Dorje Shugden

Heartfelt request from monks in Mundgod

"At this very difficult period of our life, we have decided to face any difficulties, even to place our own life, if necessary, as a target, to safeguard the precious lineage of teaching and practice of the Dharma [Buddhism]."

Declaration and Request by Dokhang Kamtsen//Hostel, 14th February 2008

To the attention of all the most venerable Rinpoches, the venerable Geshes, the monastic community as well as lay community, who are endowed with faith based on understanding of the quality of the teaching of master Je Tsongkhapa, the King of Dharma, emanation of Lord Manjushri.

This is our appeal to all those with ever rising strength of courage and sincerity.

The following is a request coming from the depth of our heart. A situation which has occurred and which is beyond possibility to imagine is the following:

As it says, "In this world of existence, things which seem impossible to exist come into existence". Due to politics entering inside the belly of religion, and due to the difference in power between the mouth of an ordinary person and that of a sovereign, although there is not even the slightest fault for a humble person to respect and worship ones own lama and deity on which one has relied for generations, one is now identified in the exile Tibetan society as the enemy number one, who has committed the heaviest crime.

A forced order has been given that every monk of any monastic university must pledge through swearing and giving signatures not have any contact of any kind, spiritual or material, with those who rely on the deity Dorje Shugden. If one does not comply with this, one must be expelled from the monasteries. In fact, this order has been carried out effectively in the three monastic universities and other Gelug monasteries openly, this has become evident to all.

We, a department belonging to Gaden Shartse monastic college with the name Palden Dokhang Kamtsen, consist of venerable Tulkus and Geshes and a monastic Sangha. Those actually present at the monastery reach the number of over 500 persons, and there are still more than 300 persons living abroad. The Tulkus, Geshes, and ordinary monks of our department, joined by other departments like Pukhang, Nyagre, Thebo, and Lhopa, have united to face the same challenge with the firm decision not to participate in that miserable swearing procedure which has taken place on February 9th 2008 in the Gaden Shartse Monastic College in the name of the college's protector deity Setrab.

From that moment on we lost all our hope and aspiration to participate in our monastic college at the prayer assembly, the debate sessions, and even to have meals together. Now we have no other choice than to establish our own kitchen in our own department.

However, for a bird to fly in the sky it requires two wings. In the same way, establishing a monastery with a Sangha community also depends on two indispensable elements: the education and the material resources. With regards to education, with full confidence, we can say that we are in no way in any shortage of any kind. Moreover, it is very encouraging, that in all the members of our Sangha, older and younger, the fire of enthusiasm is burning strongly to establish a monastic community which is free of all kinds of mixtures, under whatever circumstances, easy or difficult.

The greatest difficulty we encounter now are the material resources. For example, in order to newly produce schools, libraries, and dining halls, and likewise to provide the monastic Sangha of several hundred monks daily with their sustenance of living, such as daily tea and meals, we are faced with an anxiety like a patient who is deprived of funds to pay his medical bill. Therefore, we would like place our request to everybody, with folded hands, for the sake of the teachings of the Geden tradition in general, and in particular for the faultless tradition of our former great masters, such as the precious spiritual father, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, and his sons.

This situation is like a butterlamp which is just about to extinguish due to lack of oil. At this very difficult period of our life, we have decided to face any difficulties, even to place our own life, if necessary, as a target, to safeguard the precious lineage of teaching and practice of the Dharma. In order to fulfil this great responsibility, and for us to overcome the difficulties of the present time, we ask for your support, your help and assistance, by all means.

Dokhang department of Ganden Monastery
on the 14th of February 2008 from Mundgod in India