Understanding the Case Against Shukden: The History of a Contested Tibetan Practice

Leaders of the Dalai Lama’s tradition illuminate the issues surrounding the Shukden controversy.

Before the twentieth century, the figure of Shukden, or Dölgyal, was an obscure one in the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism’s many oracles and protectors. But after individuals within the Geluk tradition began to promote and disseminate the practice, division arose among Buddhists of different sects. Later, incidents within the exile community, as recounted in this book, prompted the Dalai Lama to in...