Panchen Lama
Panchen Erdeni (title since 1713) | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | Bānchán É'ěrdéní |
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The Panchen Lama (Tibetan: པཎ་ཆེན་བླ་མ།, Wylie: paN chen bla ma) is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition, with its spiritual authority second only to the Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas, he is in charge of seeking out the next Dalai Lama.[1] Panchen is a portmanteau of Pandita and Chenpo, meaning "great scholar".
The recognition of Panchen Lamas began with
In 1713, the
Traditionally, the Panchen Lama is the head of
The current 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was recognized by the 14th Dalai Lama on 14 May 1995. Three days later, the six-year-old Panchen Lama was kidnapped by the Chinese government and his family was taken into custody. The Chinese government instead named Gyaincain Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama. Their nomination has been widely rejected by Buddhists in Tibet and abroad, while governments have called for information about and the release of the Panchen Lama. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has never been publicly seen since 1995.[10][11]
History
Name
The successive Panchen Lamas form a
Other titles of Panchen Lama include "Panchen Bogd", the original title given by Altan Khan at the creation of the lineage. "Bogd" (
First Panchen Lama
The 5th Dalai Lama requested the Panchen to accept
When Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen died in 1662, the fifth Dalai Lama commenced the tradition of searching for his next incarnation. The recognition of Panchen Lamas has always been a matter involving the Dalai Lama.[26][27] Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, himself declared, as cited by an official Chinese review that "according to Tibetan tradition, the confirmation of either the Dalai or Panchen must be mutually recognized."[28] The involvement of the government of China in this affair is seen by some as a political ploy to try to gain control over the recognition of the next Dalai Lama (see below), and to strengthen their hold over the future of Tibet and its governance. The government claims however, that their involvement does not break with tradition in that the final decision about the recognition of both the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama traditionally rested in the hands of the Chinese emperor. For instance, after 1792, the Golden Urn was thought to have been used in selecting the 10th, 11th and 12th Dalai Lamas;[29] but the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has more recently said that this was only really used in selection of the 11th, and that in the other cases it was only used to humour the Chinese to confirm a selection that had already been made by traditional methods.[30]
Modern times
In 1924, the
When the
The 10th Panchen Lama sought revenge on the Dalai Lama by leading an army against him, and requested aid from Ma Bufang in September 1949.
The Panchen Lama initially supported Communist policies for Tibet.
The
Relation to the Dalai Lama lineage
The Panchen Lama bears part of the responsibility of the monk-regent for finding the incarnation of the Dalai Lama, and vice versa.[62] This has been the tradition since the 5th Dalai Lama recognized his teacher Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen as the Panchen Lama of Tashilhunpo. With this appointment, Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen's three previous incarnations were posthumously recognised as Panchen Lamas. The "Great Fifth" also recognized Lobsang Yeshe, 5th Panchen Lama. The 7th Dalai Lama recognized Lobsang Palden Yeshe, 6th Panchen Lama, who in turn recognized the 8th Dalai Lama. Similarly, the Eighth Dalai Lama recognised Palden Tenpai Nyima, 7th Panchen Lama.[63] The current 14th Dalai Lama was first found by the 9th Panchen Lama when he was living in the Kumbum Monastery. In February 1937, the Panchen Lama informed his investigation to the Tibetan government's representatives, who would later confirm the new Dalai Lama's identity.[64] On 26 January 1940, the Regent Reting Rinpoche requested the Central Government to exempt Tenzin Gyatso from lot-drawing process using Golden Urn to become the 14th Dalai Lama.[65][66] The request was approved by the Central Government.[67]
Political significance
Monastic figures had historically held important roles in the social makeup of Tibet, and though these roles have diminished since 1959, many Tibetans continue to regard the Panchen Lama as a significant political, as well as spiritual figure due to the role he traditionally plays in selecting the next Dalai Lama. The political significance of the role is also utilized by the Chinese state.[68] Tibetan support groups such as London-based Free Tibet have argued that the Chinese government seeks to install its own choice of Dalai Lama when Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, dies and that for this reason the Dalai Lama's choice of Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima went missing at the age of six, to be replaced by the Chinese state's choice, Gyaincain Norbu. It is suggested that the Chinese government may give the title of Dalai Lama to the son of a loyal ethnic Tibetan Communist party member and it will pressure Western governments to recognize its boy, and not the boy chosen by Lamas in India, as the head of Tibetan Buddhism.[69]
See also
- List of Panchen Lamas
- Tashilhunpo Monastery
- History of Tibet
- Choekyi Gyaltsen
- Tibet since 1950
- 11th Panchen Lama controversy
References
Citations
- ^ "Panchen Lama". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-9004254558.
- ^ Lessing, Ferdinand D. (1960). Mongolian-English Dictionary. University of California Press.
- ^ "Reincarnation". 14th Dalai Lama. September 24, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "Origin of "drawing lots from the golden urn"_Tibetan Buddhism_TIBET". eng.tibet.cn. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018.
- ^ Smith 1997, p. 135.
- ISBN 978-0-520-24941-7.
- ISBN 0-520-24089-8.
- ^ "China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama". The Economist.
- ^ "China's Worst Kept Secret: 5 Facts About the Abduction of Tibet's Panchen Lama". HuffPost.
- ^ "China says Panchen Lama 'living a normal life' 20 years after disappearance". The Guardian. London. September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
- ^ "Pro-British Tashi Lama Succeeds Ousted Dalai Lama. British to Leave Lhasa". The New York Times. September 19, 1904. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ Fort William-India House correspondence: In the index, "Tashi Lama. See Teshu Lama". and "Teshu Lama (Teshi Lama, Tesho Lama)".
- ^ "Definition for "Lama"". Oxford English Dictionary Online.
The chief Lamas[…]of Mongolia [are called] Tesho- or Teshu-lama.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "The Institution of the Dalai Lama", by R. N. Rahul Sheel in The Tibet Journal, Vol. XIV No. 3. Autumn 1989, p. 32, n. 1
- ^ Richardson 1984, pp.54–55
- ISBN 978-0-14-341517-6. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Tibetan People's Right of Self-determination: Report of the Workshop on Self-determination of the Tibetan People: Legitimacy of Tibet's Case 1994/1996, India. Delhi, India: Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre. 2008. p. 110.
- ^ Mullin 2001, p.174
- ^ ISBN 0-86171-045-2.
- ^ Richardson 1984, p. 54
- ^ a b Mullin 2001, p.205
- ^ Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 2. Downloaded as a pdf file on December 16, 2007 from: [1] Archived September 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stein (1972) p. 84.
- ^ Das, Sarat Chandra. Contributions on the Religion and History of Tibet (1970), pp. 81–103.
- ^ et :Ya Hanzhang, Biographies of the Tibetan Spiritual Leaders Panchen Erdenis. Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 1987. pg 350.
- ^ "When the sky fell to earth" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2006.
- ^ Panchen-lama. 1988. "On Tibetan Independence". China Reconstructs (now named China Today) (January): Vol. 37, No. 1. pp 8–15.
- ^ Goldstein 1989
- ^ Lama, The 14th Dalai (April 30, 2019). "Reincarnation". The 14th Dalai Lama.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Tuttle 2006
- ^ China Tibetology. Office for the Journal China Tibetology. 2006. p. 16.
- ^ Powers 2004, pg. 99
- ^ Jagou, pp. 156–159, 206–208
- ^ Chinese Materials Center (1982). Who's who in China, 1918–1950: 1931–1950. Vol. 3 of Who's who in China, 1918–1950: With an Index, Jerome Cavanaugh. Chinese Materials Center. p. 194. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ The China weekly review, Volume 54. Millard Publishing House. 1930. p. 406. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ China monthly review, Volume 56. Millard Publishing Co., inc. 1931. p. 306. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-231-13447-7.
- ISBN 978-0-231-13447-7. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ Lin, Hsiao-ting (2010). Modern China's Ethnic Frontiers: A Journey to the West. Taylor & Francis. pp. 116–118.
- ISBN 3-447-04914-6. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Santha Rama Rau (1950). East of home. Harper. p. 122.
- ^ a b Melvyn C. Goldstein, in McKay 2003, p. 222
- ^ "EXILED LAMA, 12, WANTS TO LEAD ARMY ON TIBET". Los Angeles Times. September 6, 1949. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-415-58264-3. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
China's far northwest.23 A simultaneous proposal suggested that, with the support of the new Panchen Lama and his entourage, at least three army divisions of the anti-Communist Khampa Tibetans could be mustered in southwest China.
- ISBN 978-0-520-25995-9. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- ISBN 0-393-32167-3.
- ^ Lee Feigon, Demystifying Tibet, page 163.
- ^ Kurtenbach, Elaine (February 11, 1998). "1962 report by Tibetan leader tells of mass beatings, starvation". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 21, 2001. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Richard R. Wertz. "Exploring Chinese History: East Asian Region: Tibet". Ibiblio.org. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ "BUDDHA'S DAUGHTER: A YOUNG TIBETAN-CHINESE WOMAN". Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
- ^ Hilton 2000, pp. 192–194
- ^ Hilton, Isabel (March 29, 2004). "The Buddha's Daughter: Interview with Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo". The New Yorker.
- ^ "Update-Communist China set to decide on a rival Panchen Lama". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008.
- ^ "Communist China set to decide on a rival Panchen Lama". Archived from the original on March 24, 2008.
- ^ Coonan, Clifford (March 2, 2010). "China appoints Panchen Lama in tactical move to quell unrest – Asia – World". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ "Propaganda and the Panchen Lama: playing politics". Weblog.savetibet.org. August 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-415-30844-1.
- ^ Isabel Hilton, A Reporter at Large, "Spies in the House of Faith," The New Yorker, August 23, 1999, p. 170
- ^ Philippe Naughton (September 30, 2011). "China Says Missing Panchen Lama Living In Tibet". The Times. London. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Learn More". Free the Panchen Lama. April 25, 1989. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ Kapstein (2006), p. 276
- ^ Appeal For Chatral Rinpoche's Release Archived 2005-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, from the website of "The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London"
- ^ Goldstein 1989, p. 319.
- ISBN 978-0-520-91176-5.
- ^ "Report to Wu Zhongxin from the Regent Reting Rinpoche Regarding the Process of Searching and Recognizing the Thirteenth Dalai lama's Reincarnated Soul Boy as well as the Request for an Exemption to Drawing Lots – The Reincarnation of Living Buddhas". livingbuddha.us.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Executive Yuan's Report to the National Government Regarding the Request to Approve Lhamo Thondup to Succeed the Fourteenth Dalai lama and to Appropriate Expenditure for His Enthronement – The Reincarnation of Living Buddhas". livingbuddha.us.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Afp Article: Tibet'S Panchen Lama, Beijing'S Propaganda Tool". March 26, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ O'Brien, Barbara (March 11, 2011). "Dalai Lama Steps Back But Not Down". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
Sources
- Goldstein, Melvyn C. A History of Modern Tibet, 1913–1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State (1989) University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06140-8.
- Goldstein, Melvyn C. The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama (1997) University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21951-1.
- Kapstein, Matthew T. (2006). The Tibetans. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford, U.K. ISBN 978-0-631-22574-4.
- Stein, Rolf Alfred. Tibetan Civilization (1972) Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-0901-7.
- Van Grasdorff, Gilles. Hostage of Beijing: The Abduction of the Panchen Lama (1999) Element Books, Inc. ISBN 1-86204-561-5.
- Kuzmin S. 2014. The Activity of the 9th Panchen Lama in Inner Mongolia and Manchuria. – Far Eastern Affairs, 2014, no. 1, pp. 123–137.
External links
- Free the Panchen Lama, a campaigns website for the Panchen Lama's release
- Tibet Society UK – The Background To The Panchen Lama from Tibet Society – UK Organisation
- China Tibetology No. 03, a series of articles from tibet.cn explaining the Chinese government's position on the search of reincarnations of the Panchen Lama.
- Tibet's missing spiritual guide, a May 2005 article from BBC News
- 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, a website about Gedhun Choekyi Nyima