The Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies
(Parliament in Exile)
Resolutions Passed unanimously in June 1996.
1. In the interest of Buddhism and the Tibetan national cause, His Holiness the
Dalai Lama has openly advised against the propitiation of Shugden. On behalf of
the Tibetan people, both in and outside Tibet, the Assembly of Tibetan People's
Deputies would like to express our thanks and gratitude to His Holiness the
Dalai Lama and make a pledge that we will abide by his every advice.
2. This Assembly, accepting and re-emphasizing
the series of announcements made on this issue by the Standing Committee of the
Eleventh Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies and the Kashag, would like to
emphatically encourage all Tibetans to implement the announcements.
3. We would like to express our appreciation to
the monasteries, institutions, lamas, tulkus, monks and lay people who have
immediately implemented the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the
recent announcements of the Kashag and the Assembly of Tibetan people's
Deputies.
4. Those who have not implemented the advice
properly as a result of being misguided into a state of confusion are requested
to get literature and audio tapes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's advice from
the Department of Religion and other concerned departments and officials. They
are requested to make their independent decisions immediately after studying
these and clearing the doubts in their minds.
5. Some people have been circulating literature,
claiming that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile's decision to issue advice on the
demerit of propitiating Shugden amounts to religious persecution. It must be
stated emphatically that giving advice within the context of a particular
religious practice on the merit and demerit of propitiating spirits does not by
any means constitute the infringement of religious freedom.
6. Some baseless rumours have it that
discouraging the propitiation of Shugden goes against the practice of guru
lineage. This claim is totally prejudicial, self-motivated and has no substance
whatsoever. When the successive Dalai Lamas and many reputed Buddhist
practitioners in Tibet, particularly the Thirteen Dalai Lama, restrained the
propitiation of Shugden, it was accepted unanimously by all the lamas who were
well-known for their erudition and spiritual practice. In forbidding the
propitiation of Shugden, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is following
the intention of the guru lineage, including that of his two tutors.
7. Some people have been spreading lies that
individuals were harassed and their objects of worship seized for propitiating
Shugden, and that government officials were expelled from job, etc. Not a
single of these allegations were found to be true. Should such an incident ever
take place, it must be noted that this is neither the wish of His Holiness
Dalai Lama, nor the policy of the Tibetan Administration. We appeal to all the
organizations and individuals to ensure that such an incident does not take
place.
8. In sum, the departments, their branches and
subsidiaries, monasteries and their branches that are functioning under the
administrative control of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile should be strictly instructed,
in accordance with the rules and regulations, not to indulge in the
propitiation of Shugden. We would like to clarify that if individual citizens
propitiate Shugden, it will harm the common interest of Tibet, the life of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and strengthen the spirits that are against the
religion. This can be quite clearly and authentically established through texts
and logic. Having said this, it is up to individuals themselves to decide as
they like. We cannot force anyone to do anything against his or her wish.
However, we would like to emphatically plead to the Shugden-worshippers that
they should stop taking tantric initiations and teachings from His Holiness the
Dalai Lama.
Translated from the original in Tibetan
Resolutions Passed Unanimously on 17 September, 1997.
1. Reaffirming and calling the attention of the
Tibetan people to the resolution of 6 June 1996, the Assembly of the Tibetan
People's Deputies recommends that:
2. Continued efforts should be made to educate
the people to the demerit of following Shugden and that literature, audiotapes
and visual tapes on the subject should be made easily available to the people;
3. The joint disinformation campaign of China
and a small number of Shugden activists should be challenged within the
framework of law;
4. Clarifications should be issued to repudiate
the Shugden activists' distorted propaganda, aimed at deceiving the general
people;
5. Efforts should be made to challenge the
Shugden activists' campaign to intimidate and deceive non-Shugden
practitioners, and that the victims should be provided security and legal
protection;
6. Particularly in the Three Great Monastic
Universities of Sera, Gaden and Drepung, the restriction on Shugden practice
should be kept up; Wherever the restriction has not been adequately enforced in
any quarter of a Monastic University, the abbots, lamas, bureaucracy and
scripture teachers should be asked to discourage the practice; support should
be given to ordinary monks who are forced to violate the monastic discipline
through use of intimidation and threat by Shugden activists;
7. The Chinese government's
politically-motivated support to a handful of Shugden activists and their
disinformation campaigns in Tibet and outside world should be challenged
effectively;
8. Recognition should be given to those who
followed Shugden in the past out of ignorance, but have now given up the
practice; efforts should be made to ensure that they do not suffer as a result
of having given up the Shugden practice;
9. Efforts should be made to ensure that Shugden
practitioners do not receive tantric teachings and Sothar teachings/vows;
10. People should send as much report as
possible so that the local government and concerned central government
departments of India are kept informed of the activities of Shugden supporters;
11. The government, non-governmental
organizations and individuals should continue to follow His Holiness the Dalai
Lama's advice on the demerit of Shugden practice, the resolutions of the
Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies and the Tibetan Administrative organs'
instructions on the matter; and they should challenge the nefarious designs of
the Shugden activists and should not let down their guard.
Translated from the original in Tibetan
