The explanations given in this book are to encourage people not to follow or be influenced by ‘Lama Policy’, which like a drug causes people to be confused about the real nature of Buddhist practice. In this context, ‘Lama’ refers to the Fifth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dalai Lamas of Tibet. The policy of these lamas has been to use religion for political aims, thus causing suffering to millions of people from generation to generation. Because of the Fifth Dalai Lama’s policy of mixing religion and politics, the Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism rapidly declined and, as a result, for hundreds of years millions of people who followed these traditions experienced great difficulties. Today, some people from these traditions say that it was followers of the Gelug Tradition who caused their tradition to decline, but this is untrue. The Gelugpas themselves had no political power. It was the Fifth Dalai Lama who alone used his political power to destroy the development of these traditions, both spiritually and materially.
The Fifth Dalai Lama always showed two faces. One was that of a Nyingmapa and the other was that of a Gelugpa. In fact, he did not follow either tradition, but remained between them without ever finding a pure spiritual path. In this he was like the present Dalai Lama, the Fourteenth, who also shows two faces and likewise has never found a pure spiritual path.
The Fifth Dalai Lama achieved political power in the 17th century through the military support of Gushri Khan, the ruler of the Qoshot Mongols, who helped him fight a war against Kar ma Tenkyong Wangpo, then the principal ruler of Tibet. At the request of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Gushri Khan sent his Mongol armies into Tibet, and as a result won the war. Karma Tenkyong Wangpo was captured and later executed, and the Fifth Dalai Lama achieved political power and became the ruler of Tibet. This event alone shows the nature of Lama Policy. The Fifth Dalai Lama was an ordained Buddhist monk having the commitment not to kill or otherwise harm others. He therefore acted directly against the spiritual commitments laid down by Buddha. This is a very shameful example for a Buddhist monk holding the position of a high lama, a supposedly holy being.
In their teachings the Fifth and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas talked about compassion, but they behaved like dictators creating so many problems for their society. This is true also of the present Dalai Lama. Despite this hypocrisy, many people because of their extreme religious view and blind faith still believe that these lamas are holy beings. In Tibetan society, anyone who has views and intentions that are different from those of the Dalai Lama is immediately accused of not being Tibetan; they are criticised, threatened and ostracised. This happened in the past and is happening to Dorje Shugden practitioners today. From this alone we can see that this Lama Policy continues to have a devastating effect on society. This problem cannot be solved unless the lama himself changes his own attitude.
The Fifth Dalai Lama was the founder of Lama Policy, which he called ‘the union of religion and politics’. The nature of Lama Policy is deceptive; its function is only to mislead people and to use religion for political aims. It is like a rainbow, which from a distance looks beautiful but upon closer examination is seen to be completely empty and hollow. The lamas who have principally upheld the policy established by the Fifth Dalai Lama are the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dalai Lamas, and of these two the policy of the present Dalai Lama is the worst.
During the Fifth Dalai Lama’s time there was a lama called Ngatrul Dragpa, who was recognised as an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom. Even though the Fifth Dalai Lama had political power, Ngatrul Dragpa had spiritual power, and people throughout Tibet had great faith in Ngatrul Dragpa, as also did Gushri Khan. These two lamas had different views and intentions; Ngatrul Dragpa rejected the Lama Policy of the union of religion and politics. He wanted Buddhism to be maintained purely without being used for worldly aims, but the Fifth Dalai Lama was opposed to this. Afraid that Ngatrul Dragpa would usurp his position through the help of Gushri Khan’s ministers, the Fifth Dalai Lama and his ministers secretly murdered Ngatrul Dragpa. It is commonly accepted that Ngatrul Dragpa then appeared as a Deity called Dorje Shugden, a protector of pure Buddhism who prevents the Buddhist religion being used for political aims. This belief is based on commitments made by Ngatrul Dragpa himself before he died, and on many predictions.1A more detailed account of the Fifth Dalai Lama’s involvement in the murder of Ngatrul Dragpa is presented later in Chapter 9.
After Ngatrul Dragpa’s death the Fifth Dalai Lama began to experience many difficulties and inauspicious signs. Because of this he believed that Ngatrul Dragpa had become Dorje Shugden and was wishing to retaliate, and he was terrified that Dorje Shugden would now kill him. The Fifth Dalai Lama first sought refuge in other lamas and requested them to burn Dorje Shugden with a magic ritual fire practice. When this failed, he strongly made many prayers to his own protector, the Nechung spirit, to destroy Dorje Shugden, but his experience of inauspicious signs and hallucinations grew even stronger. Eventually he realised that he had made a great mistake in opposing Ngatrul Dragpa. Regretting his previous actions, he began to respect the instructions of his root Guru, the First Panchen Lama, Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, who had indicated that Ngatrul Dragpa was of the same mental continuum as the previous holy beings Sonam Dragpa, Duldzin Dragpa and Je Tsongkhapa Losang Dragpa. With strong regret the Fifth Dalai Lama confessed his wrong deeds and, recognising Dorje Shugden as an enlightened Deity, finally decided to rely upon him. For his daily practice the Fifth Dalai Lama wrote the following prayer of request to Dorje Shugden, called Lhundrub Domain Tibetan:
‘HUM
‘Though unmoving from the sphere of primordial
spontaneity,
With wrathful turbulent power, swifter than lightning,
Endowed with heroic courage to judge good and bad,
I invite you with faith, please come to this place!
‘Robes of a monk, crown adorned with rhinoceros
leather hat,
Right hand holds ornate club, left holds a human heart,
Riding various mounts such as nagas and garudas,
Who subdues the mamos of the charnel grounds,
praise to you!
‘Samaya substances, offerings and tormas, outer, inner and
secret,
Favourite visual offerings and various objects are arranged.
Although, previously, my wishes were a bit dense,
Do not stop your powerful apparitions, I reveal and confess!
‘Now respectfully praising with body, speech and mind,
For us, the masters, disciples, benefactors and entourages,
Provide the good and avert the bad!
Bring increase like the waxing moon in spiritual and temporal
realms!
‘Moreover, swiftly accomplishing all wishes,
According to our prayers, bestow the supreme effortlessly!
And like the jewel that bestows all wishes,
Always protect us with the Three Jewels!’2
Later he ordered a Shugden Temple to be built in Lhasa called ‘Trode Khangsar’, which still exists today, and he even crafted the first statue of Dorje Shugden himself.3
From this account we can understand that the present Dalai Lama’s actions are completely opposite to those of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Due to ignorance, the Fifth Dalai Lama first rejected the enlightened Deity Dorje Shugden, but later his mind changed from ignorance to wisdom and he came to believe in and rely upon Dorje Shugden for the rest of his life. In contrast, the present Dalai Lama at first relied upon the enlightened Deity Dorje Shugden, during this period writing a prayer of request, the first and last verses of which read:
You are the powerful protector of Saviour Manjushri,
Who have the powerful wealth of the wisdom and
compassion of innumerable conquerors,
And who arose as the king of all powerful wrathful ones;
Please come from Tushita, Pure Dakini Land, and so
forth.
‘In summary, I request you, O Protector,
Who are the synthesis of all Protectors, Yidams and
Gurus,
Please be the embodiment of all my Protectors, Yidams
and Gurus,
And please send rain from the great gathering of clouds
of the four types of actions, to fulfil the two
attainments.’4
Later, having received advice from the oracle of the Nechung spirit, the present Dalai Lama’s mind changed from wisdom to ignorance. Using his political power he has now imposed a ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden, causing suffering to millions of people. Despite this difference in their actions, the present Dalai Lama still says publicly that he is rejecting Dorje Shugden because he is following the Fifth Dalai Lama. This is clearly a lie.
Shugden practitioners want to practise the Gelug Tradition purely without mixing it with the Nyingma or any other tradition, and because of this the present Dalai Lama says that Shugden practitioners are sectarian. In truth, Nyingma practitioners also want to practise their tradition purely without mixing it with the Gelug Tradition, and this is also true of Sakya and Kagyu practitioners. Thus, according to the Dalai Lama’s view, the practitioners of these other traditions would also be considered sectarian, but he accuses only Shugden practitioners of this. This shows how dishonest and biased he is.
What the present Dalai Lama really wants is to become the leader of all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism by making all the practitioners of these traditions throughout the world follow only one tradition that he has newly created. Doing this would naturally destroy the pure lineages and blessings of the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug traditions. This would be a very great loss to the world, when people more than ever need access to the Buddha’s supreme methods for finding true peace and happiness, and it is for this reason that the Western Shugden Society is encouraging people to stop being deceived by the drug of Lama Policy.