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Dalai Lama’s talk on Dorje Shugden in Bodhgaya 2012
Dalai Lama’s talk on Dorje Shugden in Bodhgaya 2012
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s talk on Dorje Shugden during the 32th Kalachakra teaching in Bodhgaya, 5 Jan 2012
View video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inZslkmx03c
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s talk on Dorje Shugden during the 32th Kalachakra teaching in Bodhgaya, 5 Jan 2012
View video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inZslkmx03c
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View the original video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehr8ePFyWoY
In the 17th Century, the Fifth Dalai Lama had Trode Khangsar built in dedication to the Protector Dorje Shugden.
The main image inside was also commissioned by the 5th Dalai Lama. By the end of the 17th Century, the Fifth Dalai Lama’s Regent Desi Sangye Gyatso entrusted Trode Khangsar to Riwo Choling, a Gelug Monastery.
Today it is in full use and located behind the main Chapel of Jowo Buddha or central Cathedral of Lhasa just off the main circumambulation circuit or barkor.
Many pilgrims visit and monks are available daily performing pujas/ceremonies to Dorje Shugden daily. It is open to tourists.
This chapel is over 350 years old in the heart of Lhasa
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=298 :cool:
Dalai Lama Will Stop Condemning Dorje Shugden
DorjeShugden.com has just received groundbreaking news from the monasteries that H.H. the Dalai Lama will stop openly condemning the practice of Dorje Shugden.
From 30 November – 13 December 2012, H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama gave 14 days of Lamrim teachings at Gaden and Drepung Monasteries in south India. Commentaries included Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment (Jangchup Lamdron), Tsongkhapa’s Great, Middle and Concise Treatises on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo, Lamrim Dringpo and Lamrim Dudon) and 14 other classic texts.
During his time at the monasteries, the Dalai Lama held a private closed-door meeting with all the abbots of the main monasteries, including those of Gaden Shartse, Gaden Jangtse, Drepung Loseling, Drepung Gomang, Sera Jey and Sera Mey. Here, he told them that after this Lamrim teaching, he would stop saying negative things about Dorje Shugden openly.
The Dalai Lama explained that he had said this because people are listening to him now and so, there is no need to talk more on the subject. Actually, there are tens of thousands of practitioners who are still maintaining their practice of Dorje Shugden; the continued growth of their monasteries such as Shar Gaden and Serpom is evidence of this.
This change of tone can also be seen when His Holiness spoke almost jovially on religious harmony and Dorje Shugden during these same Lamrim teachings at Drepung Loseling Monastery on December 9, 2012.
We rejoice that the Dalai Lama has decided to stop condemning Dorje Shugden. This seems to be very, very good news that suggests that the Dalai Lama is now thinking deeper of a much bigger picture. This is a beacon of light for all who respect and cherish religious freedom, and especially poignant for Dorje Shugden practitioners who have kept up their practice, and maintained their faith silently and peacefully all these years.
It is a sign that human dignity, freedom and basic personal rights to religious freedom are beginning to prevail in this world. The Dorje Shugden practitioners, as in any other religious faith, have the right to practice their personal beliefs without criticism and discrimination from any secular or religious leader.
For what it's worth, from what I understand about this deity practice from Tibetan Buddhists who are, admittedly, biased against Shugden in general, the controversy centers around whether Shugden is a supermundane protector (dharmapala) or a wordly protector (lokapala[). Some, esp. NKT and some in the Gelug tradition, consider Shugden to be the former — i.e., a wisdom emanation of Manjushri — which would mean that this being is a proper object of refuge.
The majority of Gelugpas, Sakyapas, Kagyupas and Nyingmapas, on the other hand, consider Shugden to be the latter, and in particular, a 'king spirit' (rgyal po) — i.e., a mundane, pernicious spirit — which would mean that this being isn't a proper object of refuge. (The Dalai Lama has publicly criticized this deity practice and requested his students not to practice it, leading to some of the political controversy).
The real danger, critics say, lies in the fact that the minds of these 'king spirits' are generally dominated by anger, jealousy and revenge (often due to their being the ghosts of skilled yogis who've died under violent circumstances, with great anger), and that they can "cause madness, cattle diseases and generally bring dissension to sanghas." Others, however, see Shugden as one of a class or protectors who exhibit worldly aspect yet are enlightened.
Nevertheless, whatever the truth of the matter is, I'm content with taking the Buddha's own advice to "be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge" (DN 16).
All of them have still not extinguished at least one or more of their emotional cravings; anger, pride, greed and what not, compared to an Arhat which has already overcome his mind's defilements and extinguished all his cravings and ignorance about the Dharma, also known as Universal law.
In fact it was expressively forbidden by the Buddha to seek refuge in any of them.
TB has introduced them as part of the Buddhist realm in an effort to circumvent this issue. While this is true for at least some of the TB pantheon, it is not all encompassing.
In the Theravada tradition, there was the Buddha and the Arhats. Chinese Mahayana introduced the Bodhisattvas, specifically the eight Maha Bohisattvas of our lifetime.
Practitioners throughout history has always looked to communicate and interact with those of the other realms, in an attempt to get their bidding done. This relationship is very complex and needs realisation to properly understand. Suffice to say theres no free lunch. I will leave it at that for the moment.
This is not just about any one deity or protector, but those prescribed by TB in general, some are legitimate, others are definitely not from the Buddhist realms.
The core of all three main schools are definitely Buddhist, only some has way too many embellishments and add-ons. Is there a need to channel these additional practices to lay practitioners, nope! What need is there apart from the eight Maha Bodhisattvas.
I personally do not care about the controversy surrounding the Gelugpa, so am not on any side.
Lay people usually start playing with Kumantung, at least in some countries where they are easy to obtain, most usually end up in trouble when their 'objects' aren't taken care of properly or when they lose control. Think of it like getting a dog that ends up biting the owner, their kids and their neighbours...
Whatever beings there may be,
weak or strong, without exception,
long, large,
middling, short,
subtle, blatant,
seen & unseen,
near & far,
born & seeking birth:
May all beings be happy at heart.
Speaking of metta, in the practice I did, we visualized ourselves as Chenrezig, who represents wisdom and compassion, and the mental attitude we tried to develop was quite similar to metta, which was sent out as a white light to all sentient beings. It was interesting, but not something that resonated with me.
Unfortunately there is a controversy and people are happy to weigh in on either side. It is good that you choose to avoid the controversy though i wish more people would understand it.
Now, fast forward to today... the Dorje Shugden practice was propagated by HH Pabongkha Rinpoche, a great Tibetan master who is famous for one of the books called "Liberation in the Palm of your hand", considered by many to be a buddhist bible of sorts. He gave the DS practice to his disciple HH Trijang Rinpoche, who became the tutor to HH the 14th Dalai Lama.
The 14th Dalai Lama did Dorje Shugden practice for many years until in 1996, after the passing of his teacher, HH Trijang Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama declared that DS practice was not good because it would shorten his life and also harm the cause of Tibetan independence.
As we can see, it has not harmed His Holiness' life nor does it harm Tibetan independence because the Tibetan administration has not been asking for independence for decades but autonomous rule. And anyway, what does religious practice have to do with political wishes.
There are plenty of logical refutations to the Dalai Lama's allegations:
The Changing Views of the 14th Dalai Lama
In his younger days, when the Dalai Lama was still propitiating Dorje Shugden, he composed a prayer of praise to the Protector, entitled Melody of the Unceasing Vajra. The final verse in the prayer reads: ‘In brief, we enthrone you, O Deity, as the supreme Collected nature of all Gurus and Protective Deities!
The Ban on Dorje Shugden: A Manifested Mistake?
H.E. Lama Zopa has put forward a shocking new voice in the Dorje Shugden debate in a new foreword he has written for a book of the Dalai Lama’s compiled teachings against this Protector Deity
The Deity Banned by Dalai Lama
I am a Dutch student of Kundeling Rinpoche, one of the Dalai Lama’s major critics in the Gelugpa tradition. I’ll try to give an explanation of the Dorje Shugden controversy that is both understandable for those who are not initiated in the Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist tradition and still explains the very crux of the problem.
The Dalai Lama’s Two Reasons for Banning Shugden Worship
An analysis of the Dalai Lama’s two reasons for banning the centuries-old worship of Dorje Shugden. Here are the facts… you decide!
Hope this helps to give you a broad guide to the issue.. i am not asking you to believe or disbelieve but if you are interested, the information is here. If there are any questions which i can answer, i'd be happy to