XPost: alt.philosophy.zen, alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan, cn.culture.buddhism   
   XPost: soc.culture.china, talk.religion.buddhism   
   From: peter.terpstra7@gmail.com   
      
   Declaration from New Kadampa Survivors concerning the demonstrations against   
   His Holiness the Dalai Lama   
      
   The following is a revised and abbreviated version of the Declaration by New   
   Kadampa Survivors concerning the Demonstrations   
   against His Holiness.   
      
   We, the undersigned, as former members of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), and   
   ex-practitioners of Dolgyal Shugden, are   
   appalled and saddened that those who were once our NKT sangha demonstrate   
   against and defame His Holiness the Dalai   
   Lama.   
      
   The NKT, led by their teacher Kelsang Gyatso, operates as the ‘Western   
   Shugden Society’ (WSS) and more recently as the   
   ‘International Shugden Community’ (ISC). These groups attack His Holiness   
   with unwarranted allegations and distortions of   
   what we know to be the truth. We now believe it is time to speak out!   
      
   1) The NKT call His Holiness the Dalai Lama a ‘liar’. His Holiness holds a   
   different view from Kelsang Gyatso concerning the   
   nature and history of Dolgyal Shugden and the effects of this practice upon   
   the well-being of His Holiness, the Tibetan people   
   and their cause. A difference of opinion is not lying.   
      
   2) The NKT claim that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has broken samaya with all   
   his teachers by rejecting the practice of Dolgyal   
   Shugden. This practice was viewed as problematic by His Holiness’ Senior   
   Tutor, Ling Rinpoche. After extensive historical   
   investigation His Holiness saw that Dolgyal Shugden worship was often   
   associated with sectarian views and ‘distorted   
   aspiration’. He explained to his Junior Tutor Trijang Rinpoche why it was   
   his duty to avoid this practice and advise others to do   
   so. Masters of other traditions have also dismissed this practice after   
   investigation. According to Buddhist scriptures and past   
   masters, these are correct and appropriate actions.   
      
   3) Kelsang Gyatso claims that by rejecting Dolgyal Shugden, His Holiness is   
   rejecting all the lineage teachings of the Gelug   
   tradition of Je Tsongkhapa. Shugden was not taught by Je Tsongkhapa and His   
   Holiness still holds his lineage gurus and all Gelug   
   teachings in the highest esteem. Kelsang Gyatso, however, is never seen in   
   public with teachers connected to the lineage he   
   claims to represent. He is alone, with no influence from either peers or   
   superiors. He created his NKT in 1992 after a schism   
   with another Tibetan Buddhist group whose property he kept as his own. In 1996   
   he was unanimously expelled from Sera Je   
   Tibetan Buddhist monastery for being a ‘holder of broken commitments and   
   wrong view’. Kelsang Gyatso has made his own   
   tradition of ‘Modern Buddhism’ and his own ordination system without the   
   traditional monastic code of conduct. He has   
   isolated his students from the wider Buddhist world.   
      
   4) The allegation that the Dalai Lama is repressing Freedom of Religion is   
   more relevant to the way the NKT operates. NKT   
   centres are dedicated to the exclusive devotion of Kelsang Gyatso and Dolgyal   
   Shugden. No other Tibetan teachers are allowed.   
   NKT centres only sell Kelsang Gyatso’s books. Students only study Kelsang   
   Gyatso’s books with teachers trained in the NKT and   
   appointed by Kelsang Gyatso. Teachers at all critical of the NKT are removed   
   from their posts. Ordained NKT people and others   
   are told they may never get enlightened if they leave the NKT.   
      
   5) The Tibetan people number little more than 6 million. An unknown number of   
   Tibetans, often quoted as being more than   
   one million, have been slaughtered due to the Chinese occupation and   
   colonisation. Claims made by the ISC such as ‘4 million   
   Dorje Shugden practitioners are suffering’ from His Holiness’ abuse of   
   their Human Rights are obviously untrue.   
      
   No established Human Rights group or court has ever confirmed any of the NKT,   
   WSS or ISC’s claims of intentional Human   
   Rights abuses by His Holiness the Dalai Lama or the Central Tibetan   
   Administration. In 2010 the Indian High Court rejected a   
   law suit by Dolgyal Shugden followers because of ‘vague averments’ and   
   ‘absence of any specific instances of any such   
   attacks’.   
      
   6) There are many documented cases where the NKT has threatened to sue using   
   libel law to silence other Buddhist   
   organisations, umbrella groups, internet discussion forums and academics,   
   authors and publishers. People inside the group can   
   realistically fear social exclusion, illegal eviction or police arrest if they   
   criticise policies. In our experience, the NKT generally   
   prioritises the expansion of the group over the welfare of individuals. The   
   NKT Survivors internet group numbers over 1,200   
   subscribers. There is no Dalai Lama Survivor’s group.   
      
   7) In 2008 Kelsang Gyatso stated that he was personally organising the NKT’s   
   participation in the protests led by the Western   
   Shugden Society (WSS). All the Directors of the WSS were and are members of   
   the New Kadampa Tradition. However, the NKT   
   has denied that they have any connection to the WSS. The latest NKT front   
   group, the International Shugden Community (ISC)   
   actively recruits protestors and fundraises for demonstrations against His   
   Holiness the Dalai Lama inside NKT centres.   
      
   8) Misleading and deceitful media techniques are used in NKT campaigns. In his   
   YouTube “News Broadcasts” for the ISC, senior   
   NKT monk Kelsang Rabten hides his bias and status as a monk by not wearing his   
   robes. An ISC video uses footage of young   
   Burmese monks to fraudulently misrepresent the situation in India regarding   
   the supposed ‘ostracism’ of Dolgyal Shugden   
   followers. The mainstream press has published NKT accounts without confirming   
   their accuracy.   
      
   9) Both in 1996-7 and in 2008 the NKT organised demonstrations against His   
   Holiness the Dalai Lama that coincided with the   
   public exposure on the internet of the alleged sexual misconduct of the Deputy   
   Spiritual Directors of the NKT. His Holiness has   
   not changed his view or his actions since 1996. Therefore we question what has   
   caused NKT followers to start their   
   demonstrations and defamations again in 2014.   
      
   We offer our support to the Tibetan people in their struggle to preserve their   
   lives and their culture. We question the   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)