Thank you for sharing your debate on my blog. One thing I wanted to mention is that I am not the author of the ‘Fundamentalism or Traditionalism’ post. I was admiring the authors work myself and that’s why I decided to post it. The post came from: http://www.dorjeshugdentruth.wordpress.com

Dear Michael,

Yes, comments are moderated. Most comments will be posted unless there content is extremely negative.

Are comments moderated?

In addition to your supberb analysis of the situation, I like to share a dialogue between myself and another blogger who is opposed to the Dorje Shudgen Practice; For the full length of our friendly interaction please see;
(http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-dalai-lama-demons-india-buddhism-dorje-shugden)

The blogger stated his opposition to the Dorje Shudgen practice because in his own words;

‘Buddhism is not about whom one should belief, but to use common sense and judge based on discriminating awareness. A student of Buddhism should get an initial understanding of the Dharma and increase his understanding to be able to discriminate between correct and wrong teachings, he should be able to judge what is constructive and what is destructive, what is in the spirit of the Dharma and what is not, he should be able to understand what has to be abandoned or what has to be adopted.’

He also said;

Je Tsongkhapa said one should not follow ‘’ if it is an improper and irreligious command’’, which is based on the Vinaya Sutra; ‘’If someone suggests something which is not consistent with the Dharma, avoid it’’.

Therefore, he urged me to;

‘The Shugden issue is not about whom to belief but to check unbiased if it in accordance with Buddha’s teachings or not’’.

I thought he made excellent points and I was grateful for him to have given me the opportunity to check against Buddha’s teachings the validity of my personal spiritual practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shudgen. (My ability to do so comes solely from the Kindness of my Spritual Guide Geshe Kelsang Gyatso). This was my response to him;

‘’Dorje Shugden is regarded by his practitioners as the same mental continuum of Wisdom Buddha of Manjushiri and Je TsongKhapa. If you look at the form of Dorje Shudgen – he reveals the complete path to enlightenment. Let me explain:
He wears a monks robes to indicate that pure moral discipline is the foundation for spiritual path, his wisdom sword indicates the need to cut through self grasping ignorance -the root of samsara, his heart of compassion which he holds in his right hand , indicates his conventional Bodhichitta, the snow lion he rides indicates the four fearlessness of a Buddha and so forth. Simply meditating on the Mandala of Dorje Shugden and his form can lead to many realisations of Sutra and Tantra such as renunciation, compassion and emptiness. I know this from personal experience, because I am a Dorje Shudgen practitioner. How can a deity that reveals the complete path to enlightenment be an evil spirit! Once again a logical fallacy. Also Buddha’s doctrine on emptiness teaches us that whether someone is a Buddha or a Mara is entirely dependent on our mind.

In assesrting that Dorje Shugden is a ‘evil spiriit ‘ ( added now for more sentence clarity) are we saying that there is an inherently existing Dorje Shudgen that exists apart from his parts? If we are, then we are completely in contradiction with Buddha’s Wisdom teachings – the Doctrine of Emptiness! Buddha’s wisdom teachings negate inherent existence (i.e belief that things exist outside and independently of our minds, instead Buddha’s Doctrine of Emptiness teaches us that things exist as mere imputation and as appearences and as experience of the mind) So, if all of Dorje Shudgen’s parts reveal the path to englightenment – he is a correct basis for imputating englightened being, which is exacrly what his faithful practitioners consider him to be! IS THE DALAI LAMA SAYING THERE IS AN INHERENTLY EXISTING DORJE SHUGDEN WHO IS AN EVIL SPIRIT OVER AND ABOVE HIS PARTS? This is ridiculous and in complete contradiction to Buddha’s wisdom teachings.’’

This for me shows that Dalai Lama’s action are contradicting Buddha’s teachings and therefore he is not a Buddhist. (Please also see someone’s eloquent article in WSS – ‘Six reasons why the Dalai Lama is not a Buddhist’).

Putting aside our philosophical arguments, lets always keep in our heart the immense human suffering the Dalai Lama’s ban has caused; firstly to himself (causing a schism is a heinous action) and secondingly to the lives of millions of Dorje Shudgen spiritual practitioners.

I Thank You for your kind contribution through this blog to clarify and ‘dispel false accusations against the innocent’ through your undoubted clear wisdom.

Love and Prayers,
Chelvi