Dalai Lama might pick successor, report says

Source: AP

TOKYO (AP) — The Dalai Lama says he may appoint a successor or rely on an election before his death in a break with tradition, a Japanese newspaper reported Tuesday, following recent orders that China must approve Tibet's spiritual leaders.

According to centuries of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the search for the reincarnation of spiritual leaders, or lamas — including the Dalai Lama — has been carried out by Tibetan monks following the leaders' deaths.

snip...

The exiled leader also accused Chinese authorities of stepping up persecution of Tibetan monks and civilians, and called the region's relations with the Chinese government "the most tense in recent years," according to the newspaper. China's new order, which came into force in September, states that all future lama appointments related to Tibetan Buddhism "must get government approval," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

It also prevents any outside source from having "influence" in the selection process, the agency reported. The order has led to concerns that the central government may forcibly select a pro-Beijing leader once the current popular Dalai Lama is dead.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-11-20-dalai-lama_N.htm

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This is Huge news. Fuck China!

Why are Tibetan buddhists even allowing the government of China to decide it. The Chinese could claim they've "chosen" a leader for the religion, but that doesn't mean the followers have to abide by it. Nobody would take seriously any "dalai lama" that the Chinese government appointed.

I'd say they could always ignore the Chinese government's appointment. Granted, ignoring the government would probably provoke a wave of backlash oppression and perhaps blacklisting of their practices, but...if you really believe in your faith...are you going to undermine your tradition to be able to practice it with permission from oppressive government, or are you going to stand for it and take the consequences?

It is pretty f#cked up. If you don't know about it, wikipedia it.

They kidnapped him and his whole family. They just disappeared.
And after that a pro-chinese Panchen Lama was installed by the communist regime.

wouldn't the people resist that appointment or not follow his dictates? Wouldn't they continue to secretly follow the Dalai Lama.

pick a new leader for the Tibetan religion before the Dalai Lama passes on. Day-to-day government actions are now in the hands of a group of appointed and elected leaders - the Dalai Lama now refers to himself as having largely retired from governing.

Given that the true Panchen Lama is not now available and hasn't been educated to take the position of leader of the Tibetan religion - they should chose another Lama to step in when the Dalai Lama dies.

I feel sad when I think of the Dalai Lama's death, but not desperately so - he will, after all, be right back and he will be recognized. He's been dropping hints that he might chose to return as a woman and some other hints about where...

He was just in Indiana a few weeks back giving two public addresses and six teachings - wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I am filled with hope.

:hi:

you struck just the right note.
He, while concerned, will trust in his faith.
Hadn't heard the hints you mentioned although I dearly love the man and try to keep up with the news on him. I have a good assortment of his books and audio CDs that I use to get centered again from time to time.

My sentiments exactly!:hi:

Even if he appoints a new 'Dali Lama,' there will be a new one born once he's dead. And the one that's born is the true Dali Lama.

He is ready to rule by decree so it's time to change "the law"

/sarc

when the designated child and his family were kidnapped (or killed, who knows?). I thought no search could go on for the next Dalai Lama until this one was dead, as he will reincarnate into the next body and that's how they'll know it's him and that the lineage has continued.

(edit for spelling)

for the Tibetan Buddhists who will be responsible for recognizing and educating his reincarnation - picking another Lama to lead because it looks like neither he nor the Panchen Lama will be available to lead for a period of time after the Dalai Lama's death.

Yeah I know some of the reasons, but a bunch of cheap and nifty shit is not worth ignoring human rights and environmental issues. Why are we helping a very questionable government get wealthier and watch them invest in a stronger military? But then, our very questionable government is no different. We get masses of inexpensive plastic made-in-China TV's with which we rack up credit card debts and sit back on our cheap, Chinese made plastic chairs, and watch the world go down the toilet. Our remote controls are the flushing levers.

Being for the most part a Buddhist myself, and having great respect for the Dalai Lama and the culture of Tibet (as well as Burma and etc.), I think the whole thing stinks. How on Earth does the Chinese government expect that Tibetan Buddhists will follow a state-approved plastic Dolly?

blessings to a mass boycott of Chinese products as a way of forcing China to treat the Tibetans decently and to return Tibet to the Tibetans.

The Dalai Lama will not support a boycott of Chinese products. Why not? What if people in China lost their jobs because of the boycott? If one child in China died as a result of its parents losing their jobs that would be unacceptable to him.

What would be acceptable - according to me, IndyOp? Buy fair trade products from Tibetans and others around the world including Chinese people - if we all got really, really busy supporting fair trade businesses then the transition from life-abusing corporations to life-affirming trades would happen with few people suffering. Also, of course, support international unions, human rights...

The Tibetan Buddhists will not follow a Chinese-government-selected "Dalai Lama" any more than they support the Chinese-government-selected "Panchen Lama" -- and they do not accept him at all.

A lot of people who care about this issue are worried that it won't be possible to recognize the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama if the true Panchen Lama is not educated properly and, of course, right now he isn't receiving proper education. In the past there have been times when the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama were recognized by other means. We aren't going to lose either of them -- they'll be back and they will be recognized...

...and we just need to stay really, really busy making this world a lot better place for all of the reincarnating souls.

:hi:

I was just being critical of our American consumerism culture. Let's hope fair trade is indeed a growing way of life.

I also have no doubts that the methods being used by the Chinese government are ultimately meaningless.

:hi:

Dalai Lamas are reincarnated after death; the new incarnation is found by the use of an oracle, and tested in various ways, including recognition of objects owned by the previous Dalai Lama.

The other great living figure in Tibetan Buddhism is the Panchen Lama. The Chinese imprisoned the boy recognized as the new Panchen Lama, and he remains in custody in China. They appointed another boy as the "real" Panchen Lama. They are seeking to do the same thing to the Dalai Lama, essential to kill Tibetan Buddhism as something independent of the Chinese government.

The Dalai Lama is seeking to prevent this from happening.



Om Ah Hum Vajra Gura Padma Siddhi Hum.

The Dalai Lama, as are all lamas, is believed to be reincarnated to continue his teaching and so it is quite impossible for the Dalai Lama to choose a successor since the only successor to himself is himself.

The reality of the new order is obviously to remove the title of Dalai Lama from Tibetan Buddhism and from Tibet itself. And to remove any legitimacy of the Dalai Lama's "government in exile" which the Dalai Lama may have removed himself with this pronouncement.

Choosing his successor as political leader of his government in exile is one thing. But he cannot choose himself as spiritual leader simply because his only possible successor is himself.

Is he renouncing the absolute belief of the Yellow Hats which is the reincarnation of the lamas? Or is he saying that this is his last incarnation in which case there is no successor?

His primary commitment is to see everyone else free of suffering before he rests. That's the bodhisattva's vow he's taken.

This Dalai Lama has lived up to this standard, and personally I think that he is up to the task of repelling the co-option of his religion, in this era of unprecedented freedoms and unprecedented repressions.

because the Panchen Lama cannot step in after he dies and lead until his reincarnation is recognized and educated properly. The interim leader will be in charge of recognizing the Dalai Lama's reincarnation and, perhaps, helping to educate the Panchen Lama if he is released by the Chinese government.

The Dalai Lama will return and he will lead the Tibetan religion again - picking someone to lead after his death will provide stability for the Tibetan Buddhists.

That is my understanding.

...I HATE China!!!

DAMN them to Hell!

can serve as an interim leader of the Tibetan Buddhist religion after he dies - because it looks like neither he nor the Panchen Lama will be able to lead at that time. The interim leader would have responsibility for recognizing and educating the Dalai Lama's reincarnate so that the Dalai Lama will be available to lead again some time in future.

"Compassion is the radicalism of our times" - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Hatred never ceases by hatred; but by love alone is healed. This is an ancient and eternal law.

:hi: