Confidential:

The Dalai Lama and

The New Kadampa Tradition

Demonstrations and scandals

May 2008

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 Contents

Introduction

1. Upcoming demonstrations against the Dalai Lama

2. Sex scandals

3. Aggressive expansion policy

4. Treatment of dissenters

5. Guardian article

6. Resources

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 Introduction

The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) is a controversial Buddhist movement that has been

dogged with accusations of cult-like behaviour, financial and emotional exploitation and

sexual abuse. Professor Robert Thurman called it ‘the Taliban of Tibetan Buddhism’ and

Madeline Bunting, writing for the Guardian in 1996, said that the NKT ‘subordinates

basic Buddhist ideals of tolerance and compassion’ to achieve its ambitions.

The organization was founded in the late seventies by the controversial monk Geshe

Kelsang Gyatso. He was invited to teach in Cumbria under the auspices of an

organization called the Foundation of the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

(FPMT) which was authorized by the Dalai Lama. After a while Gyatso was able to

exploit a legal loophole and seize control of Conishead Priory which was previously

owned by the FPMT. This building has been the headquarters of the NKT ever since and

Gyatso has assumed a god-like status amongst his followers, with a dictator-like hold

over his organisation. A thorough, scholarly background to the NKT can be found in the

book Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and

Adaptation by David Kay (you can sample it here http://tinyurl.com/3xhbxc).

The NKT is listed on most cult awareness sites, and banned by the wider Buddhist

community. Moreover, the UK cult awareness organization INFORM has received so

many reports regarding the NKT that they are putting together an awareness leaflet to be

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produced within the next few weeks. Celebrities such as Anie Lennox, Geri Halliwell,

Lemmy from Motorhead and Paul Weller have all attended NKT classes, but they all

stopped attending after discovering more about the organization. Richard Gere has

spoken out publically against the NKT.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

This story is very topical because the NKT, under the guise of the puppet organization the

‘Western Shugden Society’, is currently staging global protests against the Dalai Lama.

The demonstrations began in New York in April and are due to start in Britain in May.

Moreover, over the last 18 months the most outrageous sexual abuse has been exposed

within the NKT, and it has emerged that it has been hushed up for years.

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Key points in the story:

 Widespread sexual abuse over 20 years, covered up by those at the top. Geshe

Kelsang Gyatso appointed two Western successors, both supposedly celibate

monks. In 1997 the first, Gen Thubten (Neil Elliott), left in disgrace after it

emerged that he was systematically sexually abusing celibate nuns. In 2007

exactly the same thing happened with his replacement, Gen-la Samden (Steven

Wass), who also contributed towards the deaths of some of his students by

advising them not to take cancer treatment but to ‘rely on faith alone’. This time,

however, it also emerged that Gyatso had known about this abuse for years and

prevented the scandal from leaking by emotionally blackmailing witnesses and

suppressing internet chatrooms. There have been countless similar scandals

involving local NKT teachers all around the globe, including several in London.

Sexual abuse is not only endemic in the NKT, it is continually covered up and

tacitly condoned.

 Smearing the Dalai Lama and picketing his teachings, demonstrating in 1997

and again this year (strangely simultaneous with the sex scandals), and publishing

venomous propaganda about the Dalai Lama, calling him ‘evil’ and ‘cruel’. The

NKT protest the Dalai Lama’s ban on the worship of Dorje Shugden, seen by the

Dalai Lama as an evil spirit and the NKT as a Buddha. However, even Tibetan

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supporters of Dorje Shugden begged Gyatso and the NKT to tone down their anti-

Dali Lama rhetoric.

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 1. Upcoming Demonstration

against the Dalai Lama

Last month, in the wake of the sex scandals that have dogged the NKT recently, Geshe

Kelsang Gyatso decided to instigate an aggressive demonstration and smear campaign

against the Dalai Lama, branding him a ‘hypocrite’, ‘cruel’, ‘evil’ and (strangely enough

for a representative of a religion that deplores racism) a ‘Muslim’. The reason was

allegedly the fact that 6 monks had been expelled unfairly from a monastery.

The real agenda behind these demonstrations is unknown. It could be that Gyatso saw

that the Dalai Lama has been weakened by the Olympic Torch debacle and decided to

pounce, possibly backed by China. It could be that he was trying to unite the NKT against

a common enemy in order to strengthen the tradition which was weakened by numerous

sex scandals. It could be that he is trying to get the NKT sponsored by China – I know

that last year one of Gyatso’s oldest disciples, Losang Kelsang, was in China negotiating

the mass publication of Gyatso’s books there.

Demonstrations in New York, April 2008

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This is not the first time the NKT has demonstrated against the Dalai Lama. The first

time, in 1997, the NKT set up another phoney organization called the ‘Shugden

Supporers Community’, and picketed the Dalai Lama holding banners that said ‘your

smiles charm, your actions harm’. This resulted in so much negative publicity for the

NKT that this time Gyatso is trying even harder to cover his tracks. As can be seen in the

documents below, he formed another group – the ‘Western Shugden Society’ – which is

‘without a leader or registered office’. The WSS is run by the NKT, but serves to deflect

media attention from NKT in an effort to avoid the media disaster that befell them last

time.

The demonstrations in Berlin, 1998. The slogan of the campaign was ‘your smiles charm,

your actions harm’.

This time round, the whole thing kicked off with this letter to three of the biggest Tibetan

monasteries:

To Sera Lachi, Sera Jey, and Sera Mey,

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We, the Western Shugden Society are writing this letter to you concerning the six monks

from Pomra Khangtsen that you have expelled on April 8th, 2008 based on wrong and

false reasons. To fulfil the Dalai Lama´s wishes, which is to remove all the Dorje

Shugden practitioners from the Tibetan community, you Sera Lachi, Sera Jey and Sera

Mey, using Geshe Thupten Tendar and Geshe Tsultrim Gyaltsen (the monastery

disciplinarians) have expelled the following monks from Sera monastery:

Thupten Samphel

Thupten Kunsang

Tenzin Tsering

Jampa Khetseun

Jampa Choegyal

Lobsang Jikmay

This is completely unacceptable; we will never accept your behaviour.

In your public written announcement dated 8th April 2008 you accuse these six monks of

causing many problems. Everybody knows that the actions you accuse them of is

nonsense and completely untrue - you are lying and there is clear and valid evidence to

prove you are lying. These monks do not have power or the intention to perform the

actions you accuse them of. The true creator of all these problems is the Dalai Lama and

you are simply fulfilling his wishes.

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You will remember that in 1996-1997 when a similar situation arose through religious

discrimination created by the Dalai Lama to ban the practice of Dorje Shugden, the

Western Shugden Society organised demonstrations directly against the Dalai Lama

throughout the world, including the USA and United Kingdom. However, after the

repeated request of the London Tibetan Office asking us to stop these demonstrations

because people wanted to invite the Dalai Lama to England, we finally accepted and

stopped. Since that time until now we have remained completely peaceful while on the

contrary you have continually unjustly harmed Shugden people without compassion.

Our conclusion is we now offer you two choices:

1. To reverse the expulsion of the six monks and allow them to return to Sera Monastery

where they should receive the same spiritual and material rights as the other monks who

do not follow Shugden.

2. If you do not accept the first point, we will immediately organise worldwide public

demonstrations directly against the Dalai Lama whenever he visits any country.

If you have some wisdom you should understand how important the Dalai Lama´s

reputation is - this is now in your hands.

We need your answer by the 22nd April 2008, signed and delivered by registered post to:

Dorje Shugden Devotees Society,

House No 105, Old Tibetan Camp, Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi-54

Phone:

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(91) 11-23921169, Mobile:(91) 9910262029

If we do not receive your answer by 22nd of April 2208, we will regard that you have not

accepted the first point, and we will immediately prepare demonstrations.

The Western Shugden Society

CC: Dalai Lama, Tibetan Goverment in Exile, Pomra Khangtsen, President of the USA

George Bush, Prime Minister of the UK Gordon Brown, BBC, CNN, Sky News, ITV.

Hon. Shri Shivraj Patil, Home Minister of India; Fax: 0091 - 11 -23094221

Hon. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Foreign Mister of India; Fax: 0091-11-23011463,

23013254

Hon. Shri Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary;

Fax: 0091-11- 23016781

Hon. Shri. Madhukar Gupta, Home SecretaryTel: 0091-11-23092989, 23093003, Fax:

0091- 11 -23093003

National Human Rights Commission,

Tel: 0091-11-23384012 Fax: 011-23384863, Email: covdnhrc@...

H.E Shri Rameshwar Thakur, Hon.Governer of Karnataka State

Tel: 91-80-22254102, 22253555, Fax: 91-80-22258 150 E-mail: rbblr@...

Shri P. Manivanan, Deputy Commissioner Mysore

Fax: 0091-821-2429012 Email: dc-mysore@...

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Once this letter had been received, Gyatso wrote to all of his own NKT centres the

following:

You have received a copy of the letter sent to Sera Lachi, Sera Je and

Sera Mey by The Western Shugden Society. From this you can understand

that it is very possible that The Western Shugden Society will

organise demonstrations against the Dalai Lama. Concerning this issue,

we should know five things:

1) The demonstrations will be organised by The Western Shugden

Society, not by the NKT.

2) The Western Shugden Society is the unification of all the Western

Shugden practitioners, and NKT is a part of this main body.

3) When the main body, The Western Shugden Society, organises

demonstrations, the NKT needs to voluntarily contribute and help.

4) There is no bases to break our constitution or internal rules

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because this is not organised by the NKT.

5) The Western Shugden Society organising the demonstrations is not

for the purpose of the six monks only, it is the method to prevent the

destruction of the pure lineage of Je Tsongkhapa, and to stop the

extremely forceful campaign that the Dalai Lama is doing now to

eradicate completely the practice of Dorje Shugden in India and other

countries through unlawful actions.

We should recognise that the NKT is not involved politically, simply

supporting The Western Shugden Society with these demonstrations.

Peaceful demonstrations are respected by democratic governments, it is

the position of the people, we should take this opportunity, there is

no other method to stop the Dalai Lama´s campaign against Dorje

Shugden practitioners.

There are three wheels of Dharma activities: 1) the wheel of studying

Dharma, 2) the wheel of meditating on Dharma, and 3) the wheel of

working for the Dharma. These demonstration actions are included

within the wheel of working for the Dharma. Please keep this pure

motivation.

With love and prayers,

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Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

A few days later he circulated this message, which was also put on the internet:

Dear Resident Teachers and Admin Directors of the NKT Dharma

Centres,

Concerning the demonstrations, for certain reasons I have cancelled

the plan to help the ´Western Shugden Society´ and to support the demonstrations. Please

forget it.

With love and prayers,

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

However, it turned out that the 'Forget it' letter was just a ploy by Gyatso so that he can

pretend he is not behind the WSS. A secret and carefully-worded letter was sent out by

local NKT teachers (the dates were removed from the copy I received but they were

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referring to the demonstrations that took place in New York in mid-April):

Dear Sangha,

This is to inform you that the first demonstration against the Dalai

Lama has been scheduled for __ ___ 2008 at _____ ___. I doubt that

anyone of us will be attending but it is important that we keep this

in our mind and make prayers and dedications, remembering the reasons

behind these actions: The Dalai Lama has resumed his campaign to

eliminate the practice of Dorje Shugden both in Tibet and in the West

by claiming that Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit not a Dharma

Protector. In so doing he is also attempting to destroy Je

Tsongkhapa's stainless tradition, and everything Geshe-la has worked

so tirelessly for.

If anyone does plan on make the trip, please let me know so that I

can inform those in charge of organizing these demonstrations so that

they can make the necessary arrangements.

Again, please make prayers that this situation will be resolved, so

that everyone everywhere will be allowed to practice religion in

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freedom, not suffering with threats and persecution at the hands of

the Dalai Lama.

Love,

Daosang

Most recently, Gyatso asked Centre managers to read a letter to students explaining that

as Gyatso is the representative of the Western Shugden Society he will personally

organise demonstrations against the Dalai Lama who he accuses of trying to destroy the

pure lineage of Je Tsongkhapa. Gyatso apparently asked students for their help to stop

what he describes as the evil action. The demonstrations are now going ahead in full

force all around the globe. Unfortunately I was unable to get a copy of this letter.

However, recently I received the following email:

Public talks by K Pema about the demonstrations,

Sun 8pm Madhyamaka Centre

Mon 12 noon Tara Centre

Mon 7.30pm Heruka Centre

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Tues 8pm Bodhisattva Centre

Wed 8pm Amitabha Centre

Sat 11am Tharpaland Centre

Centres will provide free overnight accommodation, with advanced notice. she asks that

people let her know which venue you'll be going to and if you require accommodation

e-mail: kmc@ftml.net

The WSS then published a pamphlet entitled, ‘The Tibetan Situation Today – Surprising

Hidden News’. Once again they did not claim responsibility for the publication in their

effort to throw the media off the scent. However it is clearly in Gyatso’s inimitable style,

is published and distributed by NKT, and was read aloud at the demonstrations in New

York by Gyatso’s deputy, Gen-la Khyenrab, where it was also distributed free of charge.

Photographs of this can be found at westernshugdensociety.com, where you can also

read the entire content of the pamphlet.

This pamphlet was so vicious, racist and poisonous that some Tibetan non-NKT

supporters of Dorje Shugden were compelled to write to Gyatso, begging him to tone

down the rhetoric. These people are represented on the website dorjeshugden.com, which

is a non-NKT website (as opposed to the wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org site which is

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NKT in disguise again). Below you can find their letter, as well as the two most offensive

articles:

To the highly respected,

Venerable Lama Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:

Although not necessarily members of your NKT community, we belong to

the same lineage and gather as "Friends of the Protector" in the

website Dorjeshugden.com.

Today we come to you with a very pressing matter that concerns the

future of our common endeavors in favor of our holy lineage and our

holy Protector.

We have learned that tomorrow, following your advice, a series of

street demonstrations are starting, to expose the Dalai Lama's

actions to the world.

In the course of those demonstrations, the people who call themselves

Western Shugden Society will hand a document that is already in the

internet.

This document –named THE TIBETAN SITUATION TODAY-SURPRISING HIDDEN

NEWS– is the object of our worries.

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Some of the wording in that document, we fear, is going to harm our

common cause almost irreparably.

In general a show of anger is not considered proper when publishing

something that defends one's ideas. In particular, a show of anger is

considered non-Buddhist.

Since the Dalai Lama is so skillful in showing the general public a

smiling face, such manifestations of anger as we see in that document

will painfully contrast with him –to his advantage.

Looking more closely there are in this document specific expressions

that can really destroy our common purpose.

Very respectfully we would like to call them to your attention to see

if you please could do something to suppress them on time, lest they

taint the reputation of us all, practitioners of the Holy Protector,

and taint the reputation of our holy Lamas and holy lineage.

1- The most offensive is the part where they state that the Dalai

Lama was a boy born in a Muslim family, and then call him "the

saffron robed Muslim", with obvious demeaning implications.

Nowadays this discourse is entirely unacceptable in most of the

world, in any of the five continents, and prominently India. In most

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countries people are supposed to respect other's religions, and for

the sake of peace they dearly wish to live in peace and friendship

with their Muslim citizens. Thus, they are never going to think

anything good of people who in any way imply that being a Muslim is a

bad thing.

Please remember one of the instances when the Indian authorities

supported our monks in Southern India and the police commissioner

specifically addressed this matter in no uncertain terms. "The

attended Sera-Jay monks suggested expelling and putting Shugden monks

in other place. The police said: 'According to your point of view, we

should single out Muslim from Hindu community and Hindu from Muslim

community. This is not possible … Indian government supports those

who have truth' ". Implying that those who try to single out Muslims,

for instance, do not possess truth.

Needless to say, we, Buddhists, are friends to all beings no matter

their religious beliefs. The document we question shows a very ugly

face as being the face of the Dorje Shugden practitioners. It

unwillingly insults both Buddhists and Muslims. This is very painful

and does not follow our common feelings and beliefs.

2- Other parts of the document show a face of anger that does not

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fit a Buddhist manifesto. This one in particular: "Throughout your

life you have pretended to be a Buddhist holy being giving Buddhist

teachings that you have stolen from Trijang Rinpoche. By doing this,

you have cheated people throughout the world. In summary, it is clear

that your real nature is cruel and very evil". This goes against

common sense in several

ways.

First of all the Dalai Lama was a disciple of Kyabje Rinpoche, and he

received teachings from him –he didn't steal them. What he did with

the teachings is another matter.

We don't have the right to tell the Dalai Lama that "he pretended"

this or that, or that he "cheated people", because we don't know his

mind. He was taught that he was such a high, holy incarnation, may be

he misunderstood the meaning of such position. There is no doubt,

conventionally, that he is wrong. But we don't know that he was

dishonest.

Secondly, to tell that "your real nature is cruel and very evil", not

only shows again an anger that does not fit a Buddhist discourse, it

also might imply that we are talking about ultimate reality, that is

sometimes designated by the words "real nature". This of course

strays from the Buddhist view, that all things have an ultimate

nature that is entirely pure indeed.

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We beg, you, thus, that if you read this letter on time you use your

authority to suppress at least the grossest of these unfortunate

writings. To publish such extreme language not only does not reflect

the majority of Dorje Shugden practitioners beliefs, it's going to

harm our cause and once again help the unfortunate proclaimed aims of

the Dalai Lama.

With sincere appreciation

A group of

Dorje Shugden practitioners"

Here are the extract from the WSS pamphlet to which they were referring:

21st Century Buddhist Dictator - The Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama, right now you are removing the Tibetan Shugden worshippers from the

Buddhist community saying that Shugden worshippers are not Buddhist because they

worship an evil spirit—Shugden, and at the same time you are preparing to remove the

Western Shugden worshippers from the Buddhist community for the same reasons.

Through your religious discrimination and extreme view, you have already expelled

thousands of Tibetan Shugden practitioners from the Tibetan society. Not satisfied with

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this, you are now collecting signatures from people in the West and the East in which

they state that they abandon Shugden worship and that they will not support materially or

spiritually anyone who does practice Shugden worship.

We understand that your aim in collecting these signatures is simply to protect your

reputation—you want to blame the people for your breaking the law. Dalai Lama, you are

a very professional liar. Your actions of Deity discrimination are directly against the

constitution of the Indian Government, which means you are breaking Indian law. This is

your fault alone; not the people’s fault. You should not blame others for your breaking

the law. Many people are giving their signatures stating they abandon Shugden worship

ONLY because they are afraid of your punishment if they do not. There are clear reports

in the newspapers about these punishments. Others sign because they are your friends

who are trying to protect your reputation.

In our report on 29th February 2008, we asked you to show your evidence to prove that

Shugden is an evil spirit: ‘If you are not telling lies and you have valid evidence to

support your actions you should show such evidence publicly, and you should do this

yourself not through your people who until now you have hidden behind, having them

perform your dirty work’. You received a copy of our previous report and have not

replied. Your silence proves that you have no valid evidence and that you have lied.

Since 1996, you have continually said publicly that Shugden practice is harming your life

and Tibetan independence. Many people who have blind faith in you believe what you

say without investigating the actual truth. Consequently, they are extremely angry with

Shugden practitioners and try to remove them from their society by many diferent means

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such as humiliation, provocation, intimidation, threatening, ostracism, removing jobs and

positions, denying services, spreading false rumours, lies, manipulation, not allowing

others to have material or spiritual relationship with them, not giving the monks food in

their monasteries, not allowing the monks to attend classes and services at their

monasteries, and forcing them to sign a promise that they will abandon the worship of the

Deity Shugden.

Through your actions of this lie, all Tibetans throughout the world are divided into two

groups: 1) those who believe what you say concerning Dorje Shugden and who are

consequently angry with Dorje Shugden practitioners, and 2) those who do not believe

what you say concerning Dorje Shugden and are experiencing ostracism and great

suffering and sorrow. This situation pervades everywhere in the East and in the West.

The entire Tibetan community have lost their trust, peace and harmony, and are

experiencing a very dangerous situation. The source of all these problems is you.

Through your negative policies, the Kagyupas are divided into two groups, and they have

lost their trust, peace and harmony, and their common spiritual activities. Gelugpas are

also divided into two groups 1) those who follow your view believing that Shugden is an

evil spirit, and 2) those who believe that Shugden is a Wisdom Buddha, and have

subsequently lost their trust, peace and harmony, and their common spiritual activities

and live in a dangerous situation. The source of all these problems is you.

Until now you have repeatedly said that you are not seeking Tibetan independence and

that you have not done anything to promote Tibetan independence, yet now you organise

demonstrations against China! You are enjoying life in your luxurious palace while the

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poor Tibetan people are experiencing great sufering and danger. Your actions have

caused all the Tibetans who live in Tibet to have a very difficult life because you have

destroyed their internal trust, peace and harmony.

As soon as you arrived to India as a refugee you made a plan to transform the four

traditions of Tibetan Buddhism – Nyngma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug – into one single

tradition called Rigme (Non Lineage) tradition. This was your method to destroy the pure

lineages of the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug and make you alone the head of all of

them by establishing a new tradition. In this way you now have complete power and

control of everything at a spiritual, political and material level.

At that time, the Tso Kha Chusum (“Thirteen Groups of Tibetans) were against your plan

and because of this for many years the Tibetan community lost their harmony and peace.

Finally, the leader of the Tso Kha Chusum, Gungthang Tsultrim, was murdered by a

shotgun. Tibetan people believe that Gungthang Tsultrim was killed by people working

for you. Later, some other important members of the Tso Kha Chusum suddenly died,

and people believed your organizations created the conditions for their death. It is said

that you have a secret organization in New Delhi, led by your brother whose function is

to destroy or kill anyone who opposes your plan.

According to some sources, you were born in a Muslim family. When you were a child

who did not know anything, some ignorant Tibetans acting as representatives of the

Tibetan Government chose that boy as the reincarnation of the Tibetan Dalai Lama. Since

that time, that boy wore saffron robes, and the local people jokingly nicknamed you as

´The Saffron Robed Muslim´. In this way, you received the position of the Tibetan Dalai

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Lama. Because of this, many people now keep your photograph on their shrines and

worship you.

You have received a higher education in Buddhism from your kind teacher Trijang

Rinpoche. However, the sad situation is that after you arrived to India your behaviour

changed. You were continually against the intention of your Root Guru, Trijang

Rinpoche, who is the lineage holder of Je Tsonghapa´s doctrine. You strived strongly to

destroy Trijang Rinpoche´s spiritual tradition, which is the pure tradition of Je

Tsongkhapa´s doctrine.

Since 1996, you have regarded Trijang Rinpoche´s followers as your enemies and you are

now giving orders to the ordinary people and monasteries to expel them from their

society. Following your views and your orders, many people believe that Trijang

Rinpoche´s followers who practise Dorje Shugden are their enemies.

In both India and Tibet, many Shugden temples, shrines, statues, paintings and texts have

been unlawfully destroyed, and many monks have been expelled from their monasteries.

Following your orders, the authorities of the monasteries are continually making efforts

to expel the monks who have devotion for Trijang Rinpoche and who practise Dorje

Shugden. In this way, you have caused millions of people great suffering and sorrow.

All these horrible situations have developed through the power of your evil actions. This

is our valid evidence to prove that you are not Buddhist. Because of this, we also believe

that you are the saffron robed Muslim.

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Throughout your life you have pretended to be a Buddhist holy being giving Buddhist

teachings that you have stolen from Trijang Rinpoche. By doing this, you have cheated

people throughout the world. In summary, it is clear that your real nature is cruel and

very evil.

Hypocrite Dalai Lama - Report from India

Since 1995, the Dalai Lama has unceasingly inlicted heavy and unjust punishment on the

practitioners of Dorje Shugden—all of whom are completely innocent practitioners.

Using his people like an army, the Dalai Lama has destroyed all Shugden Temples and

shrines, caused millions of people to experience inhumane situations and unbearable

feelings of pain, and expelled all Shugden practitioners from the Tibetan community. He

has separated innocent people from their families, friends and community. As a result of

these actions, thousands of Shugden practitioners have been forced to become refugees

for the second time in their life as they try to escape such inhumane actions that exist in

this modern world by seeking exile in other countries.

Now, as recently as 8th February 2008, the Dalai Lama has expelled 900 monks from

their monasteries. On January 9th 2008 he was invited to inaugurate a Prayer Hall for a

large monastic community in South India. At this spiritual event he publicly announced a

27
“Referendum on the practice of Dolgyal (Shugden)” and proposed a collection of votes

on this issue with a deadline on 8th February 2008. Since when did the action of prayer

become an object for political vote? And since when did voting become a “yes” or “no”

game with colored sticks with no middle neutral option for abstaining? Well, this is

precisely the nature of the referendum held by the Dalai Lama and the direct cause for

these 900 innocent monks being expelled from their monasteries in recent days.

Most of these 900 expelled monks are very poor and have no place to go; they are crying

and are full of fear. The Dalai Lama is clearly breaking the law by inflicting such blatant

religious persecution. Making this difficult situation worse for the expelled monks is the

message now being issued by the Dalai Lama´s representatives to the Tibetan community

saying, ‘any person who helps the Shugden people will receive similar punishment’.

Furthermore, anyone who dares not to follow the orders of the Dalai Lama is publically

denounced by his Ministers and declared to be a “Chinese supporter.” Not satisied with

this, the Ministers then encourage groups of the Tibetan community to humiliate,

discredit and ostracize the denounced persons.

Aware of the International public horror at these recent atrocities, which clearly stem

from the single handed actions of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Prime Minister and other

Officials of the Tibetan Government in Exile have started a campaign to distance the

Dalai Lama from this referendum and its resulting inhumane victimization of a section of

the Tibetan community. What deception! What hypocrisy! How two-faced!

One only needs to hear the speeches of the Dalai Lama of recent weeks and witness

current events to understand the truth. The International public, world leaders,

28
governments and organizations can easily ascertain the truth with their own eyes – the

Dalai Lama himself is the sole initiator and maintainer of the prevalent discrimination,

persecution and intolerance in Tibetan Society – no-one else.

The Dalai Lama has given two reasons for prohibiting the worship of Dorje Shugden. He

claims the Shugden practice: (1) causes his lifespan to shorten, and (2) harms Tibetan

independence. What complete nonsense! Not one valid piece of evidence has ever been

issued from the Dalai Lama to validate his claims. He says: “Shugden is an evil spirit”.

Where is his evidence to prove this? Until now his evidence has only been recollections

of his own dreams. Does he really think such recollections from the mind of sleep make

credible evidence? This is complete nonsense and would be thrown out of any court of

law.

Dalai Lama, if you are not telling lies and have valid evidence to support your actions

you should show such evidence publicly, and you should do this yourself not through

your people who until now you have hidden behind, having them perform your dirty

work.

Dalai Lama, you are a very fortunate liar and persecutor. Right now, some people believe

what you say without checking the validity of your claims because you have inherited a

high reputation and title from your predecessors. This mere inheritance gives you the

opportunity to use the title “Tibetan Dalai Lama” in this world. You have not earned this

title with your own personal qualiications or your actions. This is clear by the way in

which you are misusing such a position in this modern world. Instead of putting

29
Buddha’s teachings of universal love, compassion and equanimity into practice you

inflict discrimination, persecution and intolerance. You are cheating people’s faith.

If you are really a Buddhist “Holy Being” why are you directly acting against Buddha’s

teachings? Buddha said, “You should never harm any living being because they are your

kind mothers.” For almost two decades you have harmed millions of innocent people

causing them unnecessary suffering, fear, and dangers. What have you achieved from

these actions? Nothing.

Dalai Lama, you are the only 21st Century “Buddhist” Dictator. You are the only Tibetan

“Lama” who uses Buddha´s teachings for political aims. You are the only Tibetan

“Lama” who is causing millions of innocent people great suffering and sorrow. You are

the only Tibetan “Lama” who has no compassion.

Please, to all of you who read this document—members of the International community,

including President George Bush, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, ask the Dalai Lama

the following four points:

1. To give freedom to practice Dorje Shugden to whoever wishes to rely upon this Deity.

2. To stop completely the discrimination between Shugden people and non-Shugden

practitioners.

3. To allow all Shugden monks and nuns who have been expelled from their monasteries

and nunneries to return to their monasteries and nunneries where they should receive the

same material and spiritual rights as the non-Shugden practitioners.

30
4. That you tell in writing to the Tibetan community throughout the world that they

should practically apply the above three points.

Western Shugden Society

31
 2. The NKT Sex Scandals

There have been countless sex scandals in the NKT over the years. The first major one

was concerning Gen Thubten, now known as Neil Elliott, who was installed as Gyatso’s

successor and in 1997 was exposed as sexually abusing nuns in his entourage. Ironically

enough, Neil Elliott now lives at the NKT headquarters in Cumbria and is the organiser

of the current anti-Dalai Lama protests!

Since Elliott’s time around 90% of all monks and nuns have disrobed, almost

always with a sex scandal not far away. The teacher in the London Centre, for example, a

monk called Venerable Lodro (who used to be a croupier), was found to have been

having an ongoing affair with a nun in Brighton called Thogme, and embezzling funds

from the centre to boot. Their activities were ignored by the NKT authorities and they

received tacit permission to continue. Venerable Lodro – now Dave Everard – and his

girlfriend, now called Collette, are living together in Cardiff where Dave is training to be

a driving instructor.

Venerable Lodro / Dave Everard

32
 However, most shocking of all is definitely the case of Gen-la Samden who until

18 months ago was worshipped almost as much as Gyatso himself. Eventually it emerged

that he had been having sex with multiple partners, most of them nuns, and telling them

that he was granting them a special blessing. Worst of all, he advised at least two of his

students not to take treatment for cancer, advising them to rely on faith alone, and they

both died agonising deaths. One of them was based at the Centre in London.

Gen-la Samden / Steven Wass

Let’s have a closer look at Gyatso’s treatment of the Samden scandal. Below is

one of the key internet posts that appeared on the Yahoo group New Kadampa Survivors

several months ago. The author, Elin, had an affair with a monk called Nathan. Nathan

told her that a nun, Naljor, had tried to seduce him previously under Samden’s

instructions, and she was having an affair with Samden as well. Elin and Nathan wrote to

Gyatso to tell him what Samden was up to, and were told to shut up. Naljor was later

installed as teacher in the Brighton centre, replacing a nun called Thogme who had run

off with the teacher from London, Venerable Lodro (see above). Here is the

groundbreaking post:

Naljor had a long sexual relationship with Samden … Me and Nathan wrote to Geshe-la a

long time ago about this. And as you know Geshe-la did nothing with that information

33
untill Samdens actions leaked onto the internet. - Then he acted! … Geshe-la was

informed and he did nothing and he told us to shut up! that if we would go public we

harm the NKT, which is the only hope for people to be happy. … Anyway, Geshe-la

knows about their relationship. I think Naljor told Geshe-la this autumn in Malaysia. So

Geshe-la has known this for a long time and has had the confession from Naljor … She

will have to continue to keep this a secret, to go along with Geshe-la´s wishes. She will

not understand what is right or wrong. Just like Samden didn´t understand even after Gen

Thubten (´cause it only had any consequences when it became public). Like Lodrö didn´t

understand (because knowing that Geshe-la had received reports about him and Thomge)

he was allowed to continue and no one was told the truth. So Geshe-la is on their side so

to speak, he will cover up for you, and even promote you. If it is proven that Geshe-la

knew about Naljors sexal activities and misconduct than it has been proven that he has

knowingly lied. Lied to everyone. Surely that´s no good from a big Geshe like him?

When Gyatso realised that information about the scandals was available on NKT Chat,

he closed the forum down and issued the following statement:

Some small group in our NKT society engage in meaningless activity on the internet, not

only Sangha, some lay. This is incorrect. We are Kadampa practitioners, Kadampa

Teachers. Why are we enjoying meaningless activity, discussion? We can have a

meaningful discussion with pure practitioners or senior practitioners, Teachers. There is

no meaning in talking about silly things publicly on the internet. Instead, make

meaningful discussion with our pure practitioners, senior Teachers. Please give my

34
message to the individuals of this group. Stop this kind of actions. Gen-la Khyenrab, give

my message in email or writing. Stop meaningless discussion on the internet. If you wish,

do meaningful discussion with senior Teachers or pure practitioners, or meaningful

discussion with your Teacher. No meaning engaging in silly question and answers on the

internet. Please Gen-la Khyenrab, pass my message. I am telling you for your purpose

and our society's purpose. In this way, keep individuals and society pure and show very

good example.

Once news had broken on the internet, Gyatso (‘Geshe-la’ to his disciples) emailed all

NKT centres telling us that Samden had resigned and that he was going to be a teacher in

Cumbria, or in Birmingham. Then he issues a statement saying that he had gone into

retreat. Finally, several months later, he leaked the real details to a nun called Lekma

and told her to spread the word. The gossip spread like wildfire. This hall-of-mirrors

information management is typical of the NKT.

The plot thickened in February when Samden – now called Steven Wass and living in

Ipswich – wrote an email to all NKT Centres:

Dear Sangha,

After one year of silence, I would like out of fairness to those who

know me, to write a few words.

I have just spent two months caring for my mother. During this time, I

heard and read many unusual reports about myself. I am surprised and

35
disappointed that many practitioners appear to be holding incorrect

beliefs, to have drawn wrong conclusions, and to have made harsh

judgements in relation to my departure.

I would like to make it clear that in February 2007, I made the

decision to leave in order to prepare for and engage in long-term

retreat. This decision was founded upon a pure intention, to maintain

the lineage of Je Tsongkhapa, and become a perfect Teacher. I did not

leave because I felt I had made mistakes; nor was I asked to do so for

any such reason.

I believe that a decision that I leave was already made by others -

founded upon impure intention, ambition. My departure was already a

'fate' accompli - I could not have stayed.

My reputation has since been deliberately sullied, even though

Venerable Geshe-la in one of the last emails I received from him said

"NKT will always respect you, I promise." This has been done to

convince people of my apparent wrongdoings, and to wield more

authority over them.

Under the guise of service to the Spiritual Guide, the Tradition is

being misdirected, even subverted. As senior practitioners continue to

meet with a similar fate, it is being left in the hands of the

ambitious, who abuse their authority. A crack has formed within our

Tradition, weakening it. With only compliants allowed to assume or

remain in any position, with priorities upside down, and with methods

36
of management unacceptable in modern society, I dissociate myself with

what will eventually become evident to all.

I understand there is a difference between reliance and compliance,

and the results they bring.

I am still acting upon my original decision; my intention to uphold

the Tradition of Je Tsongkhapa will not change. I no longer wear my

robes, yet at no time have I thought of 'dis'robing; and in order to

achieve my goal I am committing myself wholeheartedly to one whom I

believe is qualified to help me do so. I remain committed to Venerable

Geshe-la and to our Tradition.

I have no wish to bring any harm through writing this. There will be

no further communication from me.

I wish everyone the very best in their spiritual training.

With much love and appreciation for all the support you have shown me

over the years.

May the doctrine of Conqueror Losang Dragpa flourish for evermore.

Samden

In response, Gyatso wrote this letter:

Steven Wass,

I have received your email message. You have destroyed the NKTs

reputation and the power of all NKT Resident Teachers. Through your

37
actions so many ordained Teachers have disrobed following your view

which is opposite to Buddhist view – you tried to spread a sexual

lineage which you yourself created. Even in society a Teacher cannot

have sex with students. After you left many people confessed to me

that you had had sex with them. You had sex with so many students and

through your deceptive actions one nun tried to commit suicide because

of your sexual behaviour towards her.

Because the NKTs reputation and power of the Resident Teachers has

been destroyed by your activities now the future development of the

NKT will be difficult both materially and spiritually. However, I

myself and all my students are working hard to recover the damage you

made. We will never allow your sexual lineage to spread in this

world.

I have no connection with you.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Cc All NKT Resident Teachers

So finally Gyatso issued an open statement about Steven Wass’ abuse – but not before

condoning it for years. At the moment we are awaiting the next broadside from Samden /

Steven Wass. However, the situation has been pushed into the background by the

demonstrations.

38
Samden / Steven Wass

39
 3. The NKT aggressive

Expansion Policy

The NKT operates an aggressive policy of expansion. As Madeline Bunting wrote in her

Guardian article, the NKT demonstrates ‘an aggressive evangelising which is at total

variance with 2,500 years of Buddhist teachings against proselytising’. One person on

the NKT Survivors Yahoo group points out that:

It also dawned on me later, and maybe others can verify this, does Kelsang Gyatso

specifically target the locations where the Dalai Lama or other Buddhist teachers are

headed to have his appearances at the same spot either right before or after? I seemed to

have taken notice of a pattern there.

Someone else responded that:

When the FPMT (another Buddhist Tradition) had a special teaching on in Ulverston, we,

the dedicated followers, were encouraged to go to (the NKT headquarters) Manjushri that

same weekend for a special, very cheap rate day teaching on Refuge. I didn't go as I had

to look after my kid and it was too far to go on the train but the special cheap cost was to

encourage as many people as possible to go to Manjushri. I was also told that Kelsang

40
Gyatso had said that 'anyone going to the FPMT teaching in Ulverston is no longer my

student.

Moreover, Gyatso has changed the rules regarding Buddhist teachers, too. Whereas most

Buddhist organisations in the modern world seek to consolidate their major centres,

Gyatso seems more concerned with expanding as fast as possible, far and wide. He has

authorised teachers to grant teachings, vows and even initiation rites with no concern for

the traditional qualifications necessary to carry out such activities. The result is that

teachers are encouraged to ‘act the part’ and ‘not display faults’, in the hope that if

students develop enough ‘pure view’ then they will still benefit. I know at least one senior

teacher who was directly told by Gyatso to hide his faults from his students. So the

teacher ends up feeling like a hypocrite while the students try to brainwash themselves

out of common sense; the teacher becomes isolated and lonely while the students worship

them as if they are God. This is surely fertile ground for problems and scandals. This

fast-track strategy serves to spread the NKT far and wide and bring it the success that it

has enjoyed, but it destroys many people’s lives in the process.

41
 4. The NKT Treatment

of dissenters

As Madeline Bunting wrote in her 1996 article in The Guardian, ‘if a follower expresses

dissent or has difficulty accepting the NKT teachings, the response is to exonerate the

organization and throw the blame back on to the dissenting individual.’ As an example of

this, here is a letter that Gyatso wrote to one of his disciples, an ordained monk called

Atisha, a Resident Teacher in an NKT centre in the USA called Vikatadamshri Centre.

Gyatso had just ordered that the Yahoo group, NKT Chat, be closed down in response to

the circulation of news of sexual scandals online, issuing the following statement:

Some small group in our NKT society engage in meaningless activity on

the internet, not only Sangha, some lay. This is incorrect. We are

Kadampa practitioners, Kadampa Teachers. Why are we enjoying

meaningless activity, discussion? We can have a meaningful discussion

with pure practitioners or senior practitioners, Teachers. There is no

meaning in talking about silly things publicly on the internet.

Instead, make meaningful discussion with our pure practitioners,

senior Teachers. Please give my message to the individuals of this group.

Stop this kind of actions. Gen-la Khyenrab, give my message in email

or writing. Stop meaningless discussion on the internet. If you wish,

42
do meaningful discussion with senior Teachers or pure practitioners,

or meaningful discussion with your Teacher.

No meaning engaging in silly question and answers on the internet.

Please Gen-la Khyenrab, pass my message. I am telling you for your

purpose and our society's purpose. In this way, keep individuals and

society pure and show very good example.

Atisha politely queried this decision and in response Gyatso wrote a furious response,

making the email public to the entire community of Vikatadamshri Centre:

Dear Atisha,

I have received your reply to my letter. You said:

"The NKT is very young; we are spread out over the whole world; and we're trying to do

a very big job. I believe that most ordinary organizations trying to do such a big job

would see it as very important to establish a good, secure, private way to communicate

using the Internet."

I find your statement nonsense. I sent my original letter to 33 people. Everybody

accepted my request and understood the real meaning. Only you are not happy with my

request. I do not want to challenge your view and I do not want the NKT to become like

43
an ordinary organisation. If I accept your view it will cause serious damage for the NKT

in the future.

My decision is that you should please resign as Resident Teacher of Vikatadamshtri

Buddhist Center. From 25th October 2007 you will no longer be an NKT Resident

Teacher. I will appoint a new Resident Teacher for Vikatadamshtri Buddhist Center.

With much love and prayers,

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Cc Managers and community of Vikatadamshtri Buddhist Center, Gen-la Khyenrab,

NKT Central Office

And here is Atisha’s subsequent letter to the community:

Dear community of Vikatadamshtri Center,

I hope you are all well.

As you know, Venerable Geshe-la has been working tirelessly and continuously to

prevent obstacles to the development of Kadam Dharma in this world. Recently, instead

of helping Geshe-la, I allowed my ordinary motivation and ordinary views about

technology to interfere with this. Because of this Venerable Geshe-la has asked me to

resign as Resident Teacher of Vikatadamshtri Center, effective October 25. I understand

44
the wisdom of Geshe-la's response, and his kindness in guiding myself and

Vikatadamshtri Center. I sincerely regret my mistakes and am very happy to follow

Geshe-la's guidance. He will soon be appointing a new Resident Teacher for the Center;

we'll let you know as soon as we find out who this will be.

With love,

K. Atisha

Finally, to illustrate the effect that these letters had, here are two extracts from internet

posts written by people that this affected. These posts and many others can be found on

the Yahoo group New Kadampa Survivors:

This past week a memo that GKG wrote to our resident teacher (an ordained monk) was

shared with the Sangha. I was shocked when I read the email. In my opinion it was angry,

spiteful, even cruel. Not a shred of compassion was evident. In the memo the resident

teacher was removed from his position. At that moment I decided I had to leave. I

could never follow and respect GKG as my spiritual guide after seeing he was capable ot

writing such an email. And I felt deceived - I had been told that GKG's main good quality

was incorporating Dharma into everyday life. The evidence in that email indcated

absolutely the opposite in my opinion. The Sangha has been split apart over this -

many have left as I have. I don't think GKG gave any thought to the impact of his actions

45
on the Sangha. Of course, the teacher himself and other ordained are claiming this is all

wonderful. I have heard them say that GKG is acting out of extreme kindness by

"helping" the teacher to eliminate his delusions and defiance. Hearing that response gives

me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.BTW, this teacher is inspirational, much-

loved, and alway careful to teach pure Dharma. He was constantly singing the praises of

GKG. I am appalled that this is how faithful disciples are treated in the NKT.

Atisha didn't even go so far as to criticize. He made a constructive suggestion, as an

alternative opinion to the notion of the NKT completely withdrawing from the internet.

As far as I know he wasn't even involved with the NKT chat forum as he doesn't ever

have free time for that sort of thing. Needless to say, his being demoted for simply

voicing an opinion, and not even contradicting GKG!! has rattled a few people's faith

here in Baltimore. For me, it is pretty obvious that something is wrong with the structure

as Atisha is probably the most sincere practicioner of Buddhism that I have met. I have

never seen eyes that pour compassion like that. Of course, he is so devoted that he is still

remaining with the NKT, and urging everyone to accept the decision as wise and

beautiful, but its really a little too much for some of us to take. Especially on top of the

news of higher level monks disrobing and the NKT chat being shut down suddenly.

46
 5. Article in The Guardian, 1996 (before the

sex scandals):

Shadow Boxing on the Path to Nirvana

Madeleine Bunting in The Guardian, London, 6 July 1996

A mile from the tea room and knick-knack shop of the lake District town of Ulverston in

Cumbria is a vast victorian Gothic mansion. From a distance, the roof, turrets and

chimneys of Conishead Priory look like a small town. The drive sweeps through

landscaped parkland to an imposing facade flanked by flowerbeds blazing with brilliant

scarlet poppies. This is the headquarters of the New Kadampa Tradition, home to

Britain's biggest, richest and fastest growing religious sect. Beneath the battlements in

one of the towers, lives its founder, in permanent semi-retreat, Geshe Kelsang, a Tibetan

monk.

Conishead Priory is a fabulous folly built by a 19th-century millionaire for his wife; he

went bankrupt in the process - or so the story goes. Now its stone arches and stained glass

windows seem to be harbouring another fabulous folly, a sect whose members have

launched a campaign, the effect of which, if successful, will be to destroy he reputation of

the world famous Buddhist - the Dalai Lama.

47
Not that this strikes the hundreds of visitors who come to find peace in the lavish gardens

and beautiful woods beside the wide expanses of sand and sea of Morecambe Bay. To

them, the simplicity of the life - turnip soup, carrot cake and dormitories - appears to be

Buddhism in action. The vast new gompa - temple - being built in the old walled garden

seems proof that the gods bless the NKT.

To the uninformed eye, the Manjushri Mahayana Centre seems no different from any of

the other 800 or so Tibetan Buddhist centres in the West, apart from its vast size and its

air of quite, well organized prosperity. But a Tibetan Buddhist would want to know

immediately why there was no picture of the Dalai Lama respectfully displayed in the

brightly-painted shrine room. Instead, placed centre stage is a framed photograph of

Kelsang in his peaked yellow ceremonial hat, balanced on a frilly satin cushion and

bathed in the glow of a brass lamp. Nothing could illustrate more graphically the pivotal

importance of this man to NKT.

In the same shrine room, the informed observer would also be taken aback by a small

cabinet containing the statue of a fearsome, leering man riding a lion. Both man and

animal bare their teeth savagely. A much enlarged version of this same curious statue

dominates a second, private, shrine room at the other end of the mansion. It represents the

deity, Dorje Shugden - to the NKT faithful, an aspect of Buddha, but to many Tibetan

Buddhists, a Faustian demon who brings its followers material wealth in the short term,

but ultimately terrible misfortune. Geshe Kelsang has instituted the worship of Dorje

Shugden as central to his teaching and study programmes in the NKT.

48
The dispute over this deity is at the heart of this story. It explains the history of

antagonism within the NKT to the Dalai Lama, who has repeatedly warned of the dangers

of worshipping this deity, and has recently declared that Dorje Shugden is a threat to his

own life and to the cause of Tibet. The disagreement has come to a head during the last

two months in the run-up to the Dalai Lama's visit to Britain later this month. A group

calling itself the Shugden Supporters Community - the majority of whose members are

also NKT - has mounted a high profile international campaign, claiming the Dalai Lama's

warnings against Dorje Shugden amount to a ban which denies religious freedom to the

Tibetan refugee settlements of India. NKT members have been handed draft letters to

send to the Home Secretary asking for the Dalai Lama's visa for the UK to be canceled,

arguing that he violates the very human rights - of religious tolerance and non-violence -

which he has spent his life promoting.

Understanding Dorje Shugden is a journey into the medieval culture of Tibetan

Buddhism, teeming with spirits, superstition, demons and oracles. Ironically, the

gargoyles of the mock Gothic Conishead Priory are a helpful reminder of our own past in

this territory. Much of Tibetan Buddhism is rooted in the shamanism which predated the

arrival of Buddhism from India in the seventh century. Buddhism harnessed the powerful

beliefs in a multitude of deities and developed them into spiritual practice aimed at the

Buddhist goal of enlightenment. These ancient deities fall into two classes. The first are

benevolent, the second are earthly gods whom it is dangerous to worship because they

can easily get out of control and become demonic.

49
The Dalai Lama believes Dorje Shugden is an earthly god. Kelsang believes it is a

manifestation of Buddha. The dispute is given added edge because Dorje Shugden has

long been seen by Tibetans as a kind of patron saint or guardian angel of the Gelug, one

of the four schools (or denominations) of Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Shugden has long

been seen by Tibetans as a kind of patron saint or guardian angel of the Gelug and, as

such, has been associated with bitter factional fighting amongst Tibetans. Both Kelsang

and Dalai Lama are members of Gelug, but the Dalai Lama, as a political leader of Tibet,

has gone out of his way to be open to all four school of Buddhism as a way of unifying

his people. To other members of his Gelug school, such as Kelsang, the Dalai Lama is

corrupting the purity of his school by drawing in elements from other schools.

The problem for the Dalai Lama since he first spoke publicly against Dorje Shugden in

1978 is summed up by Paul Williams, Reader in Indo-Tibetan Studies at Bristol

University: "The Dalai Lama is trying to modernise the Tibetans political vision and

trying to undermine the factionalism. He has the dilemma of the liberal: do you tolerate

the intolerant?"

Kelsang was invited to England from a Tibetan monastery in India in 1977 to teach in

Cumbria. He quickly established a devoted following there during the eighties. It was not

until 1991 that the NKT was formally set up. Since then the sect has embarked on a

dramatic expansion plan which now totals about 200 centres in the UK and about 50 in

Australia, Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico as well as the US and Europe. There are currently

21 residential centres in the UK with up to 400 full-time residents. The number of

residential centres has trebled in the past three years; five have opened this year alone.

50
Many of these new properties are substantial: Todmorden, North Yorkshire, is a

Victorian castle in 23 acres; Kilnwick Hall, Pocklington, is a Georgian mansion and the

new Derbyshire centre, Ashe Hall, is a neo-Jacobean mansion in 38 acres of grounds. The

new centre at Bridgewater, Somerset, which is due to open this month, is a former school.

The method of expansion is that residential centres support branch centres, which are

often no more than a group meeting in someone's house; or a hall is rented to run the

NKT courses. When the group has reached a size sufficient to sustain a centre, a property

is bought. The NKT maintains that each centre is entirely autonomous and is only

"spiritually joined" to the NKT, although it admits that the two principal officers of each

centre are NKT members. The aim is to establish a centre in every major UK town with

the NKT as the biggest umbrella Buddhist organization in the west.

Given this rate of development, the NKT needs a large income. At the Manjushri

Mahayana Centre in Cumbria, virtually all the information pamphlets for visitors include

a plea for money in one form or another. Where There's A Will, There's A Way offers

advice on how to include the NKT in your will: "Even students who are now relatively

poor often stand to inherit houses," it says. The Cumbria Centre has a Pound 1.2 million

building program for the new gompa and new accommodation blocks. Donations of up to

Pound 1,500 are requested and will "create enormous merits" in future lives, supporters

are told.

In many of the pamphlets there are references to supporters giving "interest-free loans".

This is one of the NKT's main methods of funding their expansion. One ex-NKT member

became concerned when she saw the business plan for the new centre. The nine-bedroom

51
mansion was to be bought with a mortgage of more than Pound 100,000. The deposit of

about Pound 25,000 was made up from "loans" from supporters of between Pound 500

and Pound 2,000. But there was no provision to pay back the loans in the business plan;

when questioned, the centre involved said they only paid back loans if really pushed.

"But the whole teaching makes you ashamed to push. You give money to gain merit and

you're supposed to give willingly to Kelsang. The argument is that if you can afford to

give Kelsang then you don't need the money anyway," she says.

"I knew of one person who had got his parents to lend him Pound 2,000. They asked me

for Pound 500 and they asked me to take a loan from the bank. They were very insistent;

they told me I'd been picked out by Kelsang as a leader - I'd never met him but, of course,

he knows everything anyway."

An official statement released by the NKT in response to these and other allegations

concerning the organization states that there is only one outstanding loan of Pound 200.

Many other loans to individual centres "spiritually joined with the NKT" are listed

however in accounts lodge with the Charity Commission. On another occasion this same

ex-NKT member was asked for money again: "I was asked to covenant Pound 40 a

month along with six or seven others in the group. Kelsang wanted our teacher to come

off the dole because she was so high-profile and they wanted us to support her. I was

rung up three times and each time I refused because I didn't have the money."

In some centres a substantial proportion of NKT resident members are on income support

and housing benefit. Nuns and monks told former NKT members that they took off their

52
traditional Tibetan robes to sign on at the local benefit office. "At the Tara Centre in

Derbyshire, they told me that all 24 residents were on benefit except one Swiss nun," says

the ex-NKT member.

The mortgages on the large properties are being serviced by rents paid by residents - at

most centres it is by far the largest source of income. More income is generated by

accommodation charges for courses and festival. The result is some fairly prosperous

centres; in the latest accounts filed with the Charity Commission, the Cumbria centre

reported a surplus for 1994 of Pound 171,189. Many centre receive sizeable donations in

1993, the Bath centre received Pound 23,644; the Heruka centre, London, got Pound

20,181 in 1994 and in 1993, the small Hull centre received Pound 37,430.

Geshe Kelsang, in his mid-sixties, is a diminutive figure with a quizzical, pixie-ish face

behind his large glasses. Despite having lived in England for nearly 20 years, he doesn't

speak good English. Yet he has established a reputations as a brilliant teacher of

Buddhism. He has had 16 books published in English on Buddhism; two have reached

the UK bestseller lists. But he is a recluse, rarely appearing in public, and followers have

to wait weeks for an appointment. NKT members refer to him with adulation. "He is

absolutely amazing. He's our spiritual guide. I've never met anyone who works so hard to

spread Buddhist teaching in the West and to help overcome everyday western problems.

His whole life is dedicated to helping other people," declares one NKT follower who has

been involved for two years. Another equally enthusiastic member praised Kelsang's

humility and said she only had to pass him in the corridor to feel spiritually uplifted.

53
Referred to as Geshe la, a term of respect, by his followers, he is not just their teacher but

seen as the Third Buddha. The first Buddha founded Buddhism 2,500 years ago, the

second Buddha founded the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism in the 15th century, and

now the NKT believe Buddha has appeared in the form of Kelsang to establish Buddhism

in the West. To other Tibetan Buddhists this is unbelievably arrogant and self-

aggrandising.

Followers are told that Kelsang is all-knowing and all-powerful; one even left her

children alone at home on the evenings she attended courses, confident that Geshe la

would look after them". Followers are told to pray to Kelsang and he will answer their

prayers. They attribute to him all the characteristic of a Buddha. He is pure wisdom, pure

compassion and omniscient; he is above all physical needs so he does not need to breath,

eat, sleep, go to the lavatory, scratch an itch or cough. However, he does all these things

out of compassion for us ordinary mortals so that we can identify with him. There are

even more outlandish stories of how he has to load his robes with rocks or he will

involuntarily levitate when meditating.

To see your spiritual teacher as Buddha-like is central to Tibetan Buddhism, but in the

NKT, as a lecturer in Tibetan Buddhism put it, this practice has been wrenched from its

cultural context and conflated with Western theism so that Kelsang becomes sort of god.

Geshe Kelsang has responded to this criticism in a letter to a former follower in June last

year. "People can say anything; that Geshe Kelsang is a pure being like the Wisdom

Buddha, or that he is an unpure being, like a bad person. However, from my side, I will

never pretend that I am a special person, like a holy being. I am just a foolish man, but it

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is my good fortune to have a great opportunity to benefit Western people by helping them

to gain greater day-to-day happiness and peace.

"My teaching explains to people how to maintain a peaceful and calm mind day and night

throughout their life ... That solves all their human problems...

"During teachings the teacher sits on a throne and the disciples make prostrations and

recite verses of praise to the Spiritual Guide. These are also general practices throughout

all Mahayana Buddhist traditions. They are not specific characteristics of the NKT. This

tradition comes from the Buddha. The purpose of these practices is simply to increase the

students' merit or good fortune. It is a very positive, wholesome activity..."

But for one former NKT member, the meeting with Kelsang after all the build up was the

beginning of her disillusionment with the organization. "I went to a teaching by Kelsang

at the Manjushri Centre in Cumbria. It was unintelligible. I thought it was a case of the

emperor's new clothes because everyone was saying how wonderful he was but you could

tell by people's faces that they hadn't understood him. It was like crowd hysteria and I

was made to feel it was my fault that I didn't agree with them."

Significantly, some former members draw a distinction between their disillusionment

with the NKT and Kelsang himself, whom they insist is a good, pure man: "He is not a

power-crazed monk. Kelsang is incredibly kind. I've seen him helping people who are

dying or have lost their baby."

A close follower of Kelsang's for years was harshly repudiated by him but still maintains:

"He is totally honest and embodies Buddhist ideals. He is a gentle, kind and powerful

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person, and totally other-worldly, but he is very naive and committed to his tradition. It's

amazing what things are done in the name of purity. Around him are a set of people who

are very worldly and he is using them and they are using his energy. The core of the

NKT's power is the purity of the man at the centre."

Another long-time follower of Kelsang, who has grown increasingly critical of the NKT,

emphasises that Kelsang has been a brilliant teacher of Buddhism in the west: "I have a

lot of respect for his spiritual realisation and his capacity to explain Buddhism. I don't

doubt his motivation and his integrity. But I would question the implications of what he is

doing at a geo-political level. Nor am I sure whether Kelsang understands how Tibetan

consciousness interacts with the Western consciousness."

Kelsang has never put her under pressure to join the NKT or give up other Buddhist

teachers, but she has become increasingly anxious as she sees the adulation of students,

and she fears that Kelsang has little understanding of the West and Westerners. "If

someone gave him Pound 50 and told him to look after himself in London, he wouldn't

know what to do. If you asked Kelsang about Plato and Western consciousness, he

wouldn't know what you are talking about."

"Geshe-la says" seems to be motto of the NKT; everything is referred back to this

mysterious man, every decision justified by reference to him. Teaching is done by

Kelsang or by Kelsang's students and, on the NKT teaching programmes, students study

Kelsang's translations of Tibetan texts.

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The once large and diverse library at Conishead Priory has been sold off. The NKT is an

entirely self-referential system. The total dependence on a single charismatic figure is

unorthodox in Tibetan Buddhism.

At least one ex-member has found the exclusive focus on Kelsang to be enforced with

astonishing strictness. He had visited the Cumbria centre regularly for years when he was

overheard telling a visitor that he admired the Dalai Lama; within 40 minutes he was

handed a letter saying he was banned from the centre. Another family who had been

closely involved in the centre for 15 years were sent a letter banning them because they

had other spiritual teachers and had questioned the total dependence on Kelsang; their

NKT friends dropped all contact with them.

One former member wrote to Kelsang with a number of concerns about the NKT. In his

reply, Kelsang rejected all the criticism and threatened legal action if any of the criticisms

were ever published. In June, the NKT wrote to an Internet user, referring to legal action

because he had disputed the history and origins of Dorje Shugden. Kelsang wrote to one

follower after he left him: "you are going against my spiritual wishes and as you say ...

rebelling against my system, such a thing has never happened before in Buddhist

history." To a devout Buddhist, this was devastating.

The NKT's official statement does not deny that individuals have been expelled from

centres spiritually joined to the NKT when they have been engaged in activities

"incompatible with the individual charity's aims". Such activities include "spreading

disruptive information about the NKT or where an individual was found to be taking

drugs or unable to pay bills."

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If a follower expresses dissent or has difficulty accepting the NKT teachings, the

response is to exonerate the organization and throw the blame back on to the dissenting

individual. An ex-NKT member explains: "My problems or difficulties with the NKT

were explained in terms of your bad karma from a previous life which can only be

purified by prayers and pujas."

Another ex-NKT recalls: "When I questioned things, an NKT teacher took me aside and

told me that I had to devote myself to Geshe-la. That I must not question and that it was

maras - Buddhist demons - which were getting into my head to tempt me." The NKT

statement dismisses this recollection as "fanciful".

Another ex-NKT had been targeted as a possible future teacher. When he confessed that

he still revered other spiritual leaders as well as Kelsang, he was told. "Why do you need

to go elsewhere for answers? If you think you know any answers, then you are wrong.

The only explanations you can ever possibly need are contained in Geshe Kelsang's

teachings." "That's when I left," he says.

A 35-page manual for the NKT teacher-training programme urges students to "internalise

Geshe-la's books so that we can quote liberally from them, word for word" and claims "if

it is found in the works of Geshe Kelsang it is completely reliable". "The more devotion

we have to our Guru the more qualified we are as a Teacher...Every NKT teacher must

give exactly the same explanation, otherwise the NKT will disintegrate...Therefore this

generation of teachers must try very hard to come to complete consensus as to what is the

correct interpretation of every single section of every one of Geshe-la's book."

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The manual demonstrates an aggressive evangelising which is at total variance with

2,500 years of Buddhist teachings against proselytising. Among the tips on attracting new

recruits, it includes: "Be very careful not to give the impression it is a recruitment

drive...We need to come over as really quite ordinary and quite matter-of-fact at the

beginning...We should no worry about converting people at the beginning...To start with

we need to agree with people, to show that we understand where they are at, not to resist

them or argue with them. If we have a wild horse, the best way to tame it is to mount it,

to go with it."

Geshe Kelsang has been a source of anguish among other Buddhist organizations for

more than a decade. But Buddhists have held strongly to the principle of religious

tolerance. Most of the 130,000 Buddhists in this country are in the caring professions, or

are academics, or are part of an ex-hippy culture; they are trusting, idealistic and naive.

They thought Buddhism was immune to the fanaticism and hypocrisy which riddles all

religions. The controversy surrounding the NKT is shattering illusions that Buddhism

was the one fail-safe religion.

"Other Buddhist organizations are amateurs compared with the NKT, who are going to

wipe the floor. The NKT are using the language of Western capitalism, of expansion.

People with marketing skills have been attracted into the NKT and they are very

professional," says one Tibetan Buddhist academic.

What has been causing increasing concern to close observers is that the people being

drawn into the NKT are completely unaware of the nature of the organization. The NKT

is benefitting from 2,500 years of positive publicity for Buddhism, said one. Another

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point out that, ironically, the NKT is riding on the immense public appeal of the very man

their members are attacking, the Dalai Lama, one of the few global leaders left to inspire

heartfelt admiration.

"A lot of young people go into the NKT from a drug-orientated life and find the

emotional force of the cult is tremendously compelling. Many recruits do not know that

the NKT is a branch of one school of Tibetan Buddhism. They think that the NKT is

Tibetan Buddhism and they don't have the context to question what they're involved in,"

the Buddhist teacher added.

The NKT is a fascinating, entirely new chapter in the history of Eastern spirituality in the

West. There are no salacious sex scandals here, nor any suggestion of material corruption

- there are no fleets of Bhagwan-style Rolls Royces. The spiritual naivety of Westerners

has not been exploited for spiritual or material gain, but they have become foot soldiers in

a Tibetan feud. In many respects the NKT teaches Tibetan Buddhism - the need to

develop awareness and compassion through a peaceful state of mind. The official

statement stresses that the NKT is "a centuries old tradition that has passed through India

and Tibet". It takes a considerable, detailed knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism to grasp the

subtle differences of how Westerners understand Kelsang's teaching and the significance

of the centrality of the worship of Dorjee Shugden. It takes detailed, inside knowledge of

the NKT organization to understand its ambition and the fact that it subordinates basic

Buddhist ideals of tolerance and compassion to achieve them.

There is no apparent secrecy about the NKT; you can walk into any of their centres and

be greeted by friendly, forthcoming people. Only people who are trusted are taken into an

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inner core and learn of the contradiction in the NKT. At first sight, its message is the kind

of tolerant, take-it-or-leave-it Buddhism which is so attractive to Western individualistic

sensibility. There is no overt sales patter; visitors are told they must find a teacher who

suits them. The NKT statement points out: "Many hundreds, possibly thousands, of

people have come along to NKT classes and courses and have subsequently moved on

quite happily to other forms of religions or beliefs without any repercussions

whatsoever."

But there is a subtext of superiority which is evident in all the literature; firstly the NKT

teaches "pure" Buddhism and is thus laying claim to being the true descendants of the

Buddha, just as fundamentalist Christians believe they are the true followers of Christ.

Secondly, the NKT claims that Kelsang is the first teacher to adapt Buddhism to

Westerners' needs. (This is patently ludicrous when nuns and monks all wear outlandish

Tibetan burgundy robes, take Tibetan names and make offerings of chocolates and Aqua

Libra on the alter of very Tibetan-looking deities.)

Kelsang tells his followers he believes Buddhism in Tibet is dead because of the Chinese

occupation and that it has already died in India. Buddhism's future is in the West and, of

course, it lies with Kelsang. A religious tradition of 2,500 years is in the hands of a core

of dedicated and totally loyal NKT members.

Two months a ago, the stakes were upped dramatically when the Shugden Supporters

Community (SSC) was set up. What was just a story about some British Buddhists took

on serious geo-political implications as a challenge to the Dalai Lama. The NKT claim

that the SSC is an entirely separate organization. However, Nick Gillespie, chief

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spokesman of the SSC, is the company secretary of the York centre spiritually joined to

the NKT. At a demonstration in London last month, a random sample found all those

questioned bar one were NKT members.

The SSC accuse the Dalai Lama of being an "oppressor" and a "ruthless dictator" who is

as bad as the Chinese because of his alleged ban on Dorje Shugden. "Your smiles charm,

your actions harm," said the placards at a demo attended by 300 chanting Buddhists

outside the Office of Tibet last month. More demonstrations are planned for the Dalai

Lama's visit this month. Press releases are being sent to more than 300 media outlets

around the world, followed by a 51-page dossier, purporting to detail how the Dalai Lama

is oppressing religious freedom. Amnesty International say SSC has not yet succeeded in

substantiating the claims it has made.

But the campaign is working; last month's demonstration was reported on the BBC

national news. It was the second item on the World Service that day and Indian

newspapers took up the story. And the campaign may get further exposure by exploiting

the media's proclivity for smashing idols - the line that the Dalai Lama can't be as good as

he is cracked up to be - and its ignorance of a vastly complicated subject like Tibetan

Buddhism. What the media do claim to understand is human rights and freedom. Hence,

this is the language adopted by the SSC's campaign; their dossier includes a letter from

the "Freedom Foundation", a little known human rights organization which has no charity

number and does not return calls and which the NKT statement admits is "a pressure

group set up by individuals including some who are involved with the NKT.

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What provides a vestige of plausibility to the SCC's claims of religious oppression is that

some of the Dalai Lama's devoted followers, such as the Tibetan Youth Congress, have

taken it upon themselves to see that His Holiness' advice on Dorje Shugden is observed.

They have visited Tibetan monasteries in India asking monks for "loyalty pledges" to the

Dalai Lama. There are also rumours of house-to-house searches for images of Dorje

Shugden in the 100,000-strong Tibetan refugee community in India, but the Office of

Tibet, representatives of the Dalai Lama in London, insist these allegations are baseless.

The SSC is cleverly employing another tactic to smear the Dalai Lama. They drag into

the open the side of Tibetan Buddhism which alienating to Westerners - the dependence

on oracles and astrology. The Dalai Lama is a product of his culture and the SSC are

exploiting this vulnerability to the full; they accuse him of using divination by throwing

balls of dough to determine the status of Dorje Shugden. This is exactly the tack the

Chinese take, arguing that Tibetans are a backward and completely unreasonable people.

The possible consequences of this campaign are far-reaching. A fundamentalist sect built

on the spiritual naivety of its followers has harnessed Western organisational abilities and

propensity for aggressive fundamentalism in the late 20th century and is applying them to

a battle which originates in the bitter internecine factionalism of a medieval Tibetan

culture. Undermine the Dalai Lama's prestige in the West and deal a devastating blow to

the cause of a free Tibet in capitals around the world.

Robbie Barnett of the Tibet Information Network says: "The Tibetan community is a

classic exile entity living on borrowed time and borrowed space, and is thus enormously

susceptible to destabilisation. Everyone excepted that to come from China. The only

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resource the Tibetan government has is its image of moral probity which is indivisible

from the perception of the Dalai Lama. A systematic campaign against his moral

credibility has to be considered as an attempt to damage the whole sustainability of the

exile community."

The relationship between the 100,000 Tibetan refugees and their Indian host has always

been a sensitive one, dependent on India's policy towards China. Any damage to the

Western image of the Dalai Lama could have serious repercussions here. The SSC seem

to be hastening such a development in their latest dossier, claiming that the Indian

government is increasingly unhappy about the Dalai Lama because of his oppression of

religious freedom, and they dragged out a case (they omit to mention that it dates from

1994) of an Indian who was stabbed by a Tibetan as evidence of deteriorating relations.

The SSC's campaign against the Dalai Lama is a dream scenario for the Chinese

government. In 1993, they decided their best tactic for Tibet, this most troublesome

province of the People's Republic, was to divide the Tibetan among themselves. Eighteen

months ago, Chinese documents began to appear undermining the Dalai Lama as a

religious authority, indicating a shift of strategy. The SSC insist in their press releases

that they have no connection with the Chinese. But are they inadvertently doing the

Chinese's work for them? The NKT itself insists it supports fully a free Tibet.

Nevertheless, Kelsang is presenting the Dalai Lama with one of the greatest challenges of

his 36 years in exile. For the first time, his moral authority is being challenged on the

international stage - until now the scene of his greatest success. Not for nothing did His

Holiness say on his 60th birthday last year that this was a dangerous time in his life.

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6. Resources

The Yahoo! Group called New Kadampa Survivors, where a lot of the scandal leaked

Newkadampa.com

Westernshugdensociety.org

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