Latest news with #Panchen
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Dalai Lama's Succession: Why Beijing's Claim Of Panchen Lama's Veto Is Invalid
Last Updated: The intrinsic nature of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and the widespread rejection of China's appointed Panchen Lama demonstrate that "legitimacy cannot be imposed by decree" The recent high-profile meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Gyaltsen Norbu, Beijing's appointed Panchen Lama, after a decade-long hiatus, underscores China's aggressive campaign to dictate the future of Tibetan Buddhism. With the 14th Dalai Lama's 90th birthday approaching on July 6, 2025, China is intensifying its efforts to legitimise its control over the succession narrative, particularly by misrepresenting the role of the Panchen Lama. However, a close examination of Tibetan Buddhist tradition reveals that Beijing's claims of an essential and decisive role for its Panchen Lama are not only historically unfounded but also legally and spiritually invalid. The Fabricated Necessity: Panchen Lama's Role In Succession Historically, the Panchen Lama holds the second-highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism, traditionally playing a significant role in identifying the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and vice-versa. Yet, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propagates a distorted narrative—that the Panchen Lama's involvement is 'essential and decisive"—to position itself as the ultimate authority in determining the next Dalai Lama. Crucially, the provided information explicitly states that the Panchen Lama's involvement in confirming the next Dalai Lama, while significant, 'is not mandatory according to Tibetan Buddhist principles." The recognition process is described as a 'complex process of spiritual signs, visions, and religious rituals conducted by senior lamas and monasteries, not the dictate of a single individual." This fundamental truth dismantles Beijing's assertion of a unilateral, mandatory approval, highlighting it as a political contrivance rather than a spiritual requirement. Beijing's attempts to control this spiritual process began in earnest in 1995. Following the Dalai Lama's recognition of six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama, the Chinese authorities swiftly abducted the child. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has been missing ever since, tragically dubbed the world's youngest political prisoner. In a brazen act of interference, China then installed Gyaltsen Norbu, a boy of their own choosing, as their version of the Panchen Lama. This act of forced installation, coupled with the disappearance of the Dalai Lama's choice, fundamentally undermines any claim of legitimacy for Beijing's appointee. Norbu has consistently 'struggled to gain acceptance among Tibetan Buddhists" and is 'widely viewed as a political appointee lacking spiritual legitimacy". His movements are severely restricted, and his limited public appearances further underscore his lack of genuine spiritual authority, as evidenced by his denial of entry to Nepal for a major Buddhist event in 2023. A History Of Failed Impositions & Atheist Irony China's current strategy is not unprecedented. Historically, even the Qing dynasty attempted similar interference in Tibetan religious succession, including offering the title of Dalai Lama to the 9th Panchen Lama, an offer that was consistently refused. The 10th Panchen Lama, despite initial cooperation with Beijing, later became a vocal critic, famously condemning the CCP's repressive policies in Tibet in his 70,000-character petition in 1962. This historical pattern demonstrates that external imposition on Tibetan spiritual matters has consistently failed to gain lasting acceptance. The irony of an officially atheist Communist Party deeply involving itself in religious succession is stark. The Xi-Norbu meeting is a 'narrative building" effort, designed to project Beijing's authority. The Dalai Lama's Unassailable Authority The 14th Dalai Lama himself has repeatedly affirmed his autonomous authority regarding his reincarnation. He has unequivocally stated that the decision concerning his successor is 'ultimately his own, and he has the authority to determine whether the institution should continue." Furthermore, he has indicated the significant possibility that his successor could be 'born outside Chinese-controlled Tibet, possibly in the 'free world'." These statements directly challenge Beijing's claims of control and highlight that the absence of approval from China's installed Panchen Lama does not, by any means, 'invalidate the identification of a new Dalai Lama". The spiritual and traditional protocols for identifying the reincarnation rest with senior lamas and the Tibetan Buddhist community, not with political dictates from an external, non-religious power. Conclusion: Legitimacy Cannot Be Imposed The Xi-Norbu meeting is a clear signal of Beijing's determination to control the future of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama's succession. It is a calculated move to impose political authority over a deeply spiritual process. However, history, the intrinsic nature of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and the widespread rejection of China's appointed Panchen Lama demonstrate that 'legitimacy cannot be imposed by decree". As the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday approaches, the stakes are indeed high. Should the Dalai Lama announce his successor in exile, it would directly challenge China's fabricated claims and potentially create a spiritual divide between Beijing's appointee and the candidate recognised by the global Buddhist community. Ultimately, despite China's strategic maneuvers, the true spiritual authority and the decision regarding the Dalai Lama's reincarnation will be determined by the Tibetan people and the international Buddhist community, not by the will of an authoritarian state. RK Raina is Consultant, International Buddhist Confederation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 29, 2025, 18:46 IST
Mint
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Why did the Dalai Lama refrain from naming a successor? Is it linked to 1995 abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima?
The Dalai Lama on Wednesday announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle that stretches back 500 years after his death. The eagerly awaited statement, delivered just days before the ailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate's 90th birthday, quashed speculation, started by the Dalai Lama himself, that he might be the final spiritual leader of Tibet, bringing an end to a centuries-old tradition. Speaking during a week of celebrations in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala to mark his birthday, the Dalai Lama said a non-profit institution he has set up will have sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose his successor. As per experts, the Dalai Lama's decision to forgo naming a successor may be linked to the abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. In May 1995, six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named by the 14th Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, a role second only to the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy. However, three days after the announcement, on May 17, 1995, the boy was allegedly kidnapped by Chinese authorities and his family taken into custody. They have remained missing ever since. Weeks later, China installed its own Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu. Even today, the Tibetan exile community continues to recognise Gedhun as the legitimate Panchen Lama, while the Chinese government backs its own chosen successor. In the last 30 years, China has shared only limited details about Gedhun, like in 2007 and again in 2020, when officials claimed he had completed college and is employed. However, no photographs, videos, or public sightings have ever verified such claims. They also stated that 'the family wished to maintain a private life'. Several human rights activists noted that the Chinese government should be pressured to secure the freedom of Gendun Choki Nyima and his family. In May of this year, US Secretary Marco Rubio voiced a similar concern. Shortly after the Dalai Lama's Wednesday announcement, China's Foreign Ministry once again said that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must be approved by the central government in Beijing. Spokesperson Mao Ning reasoned that Tibetan Buddhism is a religion with Chinese characteristics and that the reincarnation process must follow traditional methods, including drawing lots from a golden urn. Mao Ning cited an 18th-century Qing dynasty tradition in which a golden urn was used to draw lots in order to identify the reincarnations of prominent Buddhist leaders. "The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn, and approved by the central government," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Why did Dalai Lama refrain from naming a successor? Is it linked to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima abduction in 1995?
The Dalai Lama on Wednesday announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle stretching back 500 years after his death. The eagerly awaited statement, delivered just days before the ailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate's 90th birthday, quashed speculation - started by the Dalai Lama himself - that he might be the final spiritual leader of Tibet, bringing an end to a centuries-old tradition. Speaking during a week of celebrations in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala to mark his birthday, the Dalai Lama said a non-profit institution he has set up will have sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose his successor. As per experts, the Dalai Lama's decision to forgo naming a successor may be linked to the abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. In May 1995, six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named by the 14th Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, a role second only to the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy. However, three days after the announcement, on May 17, 1995, the boy was allegedly kidnapped by Chinese authorities and his family into custody. They have remained missing ever since. Weeks later, China installed its own Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu. Even today, the Tibetan exile community continues to recognise Gedhun as the legitimate Panchen Lama, while the Chinese government backs its own chosen successor. In last 30 years, China has shared only limited details about Gedhun, like in 2007 and again in 2020, officials claimed he had been educated, completed college, and was employed. However, no photographs, videos, or public sightings have ever verified such claims. They also stated that 'family wished to maintain a private life'. Several human rights activists noted that Chinese government should be pressured secure the freedom of Gendun Choki Nyima and his family. In May this year, US Secretary Marco Rubio voiced similar concern. Shortly after Dalai Lama's Wednesday announcement, China's Foreign Ministry once again stated that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must be approved by the central government in Beijing. Spokesperson Mao Ning reasoned that Tibetan Buddhism is a religion with Chinese characteristics and that the reincarnation process must follow traditional methods, including the drawing of lots from a golden urn. Mao Ning cited an 18th-century Qing dynasty tradition that uses a golden urn to draw lots in order to identify the reincarnations of prominent Buddhist leaders. "The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn, and approved by the central government," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. (With inputs from agencies)
San Francisco Chronicle
06-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
China's Panchen Lama pledges loyalty to the Communist Party in a meeting with Xi
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The man picked by Beijing as the second highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism pledged adherence to the ruling Communist Party's dictates Friday during a rare face-to-face meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, state media reported. Gyaltsen Norbu, who is rarely seen in public, met behind closed doors with Xi Jinping in Zhongnanhai, the government compound in the center of Beijing, about 3,700 kilometers (about 2,300 miles) from his home monastery of Tashilhumpo, high on the Tibetan steppe. Gyaltsen Norbu, 35, said he would 'firmly support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland and national unity,' the Xinhua News Agency reported. The Chinese government appointed Gyaltsen Norbu as the Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism in 1995 at age 5 after followers of the Dalai Lama recognized a different boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the Panchen's incarnation. That boy and his family disappeared in 1995 in what the U.S. government has alleged was an abduction by the Chinese government, and the Dalai Lama, 89, has refused to recognize the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama. The Chinese government says Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is now a college graduate living a private life and working at a stable job, while producing no evidence. The Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama was quoted Friday by Xinhua as saying that he would 'contribute to promoting national unity and progress, systematically promote the sinicization of religion in China, and promote the modernization of Tibet." Xi's government uses the term 'sinicization' to mean that all religions including Christianity and Islam must take their orders from the Communist Party, reduce their non-Chinese aspects and limit their role in society. Xi was quoted as telling the Chinese government's Panchen that he should continue Tibetan Buddhism's 'strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, systematically advancing the sinicization of religion in China, and promoting the modernization of Tibet.' Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, saying he and his family had been abducted by the Chinese government. 'Chinese authorities should release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima immediately and stop persecuting Tibetans for their religious beliefs,' Rubio's statement read. The position of Panchen Lama is especially sensitive since he is expected to take part in the recognition of a new Dalai Lama and serve as his tutor, a religious process that the officially atheist Communist Party is determined to control. The meeting Friday also reflected Xi's focus on economic and political stability within China's borders, where an economic slump has raised concerns of anti-government outbursts and control over minority groups is an overwhelming obsession. China claims Tibet has been part of China for centuries, but many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for much of that time and that Beijing is now seeking to destroy their human rights, language and Buddhist culture. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese forces and has long been vilified by Beijing as a separatist. The government denies his traditional right to recognize reincarnated lamas.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China's Panchen Lama pledges loyalty to the Communist Party in a meeting with Xi
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The man picked by Beijing as the second highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism pledged adherence to the ruling Communist Party's dictates Friday during a rare face-to-face meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, state media reported. Gyaltsen Norbu, who is rarely seen in public, met behind closed doors with Xi Jinping in Zhongnanhai, the government compound in the center of Beijing, about 3,700 kilometers (about 2,300 miles) from his home monastery of Tashilhumpo, high on the Tibetan steppe. Gyaltsen Norbu, 35, said he would 'firmly support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland and national unity,' the Xinhua News Agency reported. The Chinese government appointed Gyaltsen Norbu as the Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism in 1995 at age 5 after followers of the Dalai Lama recognized a different boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the Panchen's incarnation. That boy and his family disappeared in 1995 in what the U.S. government has alleged was an abduction by the Chinese government, and the Dalai Lama, 89, has refused to recognize the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama. The Chinese government says Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is now a college graduate living a private life and working at a stable job, while producing no evidence. The Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama was quoted Friday by Xinhua as saying that he would 'contribute to promoting national unity and progress, systematically promote the sinicization of religion in China, and promote the modernization of Tibet." Xi's government uses the term 'sinicization' to mean that all religions including Christianity and Islam must take their orders from the Communist Party, reduce their non-Chinese aspects and limit their role in society. Xi was quoted as telling the Chinese government's Panchen that he should continue Tibetan Buddhism's 'strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, systematically advancing the sinicization of religion in China, and promoting the modernization of Tibet.' Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, saying he and his family had been abducted by the Chinese government. 'Chinese authorities should release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima immediately and stop persecuting Tibetans for their religious beliefs,' Rubio's statement read. The position of Panchen Lama is especially sensitive since he is expected to take part in the recognition of a new Dalai Lama and serve as his tutor, a religious process that the officially atheist Communist Party is determined to control. The meeting Friday also reflected Xi's focus on economic and political stability within China's borders, where an economic slump has raised concerns of anti-government outbursts and control over minority groups is an overwhelming obsession. China claims Tibet has been part of China for centuries, but many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for much of that time and that Beijing is now seeking to destroy their human rights, language and Buddhist culture. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese forces and has long been vilified by Beijing as a separatist. The government denies his traditional right to recognize reincarnated lamas.
