China Wants Control of Reincarnation of Tibetan ..

China Wants Control of Reincarnation of Tibetan Living Buddhas
VOA[Wednesday, August 29, 2007 16:12]
By Heda Bayron

Hong Kong, August 29 - As of September 1, China is tightening control over Tibetan Buddhism with a new law requiring government permission for the reincarnation of lamas. Tibetan activists say this is another attempt by communist Chinese leaders to undermine Tibetan culture and even absurdly to control the religious afterlife. VOA's Heda Bayron has more on the story from our Asia News Center in Hong Kong.

The new law bans Tibetan lamas, or monks, from reincarnating without Chinese government approval.

China, which has ruled Tibet for more than half a century, says anyone outside China cannot influence the reincarnation process and only monasteries in China can apply for permission.

Experts and activists say the law is clearly aimed at excluding the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, from selecting reincarnated lamas or Living Buddhas - which form the core of Tibetan Buddhism's leadership.

And, they say, the law effectively paves the way for China to interfere in the future reincarnation of the 72 year-old Dalai Lama, who China regards as a "splittist".

John Powers, an expert on Tibetan Buddhism at Australia National University, says the law is "absurd" but at the same time, "chilling".

"They're [Chinese government] trying to exercise as much control as they possibly can over religious practices and over peoples' lives," he said. "It's not even just exercising control of the present life, they even trying to control future life and death. This sort of thing would only occur in a totalitarian government."

Communist China exercises strict control over all religion. For instance, millions of Chinese Catholics are allowed to worship only in the government-sanctioned Patriotic Church, which functions outside of the Vatican. The Patriotic Church appoints bishops in China without approval from the Pope.

Human rights organizations have long criticized China for religious repression and human rights abuses in Tibet.

In 1995, the Dalai Lama's chosen reincarnation of the Panchen Lama - the second holiest figure in Tibetan Buddhism - was rejected by Beijing. Instead, China appointed its own Panchen Lama and detained the Dalai Lama's choice. But few Tibetans consider the Chinese Panchen Lama as a legitimate leader.

Lamas are often reborn to continue their good work. There are often many candidates of a lama's reincarnation, but only one will be recognized.

The Dalai Lama has said he will be reincarnated outside Tibet - raising the possibility of two Dalai Lamas in the future - a Chinese appointed one in Tibet and another in exile.

But Tenzin Norgay, a spokesman for the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Dharamsala India - home of the Tibetan exile government, says Tibetans are not likely to accept a Chinese-appointed Dalai Lama.

"How could an atheist party be able to recognize the next Dalai Lama? You look into the sentiments of the Tibetan people, the Beijing appointed Panchen Lama does not have any respect," said Norgay. "So similarly even of this regulation comes into effect, if they choose a Dalai Lama of their own, it's not going to be of any use. Ultimately it should come from the respect being shown by the Tibetan people."

China says the new regulation aims to preserve social harmony - a reason Beijing often uses in situations involving ethnic, economic or political conflict. Beijing has been showering the region with economic projects to end poverty and isolation - including the high tech Beijing to Tibet railway, which opened last year.

But rights groups say Tibetans are feeling that their culture will be diluted because of this government-sponsored influx of Han Chinese into the region. This law is seen as even more threatening to the most fundamental aspect of Tibetan life - the spiritual realm.

More than 130,000 Tibetans live in exile. Many monks and nuns flee Tibet every year often via a treacherous hike in the Himalayas.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959, has given up demands for independence for Tibet but wants more autonomy for the region. Representatives of the Dalai Lama have held a series of informal talks with the Chinese government but no progress has been achieved on the issue.

Well, hello

it's been awhile.
and what an interesting article.

i'm chuckling at whole reincarnation issue, like how can one stop a reincarnate from reincarnating?

It is quite the predicament over there.
would the world have been better off if the British did gain control of Tibet?
Why did the Dalai Lama choose to side with the British, and the Panchen Lama with China?

here's a taste of some historical background according to Master Nan Huai Chin, from his book Basic Buddhism:Exploring Buddhism and Zen. Translated by J.C. Cleary, Weiser Publications.

pg 98

Tantric Buddhsim in Tibet started with the Nyingmapa, the Red Hat School. Later it split into the Kagyudpa and Sakyapa sects. Around the turn of the 14th Century, Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) appeared. He was a native of the northern area the Tibetan world, known in Chinese as Qinghai. In his youth, he became a monk in Tibet and, after he com[pleted his studies, he found the Gelugpa, the Yellow Hat School. Later, his four great disciples and thier reincarnated successors down through the generations were active in the various regions of Mongolia and Tibet and spread thier teachings there. The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama both became Dharma Kings, who combined both religious and political authority and guided the government in Tibet with religious teachings. The Inner and Outter Mongolia, the reincarnated lama known as Jangjia and the Jebtsundampa continued the Dharma tradition through the generations by the system of succession of reincarnation. But they also recieved titles from the Chinese imperial house down through the generations and were honoured as 'khutughtu', which has the meaning of great teacher and living Buddha.

pg 103

When the Manchu founders of the Qing dynasty first entered China proper, the partriarch of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Tantra, the Fifth Dalai Lama, had already made a secret pact with them. In order to immobilize the Mongols and unite the power of the Mongols with thier own, the Manchus had already professed their adherence to the Jangjia Khutughtu, on of the principal leaders of Mongol Buddhism. Thus, when the Manchus came into China, from 1644 on, they enfeoffed both the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama and venerated the Fourteenth Jangjia as their National Teacher. The First two Qing dynasty emperors, the Shunzi Emperor and the Kangxi Emperor also studied Zen from the National Teacher Yulin, this did not make him change his policy of maintaining close ties with the lamas and venerating Tantric Buddhism. Regardless of whether it was out of political necessity or religious conviction, the early Qing rulers were inclined toward Tantric Buddhism.

(enfeoff--|enˈfēf| verb [ trans. ] historical (under the feudal system) give (someone) freehold property or land in exchange for their pledged service. • give (property or land) in this way : the lands were enfeoffed to the baron. DERIVATIVES enfeoffment noun ORIGIN late Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French enfeoffer, from Old French en- ‘in’ + fief ‘fief.’ Compare with feoffment .)

pg 123

During the later part of the 19th century and into the 20th century, due to the decline of the Qing dynasty and the warlordism that followed, China waas afflicted by internal strife and its external problems multiplied. The British occupied India and had designs on Tibet. Many times the British tried to provoke eithnic animosity between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans; they wanted to incite conflict between the two sides, from which they could profit. Thus there commenced in Tibet a conflict, sometimes open and sometimes hidden, between the faction that wanted to be allied with China. Broadly speaking, the previous Panchen Lama was in the party that favored the Chinese and the previous Dalai Lama was in the party that favored the British.

Starting in the 19th century, a considerable number of Europeans and Americans came to Tibet in order to study Buddhism, or else used this as a pretext to further their other schemes. More Tibetans came to be able to read English than were able to read Chinese. British and French missionaries, or men posing as missionaries for thier own protection, entered Tibet. They penetrated as far as the upper reaches of the Yangzi River in southwest China. Thier intention was to take advantage of the ignorance of the backward peoples along China's borders and roll up China's south-west frontiers. Later, the Japanese also noticed this Chinese weak point, and, under the pretext of studying Buddhism, many of thier agenst penetrated deeply into Tibet and the southwest border region to carry out their aggressive ambitions.

After 1949, when the Communists came to power, the Tibetan lamas, due to thier lack of political sophistication, thought that this was no more than another Chinese drama of a change in dynasties. None of them realized that, before long, there would be no room for them to preserve their traditional religious preeminence in the Tibet which they had thought of as a Buddhist pure land, and that they could scarcely dream of seeking to preserve their tradition of religious political rule.

Yes, Thanks GreenTreee for sharing a bit of the history of Buddhism and Zen.

Fact is, the government can't stop a re-incarnation from occurring.

Same type of thing happened in Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago when Herod ordered baby boys to be killed. Yet his plan didn't work.

I once heard that the Mongolians were ever watchful for a reincarnation of Genghis Khan. Hmmm, no wonder the Chinese Government is fearful of reincarnations happening.

Not sure about the Dalai Lama and British connection, will have to go check it out.

I do know His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, is a very wise, and humble man.
Prairy

Hi Prairy

a book that illustrates some of the history of people going to Tibet, is a book called Tresspassers on the Roof of the World, by Peter Hopkirk. There isn't much info on the Daila Lama. The choosing of sides started with the 13th Daila Lama as well, and i can only guess that this continued with the 14th.

The positive things that have happened regarding the Dalai Lama's work, is nothing to be negative about either.

I have just been curious about the seemingly constant divisions that occur, have wondered why.

i especially found this part quite interesting, especially after the Montebello incident. I'm sure there are also many other instances one could look at and ponder things, like Iraq maybe?

...
Many times the British tried to provoke ethnic animosity between the Han Chinese and the Tibetans; they wanted to incite conflict between the two sides, from which they could profit. Thus there commenced in Tibet a conflict, sometimes open and sometimes hidden, between the faction that wanted to be allied with China.
...

My dear child---Greentree---

we are here---you are there---but do you know thw sound of One Hand
Clapping???



Lightseeker**********

My dear child---Greentree---

we are here---you are there---but do you know thw sound of One Hand
Clapping???



Lightseeker**********

well, after some thoughts on your question...
here is my reply.


wind is still, yet moves.
if two is required for sound,
how can one exist?