We thank His Holiness the Dalai Lama
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama ascended the throne at Bodhgaya on 2nd January 2020, the crowd trembled with excitement. It was, after all, the first large-scale teaching that His Holiness was scheduled to give in the new year, a long-awaited event considering the health obstacles His Holiness manifested in 2019 which led to a series of cancelled meetings and gatherings.
To an estimated 35,000 lay people, monks and nuns from over 70 countries, His Holiness spoke on Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (Tibetan: laklen sodunma). And so as His Holiness delivered his advice and teachings to the crowd, the congregation waited with bated breath for the topic of Dorje Shugden to come up. They were not wrong to be in anticipation since it has been de rigueur for His Holiness to talk about Dorje Shugden in every large public gathering over the last two decades. Oftentimes, these speeches resulted in more violence against and greater segregation of Shugden practitioners; it is an unpleasant but inescapable truth that His Holiness’s tone regarding Dorje Shugden has been unrelentingly harsh since the ban was first announced in 1996, and the subsequent implementation of the ban resulted in the jarring and painful division of Tibetan society that continues to exist to this day.
Hence, the congregation waited to see what His Holiness would say this time and as usual, His Holiness did not disappoint. This time however, it was for very different reasons.
In his speech, His Holiness said that if people wish to practise Dorje Shugden as a birth deity or land god (Tibetan: kye lha yul lha), THAT WOULD BE FINE. And while His Holiness did add the caveat that it would not be okay to practise Dorje Shugden as a “protector of the Gelug”, the language used to express this was more gentle and forgiving than it has ever been in the past. His Holiness, in fact, did not summarily rule out the practice of Dorje Shugden which is significant because:
- His Holiness refers to the deity as ‘Dorje Shugden’ and not ‘Dolgyal’, which is the derogatory term used by the Tibetan leadership to falsely label Dorje Shugden a so-called spirit. Dorje Shugden, on the other hand, is a respectful term that refers to his nature as an enlightened Buddha.
- This stands in huge contrast to previous speeches when His Holiness not only called for the expulsion of Dorje Shugden practitioners from the monasteries, but spoke about a separation between “the mouth from the moustache” i.e. to segregate Dorje Shugden practitioners from everyone else.
- His Holiness is now saying that under some circumstances, the practice of Dorje Shugden is possible. His Holiness is therefore gently making allowance for the possibility that the Tibetan political establishment could have been wrong about the total ban all along. After all, if they were assuredly correct in their decision to ban the practice, there would not be any need for reconsideration and no allowances for the practice would be given.
- His Holiness is creating a space for people to reconsider their approach towards Shugden practitioners and attitude towards the faith itself. It not only means that the subject is worthy of reconsideration but, most importantly, that the reconsideration can be undertaken without fear of reprisal or repercussion from the leadership.
- The fact is that people do practise their birth deity and people do pray to land gods. That His Holiness is now saying that it is acceptable to rely on Dorje Shugden in this manner, means that they will end up connecting with a deity who is, ultimately, Manjushri. Whether or not they view him as Manjushri or as a birth deity is almost irrelevant; how they view Dorje Shugden will not detract from the fact they will end up receiving the benefits of Manjushri.
- His Holiness, being an emanation of the Buddha of Compassion, would never put people in harm’s way. If Dorje Shugden were a truly harmful being, His Holiness would never allow anyone to rely on him, whether as a birth deity or otherwise. Hence the fact His Holiness is saying it is okay for people to practise Dorje Shugden as a birth deity or land god means that overall, Dorje Shugden is not harmful. How a practitioner wishes to view Dorje Shugden thereafter, whether as a birth deity or as Manjushri, is a private and personal matter.
His Holiness saying that it is okay for Dorje Shugden to be relied upon was most definitely not a ‘slip of the tongue’ or accidental, as some might be wont to believing. A masterful statesman and leader, His Holiness has navigated storm after storm, and challenge after challenge to raise awareness and support for his cause, and to protect and provide resources for his community. Hence as someone who has successfully re-established the Tibetan community in exile, His Holiness is not prone to being careless with his words.
His Holiness’s change in tone regarding Dorje Shugden definitely did not go unnoticed. Incredibly, this is actually the second time His Holiness has said that it is fine to rely on Dorje Shugden and that no harm will come to the practitioner. Tibetan friends have also said that if His Holiness’s wrath was at 100% at the zenith of the ban, the ferocity is now dramatically reduced. Though the message in Bodhgaya appeared to be firm, they recognised that His Holiness’s choice of words were softer, like someone preparing to let bygones be bygones.
This is welcomed news indeed, not just for Dorje Shugden practitioners who have suffered tremendous pain and challenges for the past two decades, but also for the wider Tibetan community who also experienced the separation and division caused by the ban.
Your Holiness the Dalai Lama, we are grateful for the gentler, more moderate approach you have adopted towards Dorje Shugden practitioners. Thank you for speaking with compassion, free from political agenda, and thank you for leading by example, showing everyone that it is important to respect the choices people make for something as personal and private as their religious faith. Like all other Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhists, Dorje Shugden practitioners want nothing more than to see a unified and harmonious Tibetan society, where everyone coexists as they have done for the last 600 years.
May this speech open the doors for greater harmony, create an environment of understanding, and pave the way to healing and reunification of brothers and sisters.
With folded hands,
TsemRinpoche.com blog team
His Holiness says we can practise Dorje Shugden
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/HHDLBodhgaya01-2020.mp4
For more interesting information:
- The Dorje Shugden category on Rinpoche’s blog
- Dalai Lama Says We Can Practise Dorje Shugden Finally!
- ཆོས་སྐྱོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཤུགས་ལྡན་ལ་གསོལ་འདེབས། A short prayer to Dorje Shugden
- A short prayer to Dorje Shugden | 多杰雄登短祈愿文
- NEW! Simplified Daily Prayer to Dorje Shugden
- The Great 5th Dalai Lama’s special prayer to Dorje Shugden
- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s special prayer to Dorje Shugden
- Kyabje Ling Rinpoche does Dorje Shugden | 嘉杰林仁波切修多杰雄登护法
- Sakya Trizin’s Dorje Shugden Prayer
- To Sum It Up
- The Buddhist Divide – An Unholy Campaign against Religious Freedom
- Tibetan Leadership’s New Anti-Shugden Video
- Videos Redressing the Misinformation About Dorje Shugden and the Tibetan Situation
- Comparisons of the Dorje Shugden Ban With Historic Persecutions
- I pray to what I want to
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They always say time changes things, yes true enough time has changed the view of many regarding the Dorje Shugden controversy. Finally we are allowed to practise Dorje Shugden. HH Dalai Lama was at Bodhgaya said that if people wish to practise Dorje Shugden would be fine for them. Great news indeed. H H Dalai Lama had said openly about Dorje Shugden .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
It is so touching to read this news because I have followed so many stories about pain and challenges facing by the Dorje Shugden practitioners for the past two decades. It is sad to see the wider Tibetan community experienced the separation and division caused by the ban too, so much suffering. Glad to see HH is creating a space for people to reconsider their approach towards Shugden practitioners, this is a important step to stop harm any Buddhist practitioners, this represent compassion, this is love.
Finally, Dorje Shugden practice is allowed. This is really great news to share with everyone in social media.
Thank you to HH Dalai Lama and everyone who made this happened
🙏🙏🙏 Great news indeed. Hopefully there will be peace and harmony.
H H Dalai Lama strongly discourages Tibetan Buddhists from propitiating Dorje Shugden as claimed to be evil. The propitiation of Dorje Shugden has been controversial throughout its history causing disharmony in various parts of Tibet, and between various Tibetan communities. Over the last two decades, negative speeches against Dorje Shugden were said. But time has changed for the better. Quite recently, HH Dalai Lama was at Bodhgaya on 2nd January 2020, said that if people wish to practise Dorje Shugden as a birth deity or land god (Tibetan: kye lha yul lha), THAT WOULD BE FINE.
Wow…..Great news for us and across the globe for Dorje Shugden practitioners when H H Dalai Lama said openly about Dorje Shugden . HH Dalai Lama was with as many as thousands of lay people, monks and nuns from over 70 countries. It cannot be wrong this time, thousands heard it as they have been waiting anxiously just to hear Dalai Lama’s speech and teachings.H.H Dalai Lama has made it clear, is a matter for the individual. H H Dalai Lama being an emanation of the Buddha of Compassion, must have realised that Dorje Shugden is not harmful after all and that the Tibetan leadership could have been wrong about the total ban all this while. This is the second time H H Dalai Lam has said that it is fine to rely on Dorje Shugden. May Dalai Lama let bygones be bygones for the benefits of all practitioners. With folded hands thank you His Holiness for speaking with compassion, for a better peaceful and harmonious world.
Thank you blog teams for such a wonderful news.
Whether people wish to propitiate Dorje Shugden as birth deity or land god is their prerogative but to Shugden practitioners we know who he really is. By worshipping Dorje Shugden as land god or birth deity many people would have made the connection to a Buddha for future development when timing is conducive. Dorje Shugden’s hook of compassion never misses his followers.
We thank HHDL for this gentle, kind and compassionate words as the first monumental step towards reconciliation of all of Tibetan society. This is wonderful as the first of many steps taken to heal, mend, and integrate all towards the common goal of selflessness and enlightenment.
Thank you Your Holiness.
This is music to the ears. Thank you His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Finally we gain religious freedom after 20 years of struggle, pain and division. Your stance will foster harmony and unity in the society and community around the world.
We are so very happy and thankful. This call for a celebration!
This is really wonderful news to hear that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now more open and encouraging for people to practice Dorje Shugden. Thank you very much His Holiness the Dalai Lama accepting and also encouraging.🙏🙏🙏 Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for sharing this great news!😍😘👏👍🌈🙏🌻
I thank his Holiness the Dalai Lama for his compassionate words and approach to the DS issue. It is nice to see that in certain circumstances people can connect to this being who is none other than Manjushri. This soft approach will help heal the wounds and promote harmony. This is the second time in recent history that the Dalai Lama has stated that those who practice DS no harm will come too them. I hope this is the beginning of healing and reconciliation amongst everyone.