June 7, 2015 Nicholas Pitts The Sydney Morning Herald
I have been a Buddhist for more than 20 years – eight of them living in Australia – and this week I find myself protesting outside the Dalai Lama's teachings in NSW.
Buddha teaches us not to have blind faith but to question and analyse. Strangely, very few seem to question the Dalai Lama. Even the media seem to look no further than his smiles and chuckles. It's like he casts a spell over his audience and they just accept blindly whatever he says.
He has been the political leader of the Tibetans for decades but, unlike virtually every other political leader in the world, no one seem to hold him to account or check whether what he says matches what he does.
Shugden Buddhists accuse the Dalai Lama of creating an atmosphere of religious hatred and rallying the Tibetan community against them. They demand he gives them religious freedom.
The Dalai Lama replies that Shugden practice is spirit worship and so it isn't a question of religious freedom. He says he just advises not to follow the practice but gives everyone choice.
Most people listen to his denials and just accept them, and never investigate or question further.
Shugden Buddhists practice the instructions of the Dalai Lama's own teacher, Trijang Rinpoche. Before the segregation of Tibetan society began in 1996 they had no separate name, but were simply included within mainstream Tibetan Buddhism.
There are some questions the Dalai Lama needs to answer.
For several years, his personal website dalailama.com has published a Tibetan Youth Congress resolution that calls for Shugden Buddhists to be barred from every Tibetan organisation. Does he support this call for the social exclusion of Shugden Buddhists or will he make a statement condemning this resolution?
Last year, Samdhong Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama's former prime minister, made a speech to Tibetan school children saying that the only way Shugden Buddhists would be accepted in Tibetan Society was if they abandoned their faith. Does the Dalai Lama share this sentiment?
In 2008, French television journalists filmed in the Tibetan exile communities in India and described what they saw as apartheid. They showed signs in shops and even medical clinics saying the Shugden Buddhists would not be served or treated. Does the Dalai Lama support this?
In 2014, the Dalai Lama's exile government published a list of Tibetan Shugden Buddhists who had demonstrated for religious freedom. It included their names, photographs, identifying information and even one woman's home address. Does the Dalai Lama approve of this governmental intimidation of people exercising their right to protest?
Many Shugden Buddhists say they have been ostracised by their communities and even their families. This has caused them terrible suffering, but still they don't want to abandon their faith. The people ostracising them believe they are following the Dalai Lama's wishes. What does the Dalai Lama have to say about this?
The Dalai Lama tours the world preaching dialogue and compromise, compassion and forgiveness. Protesters have been outside his teachings around the world for many years. Why hasn't he once reached out to them to talk? What compromise has he shown to end this conflict?
The Dalai Lama presents himself as the Buddha of Compassion, who supposedly cares for everyone but bars Shugden Buddhists from receiving his blessings.
Protesters, including me, will be outside the Dalai Lama's talks in Katoomba and Luna Park in Sydney. Will he take the opportunity to practice what he preaches, and reach out to the protesters for dialogue and offer compromise and compassion?
If not, why shouldn't we all conclude that he is just another hypocritical politician with charisma, peddling empty words?
Nicholas Pitts is a spokesman for the International Shugden Community.