Tuesday, August 21, 2007

True Comedy

FULL ARTICLE In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission...the law effectively gives Chinese authorities the power to choose the next Dalai Lama...At 72, the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since 1959, is beginning to plan his succession, saying that he refuses to be reborn in Tibet so long as it's under Chinese control. Assuming he's able to master the feat of controlling his rebirth, as Dalai Lamas supposedly have for the last 600 years, the situation is shaping up in which there could be two Dalai Lamas: one picked by the Chinese government, the other by Buddhist monks.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

wow, How ubsured. a government that is athisit is acknowiging that someone can be reincanated. most intriging. on the other hand it is also quite amusing that the DL belives he can control who he is reincarnated as.

Owen said...

It's a big mess. I'm pretty sure that the China-appointed Dali Lama won't be recognized by anyone other than China.

Every religion seems to go through something like this- there were two popes at one point.

Scott Rhyno said...

Hey Matt,

I wasn't sure where eles to contact you about this. I jusr started a blog yesterday and I didn't know how to get on the list you keep.

Thanks

theajthomas said...

Technically Budists are Atheists so there is no major conflict there. I figure if you can buy reincarmation you can buy the rest.

matthew said...

Hey Scott. This was the right place. I added ya. Welcome to blogger :)

As for the re-incarnation story. It's a funny thing to believe in the first place in my mind. Then it's funny that they think they can control where they are re-incarnated. Then it's funny that the government is trying to institutionalize the whole things.