TRANSCRIPT

Hello everyone, my name is Tsem Tulku from Gaden Monastery. Today, we are doing a live transmission teaching. This is really live and not pre-recorded. So if there are little mistakes here and there, please forgive me. Today, I would like to talk about how if you practise Dorje Shugden, do you go to the lower realms or not?

In Buddhism, we know there are six realms of existence according to Lord Buddha’s teachings that we can take rebirth in. The higher realms are the realm of the gods, the demi-gods and then the humans. These are the three higher realms. The three lower realms (Tibetan: Nge Sung) are the hell, the hungry ghost or spirit realm, and the animal realms. Within those realms, there are many divisions, just like there are many types of hells, beginning with the cold and hot hells. Likewise, there are many different types of spirits in the spirit realm.

In general, spirits are beings that have no form. They travel at the speed of thought and they can pass through physical material objects like walls and doors. They can fly and they can travel underground, through water and they can appear in the dark, during the day and night. They can appear anywhere at the speed of thought.

The main cause to take rebirth as a spirit is miserliness and selfishness. So when the spirit takes rebirth from miserliness or selfishness, they abide in that state and it could be like that for hundreds or thousands of years. Some spirits, take rebirth due to a lot of anger. Before they die, something was done to them that made them very angry. Some spirits take rebirth in that form because something violent was done to them or they had unfinished business. They could also have a lot of attachment towards wealth, possessions or towards a person.

There are many reasons why people take rebirth as spirits. Animals can also take rebirth as spirits, not just humans. And spirits they live for varied lives. They can live for just a few minutes right up to hundreds or thousands of years.

So what happens is when a spirit takes rebirth, it is not from good causes, motivation or thinking. A spirit rebirth is usually considered negative. So therefore taking rebirth as a spirit is one of the three lower types of taking rebirth, so we call that ‘nge sung’.

Buddhist Wheel of Life. Click on image to enlarge.

So I reiterate that if you are very attached to a person, object, place or concept and the last thing you think of is that item, you will take rebirth in the form of a spirit that will hang around that object to protect or just to be near that object of your attachment. If anyone gets in the way, some spirits can be quite ferocious. They can be quite damaging and cause grievous harm.

So let us say a person has passed away while living in a house, he or she will feel that the house still belongs to him or her. So if you happen to move in, you will experience supernatural occurrences because they feel you are invading their space. So how are you invading their space? They feel that you are in their house.

Therefore they will disturb you, make things move, make some noises, scare you, push you, touch you, harm you or move things around, to let you know you are in their place.

So generally, a spirit arises from negative thinking, negative thought, negative motivation, negative prayers, attachment, anger, unfinished business, and perhaps when a person died violently or in a very horrific manner, they can return as a spirit.

You may wonder why do people who are victims of crimes or horrific situations have to be punished to reincarnate as spirits? You see, it is not that they are being punished by an outer force, god, Buddha or a deity. They are not being punished when they take rebirth.

The last thought that they had will trigger latent karma to be reborn in various realms. So if they have a certain type of thinking at the time of death and they hold on to it very strongly, they will still return back as a spirit even if they were a victim and some as a harmful spirit because it is not the perpetrator of the crime but more about the attitude of the person who is dying that triggers karma to take rebirth in higher or lower places.

His Holiness Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang. Click on image to enlarge.

Now, I have explained in previous videos, and I am going to repeat myself a little for the sake of the new people who have joined me. I am 52 years old, and at the age of 18, I received the practice of Dorje Shugden among many other practices from my root teacher, who is a master, great scholar, yogi, meditator, and one of the highest incarnate lamas of the Gelugpa school of Buddhism, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.

Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is my root guru. He is the one that gave me instruction and direction on how I should live my life and what I should do. It was to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche that I made the promise to become a monk and that I promised to study the dharma. It was also to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche that I promised to do the Dorje Shugden practice for the rest of my life.

According to Tibetan Buddhism, when you make a promise to your lama to do something, no other lama, institution, organisation or monastery can override your lama’s instructions to you. The only person that can release you, or excuse you from the instructions that the lama has given you is the actual lama himself, whom you made the promise to or who gave you the instruction.

So for example, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gave me specific instructions to practice Dorje Shugden as a protector to remove obstacles as a lifelong practice. I swore to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and I promised that I would do so. Whether Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is alive or he has passed away, I made a promise. So, this is a matter of spiritual integrity.

Spiritual integrity is whatever you had promised your lama, whether he is alive or has passed away, you must keep it. A promise is a promise and therefore, I am continuing my Dorje Shugden practice under tremendous duress, pressure, and criticism. For practising Dorje Shugden, I am singled out as someone who is against the Dalai Lama. I am criticised for practicing a spirit and demon. I am called vulgar names and my life has been threatened. I have been insulted over and over again on social media because of my practice of Dorje Shugden.

I have been called a Chinese spy – someone who works for the Chinese government and paid to create schism among the Tibetan communities and by using Dorje Shugden as a means to create schism. The reason for this is because His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has told people not to practise Dorje Shugden. So in Tibetan society, what the Dalai Lama says is law, it is the rule and must be followed. So if you contradict the Dalai Lama and if you oppose what the Dalai Lama recommends, this is not allowed, unlike what they do with leaders of other countries. In Asian society, we do not say things directly.

In Tibetan society, what the Dalai Lama says is law, it is the rule and must be followed.

They like to infer things and give the other person ‘face’. So in Tibetan society, they always say that you have the option of practising Dorje Shugden. You have the freedom to practise Dorje Shugden. You are allowed to practise Dorje Shugden and you have all the freedom to do so since you have your own monasteries.

This is very deceptive because if you practise Dorje Shugden, you cannot attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings. If you check Tibet.net, the Tibetan exile government’s official website which originates from Dharamsala, North India, Himachal Pradesh, the constitution of the Tibetan government says that if you do not give up Dorje Shugden, you may not attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings. In fact, you may not attend the Dalai Lama’s secular talks. You may not work in the Tibetan government or hold any jobs in the Tibetan government. You may not get treatment in Tibetan government-sponsored hospitals, schools and facilities. Yes, that is happening today.

[So, if one of our people here that is in the audience can upload the Tibet.net page that mentions that, then our audience can see. Can one of you do that for me? Can one of you do that? Ok, do you know what I am talking about, Tibet.net, alright? So, upload that up so our audience can see: http://tibet.net/important-issues/dolgyal-shugden/]

You can see clearly in the Tibetan constitution that it is an institutionalised law that you cannot practice Dorje Shugden. [And, you can see a link to a video of His Holiness the Dalai Lama saying this, and one of our people here will put up the link now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQa0mZEtRGA] In this video, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is saying that if you practise Dorje Shugden, please expel them from the monastery. He rejoices in kicking them out of the monastery and he wants them out. If you are afraid to remove them from the monastery, say that the Dalai Lama said so. [There is a video being uploaded now that you can see where the Dalai Lama said that himself].

So, the Tibetan government-in-exile has a specific section that deters you from practising your religion – Dorje Shugden. This is not freedom of religion.

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked people who practise Dorje Shugden to leave the monastery, this is not meant to be advice to give up Dorje Shugden. That is the Asian way of saying that you do not have a choice. If you do not follow, you will be segregated from mainstream society and that is what is happening to many Dorje Shugden lamas.

Now, imagine a leader of the free world like the Japanese Prime Minister, the American President, the English Prime Minister or the Italian Prime Minister saying, “Anyone who practises Lutheran, Baptist or Catholic faiths may not work in the government, may not come to my talks, may not come for my get-togethers, and may not go to school or seek treatment at the hospitals that belong to the government. Can you imagine a leader of the free world in today’s 21st century, telling people that if you practice a certain religion, you may not enjoy the facilities of every other citizen? This is not democratic!

The Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala has proclaimed themselves to be a democratic body of governance. If you are democratic, you should give your citizens free speech, free choice of religion and free choice of livelihood. In fact, whatever nationality of Tibetan or faith you practice you are, whether you are black, white, Eastern, Western, American Tibetan, Indian Tibetan, a Tibetan that speaks Tibetan, a Tibetan that does not speak Tibetan, a mixed raced Tibetan, a male Tibetan, female Tibetan, Kagyu, Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, Bonpo, Muslim, Christian Tibetan, Atheist Tibetan or Dorje Shugden-practising Tibetan, all Tibetan people should be accorded the same equal opportunities from the Tibetan government. Why? This is because the Tibetan government has said that they are democratic.

So on Tibet.net, you can see very clearly there is a section that degrades and discourages the practices of Dorje Shugden, then that is wrong. You show me a single government website in the free world that has a section devoted towards discouraging a religion.

In America where I grew up, there are even people practising Satanism, where they pray to the devil and that is allowed. They pray, they have Wiccan religion, and witchcraft where they pray to elementals, spirits and they harness the power of ghosts. In America, millions of people practice Vodou. There are many types of Vodou, white and black, and vodou is specifically to harness the power of spirits and to get them to do special favours for you.

You have people that practice Lutheran, Protestant, Mormon, Quaker, Puritan and Amish forms of Christianity. You also have people that practice Baptist and Catholics. You have people that practice Hinduism and all the sub-sets of the beautiful Hindu religion. You have people who are Jews and there are many types of Jewish faith. You have the Hasidic Jews and you have the secular Jews. On the other hand, you have many types of beautiful Muslims in America who practise Islam according to the various sects. You also have the people who practise different traditions of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Theravadan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism. You have all types of people in America and as long as you follow the law, no one can discourage you from practising your religion. There is no charter in the US constitution that discourages or encourages any religion, it is all in your own free will. That is the democracy that the Tibetan government says is based on Western democracy.

Now the basis, of this discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners as a Buddhist, is the fact that we are supposed to take refuge in the Buddha, in his teachings of the Dharma, and in his Arya level of ordained beings – the Sangha. So, we are supposed to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Namo Guru Beh, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya. Namo Guru Beh means to take refuge in one’s teacher and that is according to Vajrayana

Translation:
NAMO GURU BEH, NAMO BUDDHA YA, NAMO DHARMA YA, NAMO SANGHA YA

I take Refuge in the Guru
I take Refuge in the Buddha
I take Refuge in the Dharma
I take Refuge in the Sangha

Now, if you look at Tibetan Buddhism, there are a plethora of deities that probably were not existent during Buddha Shakyamuni’s time. For example, in Tibetan Buddhism, many people pray to the Buddha Guru Rinpoche. He was not existent during Buddha’s time. Many people pray to Lama Tsongkhapa. Lama Tsongkhapa was not existent during Buddha’s time. Many people make statues, worship and meditate on Atisha, Naropa and Tilopa. They worship Shantideva. They were not existent during Buddha’s time. However, Buddha did speak about some of them but mostly he did not speak about any of them.

So, just because the Buddha did not mention it, it does not mean that it is not a valid path. Why? Because when the Buddha gave teachings and after he turned the wheel of Dharma, many people practised these teachings and became fully enlightened beings, and when they became fully enlightened, they became proper objects of refuge. And great examples are like the Mahasiddhas Naropa and Tilopa.

Therefore, I say this with the deepest respect to His Holiness, when we practise Dorje Shugden, he has said that we are in danger of demeaning the profound Buddhist path down towards spirit worship. I repeat, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said on many occasions that if we practise Dorje Shugden, we make Dorje Shugden important and we make him a primary focus of our prayers, then there is a danger we bring the profound path of Tibetan Buddhism down to that of spirit worship.

I fully agree with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There is no Gelug lama that makes Dorje Shugden higher than the Buddha or makes him higher than Tsongkhapa or makes him higher than any of the Buddhas. None. There has never been. But there are many Gelugpa lamas for the last 400 years who have practised Dorje Shugden 100% all the way.

Now, Dorje Shugden according to Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche‘s text and commentary on his practice [if you wish to download the commentary, then my wonderful team of writers will upload the link to my blog post now, that goes to download the set of teachings that His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche gave on Dorje Shugden. It is in Tibetan and English, isn’t it? Ok. They are going to upload it now for you]. Now, you can download it anytime when you’re free.

Now, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche is not an ordinary person, he is not an ordinary lama, ordinary being, ordinary Geshe and certainly not an ordinary practitioner. His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was chosen, back in the early 1950s, by the Regent of Tibet, by the oracles of Tibet, by the great learned masters of Gaden, Drepung and Sera, to be the tutor to His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama.

Now think about that. The 14th Dalai Lama is the emanation of Avalokiteshvara. He is the Buddha incarnate, the Buddha of Compassion incarnate. I believe in this. In Tibet, they are not going to simply choose any lama to be his guru. You have to understand, the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara/Chenrezig is going to prostrate to this monk. He is going to get teachings, transmissions, mantras, Mantrayana, initiations, commentaries and the whole plethora of what the Buddha taught of Sutra and Tantra, from this master.

So, do you think the Tibetan government of that time, the Tibetan high lamas and the oracles will pick any Tom, Dick or Harry lama to be the Dalai Lama’s tutor? Definitely not.

So, out of the thousands of very attained, enlightened and erudite, scholastic masters of Gaden, Sera and Drepung, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was definitively chosen to guide the education of the young Dalai Lama, to give the vows, transmissions and teachings of the whole corpus of the Kangyur and Tangyur, the spoken and commentarial teachings of Lord Buddha and his luminaries, to this master.

Today, the Dalai Lama is arguably one of the greatest Buddhist masters that have ever graced this planet. When he talks, thousands attend his teachings. Definitely, he is an erudite scholar, great master and an attained Buddhist monk. This came from his teacher, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. Trijang Dorje Chang was chosen to teach the Dalai Lama, to guide the Dalai Lama and was considered one of the best, which he is.

Now, for the last 30 – 40 years of Trijang Rinpoche’s life, his previous incarnation, he focused 100% on educating the 14th Dalai Lama from a very young age all the way up to the passing of his exams as a Geshe. So, Trijang Rinpoche poured his vast knowledge, poured his vast amount of teachings, knowledge, and commentaries to the young Dalai Lama. And the Dalai Lama, because of the kindness of his root guru, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and along with Kyabje Ling Dorje Chang, became the erudite scholar that he is today.

Now, the Tibetan leadership amongst other people who like to talk, have said, ”If you practise Dorje Shugden, then you will go to the Three Lower Realms.” The Three Lower Realms meaning taking rebirth as a spirit/ghost, animal or in hell, because you break your Refuge Vows. Now, what are the Refuge Vows? There are three of the body, four of the speech and three of the mind.

The refuge vows – three of the body: not killing, not stealing and no sexual misconduct. Four of the speech is divisive speech, harsh words, idle chatter and lying. So, you can’t lie. Then three of the mind is envy, hatred, malice and wrong views.

So, when we take refuge from our Gurus –

Namo Guru Beh
Namo Buddha Ya
Name Dharma Ya
Namo Sangha Ya

We have promised everyone from that day on to avoid these ten negative actions which form are our Refuge Vows. From the basis of our Refuge Vows, we are able to do meditation, practice and gain the blessings of the lineage. From the basis of the Refuge Vows, we can take Monk and Nun Vows. From the basis of the Refuge Vows, we can take the Bodhisattva Vows to generate Bodhicitta – Jangchub Sempa Gyepa.

From the basis of the refuge vows, we can take on Tantrayana Vows — the vows of tantra that are enshrined in Sang De Jig Sum according to the path of Lama Tsongkhapa Chenpo which is Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and Heruka.

So the path of Mantrayana, to gain attainments, one has to take on the vows of Tantrayana and those are based on the Vows of Bodhicitta — Bodhisattva Vows — and that is based on the Vows of Refuge. So, if your Refuge Vows are broken, everything is gone.

From your Refuge Vows, that is your tsigden, that is your foundation. Your Bodhisattva Vows are like the walls, and your Tantric Vows are like the roof. Just to give you a little symbolism or imagery.

So, if you remove the foundation, the walls will collapse and the roof comes crashing down. So that is what the Tibetan leadership has mentioned, that if you practise Dorje Shugden, you break your Refuge Vows. You break and damage your Refuge Vows because you break your Refuge Vows then on that basis, you break your Bodhisattva Vows and Tantric Vows. So, any practices you do on Heruka, Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra, Hevajra, Vajrakilaya, etc. will bear no fruit because the result of us gaining attainments is based on holding the vows correctly.

I repeat. The basis of us gaining attainments from our meditational practice on tantra is based on holding our vows very well. Now, if your vows are broken, you are basically reciting empty mantras. For example, if you remove the engine of the car, the car looks like a car, it has the wheels, it has a steering, it has seats, it has everything but it is not going to go anywhere. So basically, if you practise Dorje Shugden, it is like removing the engine of your spiritual car. That is what the (Tibetan) leadership is telling us.

Now, be it so, Let us examine this a little deeper. So, are you telling me that Trijang Rinpoche, the Root Guru of the Dalai Lama broke his Refuge Vows? Broke his Bodhisattva Vows? Broke his Tantrayana Vows?

He practised Dorje Shugden till the end of his life. His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang lived till 81 years old and everything that he had received from his gurus is broken, is not valid and impotent just because he practised Dorje Shugden? That is what the Tibetan leadership is telling us.

So, if that is the case then whatever teachings Trijang Rinpoche has, is broken, is impotent and has no blessings because he worshipped a spirit — the spirit of Dorje Shugden. Therefore, whatever he gave the Dalai Lama is also broken, not relevant, not powerful, and has no blessings. So does that mean the Dalai Lama has been giving teachings to the whole world that came from a spirit worshipper? Is that possible?

Does that make sense?

In Gaden Monastery, there is a great stupa that has been there for 30 – 40 years. That is the stupa of Trijang Rinpoche because when a high lama passes away, you cremate their body, you enshrine them inside a stupa, and people will circumambulate around the stupa.

Well, there is a stupa of Trijang Rinpoche in Gaden Monastery now. So is that stupa invalid? It is a stupa of a being that worshipped a spirit, Dorje Shugden. Does that make sense to you? It does not make sense to me. So why isn’t that stupa removed? Why are hundreds of Gaden monks today circumambulating around Trijang Rinpoche’s stupa? It does not make sense. Wouldn’t you remove all of that from the monastery, of a spirit worshipper?

The stupas of H.H. Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang and H.H. Kyabje Zong Dorjechang in Gaden Shartse Monastery. Click in image to enlarge.

Now, let us get a little bit more interesting. His Holiness in his skilful way has said, “If you practise Dorje Shugden, you will take rebirth into the Three Lower Realms, definitively.” I repeat, “If you pray to Dorje Shugden, you will take rebirth into the Three Lower Realms.”

So, Dorje Shugden’s practice has been around since the times of the Sakya. Some of the greatest Sakya luminaries and masters practised Dorje Shugden, initiated people into Dorje Shugden’s practice and taught Dorje Shugden. Some of the greatest Sakya masters have practised Dorje Shugden, one of the greatest recently is His Holiness the great Sakya Trizin Dragshul Trinley, a very great master, and he was highly attained.

A close-up of the 30th Sakya Trizin Sonam Rinchen

Now, if you practise Dorje Shugden, you go to the Three Lower Realms after your death and that means you become a spirit or you take rebirth in hell. So if that is the case, there can be no incarnate lamas who practise Dorje Shugden and their incarnations should not come back. I repeat, if you practise Dorje Shugden, when you die, you must go to the Three Lower Realms. If you do not go to the Three Lower Realms then what they are telling us about Dorje Shugden is wrong.

Well, my question is this, you have all these lamas, and these lamas all practise Dorje Shugden, and those are just a few of them who practise Dorje Shugden. Let me read you some of their names because there are so many in the last 400 years.

The 35th Sakya Throne Holder Tashi Rinchen, The 33rd Sakya Throne Holder Pema Dudul Wangchuk, The 31st Sakya Throne Holder Kunga Lodro, The 30th Sakya Throne Holder Sonam Rinchen.

Now, these Sakya masters, some of them have even composed prayers, kangsols [fulfilment rituals], or pujas to Dorje Shugden. Not only do they pray, they also composed, and I have some of their compositions: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/dorje-shugden-lineage-holders-in-the-sakya-tradition-sonam-rinchen-kunga-lodro.html

Dorje Chang Gyeltsen Shakya, Gen Lamrimpa, Radong Rinpoche, Kyabje Denma Locho Rinpoche, Ngawang Lobsang Damcho Gyaltsen, Khenchen Ngawang Gyatso, Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tenpa, Kangyur Rinpoche, Kangsar Rinpoche Thubten Kunga, Keutsang Rinpoche, Gyelse Rinpoche, Lobsang Sherab Rinpoche, Amchok Rinpoche, Achok Rinpoche, Geshe Puntsok Gyeltsen, Dungkar Rinpoche Lobsang Trinley, Laza Rinpoche, Kardze Rinpoche, Drubchen Rinpoche, Phuntsog Rinpoche, Gyara Rinpoche, Tripon Rinpoche, Geshe Tenpa, Zhaphel Rinpoche, Meli Kyabgon Rinpoche, Jampa Khedup Rinpoche, Neshe Tulku Rinpoche, Tulku Lobsang Phuntsok, Khursang Rinpoche, Lhasang Rinpoche, Nyima Rinpoche, Geshe Jampa Khetsun, Khen Rinpoche Jampa Tsondu, Trichen Lama, Nyedru Rinpoche, Panglung Rinpoche, Geshe Sonam Gyeltsen, Lithang Kyabgon Rinpoche, Khenpo Geshe Lobsang Jinpa, Trehor Kyorpen Rinpoche, Usu Lobsang Tenzin, Tulku Lobsang Yeshe, Phagpa Lha Rinpoche, Dartse Tulku Rinpoche, Dukhor Tulku Tenzin Gelek Namgyal, Gyeltsen Shakya Rinpoche, Kongdong Rinpoche, Drakyab Anor Rinpoche Lobsang Gyeltsen, Ngawang Lobsang Tenpei Gyaltsen Senge, Lama Drapa Tharyi, Lama Karma Gyaltsen, Gen Pema Dorje, Yongzin Thupten Dhampa, Chultul Gyaltsen Damchoe, Ngachen Rinpoche, Lama Lobsang Ngudup, Namkha Tenzin Wangchuk, Khyungser Trichen Rinpoche, Gen Rabgye, Gen Jamyang Gyatso, Chocktrul Tenpae Ngima, Jetsun Jampal Dorje, Damchoe Ringchen Jungni, Ngyitul Rinpoche, Geshe Singgey Rinpoche, Dhomeypa Yonten Gyatso, Domo Geshe Rinpoche, Lama Sakya Rinpoche, Geshe Konchok Gyaltsen, Geshe Jangchub Gyaltsen, Geshe Lobsang Jinpa, Geshe Lobsang Phuntsok, Panglung Kuten Drugpa, Panglung Kuten Dunpa, Ladakh Kuten, Jampa Losang, Sharpei Rinpoche, Simla Kuten, Samdup Rinpoche, Khamgyuk Rinpoche, Kangsar Rinpoche, Chutrikang Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Loden, Karchen Lobsang Choedar, Bumdrub Rinpoche, Lama Jamyang Khedrup Rinpoche, Geshe Lobsang Phende, Kensur Tenzin Sherab, Kunchen Jamyang Shedpa.

A list of masters who practise Dorje Shugden. Click on image to enlarge.

These are just some of the lamas that I’ve read to you that practised Dorje Shugden, definitively, openly and conclusively without any doubt.

Now we have another set of Lamas who practised Dorje Shugden, who give Dorje Shugden initiation, give Dorje Shugden practice and promote Dorje Shugden.

Another list of masters who practise or did practise Dorje Shugden before. Click on image to enlarge.

Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang Dangpo, Kyabje Pabongka Choktrul Rinpoche Nyepa, Kyabje Choktrul Rinpoche Sumpa, Trijang Dorje Chang, Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, Kyabje Domo Geshe Choktrul Rinpoche, Gehse Rabten, Geshe Rabten Choktrul Rinpoche, Sharpa Choeje Jetsun Lobsang Nyima Pelsangpo, Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche, Kyabje Zemey Choktrul Rinpoche, Serkong Dorje Chang, Serkong Dorje Chang Goma, Geshe Tendar Rinpoche, Geshe Tendar Choktrul Rinpoche, Gaden Tripa Gyachikpa Jetsun Lungrik Namgyal Pelsangpo, that is the 101st Holder of the Gaden Throne, His Holiness Gaden Tripa Jetsun Lungrik Namgyal. Also the Holder of the Gaden Throne is a great Dorje Shugden practitioner. Panchen Lama Gungpa, the 9th Panchen Lama, the 10th Panchen Lama, Dhapu Bamcho Rinpoche, Thubten Tulku Rinpoche, Kensur Ngawang Thekchok Sera Mey, Lama Yeshe, Nechung Rinpoche Ogyen Thinley, Taktra Rinpoche, Kyabje Gangchen Rinpoche, Sogpu Rinpoche Guru Deva, Gyara Rinpoche, Kensur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Ngodrob, Gosok Rinpoche, Kensur Lobsang Tharchin, Kyabje Dragom Rinpoche, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, Kyabje Kensur Rinpoche Jetsun Jampa Yeshe, Kyabje Dagyab Rinpoche, Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche, Hutuktu Kaka Jetsun Dampa, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Kyabje Zasep Rinpoche, Kyabje Khejok Rinpoche, Geshe Yeshe Wangchuk, Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche, Geshe Khenrab Gajam, Geshe Tsultrim Tenzin Rinpoche, Rongtha Gyabgon Rinpoche, Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen, Kyabje Denma Gonsa Rinpoche, Kyabje Denma Choktrul Rinpoche, Denma Gonsar Choktrul Rinpoche, Dagri Rinpoche, Khensur Lobsang Tsephel, Ajing Rinpoche, Jampa Choeje Pelsangpo Rinpoche, Zongluo Rinpoche, Khejok Rinpoche, Tenchok Rinpoche, Drakyab Tokden Rinpoche, Tsawa Pulthok Rinpoche, Serkong Tritul Rinpoche, Geshe Konchok Tsering, Kensur Jetsun Konchok Tsering Rinpoche, Gyatso Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche, Gyuto Kensur Jetsun Lobsang Denpa, Kari Rinpoche, Zawa Rinpoche, Chiara Rinpoche Sumpa, Khenpo Shangpa Yongten, Changkya Rinpoche, Rinchen Gonpo Rinpoche, Rinchen Gonpo Choktrul Rinpoche, Geshe Lobsang Khedrub, Daknak Rinpoche, Buton Rinpoche, Para Rinpoche, Geshe Wangchuk, Gonsar Rinpoche Gukorma, Gonsar Choktrul Rinpohce, Kensur Ngawang Dakpa Rinpoche, Tri-Yongzin Rinpoche, Sera Mey Kangyur Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Rinpoche, Kensur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Pendey Shar Gaden-ki Kensur, Kyabje Rato Rinpoche, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Kundeling Rinpoche, Geshe Tenzin Dorje, Jamseng Rinpoche, Panchen Lama and Dukor Rinpoche, Geshe Gelek Gyatso, Khensur Lobsang Tenpa, Je Gungthang Rinpoche, Jampa Rinpoche, Rato Chowar Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Phurbu Rinpoche, Zava Damdin Rinpoche, Tsako Ngawang Drakpa, Choden Rinpoche, Khachen Losang Zopa Rinpoche, the 102nd Gaden Tripa, Choyang Duldzin Kuten, Sangtsang Rinpoche, Doboom Tulku Rinpoche, Serkong Rinpoche, Khensur Sonam Gyaltsen, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, Lama Michel Rinpoche, Samdhong Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin Kunga Nyingpo, Sakya Trizin Dragshul Thrinley Rinchen.

Those are some of the lamas that practice Dorje Shugden or did practice before. So that’s quite a lot.

དཔལ་ལྡན་གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། གཡས་ཕྱོགས་སུ་ཡོད་པ་ནི་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཁྲི་བྱང་མཆོག་སྤྲུལ་རིན་པོ་ཆེས་ངོས་འཛིན་གནང་པའི་དཔལ་ལྡན་གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་ཕྲེང་གསུམ་པ་མཆོག་རེད། སྐུ་ཉིད་གྲོ་མོ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་གོང་མའི་ཡང་སྲིད་ཡིན་པ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་བ་ཡོངས་ཀྱིས་ངོས་ལེན་གནང་། དེར་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པའི་སྲུང་མ་ཡིན་པ་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་རྣམས་ལ་ཡིད་ཆེས་ཡོད་པ་དེར་ཁོང་ཚོས་དགག་ལན་གང་ཡང་མེད་པ་རེད། རྒྱུ་མཚན་དེ་ལ་བརྟེན་ནས་ཁོང་བསྟེན་གསོལ་གནང་མཁན་གྱི་སྐྱེས་བུ་དམ་པས་སོ་སོའི་སྡོམ་པ་ལས་འགལ་གྱི་མེད་པ་དང་ཁོང་ཚོ་ངན་སོང་དུ་ཡང་མི་ལྷུང་། དེར་ཁོང་རྣམས་མི་ལུས་རྟེན་ལ་སྐུ་འཁྲུངས་ཏེ་ཡང་སྲིད་དུ་ངོས་འཛིན་ཞིང་འགྲོ་བ་ཡོངས་ཀྱི་དོན་དུ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ་སྐོར་རོ། ཆེ་རུ་གཏང་བར་གནན་རོ།། His Eminence Domo Geshe Rinpoche. On the far right is the 3rd Domo Geshe Rinpoche recognized by H.H. Kyabje Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche. This reincarnation is widely accepted by all Dorje Shugden practitioners to be the true incarnation of the previous Domo Geshe Rinpoche. There is no contradiction at all because Dorje Shugden practitioners believe that Dorje Shugden is a fully enlightened Dharma Protector. Thus the great masters who practised him are not breaking any vows and will not go to the three lower realms, and will definitely reincarnate into another human form to be recognized, enthroned and continue turning the wheel of Dharma to benefit all sentient beings. Click on image to enlarge.

གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་འོད་དམིགས་གཞན་པ་༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་གིས་ངོས་འཛིན་གནང་། ཡང་སྲིད་ངོས་འཛིན་འདི་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་སྤྱི་ཡོངས་ནས་ངོས་ལེན་བྱེད་མེད་པ་དང་། བོད་གཞུང་གིས་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་འདོན་འདྲེ་ཡིན་ཚུལ་གྱི་སྐྱོན་བརྗོད་འདི་ལ་འགག་པ་ཐད་ཀར་རྒྱག་ཡོད་རེད། གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་ཕྲེང་གཉིས་པ། ཁོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་མཁན་ཡོངས་གྲགས་ཅན་ཞིག་རེད། བོད་གཞུང་གི་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བཀག་སྡོམ་གཞི་བཟུང་བྱས་ན་ཁོང་ངན་སོང་དུ་ལྷུང་དགོས། གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་ཕྲེང་གཉིས་པ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་གནང་མཁན་ཡིན་ཙང་ཁོང་དམྱལ་བ་ལ་སྐྱེ་དགོས་ཀྱི་ཡོད་ཡང་། ད་དུང་བོད་གཞུང་དེས་ཁོང་གི་ཡང་སྲིད་ངོས་འཛིན་པར་ཨུ་ཚུག་ཚ་པོ་གང་འདྲ་རེད། ཁོ་ཚོའི་རིག་པ་ལ་བསྟུན་ན། ཁོང་རང་ཚོ་སོ་སོའི་ཡང་སྲིད་འོས་དམིགས་འདི་ཡང་སྲིད་ནོར་ཡོད་པ་སྟོན། བོད་གཞུང་གིས་གྲོ་མོ་དགེ་བཤེས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ངོས་འཛིན་ཞུ་བ་འདི་རྒྱུ་མཚན་དང་འགལ་བས། དེར་ཁོང་ཚོས་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་བསྟེན་གསོལ་བཀག་སྡོམ་བྱེད་པ་དེ་ཁོང་ཚོའི་འཐབ་འཛིང་དང་མི་མཐུན། The other Domo Geshe Rinpoche candidate who was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This ‘recognition’ is not accepted by the majority of the Dorje Shugden practitioners and directly contradicts the Tibetan leadership’s claim that Dorje Shugden worship is a form of spirit practice. The 2nd Domo Geshe Rinpoche was a prominent Dorje Shugden practitioner and according to the Tibetan leadership’s arguments for banning Shugden practice, he should have taken rebirth in the three lower realms. Why then has the CTA been so insistent on recognizing his reincarnation if, according to them, the 2nd Domo Geshe Rinpoche as a Shugden worshipper, took rebirth in the lower realms? According to their logic, it would therefore make their candidate a fake reincarnation. The CTA’s recognition of a Domo Geshe Rinpoche candidate is therefore illogical, hypocritical and does not fall in line with any of their arguments for banning Dorje Shugden practice.

[My Writers will put up the picture] Now, the 1st Domo Geshe Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden. When he died, his incarnation came back and resume the practice of Dorje Shugden. He passed away and his incarnation is recognised by the Tibetan government. The interesting thing is there are two Domo Geshe Rinpoches. One is recognised by the Tibetan government, and another one is recognised by the Dorje Shugden monasteries.

Now, my question is if the 1st Domo Geshe Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden, and the 2nd Domo Geshe Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden, why does the Tibetan government recognize the 3rd Domo Geshe Rinpoche? Shouldn’t he already be in the Three Lower Realms? So by the Tibetan government recognising the 3rd Domo Geshe Rinpoche, they are contradicting their own information on Dorje Shugden. They said Dorje Shugden practitioners go to the Three Lower Realms even if you are a high lama. So how come they recognised the 3rd Domo Geshe Rinpoche? He practised Dorje Shugden. They contradict themselves.

Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. whom I knew personally encouraged me and told me to practise Dorje Shugden. And when I had difficulties, he told me to consult Dorje Shugden through the oracle. Lati Rinpoche told me that and he was the one who asked me to come to Malaysia and give teachings in Malaysia. Many of my students had the honour and privilege to meet Lati Rinpoche.

Well, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche has passed away and his incarnation is back. I know Lati Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden. If he practised Dorje Shugden, how come His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognised his incarnation? Should he not have gone to the Three Lower Realms? I am not saying he should. I am not saying he did. I am saying there is contradiction in the teachings.

His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Geshe Rabten who was sent to Switzerland by the 14th Dalai Lama to give teachings, was the masters of masters, a great erudite master, a very highly attained meditator who spent over 13 – 14 years in Dharamsala meditating before he went to Switzerland to give teachings.

Geshe Rabten was a Dorje Shugden practitioner until the very end. He never gave up. How come his incarnation is back? The Dalai Lama recognised his incarnation. The Dalai Lama found his incarnation and he agrees with his incarnation. So his incarnation is back. If he practised Dorje Shugden, how come he did not go to the Three Lower Realms.

His Eminence Rabten Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Gyara Rinpoche is another one who practised Dorje Shugden, and his incarnation is back. He did not go to the Three Lower Realms.

His Eminence Gyara Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

The 1st Serkong Dorje Chang Jetsun Ngawang Tsultrim Donden was a very powerful and erudite Dorje Shugden practitioner of Gaden Jangtse Monastery. He passed away and his incarnation came back as the 2nd Serkong Dorje Chang Jetsun Thubten Tsewang. He passed away, and this is his current incarnation. His current incarnation is also recognised by the Tibetan government. So how come he did not go to the Three Lower Realms. Why is the Tibetan government recognising lamas that practised Dorje Shugden and then they said their incarnations came back? It does not make sense.

His Eminence Serkong Dorje Chang. Click on image to enlarge.

Translation:
If you practise Dorje Shugden, you will be going against your other practices. You will be breaking your vows, and you will be breaking your refuge vows. If you break your refuge vows, you will take rebirth in the Three Lower Realms. If this is true, how come all these lamas reincarnated even though they used to practise Dorje Shugden? His Holiness himself has recognised these reincarnated lamas. Since the Dalai Lama himself approved these lamas it does not make any sense. If the one who practises Dorje Shugden takes rebirth in the Three Lower Realms, how come all these lamas come back?

Therefore, the Tibetan government itself recognises the reincarnations of Dorje Shugden lamas of the three great monasteries. If they approve of those lamas who are reincarnations of Dorje Shugden lamas, then what they say is not true. How is it not true? Because they say if you practise Dorje Shugden, you will break your refuge vows.

The refuge vows are our root vows. One who has refuge vows can take novice monastic vows and full-ordination vows. In addition, you can take the Bodhisattva vows and the Tantric vows. If you break your refuge vows that means you also break your novice and full-ordination vows, as well as Bodhisattva vows and Tantric vows. So after that, even if you practise, you will not achieve any attainments. If you cannot achieve attainments, why should we practise?

However, His Holiness and the Tibetan government say that if you practise Dorje Shugden, you will take rebirth in Three Lower Realms, the animal realm, the hungry ghost realm, and the hell realm. These are the Three Lower Realms. So, you will take rebirth in one of these realms. But at the same time, they recognise reincarnations of these lamas and approve of them. It does not make sense. And most of these Dorje Shugden lama’s incarnations have come back. His Holiness himself has recognised and approved them.

So it does not make sense because the Tibetan government says that if we practise Dorje Shugden, we go to the Three Lower Realms. If we go to the Three Lower Realms, how come the Tibetan government themselves are recognising these lamas and installing them in the monasteries. Which one is it? Do you go to hell or do you not go to hell?

So these lamas do not go to the Three Lower Realms, to the hell, the animal and the ghost realms. Then, people like us, normal people like us who believe in these lamas, take refuge in them and practise Dorje Shugden also should not go to the Three Lower Realms. Doesn’t this make a lot of sense?

Panglung Rinpoche, Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche, Zawa Rinpoche, they are all Dorje Shugden practitioners from their previous lives and also in this life. Their incarnations are back.

His Eminence Panglung Rinpoche, His Eminence Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche, and His Eminence Zawa Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

My first root guru, Kensur Rinpoche Sera Mey Jetsun Lobsang Tharchin was a lifelong Dorje Shugden practitioner. He received his Dorje Shugden life-entrustment initiation (sogtae) from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I know that.

So Kensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche received his Dorje Shugden practice and initiation from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. He practised Dorje Shugden his whole life and passed away. The Dalai Lama found his new incarnation and he recognised his new incarnation, and he is back. So how is that possible?

His Eminence Kensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche and His Eminence Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Then the great master, the great Tantric luminary, the great sutra holder, the vinaya holder, Gaden Shartse Nyari Khangtsen Sharpa Choeje Jetsun Lobsang Nyima Pelsangpo was one of the greatest tantric masters, retreatants and attained lineage holders that I have ever met in my life. He was from Gaden Shartse Monastery. He was one of my gurus. He passed away and his incarnation came back. And his incarnation is in Gaden Shartse Monastery. So Sharpa Choeje Jetsun Lobsang Nyima’s incarnation is in Gaden Shartse Monastery. He practised Dorje Shugden his whole life and he told me personally. He never gave up on Dorje Shugden. His incarnation is back and recognised by the Tibetan government.

My late Guru Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen. Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen was the first person who introduced me to Dorje Shugden and told me to practice Dorje Shugden and encouraged me to practice Dorje Shugden. When I was having difficulties in the US, I was around sixteen to eighteen years old. I was living with this great master, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen-la, and he told me to practice Dorje Shugden. He encouraged me and when he invited Zong Rinpoche, his guru, to America, Zong Rinpoche gave us the life-entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden, which is called sogtae. He passed away and his incarnation is back and recognised by the Dalai Lama.

His Eminence Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen and His Eminence Geshe Tendar Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Geshe Tendar practised Dorje Shugden and his incarnation is back in Mongolia and he practised Dorje Shugden.

Lama Yeshe is well known for practising Dorje Shugden. He was the starter, the beginner, the inspiration and the founder of the great organisation called FPMT – Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. Lama Yeshe himself and through his books and teachings, often encouraged people to practise Dorje Shugden. When he passed away, his incarnation came back. How come Lama Yeshe did not go to the three lower realms? Is it because the information from the Tibetan government is perhaps wrong or Dorje Shugden isn’t really a spirit and he is actually Manjushri as our teachers tell us he is? So if you practise him bad things do not happen to you, you do not take bad rebirth.

Venerable Lama Yeshe and His Eminence Khari Kentrul Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Okay, the great master Gaden Shartse Pukhang Khari Kentrul Rinpoche practised Dorje Shugden, a great abbot and teacher of Gaden. His incarnation is back.

Kyabje Denma Gonsa Rinpoche was one of the most famous, well-known masters of Tibet in the current century. Kyabje Denma Gonsa Dorje Chang, when he passed away, his incarnation is back. He has a huge Dorje Shugden chapel in the Kham area of Tibet.

Kyabje Denma Gonsa Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Kyabje Dagom Dorje Chang is one of my gurus and he was another erudite master, a gentle master, a pure monk and a vinaya holder – a real ‘dul wa tzin pa’ – ‘duldzin’. Kyabje Dagom Dorje Chang from Drepung Gomang Monastery, practised Dorje Shugden, gave initiation of Dorje Shugden and encouraged me. When he passed away, his undisputed incarnation has returned. How is that possible?

Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche, the one who wrote the Yellow Book, the one who wrote the Yellow Book about how if you practise Nyingma teachings, Dorje Shugden is going to harm you, and so you should not practise Dorje Shugden. When His Holiness the Dalai Lama read the Yellow Book, he decided to start the ban in 1996 that we should not practise Dorje Shugden. Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche passed away and his incarnation is back in Tibet studying very well, bright, perfect, smart, kind and many people go to see him. Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche is back and by the way, the Yellow Book has not been interpreted accurately.

Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

My root guru, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang gave me the Dorje Shugden initiation, practised Dorje Shugden his whole life and gave hundreds of foreigners, both lay non-Tibetans and Tibetans and thousands of monks, the Dorje Shugden life-entrustment initiation. He is back and he is about to finish his Geshe studies. He is perfect, beautiful, educated and he is teaching, and he practised Dorje Shugden. How come Zong Rinpoche did not go to the Three Lower Realms. By the way, Zong Rinpoche’s incarnation was found by the Dorje Shugden Oracle and the Dalai Lama simultaneously. I was there and I witnessed it. When Zong Rinpoche was very young, the current Zong Rinpoche, he recognised people from his previous lives and knew them by name. He could remember them clearly. Why didn’t he go to the Three Lower Realms?

His Holiness Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang. Click on image to enlarge.

Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was not a strong Dorje Shugden practitioner but he respected Dorje Shugden. I repeat, Kyabje Ling Dorje Chang was not a strong Dorje Shugden practitioner but he respected Dorje Shugden because he wrote prayers to Dorje Shugden and his incarnation is back. [My writers now will give you a link to show you in Tibetan and English, the prayers he has written to Dorje Shugden: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/dorje-shugden/kyabje-ling-rinpoche-does-dorje-shugden.html]

His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge.

Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang, composed the Dorje Shugden puja and prayers. He extracted it from the Sakya and he compiled the prayers for the Gelugpa. He passed away and he gave many initiations of Dorje Shugden. He passed away and his incarnation came back and passed away and this is the current incarnation. The current incarnation is a great master, scholar, and practitioner of Heruka’s tantra. So if Pabongka Rinpoche was such a bad person, such an evil person, a person that really broke his refuge vows, broke his tantric vows, broke his Bodhisattva vows, how come he can return? Doesn’t that mean there’s something wrong to the whole idea that Dorje Shugden brings you to the Three Lower Realms? This incarnation of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche was found by the Dalai Lama himself and the Dorje Shugden Oracle. Pabongka Rinpoche’s incarnation is back.

His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang. Click on image to enlarge.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, we all know is one of the root gurus of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and he was a Dorje Shugden practitioner his whole life. He is the guru of all gurus and the guru of tens of thousands of students. All those of my generation and above of Gaden, Sera, Drepung, there is not one person that has not received teachings from Trijang Rinpoche.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. Click on image to enlarge.

He is the one that spread Dorje Shugden’s practice and he is the one that wrote commentaries on Dorje Shugden, he is the one that gave initiations on Dorje Shugden, and he spent his whole life spreading and illuminating the nature of Dorje Shugden. Yet when he passed away, the Dalai Lama personally found his incarnation along with Dorje Shugden’s oracle, so Dorje Shugden’s oracle and the Dalai Lama both found his incarnation and his incarnation is back.

If practising Dorje Shugden is bad as the Dalai Lama has said, “if you practise Dorje Shugden, you will go to the Three Lower Realms.”

Translation:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that if you practise Dorje Shugden, you will take rebirth in the Three Lower Realms. If you take rebirth in the Three Lower Realms, how come the lamas reincarnate and these reincarnated lamas are approved of by His Holiness himself? It does not make sense, right? Instead, if you practise Dorje Shugden it should be either you have to take rebirth in the Three Lower Realms or there is no problem to practise Dorje Shugden. There is no harm in practising Dorje Shugden, therefore the lamas reincarnate. His Holiness has himself said that those who practise Dorje Shugden will take rebirth in the Three Lower Realms but he himself has also approved of Dorje Shugden lamas’ reincarnations. So since he approves of Dorje Shugden lamas and takes pictures with them, there is no harm in practising Dorje Shugden, is there?

So there cannot be a fault with Dorje Shugden’s practice because the Dorje Shugden lamas did come back and there were no problems. The very people that say Dorje Shugden is negative, recognise the lamas that practise Dorje Shugden. There is a contradiction here.

Last but not least, His Holiness the 9th Panchen Lama installed a Dorje Shugden chapel in Tashi Lhunpo and I travelled to Tibet myself and visited Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and the Dorje Shugden chapel. I made offerings there, I did black tea (serkym) there and made offerings there, and I also took pictures of the chapel.

His Holiness the Panchen Lama. On the far right is the CTA-recognized 11th Panchen Lama. Again, their recognition of any Panchen Lama candidate contradicts their claim that worshipping Dorje Shugden sends you to the three lower realms. If their claim is true, then the 10th Panchen Lama who relied on Dorje Shugden should have taken rebirth in the three lower realms, and there should not be a reincarnation. So on what basis, logic or truth is the CTA recognising a Panchen Lama candidate? Their actions totally contradict their reasons for banning the Dorje Shugden practice. Click on image to enlarge.

So the 9th Panchen Lama himself is the second highest lama of Tibet and in his Monastery, Tashi Lhunpo, there is a Dorje Shugden chapel. This is Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and the prayer hall. This is the chapel of Dorje Shugden, this is a chapel in Tashi Lhunpo dedicated by the 9th Panchen Lama to Dorje Shugden. This picture was taken by myself and my team.

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (Photo by Tsem Rinpoche). Click on image to enlarge.

So this is the chapel of Dorje Shugden in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery installed by the 9th Panchen Lama. In fact, the 9th Panchen Lama invited Pabongka Rinpoche to Tashi Lhunpo to do the ceremonies.

Dorje Shugden chapel in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. (Photo by Tsem Rinpoche) Click on image to enlarge.

This is inside the protector chapel [and my team are uploading it for you]. This is the statue commissioned by the 9th Panchen Lama of Dorje Shugden, so this statue is now in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and was originally installed by the 9th Panchen Lama and worshipped by the 9th Panchen Lama.

The inside of the protector chapel in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. (Photo by Tsem Rinpoche) Click on image to enlarge.

The 9th Panchen Lama who installed Dorje Shugden in his monastery, prayed to Dorje Shugden in his monastery. The chapel is still there. He entered clear light and reincarnated as the 10th Panchen Lama. The 10th Panchen Lama also practised Dorje Shugden because I have very close lama friends who are very close to the Panchen Lama, who did Dorje Shugden puja and black tea with him, together.

Read more: The Panchen Lama’s Dorje Shugden Puja Text

This is the statue commissioned by the 9th Panchen Lama of Dorje Shugden. (Photo by Tsem Rinpoche) Click on image to enlarge.

So, the 10th Panchen Lama also practised Dorje Shugden, and he passed away, and the 11th Panchen Lama took rebirth. The 11th Panchen Lama was found by Nechung and the Dalai Lama, but he practised Dorje Shugden in his previous life. If he practised Dorje Shugden in his previous life, how come he was able to take rebirth as a human being? So, even the highest of the high practised Dorje Shugden, and they returned back, and the Dalai Lama and Nechung all recognised the incarnations. Does that make sense?

The fact that there are two Panchen Lama candidates highlights another method that the Tibetan leadership employs in order to create strife and division in the Tibetan Buddhist community, i.e. by recognizing multiple reincarnations of Dorje Shugden high lamas. By all logic, the Tibetan leadership should not recognize ANY reincarnations of Dorje Shugden lamas because this goes against what they preach, which is that practising Dorje Shugden leads one to take rebirth in the three lower realms. So why did the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership recognize Gedhun Chökyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama? Why not just announce to the world that there is NO 11th Panchen Lama because the 10th Panchen Lama, a Dorje Shugden practitioner, must have taken rebirth in the three lower realms?

So, this is the evidence I am showing you, that you if practice Dorje Shugden, it is impossible you would go to the Three Lower Realms. It is impossible. There are so many lamas that practised Dorje Shugden, and these are just the topmost lamas, and these are just recently, in the last 100 years that we have pictures. For the last 400 years, there have been thousands of lamas that practised Dorje Shugden and that I have do not have pictures of because there were no cameras, 200, 300, 400 years ago. Just because Dorje Shugden was not mentioned by Lama Tsongkhapa, does not mean you cannot practice Dorje Shugden. Why? There are many highly-realised lamas that came after Lama Tsongkhapa that recognised Dorje Shugden as a genuine emanation of Manjushri.

So, we need to get this straight. If we practice Dorje Shugden, do we go to the Three Lower Realms? If we go to the Three Lower Realms, why are the teachers of Dorje Shugden practice not going to the Three Lower Realms? If they are not going to the Three Lower Realms, doesn’t it make the Tibetan government look contradictory by recognising their incarnations? Wouldn’t you not recognise incarnations of Dorje Shugden lamas? Why wouldn’t you recognise them? When you recognise them you are telling people that there is nothing wrong with Dorje Shugden. Otherwise, how do these incarnations come back? I repeat. By recognising Dorje Shugden lamas’ incarnations and putting them in the monasteries again, you are telling the world that if you practice Dorje Shugden, nothing bad happens to you. Doesn’t that contradict what you are saying? So, let’s think about all that.

Therefore, in conclusion, I have just shown you the tip of the iceberg of the great lamas that practised; many of them I am familiar with or my teachers are familiar with that told me about them. Some of you might say, well some of the people you showed gave up Dorje Shugden. They may have given up Dorje Shugden but they practised Dorje Shugden at one time or another in their lives, which showed that Dorje Shugden was not a minor practice. Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice within the Gelugpas. Dorje Shugden was a pervasive practice among the Gelugpas till the 1996 ban.

So, if you practice Dorje Shugden, you break your refuge vows and you go to the Three Lower Realms. None of them went to the Three Lower Realms. Furthermore, the very people who say go to the Three Lower Realms, they themselves recognise the lamas who practised Dorje Shugden.

So, I want everybody to think about that. Everything that I have said is with logic, thoroughly thought out, and I wish to repeat. I do not wish to disparage His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I do not wish to say anything negative, and I do not wish to offend His Holiness. I have great respect, love and faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Just before the previous Trijang Rinpoche passed away, he said, “In the future, it will look like the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden are in conflict with each other to the ordinary eye, through the conventional sense and through conventional observation. But ultimately, there are two ways of viewing things. On the ultimate level, there are those who have achieved emptiness. and using conventional methods, there are those who have not achieved emptiness. So, through conventional methods, it seems that the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has conflict with Dorje Shugden and they are against each other. But on an ultimate realm, they are not; they are helping each other to bring the Buddhadharma to the greater masses.” Now, that was told to me by many lamas, Geshes, and my gurus in Gaden Monastery who heard it from Trijang Rinpoche himself. So, we cannot say, “if Trijang Rinpoche said that, I accept” or “if Trijang Rinpoche said that, then I do not accept.” Whether you accept or you do not accept, that was what Trijang Rinpoche said. If you accept, you are respecting him and if you do not accept it, then you do not respect him and you are saying you have greater wisdom than him. I do not have greater wisdom than him so I choose to believe that the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden are working together to make the Dharma grow in the world. That is what I choose.

So, I make a fervent appeal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his ministers to please remove the stigma from Dorje Shugden. Please remove all negative talk and writings from Tibet.net and DalaiLama.com. Tibet.net and DalaiLama.com both have information and sections against Dorje Shugden. The Dalai Lama is one of the greatest spiritual inspirations and leaders of our planet today and of the 21st century. To have a section on his blogsite, to discourage one type of religious practice does not befit the status, the name and the grandeur of such an incredible spiritual leader. Imagine if we go to Mother Teresa’s website, and then there is one section that says, “If you are Catholic, you are good. If you practice Baptist, you are not good.” How would that make us feel about Mother Teresa? It would not look good for someone of her stature, of her grandness and of her spiritual level. So, I request to remove all stigma, and Your Holiness, with one sentence, if you tell people, “Accept the Dorje Shugden people, they are people too, and they deserve compassion and they are Tibetans too,” all the Tibetans will unite and all the conflicts between Dorje Shugden people and non Dorje Shugden people will end. There is only one sentence from you, one statement from you. You are very powerful.

I am appealing to Your Holiness for the sake of harmony for the Tibetans. I am appealing to Your Holiness for the sake of bringing all Tibetans together. Whether I am a Muslim Tibetan, Christian Tibetan, Buddhist Tibetan, Gelugpa, Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyu, Bonpo, Jonangpa Tibetan; whether I am a U-Tsangpa, Amdopa, or Khampa Tibetan; whether I am a Shugdenpa Tibetan, whatever type of Tibetan, I am still a Tibetan. I am born in a foreign country, I do not speak Tibetan well, that is not my fault because I never got to live, breathe and abide in Tibetan culture because we lost our country. So, therefore I am asking the Tibetan leadership to unite all Tibetans, to save our culture, to save our religion, to save our unique way of life because we need unity. Please do not segregate Tibetans due to religion and regionalism. Most important, for Buddhism to grow, we need the conflict of Dorje Shugden to end. This can end when we understand that all of us are human beings, and we have the right to practise religion. For Dorje Shugden people, we should be allowed to join the Dalai Lama’s talks, especially the secular talks. He is our leader. He is our leader so if he has something to say, we should have the right to go there and to join in and not be segregated on the basis of our religion. So, I am requesting, with the deepest respect, for the stigma against Dorje Shugden to end, and the negative talk, because it is all very illogical.

I wish His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama a very long life. I wish him to live for hundreds of years, and to continue to experience good health, and to turn the wheel of Dharma, because he has benefitted so many people. I wish for the teachings of the Buddha to spread in the ten directions, and to benefit people who have the affinity. I wish all people to be at peace, and have harmony, and that religion be the cause of unity, not be the cause of schism. I repeat. I wish for religion to be used as a cause for unity, tolerance, and understanding, and not division and schism. Last but not least, I wish very much that my videos do not offend anyone, because I am not talking about this to offend anyone, I am simply giving knowledge. My way of life, my religion, what I follow is being threatened. I suffer persecution, I suffer segregation, I suffer degradation. I suffer humiliation and insult, almost on a daily basis because of my religious choice. It should not be like that in today’s 21^st century world. It should not be like that.

Thank you very much. I will have all this on my blog so that you can see it, and for now… Rinpoche recites Dedication Prayers.


Completion Dedication


DAG-SOG JIN-NYEH SAG-PA GE-WA DEE
TAN-DANG DRO-WA KUN-LA GANG-PHAN DANG
CHE-PAR JE-TSUN LO-ZANG DRAG-PA YI
TAN-PI NYING-PO RING-DU SAL-SHEH SHUG

May this merit accumulated by myself and others
Beneficially serve all sentient beings and the Buddhadharma
And especially may the essential teachings of the
Unerring Master Tsongkhapa become clear and enduring.

JANG-JUB SEM-CHOK RINPOCHE
MA-KYE PA-NAM KYE-GYUR CHIK
KYE-PA NYAM-PA ME-PA YANG
GONG-NA GONG-DU PEL-WAR SHUG

May the precious Bodhi-mind,
Where it is not born arise and grow
May that born have no decline
But increase forever more.

TONG-NI TONG-WA RINPOCHE
MA-KYE PA-NAM KYE-GYUR CHIK
KYE-PA NYAM-PA ME-PA YANG
GONG-NA GONG-DU PEL-WAR SHUG

May the precious Emptiness
Where it is not born arise and grow
May that born have no decline
But increase forever more.

Dedication of Virtue
GE-WA DI-YI NYUR-DU DAK
LA-MA SANG-GYE DRUP-GYUR NA
DRO-WA CHIK-KYANG MA-LU PA
DE-YI SA-LA GO-PAR SHUG

By this virtue, may I quickly
Realize Guru-Buddhahood,
And transfer each sentient being
Into that Enlightened state.

CHO KHI GYAL PO TSONG KHA PA
CHO TSUL NAM PAR PHEL WA LA
GEK KI TSHAN MA ZHI WA DANG
THUN KYIN MA LU TSHANG WAR SHOK

May all conducive conditions arise
and all obstacles be pacified,
in order to increase infinitely,
the doctrine of the spiritual king, Tsongkhapa.

DA DANG SHEN GI DU SUM DANG
DRIL WA TSOK NYI LA TEN NAY
GYA WA LO ZANG DRAG PA YI
TAN PAR YUN RING VAR GYUR CHIG

By the merits of the 3 times of myself and others,
May the doctrine of Lama Tsongkhapa blaze forever.

GANGSHIG DRENPA TSAMGYI CHINANGI
BARCHE KUNSEL LESHEY TRINLEY NAM
TSOLDZE GYALCHEN SHUGDEN RIG-NGA TSEY
TANSUNG KORDANG CHELA CHAG-SAL TÖ

All the obstacles from within and without,
Completely you dispel and make things clear & fulfil activities,
To the 5 families of Dorje Shugden,
Your great entourage & assistants I prostrate.

Dedication for the Long Life of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama
GANG RI RAWE KORWAI SHING KHAM DIR
PEN DANG DEWA MALU GYUNG WAI NE
CHENREZIG WANG TENZIN GYATSO YI
SHA PEI SITHAI BARDU DEN GYUR CHIG

In this holy Land surrounded by snow mountains,
You are the source of all benefit and happiness
May your lotus feet, O powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso
Remain in this world until the end of existence.

Thank you very much. Good bye for now.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and ease of understanding.

Close transcript