Ask yourself this

Since it became common knowledge that we rely on Dorje Shugden, a few things have cropped up that I don’t understand:

1. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep updated on news about Rinpoche? Why is what Rinpoche does any of your concern if you are not his student or a follower?
2. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep contacting Rinpoche’s students? Why think that your nasty comments will sway any of us to act against Rinpoche?
3. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep visiting Rinpoche’s blog? Why do you keep contributing to the traffic by sharing his links?
4. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep visiting Rinpoche’s blog to read the teachings and listen to the videos? How is a Shugden lama ‘bad’ but his teachings are ‘good’?
5. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep checking on the tweets and messages of a Shugden lama to criticise them? Why not just stay away?
6. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep doing the practices that were given to you by a Dorje Shugden lama like Rinpoche? Rinpoche did not just suddenly pick up Dorje Shugden as a practice; he’s been holding his commitments since 1983 and was therefore a Dorje Shugden lama when he gave you whatever meditations you do now. And now that Rinpoche’s practice is common knowledge, does this mean all of the practices and teachings you previously received from him suddenly become invalid? How did they become ineffective and bad overnight, when they were effective and good before? Are the Manjushri, Tsongkhapa, Tara, Dzambala, Setrap, etc. practices that Rinpoche gave you suddenly wrong and evil just because Rinpoche practises Shugden? How are they wrong and evil when you saw they were having a positive effect on your life?
7. if you don’t like Dorje Shugden, why do you keep talking about Rinpoche? Spreading his name everywhere? Making it very well-known that he relies on this deity? Everyone knows that violence befalls Shugden lamas and there is plenty of proof for this. So if something happens to Rinpoche, can we hold you responsible?

Okay so you don’t like us, that I accept. But why do you keep coming back over and over again?

If you are a former student, a former follower, a former whatever – it’s fine. If you do not wish to practise Dorje Shugden, that’s also fine. There are thousands of other deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon who will be more suited to your karmic disposition, no one doubts nor denies that. So I just don’t get it why people keep coming back over and over again to make their displeasure known about Rinpoche’s Dorje Shugden practice when really, it is none of their concern.

Do you really think any of Rinpoche’s real students will abandon Rinpoche just because you wrote some nasty remarks online? Why should we take your word (i.e. the word of somebody we do not know) over the word of our lama whom we have observed for many years, and from whom we have received great secular and spiritual benefits?

Did Rinpoche try to convince you to practise Dorje Shugden?

Did Rinpoche force you to practise Dorje Shugden?

Did Rinpoche tell you no other deities are allowed, except for Dorje Shugden?

If you feel like any of the above questions can be answered with ‘yes’, please provide proof. I write this from the perspective of a student who has known Rinpoche for 16-17 years, and has had the privilege of serving Rinpoche closely for the last six – I have never, ever seen Rinpoche privately or publically force anybody to practise Dorje Shugden.

If you are swayed by online talk, please think about the qualities and qualifications of the people trying to convince you otherwise. Look at their lives and look at what they have achieved, then conclude for yourselves the veracity of their comments.

Are their minds stable? Are they happy? Or do you hear they’re depressed again? Their minds are going up and down? They are moody, unstable and forever complaining?

Have they generated great secular success, if that’s what you respect?

Have they generated great Dharma success, if that’s what you respect? Where are their centres? Where are their students? Do you hear of their Dharmic accomplishments, for example a closer relationship with their teachers, a kinder mind, a more charitable and giving personality?

Can you trust the opinions of someone who was formerly such a fan, and now has turned so quickly and suddenly? If they can do that to the leading light of their lives (or whatever they want to view Rinpoche as), how quickly will they turn against you? Who you are to them that they won’t turn and attack you next?

Just because you do not practise Dorje Shugden does not exempt you from karma so even if you feel Dorje Shugden is a so-called demon, your comments about him may be politically correct but ultimately, they are karmically negative. Your comments will only generate negative karma for yourself because your comments hurt the minds of other sentient beings, even if they are so-called demon worshippers. Where is the compassion in your vitriolic abuse and behaviour? Where do your actions get you, spiritually? It does not make you look good. It does not reflect well on your teacher. It is not Buddhist behaviour to spend all day and night online writing against anything, whether or not you are on the ‘correct’ side.

So please leave us alone. We have our practices and you have yours and really, truly, honestly that’s fine. Your comments are unwanted, uninvited and unsolicited. People talk about our Dorje Shugden practice as though it’s something to be ashamed of. Newsflash people – we are not embarrassed, we have nothing to be ashamed of and we have nothing to hide 🙂

[You can read Martin’s take on the recent attacks by clicking HERE]

A recent picture of my mum and me with Rinpoche

Dorje Shugden