The Tibetan Buddhist system is apparently undergoing serious change. At least when it comes to the Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan spiritual leader says that the Buddhist tradition of the reborn Dalai lamas should end and repeats China's critique of feudal successors.
In a surprising spiritual reversal, the Dalai Lama said that his Tibetan Buddhist tradition of the born-again Dalai lamas should "end now" because the hierarchy created "a feudal system." A description that reflects decades of condemnation by Communist China. The public statement of the Dalai Lama is based on Beijing's attempts to control who in Tibet can be recognized as a born-again Lama and which laws he ought to obey.
"Institutions must be owned by the people, not an individual," said the exiled 14. Dalai Lama in a speech at his residence in McLeod Ganj, a small town on the outskirts of Dharamsala, India. "Like my own institution, the Dalai Lama's office, I feel it is linked to a feudal system. I had mentioned 1969 in one of my official remarks that it should go on ... but now I feel it does not necessarily have to. "
"It should work. I think it should not just focus on a few people, "he said on 25. October to students from Bhutan and India. "The tradition should end now that reincarnation is somewhat related to the feudal system."
"There have been cases of individual lamas using reincarnation [for personal gain] but never attending to study and wisdom," he told the Times of India. However, the Dalai Lama did not doubt the concept of reincarnation. Buddhism claims that all people are born again, even if they are not Buddhists.
Meanwhile, US Religious Freedom Ambassador Samuel Brownback and his delegation met at the 28. October in McLeod Ganj the Dalai Lama. "The US government supports the Dalai Lama and supports the succession of the Dalai Lama by the Tibetan Buddhist leadership," Brownback criticized China's interference in the trial.
«The role of finding a successor to the Dalai Lama belongs to the Tibetan Buddhist system, the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders. It belongs to nobody else, no government or legal entity, "said Brownback.
Beijing reacted immediately to the statements and visit of the US ambassador.
"We urge the US side to stop all contact with the Dalai clique, stop making irresponsible statements, stop using Tibetan issues to intervene in China's internal affairs, and do more about it mutual trust and cooperation between China and the US continue to advance, "said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reporters.
China is carefully watching the exiled Tibetan population groups, including large groups in neighboring India and Nepal, with over 150 and 000 people respectively.
Source: Contra Magazine, 4.11.19 / researched by Jan T. Andersson
