The following post represents a part of my research for my next novel. For more information log on to my personal blog at http://www.frogenyozurt.com.
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.
- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Prologue
The Panchen Lama, meaning “Great Scholar,” is the highest-ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The sect controlled western Tibet from the 16th century until the establishment of Chinese sovereignty in 1951.
The successive Panchen lamas form a reincarnation lineage, and they are believed to be the incarnations of Amitabha Buddha.
The Panchen Lama bears part of the responsibility of identifying the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama and vice versa, a fact that appears crucially important to the Chinese government when it comes to establishing their territorial claim on Tibet.
On May 14, 1995, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama identified a six-year-old boy by the name of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama, but only three days later the boy and his parents were taken into Chinese custody.
In November of the same year the Chinese had officially enthroned six-year-old Gyaltsen Norbu, the son of two communist party members, as the 11th Panchen Lama.
The Panchen Lama Controversy
My research on the Panchen Lama controversy is, to a good part, based on Online resources, i.e. websites I find through search engines. The mere intention to write about the subject is pointing to a specific aspect of the troubled Tibetan-Chinese relationship, admittedly a crucial aspect for the futureof both countries. Writing about this particular aspect must include a presentation of the historical background, but it is important to emphasize that my intention was not to write a history book. My account on the rich Tibetan history can only be incomplete, but it is, nevertheless, sufficient to understand the controversy. In the same sense, I do not claim to have new and unique insights on the Tibetan problem. My research on the topic is, in all consequence, a data collection focussed on a single issue and put into one work.
While my sympathies are primarily with the Tibetan people and not with the Chinese government, I have tried to present the facts as objective as possible. However, I do take the liberty of referring to the 14th Dalai Lama as “His Holiness.” The Dalai Lama’s path during this lifetime and his next incarnation are inextricably linked to that of the Panchen Lama.
To read more log on to The Punchen Lama Controversy.
