?
Fire pujas are to compassionately send Dorje Shugden to Pureland so that Dorje Shugden can stop doing more harm and collect further negative karma. He will then be “dead”. Dead can’t do harm.
Why don’t the Dalai Lama perform a binding ritual?
A binding ritual was done to subjugate Nechung, a powerful demon spirit by Guru Rinpoche binding Nechung to the oath of Dharma. This can be done the same to Dorje Shugden. He will then be harmless.
The two ways Dalai Lama can bind Dorje Shugden but it was neither done nor successful since the time of Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen. Imagine what would happen if Dalai Lama or any Tibetan High Lamas of the highest calibre are able to bind Dorje Shugden? So many problems solved. Dalai Lama’s life is saved, Tibet will be saved, Gelugpa will be saved.
These rituals that have proven 100% effective on evil spirits. Since neither of the methods worked, either Dorje Shugden is more powerful than ALL BUDDHAS OR Dorje Shugden IS a Buddha.
Isn’t it just so obvious that Dorje Shugden is enlightened therefore any rituals to bind him or the jinsek will not work on him? This is logical because otherwise it would mean that all Tibetan Buddhism and tantra practitioners do not have attainments. Subduing a spirit is one of the easiest ritual those spiritually attained can do. If the CTA is embarrassed to find help within Buddhism, they can get the Bonpo priest, shaman, voodoo priest, wizard, witch etc. to perform their rituals to get rid of Dorje Shugden – the spirit they claimed him to be. There are just too many ways to get rid of a spirit that one do not required to be attained as per the Buddhist practices.
The fact that none of the above are done or can be done, it just goes to show that Dorje Shugden is enlightened. It would be so much easier for the Dalai Lama who is believed to be the emanation of Avalokiteshvara to subdue Dorje Shugden in a few hour ritual and the ban would not need to be imposed for 20 years, no funds will be required to attack and degrade Dorje Shugden online (Tibet.net and DalaiLama.com).
The only reason the CTA is printing books, creating websites, going on luxury tours and talk about Dorje Shugden is because they need Dorje Shugden as a cover for their incapabilities in managing the Tibetans. This is a weird way to rely on Dorje Shugden but I guess this is the CTA way to rely on our powerful protector. The CTA is hiding behind Dorje Shugden hoping people will focus on him than their failure. Too bad, it doesn’t work.
H.H. the Dalai Lama cannot be harmed because he is Chenrezig. Buddhas or fully enlightened beings do not have the karma to be harmed. Similarly, Dorje Shugden, who is an enlightened Dharma Protector, and who is an emanation of Manjushri, cannot be harmed, because he is a Buddha and, therefore, does not have the karma to be harmed. Therefore, no one, not even the Dalai Lama can bind Dorje Shugden. On the other hand, Nechung, who is an unenlightened protector, can be bound.
Dorje Shugden issue at the first place shouldn’t be an issue at all.
First, if we are buddhists and choose to believe that H.H the Dalai Lama is the emanation of Avalokiteshvara, then we should also believe that His Holiness cannot be harmed by any evil spirit. If we said Dorje Shugden is evil spirit, and he can harm His Holiness, what we mean is even someone as attained and not supposed to have karma to be harmed as His Holiness has no power to overcome a spirit, then all ordinary buddhists are at risk of being harmed by spirits also. Even an ordinary monk is supposed to be protected from the spirits harm. If this is not the case, then what’s the point of becoming a buddhist? Not only attained master can’t be protected againt a spirit, the law of karma also doesn’t work here. Then what buddhism is about?
Second, if we are not buddhist and not believing that His Holiness is the emanation of Avalokiteshvara and also not believe that holding monk vows can protect us from spirit’s harm, then shouldn’t we think twice why we should follow the instruction from any party that asked us to segregate ourselves from a religious sect? Not only it goes against religious freedom that we should all embrace, it also goes against human rights and can only create disharmony and chaos among people. Segregation and discrimination can only do harm to a nation and race. No one should contribute to that.
As a buddhist, I beg His Holiness to end this Dorje Shugden ban immediately as it not only creates bad image to His Holiness but also jeopardizing buddhism as a whole.
Watching the video and reading this posting made me think of the story about the blind men and the elephant from Udana 68-69: Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant…
Because there are so many opposing views on Dorje Shugden and also because there are so many thousands and thousands of people, Tibetan Buddhists and even non-Tibetan Buddhists who practise Dorje Shugden, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration should firstly, lift the Dorje Shugden practise ban and convene with Dorje Shugden community leaders. I believe that this will only bring benefit to everyone, all sentient beings.
For the Tibetan people Buddhism has always been more than a belief is also the of social control that the Tibetan government uses to keep the people under control using dharma. What is wrong here is His Holiness the Dalai Lama mixing spirituality and politics together. Some people believes that he is Chenrezig a living Buddha, how the Buddha can be harm if you practice Dorje Shugden and all high the lamas can not be wrong who’s been practing ,it doesn’t make sense. People has been separated from their family and friends, hope that the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted and everyone live peace..
You mean all the Dharma Protectors, all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, deities, Yidams, His His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche on how the negative perception of the Dorje Shugden practise and the resulting ban does not make sense, says in this video:
“Tutelary Deities, High Lamas, the Dalai Lama, and the lineage lamas, all of them do not have enough power to overcome one evil spirit? That also does not make sense. It does not make sense at all. Therefore, Dorje Shugden cannot harm the Dalai Lama. Dorje Shugden cannot harm any monks or nuns. Dorje Shugden cannot harm any sentient being, especially if they have refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, or if they practice Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, or Kalarupa. Dorje Shugden cannot harm the wishes of Tibet, some Tibetans wish for independence, some wish for autonomy. Rangzen (independence), Umaylam (the Middle Way or autonomy policy), they have various wishes. But the point is that Dorje Shugden cannot block the wishes of Tibetans. If that is the case, what is Dorje Shugden actually harming? What is Dorje Shugden harming if you think about it?”
It made me think about it, again. And he’s right. the reason for the ban clearly does not make sense.
Although I am an outsider to the Tibetan Buddhism issue, I have been attracted to the issue of Dorje Shugden ban or the advice of the Dalai lama on Dorje Shugden practice. What bothers me the most is the illogical basis of the ban itself and the suffering it causes.
As a noble prize laureate and a famed spiritual leader the Dalai Lama should not segregate as to who can come to his teachings. What the Dalai Lama is saying about Dorje Shugden practice and that his guru is wrong for saying that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector. It just opens a new pandora box that The Dalai Lama also can be wrong for saying that Dorje Shugden is a spirit. If what he said is true and the Dalai Lama is the mighty powerful lama who has the clairvoyance to see the true nature of Dorje Shugden as a harmful spirit, why His Holiness cannot subdue this harmful spirit?
I hope the Dalai Lama and the CTA will stop discriminating against Dorje Shugden practitioners and end this ban that has caused so much suffering.
Jimmy
It is famous that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is extremely incapable, else they wouldn’t have lost their country. This is not said to put them down or to disrespect them, it’s just the matter of fact. After losing their country for more than 60 years, the CTA has done nothing to get it back. Instead, they blame their incapability on something else.
After 60 years, Tibetans are still kept at their refugee status, why is that? Either the CTA is incapable or it’s done on purpose so they can govern more funds from the Western countries. What worse is they do not use the money to strengthen their own economics, but they would rather spend thousands and thousands of dollars on doing a documentary to encourage people against Dorje Shugden practice. How practical is that? Their people are poor, hungry, they have to go out to sell sweaters to earn a living. All their “government” can do is to blame it on Dorje Shugden and spending thousands of dollars on documentary to justify their accusations against Dorje Shugden. The Western countries like USA for example, should really stop giving them funds. Because that gives the CTA power to continue to discriminate, divide and create disharmony within the society. So why would anyone want to put their money towards that? They will always end up being blamed for supporting undemocratic leadership.
Tsem Tulku has a good point, if Dorje Shugden is so evil, why doesn’t the Dalai Lama bind him once and for all? Nechung was an evil spirit before Guru Rinpoche bind him. So if Guru Rinpoche can do it, why can’t the Dalai Lama do it? When the CTA keeps discouraging people to practice Dorje Shugden even to the point where documentary and brochures had to be made against him, it makes me wonder if the Dalai Lama really has power? It’s only logical to think like this, or why doesn’t the Dalai Lama bind him to Dorje Shugden can stop creating trouble and Tibet can get their country back? Then no documentaries, brochures, talks, meetings and rules is needed anymore because Dorje Shugden is bind. So let’s assume that they can’t bind Dorje Shugden, what does that mean? It means that he is not a spirit, as simple as that. He is an enlightened being and therefore he cannot be bound. What else can it be that the Dalai Lama and CTA do not perform rituals to subdue him? It can’t be that the Dalai Lama doesn’t have power right?
I really like what Tsem Rinpoche speaks here, so much logic and making sense!!
Yes I believe very much in Tibetan Buddhism, it’s so powerful that can stop the most terrible evil attacks, I saw it in my own eyes. Because it’s about being kind to even the most harmful spirits instead of exorcising them. If the most powerful rituals can’t send Dorje Shugden to the light or bind him to serve Dharma, then Dorje Shugden must be someone enlighten.
I wonder why the Tibetan Administration government doesn’t see the logic. The way they put down Dorje Shugden is actually damaging the whole Buddhism by telling people even if you take refuge with the Three Jewels, you are not protected.
Things have to stop please CTA. Everyone can see and think!!!
One of the points that stuck out very strongly from the talk was why doesn’t His Holiness the Dalai Lama bind Dorje Shugden? Even the famous Nechung was bind by Guru Rinpoche because he kept creating obstacles towards the growth of Dharma. So if Dorje Shugden is really that malicious and dangerous, why doesn’t His Holiness just do a puja or ritual to subdue Dorje Shugden so he can stop harming His Holiness and the Tibet’s cause?
The Dorje Shugden issue has been so heavily overplayed by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). They even held talks, produced documentary and brochures to “advise” people against the practice as how they’d like to say it. Directly, they are making His Holiness look bad, they make him seem powerless which should not be this way. On either secular level or spiritual level, His Holiness is viewed as the King, he is the King of Tibet. To be placed at such high stature, His Holiness is definitely unordinary.
So what is the ulterior motive of the CTA? Why are they bringing so much attention to the “enemy-Dorje Shugden” which they can VERY EASILY get rid of?
The situation created by the Tibetan leadership is really bad. We exiled Tibetans used to be very united, but now, all disharmonious and violence, all due to this Dorje Shugden issue stirred up by the Tibetan leadership spreading false information against Dorje Shugden. How do you know it is totally false? Listen to Tsem Rinpoche, Tibetan lamas are very powerful, Dalai Lama is very powerful, they can subdue ANY spirit in samsara, but how come until now they cannot subdue Dorje Shugden, but have to keep defame Dorje Shugden and spread lies about Dorje Shugden? Just perform a powerful puja and subdue Dorje Shugden once and for all, doesn’t it solve all the issues? Tsem Rinpoche said Guru Rinpoche subdued Nechung, so why can’t Dalai Lama subdue Dorje Shugden?? Totally illogical, it just shows you that what they said about Dorje Shugden being a ghost/spirit/demon is totally false! Dorje Shugden is a Buddha.
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you again for speaking up against the unjust discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners. It is true what Rinpoche said. If the Dalai Lama and all the other high lamas are the all mighty and powerful and worthy object of refuge, why they cannot subdue the supposedly harmful spirit Dorje Shugden. Even if the Dalai Lama is not a living Buddha, he is still a monk with his monk vows, which means spirits cannot harm him. If these lamas are truly powerful there is only one reason why these lamas have not gathered to subdue Dorje Shugden because he is not a harmful spirit like what was said since 1996. How can an enlightened Buddha for 400 years who was worshipped by the Sakya and Gelugpa suddenly become a harmful spirit in the last 20 years, it does not make sense at all.
Since the basis of the ban is illogical, then the ban or ‘advice’ to not practice Shugden should have ended a long time ago. Why continuously promoting a cause for discrimination that is based on false reasonings? I hope this ban or discrimination that has caused so much suffering will end one day very soon.
Valentina
Thanks Rinpoche and the blog team for this post and the video. The information provided here are very clear that there’s a ban on Dorje Shugden practice and that until this day and age, there is no action from CTA to remove this illogical ban.
Dalai Lama is highly revered around the world as a World Peace ambassador, for us Buddhist, he is Kuan Yin, teaching Dharma that relieves sentient beings from suffering through the practice of kindness and compassion. I agree all the points that Rinpoche brought up in this post that why an enlighten being like Dalai Lama and all these high lamas couldn’t bind Dorje Shugden or see it’s very bad before they practise it?
The point that really rings a bell in me is that even if Dorje Shugden is spirit, and people who practice Dorje Shugden will go to hell, why don’t the Tibetan people show more mercy and compassion that Dalai Lama always preaches.
Something is very wrong with what CTA says about Dorje Shugden, something that needs CTA’s clarification very much as their policies on Dorje Shugden practitioners are contradicting with Buddhist teachings. I hope CTA will remove the ban as soon as possible. This ban does not serve any benefit for everyone.
Thank you.
I have many dharma friends who had to leave the monastery because Dalia Lama said they have to leave if they want to continue practising Dorje Shugden. They said they cannot stop because the practise is given by their teachers and they cannot break it. Very bad repercussions breaking samaya.
It is also very sad they had to leave their friends and suffer the discrimination that comes with going “against” Dalia Lama. Like Tsem Rinpochela said, if Dalia Lama would just bind Dorje Shugden spirit from the beginning, then no need so much suffering until today.
In 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, it is clearly stated that we should never regard the guru and Buddha Vajradhara as different. And Vajradhara said, “Enlightenment cannot be found anywhere. Only by practicing the methods taught by the guru, purifying your mind and accumulating merit can you find enlightenment.”
Rinpoche’s root guru, HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, was a great scholar and tantra master of the Gelugpa lineage. HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche also known as an emanation of the Buddha Heruka Chakrasamvara. Whereas, HH Dalai Lama is Chenrezig. Both great masters are Buddhas. But due to Rinpoche strong faith in HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and practice of guru devotion, Rinpoche chose to follow HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s advice i.e. to practice Dorje Shugden and now spread Dorje Shugden practice for the benefit of others.
Thank you Rinpoche for this profound sharing on Dorje Shugden. These important points are really broaden my view and now, my faith in Dorje Shugden is become stronger and stronger.
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri in dhama protector form. Dorje Shugden practice has been passed for over 400 years by the lineage gurus. Our lineage gurus have strong faith and practice Dorje Shugden including H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and H.H. Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. All these gurus have achieve attainments and now they have returned in perfect human body to continue their previous life dharma works for the benefit of others. If Dorje Shugden is a spirit and can harm H.H. Dalai Lama and other great masters e.g. from other lineage like Sakya and our lineage gurus, the dharma will not grow and spread to the western countries.
The way of CTA govern the country is obviously not following the Democratic philosophy, the human right obviously demolished it by their own standard without the solid facts. Any religions should allow to practice as long as not harming people. In facts DS practice help a lot of Tibetans including me a small little poor Malaysian. I’m not interested in Tibet politic, but DS practice is threaten by the unfair Tibetan political Agenda , so trigger a lot of non Tibetan concern about this issue. Tibetan should be very proud of DS practice because the practice already spread to 1000 direction of the world, even the small country like Malaysia also got people like me practice DS . Accepting new practice like DS in Malaysia not easy, our country have , Taoism, Theravada, Chinese origin Buddhism, Christian and Muslim and many others.. Why i choose DS practice which is origin from Tibetan? is very simple, because is from pure lineage and effective after practice, is very simple
i hope CTA can lift the Ban immediately and immediate effect is Tibetans will unite together strongly and the life will become peaceful than before . Peaceful is so beautiful in the paper but if can practice and implement it , is more than perfect
The questions raised by Rinpoche is very valid and are the same questions that was asked by many people for the longest time since the ban was enforced in 1996. To date, there were no concrete answers given by the Dalai Lama and the CTA to appease the minds of Tibetans. Tibetans continue to suffer from the discriminatory ban against their religious beliefs. If the Dalai Lama believes that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, then there should be no qualms from the Dalai Lama to subdue this spirit. If DS is not a spirit, which many of us believe to be a Buddha, then lift the ban. Why continue to let your people suffer? Families are torn apart, lives are affected, people self immolate to protest are some of the many sufferings happening till today.
By continuing on with the ban, it creates bad publicity to the world which reflects on how bad a government CTA is. Not only that, the Dalai Lama promotes peace and unity to the outside world but with his own people, there is a great divide. It also creates a bad name for Buddhism because it is a religion which practices kindness, compassion and giving to others. To save the embarassment, lift the ban. That is what the CTA should do to give back confidence to its people.
In this day where information is widely available, nothing can be hidden. The international community is watching. Facts and evidence cannot be covered and the truth will prevail.
The facts are overwhelming and obvious! Dorje Shugden cannot be bound as he is a Buddha and not a spirit. There is no reason why H.H. the Dalai Lama would not be able to subdue a spirit and no spirit would ever be able to harm H.H. the Dalai Lama.
Anyway how could H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. Zong Rinpoche or any other highly attained monk be misled by a spirit? This makes no sense at all.
Dorje Shugden has been worshipped since more than 400 years. Who would be cheated for such an amount of time? Who would trust Dorje Shugden if He hasn’t proven again and again that He is highly efficient and beneficial?
The Tibetan people would benefit so much from Dorje Shugden and the ban has created so much division within the Tibetan and the monastic communities.
I pray that Dorje Shugden practitioners can freely practice and also visit H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teachings.
May H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s wise words help to end the difficult times of Dorje Shugden practitioners and bring harmony within the Tibetan communities. May the Dorje Shugden practitioners have equal rights to all other Tibetans for the benefit of all Tibetans. ???
I very much grateful that Tsem Rinpoche explained clearly about what is root teacher. Before this, I think all the teachers and great lamas are my teachers. Root teacher actually is the one that touches and influences us the most and the one that inspires us the most. Root teacher is very important especially when we want to practice Tibetan Tantric. Therefore, if other teacher, for this instance His Holiness the Dalai Lama, don’t practice or ask us not to practice Dorje Shugden, we should not follow it but to follow the root teacher’s advice that helps us achieve high attainments.
Thank you Rinpoche and teams to gather so many valuable information on Dorje Shugden so that we can clearly understand some no logic and untrue disclaimer such as Dorje Shugden is spirit is not valid.
What ever Rinpoche explained about Dorje Shugden is based on logic and can be vouched. It did not make sense a spirit cannot subdue by the high Lama which they able do so, the lineage of Dorje Shugden is being practice by many schools and even more than 400 years. Furthermore religion should not be the weapons to hurt, abuse ,create hate, segregated other, we should show respect to other if we are genuine practitioners
May those who still in confused or doubts can gain understanding and clear picture on reading this article. Thank you
Tsem Tulku Rinpoche has always taught us faith based on knowledge. I remembered when Rinpoche first introduced us to Dorje Shugden, we had so many debates and Rinpoche asked us to think / research / read and experience for ourselves.
One of the question which most of the students find it disturbing about this was “How can an evil spirit harm HH Dalai Lama?” If Dalai Lama is Cherenzig, how can Dalai Lama has a karma to be harmed? And why doesn’t CTA get all the erudite masters they have in Tibet to do a huge puja to “kill” Dorje Shugden. After all, some lamas under them have successfully subdued spirits before? Why not Dorje Shugden? All these questions were in our head and were voiced up. There was no other reasons to believe but Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector.
CTA should really stop governing their people like before like as if as they belong to small remote village. Many Tibetans themselves has asked these questions as of above. Many Tibetans are starting to question their actions , not in particular this issue but many other issues. To preserve the longevity of their government and also the name of HH, they should officially lift the ban.
Most government who practice democracy has town hall sessions or open / debate sessions with their people, they should have a few and pls invite Dorje Shugden practitioners as they are also human and Tibetans. They too deserve to be heard and they too deserve to get blessings from Dalai Lama who is one with Cherenzig.
Rinpoche has brought up questions which people has been asking for the longest time when the ban was enforced in 1996. These are all valid questions which needs answers, if not people will continue to ask, rebel, protest, self immolate because they need answers and solutions. A solution is needed because people are suffering. The Dalai Lama is Chenrezig which is the most compassionate one can do so by lifting the ban because he is still ultimately the leader of Tibet. Even the explanations given by the CTA does not have any real backing that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit. In fact, all evidence shown in facts and various websites has shown that Dorje Shugden is a Buddha and cannot be harmed. Else, the Dalai Lama could have easily subdued him.
It is also very bad publicity for the CTA and the Dalai Lama when international agencies and public sees the divide in Tibetan community due to difference in religious practices. And it is all occuring in Buddhism. It does not reflect well when on one hand the Dalai Lama promotes peace and harmony to the outside world and then in his homeland there is a divide. Furthermore, Buddhism is always about kindness, being compassionate and giving to others. Isn’t there a conflict when the CTA discriminates? What karma would they create?
The best way for the CTA to act is to act like any government in the world and that is to govern the country in a fair and just manner. If they lift the ban, then the suffering of the people will diminish over time and also save the Dalai Lama the embarassment of lifting the ban himself.
Dorje Shugden has been labelled many things in the past, most of them not very good if it comes from the CTA and the people aligned to them. One of the best known examples is that Dorje Shugden is considered a minor spirit. Dorje Shugden power and benefits of his practice are still being experienced by sincere practitioners all over the globe. No amount of Fire Puja and rituals, even amulets have been able to stop Dorje Shugden la, at the rate things are going. Does that mean at this year 2017, there are no more realized masters, secret bodhisattvas amongst us, who have insight into emptiness or that Dorje Shugden who reincarnated from the Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen’s Lineage who was Mahasattva to begin with, was an enlightened being all along? Which is more probable, for me the latter is consistent, although we are in the age of kaliyuga.
So I really liked it, that Rinpoche is giving everyone the time of the day to highlight that how ridiculous some of the negative claims about Dorje Shugden and offering his insights.
In fact for the all the trouble that the Dorje Shugden ban has caused the lineage, the high lamas of the Gelug tradition, Rinpoche’s life was affected too, Rinpoche is very magnanimous to spend the time, to clear doubts and clarify on what the Dorje Shugden ban is about, and how fallacious the arguments are being used to enforce the ban.
For everyone who is still on the fence, this is a video not to be missed out, and will help to clarify on the more obscure bits about the Dorje Shugden ban.
No matter what religion we should not discriminate or isolate people. Everyone is the same fundamentally wanting happiness. What is happening now is any one can attend Dalai Lama’s teaching except Dorje Shugden practitioner, isn’t it counter the spirit of wanting to help others if we believe they are sinners. If Dorje Shugden practitioners wishes to attend the teachings we should gladly encourage them to, remove all signboard barring Dorje Shugden practitioners. Otherwise it would tarnish the image that what Buddha taught that one should accept all equally just like all major religions in the world.
This video of Tsem Rinpoche talking about the discrimination and the injustice ban against Dorje Shugden people is very logical.
I have a question to CTA —- Why is it that your master – Guru Rinpoche can subdue Nechung who is an evil spirit but your masters, as I believe there are many cannot subdue Dorje Shugden and also make him a state oracle and a Dharma protector just like Nechung? And how come you can continue relying on an evil spirit that has gotten Tibet nowhere? I have read up about him and it is obvious his prophesy that His Holiness will return to Tibet did not happen and is not happening. It was predicted that His Holiness would return some time back, and His Holiness is nowhere near that. Also wasn’t he the one who killed the previous 13th Dalai Lama by selecting the wrong medicine? And the Tibetan Exile gov. previously punished him for it? So why is the freedom, future, and life of an entire nation, Tibetan community dependent on this Nechung, an evil spirit that keeps getting it wrong? How come you guys can rely on Nechung yet you condemn Dorje Shugden that has not done anything to Tibet or Tibetans?
The only people harming Tibetan freedom, people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a bunch of people who have created many false stories and it appears to be a cover-up for the failures of believing the advice of the evil spirit Nechung or their own failure in bringing His Holiness and the people back to Tibet.
Actually, how are we even 100% sure that it is Nechung taking trance? And why does a democratic government rely on a spirit taking trance to make state decisions? Where in this world do you see this in any of the democratic government? I live in Canada and we certainly do not rely on any magic, spirit, psychic, channeler, oracles to determine the law and policy we make in our country, cause if we did, oh boy would we be in big trouble. There is no way.
The more we think about it, the more it just does not tally or make any sense. Overall I get the feeling that the Tibetan leadership is deceptive, sneaky, corrupt and certain not for the good of their people. Otherwise, they will not discriminate one from another and would unite everyone. And this is just one strong point amongst the many strong points that Tsem Rinpoche had brought up and got me thinking. So Thank you Tsem Rinpoche, it was very enlightening and I look forward to more. Tashi Delek!
How can Dorje Shugden be a devil? Many high lamas who had in the past and present been practicing Dorje Shugden would be considered as demon worshipping, which means that their lineage and teachings are tainted. This includes the lineage of Dalai Lamas as well. And because many of us receive the teachings from these lamas or their disciples, we will not achieve any attainments. In fact, Buddhist who worship a devil will go to HELL.
Does it make sense?
It does not! Because all these high Lamas who practiced, taught and spread Dorje Shugden took rebirth in perfect human forms to continue their work from previous life. It is illogical to call Dorje Shugden a devil. CTA should stop spreading lies and defame an enlightened Dharma Protector.
Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Dharma Protector and had existed for hundreds of years. Many erudite lamas from the Gelugpa and Sakya lineages had propitiated Dorje Shugden; they not only benefitted from the help of Dorje Shugden, they also felt that this enlightened protector will be helpful for all sentient beings, hence they wrote extensive prayer text and endorsed Dorje Shugden as the protector in their monasteries and teachings; like Sonam Rinchen & Kunga Lodro from the Sakya lineage and HHDL the 5th, HHDL the 14th as well as Trijang Rinpoche from Gelugpa lineage. It is therefore baffling to learn that CTA calls Dorje Shugden a devil.
If Dorje Shugden is a devil, then it would make sense to have Dorje Shugden binded like how High Lamas subdue an evil spirit. Strangely, the magical and mystical power of the Tibetan high lamas seemed to render powerless against Dorje Shugden. Does it mean that Dorje Shugden is almighty and even more superior than all the Tibetan high Lamas combined? And since it is believed that Dorje Shugden can harm His Holiness, it is effectively saying that Buddhism is defeated by an evil spirit. I hope CTA and the followers of His Holiness will stop making this type statements that make Buddhist practices look stupid and unreliable, as well as making all Tibetan High Lamas look impotent.
This teaching given by Rinpoche is really logical. It provides all the facts that Dorje Shugden cannot be a spirit. A practice of 400 years cannot be put down just like that. By saying Dorje Shugden is a spirit, it is basically saying all the great lineage masters were wrong. It cannot be true. It would mean that HH the Dalai Lama was wrong too as HH received many teachings from HH’s teachers whom both were DS practioners. I wish the Tibetans would use logic and think for themselves and not just listen to the CTA. The ban has caused so many Tibetans to be separated from their family and friends, not receiving proper medications and not being treated as equal. I urge the CTA to please give everyone the freedom to practice what they believe in.
It just does not make any sense. All the reasons GIVEN by His Holiness and the Tibetan leadership directly contradicts themselves, put democracy down and basically says Buddhism or enlightened beings are useless because they CANNOT bind, control, subdue this one so-called spirit — Dorje Shugden! And I love how Rinpoche gave the example, that if they cannot do it, then just get google some psychic and just get them to Dorje Shugden into the LIGHT! lol… funny as it may sound but it is so true!
So please Tibetan leadership stop underestimated people’s intelligence and stop making a fool of yourselves, His Holiness, and all the high lamas. Really please stop embarrassing yourselves, because what you are saying is that you all the great masters of Tibetan Buddhism are so incapable of getting rid of Dorje Shugden? How can that be? And we ALL know that is NOT TRUE as Rinpoche has clearly pointed out that there are so many rituals they can do. Unless, of course, the truth is Dorje Shugden is not a spirit, therefore, cannot be bind, subdue. How do you bind or subdue Manjushri?
Thank you Rinpoche for this very CLEAR and LOGICAL explanation that whatever reasons given by the Tibetan leadership is basically a very political one, is untrue, unjust and it breaks democracy, human rights law for freedom of religion and goes against Buddha’s teachings. It is actually shooting themselves back on their foot when we examine their illogical reasons on the ban towards Dorje Shugden. What I do not understand is why do the segregate their own people and cause disunity when they actually need to be united if they truly wish to ask for autonomy from China or to gain Tibetan Freedom.
Thanks to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), though negatively, they have made Dorje Shugden a powerful ‘spirit’ that has all the power in doing what he wanted to the emanation of Avalokisteshvara – His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, among many other things they have claimed Dorje Shugden can do.
The CTA is slapping His Holiness in the face by saying he is incapable of subduing Dorje Shugden therefore Dorje Shugden continues to harm.
In addition, the CTA denies all spiritual practises and attainments of the high lamas of different traditions as none of them are capable to subdue Dorje Shugden to-date.
The CTA is also saying the Nechung that they are relying on is powerless in stopping Dorje Shugden from doing anything because even as the head of the evil spirits himself, Nechung is lesser than Dorje Shugden which is true. Nechung is the king of all evil spirits that was subdued by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) to not harm but to protect the dharma.
Since no one is capable of subduing Dorje Shugden, since no one can stop him from anything, out of fear, wouldn’t it be a smarter move for the CTA to appease Dorje Shugden than to discriminate Dorje Shugden practitioners? Throughout history, we see people performing animals sacrifices etc. to appease the powerful to avoid harm. If the CTA is smart, they should have thought about this since rituals such as animals sacrifices are part of Tibetan shamanism practise that the CTA is familiar with.
The fact that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all high lamas did not perform any fire puja or rituals to get rid of Dorje Shugden, it shows us his true nature that is an enlightened being. The failure of the CTA and the loosing of their country is due to them relying on a true spirit Nechung who has been giving wrong prophecies, not to mention giving the wrong medicine and killed the 13th Dalai Lama and almost got the 14th Dalai Lama killed as well by asking His Holiness to stay back in Tibet in 1959. It was due to Dorje Shugden’s enlightened power that he rescued the 14th Dalai Lama’s life and brought him to safety.
Since the arising of Dorje Shugden as the Ultimate Enlightened Protector from the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, reverence and faith in Dorje Shugden has been practised by erudite Great Lamas like H.H. Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang, H.H. Kyabje Trijiang Dorje Chang and H.H. Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, just to name a few. This has been for the last 400 years.
The very essence of Buddha’s stainless and untainted teachings, the Dharma, is about logic and the ultimate truth. The logic presented in H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche’s live teachings in this post is very empowering and serves to lessen the sufferings now being endured by all Dorje Shugden people.
Besides the logic taught by Tsem Rinpoche, it is the very kindness and compassion that He would do so that is empowering to a lay Buddhist like me.
It is my prayers and hope that the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted as I see no other way except for the propitiation of such an Enlightened Protector Buddha be available without fear of repercussions from CTA, to benefit and empower all sentient beings.
An Enlightened Protector like Dorje Shugden will be of immense assistance along our spiritual path for us to gain eternal happiness and bliss.
The explanation by Rinpoche on Dorje Shugden issue is very easy and simple to understand. Several logics were raised to refute CTA’s claim on Dorje Shugden is a spirit.
1. Dorje Shugden cannot be a evil spirit, if it is a evil spirit, how come no Lamas can subdue or bind him just like how Guru Rinpoche subdued Nechung who was a very evil spirit from Persia?
2. If no Buddhist Lama can subdue Dorje Shugden “the spirit”, is it because these Lamas are not attained? Or Buddha Shakyamuni has lied to us for over 2500 years? Or perhaps Buddha Shakyamuni was right, but Buddhism has become so degenerated that there is no more attained beings in this world.
3. It is said that monks who hold their vows very strictly, they will not be harmed by the spirit, if a monk can be harmed by the spirit, does it mean the monk did not hold his vows well? If a monk does not hold his vows well, how reliable is his teachings? I personally think Dalai Lama is a great monk, he has brought Buddhism to many people around the world. He definitely will not be harmed by any spirit. So CTA or Dalai Lama’s office should not be worried about Dorje Shugden harming Dalai Lama.
4. Dalai Lama is the emanation of Chenrezig, Chenrezig is very compassionate to ALL sentient beings, whether they are good or bad. If Dorje Shugden is so evil and DS practitioners are evil too, shouldn’t Dalai Lama shows more love to DS practitioners so that they can receive the authentic and real Buddhist teachings?
5. All the points raised by Rinpoche made me think why CTA spends so much money, time and effort to print books, create websites, campaigns to suppress, isolate, segregate Dorje Shugden practitioners? Is it because they are trying to use Dorje Shugden as a scapegoat to cover up their inefficiency to fulfil what they have promised to the Tibetans in exile 60 years ago?
I’m quite new to Tibetan Buddhism and when search Google there are quite a lot of talks about Dorje Shugden. I’m actually quite confused about the situation until I stumbled onto Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s YouTube teachings.
I have never thought about this issue from this angle of binding him. This is indeed a very interesting point of view and I must say it is difficult to refute. I’m looking forward to some healthy discussions between the 2 sides. (But I’m quite sad to say that many pro Dalai Lama people seldom engage in healthy debates and usually end of with name calling).
I pray for a long and healthy life of Tsem Tulku Rinpoche to give more teachings on Dorje Shugden. ??
It’s my belief that when you act out of the truth, the reasons you give for your behaviour never changes. Why? Because the truth is unchanging. For example, it’s bad to take a life. That’s a universal truth, regardless of whether you’re talking 100 years ago, 40 years ago, 20 years ago or today. Regardless of time, place, circumstance, it’s always bad to take a life because it causes harm, pain, adds to violent energy, etc.
So the fact the Tibetan leadership have changed their reasons for the Dorje Shugden ban so many times over the last 20 years, just tells you that the ban is illogical, irresponsible and totally motivated out of pure self-interest because none of the reasons stand the tests of time and scrutiny. If the reasons for the ban were based on the truth, then regardless of who you are talking to, when you are talking to them or what responses you are met with, the reasons for the ban will never change.
However, what we see is that when the Tibetan leadership addresses Western audiences, they give one set of reasons for the ban and when they address Tibetan audiences, they give another set of reasons. Then when those reasons are met with logical responses, they have to give an entirely different set of reasons to everybody…and on and on it goes. Hence Rinpoche debunking the lie that Dorje Shugden is a spirit who harms the Dalai Lama’s life is proof in itself for why the ban is baseless.
The fact is that this wasn’t the truth. It was just a convenient, alarmist method to impose the ban, which would cause widespread panic that would make people implement the ban very, very quickly. In doing so, the Tibetan leadership were irresponsible with their people’s emotions, manipulating their fear of losing the Dalai Lama in order to accomplish what they wanted (which is a split in the community so the different groups are divided, weaker and therefore easier to control).
I hope in time that more and more people realize and see this, and come to understand what the Tibetan leadership is really like. Until that day, I am thankful for being Malaysian, and for Rinpoche being an American citizen because it gives us the freedom to keep speaking up about this ?
Thank you Rinpoche for the logically explanation and facts that Dorje Shugden is not a spirit. Guru Ripoche or Padmasambhava subdued Nechung and make him swear an oath to protect the dharma is one of the great example that how an attaint master turn a spirit to be a protector for good. This is very logical to understand that there are many more other attaint master can do the same or even His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama can do the same but why not? Why discriminate the people instead of solving the problem from the root? Isn’t it more logical to take care of one issue than create more suffering to so many Dorje Shugden practitioners out there by taking away their essential living rights?
Tibetan leadership not even providing or take care the Tibetan people that living in exile but on top of that create much more suffering with the segregation to their own people, why? As a secular governance with what right the Tibetan leadership imposed the ban onto the spiritual affair? Isn’t this this further weaken their strength as a nation which Tibetan already have nothing much? If as a spiritual governance how can they create schism to make people loose faith on their practice? Why there is no compassion value put into practice instead suffering for the people? This doesn’t go along with the spiritual conduct? Either way it doesn’t show the Tibetan leadership is doing the right thing here at all but just creating more uncessary suffering to the Tibetan.
It’s time for the Tibetan leadership to realise what they have done is not in line with what the leaders of all other nations of the world want to achieve which is human rights, religious freedom that eventually create a world peace for every sentient being to stay in peace and harmony.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for explaining in great details and logic on why Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Buddha and not as otherwise claimed by the CTA. Because of all the untiring efforts of the devoted great masters who spread the teachings of Dorje Shugden in their actions and words, many people have come to realize that the reasons given by the CTA to ban the Dorje Shugden practice is baseless and not true at all.
Most grateful to Rinpoche for speaking and explaining in English so that many people all over the world could understand in depth the reasons on why the ban was imposed. I am sure Dorje Shugden would bring benefits not only to Tibetans but to everyone in all corners of the world. I wish the Tibetan government would stop spending funds to spread lies about Dorje Shugden and instead invest it into the future of their citizens.
Thank you again Rinpoche for sharing Buddhism with us and guiding our minds to conclude with confidence that Dorje Shugden does not harm anyone.
Thank You Rinpoche for highlighting these simple yet irrefutable logic of what Dorje Shugden is not a spirit but an enlightening Buddha. The ban of Dorje Shugden had been around 20 years started from 1996. Dorje Shugden is being labelled as a spirit that can harm the Tibetan cause and Dalai Lama’s welfare which makes absolutely no sense to me.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is believed to be the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. An enlightened being like Chenrezig have no karma and hence cannot be harmed in whatever way. If H.H Dalai Lama is chenrezig, how can a mere spirit harm his welfare? On the other hand, Chenrezig would be able to take care of a mere spirit easily. Tibetan monks are well known to be able to exorcise even the most harmful spirits around the world. If Dorje Shugden is really a spirit, why cant H.H Dalai Lama or other tibetan monks do some ritual to get rid of Dorje Shugden ? Why waste time and money for campaigns to impose the ban on Dorje Shugden practice? Illogical. The fact is, they cant get rid of Dorje Shugden because he is an enlightened buddha.
All those talks about Dorje Shugden is harming the Tibetan cause is just misleading and inaccurate. If H.H Dalai Lama is chenrezig and Dorje Shugden being a spirit, for sure Dorje Shugden cannot harm H.H Dalai lama. If H.H Dalai Lama cannot be harmed, how is Dorje Shugden harming the Tibetan cause because H.H Dalai Lama IS the tibetan cause.
In the end of the day, we can see that Dorje Shugden ban is just another cruel tactics of CTA to control their people for their own gains.
धनेसेार भगवान देारजे सुगदेन हुन।
धन समपति, सानति सुरछाकेा लागि
सदै भगवान देरजे सुगदेनकेा पुजा गरैा।
मन्नत्र ॐ बेन्जा बिकि पिताना सुवाहा
दोर्जे सुग्गदेब काे मत्र क्म्तिमा पनि दिनमा 3 माला जप्पने गरउ
ཆོས་སྐྱོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་བྱེད་ན༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་གི་སྐུ་ཚེ་ལ་གནོད་ཀྱི་རེད་ཟེར། ༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་ཁོང་འཕགས་པ་སྤྱན་རེས་གཟིགས་ཡིན་པ། གནོད་སྟངས་གང་འདྲ་ཡིན་ནམ། རྒྱུ་ཚན་དང་ཁུངས་གང་ཡང་མེད་པའི་སྐད་ཆ་དཀྲོག་གཏམ་རྐྱང་རྐྱང་བཤད་ཀྱི་འདུག །ང་ཚོས་ཆོས་སྐྱོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་འདི་དུས་ནམ་ཡང་མཚམས་འཇོག་བྱེད་ཀྱི་མ་རེད། འདི་ང་རང་ཚོའི་བླ་མའི་བཀའ་རེད། ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཆེ།
CTA 是时候应该站出来面对全世界多杰雄登护法修持者还原真相。整件事情从开始到如今所加諸在多杰雄登身上的罪名都站不住脚、理由牽强．
还有所謂的禁令也是非常不人道，说不过去，只看到做贼喊捉贼！这是什么道理？还是心中有鬼？怕大众知道真相，所以用这种手段来掩盖事情真相。
达赖尊者，我佛慈悲！时候已到，解放禁令吧！
Rinpoche’s presentation of the religious discrimination on Dorje Shugden is very clear and concise. The following key points from this article highlight how illogical the ban on Dorje Shugden is.
1. HH the Dalai Lama is believed to be an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. Since HH is an enlightened being, how can any spirit harm HH?
2. If Dorje Shugden is really a spirit, why doesn’t HH the Dalai Lama or any other high lamas bind Dorje Shugden just like how Nechung was bound by Padmasambhava?
3. Why does HH the Dalai Lama and CTA continue to spend so much time and resources promoting the “dangers” of Dorje Shugden when they can just get a high lama to subdue Dorje Shugden? Wouldn’t the resources be better used for the improving the general welfare of Tibetan refugees?
4. Obviously, Dorje Shugden is NOT a harmful spirit. Otherwise, just like Nechung, he would have been bound a long time ago.
5. HH the Dalai Lama, being a highly celebrated personification of world peace and loving kindness, should not segregate people who practice Dorje Shugden or any other forms of religion. Instead, it would befit HH to accept and embrace all beings with compassion and love regardless of their gender, race or religion.
There is more than enough hatred and sufferings in the world. We don’t need a propaganda to fuel more hatred and sufferings.
The Tibetan leadership really has to know that they are actually running a government, and no government websites put up policy advising their people against practicing a certain religion. And they also should know that they have the most prominent Buddhist figure Dalai Lama and it just does not look right to have similar information on Dalai Lama’s official website. They really should check on government websites around the world and learn what should and should not be putting up on the websites, what policies are beneficial to the people, and what are not. As for the Dalai Lama’s website, they should check out official websites of other prominent major religious figures like Thich Nhat Hanh, the Pope, Master Hsing Yun, Master Cheng Yen, and see if there is an iota of information which is so un-religious and un-Buddhist like segregating and ostracizing practitioners of a certain religion. To have those information on the Tibetan exiled government website and Dalai Lama’s official website is really out of place in this 21st century of digital technology. We have been through witch hunts, slaveries, apartheid, two world wars, civil rights movement…and those information against the Dorje Shugden people are more suited in those dark ages, not in 2017.
And that theory about practicing Dorje Shugden harms the Dalai Lama, the act is the Dalai Lama is 82 years old, and the practitioners of Dorje Shugden are increasing in the world at the same time. So this is very conflicting. The Dalai Lama has been and is still living a very long and healthy life along with the growth of Dorje Shugden practice. So the theory is just meant to be a fear tactic which is now automatically exposed as a total farce. Dorje Shugden is a Buddha, a Buddha does not harm any beings, let alone a high lama.
His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche clarifies some very important points that have plagued the Dorje Shugden issue for many, many years. The claim that Dorje Shugden harms Buddhist practitioners, especially the life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been around since the ban on the practice was implemented since 1996 and before. In this teaching, Tsem Rinpoche really clarifies the point and gives us the logical reason why such claims do not stand water using spiritual logic, as taught by the conqueror Buddha Shakyamuni.
In fact, even during the period of time after the passing of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, and his arising as the Dharma protector Dorje Shugden, it was evident that he could not be destroyed because he was an enlightened being. The high lamas of that time all manifested the thought that he had become an evil spirit, and did in fact try to subdue, bind, or release his consciousness into a pureland. These high lamas were the most attained and apt at performing such rituals. But in the end, they were all unsuccessful. But we need to realise why they were unsuccessful. It was because Dorje Shugden was enlightened. How can one enlightened being destroy another? That doesn’t make sense.
This whole situation is playing out again in the modern era, when people are once again considering Dorje Shugden to be an evil spirit that harms others. But if we look at the situation careful, from the example of the past, and the fact that the high lamas have not performed such rituals, it is clear to see that this is impossible since Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being.
Similarly, people claim that Dorje Shugden harms the life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. But as Tsem Rinpoche has mentioned in the video teaching, this is impossible. Similarly, it is impossible for Dorje Shugden to harm others, due to holding of their refuge vows, or monastic vows or even their practice of Dharma protectors, who we all know to be extremely effective in protecting people from negative spirits. Since they cannot, or more precisely do not, protect from Dorje Shugden, it is evident that he is not an ordinary being, but an enlightened one who has no ill will towards anyone, in fact he only has care and great affection to aid people.
In actuality, this is but another unfortunate case of people manipulating religion for personal gains. As you can deduce from Rinpoche’s clear logic in the video, allegations of Dorje Shugden being an evil spirit has no spiritual justification and even defy common sense.
It is really the Tibetan leadership’s ploy to use Dorje Shugden as a scapegoat to deflect from their failures and shift blame in order to stay in power. Seriously, which self-respecting democratic leadership repeatedly (i) avoid taking responsibility for their failures by holding a deity responsible instead? and (ii) discriminates and criminalizes its citizens due to the leaders’ personal opinion about its citizens’ faith?
The sad joke is that many citizens of real democratic countries support such sad excuse of a Tibetan democratic leadership. People, Tibetans and non-Tibetans alike really need to wisen up about the Tibetan leadership’s shenanigans already.
༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཕ་བོང་ཁ་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་དང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཁྲི་བྱང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་། ༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་སྐྱེས་ཆེན་དམ་པ་རྣམས་ཀྱིས་བསྟན་སྲུང་ཆེན་པོ་རྒྱལ་ཆེན་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་ཚེའི་མཐའ་བར་བསྟེན་གསོལ་གནང་པ་རེད། སྲུང་མ་དེ་ཉིད་ནི་རྗེ་བཙུན་འཇམ་དཔལ་དབྱངས་རང་ཉིད་ཀྱི་རྣམ་སྤྲུལ་དངོས་ཡིན་པ་སྐྱེས་བུ་དམ་པའི་རྣམ་ཐར་སོགས་ནང་གསལ། དེ་བཞིན་འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པའི་སྲུང་མ་ཞིག་ལ་སུའང་ཞིག་གི་འཇོམས་མི་ཐུབ་པ་དང་གལ་ཏེ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་དེ་ཉིད་འདྲེ་ཡིན་ན་༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་གིས་འཇོམས་ཐུབ་ཀྱི་ཡོད་པ་དོགས་མ་མེད། གང་ཡིན་ཟེར་ན། ༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་ནི་འཕགས་པ་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་སྤྲུལ་ཡིན་ནོ།།
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you Rinpoche to speak out. Rinpoche received the practice since young and practice till today. Rinpoche is a real role model whom practice Dorje Shugden but always demonstrate love, kindness and compassion towards all people surrounding.
I strongly believe that we do need someone like Rinpoche stand up to give the clear explanations on the unfair ban on Dorje Shugden practice. Majority people do not know why the ban been imposed but they just heard of the ban was from Dalai Lama, therefore without further checking and they follow blindly to accuse the Shugden practitioners. Dorje Shugden practitioners have been gone through many many hardship since the ban imposed. Now is the time for all the Shugden practitioners to stand up to speak out. We need to let the world know all Shugden practitioners are just same with others, we deserve to have our human rights. We deserve to choose our own religious. Dorje Shugden practice did not bring harm and lead to lower realm as proven by many many high lamas such as Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche and so on.
I folded my hands to humbly request all the people in the world to stand with Rinpoche and speak up if you are Shugden practitioners to let the world know on the unfair ban. I folded my hands to humbly request all the people in the world to read carefully the above articles or listen to Rinpoche said on the unfair ban and open your mind to think deeply if you supporting the ban and have been creating sufferings to Shugden practitioners. Please open your heart and listen to what Rinpoche said. Please do that and give your helping hand to lift the ban.
With folded
Suet Moi
Thank you Rinpoche for making this clear and succinct video that logically explains the various reasons why Dorje Shugden could not be a spirit, and also providing evidence to support this fact. It is irrefutably true that if Dorje Shugden was a spirit, the Tibetan high lamas should have to pacified and bound him so that all the division and strife created over the past TWENTY YEARS due to the Dorje Shugden controversy would not have occurred.
The fact that nothing was or has been done and Dorje Shugden has been “allowed to reign free” points to the fact that either he is NOT an evil spirit as the Tibetan leadership likes to claim, or that the Tibetan leadership intentionally allow him to remain free so as to strike fear into their populace and to create so much segregation that the minds of the Tibetan refugees are preoccupied with this and are therefore unable to contemplate the other glaring failures of the Tibetan leaders.
Either way, the situation is not good and not befitting of a leadership who wishes to govern their people.
So please, either bind Dorje Shugden already or stand up and admit the truth – that he is unable to be bound because he is, in fact, none other than a fully enlightened Buddha.
Hamley Droje Shugden manni naramro haina.
Dalai lama lai pani mannu parcha ra Droje Shugden lai pani.
Hamro Droje Shugden but Haina bagawan ho.
Hami bagawan Droje Shugden manne lai naramro nabanu hola,
Hame J bagawan lai puja garey pani
Sotantara ruf ley manna dinu hos.
JAY BAGAWAN DROJE SHUGDEN
I LOVE YOU ALL THE TIME PLEASE PROTECT ME AND MY WHOLE FAMILY.
THANK YOU
Tsem Rinpoche makes some excellent points in this video and the time it takes to watch this is well spent. I’m not a Tibetan buddhist per se but I have spent a few decades supporting Free Tibet and I’ve picked up enough esoterica over the years to know that the Tibetan people firmly believe the Dalai Lama to be what they term a living Buddha.
That being the case, it is rather illogical why anyone would claim that this Dorje Shugden deity is a demon yet do nothing about it. I’ve been told that Tibetan monks are very powerful and can do rituals of sorts to exorcise spirits if you like. So what this Tsem Rinpoche says about sending Dorje Shugden into the light makes powerful sense.
I’d very much like to see an official response from the Tibetans on this matter. Perhaps the matter has been left for too long, what with all these protests against the Dalai Lama wherever he goes. As a Free Tibet supporter and donor, I feel it behooves the Tibetan leadership to do so and I’m sure many other westerners who subscribe to logic and common sense would want to see an explanation too
I have always love Rinpoche’s discussions or talks because it is based on logic debate. It is with logic that we learn together.
This logic debate of “IF Dorje Shugden is evil, why not just bind him, and after that, even if people still pray to him, it would hv no effect.” is a very valid debate point. Let’s say, if Dorje Shugden is bound, then even if we pray for a deity who is already dead, then it should not harm the Dalai Lama and/or the Tibet. I wish they did a ritual and the we are free to practice because it would have no effect since he would be presumably dead.
Actually, blaming a deity for the issues of their country is one of the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Can you imagine USA or German came out and said their economy was bad because some people in their country believe in certain god? Can you even comprehend that? Does that even make a little bit of sense? How can a government blame a deity or god or evil in any case? It only shows the incompetence of the CTA. If CTA blames deity for the bad things happen to Tibetans in Exile, does it mean they will also blame other deities if they ever govern the whole of Tibet? I really cannot imagine it.
It is time for CTA to grow up and own up. And stop balming others and work on solving the real issues.
Why it doesnt make sense to say Dorje Shugden is a spirit:
1. Since HH did practice Dorje Shugden in the earlier parts of this life, technically, if as they claim that Dorje Shugden in an evil spirit, HH would have also already broken his refuge vows! So technically, everything he teachers can also be faulted?
2. The 5th Dalai Lama wrote a praise to Dorje Shugden. If DS was a spirit then, and the great 5th Dalai Lama wrote a praise then, it would mean he also broke his vows, so how come the incarnation linage of His Holiness has been recognized to date?
3. If Dorje Shugden was a spirit, he would already have been bound, when powerful pujas were performed to bind his ‘spirit’ when Tulku Draka Gyeltsen first arose as Dorje Shugden. The fact that he could not be bound by the highest and most powerful lamas of Tibet shows that Dorje Shugden is infact not a spirit.
4. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche practiced Dorje Shugden, and he has reincarnated as Zong Chocktrul Rinpoche. If Dorje Shugden practice was spirit practice, Zong Rinpoche would not have reincarnated nor have his incarnation found.
5. Sakya masters, more specifically, the following practiced and relied strongly on Dorje Shugden. These include the 30th Sakya Throneholder Sonam Rinchen (1705-1741), the 31st Throneholder Sachen Kunga Lodro (1729-1783), the 33rd Throneholder Padma Dudul Wangchug (1792-1853), the 35th Throneholder Tashi Rinchen (1824-1865), the 37th Throneholder Kunga Nyingpo (1850-1899), and the 39th Throneholder Dragshul Thinley Rinchen (1871-1936). The throneholder of the Sakya lineage even propitiated and practiced Dorje Shugden, how can Dorje Shugden be a spirit, when all the highest masters of Gelug and Sakya lineage practiced Dorje Shugden. How come all the highest lamas of all sects, cannot ‘subdue’ a so-called spirit if Dorje Shugden really is a spirit?
The only reason that Dorje Shugden ‘cannot be sent into the light’, or ‘be binded’ as a ‘spirit’, by all the lamas, dharma protectors, buddhas and boddhisattvas, is because Dorje Shugden is of an enlightened mind, one with the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas. So being of ‘equal mind’, Dorje Shugden cannot be ‘sent into the light’.
In addition, how come the CTA spends millions of dollars to put prejudice and hate and produce alot of resources against Dorje Shugden, but don’t instead spend the money on areas where needed, like the development and growth and betterment of its people? When the Tibetan Leadership gets sponsorships and donations, it does not come with the condition that the money cannot be used for Dorje Shugden practitioners. How come the Tibetan leadership doesn’t use the donated monies for Dorje Shugen people, who are Tibetans and just as deserving of it? Actually, how come its not used even for the general Tibetan populace too?
What is commendable is even after 30 years, Tsem Rinpoche has not forsake his practice of Dorje Shugden even for a day. Based on that, Rinpoche’s guru devotion is very very strong, and that surpasses all the negative comments he has received for upholding the practice of Dorje Shugden.
Thank you so much Rinpoche, for the videos, transcripts and facts presented here, because it is irrefutable and proves that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector and not what the Tibetan Leadership claims as a spirt. They are just using Dorje Shugden as a scapegoat for the failures of the Tibetan Administration.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for tirelessly speaking up against the maligning of Dorje Shugden despite all the threats, hostility and undue hardship thrown your way.
The issue about Dorje Shugden is a loaded one as is with all issues when it relates to religion. Due to the emotional factor at play, even logical people may act irrationally out of misguided faith. Thus, it is important that true facts be disseminated and made known so that people can make informed decisions which influence their stance and actions towards Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Personally, for me, it is as simple as;
• According to karmic laws, any beings including spirits can be subdued by the great compassion of the Buddha and all Buddhas being enlighted can’t be harmed as they no longer have any karma to be harmed.
• Thus, if Dorje Shugden cannot be subdued in the past by high lamas and after centuries until present times, there still isn’t any rituals in place that can destroy or subdue it, then it is more evident of the case where Dorje Shugden being enlightened, has no karma to be harmed.
• In fact, not only Dorje Shugden can’t be harmed, there is no shred of credible evidence that anyone has been harmed by Dorje Shugden. If no one has been harmed, how and why is it evil spirit?
In addition, I always believe the essence of Dharma encompasses Bodhicitta or compassion with wisdom. To that end, if the high lamas profess to practice Dharma which necessitate the practice of compassion, why indeed do they not cut off the core problem by eliminating the alleged evil spirit Dorje Shugden when they are in position to do so if they believed Dorje Shugden to be an evil spirit (which he is NOT).
After all, not only is it compassionate and beneficial to others (where people can be saved from evil spirit and no segregation or discrimination of people) but it also wisdom when you apply the most efficient and logical way of dealing with a problem.
Another thing, if compassion is part the practice, why turn away people and ban them from Dalai Lama’s Dharma talks? If Dorje Shugden practitioners are indeed threading the wrong path and heading to hell, why not allow them to be exposed more to Dharma to save them? Many claim that the teachings of Dalai Lama have been life-changing and work miracles to make them see the errors of their way. Then, it is only compassionate to allow the “wayward” Dorje Shugden people experience the “magic” of Dalai Lama’s teachings instead of throwing them out.
At the end of the day, the storyline of Dorje Shugden being an evil spirit is not only full of holes based on karmic laws but if subscribed leads to very absurd and dangerous conclusions. As an example, if you claim Dalai Lama can be harmed by an evil spirit, then you are actually saying Dalai Lama is not enlightened since he still has karma to be harmed and he is not attained since he can’t “win” over an evil spirit. Then, what exactly is the point in taking refuge and also with Dalai Lama as Guru?
བཙན་བྱོལ་བོད་གཞུང་ལྷ་ཆོས་སྐྱོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་བྱེད་མཁན་ཚོ་ལ་མ་ཉེས་ཁ་ཡོག་འདི་འདྲ་བྱེད་རྒྱུ་ཚན་ཁོ་བོས་བཤད་སྲོལ་ལ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་འདོན་འདྲེ་ཡིན་ཚུལ་བཤད་ཀྱང་། རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ལྷ་རྗེ་བཙུན་འཇམ་དཔལ་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་སྐུའི་རྣམ་སྤྲུལ་ངོས་ཡིན་ཞིང་། དེ་ནས་བོད་པའི་སྤྱི་ཚོགས་ནང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་འདོན་འདྲེ་རེད་ཅེས་བཤད་ནས་གལ་ཏེ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་ལ་གསོལ་སྨོན་བྱེད་ནས་མི་མྱལ་བ་ལ་སྐྱེས་ཀྱི་རེད་ཅེས་མང་བཤད་ཡོད། འོ་ན་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཁྲི་བྱང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་དང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། ༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་རྫད་སྨད་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་རྣམས་སྐུ་མདོག་གོང་མ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་ཁོང་རྣམས་པའི་མེད་དུ་མི་རུང་བ་སྲུང་མ་ཞིག་རེད། ཁོང་རྣམས་པ་ཚོ་ད་ལྟ་འཇིགས་རྟེན་འདིར་བྱོན་ནས་སྐྱེས་འགྲོ་ཡོངས་ཀྱི་དོན་དུ་ཆོས་ཁྱི་མཛད་འཕྲིན་སྣ་ཚོགས་རྒྱས་པ་གང་ལ་བཞག་གམ་ཞེས་ཞུ།།
For new people who just heard about this ban and trying to research about Dorje Shugden issue will often result in confusion, this was told by many of my friends who are not even a Buddhists. Why? the reasons are simple. They are confused why secular issues such as managing Tibet and his people are combined with spiritual issue such as the ban on a deity Dorje Shugden? Why CTA has to listen to a spirit Nechung for the direction of ruling the country and when they failed (still failing) they blame on another deity Dorje Shugden?
If Dorje Shugden can really harm Tibetans and be the cause of them not getting their countries back, then should these Dorje Shugden people be separated out from other Tibetans and form an autonomous Dorje Shugden state and be their own ruler within Tibet? So within Tibet, there is CTA who is against DS and there is another autonomous state that propritiate DS, if Tibet is granted the middle way (autonomy) as proposed by HHDL.
Should there be a separate autonomous DS state:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/should-there-be-a-separate-autonomous-dorje-shugden-state-part-1.html
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/should-there-be-a-separate-autonomous-dorje-shugden-state-part-2.html
It doesn’t make any sense that Dorje Shugden could harm His Holiness Dalai Lama as mentioned in Rinpoche’s talk. If a Buddha like HHDL can be harmed by an evil spirit, why is there a need for any schools in Buddhism to still pursue Dharma? It’s not necessary for the lay people to attend Dharma classes, do pujas, and even wish to become an ordained Sangha. Hoping for liberation through internalising and realising Dharma is not necessary because when we reach Buddhahood, we can still be harmed by evil spirit, so why not just be who we are now and just enjoy the samsara? Why need to practise Dharma, because we will be harmed anyways.
Dorje Shugden was first practiced in the Sakya Tradition and 5 Sakya Trizins such as the 30th, 31th, 33th, 37th, 39th proliferated Dorje Shugden within Sakya Lineage during their time. Does it mean that the Sakya lineage is stained and not pure because they practise an evil spirit? If they are not pure, why is Sakya still strong and influential and they are at their 42nd Sakya Trizin now.
Why would the Tibetan government hae to degenerate to the level of “comparing which spirits is better” ? CTA is telling people “ Don’t practice the evil spirit Dorje Shugden because it will harm us, but proliferate Nechung, another evil spirit because it will help us to get our country back? So, shall we all change our puja text to how a spirit can bind a Buddha? The whole episode created by the CTA is just a nonsense.
感谢仁波切的教诲，
仁波切给于我们十分有逻辑的讲解关于多杰雄登禁令的“每一个原因”，所有的人都应该细读与了解，如仁波切所说的，达赖尊者是观世音菩萨的化身，是没有任何的来自外道或护法是可以伤害到尊者的生命长短，加上多杰雄登已经延续超过400年萨迦与格鲁派传承，而当下有着许多的高僧大德，与信众们依然修持着多杰雄登护法，而当今第14达赖尊现在依然长寿健康，所以说这表示，修持多杰雄登护法并不会影响到尊者的寿命长短。
如仁波切所说的，我希望西藏中央政府（CTA) 倘若真的觉得，多杰雄登护法是那么有影响力可以阻挡西藏的发展的话，为了千千万万的同胞们，不要在等了，马上召集各派的高僧来进行法会，降伏多杰雄登护法，那么不是什么问题都解决了吗？倘若多杰雄登护法已经被”降伏“了，那么就代表不在有任何种种莫名的原因可以影响西藏的发展与达赖尊者，倘若不能别降伏，那就证明了多杰雄登护法是智慧佛文殊菩萨的化身，同样的，对西藏的发展与达赖尊者并不会构成任何的影响。
谢谢
Jerry