China can't control the reincarnation process of Tibetan lamas, anymore than they can control the rising of the sun. China wants to appoint their own Dalai Lama, as they did w/ the fake 11th Panchen Lama, in order to politically control Tibetans. But their plan will fail b/c Tibetans will see through such obvious fraud. No Tibetan will genuinely revere or respect any Dalai Lama appointed by China. China's actions show they don't respect freedom of religion.

Wangchuk, New York, USA

It is nightmare to live in an era where might is adored as sign of strength while compassion and tolerant assessed as traits of weakness and to be bullied. Tibet, my country, fall victim such ideologically driven Red China while the so called free worlds stood by letting the perpetration to continue. I appeal to the people and nations of the world, not for your compassion for the plight of the Tibetans living within and without Tibet but asking you stand for the principle freedom and justice, the very foundation on which your nations are built. Let freedom and justice ring in the world where million yearning for it. voiceoftibetan@gmail.com

Tenzin Dorjee, Dharamsala, Tibet

Excellent article, please contact me ador [at] agoratalk.com. I have material for the continuation article!

Alian, Caen, france

Vajrayana (aka "Tibetan")like most buddhist ideologies and epistimologies, has nothing to do with the belief in anything per se. Indeed, buddhism asserts that form arises out of emptiness, or at least is a formation of human consciousness. Therefore, "reincarnation" is simply no more of a concept than birth & death, past & future, existence & non-existence. So, when buddhists refer to "rebirth", it is simply the understanding the desire to continue affirmative Karma (aka cause & effect) long after our body and conceptualizations dissolve.

Yes, even this assertion is conceptual, thus according to the Shentong/Yogacaran view cannot be asserted either. Ergo, it doesn't matter if the Dalai Lama has a reincarnation or an appointment: it is the decision to -continually- create a positive effect by continuing the legacy of doing so from one generation to the next by resolving to create happiness whilste minimizing suffering. This is the chief relative goal of all buddhist intent.

Philip, Flint Hill, VA

H.H. clearly talks about the 'institution' of the Dalai Lama, rather than himself personally. These are seperable concepts. No-one (with any knowledge) is questioning rebirth as such.
Also don't believe everything you read ;-) there's no soul in Buddhism; H.H. is the incarnation of Chenresig not reincarnation; actually a better term is rebirth; Lama is just a title for a teacher; millions of ordinary practitioners also decide to be bodhisattvas, i.e. to be reborn for the benefit of others until all are enlightened; no-one transfers memories, just as no-one pulls each raindrop downwards. The difference between Western ideas of gods/demons and Buddhist deities..that would take more than a few words..
Long live H.H. Dalai Lama and all teachers of love and wisdom! May China realise some compassion and wisdom. May all suffering and confusion quickly be overcome.

Paul, London,

Tom from Dallas - have a cup of tea and calm down. All religion is fluff so don't get too carried away yourself.
The dalai lama is a figure who should be repected and listened to but he has already denied that reincarnation takes place by asking his followers if he should reincaranate before his death - I believe that is called an oxymoron - so how can it be true?
Top chap, though.
He knows that when he dies, he dies, and that is it.

Andy McC, Peterborough, UK

I support whatever His Holiness decides, but It would be a shame if he did not choose rebirth. he is an extraordinary teacher and has so much compassion, even for the people that have devastated his culture and are destroying his homeland.
We need more visionary leaders like him in the world today. It will be a great loss when he is gone.

Hiten, Nashville, TN

Don't be deceived folks--the Bible tells us that it is destined for us to die ONCE, and after this we will face the judgement,(Hebrews :27,28), but if we come to the true GOD thru Jesus Christ--we won't have fear of that judgement, but rejoicing......Please!!!!!-don't buy into the fluff of reincarnation---it is a trick by Satan to destroy your soul for all eternity-----check out what the Bible really says..

tom, dallas,

Tibetan Buddhism remained largely united for centuries because of the current Dalai Lama system. Dalai Lama cannot choose his successor; Interest groups within high ranks could at most influence candidates, but the final decision on who would be the next Dalai rested at the hand of the Chinese Central government, emperors in forbidden city or nationalist government in NanKing. Abolishment of this system will soon let power struggles within take surface. Wait and see the disintegration of this branch of Buddhism, as this epic drama comes onto stage. What if Tibet breaks away from China? From historic and current events, Ireland from Briton, Pakistan from India and so on, we know border wars, ethnic conflicts, endless bloodshed come with disintegration of a nation, let alone the complex distribution of Tibetans throughout China, and century-old mixing of ~20 different ethnics other than Tibetan and Han there. Why some people want Tibet independent so bad with such a vision? Pure evil.

Funny , London, U.K.

The DL entertains us tweaking the beard of the Chin dragon. I hope he can continue to for many years to come. It is good for us to have someone like him in existence. He almost makes me wish we americans had a Dalai Lama to keep us mindful.
pete saussy
pawleys island, south carolina, us of a

pete saussy, pawleys' island, usa/south carolina

Buddhist monks shave their heads as a sign of their renunciation of vanity and clinging to personal things. I know that Zen monks shave their heads on the 5th, 15th and 25th of every month.

Ian Oliver, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

One reader asks why do the Chinese want Tibet so badly? Tibet has huge deposits of uranium and other ores, and is the source of many major rivers - remember that China is running out of clean potable water. And Tibet is militarily very strategic. Now you know why China wants Tibet so badly ... And the rest of humanity needs Tibet for its huge repository of spiritual culture and tradition. Long live the Dalai Lama!

RJ Legge, Jersey City , USA / New Jersey

This is great news from His Holiness. I watched his interview on television last night and I was so happy to see that HH has decided to thwart Chinese plans to somehow circumvent his rebirth in TAR (Tibet) in China.

This is the ultimate snub to the Fascist, brutal regime in Beijing. I personally have thought for some time that HH will be reborn somewhere in East Asia. However, I am not sure if its necessary for HH to put this issue to the 14 million Tibetan Buddhists around the world. But at the end of the day I would support him as I am sure he knows exactly what he's doing.

Ian Oliver, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

budh ji (a respectful name Sikhs use for budda) was an amazing person with an amazing perception. But I did have a quick quest if nobody minds answering... Budh ji is always represented and keeping his hair in a bun... But why ist Buddhist monks shave their head?

ks, derby, UK

Has anyone figured out yet why the Chinese communist government is so desperate to steal Tibet? Tibet is not fabulously wealthy, offers no particular strategic advantage, threatens no one, and is not a rich mine of natural resources. Mao did seem to resent Tibet's reputation for being a repository of spiritual truth, and in his lumbering, merciless, incredibly presumptuous way, he moved to destroy that spiritual tradition. In the process of smashing to pieces thousands of monasteries, he failed to smash the spirit of the people, and in fact that is one thing that cannot be smashed. The unelected, unaccountable, unchecked government of china, persistently and blindly communist, yields to no process of reasoning. It is really a confrontation between intractable atheism, so cruelly exemplified by Mao, and the highest spirituality, very nobly and humbly personified by the Dalai Lama. Which viewpoint do you prefer, people of the world? At least make a choice!

Harry, Anytown USA, USA

Those that say the Buddha did not believe in God know nothing about Buddhism. The Buddha was a Hindu and he was fully aware of the manifestation of divinity through the gods. He had a complex understanding of how God, as humans could perceive Brahma, though the dinvine panoply was fraught with the limitations of ignorance, greed and desire in the human realm. Thus the gods needed enlightenment. When people think Buddhism is a weird religion it is because they only compare it Abrahamic faiths. The Buddha, thus, was agnostic about knowledge of God, the one-ness and complete divine entity - Buddhism is not atheistic. It just places its priorities upon emlightenment, upon wisdom and peace as a human being in order to escape rebirth. What the Dalai Lama chooses to do as a buddhisatsva, to rebirth, is therefore a supreme sacrifice to help others. How he chooses to do that is up to him and his people. Long may the Buddhist faith witness against the sterility of atheism

Julie Ann Hilton, George Town, Cayman Isles

Yes such a strange religion - the idea that a "boddhisatva" would chose to be born into human form to give his life for the relief of suffering for others - haven't seen that idea in any other religion have we.......?


On a philosphical note the Buddha refused to discuss reincarnation or rebirth, as he said that it was a distraction from the most important aspects of life - how to live compassionately and give aid to others.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all managed to live more that way, if we all did, then maybe the idea would even spread as far as the Beijing regime.....

Richard, Chandler, US

Tiffany from St. Louis - Your comments were the most spiritually-religiously encompassing of the whole lot.

Who is to say that their religion is the best? The only way to Salvation? The only way to Heaven? The only one that matters?

Different streams take such diverse paths, however, end up in the same big Ocean. It is very easy to ridicule, sneer and put down other beliefs and religions. It takes courage and backbone to say, "I follow my path, my God and yet, I will respect yours
without prejudice as one Sun is called so many names in different languages, so the same God is called different names by various religions all will lead to thee. God Speed!"

Whatever is your religion, if you hold on to your ideal and practice truth, are selfless, have forebearance, are forgiving and judge not others - You are practicing what we all should admire and strive for regardless of sex, race, or religious preference.

Jacob, Princeton, New Jersey

Thanks to the Chinese Government to stop this Mumbo-jumbo
that Monk is creating on the world stage

-people who believe that rubbish must clearly be nuts-

Mao Tao, Shanghai, China

In Buddhism what occurs is rebirth, not reincarnation. There is no `soul' to incarnate again in a body. What happens is more like a transfer of energy, like a candle being re-lit from another flame. Maybe what His Holiness the Dalai Lama has outlined makes more sense when considered that way? It's not such a strange religion after all. :D

Andrew Redhead, Warrington, Great Britain

Buddha was not a god and he did not believe in a god. His concept of nirvana must have been to reach a mental state of being at total peace with yourself. If there was such a thing as reincarnation the question then is who does the judging, transferring of memories from one person to a baby etc. Buddha could not do this and since there is no god how does the system work? The current Dalai Lama obviously does not really believe in it otherwise he would not be making it up as he goes along, such as having reincarnation before death. Also since there is no god why the prayer wheels, demons etc. Religion, weird.

William Garrett, Harrow,

"Then another thing - in Tibet in the past and even in my generation, there are cases of the person who before death is already choose his or her own reincarnation..."

What a strange religion!

Asif, Hackettstown, NJ, USA

For whatever it's worth coming from a "fallen Catholic" (most of us haven't fallen, by the way - we've chosen to walk away and take responsibility for our own salvation), HHDL may never have been so relevant to his own people (and world peace) as he is now. From what I've read, he deliberately chose to reincarnate when he did because he knew his people would soon need him in their darkest hour. I could be wrong, not having been exposed to the violent devastation of my own country and culture, but I think Tibetan Buddhists should conduct their affairs in whatever way they see fit, regardless of outside pressure. Personally, I'd hate to witness the demise of one of the few religious institutions with its integrity intact.

P.S. Am I the only one who thinks it's not a little ironic that a country that considers religion "poison" wants to appt the next "reincarnation" of a spiritual leader? No govt could try to dictate something it says doesn't exist with a straight face like China.

Tiffany, St. Louis, USA

Brilliant!

Charles, Charlottesville,