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https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/07/27/china-wants-to-choose-the-next-dalai-lama-he-has-other-plans>
"The boy’s existence had been little more than a rumour. When he appeared
during a ceremony in March on a small throne below the Dalai Lama, the ageing
leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the monks and nuns in the audience didn’t seem to
recognise him. The boy, about eight years old with short black hair, wore a
copper-tinted robe with oversized cuffs covering his hands and – as if to add
to the mystery – a white mask over his face.
Midway through the ceremony, held in Dharamsala, the north Indian refuge for
Tibetan exiles, the Dalai Lama paused and gestured nonchalantly toward the boy:
“We have the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoché of Mongolia with
us today.” This was, in the world of Tibetan Buddhism, a mic-drop moment. The
last Jetsun Dhampa – one of the religion’s most important figures – died in
2012. But the significance of the announcement was not only religious. The
Dalai Lama had managed to outmanoeuvre China in the geopolitical chess game of
reincarnation.
Seven years ago, the Dalai Lama told a press conference in Mongolia that he was
convinced Jetsun Dhampa’s reincarnation had been born in the country. “However,
the boy is very young right now,” he said, “so there is no need for haste in
making an announcement.” The Chinese government, which claims sole authority
over all Tibetan Buddhist reincarnations, was incensed. It closed its main
border crossing with Mongolia and delayed loan negotiations with the
cash-strapped country.
Then there was silence. Under Chinese pressure, Mongolia, which along with
Tibet is a centre of Tibetan Buddhism, banned the Dalai Lama from future
visits. To stiffen the Mongolians’ resolve – and embolden the boy’s reluctant
parents – the Dalai Lama sent in one of his most influential spiritual
advisers: a monk named Thubten Ngodup. Thubten is the medium of the state
oracle of Tibet, whose visions have guided the decisions of the Dalai Lama and
his predecessors since the 16th century. He met in secret with the boy and his
parents, offering reassurances and counselling patience. “The family was a
little nervous, uncomfortable, but slowly, slowly, they came to accept their
fate,” Thubten told me. “We still had to keep it secret because we didn’t want
China coming up with their own fake Jetsun Dhampa.”
When the Dalai Lama introduced the boy in March, Tibetan Buddhists were
thrilled at the audacity: not only had the Dalai Lama found the reincarnate
lama beyond China’s grasp, he had managed to pull it off in secret. What’s
more, the boy had been born in Florida, giving him the added protection of a
passport from a government that has staunchly defended Tibet’s right to choose
its spiritual leaders. With a single revelation, the Dalai Lama had created a
possible template for an even more important reincarnation to come: his own."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
