Reincarnation of living Buddha needs approval
NOTE: This story is just fascinating to me. I obviously don't believe in "Buddhism", but the idea of a government regulation requiring an "application for reincarnation?" This is something like you would see on Saturday Night Live, isn't it? Post your comments below. The SARA has issued a set of regulations on reincarnation of Tibetan living Buddhas, which will take effect as of September 1. "It is an important move to institutionalize management on reincarnation of living Buddhas," the SARA said in a statement issued Friday. The regulations require that a temple which applies for reincarnation of a living Buddha must be "legally-registered venues for Tibetan Buddhism activities and are capable of fostering and offering proper means of support for the living Buddha."
All the reincarnations of living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism must get government approval, otherwise they are "illegal or invalid," China's State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said in Beijing Friday.
2 comments:
Rather than SNL, it's more something you'd see in an Orwellian nightmare. Physical invasion and totalitarian control of Tibet would have seemed like enough to rein them in, from China's perspective, but the people of Tibet continued on with hope and compassion, despite the oppression and destruction. The Dalai Lama escaped the persecution and travels the world, speaking in support of Tibet. The government of China can't stomach having any new Tibetan Buddhist leader end up with a sense of free will or vision for the freedom of his country, so they're putting in place strict controls.
Imagine if the US government ruled that they determined whether any Christian was saved or not, and only allowed ones they approved to become popular evangelists, the only ones that could reach thousands or millions of people. Pretty lousy SNL skit, if you ask me.
Yet another despicable human rights violation by the Chinese government. They've done this before with the Panchen Lama (#2 on the list after the Dalai Lama and his interim successor). I find it deplorable that there now is a law sanctioning this form of religious persecution.
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