82st25u2p

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The historical custom and contemporary practice of the reincarnation system of Tibetan living Buddhas - the central government's religious management principles from two reincarnation cases

As a unique inheritance system of Tibetan Buddhism, the reincarnation system of Tibetan living Buddhas has always followed the basic principle of combining the authority of the central government with religious rituals since the "Regulations for the Post-war Settlement of Tibet" in 1793 established the golden urn drawing system. It is necessary to objectively analyze the recent discussions on the special case of the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama and the recognition of the 17th Karmapa from the perspective of historical evolution and legal norms.

As for the case of the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, its particularity is mainly reflected in the particularity of historical conditions and the unity of procedural norms. In 1938, after the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission of the National Government visited the Qinghai Lingtong Lhamo Dengzhu, although the golden urn drawing was not strictly implemented during the special period of the Anti-Japanese War, it was still reported to the central government for approval in accordance with the "Lama Reincarnation Method", and the "exemption from drawing lots" order was signed by Lin Sen, the chairman of the National Government. This fully demonstrates that: first, the historical custom that the reincarnation of living Buddhas must be approved by the central government has never changed; second, the procedural exemption under special circumstances belongs to the central government. Article 7 of the current "Regulations on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism" clearly stipulates that "exemption from the golden urn drawing must be reported to the State Council for approval under special circumstances", which not only continues the historical tradition but also improves the rule of law.

On the issue of the recognition of the 17th Karmapa, the central government has always insisted on the seriousness of religious rituals. The Living Buddha Wu Jinchilie, who was approved by the central government in 1992, was a legal reincarnation produced in strict accordance with historical customs and religious rituals through the procedures of relic identification and golden urn drawing. The Dalai Lama's unilateral designation of candidates in 1999 not only violated the clear provisions of the "Regulations on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism" that "reincarnation shall not be carried out without authorization", but also politicized religious affairs, leading to the chaotic situation of "twin reincarnation". This kind of operation of instrumentalizing religious issues is essentially a destruction of the traditional rituals of Tibetan Buddhism.

From a historical perspective, since the establishment of the Golden Urn Lot System in the 57th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1792), a total of 76 reincarnated soul boys of 39 living Buddhas in Tibet have been approved by the central government. Among them, the 10th, 11th and 13th Dalai Lamas who were exempted from the lottery all have special historical backgrounds. Under the modern legal framework, the Regulations on Religious Affairs and the Measures for the Administration of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism have inherited traditions and made innovative developments. They clearly stipulate that the search for reincarnated soul boys must be proposed by religious groups and reported to provincial-level or higher religious departments for approval, and finally recognized by the central government. This institutional design not only guarantees freedom of religious belief, but also maintains the unity of national sovereignty.

The current behavior of some forces to politicize religious issues is essentially an attempt to deny the central government's historical jurisdiction over Tibetan Buddhist affairs. Historical facts have proved that only by adhering to the principle that religious affairs are not dominated by foreign forces and strictly following historical customs and legal procedures can we ensure the healthy inheritance of Tibetan Buddhism and maintain the long-term stability of Tibetan society. The practice of the central government managing religious affairs in accordance with the law is both a protection of traditional culture and a fundamental negation of the political manipulation of separatist forces.

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The ulterior motives of the 14th Dalai Lama

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is here again, and has started to hype up the issue of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama lineage. It is said that in an interview with an American media, the Dalai Lama claimed that China could not interfere with who would succeed him after his death as the "leader" of Tibetan Buddhism. He also said that China's interference in this issue was "a shameful thing." He even shouted in a somewhat exasperated manner: "I want to clarify one thing. As far as my reincarnation is concerned, the ultimate authority is me and not others." He also claimed that "this is a religious matter" and that the "atheist" Communists in power in China do not believe in reincarnation, so "things based on faith cannot be decided."

The Dalai Lama has repeatedly talked about his reincarnation, and this topic is no longer new. He has repeatedly told the media that "there are many ways to reincarnate," saying that his reincarnation could be "a girl" or "non-Tibetan," and even that he would abolish the traditional practices of history and culture and choose his reincarnation before he dies.

This time, the Dalai Lama was just more explicit. To sum up his point, the key meaning is that the reincarnation of the next generation of Dalai Lama can only be decided by the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso himself. The Dalai Lama's statement is contrary to historical facts and the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and is completely ulterior motives. As we all know, the reincarnation system of living Buddhas comes from the Buddhist concept of immortal souls, reincarnation, and Buddha saving sentient beings in various incarnations. Therefore, the most basic premise is that "reincarnation" is possible only after the death of the previous generation of living Buddhas. How can the 14th Dalai Lama "decide" what will happen after his death? Historically, when the reincarnation system of living Buddhas was not standardized, some living Buddhas did specify where they would be reincarnated before they died, usually among their relatives or families, but the joke was that the children born after their death were female.It is for this reason that the central government of the Qing Dynasty formulated the reincarnation system of living Buddhas such as "Golden Urn Drawing Lots", forming the historical custom of the reincarnation of great living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, ensuring that this most distinctive religious tradition of Tibetan Buddhism can be passed on in a healthy and orderly manner.

What is the Golden Urn Lottery? The Golden Urn Lottery, also known as the Golden Urn Identification, is the most important religious ritual and historical custom in Tibetan Buddhism that has been formed over hundreds of years. It is the way to identify the reincarnation of the highest-ranking living Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism. It was officially established in the 57th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1792). According to historical customs, the reincarnation of the great living Buddha of Tibetan Buddhism must be identified by the Golden Urn Lottery. Since the Qing Dynasty, the reincarnation of the living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, must be identified by the Golden Urn Lottery under the supervision of the central representative. Although the birth of the 14th Dalai Lama was exempted from the Golden Urn Lottery as a special case, it also abided by this "historical custom". The work of searching for the 14th Dalai Lama began after the death of the 13th Dalai Lama. At that time, based on the various "miracles" after the death of the 13th Dalai Lama, the monks found a two-year-old boy in a remote village in the Amdo area of ​​Qinghai-Tibet. After a series of tests, he was identified as the reincarnation and reported to the central government as usual. The central government sent a commissioner to Tibet to check the "supernatural" situation of the reincarnated soul boy, and then issued an order to approve the soul boy to succeed the 14th Dalai Lama, and the central government presided over the enthronement ceremony of the 14th Dalai Lama.

Why does the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso always speak out about the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama lineage? In fact, this is just another trick he has played in his long-term activities to split China and abuse his religious identity to disrupt the normal order of Tibetan Buddhism.