Trouble in Paradise by Will Spisak (QC Knight News)

In the thick heat of July, a crowd of protestors gathered outside Radio City Music Hall. Inside, the exiled leader of the Tibetan people, the Dalai Lama, was speaking to followers concerning the four noble truths of Buddhism. After the discussion, the followers were confronted by a small contingent of Western Buddhists outside the building, holding signs and chanting "the Dalai Lama is lying" and "we demand religious freedom." It was not long before the Dalai Lama's faithful clashed with the protestors, verbally and physically. The NYPD was needed to break up the confrontation.

Onlookers and pedestrians assumed the conflict had to do with the Chinese and the issue of Tibetan independence. In reality, the clash was the result of an internal theological conflict. Recently, a split has occurred within Tibetan Buddhism concerning a particular deity, Dorge Shugden.

The protestors were practitioners of Kadampa Buddhism, a particular tradition within Mahayana Buddhism that believes Dorge Shugden is a Buddha, or an enlightened being. Kadampa Buddhists, led by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, claim that the Dalai Lama is trying to end their particular religious tradition and has resorted to tyrannical tactics to do so. The Western Shugden Society has made the claim that "…monks and nuns are…expelled from their monasteries…people who refuse to renounce [Dorge Shugden] are losing their jobs and their children are being expelled from schools…"

The Dalai Lama rejects these claims. The exiled leader acknowledges he has denounced the veneration of this particular deity, who he regards as a harmful spirit and associates with sectarianism. He is attempting to unite the sects of Tibetan Buddhism to create a more effective singular entity, but claims that if one wishes to continue practicing this particular tradition, they can, but they should no longer associate with him

In regards to the particular practice, most individuals here in the West are probably indifferent. So why do I think you need to know about this issue? Although the situation at the moment is hardly what we can call a sectarian rift, it certainly has the potential of becoming one. Many individuals have begun making outrageous claims that have done nothing but added fuel to the fire. Robert Truman, an American Buddhist and scholar of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism at Columbia University, made a public statement referring to the followers of Shugden tradition as "the Buddhist Taliban." Likewise, the Western Shugden Society has made the claim that the Dalai Lama is not really a Buddhist at all. Sectarianism has plagued many of the world's religions. While Buddhism has its variations, for the most part, they have all accepted one another as legitimate paths to enlightenment. No one wants to see this debate escalate to the point where one side completely denounces the other as illegitimate Buddhism.

The political undertones that surround Tibet make this issue all the more sensitive. With political, as well as religious, unity at stake, both sides have begun to ponder what a rift might mean for the future of Tibet. This presents a particular point of interest to the West. For decades, the Dalai Lama has been revered as a champion of peace and, as a result, we have developed a particular soft spot in our heart for him. However, if the claims made by the Western Shugden Society are true, and there is actual religious persecution occurring in Tibet and in the exiled communities, will the West be willing to confront our champion of peace on this issue? I am not suggesting that the claims are definite; however, if the problem persists and persecution becomes an undeniable reality, we will have to decide what is more valuable to us, a united Tibetan community able to reach an agreement with the Chinese or our basic belief in religious freedom.