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 Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:53 am
I'm reposting this from the Religious Tolerance Guild. Link to original article (with pictures): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20227400/site/newsweek/China regulates Buddhist reincarnationBy Matthew Philips Newsweek Aug. 20-27, 2007 issue - In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation." But beyond the irony lies China's true motive: to cut off the influence of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual and political leader, and to quell the region's Buddhist religious establishment more than 50 years after China invaded the small Himalayan country. By barring any Buddhist monk living outside China from seeking reincarnation, the law effectively gives Chinese authorities the power to choose the next Dalai Lama, whose soul, by tradition, is reborn as a new human to continue the work of relieving suffering. At 72, the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since 1959, is beginning to plan his succession, saying that he refuses to be reborn in Tibet so long as it's under Chinese control. Assuming he's able to master the feat of controlling his rebirth, as Dalai Lamas supposedly have for the last 600 years, the situation is shaping up in which there could be two Dalai Lamas: one picked by the Chinese government, the other by Buddhist monks. "It will be a very hot issue," says Paul Harrison, a Buddhism scholar at Stanford. "The Dalai Lama has been the prime symbol of unity and national identity in Tibet, and so it's quite likely the battle for his incarnation will be a lot more important than the others." So where in the world will the next Dalai Lama be born? Harrison and other Buddhism scholars agree that it will likely be from within the 130,000 Tibetan exiles spread throughout India, Europe and North America. With an estimated 8,000 Tibetans living in the United States, could the next Dalai Lama be American-born? "You'll have to ask him," says Harrison. If so, he'll likely be welcomed into a culture that has increasingly embraced reincarnation over the years. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 20 percent of all U.S. adults believe in reincarnation. Recent surveys by the Barna Group, a Christian research nonprofit, have found that a quarter of U.S. Christians, including 10 percent of all born-again Christians, embrace it as their favored end-of-life view. A non-Tibetan Dalai Lama, experts say, is probably out of the question. © 2007 Newsweek, Inc.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:27 pm
I really do want to know exactly how they plan to do this - checkpoints in the afterlife?
"Okay, sir, we're aware you've undergone your wait period as prescribed by your religious beliefs, but you failed to file form 175-B, and thus we cannot let you reincarnate until your earthbound family files it. If they don't, we'll have to detain you here in Yama's kingdom..."
Seriously. Good luck standing in the way of karma, guys. That never ends well. xd They're a bit nuts, aren't they?
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:44 am
I have a hard time imagining that Chinese government officials actually take themselves seriously...they're as ridiculous as my avatar!
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:52 am
The point of the article was that China will finally have a way to fully take control of Tibet, and they'll be using their own false Dalai Lama as their pawn.
Of course reincarnation can't be controlled by a government, and they're probably well aware of that, but it's merely a tool they're using to fully and unrelentingly control an entire race of people.
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:51 am
That's really sad and scary for Tibet... I hope they will be able to see through it or not be taken in by it....
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:20 pm
A Murder of Angels The point of the article was that China will finally have a way to fully take control of Tibet, and they'll be using their own false Dalai Lama as their pawn. Of course reincarnation can't be controlled by a government, and they're probably well aware of that, but it's merely a tool they're using to fully and unrelentingly control an entire race of people. I fail to see how it'll work anyway, given Tibet in Exile will declare their own Lama, and people will know he's the right one and listen to him - in exile, as they have been with the current one. This doesn't change anything, it just makes China look more desperate and silly.
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:22 pm
Byaggha A Murder of Angels The point of the article was that China will finally have a way to fully take control of Tibet, and they'll be using their own false Dalai Lama as their pawn. Of course reincarnation can't be controlled by a government, and they're probably well aware of that, but it's merely a tool they're using to fully and unrelentingly control an entire race of people. I fail to see how it'll work anyway, given Tibet in Exile will declare their own Lama, and people will know he's the right one and listen to him - in exile, as they have been with the current one. This doesn't change anything, it just makes China look more desperate and silly. Even if the people know that the China-chosen Dalai Lama isn't the real one, the Chinese government will say that it is and refuse to accept otherwise. And we all know how stubborn the Chinese government can be... China will control the false Lama, justifying, in their minds, their fill control of Tibet.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:47 am
Living in Canada, I plan to write a letter to the Chinese Embassy here, asking to apply. We all have the Buddha-potential, so it would be in the best interests of this absurd law if everyone applied for rebirth ("reincarnation"). I encourage everyone to do the same, or if you live in the same city as an Embassy to even show up in person and ask to apply, arguing that since you have Buddha-nature, you need to apply.
This is the idea of a guy living, I think in Europe. He was laughed out of the Embassy, but I think it's a great idea. If everyone did this then maybe it would make an impact, maybe it would demonstrate just how silly and unfeasible this law of the Chinese government's is.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:18 pm
It's funny sept for the part where it's really sad.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:37 pm
I did a bit more research about this topic. It seems, even though the law that Tibetan Buddhists have to apply to reincarnate took effect on the first of this month, China stepping in to choose the current incarnations of high-ranked Buddhists is not a new thing. The newest Panchen Lama, whose duty it is to find the new incarnation of the Dalai Lama, was chosen by China in 1995 by a random lottery. In the mean time, a committee in Tibet communicated in secret with the Dalai Lama and was able to find the true Panchen Lama. As soon as his identity was made public, the true Panchen Lama, and his family, were taken into "protective custody" by the Chinese Government, and haven't been heard from since. And this, when he was just 6 years old. The Chinese-chosen Panchen Lama continues to serve his duties in Tibet and regularly praises the Chinese Government. So with the chooser of the next Dalai Lama missing, the current Dalai Lama will likely have to make changes to how his future incarnations are chosen. To further complicate the matter, the relatively recent draft constitution of Tibet states that the identity of Dalai Lama can be revoked by a two-thirds vote of the Tibetan State Assembly. Its already been mentioned that the Dalai Lama said he'd never be born in a place under Chinese occupation, but he has also suggested that his current incarnation may be the last. He mentioned that he has felt that his purpose had been served. Personally, I can see how he'd come to this conclusion, as governments are becoming less about individual leaders and more about groups of educated decision makers. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panchen_Lama
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:00 pm
oh wow... the last dali lama?
I'm not sure how to feel about that! surprised
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:27 am
Last year China hosted the First Annual International Buddhist something-or-other hosted by the Fake Panchen Lama. Reports have it that he was snubbed by most Buddhists there, recognized as being a government puppet and part of a social genocide machine. If no one outside of the Chinese government is willing to recognize the Fake Panchen Lama, what makes them think anyone will accept a Fake Dalai Lama?
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:13 pm
I dont think they are trying to convince buddhists world wide that their fake dalai lama is the real lama. they are really only interested in how to more easily break up the religious traditions of tibet. the buddhists around the world dont have to recognise their fake dalai lama as the real one, just the tibetans and the buddhists within china. which would be easier than you would think seeing as the communist establishment has had a pretty subsatial grip on thought for the bast century.
Given Tibet will be exceedingly harder to break dou to the fact that basicly everyday life is founded on their faiths. but the mind can be a fragile thing. this plan to create a fake religious leader amongst them is just the first step to truely abolishing buddhism in the region. this is without a doubt a very serious situation, with a very uncertain future.
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Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:57 pm
I haven't heard anything about the current state of the Karmapa, a Tibetan Buddhist figure of similar stature as the Dalai Lama, but belonging to another sect. I'll do some research and get back to you all ASAP...
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:31 am
ElectricLoki I haven't heard anything about the current state of the Karmapa, a Tibetan Buddhist figure of similar stature as the Dalai Lama, but belonging to another sect. I'll do some research and get back to you all ASAP... I'm sure once China snags a fake Dalai Lama for themselves, they'll go after the Karmapa. It's only a matter of time. crying
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