This post is a response to a statement from the Australian Sangha Association about the New Kadampa Tradition’s ordained Sangha after the Western Shugden Society’s protests against the Dalai Lama’s ban on Dorje Shugden practice in Australia.
“The opinion of the ASA is that for NKT members to represent themselves to the public as authentic Buddhist monks and nuns is wrong and misleading.” – Australian Sangha Association
From the New Kadampa Truth website:
Truth: NKT monks and nuns are authentic and try to show a good and practical example of service, celibacy and humility for our modern world. Buddha Shakyamuni himself said that the Vinaya should be practiced in accordance with what is most acceptable for society. The NKT is following this advice from Buddha.
NKT monks and nuns practice everything that a fully ordained monk or nun in Buddha’s tradition would practice, minus the cultural rules that make benefiting others in the West in these modern times almost impossible. Nowadays, most Western monks and nuns are not living in actual monasteries but are out and about helping living beings.
In response to some NKT monks and nuns joining the Western Shugden Society (WSS) to protest against the Dalai Lama’s political ban of the worship of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden, the Australian Sangha Association (ASA) recently delivered a statement to say that NKT monks and nuns are not authentic. It is strange that they did not issue similar statements about other any other monastic tradition when Buddhist monks protested in Tibet, Burma, Vietnam, Korea or Cambodia! Their statement stems from their allegiance to the Dalai Lama (which is clear from their website) and is more politically than spiritually motivated.
Read the rest of the article smear: NKT Monks and Nuns are not Authentic
NKT Truth Blog 