Dorje Shugden

Dorje Shugden (, Wylie: ''rdo rje shugs ldan'', ), also known as Dolgyal and Gyalchen Shugden, is an entity associated with the Gelug school, the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Dorje Shugden is variously looked upon as a destroyed gyalpo, a minor mundane protector, a major mundane protector, an enlightened major protector whose outward appearance is that of a gyalpo, or as an enlightened major protector whose outward appearance is enlightened.

Promoters of Dorje Shugden consider it to be the protector of Je Tsongkhapa's pure dharma, traditionally regarded as the founder of the Gelug school. The Dorje Shugden controversy arose in the 1930s within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Gelug school itself, regarding Dorje Shugden's nature, status of enlightenment, differences from traditional Gelug teachings, replacement of traditional Gelug protectors, sectarian functions, and actions by western adherents of the New Kadampa Tradition.

Origins

Minor protector

Dorje Shugden, also known as Dolgyal, was a " gyalpo" "angry and vengeful spirit" of South Tibet, which was subsequently adopted as a "minor protector" of the Gelug school, the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, headed by the Dalai Lamas (although nominally the Ganden Tripas). Georges Dreyfus says "Shuk-den was nothing but a minor Ge-luk protector before the 1930s when Pa-bong-ka started to promote him aggressively as the main Ge-luk protector." Dreyfus states "the propitiation of Shukden as a Geluk protector is not an ancestral tradition, but a relatively recent invention of tradition associated with the revival movement within the Geluk spearheaded by Pabongkha."''Are We Prisoners of Shangrila? Orientalism, Nationalism, and the Study of Tibet''
by Georges Dreyfus, JIATS, no. 1 (October 2005), THL #T1218, 21, section 3: ''The Shukden Affair and Buddhist Modernism'', retrieved 2014-05-09.

Pabongka's transformation

Pabongka transformed Dorje Shugden's "marginal practice into a central element of the Ge-luk tradition," thus "replacing the protectors appointed by Dzong-ka-ba himself" and "replacing the traditional supra-mundane protectors of the Ge-luk tradition." This change is reflected in artwork, since there is "lack of Dorje Shugden art in the Gelug school prior to the end of the 19th century."''Himalayan Buddhist Art 101: Controversial Art, Part 1 - Dorje Shugden ''
by Jeff Watt, retrieved Feb. 16, 2014.

Pabongka fashioned Shugden as a violent protector of the Gelug school, who is employed against other traditions.Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 43. "A key element of Phabongkha Rinpoche’s outlook was the cult of the protective deity Dorje Shugden, which he married to the idea of Gelug exclusivism and employed against other traditions as well as against those within the Gelug who had eclectic tendencies." Shugden was a key element in Phabongkha's persecution of the Rimé movement. Within the Gelug school itself, Pabongka constructed Shugden as replacing the traditional Gelug protectors Pehar, Nechung, Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, Vaisravana and Kalarupa, who was appointed by Tsongkhapa.Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 48. "It seems that during the 1940s, supporters of Phabongkha began to proclaim the fulfilment of this tradition and to maintain that the Tibetan government should turn its allegiance away from Pehar, the state protector, to Dorje Shugden."Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 48. "Phabongkha’s claim that Dorje Shugden had now replaced the traditional supramundane protectors of the Gelug tradition such as Mahakala, Vaisravana and, most specifically, Kalarupa (‘the Dharma-King’), the main protector of the Gelug who, it is believed, was bound to an oath by Tsong Khapa himself."

Restrictions on the practice of Shugden were implemented by the 13th Dalai Lama. Pabongka apologized and promised not to practice Shuk-den any more.Bultrini, Raimondo. ''The Dalai Lama and the King Demon''. Tibet House 2013. Phabongka said "I shall perform purification and promise with all my heart that in the future I will avoid propitiating, praying to, and making daily offerings to Shugden. I admit to all the errors I have made, disturbing Nechung and contradicting the principle of the refuge, and I beg you, in your great heartfelt compassion, to forgive me and purify my actions."

Kelsang Gyatso

David Kay notes that Kelsang Gyatso departs from Phabongkha and Trijang Rinpoche by stating that Dorje Shugden's appearance is enlightened, rather than worldly.Kay, David (2004). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation''. London: RoutledgeCurzon. p. 101-2. Kay states:

Kay quotes Kelsang Gyatso's interpretation of Shugden's appearance:

Dreyfus describes the view that Shugden is enlightened as that of "most extreme followers of Shukden" and adds:

Kay states that "Shugden as an enlightened being is both a marginal viewpoint and one of recent provenance."

Characteristics

Name

Pabongka referred to Shugden as "Dol-gyel":

Iconography and symbolism

The entry for Dorje Shugden in Frederick Bunce's encyclopedia of Buddhist entities describes Dorje Shugden's appearance as follows:

Meanwhile, von Brück describes Dorje Shugden's appearance as follows:

A characteristic of the iconography of Dorje Shugden is the central figure surrounded by four cardinal emanations. According to Nebresky-Wojkowitz:
*"In the East resides the 'body emanation' (sku'i sprul pa) Zhi ba'i rgyal chen, white with a mild expression" ( Vairochana Shugden)
*"In the South dwells 'emanation of excellence' (yon tan gyi sprul pa) rGyas pa'i chen." (Ratna Shugden)
*"In the West dwells 'emanation of speech' (gsung gi sprul pa) dBang 'dus rgyal chen, of white colour, having a slightly wild expression." (Pema Shugden)
*"In the North resides the 'emanation of karma' ('phrin gyi sprul pa) Drag po'i rgyal chen. His body is of a green colour, and he is in a ferocious mood." (Karma Shugden)

Dreyfus describes the iconography of Dorje Shugden:

Control under Vajrabhairava

In Phabongkhapa's text, Shugden is to be controlled by Vajrabhairava. As von Brück explains:

von Brück provides a translation of Phabongkhapa's text which states:

Destruction by Fifth Dalai Lama

According to the early histories, the 5th Dalai Lama destroyed Shugden through black magic and tantric rituals. As Bultrini explains (with quoted phrases from the 5th Dalai Lama):

Terdak Lingpa confirmed:

Later adherents of Shugden revised history to state that the 5th Dalai Lama was unsuccessful.

Oracle

As with other spirits in Tibet, there is an oracle of Dorje Shugden.

Kay notes the presence of an oracle of Shugden conflicts with Kelsang Gyatso's portrayal of Shugden as a Buddha, since Buddhas do not have oracles. Kay states:

According to Nebesky-Wojkowitz, "The best-known of the prophetic seers who act as the mouthpiece of Dorje Shugden lives at a shrine in Lhasa called sPro bde khang gsar Trode Khangsar (rgyal khang) or sPro khang bde chen lcog. This is one of the few Tibetan oracle-priests who is not allowed to marry. In a house close to this shrine stays also one of the most renowned mediums of Kha che dmar po."

According to Joseph Rock, there were two main Dorje Shugden oracles: Panglung Choje and Trode Khangsar Choje. Rock witnessed and documented a public invocation of the Panglung Oracle in Kham (Eastern Tibet) in 1928. At that time, the oracle took a sword of Mongolian steel and twisted it into many loops. Choyang Duldzin Kuten Lama was the Dorje Shugden oracle for many years.

See also

* Dorje Shugden controversy
* Gyalpo

Further reading

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References

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Buddhism-related controversies
New Kadampa Tradition