{"id":2384159,"date":"2024-12-28T04:34:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-28T09:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/politics-of-reincarnation-could-undermine-the-future-of-the-dalai-lama\/"},"modified":"2024-12-28T04:38:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-28T09:38:11","slug":"politics-of-reincarnation-could-undermine-the-future-of-the-dalai-lama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/politics-of-reincarnation-could-undermine-the-future-of-the-dalai-lama\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics of reincarnation could undermine the future of the Dalai Lama"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolitics-of-reincarnation-could-undermine-the-future-of-the-dalai-lama%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2384159&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vivek-ramaswamy-accused-of-flip-flopping-after-he-called-gop-hopefuls-good-people\/\" title=\"Vivek Ramaswamy accused of changing stance, called GOP hopefuls &#039;good people&#039;.\">article \u2063discusses<\/a> the future\u200d of the \u200dDalai Lama adn the complexities surrounding the process of reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism, especially considering political tensions with China. The 14th\u200c Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, \u200bwill turn 90 next year, and as his health declines, concerns about the succession of the Dalai lama grow.The chinese Communist Party,which\u200d has \u200bcontrolled Tibet\u2064 since 1951,complicates this process as it \u2062effects control \u2064over the Panchen Lama,a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actress-sarah-paulson-talks-finding-the-humanity-in-clinton-whistleblower-linda-tripp\/\" title=\"Actress Sarah Paulson Talks \u2018Finding The Humanity\u2019 In Clinton Whistleblower Linda Tripp\">key figure<\/a> in the identification of the Dalai Lama&#8217;s reincarnation. <\/p>\n<p>The \u2063previous Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was abducted by Chinese authorities in 1995 \u2064shortly after being recognized by the current Dalai lama, and he has not been seen since.The Chinese government has instead \u200bappointed a\u2064 pro-communist individual as the \u200cPanchen Lama, undermining conventional practices. The\u2064 article warns that \u200dthe next\u2064 Dalai Lama could possibly be\u2063 chosen by the Chinese government, a scenario the current Dalai Lama has deemed illegitimate. It emphasizes the potential end of the Dalai\u200b Lama&#8217;s lineage as political and religious landscapes \u200dbecome increasingly arduous,\u2062 leaving Tibetan \u2063Buddhism in \u200ba precarious situation regarding its future leadership.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Politics of reincarnation could undermine the Dalai Lama&rsquo;s future<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1915504\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1110080\/dalai-lama-warns-europe-could-become-muslim-or-african\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Dalai Lama<\/a>, exiled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tibet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">head of Tibet<\/a>, and international figurehead of Tibetan Buddhism, is turning 90 next year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">widely revered spiritual leader takes fewer<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-media-is-finally-catching-on-to-bidens-basement-act\/\" title=\"The Media Is Finally Catching On To Biden\u2019s Basement Act\">fewer interviews<\/a> and reports having less energy for public appearances due to his advanced age.<\/p>\n<p>When he dies, Tibetan Buddhists around the world will need to find the next Dalai Lama. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/communist-party\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Chinese Communist Party<\/a>, which has controlled Tibet since 1951, has made that process nearly impossible.<\/p>\n<p>He previously promised to prepare a letter around his 90th birthday outlining how his successor would be found. Such guidance has not yet been publicly acknowledged.<\/p>\n<p>While hundreds of millions of people around the world wish the Dalai Lama a long life, the ramifications of his death are becoming impossible to ignore &mdash; without a contingency plan, this elderly Dalai Lama may be the last in history.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is the Dalai Lama?<\/h2>\n<p>The Dalai Lama is the most authoritative office in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is believed to be the reincarnation of the previous holder of the title and an immortal avatar of the Buddha Avalokite&#347;vara, bodhisattva of compassion.<\/p>\n<p>The office was the religious and political leader of Tibet before it was conquered by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">People&rsquo;s Republic of China<\/a> in 1959.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is assisted by attendant monks before giving a sermon at the request of a Buddhist group from Southeast Asia, at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala, India, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashwini Bhatia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since his escape into India during the takeover, the 14th Dalai Lama and his court have operated as a government in exile &mdash; a symbol of unity for the Tibetan diaspora and leaders of the movement for a free Tibet.<\/p>\n<p>This has made the elderly Tenzin Gyatso an enemy of the Chinese state, which sees him as an opposition figure threatening to undermine its authority over the Tibetan population.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reincarnation, interrupted<\/h2>\n<p>The most important figure in determining the new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the second-highest authority in the Gelug sect, the Panchen Lama.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/red-alert-politics\/1948153\/too-politically-incorrect-students-want-dalai-lama-banned-from-campus\/\" title=\"\">Dalai Lama<\/a>, in turn, affirms the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama after the officeholder dies. The two offices are co-dependent and complementary, believed to be two spirits continuously recognizing one another across time and lifespans.<\/p>\n<p>In 1995, the Chinese Communist Party put a sudden stop to this cosmic dance when it abducted Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a 6-year-old boy recognized by the 14th Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.<\/p>\n<p>The child was abducted by Chinese police and brought to an unknown location deep inside the country. He has not been seen since.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An exiled Tibetan Buddhist monk puts a scarf in front of a portrait of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, at an event marking his birthday in Dharamshala, India, on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashwini Bhatia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Chinese government has claimed that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is doing well, living a normal life in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-take-traveling-woman-into-mandatory-covid-isolation-in-canada-wont-tell-family-where-they-are-holding-her\/\" title=\"Police Take Traveling Woman into Mandatory COVID Isolation in Canada \u2013 Won\u2019t Tell Family Where They Are Holding Her\">undisclosed location<\/a>. The Dalai Lama has stated that a &ldquo;reliable source&rdquo; informed him that the boy is &ldquo;alive and receiving normal education.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>To fill the place of the appointed Panchen Lama, the Chinese government offered its own selection &mdash; a young man named Gyaincain Norbu who is enthusiastically pro-communist and pro-China.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Reincarnation of living Buddhas, including the Dalai Lama, must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow religious rituals and historical conventions,&rdquo; the foreign ministry announced in 2019.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">China controls the future<\/h2>\n<p>With Tibet and the office of Panchen Lama under Chinese control, the future of the Dalai Lama lineage is facing a critical juncture. <\/p>\n<p>When Tenzin Gyatso dies, the Chinese Communist Party will likely use its government-appointed Panchen Lama to name a new Dalai Lama &mdash; one who is more open to its control of Tibet.<\/p>\n<p>The Dalai Lama has sharply criticized such a prospect as unacceptable and illegitimate, urging Tibetan Buddhists to reject any Chinese-sponsored reincarnation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People&rsquo;s Political Consultative Conference, is greeted as he arrives for the closing session of the CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;It is particularly inappropriate for Chinese communists, who explicitly reject even the idea of past and future lives, let alone the concept of reincarnate Tulkus, to meddle in the system of reincarnation and especially the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas,&rdquo; Gyatso wrote in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>He continued, &ldquo;Such brazen meddling contradicts their own political ideology and reveals their double standards. Should this situation continue in the future, it will be impossible for Tibetans and those who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to acknowledge or accept it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With Gedhun Choekyi Nyima still living in anonymity inside China, the Gelug school will not have its own Panchen Lama to name a legitimate successor.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, with China in control of Tibet, any reincarnation within the area would risk interference or kidnapping by the Communist Party.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unwilling reincarnation<\/h2>\n<p>The 14th Dalai Lama has spoken frequently about these obstacles for his eventual reincarnation but has offered little consistency in how they should be overcome.<\/p>\n<p>In 2011, the Dalai Lama suggested that he would provide guidance &ldquo;when [he&rsquo;s] about ninety&rdquo; &mdash; and has since insisted that the capacity for deciding the future of the religious office is his alone. <\/p>\n<p>If &ldquo;a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama&rdquo; to be found was recognized, he said, the &ldquo;responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama&rsquo;s Gaden Phodrang Trust.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This trust would consult with the foremost leaders in Tibetan Buddhism from various sects, seeking &ldquo;advice and direction from these concerned beings and carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, center, in yellow robe, leaves in an electric vehicle after presiding over prayer session where a group of Indian devotees prayed for his longevity in Dharamshala, India, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashwini Bhatia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I shall leave clear written instructions about this,&rdquo; the Dalai Lama wrote. &ldquo;Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People&rsquo;s Republic of China.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Asked if he will reincarnate outside Tibet, the Dalai Lama has said it&rsquo;s a possibility. He has also expressed openness to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/341077\/dont-cancel-the-dalai-lama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reincarnating as a woman<\/a>, as long as she&rsquo;s &ldquo;attractive.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At multiple points, the monk seems to have reached a breaking point and threatened not to reincarnate at all. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Any culture needs to evolve over a period of time. Like, the Buddhist community in India has no tradition of reincarnation or lama institution. It developed in Tibet. I think there is some feudal connection to it and needs to change now,&rdquo; the Dalai Lama reportedly told a group of college students in 2019. <\/p>\n<p>He continued, &ldquo;I feel, when the practice of reincarnation began there was wisdom in it. But there are good lamas and bad lamas, those who bring disrepute to the community. The system should end, or at least change with changing times.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Dalai Lama may choose to reincarnate. He could decide to declare his reincarnation line terminated. <\/p>\n<p>Whatever his guidance, there will be many different factions across China and Tibet seeking to push their own idea of what the Dalai Lama should be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1915504\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1915504\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reincarnation politics may jeopardize the Dalai Lama&#8217;s future<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2384160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/AP24256211757008.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[47504,5894,47503],"class_list":["post-2384159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-dalai-lama","tag-politics","tag-reincarnation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/AP24256211757008.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2384159"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2384163,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384159\/revisions\/2384163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2384160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2384159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2384159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2384159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}