My previous post covered my visit to the Lama Temple. I’ve now got a video posted, so you can experience this “museum” more fully yourself.
You can see this in the middle of this video, but here’s a transcript of what I overheard the tour guide say about the Dalai Lama, and my question to him.
Tour Guide (to group of foreign tourists):
“They are all Buddhas, so they will never die. When their body dies, we will be left another young boy who will be the next Dalai lama. After this Dalia Lama dies, we will have another Dalai Lama. The present Dalai Lama, he is living in India Because in 1950 when this Dalai Lama was young, 30, he wanted to separate Tibet out of China and this kind of behavior makes the official government quite angry. Then he escaped out of Tibet.
Now Dalai Lama is getting old. So of course he is thinking about his next life, the next Dalai Lama. He wants to select his next one. Of course he cannot select where he will live. He knows when he passes, maybe without the permission of central government of China, maybe he cannot get re-life… so this is his problem so he is getting much closer relationship now with Central Government”
Me (Lhadon): so is it that the Dalai Lama needs permission from the central government to be reborn?
Tour Guide: Yes, yes.
Me (Lhadon): But isn’t the Communist party atheist. There is no religion right?
Tour Guide: Its not a problem with religion. Dalai Lama still has lots of followers that want separate for Tibet. But Dalai Lama himself and Tibetan people want Dalai Lama to be back because he is from Tibet.
Hi Lhadon la - enjoying your blogs. I can sense your frustration and outrage, especially in this segment about Chinese government having to “approve” lamas, but try not to let them get to you. Keep up the good work - you’ve shown you have guts!
That’s freaking insane.
Hi Lhad !
You are doing an amazing job, thank you for brinnig us Beijing through your eyes. After hearing and watching the interaction with the tour giude I wonder, how many times do the giudes get asked about the Dalai Lama or the occupation of Tibet a day? If you run into anymore of these giudes it would be interesting to hear if they would talk to you about what kind of questions they get from tourists about Tibet.
Much Love- Jess
So does the Dalai Lama have to hang around in the Bardo until he gets written permission to be reborn? Maybe he has to get permission to die first?
That answer by the tour guide is so stupid I don’t even know where to begin.
Keep it up Lhadon, you’re doing an amazing job.
I love this blog. The Ridiculous things that tour guide said was just the tip of the iceberg. These guides are propanda piece of the communist regime. I bet they dont even know their own history well enough. Lhadon la, thank you so much for walking us through. We will fight and resist.
Bho Gyalo !!!!
Tenzin
Well there are at least 2 Dalai Lamas who were chosen by central government among several candidates in the history.
Lhadon la,
Thank you so much.
[...] She took some video of the exchange, as well, which you can see here: here [...]
Wow, Beijing through your eyes is something I look forward everyday to read these days.
You are doing an awesome job.
Be safe …
hi lhadon
that’s the most stupid thing i ever heard, even fact not surprise with guide’s comment, he probably has no clue.
you are a dude and i admire your courage. keep it up mate, we catch you in free tibet.
much support
jampa monlam
the Dalai needs permission of the central government to be legitmate. It has been this way eversince the Dalai job was created by the Yuan Dynasty.
The Chinese Communist Party’s relationship with religion has always been difficult. Mao was all over the whole “religion is poison” thing (as have been many leftists of various stripes throughout modern history). But since the end of the Cultural Revolution (when China not only destroyed much of Tibetan culture, but much of its own), there has been a resurgence of religion of all kinds in China. China is still nominally communist, however. Therefore all domestic religious authorities are required to recognize the CCP as a higher power than their religious institutions. That is why China has its own “catholic church” that mirrors the beliefs and practices of Roman Catholicism but instead of recognizing the Vatican as its highest authority, recognizes the CCP. And it’s why important Tibetan lamas and Hui imams and various other religious figures in China must all be approved by the CCP. This may seem farcical to outsiders (particularly those steeped in wetsern religious exclusivism), but from the Chinese communist perspective, they are allowing what they see as freedom of religion within the confines of their own authoritarian structure.
I’m not saying I agree with the CCP’s approach (I personally think you can’t have “freedom of religion” if the religion has to report back to the communist party), and I’m certainly not saying that I agree with all that has been (and continues to be) done to Tibet by the PRC. But the tour guide isn’t an idiot. He’s just telling it the way the Chinese government sees it.
I believe that the Tibetans are also involved in the choosing of the the religious figures. It’s a committee of 12 people which includes a majority of Tibetans. The religious figure has to go through a series of questions. I’d rather be safeguarded against any fraud or shyster, but you are willing to accept anyone Tibetan that says “I’m the new Dalai Lama”. As quoted above, this has been happening since the Yuan dynasty.
Also, I don’t see any pictures of Tibet or any of it’s people. Why? I’d like to know the opinions of the regular people. The majority of the people of Tibet were slaves/servants and didn’t own land. The Dalai Lama was and is indeed a rich person. The Dalai Lama had many people/slaves/servants taking care of his land. The Chinese government turned this around in 1959 and gave the land back to the people vs. the rich people owning all the land. I’d like to know what the regular people went through prior to 1959. It seems to me that there is a much larger story here than what you are telling us.
Hi ladon lak,
i m happy that u guys r free n in good health, have a good rest.
i watch the video of stupid chinese guide , he repeates what he has been told by dictarioal communist govt.
let the truth speak for itself n we tibetains should defend it.
i enjoy lot ur blog, even the french media spoke about ur protest in great wall of china , hat off, n show must go on ,
with lots of regards n luv
sonam from strasbourg , france
bye
hey bruce man
ealier even the chinese inside china were begger , slaves , the nomades n farmers.
here the question is of not the state of material aspects, it’s of freedom of people.In those days things were diffrent.
Tibet n china r two diffrent country, look at the language , chinese is ididogramme , tibetain is derived from snaskrit
we don’t eat the same food, traditon, etc… chinese r stranger in tibet.Once a one chinese freind of mine told me she don’t reconnaisse herself in tibet?
tibet got it’s own belives , tradtions n history , let us live with it , that’s want we want like other minority iside china.
well we were relieved after getting news of released all activies. So i would like congratulate all you for making it in such a big way.whole world is proud of you guys. we love u all n always pray for ur all family. when tibet get free you guys will be the ambasador. bhodgyal lo, free tibet.
Apparently, it’s official. Reincarnation must be approved by China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Here are the details:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-08/04/content_5448242.htm
Thanks for your reports.
this is for Comment from Real Tibetan Time: August 8, 2007, 6:15 am
You said “the Dalai needs permission of the central government to be legitmate. It has been this way eversince the Dalai job was created by the Yuan Dynasty.”
Hello Mr, Real Tibetan.
when the Chinese communist party can recognize reincarnation? Does Chinese communist part have the traditional of permitting reincarnation? I don’t think so, if dose, please give me name of the holy communist person, I guess not Mr. Hu JinTao. What I know is that communist party said they will “respect the ethical couture and their religion” but I never hear Chinese communist party will recognize reincarnations.
I will wait your respond.
[...] So of course China does the only thing it knows how to do: clamp down more. Only this time it is treading into a metaphysical realm where it’s completely out of its element, and only makes itself look ridiculous. (See Lhadon’s blog post from Beijing here.) [...]