Geshe Jangchup Gyaltsen Logically Explains About Kalachakra by Dalai Lama
Geshe Jangchup Gyaltsen has been a monk for over three decades. He is a respected member of the Buddhist order and has kept his vows of monkhood very pure. He is learned and very educated, and studied under some of this century’s greatest masters such as Kensur Lati Rinpoche, Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and so on. He is a very mild-mannered, steady and spiritual person. He has bravely spoken up not to create conflict, but in order to create a change in something he passionately sees is harming the greater good of the Tibetan people. He speaks very well and below is a transcript of his speech.
Europe Tibetan Public Talk is a group of Tibetans who live in Europe and they are from all backgrounds and all parts of Tibet.
Being that they have lived in Europe for many years, they understand what true democracy and religious freedom is about. They are Tibetan Buddhists and some of them are very learned, educated people. They have been practicing Buddhism and within that, a special protector deity called Dorje Shugden. The Tibetan government in exile has banned this practice since 1996 stating that, among many reasons, it hampers the work to get Tibet back. For the last five or six decades, they have not made any headway with China to get Tibet back, but they have been living on tens of millions of dollars in donation and have nothing much to show for it.
In order to continue getting support and, most importantly, free funding, they had to put the blame of not making headway with China on Dorje Shugden. By practicing Dorje Shugden, they say that it hampers their progress. No government in the world will blame a god or deity for their failures but the Tibetan government in exile have, to the shock of many, done so. The Dorje Shugden practice has been around for 350 years and practiced for many generations. So this group of Tibetans representing hundreds in Europe are peacefully speaking out on the history, background, politics of this ban. They refuse to remain silent and are exercising their newly-acquired democratic rights to speak.
They believe no leader, spiritual or secular, are above the law or exempt from ethics. They have many videos and they continue their peaceful struggle against the ban which has infringed upon their lives and divided the Tibetans into two camps, creating much disharmony. This is just an excerpt from one of their talks.
European Public Talk August 22, 2017
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/GesheJangchupGyaltsen1Minute.mp4
Transcript
The information in your question is correct. We have been told that we [Dorje Shugden practitioners] and others [non-Dorje Shugden practitioners] have to stay separate in both secular activities and religious activities. Basically, a segregation. From 2008 onwards, that kind of instruction came to us.
His Holiness’s reasoning for banning the Dorje Shugden practice from the time he first started the ban back in 1996 has changed quite a lot. As you have all heard, and we Tibetans have heard, back in 1996 the first reasoning [for the ban] was that it hurts the Dalai Lama’s body and safety, it hurts the Tibetan cause, also it is a god that is supported by the Chinese, and like that he gave many similar reasons and explanations. So from that proclamation, a lot of problems arose.
As time passed, those original reasons kind of faded [because it did not make sense when people thought about it more deeply] and so the next reasoning given was that it creates disharmony among the different Tibetan Buddhist sects. On top of that, another reasoning given that is it [Dorje Shugden practice] hurts the true practice of Buddhism. Based on those reasonings, a lot of similar things were explained again so those reasons have kind of faded in time again.
These days, what is being said is, “If I [Dalai Lama] practice other lineages or their deities, or even kept a text of another lineage, then “Dorje Shugden will harm me [punished]. If we practice Shugden, it makes us exclusionists of other sects so that is not good. So if we are not exclusionists, wouldn’t it be good?” [that is what is being told and reasoned out to us]
Actually none of the reasons the Dalai Lama is giving are sound and faultless. If the reason is without fault and it is sound, then they don’t have to keep changing the reasons. The reasons they gave for the first time in 1996 when they first created the ban would have held up until now.
So your question is correct and very good, because they said very clearly there must be segregation. On one side, to give initiation, to give transmissions, to give commentaries, the lineage that comes from Dorje Shugden people cannot be avoided. For example, in the case of the Kalachakra initiation, the Dalai Lama is giving these initiations and this year (2017), he’s given the 34th Kalachakra initiation. But if you look at this lineage of the Kalachakra coming from the Dalai Lama, it is like this:
The Dalai Lama received the Kalachakra initiation, lineage and practice from His Holiness Ling Rinpoche. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche received this lineage and practice from his guru Khangsar Dorjechang. Khangsar Dorjechang received it from his guru Serkong Dorjechang. Now when it comes to Serkong Dorjechang, it is known all over Tibet and it is common knowledge that he was a powerful, strong, erudite practitioner of Dorje Shugden. So if you look at this carefully, even the lineage of Kalachakra came from Dorje Shugden-practising lamas. Hence if you say you don’t want to have a spiritual connection (samaya) with Dorje Shugden lamas, that is not possible.
[Geshe Jangchup is saying that by right, the Dalai Lama should not be giving Kalachakra because the lineage is coming from Dorje Shugden lamas so it doesn’t make sense that he’s giving these initiations if he wants to be “clean”.]
For politics, it becomes the same thing. You say you don’t want to have connection or mix with Dorje Shugden people. So for your first question, that basically answers it.
Commentary
In this short excerpt, Geshe Jangchup is logically telling us that the reasonings given do not make sense nor is it logical. That is why hundreds of thousands of Dorje Shugden practitioners inside and outside of Tibet cannot accept giving up a practice of 350 years. And the Dalai Lama is telling people to segregate themselves from the people who practise Dorje Shugden, to stay away from them, to avoid them. Basically in this day and age, no leader, secular or spiritual, should create segregation among their people. Segregation based on religion is the most dangerous type. We have seen so many wars, conflicts and civil disobedience due to religion and religious differences.
So by segregating the Tibetan people based on their practising or not practising a certain spiritual path, will not bring about the much-needed unity necessary to preserve the Tibetan culture and religion. The Dalai Lama is saying we should not have spiritual association with people who practise Dorje Shugden but the very famous Kalachakra initiations that he gives quite often, the source of it comes from a highly renowned Dorje Shugden practitioner, namely Serkong Dorjechang. So if Dorje Shugden is a harmful practice and Serkong Dorjechang practised it, would it not nullify the blessings in the lineage of the Kalachakra? After all the lineage must come from a “clean” source, meaning a person who doesn’t practise Dorje Shugden.
So if you practise Dorje Shugden, whatever you have to give to others for example the Kalachakra is corrupted. So that would mean the Kalachakra that the Dalai Lama is giving for the 34th time, by his own logic, is corrupted. This is in no way to criticise the Dalai Lama or to wish him ill, but it is more about letting people practise any religious path they wish without recrimination, segregation and prejudice. Segregation based on religion, gender, sexual orientation, race will always lead to disharmony and maybe even war. These are the lessons we should learn from history.
For more interesting information:
- To Sum it Up
- Can Tibetan Lamas Make Mistakes?
- Dorje Shugden Retreat: a Powerful Practice to Fulfill Wishes
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
Geshe Jangchup Gyaltsen a well respected monk for over three decades. He has been keeping his monkhood very pure and a learned, educated monk who has studied under greatest masters of the centuries such as Kensur Lati Rinpoche, Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and so on. In Europe Tibetan Public Talk in 2017, where Tibetans living in Europe from different backgrounds and those from Tibet came together to give their opinion. He bravely spoken up, gave a very logically explanation about Kalachakra by H H Dalai Lama. The ban instituted by the Tibetan Leadership against Dorje Shugden for the last 20 years is unnecessary. For more than 350 years, many great lineage masters had been relying on Dorje Shugden and had practiced for centuries. HH Dalai Lama has been given the very famous Kalachakra initiations came from a highly renowned Dorje Shugden practitioner Serkong Dorjechang. The Dalai Lama has said that they should not have any spiritual association with people who practise Dorje Shugden. But how come than , Dalai Lama gave Kalachakra initiation all along. May Dalai Lama allow people to practise any religious path they wish without recrimination, segregation and prejudice. May the ban once for all be lifted soon for peace and harmony.We should learn from history, and the past mistakes to create a better existence for all.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing a Great Lama ‘s logically explanations.
Dorje Shugden is an enlightened Dharma Protector who manifested about 400 years ago from a lineage of erudite masters. Many High learned attained great Lamas, Tibetan Buddhists all over the world have been practicing Buddhism relying on this powerful Dharma protector ever since. Many great lamas and practitioners cannot be wrong in their practice. The ban instituted by the Tibetan Leadership against Dorje Shugden for the last 20 years is unnecessary. Those thousands living in exile scattered over Europe are speaking out on the history, background, politics of this ban. A great way to bring awareness to others who are doubtful of the ban. It is important to speak out the past , to prevent future mistakes and history to be repeated in some ways. Well history can provide others with insight into the ban and learn from past mistakes.
Geshe Jangchup Gyaltsen a respected monk for over three decades keeping his vows of monkhood has bravely spoken up the truth. Logically telling thousands of Tibetan Buddhists at the Europe Tibetan Public Talk about the ban . Many of them holding to their democratic rights to speak peacefully that’s a great approach.
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. We should learn from history, and the past mistakes.
.Peace cannot be kept by force , it can only be achieved by understanding once said by Albert Einstein .
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.