Certainly not. This is a good example of how Dorje Shugden practitioners, including those within the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), have been slandered and how public opinion can be created and manipulated.
On May 19 2008, the German journalist Reinhard Bingener published an article in the prestigious German newspaper ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’. The article entitled “Breakfast with the Prince of Peace – The image of the Dalai Lama in the West could be showing cracks” was critical towards the Dalai Lama; however it also stated that “Shugden people engage in animal sacrifice”.
This shows how public opinion can be created and manipulated. When the journalist was asked how he could publish such a false statement, he said a “religion expert” told him that Shugden practitioners sacrifice animals. When asked the name of this “expert”, Bingener replied that he was requested not to mention it. When asked for evidence or even instances of Shugden practitioners sacrificing animals, the journalist could not give any.
There is no Dorje Shugden or NKT practitioner who has ever sacrificed one single animal. This is utterly against the meaning of Buddhism, including the Dorje Shugden prayer in which we request Dorje Shugden to protect all living beings, including animals. Indeed, the NKT is filled with people who love animals and a great number of NKT practitioners are vegetarians for compassionate reasons.
