When religion beckons Xi Jinping and the rest

My article When religion beckons Xi Jinping and the rest appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer today.

Here is the link...

Chen Quanguo, Tibet's party secretary, warned the cadres not to be trapped in ‘Dalai Lama's illusions'. By doing this, the Communist Party simultaneously promoted Buddhism on a large scale in Eastern Tibet

The Xinhua news agency recently reported that the People’s Liberation Army was getting tougher on corruption, “reflecting the Party’s resolution to ‘purify’ the Army,” it says. The communist mouthpiece added: “With great power comes great corruption risk. Too many temptations and traps surround official posts in China, which become high risks if officials don’t have self-discipline.”
It’s difficult to say if this is a sign that the Middle Kingdom is entering Kalyug. Another interesting development is the sudden appeal for religion in China, particularly the Buddha’s teachings.
But despite this newly-found love for Dharma, practice is something strictly forbidden for the party cadres. In an Op-ed in the Global Times, Zhu Weiqun, the chairman of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and a former interlocutor of the Dalai Lama’s envoy, refuses to link the lack of religious belief and corruption; atheism “can’t be blamed for widespread corruption among cadres or any moral decay in Chinese society,” says Mr Zhu, who admonished his colleagues: “Communist Party members must not follow any religion; it is an ‘unshakeable’ principle of the party … Communist Party members cannot follow any religion — this is the important ideological and organisational principle.”
A few weeks ago, the all-powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection criticised some party cadres for secretly taking part in religious activities in Tibet.
Chen Quanguo, Tibet’s party secretary told the cadres in Lhasa: “One should not believe in the 14th Dalai group’s illusions, or follow the Dalai group; one should beware of infiltration and sabotage activities in which are involved separatist party cadres.” While warning the cadres not to be trapped in the ‘Dalai Lama’s illusions’, the Party is simultaneously promoting Buddhism on a large scale in Eastern Tibet.
An article in China Tibet Online, an affiliate of Xinhua, praises ‘Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy, a Buddhist University in Eastern Tibet, pointing out that a previous incarnation of Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, Larung Gar’s founder was a teacher of His Holiness (sic) the 13th Dalai Lama (of course, it is not mentioned that the same Khenpo Phuntsok once visited Dharamsala to share teachings with the present Dalai Lama).
The article explains that: “Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche established the Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Larung Valley near Serthar, Sichuan Province in 1980, with the aim to revitalise Dharma and benefit all sentient beings.”
Yes, you read it correctly, the communist media speaks of ‘reincarnation’. The communist website continues: “The reason behind the selection of Serthar is primarily based upon the fact that it is a historically sacred place in Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism). Monks go to achieve ‘rainbow body’ and comprehend the ‘four karmas’ at the academy. 13 disciples attained ‘rainbow body’ at this place.” The monastery hosts 30,000 monks while the communist publication speaks of the mystic ‘rainbow body’, a siddhi which allows a highly-realised master to dissolve the material components of his body into a rainbow at the time of his death, thereby leaving no mortal remains.
China Tibet Online claims: “The aim of the academy can be summarised by four distinct pursuits: To unite Buddhists in harmony; to uphold pure precepts; to study, reflect upon, and practice the sacred Dharma; and to propagate the Dharma and benefit all beings.”
This reminds me that in 1954, Mao Zedong used to visit the Dalai Lama in the guest house where the latter was staying in Beijing. One day, the Great Helmsman turned to the young Lama and said ,“Religion is poison.” The 19-year-old Tibetan leader was stunned and deeply upset. In today’s China, is Dharma poison or nectar? It is clear that Beijing is not enamoured with the Dalai Lama as yet.
In August, Beijing was delighted when the Tibetan religious leader’s visit to Mongolia was canceled (of course, this was done under Beijing’s own pressure). How could the Dalai Lama visit Ulan Bator the same month than the new Emperor? Mr Xi Jinping had to pay a two-day state visit on August 20 and 21 to Ulan Bator. Suppose the Dalai Lama had got a better reception than Mr Xi, it would have not looked nice for the strong man in Beijing. Isn’t it?
But in many other cases, Beijing actively promotes Buddhism. China Tibet Online quotes Trinley Dorje, director of the Tibet Committee of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, who affirms: “At present, China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has 358 Rinpoches (reincarnated Lamas) who were enthroned in accordance with the reincarnation system of Rinpoches.”
Of course, very few have heard of these ‘Rinpoches’ before, but it is another issue; the point is that though Mr Xi’s regime pretends to be atheist, it is not when politically convenient. In the meantime, some Chinese cadres have started studying Tibetan Buddhism. Incredible China! On October 20, China Tibet Online announced that a seminar on Tibetan Buddhism was held at the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing. The theme of the in-depth discussion was ‘Tibetan Buddhism and Equality’. It was a two-day seminar sponsored by the China Tibetology Research Center and the high-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China.
The seminar was not an ordinary religious teaching for the Chinese citizens turning towards spirituality: The research group participating in the exercise had to submit the outcome of its research to the Party. The organisers says: “Over 70 people attended the meeting, including leaders of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China, revered lamas of the Tibetan Buddhism, scholars and experts in the area of Tibetan Buddhism research, leaders of the departments concerned of the Tibet Autonomous Region.”
In other words, senior party cadres were learning Buddhism ...without, of course, ever referring to the Dalai Lama.At the same time, China remains extremely intolerant. For example, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, born on April 25, 1989 and recognised as the 11th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama, is still under house arrest in China.
The party now also says  Confucius taught ‘religion’ in Tibet. According to Beijing, Confucius was a master of the Bon; the pre-Buddhist faith in Tibet: “Confucius travelled to many places far away from home, and learned from masters until he finally built a monastery of the Bon religion. However, he wasn’t able to protect the monastery on his own, so he invited Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche (the founder of the Bon faith) to help out...”, says the website. Communist China is today full of dichotomies!

A Rainbow Body for the Party?

One evening of 1954 in Beijing, Mao Zedong had come to visit the Dalai Lama in the guest-house where the latter was staying. Suddenly, the Great Helmsman turned to the young Lama and said “Religion is Poison”.
The 19-year old Tibetan leader was stunned: religion for him and his countrymen was everything; for centuries, Tibet lived by the Buddha Dharma, for the Buddha Dharma.
Sixty later, the Party line has not changed, but there is a difference, the Chinese ‘masses’ are more and more attracted to the Buddha’s teachings.
But it is not that simple as today China is land of contradictions.
Take an op-ed written by Zhu Weiqun in the Global Times. Zhu is the chairman of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the Chinese Peoples’ Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a former interlocutor of the Dalai Lama’s envoys; he affirmed that “lack of religious belief could be blamed for widespread corruption among cadres or any moral decay in Chinese society.”
Zhu affirmed in the strongest terms: “Communist Party members must not follow any religion; it is an ‘unshakeable’ principle of the party …Communist Party members cannot follow any religion – this is the important ideological and organisational principle which has been upheld since the founding of the party”.
A few weeks earlier the all-powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) criticized some party cadres in Tibet for secretly taking part in religious activities.
Chen Quanguo, Tibet's Party Secretary told the Standing Committee of the Regional Party in Lhasa: "One should not believe in the 14th Dalai group’s fantasies (illusions), or follow the Dalai group; one should beware infiltration and sabotage activities in which are involved separatist party cadres."
One of the contradictions: while warning the cadres not be trapped in the 'Dalai Lama's fantasies', the Party is promoting Buddhism on a large scale in Eastern Tibet (Kham).
An article in China Tibet Online, a affiliate of Xinhua, praises ‘Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy, a Buddhist University in Eastern Tibet, pointing out that a previous incarnation of Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, Larung Gar’s founder was a teacher of His Holiness (sic) the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (of course, it is mentioned that the same Khenpo Phuntsok once visited Dharamsala to share teachings with the present Dalai Lama).
The article explains that: “Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche established the Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Larung Valley near Serthar, Sichuan Province, southwest China, in 1980, with the aim to revitalize Dharma and benefit all sentient beings.”
Yes, you read correctly, the Communist media speaks of ‘reincarnation’.
The Communist website continues: “The reason behind the selection of Serthar is primarily based upon the fact that it is a historically sacred place in Vajrayana [Tibetan Buddhism]. Monks go to achieve 'rainbow body' and comprehend the 'four karmas' at the academy. Thirteen disciples attained 'rainbow body' at this place.”
Can you believe that the Communist publication speaks of the mystic ‘rainbow body’, a siddhi which allows a high-realized master to dissolve the material components of his body into a rainbow at the time of his death, thereby leaving no mortal remains?
Tibet China Online claims: “The aim of the academy can be summarized by four distinct pursuits: to unite Buddhists in harmony; to uphold pure precepts; to study, reflect upon, and practice the sacred Dharma; and to propagate the Dharma and benefit all beings.”
So, is Dharma poison or nectar?
While some in the Party reject religion, others are fast becoming experts in Tibetan Buddhism.
Unfortunately, Beijing is not enamoured with the Dalai Lama as yet.
In August, Beijing was delighted when the Tibetan religious leader’s visit to Mongolia was canceled (of course, this was done under Beijing’s own pressure). How could the Dalai Lama visit Ulan Bator the same month than the new Emperor? Xi Jinping had to pay a two-day state visit on August 20 and 21 to Ulan Bator. Suppose that the Dalai Lama had got a better reception than Xi Jinping, it would have not looked nice for the strong man in Beijing. Isn’t it?
And Mongolia, being China's largest trading partner, Ulan Bator had no choice but to bow to Beijing's will and cancel the visit.
But in many other cases Beijing actively promotes Buddhism. China Tibet Online quotes Trinley Dorje, director of the Tibet Committee of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, who affirms: “At present, China's Tibet Autonomous Region has 358 Rinpoches [reincarnated lamas] who were enthroned in accordance with the reincarnation system of Rinpoches.”
Of course, very few have heard of these ‘rinpoches’ before, but it is another issue; the point is that though Xi Jinping’s regime pretends to be atheist, it is not when politically convenient.
In the meantime, some Chinese cadres have started studying Tibetan Buddhism. Incredible China! On October 20, China Tibet Online announced that a seminar on Tibetan Buddhism was held at the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing. The theme of the in-depth discussion was 'Tibetan Buddhism and Equality'. It was a two-day seminar sponsored by the China Tibetology Research Center and the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China.
The seminar was not an ordinary religious teaching for Chinese citizens turning towards spirituality: the research group participating in the exercise had to submit the outcome of its research to the Party. The organizers says: "Over 70 people attended the meeting, including leaders of the United Front Work Department of the CPC, revered lamas of the Tibetan Buddhism, scholars and experts in the area of Tibetan Buddhism research, leaders of the departments concerned of the Tibet Autonomous Region.”
In other words, senior Party cadres were learning Buddhism ...without, of course, ever referring to the Dalai Lama.
At the same time, China remains extremely intolerant. For example, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, born on April 25, 1989 and recognized as the 11th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama, is still under house arrest in China; the authorities in Beijing have systematically refused to let the world know about his whereabouts. He has not been seen in public since May 17 1995, nearly twenty years ago.
This proves that Communist China is not truly Buddhist yet.
An even more amazing fact, the Party now says that Confucius taught ‘religion’ in Tibet. According to the Chinese official media, the wise man became known in Tibet as a human with 'divine power', under the name of Kongtse Trulgyi Gyalpo.
According to Beijing, Confucius was a master of the Bon; the pre-Buddhist faith in Tibet: “In order to promote the Bon religion, Confucius traveled to many places far away from home, and learned from masters until he finally built a monastery of the Bon religion. However, he wasn’t able to protect the monastery on his own, so he invited Shenrab Miwoche [the founder of the Bon faith] to help out and later regarded Miwoche as his master," says the Communist website.
Great, but why did Mao say that 'Religion is Poison'?
Let us hope the Party will soon take a Rainbow Body in the firmament of the Middle Kingdom.

Religion: a Poison no more?

The 'rush' to Tibetan monasteries

In August, I wrote on this blog: "Communist China is fast becoming expert in Tibetan Buddhism. Unfortunately, though Beijing shows a great interest in the Tibetan Tradition, it is not enamoured with the Dalai Lama as yet."
Last week, Chen Quanguo, Tibet's Party Secretary told the Standing Committee of the regional Party: "One should not believe in the 14th Dalai group’s fantasies (illusions), or follow the Dalai group; one should beware infiltration and sabotage activities in which are involved separatist party cadres."
While warning the cadres not be trapped in the 'Dalai Lama's fantasies', the Party is promoting Buddhist on a large scale in Eastern Tibet (Kham).
An article on China Tibet Online praises "Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Sichuan" pointing out that Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, founder of Larung Gar was a teacher of His Holiness [sic] the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (of course, they won't say that the same Khenpo Phuntsok once visited Dharamsala to share teachings with the present Dalai Lama).
I am reproducing the article; it is worth reading:

Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, the incarnation of the great terton Terchen Lerab Lingpa, and also a teacher of His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, established the Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Larung Valley near Serthar, Sichuan Province, southwest China, in 1980, with the aim to revitalize Dharma and benefit all sentient beings.
The reason behind the selection of Serthar as the building place is primarily based upon the fact that it is a historically sacred place in Vajrayana. Monks go to achieve 'rainbow body' (a high level of spiritual achievement), and comprehend the 'four karmas' at the academy. Thirteen disciples attained 'rainbow body' at the place where His Holiness the First Dudjom Rinpoche had originally stayed.
According to the First Dodrupchen Rinpoche, two hundred years ago a great siddha wrote in his Future Prophecy that the Larung Valley, protected by the Goddess of Mutian and surrounded by the sacred Mt. Danjian and Mt. Ala, is a blessed site.
The aim of the academy can be summarized by four distinct pursuits: "to unite Buddhists in harmony; to uphold pure precepts; to study, reflect upon, and practice the sacred Dharma; and to propagate the Dharma and benefit all beings".
In May of 1987, the Tenth Panchen Lama approved the founding of the academy by presenting them with a plaque on which he wrote, in Tibetan: "Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy", he also respectfully addressed His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok as "Sage Choeje".
At the same time, Mr. Puchu Zhao, the Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, wrote the name of the academy in Chinese. Therefore, an era of revitalization of Tibetan Buddhism had begun.
According to the introduction of its website, the curriculum at Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy includes three parts: Sutrayana, Secret Mantrayana, and common culture. The main courses in Sutrayana involve five major categories of treatise: Vinaya, Hetuvidya, Abhidharmakosa-Sastra, Madhyamika, and Prajnaparamita. Secret Mantrayana consists of esoteric shastra, various preliminaries, generation phase, completion phase, the Great Perfection, and pith instruction. Common culture pertains to the science of language, the science of medicine, Tibetan language, etc.
In 1999, the Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy was identified by The New York Times as one of the largest and most influential centers for study of Tibetan Buddhism in the world.
During more than 30 years, the academy has cultivated hundreds of eminent Buddhist scholars and practitioners, who in turn have founded numerous Dharma centers around the world. They have also made tremendous contributions to Tibetan Buddhism by teaching the sacred Dharma, revitalizing the traditional Tibetan culture, and improving ethnic unity.
Currently, there are over ten thousand resident monastics, both Tibetan and Han, in the academy. In addition, thousands of members around the world are engaged in Dharma study via online courses taught by the institute's senior Khenpo, Sodargye Rinpoche.

While denying the existence of the Dalai Lama as one of the foremost proponent of Buddhism, Beijing has clearly become 'expert' in the Buddha Dharma.
By the way, did you know that Confucius ruled as a 'divine king' in Tibet?
It is what the China Daily says: "Thanks to cultural exchanges between ethnic Hans and Tibetans, Confucius became a master in Tibetan culture over time."
The Communist newspapers explains: "In the beginning, Confucius’ name could only be found in Tibetan literature that was translated from Chinese. Gradually, Confucius became known as a figure with 'divine power' in Tibet and took on the identity 'Kongtse Trulgyi Gyalpo', founder of literature on calendrical calculation and rituals to ward off evil spirits in the Bon religion, Tibet’s traditional religion."
Confucius was a Bon master.
The article seriously adds: "In order to promote the Bon religion, Confucius traveled to many places far away from home, and learned from masters until he finally built a monastery of the Bon religion. However, he wasn’t able to protect the monastery on his own, so he invited Shenrab Miwoche to help out and later regarded Miwoche as his master. Around the time Tibetan Buddhism replaced the Bon religion and took on a predominant role in Tibet, Confucius was considered as one of the four leading masters of the Bon with divine power."
Great, by why did Mao say that 'Religion is Poison'?
Here are some pictures of Larung Gar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tibet on Fire

My article on the two recent fires in Tibet appeared in The Statesman today.

Here is the link...

The   authorities   believe   that   it   is  unlikely the blaze was deliberately started;  Xinhua  said  that the possibility of arson has already been ruled out, though an investigation is still under way. Suspicions arose after some local people questioned the slow speed of the response of emergency services.  These two fires have a common feature, they symbolise the 'New Dream Tibet' (or Tibet with  Chinese characteristics) envisaged by Beijing ~ CLAUDE ARPI

Two recent mishaps in Tibet highlight the new policies and trends on the Tibetan plateau.
First, a huge fire broke out at the Serthar Tibetan Buddhist Institute in Larung Gar in the Kardzse (Garzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. The fire was reported at 7.30 pm on January 10 and it continued during the entire night.
Serthar is not an ordinary place of Eastern Tibet.
Remember 2001. At that time, reports poured in that Beijing had decided to expel thousands Tibetan nuns and monks from the Institute. The State wanted to tighten its grip on religious centres; the presence of many Chinese Buddhists had become 'subversive' for the Chinese State.
The South China Morning Post had then written: "Tibetan support groups and Chinese residents of a nearby town said the dismantling of homes at Serthar had started in June [2001] and many of the residents — once estimated at 6,000 to 7,000 — had been forced to leave."
Beijing’s objective was to reduce the size of the community to about 1,000 monks and 400 nuns by October 2001.
The Institute was founded by a charismatic Lama, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok in 1980 to help revive Buddhist scholarship and meditation. The increasing number of Chinese students posed a serious ideological problem to Beijing.
A year later, a serious row erupted over reconstruction of the Serthar Institute. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) based in Dharamsala had received reports that a serious scuffle between nuns and Public Security Bureau’s officers from Kardze occurred on 25 December 2002.
At the time of the incident, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok was undergoing a medical treatment in a hospital in Barkham County (Sichuan).
Though the Khenpo passed away in 2004, in the very recent years, the Institute has been rebuilt.
Between 10,000 and 40,000 monks and nuns are said to live and study today in Larung Gar, the figures vary depending on the sources.
The Communist Party seems to have selected this location (outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region) to allow religious practice to 'flourish', while the experience is carefully monitored by the authorities.
Now the Serthar Institute has been ravaged by fire.
The South China Morning Post reported: "The blaze destroyed more than a dozen buildings, which some reports said were living quarters for student monks or nuns. No casualties have been reported as yet. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire."
It is said that some 450 people joined the rescue operations; the microblogging site, Weibo showed people in uniforms as well as monks walking through the debris with the fire raging in the background.
This is one aspect of Beijing’s policy for the Tibetan plateau: to allow a degree of ‘spiritual’ freedom, while keeping a close tab on the activities of the Institute.
The other aspect of the Party’s ‘Tibet Policy’ is the ‘disneyfication’ of the Land of Snows, making Tibet a giant amusement park into which millions of Han Chinese tourists can be poured. No place symbolizes more this policy better than Shangri-la County in Yunnan Province.
Here too fire broke out.
The New York Times reported: “Fire blazed through an ancient Tibetan neighborhood in southwest China, destroying hundreds of wooden homes and shops that have drawn tourists to an area casting itself as the inspiration for mythic Shangri-La.”
Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and volunteers finally managed to extinguish the blaze by late morning. Luckily, no casualties or serious injuries were reported.
The Yunnan government’s website stated: “After the fire broke out, even though many rushed to help at the first instant, the dry conditions and the speed of the blaze allowed it to spread rapidly in all directions.”
According to Xinhua, the fire destroyed 242 houses, a quarter of the old town today entirely devoted to tourism.
Previously called Zhongdian, the Chinese authorities use the name of the mythic paradise from James Hilton’s novel, ‘Lost Horizon’ to promote tourism in the area; a good marketing trick.
The New York Times said: “In recent years, growing numbers of Chinese and foreign tourists have traveled to the Shangri-La area. But numbers are typically down in January, when the area, which is more than 9,800 feet above sea level, can be bitingly cold.”
The authorities believe that it is unlikely the blaze was deliberately started; Xinhua said that the possibility of arson has already been ruled out, though an investigation is still under way. Suspicions arose after some local people questioned the slow speed of the response of emergency services.
These two fires have a common feature, they symbolize the 'New Dream Tibet' (or Tibet with Chinese characteristics) envisaged by Beijing.
A couple of days before the Yunnan fire broke out and engulfed the town in Shangri-la, China Tibet Online invited Chinese tourists to visit the spot: “Shangri-la, a place where the majority people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, is full of religious atmosphere amid the sutra streamers [prayer flags] everywhere. Shangri-la has an area of 11,613 square kilometers populated with near 130,000 people who are mainly Tibetans.”
Shangri-la is one of the main sites planned for the 'Tibet holidays’ campaign. As a result milions of Chinese visitors rush every year to Tibet in search of exoticism, clear sky and fresh air; a touch of spirituality is even added by using the name 'Shangri-la'.
Why should these two symbolic sites of 'New Tibet' burn at the same time? Probably a coincidence!
A few weeks ago, Reuters had rightly analyzed: “President Xi Jinping believes China is losing its moral compass and he wants the ruling Communist Party to be more tolerant of traditional faiths in the hope these will help fill a vacuum created by the country's breakneck growth and rush to get rich.”
Xi sees China's 'traditional cultures' or faiths such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism could help fill a void which has helped corruption to flourish.
This explains the grand revival of ‘spirituality’ in places such Larung Gar; by bringing millions of tourists in Tibet, the Communist Party believes that it can alleviate the poverty of these remote areas and give a boost to the traditional Tibetan culture (which is of course, sinicized in the process).
Incidentally, though it has no direct connection with the blazes, Li Chongxi, a Communist cadre who served in both Eastern Tibet’s 'burning' places (in Kartse in 1995-96 and Aba in 1996-2000) and later became one of the most powerful officials in Sichuan, has been sacked. Li was close to the former security tsar Zhou Yongkang; for Xi Jinping, Li probably represented the old approach to the Tibet question, namely repression and corruption. According to the Chinese media, Li has got the boot after being suspected of corruption. It is also seen as a move against people close to Zhou, himself under graft investigation.
Citing a statement from the Communist Party’s powerful Organization Department, Xinhua added: "Authorities are investigating his case according to procedure”.
Li Chongxi was the chairman of the provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He is the third senior official from restive Sichuan who fell ‘under suspicion’ in 2013.
A last story about 'fire': the great Indian Guru Padmasambhava, who propagated Buddhism in Tibet during the 8th century, is said to have been able to set on fire the robe of the Chinese Emperor, just by reciting powerful Sanskrit mantras.
For whatever reasons, both these mishaps have had a 'miraculous' end, no casualties were reported in Larung Gar or Shangri-la; however one may soon realize that the emperor’s new clothes (i.e. policies) have burnt.

New Tibet is Burning

First, we heard of a huge fire breaking out at the Serthar Tibetan Buddhist Institute (known Seda Larung Wuming in China) in the Kartse (Garzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province.
The fire was reported at 7.30 pm on January 10. 
Serthar, is said to be the largest Buddhist institute in the world with 10,000 nuns and monks (in an earlier posting on Serthar, A 'spiritual' revival in China or another gimmick? I quote some sources speaking of 40,000 monks and nuns).
Then, images of a new fire, also in Tibet (but in the neighbouring Yunnan province) appeared in the media; the fire is said to have engulfed 200 'traditional' houses in Dechen county.

Fire at Serthar

About the first one, The South China Morning Post  reported: "The blaze destroyed more than a dozen buildings, which some reports said were living quarters for student monks or nuns. No casualties have been reported as yet. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, according to initial reports on microblogging platform Sina Weibo."
It is said that some 450 people joined the rescue operations. Weibo showed people in uniforms as well as monks walking through the debris with the fire raging in the background.

New Tibet?
These 2 fires have something in common. They represent 'New Tibet' (or Tibet with Chinese characteristics). 
In a posting earlier this month, I speak of the 'spiritualization' of the Chinese society (see The Year of the Horse: a Prediction).
The Serthar Institute is the main example of this 'spiritual' search, with thousands of Chinese joining Larung Gar as a monks or nuns. 
The other aspect of 'New Tibet' is what I have called the Disneyfication of the Land of Snows: 14 millions Han tourists in the Tibetan Autonomous alone!
A couple of days before the Yunnan fire broke out and engulfed the town of Dukezong, China Tibet Online invited Chinese tourists to visit the spot:

Shangri-la before the fire

Shangri-la, a place where the majority people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, is full of religious atmosphere amid the sutra streamers everywhere.Shangri-la has an area of 11,613 square kilometers populated with near 130,000 people who are mainly Tibetans.
The prevalent religion is Tibetan Buddhism believed by not only Tibetans but also people of the Naxi, Yi and Bai ethnic groups.
Shangri-la is one of the main sites on the plateau for 'Tibet tourism' where hundreds of thousands of Chinese visitors rush every year in search of some exoticism.

A touch of spirituality was even added with the very name 'Shangri-la'. Why should these two symbolic sites of 'New Tibet' burn at the same time?
Probably a coincidence!
Incidentally, a Communist cadre who served in the two 'burning' places in Eastern Tibet (in Kartse in 1995-96 and Aba in 1996-2000) has been sacked. He was close to the former security tsar Zhou Yongkang.
Li has got the boot after being suspected of corruption, according to the Chinese media. It is the latest move against people close to Zhou, himself under graft investigation.
Xinhua has announced that Li had been removed from his post as head of an advisory body to the legislature in the southwestern province of Sichuan for suspected severe violations of discipline: "Authorities are investigating his case according to procedure,” Xinhua added, citing a statement from the Communist Party’s powerful Organization Department.
Li Chongxi was the chairman of the provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He is the third senior Sichuan official to fall under suspicion in 2013.
This has no connection with the fires.
One more story about 'fire'. The great Indian Guru Padmasambhava is said to have been able to set on fire the robe of the Chinese Emperor, just by reciting powerful mantras.
Again no connection with the Serthar and Shangri-la fires, though both these mishaps have been 'miraculous', in the sense that there was no casualty.

Blaze in Tibetan town of Dukezong unlikely arson, authorities say
South China Morning Post
January, 2014
Adrian Wan
Authorities in Dukezong, the Tibetan town in Yunnan province that was largely destroyed in a fire over the weekend, said it was unlikely the blaze was started deliberately.
The possibility of arson has been mostly ruled out but an investigation was still under way, Xinhua reported.
Some people living in the town in Shangri-la county, which is about 1,300 years old, have questioned the speed of the response of emergency services.
A 30-year-old woman, who gave her surname as Wang, said that when she arrived at the scene of the blaze at 3am on Saturday, more than an hour after the fire had started, there were only two fire engines in the area. They had not begun spraying water on the flames, she said.
Other residents said firefighters arrived 30 minutes after the blaze broke out.
Chen Tianchang, a fire captain, told Xinhua that firefighters were at the scene in five minutes but that there were delays in tackling the blaze.
He said the old town did not have any firefighting equipment until several years ago and that water pipes were built above ground so as not to damage the town's historic character.
"To avoid water in the pipes freezing and breaking them, no water was stored in them. So it took time to fill them with water," he said.
Wang said: "I'm not sure why, but they only began hosing the fire about 15 minutes after I arrived, that's about 11/2 hours after the fire had broken out … Nothing is left. Luckily nobody was hurt. The old town will never be the same again."
A building she owned, which had been let out as a cafe and bar, was destroyed in the blaze.
She said her losses could well run into millions of yuan.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, but at least 2,600 people were evacuated from three neighbourhoods of the town with cobbled streets.
At least 240 buildings burned down, affecting 335 households. Cultural relics and Tibetan art works were destroyed. The cost of the damage was initially put at more than 100 million yuan (HK$128 million).
The fire broke out at 1.30am on Saturday morning and took just under 10 hours to bring under control, Xinhua reported.
Most of the houses were made of wood and the windy weather made the fire spread quickly, Zhang Zhijun, deputy chief of Deqen Tibetan autonomous prefecture, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
"About 2,000 professionals were deployed to fight the fire, which was burning wildly and causing chaos," he said. "The fact that nobody was hurt shows the way it's handled was scientific."
Chen Limei, who works at a hotel 500 metres from the blaze, said that because tourists would probably avoid the area, some hostels were allowing homeless residents to stay for free.
"It's really cold out there so people need help," she said.

A 'spiritual' revival in China or another gimmick?

Serthar Buddhist Institute

The times are changing.
An excellent Reuters article (posted below) tells us that "Xi Jinping hopes traditional faiths can fill moral void in China".
It has not always been the case; after periods of 'revival', Buddhist monks and nuns have often been persecuted, particularly in Tibet.
Remember 2001 in Eastern Tibet.
At that time, reports poured that Beijing has decided to expel thousands Tibetan nuns and monks from the Serthar Buddhist Institute in Larung Gar in Kardzi prefecture of Sichuan Province (former Kham). The State wanted to tighten its grip on this religious centre. The presence of many Chinese Buddhists was becoming 'subversive' for the Chinese State.
The South China Morning Post then wrote: "Tibetan support groups and Chinese residents of a nearby town said the dismantling of homes at Serthar had started in June [2001] and many of the residents — once estimated at 6,000 to 7,000 — had been forced to leave."
The London-based Tibetan Information Network then affirmed, "the moves had been made on order from Beijing. The objective was to reduce the size of the community to about 1,000 monks and 400 nuns by October [2001]".

Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok

The Serthar Institute was founded by a charismatic Lama, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok in 1980 to help revive Buddhist scholarship and meditation. In the early 2000s, it housed the largest concentration of monks and nuns in Tibetan areas ...including nearly 1,000 Han Chinese students.
The Chinese students were posing a problem to Beijing.
Asked about the demolitions, an official told the Hong Kong paper that he could not discuss the events with outsiders, but journalist were told by residents that "many houses had been dismantled and most of the nuns, estimated at about 3,000 at one point, had been forced to leave; the nuns left first. Then some of the monks."
Roads to the settlement were sealed off when officials and People's Armed Police moved in for the 'clearing operations'. Sources said that previous attempts by the authorities to reduce the numbers of monks and nuns had been impossible to enforce. Reports of deaths also circulated.
At that time, The South China Morning Post said that the whereabouts of founder Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok were unclear. Due to his poor health, but he was probably confined to his residence.
The Tibetan Information Network, quoting an unnamed Western Buddhist scholar explained that "Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok was recognised in his teens as the Reincarnation of Lerab Lingpa (1856-1926), a Nyingma teacher of the 13th Dalai Lama. He was singled out as a 'class enemy' during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, although he survived by living in remote and isolated areas".

Demolition in 2001

In 2002, a serious row erupted again over reconstruction of the Serthar Institute. 
The Tibetan Centre For Human Rights And Democracy (TCHRD) based in Dharamsala affirmed having received some reports about "a scuffle between nuns of Serthar Buddhist Institute and PSB officers (Public Security Bureau) from Karze TAP (Tibet Autonomous Prefecture) on 25 December 2002. The PSB officers attempted to destroy ongoing reconstruction works at the demolished site of the institute. One police suffered head injury when a stone hit him."
According to TCHRD, additional police force converged to Larung Gar the next day and continue the demolition task. Over 200 monks and nuns assembled to halt the work resulting in yet another affray between the two parties. In the midst of it all, the police reportedly shot gunfire. 
At the time of the incident, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok was undergoing medical treatment in a hospital in Barkham County in Sichuan Province. 
The Khenpo passed away in 2004.
In the very recent years, the Institute has been rebuilt. Some 40,000 monks and nuns are said to live and study today in Larung Gar. 
This article of Reuters (seen with the recent photos of Larung Gar which circulated on the Internet) makes interesting reading.
The Party has probably selected one or two locations (outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region) where religious will be allowed to 'flourish', though the experience will be carefully monitored.
Can it solve the problem of corruption and the mad race 'to get rich is glorious', started by Deng Xiaoping in 1978 is a serious unanswered question.

Serthar Buddhist Institute today

Can it fill up the 'vacuum created by the country's breakneck growth and rush to get rich', is not certain at all.
But there is always the possibility of demolishing  Sethar Institute or similar experiences once again. 
Another question is: has Xi Jinping, (if Reuters report is correct), the support of his colleagues of the Politburo for blowing 'faith' into the old Marxist faith?
One billion yuan question!


Xi Jinping hopes traditional faiths can fill moral void in China: sources
Reuters
Benjamin Kang Lim and Ben Blanchard
BEIJING (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping believes China is losing its moral compass and he wants the ruling Communist Party to be more tolerant of traditional faiths in the hope these will help fill a vacuum created by the country's breakneck growth and rush to get rich, sources said.
Xi, who grew up in Mao's puritan China, is troubled by what he sees as the country's moral decline and obsession with money, said three independent sources with ties to the leadership.
He hopes China's 'traditional cultures' or faiths - Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism - will help fill a void that has allowed corruption to flourish, the sources said.
Skeptics see it as a cynical move to try to curb rising social unrest and perpetuate one-party rule.
During the early years under Communism, China's crime rate was low and corruption rare. By contrast, between 2008 and 2012 about 143,000 government officials - or an average of 78 a day - were convicted of graft or dereliction of duty, according to a Supreme Court report to parliament in March.
Xi intensified an anti-corruption campaign when he became party and military chief in November, but experts say only deep and difficult political reforms will make a difference.
Meanwhile, barely a day goes by without soul-searching on the Internet over what some see as a moral numbness in China - whether it's over graft, the rampant sale of adulterated food or incidents such as when a woman gouged out the eyes of her six-year-old nephew this month for unknown reasons.
"Xi understands that the anti-corruption (drive) can only cure symptoms and that reform of the political system and faiths are needed to cure the disease of corruption," one of the sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity to avoid repercussions for discussing elite politics.
Government agencies would moderate policies towards Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the hope these faiths would also help placate the disaffected who cannot afford homes, education and medical treatment, the sources said.
"The influence of religions will expand, albeit subtly," a second source said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Traditional cultures will not be comprehensively popularized, but attacks on them will be avoided."
Skeptics described such tactics as a ploy to divert blame away from the party for the many problems that anger ordinary Chinese, from corruption to land grabs.
"Buddhists accept their destiny and blame their predicament on the bad deeds they did in their previous lives," said Hu Jia, an AIDS activist and Buddhist who has been intermittently under house arrest since his release in 2011 after serving 42 months in prison for subversion.

In Winter

GENUINE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?
Religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution but the officially atheist Communist Party has no qualms about crushing those who challenge its rule. The party is paranoid and would remain vigilant against cults and feudal superstition, the sources added.
China banned Falun Gong as a cult and has jailed hundreds, if not thousands, of adherents since 1999. Former president Jiang Zemin also defrocked and put under house arrest a six-year-old boy anointed by the Dalai Lama as the second holiest figure in Tibetan Buddhism in 1995.
"Relaxation and suppression go hand in hand," said Nicholas Bequelin, of New York-based Human Rights Watch.
"In China, religion must serve the state," Bequelin said. "There is greater religious freedom in China ... but to what extent is the party ready to allow genuine religious freedom?"
Washington will also need convincing.
In its 2012 report on international religious freedom, the U.S. State Department said Chinese officials and security organs scrutinized and restricted the activities of registered and unregistered religious and spiritual groups.
The government harassed, detained, arrested or sentenced to prison a number of adherents for activities reportedly related to their religious beliefs and practice, it said.
Indeed, conservatives in the party still frown on what they see as "religious infiltration". Zhu Weiqun, a vice chairman of the top advisory body to parliament, warned in an interview with China Newsweek magazine in June that party members should not even practice any religion.
Others think change is in the air.
"This is for real," Lin Chong-Pin, a Taipei-based veteran China watcher and former government policymaker, said by telephone. "To save the party and the state from the current crises, Xi must fill the spiritual void."

Beautiful surroundings

A "SPIRITUAL CIVILISATION"
In a sign of the changes Xi wants, Zhang Lebin, deputy director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs, wrote a commentary in July in the party's mouthpiece, the People's Daily, that said "treating religions well should become a common consensus ... and the right to practice religions should be protected".
The following month, Xi called for building both a "material and spiritual civilization" - Communist jargon for growth and morality.
Back in February, Xi met Taiwan's top Buddhist monk, Hsing Yun, in Beijing along with a delegation of dignitaries from the self-ruled island which Beijing claims as its own.
Meetings between top Chinese and religious leaders are rare.
Hsing Yun was banned from China in the early 1990s for giving sanctuary to a senior Chinese official at his temple in the United States after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. He is now a bestselling author in China.
"President Xi and his family have feelings for Buddhism," said Xiao Wunan, executive vice chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation, a Beijing-backed non-governmental organization.
In yet another sign, Yu Zhengsheng, ranked fourth in the Communist hierarchy, visited five temples in Tibetan areas in July and August and a mosque in western Xinjiang province in May - unprecedented for such a senior leader in terms of frequency.

MAO PURGED CONFUCIUS, POSTHUMOUSLY
China estimates it has 50 million practitioners of Buddhism and Taoism, 23 million Protestants, 21 million Muslims and 5.5 million Catholics,
Independent experts put the number of practitioners of Buddhism, Taoism and folk religions at between 100-300 million.
Chinese emperors embraced Confucianism for centuries, encouraging the philosopher's teachings of filial piety and respect for teachers and authority. Mao then posthumously purged Confucius in the early 1970s.
Confucianism has since made a comeback, although not a smooth one.
A 9.5-metre (30-foot), 17-tonne statue of Confucius was erected in 2011 outside a Beijing museum adjacent to Tiananmen Square, not far from a portrait of Mao which overlooks the area. It vanished weeks later with no official reason given. Conservatives celebrated its removal, which came on the heels of an online uproar about the statue's location.
Buddhism was virtually wiped out during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution when temples were shut and Buddhist statues smashed.
It has crept back although China maintains tight control in Tibet where monks and nuns have been jailed for their loyalty to the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Communist rule.
About 120 Tibetans have set themselves alight in protest against Chinese rule since 2009. Most have died.
Taoism, or Daoism, a philosophy-turned-religion preaches living in harmony with nature and simplicity.
Nevertheless, despite the emphasis on fostering more openness for traditional faiths, one thing in the world's second biggest economy will remain the same.
"Economic development is still the No. 1 (priority). Moral development is No. 2," the third source said.
(Editing by Dean Yates)