Reincarnation with Marxist Characteristics

Propaganda photo of the Golden Urn recognition of the Chinese Panchen Lama.
Party officials are watching!

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was born on 25 April 1989 in Lhari County in Nagchu Prefecture, North of Lhasa, was chosen by the Dalai Lama on 15 May 1995 as the 11th Panchen Lama, which is the second highest position in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Panchen Lama will be 30-year old tomorrow.
Since 1996, he is under house arrest somewhere in China (probably in Beijing).
The Comunist authorities have systematically refused to tell his well-wishers and the world about his whereabouts.
This is China in the new era...
On the occasion of Gedun Choekyi's birthday, I re-post something I had written in 2015.
Another article How the next Dalai Lama may be selected! has several pictures of the Golden Urn farce is worth reading.
Incidentally, Gyaltsen Norbu, the Panchen Lama 'selected' by China is also born in Lhari.

[My 2015 posting]
The Communist leadership has recently developed a great knowledge about ‘soul’ reincarnation!
Poor Karl Marx!
Though probably he never heard about the possibility to ‘reincarnate’, he would have certainly disapproved and considered this a bourgeois revisionist ideological concept. But the times have changed.
This week, on the same day, China Tibet Online affiliated to Xinhua, published 5 articles on reincarnation of lamas, more particularly on the present Dalai Lama’s reincarnation.
One of the pieces explains that reincarnation is “a complete set of religious rites and historical mechanism” and “as China adopts the policy of freedom to religious belief,” the Communist Party accepts ‘reincarnations’. Of course, the recognition process must follow the Party’s rules and regulations, which prime over religious belief.
One of the articles goes into history and explains that the title of ‘Dalai Lama’ was conferred by the Central Government (China); it has a history of over 400 years, beginning in 1587 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The author conveniently forgets to mention the fact that ‘Dalai’ is a Mongol name meaning ‘Ocean’ (of Wisdom).  But probably, Mongolia belonged to China too!
The article mentions ‘The Regulations on Religious Affairs’ and ‘Tibetan Buddhist Reincarnation Management Approach’ enacted in 2007 by the atheist Party in Beijing; it stipulated that “the Dalai Lama should follow the religious rites, historical mechanism and the national laws and regulations.”
Today, Beijing says that the present 14th Dalai Lama, living in India has “no authoritative power on his [own] reincarnation issue”, it adds, quoting some of the Tibetan leader’s recent declarations, that the Tibetan leader even thought of appointing his own reincarnation while he was still alive, or reincarnating as a foreigner or a woman…”.
The article calls the Dalai Lama’s recent statements “a blasphemy towards the religious rites and historical mechanism of Tibetan Buddhism, a great disrespect to the followers of the religion, and an absolute provocation towards the authority of the central government.”
Why this virulent campaign in favour of a reincarnation process ‘with socialist characteristics’ at this point in time?
Beijing is becoming increasing conscious that it is unable to control the restive populations living on the Tibetan Plateau and once the Dalai Lama departs for the Heavenly Fields, the situation may degenerate further. The Communist leadership wants to prepare the stage for a ‘safe’ Chinese Dalai Lama, under the Party’s control. It will help the Communist cause, they believe.
The present leader has repeatedly made it clear that the final decision about his future life(s) remains his own. Beijing however believes that it is the Party’s responsibility.
Another reason for urgency is the 50th anniversary of the Foundation of the Tibetan Autonomous Region which will be celebrated in 2015, as well as the Sixth Tibet Work Forum which will decide the policies for the Roof of the World for the next 5 or 10 years, which will be held in the coming weeks.
The Communist Government is banking on the Golden Urn process to turn the issue in its favour.
Though historically wrong, another article affirms: “the procedure of drawing lots from the golden urn is the most significant religious rite and historic mechanism.”
Beijing’s tainted version of the history is that sometimes “several ‘soul boys’ appeared at the same time, it indubitably aroused disputes between different sides. To solve the problem, Emperor Qianlong granted two golden urns in 1792, one placed in the Lama Temple of Beijing and the other in the Jokhang Temple of Lhasa.”
The Golden Urn was indeed used a very few times in history, especially when Tibet was too weak to resist China’s bullying tactics (interestingly, Beijing admits today that the present Dalai Lama was ‘exempted’ of the test).
Now, Beijing would like to use the Golden Urn again for the next Dalai Lama, as they have done for their Panchen Lama candidate, Gyaltsen Norbu (for the past 20 years, the boy selected by the Dalai Lama is still languishing under house arrest somewhere in China).
How Norbu was selected is recounted by a Tibetan Lama, who participated in the ‘test’ and later managed to escape China.
The Lama, Arjia Rinpoche, the Abbot of the Kumbum monastery in today’s Qinghai Province, was part of the great tamasha to ‘select’ the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995.
The process is explained in his book, Surviving the Dragon: A Tibetan Lama's Account of 40 Years under Chinese Rule.
In 1995, Beijing, furious that the Dalai Lama had ‘unilaterally’ decided on the new incarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, decided to use the Golden Urn.
In November 1995, an emergency meeting was called in Beijing to ‘clarify’ the Communist Party’s position: “We must not allow the Dalai's separatist clique to interfere.” To avoid the Dalai Lama being involved in the selection process, the Golden Urn was the best method, it was decided.
A few days later, some Party cadres and high Lamas were called to Lhasa.
The test was to be held in the Jokhang Cathedral: “We landed at Gonggar airport in Lhasa, which was tightly guarded by People's Liberation Army soldiers and armed policemen. …Soldiers were lined up along the entire route ‘for our protection’. …At the Lhasa Hotel, I saw squads of PLA soldiers with machine guns, as well as regular police, surrounding the hotel so that no one could slip in or out,” recalls Arjia.
The Communist officials told the rinpoches:"The Golden Urn Ceremony will take place tonight, please be prepared. …If a separatist clique [followers of the Dalai Lama] attempts any disruption of the ceremony, everyone will be protected.”
The ceremony took place on November 29, 1995 at 2 am: “As we walked toward the statue of the Buddha [the famous Jowo], we saw undercover policemen standing in every corner and shadow.”
Arjia Rinpoche continues the narration of the dramatic event: “In front of the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was a large table covered with a yellow silk cloth. Alone on the table stood a golden urn about 15 inches high, surrounded by seated high officials.”
Luo Gan, a Minister (later, a member of the Politburo’s Standing Committee) presided over the ceremony: “Inside the gold urn was a small case, which contained three ivory lots, an inch wide and seven or eight inches long. The names of the three candidates were written on three separate pieces of paper, each of which was then slipped into a tightly fitted pouch of yellow silk. …The three ivory lots were placed into the Golden Urn.”
Arjia remembers: “I expected him to lift the vessel and shake one of the lots out of the urn, but instead he passed his hand quickly over the lots and pulled one out.”
The name of the ‘selected’ candidate was Gyaltsen Norbu
An official present later told Arjia: “When we made our selection we left nothing to chance. In the silk pouches of the ivory pieces we put a bit of cotton at the bottom of one of them, so it would be a little higher than the others and the right candidate would be chosen.”
That was it.
There is no doubt that the selection of the next Dalai Lama will be done in the same manner, if Beijing is allowed to have its way.
There is another factor that Beijing is aware of, though not mentioned in the recent articles.
Traditionally, the Panchen Lama has to put his seal on the entire process. To make sure that the Chinese protégé obeys, President Xi Jinping gave him an ‘audience’ at Zhongnanhai in Beijing on June 10. The encounter looked more like summons-cum-lecture than an ‘audience’. Xinhua announced that the meeting showed that the Party “has consistently given a high level of attention to Tibet.” It also indicated, said the news agency, “the great importance that the Central Committee attaches to the religious work.”
Apparently Gyaltsen Norbu, though selected by Beijing in a dubious manner, needed to be briefed: could he rebel like his predecessor and refuse to follow the diktats of the Party?
In all probability Norbu was told what he should do …in case of a new Dalai Lama needs to be ‘recognized’ by the Communist Party. 
But, will this solve the Tibetan issue? Certainly not!

How the next Dalai Lama may be selected!

Tomb of the 10th Panchen Lama at Tashi Lhunpo monastery

Two years ago, I mentioned about the 'arranged' recognition (and enthronement) of the Tenth Panchen Lama.
Today, a Chinese website published a series of photos of the so-called Golden Urn ceremony organized by the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Though at the end of the recent Kalachakra the Dalai Lama stated that he will live till 100, the Communist Government in Beijing is meticulously planning his reincarnation.
It explains the publication of the 1995 'rehearsal' for the selection of the Eleventh Panchen Lama. 
The photos of the farcical ceremony are posted below.

If he could hear the uttering of one of his Tibetan followers, poor Karl Marx would turn in his tomb!
Padma Choling, (alias Pema Thinley), Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional (TAR) People's Congress created a flutter when he declared: “it's not up to the Dalai Lama to decide [about his own reincarnation].”
The third session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) had opened as usual with fanfare at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2015. Three days later, the Tibetan official objected to the Dalai Lama’s earlier announcement saying that ‘[his] traditional religious role should cease with his death’.
Padma Choling affirmed that it was against “the Tibetan Buddhism tradition as the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death. …[as] the move is expected to upset the reincarnation system that has been honored for hundreds of years in Tibet and destabilize the Buddhist region.”
The Central Committee member added that the process: “should follow strict historical conventions and required religious rituals of the Tibetan Buddhism …and be approved by the central government.”
According to Beijing, it is for the Communist Party of China to ‘decide’ who will be the next Dalai Lama.
The atheist Party believes that the Dalai Lama’s claims to stop his lineage (more correctly, the institution of the Dalai Lamas) “is blasphemy against ibetan Buddhism.”
The question remains: how will the Communist Party choose the next Dalai Lama? It is very easy to guess, if you read a book ‘Surviving the Dragon: A Tibetan Lama's Account of 40 Years under Chinese Rule’ written by a Tibetan Lama, now in exile in the US, who was part of the great tamasha to ‘select’ a new Panchen Lama in 1995.
The Lama, Arjia Rinpoche was the Abbot of the Kumbum monastery in today’s Qinghai Province before escaping from China; he was also a member of the ‘selection committee’ for the Panchen Lama.
Arjia recalls: “On May 14, 1995, I was stunned by the news that, in India, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama had announced the name of the reincarnated Eleventh Panchen Lama. My immediate fear was that the Chinese government would not accept his decision and would put itself at odds with Tibetan tradition. And I was right.”
Beijing was furious that the Dalai Lama, based in Himachal Pradesh, had ‘unilaterally’ decided on the new incarnation.
Soon after the Tenth Panchen Lama passed away, under mysterious circumstances while on a visit to Tibet, the Chinese government formed a ‘search team’ under Gyayak Rinpoche, the Panchen Lama’s dharma teacher. Chadrel Rinpoche, abbot of the Panchen Lama’s Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and Arjia Rinpoche were to assist the old Lama.
Arjia remembers: “The Chinese government trusted Chadrel Rinpoche to do their bidding … asking only that he report frequently to the central government on his progress.”
Chadrel Rinpoche considered that it was Tashi Lhunpo monastery’s responsibility to discover the newly born Lama.
The problem started after Gyayak’s demise, when Beijing discovered that Chadrel Rinpoche had secretly been in contact with the Dalai Lama to find a ‘consensus’ candidate. Dharamsala was unaware that Chadrel Rinpoche had written a ‘letter of promise’ agreeing to obey the Chinese government; this explains Dharamsala’s unilateral announcement.
At the same time, says Arjia: “the Tibetans clearly wanted the Fourteenth Dalai Lama to be the final arbiter of the identity of the true reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.”
Events started to hot up in early November 1995, when an emergency meeting was called in Beijing to ‘clarify’ the Communist Party’s position.
According to the former Abbot of Kumbum: “This was when I learned that Chadrel Rinpoche had been arrested. …[then], we were bombarded with statements like ‘We must not allow the Dalai's separatist clique to interfere in the Golden Urn Ceremony’. Though not spelled out, the message was clear: His Holiness would not be involved in the selection process, and the Golden Urn Ceremony would be the method of choice.”
The next day, the main meeting took place to which Jamyang Shepa, abbot of Labrang-Tashi Kyil monastery, Bumi Rinpoche, a high Lama from the TAR and Arjia participated.
Ying Kesheng, the Party Secretary of Qinghai Province was present.
Three points were on the agenda.

1. Eliminating from contention the boy selected by the Dalai Lama (Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who since then has been under house arrest);
2. Denouncing and removing Chadrel Rinpoche from his official position on the search team; and
3. Mandating a Golden Urn Ceremony.

The rinpoches present had no other choice but to accept Beijing’s decision: “The meeting was swift and efficient. That same afternoon, central TV aired footage of the meeting throughout China and the rest of the world,” says Arjia Rinpoche.
Soon after, another meeting was called “for determining the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama using the Golden Urn Ceremony.”
It was to be held in the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa: “We landed at Gonggar airport in Lhasa, which was tightly guarded by People's Liberation Army soldiers and armed policemen. Our column of buses, led by police patrol cars, took two hours to drive the 60 miles to the hotel. Soldiers were lined up along the entire route ‘for our protection’. When we arrived at the Lhasa Hotel, things were even more oppressive; I saw squads of PLA soldiers with machine guns, as well as regular police, surrounding the hotel so that no one could slip in or out.”
This could probably be called the selection of a Living Buddha with Chinese characteristics.
The Communist officials told the rinpoches:"The Golden Urn Ceremony will take place tonight, so please be prepared. …If a separatist clique [followers of the Dalai Lama] attempts any disruption of the ceremony, everyone will be protected.”
A stern warning followed: “if any among you support or participate in any such attempt, we will punish you without mercy."
The ceremony was held on November 29, 1995, at 2 am: “we were called together and ushered into vehicles bound for Jokhang Temple. Although the night was dark, again we could see soldiers in their heavy bulletproof vests every few steps along the deserted streets. …As we walked toward the statue of the Buddha [the famous Jowo], we saw undercover policemen standing in every corner and shadow.”
Arjia Rinpoche continues the narration of the dramatic event: “In front of the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was a large table covered with a yellow silk cloth. Alone on the table stood a golden urn about 15 inches high, surrounded by seated high officials.”
Luo Gan, a State Counselor (and later, a member of the Politburo’s Standing Committee) and Gyaltsen Norbu (the TAR governor) were present.
Then the Ceremony began: “Inside the gold urn was a small case, which contained three ivory lots, an inch wide and seven or eight inches long, with cloud scrolls etched at one end. The names of the three candidates were written on three separate pieces of paper and pasted to the ivory sticks, each of which was then slipped into a tightly fitted pouch of yellow silk. …The three ivory lots were placed into the Golden Urn.”
Bumi Rinpoche, who had been appointed Ganden Tripa (throne holder of the Yellow School) by Beijing, drew the lot.
Arjia remembers: “I expected him to lift the vessel and shake one of the lots out of the urn, but instead he passed his hand quickly over the lots and pulled one out. He handed the yellow pouch to Luo Gan for verification. Luo Gan handed it to Gyaltsen Norbu.”
The name of the ‘selected’ candidate was Gyaltsen Norbu, like the Governor: “Gyaltsen Norbu chose Gyaltsen Norbu. The government chose itself as Panchen Lama,” a joke later circulated.
But the tamasha was not finished. Read on and you will understand how the next Dalai Lama will be selected.
After Gyaltsen Norbu’s enthronement in Tashi Lhunpo, Arjia Rinpoche returned to Beijing by plane. He and Jamyang Shepa were called in a private cabin by Li Tieying, a Central minister and Ye Xiaowen, the director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs under the Chinese Cabinet.
Arjia says: “Both of them looked especially pleased with themselves. Li Tieying placed the event in the context of great moments in China's history.”
After Li Tieying, retired (with an oxygen mask) in the unpressurized cabin, Ye Xiaowen spoke more freely: “He unwittingly revealed a shocking secret,” recalls Arjia. Ye said: “When the Dalai Lama announced the name of his chosen candidate, the government immediately sent out charter jets, usually reserved for members of the Politburo, to the birthplaces of the three final candidates in the Naqu [Nagchu] district of Tibet. They put the boys and their families on the three jets and whisked them away into hiding."
Arjia continues quoting Yu: “When we made our selection we left nothing to chance. In the silk pouches of the ivory pieces we put a bit of cotton at the bottom of one of them, so it would be a little higher than the others and the right candidate would be chosen.”
That was it.
Nothing could be done: “We were dumbfounded! Jamyang Shepa Rinpoche and I kept silent, our heads lowered, pretending we had heard nothing unusual.”
There is no doubt that the selection of the next Dalai Lama will be done in the same manner, if Beijing is allow to have its way.
Twenty years later, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, selected by the Dalai Lama as the Panchen Lama is still under house arrest, somewhere in China.
A tragic farce indeed.

Ye Xiaowen, State Council's Secretary for Religious Affairs selecting the name

Bomi Rinpoche, a Chinese appointed 'Ganden Tripa' and the Golden Urn

Governor Gysltsen Norbu recognizing Gyaltsen Norbu

Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese Panchen Lama

State Councilor Li Tieying and Gyaltsen Norbu

State Councilor Li Tieying and Gyaltsen Norbu

On behalf of the State Council, Minister Li Tieying recognizes Gyalsten Norbu

In front of the Buddha in Jokhang Cathedral

Spiritual Instability on the Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Lama arriving in Beijing

A few days ago, I mentioned the growing ‘popularity’ of the Tibetan Lamas and ‘Living Buddhas’ in China, but what about Tibet?
The ‘Living Buddhas’, under the wings of the Communist Party of China are also flourishing on the Plateau.
A question however comes to mind: are these ‘Rinpoches’, 'Tulkus', 'Living Budhdas' fake or genuine?
According to the White Paper, Tibet's Path of Development Is Driven by an Irresistible Historical Tide published in April: “Currently, Tibet has 1,787 sites for different religious activities, over 46,000 resident monks and nuns, and 358 Living Buddhas.”
I wrote about the Fake Lama, Communists Lamas, after the issue received a great deal of publicity from Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee.
In a CCTV interview, Zhu said that ‘[some] fake Living Buddhas are cheating people out of their savings or luring them into sexual activities using religious practice as an excuse.”
Jamphel Gyatso, a Tibetan scholar associated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has now attacked Zhu Weiqun and Ye Xiaowen, former head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) on Weibo on December 18 about this.
I shall come back to it.
Perhaps more importantly, a senior Communist cadre of Tibetan origin, recently spoke of 'ethnic discrimination' in China. It is new!

Ethnic Discrimination
Jampa Phuntsok, who before being appointed as Vice-Chairman of the National People’s Congress in 2013, served as Governor of Tibet, openly stated that that the Chinese government “needed to make more efforts to tackle ethnic discrimination”.
This was reported by Xinhua and the Chinese media.
It is a rare comment by a senior official on what is a really tricky issue for Beijing.
The syndrome known as ‘Great Han Chauvinism’ has often been mentioned on this blog,
Three years ago, a debate was raging is China: should 'nationalities' continue to enjoy the autonomy offered to them by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China?
It is again Zhu Weiqun, the former Chinese interlocutor in the Beijing-Dharamsala talks who suggested that the 'nationalities' should be divested of their special privileges in order to achieve 'national cohesion'.
On the opposite, I had also quoted Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek about the possibility for the ‘nationalities’ to obtain ‘independence'.
In 1945, Chiang announced in the Chinese Parliament that his Government desired to allow the ‘frontier racial groups’ to attain independence …if capable of doing so. He affirmed:

I solemnly declare that if the Tibetans should at this time express a wish for self-government our Government would, in conformity with our sincere traditions, accord it a very high degree of autonomy. If in the future, they fulfill economic requirement of independence, the nation’s Government will, as in the case of Outer Mongolia, help them to attain this status.

In the early days of the Chinese Revolution, the Communists also believed in giving a large autonomy to the 'nationalities'
Blogger Tsering Woeser once wrote:

After the Red Army had firmly settled in Yan’an, Mao Zedong told the American journalist Edgar Snow: 'the Red Army’s only external debt is that it took away the food from the outer ethnic minorities and now owes them, one day, we must repay this debt.' But what does this 'external debt' mean? Does this not refer to owing a foreign country? It shows that at the time, Mao Zedong did not consider Tibet a part of China.

Bapa Phuntsok Wangyal, the 'first' Tibetan Communist in the 1940's has extensively worked (while in solitary confinement in the 1960s/70s) on the issue of nationalities, regional autonomy within the People's Republic of China. In 2004/2005, he wrote a series of letters to CCP's General Secretary Hu Jintao. Wangyal's first letter sent in 2004, is posted on my website.

The Great Han Chauvinism
All this demonstrates that the Great Han Chauvinism and the racial discrimination against the non-Han 'nationalities' and the Tibetans in particular has been prevalent in China and some Communist leaders have been conscious about it.
The issue of the passport mentioned in an article published by Radio Free Asia (RFA) is another example showing that in the People's Republic of China, there are rules for Chinese and other rules for Tibetans.
According to RFA: “Under the April 2012 procedures issued by the TAR authorities, prospective Tibetan travelers are subject to arduous — and what some call discriminatory — procedures in an apparent attempt by Beijing to clamp down on their travels abroad.”
It appears that the procedures, contained in an official TAR document, were introduced after Tibetans attended the Kalachakra in India in January 2012, which was presided over by the Dalai Lama.
The article mentions the discrimination: "This is a contradiction of the law as the Chinese government, under national regulations, require the authorities to issue passports within 15 days after an application is made and to notify unsuccessful applicants within six days with the reasons why their applications were denied", it is more than a contradiction, it is part of a number of calculated policy which often pushes young Tibetan to become radical and look for undesirable solutions.
There are many more examples.
Take the posts in the defence services. A quick look at the composition of the CCP's Central Committee shows that there are 67 members with an Army background who made it as full or alternate members of the 18th Central Committee. Interestingly, there is only one woman, an alternate, among the 67 military CC members. All the military CC members - 100% of 67 -- are Han Chinese.

The case of Jampa Phuntsok
Now, the fact that Jampa Phuntsok, the senior most Tibetan in the Communist hierarchy with Pema Thinley, mentioned this during a session of the NPC, is new.
Phuntsok is quoted by Xinhua as saying: "In recent years, there have been recurring instances where people with ethnic backgrounds, even Han people, were discriminated against or denied access to certain service trades."
He takes the example of transport hubs and security checks at border posts and hotels where the discrimination often happened.
Phuntsok continues: “Despite repeated efforts to implement China's ethnic policies, the problem had generated unwanted social impact and caused strong public reactions from ethnic regions.”
He even warns: "Such practices which run counter to the regional ethnic autonomy law must be resolutely rectified."
An article by Reuters comments: “Officially self-governing regions with large minority populations, are supposed to have large-scale autonomy, though in reality Beijing holds the reins.”
This is particularly true in Tibet but also in Xinjiang with the Uighur minority.

The Chinese Panchen Lama
In the meantime, The Global Times quotes the Chinese Panchen Lama, ‘a key religious leader of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region’ who has taken the “pledge to become a Living Buddha protecting the country and benefiting the people.”
The Global Times believes that this could promote ethnic harmony.
But why does Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese selected Panchen Lama need to take this pledge now?
Was he not ‘protecting’ the country (China) before?
The Chinese propaganda says that Norbu questions: "Certain people in foreign countries have denounced my talk of a stable society and steady development, but will the local governments in those countries allow them to stay there for long if they keep making disturbances?"
Earlier, according to The Global Times, Norbu asserted: “Buddhism has no boundary, but the Living Buddha has his motherland, …religious groups cannot survive, let alone develop, if they don't abide by the country's law.”
This constant pledging and re-pledging shows that China is nervous.
The Plateau is spiritually instable.
Incidentally, why should China be the ‘Motherland’ of Buddha?
Was not Buddha the most illustrious ‘Son of India’?
To come back to Gyaltsen Norbu, according to tibet.cn, he further affirmed that ‘protecting the country and benefiting the people’ means “safeguarding society's stability and development is a priority in protecting any country, while people should be offered both material and spiritual benefits by stability and development.”
‘Stability and Development’ has been the leitmotivs of the Party vis-à-vis Tibet.
The young Lama has no choice but to follow the Party's line.
The Global Times recalls that the term ‘protect the country and benefit the people’ was first written on a banner sent to the Panchen Lama by former president Jiang Zemin in 1996
One Lian Xiangmin, said to be an expert with the China Tibetology Research Center, explained that Gyaltsen Norbu's words  “represent Tibetan people's heartfelt wishes for a better life and a stable society.”
Penpa Lhamo, deputy head of the Contemporary Studies Institute at the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences also expounded the Party line: “The Panchen Lama is not only a religious leader, but also an influential Chinese citizen. His patriotic remarks will profoundly affect many people.”
The mouthpiece of the Party reminds its readers that already in June, during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Norbu “had promised that he would learn from the example of his predecessor to unswervingly safeguard national unity and ethnic harmony, studying diligently and working vigorously to contribute to Tibetan Buddhism and socialist construction so as to live up to the expectations of the people.”
Reading all this, it is clear that the situation is not very stable on the plateau and Beijing does not even trust ‘lamas’ selected and groomed by the Party; but at the same time, discrimination continue to exist on the Roof of the World; it is what admitted Jampa Phuntsok, the senior Communist cadre.

Fake Rinpoches
As mentioned earlier in this post, Jamphel Gyatso attacked Zhu Weiqun and Ye Xiaowen on Weibo on December 18. It is interesting because Ye was involved in the fraudulent selection of the Panchen Lama.
In his Memoirs (Surviving the Dragon: A Tibetan Lama's Account of 40 Years under Chinese Rule), Arjia Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama also linked with the selection and now living in the US, recounted that after the enthronement of the Chinese Panchen Lama (Gyaltsen Norbu) in Tashilhunpo, he returned to Beijing by plane. He and Jamyang Shepa (another high Tibetan Lama) were called in a private cabin by Li Tieying, a Central minister and Ye Xiaowen: “Both of them looked especially pleased with themselves. Li Tieying placed the event in the context of great moments in China's history.”
Ye Xiaowen then revealed the shocking secret: “When we made our selection we left nothing to chance. In the silk pouches of the ivory pieces we put a bit of cotton at the bottom of one of them, so it would be a little higher than the others and the right candidate would be chosen.”
Now, Zhu Weiqun and Ye are openly accused of closing their eyes on corruption involving the naming of ‘Living Buddhas’.
I wonder why Jamphel Gyatso does not mention the Panchen Lama’s case?
Regarding Gyatso’s accusations, ucanews.com, a Christian website, comments: “Accusations of rampant corruption, national security violations and other serious disciplinary offenses by senior party officials are rarely written or published in public forums in China unless they are already being pursued by authorities.”
Jamphel Gyatso had written: "Director Ye, how much money did you dredge up yourself?"
In a separate post, Gyatso also accused Zhu of corruption.
He questioned Zhu’ statement on the ‘Living Buddhas’; particularly the fact that they are used to fund separatist activity in Tibet.
According to ucanews.com: “The title of a ‘Living Buddha’ reportedly sells for more than 200,000 yuan (US$ 30,800) and many have been accused of selling out after appearing in television advertisements and online stores.”
Zhang Weiming, a researcher at the Sichuan Tibetan Buddhism Culture Research Center says: “There may be as many as 10,000 people calling themselves ‘Living Buddhas’ across China, Zhang estimated, even though the state has only recognized 1,700 [the White Paper says 358], suggesting 83 percent may be fraudulent.”
Zhang was quoted in The Global Times: “The phony tulkus are pervasive, which threatens the authority of the reincarnation system.”
The problem is that the disease touches not only the minor Lamas, but the senior ‘Living Buddhas’ too.
For a regime dreaming of 'stability', the issue of Party-appointed Lamas and ethnic discrimination are two serious weakening factors. 

The next Dalai Lama, handpicked by China?

My article The next Dalai Lama, handpicked by China? appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer.

Here is the link...

According to Beijing, it is for the Communist Party of China to ‘decide’ on the incumbent Dalai Lama’s successor. The process and the result can be farcical, as has been the case with the Panchen Lama

A topic which was not on the agenda of Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart State Councilor Yang Jiechi, the Special Representatives for the Indo-China Boundary issue, but which is at the core of the relations between the 2 countries is the future of the Dalai Lama’s institution after the demise of the Tibetan leader.
After their meeting, earlier this week, Xinhua reported: “China and India agreed to properly handle and control their disputes and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in their border regions before the boundary issue is solved,” however, no word about the Dalai Lama.
It was different during China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) recently held in Beijing. During a press conference, Padma Choling, the senior-most Tibetan official objected to the Dalai Lama’s earlier announcement saying that ‘his traditional religious role should cease with his death’.
Choling, who is Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional (TAR) People's Congress, created a flutter when he declared: “it's not up to the Dalai Lama to decide [about his own reincarnation].”
He added that the process: “should follow strict historical conventions …and be approved by the central government.” Yes, according to Beijing, it is for the Communist Party of China to ‘decide’ who will be the next Dalai Lama.
How will the Communist Party choose the next Dalai Lama?
It is not difficult to guess, if you read a book ‘Surviving the Dragon: A Tibetan Lama's Account of 40 Years under Chinese Rule’ written by a Tibetan Lama, now in exile in the US, who was part of the great tamasha for the ‘selection’ of a new Panchen Lama in 1995.
The Lama, Arjia Rinpoche was the Abbot of the Kumbum monastery in today’s Qinghai Province before escaping from China.
Soon after the Tenth Panchen Lama passed away under mysterious circumstances while on a visit to Tibet, the Chinese government formed a ‘search team’ under Gyayak Rinpoche, the Panchen Lama’s religious teacher. Chadrel Rinpoche, abbot of the Panchen Lama’s Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and Arjia Rinpoche were to assist the old Lama. Arjia remembers: “The Chinese government trusted Chadrel Rinpoche to do their bidding.”
But soon after Gyayak’s demise, the scenario changed; Beijing discovered that Chadrel Rinpoche was secretly in contact with the Dalai Lama in India to find a ‘consensus’ candidate. In early November 1995, events accelerated and an emergency meeting was called in Beijing to ‘clarify’ the Communist Party’s position.
According to Kumbum’s former Abbot: “This was when I learned that Chadrel Rinpoche had been arrested. …[then] we were bombarded with statements like ‘We must not allow the Dalai's separatist clique to interfere in the Golden Urn Ceremony’. Though not spelled out, the message was clear: His Holiness [the Dalai Lama] would not be involved in the selection process, and the Golden Urn Ceremony would be the method of choice.”
The following day, another meeting took place to which Jamyang Shepa, abbot of Labrang-Tashi Kyil monastery, Bumi Rinpoche, a Lama from the TAR and Arjia participated. Ying Kesheng, the Party Secretary of Qinghai Province was also present.
The rinpoches had no other choice but to accept Beijing’s decision: “The meeting was swift and efficient. That same afternoon, central TV aired footage of the meeting throughout China and the rest of the world,” says Arjia Rinpoche.
Soon after, another meeting was called “for determining the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama using the Golden Urn Ceremony.”
It was to be held in the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa: “We landed at Gonggar airport in Lhasa, which was tightly guarded by People's Liberation Army soldiers and armed policemen. …Soldiers were lined up along the entire route ‘for our protection’.”
At the hotel, the Lamas saw ‘squads of PLA soldiers’ with machine guns surrounding the hotel ‘so that nobody could slip in or out’.
The Communist officials told the rinpoches:" If a separatist clique [i.e. followers of the Dalai Lama] attempts any disruption of the [Golden Urn] ceremony, you will be protected …and if any among you support or participate in any such attempt, we will punish you without mercy."
The message was loud and clear.
The ceremony was held on November 29, 1995, at 2 am in the morning in Jokhang: “Although the night was dark, again we could see soldiers in their heavy bulletproof vests every few steps along the deserted streets. …we saw undercover policemen standing in every corner and shadow.”
Arjia Rinpoche continues the narration of the dramatic event: “In front of the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was a large table covered with a yellow silk cloth. Alone on the table stood a golden urn about 15 inches high, surrounded by seated high officials.”
Luo Gan, a State Counselor (who later became a member of the Politburo’s Standing Committee) and Gyaltsen Norbu (the then TAR governor) were present.
Then the Ceremony began: “Inside the gold urn was a small case, which contained three ivory lots with cloud scrolls etched at one end. The names of the three candidates were written on three separate pieces of paper and pasted to the ivory sticks. …The three ivory lots were placed into the Golden Urn.”
Bumi Rinpoche, who had been appointed Ganden Tripa (throne holder of the Yellow School) by Beijing, drew the lot. The Communist ‘puja’ was swiftly performed: Bumi handed a yellow pouch to Luo Gan for verification, the latter handed it to the Governor.
The name of the ‘selected’ candidate was Gyaltsen Norbu, like the Governor: “Gyaltsen Norbu chose Gyaltsen Norbu. The government chose itself as Panchen Lama,” a joke later circulated.
But the tamasha was not over. As you read on, you will understand how the next Dalai Lama can be selected.
After Gyaltsen Norbu’s enthronement in Tashi Lhunpo, Arjia Rinpoche returned to Beijing by plane. He and Jamyang Shepa were called in a private cabin by Li Tieying, a Central minister and Ye Xiaowen, the director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs in Beijing: “Both of them looked especially pleased with themselves. Li Tieying placed the event in the context of great moments in China's history.”
Ye Xiaowen then revealed the shocking secret: “When we made our selection we left nothing to chance. In the silk pouches of the ivory pieces we put a bit of cotton at the bottom of one of them, so it would be a little higher than the others and the right candidate would be chosen.”
That was the way ‘with Chinese characteristics’.
Twenty years later, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, selected by the Dalai Lama as the Panchen Lama is still under house arrest, somewhere in China.
There is no doubt that the selection of the next Dalai Lama will be done in the same manner, if Beijing is allowed to have its way.
A tragic farce indeed!