Why is the Dalai Lama suppressing religious freedom?

 

Do you know that the Dalai Lama...

 

* the Nobel Peace Prize winner and supposed champion of human rights is busy at work removing the religious rights and freedoms of one section of his own Tibetan people and persecuting all those who are trying to stand up for these rights;

 

 

* and that he is using all his political power to destroy a well-loved and centuries-old religious tradition, causing huge confusion and pain among thousands of Tibetans;

 

* and that this religious tradition he is trying to destroy is the one taught to him by his own Spiritual Guide, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (1901-1981), the Junior Tutor of the Dalai Lama;

 

* and that in a world where the Western and American ideal is the separation of politics and religion to prevent such abuses of power, the Dalai Lama is the very embodiment of the union of politics and religion;

 

* and that his actions are illegal and unlawful, directly contravening the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Indian Constitution, and even the Tibetan government-in-exile's own constitution;

 

* and that no matter how many peaceful representations, letters and petitions have been sent to him over the last ten years begging him to reconsider, he has ignored every single one and refused to engage in any dialogue;

 

Amount of time since the first letter
was sent to the Dalai Lama requesting dialogue over the Dorje Shugden problem:

For all this time he has refused to answer.

 

* and all this makes the Dalai Lama's actions contradictory and hypocrital - if you go around preaching non-violence and religious tolerance, it is hypocritical to then actively suppress religious freedom to advance your own political agenda of keeping control of the Tibetans:

...From the AP reports, Seattle, April 14, 2008: Inside the (University of Washington) arena, the Dalai Lama received an honorary degree and spoke of the importance of employing dialogue and mutual respect to solve problems. "You will make this century of peace," the Dalai Lama told students. "Today's world (is) heavily interdependent. Destruction of your neighbor or enemy is destruction of yourself."

 

...From The Washington Post, April 20, 2008: Dalai Lama Urges Religious Tolerance. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Dalai Lama encouraged people gathered at the University of Michigan on Saturday to preserve their own religious traditions while respecting others with differing beliefs. "As you know, I always believed, since all different traditions have the same potential to bring inner peace, inner value, . . . it is important to keep one's own tradition," he told about 8,000 people at Crisler Arena.

* and when the Dalai Lama says "I now practice all Tibetan religious traditions and think you should too", what he really means is "I want to control all Tibetan religious traditions";

 

* and that the Dalai Lama's "spiritual" reasons for repressing the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden comes across as both superstitious and incompatible with basic Buddhist teachings:

 

For example, the Dalai Lama says that Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden is a spirit who causes harm to his own life and the cause of a free Tibet. However, every Buddhist knows that if you go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, you are protected from harm from spirits. So how can such a spirit harm a supposed Buddha? How can such a spirit affect the cause of a free Tibet? It makes no sense, but of course these reasons are designed to produce a powerful emotional response in the intensely nationalistic, devout and loyal exiled Tibetans.

 

* and that, because of the Dalai Lama's calculated and uncompassionate political campaign of religious oppression, many Tibetans in India are now outcasts within the exiled;

 

* and that even some Western followers of the Dalai Lama are blindly repeating his claims that those who are following this tradition are spirit-worshippers and a sectarian cult, despite all evidence to the contrary (in this way deliberately setting out to destroy the reputation of Western Dorje Shugden practitioners and prevent people attending their Centers);

 

* and that just because the Dalai Lama is a media darling of the West does not mean that he is infallible and above reproach, and that just because he is a supposed God King and Nobel Peace Prize winner does not make him above the law or immune to grave mistakes;

 

If you now read the points on the right, you will see actions and behaviour that are contradictory and hypocritical. If you say one thing to everyone in the West, but in your own backyard you engage in systematic calculated political religious repression, then what is the world to think?

 

The purpose of this website is not to slander the Dalai Lama, but to point out a grave mistake that he is making. We urge him, yet again, to lift his ban on the practice of the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden and to ask his followers to stop persecuting Dorje Shugden practitioners right now.

 

We don't like hypocrisy. We hope you don't either.

Political Leader

dalai lamaDalai Lama

The Hypocrisy

Follow the story of the Dalai Lama's 30-year political campaign to destroy a centuries-old spiritual tradition taught to him by his own Spiritual Guide, and the efforts of those he's hurting to stop him:

Brief summary
- What is happening
- What is the Western Shugden Society (WSS)?
- Detailed reports of discrimination from inside India and elsewhere

The Dalai Lama's position
- A Great Deception
- Praise to Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden by the Dalai Lama
- In the Dalai Lama's words

Why is this happening?
- Why is this religious suppression taking place?
- Are the Dalai Lama's reasons valid?

Efforts to restore religious freedom
- Geshe Kelsang's open letter
- The ban is illegal and unconstitutional
- Press reports and videos
- Dorje Shugden Devotee's Charitable and Religious Society
- Dalai Lama sued for repressing religious freedom
- A conflict with a solution
- Announcement from Serpom Norling Monastery

Analysis of situation
- Sectarianism
- Can the Dalai Lama ever make a mistake?
- Is the Dalai Lama the only spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism?
- Theocracy or democracy?
- Spirit worship or authentic Buddhist practice?
- Freedom of worship
- The Dalai Lama's justifications
- Analysis by Dalai Lama's translator (PDF)
- What would Thomas Jefferson think of the 14th Dalai Lama?
- Book Reviews
- Videos

Evidence and first-hand accounts
- Chronological background
- Discord in exile documentary
- Political motivations for the ban
- Summary to date from Tibetan exiles
- Other

Ongoing persecution 2008-2010
- Recent vote sticks and call for help
- Forced signature and ID card campaign
- Persecution of monks at Sera Monasteries
- Public humiliation and explusion of monks
- Letter to Indian Prime Minister regarding abuses
- Letters from Dorje Shugden Devotees
- Urgent appeal from Sera Monasteries
- Support from Indian police
- Western Shugden Society letter to Sera monasteries
- Western Shugden Society letter to TGIE
- Heartfelt request from monks in Mundgod
- More discrimination planned around the world
- Letter from an FPMT monk
- Other
- What you can do

Related Sites

Dorje Shugden