By Chime Tenzing
Dharamsala – March, 16th: A former governor of the so called Tibet Autonomous Region, Qiangba Puncog, has reiterated China’s position over the successor of the Dalai Lama requiring its approval, breaking away from the traditional system.
Towing the line of his masters in Beijing, Puncog, who was the governor of Tibet during the 2008 riots in Tibet, said “the final decision on the reincarnated successors to the Buddhist region’s top lamas lies with Beijing. “It must get the approval of the central government; otherwise the reincarnation will be illegitimate and invalid” he said while briefing reporters on the sidelines of China’s National People’s Congress session yesterday.
On July 13, 2007, the Communist government in Beijing decided to implement a so called ‘Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism,’ which was outrightly denounced as ‘ludicrous and unwarranted’ by the Tibetan government in exile here. Many Tibet experts, like the exile government, felt the “document reflects the ulterior or true motives of the Chinese leadership.”
Article 2 of ‘The Measures’ explains China’s purpose, writes Claude Arpi, a Tibet expert and a journalist who has written extensively on issues related to Tibet. The article 2 says, ‘Reincarnating living Buddhas should respect and protect the principles of the unification of the State, protecting the unity of the minorities, protecting religious concord and social harmony, and protecting the normal order of Tibetan Buddhism. (They)… may not re-establish feudal privileges which have already been abolished.’
It makes an even more pointed reference at the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, noted Claude who says the article further reads, ‘Reincarnating living Buddhas shall not… be under the dominion of any foreign organisation or individual.’
However, amidst such prevailing worries, His Holiness said last month he would have no qualms ending the centuries-old spiritual tradition if Tibetans so choose.
”It is ultimately up to the Tibetan people, I made clear, whether this very institution should continue or not”, the 14th Dalai Lama told media on a visit to Los Angeles.
“If majority of Tibetan people feel the Dalai institution is no longer much relevant, then this institution should cease — there is no problem.”
The next Dalai Lama could also be born in exile — out of Beijing’s reach, he had said in the past.
“The very purpose of reincarnation is to carry out the tasks of the previous life that are not yet achieved. If I die while we are still refugees, my reincarnation, logically, will come outside Tibet, who will carry out the work I started”, the Tibetan leader had said at a gathering in Amritsar on November 27, 2007.
One of the few certainties about the political future of Tibet is that the death of the current Dalai Lama will cause major ructions in Tibet and overseas, a recent report by Reuters said.
China’s biggest intrusion into Tibet’s traditional religious belief system was fifteen years ago with the installation of Gaincain Norbu as its Panchen Lama soon after His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognized Gendhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama on 14 May 1995. Three days later, on 17 May, he along with his parents went missing. However, Gaincain Norbu is not widely accepted by Tibetans as the true incarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama despite China’s backing.
Edited by Kalsang Rinchen
