A new book written by the Dalai Lama, the highest authority in Tibetan Buddhism and considered the manifestation of bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, reveals that his next incarnation will be born in the “free world,” outside the boundaries controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
“Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama — that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people — will continue,” Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, wrote in his new book, Voice for the Voiceless.
That is an impossibility, according to the CCP, as the rebirth of “living Buddhas” must “comply with Chinese laws and regulations” that mandate his spirit stay within Chinese borders.
It is a major breakthrough in the succession crisis that has plagued the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism since the People’s Republic of China conquered the region under dictator Mao Zedong.
The Dalai Lama has long obfuscated his plans for reincarnation, even leaving open the possibility that he would choose to end his recurring manifestation on Earth altogether.
This new confirmation that he intends to return to the world after his death and that his new incarnation will not be within the boundaries of Chinese-controlled Tibet ruffled the feathers of the CCP.
Party spokeswoman Mao Ning addressed the issue at length during a press conference on Tuesday, calling the Dalai Lama a “political exile engaged in separatist activities under the guise of religion” who has “absolutely no right to represent the people in” Tibet.
“The Dalai Lama’s lineage, formed in [Tibet], China, and religious standing and title which were affirmed by the central government, date back several hundred years,” Mao told reporters, referring to the extensive process of finding and confirming each reincarnation. “The 14th Dalai Lama himself was found and confirmed in line with this set of rituals and conventions and was approved by the then-central government.”
All previous Dalai Lamas have been reincarnated within the borders of Tibet, and the officially atheistic Chinese government sees this geographic consistency as a requirement for an authentic successor. This mandate was formalized in the 2007 order titled “Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.”
“The reincarnation of living Buddhas, including the Dalai Lama, must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions, and follow the process that consists of search and identification in China, lot-drawing from a golden urn, and central government approval,” Mao told reporters at the Tuesday press conference.
The Dalai Lama, now approaching 90 years old, fled Tibet in 1959 with help from the CIA, finding refuge in the Indian town of Dharamshala. He has led the political movement for Tibetan autonomy from there for decades, overseeing cultural education institutes and evangelizing Tibetan Buddhism.
But the CCP is doing everything it can to take control of the Dalai Lama’s spiritual lineage.
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.
The Dalai Lama, 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 each other across time and lifespans.
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.
The child was abducted by Chinese police and brought to an unknown location deep inside the country. He has not been seen since.
The Chinese government has claimed that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is doing well, living a normal life in an undisclosed location. The Dalai Lama has stated that a “reliable source” informed him that the boy is “alive and receiving normal education.”
To fill the place of the real Panchen Lama, the Chinese government offered its own substitute — a young man named Gyaincain Norbu who is enthusiastically pro-communist and pro-China.
Now that the Dalai Lama has affirmed his intention to reincarnate outside Chinese-controlled Tibet, it remains to be clarified how his successor will be determined without the Panchen Lama.
POLITICS OF REINCARNATION COULD UNDERMINE THE DALAI LAMA’S FUTURE
Most likely, he will inform his inner circle or leave written instructions for the search to be read after his death.
The CCP is expected to use its control of the Panchen Lama office to select its own 15th Dalai Lama, no doubt a politically reliable and patriotic citizen of China. The era of dueling Dalai Lamas is on the horizon.
