It seems that some people have misinterpreted our use of the word "forum" as meaning that Damtsig is intended to serve as a center for discussion. In actual fact, we are concerned with unequivocally conveying those aspects of Vajrayana which are well-known and indisputable. Our main page states:
The purpose of Damtsig is to establish a forum in which voices from all corners may be heard, so that no misunderstanding as to the fundamental nature of Vajrayana may persist. Our concern is solely to communicate, in applicable terms, those elements that are the sine qua non of Vajrayana.
If this is unclear, let me clarify. One of the definitions of forum is:
a judicial body or assembly : [41]COURT,and we are happy to hear the testimony of expert witnesses from many fields. However; we have been plagued by a number of passive aggressive "woolly liberal" agitators who seem to question the basis of the proceedings on the grounds that critical commentary of published works is "not nice." The arraignment has passed. Legitimate recourse would be to provide evidence that contradicts our indictment of certain individuals as criminally negligent in their abuse of the vajra master - not that simply questions the relevance of upholding the law.
The Damtsig authors are individuals who wish to defend the integrity of the Vajrayana by decisively discrediting the view that the vajra master is dispensable. Damtsig exists for no purpose other than to provide a public presentation of this traditional viewpoint. In light of this fact, the authors do not wish to engage in personal discussion or small-minded debate. Feedback sent to the site should be based on this consideration. Those who wish to contribute their own expression of our simple aim are welcome to do so. Those who are confused by an author's presentation are welcome to request clarification. Those who disagree with our analysis of specific cases are welcome to respond with well-formulated and credible commentary.
However, because the public service provided by Damtsig is the unambiguous presentation of traditional Vajrayana, we will no longer consider publication of letters whose primary purpose is to admonish us - or to urge restraint. Letters pertaining to an individual author's work are subject to publication at that author's discretion - and alongside the author's comment. Our policy is designed to further the exposition of the variety of extant misunderstanding: we are happy to address points of genuine confusion, or potentially ambiguous statements; but we feel no compulsion to adhere to the journalistic ideal of universal representation. We find it shameful that Tricycle attempts to hide their agenda behind the façade of journalistic integrity, and we will not couch our editorial objective in similar terms. We are unapologetically committed to presenting a critique of the so-called "Western Buddhist" movement from the perspective of orthodox Vajrayana. Individuals who value an examination of the manner in which Vajrayana has been distorted as it has filtered into Western culture will appreciate our position. Individuals who have insight into this process may help us by contributing their own analysis. Those who are merely looking for an outlet to vent their personal opinions are invited to remain uninvolved.