Posted on 08/03/2007 11:00:53 AM PDT by BGHater
Ratcheting up its control over Tibetan Buddhism, China Friday claimed the sole right Friday to recognize living Buddhas, reincarnations of famous lamas that form the backbone of the religion's clergy.
All future incarnations of living Buddhas related to Tibetan Buddhism “must get government approval,” the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
China's officially atheistic communist government has increasingly sought to direct Tibetan Buddhism, for centuries the basis of Tibet's civil, religious, cultural and political life. Reincarnate lamas, known as tulkus, often lead religious communities and oversee the training of monks, giving them enormous influence over religious life in Tibet.
China already insists that only the government can approve the appointments of the best-known reincarnates, including the Dalai and Panchen Lamas, the No. 1 and No. 2 figures in Tibetan Buddhism.
A copy of the new rules posted to the administration's website said the selection of reincarnates “must preserve national unity and solidarity of all ethnic groups.
“The process cannot be influenced by any group or individual from outside the country,” it said in an apparent reference to the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama, 71, fled to India in 1959 amid an aborted uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing has said it will pick his successor when he dies.
China in 1992 rejected the exiled Dalai Lama's choice for the latest reincarnation of the Panchen, seizing the boy and appointing another instead.
Sad that we support these guys with trade.
Why doesn’t anyone ever use the “i” word with China?
Why is impossible for the elites to admit that Communist regimes can be imperialist?
When government picks your God, your God is government.
The United States is already forever disgraced by it’s leaders dealings with the Communist party of China. And we let them and continue to let them do it.
If our leadership can deal with a nation like China (despite what it has done and is doing) the way that it has, then think of how it can and probably will deal with us.
That just sounds creepy.
China is not a Communist country any more, it’s a Fascist country, and it has alway been imperialist.
The sad thing is that the Chinese people don’t really know any other way. Our Western (that is west-european descended) culture has experienced a period of time (the Dark Ages) when there was no effective central government and yet religion, society and culture survived just fine. That heritage and that realization is why any govt that would say that to Westerners gets laughed off as arrogant fools & told to pound salt. But the Chinese are accustomed to thousands of years of a massive empirial government that can dictate any aspects of religion, economy, culture, etc. One can only hope the lessons of the west are being learned there too.
I have a hard time distinguishing between Hitler's fascism and Maoism or Stalinism. They all are examples of the mighty iron fist dictating to the masses. It would be more correct to say China was never a Communist state. Marx's idea of communist government was anarchy. That certainly is not true of the former Soviet Union and China.
Note to Taiwan: this is what "one country two systems" should look like to the Chicoms.
China should have NOTHING to do with picking any Buddhas.
One of the most compelling books you will ever read:
....at the North Pole.
The Chiney can pick my nose !
Trust me when I say that I'm *no* fan of the Chicom leaders but are they doing the same thing in Hong Kong or Macau that they're doing on he mainland? Are Catholic Cardinals/Bishops in Hong Kong,for example,being appointed by the Vatican or by Beijing?
So many good economic freedom decisions... and so few good decisions on personal freedoms. *sigh*
“China claims sole right to pick living Buddhas”
The tricky part is not picking them too early, before they’re ripe.
I am in total agreement.
If our leadership can deal with a nation like China (despite what it has done and is doing) the way that it has, then think of how it can and probably will deal with us.
Precisely right!!
BTW: Have you never wondered why the SPP negotiations (the Security, Prosperity Partnership, etc) being conducted with our two national neighbors under the assertion made by W:
"... that the three nations are bound by a shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and strong democratic institutions."
Clearly that "binding" process is not based on the throwaway lines. The SPP negotiations don't appear to follow any of the precepts of any of the three nation's "strong democratic institutions" ...instead they are doing almost everything in a secrecy, i.e., "non-transparent way" so profound and arbitrarily at the Executive level without legislative oversight or any legislative mandate thereto in any of the three countries...such that it has raised alarms amongst virtually all the watchdogs of liberty and Constitutional Self-Rule...
I believe it vindicates your fears about the way we have been treating with China...expressing itself in similar duplicity and affront to liberty here.
An arrogant "Bipartisan" elite thinks that it is in charge in both Congress and the White House...and since it is a "Bipartisan" corruption with a shared globalist agenda...they feel immune to any of the normal Constitutional checks or balances. Those checks and balances are effectively neutralized.
So what do you think our options are?
Ignore China until they decide to pull a Russia and try to take over the world?
Bomb the heck out of them and give them reason to declare war on us?
Other?
They are already doing it right under the noses of the supposed smart guys.
Bomb the heck out of them and give them reason to declare war on us?
Uh, they already have undeclared war in trade (clearly an aggressive one at that). And their military race to attain viable asymmetric options to actually defeat us...no matter our supposed general "superiority."
Are you aware that in WW-II, on paper, and in all fundamentals, tank numbers, planes, troops...the French Army was significantly, not just a little, superior to the German army that Hitler attacked it with?
You can't go on simple numbers on paper. And you really need to be wary that those "asymmetric" options the Chinese are focused on like laser beams...are PRECISELY the kinds of things which turn the tables.
Why do you think the Chicom ASAT weapons capability has the Pentagon finally undeniably in a tizzy, despite the lid that the oblivious White House keeps on it?
The Chicoms and PLA have long since definitively declared the U.S. to be "the Main Enemy." Let's get real. Let's get ready. Roll up the sleeves and prepare for the war we aren't asking for. They are.
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