China’s Communist Party boss in Tibet has urged the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, to reject the Himalayan region’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, state media s
China’s Communist Party boss in Tibet has urged the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, to reject the Himalayan region’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, state media said on Tuesday.
Controversy surrounds the position of the Panchen Lama since the boy the Dalai Lama named as the reincarnation of the leader disappeared when he was six years old. The fate of the missing Panchen Lama, one of China’s most zealously guarded state secrets, is just one area of contention between China and the Dalai Lama over Tibet, and continues to worry many Tibetans.
Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a senior lama is reincarnated in the body of a child on his death. The Dalai Lama and China’s atheist Communist Par-ty have repeatedly tussled over who has final authority on the issue of reincarnation. China’s Communist Party has long maintained that the Dalai Lama’s choice, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, now 26, is not the real Panchen Lama, and in 1995, the government selected Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th Panchen La-ma. Chen Quanguo, the party secretary of Tibet, said he hoped Beijing’s Panchen Lama would “unswervingly walk with the party” and safeguard national unity, the official Tibet Daily said. “Resolutely draw a clear line between the 14th Dalai Lama and firmly reject all subversive separatist activities,” Mr Chen told the Panchen Lama in the Tibetan city of Shigatse during a meeting on Monday marking 20 years since the monk’s investiture.
Meanwhile, China on Tuesday said all the 358 top Tibetan Buddhist monks revered as “Living Buddha” should be certified by the government as it commemorated the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Panchen Lama, being groomed to rival exiled Dalai Lama.
Bainqen Erdini Qoig-yijabu was officially sel-ected as Panchen Lama in 1995 in controversial circumstances after China removed the then — incumbent of Tash-ilhunpo Monastery, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as he was appointed by the Dalai Lama.
While whereabouts of Nyima were not known, a Tibetan official said in September this year that he is receiving education, and living norm-ally. Special ceremonies were held in Tibet to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Qoigy-ijabu’s appointment as Panchen Lama. Addre-ssing the monks, the 25-year-old Panchen Lama recalled some of his experiences and thanked the Communist- party led government and senior monks for their help and care.
