ID :
12369
Sun, 07/13/2008 - 16:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/12369
The shortlink copeid
Tibetan sects protest in U.S. claiming harassment by the Dalai By Dharam Shourie
New York, July 13 (PTI) - Accusing the Dalai Lama of "hidden and intensive persecution" of thousands of Tibetans who offer prayers to Buddhist deity Dorje Shugden, an outfit has been holding protests at a discourse by the spiritual leader in theU.S. demanding that he lift the ban on the practice.
In a statement, the Western Shugden Society, umbrella organisation of Shugden practitioners, said through his power as head of the Tibet government the Dalai Lama has "imposed an aggressive, forced" ban on this practice, claiming these prayer "harm his personal health and the cause of Tibet." The Society is organising protests as Lehigh University in Bethlehem in Pennsylvania State, about 150 kilometres from here, where the Dalai Lama is holding a six-day discoursesince Thursday.
It demanded that the Dalai Lama lift the ban as it iscausing "spiritual, emotional and physical harm" to them.
Spokesperson of WSS nun Kelsang Pema said since this "enforced ban" by the Dalai Lama is causing so much spiritual, emotional and physical harm to practitioners both in India andthe West, they have no choice but to hold demonstrations.
For years, she said, he has refused to engage in dialogue on the issue. "In India, because of his personal political agenda, thousands of monks have been segregated within orexpelled from monasteries...," she added.
The Dalai Lama's website says that following long and careful investigations, he "strongly discourages" Tibetan Buddhists from "propitiating the fierce spirit known as Dolgyal (Shugden)" as the practice, "which has strong sectarian overtones", has a history of causing disharmony invarious parts of Tibet and among various Tibetan communities.
"Although he once practised Dolgyal propitiation himself, His Holiness renounced the practice in 1975 after discovering the profound historical, social and religious problems associated with it. He did so with the full knowledge and support of his junior tutor, the late Kyabje Trichang Rinpoche through whom His Holiness first became associated with thepractice," the web site added.
Even within the Geluk and Sakya schools - the Tibetan Buddhist traditions to which majority of Dolgyal practitioners belong - the propitiation of this spirit has beencontroversial throughout its history, it said.
The Dalai Lama, meanwhile opened his series of teachings at Lehigh with a discussion of his efforts "to promote religious harmony and genuine respect", and blamed lack of"holistic, realistic view" for many of mankind's problems.
"I am just one human being," the Dalai Lama said "Among six billion human beings, I'm just one of them. We all six billion human beings share one planet. We all survive under one sun." He said the communications revolution and the global economy meant that "actually, we have simply become onecommunity, one entity.
"In reality, there is no separate, independent, individual interests. Each of our futures are entirely dependent on the rest of humanity, the rest of the world." Many of mankind's problems, he said, stem from "oldthinking" and the lack of "that holistic, realistic view".
In a statement, the Western Shugden Society, umbrella organisation of Shugden practitioners, said through his power as head of the Tibet government the Dalai Lama has "imposed an aggressive, forced" ban on this practice, claiming these prayer "harm his personal health and the cause of Tibet." The Society is organising protests as Lehigh University in Bethlehem in Pennsylvania State, about 150 kilometres from here, where the Dalai Lama is holding a six-day discoursesince Thursday.
It demanded that the Dalai Lama lift the ban as it iscausing "spiritual, emotional and physical harm" to them.
Spokesperson of WSS nun Kelsang Pema said since this "enforced ban" by the Dalai Lama is causing so much spiritual, emotional and physical harm to practitioners both in India andthe West, they have no choice but to hold demonstrations.
For years, she said, he has refused to engage in dialogue on the issue. "In India, because of his personal political agenda, thousands of monks have been segregated within orexpelled from monasteries...," she added.
The Dalai Lama's website says that following long and careful investigations, he "strongly discourages" Tibetan Buddhists from "propitiating the fierce spirit known as Dolgyal (Shugden)" as the practice, "which has strong sectarian overtones", has a history of causing disharmony invarious parts of Tibet and among various Tibetan communities.
"Although he once practised Dolgyal propitiation himself, His Holiness renounced the practice in 1975 after discovering the profound historical, social and religious problems associated with it. He did so with the full knowledge and support of his junior tutor, the late Kyabje Trichang Rinpoche through whom His Holiness first became associated with thepractice," the web site added.
Even within the Geluk and Sakya schools - the Tibetan Buddhist traditions to which majority of Dolgyal practitioners belong - the propitiation of this spirit has beencontroversial throughout its history, it said.
The Dalai Lama, meanwhile opened his series of teachings at Lehigh with a discussion of his efforts "to promote religious harmony and genuine respect", and blamed lack of"holistic, realistic view" for many of mankind's problems.
"I am just one human being," the Dalai Lama said "Among six billion human beings, I'm just one of them. We all six billion human beings share one planet. We all survive under one sun." He said the communications revolution and the global economy meant that "actually, we have simply become onecommunity, one entity.
"In reality, there is no separate, independent, individual interests. Each of our futures are entirely dependent on the rest of humanity, the rest of the world." Many of mankind's problems, he said, stem from "oldthinking" and the lack of "that holistic, realistic view".
