Glenn Mullin on Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear friends,
The renowned and well known author, translator, scholar, speaker, teacher and guide to various power places, Mr. Glenn Mullin explains in his books how Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice among the Gelugpa tradition and among Gelugpa aristocratic families as well. This is contrary to what others have said, that it was or that it is a minor practice with only a small following back in Tibet. This is totally untrue.
To ban a minor practice or major practice has much to do with people’s sympathies. Some people might think that if it was a minor practice, it must not be very good, so it is not a big deal if it was banned. But since it actually was a major and pervasive practice, it would mean many highly attained lamas for the last four hundred years saw the true nature of Dorje Shugden as being enlightened. These great masters had extra-sensory abilities that came about from meditation and could clearly see Dorje Shugden’s enlightened nature. It was for that very reason they passed the practice to tens of thousands of their learned and ordinary disciples in the Gelugpa world.
If it was simply a minor practice, there would be a connotation that it was not very good. Therefore, it would never have become popular and would have remained a minor practice. However, Dorje Shugden’s practice was the opposite. It is an extremely effective practice and therefore became popular and pervasive, spreading throughout the Gelugpa world. My point is that Dorje Shugden’s practice was very pervasive and that when I arrived in Gaden back in 1988, it was practised in Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries. Prior to that it was also practised in His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Namgyal Monastery, His Holiness the Panchen Lama’s Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, other larger and smaller Gelug monasteries in Tibet and Nepal, and in Gelug centres throughout the world. Even the famous Sakya Monastery in Tibet practised Dorje Shugden. I have met monks from Sakya who have told me so. Hence, the restrictions regarding the practice of Dorje Shugden does not really have a logical basis. This is based on the fact that many high lamas from within the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism practised this supreme protector. This is the same for some of the holy Sakya throne holders, or Sakya Trizins, of the past, who also practised this effective protector.
I am adamant in regards to the practice and the sharing of the practice, as my motivation of telling others about the benefits of Dorje Shugden is strictly spiritual. I have the right to share this practice. This right is the same as anyone else who wishes to share about any religion, god, gods, divine beings, and so forth within the democratic countries we live in. No spiritual or secular leader should advise against anyone else’s religion/practice/path, discourage them, or create bad feelings towards any spiritual path. It is up to the individual.
By criticising or ‘advising’ against another person’s practice, even out of a good motivation, you create disharmony, damage, hurt, confusion, schism and sometimes even war. After all, there are supporters of every spiritual path on this planet as well as people who disagree with every spiritual path available. Every religion or spiritual path has supporters and detractors. No religion is an exception. Who do we listen to? Who is to decide? To criticise any religion, god, path or so on in today’s modern world only furthers disharmony. We already have so much disharmony and fighting due to religion and therefore, spiritual leaders should be very careful in ‘advising’ against another’s path or religion these days. It is better to accept and let others choose.
Spiritual and secular leaders should not be exclusionist in regards to their people who do not agree with their opinions of their religious belief system. Policies against people who do not adopt your spirituality should never be made. They should not bar people from attending their sermons, talks and gatherings and their sharing of subjects of a non-tantric nature. Just because someone does not follow your religious path or ideology does not mean that they are going to hell, or that they are a bad person. After all, whatever they are following was most likely was taught to them and therefore there is a lineage of practice. It was not made up from thin air.
Exclusionist policies against people by their governments, secular leaders, spiritual authorities or whoever is in charge only serves to make the human divide bigger. There are more harsh feelings, and you encourage others to avoid and abandon those who do not believe in your spiritual path. You encourage the divide. That is wrong. That is in contradiction to religion because people of any religion should be extra kind, compassionate, tolerant, accepting and caring. This is likened to a mother’s actions towards a child regardless of how the child behaves.
Mr Glenn Mullin
Disallowing Dorje Shugden practitioners or anyone different from your belief system from attending your talks, into your environment, your temple, your place of worship, your home, and even your friendship is blatantly contradictory to the goal of spirituality. How can you say, “I will not be your friend because you are Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Zen, Vodou, Wiccan, Christian, Zoroastrian, Jew, atheist or a Dorje Shugden practitioner?” People are people and be kind to them because everyone, no matter what their religion, deserves human respect, dignity and consideration. True, their religion, colour, race, creed and culture may be different, alien or frightening to you, but learn to understand, tolerate and come to terms with diversity. They are who they are and they have a right to be and you do not have a right to segregate them.
Diversity is the key word for harmony in today’s troubled world. Do not make yet another distinction that if you practice Dorje Shugden, you are bad, evil and you are going to hell so therefore you are not allowed to be my friend, my family, to enter my house, my place of worship or to attend gatherings; and you are banished, so stay away. How can anyone say or do this in today’s day and age? Especially if you are a spiritual leader, you should never abandon anyone and disallow them to attend your non-tantric gatherings, talks and environment. Spiritual leaders must set the example of tolerance, compassion and acceptance. Spiritual leaders should never make policies that abandon or segregate any sentient being. If Lord Buddha was here, would he say you cannot attend his talks because you are Wiccan, Jain or a Dorje Shugden practitioner? Certainly not. This is because his confidence in his path and his compassion would embrace you no matter what level or denomination you are at. We should follow the path of compassion and understanding.
I do not remain silent, abandon nor cower on the practice of Dorje Shugden as I was given permission by my special teachers to continue doing exactly what I am doing. I am only answerable to my teacher whom I deem as closest to myself. I respect all my teachers, but all 16 of them have various views about many issues, practices, deities, tantras and traditions and not just on Dorje Shugden. Some say that Tara is the best, while others say Kalachakra, Hevajra, Cittamani Tara or Yamantaka or Heruka and so on are the best. Some say the system of study in Sera is excellent and others say that the system is better in Gaden or Drepung. It is not that they are against any monasteries, but given a choice, they will direct you to the monastery they are from, whether that would be Sera, Gaden or Drepung Monastic universities.
From top to bottom: Buddha Shakyamuni, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen and Dorje Shugden. Click on image to enlarge
Lama Tsongkhapa‘s guru Sakya Jetsun Rendawa had doubts on the efficacy of the Kalachakra tantra and did not recommend it. But Lama Tsongkhapa had very powerful meditative experiences with Kalachakra while in retreat, had visions of the Kalacakra deity and decided to proliferate this practice and now it is a practice given by lamas of all four schools of Buddhism and widespread in the world. The same goes for the Yamantaka practice that was not very popular until Lama Tsongkhapa proliferated it within his school of Buddhism. Yamantaka had many detractors when the lineage of practice was first brought to Tibet by Ra Lotsawa. Many famous lamas of his day criticised this ‘new’ yidam Yamantaka, claiming it was not authentic. They claimed it was a demonic practice that leads you to the three lower realms and that it did not have a verifiable lineage. Ra Lotsawa was scorned, made fun of and even threatened for proliferating the Yamantaka tantra back then. On the other hand, it is now a pervasive practice. This is reminiscent of what is happening with Dorje Shugden’s practice in modern times. Ra Lotsawa never gave up Yamantaka although the majority of the famous lamas during his day were dead against Yamantaka and discouraged others from receiving this practice. Even a guru may not think highly of a certain practice, but in respect, a disciple still can, as in the case of Lama Tsongkhapa and Rendawa.
Out of the 16 teachers I have studied with, only two do not practice this protector. The remaining 14 teachers, both alive and passed, are or were stalwart practitioners. Within this group of 14 teachers, one is my root teacher and I follow his instructions implicitly regarding Dorje Shugden as he was the one who gave me the practice. Any other teacher would not have the right to override his personal instructions to me regarding this practice. I gain nothing from sharing this practice otherwise. Sometimes we have to stand up for what we believe in, even if the current powers to be are against my views. But my views are shared by many in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, India, and around the world in fact. My views on this protector were passed to me by some of the greatest Gelug masters of our modern times, some of them have passed away and some are still living. Some of them practising openly and some of them practise in secret so as to not receive scorn from the current secular Tibetan ‘authorities’.
A beautiful statue of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen on my private altar
Mr. Mullin has done some very interesting research. I want to make it clear that Mr. Mullin is not involved with either pro- or anti-Dorje Shugden factions or groups, as he is a scholarly author who writes based on facts and research. His writings are therefore unbiased and without prejudice whatsoever. Furthermore this book has a foreword written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I would assume that His Holiness is aware of the information in the book, that Dorje Shugden was a pervasive and mainstream practice among the Gelug school of Buddhism in Tibet, otherwise why would he write a foreword about something His Holiness did not agree with.
Mr. Mullin has my respect, as he is one of the main people who brought the powerful teachings of the Buddha to lands where the Buddha’s teachings have not traditionally been prevalent in the past. I grew up reading his powerful and yet easy to read books which are very profound. His works inspired me a lot and quenched my thirst for the Dharma in the English language. I highly recommend his books and will have them available in Kechara in the future for people to have easy access to them. In Kechara Forest Retreat, Malaysia, we have Naropa’s Cave, and I will have his works available there in the future.
It would be nice to meet Mr. Mullin one day soon as I would love to speak about the great masters that he met in the past when I was small child and I did not have a chance to meet. I feel Mr. Mullin is a sincere practitioner and has really transmitted a lot of the Dharma to many countries through his studies and research which resulted in his educational and powerful books. I truly wish Mr. Mullin will live very long and continue unimpeded with his works.
Tsem Rinpoche
The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation by Glenn H. Mullin
Extracted from Pg 208:
Another controversy surrounding the Great Fifth concerns the details of the death of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, a famous Gelugpa lama of the period. He was one of the most prominent lamas of his day, and in fact in some circles was held in even higher regard than was the Great Fifth, for the Fifth at the time was still in his youth.
One day Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was mysteriously murdered. His followers claimed that the culprits were followers of the Fifth Dalai Lama, although there was no suggestion that the Great Fifth was personally even aware of the plan.
The theory was that the Great Fifth was being eclipsed by the towering stature of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, and thus would greatly benefit from the death. As long as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was alive the Fifth Dalai Lama would be number two in the Gelugpa School; his death allowed the Great Fifth to rise to the position of number one.
Whether or not the followers of the Great Fifth were involved in Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s murder was never proved, but the rumours persisted.
The tale, already somewhat bizarre, now takes an even more exotic twist. It is said that the soul of the murdered monk wandered in the hereafter for some time as a disturbed spirit, creating havoc for the people of Lhasa. Eventually the Great Fifth contracted a group of Nyingmapa shamans to exorcise and pacify it, but they failed. He then contracted a group of Gelugpa shaman monks.
As a result of the rituals of this second group the spirit of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was eventually pacified and transformed into the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden.
This spirit was later adopted as a guardian angel by numerous Gelugpa monks who disapproved of the Fifth Dalai Lama’s manner of combining the Gelugpa and Nyingmapa doctrines.
Although the Great Fifth tried to discourage the practice of worshipping this deity, it caught on with many monasteries. The practice continued over the generations to follow, and eventually became one of the most popular Protector Deity practices within the Gelugpa School.
In particular, during the late 1800s, when four Dalai Lamas died young, it became an all-pervasive monthly practice within almost all provincial Gelugpa monasteries, and was especially popular with Gelugpa aristocratic families.
The controversy surrounding the murder of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and the deity that emerged from his disturbed spirit has shadowed the Dalai Lama office until the present day. By the time the Tibetans came into exile in 1959, worshipping Dorje Shugden was still a common monthly practice of most Gelugpas.
In recent decades the present Dalai Lama has attempted to discourage the practice, but with little success. It is as strong today as ever, if not stronger; for with the Dalai Lama discouraging it in India, the Chinese are fully promoting it in Tibet.
Tibet watchers will be aware of this bizarre controversy, as it has even found its way onto the pages of Times and Newsweek, and has dozens of web pages dedicated to it.
Click for high-resolution image
Dorje Shugden (central figure)
Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen (top left), Buddha Shakyamuni (top middle), Manjushri (top right), Mahakala Brahmanarupa (bottom left), Setrap Chen (bottom right)
The high lama Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was a contemporary of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and a heart disciple of Panchen Lobsang Chokyi Gyeltsen. He was a pure monk in the monastic tradition established by Buddha Shakyamuni and he was also recognised by the Panchen Lama to be in the incarnation of Panchen Sonam Drakpa. As such his long line of successive incarnations stemmed all the way back to Bodhisattva Manjushri. Due to an aspiration generated in a previous live, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen passed away and arose as the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden. Mahakala Brahmanarupa and Setrap Chen were protector deities propitiated by Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen when he was alive and it is believed that they were the first to enthrone Dorje Shugden as a Dharma Protector.
Appliqué thangka of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, dating possibly to the 19th Century, that can be found in Erdene Zuu Monastery, considered by many to be the most important and oldest monastery in Mongolia. In the lower portion of the thangka are Yellow Dzambala, Six-Armed Mahakala and Kalarupa.
Click here to see more beautiful and updated photographs of Trode Khangsar, the Dorje Shugden chapel in Lhasa, Tibet which was built by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=92148
For more interesting information:
- Who is Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen?
- Comparison between the Shamarpa and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen
- Lightning-Fast Yumar Gyalchen
- Dorje Shugden Retreat: A powerful practice to fulfill wishes
- Unique Dorje Shugden Oracle Statue in Kechara Forest Retreat
- I can speak up now about Shugden
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Glenn Mullin is a world well known Buddhist author, translator, scholar, speaker, lecturer and teacher. He is the author of many books on Tibetan Buddhism, many of which have been translated into a dozen foreign languages. Many of these focus on the lives and works of the early Dalai Lamas. In one of his book A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation of the Fourteen Dalai Lamas he mentioned that Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice spreading among the Gelugpa tradition for hundred of years. Many highly attained lamas had been relying on Dorje Shugden and the practice been passed down to thousands in the Gelugpa world. It is not a minor practice after all and in fact Dorje Shugden is a major practice in the world as in history has been proved that the practice is beneficial. Religious freedom should be allow for one who choose what one would pray to. But due to the restriction by the Tibetan leadership , the practice been ban. Politics should not have interfere with religion. May the ban be over soon.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
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
Reincarnation Lineage Prayer of the Incarnate Master Dragpa Gyaltsan
This prayer also, to the incarnate master Dragpa Gyaltsan through his reincarnations, has been spoken for the benefit of all migratory beings by the Vajra Shugden who protects the holy Dharma, at the sacred abode Choling in response to requests from many devout monks and nuns and householders. Gedun Choejor was the scribe. May this serve as cause for all migratory beings swiftly attaining in one lifespan the state of Vajradhara.
May there be auspiciousness!
Lord Manjushri, the sole father of all kindhearted Victors,
Lord Tsongkhapa, whose renown fills this world,
Lord Yamantaka who has arisen to subdue the intractable:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Lord Sambhota, the best of scholars,
Loden Sherab, the savant in all classics,
Lords Naropa and Khyungpo Naljor:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Ralo Dorjedrag and master Khutoen,
Masters Sakya Shri and Choeku Woezer,
And to the Omniscient Lord Buton:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
The all-pervading Tsarchen, and Sonam Dragpa;
Sonam Yeshe, prominent among saviors of beings;
Sonam Geleg, in whom merit and virtues shone like the sun:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Dragpa Gyaltsan, the master leading nyig-dhue1 beings to liberation,
Whose very name, just hearing, frees from the lower migrations,
Who leads to liberation any who supplicates single-mindedly:
To this protector of teachings and beings of three worlds we pray.
Ngawang Jinpa the emanation in saffron robes, and
Ngawang Tenzin, upholder of the victory banner of the teaching,
And Jetsun Losang Geleg, the great master:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Losang Tenzin, the victory banner of Dharma who comes
As kings, ministers and monks for beings and dharma’s sake,
In successions endless as ripple in water:
To such past and future emanations we pray.
By the truth power of the Three Jewels,
By the enlightened actions of oceanic dharmapalas
Such as the Four-faced Lord and the Dorje Shugden,
May all beings live well and in happiness.
As you embody all Three Roots2,
For us all migratory beings here, in the future, and in bardho3,
In all happy and bad times we have none but you:
Hold us, without separation, with parental love.
When in future you enact the enlightened deeds,
As attaining Enlightenment as Buddha Rabsal among others,
May we and all other beings connected with us,
Be the first to taste the nectar of your vast and profound words.
May we, and all sentient beings, in all lifetimes,
Come into contact with the Second Buddha’s teachings,
May we all take on the going forth, and take
All sentient beings across the ocean of samsara.
Footnotes
[1] ‘Degenerate times’ that is characterized by “five dregs in terms of lifespan, times, delusions, views and sentient beings.” Source: Commentary on the Abhidharmakosh by Chim Namkha Drag, also known as ‘Chim Jampalyang’ (1210-1285); folio 181 (p. 371) ); Woodblock edition, 1893; No. of folios 430 (pp. 869)
[2] The spiritual mentor, the meditational deity, and the dakas and dakinis.
[3] The intermediate state between death and next rebirth.
————————
Reincarnation Lineage Prayer of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsan
This praise to the reincarnation lineage of the supreme incarnation Dragpa Gyaltsan has been composed by the monk Losang Choekyi Gyaltsan (The 4th Panchen Lama) at the prayer hall of Tashi Lhunpo on account of fervent requests from Legpa Gyaltsan and many other attendants of the master.
May there be auspiciousness!
The one whose renown permeates the world;
The great being holding aloft the banner,
Of the Second Buddha, happiness and wellbeing’s source:
At that great master’s feet we pray.
At the feet of the World Teacher with the ten powers,
You invoked the power of truth with pure superior intent,
Causing flowers to fall like rains.
We pray at the feet of that great master.
The Guide of all migratory beings both man and god;
The treasury of all knowledge and attainments in dharma;
The great hero who strove for the supreme liberation:
We pray at the feet of Choekyi Jhangchub.
The one whose greatness, on account of pure prayer,
Was like that of a second Buddha;
And was supreme Guide to fortunate ones of India and Tibet:
We pray at the feet of that great being.
In the sky of the great bliss of Dharmakaya,
The radiant orb of the three bodies of the Buddha is full circle,
Radiating a million rays of enlightened activities: We pray at the feet
Of that opener of a million lotuses of benefit and wellbeing.
We pray at the feet of Master Buton, the unrivalled
Amongst all those who are scholars and realized ones,
In upholding and spreading the Buddha’s teaching,
By example in teaching and practice.
With an intellect superbly trained from the past,
Your mind joyously bloomed in all profound paths.
With single-minded effort you attained supreme realization.
We pray at the feet of that supreme and realized master.
From the vast lotus gardens of phuntsog* merit,
Myriad lotuses, with hundreds of petals, of learning and practice, bloom.
The fragrant scents of good name and deed dispel the ancient sicknesses
Of migrant beings: At the feet of that master we pray.
By the wish-granting jewel of merit and wisdom,
You became a crown jewel of both man and gods,
Its hundred rays of good deed dispelling the dark ignorance
Of all migrant beings: At your feet we pray.
The vast celestial mansion of virtuous accumulation of merits,
Overflows with jewels of the good path of the three trainings.
We pray at the feet, of its dweller─a guide of all beings─
Attired in the magnificence of enlightened deeds.
In holding aloft the victory banner
Of the sutra and tantra teachings of the Second Buddha:
In this you are unrivalled in all three worlds.
We pray at the feet of this noble tutor.
The source of renown and wellbeing and happiness,
Is the Buddha’s teachings. May the chief of all who uphold this banner
Live for long for the sake of innumerable beings to be tamed!
May his phuntsog* enlightened deeds spread to the ten directions!
By the merit of praising in this manner, may we never be
Separated from the protection of noble spiritual mentors!
Progressing swiftly in the supreme vehicle’s path,
May we swiftly attain the state of the three kayas!
Footnotes
From Panchen Losang Chogyan, Collected Works, Vol Ca (5), folio 34a-35a (p. 83-85), Tashi Lhunpo woodblock print, Tibet.
*phuntsog: a compound word in Tibetan (of phun sum tsog) meaning the ideal combination of the three i.e. a good cause, its result and enjoyment of that result.
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
The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is in Dharamsala, which is broken into two parts. Upper Dharamsala is where the Dalai Lama’s palace is located with his audience room and main prayer hall. It is also the location of the Dialectics School, Gaden Shartse’s guesthouse, restaurants, tourist hotels and main tourist areas.
A short ride down takes you to the lower part of Dharamsala where the Tibetan government is located. It is the location of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Nechung monastery, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, the Tibetan arts centre…it’s all in one area. And the reason why it’s split into upper and lower Dharamsala is because the area is mountainous.
The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives was established by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government to preserve all the ancient texts – both secular and spiritual – of Tibet and in the process, translate them into various languages like English. This book, Overview of Buddhist Tantra, by Panchen Sonam Drakpa was one of the books translated into English. What’s very interesting is that the book very clearly says that Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s previous life is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, one of the five main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa. It also says that after that, he was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen.
So the book is basically saying that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, Panchen Sonam Drakpa and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen – the three Drakpas – are of the same mindstream.
Now that’s very peculiar because if Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s previous life is Panchen Sonam Drakpa, the renowned composer of 45 volumes of Dharma texts, the abbot of three monasteries AND the 15th Gaden Tripa, the holder of Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne…if that’s the case, how can Panchen Sonam Drakpa take rebirth as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and become an evil spirit and have a negative mind?
Prior to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, he was Panchen Sonam Drakpa and before that, he was Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, a heart disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa. How can a heart disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa reincarnate as the erudite master Panchen Sonam Drakpa, and then die and reincarnate as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen…and then Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, due to a bad and negative prayer, become the evil spirit Dorje Shugden? How is that possible? Logically, it’s not.
What’s incredible is that all of this was printed by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives under the Dalai Lama’s guidance. They contradict themselves because on one hand, the Tibetan leaders say Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit. On the other hand they’re printing a book saying that Panchen Sonam Drakpa, whose later incarnation became Dorje Shugden, is of this illustrious mindstream.
So how can the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, which is under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government, print the translation of a book composed by the previous incarnation of a so-called evil spirit? How can they then say in the book that Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s previous life is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, and his next life was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen?
Prior to the Dorje Shugden ban and controversy, everyone in Tibet knew that Dorje Shugden is Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen is Panchen Sonam Drakpa, and that Panchen Sonam Drakpa is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen. The three Drakpas, they are one mindstream emanating again and again to benefit other beings.
And as we all know, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became Dorje Shugden so it totally doesn’t make sense to call him an evil spirit, then highlight all of his previous lives as erudite masters, and publish all of this information under their own library. So you can see the contradictions. You can read all of this for yourself in Overview of Buddhist Tantra, which was printed by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.
—–
OVERVIEW OF BUDDHIST TANTRA
GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE CLASSES OF TANTRA,
CAPTIVATING THE MINDS OF THE FORTUNATE ONES
rgyud sde spyi’i rnam par bzhag pa
skal bzang gi yid ‘phrog ces bya ba bzhugs so
BY
PANCHEN SONAM DRAGPA
(Pan-chen bSod-nams grags-pa, 1478-1554)
O Choje Sonam Dragpa Pel! (Chos-rje bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal!)
In the vast expanse of Your bodhi-mind,
The mind that the Buddhas have lauded for as many as
one hundred times,
You have developed “merit” shining like the sun.
Through Your skill in learning, debate and writing,
As illuminating as one hundred thousand sun rays,
You have developed in You a complete knowledge of
the entire sutras and tantras,
Resembling a garden of flowers in full bloom.
The power of Your speech is like the sun;
The fame of your name has reached the three realms of
this world.
O Sonam Dragpa, the teacher of teachers!
I bow down at your feet.
In the vast garden of Your great teachings,
The intelligent young people gather for
The ‘six ultimates’ and the ‘four modes of transmission,’
Just as they are attracted to
The one hundred thousand types of nectar
Dripping from a flower of one hundred petals.
May I be able to experience
The taste of the secret tantra!
Panchen Choje Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen Chos-rje bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal), the holder of sutra and Vajrayana teachings, was a master whose outstanding learning and spiritual accomplishments are well known by all the learned ones in Tibet. His first incarnation came in the form of one of the five prestigious disciples of Lord Tsongkhapa (Tsong-kha-pa) and became known as Vinaya Holder (Dulzin) Dragpa Gyaltsen (Gragspa rgyal-mtshan). Then came Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal), the author of the present text. The next was Nagri Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (mNga’-ris sPrul-sku Grags-pa rgyal-mtshan). In this way, a line of his incarnations, each with the Dragpa (gragspa) surname, followed successively.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) was born in the 14th century in Tsetang (rTsed-thang) in the Lhoka (Lho-kha) region of Central Tibet. He entered the great seat of learning, Sera Thekchenling (Se-ra theg-chen-gling) monastic university, where he became the personal disciple of spiritual master Donyo Dangden (Dhon-yod dang-ldan) and His Holiness the Second Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso (dGe-‘dun rgya-mtsho). Under them, he studied the entire teachings of sutra, tantra and their commentaries, and became known for his outstanding learning. He also received from them the empowerments, reading transmissions, guides and instructions of the entire body of spiritual training. On becoming the fully blessed one, the Dalai Lama appointed him the abbot of the Loseling (Blo-gsalgling) college, one of the four colleges of Drepung (‘Bras-dpung)- the most prestigious monastic university in Tibet before 1959, with over 10,000 monks on its register. He continued to be the abbot of this college for the next six years; and after him the tenure for each of his successors in this position was fixed for a period of six years, a rule that is followed even today.
He was then appointed the head of the Gelugpa (dGe-lugs-pa) order, the throne holder of Gaden (dGa’-ldan), thus becoming the 15th regent of Lord Tsongkhapa (Tsong-khapa), the second Buddha. In his eulogy to him, Khedrub Gelek Pelsang (mKhas-grub dGe-legs dpal- bzang) says:
O Lama, the second successor of the Unsubduable One,
The regent of the Lord of Dharma,
You are the one who made the virtuous qualities thrive;
You are the one who ascended to the golden throne uplifted
by the fearless lions.
May Your success thrive forever!
He continued to be the throne holder for the next seven years, during which time he promoted the spread of Lord Tsongkhapa’s (Tsong-kha-pa) precious teachings, the Gelug (dGe-lugs) tradition, across the land in all directions. He also paid special attention to the practice of monastic rules and the learning and meditation of Buddhism in the monasteries such as Sera (Se-ra), Drepung (‘Bras-spungs), Kyomolung (sKyo-mo-lung), Phagmo Chode (Phag-mo chos-sde), Nyeding (Nye-sdings), Ödna (’Od-sna) and Chöde Rinchen (Chos-sde rin-chen) etc. and improved them to a great extent. He taught the Third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso (bSod-nams rGya-mtsho) as the latter’s spiritual master. It was from him that the Dalai Lama received the name Sonam (bSod-nams).
His contributions in the literary field are enormous; and, indeed, they are the most valuable of all his contributions. Tsongkhapa (Tsong-kha-pa) has rightly said:
Of all one’s deeds,
The ‘deeds of speech’ are the most valuable.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) was a person with an extraordinary talent for teaching, debate and writing. In his colophon to Bu mey chi don zab don sel wey dron mey (dBu ma’i spyi don zab don gsal ba’i sgron me), he wrote:
In the field of teaching, I am [next to none!] Knowing that
I would outdo them in this field, Arya Asanga and his
brother transmigrated into another realm.
In the field of debate, I am [next to none!] Knowing that
I would find out the areas they had contradicted and
that I would examine them and put forth my arguments,
the logician Dignaga (Digh-naga) and Dharmakirti tactfully
bypassed me.
In the field of writing, I am [next to none!] [In my eyes,]
Arya-sura was just good at spreading the works, which
are like ‘disputes~ between an insect and a field.’
I am the learned man. Peerless in the field of teaching,
debate and writing!
For some this passage might sound utterly nonsensical, but the most learned master of our age, the talented teacher, logician and writer, the late tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Yongdzin Trijang Dorjechang (Yongs-‘dzin Khri-byang rDorje-‘Chang), said: “Now, some people of our time, who consider themselves learned scholars, think that this is utter nonsense; but they are wrong.”
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) wrote over 45 volumes of books dealing with many different subjects, such as the commentaries on the sutras and tantras, the saddhana manuals of the tutelary deities, history, religious history and so forth. Among these, one that is very important for all who wish to learn and meditate on the path-of the practical aspect of Buddhism in general and that of Vajrayana in particular is the Leg shey gyu de chi nam par shagpa kelsang gi yi trod (Legs bshad rgyud sde spyi’i rnam par bzhag pa skal bzang gi yid ‘phrod). In this book, he has explained precisely how the four tantras differ from one another. He has also fully described the stages of the two spontaneous path practices of the Vajrayana tradition, dealing with the ‘six ultimates’ and the ‘four modes of transmission’, thus interpreting without mistake the intention of Adhi-Buddha Vajradhara.
May the reprint of this text, which the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is publishing herewith, bring peace and happiness in this world!
Prof. Nawang Jinpa
St. Joseph’s College
Darjeeling
January 24 1996
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
Mr. Glenn Mullin is a Buddhist writer, translator of classical Tibetan literature, and teacher of Tantric . He is a Tibetologist who lived in the Indian Himalayas for many years . That’s where he studied philosophy, literature, meditation, yoga, and the enlightenment culture under great masters of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Glenn Mullin is the author of over thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism, many of which have been translated into a dozen foreign languages. Mr. Glenn Mullin explains in one of his books of how Dorje Shugden was a widespread practice among the Gelugpa tradition. It is widely accepted and practised by many world wide. Over more than 400 years many highly attained lamas saw the true nature of Dorje Shugden who is an enlightened being for sure.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this interesting post .
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
For the first time available, Dorje Shugden and his entourage of 32 assistants 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 (Avalokiteshvara, 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
Amazing post!!!!!
Dear friends, For months we have been working on this BEAUTIFUL and meaningful mural in Kathmandu, Nepal. Please click here to enjoy the many stunning pictures of this mural: https://bit.ly/2LgOj8J
Tsem Rinpoche
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.
धनेसोर भग्वन दोर्जेशुग्देन
धन्के देवता
If people were to sit down and contemplate about the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden, you will find it illogical and even unnecessary. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is believed to be an emanation of the Buddha of compassion, Chenresig. It is also said that when one holds their vows well, even the robes they are wearing protects them from any malicious spirits and black magic. So, if people really believe that His Holiness is an emanation of Buddha Chenresig, they should think, how can a Buddha be harmed by a spirit? (That’s if Dorje Shugden is a spirit which he is not).
A Buddha is someone who has exhausted their karma, they will never experience birth, old age, sickness and death. That would also mean that they will no longer have the karma to be harmed, so how can His Holiness be harmed in any possible way? Even if His Holiness is not an emanation of Buddha Chenresig, he can definitely still ward off any spirits with the power of his vows as he has kept them clean and well.
So people should really stop degrading His Holiness by saying Dorje Shugden can harm him. No.1, His Holiness is not an ordinary being, please do not underestimate him. No.2, Dorje Shugden is not a spirit. His Holiness used to practise Dorje Shugden too, so if Dorje Shugden is a spirit, didn’t His Holiness break his vows? Do you really think His Holiness does not have clairvoyance to see through Dorje Shugden’s nature? His Holiness is the Dalai Lama for a reason, people should think out of the box and not just follow blindly.
Great message every Tibetan especially must read!
In order for a spiritual practise to preserve and remain for centuries , it must have proven beneficial results. In this case, the practitioners include those who have high spiritual attainments. This means, they are people that can see the unseen and receive instructions, advice and teachings from higher source that we cannot.
Dorje Shugden is not a spirit and has proven track records of his accurate prophecies and advice, including the one for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to flea Tibet immediately that has saved His Holiness lives and allows Tibetan Buddhism to spread far and wide in the world. Nechung, on the other hand, advised His Holiness to remain in Tibet and that would get him killed if he listened to it. Previously, Nechung had advised the 13th Dalai Lama wrong medication that resulted in His Holiness’ death. If the 14th Dalai Lama did not consult Dorje Shugden through his tutor Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Nechung would be the murderer again of the Dalai Lama among many other wrong advice Nechung has given.
Nechung was the one that told His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to ban Dorje Shugden in the name of unity and independence of China. Again, Nechung’s advice is proven to be wrong because after 58 years, the Tibetans are not united, they went to different countries to start their new lives and Tibet is part of China. The banning of Dorje Shugden has in fact further segregated the already small amount of Tibetans. This is a sign of advice given by a spirit instead of an enlightened being like Dorje Shugden.
I still love and miss His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I am hoping he will unite all of us no matter what our religion is. I know he will. His Holiness has done so much good in the world. I’ve admired him since I was a very young boy and when I met him for the first time in 1979. He came to Howell, New Jersey where I grew up. It was magical to see him. I pray one day he will accept all Dorje Shugden practitioners as was his root guru was a Dorje Shugden practitioner and invite us into his presence again with love and acceptance. I pray for his long life and continued presence in this world. I never lost hope in His Holiness the Dalai Lama to accept all of us regardless of race, religion, sect and background once again.
I place my unworthy head to his feet, Humbly, Tsem Rinpoche https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
Religion is free, God is free. So then it should also be free choice for people to choose their religion, if they ascribe to one, and not be told that they are not allowed to practice this or that. Facts are out there and there is no need to blatantly ban a certain practice just because it doesn’t fit into your believes anymore.
How can Dorje Shugden practice be banned, and a whole population of practitioners, scorned? How can CTA allow their own people to hurt another group of their own just based on their practice of Dorje Shugden? How can people be violently treated because they practice Dorje Shugden?
Dorje Shugden’s practice has been around for 400 years, and to nullify the practice is to nullify the Dharma since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, who recognised Dorje Shugden and wrote a praise to Dorje Shugden too? Even Mr Mullin wrote: “The practice continued over the generations to follow, and eventually became one of the most popular Protector Deity practices within the Gelugpa School.” If the practice was already flawed then, it would not have been such a fundamental and widespread practice amongst the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and practitioners till today. Otherwise the CTA and the Anti Dorje Shugden factions and the 14th Dalai Lama are saying that all the great lamas/teachers/yogis/practitioners were wrong, including the Great 5th Dalai Lama himself.
DORJI SHUGDEN NOT RIGHT .Using the term Dorji Shugden itself is not right it is better to call it as Great Lama Drakpa Gyaltshen practice since there is not a deity such as Dorji Shug den it was created as an idea to rest the mind of the belivers and followers lama Drakpa Gyaltshen to stop the unrest at that time as he was murdered. Dorji Shugden is just a name given to a new concept of being to alter the thought of the belivers so why call it by that name still after understanding the whole matter?
Dear Powa Chenpo,
Thank you for your comment and also your respect of Dorje Shugden people.
However, I must correct you when you say there is no such things as a deity called Dorje Shugden.
1. Firstly, we know for a fact that Buddhas and enlightened beings can and do manifest in different forms at different times as is necessary to benefit all sentient beings. We can also say that there was no deity known as Yamantaka before the great Ra Lotsawa introduced the deity into the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhist deities. Countless great masters have followed this ‘non-existing’ deity and reached great attainments and enlightenment by its practice.
2. Just like the prophecies that Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and Lama Tsongkhapa would emerge to revive the pure Dharma when it is at risk, Lord Dulzdin Drakpa Gyaltsen had already sworn the oath to arise as a Protector to protect the pure lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa. This oath was made by Duldzin Drakpa Gyalytsen (the previous incarnation of Dorje Shugden) long before there was any political conflict and even before Tulku Drakpa Gyaktsen was born, let alone, murdered.
Also we know for a fact that the Tibetologist and historian, Rene Nebesky-Wojkowitz studied the ancient texts that says the Dharmapala Dorje Shugden will one day arise to become the Chief Dharmapala of Tibet. You can find this on page 445, of the Nebesky-Wojkowitz’s world famous publication, “Oracles and Demons of Tibet: The Cult and Iconography of the Tibetan Protective Deities”. Again, this statement was made before there was any conflict surrounding Dorje Shugden.
3. Your reasoning that Dorje Shugden was a political creation to appease the people because of the murder is also flawed when we see how Dorje Shugden was first worshiped as an enlightened protector by the greatest (6 in total) Sakya masters who did not belong to the Gelug lineage and were not part of its issues by the murder of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsem. See: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/39th-sakya-trizin-dragshul-trinley-rinchen.html. If your statement is correct, it would mean that the greatest of the Sakya masters were so easily fooled and even accepted a ‘made-up-deity’ as one of the key ancestors of the Sakya lineage.
4. Your assertion that Dorje Shugden was a made-up deity also means that the Tibetan government has invented deities for political motives and that the entire religion of Tibetan Buddhism should be doubted because it is possible some of the Buddhas and deities were simply invented. How can Tibetan Buddhism be trusted then?
5. None of the above reasoning is logical. What is completely logical is the historic narrative of Dorje Shugden who vowed to arise as a worldly protector so that beings of the degenerate age can more easily connect with it. When we look at how the pure lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa (which is the same lineage as that of Dorje Shugden) is being preserved today even in the face of such tremendous opposition, we see that Dorje Shugden is fulfilling his promise which he arose to do. What kind of made-up deity can do this?
Thank you
Glenn Million, u have cited 4 different schools of Buddhism in ur writing. The Buddha has nowhere said anything about any school except what preached, practiced n taught.
Now you tell me who the wise crack in history n when, why n how these 4 schools of buddhism came into existence?
M a simple straight forward believer of the lord n his simple teachings. And in his teachings, there’s no mention of all or any masters n mistresses OR gelugpa OR kagyugpa OR any other brand of Buddhism.
If u believe in what n why u write, don’t u realize u r being biased which is against the very principles of Buddhism!
There is some misinformation here, Dorje Shugden is not a spirit in the first place, and since he is not a spirit, of course nobody could exorcise or pacify him, be it Nyingmapa or Gelugpa. How could a great Buddhisy scholar, practitioner, a lama where”Great Fifth was being eclipsed by the towering stature of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen” could ever become a spirit? If such person can become a spirit, then all of us should not practise Buddhism, we should abandon Buddhism altogether, because if even a person as attained as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen could become a spirit, then there is no hope for us normal people anymore. Hence logically, Dorje Shugden is not a spirit, in fact he is the opposite, he is a Buddha, so any attempt to discourage the practice will only lead to failure, because the basis of the discouragement is flawed in the first place by claiming Dorje Shugden as a spirit.
谢谢仁波切的分享。
从Glenn Mullin 的书我们看到， 多杰雄登自从在第五世达赖喇嘛时代就已经成为一位非常有名的护法。 虽然根据Glenn Mullin 所说， 达赖喇嘛一直都不鼓励修持多杰雄登， 不过这也是无阻很多寺院继续修持多杰雄登， 直到现世达赖喇嘛情况还是如此。
其实我们也可以想一想， 为什么历代达赖喇嘛“不鼓励” 修持多杰雄登 （我们也看到很多资料显示达赖喇嘛有写一些祈愿文赞颂多杰雄登）， 怎么多杰雄登法门还是历久不衰呢？ 是不是多杰雄登利益很多众生—修行者乃至平民都得到利益？ 而且很多近代喇嘛如帕绷喀大师、至尊赤江仁波切等等都一生修持和传授多杰雄登法门。 这也代表多杰雄登是一位非常有力的护法。
谢谢
“Although the Great Fifth tried to discourage the practice of worshipping this deity, it caught on with many monasteries. The practice continued over the generations to follow, and eventually became one of the most popular Protector Deity practices within the Gelugpa School.
In particular, during the late 1800s, when four Dalai Lamas died young, it became an all-pervasive monthly practice within almost all provincial Gelugpa monasteries, and was especially popular with Gelugpa aristocratic families.” — This goes to show although the Great fifth or even the current DL has discouraged the practice of Dorje Shugden, the practise just continued to grow and more so with the promotion of Chinese government, Dorje Shugden practise has gone to a higher level now. For instance, we can see various Dorje Shugden Lama in China like His Holiness Panchen Lama and Lama Wangchuk are giving huge Dharma teachings. inititions and blessings to thousands of the public with the support from the local authority. Since Qing dynasty, gelug lineage has been very closely connected to the Chinese royalty and authorities and therefore Dorje Shugden practise is widely accepted and practised by both the sanghas and lay person in China and Tibet.
I grew up in an environment where I have been taught to respect and co-exist with other culture /race and religion in harmony . This has been taught by my own parents and also teachers in school. And my lama, Tsem Rinpoche has been promoting this value to all his students consistently. Therefore, the discrimination we have been experiencing with regards to our own Dorje Shugden practice was very much appalling at the beginning.
Therefore, whatever information we can get and have gotten from sources like Glen Mullin is very much appreciated to debunk whatever the anti- Shugden people has been saying. Glen Mullin is considered one of the closest people to H.H. The Dalai Lama and from his book he has wrote how big the followers of Shugden is which anti-Shugden people has been saying that we were small. This is so untrue and reading this article gave some form of light to the darkness many of us especially my Lama has felt all these years with the threats / discrimination from these anti Shugden camps. Thank you.
感谢仁波切的教诲与分享
我对于这篇帖子的最深的部分是，不因该您的信仰是什么，而造成彼此相处之间的任何影响，和平与不和谐，我们都应该用正确的态度与最基本的礼貌对待任何的人以及他们本身的信仰，而不是因为彼此的信仰不同，就排斥对方。
我相信佛陀在世的时候，不会因为您的信仰，种姓，身份或是什么，而拒绝您参与佛陀给予任何的佛法教诲，佛法是包容与大慈大悲的，如果因为彼此所信仰的方向的不同，就就不给予公平，和谐，的对待的话，那么“佛法”会是什么一个·定义呢？
谢谢
Jerry
Glenn Mullin acknowledges that Dorje Shugden’s practices have become bigger and bigger over the years. However, Glenn Mullin did not acknowledge that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being but a subdued spirit who transformed into a Dharma Protector. With China promoting this practice, Dorje Shugden is a major practice in the world and no longer a minority practice.
A dramatic and unfortunate event that happened 400 years ago in Tibet has propelled the practice to become so big in this day and age to benefit many people. Surely a divine play in action which is not yet seen the finale.
It is wonderful that our Kecharian students have conceptualized a sacred chapel dedicated to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was a very famous and erudite master 400 years ago in Tibet. Due to intrigue within the Tibetan government at the time, they had him eliminated him. In order to cover the fact of what they did, they had all his teachings, writings, works and biographies destroyed. They banned his incarnation to appear which did not stop him at all. He kept returning but under another name to continue benefiting many beings as various well known high lamas. Some of his works survive in today’s Mongolia as his Mongolian students took them there for safety at the time and now preserved. He was the student of the great 4th Panchen Lama and he himself had thousands of students including Mongolian royalty. He was saintly and very popular and because of his popularity, jealous camps plotted to get rid of him. They were successful for a short while. For later on as he had promised, he arose as a supreme dharma protector Dorje Shugden. Holy beings can manifest in many different forms including Dharma protectors to benefit beings according to their karmic dispositions. This chapel in Bentong near Kechara Forest Retreat is opened and dedicated in his memory in order to commemorate his great works as well as to invoke his blessings. A chapel to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, a holy man who was silenced during his life and now will not stay silent. His chapel is to invoke his blessings for all that come to worship to be blessed with healing, fortune, turn of luck, protection and granting of meritorious wishes. It will be a place to pray to clear our obstacles to deeper spirituality. The blessings of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen will bring us into a higher form of thinking. The lineage of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen is now being revived once more in Bentong, Malaysia. Congratulations to those students who are making this all happen. They are meritorious indeed. Their dedication, trust, confidence and faith in the holy Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen is reviving his lineage. Today while escorting his statue to the chapel, amidst a fully blazing midday sun, it immediately lightly drizzled as the sun continued to shine. All those present witnessed this unusual event exactly at the juncture of escorting his statue into the new chapel. This is considered an auspicious omen. We pray to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen that he will bless in many ways all who will visit his chapel from today onwards. Thank you, Tsem Rinpoche
Highly respected and learned Mr Glenn Mullin has been living in the Indian Himalayas between 1972 and 1984 where he studied philosophy, literature, meditation, yoga, and the enlightenment culture under thirty-five of the greatest living masters of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. I would like thank Mr. Glenn Mulin unbias comment toward Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen during Great Fifth time through his biography. Before the ban only Tibetans know of Dorje Shugden was practice by many. People outside of Tibetan communities was not aware of such fact. However the Tibetan leadership has repeated claim Dorje Shugden is a minor practice. And this practice has been around for the past 400 years! Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beneficial post ?
I like how Mr Glenn Mullin’s debunked the usual claims we hear by various anti-Dorje Shugden people:-
1. Dorje Shugden is a minority practice.
2. Dalai Lama did not ban nor discourage the practice of Dorje Shugden but merely advised against the practice.
3. Dorje Shugden did not emerge from Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, an attained and caliber High Lama.
Facts coming from someone like Mr Glenn Mullin who is neutral yet highly respected, famous and an expert in the Tibetan literature, meditation, and Buddhist philosophy carries a lot of weight.
I believe and trust that Mr Glenn Mullin’s research and observation is correct. In recent years, more and more lamas gave teachings, explanations, and initiation of Dorje Shugden openly to thousands at a time.
On December 11, 2016 H.E. Zava Damdin Rinpoche conferred a Dorje Shugden initiation to 10,000 ordained monks and lay people in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/10000-mongolians-receive-dorje-shugden.html
In early 2011 at Jinka Monastery in Dingqing County of Chamdo, Tibet, Khenpo Zongluo Jampa Khedrup Rinpoche of Chamdo Jampa Ling Monastery gave Dorje Shugden initiation to around 5,000 people.
This proves that Dorje Shugden’s practice in Tibet under the ruling of China is growing and will continue to grow.
Also, today – September 21 – is the International Day of Peace or World Peace Day, so here’s wishing everybody,”Happy Dorje Shugden Day!!!”
There is a lot of good information and wisdom packed in a short post.
Despite the Great Fifth discouragement the Dorje Shugden practice has been growing since that time until today. It has become a common monthly practice by the Gelugpas as stated by Mr Mullin. The Tibetan leadership can say it is a minor practice but I would rather trust the fact presented by a Tibetology scholar who is unbias. We may not able to cross check all the fact ourselves.
For spiritual practitioners the best is trust practice given by our gurus. Guru has our best interest in heart therefore we wouldn’t be in doubt.
There are so many strands of theories on the arising of Dorje Shugden. What I find most fascinating is the mystery and intrigue of the political interplay between Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen and the Fifth Dalai Lama which is in many ways quite similar today as it was 400 years ago. Whatever the truth may be, we will most likely never know. What holds true however is that there is a strong karma of politics – Dorje Shugden was born as a result of a political struggle and it still is very much so. In a time when politics is the greatest power, wielded by politicians, maybe that is the reason why a Buddha born of politics is exactly what the world needs.
Prior to reading this post, I did not know who Glenn Mullin is. After reading this, I became curious and did some reading to find out more about him. Below are some of my findings:
1. A scholar person who has done advanced study in a special field. In Glenn Mullin’s case, he is a Tibetologist and is a leading authority in Tibetan Buddhism and anything related to Tibet. As a highly regarded scholar, who has written over 25 books on Tibetan Buddhism where 10 are on H.H. Dalai Lama, Glenn Mullin’s learned and unbiased writing carries a lot of weight. His work “The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation”, on Pg 208, where he writes about the 5th Dalai Lama and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, has debunked many of the myths about surrounding Dorje Shugden.
2. According to “An Interview with Glenn H. Mullin, Tibetologist”, besides his two principal tantric gurus the late masters Ling Rinpoche (1903-1983) and Trijang Rinpoche (1901-1981), Mullin’s other teachers and initiation masters include the Dalai Lama, Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, Ngakpa Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Khenchen Konchok Gyaltsen, Geshe Ngawang Dargyey, Geshe Rabten, and Gongsar Tulku. Having teachers who are not just from the Gelug tradition but from other traditions such as Sakya and Kagyu would offer Mr. Mullin a more well-balanced and informed view on the Dorje Shugden issue since his views are not based on just one tradition alone.
Therefore, logically, Mr Mullin’s opinions can and should be accepted due to who he is and what he is by training.
Thank you for this informative post, Rinpoche as this post presents facts and opinions of a learned scholar and not some politically motivated individual.
After reading this article points stood up to me are:
1. Glenn Mullin is not nobody, he is a author of over thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism, many of which have been translated into a dozen foreign languages. He is the most prominent biographer of all fourteen Dalai Lamas. He is not somebody who does not know much about Tibetan Buddhism or Dorje Shugden issue. His writings definitely based on lots of research. He is better recognised as a Buddhist scholar than someone belonged to any Dorje Shugden camps, either anti or pro. Thus he is someone “heavy weighted” with writings carry weight; and if he is not neutral but seems neutral to comment on the practice of Dorje Shugden as pervasive practice among the Gelugpa tradition and among Gelugpa aristocratic families as well, against all this while many keep saying the practice is just a minority one and followed by not many.
2. Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was a famous Gelugpa lama of the period, he arose as dharma protector Dorje Shugden, opposed to what many previously saying that Dorje Shugden is some other spirit but not Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. Even Glenn Mullin did not say about Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector, but if he is not, Dorje Shugden practice would not practiced pervasively among Gelugpa tradition and other traditions.
3. Dorje Shugden practice is not only practiced by many during this era but also popular during late 1800s, and during 1959, as the common monthly practice of most Gelugpas.
4. Previously I did;t know about the Great Fifth have tried to discourage the practice of worshipping this deity, which Glenn Mullin has stated. However the practice continued over generations and became one of the most popular Protector Deity practices within the Gelugpa School.
5. Foreword of the book was written by His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama, thus His Holiness was assumed has read about what Glenn Mullin has written and agreed on, if not he wouldn’t have done so. Thus, what the author has written gained acknowledgement or green line from His Holiness, which is something based on fact and with throughout research being done.
Mr. Glenn Mullin explains in his book , how Dorje Shugden is major and pervasive practice. It is not a minor practice!
Dorje Shugden practice is and has been for 400 years. Dorje Shugden has been around since the 5th Dalai Lama. History has been proved that the practice is beneficial to so many high lamas and monks. All dorje shugden incarnation lama are highly attain , practicing sutra and tantra.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing .
Thanks Rinpoche and the blog team for the article.
Glenn Mullin is a great and important writer on Tibetan Buddhism, to read about this page on Tulku Drapa Gyeltsen, it indicates clearly that Dorje Shugden is a Dharma Protector.
However, I am not sure if what Glenn Mullin says is true that the 5th Dalai Lama discourage the practise of Dorje Shugden, below are traces of 5th Dalai Lama appreciates Dorje Shugden:
1. Trode Khangsar – a chapel dedicates to Dorje Shugden built by the 5th Dalai Lama.
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/trode-khangsar-%E2%80%93-a-400-year-old-dorje-shugden-chapel-in-lhasa.html
2. A hand made statue of Dorje Shugden by the 5th Dalai Lama
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/10-holy-dorje-shugden-statues-in-the-world.html
3. A praise prayer to Dorje Shugden by the 5th Dalai Lama
Nonetheless, what Glenn Mullin says contrary to what CTA tells the world that Dorje Shugden is a spirit, and there’s no ban on Dorje Shugden practice. Most of the things that CTA says have no ground, wonder where they made up from.
Thank you.
The practice of Dorje Shugden has been around for 400 years and is considered a major practice. It has tens of thousands of followers. In spite of the controversy, the practice is growing and spreading to many parts of the world. I agree with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche that spiritual leaders should not give advice against another’s path and religion because this will create disharmony and conflicts, and even wars. Imagine the great amount of suffering caused by such conflicts. I’m all for the path of compassion and understanding. Thank you, Rinpoche, for being the voice of peace and harmony.
Highly respected and learned Mr Glenn Mullin has been living in the Indian Himalayas between 1972 and 1984 where he studied philosophy, literature, meditation, yoga, and the enlightenment culture under thirty-five of the greatest living masters of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Based on facts and research, Mr Glenn non bias and objectively mentioned in the book that “Although the Great Fifth tried to discourage the practice of worshipping this deity, it caught on with many monasteries. The practice continued over the generations to follow, and eventually became one of the most popular Protector Deity practices within the Gelugpa School.” Thousands thousands of Dorje Shugden practitioners get the benefits from this great protector throughout so many years, hence its illogical to ban / to discourage this practice.
From Pastor David’s comment, points to ponder “China had been actively promoting the Panchen Lama and Dorje Shugden practice, lamas and temples in China. It is pretty clear that they deliberately did this to spite the Dalai Lama but perhaps, it was all played into the hand of the Dalai Lama.” China as the most populated country in the world, eventually DS practitioners will be keep growing ……
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beneficial post!?
Dorje Shugden practice is discouraged since the 5th Dalai Lama until recent decades HH the 14TH Dalai Lama. Nevertheless, this practice is common, support and continues to spread far and wide in many countries including Tibet, India, China as well as the Western. Herewith the 2 interesting articles that support Mr Glenn H. Mullin’s view on the attempt to discourage Dorje Shugden practice is not very successful instead it become famous and well known by everyone.
1. 10 Holy Dorje Shugden Statues around the World:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/10-holy-dorje-shugden-statues-in-the-world.html
Build Buddha statue with the bigger size bring much beneficial to all sentient beings.
The largest Dorje Shugden statue, 24 feet tall, commissioned by H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche and currently housed in Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Pahang. In mid 2015, the statue was consecrated by Dorje Shugden in trace through the famed Panglung Oracle.
2. They were not wrong
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/they-were-not-wrong.html
Many great teachers, masters, yogis, geshes, mahasiddhas, lineage holders of various schools of Buddhism (especially Sakya lineage) that practiced or was affiliated closely to Dorje Shugden. Some of the senior monks who have been practicing Dorje Shugden for over 70 years and have no intention of giving up their practice of this protector. Besides, many great masters eg HH Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche and many others would also have thousands of students (both lay and ordained) in Tibet and all over the world rely on Dorje Shugden.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this interesting writings by Mr Glenn H. Mullin.
What Mr. Mullin researched and wrote actually corroborates the facts and explanations given all along by Dorje Shugden practitioners about the circumstances pertaining to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen as well as the nature Dorje Shugden practice at the material time. It further debunks the claims of Dorje Shugden being a minor practice and reveals the prevalence of the Dorje Shugden practice. The very fact of such prevalence is a testament of effectiveness of this practice which led to many high lama and lay practitioners alike developing much faith in this practice, so much so that earlier active efforts to suppress and stamp out this practice failed. It is unfortunate that over time, such faith wavered and diluted to the point of the current sordid defamation, ostracization, and attack of the Dorje Shugden practice. The silver lining is that the greatness and effectiveness of Dorje Shugden speak for itself and this controversy indirectly allowed for its spread to many. The neutrality of Mr.Mullin’s work and his background is definitely the icing on the cake as it makes it harder for those to dismiss such account of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen as propaganda or told with prejudice. Thank you for such informative sharing.
It is mind-boggling to read the extraction starting from page 208 of the book by Mr. Glenn Mullin. There are a few points from here that arouse my curiosity to read the book in full.
One of it is why the Nyingmapa shamans failed to exorcise and pacify the spirit of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, but the Gelugpa shaman monks succeeded in pacifying and transforming him (his spirit) into Dorje Shugden.
Another noteworthy point would be that Dorje Shugden practice caught on and became widely practiced by many monasteries, DESPITE the discouragement by the 5th Dalai Lama. This is very telling of the position of Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader.
Based on Mr. Glen Mullin’s research, the popularity of Dorje Shugden’s practice grew over time, in particular during late 1800 when four Dalai Lamas died young. I find it highly unusual to link this uncommonly short lifespan of Dalai Lamas to the growing popularity of Dorje Shugden’s practice. Bearing in mind that even aristocratic families developed the strong faith in DS practice during this period.
As we gain glimpses into the feud between Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen / Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lamas, it becomes apparent that the validity, effectiveness, and propitiation of a Protector’s practice does not depend on Dalai Lama’s endorsement.
Dorje Shugden’s practice is prevalent among both monasteries as well as laities, particularly the aristocratic families. From here, we can deduce that Dorje Shugden’s practice, is efficient and works in both spiritual and secular terms. Otherwise, why would monasteries and aristocratic families propitiate the practice?
Thank you, Rinpoche, for this insightful sharing.
Reading through this article, I would like thank Mr. Glenn Mulin unbias comment toward Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen during Great Fifth time through his biography. Is over 400 year since Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen arise as protector Dorje Shugden. His practice has become popular among Sakya and Gelupa lineage. Especially current time, protector practice become more effective during dharma degenerate time.
Master in the past at Gelupa and Sakya lineage like Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche, Song rinpoche, His Holiness Sakya Tenzin 31th, 33th, 35th, 37th and 39th etc,. All has promote protector Dorje Shugden practice to their students and followers. That show protector practice is not the minor practice but suitable for this time. With the time past, most people will get benefit through this practice and more attain master has prove his practice will not go wrong bacause before manifest as protector, all dorje shugden incarnation lama are highly attain ,practicing sutra and tantra.
If you believe in HH Dalai Lama, you should trust what is written in this book because HH Dalai Lama gave a foreword in this book meaning HH would have already read the book before gave a foreword. Furthermore, Glenn Mullin neither pro or anti-Dorje Shugden in his approach but takes a neutral stance in his works and he has proved himself in his research, knowledge and learning over the times . The logic is why would the great Gelugpa lamas and monasteries practice of this Dharma Protector for the past 400 years. History has been proved that the practice is beneficial to so many peoples and even the high lamas, why it is suddenly being ban. Not only it was ban, but has created suffering to the Dorje Shugden practitioner, there was no compassion here, this is against the teaching of the Buddha on compassion.
Here is another proof of how beneficial the Dorje Shugden practice is and has been for 400 years. As it is stated in Glenn Mullin’s book, “The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation”, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was even more prominent compared to the Great Fifth. How could it be that such a highly accomplished being would do anything to harm us?
The practice of Dorje Shugden is and was highly effective for hundreds of years and has been practiced by many high lamas. How could these many lamas be tricked? This makes no sense at all. See here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/they-were-not-wrong.html
I thank Glenn Mullin for stating this so clearly, and for me there is no doubt about Dorje Shugden as he arose as a Dharma Protector from a highly accomplished lineage, only to help and assist us on our way to enlightenment in these degenerate times.
Many probably wouldn’t have realised the fact that actually the Dalai Lama himself actually gave a foreword in this book meaning HH would have already read the book before giving his “credit” to this book. So this would mean The Dalai Lama actually agreed to what was written in the book itself which actually gave an honest account of Dorje Shugden practice which is actually a very popular practice and not a small practice as claimed by some parties. A lot have been said and done in the past and do we still need to be debating about the clear explanations about Dorje Shugden being a protector king who is of Enlightened Mind and the reasoning of banning the practice is actually unfounded.
I was quite amused for Glenn Mullin have such great interest in Tibetan Buddhism and produce books of HHDL from the 1st till the current.
Dorje Shugden has 400 years of history which mean the ban had started ever since. Sad to see many high attained lamas, geshes, sanghas and even lay people were forced to leave their country or swear out of practicing Dorje Shugden by the Tibetan government. Initially, religion shouldn’t be involved with politics. CTA is the example of failing leadership. ☹️
May individuals who are working toward Dharma, justice, freedom and world peace just like Mr. Glenn Mullin, have continuous flowing resources for them to enable their works that could benefit all sentient beings.
Without these dedicated individuals who work tirelessly regardless of their own welfare but the welfare of all sentient beings, we could probably be stuck in uncertainty, hatred, jealousy and wars for lives.
Thank You Rinpoche for this article. And this is the 1st time i get to know about Glenn Mullin.
What i found out from this article is :
How can you say, “I will not be your friend because you are Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Zen, Vodou, Wiccan, Christian, Zoroastrian, Jew, atheist or a Dorje Shugden practitioner?” People are people and be kind to them because everyone, no matter what their religion, deserves human respect, dignity and consideration. True, their religion, colour, race, creed and culture may be different, alien or frightening to you, but learn to understand, tolerate and come to terms with diversity. They are who they are and they have a right to be and you do not have a right to segregate them.
I copy and paste ( highlight ) the sentence above, because of the sentence above touched my heart deeply. As Rinpoche posted it before in FB – here’s the quote – ( If I can just be the way I am & you the way you are & we accept each other, world peace is near. )
I like the way Mr Mullin (from the extract) wrote about the controversy. I feel that he wrote it without bias from the research he has done. Whether one is pro or anti Dorje Shugden, it should be read with an open mind in order to thoroughly understand.
The practice of Dorje Shugden has been around since the 5th Dalai Lama, and its true what Rinpoche said. How can it be that the highly attained Lamas not see whether Dorje Shugden’s practice is wrong or not? And it’s also true that, Dorje Shugden’s practice is growing big and everywhere.
But what I find interesting is HHDL writing a foreword for this book. Knowing that HHDL discourage people from practicing Dorje Shugden, then why did he do so?
Many westerners have gone to the Orient to study Buddhism with a questioning mind. The minds are not bias but rather to see evidence of proof to what is Buddhism. Being mystical, Tibetan Buddhism is the tradition of Buddhism that captures the curiosity of these western scholars.
It is therefore without doubt what Mr. Glenn Mullin has written about the propitiation of Dorje Shugden being pervasive and of large following is accurate and true. Worship of Dorje Shugden was very popular among the Tibetan aristocracy and High Lamas of many monasteries and today even with a ban on Dorje Shugden.
Mr. Mullin did not have any comments as to whether Dorje Shugden is enlightened or not but that Dorje Shugden arose from the murder of a Lama considered during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama to be of higher and larger prestige than the 5th Dalai Lama who was a youth. For that reason, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was murdered and arose as Dorje Shugden.
A lama of the status of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen in his lifetime was already highly attained and by nature an enlightened being. As such his arising as Dorje Shugden cannot be less but that of an enlightened Protector.
History and facts having proven the nature of an enlightened Buddha in Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, it is without doubt that Dorje Shugden is also enlightened.
As a Dorje Shugden practitioner and from my experience, Dorje Shugden is an Enlightened Protector who does wonders for me not to fall off my spiritual path.
Dorje Shugden is the emanation of Manjushri, there is no doubt about it, look at the years of Dorje Shugden’s activities, he has helped and saved a lot of people, and how in the world that a spirit that will performed such virtues acts? Secondly, look at the previous lamas who practiced Dorje Shugden, they are not some small lamas who do the practice quietly at a corner, they are the very attained lamas that are very significant in Gelug and Sakya’s monasteries, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche, Tsem Rinpoche, Gangchen Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, so on and so forth, we can’t even finish mention all the names of lamas who practice him more over the number of people who practice him worldwide? All these high lamas who practice Dorje Shugden does come back life after life to continue the doctrine of Dorje Shugden, how can such calibre Protector be a spirit?
This has been my question that since Dalai Lama is the emanation of Chenrezig aka Kuan Yin, how come after Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen passed away and being called a “spirit”, Dalai Lama has to invite other lamas to subdue this so called spirit? How come Dalai Lama doesn’t subdue this ‘spirit’ by himself? Since he is a Bodhisattva and I do not believe that there is any spirit in samsara that a Bodhisattva cannot subdue, I have never heard about it. If Dorje Shugden can’t be subdued by any High Lamas, then he must be an enlightened Protector, only enlightened beings can’t be subdued.
I respect Glenn Mullin with his great wisdom in seeing this truth and even written a book about this controversial. There is no such thing that when someone who does not has the same belief with me, whatever they pray to is a spirit, if it is this case, then why did Buddha has so many emanations? Then we should all just pray to Buddha Shakyamuni, everyone who pray to any deity other than Buddha Shakyamuni should be prohibited, no other emanation needed to exist.
I believe in my guru, I believe in all the high lamas who practiced Dorje Shugden, they will never wrong, and no way I will stop practice Dorje Shugden at any cost, because Dorje Shugden practice was given by my guru, and I will never stop promoting him. The greatest and the World Peace Protector – Dorje Shugden.
Dorje Shugden has been considered a controversial deity since 1996 when the ban on the practice was enforced by the Tibetan exile authorities. Those people who simply followed the Tibetan authority’s dictates on the issue out of blind obedience or fear are going against the spiritual logic the Buddha taught, and also what the great masters since the Buddha’s time have taught also.
While these people like to say that the practice of Dorje Shugden was minor and therefore insignificant, they are simply buying into the propaganda spread by the Tibetan authorities. What Glenn Mullin does is dispel this myth through his historical analysis. He is someone that can be trusted for sure, because even His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that Glenn Mullin knows more about the 14 lives of the Dalai Lama than even he does! Glenn Mullin has proved himself over time the years through his research, knowledge and learning. So when he writes about Dorje Shugden being a prevalent practice, he can be trusted in his work. Also he is neither pro- or anti-Dorje Shugden in his approach but takes a neutral stance.
The very fact that His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama would employ what he terms as “shamans” to get rid of Dorje Shugden and that they were unsuccessful, speaks volumes of his true nature. And the matter of fact is that his practice became very wide spread, and would not have done so if people did not gain benefit from it. However, Dorje Shugden’s practice does have extreme benefit and that is the reason Dorje Shugden was practiced by both the monastic community and the laity alike.
I think the opinion of Glenn Mullin is an exceptionally pivotal piece in a huge jigsaw puzzle that is called the Dorje Shugden controversy. From the Dorje Shugden practitioner point of view, it is very easy to be misled into hating the Dalai Lama for the ban on Dorje Shugden and consider it just ordinary actions of an extraordinary lama called the Dalai Lama.
So much problems, segregation and separation of the monasteries had arisen from this ban and what’s interesting is the fact that the whole conflict had brought untold suffering to lamas and practitioners because they believe that Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri. From the side of the followers of the Dalai Lama, they are just enforcing an instruction of their Lama-Buddha to safeguard practitioners from falling into a devil-worshipping cult. The clash between both sides had resulted in the Dorje Shugden controversy.
The pivotal piece comes with Mr Mullin’s observation that while the Dalai Lama is banning Dorje Shugden within his domain in India. China had been actively promoting the Panchen Lama and Dorje Shugden practice, lamas and temples in China. It is pretty clear that they deliberately did this to spite the Dalai Lama but perhaps, it was all played into the hand of the Dalai Lama.
Perhaps, that is exactly what the Dalai Lama had intended it to be. In fact, the Dorje Shugden ban was nothing but trouble and problems for the Dalai Lama and his office. This lead one to think that the Dalai Lama actually had ulterior ‘divine play’ intention. Perhaps, he had wanted China to take up Dorje Shugden practice and proliferate it all along and the ban was engineered for this. This opinion of Glenn Mullin does present some very interesting possibilities that is really not that fantastic.
Mr. Glenn Mullin lived in the Indian Himalayas between 1972 and 1984, where he studied philosophy, literature, meditation, yoga, and the enlightenment culture under thirty-five of the greatest living masters of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
In his book he mentioned that although HHDL discouraged, but many monasteries still practicing Dorje Shugden as their protector and became most popular, even the time the Tibetans came into exile in 1959.
So why Dalai Lama has been discouraging the practice, but with little success? If something not beneficial will all those high lamas and monks continue to practice and passing through so many generation? Why is that almost everyone in Gelug practicing but HHDL? If he is an evil then how can it be so popular in Gelug? a small group can be wrong but not majority.
What was the intention behind the ban? Why CTA using more resources to split the Tibetans by segregating them from hospital, school, work, food and need not talk about human rights. Why created more sufferings instead of providing more help to their own community? Why is that a leadership keep tapping on a spiritual issue that has nothing to do with Tibetan course? Nothing else seems important to them other than creating the situation to get more benefits into their own pockets.
Having read Mr Mullin’s extract, and Rinpoche’s commentary to it, these for me are the points that stand out the most.:
(1) why did the Dalai Lama call on Nyingma shamans to destroy Dorje Shugden? Why did he not call on Gelug lamas?
And why were their rituals ineffective? The ineffectiveness of their rituals is either a reflection of their lack of attainments, or a reflection of Dorje Shugden’s own enlightened nature that he cannot be destroyed.
(2) that the practice caught on with the monasteries. If Dorje Shugden was a so-called spirit or a demon, it seems to me that it would’ve been impossible to fool thousands of monks into engaging in the practice. Surely someone in the monasteries would’ve stood up and voiced their objections.
(3) one commonly-touted statistic is that pre-1959, 90% of Tibetans were Gelugs. In that way, when writing that “almost all provincial Gelugpa monasteries” relied on Dorje Shugden, Mr Mullin pretty much confirms that the practice was pervasive throughout Tibet.
(4) Mr Mullin writes that the 5th Dalai Lama tried to discourage the practice but despite this, it caught on with the monasteries. This point I find very interesting because it either reflects a time when the 5th Dalai Lama had not yet consolidated his power, or that the Gelug monasteries saw through to Dorje Shugden’s nature and decided to practise him anyway.
Either way, it does not infer positive things for the 5th Dalai Lama’s position at the time, and helps to confirm the so-called possibility of his assistants murdering Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen (but without the 5th Dalai Lama’s knowledge, as Shugden practitioners have always maintained).
(5) since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama, the practice has been discouraged but it only grew stronger. Even in the present day, Mr Mullin confirms this; where people following the 14th Dalai Lama try to suppress the practice, it only continues to grow.
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In a topic that is as controversial as this, I have to say I really appreciate Mr Mullin’s objective manner of approaching the subject. In his writings he does not impose his personal feelings or opinions, but presents the available information to the reader and leaves it up to them to conclude.
Thank you Mr Mullin for your fair coverage of the topic ?? whether or not we agree on the same practices, it’s precisely this type of objective, without-bias approach that helps to foster harmony between the different practices and traditions. Division and schism rarely, if ever, result in long-term positive results.
Glenn Mullin has lived in the Tibetan community and studied under many great teachers before returning to Canada, his country of residence where he now travels the world over to spread Tibetan Buddhism. Glenn Mullin’s books are powerful as he writes factually, without fear, favour and prejudice.
As can be seen from the excerpt on Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and Dorje Shugden, it confirmed Dorje Shugden is a 400 year old pervasive protector practice which had gone through alot of bashing including exorcism by Tibet’s top notch exorcists, the Nyingmapa shamans and is under an illegal ban. How amusing it is despite all odds and effort to kill off this ‘evil spirit’ from Day 1, this protector practice has continued to grow stronger and receive world-wide publicity and attention, no other protectors ever had. I fully agree with Glenn Mullin the event surrounding Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and Dorje Shugden is somewhat bizzare and exotic. Well it only reveals that only a Buddha can evolve and survive over such a long period of attack and banishment.
Sad to say this 20 year old exclusion on Shugden practitioners has created so much suffering, pain and confusion in the community. Disharmony and disunity are the result of the unholy ban.
May His Holiness the Dalai Lama heal the ban now and may peace prevail.
In the short extract, Mr Mullin makes the point on not one but three separate occasions that Dorje Shugden’s practice was pervasive – during the time of the Great Fifth, during the 1800s and during the time of exile into India. Thus, naysayers wishing to play down the importance and popularity of Dorje Shugden’s practice should really do their historical research or at least read the writings of learned scholars like Mr Mullin if they have no access to old Tibetan documents!
And although Mr Mullin does not specifically state whether Dorje Shugden is an enlightened or worldly protector, it would be logical to conclude that his popularity in Gelugpa monasteries indicates his supramundane status. Why else would the great Gelugpa lamas and monasteries proliferate the practice of this Dharma Protector if he wasn’t a fully enlightened being who is able to help us along the path to enlightenment?
Mr Glen Mullin has put the researched facts in a very matter-of-fact way. He’s not siding but rather stating the matter as it stands, that Dorje Shugden practice was widespread within the Gelugpa and that though it was discouraged by the Great Fifth, it still took off and was not a minor practice. So, as a pervasive practice, all the more it should be allowed.
But, then again, even minor practices, despite the connotations of being minor and not worthy, are practiced and the practitioners deserve the right to practice in peace. That is a Human Right, this freedom of religion.
Bottomline is, all religion teaches love, peace, harmony and unity.
I read this interesting book some 15 years ago when Rinpoche recommended it, and it’s a good read. I would think HHDL would have read the draft copy before print or had someone read it before he agreed to put a foreword to it.
Whether Dorje Shugden is a spirit or not is not the issue. What is not right is disallowing Dorje Shugden followers in public places, places where people of other faiths are allowed. The CTA instigated their supporters to verbally and physically harass people who want to continue with Dorje Shugden practice, a practice some of them have been doing for most of their lives out of their great devotion and loyalty to their spiritual gurus, past and present. And the CTA said that there is no ban? Then what does all these constitute? Just an ‘advice?’ Where are the peoples rights? Where is the freedom of choice and the freedom of religious practice for the people? Is this democracy? I think not. I think it is politically motivated so the CTA can continue to stay in power and control the Tibetan people while the CTA continue to enjoy what they are enjoying, at the expense of the Tibetans.
Thank you Rinpoche for this eye-opening posts. Although Glenn Mullin is known to have a good relationship with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, it does not sway him to be politically correct. I like the face that he had done his research well for this book and recognized that Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice. It is in line with the fact that Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche, both are huge Gelugpa lama were widely propagating the Dorje Shugden practice during their lifetimes. Because Dorje Shugden is a pervasive practice, the Dorje Shugden ban is affecting many people and not only the unfortunate few.
While I do believe that the Dalai Lama was speaking against the Dorje Shugden practice for a bigger picture as what Trijang Rinpoche mentioned in his book Music Delighting the Ocean of Protector, I could see that the ban has served its purpose and should be ended soon. I agree with what Rinpoche said in the article that “No spiritual or secular leader should advise against anyone else’s religion/practice/path, discourage them, or create bad feelings towards any spiritual path. It is up to the individual.”
Only with religious tolerance, peace and harmony can be achieved.
I would like to quote Page 132 of “MUSIC DELIGHTING THE OCEAN OF PROTECTORS” by Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang:
“In short, by reason of the fact that all Buddhas are of one entity or nature in the sphere of reality, dharmadhatu, this great Dharma Protector is of one nature with the Great Fifth Dalai Lama even though, in the provisional sense, to common view, they appeared to be different and distinct.”
If we understand this well, we will understand the time of the 5th Dalai Lama and Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen. We will understand why the Sakyapas regard Dorje Shugden as an emanation of Avalokiteshvara while Gelugpas regard Dorje Shugden as an emanation of Manjushri.
It is great to read what Mr. Glenn Mullin a Tibetologist, Buddhist writer, translator of classical Tibetan literature wrote here which is neutral to the controversial of Dorje Shugden issue. Mr Glenn has been living in the Indian Himalayas between 1972 and 1984 where he studied philosophy, literature, meditation, yoga, and the enlightenment culture under thirty-five of the greatest living masters of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s a great respect to him especially through his numerous contribution through his books on Tibetan Buddhism.
From Mr. Glenn which a non bias and telling through what he found, I strongly believe what he said as that Dorje Shugden practice became an all-pervasive was especially popular with Gelugpa aristocratic families. Dorje Shugden practice has been a monthly practice for most of the Gelupa monasteries and the practice continued over the generations and became popular not until the present Dalai Lama put a stop on it. Since it has been practice by so many monasteries how can the high lamas unable to see if Dorje Shugden is a spirit and how could it be popular? Aren’t this protector practice should be beneficial and helpful then only it can be practice and continue over the generation?
I’m glad that Mr Glenn has pointed out the fact which differ from what CTA has been claiming the other side of it. As a leader, CTA should unite their people by respecting the differences of their people’s right of choice. At this juncture CTA at one side is asking for freedom but on the other hand discriminating their own people’s beliefs. This really violate the human rights and religious freedom which I don’t think any leaders will do at this time or era.
There are many people received Dorje Shugden practice from their lama and if His Holiness the Dalai Lama would like to gain the respect from their people I hope His Holiness would respect their people in order to gain it in return and build a strong connection with their people.
It is a very interesting and refreshing article to read. ??
The well known and well respected author Mr Glenn Mullin is very learned, scholarly and does a lot of research. What he wrote is unbiased, non-judgemental and it is based on facts and research. ??
He wrote down the facts on Dorje Shugden history and it was a pervasive practice among the Gelupag tradition and among the Gelugpa monasteries. If Dorje Shugden practice is a pervasive practice and has been practiced by many monks and even high lama, how would it possible that Dorje Shugden is a spirits as claimed by the CTA all these while?
Mr Mullin also wrote: “In recent decades the present Dalai Lama has attempted to discourage the practice, but with little success. It is as strong today as ever, if not stronger; for with the Dalai Lama discouraging it in India, the Chinese are fully promoting it in Tibet.
Tibet watchers will be aware of this bizarre controversy, as it has even found its way onto the pages of Times and Newsweek, and has dozens of web pages dedicated to it.”
From the above extraction, we all can see that the truth behind that Dorje Shugden practice. Do we still need to say more?
CTA, please stop discriminating and blame Dorje Shugden practitioners. Please stop the ban and do not mix politics into religion. Everyone deserve to practice their religion peacefully and have the basic rights to go to school and hospital and does not need to have the approval from any political parties or government.
Thank you Mr Mullin. I look forward to read more of your books! ??
Before the ban only Tibetans know of Dorje Shugden was practice by many. People outside of Tibetan communities wouldn’t aware of such fact. However the Tibetan leadership has repeated claim Dorje Shugden is a minor practice. This is not true but without knowledge from living in Tibetan communities non-Tibetans people are lead by Tibetan leadership to belief it is true and thus avoid such the practice. Mr Mullin is a well known scholar who knows Tibetan language and their culture well. Therefore what was written has credibility backed with his research. Hopefully more people get to see his works and have a better open perspective on Dorje Shugden issue.
After reading this Mr. Glenn Mullin has stated as much truth as he knows without bias, and if it was not true, I doubt he would dare to request His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to write a forward. I mean His Holiness’s assistants would have read the book before allowing the Dalai Lama to sign his name on it right? If they did not, then it shows that they 100% trust Mr. Mullin’s accuracy and writings, hence the foreword. So this indicates clearly the Mr. Mullin definitely did not simply make things up, and if it is good enough for the Dalai Lama, it is definitely good enough for us.
So what did Mr. Mullin said… well very clearly that Dorje Shugden was a pervasive and a mainstream practice among the Gelug school of Buddhism in Tibet, so to say that Dorje Shugden practice was only for a minority is definitely untrue. He even stated why Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was murdered because he was famous and more prominent than the Dalai Lama and from the statement; “The theory was that the Great Fifth was being eclipsed by the towering stature of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, and thus would greatly benefit from the death. As long as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was alive the Fifth Dalai Lama would be number two in the Gelugpa School; his death allowed the Great Fifth to rise to the position of number one.” This makes it clear and confirms that the Tibetan leadership and those in the Dalai Lama’s office are indeed power hungry, greedy, jealous and basically this was simply a political power struggle for them so that they will be in control. It is very simple, if the Dalai Lama was number 1 then more people will go to the Dalai Lama to make offerings, and who gets benefitted, of course, the Dalai Lama’s office, his ministers who manage the funds etc.
So Mullin’s observation and the few paragraphs really summarised how the Tibetan Leadership and the Dalai Lama’s managers operate. It shows how brutal and violent they can become to maintain their power and yes this is exactly what is happening now, right up until this day with anyone who opposes the Dalai Lama or is seen to being more prominent.
This is so clear but what is even better is that the more the Dalai Lama attempts to discourage the practice, the stronger it becomes, as he stated “In recent decades the present Dalai Lama has attempted to discourage the practice but with little success. It is as strong today as ever, if not stronger; for with the Dalai Lama discouraging it in India, the Chinese are fully promoting it in Tibet.” And because of Dalai Lama’s suppression, it gives China good reasons to support and encourage Dorje Shugden practice even more. So really is the Dalai Lama stopping Dorje Shugden practice or spreading it even more? Something to think about. ?
Glenn H. Mullin is a Tibetologist, Buddhist writer, translator of classical Tibetan literature, and teacher of Tantric Buddhist meditation. He is also the well-known biographer of all fourteen Dalai Lama. He has committed so much time and effort to complete the biography. No doubt he has built a closed relationship with His Holiness too.
In his book, he has written some facts about Dorje Shugden that is contradicted with H.H Dalai Lama’s standpoint. His Holiness regarded Dorje Shugden practice was practiced by a small amount of people within Tibet, but the fact written in the book is Dorje Shugden was a pervasive and mainstream practice among Gelug school of Buddhism in Tibet. Still H.H Dalai Lama writes foreword for this book. This is something important that everyone should look into and think again.
The matter of fact is, a country should not imposed laws that restrict people from practicing their believes and spiritual path. When The Tibet Leadership claiming itself as democracy country, please grants religious freedom too to Tibetan people because everyone deserved human respect, dignity and considerations regardless of their believes or religion.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this extracted text from Mr Glenn Mullin’s book. It is refreshing to see someone writing about Tulku Drapa Gyeltsen’s death and his becoming of a Dharma Protector. He is just stating the fact and what happened without exaggeration or bias. When something like this comes from a neutral source, it made the Dorje Shugden issue a lot smaller than what it is now. It cuts off all the BS, exaggeration of biased parties and reveals the simple nature of the ban. Now everyone can have a clear picture of the ban. I sincerely thank Mr Mullin for simply presenting the facts and sharing it in his book.
Humbly,
Chris
I feel I can confidently place a lot of trust in what Mr. Glenn Mullin wrote here. To begin with, it is quite apparent that he is not a party to the Dorje Shugden divide and therefore would not have any bias whatsoever.
Mr. Glenn Mullin’s official website states that he studied under 35 of the most illustrious Buddhist masters of his time from all 4 schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The site lists his teachers and initiation masters to include the Dalai Lama, Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, Ngakpa Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Khenchen Konchok Gyaltsen, Geshe Ngawang Dargyey, Geshey Rabten, and Gongsar Tulku. That’s pretty impressive and what is more, he is also a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. And so I would say that Mr. Glen Mullins possesses a very firm academic and personal knowledge, understanding and experience of Tibetan Buddhism, its history, development and the many facets of its common and esoteric practices across all the 4 schools.
Secondly, Mr. Glenn Mullin is not only famous but also a highly learned well respected amongst his peers and fellow scholars and Tibetologists and in fact I have not heard of any criticisms of his works at all. Such a reputation of integrity and trustworthiness must be hard-earned and I cannot imagine Mr. Mullin throwing it away just like that by putting to print claims that would ruin a brilliant career and reputation had it been proven to be false.
Therefore, when Mr. Mullin wrote that Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice, it would confirm that the Tibetan government-in-exile inflicted a very deep fracture into the foundations of the Gelug and Sakya traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, and a lot of people have been affected. You can even say that the Tibetan leadership lied and willfully misled the world public on many occasions by playing down the spiritual and social significance of this dharmapala practice.
In any case, whether a religion has a large or small following should not be a factor. No one has the right to criminalise any religion especially if the laws of the countries of the free world upholds the citizens’ right to their religion. In fact the Tibetan leadership’s religious ban makes a mockery out of many laws of countries that has ironically been supporting the Tibetan struggle for ‘freedom’.
I’m glad Mr. Mullin talked about the fact that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was held in even higher regard than the Great Fifth in some circles. It is well known that one of the political tactics the Tibetan government employed in the past includes banning the search for reincarnations of lamas that were considered a threat or rival to the Dalai Lamas and they did what they can to prevent the knowledge about these lamas to be proliferated. An example of this was Pabongka Rinpoche, who was a reincarnation of the Changkya line that includes the illustrious scholar Changkya Rolpay Dorje (1717-1786), a principal Buddhist teacher in the Qing court, a close associate of the Qianlong Emperor and an important intermediary between the Chinese imperial court and Inner Asia. As the name “Changkya” had very strong Chinese connotations, the Tibetan government denies Pabongka Rinpoche the right to claim the title, and declared him to be “Pabongka”, a reincarnation of the abbot of a small monastery atop the Pabongka rock.
Something that makes me wonder is the mention that the Great Fifth tried to discourage the practice of worshipping this deity. I have read previously that the Great Fifth converted his ‘picnic house’ (‘Tro Khang’) into a chapel to Dorje Shugden, composed a praise to Dorje Shugden and crafted a statue with his own hands to Dorje Shugden as a Dharma protector. This chapel, Trode Khangsar still stands today behind the Jokhang Temple.
Until today, the reasons for the unethical ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden that had been popular since the late 1800s were deemed not logical as scholar monks debated about them in the monasteries.
I believe that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened being and not a spirit. According to the 4th Panchen Lama Losang Chogyen, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s illustrious incarnation lineage includes great beings such as Magadha Zangmo, Bodhidharma, the Kashmiri Pandit Shakya Shri, Buton Rinchen Drub and more. It doesn’t make sense that such an attained mind would become a “disturbed spirit”. The Nyingma Tantra Rinchen Nadun says that Dorje Shugden is “by nature the Great Compassionate One” (Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig) while many of the Sakya throneholders viewed and wrote praises/ prayers to Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being. In fact, according to the Sakya masters, the 31st and 37th Sakya Trizin were recognised to be the incarnations of Dorje Shugden himself. Perhaps Mr. Mullin can shed some light on this and write more about this special being and his incarnation lineage.
“Tibet watchers will be aware of this bizarre controversy, as it has even found its way onto the pages of Times and Newsweek, and has dozens of web pages dedicated to it.”
This is quite an interesting remarks as this deity Dorje Shugden is becoming even more prominent with all the controversy. Many other deities such as Tara, Lama Tsongkhapa, Manjushri does not even come close to the publicity of Dorje Shugden. In this time and age, people tend to be more logical, and they examine the real reason of the discourage of the practice, they will realise that the reasons do not hold water. Most of the HH Dalai Lama’s followers just follow what HH Dalai Lama’s discouragement but turn them into hatred, which is totally un-Buddhist like. How can Buddha reject or discriminate anyone who practice Dorje Shugden? Didn’t Buddha promote love, kindness and acceptance?
Thank you Mr Mullin for writing the facts. I hope the Tibetans will not hate Mr Mullin for what he wrote.
Nothing beats a time tested effective practice, in this case 400 years. It cannot be simply taken away, erased, banned, proven ineffective, shouted down, edited out, or destroyed. In fact, its effectiveness itself “guarantees” its continued existence and practise; and credit should be given to all the lamas, monasteries, advocates, supporters, sponsors, practitioners, friends, who have unselfishly ensured its continued existence for the benefit of more and more millions. With folded hands.