If he is the Dalai Lama because he's the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, wouldn't the next Dalai Lama be him? Far be it from me to interpret his religion's dogma, but it's interesting to speculate about what he has in mind, as he worries about a weak Dalai Lama coming next.
Is he concerned that he himself, in his next incarnation, will be different in some ways and less successful? Does he think he'll be around but those who are looking for him will find someone else? Does he doubt the precepts about reincarnation? Does he believe that he will be reincarnated and that he will be properly located but not want to live his next life in the same kind of leadership role? He says:
"I hope and pray that I may return to this world as long as sentient beings' suffering remains. I mean not in the same body, but with the same spirit and the same soul."That isn't even saying that he believes in reincarnation, only that he wants it (for the sake of others). He's good at putting words together in a way that can be calmly absorbed by a wide range of people. As he himself said: he's "very popular."
Also quoted in the article is Ganden Thurman, Executive Director of Tibet House US, who analyzes the statement in political terms. He thinks the Dalai Lama really is trying to move the Tibetan people away from the ancient autocracy and into a modern approach to government by the people, which could improve their relations with China.
And let me quote Christopher Hitchens, from "God Is Not Great" p. 345:
The Dalai Lama... is entirely and easily recognizable to a secularist. In exactly the same way as a medieval princeling, he makes the claim not just that Tibet should be independent of Chinese hegemony — a “perfectly good” demand, if I may render it into everyday English — but that he himself is a hereditary king appointed by heaven itself. How convenient!Christopher Hitchens died on December 15, 2011. What if there's a 2-year-old reincarnation of Hitchens toddling around somewhere on the face of the earth? Would we ever notice and, if we did, what would we do? What would we say to him (or her)? I think the lag time between death and rebirth is supposed to be up to 49 days, so if you have a child born between December 15, 2011 and February 2, 2012, you might be living with old Hitch, reborn. How would you like that? One thing seems obvious to me: You wouldn't want to know. You wouldn't even want to think about your child in those terms. And if you did, you wouldn't want to convey those thoughts to the child.
So it makes fine sense to me — from a religious/moral/philosophical perspective — for the Dalai Lama to say, essentially, please stop looking for me. Let me live my next life beginning, unburdened, as a child. But, as Thurman says and as Christopher Hitchens would have said, it's almost certainly political. (Or maybe Hitchens wouldn't have said "almost.")
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It is actually analogous of Pope Benedict XVI retiring....
There is something odd about a special high leader who contacts the realm of spiritual power for others giving up. Is it from frustration at faking it and realizing no one cares. The crowds all use you as a figure in their imaginations.
We are back into Emperor Hirohito territory.
All of these regenerations are getting pretty confusing.
It's seems to me that we had Doctor Who for more than five decades. The 12th Doctor now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Doctor.... If a weak Doctor comes along, then it will just disgrace the Doctor.
Or am I on the wrong website?
Odd musings. Wasteful musings. A break from work, though.
The flowing robes, the grace, bald...striking.
Maybe Dali Lama believes his future incarnations can live off the merchandise licensing?
So, he's got that going for him, which is nice.
I know very little of that religion and have no wish to offend anyone but... Does anyone else get the impression that this is an ego talking? "I am the best Dali-Lama in all creation so there needs to be no next one because he couldn't hold a candle to me and would just be a disappointment" I paraphrase of course, but that seems to be the gist of the conversation.
"Odd musings. Wasteful musings. A break from work, though."
You talking about me or the Dalai Lama?
I wonder if anyone ever had an abortion out of fear that some awful person who just died might be reincarnated in her offspring.
"I know very little of that religion and have no wish to offend anyone but... Does anyone else get the impression that this is an ego talking? "I am the best Dali-Lama in all creation so there needs to be no next one because he couldn't hold a candle to me and would just be a disappointment" I paraphrase of course, but that seems to be the gist of the conversation."
But the whole point is that the next one is still him, so to me, it makes more sense to say that he doesn't really believe the reincarnation story of his own leadership, but he was raised to do it and acceded to the duty that was impressed upon him. Now, he's seen that he's done a good job, and he doesn't want his reputation ruined by some other person purporting to be him.
Every CEO would like to be the last CEO.
"I wonder if anyone ever had an abortion out of fear that some awful person who just died might be reincarnated in her offspring"
Now THAT is a depressing thought.
Fools and Fears make Fine Friends.
You are right Ms. Ann. He either doesn't believe his own orthodoxy or he is afraid his future 'self' will not have as good a tenure as his own. Does this mean he lacks self confidence? I mean if the future He is Him, and the present He thinks the future Him will be a disappointment that shows a fear of His failure in the future.
This makes my head hurt.
"I wonder if anyone ever had an abortion out of fear that some awful person who just died might be reincarnated in her offspring."
Hmmmm...Ann pens a screenplay?
Isn't there some issue with the Panchen Lama, who traditionally certifies the new Dalai Lama? Like the Chinese government chose their own Panchen Lama or kidnapped the Tibetan candidate or something?
Seems like the Dalai Lama could just be trying to forestall a future of competing Dalai Lamas.
He's hoping the next Dalai Lama can be a straight-up Leftist leader. It's so hard to pretend.
He realizes that his own life has been too easy, he hasn't experienced enough suffering to be qualified for the next go around.
As Clint suggests, this is about practical politics. China controls Tibet, so when the DL dies, China (or its stooges) will claim to have found a child who is the DL who will tell Tibetans that China is the rightful ruler of Tibet.
He's working to undermine the Chinese. This is not incompatible with a belief in reincarnation.
"He thinks the Dalai Lama really is trying to move the Tibetan people away from the ancient autocracy and into a modern approach to government by the people, which could improve their relations with China."
He think the PRC is interested in "a modern approach to government by the people"?
All of these regenerations are getting pretty confusing.
It's seems to me that we had Doctor Who for more than five decades. The 12th Doctor now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Doctor.... If a weak Doctor comes along, then it will just disgrace the Doctor.
Dang it, you beat me to it!
So...the Dalai Lama walks up to a hot dog vendor in NYC.
"What'll it be?"
"Make me one with everything."
Big hitter, the Lama. Long.
You got that going for you....
If I were living with old Hitch, I'd lock the wine cellar.
Only if the Dali Lama does a bad ass "mic drop" at the end.
I think the reincarnated Hitchens should rule Tibet.
Seems like the Dalai Lama could just be trying to forestall a future of competing Dalai Lamas.
If that happened, they could have a Dalai Lama Demolition Derby.
Egad, would that cause superregeneration?
You talking about me or the Dalai Lama?
All three of us.
They are amusing musings, nevertheless.
But the whole point is that the next one is still him
I don't think that's correct. Buddhists don't believe in reincarnation. They believe in "rebirth", which holds that the soul itself is a delusion, like a standing wave of karmic energy. Enlightenment breaks the cycle of rebirth by revealing to the soul its non-existence, thus disrupting the standing wave and extinguishing its karmic burden, keeping it from moving on to the next life.
Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who deliberately commit to further rebirth so as to aid those who cannot achieve enlightenment on their own spiritual resources. The Dalai Lama has also said that he will continue to be reborn as long as there are sentient beings and suffering, so he's clearly saying that he's planning on exiting the lamaic institution in his next cycle.
Other sources seem to indicate that this sentiment is basically political - he's trying to avoid the further capture of the lama discovery process by the heavy hand of the Han colonial government.
Pretending to be reincarnated has always struck me as a sweet gig. It depends on everyone else being stupid, or going along with the con, but even I would have to think twice before passing on it (I would, though).
Can you imagine being a reincarnated black person?
Getting lynched by whites, in one way or another, over and over for eternity,...
Althouse- "What if there's a 2-year-old reincarnation of Hitchens toddling around somewhere on the face of the earth? Would we ever notice and, if we did, what would we do?"
Well, in true Tibetan Buddhist fashion, the first thing to do would be to present the 2-year-old with various brands of scotch whisky & cigarettes and see if the tyke picks Hitch's preferred life partners. If you get a kid who consistently picks Johnnie Walker Black booze and Rothmans cigs, then you ask him the clincher- what are the 4 most overrated things in the world. If he gets all four right (it's picnics, lobster, champagne, & anal sex, BTW) , then he's the real deal. Give him a pen & stand back.
So today's theme is narcissism?
Amazingly, the Buddhist Dali Lama has become one too. The downside of celebrity and self-contemplation in a different form.
Scholar Ganden Thurman is the brother of actress Uma Thurman.
Blacks invented reincarnation.
And Uma Thurman.
Okay, here's a quick summary. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, also known as Kuan Yin in China and Kannon in Japan. As such, he chooses to be reincarnated, and there is a complicated process by which the next incarnation would be found.
But reincarnation isn't what people in the west think it is. As Trungpa Rinpoche said, the good news is you'll be reincarnated; the bad news is that it won't be "you". HHDL is still a nice Tibetan guy named Tenzin, but according to Tibetan tradition reincarnation of a tulku brings special qualities as a teacher, not continuity of everyday identity.
Which also means this nice guy named Tenzin isn't making an announcement of a decision. He's pondering the future, like any of us transitory piles of atoms do.
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