Dalai Lama events
Up to 1997
Early 1950s
The Dalai Lama composes ‘Melody of the Unceasing Vajra: A Propitiation of Mighty Gyalchen Dorje Shugden, Protector of Conqueror Manjushri Tsongkhapa’s Teachings.’
1978
For the first time the Dalai Lama speaks publicly against the practice of Dorje Shugden.
July 18th, 1980
The Dalai Lama says at Sera Monastery, Karnataka State, ‘To summarize my views, I am not saying Gyalchen (Dorje Shugden) is not an authentic deity, but in any event, for those who mainly rely on Palden Lhamo or Gyalpo Kunga (the state protector), whether it be a great master or a monastery, it does not bode well to worship Gyalchen.’
The Dalai Lama orders a small Shugden temple near the main hall of Sera Monastery in South India to close down. Lamas and senior monks from Sera-Je and Sera-Mey monasteries have attended this temple. A new, small temple of the state protector Nechung is erected under the command of the exile government in the courtyard of the monastery – and in all Tibetan settlements.
1983
The Dalai Lama orders the removal of the Dorje Shugden statue from the main prayer hall of Ganden Monastery, the main monastery of the Gelug Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. When the Dalai Lama is told that the statue was too large to get through the door, he replies that the statue should be broken into pieces.
1986
The Mongolian Lama Guru Deva Rinpoche, who has made very generous offerings and donations to the Dalai Lama, the two tutors, to the great monasteries, Sera, Drepung, Ganden, at a time when Tibetans coming to exile experienced a shortage of everything, who is then living in Clementown near Dehra Dun, India, is forced to leave India because his printing press published a letter questioning the Dalai Lama’s actions regarding Dorje Shugden. Rinpoche donates his house in Drepung Gomang to the monastery. The abbot of the monastery manages to persuade a Tibetan mob not to destroy the house. Under increasing pressure from Tibetans in Nepal, Guru Deva Rinpoche is forced to return to Mongolia, his native country.
March 1996
The only independent newspaper in Dharamsala, known as ‘Democracy’, has to stop publishing.
March 10th, 1996
During annual teachings at the Thekchen Choeling Temple in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama imposes a ban on worshipping Dorje Shugden, ‘Whether outside of Tibet or within Tibet, this deity is discordant with our government and all our deities; this is serious in the context of the common cause of Tibet. It will be good if you comply (with what we are saying) without our having to resort to this last step. It will be the last resort if we have to knock on your doors (if you do not follow advice).’
March 21st, 1996
The Dalai Lama tells worshippers of Dorje Shugden to leave the temple and bars them from attending the empowerment.
March 30th, 1996
The Private Office of the Dalai Lama issues a decree for everyone to stop practising Dorje Shugden, with instructions to make people aware of this through government offices, monasteries, associations, etc.
The Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (Parliament) passes a resolution banning the worship of Dorje Shugden by Tibetan government employees.
Letters from the Private Office of the Dalai Lama are sent to the abbots of various monasteries in South India, telling them that ‘if anyone who continues to worship Dhogyal, make a list of their names, house name, birth place, class in the case of students, and the date of arrival in the case of new arrivals from Tibet.’ (Dholgyal is one of the names of Dorje Shugden, which the Tibetan administration use in place of Shugden, thinking it a derogatory name.)
April 5th, 1996
The Dalai Lama addresses the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Women Association to encourage them to take up the cause of enforcing the ban. During this talk, the Dalai Lama is reported as saying that there may be one or two persons who might be willing to give up their life for him. Although this was later removed from the talk, it is believed that the talk was videoed by a Japanese film crew.
At 8 a.m., a group of nuns go into the abbot’s chamber at Ganden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala and drag a Dorje Shugden statue into the street by using a rope attached to its neck. The perpetrators, Lobsang Dechen, disciplinarian of the nunnery, assisted by nun Tenzin Tselha and Dolma Yangzom, spit at the statue, sit on it, break it into pieces, and then throw the remains into the town’s garbage dump. This statue had been consecrated by His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, the junior tutor of the Dalai Lama, H.H. Ling Rinpoche, the senior tutor of the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Song Rinpoche and Kyabje Rato Rinpoche.
April 9th, 1996
The Tibetan Freedom Movement bans the worship of Dorje Shugden among its members.
April 14th, 1996
The Guchusum Movement Organization passes a resolution banning Dorje Shugden among its members.
All government employees are ordered to sign a declaration to the effect that they do not / will never worship Dorje Shugden
April 18th, 1996
The Tibetan Department of Health gives a special notice to doctors and staff members: ‘We should resolve not to worship Shugden in the future. If there is anyone who worships, they should repent the past and stop worshipping. They must submit a declaration that they will not worship in the future.’
April 19th, 1996
The Toepa Association (Regional Group) passes a resolution declaring Dorje Shugden a ‘Chinese ghost’ and banning its practice.
Employees of the Tibetan Children’s Village are urged to take loyalty oaths.
A decree is sent to all major Tibetan monasteries by the Dalai Lama’s Private Office making it mandatory for administrators and abbots to enforce the ban.
Representatives of the Dalai Lama’s Private Office start to arrive in the monasteries and Tibetan settlements to apply pressure and supervise the signatures drive.
April 22nd, 1996
The decree banning the worship of Dorje Shugden is officially read out at Drepung Monastery. The abbot says that everyone must abide by the ban. Drepung Loseling Monastery distribute a form, saying that anyone who does not sign will be immediately expelled from the monastery. Many monks including Dragpa Rinpoche move to a nearby Indian town.
At Golathala Tibetan settlement near Bylakuppe, a large statue of Dorje Shugden together with smaller images and pictures of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche are taken on behalf of frightened Tibetans on an all night car journey to the Shugden temple in Ganden Shartse Monastery. In Bylakuppe, when a search party was looking for Shugden images, an attendant of the young Lama Dakyab Rinpoche tells them he has thrown one in the lake near Tibetan settlement No 2. It is reported that many Shugden statues were thrown into the lake.
April 23rd, 1996
At Drepung Gomang Monastery, in the main assembly hall, the abbot announces a strict ban on worshipping Shugden. In the evening, the windows of the house of Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche, a prominent devotee of Dorje Shugden, are smashed. An atmosphere of intimidation pervades the monastery. Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche’s disciples complain to the abbot, but are ignored. The abbot orders a declaration to give up the worship of Shugden to be signed. Two monks from Ngari Khamtsen show up at the Shugden temple at Ganden Shartse monastery, weeping and saying that although they do not want to give up their religious belief, they had no choice but to sign or face immediate expulsion from the monastery. One of them leaves the monastery the next day.
April 25th, 1996
On the orders of the abbot of Ganden Shartse, Achog Tulku, then in Dharamsala, the monastery convenes a meeting to discuss the status of its Dorje Shugden shrine. The meeting resolves not to curtail the religious freedom to practise Shugden.
April 26th, 1996
A Hayagriva puja group of Sera-Je monastery receives a special commission from the Private Office of the Dalai Lama to perform 21 days of exorcism by the deity Hayagriva Tamdim Yangsang against Dorje Shugden and its worshippers. Bari Rinpoche is asked to preside over the exorcism. In return the Private Office offers him to be the next year Geshe Lharampa with exemption from Geshe exams.
In late April, 1996
Zungchu Rinpoche collects signatures from Shartse schoolchildren agreeing to the ban. An 11-year-old monk asks what it is for. Zungchu replies that it is a form to find western sponsors for schoolchildren.
April 27th-30th, 1996
This is a period of great tension in the monasteries of South India. There is fighting among monks from Ganden and Drepung. At Ganden Jangtse monastery, a monk is beaten by supporters of the ban and has to be hospitalized. Windows of prominent Shugden worshippers are smashed.
May 1st, 1996
Government Officials proclaim a decree of ban under armed police protection at Ganden Monastery in Mundgod, South India.
May 9th, 1996
Tibetan Representatives from monasteries traditionally venerating Dorje Shugden from all over India meet in Delhi and resolve not to give up their faith. They submit their first appeal to the Private Secretary of the Dalai Lama.
May 10th, 1996
In the hope of a dialogue, Shugden devotees send a petition to the Dalai Lama, which is followed by petitions on May 20, May 30, and June 5. A number of petitions and letters have been sent to the Dalai Lama. Requests for audiences have been made on several occasions. They have all been rejected.
May 10th-11th, 1996
The Tibetan Youth Congress convenes and resolves to implement the ban in every Tibetan settlement. House-to-house searches start and statues, paintings and other holy objects are burned or desecrated.
May 14th, 1996
The Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet) releases a statement denying any religious suppression.
May 15th, 1996
Kundeling Rinpoche, Director of Atisha Charitable Trust, organizes peaceful demonstrations against the ban. A warrant for his arrest is issued upon Dharamsala’s baseless allegation that he is a Chinese spy. He has to leave the country for the time being.
May 23rd, 1996
The Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society is formally registered in Delhi. Documents including government decrees relating to the ban on the practice of Dorje Shugden are mailed to about 75 human rights groups, as well as Tibet support and cultural groups.
May 24th, 1996
The Dorje Shugden Society receives a letter dated May 22th, 1996 under the name of Kalon Sonam Topgyal, announcing that now there will be a complete ban on Shugden. The ban emphasizes that ‘ . . . concepts like democracy and freedom of religion are empty when it concerns the well-being of H.H. the Dalai Lama and the common cause of Tibet.’
May 28th, 1996
The exile Tibetan Cabinet Secretariat restrict permission for Geshe Cheme Tsering to travel abroad to lead a cultural tour to raise funds on behalf of his monastery, Ganden Shartse, situated in Karnataka State. (Geshe Cheme Tsering is a practitioner of Dorje Shugden and general secretary of the Dorje Shugden Society.)
June 5th, 1996
During the 12th session of the Tibetan National Assembly, Dharamsala, (held between May 31 and June 6), Kalong Sonam Topgyal, Chairman of the Exile Tibetan Cabinet (Kashag), addresses the assembly:
‘Now, on the matter of propitiation of Dharma protectors, I think we first have to come up with explanations on whether this (ban) infringes upon human rights or not. Therefore, it is clear that no one is dictating do’s and don’ts to all our religious traditions including the four Buddhist Traditions and Bon. Anyone in our Tibetan society can engage in the religious practices of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, or Bon. However, once having entered a particular religious faith, (one has to) conform to the standard practices pertaining to that religious faith; it is not proper, however, for Buddhist monks to enter and practise (Buddhism) in mosques in the name of freedom of religion. This being the case, this (ban) is imposed without infringing upon religious freedom. In particular, since we are a dual system nation, we have to proceed in accordance with this religio-political structure (of our nation); it is not proper to engage in whims in the name of religious freedom. In short, the great monastic institutions and those under the (exile Tibetan) administration are not allowed to rely (on Dorje Shugden).’
June 6th, 1996
An eight-point resolution is passed by the Tibetan peoples’ parliament imposing a ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden.
June 19th, 1996
The Tibetan Women Association sends a letter to Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelug Tradition, ‘We heartily appreciate and praise that many monks and monasteries have obeyed H.H. the Dalai Lama’s speech against Shugden. We do our best against Geshe Kelsang, some Geshes and Westerners. They did protest. You must reply to letters and books written by them. This is the only best way to solve Tibet issue.’
June 1996
The retired Tibetan minister Mr. Kundeling is stabbed and badly wounded at his house. A few days before at a meeting in Dharamsala he had mentioned his concern about the new course of the exile policy.
July 7th, 1996
Geshe Losang Chotar from Sera-Je Monastery burns a thangkha of the wrathful aspect of Dorje Shugden that came from Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh.
July 8th, 1996
A Public Notice is posted: ‘On July 8, at 9 a.m. there will be the preparatory rite for the empowerment of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion). And on July 8 there will be the actual empowerment. However, those who worship Dholgyal (Shugden) are not allowed to attend this empowerment. By order of the Private Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama.’
July 13th, 1996
Samdong Tulku, Speaker of the Tibetan parliament, speaks to local Tibetan dignitaries in New Delhi, advising them not to use pressure or violent language in persuading Tibetans in the Delhi area to give up the practice of Dorje Shugden, but to ask them to choose between Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama.
July 13th-14th, 1996
In Mundgod, South India, over 700 monks, devotees of Dorje Shugden, conduct a peaceful protest against the suppression of Dorje Shugden. Eleven monks from Serkong House join the march. As a result, these monks are expelled from their college. On August 6th, 1996 in the name of the Tibetan settlements in Mundgod, the Tibetan exile government sends a letter to Jangtse Monastery expressing appreciation for the expulsion of the eleven monks from their monastery.
July 17th, 1996
A resolution of Tibetan exile parliament is tabled by Yonten Phuntsog and seconded by Tsering Phuntsog: ‘8: In essence, government departments organizations/ associations, monasteries and their branches under the direction of the exile Tibetan government should abide by the ban against the worship of Dholgyal (Shugden). . . . however, if a person is a worshipper of Dholgyal, he should be urged not to come to any teachings such as Tantric empowerments given by H.H. the Dalai Lama.’
Mid-July, 1996
Ms. Chogpa, a 70 year old widow from the Rajpur Tibetan settlement, near Dehradun, U.P, is harassed beyond tolerance by local Tibetans and her neighbours. Helpless against so many people, she sells her home, kitchen, and small vegetable garden for Rs 5,000 and takes shelter in Lama Camp No 1, Mundgod, Karnataka State.
July 11th, 1996
A total of ten Tibetans including eight males and two women are expelled from the Tibetan Youth Congress and Tibetan Women’s Association for refusing to give up their religious faith in Dorje Shugden. This incident takes place in the Tibetan community in Shillong, Meghalaya.
July 1996
A Tibetan Democratic draft constitution for a future free Tibet is amended to read that no judge or juror can be an adherent of Dorje Shugden.
During the preparation for the Kalachakra initiation in Lahul Spiti, the Dalai Lama’s female oracle Tsering Chenga alleges that some thirty members of Dorje Shugden Society will attack the Dalai Lama during the initiation. Elaborate security measures and searches are taken, but this is shown to be a false prophecy and a false alarm. There is no-one from the Dorje Shugden Society present.
July 25th, 1996
A letter is sent to various monasteries recruiting monks for the Buddhist School of Dialectics in Dharamsala. One of the four qualification required is: ’4: The candidate should not be a worshipper of Dholgyal (Shugden).’
July 29th, 1996
Eleven young monks are expelled from the monastery on the grounds that they demonstrated against the Dalai Lama. Along with 300 monks of Ganden Shartse Monastery, they took part in a peaceful demonstration against the ban at Ganden Monastery, Mundgod, Karnataka State.
July 29th, 1996
900 monks from Sera-Mey Monastery conduct a peaceful demonstration against the ban on Dorje Shugden.
Samdhong Tulku, then Speaker of the Tibetan People’s Deputies gives a speech to monks gathered in the assembly hall of Sera Lachi, saying ‘…Dorje Shugden and Nechung (state protector) are both Bodhisattvas who have reached high grounds.’
August, 1996
An organization calling itself ‘The Secret Society of Eliminators of the External and Internal Enemies of Tibet’ makes public its death threat against the two young reincarnations of high Lamas who rely on Dorje Shugden: Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (13) and Kyabje Song Rinpoche (11). An extract reads: ’Anyone who goes against the policy of the government must be singled out, opposed and given the death penalty… As for the reincarnations of Trijang and Song Rinpoche, if they do not stop practising Dholgyal (Shugden) and continue to contradict the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, not only will we not be able to respect them, but their life and activities will suffer destruction. This is our first warning.’
August 8th, 1996
Tibetan school children are taught for the first time a new song called Tibetan Cause, which includes the lines, ‘All Tibetans, listen to the advice of the Dalai Lama and rely on pure protectors. This is the Tibetan cause.’
October 4-6th, 1996
The Board of Gelug teachers in Europe (19 members) meet and request an audience with the Dalai Lama to discuss this issue. The audience is denied, with a letter from the Private Office of the Dalai Lama stating, ‘You have nothing else to say apart from taking care of the 18 volumes of Je Tsongkhapa’s works.’ From then on the members of the board are too scared to meet again.
The Dorje Shugden Society meet with abbots from Sera, Drepung and Ganden in New Delhi. The abbots request an audience with the Dalai Lama to discuss the issue. The audience is denied, as have all previous requests by the Dorje Shugden Society for audiences concerning this matter.
November 7th-8th, 1996
The house of retired school teacher Mr. Losang Thubten is attacked and set on fire with his daughter and a relative purposely locked in. Fortunately they survive. In a tape published by the Dorje Shugden Society Mr. Thubten had given a number of historical accounts, showing the blatant injustice in the Exile Government’s actions.
November 11th, 1996
A notice is posted banning devotees of Dholgyal (Dorje Shugden) from attending a Guhyasamaja empowerment by the Dalai Lama.
November 1996
The Dalai Lama attends the last day of six weeks of practices in connection with Tamdrin Yangsang, the day on which the rituals including the ‘taking out of the tormas’ are performed. Those present are monks from Sera-Je and Nechung monasteries, and six oracles, who all go into trance. One, a female oracle, Tsering Chenma, begins attacking Dorje Shugden, saying that even within the congregation there are still those who practise Dorje Shugden. Another female oracle, Yudonma, then points to Jangmar Rinpoche from Drepung Loseling monastery, a Lama in his late 60’s who was originally from Gyalthang province of eastern Tibet, and starts shouting, ‘This Lama is bad, he is following Dorje Shugden, take him out, take him out!’ She then starts pulling his robes and grabbing his head. The Lama gets up and slaps her twice. A scuffle breaks out between Jangmar Rinpoche and his attendants on one side, and the oracle and monks from Nechung Monastery on the other. The Lama is expelled. Next day he reports this incident to the Dalai Lama directly and the Dalai Lama says, ‘You have no fault, I know very well that you are not a practitioner of Dorje Shugden. Sometimes these oracles are a little too much. It is good you gave a slap.’
November 19th-21st, 1996
The Dalai Lama travels to South India to visit Tibetan Monasteries at Mundgod, without the traditional request, which is unprecedented for a Dalai Lama. The Dorje Shugden Society holds off a peaceful demonstration in the hope of reconciliation with the Dalai Lama. They petition the Dalai Lama, but they are denied an audience. The Dalai Lama speaks in even harsher terms about the ban, and threatens, ‘You might feel that by publishing letters, pamphlets, etc. against this ban, the Dalai Lama will revoke the ban. This will never be the case. If you take a hard stand, I will tighten this ban still further.’
Another account of the events of November 19th-21st, 1996
In the hope of a reconciliation speech by the Dalai Lama, devotees of Dorje Shugden call off their proposed peace march. This is also published in the local paper. They also personally call the Deputy Commissioner as well as the SP of Karwar to assure the concerned authorities about this goodwill gesture. The Dorje Shugden Society in Delhi send a delegation to request an audience with the Dalai Lama in the hopes of reconciliation during this visit. The Private Secretary, Mr. Lobsang Jinpa, tells the delegates that there is no point in the delegates seeing the Dalai Lama if they do not want to give up their worship of Dorje Shugden.
On November 20th the Dalai Lama gives a talk at Drepung Lama Camp from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. In this talk the Dalai Lama says that he is no longer striving for complete independence for Tibet from China. Tibetans, in view of their small population, large land mass, lack of natural resources, need for industrialization, should therefore be striving more for genuine autonomy under China rather than complete independence. As times change later on, independence can be mooted.
He also says, ‘During this year’s New Year teachings, I spoke against the worship of Shugden, and expressed my feeling. I did not ask the Tibetan exile Cabinet or the exile Tibetan parliament to enforce the ban. However, they voluntarily supported me. I appreciate their show of support. Likewise, among the abbots, there have been many who gave up worship of Shugden after my talks; I give them my thanks for their compliance.’
In a significant contradiction to allegations made by the exile Tibetan government made earlier in the year that the worship of Dorje Shugden poses a danger to the Dalai Lama’s well-being, the Dalai Lama himself assures the public that, ‘there is no need to worry about his well-being’, adding further that, ‘he is confident of living to the age of eighty at least.’
Later that day there is a monastic debate examination. Members of both Shartse and Jangtse monastery (approx. 2,000) participate. The programme begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 7.30 p.m. During this programme, at about 6 p.m., the Dalai Lama speaks. Excerpts from this talk include the following:
‘When I was visiting Sera Monastery (in Bylakuppe, November 15th-18th, 1996), a representative of Shartse and Jangtse monastery called upon me, formally inviting me to visit these two Monasteries. I playfully asked them about the recent demonstrations against my officers…
‘This time I will visit Shartse. In the future, however, if the monastery continues to worship Dorje Shugden and build images of this deity, then I must decline to visit Shartse. In that case, neither they should invite me, nor will I come even if invited.
‘Likewise, in Tibet in the future, if any monastery worships Dorje Shugden, neither should they entertain any hopes of inviting me, and even if invited, I shall not feel comfortable accepting such invitations.
‘Likewise if there are still people who feel they cannot give up this worship and who feel they will continue to worship Dorje Shugden, I do not see any benefit for them to remain under the auspices of the Ganden Phodrang Tibetan government.
‘You might feel that by publishing letters, pamphlets etc. against this ban, that the Dalai Lama will revoke this ban. This will never be the case. If you take a hard stand, I will tighten this ban still further.’
After these words, the Dalai Lama stands up from this throne, and pointing to his left and the right asks, ‘Which is Shartse and which is Jangtse’. Then, pointing towards the Shartse section, the Dalai Lama remarks: ‘I warn you, elder monks of Shartse. You must not say one thing and do another. The elder monks should change their mind, and guide the junior monks.’