Question on the Dali Lama

[LadyCelt]

Is he the last Dali Lama we'll have? I htink I heard this in world religions class.

If this is so, why is it?

Also, do they believe that the Dali Lama dies then is reincarnated, found again, and then becomes a certain number of of lives he's had?


thanks

[Cassie]

No he shouldn't be. He nominated a young boy who he believes should be the next Dali Lama; however, that boy is now under permanent house arrest in China.

[Toby Stimpson]

Actually thats not right Cassie...you are right but thinking of a different Lama. basicly there are two high raniking Lamas in Tibetan Buddhism...the dalai lama who is the embodiment of the compassionate Chenrezi, and who is the ruler of the Tibetan kingdom...and the panchen Lama.

The Panchen lama and Dalai Lama historicaly have appeared at different intervals and when the Dalai Lama is young the Panchem lama teaches...when the Panchem Lama is young, the Dalai Lama teaches. How it works is that when a Lama dies, his essence and soul is reincarnated several years later...right now the Dalai Lama is living and his teacher the Panchem Lama who died in the 1980s I believe has said to be incarnated again. The Dalai lama is said to have found the incarnation, however the government of China refused this and took the boy under hosue arrest, perhaps even murdering him. They plced their own chosen 'Panchen lama.' who fits the age range.

As for the current Dalai Lama (I believe he is the 14th), what you might have heard is that there will be some difficulty as the current incarnation (situated in Dharmasala in India, the home of the Tibetan Government In exile) is ageing and will probably die within the next 15 years. The Chinese know the power that the Dalai Lama has and may try to block the finding procedures or even kidnap him when he is found. It will be a difficult time :(.

Namaste

Tobias

[Cassie]

Oops..Sorry I was confused!
(Maybe I still am, I'll have to read that again!) ;)

[Greyharp]

When the 14th and current Dalai Lama dies, the search will begin for his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama has said that it is possible his reincarnation will be born outside of Tibet - the reincarnations of other Lamas have done so. As with the example given about the Panchen Lama, China will without a doubt produce their own "reincarnation", if they can't get hold of the official one, and try to discredit the one recognised by the Dalai Lama's people.

I believe the Dalai Lama accepts that Tibet will not currently gain independence from China, recognises that Tibet is now part of China, but is hoping that China will grant Tibet some form of autonomy as a state within a state. He has said that if that were to happen, and if the Tibetan people could elect their own government, the current Tibetan government in exile would dissolve itself and he would step aside from politics. No matter what happens, I'm sure the Dalai Lama will continue to be the spiritual head of the Tibetan people, as will his future reincarnations.

[LadyCelt]

Thanks for the help. Maybe its the communist idea that religion is bad doing it. I was thinking it was Tibet being controlled by China but wasn't sure. I"m not sure how they got control. Its sad when people don't let religions just be.

[Toby Stimpson]

Well the Chinese occupation of Tibet goes way back to the 50's when the popularist revolution lead by Mao entered the region and annexed it, claiming it had always been meely an autonamous part of China. A wonderful movie was made on the life of the Dalai lama named Kundun, and it follows his birth ina peasent village through his childhood and right through until his eventual escape into India....it shows the events of the take over and occupation very well, and as a result the producers and all people credited with the film are barred from ever entering Tibet.

The problem that the Chinese government has with the Dalai lama and other rleigious leaders is that as the religion and culture and all areas of Tibetan government were litirilly ran by the religious institutions...the chinese saw this as a dangerous opponant to their power. Even now in Tibet, monks and nuns are arrested for practiciing what ever the government considers to be in violation of Communist law and also what they consider to be opposing their rules. Buddhism is allowed and tolerated to be practiced but large gatherings and especially any sign of following of the Dalai lama or other exiled leaders is prosecutable by imprisonment or even execution. Its not so much the religion, it's what religion means to the people and their lives. this is why the Government has instituted their own panchem lama becasue...as the Panchem alama represents a powerful religious authority, it's the Chinese government's way of gaining a foot hold and eventually controlling that which may oppose them...thus detsroying any hope for Tibetan freedom. Its truly a sad state of affairs...and yet the westenr nations did nothing! anyways thats the low down haha.. go and watch kundun, its quite a recent movie and in english...like 1996 or soemthing like that :D.

Namaste

Tobias