In the late ’90s the Dalai Lama banned the practice of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden, and his followers began to enforce this ban within the Tibetan community causing disharmony and immense suffering. Since this practice is one of the key practices of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), and to support fellow Tibetan Dorje Shugden practitioners, NKT practitioners joined in protests against the Dalai Lama’s ban. They were not wrong in protesting against the Dalai Lama’s suppression of the right and freedom to engage in this traditional religious practice. For the reasons why Kadampa practitioners everywhere oppose the Dalai Lama’s ban of their Protector practice, please see Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden.
However, it was the International Shugden Community (ISC) that organized protests against the Dalai Lama’s ban, and not the NKT. The ISC was an ad hoc coalition of Dorje Shugden practitioners — including NKT practitioners — from many different countries, and included more Tibetans than Westerners.
Some NKT detractors created websites and blogs to allege that it was the NKT that was organizing demonstrations against the Dalai Lama because there were many NKT practitioners visible at the demonstrations. However, people who attended the demonstrations did so as individual Dorje Shugden practitioners, not as representatives of the NKT. Most people who practice Gelug or Kadampa Buddhism rely upon Dorje Shugden as their enlightened Dharma Protector, so it is not surprising that there were a great number of Kadampas supporting the protests. See also What is the relationship between the New Kadampa Tradition and the International Shugden Community?
My early interest in Buddhism was partly through reading books by the Dalai Lama. I just went to Manjushri Centre in 1996 and had read that the NKT would not allow people who followed the Dalai Lama to join their teachings. So I took a book by the Dalai Lama with me, it had a big picture of him on the front. I briefly met Geshe-la as he was entering the main building and I was holding this book very visibly. Geshe -la greeted me happily – with a beautiful smile, a “hello” And a little wave.. Through the week I was there, with that book, not one negative comment or suggestion was made.
This gave me much more confidence that not everything you read is true.
It’s a small story, but over time I had many other opportunities to ask questions and understand from my experience that Geshe-la and NKT were not against anyone. But I did and do agree that it was right to protest the Dalai Lama’s pronouncements on Dorje Shugden and stand up for the rights of Shugden Buddhists – especially in the Tibetan community, for their freedom to practice this ancient tradition in safety and with respect;.
Thank you for this article. I attended many of the protests not because I was asked but because I understood that it was important to stand up for others religious freedom. That all people have a right to not experience hostility by any political or religious leader based on their religious personal practices and I would encourage any one of any faith to do the same. Many people were being hurt due to this unfortunate ban by the Dalai Lama and many of the students that attended from the New Kadampa Tradition were there to help protect those that were suffering and wanted others to know that Dorje Shugden was being unfairly demonized. I have been a long time practitioner and student and don’t regret attending those protests.
I learned about the Dalai Lama’s ban against Dorje Shugden shortly after I started attending the Kadampa center in Chicago in 2005. I had a lot of respect for the Dalai Lama, and also a lot of appreciation for the Kadampa center where I was receiving Lamrim teachings that I wanted. So I felt conflicted and did my own research. Geshe Kelsang’s statements were perfectly reasonable, even to the point of saying we would stop practicing Dorje Shugden if the Dalai Lama could give us a valid reason to do so. The Dalai Lama’s reasons were not valid or even reasonable, but superstitious at best and paranoid at worst. Some people were saying bad things about the NKT online, but I checked my own experience, and my Kadampa teachers and Sangha friends were not like the bad things I was reading. Religious freedom should be a fundamental right in every country, and each person should do what is a fit for them. If the NKT is a fit for others as it is for me, great! And if not, that’s okay too!
I have been attending Kadampa classes for over 22 years and my experience within this spiritual tradition has been overwhelmingly positive.
I come from a Buddhist country – where monks hold political roles and use their religious power to accumulate political and worldly power. I know first hand, the horrendous consequences of mixing religion and politics – discrimination, ostracisation and eventually civil war.
What I found within New Kadampa Tradition is pure spirituality unmixed with politics and other worldly aspirations (e.g reputation, status). In particular, I admire Geshe-Kelsang for taking a firm stance against the Dalai Lama’s oppressive religious actions for political gain. Unfortunately, this came at a cost to the NKT – and the tradition is still paying the price. This is precisely the time when New Kadampa Tradition got branded as a cult! Hence the need for this website.
In this world of fake news, the truth can be bought by powerful PR. Now however the Dalai Lama’s less perfect colours are slowly unravelling – sucking a young boy’s tongue as caught on camera, his comments about women, his homophobia and no doubt there are more skeletons hidden in his closet.
To find out more about the Dalai Lama’s inhumane restriction of religious freedom, and why Geshe- Kelsang was forced to take stance against the Dalai Lama’s oppressive actions, please watch a 30 minute independent swiss documentary titled ‘Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden’ on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5sOm-uQH9Y
Thank you Geshe-la’s senior students for putting the time and energy for providing this incredible website full of clarification, transparency and honesty.
At Dharmavajra centre, the resident nun informed practitioners that they would be possessed by a ‘dirty demon’ if they did not attend the demos.
Thank God I left; my best friend is one of the founders of the NKT and even he calls the NKT a cult
While we would want to talk to the nun for her side of the story, if she really did say this, this is terrible, idiotic, and nonsensical. We apologize on her behalf.
We’re also sorry that you did not find what you were looking for in the NKT. As mentioned elsewhere, we regret that some people have done some cringe-worthy things; and this behavior has been and is being weeded out over the years as the organization and individuals continually try to do better and better with more and more love. The NKT, however, is not a cult.
I am so grateful that I live in a country where there is so much religious freedom. I attended many of the protests against the Dalai Lama and would do so again in a heartbeat. I hope everyone, everywhere will have the same opportunity I’ve had to experience the love, protection and care of Dorje Shugden.
I was invited to join the demonstrations back in 2006/07 but having just started to learn about Buddhism formally I didn’t think I understood the issue enough to participate, and was not pressurised in any way. Years later, once I decided to be better informed reading opinions from all sides of the debate at length, I made my mind and joined the protests travelling around Europe and felt it was really important to do so. There was no anger just compassion at the demos. It is appalling that at this stage in modern society someone can create so much divide by spreading lies about a pure practice. At work in the UK I was ostracized by a Dalai Lama follower when they learned I was a New Kadampa practitioner, and know of other similar stories which just goes to show how much damage was made not just in Indian and Tibetan communities, but everywhere.
The main problem I find with most of the anti-NKT criticism is the generalisation. Labelling an individual’s response as the behaviour across the whole of the NKT is senseless really.