The great master of sutra and tantra, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, was a strong practitioner of Dorje Shugden and encouraged his students to follow suit also.

1. KYABJE ZONG RINPOCHE’S ADVICE
ON DORJE SHUGDEN’S PRACTICE

3. • Dear friends,
• In 1983 His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche bestowed the initiation of Dorje Shugden to Geshe Tsultrim
Gyeltsen’s students. The initiation, or sogtae in Tibetan, took place at Thubten Dhargye Ling Dharma
centre in Los Angeles, USA which was Geshe-la’s centre, and Geshe-la requested this initiation on his
students’ behalf. Thus being one of Geshe-la’s students, I had the good fortune to receive teachings
from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche including the practice of Dorje Shugden.

4. • The first time I laid eyes on Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s picture was in Los Angeles, in my friend’s van when
he came to pick me up for tsok at the centre. There was a picture of a lama on his dashboard that I had
never seen before. I didn’t know who this lama was so I asked my friend and the instant I heard his
name, faith spontaneously arose. All I could think about was that this person was a Buddha and if you
followed him, you would reach enlightenment and I fully, truly really believed that. So you can only
imagine how excited and scared and overjoyed I was when I found out that Kyabje Zong Rinpoche
himself was going to visit and live in our centre. You can read more here about how I met His Holiness
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and also our relationship over here.

5. • On the afternoon Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was due to arrive, I was so frustrated because I had to go to
work. So right after work, I rushed back to the centre and when I got there, there were a lot of
unfamiliar shoes outside and unfamiliar luggage crowded in the main hall. That was when I heard the
voice of Heruka himself coming from upstairs.

6. • Shortly afterwards, Geshe-la introduced me to his teacher, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and upon sight I knew
that he was and always would be my root guru. Geshe-la also later appointed me to cook and
personally serve Kyabje Zong Rinpoche for the entire duration of his stay and so that became my daily
routine for the next six months. I would go to work and when I wasn’t working, I had the great merits to
serve, cook meals, clean and assist two Buddhas – Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Geshe-la. This happened
every single day without fail.

7. • So although I was ‘just’ 18 at the time, already I felt a deep and very profound connection. And that
connection to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is just as strong within me now in 2017. It has been more than 30
years since I last saw His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche but my faith today is just as firm as the first
time I met him or, dare I say, even more firm today. I will never, ever abandon any teachings, practices,
advice or instructions given to me by Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I will practise what he gave me personally
till my end and also share what Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gave me to many others because everything he
gave me was perfect and without flaw. There can never be a flaw or negative quality in anything that
comes from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.

8. • Over 30 years ago, I made my choice that His Holiness Zong Rinpoche is my root guru and I have never
wavered from it since or had second thoughts or doubted. I think everyone has the right to choose their
guru, accept his practice and no other gurus or their students should criticise this. Because it is not their
right to do so.

9. • To advise against another guru and his teachings is not proper spiritual etiquette. If you are truly
spiritual, you will never criticise another person’s teacher or their practice ever. The relationship
between a teacher and disciple is between them. When we start criticising, there is no end to the
criticism. We are just ordinary people and we can be in danger of one day criticising someone sincere
both student and teacher. Hurting their relationship and endangering their spiritual path does not
benefit them or us.

10. • The karma for us will be heavy and it will return to us in the form of not gaining any higher attainments
and realisations. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche lived a healthy, long and highly fruitful life benefiting thousands.
He passed at 80 in full control without any illness and he predicted the time of his own passing exactly.
In fact he was supposed to pass away earlier but due to many requests from his students, and also the
promise he made to find his root guru His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s incarnation, he delayed his
own passing.

11. • So today his incarnation has returned in perfect form and resides in Gaden Shartse Monastery and has
nearly completed his studies. This shows clearly if you practise Dorje Shugden, only good things arise.
Some people like to say if you practise Dorje Shugden, you lose your refuge vows and you will take
rebirth in the three lower realms.

12. • Well certainly Kyabje Zong Rinpoche did not take rebirth in the three lower realms and he would never
send his thousands of students to the three lower realms by giving them Dorje Shugden practice.

13. • So His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche manifested passing in 1984 and his body stayed in death
meditation for three days without decomposition in the South Indian heat where Gaden Monastery is
located. During the lifetime of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, no one and no lama even would
speak negatively about Dorje Shugden as they could not refute the logic and erudite knowledge of
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.

14. • Even the Tibetan leadership would never say one word about Dorje Shugden. They knew they could not
defeat Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in debate as the many senior monks said. The Tibetan
leadership (Dharamsala or CTA) never ‘advised’ His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche to cease his practice
and proliferation of Dorje Shugden.

15. • It was after the passing of this great master we hear some negative reverberations from Tibetan
leadership against Dorje Shugden for political reasons it seems. But it does not affect me and
the millions of practitioners around the world. In life, whatever we do, there will be people against it
and in agreement. We just have to be firm. I am firm because my root teacher gave this practice to me.

16. ABOUT MORE INFORMATION
• http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-
masters/kyabje-zong-rinpoches-advice-on-dorje-shugdens-practice.html

17. THANK YOU