Dalai Lama may appoint a regent to succeed him

[loki]

Jeremy Page in Dharamsala



His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa has been tipped as a possible candidate to lead Tibetan Buddhism as a regent after current Dalai Lama dies

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, is considering appointing a regent to lead the Tibetan movement after his death until his reincarnation is old enough to take over.

The idea was discussed this week at an unprecedented meeting of 600 Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala, the northern Indian town where the Dalai Lama set up his government in exile after fleeing Tibet in 1959.

It is the latest proposal intended to ensure a smooth succession after the death of the Dalai Lama, who is 73 and has been suffering recently from ill health. The Tibetan exiles are keen to prevent China from hijacking his reincarnation, as it has tried to do with other of the most senior positions in Tibetan Buddhism.

The most likely candidate for the regency is the 23-year-old Karmapa Lama, the third highest in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy, who was born and raised in Tibet but escaped to India in 2000 in a huge embarrassment for China's government.

"It's now being considered at the highest level," said Dr Lobsang Sangay, a Tibetan research fellow at Harvard Law School who put forward the idea at the meeting.

"A lot of people are talking about the Karmapa as regent," he told The Times.

Tenzin Takhla, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama, confirmed that a regency was an option and that the Karmapa could, in theory, take the position, although he said that nothing had been decided yet.

"If we want the traditional way, then usually there's a regent appointed," he said. "He would be not so much a political leader, as a spiritual leader."

Delegates at last week's meeting agreed to stick to the Dalai Lama's policy of seeking autonomy, rather than independence, from China, but many called for a clearer succession plan.

Dalai Lamas are traditionally chosen by senior monks who interpret signals from the last incumbent after his death, search for promising young boys and then set them a number of tests.

The current Dalai Lama — the 14th — was born into a farming family in eastern Tibet and identified at the age of two after passing tests, including identifying his predecessor's rosary.

However, exiled Tibetans fear that following this process would leave them leaderless while the next reincarnation grows up, and open the door for China to appoint its own rival Dalai Lama.

When the Dalai Lama recognized a young boy in Tibet as the new Panchen Lama, the second highest in Tibetan Buddhism, in 1995, China detained the child and appointed its own candidate.

Last year, China's government claimed exclusive rights to approve all lamas' reincarnations.

The Dalai Lama has proposed several alternatives, including holding a referendum among the world's 13-14 million Tibetan Buddhists on whether he should be reincarnated at all.

"If the majority feels this institution has become irrelevant, then it will automatically cease," he told a news conference today.

If the majority wanted to continue the tradition, he said he would be re-incarnated as a young boy, or a girl. "Girls show more compassion," he said.

He also repeated that he could identify a reincarnation while he is still alive, even though no Dalai Lama has done so before.

Some Tibetans fear that this could leave him open to criticism from China – and pro-Beijing lamas in Tibet – that he was violating religious tradition for political reasons.

The regency proposal offers a possible compromise, allowing the Dalai Lama to select and groom his temporary successor, while adhering to Tibetan tradition.

He is also extremely close to the Karmapa, who is renowned inside and outside Tibet for his good looks and intelligence, as well as his dramatic escape to India.

The Dalai Lama praised the Karmapa at today's news conference and said he would play an important role after his death, without specifying what it would be.

In an audience with foreign visitors last week, the Karmapa said he was committed to his current position for the moment.

"There's no chance of me being a different person because I already have this role," he said, according to a transcript of the meeting.

The lama, who has met several Chinese leaders, including former President Jiang Zemin, did however say that that he hoped to engage more with China in the future. "If I get the chance, I want to do this," he said. "But it's difficult for me to connect with the outside world here."

The Karmapa, who visited the United States for the first time in May, said that he enjoyed rap music, but found it hard to dance in his monk's robes.

He cannot become the next Dalai Lama as he leads a different sect of Tibetan Buddhism. He could, however, act as a unifying figure to prevent the exiled community from fragmenting after the Dalai Lama's death.

"The Dalai Lama is definitely grooming him," said Kate Saunders, a spokeswoman for the International Campaign For Tibet, who has close contacts with Tibetan exile leaders. "It's like a father-son relationship."

Lhadon Tethong, the New York president of Students for a Free Tibet, said many young Tibetans would support the idea of the Karmapa becoming regent. "Almost every Tibetan has great respect for him, great reverence," she said. "He's very sharp and he's grown up under the Chinese system."

However, the Karmapa would be a controversial choice as he heads the Kagyu (Black Hat) sect while the Dalai Lama leads the Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) sect.

"There would be some resistance from the religious establishment," said Dr Sangay, the Harvard fellow.

Regents also have a controversial history in Tibet: the one who took over after the 13th Dalai Lama's death was replaced and died in jail after being accused of leading an uprising against his successor.



http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...S&attr=2015164

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The photo you have used purportedly of the 17th Karmapa is NOT the man who has been officially recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but of another young man who also goes by the name Karmapa. It is a BIG ERROR on your part and should be corrected with acknowledgment. You can google Karmapa and see for yourself who's who.

Well spotted.

Going to the original article, it does indeed show a different person.

[loki]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The photo you have used purportedly of the 17th Karmapa is NOT the man who has been officially recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but of another young man who also goes by the name Karmapa. It is a BIG ERROR on your part and should be corrected with acknowledgment. You can google Karmapa and see for yourself who's who.

I apologise profusely for my BIG ERROR, and acknowledge the fact of my BIG ERROR, in that when I purportedly made my BIG ERROR, i was actually unaware of the BIG ERROR i was actually making. You see the BIG ERROR that you accuse me of and that i now acknowledge as you have asked me to was in fact not actually not my BIG ERROR but the original sites BIG ERROR.

Here is the course of events that caused my BIG ERROR, I was browsing for BIG ERRORS as usual and decided that this earth shattering BIG ERROR was worth letting the world know that I at last had found my one true BIG ERROR, so I devised a cunning plan to let the world know I had made a BIG ERROR and hopefully that someone would accuse me and publicly humiliate me of the fact of this BIG ERROR and then demand that i acknowledge my BIG ERROR.

Seriously, I had no clue that the photo at the top of the page was the wrong fucking Lama. I innocently included the image from the original article, completely unaware that this was the wrong fucking Lama.

Heres the address to the Image I included:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multime...85_438200a.jpg

If you can read URL's you'll notice its from the timesonline and the jpg purports to be the 'Gyalwa-Karmapa'. Also if you had taken the time to read the article you might have noticed the comments section at the bottom:

The new pic is of the Chinese and Tibetan governments' politically appointed Karmapa. The previous pic was the Karma Kagyu Karmapa, who was recognized in the traditional manner and approved by the Karmapa Charitable Trust, who were the legal guardians in India of the 16th Karmapa's estate.

christoph, Seattle,

Good
no you have the right pic

michael lee, london,

This is a real photo, but wrong fellow. This man was recognized by influence of Chinese government and by mistake approved by Dalailama. The real Karmapa is a man on the photo which was removed on 24th November.

Milan, Prague, Czech Republic

This is another Lama who is called Karmapa, but not the one that is being cultivated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Sumac, Amherst, USA

There are actually TWO Karmapas, one recognized by the Chinese Govt & the Dalai Lama & another one, Thaye Dorje ,who was recognized by the 16th Karmapa. Will the real Karmapa please stand up!

marila, Albuquerque, United States

The lama in the pic is NOT Gyalwa Karmapa

Michael Lee, london,

What better possible choice! The Kamapa Lama to succeed him! The Kamapa is the Buddhist Obama! He has travelled widely and widely respected.

San Ying, Montreal, Canada

Yes, I like this guy. He is really handsome.

Fabio C, London, UK

cool

d, london,

Hows that for acknowledgment?

[Regina]

I'm glad you acknowledged your BIG ERROR lol

I did wonder if it was orginally posted with the article.

You posted the wrong picture, which is unforgiving!