Western Shugden Society / New Kadampa Tradition have Stopped the Protests against H.H. the Dalai Lama
Some friends asked me why the NKT protesters didn’t show up at the last teachings of His Holiness, e.g. in USA, France or Germany.
There weren’t protests in Germany because at the same time there was the NKT summer festival in the UK, and Kelsang Gyatso, NKT’s founder and leader, gave his last teachings before he retired.*
However, the protests had already stopped before His Holiness came to Germany in July 2009. So why Western Shugden Society / New Kadampa Tradition have stopped the protests against H.H. the Dalai Lama? Unlike 2002 there is no official statement by Kelsang Gyatso; and the NKT/WSS blogs offer contradicting statements. While NKT’s Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog offers a story of successful protests, another blog run by an NKT follower offers a story of unsuccessful protests. Not only this, both contradicting statements of success and non-success can be read also on the former blog. – Be careful when visiting the blogs, you may catch the NKT ‘spin-virus’ but you can also learn the art of how to spin the facts… ;-)
I lack time and enthusiasm to go through all of the perversions in those two statements, rather I found it amazing to see, that two apparent contradicting statements are offered as an explanation by WSS/NKT for stopping and continuing the protests respectively. At the moment the end of the protests are the reality not their continuation.
One remark with respect to the claims of success I wish to make at least. His Holiness always emphasized that people can practice Dorje Shugden privately and at their own places and there has never been a restriction for Shugden followers to set up their own monasteries. So what is sold as a success now by WSS/NKT is rather a natural outcome of what has been emphasized by H.H. the Dalai Lama and the TGIE ever since.
Personally I assume the reason why NKT stopped the protests could be because many NKT members ‘woke up’ due to the protests by NKT, and they started to question the organisation itself; many left NKT, and the protests must have been quite expensive too. Also there has not been too much success and the discussion about NKT’s controversial sides has quite likely damaged to a certain degree NKT’s reputation. However, this is just a speculation based on the New Kadampa Survivors discussions, emails I received and some observations and common sense. (For an example of NKT’s reputation struggle, the ‘false accusations against the innocent’, see e.g. the NKT Truth-Smear Website or the comments on this page.)
Some Thoughts
Personally I have to say to portray Shugden followers as ‘terrorists’ is beyond my level of comprehension and I can see no reason for the validity of such a claim. Though many Shugden followers may be purists, fundamentalists, rejective in acknowledging the facts, and also some of them were very violent – not only by killing Ven. Lobsang Gyatso and two of his students or trying to kill Chatral Rinpoche and the assistant of Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche – also in the monasteries there were violence and tensions, though all these actions are condemnable, they do not constitute a proper basis for imputing the term ‘terrorists’. And it is also true, that there was violence against Shugden followers**, and if one investigates a bit, injustices can be recognized against Shugden followers too. However, all these events should be seen in perspective, from a broad and unbiased perspective, according to the facts, without putting a spin on the facts, and based on a proper understanding of the subject matter, including the historical and cultural setting, and the development or dynamics of the events.
Some Positive News***
I acknowledge NKT’s recent trial to be more honest and trying to stick to the facts respectively by rephrasing the description of what NKT is. The Official New Kadampa Tradition Website states now about NKT:
It is an international association of study and meditation centers that follow the pure tradition of Mahayana Buddhism derived from the Buddhist meditators and scholars Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa and introduced into the West by the Buddhist Teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Applause for this brave correction, at least in one point: that NKT is derived from Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa. If something is derived from something else, it is based on it, it has it at its foundation. The verb to derive indicates that the original thing (here, Je Tsongkhapa’s or Atisha’s tradition) and that which is derived from it (here NKT) are not the same. So it is an admission that the two are distinguishable as separate entities, where as previously the NKT claimed they and the old Kadampa school or Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition were synonymous. However, as someone pointed out in an email, the statement still includes a fault: the teachings of Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa were not ‘introduced into the West by the Buddhist Teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’ – their traditions were known in the west long before Kelsang Gyatso left the Indian exile in 1977.****
With respect to the correct statement, that NKT is derived from their traditions, it would be really fine if NKT can go along with this way of accuracy and honesty. Well done!
Note
Besides academic analysis the discussion on the Tricycle Blog, with almost 2500 comments, might be helpful as well.
* for his ‘last speech’ read this transcription Kelsang Gyatso’s last speech 2009
** Chryssides, George D. (1999) ‘The New Kadampa Tradition‘ in “Exploring New Religions“, Continuum International Publishing Group, 233-243
*** at least I see this as a positive development
**** as Jones pointed out in a comment I have missed the meaning of the statement here, so there is no fault in the statement and my claim is incorrect. The statement can be read as “Kelsang Gyatso brought to the West what he derived from those two traditions of Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa.” I apologize for this mistake. [Oct 28, 2009]
Considering that the followers of the NKT-IKBU have now been given their ‘empowerment’* by protesting against the Dalai Lama, what I see to be the ‘function’ of the protests has been fulfilled – to cover up the sexual misconduct of the selected ‘second in commands’ – the Deputy Spiritual Directors of the NKT-IKBU in 1999 (Gen Thubten Gyatso) and 2008 (Gen-la Samden Gyatso). Both sets of protests were organised just after the breakdown of moral discipline by these monks had been publically made known. It is a common political method to ‘divert attention’ onto an external ‘enemy’ rather than dealing with the problems at home.
* One NKT-IKBU follower described to me his feeling of the protests as being ‘like an empowerment’ – an upsurge of faith and inspiration in Kelsang Gyatso.
Carol McQuire
October 4, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Possibly amazing, possibly pragmatism. If they wish to sell their product in the UK, they have to be completely honest about its content, If not, they can be prosecuted under the Trades Descriptions Act. Setting aside the fact that the early Gelug patriarchs did not practice Naljorma or DS, the fact that they no longer adhere to the Vinaya means the most they can claim is that their system is a derivative of TKPs. So, the moral discipline is different, the central deity is different, the protector is different, the role of the protector is different….but apart from that, this is the Buddhism of Tzong Ka Pa. Its like an elephant that doesnt have a trunk, or four legs, or is grey, or big ears. But, apart from that, its an elephant.
Judy
October 4, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I’ve corrected the last paragraph of the post, based on two emails I received.
Tenzin Peljor
October 4, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Carol, I totally agree with your analysis, but Thubten was forced out in August 1996, not 1999. The protests started a month or so before he was forced out but several months after he first stepped down as Deputy because ‘was tired and needed time for meditation,’ just like the staged removal of Samden; first ‘retreat’, then gone for good.
http://www.tibet.ca/en/newsroom/wtn/archive/old?y=1996&m=8&p=18_1
The real dupes here are the NKT members who actually thought they were protesting for something rather than acting to cover-up and divert attention away from the NKT leadership’s sordid activities.
Brian
October 5, 2009 at 3:14 am
There is no more problem now with Dorje Shugdan and non-Dorje Shugdan practitioners. Don’t you like peace? Why don’t you just leave this issue alone now and let each side carry on with their own activities peacefully?
pureintention
October 8, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Hi PI, for me its perfectly fine if each side carry on with their own activities peacefully.
Tenzin Peljor
October 8, 2009 at 9:20 pm
OK Pure intention, tell that to Kelsang Gyatso Oh, and dont forget to tell people who come along to your centres that all the stuff that was said about the Dalai Lama et al is ‘water under the bridge’ now. Actions, whether you like it or not, have consequences and you cant stop them. The best way to stop the nasty old results is to not do the nasty old actions (Isnt there something in the Buddhas teaching about that somewhere? Oh no, karma is a peripheral teaching. DS is the true buddhist path.) Sorry, we are not western Buddhist liberals-We do not tolerate the intolerant but that doesnt matter. Revenge is not a necessary or healthy but for sure the NKT willget their come uppance
comeon
October 11, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I lived in one of the NKT centres in the UK and was put under plenty of pressure to protest against the Dalai Lama. When I refused they terminated my tenancy agreement. So much for their philosophy of “cherishing others.”
Michael
October 19, 2009 at 6:13 pm
” the statement still includes a fault: the teachings of Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa were not ‘introduced into the West by the Buddhist Teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’ – their traditions were known in the west long before Kelsang Gyatso left the Indian exile in 1977.”
Hi Tenzin P-
Nice blog you have here. Anyway, I think you have misunderstood what is being said. If you read it clearly, it is not saying that the teaching of Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa were introduced in the west by GKG, It is saying the NKT is “the pure tradition of Mahayana Buddhism derived from the Buddhist meditators and scholars Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa and introduced into the West by the Buddhist Teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.”
to break it down in case that still isn’t clear, the NKT is Buddhism that is derived from these masters and introduced in the west by GKG.
the NKT is derived from A and JTK and was introduced in the west by GKG.
In other words, it is saying that GKG introduced the NKT into the west, which I think everyone can agree with.
cheers!
Jones
October 28, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Hi Jones,
it seems to me you are right here! This time I was a bit quick in taking over another person’s argument without checking it carefully. So, thank you for your correction! I will add a correction note in the post without confusing the former content.
My confusion may be also due to former statements by Kelsang Gyatso and NKT like “Kadampa Buddhism was first introduced into the West in 1977 by the renowned Buddhist Master, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.”[1] and “Kadampa Buddhism is a time-honored tradition that for centuries has made Buddha’s teachings and meditation practices available to people throughout the world.”[2]
Its good to have now these adjustments by NKT.
Thank you for your post and if you find more faults, please let me know.
cheers!
[1] Gyatso, Kelsang: 2002; Clear Light of Bliss, page 294
[2] Official Kadampa Website 2008
tenzinpeljor
October 28, 2009 at 9:44 pm