Dolgyal Shugden


Book Description

Many visitors attending public talks and teachings of the Dalai Lama have been shocked to encounter nearby crowds of angry protesters, people dressed in Tibetan Buddhist monastic robes, proclaiming the Dalai Lama to be a "liar," "hypocrite," "dictator," etc., and accusing him of robbing them of their religious freedom. Dolgyal Shugden: A History reveals with clear evidence, how these protests have been organized by a Tibetan monk, Kelsang Gyatso, and have been coordinated and populated by his followers, members of his "New Kadampa Tradition." It also provides in depth research to show how, though the demonstrations purport to object to the Dalai Lama's repudiation of their worship of the Dolgyal Shugden, considered by most Tibetans to be a mundane, somewhat demonic spirit, their main aim is simply to attack the Dalai Lama by damaging his reputation, in parallel with the present Chinese government's worldwide attempts to do the same. This book seeks to clarify the ignorance and misconceptions surrounding the Dolgyal Shugden spirit cult and its relationship with the Dalai Lamas of Tibet, and goes on to further analyze the record and development of the schismatic New Kadampa Tradition, unveiling the cultic structures and dogmas, the financial mechanisms, the international affiliations, and the driving motivations of its leadership that keep it running and expanding its missionary activities.




Dolgyal Shugden


Book Description




The Dalai Lama and the King Demon


Book Description

A triple homicide committed a few hundred yards away from the residence in exile of the Dalai Lama opens the doors to an unknown universe for Superintendent Rajeev Kumar Singh of the Indian police. He goes over every step of the crime and identifies its perpetrators as members of an exclusive cult dedicated to a demonic spirit with fearsome earthly powers. The chief suspects include the leading figures of a society devoted to the cult of Gyalpo Shugden, whose headquarters are to be found in the heart of Delhi’s Tibetan exile neighborhood. Raimondo Bultrini, an investigative journalist, decides to open a new trail by reconstructing the mystical aspect of the events. The Dalai Lama himself, determined to combat the sectarian outlook fostered in the name of the "king demon" by a group within the clergy of the Gelukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, reveals to Bultrini hitherto secret religious and historical details regarding the impact of the cult. Recent events and developments seem to bear out his perspective, since many Gyalpo Shugden followers have found common ground with the Chinese authorities. The links between these renegade lamas and the Communist regime are becoming stronger, creating an alliance aimed at removing all traces of the Dalai Lama’s lineage from Tibet’s future. This is the first major exposé of this intriguing struggle at the heart of the mysticism and politics surrounding the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan quest for freedom.




A Great Deception


Book Description

A courageous and compelling account of Tibetan history and the activities of the current Dalai Lama that stand in stark contrast to popular perceptions of a "holy" politician. With an extensive compilation of news stories, documents, personal accounts, and chronologies, a tangle of religion and politics is revealed that plays out in Tibetan exile communities and across the international stage, embodied in the person of the 14th Dalai Lama. The aims of this book are religious--to end an illegal ban on a mainstream Buddhist practice that the Dalai Lama has personally rejected and maligned. However, to get to the heart of this human rights issue and to gain the support of those who can affect its resolution, the book endeavors to follow knotted threads of political ambitions, deception, greed, and betrayal to unravel the popular mythology that surrounds the iconic Dalai Lama of Tibet.




Minority Religions and Uncertainty


Book Description

Religions are at their core about creating certainty. But what happens when groups lose control of their destiny? Whether it leads to violence, or to nonviolent innovations, as found in minority religions following the death of their founders or leaders, uncertainty and insecurity can lead to great change in the mission and even teachings of religious groups. This book brings together an international range of contributors to explore the uncertainty faced by new and minority religious movements as well as non-religious fringe groups. The groups considered in the book span a range of religious traditions (Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam), old and new spiritual formations such as esotericism, New Age and organized new religious movements, as well as non-religious movements including the straight edge movement and the British Union of Fascists. The chapters deal with a variety of contexts, from the UK and US, to Japan and Egypt, with others discussing global movements. While all the authors deal with twentieth- and twenty-first-century movements and issues, several focus explicitly on historical cases or change over time. This wide-ranging, yet cohesive volume will be of great interest to scholars of minority religious movements and non-religious fringe groups working across religious studies, sociology and social psychology.




Tibet on Fire


Book Description

Using Kenneth Burke's concept of dramatism as a way of exploring multiple motivations in symbolic expression, Tibet on Fire examines the Tibetan self-immolation movement of 2011-2015. The volume asserts that the self-immolation act is an affirmation of Tibetan identity in the face of cultural genocide.




Handbook of Conspiracy Theory and Contemporary Religion


Book Description

Conspiracy theories are a ubiquitous feature of our times. The Handbook of Conspiracy Theories and Contemporary Religion is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive, transnational overview of this phenomenon along with in-depth discussions of how conspiracy theories relate to religion(s). Bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines, from psychology and philosophy to political science and the history of religions, the book sets the standard for the interdisciplinary study of religion and conspiracy theories.




The Illusive Play: the Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama


Book Description

The Illusive Play is an English translation of the autobiography of Ngawang Lobzang Gyatsho, the Fifth Dalai Lama. It is of exceptional value because it has taken such care to give a precise chronology throughout its entire length. It witnesses the life and culture of 17th-century Tibet, which was a formative period for the establishment of the Tibetan Buddhist theocracy.




The Agendas of Tibetan Refugees


Book Description

Since the arrival of the first Tibetans in exile in 1959, a vast and continuous wave of international – especially Western – support has permitted these refugees to survive and even to flourish in their temporary places of residence. Today, these Tibetan refugees continue to attract assistance from Western governments, organizations and individuals, while other refugee populations are largely forgotten in the international agenda. This book shows and discusses how Tibetan refugees continue to attract resources, due, notably, to the dissemination of their political and religious agendas, as well as how a movement of Western supporters, born in very different conditions, guaranteed a unique relationship with these refugees.




A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951


Book Description

V. 2. It is not possible to understand contemporary politics between China and the Dalai Lama without understanding what happened during the 1950s. This book presents an understanding of that period. It furnishes portraits of these major players and unravels the fateful intertwining of Tibetan and Chinese politics against the backdrop of the Korean War.