And how exactly do you regulate this?
Sep.05, 2007 in
Uncategorized
Link: China Regulates Buddhist Reincarnation – Newsweek Beliefs – MSNBC.com.
In one of history’s more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
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September 5th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
It doesn’t seem that strange. China tries to regulate all religious practices. The Tibetan form of Buddhism relies on various meditation techniques and magical practices. The goal is to gradually merge with a deity.
One has to be a monk in order to meditate enough to merge. So institutional Tibetan Buddhism centers on the practice of monks. It’s those institutions, which BTW depend heavily on lay donations, which are being regulated. That has the indirect effect of controlling who is eligible for reincarnation at the final stages.
But Buddhism believes that everyone experiences reincarnation — regardless of whether they are monks or practice any religious form. That’s just the way it is. The real issue is whether the government can regulate reincarnation at the higher levels — those levels which require monastic practice.
[Reply]
September 7th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Thanks for that insight, Brad.
The MSNBC/NEWSWEEK article talks about some of the political motivation behind the law as well. Basically they, China, want to be able to control who the next Dalai Lama is.
[Reply]