China
Reasserts Authority on Dalai Lama Reincarnation
Craig
Lewis Buddhistdoor
Global | 2015-12-01 |
A senior Chinese government official said on Monday that China will
never allow the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama to be decided by
any other party, reaffirming the stance of the officially atheist
Communist Party of its final authority on the issue of
reincarnation, despite objections from rights groups and overseas
Tibetans, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself.
Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the Committee for Ethnic and
Religious Affairs of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference, the Chinese government’s top advisory body, said in a
commentary in the state-run Global
Times newspaper that the central government
had stiffened its resolve to decide on the reincarnation of “living
Buddhas, so as to ensure victory over the anti-separatist
struggle.” Zhu noted that as the Dalai Lama is the first political
leader of Tibet, “whoever has the name of Dalai Lama will control
political power in Tibet.” (Reuters)
China’s government has accused His Holiness the
Dalai Lama of being a divisive element who encourages violence and
separatist activity in ethnically Tibetan parts of China. However,
His Holiness has repeatedly stated that he only wants to see
autonomy for Tibet, while it will remain a part of
China.
Zhu insisted that the issue of reincarnation “has
never been purely a religious matter or to do with the Dalai Lama’s
individual rights; it is first and foremost an important political
matter in Tibet and an important manifestation of the Chinese
central government’s sovereignty over Tibet. For this reason, since
historical times, the central government has never given up, and
will never give up, the right to decide the reincarnation affairs
of the Dalai Lama,” he said. “It is not only necessary, but is in
line with jurisprudence, and has nothing to do with whether the
rulers believe in religion or not.” (Reuters)
In 2007, China’s State Administration for Religious
Affairs decreed that all reincarnations born within China must
obtain the approval of the government to be regarded as “valid.”
Reincarnation applications must be approved by four different
governmental bodies—the religious affairs department of the
provincial government, the provincial government itself, the State
Administration for Religious Affairs, and the State
Council.
In a public statement in 2011, the Dalai Lama said,
“Reincarnation is a phenomenon which should take place either
through the voluntary choice of the concerned person or at least on
the strength of his or her karma, merit, and prayers. Therefore,
the person who reincarnates has sole legitimate authority over
where and how he or she takes rebirth and how that reincarnation is
to be recognized. It is a reality that no one else can force the
person concerned, or manipulate him or her.” (The Office of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama)
His Holiness has even suggested that the title of
Dalai Lama could end when he dies. However, China has remained
adamant that the tradition of reincarnation should continue, albeit
under its own direct government supervision, and state officials
say the Dalai Lama has no right to discontinue the
process.
“The Dalai Lama institution will cease one day.
These man-made institutions will cease,” the Dalai Lama said in
2014. “There is no guarantee that some stupid Dalai Lama won’t come
next, who will disgrace himself or herself. That would be very sad.
So, much better that a centuries-old tradition should cease at the
time of a quite popular Dalai Lama.” (BBC)
The next Dalai Lama would be the 15th incarnation
over a continuous period of about 500 years. The current 14th Dalai
Lama escaped from Lhasa in 1959 after the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army invaded Tibet, fleeing to India, which is now home
to about 100,000 Tibetans living in exile.