The Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies’ Resolutions
Resolutions Passed Unanimously in June 1996. (Parliament in Exile)
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.
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