by tenpelMarch 10, 20173:34 pm

An Open Letter from the International Shugden Buddhist Community (ISBC) / New Kadampa Tradition (NKT)

Today, on Tibetan Uprising Day (10th March 2017) the New Kadampa Tradition (aka NKT, Kadampa Buddhism, Modern Buddhism, Kadampa Meditation Center) posted a new divisive letter that has the potential to create more unnecessary disunity among Tibetans. The letter proclaims the tulku of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche (who is regarded by all Tibetans, including HH the Dalai Lama, as being authentic), to be the “false Trijang Tulku”.

The Open Letter by the NKT via ISBC (PDF) was posted on the NKT official website, the official NKT Facebook site and the NKT’s ISBC website. The letter is signed by Henry Shefveland (Gen-la Kelsang Jampa) who is the Deputy Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU and the Resident Teacher at KMC Texas. The foundation of the International Shugden Buddhist Community (ISBC) was announced by Lucy James via Facebook on 20 January 2017.

The reasons for this new move are not clear. There could be several different motives:

The NKT wants to maintain unity among its own followers after their founder and leader Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is no longer present; some speculate he is already dead since he has not been seen in public since the end of 2013. A new image of an enemy could serve to distract and unite them against the outer, “evil” and “degenerated” Tibetan Buddhist world, while the NKT can continue to claim to their followers that they alone are the last “pure” heirs of the “pure lineage” of Trijang Rinpoche / Je Tsongkhapa.
Having collaborated extensively during the most recent anti-Dalai Lama campaign with Shugden groups in India, Malaysia and China, groups who regard Trijang Tulku as authentic, they now want to “disconnect” from them by ‘plunging a knife into their spiritual heart’ (For those Shugden practitioners in Asia, Trijang Tulku is considered a holy being and an authority; calling him “false” is likely to create pain in the minds of their former allies.)
By declaring Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche to be the “false Trijang Tulku”, the New Kadampa Tradition’s leadership cuts off any chance of its followers finding a genuine spiritual path or Buddhist refuge outside the NKT, keeping them securely within the NKT fold.

For those who don’t know the background, in their past international campaigns, the NKT (via their various political front organisations) labelled the Dalai Lama the “false Dalai Lama”, “the World’s worst dictator”, and compared him to Hitler etc.

However, a Reuters’ report, “China co-opts a Buddhist sect in global effort to smear Dalai Lama“, which was part of a series “The Long Arm of China” that won a prominent Human Rights Press Award, was quite devastating for the international Anti-Dalai Lama campaign carried out by the NKT. Having subsequently disbanded their 4th political front organisation, the ‘International Shugden Community (ISC)’, the New Kadampa Tradition recently created yet another, new front organisation: the “International Shugden Buddhist Community (ISBC)”. In the letter shared here, the ISBC promotes a new type of ‘Buddhism’ that has thus far never existed: “Shugden Buddhism”.

This highly political move on Tibetan Uprising Day reveals a profound level of self-deception and delusion, where the NKT warns their followers not to “mix Dharma with politics“. And yet, at the same time, they do exactly this with great diligence.

“We Kagyu followers normally do not mention this name without fear. There is no Shugden practitioner among Kagyu followers. The reason why we fear the one I name just now, is because we believe that he causes obstacles to spiritual practice and brings discord in families and among the community of monks.” – H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche in Dorjee Shugden, The Spirit and the Controversy

I recall an interview with Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche many years ago, written when he was somewhere between twenty and twenty two years old. He recounted how he could remember his previous life until the age of six or seven. If I remember correctly, recognition of him as the Trijang Tulku began with himself and was subsequently acknowledged by Tibetan masters, including HH the Dalai Lama. As I recall it, when he was a young boy, he and his parents went to a carpet shop in one of the Tibetan settlements in India. The shop had a large image of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and the little boy pointed to it, saying something like, “that is me”. I’ll try to find the interview so others can see for themselves.

39Comments

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1

note this on March 10, 2017 at 4:08 pm
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Obviously the NKT needs a new object for their hatred.
They’ve never cares about Tibetans, Shugden or non.
2

wangdrag on March 10, 2017 at 4:12 pm
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fools are fools …
but, actually who read their “open letters”?

as for the quotation from the present Tai Situ, I must confirm that when (long ago now), Kalu Rinpoché gave the Rinchen Terdzö empowerments to the major karma-kagyü tülkus (including the Tai Situpa) for over six months, permanent rituals were done to ward off this
Just remeber alos that this was happening in Sonada (part of the land being given by the late Trijang)
3

Zopa Dechen on March 10, 2017 at 4:58 pm
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Divisive – in the first sentence…
4

wangdrag on March 10, 2017 at 9:38 pm
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anyway
“Trijang Tulku is considered a holy being and an authority; calling him “false” is likely to create pain in the minds of their former allies.)”
the “holy being and an authority” apparently renounced the job some times ago, if I understand well?
- 5
  
  tenpel on March 10, 2017 at 11:22 pm
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  He gave up being a monastic / monk but he is still active with giving teachings and giving empowerments. Some of the Geshes of his USA labrang also attended the NKT’s Anti-Dalai Lama protests.
  
  Though Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche fled his fanatical followers in India after they tried to assassinate his assistant with the vicious plan to put the murdering into the shoes of the TGIE/CTA (see Bultrini), he continues to teach and to create his own mandala.
  
  I heard he gave/gives also Shugden empowerments in Mongolia.
  
  Here is a mentioning of him in a brief article about Shugden in the USA by Thierry Dodin: http://info-buddhism.com/Dorje_Shugden_USA-Dodin.html
6

wangdrag on March 11, 2017 at 2:05 am
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“He gave up being a monastic / monk but he is still active with giving teachings and giving empowerments”

By standard gelugpa theory and practice,this is a nonsense
no?
- 7
  
  tenpel on March 11, 2017 at 2:14 am
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  No, its not. Though in general Tibetan Gelugpas tend to look down on (Gelug) lamas who disrobed, those who disrobed are still considered to be lamas. There are a lot of high Gelug lamas who disrobed but are respected and considered to be genuine lamas. One of them is for instance HE Dagyab Kyabgön Rinpoche whose root guru is Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.
8

No name on March 11, 2017 at 7:24 am
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Also consider the recently deceased Gelek Rinpoche, and Rato Khyongla Rinpoche
Both were Gelug laymen, formerly ordained, who remained highly respected and influential within the Gelug. I suspect Wangdrags interpretation arises from early historical attitudes within the Gelug, where the lay monastic divide was much more tangible.
9

wangdrag on March 11, 2017 at 1:02 pm
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This is effectively a relatively recent attitude
one of the reasons being the fact that many lamas in Tibet were forced to disrobe and to marry (starting with the Panchen Lama) – at least these were not killed
that concerns also a great number of monks, after 1982, monks started slowly to return back to their monastery, and openly retaking robes after 1986, usually retaking getsul vows – you can take them three times – or simply genyen vows (anyway, before 1959, a good part of the “monastic” populations of all schools had simply genyen vows if not only a “religious name” (what we call “refuge vows”)
By 86 it was still difficult (in Central Tibet) to get a sufficient number of monks for ordination (situation was little bit better in Amdo and Kham wer few lamas manage to live in remote areas)
Further, as for Tibet Autonomous Region, and the various Tibetan Autonomous entities in Kham and Amdo nevertheless, high lamas were not only forced to disrobe and marry, but were intergrated in the official apparatus (often at the Religious Bureau at district level) and there was no question for them to get reordained as getsul (or even take religious robes or of a Dharma colour)
Now it seems that the new officialy recognized incarnations have to go back to the traditionnal way (again, the Panchen Lama, but also the Reting Kyabgön, …) at least for Central Tibet were control is very direct – the situation being infinitely more complex in Eastern Tibet, were some institutions (of all schools) managed to recover very effectively.

As for lamas who disrobed in the West, I know some, and at the begining they were very uneasy about their status (I think of Dagpo Rinpoché in France and I think that was the same with the Dagyab Kyabgön and Taktser Rinpoché – in the 60/70’s, before there was some public interst in Tibetan Buddhism – they were just considering being teachers in Universities, Western-scholar-style

But as incarnations, they’re supposed to carry still the blessing and wishes of their former lives – but that poses of course the question of their place inside monasteries and monastic communities … (and certainly, it is considered more of an obstacle than a blessing to disrobe)

In the 1920-30’s there were many cases (interestingly, often Phabongkhapa’s students) of high ranking gelugpa lams requested, not to disrobe but to keep their robes AND a tantric consort – in one case the XIIIth Dalai Lama agreed, in the case of Chamdo Phagpa Lha, permission was refused, neverhlesse the lama took a cosort, was forcefully dethroned and replaced by a regent, leading to a local rebellion (the lama of Chamdo being also the ruler of the area)
The present incarnation (I think he is ordained) is a high ranking official

Nevertheless, for whatever you imagine, Gelugpas are still followers of Tsongkhapa (who certainly had a few ngagpa disciples – notably the father of the first Chamdo Phagpa Lha) and the strucure of the teachings is clearly organised around a specificaly monastic cursus – and it is interesting that a strict Gelugpa model became extremely popular among nyingmapas in Kham and Golog during the XIXth century

Last, as for ngagpas, their are not exactly “lay persons”, they have specific sets of vows, there were different traditions (often familial ones – sorry, one cannot join – the lineage deities will object ferociously), and actually few survive nowadays
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  tenpel on March 11, 2017 at 2:41 pm
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  This is effectively a relatively recent attitude
  
  Seems to be so, yes. Rather being influenced by the exile and meeting of the Western world. I remember having read or heard something from Dagyab Rinpoche who said that in Gelug tradition you are rather spiritual dead or nothing once you’ve disrobed. This might have changed over the past decades. Nowadays there seem to be many high Tibetan lamas who have disrobed …
11

NO NAME on March 11, 2017 at 4:29 pm
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Which brings us back to quote from HH [that you cited initially Tenzin] about “better a good layman” etc
I have to say, almost all the most prominent monks with whom I was ordained at the end of the 70s have since disrobed; a trend contradicted by the ani-las.
The deciding factor for many was whether to remain in the East and practice as a monastic, either in a monastery or mountain situation, or return West, take what we had learned, and then try to apply it in a Western, 20th century society’s context.
Whichever path we chose, we all remain pioneers in our own way.
For me, the most difficult thing would be to live as a monk in the West. And for those who do,they have my greatest respect
12

wangdrag on March 11, 2017 at 5:01 pm
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@ Tenpel-la
thank you for the answer
I don’t know personnaly Dagyab Rinpoché, but I followed his interesting academic career
Somehow (as I can see from Dagpo Rinpoché, who was teaching Tibetan in Paris) two things happened:
– Western interest in the early 70’s with people (in Dagpo Rinpoche’s case, some students) approaching them for Dharma teachings, and that was an uneasy situation for them, but after sometimes acceped (reluctantely as being “dralog” – having returned vows) – but few teachers were then available, and they were definitely ompetent , and certainly some of them requested HHDL’s advice before doing so – and we are talking anyway about pretty basic teachings
– the possiblilty after 1982, to return to Tibet, where they were ANYWAY the reincarnation (as pointed before to the situation of tulkus who survived there)
– that is the case for Dagpo Rinpoché, I met in 1986 one of his elder monks, who was pretty uneasy when asking if Rinpoché actually got married in France, but then nevertheless these old monks were enthusiastly rebuiding the monasteries and were expecting anxiously the visit of THEIR tülku
one has to understand that the incarnation thing is the most important (this is an actual bodhisattva, above us, ordinary beings) and I think most teachers will agree with the fact that if incarnated lamas had to disrobe, it has much more to do to the followers’ bad karma or inauspicious circumstances than to faults to be found in the incarnation (I remember reading something by the precent Kyabjé Ligtrül, about the dark karma of Tibetans)

“Nowadays there seem to be many high Tibetan lamas who have disrobed …” right but at times for not very good reasons (some simply were not interested in the job – I know at least two of them – add possibly the present Palpung Kongtrül), but sometimes also because they had no way to support their community (a primary goal for a tülku) or, simply their actual community/monastery simply (that is brutally) disappeared and they were left without actual purpose … and, well, there is no lack of tülkus (thousend of them)
And, we should remember that the large majority of Tibetan Buddhists live in Tibet and Mongolia … were tradition is largely prefered – as I mentioned to you in mail, the traditional gelugpa model is since the 19th century (and is still) a strong influence on nyingmapas, jonangpas etc … of Kham and Amdo

Last, as I pointed to you, that doesn’t make them “laymen”, if they keep their title, part of their position (part, since they cannot act in properly monastic context) and, specially, teach, then they are part of the married clergy – something that a Western (or Tibetan, or Chinese) “lay practitioner” (that is having genyen vows) cannot even dream to become …

now I pick up a mask, and go back to the mysterious history of Lama Kunsang
couln’t find anything relevant in English, but interesting elements in French (it will take time to translate and put in order – this is a sick story)
13

No name on March 11, 2017 at 5:48 pm
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I don’t accept
“something that a Western (or Tibetan, or Chinese) “lay practitioner” (that is having genyen vows) cannot even dream to become …”
This is uncharted territory and unless one has foresight, we cannot see how the dharma will evolve
We are capable of many great things, if only we can see beyond the limits of our ordinary, worldly views
Perhaps in centuries to come there will be texts explaining the lives of the 84 mahasiddhas of the European Union. We simply cannot say for certain, especially when we cannot even predict the direction our pee will take next time we visit the bathroom
Also Wangdrag please forgive me for saying but you seem to have a tendency to keep mentioning lamas you know/ knew,which makes you appear rather insecure and concerned with reputation. I could of course be projecting but if I’m not, relax! Your input here is already welcome and has already proved valuable You don’t have to prove anything. I only see this because I do it myself. It’s not necessary. We work as a team. You are most welcome to join us in our task of ridding Western Dharma of pollution
14

wangdrag on March 11, 2017 at 8:44 pm
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welcome to crackpot land (your place is actually much more in OKC or the “Order”, but having been part of a cult probably sticks for long?, or substance abuse? never mind)
Uneducated people want to teach the rest of the world (your place is an America actually)
about pee, this means your are drunk every time you visit your bathroom, and not on the way to become a Mahasiddha
The pollution of Western Dharma is essentially the work of deculturated Westerners, who, ignoring their own cultural background (by culture, I don’t mean rock’n’roll), are perfectly able to draw the worst of anything,
Self appointed task, regarding pollution basically, you’ll probably have to get rid of yourself, huge work ahead …
Or are you a sort of Dharma Protector?
Or this “European Buddhism” will be, as prophetized by Nietszche, “the religion of the last human”
- 15
  
  tenpel on March 12, 2017 at 1:37 am
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  Äh Wangdrag la, could we please continue to have a sane and focused discussion?
16

NO NAME on March 11, 2017 at 10:57 pm
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Dear Wangdrag
I appear to have struck a nerve [as I suspected I might-and so easily!]
As they say, the measure of a great practitioner is not how many texts he has studied [or how many lamas he claims relations to?] but how he responds to criticism. As Dza Paltrul said to the monk who claimed he was a practitioner of patience, “Well, if youre a practitioner of patience, eat shit!” Wonderful quote. And very pertinent 😉
There’s very little point of claiming lengthy association with the Dharma or talking about how many lamas one knows if, as soon as one receives a tiny pin prick, one responds like a novice.
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  tenpel on March 12, 2017 at 1:45 am
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  Dear no name. I think I don’t have a problem with people who mention lamas they know – even if it were a type of “name dropping”. I also don’t pay much attention if someone posting here is a good or bad practitioner or not a Buddhist at all. Key point should be that people contribute with good input, good thoughts or analysis, good questions, useful information or useful questioning, in reasonable ways and that we don’t ramble through other topics not much related to what we discuss. This rambling around different not really important topics, rather unrelated to the discussions cannot only be a huge distraction and turn into ego games (I felt like this when we ended recently in a type of “scholarly” discussion – there was no real need for that) but what is more troublesome is that such loose ramblings around unimportant / or not so much related topics can put off readers who want to inform themselves. Too many unrelated comments could suffocate discussions, put off commentators or distract from topic. All these are things I don’t want on this blog. However, as you say, Wangdrag la has very often greatly contributed to the blog and I also appreciate his input and help. Just lets stay all focused.
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  wangdrag on March 12, 2017 at 1:19 pm
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  now shit
  go back to your toilet problem and your pipe dreams, that are smelling strange
  but thank you , it’s showing where TP stands – is mind is still partly in NKT – cultic certainly
  - 19
    
    tenpel on March 12, 2017 at 4:51 pm
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    Wangdrag la, I am sorry if I offended or disturbed or hurt you in any way.
    I just sent you an email. Hope everything is ok.
    Keep your chin up and thank you very much for your comments and your help!
20

No name on March 12, 2017 at 10:10 am
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I am in full agreement. My sole intent as a traditionalist , like Wangdrag, is to ensure that the distortions entering into western dharma are highlighted. I do not consider myself a ‘dharma protector ‘ I am not Ole Nydahl, nor have I ever been a member of any cult like groups such as Diamond Way.
Where I think Wangdrag and I differ is over.ideas on how the Dharma can survive and flourish in the West. While the Tibetan model was effective until the recent diaspora and beyond into post diaspora India, I do not think the only way we can preserve it is to simply replicate the Tibetan model.
I believe we must first practice it authencally then, having gained experience, apply that in a contemporary setting.
What seems to be happening in groups like DW, FWBO is that leaders are, on the basis of little actual experience, reformulating the teachings to gain wealth and followers. As Buddhists, we have a duty to speak out to prevent this (As HH said “Name names in newspapers ” This doesn’t mean I think we are dharma protectors, rather that we must show compassion for future generations of practitioners by ensuring the genuine dharma is preserved. I see no difference on this point. I differ in.my belief that the only way we can preserve the dharma is by simply replicating the past. Conditions have changed. We thus need to first gain experience then, when and only when qualified, adapt
Ok- enough
21

piero cerri on March 12, 2017 at 11:20 pm
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Well I found interesting and surprising at the same time this “open letter”, I think the 3 point as a motive is most probably the right one and the one that makes more sense. Very interesting is another “open letter” dated 7 jan 2017 http://kadampa.org/2017/01/open-letter that is the base of the one dated 10 march 2017, in the 7 jan “open letter” is mentioned a statement by Kalsang Gyatzo denying the present yanzin of Trichang Rinpoche being the real tulku. Who knows the truth, these people are such liars that is hard to distinguish when they say some true facts and when they dont. Anyway the reason of the birth date of the yanzin is very poor as it is publicly well known that the birth date of the yanzin is 15 October 1982, so the prove they bring is obviously a fake prove. The prove mentioned in the 7 jan “open letter” is equally misleading, Kalsang Gyatzo states that Trichang Rinpoche told him that he was going to Kechara. How comes that Kalsang Gyatzo is the only one to mention such a fact, was him the main disciple of Trichang Rinpoche? Trichang Rinpoche would confide only with him? So this prove does not stand up to any good sense evaluation, either totally fabricated by this new kadampa people or fabricated by the Kalsang Gyatzo himself. The yanzin is considered a unmistaken reincarnation of Trichang Rinpoche as he was recognized by HH The Dalai Lama and he is recognized as such by the today main followers of Shugden such as Gonsar Rinpoche, Ganchen Rinpoche and others.
These so called new kadhampa, a real disgrace to the great, glorious Kadampa tradition they are obviously at the end of their life, they have no base, no real teachers, they have nothing, they are just an example how to follow a wrong teacher you could end up. Very sad indeed cause they have used the Dharma in a corrupt way, and Kalsang Gyatzo is the main culprit. Incredible how for a while he was considered a good teacher, he cheated even HH The Dalai Lama. Now to discredit others and establish themselves are claiming how doubtful could be the recognition of a tulku, they are really mischievous, since some truth is there about the problems in the job of finding reincarnations. It is an object of serious thinking how a misleading teacher such as the Kalsang Gyatzo can damage the mind of many in the name of the immaculate Dharma of Buddha Sakiamuni. The new students should be encourage to check well the teachers, as the Buddha said in the same way you check gold, this is a must for development of Dharma in the west.
Now I like to say a few words about Gelupa tulkus, geshes, lamas that were monks and than gave back their vows. First of all it is wrong to say that all Gelupa Lamas necessarily have to be monks, and it is neither a new development as someone above mentioned, it is very famous Serkong Dorje Chang that at the time of the 13 Dalai Lama was critized for not appearing as a monk, in front of the great 13 he offered a kapala full of dutzi still fresh generated by his state of mind, and he was a holder of the Gelupa tradition and so others, although it is true that generally the Lamas in the Gelupa tradition appear as monks for the benefit of the disciples, but that is true very much for the Sakias and Kagyus as well. Hard to read the mind and know the motivation of those who use to be monks and are not anymore, we can only speak about ourself.
In general it seems that the dharma in the west is developing reasonably well, there are many places where the tradition is followed correctly and I think that is encouraging.
- 22
  
  tenpel on March 12, 2017 at 11:49 pm
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  Thank you. I added the letter to the “See also” list.
  
  Funny point is, isn’t Kelsang Gyatso deprecating his own “root guru” by deprecating the practice of mo as “very unreliable and very uncertain”? Trijang Rinpoche was famous for having relied on mo and having used mo to find the right incarnation candidate of a tulku.
  
  Since GKG/NKT cannot except that Trijang Rinpoche can have erred, arguing “If the practice of Dorje Shugden is bad, then definitely we have to say that Trijang Rinpoche is bad, and that all Gelugpa lamas in the Dalai Lama’s own lineage would be bad.” it follows, “If the practice of mo is bad, then definitely we have to say that Trijang Rinpoche is bad, and that all Gelugpa lamas in Kelsang Gyatso’s own lineage would be bad.”
  
  So according to NKT Trijang Rinpoche relied on fake practices like mo and he is still a reliable spiritual source?
  
  Sadly, nobody in the NKT will have the courage to question such contradictions …
- 23
  
  tenpel on March 12, 2017 at 11:58 pm
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  The claim of Kelsang Gyatso that Trijang Rinpoche told him that he was going to Kechara is highly likely made up and must be seen in context.
  
  Kelsang Gyatso set up a personality cult in which he is the sole living spiritual authority – making all his followers totally dependent on himself while gradually and skilfully removing, denigrating, undermining any living spiritual authority equal or higher to himself.
  
  If there is no living authority who is equal or higher than him, he has a perfect cosmos of total power and authority.
  
  To claim there is no incarnation of his “root guru” (his main lama btw was Geshe Lhundup Sopa whom he initially offered also service in the USA – cleaning his room etc. – but never mentioned to his NKT followers as his real teacher) cut off any chance for any living being to correct or criticise him.
  
  What a perfect power bubble he has created 😉
24

Gabriella on March 13, 2017 at 8:04 pm
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TENZIN what is the meaning of going to kechara?
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  tenpel on March 13, 2017 at 8:06 pm
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  In that context obviously, Trijang Rinpoche didn’t take birth in the human realm, isn’t it?
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No name on March 13, 2017 at 10:10 pm
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Even if he did go to Kechara, that does not preclude the possibility that Trijang Choktrul is not the real reincarnation since one can be born in a human body while ones mind resides in a pure land- a ‘ pure land’ is not necessarily an external place, hence we speak of outer and inner Kechara
Also, shortly before his death I had an audience with the previous incarnation. The main thing I remember when I beseeched him not to.leave his body was his complaining that he could no longer work to benefit others in ” this broken down old body” I took this as implying that he would soon be seeking a new human body to continue his work.He died a couple of years later
Now, I’m no great practitioner but I don’t lie. Kelsang Gyatso otoh has lied repeatedly to manipulate his poor students. So who do you believe, a low life like me, who doesn’t lie, or a practiced manipulator, drunk on the illusion of his own power?
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Betrayal on March 14, 2017 at 2:50 pm
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NKT WHY SO INSECURE

Is this latest move have something to do with Trijang Chok-trul Rinpochey giving Heruka initiations in Switzerland and the USA? One just happened in Switzerland and a full Heruka initiation and commentary will happen in USA super soon.
Let’s face it, if you had a choice between boring teach by reading from the book Khyenrab and Dekyong and young properly trained more interesting Trijang Choktrul who would you choose.

In their letter NKT again telling Tibetans what they should do. What gives a bunch of white people who never met met Trijang Rinpochey the right to tell Tibetans what to do. These people are unbelievably rude and Tibetan students of Trijang are already posting memes in support of him.

http://www.facebook.com/dorjee.shugdentibetans/photos/a.307344702754784.1073741825.307343156088272/793913257431257/?type=1&theater
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  tenpel on March 14, 2017 at 2:55 pm
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  Very true. If you have ever been in the presence of Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche and Gen La Kelsang Dekyong you immediately feel the difference. I guess this is what the NKT leadership is really fearing – that their closely controlled empire slips out of their hand. To revive enmity against Tibetans (which they always had) keeps NKT followers, their resources, working power, dedication and money in the NKT fold.
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No name on March 14, 2017 at 3:34 pm
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This is the advantage in cults of the closed system, where people focus on one mans interpretation and ‘shopping around’ is frowned upon. The approach is complemented by the allowing of inexperienced westerners to teach, as happens in both Triratna and NKT. Quite often, because it’s in an enclosed environment, what you wind up with is arrogant kids, with no real experience.of life or dharma, either ranting on about their understanding or simply parroting from a book.Ive seen teenagers still wet behind the ears giving teachings for the NKT and silly people making things up as they go along with a Boy Scout level of understanding leading FWBO retreats ( one chap managed to sneak into a Highest yoga tantra initiation and six weeks later led a retreat on the deity- none of the attendees were initiates- vajra hells, here we come)
This is why KGs students are being discouraged and why Sangharakshitas students are told of the ethnically polluted Asian traditions. These people are being fed cheap supermarket Coca Cola and told it is champagne. Having never tasted the real thing, how would they know otherwise?
To truly develop even a beginners understanding.takes decades, if not lifetimes. The only way to become a qualified teacher in the real dharma world is to. abandon any desire for status and recognition and dedicate ones whole life to study and practice
Perhaps then one will have something to.say that’s worth listening to.
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Jean R. Matthew on March 17, 2017 at 2:13 am
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Thank you for history, insight, honesty and integrity. Fortunate to have found this.
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Skopos on March 17, 2017 at 8:01 am
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It sounds like the preface narrative to China appointing a different Trijiang Tulku to me.
- 32
  
  tenpel on March 17, 2017 at 10:35 am
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  No, this doesn’t make sense.
  - 33
    
    Skopos on March 17, 2017 at 11:03 am
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    If China has the narrative that Trijiang is a fake, then they can do what they did to the Panchen lama and replace him with one of their puppets.
    
    Perhaps there was a falling out between Trijiang and the people working for China or he interferes with their plans some how.
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Brian on March 17, 2017 at 1:19 pm
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His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche is already on the PRC payroll.
I know, I know–conspiracy theory.
But dismissal of this possibility does not explain, for example, TJ Jamyang (His Holiness brother) Ferrari, other luxury cars and lavish lifestyle.
So therefore is no need to make a duplicate Trijang…until next time.

On another related matter, since Meng Hongwei, China’s vice public security minister, has been elected head of Interpol, can we now expect to see the two suspects wanted on Interpol Red Corner Warrants for Lobsang Chodak, 36, and Tenzin Chozin, 40, issued at the request of the Indian police, extradited to India to be tried for the Shugden cult murders?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/interpol-on-trail-of-buddhist-killers/news-story/f78ff41f89eca52c23324b8a5987bacd
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  Skopos on March 18, 2017 at 10:12 am
  Reply
  
  Brian, people scoffing at the idea that humans conspire has become an easy way to identify people that lack a full toolset of mental powers. For some highly influencial social circles it’s even become a sort of litmus test.
  
  I can think of one such group that asks applicants to provide proof of a constitutional violation without leaving the interview room; to which a successful applicant is expected to present a US dollar bill. Dollar bills in the USA featuring a prominent and constitutionally illegal endorsement by the government “In God We Trust” it is easy to prove to any mentally whole person that our highest courts are irrational at best.
  
  People that automatically reject any idea labeled a conspiracy simply lack a fully functional mind.
  
  I don’t doubt that China is funneling money to Trijiang, but that doesn’t mean they control him or that they can prevent him from acting against them. Often states don’t fabricate front groups from scratch, but simply fund existing groups which have the same agenda. An example of this would be the way that some countries fund “rebel” groups to destablize their enemies, rather than sending in their own ground troops.
36

The Doggedness of Clinging to Shugden – Tibetan Buddhism – Struggling With Diffi·Cult Issues on March 18, 2017 at 12:13 am
Reply

[…] An Open Letter from the International Shugden Buddhist Community (ISBC) / New Kadampa Tradition (NKT… […]
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tenpel on March 21, 2017 at 9:29 am
Reply

For how this sage continues read the comments in this thread: https://buddhism-controversy-blog.com/2017/03/18/the-doggedness-of-clinging-to-shugden/#comment-402894
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Fernando on May 10, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Reply

Pure superstition. Buddhists should not believe in spirits. That’s not what Buddha meant. Hell of bullshit all around…
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  tenpel on May 10, 2017 at 2:12 pm
  Reply
  
  Obviously you didn’t read the Pali 😉 There are a lot of stories about spirits. If spirits are non Buddhist bullshit it follows the Pali canon and other Buddhist texts that transmit such stories spread bullshit too.

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