" There are two sides to Robert Thurman.

For over a decade Robert Thurman has been the Dalai Lama's righthand man and greatest promoter in the West, including when it comes to maligning Dorje Shugden practitioners and spreading false information. He has called Dorje Shugden practitioners a cult, murderers, crazies, the Taliban of Buddhism, Chinese agents, sectarian -- misleading people about them in a Newsweek magazine in 1997 and in various public lectures since then.

He has never given valid reasons or concrete evidence to back up his hostile statements. Instead, it seems he blindly follows the Dalai Lama's policy on discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners and the propaganda of the TGIE, hiding behind his various academic credentials and especially his personal friendship with the Dalai Lama. For example, his claim to fame on various profiles is that he was the first Westerner to be ordained as a monk by the Dalai Lama (an odd boast considering he was also one of the first Westerners to disrobe).

At the various Western Shugden Society demonstrations in the US, he refused to engage in any civilized dialogue or debate with the WSS spokesperson and instead angrily insulted her. His wife likewise rudely refused to have a discussion with a senior Buddhist nun (ordained for almost 20 years) and patronizingly told her to go away and learn about Buddhism.

On September 10 2008, the Western Shugden Society wrote Robert Thurman an Open Letter requesting him to back up his public claims:

Extract: If you, Robert Thurman, are not yourself lying, then you must show your evidence to prove your public statements: that Shugden people are sectarian, "the Buddhist Taliban" as you named them; and that the Western Shugden Society is working for the Chinese. You should show your evidence publicly through the internet before 25th October 2008. If your evidence does not appear by this date then we will conclude that you have lied publicly and are misleading people.

Please see the Western Shugden Society website for the full letter. "

" 10th September 2008

To Robert Thurman,

We the Western Shugden Society are writing this letter regarding your previous public statement that Shugden people are sectarian, naming them “the Buddhist Taliban”; and your recent public statement that the Western Shugden Society protestors are “working for the Chinese”.

As you know, Shugden people want to practice the Gelug tradition purely, without mixing with the Nyingma tradition. Because of this the Dalai Lama has said to Shugden people that they are sectarian. In truth, the Nyingmapa also want to practice their Nyingma tradition purely without mixing with the Gelug tradition; and it is the same for the Sakyapa and Kagyupa. So according to the Dalai Lama’s view, the Nyingmapa, Sakyapa and Kagyupa are also sectarian, but he only says that Shugden people are sectarian. In reality he is lying.

If you, Robert Thurman, are not yourself lying, then you must show your evidence to prove your public statements: that Shugden people are sectarian, “the Buddhist Taliban” as you named them; and that the Western Shugden Society is working for the Chinese. You should show your evidence publicly through the internet before 25th October 2008. If your evidence does not appear by this date then we will conclude that you have lied publicly and are misleading people.

Sincerely,

Western Shugden Society "

" I hope that people do come to this lecture. It will give people insight to the idea that non-violence is not a cowardly act but rather one full of courageous confronting of injustice that respects the dignity of all. Thank you for bringing this lecture to the campus "