The opinion piece below was sent to dorjeshugden.com for publication. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.
The World Shugden Convention, sponsored by a Tibetan Buddhist organization known as the North America Geluk Buddhist Association (NAGBA), was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 2-3 April 2016. The meeting was graced with the presence of over 20 notable Shugden lamas, practitioners and defenders of the lineage, who came from the United States of America, Canada, France, Switzerland, and from Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China.
Dorje Shugden is one of the most important Dharma Protectors worshipped by the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism for the past few centuries. As one of his main functions is to protect Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings and bring peace and wellness to Gelugpa monasteries, a large pool of Gelugpas are dedicated to his practice.
However in 1996, the Dalai Lama, who was the political and religious leader of Tibetans in exile at that time, made an official announcement that Dorje Shugden was a detrimental practice that harmed the current Dalai Lama and Tibet’s cause. The practice of Shugden was subsequently banned due to these baseless claims, which later triggered severe consequences as Shugden disciples became the object of discrimination and blame for Tibet’s lost cause. Faced with much oppression and harassment from the exile community, many Shugden practitioners in India were forced to practice in hiding, or were once again forced to travel to foreign lands where their religious rights would not be challenged.
The World Shugden Convention was organized by Dorje Shugden practitioners to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Dorje Shugden Devotees’ Charitable and Religious Society, which was established shortly after the Dalai Lama banned the practice; and also to consolidate actions against continuous suppression by the Dalai Lama and his followers. As a result of the meeting, a consensus was reached on how to consolidate and act against the on-going suppression and a resolution was tabulated to achieve the removal of the ban on Dorje Shugden’s practice.
Throughout the convention, participants exchanged views and information on the universal value of Religious Freedom, the background of Dorje Shugden and his practitioners, factors that shaped the Dalai Lama’s decision to ban Dorje Shugden, and the hardships and problems faced by Shugden practitioners on a day to day basis.
The participants also shared information and undisputed evidence of the Dalai Lama’s actions which have caused much turmoil within the exile Tibetan community. Representative Rapo Gyatso shared how the Dalai Lama harnessed his religious authority to influence political situations. Although the Dalai Lama slanders Dorje Shugden as a harmful influence for Tibetans, much of the actual harm that Tibetans have faced up to this day has been caused by the 14th Dalai Lama, as his works toward the Middle Way Approach and separatism have led to many undesirable events.
Besides the Dorje Shugden ban, we have seen many other Tibetan societies fragmented due to the Dalai Lama’s interference. Amongst these, the most well-known are the issues between the two Karmapas, the two Panchen Lamas, the division of the Chushi Gangdrug and Tibetan Youth Congress; and most severely, the separation of the Gelugpa sect when the Dalai Lama commanded total obedience to his policy of giving up the practice of Dorje Shugden, with severe consequences of religious and secular cuts should the instruction not be complied with. These acts of tyranny are similar if not worse than the dictatorships of the communist country that took over Tibet.
In the past two decades, the ban on Dorje Shugden has split the Gelug lineage into two, forcing many Shugden loyalists to flee India due to the daunting treatment of isolation, discrimination and even threats that were cast upon them and their families. Dechen Rinpoche reminded the audience how the Dalai Lama ordered all monasteries to sign pledges to halt all religious and secular relations with Dorje Shugden practitioners, an action which caused much religious and secular discord. This confusion led to Shugden practitioners being prohibited from buying necessities from their local stores and even turned away from receiving medical treatment in the hospitals. These acts are all in violation of the international laws of Human Rights.
The discrimination against Shugden practitioners does not end there. Geshe Thupten pointed out how many practitioners lost their livelihood for remaining loyal to their Shugden practice. Many who had businesses found that their patrons stopped visiting overnight, while others lost their jobs when their practice of Dorje Shugden was discovered. The exile community’s situation became more and more dire due to the discrimination and ban on Shugden, to the point that monks refused to carry out funeral rites for the deceased, if they were Shugden practitioners.
Another of the main topics discussed during the convention was to have efforts to consolidate all Shugden practitioners for a more productive and effective method of lifting the ban on Shugden. Presently, within Tibet itself, there are 54 different Dorje Shugden associations, and any consolidation to increase solidarity and strengthen the Dorje Shugden cause can only be done by preventing any division or segregation within practitioners. The representatives unanimously agreed that Shugden practitioners must consolidate their groups so that they may gain sufficient influence to draw international attention that eventually leads to a solution for the Dorje Shugden ban. The representatives are dedicated to show the Dalai Lama and the world that they are not going to be bullied into giving up their practice, regardless of the cost to their personal lives.
Shugden practitioners from Tibet who were in attendance also shared their experiences with regards to their spiritual practice. They revealed that the Chinese government provided Tibetans with a favorable environment and legal system which allows freedom of religious belief and a respect for personal practice. Compared to the Kashag, which has intentionally instigated various conflicts within the exiled Tibetans, these ethnic Tibetans from China enjoy relative peace between the rural and urban people, which is a result of the Chinese government doing their best to maintain harmony for the benefit of the country. In light of these events, the leaders of the Shugden groups have formed an initiative to launch a demonstration against the Dorje Shugden ban which is still being enforced by the Dalai Lama and his corrupt government.
Most importantly, the World Shugden Convention was a strong reminder to all Shugden practitioners that the fight to lift the ban is far from over, and we have to work extra hard to see this long battle to its end. The representatives of Dorje Shugden practitioners from all over the world request the Dalai Lama to stop his suppression of Shugden practitioners, to lift the ban against Dorje Shugden, to respect Shugden practitioners’ Religious Freedom and to publicly apologize for wrongfully accusing Dorje Shugden as being a harmful practice.
The next assembly is scheduled for 2018 with many more representatives in attendance.
Disclaimer: This article was submitted by a third party author and does not necessarily reflect the official opinion of DorjeShugden.com. We accept submissions from the public, please send in your articles to ds@dorjeshugden.com.
