Just because I don’t agree with the Dalai Lama does not make me a bad person
The following write-up below was submitted to us by a reader of the blog, James Yoshida, who also left it as a comment in the recently-published article “Dalai Lama: Thinking China is an enemy is naive | 达赖尊者：视中国为敌是愚昧的“. We are publishing it here because it contains some interesting information. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog.
I live in a democracy and we are allowed to disagree with another person without persecution. We are allowed to disagree with leaders without retribution otherwise what is the point of democracy? Yet, when you disagree with the Dalai Lama, you are branded a Chinese spy or paid by China to do so. Let’s get something straight: there are more people, numbering in the billions, who do not agree with the Dalai Lama so are they all Chinese spies? Are they all bad? Obviously the Dalai Lama’s government in exile has paid social media employees to go on the internet to specifically vilify China in the hopes of getting the world to turn against China and thereby support the Tibetan cause. Unfortunately this is not working. Hence when there is any dissension and differing from the Dalai Lama’s views, these social media employees will attack someone‘s appearance, background, upbringing, views and religion. This is all paid for by the Department of Information and International Relations currently headed by Ms. Dhardon Sharling and some prominent Dalai Lama supporters in Greece, England, Germany, India, Switzerland and the US. But we will talk more about that soon. This department has an annual budget of US$700,000 to pay for their various employees around the world, especially those on social media, to attack China, China supporters and Tibetans who don’t fall in line with the Dalai Lama’s views. This has been going on for decades. They produce websites, books, pamphlets, social media accounts and they spend great amounts of money to void out any dissension. It may surprise you that the Dalai Lama’s government does this, but it is very well-known among Tibetans this is what is done. You can hear Tibetans who are brave enough to speak out clearly tell us this. Not only that; there are many disgruntled ex-Tibetan exile government employees who have witnessed this firsthand and have spoken out anonymously. Remember, Tibetans do not come from a democratic background.
Yes, China does have her faults but what country does not? I do not support many policies in China but that’s their business. Look at the racial intolerance within the present-day USA where the Black Lives Matter movement is growing for obvious reasons. The anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe is also on the rise. The exploitative and genocidal recent history of Europe’s colonialism which decimated nations, people, cultures, religions in Asia, Africa, South America, Australia and North America, all in the name of progress, is in our recent memory. So who is to judge who? Nations which have a colonial past or people who descend from colonisers have no right to judge China or any other nation. Straighten out your own country first before judging another country. China is as good and as bad as any other nation on this planet. Their economic growth rivalling the US of course invites jealousy. Any neighbour that suddenly strikes it rich will immediately be the subject of gossip in the once-friendly neighbourhood. Human nature.
When people disagree with the Dalai Lama within the Tibetan communities, they are branded China sympathisers and are segregated, mocked and abused. Who was this started by? Of course the Tibetan leadership. But guess what? Not all Tibetans are ignorant farmers who will keep quiet and take the repression, or allow themselves to be abused and branded traitors, which they are not, just because they don’t agree with the Tibetan leadership’s policies. Thousands of Tibetans around the world who live in democratic and free societies can see the vast difference between the repressive, regime-like Dalai Lama’s government in exile (Dharamsala) and what a real democracy is in their own adopted countries. The non-Tibetan Dalai Lama supporters around the world also live in democratic countries and should open their eyes.
The Tibet prior to 1959 was a repressive theocratic monarchy where one person’s word was law. That person was the 5th Dalai Lama up till now with the present 14th Dalai Lama. Currently this form of government is active and alive in exile. Whatever the 14th Dalai Lama’s wishes or orders are, most will carry it out without question. They may question within themselves but will not dare to do so openly. This is how the Tibetan populace have been ‘trained’ in relations to their government for 400 years since time of the 5th Dalai Lama.
Therefore, personally I respect and like the Dalai Lama. But I do not agree with many of his views, especially on the segregation and persecution of his own people in regards to the Dorje Shugden issue. Whether Dorje Shugden is a demon, angel, Buddha, god, spirit or imagination DOES NOT MATTER. No leader in the 21st century, whether spiritual and secular, should condemn another person’s religion or choice of worship. The Dalai Lama as the Tibetan leader has said if you practise Dorje Shugden, you may not meet him, join his talks or be part of his gatherings. That is emotional blackmail. How is that possible? He is not a private person but a public figure and leader. How can a leader speak in this manner and segregate a portion of his people, and alienate them due to their religion? The Tibetan leadership likes to say Dorje Shugden followers are China spies, but Dorje Shugden practice has been around for 400 years and has had millions of followers in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Mongolia. Were they all China spies? The Dalai Lama’s personal teachers who educated him for over 30 years practised Dorje Shugden. Were his teachers China spies? It does get ridiculous when you think about it.
On the Dalai Lama’s exile government charter and website (tibet.net), you can clearly see their official website’s condemnation (given as ‘advice’) of this spiritual practice of Dorje Shugden and its hundreds of thousands of followers. It is official. This is the exile government that wishes to gain Tibet back and govern once again. If their official exile government website is a taste of how they will rule, then there will be civil unrest. Why did the Tibetan leadership, aristocrats, ministers and the Dalai Lama lose their country in the first place? Obviously because they did not know how to protect it. They did not have a good government at all. When China marched into Tibet in 1959 to ‘peacefully’ liberate Tibet, why did all the nations in the world, including its giant neighbour India, remain quiet and let it happen? Because the government of Tibet was arrogant and thought they were the centre of the world and nothing could happen to them. For centuries, they had totally avoided contact with the outside world and therefore had no friends, allies or a seat in the United Nations. This was very bad governance on their part. Their own fault. Military aggression from one country to another is rampant in human history. Look at all the countries England forcefully and brutally colonised. That is unfortunately the brutal truth. So if your government is not working well or doing their job, there are consequences. Tibet’s bad theocratic monarchy definitely failed its own people. For 60 years, they have been in ‘exile’ and still cannot gain their country back. They expect the whole world to feel guilty, pay the price for gaining Tibet back and stand up for Tibet. Too bad. Every nation has their own problems to solve. Economy comes first. Tibetans are on the last of any nation’s agenda as the de-popularisation of the Dalai Lama shows. No nation will send troops to fight China for the Dalai Lama and his government. It has been 60 years and no one has stepped up yet. Every country will become friends with China now. Good or bad is not the issue, but that is the truth. The Dalai Lama and his government must stop antagonising China and make friends with them, to preserve the culture and language of Tibet before the death of the current Dalai Lama. Even after the passing of the current Dalai Lama, if Tibetans in and outside of Tibet decide to use violence and weapons to fight China, it will be futile. They will be crushed. The Chinese are not afraid of the military might from USA, Europe and India, so why would they fear an internal uprising of six million Tibetans? After the Dalai Lama, there will be no one who can unite the Tibetans into one voice to negotiate with China.
Many people in the world find voodoo and witchcraft to be ‘evil’. Whether it is or not, no democratic government will condemn in speech, in writing or on official websites any restrictions against these faiths. If any leaders now should speak against these religions, there will be protests and unrest because democratic principles are not being practised. This is what is happening with the Dorje Shugden issue. So that being the case in democracies, why is the Dalai Lama and his exiled government condemning Dorje Shugden in the form of so-called ‘advice’? Why do they officially condemn Dorje Shugden on their website? The Dalai Lama likes to say he is not banning Dorje Shugden but is ‘advising’ against it. How about if all spiritual leaders start ‘advising’ people against a religion other than their own and ask them to convert? It is just advice. Would that be proper? Of course not. Wars will arise because of this. How about if Christian leaders advise their nations to segregate and ban all voodoo practitioners within their country? Would democratic people stand for that? Of course not. But that is exactly what the Dalai Lama is doing with the Dorje Shugden issue among his own people.
Again, the Dalai Lama has done many good things but not everything he has done is perfect, for whatever good reasons, just like all leaders. We do not need to fanatically support all his policies. Some people have not achieved much in their personal lives, so to identify their allegiance to the Dalai Lama somehow makes them look better to others and falsely less empty in their lives, and so therefore they fanatically support the Dalai Lama. There are many types of people. Some people’s bread and butter depends on the Dalai Lama and therefore they fanatically support everything he says. I do not dislike the Dalai Lama, but I am certainly not a bad person if I don’t agree with some of his thoughts, views and policies. I am not a Chinese spy either. If I have a view or spiritual practice different from the Dalai Lama’s and just because of this I cannot join in his public speeches, there is something inherently wrong with that. Just because I don’t agree with all his views, I should not be persecuted by his exiled government’s paid social media employees in Europe, India and the US. I do not agree with everything the Dalai Lama does but that does not make me a bad or an irrational person. I do not agree with the negative talk, ban and stigma the Dalai Lama has created against his own people (if their views differ from his) and against Tibetan Buddhists around the world, but that does not mean I am paid by China to disagree. I disagree only because my views are different and hence, for that reason, I disagree. I am a good person who has much to contribute to society and I have every right to practise what form of spirituality I choose without ‘advice’ (condemnation) from the Dalai Lama or any leaders. I am not a bad person just because my opinion differs from the Dalai Lama’s. I do not need to be persecuted by the employees of the Department of Information and International Relations. I grew up in a country that allows freedom and I will always speak when anyone or any leader, no matter how ‘holy’ he is deemed to be, says or does something and I do not agree with his policies. But that does not mean I am paid to do so.
James Yoshida
(Photo enclosed is of tibet.net’s page on ‘advice’ against Shugden. Why would an official ‘government’ website advise against ANY spiritual faith? All genuine democratic governments and leaders should allow freedom of choice in spirituality without encouraging or discouraging.)
For more interesting information:
- An Open Letter of Appeal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama (April 30, 2018)
- Dorje Shugden: My side of the story | 多杰雄登：我这方面的说法
- I pray to what I want to
- Dorje Shugden people
- How shall I hate you today?
- Are We All Obliged to Listen to the Dalai Lama?
- Why can’t we be friends?
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Thank you for this brave man for stating what is being kept under the rugs for so many years. No one dares to talk about how the Tibetan Government and how they created so much problem. They are straight out using the Tibetans to fulfill their own needs and they did not care about the welfare of the Tibetans at all.
CTA has labeled themselves as a democratic body but nothing about them is democratic. They do not practice religious freedom by putting a ban on Dorje Shugden practice. They dedicated a whole section of their official website, tibet.net to persecute Dorje Shugden worship and they even posted up a hit list for famous Dorje Shugden practitioners to be targetted by the public. That is not how a democratic country works at all. They last out at those who oppose the Dalai Lama even on the slightest issue. No one can disagree with the Dalai Lama or be labeled as Chinese Spy. It does not matter if you are really working with the Chinese or not, once you get the name you will be ostracised from the Tibetan community. So, how is this a democratic country again?
They keep using the name of democracy to generate funds for themselves from democratic western countries. that is the only reason why they are calling themselves democratic.
Nice short video of a new LED signage reminding us of who we can go to for blessings in case of need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwrkaKUoH0
Indeed, not agreeing with the Dalai Lama doesn’t make someone a bad person. I don’t agree with the Dalai Lama because I think the way he and CTA imposed the ban is very bad. That does not make me a bad person.
USD700,000 budget a year is allocated to attack China? CTA must be crazy. If they really want to have a deal with China, they should use this money for PR purposes, to make sure they are in the good book of the Chinese government. Their dialogue with the Chinese government is not going to happen if CTA is still so hostile to the Chinese government.
If CTA continues to be so arrogant, one day India will ask them to leave, and they cannot go back to China because China will not want troublemakers in their country. It’s time for CTA to change their plan and protect the Tibetans.
Listening to the chanting of sacred words, melodies, mantras, sutras and prayers has a very powerful healing effect on our outer and inner environments. It clears the chakras, spiritual toxins, the paths where our ‘chi’ travels within our bodies for health as well as for clearing the mind. It is soothing and relaxing but at the same time invigorates us with positive energy. The sacred sounds invite positive beings to inhabit our environment, expels negative beings and brings the sound of growth to the land, animals, water and plants. Sacred chants bless all living beings on our land as well as inanimate objects. Do download and play while in traffic to relax, when you are about to sleep, during meditation, during stress or just anytime. Great to play for animals and children. Share with friends the blessing of a full Dorje Shugden puja performed at Kechara Forest Retreat by our puja department for the benefit of others. Tsem Rinpoche
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzgskLKxT8&t=5821s
There are many times, after contemplating and reading information and experiencing things in relation to an issue, we feel our conclusion is absolutely right and spot on. Nothing could derail our logic, and we are passionate about defending such a point of view.
Yet we must always remember people who have a different point of view thinks just as how we think too. So it is always good to agree to disagree.
Dorje Shugden is emanation of Buddha Manjushri but as claimed by the Tibetan leadership (CTA ) is an evil. With more and more people speaking up against the behaviour and aware of the Tibetan leadership (CTA ) false claims. As they realised there is no religious freedom or true democracy within their communities. We all need to respect people of different races as well as people of different faiths and religions. Responsibility and respect of others and their religious beliefs are also part of freedom.
James Yoshida, and many more people, who does not agree with the Dalai Lama , it does not mean they are bad and they are all Chinese spies as claimed by some individual. James Yoshida wrote an interesting comment on blog speaking from his heart about facts I do agree with James Yoshida view. Human rights and individual liberties, including religious freedom, should be allow for each individual regardless of race and faith.
The Tibetan leadership (CTA )were given many opportunities yet after all these years they still can’t make it on its own. Instead, they have spent millions on campaigns, websites, and so forth against Dorje Shugden. One example is the tibet.net’s page, how those article going against other religious faith. Everyone should be given freedom to choose what we practice and what we pray to.
As time past by, more people are aware of the Dorje Shugden controversy and are speaking up on the unfairness , discrimination and sufferings caused by the CTA.
May the ban against Dorje Shugden practitioners end soon .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
In the era of human civilization, basic human rights the promote and protect individual freedom and choice has become an expected and taken for granted norm. Hence, for a strategy as primitive as segregation and suppression to be related to a figure as revered for being inclusive, harmony and peace is a shock and wake up call. The injustice Dorje Shugden practitioners endure is a call for us to stop, see the breach on humanity and respond in a way to uphold the rights gifted to us by past freedom fighters. Thank you for this honest letter. May more stand out to share their thoughts and raise their voice to create change.
Nowadays, people are more educated and they know to analyze what is wrong or good.
In democracy country, people must have rights to voice our own opinions and shouldn’t follow blindly what a country leader or spiritual leader said.
In Dorje Shugden case, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) keep accusing Dorje Shugden practitioners are China spy. In fact many Dorje Shugden practitioners are Tibetan. Why CTA keep doing all these baseless claims? In fact, this will create schisms within Tibetan community.
Practicing Dorje Shugden must be allowed if TIBET really practice religion freedom. Furthermore, Dorje Shugden is emanation of Buddha Manjushri and not a demons which claimed by CTA.
CTA should not sacrifice Dorje Shugden practitioner in order to achieve CTA politics agenda.
I plea to H.H Dalai Lama to have a discussion with CTA and Dorje Shugden practitioners to solve Dorje Shugden Ban issue and unite all Tibetan to live in peace and harmony.
Thanks Rinpoche shared this articles to create awareness on the current situation in Tibet.
Jason
Dear Rinpoche and team,
Thank you for placing Jame’s comments into an article.
He makes a lot of sense in his comments and I could not agree more with his views.
We are rational, logical people. We have our own mind and we can think and reason with others and within ourselves. If we blindly follow a policy or comment, then we must be machines.. no brains of our own. Even AI now can rationalise..
I sincerely pray and hope the segregation against Dorje Shugden practitioners can be stopped soon.
Thanks Rinpoche, James and the blog team for this insightful article.
I totally agree with what James says, that we are the world citizen who has the right to choose what we believe.
I started reading Dalai Lama’s books on Dharma topics many years ago and I do like the teachings he gives. However, I found there are many contrasts with the teaching when you look at how Tibetan government in exile rules their “country”, and I wonder how could it be as their leader is such a kind and great person. There are many things that don’t make sense such as the ban on Dorje Shugden, and the reasons why they spend so much money to attack others on social media just because of what they believe.
And what James says here ring some bells – that’s the reason they lose their country and there’s no sign to gain it back after 60 years. What a shame to Tibetan government in exile.
The world we are living now is not the same with the world 60 years back, how much can Tibetan government in exile control and attack to serve their purpose? I hope they can wake up one day to look at what is the definition of Democracy. OMG…
The people who support Dalai Lama, that’s fine for you. But when you start attacking others on social media when they disagree with the Dalai Lama’s view, then you are very extreme. Dalai Lama speaks the message of peace and tolerance and in his name when you are vulgar and attack others, you are wrong. Remember, the Dalai Lama is NOT a god and we all don’t have to agree with him. He has made tons of mistakes and he will make more mistakes. To follow him just because he is nice that is blind. I think the Dalai Lama is a big boy now and he don’t need his ‘keepers’ to protect him and be nasty in his name.
Dear James,
I find your comment to be very insightful and accurate. From a long time, ago, I have liked the Dalai Lama. It is safe to say that most people who have heard the Dalai Lama speak and heard stories about his struggle or seen him in person or on TV, would be inclined to like him. It is the sheer power of his charisma. Also, I think everyone subliminally feels that this is a very harsh, competitive and dog-eat-dog world and so we are all naturally drawn to this perceived quality of innocence, guilelessness and sincerity that he exudes.
But it was only in recent years when I learned about his religious ban and the ways of his government that I began to ask myself what I actually like about the Dalai Lama and how much I truly know about him and his government in exile. And the honest answer was very little and again, it is safe to say that it is the same for most people. And yet, the Dalai Lama is an extremely shrewd politician and although he ‘retired’ in 2011, he remains a very prominent and influential statesman. For example, apart from the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans, I do not think there are any refugee communities in the world who has been allowed to form a government within another government like the Tibetan exile government has been able to do in India.
I don’t think there are many politicians in the world that can match up to China’s rise and I see President Trump fumbling. And yet, the Dalai Lama has been able to garner support for his struggle worldwide for 60 years now. Why is this important to note? Because I don’t think anyone in the free world today would support an authoritarian regime that kept its people as slaves for hundreds of years and treated them like chattels or animals. The simple and irrefutable fact is this – the Tibetan government under the Dalai Lama was a brutal feudal lordship and it used religion and its privileges to oppress an entire nation of people and kept them in chains and downtrodden. And look at how we cheer them and support them. This is mind boggling.
Everywhere I look on the social media, there is one cause or another that calls for action to be taken against those who are perceived to be cruel to animals and then you have activists working against those perceived to harm the environment. The same people support the Dalai Lama who was at the top of a ruling class that treated people worse than animals. And so, once I learned about how Tibet was before 1959 and how the Dalai Lama ran his country, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that this culture of oppression would continue in exile.
I am not a Shugden believer but I am a firm believer that individual rights must be defended. The internet today proliferates with articles about Shugden – both pro and against and frankly, it is not easy to know which version is accurate. But it should be far simpler than that. It shouldn’t be anyone’s business what someone believes in. I live in a Catholic country but I am Protestant. And I certainly would not like it if I am singled out by a Catholic government and marginalized and treated differently and denied my usual rights just because I belong to a different faith. I doubt if there is any sane person on earth who would say that it is justified for me to be treated differently just because I am Protestant. Neither should anyone be regarded as less or inferior because he believes in Shugden.
And yet that is what the Dalai Lama’s government has successfully got all their supporters to do. That if you like the Dalai Lama, that if you sympathize with the Tibetan struggle, you must by definition hate anyone who is a Shugden believer, and you must hate China. This is a terribly unhealthy development and the Dalai Lama could have cleared this up very early on but he didn’t. Instead in many ways, the Dalai Lama incited hatred against Shugden people. I am very confident that many who oppose Shugden do not even know what the issue is all about and only acts on what they have been told.
Frankly, I am a bit disappointed to read the Dalai Lama’s comment in Phayul. Why say one thing and continue to carry hate messages against Shugden people on dalailama.com? It doesn’t add up.