Mountain Phoenix over Tibet: "Evil Spirit" Puts Tibetan Democracy To Test

Mountain Phoenix over Tibet: "Evil Spirit" Puts Tibetan Democracy To Test



I'm way late to this thread but not the issue. I see many a comment from "the persecuted." Seeing many words but little real ideation concerning your refreshing views, I thought to provide au under-represented view here.



I applaud you, Mountain Phoenix, for noticing this very arcane, occulted issue you've brought to light in the context of it's political relevance to budding democracy for TGIE today. In my view, those adherents of the practice today can--and do--have a basis to justify their self-righteous indignation with claims of persecution. Given the failures of TGIE to address their grievances, the aggrieved are left the only justifiable ground: the modern Western political laws of liberal individual rights & freedoms adjudicated in its court systems around the world.



Ironically, were this contemporary issue turned back in time to say, pre-invasion 20c we could see clearly the historic person of great influence, "Gyalgong"activist [another pejorative from we, the persecuted Ka-Nying who call this entity a kingly ghost, to those, our persecutors, who call it a Buddha Protector], Gelug lama Phabongkhapa Dechen Nyingpo. It was he who forcibly had persecuted Kagyud and Nyingma practitioners & had seized, shut down, destroyed our sacred items & converted our institutions to theirs under threat of violence in Kham. It was he who was instructed numerous times by Kundun 13 to stop his harmful speech & actions. It was also he who was dam-nyam with Kundun 13 as a result of breaking his promise to pay heed & desist from his fanaticism.



What goes around, comes around. After centuries of persecution of other, more elder schools' traditions by reformist, puritanist, Gelug theocrats, Tibet's autonomy was shattered. Tibetans were swept away into diaspora to India, etc..



What do we get at this time of greatest crisis in Tibetan National history, mid 1970s Gang of Four era, when all the great leaders of the four schools, including my lamas Kalu & Khyentse Rinpoches, are convened by Gyalwa Rinpoche 14?



The infamous "Yellow Book" of Dzemey Tulku; a close disciple of Trijang Rinpoche [junior tutor of Gyalwa Rinpoche 14], who himself, was a heart-son/main disciple of Phabongkhapa, &, as preceptor, initiated Gyalwa Rinpoche 14 as a youth into the cult of Shugden. That's the lineage our newly persecuted persecutors single out as Kundun 14's faithless, untrustworthiness.



"He's dam-nyam!" they scream.



A perfect twisted circle in a single incarnation cycle: this utter samsara is truly amazing.



What would this situation look like in a truly democracy-practicing Tibetan governing body politic with the mind to match?



If Gyalwa Rinpoche 14 had truly abdicated deep within himself his dual role of Highest Priest/King and fully functioned solely as Priest, I think the conversation would be very different. He wouldn't be placed in the role of easy punching bag and static target that his dual role invites these days due to his very real political identity as God King-title or no.



But it isn't. Even after resigning as King, as you have repeatedly pointed out clearly, MP, the song remains mostly the same. As such, a fringe religious cult has been granted legal standing in secular courts to work its unique sort of magic -- that of rank discord in as many permutations as the dualizing function of the misapprehended, misrepresenting, self-infatuated, distorting mind allows--all blown on the black winds of discord through global media.



In Western societies, these cults are usually, unless militant, perfectly free to do so. Having no actionable overt political power, they have no great thunder to wield into the everyday lives of non-believing citizens who just want to be left alone to exercise their own individual freedoms--as is their perfect right. In early 20c Tibet, as mentioned above, the cult of Gyalgong wielded considerable powers to offend personal freedoms of religious choice & also inflict bodily harm.



Ah [Unborn], that toothless old karma dog bites true the rabid biter without fail.



One might be led to believe that the new & old upholders of Je Rinpoche's "Virtuous Tradition" would see the beauty in this and practice the attendant mind trainings as Jowo Atisha prescribed. Some have, perhaps. But I don't know of them--probably because they are quiet--as is appropriate with the genuine introspection that gives rise to the small medicinal flower without fragrance: Humility.



I believe, in a Tibetan State of Mind & Body politic with a more perfect union of ideals modeled on separation of Church & State, this cult would and could function freely in its own independent worldview espousing the qualities it believes with whosoever freely chooses to listen & participate. The issue could then be relegated to mere religious debate and conscious choice among informed individuals. This has been standard practice in the USA [till the advent of the recent Tea Party movement].



As such, there would be NO actionable political levers available to justify their spiritually reactionary behaviors that have been and are often employed by means of the Gyalgong spirit-force to gain the typical religio-political powers of rulership and it's influence, perks, & prestige so deeply ingrained and abused in this system. Also, they would have no power to obstruct & thwart the institutions and individuals practicing theories and practices of schools with which they so vehemently disagree.



Rather, we have the mountainous monolith of a two-faced monster perfectly depicting the failures of an incestuous relationship of Church & State manifest as the foul temper of its illegitimate love child in the gross form of those rendered as apostate Gyalgong Shugden adherents--primarily over-zealous Western neophytes. This is what gives Kelzang Gyamtso's NKT & its offspring arms any leverage at all to outreach in courts & shout slogans on the world stage--to the disrepute & distraction of Gyalwa Rinpoche 14.



Perhaps, with a more comprehensive view of inclusion of all the elements involved, rather than the crass factionalism this debate so often engenders, the ever-discordant forces of "Gyalchen Shugden" can be seen as a call to those whose hearts are invested in the living, modern world of Tibet to truly implement the statement of Guru Rinpoche, Padma Sambhava, who said, "Though my view is higher than the sky, my adherence to karmic law as conduct is finer than flour."



In the true spirit of Rimed as I view it, the union of skillful means [conduct] & wisdom [view] equals truly embracing the separation of Church & State along with honoring and respecting the unique precincts of each as they harmoniously work together to more fully inform & perfect the views & behaviors of the other. This can only have beneficial results aiding all Tibetan Buddha Dharma adherents at this time of great global strife.



To heal and purify our own internal wounds as described herein will resound throughout the world as a

beacon of true hope that a world free of suffering can be realized in this very lifetime.



That is my wish.



In Dharma,



Mipham Chogyal

Treasures of Universal Wholesomeness