Part three of the articles on the New Kadampa Truth Blog about the history of the New Kadampa Tradition’s ‘cult’ smear has been up for a couple days now. This article highlights the Dalai Lama’s first publicized attacks on Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Je Phabongkhapa (one of the principal lineage Gurus of all modern day Gelugpas).
Part three also addresses the smears of the New Kadampa Tradition and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso published by Newsweek in 1997 in the article entitled Cult Mystery. The main body of which was based on interviews with the Dalai Lama and Robert Thurman.
This combined with the Sera Expulsion Letter cemented in the minds of many Tibetan Buddhists the belief that the NKT was a cult. 1996 and 1997 were bad times for the NKT. Brave as they were to stand up to the Dalai Lama, their actions were misconstrued and the unfair smear of their being a cult began.
- The history of the New Kadampa Tradition’s ‘cult’ smear, Part 3
The below text is by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso about the Dalai Lama mixing religion and politics from a 1997 interview. This evening, I came across it and found it helpful, so I decided to share.
Question: Do you support the separation of Church and State in any reconstituted Tibet?
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s Answer: Yes, I believe that the separation of Dharma and politics in a reconstituted Tibet is of the utmost importance. I appreciate that you also agree with this. This mixing of religion and politics causes so many problems, I understand this very clearly. The problem surrounding the worship of Dorje Shugden is due to mixing of religion and politics. The Dorje Shugden issue is a religious issue, but the Dalai Lama is using his political power to try to destroy this practice. This is the source of the problem. I clearly understand that although the Dalai Lama may say he supports a separation of Church and State, the reality is far different. Otherwise why is he still holding on to both these positions, that of religious leader and political leader of the Tibetan community in exile?
The issue of the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama is in reality a religious issue, likewise the reincarnation of the Karmapa. Why is the Tibetan political leader involved in these things? Why does he not leave these matters to the disciples of these two religious leaders? I don’t believe that the Dalai Lama is interested in a separation of Dharma and politics. If he were really interested in changing to a more democratic society, he would have already begun the transition from a feudal autocracy to a free society within the Tibetan communities in India. This has manifestly not happened. – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, November 18th, 1997
The second in a series of articles about the history of the ‘cult’ smear of the New Kadampa Tradition was posted on the New Kadampa Truth blog this evening. The history of the New Kadampa Tradition’s ‘cult’ smear, Part 2 reveals the origins of the smear ‘cult of Shugden’. The smear was first used by Andrew Brown in his article “Battle of the Buddhists” which appeared in The Independent (15 July 1996). The label ‘cult’ was then used by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile as a weapon to try to destroy the reputation of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and the New Kadampa Tradition.
The New Kadampa Truth blog has rolled out the first in a series of articles about the New Kadampa Tradition being labeled as a cult by supporters of the Dalai Lama. The ‘cult’ smear has probably been the most damaging smear to the reputation of the NKT even though there is no actual basis to support it. It’s wonderful that this series of articles is being published by the New Kadampa Truth team. May the truth prevail!
Being accused of being a cult by someone who dislikes you is similar to being asked if you are still beating your wife every night. No matter what is said or not said in defence, the insinuation remains that you beat your wife. For simply addressing this topic, the NKT may be accused by the same detractors of being defensive (”they wouldn’t need to defend themselves if they weren’t in fact a cult!”); but we will take that risk. From the faultfinders’ point of view, we’re damned if we defend ourselves and damned if we don’t. Why not just ignore them? Because people surfing the Internet sometimes encounter the allegation that the NKT is a cult and then assume that the person who said this somehow knows something that they do not. They may then believe this and either stay away from the NKT or, if they are already in the NKT, anxiously ask themselves, “Oh no, am I in a cult?!”
An update on the Dalai Lama’s court case in Delhi High Court has been posted on the Shugden Society blog. Unfortunately, it’s not good news, but it’s good to know what’s going on at least.
Before Today, I never would have known that fractals could be useful in illustrating Atisha’s advice on how to gain the attainments of all deities through accomplishing the practice of just one. But the author of Heart Jewel (both the site and the blog) has presented a skillful refutation of the smear that the New Kadampa Tradition is sectarian by using a fractal illustration.
The NKT follows the middle way which avoids the extremes of sectarianism and eclecticism.
Extreme #1: One tradition is better than the other three (“one size fits all”), which leads to sectarianism.
Extreme #2: Four traditions are better than one (“I need all I can get”), which leads to eclecticism.
The Middle Way: (a) One tradition cannot accomplish everything for everybody (“different strokes for different folks”), which counters sectarianism. But, (b) one tradition can accomplish everything for you (“less is more”), which counters eclecticism.
A very well-done article was posted on the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog today explaining “Ten Simple Reasons why Dorje Shugden is a Buddha”. If there’s a Buddhist out there who hasn’t heard that the Dalai Lama claims that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit, you must have been living in a mountain cave for the last 10 years. 8)
A couple new refutations of smears of the New Kadampa Tradition have been added to the New Kadampa Truth site. I wanted to comment on this one, because this is something I’ve been contemplating recently:
I’m not sure who the source of this smear is, but I think it is good that the topic is being addressed on the New Kadampa Truth site. I’m a student on the Teacher Training Program (TTP), and the issue of who is qualified to teach even sometimes comes up amongst people who are already teaching branches and such. In a recent discussion on TTP, at the Center I study at, this subject came up. Someone pointed out that Geshe-la has said that we don’t need to be Dharma millionaires in order to teach. People in this world are poor in terms of Dharma, so whatever experience of Dharma we can give them will benefit them.
I am poor financially, but I’m better off than a lot of people. So the question doesn’t come up in my mind about whether or not I’m qualified to give to a beggar on the street. Because, I do have some money and some compassion. In the same way, if we have some personal experience of inner peace that comes from practicing Dharma, then we have something very precious to give to those who wish to receive it. We live in degenerate times spiritually. Spiritual poverty is everywhere. Suffering is everywhere. How wonderful, that Venerable Geshe-la has established the New Kadampa Tradition. He says that we are distributors of wisdom. We have the incredible good fortune to spread the wealth of Kadam Dharma throughout the world. I rejoice whenever I hear of a new branch or even a new student in the NKT, because I know how wonderful it was for me the first time I heard Buddha’s teachings. I hope that everyone who wishes to learn Dharma will meet a good-hearted teacher who will guide them, to the best of their ability, with Buddha at their heart.
Below is a video of a Kadampa Teacher giving a teaching on contentment. It’s wonderful to know that wisdom like this is being spread throughout the world. Maybe it’s worth noting, that many teachers (included myself) don’t have the extensive vocabulary and skillful manner of speaking that Peter demonstrates in this teaching. That doesn’t make us unqualified. Does it?
Two important posts about the New Kadampa Tradition have been posted on the New Kadampa Truth Blog in the last couple days. These posts refute the smears that the NKT has broken away from the Gelugpa tradition and the mainstream of Buddhism.
After reading these posts I was surfing the web and came across this quote from Jim Belither about Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and found these words inspiring to contemplate:
Through the kind efforts and pure wishes of our Venerable Teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, the sun of Je Tsongkhapa’s Kadam Dharma, having risen from behind the Eastern Snow Mountains, now radiates to many countries throughout the world. Through the pure thoughts and actions of Kadampa Buddhists, now and in the future, may the teachings, example and blessings of the Buddha and Je Tsongkhapa continue to remain and flourish for the greater good and happiness of all beings. – Jim Belither
