The officially atheist Communist Party has already shown that it will intervene in the reincarnation of vital figures in Tibetan Buddhism such as the
Panchen Lama, who traditionally plays a significant role in choosing the Dalai Lama's successor.
Throughout the history of Buddhism it has been witnessed that Karmapa is a central figure and has played a very important role for the preservation of the study and religious rituals of Buddhism such as the Dalai Lama and
Panchen Lama. The Karmapa lineage is the most ancient Tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, predating the Dalai Lama lineage by more than two centuries and is an important one as the Karmapa is conventionally the head of the Karma Kagyu School.
In one household I found an original print, a portrait of the
Panchen Lama, from Kwonghwa Studio in Nanking.
S OON AFTER the 10th
Panchen Lama passed away in Shigatse in January 1989, the Dalai Lama started performing pujas in order to locate the genuine reincarnation of the diseased
Panchen Lama, the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
State media said on Tuesday that China's Communist Party boss in Tibet has urged the Chinese-appointed
Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, to reject the Dalai Lama.
China already appointed its pawn to the second-highest position in Tibetan Buddhism, the
Panchen Lama, in 1995, after abducting the Tibetans' 6-year-old appointee, who had just been confirmed by the Dalai Lama.
A practice round has already been conducted, when the Beijing government used the Qing process to name the 11th
Panchen Lama, who ranks highest after the Dalai Lama, in 1995.
The final fifth part of the book, entitled "Expanding Horizons in the Early Twentieth Century," is the briefest, but includes fascinating material by Dorjiev, the thirteenth Dalai Lama, and the ninth
Panchen Lama, and ends with Gendun Chopel's reflections on British India in 1939.
Many Tibetans spurn the Chinese-appointed
Panchen Lama as a fake.