Why aren’t the monasteries helping the drought?
The Tibetan settlements throughout India, Nepal and Bhutan. In India itself, 24 tracts of land were granted by Nehru in 1959. These can be further broken down into sub-settlements. Those severely affected by the current drought are in South India (Kollegal, Mundgod, Bylakuppe and Hunsur) and amongst the largest Tibetan settlements in exile.
When Tibetans first arrived in India in 1959, the Indian government under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru assigned to the Tibetans 24 tracts of land throughout India. On these empty spaces, Tibetans would have the freedom to rebuild their lives. This meant building their homes, constructing roads, establishing shops and businesses, re-establishing their monasteries and providing social services to their own people – hospitals, schools, retirement homes. All of this was left up to the Tibetan leadership and people to do as they wished. To guide their people, the Tibetan leadership (His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA) assigned each settlement with a donjo, or representative of the Dalai Lama. The donjos are responsible for overseeing the welfare and affairs of the people. The donjos give updates to the Dalai Lama and in this way, his instructions are passed to all 24 settlements which includes over 160,000 Tibetan refugees.
Today, the 24 tracts of land granted by Nehru can be broken down in major and minor settlements, and those with monasteries have the largest and most thriving populations. This makes sense for a society where religion plays a central role to the culture and way of life. Anyway, these large and thriving settlements include Bylakuppe, Hunsur, Kollegal and Mundgod which are the locations of Sera, Gaden and Drepung Monasteries. These monasteries are the three main monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism and they are full of high lamas and accomplished masters, and have over 10,000 monks in residence today.
The grand master Gen Nyima of Gaden Monastery, an accomplished meditator and practitioner of the Yamantaka tantra
So I was saddened when I came across an article today explaining that these Tibetan settlements in South India have been severely affected by a regional drought. I was sad not only because the people are suffering but how come it seems nothing has been done about it, and the people have been allowed to suffer? During my time in Gaden, I saw with my own eyes how accomplished masters could influence the weather. It didn’t matter if they were high lamas or simple monks, or what rank they held. As long as they were accomplished in their practices, they had guru devotion and pure samaya with their teachers, and if they had developed bodhicitta, they could influence the weather. Tibetan Buddhism has many special rituals to affect and effect the weather. If it was too dry, I saw with my own eyes these accomplished meditators making it rain and save the harvest. If it was too wet and the villagers’ crops were in danger of being drowned, the masters could stop the rains. I saw this with my own eyes OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It happened every time they did rituals to influence the weather so I know it wasn’t a fluke or by chance.
For example, one grand master who I would frequently visit was Gen Nyima. Gen Nyima was a great monk of Gaden Jangtse Monastery from Gowo Khangtsen (administrative house) who resided in the deep Bhutanese forests for over 15 years before returning to Gaden. During his retreats, he focused on Lord Yamantaka’s practice with just a small thangka of Lama Tsongkhapa in his tiny room in the forest. As word grew of this holy monk meditating in the forest, many people came to seek his divine help. Gen Nyima was extremely accurate in his divinations and foretelling of the future, and he was renowned for influencing the weather and healing various illnesses if caught early. Even members of the Bhutanese Royal family used to visit him and they built roads through the dense jungles so it would be easier for people to travel to see the holy lama.
His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche of Gaden Monastery was famous for his knowledge of Sutra and profound mastery of Tantra. Rinpoche by the monastery and the laity’s requests to perform many well-known as well as obscure rituals, as he had proven the effects of his rituals. He was well-known to bring rain to drought-stricken areas and was famous for this among his other brilliant accomplishments.
Later, Gen Nyima was requested to move back to Gaden Jangtse Monastery. When he was living there, I had the great fortune to live next door to this attained master so I used to visit him a lot. I would sit by his feet and all day long, villagers came to see him and request for divination, or to heal certain parts of their bodies or diseases and illnesses. He had a long pipe and he would recite some mantras then use the pipe to blow the mantras onto the affected body parts and they would be healed. One time, I asked this accomplished practitioner about Tara pujas and he told me he didn’t know how to do them. He in fact said he does not know how to do any pujas except Yamantaka! I was quite surprised because he was such a senior and grand master and Tara pujas are very common in the monastery. So I asked him what mantras he did for healing and he told me, “Yamantaka!” Then I asked him what mantras he did for dispelling spirits and he told me, “Yamantaka!” Gen Nyima only relied upon Yamantaka. I asked him what mantras he used to affect the weather to stop or bring rain and he replied again “Yamantaka”. From just focusing on Yamantaka, he could do everything and benefit so many beings. I realised that we don’t need a lot of deities to gain attainments. All we need is one deity and if we focus on them and fully rely on them, with faith, we can gain attainments too. I learned a great lesson that day from a holy and simple monk of ‘no rank’.
Gen Nyima was also famous for influencing the weather. When it was raining heavily for many days which happens in South India, the villagers would come and request Gen Nyima to save their crops from drowning. You have to understand, they were so worried. These villagers were dirt poor and the crops were their only food and income. If the harvest was gone, they would literally starve. So Gen Nyima would take his long plastic pipe and walk outside his room, recite some mantras and then point the pipe into the sky and blow. Within half an hour, the rains would stop. He was famous for this. The villagers would also come to him if there was a drought and he would do the same thing if there had not been any rain for many weeks. Within half an hour, it would start raining. Like I said, I saw this over and over again with my own eyes and Gen Nyima was not the only one whom I saw doing this. He is just one holy example. His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was also a very powerful, holy master of influencing the weather. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was a master of the highest calibre and the guru of tens of thousands of monks and students around the world. While he was alive, he would often be requested to do rain rituals in many Tibetan settlements throughout India.
When I lived in Gaden, I sponsored many projects to help the laypeople so I know firsthand how poor the Tibetan community are, and how much they will suffer from this drought. This is myself with some Malaysians visiting one of the schools I helped to sponsor.
Gen Nyima was not a lama of high rank or from a famous Ladrang with riches and thousands of disciples, but he was a holy practitioner who had developed bodhicitta. And through his practice, one of the peripheral powers he had accomplished was the power to influence the weather. So this article below from Tibet.net which is the Central Tibetan Administration’s official website really surprised and saddened me. As I mentioned, Bylakuppe, Hunsur and Mundgod are the locations of the three main monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism which are Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries. Also, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is in Bylakuppe. These have over 10,000 monks! Hence by right, with so many great monasteries in close proximity, such a terrible drought should not have been allowed to continue. I am sure these monasteries have practising monks and meditators so how come it appears they have not been able to stop the drought? I am sure someone can request His Holiness the Dalai Lama to travel to these badly-affected areas to do rituals?
Therefore what I am about to say here may not be a popular opinion but we have to consider if samaya has been broken between the teachers, disciples and the Protectors, specifically Dorje Shugden. Samaya is the sacred relationship between a student and teacher which is formed when a commitment is made, whether it is through taking vows, receiving practices, or accepting and completing assignments. When this samaya is broken, it is impossible for the blessings of the lineage lamas to come down to the practitioner. Think of it like a pipe; when there is a break anywhere along the pipe, everyone downstream won’t receive water. So samaya is like the pipe which channels the blessings of the lineage lamas down to present-day practitioners, to empower and boost the potency of their practices and prayers.
“Dorje Shugden can offer help during difficult times.” For more information about the benefits of Dorje Shugden’s practice, please click on the image above or click here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=94052
In this case, the monasteries giving up their commitments to their lineage lamas, specifically related to their Dorje Shugden practice, might be why the prayers and rituals have been ineffective. It is not in giving up Dorje Shugden that makes the rituals perhaps done already ineffective but the broken samaya of losing faith in great master and gurus because they practise Dorje Shugden. Plus the samaya of the monasteries are broken when hundreds of great masters, practitioners and monks are expelled from the monastery just because they practise Dorje Shugden. Monks from Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries were expelled solely on that basis. This creates very heavy negative karma. If we can make offerings to the sangha and collect so much positive karma then by right, by splitting them up, the opposite effect comes. Sorry to say this but otherwise what other possible reason is there for the continued suffering of the Tibetan people and why have the rituals by these monasteries to alleviate the drought not been effective? Is it because there are no monks or sincere practitioners in the monastery? This cannot be when these settlements have over 38,000 people between them and within them, there are 10,000 monks. Is it because none of the monks know how to do a weather-influencing pujas, or to request the nagas to bring the rains? Also not possible. There are many ritual experts in the Sangha who know how to perform very complex pujas, meditations and visualisations that have elaborate altars and set-ups. I am not bringing up this point to accuse, defame or criticise but out of concern, to ask the monasteries, lamas and Tibetan government to repair the broken samaya created by defaming Dorje Shugden high lamas, tulkus, geshes and sangha. That samaya must be repaired soon. The sanghas must all unite again and not discriminate other sangha due to their Dorje Shugden practice.
So humbly, for the sake of the people who are greatly suffering from this horrendous drought, I would like to respectfully suggest that the Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries’ sangha and Tibetan people consider repairing their samayas. The Tibetan government should repair this samaya. And also the populace and monasteries can start invoking and propitiating Dorje Shugden for the rains to come. Perhaps the control form of Dorje Shugden which is Wangze, who rides on a turquoise dragon. I have lived in the Tibetan settlements myself and know firsthand how poor the people are. In fact I organised and sponsored many charity projects because the people there are so, so poor and a drought like this will really affect them. I KNOW Dorje Shugden can help. As an enlightened being, Dorje Shugden will be able to assist them if they make sincere supplications and as long as the samaya is mended. Even His Holiness the great 16th Karmapa himself prophesied that one day, we will need Dorje Shugden’s help. So I hope the Tibetan leadership will sincerely consider my request, for the benefit of the people who are desperately looking to them for help.
Forgive me if my words do not please some of you as I have written this with good motivation. May the droughts end and may everyone have abundance again. May the samayas of the monasteries and lay people be repaired soon.
Tsem Rinpoche
All Steps to be Taken to Compensate Tibetan Farmers Affected by Drought in South India: Department of Home
Mr Tsering Dorjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Home, CTA examining a corn field affected by drought.
DHARAMSHALA: The five major Tibetan settlements in South India have recently been hit by an unprecedented drought in the region, ravaging over 5,900 acres of standing crops in the five largest Tibetan communities.
Tibetan farmers in Bylakuppe, Hunsur, Kollegal and Mundgod settlements have been gripped by an extensive drought which caused a near-total loss of crops and brought hundreds of Tibetans families to the brink of an urgent economic crisis.
In an interview with Tibet.net, Acting Secretary, Mr Chemi Rigzin, Department of Home, lamented the severity of the crisis and assured that the department would take all necessary steps to provide compensation for the affected farmers and their family members.
“We are faced with the most severe case of crop failure ever recorded in Tibetan exile history. All the five major Tibetan settlements have been gripped by an unfortunate and severe drought this season. However, we have started issuing appeals to our foreign supporters, Offices of Tibet around the world and Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan for immediate relief assistance. We assure all the affected farmers that the department will do its best and all necessary steps would be taken to ensure compensation for the losses,” Mr Chemi Rigzin said.
The department is focussed on gathering relief and evolving a mechanism to disburse the compensations at the earliest, he added.
Farmers who have incurred losses of 50 per cent of crops or more would be compensated and eligible farmers would be compensated as per rules and regulations of the Disaster Relief Fund.
Mr Tsering Dorjee, Joint Secretary of Home department had earlier led a detailed survey to assess the gravity of loss in Kollegal, Bylakuppe and Hunsur settlements from 4 – 12 October 2016. A detailed survey in Mundgod Tibetan settlement was conducted by a local official.
The survey led by Mr Tsering Dorjee ascertained a complete report of losses incurred by each farmer in all the five affected settlements.
Kollegal Tibetan settlement, with the largest agricultural community, has suffered the biggest loss this season. Farmers in the region have incurred a combined crop loss to the tune of Rs 30,032,233.57, resulting in total crop loss for some.
Families in Mundgod Tibetan settlement has suffered 50 – 80 per cent loss, while Hunsur Tibetan farmers suffered 50 – 70 per cent loss, costing an approximate Rs 2,280,245.72
The near-total crop loss have resulted in a debilitating impact on the income and consumption of a large number of Tibetan families in these settlements. Many of them have taken huge loans from banks to cover their investments.
| No | Settlement | Acres of cultivated land | Losses incurred |
| 1. | Kollegal Tibetan Settlement | 2157.1 | Rs 30,032,233.57 |
| 2. | Hunsur Tibetan Settlement | 229.6 | Rs 2,280,245.72 |
| 3. | Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement | 424 | Rs 2,397,819.60 |
| 4. | Mundgod Tibetan Settlement | 335.12 | Rs 3,003,126.00 |
Drought-affected crops
A corn field hit by drought
More than 5900 acres of cultivated land have been ravaged by recent drought in South India.
Source: http://tibet.net/2016/11/all-steps-to-be-taken-to-compensate-tibetan-farmers-affected-by-drought-in-south-india-department-of-home/
Update November 14, 2016
Any refugee community which has been in a free country for more than 50 years should already be able to stand on their own two feet and stop making appeals. The very fact the CTA continues to ask for donations and, on top of that, uses the Dalai Lama’s name tells you how ineffective their work has been. This is not meant as a criticism but as a description of reality.
So on a secular level, they are still begging for money and relying on handouts after 50 years of exile in a free country like India where all opportunities for success have been afforded to them. And yet, they are still begging for money. Thus on a secular level as well as a spiritual level, the Central Tibetan Administration have not fulfilled their namesake.
India is free, everyone can do what they want. The Tibetan leadership were given land, opportunities, education and aid, and so many Western charities help them. This is much, much more than any other refugee community in the world has received and yet, they still can’t make it. Instead, they have spent millions on campaigns, websites, pamphlets and books against Dorje Shugden, instead of putting these donations towards their people.
For more interesting information and links:
- The Dorje Shugden category on my blog
- Can Tibetan Lamas Make Mistakes?
- Go On, Break Your Samaya
- What He Can Do For Us / 祂能为我们做些什么？
- Powerful Qualities of Dorje Shugden in Memes (Tibetan) | དཔེ་རིས་དེར་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་གྱི་ཁྱད་པར་དུ་འཕགས་པའི་ཁྱད་ཆོས་རྣམས།
- Dorje Shugden Wangze for Power and Influence
- Dorje Shugden Retreat: A Powerful Practice to Fulfill Wishes
- Dorje Shugden Trakze to Dispel Black Magic & Spirits
- Dorje Shugden Gyenze to Increase Life, Merits and Wealth
- Namkar Barzin
- The Sakya Lineage & Dorje Shugden
- Sakya Trizin’s Dorje Shugden Prayer
- Updated: Dorje Shugden Teaching Videos
- They were not wrong
- The 14th Dalai Lama’s prayer to Dorje Shugden
- Advice to a YAMANTAKA Initiate
- The Prophecy of the 16th Karmapa
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Where I live, there had been too little rain for 2 years. The climate became too hot almost unbearable at 40-42 degrees in Celcius scale. We often slept in our own sweat.
One day, as a repentance practice, I did 108 prostrations in front of the picture of Sakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrapani and Manjushri. Actually, I intended to make it into daily practice.
However, I was useless. My feet could not handle 108 prostrations. After that very first day, I could barely walk for a week. So, I ended up only bowing 100 times a day.
However, rain started to pour down after about a month of bowing 100 times a day.
It was meant for repentance (the prostrations and bowing). However, rain was the result.
While reading this article, it reminded me of the 5 heinous crime that we committed in Buddhism, and they were:
1. Intentionally murdering one’s father.
2. Intentionally murdering one’s mother.
3. Killing an Arhat (fully enlightened being).
4. Shedding the blood of a Buddha.
5. Creating a schism within the Sangha, the community of Buddhist monks and nuns who try to attain enlightenment.
So what the Tibetan government did was very bad, they create separation, schism among the sangha community who were trying to practice to gain enlightenment, it is definitely their negative karma will be extremely heavy. I sincerely hope they really can aware of what they are committing and reverse their action asap, or else they will be just committing more and more heavy karma by continuing to create obstacles to the sangha members.
India has experienced widespread drought every year. Climate change, is a major causing factor of droughts. It’s unfortunate that Tibetan communities living in India were affected badly as a result of broken samaya in abandoning Dorje Shugden practice. Human activities also contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, and has cause the abnormal elevation of global temperatures. These famines caused millions of deaths due to widespread crop failures without rain for the whole seasons. When we don’t have enough water for these activities, many people and many different things will be affected in many different ways.
Why aren’t the monasteries helping the drought? There must be a reason then. Due to broken samaya of loosing faith and expulsion of great masters, practitioners and monks creates heavy negative karma, the whole Tibetan community has to suffer for it. In order to stop the drought, the CTA must realised the mistakes they have done. They should stop using the funds donated from others means to help those affected, repair the samaya with their guru, and perform the necessary puja to bring the rain which can be done by great highly attained masters . Tibetan Buddhism has many special rituals to affect and effect the weather. H H Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Gen Nyima were well known for influencing the weather bringing rain to drought-stricken areas.
The ban on Dorje Shugden practice have caused much hardship and suffering among the Tibetans and many more. If he CTA could repair the samaya for a harmony and peaceful communities will be great.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Thank you so much for this article. This article is mainly about Tibetan’s freedom to rebuild their lives when they first arrived in India in 1959. At that time, the Indian government under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru assigned 24 tracts of land throughout India to the Tibetans.
And today, the 24 tracts of land can be broken down in major and minor settlements. This makes sense for a society where religion plays a central role to the culture and way of life. Thank you.
Mantras are sacred verbalized words that invoke the protection and blessings of the deity to whom the mantra is ascribed. Mantras are also the manifestations of Buddhas in the form of ‘sounds’, hence the various mantras of Dorje Shugden contain the essence of the Protector.
Dorje Shugden’s main mantra 多杰雄登主要咒语
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace 平和咒语
For gaining attainments through the energy of Peaceful Shugden, peace of environment and mind, harmony in one’s abode and dwelling area, and calming of disasters
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SHANTI SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for health 福寿安康咒语
For long life, increasing life, healing of disease and protection from diseases
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA AYU SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for increase 增长咒语
For gaining great merits and increase of all necessary needs, both material and spiritual
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA PUNYE SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for control 控制咒语
Of worldly deities, negative people and nagas and for influencing friends towards the positive
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA WASHAM KURU HO
Dorje Shugden’s mantra to grant protection 庇护咒语
Visualize that you are in the Protector’s mandala, fully protected from outside interferences. Recite when in danger or for dangerous situations, for protection while travelling or when residing in dangerous/hostile places
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA RAKYA RAKYA HUNG
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videouploads/comment-1544345059.mp4
Dear friends,
Tibet has produced many powerful meditations, rituals and guidelines to help us gain spiritual protection, gain wisdom and higher states of consciousness. In general Tibet has produced many powerful methods for the growth of our spiritual evolution. Dorje Shugden is an angel, a saint, a powerful spiritual protector-warrior who originated 350 years ago when a highly awakened Tibetan Lama fulfilled his vows to become a special being to grant protection, wisdom, material needs, safety when travelling (normal and astral travel) and spiritual awakening. Both the Great 5th Dalai Lama and the current His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama composed short yet effective prayers to invoke upon the power and blessings of this special saint and protector. One can recite either one of the prayers that you feel suits you, anytime or even daily. When you feel a special need for help, you can recite either prayer anytime. When you are feeling down, afraid or just need a blessing, you can recite them. After reciting either invocation, it is good to chant the mantra of Dorje Shugden: Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha.
You do not have to be a Buddhist or practitioner of any religion to invoke upon the blessings and protection of this special enlightened and awakened angel Dorje Shugden. He helps all without discrimination or bias as he is filled with compassion and love. Divinity has no boundaries, they help all who call upon them.
Enclosed are the prayers in English, Chinese and Tibetan.
May you be safe, protected and blessed.
Tsem Rinpoche
More on the Great 5th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2w7KHv6
More on H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2QdaL4n
Chapel (Trode Khangsar) built by the Great 5th Dalai Lama dedicated to Dorje Shugden in Lhasa – https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
—
亲爱的朋友们，
西藏产生了许多有助于我们得到精神庇佑、取得智慧和更高层次之觉悟的强大禅修法、仪式和教诲。总括来说，西藏产生了许多有助于我们在修行上取得提升的强有力方法。多杰雄登是一个天使，一位圣人和一名护法战士。他的崛起始于350年前，当一位高度觉悟的西藏高僧履行本身的承诺，化身为特别的护法，赐予我们守护、智慧、物质需要、出入平安（平日外游和神游时）和灵修上的觉醒。任何人都可以随时随地在任何时候念诵适合自己的祈愿文。当你需要特别的帮助时，你可以随时念诵任何一篇祈愿文。当你感到沮丧、恐惧或仅是需要加持时，你也可以持诵这些祈愿文。在念诵任何祈请文后，你应该接着念诵多杰雄登的心咒：嗡 班杂 维格 毗札那 娑哈 Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha。
要祈请多杰雄登这位特殊、觉悟和觉醒的天使赐予加持和庇佑，你无需是佛教徒或任何宗教的修行者。他总是没有分别或偏见，充满慈悲和慈爱地帮助一切众生。神圣是没有界限的，圣者会帮助有求于他的任何人。
以下附上英文、中文和藏文的祈愿文。
愿你平安，常受庇护和加持。
尊贵的詹杜固仁波切
更多关于第五世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2zsC3tG
更多关于第十四世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2r4aaDN
第五世达赖尊者为多杰雄登护法在拉萨建造的护法殿（布旦康萨）— https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
Divination (‘mo’) Text by Dorje Shugden
This is an important divination (‘mo’) text composed by Dorje Shugden himself. Dorje Shugden took trance of the Choyang Dulzin oracle lama, the senior oracle of Gaden Shartse Monastery, and instantly on the spot composed this text within two hours.
The divination text contains information on how to use dice to do divination for the future and is known to be highly accurate. When practitioners use this text, they will be in direct contact with Dorje Shugden to get answers to questions about the future. It is for those who have good samaya with Dorje Shugden and are free of the eight worldly dharmas to be of benefit to others in divining the future.
Tsem Rinpoche
DS-MO-choyang.pdf
Be blessed with these rare videos featuring explanation and advice about Dorje Shugden practice by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in his own voice. The teaching was requested by Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the earliest masters who taught Tibetan Buddhism in the West.
Video 1: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Explains Dorje Shugden Initiation and Benefits (With English Subtitles)
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet. At the request of Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Tibetan Buddhism in America, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives clear explanation and advice about the life-entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden and how to go about the practice and get the maximum benefits in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzFMvlxAqtc&feature=youtu.be
Video 2: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche speaks on the History and Lineage of Dorje Shugden (With English Subtitles)
In this video, an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche talks about the incarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden and how the practice arose, with examples of Dorje Shugden’s previous lives that reveal his powerful spiritual attainments and contributions. This very rare teaching was given at the request of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s student, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Buddhism in the West to many disciples since the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzKSJgK618&feature=youtu.be
For more information: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/kyabje-zong-rinpoches-advice-on-dorje-shugdens-practice.html
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 asssistants of his mandala.
Dorje Shugden is a powerful protector deity who is also an emanation of Manjushri, a wisdom bestowing Buddha. Therefore, he has great ability to help us to progress further on the spiritual path. He does this by helping us to overcome obstacles and problems for the modern individual.
Due to his enlightened nature, Dorje Shugden is able to manifest 32 deities and within the same abode resides Setrap and Kache Marpo:-
1. 5 Dorje Shugden families or emanations. They consists of the following:-
– Dulzin Dorje Shugden, which performs activities to eliminate inner and outer obstacles.
– Shize, which performs activities to pacify all illnesses and disease.
– Gyenze, which performs activities to increase all desirable material and spiritual wealth.
– Wangze, which performs activities to control difficult people and circumstances.
– Trakze, which performs activities to wrathfully eliminate all insurmountable obstacles and life-threatening situations.
2. 9 Mothers. They represent protection of the five senses and developing control of the four elements. These are all attributes that signify their ability to assist tantric practitioners with their higher meditations.
3. 8 Guiding Monks. They represent the Eight Great Bodhisattvas (Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, Kshitigarbha, Akashagarbha, Sarva-nivarana-viskambini) and they bring about the growth of the Dharma, through the Sangha, Dharma practitioners and Dharma establishments.
4. 10 Youthful & Wrathful Attendants. They represent the ten wrathful attendants to avert inner and outer obstacles. They are beings who are from Mongolia, China, Kashmir, India, Bengali, etc.
5. Setrap. He is a senior Dharma Protector from India and an emanation of Amitabha Buddha. He had enthroned Dorje Shugden as an authentic Dharma Protector. Therefore, he also resides within the same mandala of Dorje Shugden.
6. Kache Marpo. He is not an emanation of Dorje Shugden but he is still an enlightened Dharma Protector in his own right. He was originally known as Tsiu Marpo of Samye Monastery. However, he has placed himself under the service of Dorje Shugden as his chief minister, performing many activities in order to protect and benefit practitioners. Therefore, he stands guard at the main entrance of Dorje Shugden’s mandala. He often takes trance of qualified mediums to speak.
7. Namkar Barzin. He is the reincarnation of an old Mongolian monk and when he passed away in Phari area of Tibet, his spirit was placed as a powerful assistant of Dorje Shugden. He guards and protects buildings and great institutions especially those that benefit others. He rides on a mythical Gyaling animal that resembles a goat but with scales.
These sacred images are available on *Vajrasecrets. They are made of high quality alloy and are one of a kind. They are based on the lineage of His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s monastery, Tashilhunpo in Shigatse, Tibet. In fact, the iconography of these statues are based on detailed photographs taken by H. E. Tsem Rinpoche during a trip to Tashilhunpo’s protector chapel. These are based exactly as the 10th Panchen Lama’s personal collection.
Dorje Shugden mandala: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=131570
Dorje Shugden’s benefit and practice: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=62422
Dorje Shugden’s origins: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=106424
Dorje Shugden chapel in His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=68698
*Stand not included
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.
Oh dear…., such a bad drought and the people were badly affected . Millions of crops been destroyed due to the bad weather. Its very unfortunate that so many lives are affected . Unprecedented droughts caused massive crop failures across the Tibetan settlements, leaving hundreds of families in hunger. Due to broken samaya of loosing faith and expulsion of great masters, , practitioners and monks creates very heavy negative karma. Prayers and rituals have been ineffective since then and yet the Tibetan leadership or CTA are not doing enough to help them. Generally if the Tibetan leadership and people can repair their samaya and by invoking and propitiating Dorje Shugden for the rains to come. Once this samaya is broken, is broken and it is impossible for the blessings of the lineage lamas then. The CTA has mix religion with politics has achieved nothing but sufferings, pain and sorrow for the people. Due to the kindness of India, the Tibetans in exile have been given much help and assistance donations, educations land to build their homes and so forth. Yet the Tibetans leardership still relying on foreign donations. Sad the money was not channel to the people instead use it on unnecessary purposes like going against Dorje Shugden practice with those campaigns, websites, pamphlets and so forth.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Great message every Tibetan especially must read!
For longest time, people who have been misled have wrongly accused Dorje Shugden practitioners and have hated blindly without understanding the real issue. Therefore it is very refreshing to see this comment by Suzy in Rinpoche’s YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl-4lIwxph4&t=11s] in which she eloquently expressed how her mind shifted about Dorje Shugden after learning more about the Protector.
The drought affecting all the Tibetan communities is definitely a result of bad karma ripening on the Tibetans.
Places where Schism has occurred are very negative places, and can attract tremendous amounts of negative karma. When the karma manifests then disasters like drought can certainly afflict the Tibetan community. The scale of the drought shows the extent of the karma that is triggering the drought and the severity of the effects matches the schism that had been committed.
What is so surprising is that the CTA, government in exile, instead of channeling help in terms of funds to the communities that are struggling, they are campaigning and spending all their resources to defame Dorje Shugden and all the lamas associated with Dorje Shugden. No money to help their own community, but they have money to do negative actions on Dorje Shudgen people.
It is indeed very unfortunate that so many lives are affected as a result of broken samaya. As Rinpoche wrote, “It is not in giving up Dorje Shugden that makes the rituals perhaps done already ineffective but the broken samaya of losing faith in great master and gurus because they practise Dorje Shugden. Plus the samaya of the monasteries are broken when hundreds of great masters, practitioners and monks are expelled from the monastery just because they practise Dorje Shugden. Monks from Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries were expelled solely on that basis. This creates very heavy negative karma.”
Hence, their drought is at its worst ever. The negative karma is so heavy, the rituals are not effective. The only way is to repair the broken samaya. It is not logical that no single lama can control the weather and stop this drought. So either the people with broken samaya wake up and repair this broken samaya or stay stubborn due to selfish agendas and continue to suffer. As this negative karma snow balls, I can’t imagine what will happen next. It’s a scary thought.
The great master Gen Nyima was not a high rank /famous lama. However he was a holy practitioner who had developed bodhicitta, only focus on one deity i.e. Yamantaka and had the power to influence the weather. This shows that when we focus on one deity and fully rely on the deity with strong faith, eventually we can attainments too. Furthermore, H.E Kensur Jetsun Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche said before that If we fully rely on Dorje Shugden, and focus on Dorje Shugden, we definitely can become fully enlightened because Dorje Shugden is a fully enlightened being.
By looking at the current situation, the special rituals is no longer effective to influence the weather. This might due to the reason of they giving up Dorje Shugden practice which caused the broken samaya of losing faith between the practitioners and great master and gurus.
Hope the Tibetan leadership see the point here and see the suffering of Dorje Shugden practitioners.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Being an outsider myself (non-Tibetan and just a follower-practitioner), actually you can hardly differentiate between logic and truth. Sometimes you think that you are practicing correctly in that moment, but others might not think the same as yours. I am thankful that Rinpoche always encourages us to investigate and check for ourselves. In this case, I would support what Rinpoche has laid out here. Something must be not right in that sense. Those High Lamas and practitioners should investigate and put forth a logic for this drought to be happened.
Thank you Rinpoche.
_/\_ Nobody wants all this suffering to continue. So the rain dances don’t work anymore. As Rinpoche explained in another video, the elementals can be appeased and propitiated to bring rain. But that only works if the lines of communication had not been broken. It’s just like maybe they’ve been calling and texting but there is no reception in that area and the elementals did not get the message or they’re unhappy.
In this case, it is so clear that there is broken samaya coming to play. Due to the heavy negative karma that resulted from past and continuous serious non-virtuous action of a group of people, the whole community has to suffer for it. Innocent people were killed in a most horrible way, notably Methar and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. Now that Dorje Shugden has arisen, they defame him and persecute people who do his practice. Karma has not forgotten and as Rinpoche explained, karma’s job is to make you suffer.
When they killed Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen during the 5th Dalai Lama’s time, a large plume of smoke rose from the funeral pyre fire and covered all of Lhasa in the shape of a gigantic black hand. All the people in Lhasa were shocked and scared, and a series of calamities and turbulent events quickly followed. The livestock and crops died, while the earth shook and the weather was turbulent. This current sad drought situation seems to be a replay of the same occurance during that time.
谢谢仁波切的分享。
现在在印度发生的旱灾是如此的严重， 且都是发生在藏人乃至佛教寺院的所在地。 为什么藏传佛教著名于以一些特殊仪式为人消灾、求雨事迹怎么会完全无法帮助到这个旱灾呢？
仁波切在文中所提到的例子有很多都是寺院高僧通过密续修持和成就菩提心为人治病、求雨、祈求雨停等等。 这些都是在印度当地众所周知的事情。 但是为什么现在这个旱灾无法通过这些方法解决呢？ 这也是非常值得我们探讨的事情。
在佛教中， 所有成就都是源自于上师依止心， 没有上师依止、清净的三昧耶， 无论我们如何修行都没有用。 在文中提到的论点就是多杰雄登禁令让很多人破坏了三昧耶。 其实修不修持多杰雄登并不是最重要的重点， 不过毁谤、欺压修持多杰雄登的高僧是破坏三昧耶的最大因素。 尤其是藏人行政中央多年来不注重藏人的福利， 而是一味炒作多杰雄登课题。 打压多杰雄登修持者， 这些都让很多藏人犯下违背上师的共业。 这些都可以解释为什么旱灾无法通过法会或祈求本尊加持的方式结束。
所以还是要回到问题的根源， 就是三昧耶的问题。 要如何修复三昧耶呢？ 其中一个就是停止多杰雄登禁令， 停止打压多杰雄登修持者。
谢谢。
It saddened whoever read about the drought situation in Tibetan settelments.
*Why there are no precaution steps taken before the drought turn so bad & so many are badly affected? What are the reasons behind this lack of precaution steps? A dysfuntion administrative office of Tibet? The welfare of the people is not on their priority list? They care less about thier people? They are busy with other affairs than their people’s affairs?
*Why there are no monks can perform the rain ritual to save the situation? No one villager in all the affected settlement have asked the monastery for help as they were asking whenever they need to settle the weather problem as in previous time? Should be somenoe has asked for rain through ritual and prayer to deities from the monasteries or through the Tibetan leaders.
If there is someone in the monastery can perform the rain ritual, why it doesn’t help or no more working this time round? I would believe in what the logic provided by Rinpoche in which breaking of samaya & losing faith in Dorje Shugden lamas making all the rituals no more effective.. The consequences of dividing the sangha (expel Dorje Shugden monks from monsateries) is heavy, ineffective in their prayer would be one of the majors consequences one.
*Any steps taken to solve the drought and ineffectiveness of the prayers? For a Central Tibetan Administartion continues to step up all their efforts to against Dorje Shugden practice and masters who practice it., we can guess Tibetan leadership is not believing what damages they have done so far therefore no actions haves taken to mend the situation. They continue to blame any parties except themselves for any unfortunate things happen. It’s sad to know a leadership who is not for the people, one any bad situation can turn into an opportunity for the leadership…
So the CTA straight away ask for money from the West when they are in trouble? If the are so poor, then why on earth do they spend their good people’s money to create a nonsensical documentary and print a 400+ pages of books that basically condemns another religious faith. We all know it is filled with lies and whatever is said in there is nothing but just twisted facts. Why not use the money to help their people who are facing the drought problem? Sounds to me that they just wasted a lot of funds on something useless, useless because it’s foundation is lies and hatred, so the results will generally be negative. So money down the drain literally which could have gone to the Tibetans suffering from this drought.
Another question is why do the Tibetan leadership keep wanting to split their people up? Do they not understand the motto “United we stand, Divided we fall”? They are already a minority, why create more segregation which is not good for their Tibet cause. This is not goinf to free Tibet, just make themselves more vulnerable. So silly (sigh).
It is illogical to see why there were nothing done to make the drought situation better in India. This is very unusual and probably what CTA could have done was to allocate money to even help the situation better rather than investing money into publishing some books and videos against Dorje Shugden practice and blatantly claiming no discrimnation against Dorje Shugden practitioners in India. I think this is why the people there are suffering from this unattended drought. I am sure the monasteries have done their part in doing various pujas to help ease the situation but i think the devastating effect of the issue is that many of them have already broken their samaya in abandoning Dorje Shugden practice under the advice or governance of CTA resulting in so much damage done leading to ineffectiveness of puja. I feel sad for the situation and may their sufferings be addressed as soon as possible.
The symptoms of degeneration of practice and worse still, broken samaya on a rather massive scale, is there for the trained eye to see. Being unable to help tame droughts and floods is certainly a symptom.
Practices stem from a proven lineage, proven to be effective, but practices are not like a lawnmower or pasta maker which can be handed to anyone and without much training, to get results successfully and without much fortitude.
Indeed, the ingredients for successful practice include intact samaya or the strong bond between the teacher and the student, the master and the disciple, together with keeping all the promises or to have a strong discipline in order for success. This is certainly not like a lawnmower which you could just put aside and bring it out every now and then when you need to mow the grass.
To me, unlike a pasta maker which is physically there in our kitchen cabinet, ready to produce physical results (pasta :), practices need us to contact and tap the energies that are there but which we cannot see. Are these energies there? Of course they are, if not, how did past practitioners get results?
We get this ability by learning from and working with a Guru and lineage holder. So if we abandon our Guru, don’t keep our promises, don’t do our practices and perfect them, it would be very logical to say that we will not get results. And the saddest part is that after one or maybe two generations, the practice will be lost.
May the Tibetan monasteries in India repair samaya and stop generating very, very dire karma by not carrying out administrative policies which result in broken samaya. May they Tibetan monasteries in India encourage strong, strong samaya.
I’m a Buddhist, I believe in Karma. Everything happened for a reason including disasters. Whatever negative karma created all these years due to broken sayama, lies, corruption of CTA must stop in order to stop the drought.
CTA failed in their secular level, need not talk about spiritual level at all. Why blamed a deity who has been protected the people, not only Tibetan but all His practioners.
CTA has to stop using the resources (donated from the people all around the world to help the Tibetan) for their own benefits. The fund should be used correctly to re build the country and help the poor. Why focus on divide the people further, creating suffering by spreading lies and ban for Dorje Shugden. Such a heavy karma created for the people.
Why is that practicing Dorje Shugden only effect Tibetan? While CTA is currupted and only focus on their own benefits? putting down pure lamas such as H.H Ganchen Rinpoche, H.H. Trijang Rinpoche and many more. Why do we have to stop and give up our practice for Tibet but CTA kept destroying Tibet? What benefit CTA going to bring to the world? What have CTA contributed to improve the refugees situation in India? Other than taking from the people, what else?
Before blaming Dorje Shugden and the practioners illogically, please look at how China rebuild Tibet, how China contributed and helped the poor in Tibet. what have CTA done? Nothing but blamed a deity.
I’m not a Tibetan but I have many Tibetan friends. They are spiritual, kind and sincere people. CTA Please be kind to your own people and stop lying to them. They want nothing but freedom of doing their practice. CTA must stop creating sufferings and divisive amomg Tibetan. Stop abusing the power to put down all pure lamas in all schools. CTS must start repairing the samaya. That’s the only way to go before it’s too late.
I wonder if the monasteries did prayers to ask for rain. If they did, it indicates that the prayer from them are not effective. But I have few more questions regarding on the whole
1) is drought common in India?
2) did the monasteries did prayers to ask for rain during the droughts?
3) the prayer for asking rain has just became ineffective recently(2016) or it has been ineffective since there is a ban on Dorje Shugden?
4) if the answer is no for Q.3, does it mean that the prayer will be ineffective only when the individual has broken samaya (etc.,abandon practice of Dorje Shugden which is a pure lineange of dharma practice from their previous gurus)?
Hmm.. going to read more to answer my above questions.
I remember Rinpoche sharing with us many times of how his Guru, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Gen. Nyima’s ability to command the weather. I was in awe at their attainments and how effective they were able to help the people as many were dependent on their crops for their livelihood. So it is with great surprise that I read about this drought? Why with the many Lamas (I am sure attained ones too) are not able to do the puja to bring forth the rain? Have they lost their “powers”? I think what Rinpoche explained about broken samaya make a whole lot of sense. After all how can one turn against one’s own Guru for practicing Dorje Shugden bring any blessings to one’s Dharma practices? In our practice, the Guru is the Buddha and the Buddha is our Guru. So in turning against the Guru, you have forfeited yourself of the Buddha.
And also, there’s the heavy karma of so many Shugden Sangha being run out of their monasteries and being targeted with harm. For so long the Anti-Shugdens had collectively caused so much sufferings for the Shugden practitioners and so all those negative karma must ripen sometime right? Maybe if it gets too serious, they should really consider inviting a Shugden Lama who had held pure Guru samaya to perform the rain puja.
I find it peculiar that CTA is able to come out with the losses or need of compensation so clearly in such a short time whereas their accounting of sponsorship monies had been murky for years. After nearly 60 years living on sponsorship monies and with all the opportunities open to the refugees worldwide, CTA still ask for more handouts on top of existing handouts. Without even a country to their name, can they really be considered legitimate, especially living in host country for more than 50 years already. So they are actually governing on borrow land, not even a country.
I do hope that CTA will be able to solve the problems soon as the real sufferers are the farmers who will starve if their crops are destroyed by the drought.
Drought ain’t no fun, during drought season, it can kill off all the crops, vegetables, and when it become more serious, even living beings will die from dehydration. rain and dry season is a must routine for anywhere we stay, because we need to strike for a balance, everything in this world need to be balanced, just like in Dharma, Nagarjuna teaching about middle view, that is also to strike for a balance between Spiritual and Material, never too extreme on either side.
When Lama Tsogkhapa was born, he took on the task to spread Nagajunar’s middle view, then Dorje Shugden arise as a protector to protect Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, hence his practice is very swift and effective, I have personally seen how effective Dorje Shugden’s puja is, how many people and situation Dorje Shugden has saved and helped them to overcome these difficulties.
When our guru gives us a practice, we are to keep the practice until our guru permit us to let go or we die, there is no other way, or else, we will create a broken samaya once we receive the practice and giving up, as per what was mentioned in the article, then our any other practice will never bear result, and in fact, with our high caliber guru that gave us the practice, that means he has checked and know what practice suits us the best due to the affinity we created in our past life, so if we give up this most suited practice, what other practice can we expect to do, it just doesn’t make sense at all.
During this drought season, where many people’s living were affected, I hope the people can put down whatever conflict they having and repair the samaya with their guru, then perform the necessary puja to overcome this effectively.
Yes, it is time to accept Dorje Shugden’s help as like the great 16th Karmapa himself prophesied that one day, we will need Dorje Shugden’s help. Release others suffering should be our priority as a Buddhist.
The ban of Dorje Shugden has resulted segregation among the monks in monasteries, a huge amount of negative karma has been collected by this. In addition to the broken Samaya has cause the practice not effective. Samaya has a lineage from Vajradhara up until your own guru. So because of the ban of Dorje Shugden, the broken Samaya indirectly resulted the broken of the lineage , therefore how can the practice still be effective.
Is time to lift the Dorje Shugden ban and repair the samaya for a harmony environment and better world.
It is sad to hear that many people suffering in their spiritual practice due to DS ban. They are forced to stop into continuing their teacher’s teaching which will cause a very bad negative karma. From a broken samaya, there are no merits gain for them especially into spiritual practice and dharma.
May the ban lift ASAP, lessen the sufferings and gives the people freedom especially mended back their broken samaya.
Here is what I have heard from seniors and do comment or add if any…
Samaya is the spiritual bond, commitment and loyalty between a student and his Guru, or a student and his spiritual community (which could be either ordained or lay). To maintain good, clean samaya is to engage in Dharma practice exactly in accordance with our teacher’s instructions.
Also, while maintaining a pure samaya with our teachers and honoring our words towards him creates merit, it is only logical that doing the opposite creates a kind of demerit, or karma that prevents our positive merit from opening up. When we break samaya, it is like saying that we do not believe or accept the teachings and guidance from our Lama, that we know better. In this case, we create the karma to be separated from the Guru and not to be able to receive the teachings in future.
Thanks Rinpoche and the blog team for sharing about the sad news in India now.
When Rinpoche raised up this issue, it makes sense that how come the current condition were allowed whereby there are powerful practices in the monasteries to help all sentient beings.
According to the report, this drought is unprecedented. Like what Rinpoche mentioned, there were masters that can control the weather to help the farmers but seems like nothing work now. There must be something not right and the closest thing that make sense is the broken samaya disabling the enlighten ones to help.
Mending Samaya may not be a bad thing to do for the well being of the people. May the monasteries repair the leaking pipe and get the full help from the enlighten beings.
Thank you.
It is indeed not logical that the Dalai Lama and CTA don’t stop the suffering of so many Tibetans. HH knows for sure that lamas with bodhicitta, guru devotion and pure samaya can control the weather or heal a person.
So why is it that so many people are threatened by the drought and if no help arises, they will have to suffer its consequences. So many monks are residing in the area but they cannot help because of the broken samaya to their guru and protector, Dorje Shugden.
Dorje Shugden is for sure a very powerful protector but due to the request to stop the Dorje Shugden practice by the Dalai Lama and its enforcement through the CTA, so much damage has been done. The blessings of the lineage lamas cannot pass through and therefore the practices and prayers are ineffective and don’t bring help.
We wish very much that this drought can be stopped as well as the suffering of so many Dorje Shugden practitioners since so many years and the ban on Dorje Shugden will be ended as soon as possible. May the samayas be repaired soon.
Thank you Rinpoche, for this clear explanation on the effects of broken samaya.
The CTA should not have waited that long and did nothing for the poor farmers. With modern day technology and more accurate weather forecast, CTA would knew in advance how bad and how long the drought would have lasted. They could have taken measures to prepare for the drought but no, they were busy with political work that benefitted them personally. And the political work includes the ban on Dorje Shugden practice that is not only affecting Dorje Shugden practitioners but also the poor farmers brought on by the prolonged drought. And instead of spending time and money in coming out with the latest, a video against Dorje Shugden, CTA should have used it for the drought problem. As said by Rinpoche, and I reiterate: the ban has resulted in broken samaya among many sangha members and lay people in the Tibetan community in India.
I hope to see the end of the ban so that families, relatives, friends and divided sangha members can be reunited again. I pray it will be soon
It is so true. How come after 50 years of independence, they still can’t help the Tibetans? And it makes sense, how come they do not seek spiritual guidance earlier? Why wait till so late? Seeking donations now can only help temporarily. They should have monitored and talk to the people to find solutions. What kind of government takes care of their people like that?
And what if the donations don’t come? Or perhaps CTA would like to have some of it for their own use?
We in KFR have personally did and experienced how powerful Dorje Shugden’s Puja is. We requested for Dorje Shugden to help control the weather as prescribed by our Guru and it is very effective. So if we can, why can’t the protectors that CTA approve do the same. Perhaps the damage of broken samaya is taking its toll and manifesting?
I personally have seen how a dark cloud move away after a Puja has been carried out. I have no doubt of the effectiveness of the Puja. I strongly agree that if we break our samaya we will not get the blessing from our Puja as what we learn is from our Guru that has a pure lineage to bless us.
It make sense that there are so many great monasteries and there should be someone that able to carry out the Puja to help the situation but in this case why it doesn’t? It’s not about the method or what Puja to do but is the essence, the quality of the one that carry out the Puja.
The only reason like what has been said in the article is the broken samaya from the students to the teacher that causes the situation.
In the spiritual side we have the assumption where we still can amend the situation but whether to be carry out is still subject to the individual as of this moment we can see political reason has been mix into spiritual and causes the unnecessary suffering for example Dorje Shugden ban. Many people would just blindly follow and never want to investigate and research for the truth or logic. What we can see here is the after effect that quite obvious and make sense. Many have forgotten the fundamental of the spiritual practice.
In the political aspect it sad that CTA still unable to stand by it own to be independent after 50 years. Looking at the monetary support they received being spend on unnecessary ban which they can use it for this bad time for the people that affected instead. Something to think about after so long with all the support they get but still unable to be strong and sustainable.
It find it sad that one of the reasons why the prayers for rain has been ineffective is due to broken samaya. Because of broken samaya, the Tibetans area facing hardship and have no help coming their way, as even the prayers are not having any effect to ease their burden.
So, we should be ever so mindful to keep our commitments and samaya clean.
Thank you Rinpoche for highlighting the plight of Tibetan people in India who suffer tremendously because of this horrendous drought. i hope the Tibetan government realised this situation to repair the broken samaya created by defaming Dorje Shugden high lamas, tulkus, geshes and sangha soon. And also for the benefit of others who are so deeply affected by this extensive and prolonged drought.
Why aren’t the monasteries helping the drought? Indeed. For the monasteries and the monks who were very capable of affecting the weather just 20 years ago, but are not able to do anything at this juncture, this is really a question begging for answers. What had happened in the last 20 years that invalidated the power of the monasteries and the monks to bring rain? As a Buddhist, we believe in pure and clean samaya with our lineage masters and root guru. In the past 20 years, the main event that happened and is still going on, is the harsh and illogical ban on Dorje Shugden, which drives thousands of monks and practitioners astray from their practice. Being forced to break their promise with their root guru or faced being driven out of the monastery (for the monks) or faced violent discrimination, including being beaten, threatened, and harassed (for all practitioners), led many to give up their lineage practice. Negative karma as a result of creating schism and split within the Buddhist community, led many to believe that the rituals to invoke rain has not been effective and will not be, unless broken samaya has been mended. Thank you Rinpoche for highlighting the plight of Tibetan people in India who suffer tremendously because of this horrendous drought. May His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be able to work out a peace deal to mean the samaya for the sake of his people and end this suffering.
Considering the severity of the droughts resulting in so much hardship, it is only compassionate for these monasteries to lend a hand in relieving the sufferings of the people. Especially when it is known that Tibetan Buddhism has many special rituals which can influence the weather. In fact, there is nothing to lose but much to gain for CTA to pursue the option of asking for such rituals to be done, even if the monasteries are not taking the initiative. Further, it wouldn’t be strange for CTA to resort to religious rituals as solutions since it is normal for them to consult oracles for major decisions anyway.
Unless of course, perhaps CTA are aware or made aware that with the current situation, they lack the necessary components for the rituals to be successful. The rituals to influence the weather are only able to work provided they are executed by accomplished monks who hold their vows, have pure samaya or guru devotion with their teachers, and developed bodhicitta. Not only are there much heavy negative karma with the imposition of the unwarranted Dorje Shudgen ban, but also many broken samaya of losing faith in great masters and gurus because such great masters practise Dorje Shugden.
If CTA truly have the interests of Tibetans at heart, they ought to put aside work to swiftly remove the ban, especially since the Dalai Lama has recently effectively negated the main reason for the ban.
It really make sense that when samaya is broken with guru, whatever practice we do has no effect or with little effect. We all know the fact that the suppression against DS practice have caused much suffering and grievance among the Tibetans and even non Tibetans. This has directly contributed to the accumulation of heavy karma.
If i remember clearly, Rinpoche said before, one of the methods to invoke rain in some monasteries in Tibet and India, when there’s drought in that area, the monks would perform a ritual which they would carry each of the Kangyur (normally Kangyur consists of 108 volume) to walk around the monastery combined with some other rituals like blowing conch shell to call for the rain.
According to my understanding from Rinpoche’s article, the long and severe drought that badly affects the crops and the livings of the five major Tibetan settlements in southern India should be resolved proactively by first mending the broken samaya between the teachers, disciples and the Protectors, especially Dorje Shugden since Dorje Shugden’s practice was banned for more than 20 years. As explained by Rinpoche, it is impossible for the prayers and rituals can be effectively carried out to influence the weather or requesting the nagas to bring rains to the drought affected areas at southern India, since the Tibetan government had imposed the ban of Dorje Shugden’s practice, separated lamas and monks into non-Dorje Shugden’s practitioners and Dorje Shugden’s practitioners that had caused hundreds of great masters, practitioners and monks expelled from the monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. The broken samaya was mainly because of the monasteries had given up their commitments to their lineage lamas by imposing the ban of Dorje Shugden’s practice.
This is a very sad case when it comes to life and death as the Tibetan settlements in southern India are financially poor and fully dependent on the crops for living. If the crops are in total loss, we can imagine how hard the Tibetan settlements are facing now. It is almost similar like natural disasters such as tsunami, earthquake or strong tornadoes that wipe out everything on the land.
May all Buddhist lineages and all monasteries to be united as one big Dharma family as soon as possible, free from discrimination and resolve the serious draught issues together, which can save thousands of lives from the five major Tibetan settlements in southern India.
To extend further on the explanation so logically given by Tsem Rinpoche,broken samaya goes deeper than just giving up their Shugden practice. Broken samaya can be seen in their losing faith with the great Masters who had practiced Shugden. Broken samaya can be seen in the terrible expulsion of so many hundreds of great masters, practitioners and monks from the monastery just because they practise Dorje Shugden. Monks from Gaden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries were expelled solely on that basis. This has logically led to the creation of very heavy negative karma. It is the creation of this heavy negative karma that appears to have such heavy negative impact to cause the traditional rituals not to work to bring rain.
For the sake of the return of harmony , it is to be hoped that broken samayas are repaired and it would appear that the only way this can happen is through the lifting of the ban.
It is sad that this prolonged and extensive drought has caused the crops to fail and the poor people in the Bylakuppe, Hunsur, Kollegal and Mundgod settlements to face a near-total loss of crops and brought hundreds of Tibetans families to the brink of an urgent economic crisis. Whatever help is being extended to these families in the form of compensation, will be only at best a temporary relief . In the end , there will still be much hardship and suffering.
Why have powerful traditional rituals (that used to be so efficacious in bringing rain) failed?Upon investigation, the root cause of this failure appears to be the broken samaya of monks and practitioners with their root gurus, when they gave up their Dorje Shugden practice.Broken samayas have to be repaired and to pave the way for this to happen , the ban on Shugden practice has to be lifted. Hence, it is to be hoped that good sense and compassion will prevail and the Tibetan authorities work to remove the ban quickly, for the benefit of all the many so deeply affected by this extensive and prolonged drought.
感谢仁波切的教诲与开示，
我相信与十分地赞同，当我们与上师之间的三昧耶已经失去的时候，那么当我们再做多少的法会与修持，其影响力（或称力量）是会变的非常的微弱的，在藏传佛教，上师是一切更本的加持，上师给予你佛法与修持，帮助我们得到成就，同样的是我们自己选择的上师，并且建立了自己与上师三昧耶的关系，当我们放弃或损坏了三昧耶的关系与戒律后，同样的当我们违背了一些戒律后，我们就开始制造出不好业力与果报，而当我们破坏了戒律与三昧耶的关系损坏时，我们是必须拖过一些忏悔的法门已经修复以损坏三昧耶关系来继续我们的修行道路的。
在仁波切的这个教诲中，所提到的那一位高僧，他只是一心地专注与大威德金刚的修持发法，而得到了一切的成就，同样的我所得到的启发是，许多时候，我们只会责怪法会，或修持，加持后，并没有得到效果，可是大多数的我们是如此的3心2意，常听别人说什么好就修什么，那里有加持就去，结果全部只是半桶水，当我们必须一心的专注与一个护法与本尊的时候其实更容易得到成就。
谢谢
Jerry
As the governing body of Tibetans in exile, I hope that the CTA will consider requesting HH Dalai Lama to assist with effective divine intervention to this dire situation of Tibetans in their settlements in India.
Monetary subsidies are short term solutions, removing the ban so that the samaya of the monastic and lay Tibetans can be repaired is the best way forward for CTA to serve its people.
What is explained by HE the 25th Tsem Rinpoche is very logical and the efforts are simple and clear. Let the samaya broken because of the ban on Dorje Shugden be repaired by removing the ban.
More than the drought now occurring, better living conditions will arise without division among the Tibetans in exile. Let there be harmony to create the cause for a better future.
This is indeed a very tough question to answer: Why didn’t the monasteries gather the high lamas to stop the drought? Why let the drought happen? Has the weather rituals been performed but not effective?
When it comes to Dorje Shugden issue, many Tibetan seem to have thrown the samaya equation out of the window. They only care about the samaya with HH Dalai Lama (which in some cases people may not even have samaya with HH Dalai Lama), but it is OK to destroy the samaya with their own root guru.
I do hope HH Dalai Lama’s followers can really see the seriousness of this issue and stop the bad karma of destroying the samaya of other practitioners. By making Dorje Shugden the scapegoat brings to no benefits but create so much negativity. It is time to stop the discrimination and unite all Tibetans.
As agreed, to guide their people, the Tibetan Leadership, under His Holiness, The Dalai Lama and the C.T.A. are responsible for the overseeing of the welfare and affairs of its people. If these Tibetan Settlements in South India have been severely affected by a regional drought and the people were sufering as a result, something immediately should be done about it to relieve them of such sufferings. With the 3 main Tibetan Monasteries, which are Gaden, Sera and Drepung, such phenomena should not be allowed to happen with nothing be done to relieve the sufferings of the people! A great many thanks and appreciation should accorded to our Rinpoche for his sincere and compassionate concern in highlighting this horrendous drought to relieve the people’s sufferings. May the Tibetan Leadership take immediate steps to relieve the desperation of the Tibetan community there in India.
Dear Rinpoche,
This is needless suffering. It is very sad to see the prolonged drought affecting such a large population.
The broken samaya is really blocking the Divine Beings from assisting people who really needs the help to make the weather conducive for crops.
I am humbled yet again from this sharing and teaching and certainly reinforces the teaching in 50 Stanzas that we must never forsake our Guru, even at the cost of our life.
Perhaps as a way to move forward, the community collectively have to use the Four Opponent Powers to purify and then to mend the samaya immediately to rescue the situation and to prevent it from getting worse. I believe there is no amount of work that is more critical than mending the samaya.
The other obstacle that prevents this samaya mending is the political undertones that could possibly affect the recovery from drought. The CTA people may not believe in broken samaya and thus, may behave or control the Tibetan populace not to mend any samaya. If this is so, then the consequences will be even more dire.
I pray that the CTA will have the wisdom to see through all these and do its level best to provide a better quality of life to all Tibetans living in exile in India.
Yours humbly
Lum Kok Luen