REINCARNATION BEFORE DEATH: MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHENGDU 000289 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL FOR CHRISTINA COLLINS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2032 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF SOCI CH SUBJECT: REINCARNATION BEFORE DEATH: MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK CHENGDU 00000289 001.2 OF 003 CLASSIFIED BY: James A. Boughner, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General, Chengdu, China. REASON: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Dalai Lama's recent statement that he may choose a successor before his death drew accusations from self-styled protectors of religious orthodoxy in the Chinese Communist Party that the Dalai Lama was breaking with Tibetan tradition. According to Congen's Tibetan Buddhist religious sources, however, reincarnations before death have long been a part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, still occur from time to time, and have even been recognized by China's current government. End summary. -------------- Dalai Lama's Suggestion Brings CPC Criticism -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a recent visit to Japan, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama said, "One of the possibilities I have been considering with my aides is to select the next Dalai Lama while I'm alive." This statement drew immediate criticism from the Chinese Government in its claimed role as the "guardian of religious orthodoxy" and even surprised many Western observers. In an official statement, the PRC government noted "The Dalai's statement violates religious rituals and historical conventions of Tibetan Buddhism". PRC official statements refer to the Dalai Lama simply as Dalai as a studied sign of disrespect. ¶3. (C) ConGen Chengdu Tibetan FSN contacted prominent monks at several Tibetan monasteries to ask their opinion (Note: our FSN - strictly protect -- grew up in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in China and has a close relative who became an assistant to the Dalai Lama after escaping to Nepal. End note). All agree that, according to relevant Buddhist theories and Tibetan history, choosing a holy person's reincarnation before his or her death is not something abnormal or unprecedented at all. -------------- -------------- Monks: Reincarnation Before Death Rooted in Tradition -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) According to Tibetan Buddhism, all fully enlightened beings, even those who have passed just the "First Ground" of the "Ten Grounds of Realization" can choose the mode, the nature, and the timing, as well as the number of simultaneous reincarnations and the location of their succession or rebirth/manifestation. ¶5. (U) The Tibetan Buddhist system of identifying holy beings' reincarnations or manifestations started in the 13th century. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, say prominent Tibetan monks, where appropriate in a special scenario, selecting or identifying an important lama's manifestation/incarnation before his or her death is not something "illegal" and immoral or unprecedented. Reincarnation before death is deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhist theory and practice. -------------- -------------- Tibet's First Reincarnated Lama ID'd Before Death -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) According to our Tibetan monk contacts, there is a special term in Tibetan known as "Ma De Trul Ku' (m `ds sprul sku),which literally means the incarnation or manifestation of a living holy man. The very first reincarnated lama in Tibetan Buddhism was Karma Pakshi (1204 - 1283),the Second Karmapa. He CHENGDU 00000289 002.2 OF 003 was identified as the reincarnation of Karma Dusum Kyenpa (1110 - 1193),the First Karmapa, according to the will made by the First Karmapa, which clearly indicated the specific location and time of his rebirth, while he was still alive. The very precise identification of the first reincarnated lama began the tradition of lama incarnations. -------------- Sixth Dalai Lama Reincarnated Before Death -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In the Dalai Lama succession as well, identifying the "Ma De Trul Ku" is also not something unprecedented. For example, the 7th Dalai Lama (1708-1757) was identified as the reincarnation/manifestation of the 6th Dalai Lama (1683-1746) in 1714 while the 6th Dalai Lam was still alive. This is consequently clear historical evidence of the Tibetan Buddhist "Ma De Trul Ku" System. The Dungkar Tibetological Dictionary officially published by the China Tibetology Publishing House in April 2002 in Beijing (ISBN-80057-540-3/z.265) also acknowledges the historical fact of the Sixth to Seventh Dalai Lama phenomenon in pages 679-684. There are also many more such examples about the system of the "Ma De Trul Ku" in all over the Tibetan Autonomous Regions and Tibetan areas in Sichuan and other Chinese provinces. -------------- -------------- The PRC Has Recognized Reincarnations Before Death -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The current Chinese government's "identification" of reincarnate Lamas, including the system of "Ma De Trul Ku," officially began around 1990. A typical example is the Seventh Taktsa Rinpoche in Taktsa Monastery, Dzoge County of Ngaba Prefecture, in Sichuan Province. The Seventh Taktsa Rinpoche was identified as the reincarnation of the Sixth Taktsa Rinpoche at the age of 24 by the Sixth Taktsa Rinpoche, and the Sixth Taktsa Rinpoche is still alive. -------------- -------------- Today's Reincarnations Work Alongside `Predecessors' -------------- -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The well-respected Seventh Taktsa was among the first group of reincarnate lamas identified in the early 1990s with the official permission from the Chinese government. Therefore the Seventh Taktsa holds "the reincarnate lama identification certificate" (huofo zheng) issued by the Chinese government. In addition, the Seventh Taktsa is currently a member of the Sichuan Provincial Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress, Vice Chairman of Dzoge County CPPCC, and the Vice Director of the Ngaba Prefecture Buddhist Association. ¶10. (SBU) Moreover, the Sumba Lama in Gansu Province's Labrang Monastery, and the Gartse Rinpoche in Kartse Monastery in Kanlo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture also have reincarnations before death -- "Ma De Trul Ku" -- living with them in their monasteries. The Tsang Trulku, in Tsang Monastery in Tsolo Prefecture in Qinghai Province also has his own "Ma De Trul Ku" according to the monks of Tsang Monastery. -------------- -------------- Comment: Confusing to Outsiders But Not Unprecedented CHENGDU 00000289 003.2 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ¶11. (C) The Tibetan Buddhist belief that enlightened people like high lamas have considerable control over the time and place of incarnation is the likely reason for the Dalai Lama's frequent public references to his incarnation, including several assertions that he will be reincarnated outside of China. Statements of this kind are traditionally taken into account when searching for the reincarnation of a high lama. According to Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama recognize one another. The Panchen Lama designated by the Chinese government has little prestige while the location of the Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama is not known. Reincarnation before death would enable the Dalai Lama to recognize his own reincarnation, neatly avoiding the problem of recognition by the Panchen Lama. ¶12. (C) As noted by our contacts, the Dalai Lama's statement was not a decision. Rather, it was a mention of an option open to him according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Such a decision would likely not be controversial within Tibetan Buddhism. However, since the melding of religion and politics is prominent in both the Tibetan and Communist Chinese traditions, albeit with politics dominating religion on the Chinese side and religion dominating politics on the Tibetan side, it is certainly not surprising that it could excite controversy. BOUGHNER