Given the situation, I hope you’ll forgive me in that I don’t plan on crediting anything attributed to the Dalai Lama which is in contradiction to his public statements and I have no video proof he actually said.
In any case, I wish the Dalai Lama the best in whatever the future may hold.
For those intererested, here is some reliable info on the “Shugden” issue. This does appear on a DL website, but is written by Georges Dreyfus, a very sensible and reliable scholar.
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/dolgyal-shugden/ganden-tripa/the-shugden-affair-i
For those with less time: there is a Tibetan protector deity named Shugden, who has some historical associations with sectarianism in Tibet. The DL feels like this deity is not an authentic Buddhist deity, and says that his followers should not worship him. For a religious figure to say “this practice is inauthentic” or “this practice is authentic” is normative within any religious tradition. The narrative of some Tibetan and many Western followers of Shugden is “the DL is trampling on our religious freedom and banning our beliefs / practices.” You will notice such posts immediately crop up on blogs / discussion / news related to the DL.
One of the important promoters of Shugden in the West is Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. His organization “the New Kadampa” can be found in many urban areas in the U.S. (and for those not in the know about all these politics, it would be difficult to see their association with Shugden). Many of these followers promote the “oppressive destroyer of freedom DL” narrative.
And the reason why I did post it is because not many are aware of the controversies surrounding the DL. Like I said, most Westerners have a pretty idyllic idea of the DL and it is startling to find out that it isn’t universal. I was personally shocked. The video of him speaking to the nun was disconcerting to me in that I have never seen any of my Buddhist peers react in such a way as he did. That was not a display of compassion or loving kindness.
In short, all religions have an ugly side that they don’t want you to see.
He got annoyed at someone who repeatedly accused him of lying and slightly raised his voice. Hardly that shocking.
Bringing this, somewhat, back on topic, any comment on the Chinese government’s promotion of Dorje Shugden in order to attempt to disempower the Dalai Lama?
The Central Tibetan Administration has a whole section on Shugen.
The language used in the two Tibetan parliament resolutions in particular suggest this is more than just a religious spat, going as far as describing Shugen followers as “criminals in history”
You are correct that the Shugden issue is more than a spat. The most notable event in the modern period was the murder (stabbing) of the prominent monk and teacher Lobsang Gyatso, along with some of his associates, in Dharamsala, India. Gyatso had been very outspoken against Shudgen and pro DL.
I’m not sure if the issue has led to sectarian violence historically; I think the Dreyfus article (linked above) may go into that. In general, Tibet has had a violent history that is often marked by sectarian violence. Also a very interesting and complicated history (if you like soap opera type historical material).
I think it’s just basic, ordinary fascism. The primary aim of the state is to coordinate all the parts of society, irrespective of the needs and desires of the “individuals” who make up these parts.
Consider the stance of Leung Chun-ying of Hong Kong
In an interview with a small group of journalists from American and European news media organizations, his first with foreign media since the city erupted in demonstrations, he acknowledged that many of the protesters are angry over the lack of social mobility and affordable housing in the city. But he argued that containing populist pressures was an important reason for resisting the protesters’ demands for fully open elections.
Instead, he backed Beijing’s position that all candidates to succeed him as chief executive, the top post in the city, must be screened by a “broadly representative” nominating committee appointed by Beijing. That screening, he said, would insulate candidates from popular pressure to create a welfare state, and would allow the city government to follow more business-friendly policies to address economic inequality instead.
I think that he should really try to blow some minds by declaring that he was already reborn outside of Tibet retroactively as Bob Ross and that the next DL is currently out there waiting to be discovered.
I’m voting for Bob Ross. For everything. President, Dalai Lama, and the next CEO of Apple, Inc.
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