Quite literally, His Holiness’ way from isolated Tibet onto the stage of the world at large was paved by Gyalchen Dorje Shugden.

In 1959, in Tibet ’s besieged capitol, Lhasa , as H.H. Trijang Rinpoche writes in his autobiography, he was increasingly worried about His Holiness’ safety. The state oracle’s advice having not been clear so far, Trijang Rinpoche consulted with Dorje Shugden via Panglung Monastery’s oracle, who urged His Holiness to leave immediately, giving precise instructions for a safe escape. For example, Dorje Shugden aviced to use the southern route out of Lhasa, which turned out to be the only one not fully taken by the Red Army. Kungo Phala, the Dalai Lama’s Chamberlain, said later that everything happened just as the Dharmapala had predicted.

His Holiness’ first public appearance in the west was at Geshe Rabten’s Monastery, Tharpa Choeling, in Vevey , Switzerland . Geshe Rabten and HH Zong Rinpoche, highly praised by His Holiness, Lama Yeshe and so many more highly attained masters, by inviting His Holiness to teach at their Dharma centers, organizing events or through their own teachings, having been sent by His Holiness to plant the Buddhadharma in the west, were instrumental in helping to make the Dalai Lama and Buddhism as widely admired and loved as they are today. (see also Helmut Gassner’s text for more details)

All of these Lamas were utterly and absolutely devoted to His Holiness, and all of them relied on Dorje Shugden as their Dharma protector.

Devotion for them did not mean a few words of praise, but lifetime(s) of dedicating their entire lives to serve His Holiness and Je Tsongkhapa’s teachings. Relying on Dorje Shugden most certainly did not mean hoping for worldly benefits to them, but creating conducive conditions for the Dharma to grow within and without.

If we look at the hundreds of thousands of Sangha and lay people whose lives have been turned to the Dharma thanks to the teachings and transmissions of Kyabjes Pabongkha, Trijang and Zong Dorje Chang, and their disciples who have created hundreds of Dharma centers all over this world, it might tell us something.

Reading accounts of those who knew them personally, we see that they had such an incredible, direct impact on people’s minds because they were living examples of the Dharma; they were the embodied transmission of Manjushri Je Tsongkhapa’s legacy.

Contemplating how, as refugees and without funds or status, they managed to bring the very-difficult-to-meet sublime profound Gaden tradition into this babylonic world, we must conclude that they had an extremely powerful source of support that truly cares for our ultimate happiness.

The name of this source is Wrathful Manjushri Dorje Shugden.