Dharamshala: It is important for the Tibetan people to enact a legitimate stand on the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. A necessary special resolution on the matter will see the light of day during the 3-day highly coveted 14th Tibetan Religious Conference, which got underway here on Wednesday. The conference is being organised by the Department of Religion and Culture, Central Tibetan Administration. More than 150 Tibetan religious leaders are attending it.
Dalai Lama will head the conference on the concluding day.
The three-day conference is administered by the heads and important figures of Tibetan Buddhist tradition including H.E Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, H.E Gaden Tri Rinpoche, H.E Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, H.E Kyabje Menri Trizin Rinpoche, Kyabje Tsurphu Gorshe Gyaltsab Rinpoche (Representative of Gyalwa Karmapa), Rev. Taklung Matrul Rinpoche (Representative of H.E Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoche), Namdroling Tulku Choedhar Rinpoche, Ven. Khenpo Ngedhon Tenzin (Representative of H.E Gyalwang Drukchen), and Jonang Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Addressing the inaugural session of the conference, Sikyong (Prime Minister) Dr. Lobsang Sangay apprised on the resolutions passed in the recently held 3rd Special General Meeting on Reincarnation whereby it was declared that the exclusive right and the power regarding the discovery and recognition of reincarnations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama lies in His Holiness himself and the Gaden Podrang Trust of the Dalai Lama. And any effort being made by China via its Order no 5 will be out rightly considered as invalid as per the resolution adopted.
Sikyong then notified on the alarming meddling of China in the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama not only through its implementation of Order no 5 but by threatening and putting pressures on India against interfering in the selection of next Dalai Lama.
Dr Sangay said, “China’s extreme hostility towards religious freedom in Tibet is no longer admissible to us and likewise, we vehemently reject any advancement of China’s interferences in the reincarnation process. If any, It should be for the Tibetans to decide and defend.”
“Though China continues to put pressure on India, India’s consistent generosity and kindness towards Tibetans have always been the same” added Sangay.
The Tibetan PM said that ever since 1969, when asked about his next reincarnation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has told the international media that it was a matter to be decided by the Tibetan people. He further added that the Karmic bond between the Dalai Lamas and the Tibetan people have been inseparable and the present status of the Tibetan people being extremely critical, all Tibetans genuinely wish for the continuation of the Institution and Reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in the future. “We therefore strongly supplicate to His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama for the same,” he said.
The authority of decision concerning the way and the manner in which the next reincarnation of the XIV Dalai Lama should appear solely rests with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama himself. No government or otherwise will have such authority. If the Government of the People’s Republic of China for political ends chooses a candidate for the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people will not recognize and respect that candidate.
Regarding the method of recognizing the future reincarnations of the Dalai Lama, the same unique Tibetan traditional method, which has been continuously used until now, will be followed. This method conforms to be basic philosophy and tents of the Buddha dharma and originated in Tibet over 800 years ago.
The conference will focus on enabling extensive participation of the religious heads and other important figures of Tibetan Buddhism in the discussion and decision making on the overarching significance of Tibetan tradition of recognising the reincarnation of scholarships with a particular emphasis on the discovery and recognition of the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Remarking on the recent visit of Senator Brownback, US Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Sikyong said that the US fully supports and favours the Tibetan Buddhist system of selecting the successors.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
