Question asked by ckg
Dear Pastors, why do anti-Shugden people say he is a demonic spirit? Is there any evidence for this. Or is this the same like how when Yamantaka practice was first introducted to Tibet people unaware and uneducated in his practice said he was a demon too? Maybe the only solution is practitioners of Shugden to show what he does for you by their qualities..
Dear ckg,
The reason why anti-Shugden people claim Dorje Shugden is a demonic spirit is due to a misunderstanding as to the form he arose after the passing away of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, who was the previous incarnation and a contemporary of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. People who are against Shugden claim he arose as a worldly spirit whereas those who practice Dorje Shugden acknowledge that he arose in the form of a Dharma Protector.
You are right to say that at first Yamantaka practice was said to be demonic when introduced in Tibet, as people were unaware of the true nature of his practice. The same can be said for the practice of Dorje Shugden. There are people out there who are prone to spreading information without first studying the facts or history of a particular subject. The Dorje Shugden issue is not the only case, as this happens frequently all over the world. Those who are following the teachings of the Buddha, who taught analysis and logical reasoning, would therefore research the subject from a logical point of view before coming to a conclusion for themselves rather than simply following what others promote.
From a Buddhist perspective there have been many great masters who have practiced Dorje Shugden, and passed the practice of Shugden on to their students. To say that these masters were not Buddhist and were actually practicing spirit worship would undermine their status as enlightened masters and their many other works and teachings which actually shaped, directly or indirectly, the form in which the Gelugpa lineage exists today. To say that all these masters were mistaken in their belief of Dorje Shugden as an emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom, following logical reasoning would undermine the entire lineage.
You are also right when you state that those who are anti-Shugden should, rather than being caught up in this issue, judge practitioners from a broader perspective, that of the main practice of Dharma. Dharma Protector practice is an ancillary practice aimed to assist the practitioner along the path towards enlightenment. But emphasis should be placed on the actual practice towards enlightenment, which is transformation of the mind. The formal deity practice should be the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa and other Yidam deity practices. It is through these qualities of inner transformation, which makes us more compassionate and wiser people that should be judged, then people will realise that Dorje Shugden’s practice not a harmful practice.