Arunachal BJP MP requests Indian government to confer Dalai Lama with Bharat Ratna
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— Tapir Gao (Modi Ka Parivar) (@TapirGao) July 30, 2025
Only the Tibetan spiritual tradition holds that right as his reincarnation is done through the spiritual traditions of Nalanda Buddhism of Tibet. #DalaiLama #PadmaShri #Peace #Parliament #Tibet #SpiritualFreedom
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— Tapir Gao (Modi Ka Parivar) (@TapirGao) July 30, 2025
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Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Dalai Lama: Politics of reincarnation
Synopsis The Dalai Lama's plan to name his reincarnation has sparked controversy with China, as reincarnation holds political power in Tibetan Buddhism. Historically, Buddhism and Islam influenced China, with Tibetan Buddhism gaining prominence through Mongol patronage. The concept of reincarnation was later used to solidify ties between Tibet, Mongolia, and China, leading to Chinese control over Tibetan reincarnations. Reuters Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, is served food on his 90th birthday celebration at the Tsuglagkhang, also known as the Dalai Lama Temple complex, in the northern town of Dharamshala, India, July 6, 2025. The Dalai Lama plans to declare where he will be reincarnated in his next life. In other words, where his successor will be born. To the rational mind, this may sound like a bizarre proposition, but it has annoyed the Communist authorities in China. This is because reincarnation in the Tibetan world is not about the occult or mysticism-it is about real political power. Wealth and weapons can control the bodies of people. Stories are needed to control the Chinese, whose core civilisational area has primarily been the river valleys of Yangtze and Hwang-ho, have long sought control of the dry western regions through whose mountain passes, Chinese got access to horses, in exchange for bolts of silk. From there came Buddhism, after 300 AD and Islam after 700 AD. These forces forced the isolationist China to become a major global player in medieval times, even before the arrival of Europeans arrived in ships after 1600 AD via the eastern of rebirth spread via Buddhism. Rebirth is not very prominent in the Vedas, but it emerges as a major theme in South Asia following the rise of the Buddhist and Jain monastic orders 2,500 years ago. The Buddhist Jataka tales speak of the previous lives of the Buddha. Jain chronicles also speak of the rebirths of Ravana and Krishna who will become Tirthankara of the future. In Hindu tales, boons and curses of previous lives shape fortune and misfortune in present tales of rebirth became popular in China during the Tang dynasty around 800 AD when Chinese kings sponsored the building of Buddhist caves, Buddhist monasteries, Buddhist art and relic shrines. In Tibet, Buddhism made its early inroads around 800 AD. It became a major and powerful force by 1200 AD, roughly when Buddhist monks were migrating out of India, in search of new patrons, facing Brahmin hostility as well as Islamic persecution. The story of Padmasambhava who came from Oddiyana (Odisha) and tamed local Tibetan demons became the dominant story of how Tantric Buddhism reached the Himalayan plateau. After Buddhism had declined in India, it found refuge in China (seen as the home of the Bodhisattva Manjushri) and in Tibet (seen as the home of the primal Buddha Vairocana). Southeast Asia retained the older models of Buddhism based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Mahayana school flourished in China; the Tantric school flourished in Tibet. These had grander and highly innovative mythologies. The popularity of Tibetan Buddhism has much to do with the rise of the Mongols. The Mongols, a fierce horse-breeding nomadic tribe, became conquerors under Genghis Khan in 1200 AD. The great Khan and his sons saw the Tibetan Vajrayana priests as magicians who could serve their war missions. Buddhist Tantric magic involving fierce "Heruka" beings could change weather conditions and strike fear in the hearts of enemies. In fact, the worship of Mahakala, a Tantrik Buddhist deity, played a significant role in the Mongol conquest of China as well as the sacking of Baghdad -a fact that is rarely discussed by 'rational' Khan invited the Tibetan Phags-pa Lama to be his spiritual guide. This happened around 1300 AD. It was a major moment in world history, when relations between China and Tibet was established via a Mongolian hundred years later, the descendants of the Mongols and the descendants of the Tibetan lamas were seeking a way to reconnect and gain legitimacy. This is when the idea of reincarnation was invoked: a Mongol chief, Altan Khan, claimed that he was the reincarnation of Kublai Khan, and a minor lama of the Gelug monastery claimed that he was the reincarnation of Phags-pa Lama. In doing so, they were reasserting the links between Tibet, Mongolia and their shared claim over China. Altan Khan designated Sonam Gyatso as "Dalai" (a translation into Mongolian of the name Gyatso, meaning "ocean") in subsequent decades, Tibetan lamas broke free of the shackles of the Mongol Khans and came to see themselves as both spiritual and military leaders of Tibet, perhaps inspired by the concept of the Caliph in the Islamic world. Fearing the rising autonomy and power of the Tibetan lamas, during the Qing (Manchu) era, the Chinese emperor declared that all reincarnations in Tibet must be ratified by the Chinese court. They implemented the "Golden Urn" system in 1793 which involved drawing lots from an urn to select candidates, ostensibly to ensure fairness and remember the war sorcery that Tibetan monks were once famous for. The Dalai Lama prefers to talk of the wise and compassionate Buddha rather than the fierce skull-bedecked "Heruka" beings that impressed the Mongols and terrified the Chinese. These images plaster the walls of Tibetan monasteries. Today, professors prefer calling them creative visualisations and metaphors of loving kindness. By ignoring the role of these myths in human history, historians and journalists fail to understand the complexity of the Dalai Lama's story in modern times.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
PM's Assam visit on Sept 8 to honour Bhupen, launch Rs 9,900cr infra projects
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Assam on Sept 8 to inaugurate the birth centenary celebrations of music maestro and Bharat Ratna awardee Bhupen Hazarika. Prior to that, he will inaugurate a Rs 4,200 crore bio-ethanol plant in Golaghat and the Guwahati Ring Road project in Mangaldai, which has a project cost exceeding Rs 5,700 crore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During a press conference, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced this on Friday. He said the Prime Minister will first arrive at Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Golaghat district and dedicate the bio-ethanol plant to the nation. Developed as a joint venture between NRL and Finnish partners, the facility is India's first bamboo-based bio-ethanol refinery. It is designed to process up to 3,00,000 metric tonnes of bamboo annually to produce 49,000 metric tonnes of ethanol. Following a successful trial run in Dec 2024, the plant is expected to begin commercial production by mid-2025. The project is expected to benefit around 30,000 rural households and marks a significant milestone in India's green energy and biofuel sector. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the construction of the much-anticipated Guwahati Ring Road in Mangaldai, the CM added. The project includes building a major bypass, widening key stretches of NH-27, and constructing a bridge over the Brahmaputra river to connect Narengi in Guwahati with Kuruwa in Darrang district. The 121-km project, aimed at decongesting city traffic and improving connectivity across Assam, was awarded to Infracon Pvt Ltd by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in April. The concession period is 30 years, including four years for construction, with completion expected by Dec 2027. Later in the day, the PM will arrive in Guwahati to inaugurate the birth centenary celebrations of legendary musician Bhupen Hazarika, the CM said. "The state govt has made meticulous plans to celebrate the occasion in a befitting manner. A total of 1,000 singers — from senior artists to the youngest performers — will present a musical medley of a few of Bhupen Hazarika's most famous songs. Several programmes have also been planned as part of the yearlong celebration," the CM added. To honour Hazarika's legacy, the state govt will also release a special biography and a commemorative coin.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
The Dalai Lama may outlive China's communist regime, hopes Tsering
Nagpur: Penpa Tsering, Sikyong (prime minister) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), told TOI in Nagpur on Thursday that he hopes that the may outlive the communist regime in China. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Dalai Lama, on the eve of his 90th birthday had said in McLeodganj earlier this month that he hopes to live beyond 130 years. The new spiritual leader would only come through reincarnation. So, until the 14th Dalai Lama's lifetime, there is no question of declaring a successor. "A successor can be appointed during one's lifetime. However, the reincarnation comes only after death, and it's too early to think of the 14th Dalai Lama's demise," said Tsering and added that The Dalai Lama, at the start of the Tibetan New Year, had said he would attain an age of 130 years. The Sikyong is at Gothangaon Tibetan settlement in Gondia district until August 1. Tsering would also visit the Tibetan community settlements in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Gothangaon is the only Tibetan settlement in Maharashtra. He said the CTA is already collecting testimonies and resolutions from all Tibetan institutions, the larger Buddhist world, and even countries on reaffirming the reincarnation method for selecting the new leader. Lately, the statements of seven European countries were also obtained. The exercise will continue. However, Tsering did not rule out that senior Lamas back in Tibet would be under immense pressure from the Chinese govt to accept its decision. On the view of people in Tibet, he said, "I am sure that they have heard what His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) has said. I am sure that they are reassured that the lineage of His Holiness will continue, but how, when, and where will come much later." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Tibetans from both sides have been communicating with each other despite the Chinese curbs on the internet. Until 2008, India used to receive immigrants, including children who have stayed back to study not knowing whether they will meet their family again, from Tibet. China has tightened control following large-scale protests in Tibet during 2008. The guides that take migrants through the Himalayas have been removed. It's difficult to travel without guides, he said. "China has been planning to place their own Dalai Lama if they are unable to convince His Holiness to return to Tibet. They have been saying that he is always welcome to come back. However, the condition is that the Dalai Lama should stay back, which is not acceptable to him as there is no freedom in China," said Tsering. The China-proposed golden urn method of drawing lots is also not acceptable, he said. The 14th Dalai Lama was not chosen that way. The method was introduced only in 1793, and there have been eight Dalai Lamas before that. China has also proposed to find an incarnation on its own. However, the Dalai Lama says he will be born in a free world, said Tsering. Very few Tibetans here are taking up Indian citizenship. The CTA does not block or encourage taking up Indian citizenship. If every Tibetan takes up Indian citizenship it will send out a message to their counterparts in Tibet that the struggle is over, he said. Now, Tibetans can reach out to all political parties. Once they become Indian citizens, even the Tibetans would be part of Indian election politics, which may have an adverse effect. The community may not be able to reach out to all political parties as they can now. Tsering visits RSS Smruti Mandir Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Penpa Tsering, visited the RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar memorial at RSS Smruti Mandir on Wednesday before starting off for Gothangaon. He also visited Deekshabhoomi to pay tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Tsering said he has been maintaining a close relationship with the RSS leaders and even had the chance to meet the former chief K Sudarshan. TNN
