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Death of reincarnation for Buddhist lamas?
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 CHINA. In an extraordinary edict designed to undermine Tibetan Buddhism, the Chinese government has introduced new rules that, in effect, ban the religion’s tulkus, or living Buddhas – including the Dalai Lama – from reincarnating without permission of its atheist rulers.
The new regulation takes effect in a month, on 1 September 2007, and according to Beijing “the so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval of religious affairs departments (is) illegal and invalid.”
This get-tough stance will come as no surprise to China watchers since it already insists that only its government can approve the two top leaders in Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Now it aims to extend that control to others who are regarded as reincarnations.
This interference has nothing to do with getting permission to reincarnate – that, as far as Buddhists are concerned, happens automatically for everyone. It is about China choosing its own candidates for the religion’s top posts.
Tulkus are central to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, playing a key role in all aspects of life including the training of monks. Future selections of reincarnates, the announcement adds, “must preserve national unity and solidarity of all ethnic groups,” adding, “The process cannot be influenced by any group or individual from outside the country.”
This is clearly a swipe at the Dalai Lama and the 17th Karmapa, both of whom have fled from Chinese-controlled Tibet and live in exile in India.
Though mystic elements, such as visions, play a role in choosing Tibetan reincarnations, the search parties also apply scientific methods in identifying a child as a reborn lama. The investigators usually carry some of the dead lama’s belongings, mixed with other items that had no connection with him, to see if the boy can correctly recognise possessions that had some significance in his past life.
The announcement, made by China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), explains that the new regulations, consisting of 14 articles, are “an important move to institutionalise the management on reincarnation of living Buddhas”.
SARA explains that temples which apply for the reincarnation of a living Buddha must be “legally-registered venues for Tibetan Buddhism activities and are capable of fostering and offering proper means of support for the living Buddha”.
All reincarnation applications must be submitted to the provincial-level government and its religious affairs department, as well as to SARA and the State Council, respectively, for approval “in accordance with the fame and influence of the living Buddhas in the religious circle”.
The statement claims that the regulations are designed to guarantee normal religious activities of Tibetan Buddhism and protect the religious belief of Tibetan Buddhism’s followers according to law.
SARA adds: “The government only administrates religious affairs related to state and the public interests and will not interfere in the pure internal religious affairs.”
As well as detailing how the “authentication” system will work, the new regulations also refer to punishment for those who violate the new law.
Part of the regulations may have been framed as a response to statements made by the Dalai Lama about his next incarnation.
Exactly eight years ago (6 July 1999), speaking from Dharamshala, India, the home of the Government of Tibet in Exile, he said that if his successor is chosen in the traditional way, under the old system of choosing a reincarnation, then his reincarnation “will appear in a free country and not in Chinese hands, as the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry the work started by the previous life and yet not fulfilled.”
“Logically,” he explained, “the previous life escaped from Chinese hands so the next life should also be out of Chinese control.”
Asked how he would like the next Dalai Lama to be installed and what changes would be beneficial to the system so that a power struggle does not break out after him, the Dalai Lama said as early as 1969 he had made it clear that it was for the Tibetans to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama “should continue or not”.
Speaking in Finland last year, he made clear that his views have not changed, saying: “If I die now, it would be logical for my reincarnation to come from outside Tibet.” He added that it would fall to his successor to continue the struggle for the autonomy of Tibet. “An election is one option,” he observed, clearly intending that the whole process of choosing a successor should be kept out of the clutches of China.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, is determined to gain total control over Tibet’s Buddhists, even to the extent of manipulating their religious beliefs and practices. It has already imposed its own candidate as Panchen Lama, in defiance of the choice made by the Dalai Lama who traditionally confirms the reincarnation. What’s more, the Dalai Lama’s choice has not been seen or heard of since then.
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Posted on Saturday, August 04, 2007
Category: Reincarnation
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