The attack on the Dalai Lama "I decide on my successor"
by Nirmala Carvalho
The religious leader, during the eleventh Biannual Meeting with the leaders of Tibetan Buddhism and the ancestral religion of Bon, said that Beijing "has no power over the issue. And it is quite possible for the tradition of reincarnation to be suspended." China responds: "Impossible". Meanwhile, two other young monks set themselves on fire to request religious freedom in Tibet.
Dharamsala (AsiaNews) - The Chinese government "has no power over the reincarnations of living Buddhas" and the Dalai Lama "is an institution over which only I can decide. And I will, but when I'm 90: I am still healthy." So wrote the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in the document with which he concluded the Eleventh Bi-annual Meeting with the leaders of Tibetan Buddhism and the ancestral religion of Bon.
The 76-year religious leader has made it clear once and for all who will be the one to choose and recognize his successor, reminding the Chinese authorities that "the last word on the appointment of the new spiritual leader of Tibetans is not up to Beijing. I Will consult the high lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not".
"But", the Nobel Peace laureate emphasized, "apart from the reincarnation recognised through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptane should be given to a candidate for political purposes by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China." The Dalai Lama concludes by clarifying that his next reincarnation "is my affair alone" and that "no one has the right to interfere."
According to Tibetan tradition, the monks will have to identify a child on the basis of signs he would give by which he could be identified as the reincarnation of the last spiritual leader. However, the Dalai Lama had speculated in the past about a break with tradition by choosing a successor before his death, either from among the Tibetans in exile, or by an election.
It was to this tradition that the Chinese government, an atheist and communist entity, reacted. According to the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hong Lei, "the 14th Dalai Lama has been approved by the Government. And no Buddhist leader has ever identified his own reincarnation or chosen his successor."
But the issue of Tibet is becoming thornier. For the fourth time, two young Buddhist monks have set themselves on fire to request religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama to the region. The two are Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok, 18 and 19 years old: both study at the Kirti monastery, in the eastern county of Ngaba. There are currently hospitalized in serious condition.
The 76-year religious leader has made it clear once and for all who will be the one to choose and recognize his successor, reminding the Chinese authorities that "the last word on the appointment of the new spiritual leader of Tibetans is not up to Beijing. I Will consult the high lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not".
"But", the Nobel Peace laureate emphasized, "apart from the reincarnation recognised through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptane should be given to a candidate for political purposes by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China." The Dalai Lama concludes by clarifying that his next reincarnation "is my affair alone" and that "no one has the right to interfere."
According to Tibetan tradition, the monks will have to identify a child on the basis of signs he would give by which he could be identified as the reincarnation of the last spiritual leader. However, the Dalai Lama had speculated in the past about a break with tradition by choosing a successor before his death, either from among the Tibetans in exile, or by an election.
It was to this tradition that the Chinese government, an atheist and communist entity, reacted. According to the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hong Lei, "the 14th Dalai Lama has been approved by the Government. And no Buddhist leader has ever identified his own reincarnation or chosen his successor."
But the issue of Tibet is becoming thornier. For the fourth time, two young Buddhist monks have set themselves on fire to request religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama to the region. The two are Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok, 18 and 19 years old: both study at the Kirti monastery, in the eastern county of Ngaba. There are currently hospitalized in serious condition.
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