[Buddha-l] Metaphysical warfare

[Christopher Fynn]

jkirk wrote:

> So what's the deal according to you, Chris? 
> Is Sera monastery the homebase for the Shugden cult? 

Hi Joanna

The situation is *much* more complicated than that...

The large Geluk monasteries such as Sera are divided into "Colllges" (grwa
tshang),  which are further sub-divided into numerous "houses" (khang tshan).

[You can find quite a bit of information about the traditional structure of Sera
in Tibet at <http://www.thdl.org/collections/cultgeo/mons/sera/>]

Sera monastery which has been re-established in Karnataka has two "colleges"
Chey /Je (byes) and Mey (smad) -
which are
further divided into 30 or 40 "regional houses" or khangtsen (khang tshan).
Monks who come to study or stay at large monasteries like Sera will usually stay
in a khangtsen associated with the region of Tibet they come from.

Each college of Sera has its own curriculum text books, main temple and rituals.
The regional houses also have their own  temples, incarnate lamas, tutors, text
books written by former scholars of that khangtsen, - and their own rituals and
protective deities. These protective deities were often originally local deities
associated with the region or regional monastery with which the particular khang
tshan is allied - In some cases this is the spirit of a powerful lama or figure
associated with that region who died a violent death.

As you might expect there is great rivalry not only between the three great
state monasteries but between the colleges in each monastery and between the
individual kangtsen within the colleges. Monks can be almost fanatically loyal
to their college and Kangtsen - it is their family & represents their tribe.
These dharma protectors associated with each kangtsen are their totems - if a
particular khangtsen becomes rich or influential - or if their scholars are
successful in debate - this may be attributed to the power of their particular
protective deities.  If there is misfortune

Phabongkhapa who first popularised this practice was a lama of Sera Mey.

These days in Sera the practice or invocation of the "protector" Shugden is
*particularly* associated with Pomara kangtsen of Sera Mey college. This 
kangtsen has a large temple dedicated to the protector Shugden. One of the main 
incarnate lamas of this kangtsen resides in Taiwan where he has many wealthy 
patrons who also support the Pomra house in Sera. The monks of this khangtsen
have resolutely refused to give up the invocation of this protector - or even to
be quiet about it. Although individual lamas in other parts of Sera undoubtedly 
still invoke this deity regularly in private - Pomara Kangtsen is probably now 
the only section of the monastery which does so publicly.

The practice of this protector has also also been very strong in certain
sections of Ganden monastery in Mungod - particularly amongst followers of the
late Zong Rinpoche <http://www.tsemtulku.com/rinpoche/zongrinpoche1.htm> and the
late Zeme Rinpoche. At one time there was a very large image and Temple devoted
to this diety at Ganden. Shugden has also been also popular with certain wealthy
Tibetan business people who attribute their success & fortune to the power of
this protector diety.


 > Is China supporting the
> Shugdens, or not?

China naturally does whatever it can to cause disharmony within the Tibbetan
exile community and to try discredit the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government
in Exile - this controversy has been a golden opportunity for them.

It is said that China gives money to various pro Shugden lamas - that they can 
get visas to visit Tibet easily - and even that China will pay for these trips.
I don't know what the truth of any of this is.

Do a search on "Gyaiqen Xudain" - which seems to be the Pinyin spelling for
"Gyalchen Shugden"...

- Chris

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