Tibetan Parliament in Exile's Resolution of June 1996


Resolutions Passed Unanimously by the Assembly of Tibetan people's Deputies, the Popularly-elected Parliament of the Tibetans in Exile, Dharamsala


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 Ñ within the context of a particular religious practice Ñ 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

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