China rules against Dalai Lama's reincarnation!

Aug.22.- China announced last month new regulations governing Tibetan Buddhism, including a stipulation that senior monks, known as "living Buddhas," cannot be reincarnated without government permission.

"The reincarnation of living Buddhas must undergo application and approval procedures," the new regulations stipulate. "Living Buddha" reincarnations with a "particularly great impact," such as presumably of the next Dalai Lama, "shall be reported to the State Council for approval."

The new regulations, which come into effect Sept. 1, were issued by the State Religious Affairs Bureau under the State Council, which implements religious policy set by the Communist Party. Its director, Ye Xiaowen, far from being a religious leader, is an alternate member of the Communist Party's Central Committee, and hence, by definition, an atheist.

It is odd that the atheistic Communist Party should give itself religious authority -- including the right to decide when a reincarnation is valid or invalid, legal or illegal.

Clearly, the new regulations are meant to ensure the Chinese government's control over future Tibetan religious leaders, in particular future Dalai Lamas. The current Dalai Lama is 72 years old and lives in exile in India, beyond Beijing's control. This is a situation that Beijing wants to change.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist who advocates Tibetan independence. Not surprisingly, therefore, an article in the new regulations declares: "Reincarnating living Buddhas should respect and protect the principles of the unification of the state...."

It also stipulates that the process of choosing reincarnations of living Buddhas cannot be influenced by persons or organizations outside China. This means that the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, is barred from the process.

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