An article published in Global Times, a Chinese government mouthpiece, titled ‘How reincarnation system in Tibetan Buddhism is often misunderstood in the West?’ is nothing more than an old style communist intellectual propaganda tool to control the Tibetan mind through control of the reincarnation process of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. The Chinese mindset has been excessively preoccupied with the issue of reincarnation and hence such rhetoric once in a while to keep the issue alive.
The Chinese government’s attempt to control the reincarnation system in Tibetan Buddhism is a severe violation of religious freedom rooted in historical ignorance and political self-interest. This tradition of recognising tulkus, or reincarnated teachers, predates Chinese communist rule by over half a millennium. The party’s claims that past dynasties have set historical precedents for state oversight lack nuance and context around the power dynamics at play. Its arguments demonstrate a superficial understanding of Tibetan Buddhist theology surrounding rebirth.
The Chinese government passed a law in 2007 that allows them to approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, which has been rejected by the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government. This law is known as the “Ordinance on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas” and it stipulates that the reincarnation of high-ranking Tibetan Buddhist lamas, including the Dalai Lama, must be approved by the Chinese government. The law also states that the reincarnation of a living Buddha must be based on “historical conventions” and must follow “national laws and regulations.”
The Chinese government argues that this law is necessary to prevent fraud and ensure the continuity of Tibetan Buddhism, but the Dalai Lama and many Tibetan exiles view it as an attempt by the Chinese government to exert control over Tibetan Buddhism and the selection of the Dalai Lama. They argue that the Chinese government has no authority to interfere in the religious affairs of Tibetan Buddhism and that the selection of the Dalai Lama should be left to the Tibetan Buddhist community.
The piece in The Global Times asserts global sympathy for Tibet and is based on misunderstanding complex Buddhist doctrines. It presents China as generously elucidating the truth that the world fails to comprehend. However, the religious persecution at stake is unambiguous. The world rightly condemns China for eradicating Uyghur culture. Now the state has turned towards controlling the soul of Tibetan identity – religion incarnate in its leaders. Should the party judge the merits of a faith, which Beijing tried to decimate, by destroying Buddhist monasteries and persecuting monks over decades? Its genteel rhetoric masks the offence of atheists installed as puppet overlords, meddling in theological succession.
China simply cannot “participate according to law and historical precedent” in a 680-year religious custom its 75-year regime does not fathom or respect. Historical records of past emperors granting honorary titles to tulkus pale in context next to the totalitarian intrusion underway. The power dynamic differs drastically from isolated diplomatic gestures in the vast span since Yuan rule over Tibet began in the 13th century. Regardless, no secular ruler can morally police the inward sphere of any faith, let alone one system intertwined with culture for over half of China’s entire existence as a nation. To now renounce their spiritual legitimacy is textbook cultural genocide.
The tradition of reincarnated lamas in Tibetan Buddhism predates the founding of the People’s Republic of China by over 600 years. This reincarnation system, known as tulku, has its origins in the 12th century with the first Karmapa lama. Figures like the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama represent the highest and most prestigious lineages. In contrast, the Chinese Communist government only came to power in 1949. Its attempts to interfere with and control the reincarnation process after less than 75 years lack legitimacy.
At the heart of tulku is a belief in rebirth – that enlightened beings can choose to take the re-embodied form to continue guiding devotees. This acceptance of past and future lives is core to Buddhism, based on the teachings of Buddha himself. According to scriptures, Buddha lived 547 previous existences before achieving enlightenment. The stories of these lives, like those of the Jataka Tales, emphasise the long history of reincarnation beliefs predating Chinese communist rule.
If international leaders and human rights advocates turn a blind eye to the CCP subverting an entire faith to serve its self-interest, it sets a frightening precedent. Totalitarian regimes should never have such power to rewrite theology and install puppet leaders of their choosing. This is the dystopian level of psychological control and oppression – reprogramming a religion’s foundation for political gain.
The Dalai Lama has served as the foremost face of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan national identity for generations. But much deeper spiritual traditions and religious autonomy are under attack across all Tibetan Buddhist schools by CCP meddling in reincarnation. By seizing unfair process control over identifying and installing their preferred tulkus, the Party can dominate Tibet through a stranglehold on the soul of its culture – religion itself. No secular ruler should dictate the inner workings of faith in this way.
If the Chinese government were to respect human rights and religious freedoms – as it claims despite repeated violations – it would allow Tibetan Buddhists unfettered self-determination over centuries-old spiritual customs. Tulku traditions predate communist China tenfold. By what authority does the CCP deem itself the supreme arbiter of living Buddha succession and Tibetan Buddhist affairs? None, besides might, which spells catastrophe for religious liberty everywhere if accepted blindly.
Dr Chandan Kumar is Research Associate, International Buddhist Confederation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.