Hunting the guru: Lineage, culture and conflict in the development of Tibetan Buddhism in America

This thesis traces the history of sectarianism and factionalism in and among the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet, exile and in the West, and explores both inter-school and intra-school conflict. I argue that sectarianism in Tibetan Buddhism has been transformed and intensified by the demands of exile and Western involvement in Tibetan Buddhism. This is evident from my analyses of the guru-disciple bond in Tibetan Buddhism, the roles of the Dalai Lama, and two case studies of specific sectarian conflicts.;The first case study explores the establishment of Tibetan Buddhism in upstate New York. Upstate New York is home to the North American seats of three out of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism (including the only branch of the Dalai Lama's personal monastery outside of exile and Tibet) as well as several other important Tibetan Buddhist centers. This investigation showcases sectarian tensions between the four schools, and provides insight into the national and global development of Tibetan Buddhism.;My second case study, which focuses on intra-school factional conflict, concerns the controversy over the protector deity Dorje Shugden. Since 1996, the Dalai Lama has proscribed the worship of a centuries-old deity, Dorje Shugden, due to Shugden's perceived sectarian nature. This controversy, about which little academic work has been written, functions as a lens through which one may view the divisions in the Tibetan diaspora and the sectarian tension amongst the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the long-term factionalism within the Gelug school. My analysis shows that Western involvement in Tibetan Buddhism has transformed the Shugden conflict.;I contend that the shadow side of Tibetan Buddhism has been neglected in favor of preserving the myth of Shangri-la. In order to trace Buddhism's establishment in the West, it is necessary to examine the influence that diversity and divisiveness have had on Tibetan Buddhism's development, especially in the West. I argue that the manifestation of "conspicuous compassion" in the West, a phenomenon created by the need of Westerners to reify their Buddhist identity via material trappings and professed affiliations, has resulted in the intensification of sectarian identity among Westerners.