According to NKT, the Dalai Lama has inflicted more harm that those who have killed millions of people, tortured millions of people and raped millions of women in modern times.

What could be more harmful than murder, torture and rape?

What's more harmful than murder?

This was in response to my statement in the article that the Dalai Lama was the “Spiritual Teacher who has inflicted the greatest harm on the greatest number of people in modern times”

I said that the Dalai Lama was the Spiritual Teacher who has inflicted the greatest harm on the greatest number of people – this is patently true.  If we consider the nature of a Spiritual Teacher, their job is to benefit others, not to harm them.  That a Spiritual Teacher would inflict ANY harm is anathema and completely contrary to their nature and function.  How has the Dalai Lama harmed others?  He has forced thousands of Tibetan Gelugpas to break their commitments to their Gurus by swearing an oath to Palden Lhamo.  He has called the realizations of his own Teachers into question by saying that they were wrong about the nature and function of Dorje Shugden.  Although he talks about non-sectarianism It seems that, out of sectarianism,  he is destroying the Gelugpa tradition by casting doubt on its Lineage Gurus and practices.  He threatens their very validity.

In answer to the question “What could be more harmful than murder, torture and rape?” my reply would be “destroying the spiritual lives of others, and destroying the future happiness of millions of people by forcing them to break their spiritual commitments”

Let me explain.

While murder, torture and rape are terrible crimes and reprehensible, for the victim they only affect one life.   Far worse is the breaking of spiritual commitments and negative actions towards the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) which can affect people for countless lifetimes.  There are hair-raising stories of people who took many lower rebirths due to disparaging monks, for example.  One man once insulted a monk by telling him that he looked like a frog.  As a result, he was reborn 500 times in succession as a frog.  Breaking spiritual commitments endangers the happiness of many future lives.  The Dalai Lama has blackmailed and coerced thousands of Tibetans to swearing an oath to Palden Lhamo (a Protectoress of the Gelugpa tradition) that they will no longer practise Dorje Shugden, even though they may have made a promise to their Spiritual Guides to do so, and furthermore, not to share material or spiritual resources with those who continue to do so.  This promise will adversely affect them for many of their future lives.  The Dalai Lama has created a schism in the Sangha, which is one of the five heinous actions of immediate retribution.  It is said that someone who commits such an action will go straight to hell at the end of that life, which is why it is called an action of ‘immediate retribution’.

For this reason, we can feel sorry for the Dalai Lama, but we must also acknowledge the

The Dalai Lama - Buddha or Demon?

enormous spiritual damage he has inflicted on those who are in his mandala and under his power.  This damage not only destroys their spiritual life now, but endangers the happiness of their countless future lives.  This is an action of unparalleled cruelty.

As Shantideva says in Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life:

If all living beings , including the gods and demi-gods,
Were to rise up against me as one enemy,
They could not lead me to the fire of the deepest hell
And throw me in.

But this powerful enemy of the delusions
In an instant can cast me into that firey place
Where even the ashes of Mount Meru
Would be consumed without a trace.

(Chapter IV, verses 30 and 31)

So, if all the murderers, torturers and rapists were to rise up against me has my enemy, they could destroy my life, but they couldn’t cast me into hell.  Breaking spiritual commitments through the power of delusion can cast me in an instant into hell. This is the reason why forcing people to break their spiritual commitments is far more harmful than murder, torture and rape.

It’s therefore clear to me that no matter how much the Dalai Lama speaks about peace, harmony and non-sectarianism, his actions, which are spiritual violence against those who, unfortunately, have the faith to follow him, are the worse kinds of actions leading to the worst kind of results.  The suffering he is inflicting will last not not only in this life but in future lives as well.  Therefore, controversially, I have to say that his actions are more cruel than that of any murderer, torturer or rapist for the clear spiritual reasons I have explained.

Many people regard the Dalai Lama as the living embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, but as Geshe Kelsang Gyatso said in an interview in Tricycle magazine in 1998:

If he is an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara why he is causing so many people suffering? Why is he causing the spiritual life of so many people to be destroyed? Now there is big confusion. Since His Holiness the Dalai Lama removed Shugden statues from Gelugpa monasteries and temples and claimed that Shugden is a worldly, harmful spirit, people throughout the Buddhist world have begun to have doubts about the general dharma of the Gelugpa tradition, and in particular the dharma of Je Pabongka and Trijang Rinpoche. Now you can see the belief pervading everywhere that these lamas and their tradition are invalid and impure. How can His Holiness the Dalai Lama do this, unless he thinks that the dharma taught by Trijang Rinpoche is not the real dharma? What he is doing now is putting great effort to destroy the Dharma taught by his own spiritual guide. This is a very horrible example, because every Buddhist practitioner believes that relying on the spiritual guide is the root of the path and the very essence of the practice. He is showing that the lama or spiritual guide doesn’t matter. How can Avalokiteshvara do this?

A confusing and difficult problem or question
an intricate and difficult problem

What is the problem?

Well, what do you think about these spiritual quotations?

If we make a steady effort, I think we can overcome any form of negative conditioning and make positive changes in our lives.

Compassion and love give meaning to our activities and makes them constructive.

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible.

Due to the fundamental interconnectedness that lies at the heart of reality, your interest is also my interest.

Of course, they all makes sense and are correct.  They would be worthy of remembering and of contemplation. The problem I have is that they were all taken from the Dalai Lama’s Twitter page.  As spiritual truths, of course they make perfect sense but we’ve also got to put them in context:  They were written or spoken by a Spiritual Teacher who has inflicted the greatest harm on the greatest number of people in modern times.  We have to put those valid sentiments in the context of a person who has turned his back on their Root and Lineage Gurus over the matter of Dorje Shugden, who has created a schism in not only the Tibetan community over this issue, but in the worldwide Buddhist community at large.  The Dalai Lama has been responsible for expelling monks from their monasteries and for ostracising Shugden practitioners from their families and communities.

The Dalai Lama: sweet words, harmful actions

Therefore, when I see these spiritual sentiments, which I would normally agree with and ‘re-tweet’, I hesitate: do I really want to encourage people to make a connection with someone who, although very popular and renowned for compassion and championing human rights, has nonetheless created the biggest and most divisive controversy in modern Buddhism?  Do I want people to connect with someone who says very sweet words but whose actions cause pain and suffering to millions?

I have to say no.

If these teachings were given by any other Buddhist Teacher,  I could accept and promote them, but in this case I cannot.  At the end of the day, it’s what you do rather than what you say that has power and determines your trustworthiness. Actions, not words, determine whether people have faith in you.  It’s a Spiritual Teacher’s example we should check first and then their words.

A famous Buddhist with non-Buddhist ideas

During a talk at ‘Ideas for a new Millennium in Panaji, Goa, the Dalai Lama urged people not to worship idols and said:

Instead of having speechless objects such as the statue of Buddha, one should print more books. Knowledge does not come from the temple or church, but from education

Of course it’s not constructive to worship idols, but is this what the Dalai Lama thinks about having an image of Buddha in your home?  He’s completely wrong.  Buddhists regard any image of Buddha as an actual Buddha; indeed, this is a commitment of Buddhist refuge, so what are we to make of the Dalai Lama’s comments?  He clearly doesn’t understand what the nature and function of Buddhist refuge is which is quite shocking.  It’s taught that looking at holy objects such as statues of Buddha place positive imprints in our minds which are causes of the highest happiness – enlightenment itself. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso says in Eight Steps to Happiness:

In the lamrim teachings, it says that just seeing an image of a Buddha places a potentiality on the mind that is a

The Dalai Lama doesn't value 'speechless' Buddha statues

definite cause of enlightenment and which nothing can destroy.

This isn’t just Geshe Kelsang’s view, because Lama Zopa, a sympathizer of the Dalai Lama and supporter of his ban on Dorje Shugden practice says:

Holy objects only leave positive imprints, no negative imprint. When we watch TV or go sightseeing in the city many of the things we see can leave a negative imprint on our mind, depending on how we look at them. But the benefit that we get from looking at holy objects is like the limitless sky.

The Dalai Lama therefore appears to contradict traditional Buddhist teachings by regarding Buddha statues as less worthwhile than education.   Ordinary education is destroyed by death, whereas the imprints of seeing holy objects such as a Buddhas are not –  therefore, in the long term, which is more valuable?  It seems that the Dalai Lama is thinking only of this life alone, which is not even spiritual, let alone Buddhist! Also his assertion that Buddha statues are speechless is incorrect – there are many stories of Buddha statues speaking.  One famous example is Atisha’s statue of Arya Tara, whom he would consult.  He would make a mandala offering in front of the statue and then ask advice.  The statue would then speak to him and tell him what to do.

The Dalai Lama’s comments regarding the temple or church are ambiguous – of course knowledge doesn’t come from a building, but religious teachings that do alleviate the suffering of the world are given in temples and churches, so it’s very curious of him to say otherwise.  It’s good that he’s encouraging people to develop compassion as this is one of the main paths to true happiness, but ordinary education doesn’t necessarily encourage this.

The Dalai Lama also disparages prayer in his speech:

Action is more important than prayers to achieve the desirable

Again, he is contradicted by traditional Buddhist teachings.  Lama Zopa says:

 

The Dalai Lama doesn't rate prayer as a way to get things done

Medicine Buddha practice is not only for healing. In addition, it is very powerful for success and for solving any problems. Medicine Buddha practice is good for someone who has died, for family problems, for someone who is sick, for receiving happiness and freedom from suffering, for finding a job, for success in business, and for all one’s wishes to be actualized.

So Lama Zopa advises praying to Medicine Buddha for success and to solve all problems, whereas the Dalai Lama advises engaging in physical actions.  How are those actions going to help those who have died or those who are suffering in hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and so forth?  Physical actions have limitations whereas mental actions, such as prayer, have no limitations.  Many years ago, at Medicine Buddha teachings, Geshe Kelsang taught that prayer is how Buddhists get things done because resorting to politics is not an option.  Dalai Lama take note – no wonder you haven’t got Tibet back in over forty years of political manoeuvring.

As usual, people are charmed by the Dalai Lama and don’t really check the substance of what he’s saying, but there are a lot of contradictions inherent  in the Dalai Lama’s statement of being a ‘Marxist Buddhist’. It reveals his synthesis of politics and religion. Marxism is politics and Buddhism is religion. They are like fire and water and do not mix – or rather they are like fire and gunpowder, because their mixing is extremely destructive as we have seen in the case of the politicisation of the Dorje Shugden issue where the state has over-reached its boundaries and had a Deity banned in Tibetan society,  causing much suffering of the pure spiritual practitioners who practise this Deity and who have been ostracised as a result.

Buddhism and Marxism are contradictory

Karl Marx: religion is escapism?

Karl Marx’s belief was that religion was a symptom of a sick society, an expression of economic injustice.  As the

Wikipedia article ‘Criticism of religion’ says:

According to Karl Marx, religion is a tool utilized by the ruling classes whereby the masses can shortly relieve their suffering via the act of experiencing religious emotions. It is in the interest of the ruling classes to instill in the masses the religious conviction that their current suffering will lead to eventual happiness. Therefore as long as the public believes in religion, they will not attempt to make any genuine effort to understand and overcome the real source of their suffering, which in Marx’s opinion was their capitalist economic system

According to Marx, religion was escapism.  How, then, would Marx view the Dalai Lama, a religious leader?  no doubt as a purveyor of illusion!  It’s therefore very strange that the Dalai Lama claims to be a Marxist Buddhist when the two are seen to be contradictory.  Marxism is a flawed political system whereas the flawless teachings of Buddha reveal an unmistaken path to permanent freedom from suffering, so how could the Dalai Lama marry these disparate systems together?

Furthermore,  Marx’s beliefs are the antithesis of old Tibet, which was a feudal society where ordinary people were serfs and the monks were the ruling class who meted out barbaric punishments and death sentences contrary to Buddha’s teachings. This cruelty is well documented.

It is therefore somewhat strange that the Dalai Lama should declare himself to be Marxist, as feudal Tibet, a system he was part of, goes against the equality that Marx espoused. Furthermore, how can the Dalai Lama claim to subscribe to the same system as Chairman Mao who destroyed Tibet and caused him to flee to a foreign country? How could their ideologies be the same? I’m wondering what the average Tibetan who was displaced would think about the Dalai Lama claiming kinship with Chairman Mao! Actually, the Dalai Lama expressed great admiration for Mao.

Do Marxism and Buddhism have any commonality?

There do appear to be superficial similarities, in the way in which both systems espouse the equality of living beings, but their function and purpose are completely different.  Marxism’s aim is to release people from the illusions of religion and the evils of the capitalist economic system, which is seen to be the cause of their suffering, whereas Buddhism aims to release all living beings from suffering permanently by helping them develop wisdom and compassion.  Marxism is a worldly medicine for what it sees as the ills of society, which have external causes,  whereas Buddhism espouses the development of the mind as a permanent solution to all suffering and sees the main cause of suffering as internal.  From this viewpoint, could Buddhism and Marxism really be much more different?

If the Dalai Lama really is a Marxist, he must believe that the capitalist system is the cause of suffering in this world, but Buddha never said that; Buddha instead claimed that ignorance is the main cause of suffering and its cure is wisdom.   Marxism would do away with the very religion that is the source of this wisdom.

It says much about the Dalai Lama’s confusion that he would see Buddhism and Marxism to be so similar that he could declare himself a ‘Marxist Buddhist’ and this confusion explains why the Dalai Lama has taken to mixing two incompatible systems to the detriment of Buddhist teachings in this world.

DalaiLamaTruth on Twitter  is up for a Shorty award!  It’s currently number six in the Buddhism category – that’s pretty good going so far.  What better message could we send to the Dalai Lama and the detractors of Dorje Shugden than to keep it in the top ten?  This is important – there are many front runners who have thousands of followers who will be directing them to vote for their blog, and if they see ‘Dalai Lama Truth’, they might just click and get better informed about the Dalai Lama’s nefarious activities.

In short, it’s a great way to promote our cause and draw attention to the truth about the Dalai Lama, so, if you care, and you’ve got a Twitter account, get on to this link and cast a vote for truth. We can start a (peaceful) revolution:

http://shortyawards.com/category/buddhism

Thanks for your support.

There is a definite relationship between the present wrong view of Dorje Shugden as an evil spirit and the power of the Dalai Lama.  The Dalai Lama has banned the practice and continues to speak out against it at every opportunity, contrary to the views and intention of the foremost lineage holder of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition, his own root Guru Kyabje Trijang

Trijang Rinpoche, Lineageholder of Je Tsongkhapa

Dorjechang.  The Dalai Lama has publicly declared his own Teacher and the numerous realized beings who have relied on the practice of Dorje Shugden to be wrong, and he is using the power of his celebrity with the world’s media to reinforce this view.  Because of the Dalai Lama’s positive profile (most people believe he is an honest and sincere man of peace), the majority of Tibetans and many Westerners have unquestioningly accepted the Dalai Lama’s pronouncements on the issue and have taken up the cause, with many taking to the internet to denounce Dorje Shugden and those who do the practice.  A case in point is the recent Tricycle article ‘nice art, troubled history’ which was supposed to be a discussion about Dorje Shugden’s representation in Buddhist art, but instead degenerated into sectarian mudslinging.

The Dalai Lamas strident speech is the cause of many problems

It seems that the Dalai Lama’s negative speech against the Deity has ignited very strong feelings in the minds of his supporters.  We can definitely say, therefore, that without the Dalai Lama ‘stoking the fire’ , such sectarian hatred would not prevail.  The question is, what is the Dalai Lama’s motivation for causing such a schism in the international Buddhist community?  There appears to be no benefit.

What I am attempting to show, therefore, is that the Dalai Lama is not what he seems.  Due to positive media coverage there is a popular image of the Dalai Lama in minds of many people, but what is important to realize is that he is not what he appears to be.  He is not the open minded supporter of religious freedom and non-violence that he is portrayed as.  It’s quite common for people to believe that politicians are deceptive in that they ‘say one thing and do another’, but many people have a different view of the Dalai Lama because he wears the robes of a Buddhist monk.  His public talks also espouse positive human values, and so he generally escapes criticism except by a very few people – however, what we need is the truth.

Is the Dalai Lama what he appears to be?  There is a growing body of evidence to show that he is not.  Declassified documents from the CIA

The Dalai Lama requested the US for military assistance

show that the Dalai Lama was in contact with the Americans prior to fleeing Tibet and he requested military assistance.  He had the intention to establish a guerrilla resistance to the Chinese and he had the intention to arm them.

This is not common knowledge: if it had been, would he have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989? It’s unlikely.  Therefore the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and accepted it, based on a false premise:  that he was not involved in violent opposition to the Chinese invasion of Tibet.  This was simply incorrect, as secret leaked US documents now show.

Another area of deception is the Dalai Lama’s relationship with the Chinese prior to fleeing Tibet.  There’s a lot of third party evidence presented, for example, in ‘A Great Deception’ that the Dalai Lama had cordial relations with General Tan of the Chinese army and he was, infact, a great supporter of Marxism.  He wrote a great praise to Chairman Mao

Friends? - the Dalai Lama praised Chairman Mao

In subsequent interviews, the Dalai Lama has declared himself to be a ‘Buddhist Marxist’.  This shows the degree of mixing of religion and politics that has occurred in the Dalai Lama’s mind – he is aligned to both, even though they are contradictory.  He presents himself as being ideologically opposed to the Chinese regime, but some evidence shows otherwise.

The mixing of religion and politics is the root of the Dorje Shugden problem, as is the credibility of the Dalai Lama as a consistent, non-deceptive and reliable source of spiritual teaching.  The Dalai Lama’s credibility is what gives his ban on Dorje Shugden its power, since it is upheld by most based on blind belief. This ban is destroying Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition and is the source of the ostracism and the denial of human rights to Dorje Shugden practitioners by the present Tibetan regime. The Tibetan Government in Exile headed by the Dalai Lama has taken harsh action against Shugden practitioners even though they are not a legitimate government and their ostracism of Dorje Shugden practitioners must be against Indian law.

This blog will therefore always question the viability of the Dalai Lama’s view and actions and will attempt to show hypocrisy when and where it occurs.  It’s important for people to know the truth than to be misled by media hype.  By questioning the credibility of the Dalai Lama and highlighting inconsistencies in his words and actions based on valid sources, the power of his pronouncements on Dorje Shugden will weaken and crumble in the minds of everyone, except the most unreasonable.  There is great hope that political pollution will be removed from Tibetan Buddhism in general and the Gelugpa tradition of Je Tsongkhapa in particular, with Shugden and non-Shugden practitioners being able to share common beliefs and activities with the dissolving of disharmony.  This is certainly my wish.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for your interest in this issue which has such important implications for the future of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition.

We need to examine the evidence.  The first evidence comes from interviews in which the Dalai Lama has expressed admiration for weapons of war

I am a man of peace, but I am fond of looking at picture books of the Second World War. I own some, which I believe are produced by Time-Life. I’ve just ordered a new set. Thirty books.

Q: Really? Why does the Reincarnation of Compassion have such a fascination with one of the most terrible events in human history?

A: Perhaps because the stories are so negative and gruesome, they strengthen my belief in nonviolence. [ Smiles. ] However, I find many of the machines of violence very attractive. Tanks, airplanes, warships, especially aircraft carriers. And the German U-boats, submarines. . . .

Q: I once read that as a little boy in Lhasa, you liked war toys.

A: Yes, very much. I also had an air rifle in Lhasa. And I have one in India. I often feed small birds, but when they come together, hawks spot them and catch them — a very bad thing. So in order to protect these small birds, I keep the air rifle.

Q: So it is a Buddhist rifle?

A: [ Laughs ] A compassionate rifle!

The image of the Dalai Lama with a rifle and a keen interest in pictures of war is certainly a strange one, given his public proclamations about peace.

Recent Wikileaks information has provided a fascinating insight into the Dalai Lama’s mindset before he fled Tibet for India.   As this article shows, the Dalai Lama tentatively requested the USA, through his emissary Tsepon Shakabpa, for military support in 1961.  Shakabpa requests,  in a meeting with Fraser Wilkins, the First Secretary of the US Embassy in New Delhi:

‘If the Dalai Lama left Tibet would the United States be willing to supply the Dalai Lama with military assistance and loans of money?’

And furthermore, the meeting notes go on to say that the Dalai Lama, being the temporal and spiritual leader of Tibet, would

…when the time was ripe want to supply groups with arms so they could rise against the invader

The Dalai Lama is requesting military assistance and supply of arms so that there can be resistance against the Chinese invasion.  The Dalai Lama is therefore advocating armed struggle against the Chinese, with the inevitable loss of life that this would involve.  We know, in fact, that subsequently there was a Tibetan Guerilla resistance group called Chushi Gangdruk established.

Chushi Gangdruk's flag

Tibetans were trained in Camp Hale in Colorado and the Dalai Lama received an annual income of $186,000 from the CIA.  All of this from the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 1989.

In his acceptance speech for receiving this award, the Dalai Lama said:

…I feel honored, humbled, and deeply moved that you should give this important prize to a simple monk from Tibet. I am no one special. But I believe the prize is a recognition of the true value of altruism, love, compassion, and nonviolence which I try to practice, in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha and the sages of India and Tibet.

When he accepted this award in the name of Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence, the Dalai Lama was fully aware of the military resistance to the Chinese invasion, military support that he himself had requested.  He knew that it was, in fact, a violent struggle, not a peaceful one.  He also knew about, and was complicit with, other armed conflicts involving Tibetans – for example, Establishment 22′s involvement in a war against Pakistan

Finally, we can consider the Dalai Lama’s message to the armed forces from June 2010:

Naturally, there are some times when we need to take what on the surface appears to be harsh or tough action, but if our motivation is good our action is actually non-violent in nature. On the other hand if we use sweet words and gestures to deceive, exploit and take advantage of others, our conduct may appear agreeable, while we are actually engaged in quite unacceptable violence.

The last sentence is a summary of the Dalai Lama’s position.  His conduct appears extremely agreeable as far as the world’s media is concerned, but behind the scenes, in dialogue with the USA, in talks to Tibetans about the Dorje Shugden issue, his words and actions have led to violence.

In summary, although the Dalai Lama publicly condemns violence, it’s clear from a little investigative work and recently released secret documents from the US that he has been involved in supporting armed conflict, and even requested military support from the Americans.  It’s important for everyone to understand that the Dalai Lama is actually engaged in unacceptable violence, both in his words and his actions, despite his public endorsement of Gandhi and his policy of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence.

Why, then, is the Dalai Lama famous for his ‘non-violence’ approach to the China/Tibet struggle?  Why was he awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when there were Tibetan Guerrila freedom fighters engaged in active combat with China, and Establishment 22 fighting a war, both with the full knowledge and support of the Dalai Lama?

US cables show that the Tibetan Government in Exile regarded Establishment 22 as their ‘paramilitary arm’.  How, then, is the Tibetan Government in Exile any different from the Irish Republican political party Sinn Fein who also had a paramilitary arm called the IRA?  The main difference is that it was public knowledge that there was a link between Sinn Fein and the IRA whereas until now, the Tibetan resistance fighters, called Chushi Gangdruk and Establishment 22 have been hidden.

From this it can be seen that the Dalai Lama’s endorsement of non-violence is mere words. The world is being deceived into believing that he is an advocate of non-violence, or ahimsa, through his public speeches while the evidence shows that he is actually supporting armed conflict.

Dorje Shugden’s Mandala

On web forums, supporters of the Dalai Lama are often non-plussed that Westerners are involving themeselves in this issue at all. They say “this is a Tibetan issue that doesn’t affect you, so why are you protesting the ban? You can practise this spirit as much as you like”. The problem can be summarised by the following genuine exchange on the Buddhist forum ‘newbuddhist.com’. A question was posed by a new practitioner:

Can anyone explain the controversy surrounding the NKT? I’m very new to Buddhism and there’s an NKT centre quite close to where I live and was thinking of going along. However I’ve been reading a lot of bad press about them, calling them (among other things) cultists and spirit worshippers. Any thoughts?

The reply on the forum by a Tibetan Buddhist following the Dalai Lama was swift and stinging:

They worship what is called a gyalpo. A gyalpo is a class of spirit that is said to grant temporary and swift benefits but can also lead to many nasty provocations. Its a pretty nasty business with some heavy cult propaganda that I am sure you will encounter in this thread shortly.

Breaking with Tradition

The Dalai Lama and his followers have been throwing mud at Dorje Shugden practitioners for the past fourteen years and, as you can see from the above post concerning someone enquiring about the New Kadampa Tradition, a lot of it has stuck in the minds of general Buddhist practitioners. Not only this, but as the above post shows, it’s still continuing to be thrown. This propaganda is having an accumulative poisonous effect on the flourishing of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition not just in the West but throughout the world. The Dalai Lama’s ban is affecting far more than the Tibetan community: in fact, it endangers the existence of the Ganden Tradition of Je Tsongkhapa as practised by the Tibetan and Western traditions of Buddhism.

When the Dalai Lama declared the ban of Dorje Shugden practice in 1996 and declared his Teachers to be ‘wrong’, he effectively broke from the mainstream of the Gelugpa tradition. Reliance on the Spiritual Guide is the foundation of Mahayana Buddhism and by publicly rejecting the teachings of his own Gurus, the Dalai Lama made an unprecedented and shocking break with tradition. Furthermore, the Ganden tradition has worshipped Dorje Shugden for the past 370 years and most of the great Lamas of this tradition have relied upon this precious Wisdom Dharma Protector and have respected the prayers to this Deity. All traditions depend upon lineage, which is the transmission of the teachings and blessings of a teaching stream which can traced back to Buddha Shakyamuni himself. The thread of lineage authenticates the Dharma and ensures its transmission from generation to generation without omission or error. By breaking with the view of his Teachers and adopting the wrong views of Dorje Shugden propounded by the politically motivated 5^th Dalai Lama (who was not even a lineage Teacher of the Gelugpa tradition and who tended to mix traditions), the Dalai Lama is no longer practising or transmitting the genuine teachings of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition. Superficially, there may appear to be no difference because he still speaks the same words and may even quote Je Tsongkhapa directly, but having broken the lineage, there is no spiritual life in the oral transmission of the teachings. Lacking the blessings of lineage, the Dalai Lama’s words lack the ability to lead to genuine realization of Buddha’s teachings.

Tsongkhapa’s followers

The only genuine practitioners of the Gelugpa tradition are those who have faithfully practised the teachings as taught by the lineage Teachers which also includes the practice of Dorje Shugden, but these genuine mainstream practitioners are being ostracised from Buddhist society through the power of celebrity of the the Dalai Lama; they are being misrepresented as demon worshippers and cultists by him. The followers of the Dalai Lama have adopted this view through blind faith, not reason, and continue to spread it on the internet. This casts doubt on Shugden practitioners as genuine Buddhists, with devastating results. Thus, It is quite possible that people will turn away from the genuine mainstream of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition and follow the non-tradition of the Dalai Lama, who has marooned himself and his followers through his non-faith and mixing Buddhism with politics.

No future under the Dalai Lama

Given the break in lineage, what future does the Ganden tradition have in the hands of the Dalai Lama? Sadly, none whatsoever, especially since he is also promoting a false notion of non-sectarianism that encourages Tibetan Buddhists to mix traditions. What is even worse is that those who are following this false view, such as the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), are casting doubts and aspersions on those who remain faithful to the formulation of the Gelugpa tradition as transmitted by the lineage Gurus Je Pabongkhapa and Trijang Rinpoche. This has the potential to turn seekers away from the very sources of the genuine teachings in this modern day world, with the possible result that Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings will die out altogether. This is the very real and present danger that the Dalai Lama’s ban of Dorje Shugden has caused and is the reason why Western Shugden practitioners are involved in protesting a ban that may signal the death knell of the rare and precious teachings of the greatest scholar-yogi of Tibet. We pray that this will not happen and we ask that you, too, reject the misleading views that the Dalai Lama has introduced into Buddhism before it is too late for the precious lineage of Je Tsongkhapa to be saved.

…For advice, he turned to what he calls his “supernatural counsels,” a private world of divination and soothsaying that has helped him make difficult decisions ever since.

He relies most heavily on the “state oracle,” a deity called Nechung, who communicates through a human medium, usually a monk. According to the Dalai Lama’s description in his memoir, the medium slips into a trance “with bulging eyes and swollen cheeks…. His breathing begins to shorten and he starts to hiss violently.” The Dalai Lama poses questions, and the oracle responds with enigmatic advice. On complex affairs of state, he writes, “I seek his opinion in the same way as I seek the opinion of my Cabinet.” For further help, he Dalai Lama relies on a form of mo divination, in which choices are written on pieces of paper and placed in balls of dough. He then swirls the balls in a cup until the right answer tumbles out.

The confidence in the supernatural is common among Tibetans, though not universally accepted. Jamyang Norbu, a prominent writer and critic of the Dalai Lama, bemoans the practice of “burying our collective head in the sands of superstition and inertia.” When I asked the Dalai Lama how he balances his trust in science with his faith in the supernatural, he said that he views the oracles as “consultants.”

“After I consult human beings and these oracles, if there’s something clear, something which I can now decide, then I decide,” he told me. He said that he had made “all major decisions” from the age of sixteen with the help of the oracles, and he had become convinced that they are correct.

Can you imagine President Obama making a major social or economic decision by relying upon the advice of spirits?  If he did, his sanity would be called into question; yet the Dalai Lama is quite blasé about his reliance on spirits, oracles and doughballs!

It’s a sign of a serious lack of wisdom when you have to ask spirits what to do.  Someone who has deep wisdom always knows what to do and doesn’t have to ask for opinions from any ‘supernatural counsels’ or material ones, for that matter. Despite lacking the confidence and wisdom to make decisions without relying upon divination and ghosts,  the Dalai Lama’s followers believe he is a fully enlightened being.

Does he really believe that his reliance on such superstitious things is Buddhism?  They are more like pre-Buddhist, shamanistic practices – and then he has the gall to claim that those who rely on the Wisdom Buddha are ‘non-Buddhist’!  Through such practices, he’s encouraging his people to stay in the Dark Ages.

Although the Dalai Lama has tried to court the scientific community by participating in conferences about the mind and creating links with Emory University, it’s surprising that any scientist would want to have any dialogue with the Dalai Lama when he engages in such irrational practices. Also, anyone who is trained in logic (as the Dalai Lama apparently was) would be able to look at the reasons justifying the ban of Dorje Shugden prayers and find fault immediately; they wouldn’t have to do the equivalent of tossing a coin to decide if it was justified or not.  We can only assume that the Dalai Lama did consult his ‘supernatural counsels’ before making the decision to ban the practice – otherwise, how else could he have got it so wrong? He certainly engaged in dough ball divination to determine whether the reincarnation of his Guru, Trijang Rinpoche, should be allowed to do the Protector practice.

It’s a shame he doesn’t have more faith in his Teachers and less in  non-Buddhist practices and pre-Buddhist deities.  Through such misguided reliance, he is destroying Tibetan Buddhism and degenerating it into mere superstition.