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Rs.5Vol. 01, Issue 50, 30 September 2011

Gelugpa University Exams

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Kalon Tripa Announces Ministers' Portfolios,A New Look Cabinet?

Dharamsala: The portfolios of the new Kalons(ministers) of the 14th Kashag (cabinet) of the CentralTibetan Administration were announced by KalonTripa (political leader) Dr Lobsang Sangay at a pressconference held today at the Kashag Secretariat inthe Himalayan town of Dharamshala.Dr Lobsang Sangay thanked the 15th TibetanParliament-in-exile for its unanimous approval of theKalons he had nominated. He said a strong messagehad been sent to China that Tibetans are united."As I promised during the campaign," said DrSangay, "I will appoint Kalons of experience,education, personal integrity and dedication...All ofus will follow the advice and vision laid out by HisHoliness the Dalai Lama for this year."Dr Sangay gave brief biographies of each of the newKalons, emphasing that he has included elders aswell as younger ministers, and women as well asmen, representing all three regions of Tibet. He saidthe 14th Kashag will work towards restoring freedomfor Tibetans and the return of His Holiness the DalaiLama to Tibet.The cabinet consists of:Kalon Pema Chhinjor - Department of Religion andCultureKalon Gyari Dolma - Department of HomeKalon Tsering Dhundup - Department of FinanceKalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay - Department of

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay announcing the portfolios of the new Kalons at the press conference at theKashag secretriat in Dharamshala, India on 19th Spetember 2011. left to right: Tsering Wangchuk (Kalon for

Health), Gyari Dolma (Kalon for Home),Pema Chhinjor (Kalon for Religion & Culture), Kalon Tripa DrLobsang Sangay (Kalon for Education ),Tsering Dhundup (Kalon for Finance), Dongchung Ngodup (Kalon for

Security), Dicki Chhoyang (Kalon for Information & Int'l Relations). Photo: TPI/YC.Dhardhowa

All of the graduating monks enjoying photooportunity at the Drepung monastery, Sout Indian

state of Karnataka. Photo: TPI/Colleen

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post

Dharamshala: - The United States of America onTuesday has called upon China to respect thehuman rights of Tibetan people and address theirgrievances after Tibetan two monks set themselveson fire to protest against Chinese rule in Tibet andthe harsh treatment of the Tibetan people.The State Department also urged China to allowboth journalists and diplomats to observe thesituation in Ngaba county, eastern Tibet (Ch: AbaTibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuanprovince) , which has seen a string of protestsand self-immolations by monks.

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Japanese MPs Visits Dharamshala

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Winter Debate Session of Nuns

By YC. Dhardhowa, The Tibet Post

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StatementOn His Holiness’

ReincarnationPage 12 ...

ConferenceDiscusses

His Holiness’Reincarnation...

Page 12 ...

Tibetan Monk Dies in Self-Immolation,Another in Critical Condition

Dharamshala: - Another monk from KirtiMonastery has reportedly died and one moreremains in a critical condition after settingthemselves on fire in Ngaba county, Amdhoprovince, eastern Tibet, marking at least the thirdself-immolation in protest against Chinese rule inTibet and the harsh treatment of the Tibetanpeople.Kanyak Tsering of the Indian branch of Kirtimonastery told the Tibet Post, "Lobsang Konchokand Lobsang Kalsang, both aged around 18, self-immolated in their protest against the Chineseregime." Kalsang is the brother of Phuntsok

Buddhist monks; Lobsang Konchok and Lobsang Kalsang from Kirti Monastery of Ngaba county, eastern Tibet.Photo: TPI/File


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Mundgod, India: - A Dedication of Merit ceremony,the closing ceremony of the Gelugpa Universityexams, took place on September 22 at DrepungMonastery in Mundgod, south Indian state,Karnataka. Presiding over the ceremony were theabbots of the six participating monasteries.

Forum: Tibet's Issue

By Colleen McKown, The Tibet Post

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Mundgod, India: - The winter debate meet atJangchub Choeling Nunnery in Mundgod startedyesterday, September 20. The debate session willlast one month, from 20 September to 20 October.Nuns traveled from Tibetan settlements

Taipei, Taiwan: The Office of Tibet based in Taipeiand the Chinese Tibetan Association of Taiwanhas jointly organised a public awareness talk inTaipei on 10 September. The theme of the talk was"The Middle Way Approach policy of the Tibetanpeople and the historical facts of Tibet's three

By Tibetan Administration Official Media:Tibet Net

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Representative toTaiwan, Mr Dawa Tsering, speaks during a public

awareness talk on "Understanding the Middle-WayApproach to Resolve the Issue of Tibet" held at theOffice of Tibet, in Taiwanese capital Taipei on 10

September 2011/Photos by Sodor

Respect for Human Rights in Tibet

See on Page 7...


Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay (4th R) and KalonDicki Chhoyang (3rd R) during their meeting with the

Japanese delegation at the Kashag Secretariat inDharamsala, on 22 September 2011. His Holiness the

Dalai Lama's Representative to Japan, Mr LhakpaTshoko (1st right) accompanied the delegation.

Photos by Namgyal Tsewang/Tibet TV/Tibetonline.tv

EducationKalon Dongchung Ngodup - Department of SecurityKalon Dicki Chhoyang - Department of Information

and International RelationsKalon Tsering Wangchuk - Department of HealthDr Sangay paid special attention to Kalon Gyari

Jarutsang, who burned himself to death on 16March 2011 in protest against China's rule overTibet."This morning at around 10:30 (Tibet local time),"said Ven. Tsering, "the monks from KirtiMonastery [in Tibet] set themselves on fire after apeaceful protest calling for the return of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama, a free Tibet and religiousfreedom in Tibet, with chants of "Long live HisHoliness the Dalai Lama!"Ven. Tsering said Chinese police and authoritiestried to put out the flames then took the two monks


Nuns from a various nunneries in India, Bhutan andNepal debating on Buddhist philosophy at Jangchub

Choeling Nunnery, Mundgod, South India.Photo: TPI/File

Ms. Victoria Nuland, the State Departmentspokeperson. Photo: File

The Tibet Post2 TPI VIEWS & ANALYSIS30 September, 2011 Dharamsala

An Analysis on New Nominationsof Tibetan Cabinet Ministers

Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay announcing the portfolios of the new Kalons at thepress conference at the Kashag secretriat in Dharamshala, India on 19th Spetember2011. left to right: Tsering Wangchuk (Kalon for Health), Gyari Dolma (Kalon for

Home),Pema Chhinjor (Kalon for Religion & Culture), Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay(Kalon for Education ),Tsering Dhundup (Kalon for Finance), Dongchung Ngodup (Kalon

for Security), Dicki Chhoyang (Kalon for Information & Int'l Relations).Photo: TPI/YC.Dhardhowa

By Tashi Wangyal, The Tibet Post

Montreal, Canada: - Now that the newKalons [Ministers] have beennominated and sworn in, I am surethat many of the exile Tibetans areintensely discussing and questioningwhy he/she should or shouldn't getselected. Just like in any playoff game,the coaches, players and spectatorsalways deliberate after the game - thisis absolutely normal. If your curiosityseeks more explanations, then here ismy take behind Kalon Tripa'snominations. Just to recap quickly thenames of our six new Kalons: 1.Dhonchung Ngodup, 2. PemaChhinjor, 3. Dolma Gyari, 4. TseringDhondup, 5. Dicki Chhoyang, and 6.Dr Tsering Wangchuk.So, lets first recount briefly ourSikyong [Prime Minister equivalent]Dr Sangay's campaign trail promisesand Katri's debates to pick up a fewhints about his decisions on some ofthe current nominations. I am sure youall remember once he cited the exampleof Mr Dhonchung Ngoduprepresenting a senior face in the teamif he wins the election. He hasdeliberately mentioned his name toprevent the critics from dwelling onhis lack of administrative andmanagement experience in the CentralTibetan Administration. Secondly,Ngodup la has a long history ofGovernment service and is wellrespected. So, this is an easy guessfor all of us.Likewise, in any small administrationlike ours, it is not easy to find the rightcandidate when it comes down tofinance. Not many people have theremarkable combination of accountingexpertise and long work experiencethat Mr Tsering Dhondup lak has inthe administration. So this is again nota surprising choice, but a wise one byDr Sangay.Dolma Gyari lak definitely come acrossas very sincere and dedicatedemotional leader. I think Dr Sangaysaw her in few different ways. Firstly,with her incredible experience in theexile Administration and her lawbackground, she can be very usefuland effective in enhancing diplomaticties with the local Indian authorities,and overseeing a multitude of legalissues at both local and Governmentlevels. She is also a female candidate,and from the province of Kham, which

Dr. Sangay's Ten Thousand TibetanProfessionals, A General Survey

By Denzi Yishey, The Tibet Post

Dr. Lobsang Sangay at the main Tibetan temple in Mcleod Ganj, raising the national flagof Tibet during the second day of his swearing in as the political of CTA, Dharamshala,

India, 9th August 2011. Photo: TPI

Wyoming: - “Education will be ournumber one priority... We will strive toreach 10,000 professionals among150,000 in exile and appeal to Tibetansinside Tibet to reach 100,000 in the nexttwo decades” Kalon Tripa or thepolitical leader of the Central TibetanAdministration, Dr. Lobsang Sangayin his Inaugural Speech, the Himalayantown of Dharamshala.The need of professionals for anygiven society is undisputable. Theelection of Dr. Lobsang Sangay for thepost of Kalon Tripa of Central TibetanAdministration confirms the generalagreement of Tibetan people on theneed of professionals. Undoubtedly,this need was clearly reflected in theinaugural speech noted above. Thepolicy of producing 10,000 Tibetanprofessionals (hereafter the policy)received wide spread support acrossthe Tibetan Diaspora. This piecetherefore takes a general survey of thepolicy by examining few of the criticalaspects of Tibetan professionals. Thispiece may also benefit the forthcomingTibet Policy Institute to envision,develop, and execute the policy. In thispiece, first, I discuss the definition of aprofessional followed by a critique onthe role of Tibetan professionals inTibetan communities. Finally, I sharemy two recommendations.

Definitions of Professional

Generally, Governments are oftencriticized for the vagueness in itspolicies whether it is Chinese TwelfthFive-Year Plan or the US foreignpolicies. Vague policies are sometimescreated with a number of positive aswell as negative intentions. Thevagueness in the above policy maynot be an outcome of negativeintentions. However, the term"Professionals" is vague with no cleardefinitions.As any individual, the first destinationto look for a definition of any words isthe dictionary. In Oxford and Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a professional isa person engaged or qualified in aprofession. This definition in no wayhelps to define a professional. Next,lets look at how Global TibetanProfessional Network (GTPN) definesa Tibetan professional. GTPN is themost prominent Tibetan professionalorganization that provides a platformwhere Tibetan professionals fromdiverse backgrounds can network witheach other and find creative ways ofcontributing to the community(Empoweringvision.org). GTPNdefined a professional as "a personwho is into a body of knowledge whichrequires a certain skill-set and whichhas been acquired through, eitheracademic qualification or experienceover a period of time". This definitionmakes you wonder, "Am I a Tibetanprofessional?". Interestingly, a Tibetancan register himself as a professional

sits well with Dr Sangay's plan to forma team that represents equality interms of gender and provinces.Mr Pema Chhinjor lak is anotherimportant selection he made tobalance the cabinet team with both oldand new faces. Here Dr Sangay istrying to bring someone on board withlots of administrative experience aswell as representing the oldergeneration. From what I heard, MrPema Chhinjor has a verycontemporary mindset and thuswould not be difficult to work with,unlike a few older conservativeleaders. His expertise in Tibetanlanguage and history can be anindispensable contribution for theteam in dealing with some of theissues.Dicki Chhoyang lak is one of the bigsurprises because she has only comeinto the exile political scene recently,and indeed shocked many by winningthe North American Chitue (memberof parliament) election as anunderdog. Her nomination must haverattled many an old and dedicatedservice man and woman in the exilecommunity. Dicki la is definitely a rightcandidate despite her lack ofexperience in the Central TibetanAdministration. Her educationalbackground and western sensibilitywill definitely change the dynamics ofthe Cabinet ministers. Her commandin multiple languages, includingMandarin, could become an importanttool in communicating with Chinesecounterparts. She can be a veryeffective spokesperson to face thewestern media. Like Dolma Gyari lak,she is a female nominee, and is fromthe province of Amdho.Finally, Dr Tsering Wangchuk lak - thisbright young Doctor was in no one'swildest dreams to become a Kalon atsuch a young age. His nomination isundoubtedly a precursor by DrSangay that he is not afraid of takingaggressive approaches and thatpeople should get immune to it soon.Wangchuk's nomination has reallysent shock waves through the TibetanDiaspora as he was the mostunpredicted choice. Then again, thisselection has not only balanced theteam, but also allowed Dr Sangay toescape from being the youngestmember of his new cabinet.

on the GTPN Website. Furthermore, Ilooked at several North American andIndian Professional Organization'sWebsites for a more definite look atthe term professional. My endeavorsresult in the same conclusion i.e., noclear definition of "a professional".

Tibetan Professionals Role-play

Though the definition of a professionalmay be unclear, the Tibetancommunities including Central TibetanAdministration (CTA) has beenidentifying Tibetan professionals ingeneral from a person's academicbackground. However, the roleassigned to Tibetan professionals,especially in CTA, is often criticizedfor its lack of flexibility as well asprofessional support. The rigid CentralTibetan Administrative Servicerulebooks and the feeling of "on-the-wrong-job" often shy away manycurrent and future professionals fromthe Tibetan jobs.However, the role assigned to Tibetanprofessionals by the GTPN seemsattractive minus pragmatic. The forum(GTPN conference) promotes the ideaof a 'virtuous circle', or mentoringsystem, and defines the collectivepower of Tibetan professionals as aweapon in the "struggle againstChinese government and efforts tosave unique cultural heritage". Beyondits economic and professionalprograms, it also aims to tackle politicaland social issues, and so help to build"a new type of Tibetan society and anew generation of Tibetans in diasporaand inside Tibet" (TheTibetpost.com,in Tibetan Professionals DevelopGlobal Vision). It's attractive becauseit covers social, economic, and politicaldimensions of the Tibetan people.However, it's less pragmatic with

visions such as saving unique culturalheritage and building a new type ofTibetan society.

Recommendations

The definition of a professional ingeneral may not be clear in theliterature. However, Central TibetanAdministration needs to define "aTibetan professional" to not only helpdraw a plan of action for the next twodecades but also to help evaluate(measure) the success of the policyperiodically. In addition, the need of aprecise definition is important for tworeasons: first, if we go by the GTPN'sdefinition of a Tibetan professional, theTibetan exile community may alreadyhave 10,000 Tibetan professionals; andsecond, a clear definition will help tofocus/provide the required resourcesand support to achieve the magicalnumber of 10,000 Tibetanprofessionals.Second, the policy of producing 10,000Tibetan professionals is as importantas the question of how theseprofessionals will contribute to Tibetand Tibetan people. Central TibetanAdministration, for example, mayinstitute an official internship/trainingopportunities for professionals, relaxedrules and regulations for professionals,professional freedom, and project-oriented and grant-based jobs.Moreover, I see a need of aprofessional unit within or outside CTAsuch as Institutional Review Board forResearch on Tibet and Tibetan(IRBRTT). This institute mayadminister all human and non-humanrelated research on Tibet and Tibetanin exile. This not only helps to obtainprofessional research works but alsoto connect with scientists (high levelprofessionals).

Now look at the nominations againand see if this new cabinet representsboth genders and all three provincesof Tibet. If yes, has Dr Sangaycompromised quality for equality? ...Not much in my opinion ...

TPI H.H THE DALAI LAMAThe Tibet Post 330 September, 2011 Dharamsala

His Holiness Addresses OverTen Thousands Audiences in

Buenos Aires

Luna Park Stadium, venue for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's talk and teaching in BuenosAires, Argentina, on September 14, 2011. Photo/Pompi Gutnisky

By Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Tibet'sspiritual leader, His Holiness the DalaiLama on Wednesday morning gave aninterview with Ms Susana Giménez,whose programme is considered one ofthe best in the history of television inArgentina.During the interview, His Holiness dealtwith various questions wide rangingfrom ethics and morality, social problemsincluding wide spread corruption, roleof media in mitigating social problems,and retirement of the Dalai Lama etc.Her interview with His Holiness wastelecast this evening.After the interview, His Holinessdeparted for Luna Park Stadium, wherehe gave a public talk on "FindingHappiness in the Troubled Times' for6,500 people.When His Holiness arrived at thestadium, many of the people who cameto attend his talk could not managed toenter into the stadium because of thelong line and tight securityarrangements made by the Federal Police

We Must Solve Problemsthrough Dialogue not Violence:

His Holiness

Dharamshala: - The spiritual leader ofthe people of Tibet, His Holiness the 14thDalai Lama, on Thursday 15thSeptember, told a Brazilian businessforum that the use of force and violenceis outdated and that the world must tryto resolve differences and problemsthrough dialogue. His Holiness also saidthat Brazilian industrialists and businessleaders have a responsibility to reducethe huge gap between the rich and poor,a problem that is increasing everywhere.After a delayed flight from Buenos Aires,His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama arrivedin Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil onThursday. At the Sao Paulo-GuarulhosInternational Airport, His Holiness wasreceived by Prof. Lia Diskin, Co-founderof the Palas Athena Association and hostof the visit, Dr. Eduardo Jorget MartinsAlves Sobrinho and Jose Gregory of theSoa Paulo City government, Mrs.Abhilash Joshi of the Indian ConsulateGeneral and members of the DharmaCenters in Brazil.In his address to the Brazilian leaders,His Holiness said that 20th century had


His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivering a speechin during a special ceremony being held inDharamshala, India on 8th August 2011. Photo: TPI

of Argentina, which provides highprofile security protection to HisHoliness during his stay in BuenosAires. His Holiness rested for 10 minutesin the Green Room of the stadium untilmost of the people managed to enterinto the stadium.Before His Holiness went on to thestage, Prof Horacio E. Araujo (LamaSangye Dory) welcomed His Holinesson behalf of the hosts of the visit-Kagyu Thekchen Choeling andDongyuling Drukpa Kagyu Center-andalso introduced His Holiness to theaudience. After the introduction, whenHis Holiness went on the stage, He wasgiven a rousing welcome by theaudience with a standing ovation.His Holiness spoke for one and halfhours on the topic and then tookquestions from the puiblic. Among theaudience, not only there were peoplefrom all walks of life in Argentina, butalso from Chile and Uruguay, who cameall the way from these countries toattend His Holiness' events in Buenos

Aires. Several disabled people on wheelchair as well as others who have hearingand speech problem also attended thetalk. The host organisations havearranged a special sign languageinterpreter for those with hearing andspeech problem.His Holiness was deeply moved andencouraged by the amount of attentionpeople paid to his talk. The event wasalso web cast and and watched by 6,554people.In the afternoon, His Holiness returnedto the same Luna Park Stadium and gaveSeven Point Mind Training composedby Geshe Chaykawa. The teaching wasalso attended by 6,500 people.For almost an hour and half, HisHoliness spoke about mind training ingeneral and later went through the textof Seven Point Mind Trainingcomposed by Geshe Chekawa in 12thcentury and explained the meaning ofeach and every sentences.Since the audience paid exceptionalattention and shown great enthusiamto his teaching, His Holiness wentbeyond the stipulated time to takequestions from the audience.At the end of his teaching, LamaRinchen, an Argentinean Buddhist whorepresented the host organisations,thanked His Holiness for visitingArgentina and sharing his valuablemessages. She also informed theaudience that surplus money from theorganisation of His Holiness the DalaiLama's visit to Buenos Aires will becontributed to three Argentinean non-profit organisations involved with thesocial works- La Red Solidaria, ConinFoundation, and Los Piletones-and theDalai Lama Trust based in New York.As His Holiness departed from theStadium, the audience gave him anemotional farewell by shouting ‘LongLive His Holiness the Dalai Lama' andmany came outside of the stadium towave at His Holiness' motorcade.His Holiness the Dalai Lama will flytomorrow morning to Sao Paulo, wherehe has a programme tomorrow afternoonto address the industrial and businessleaders of Brazil

His Holiness Offers Condolences to theFamily of Wangari Maathai

Kenyain Nobel Peace laureate and conservation heroine, Wangari Maathai. Photo: File


Dharamshala: - The spiritual leader ofTibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lamaexpressed his sadness at learning of thepassing away of fellow Nobel PeaceLaureate, Wangari Maathai, whobecame the first woman from Africa tobe awarded with Nobel Peace Prize forher contribution to sustainabledevelopment, democracy and peace.

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyanenvironmentalist who made it hermission to teach her countrywomen toplant trees and became Africa's firstfemale Nobel Peace Prize winner, hasdied. She was 71."She lived a full and meaningful life andwill be respectfully remembered for herefforts to promote conservation,

women's rights and transparency ingovernance," His Holiness said in amessage issued 27th September 2011.She started the group in 1977,encouraging poor women to collectnative tree seeds in the wild, cultivatethem and set up tree nurseries for alivelihood, paying them a small sum forany trees they planted. One aim was toensure that poor families had access tosustainable firewood for cooking andwater for drinking."She was determined to make our worlda more peaceful, better place to live. Ihope her valuable achievements willinspire other women to follow herexample and take a more active role insociety," said His Holiness the DalaiLama."In the course of history, there comes atime when humanity is called to shift toa new level of consciousness, to reacha higher moral ground. A time when wehave to shed our fear and give hope toeach other," she said in her speechaccepting the Nobel Prize In 2004.Born April 1, 1940, Maathai grew up inrural Kenya and received a scholarshipto study at Mount St. ScholasticaCollege in Atchison, Kan., where she

majored in biology, graduating in 1964.She went on to study for her master'sdegree at the University of Pittsburgh.She was inspired by a group ofenvironmental activists pushing forclean-air regulations, her first view ofenvironmental activism. She alsostudied in Germany, returning to theUniversity of Nairobi in 1969 to completeher doctorate, the first Kenyan womanto earn such a degree.In 1989, she successfully led protestsagainst the construction of a 60-storybuilding in Nairobi's Uhuru Park. In1992, she and other members of a pro-democracy group were arrested andcharged with treason. The charges weredropped after intense internationalpressure.In 2002 she was elected to parliamentas part of the opposition RainbowCoalition that defeated the ruling KenyaAfrican National Union party. Sheserved as deputy minister for theenvironment and natural resources butwas defeated in 2007, after one term. Butshe continued to press forimprovements in democracy,accountability and human rights acrossAfrica.Wangari Maathai founded the GreenBelt Movement where, for nearly thirtyyears, she has mobilized poor womento plant 30 million trees throughoutKenya.

witnessed too much bloodshed andmillions of people had lost their lives.Therefore, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureatesaid, we cannot afford to repeat thathistory in the 21st century. This century,he said, must be a century of dialogue.He added that no matter how much wetry, problems will still remain and willremain as a part of our life. However, hesaid, the important thing is that we mustresolve these differences and problemsthrough dialogue. "The use of force andviolence is outdated," His Holinessadded.At the World Trade Center theater forHis Holiness' address to business andindustrial leaders of Brazil, his Holinesswas greeted by Dr. Cristiane Bomeny, anindustrialist and daughter of the familywhich owns the World Trade Center inSao Paulo, Dr. Ozires Silva, a Brazilianpioneering industrialist, Mr. FernandoLevy, President of the Business Forumof Brazil, Mr. Affif Domingos, ViceGovernor of the State of Sao Paulo aswell as a number of Brazilian journalistsand photographers.That said, His Holiness' was fairly directin his discourse and one of the mainthrusts in his speech to the industrialistsand business leaders was about thepossibility of reducing the gap betweenthe rich and the poor, the world over."One of the sources of problems", hesaid, "is a huge gap between rich andpoor everywhere. Therefore, theprivileged people, particularly thebusiness leaders, should shoulder moreresponsibility to help the poor byinvesting in the fields of education,health and other social sectors."The Tibetan spiritual went on that"natural resources are not infinite andtherefore efforts must be made to havemore sustainable growth with adequateattention being made to the ecology."He also said that "industrial andbusiness leaders must be visionary sothat every effort they make will ultimatelybenefit society."Despite the late departure, His Holinessspoke for nearly two hours at thisimportant forum and also attended aquestions session from the audience.The audience members, who flew to SaoPaulo from various parts of Brazil, paid agreat deal of attention to his talk andlistened to His Holiness' talk mostenthusiastically.Later after the conclusion of the event,His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered ascarf to Dr. Ozires Silva and Dr. ChristianeBomeny and thanked them for organizingthe event.

The Tibet Post4 30 September, 2011 Dharamsala TPI INTERNATIONAL

MEP Ojuland Calls on Par-liament to Address Human

Rights In Tibet

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressing the over 30,000 strong crowd at the Cruz AzulStadium in Mexico City on September 11, 2011. Photo/Oscar Fernández/Casa Tibet

Mexico

By The Tibet Post International

Brussels: - Ms Kristina Ojuland, anEstonian MEP from the third largestpolitical groups in the EuropeanParliament, ALDE, raised the self-immolation of two teen aged Buddhistmonks from Kirti monastery innortheastern Amdo province of Tibetduring her speaking time on one minutespeeches on matters of politicalimportance in the European Parliamentin Strasbourg Monday, 26thSeptember.MEP Ojuland highlighted the fact thatthis self-immolation comes as thefourth incidence in this year alone toprotest the repressive policies of thePeople's Republic of China in theregion."Such radical form of protest illustratesthe despair of the Tibetans, who areseeking freedom of religion as well asmeaningful autonomy in the historicarea of Tibet. Continuous desperateacts of protest also demonstrate thatthe Tibetans determinedly resist theongoing violations of human rights

US Govt. Reports Severe Repressionof Religious Freedom in Tibet

Dharamshala, India: The US StateDepartment in its International ReligiousFreedom Report, which was publishedTuesday (13 September), said theChinese government's repression ofreligious freedom remained severe inTibet during the reporting period ofJuly-December 2010."In China, Tibetan Buddhists, UighurMuslims, "house church" Christians allsuffer from government attempts torestrict their religious practice,"Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton said during the release of thereport."The [Chinese] constitution protectsreligious freedom for all citizens but, inpractice, the government generallyenforced other laws and policies thatrestrict religious freedom," the reportsaid."The government's level of respect forreligious freedom remained poor in theTibet Autonomous Region and otherTibetan areas. Repression was severe,particularly during "sensitive periods"such as the Shanghai World Expo orthe Asian Games in Guangzhou," itnoted.It said "control over religious practiceand the day-to-day management ofmonasteries and other religiousinstitutions continued to beextraordinarily tight. Monks and nunsreported that government restrictionscontinued to interfere with their abilityto carry out the teaching and practiceof Tibetan Buddhist religioustraditions.""The residents continued to facesocietal discrimination, including, forexample, being denied rooms at hotels

By Tibetan Administration OfficialMedia: Tibet Net

Hillary Clinton, the US State Department. Photo: FIle

..... Continues from front Page

Dharamshala: During their one dayvisit to Dharamsala yesterday, a 7-member Japanese delegationcomprising of two parliamentariansand officials of a think-tank, expressedtheir strong support for the Middle-Way policy for resolving the issue ofTibet.The delegation was accompanied byMr Lhakpa Tshoko, the representativeof His Holiness the Dalai Lama toJapan.Some of the prominent delegatesinclude Mr Hakubun Shimomura andMs Eriko Yamatani, both members ofLiberal Democratic Party in theJapanese Parliament and Ms YoshikoSakurai, a noted journalist andpresident of a think-tank, JapanInstitute for National Fundamentals.

The delegates received an audiencewith His Holiness the Dalai Lamayesterday.They met with Kalon Tripa, DrLobsang Sangay, at the KashagSecretariat.They also met Mr Penpa Tsering, theSpeaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, and Kalon Dicki Chhoyang,Kalon for the Department ofInformation & International Relations(DIIR), at a dinner reception hostedin their honour by the DIIR.Speaker Penpa Tsering briefed thedelegates about the parliamentarygroups for Tibet in various countriesto encourage them to attend the nextworld parliamentarians' convention onTibet.The delegates said their visit wouldbe a turning point to strengthen theirsupport for the Tibetan cause, addingthat their support is due to the non-violent nature of the Tibetan struggle.They also expressed their concernover the human rights violationstaking place inside Tibet. Afterreturning to Japan, they said they wewould discuss with the Parliamentarygroup for Tibet in Japan on how bestto strengthen their unity andcampaigns for the issue of Tibet.

Japanese Delegation ExpressesSupport for Middle-Way

Policy

and the cultural genocide that is beingcarried out in Tibet," she said.Therefore, the European Union and itsMember States should lend theirsupport address the situation ofhuman rights in Tibet more rigorouslywith the PRC", said MEP Ojuland.MEP Ojuland also raised concern overrepatriation of Tibetan refugees by thegovernment of Nepal.A 19 year old monk named LobsangPhuntsog set himself ablaze in Kirtimonastery on 16th March this year inthe aftermath of which the monasterywas placed under heavy securitysurveillance, thus disrupting the dailyreligious practices and restricting themovement of the monks and the laypeople in the region.Just a couple of months after the tragicdeath of Lobsang Phuntsog, another 29year old monk named Tsewang Norbufrom Nyatso monastery in Kardze inKham eastern Tibet died on 15th Augustafter setting himself on fire.All the four monks are reported to have

in large cities, including Beijing,Shanghai, and Chengdu, during the2010 Shanghai World Expo (April 30 toOctober 31, 2010)," it noted.The US government encouraged thegovernment and local authorities torespect religious freedom and allowTibetans to preserve and develop theirreligious traditions.The US government protested religiouspersecution and discrimination,discussed individual cases with theauthorities, and requested furtherinformation about specific incidents.US government officials continued tourge government leaders to engage inconstructive dialogue with the DalaiLama and his representatives andaddress policies in Tibetan areas thathave created tensions due to their effecton Tibetan religion, culture, andlivelihoods, as well as the environment."As we look around the world, in fact,

we see many countries wheregovernments deny their people themost fundamental human rights: theright to believe according to their ownconscience - including the freedom tonot believe or not follow the religionfavored by their government; the rightto practice their religion freely, withoutrisking discrimination, arrest, orviolence; and the right to educate theirchildren in their own religious traditions;and the freedom to express theirbeliefs," Secretary Clinton said in herremarks."As we release this report, we reaffirmthe role that religious freedom andtolerance play in building stable andharmonious societies," Clinton said."The protection of religious freedom isa fundamental concern of the UnitedStates going back to the earliest daysof our republic, and it remains sotoday," she said.

Burmese Activists Inspired by The Ti-betan Freedom Struggle

A Banner of film screeening in Dharamshala, India. Photo: FileBy The Tibet Post International

called for religious freedom in Tibet andthe return of His Holiness the Dalai Lamato Tibet before setting themselves onfire.

Dharamshala, India: As a part of theannual program, a group of Burmeserefugee students and activists visitsDharamshala from 22nd to 24thSeptember. The main aim of their visitis to learn more about the Tibetanstruggle, get a sense of organizationand the different strata of the

community."The Burmese struggle for democracyand the Tibetan struggle forindependence are both fightingChinese colonialism. The Burmesemilitary dictators are funded andsupported by China. Being commonvictims of imperialist Chinese

Government, we stand in solidaritywith each other," said TenzinTsundue, President of the RegionalTibetan Youth Congress, Dharamsala,"There is much to learn and supporteach other. This kind of ongoingdialogue and sharing between the twostruggles will help each other standstronger in our own struggle."In the course of three days,participants will have the opportunityto witness the ongoing session of the15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, visitthe various NGOs, schools,monasteries and engage with Tibetanaudience after an evening ofdocumentary screening on theirsecond day of the visit."People of Burma have been sharinga similar plight as ours under themilitary junta rule for almost fivedecades," said Jigdal, ProgramCoordinator of Students for a FreeTibet, India. "As a Tibetan born andbrought up in exile, it is certainlyencouraging to have Burmesestudents & activists visit Dharamsalato learn more about our freedom

struggle."This visit is being organized by thefour Tibetan NGOs: Tibetan Women'sAssociation, the Regional TibetanYouth Congress, Dharamsala, Gu ChuSum Movement of Tibet and theStudents for a Free Tibet, India.

The Tibet Post 530 September, 2011 DharamsalaTPI TIBET IN EXILE

His Holiness the Dalai LamaConcerned About Sikkim

Earthquake

His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet offering prayers in Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI/File


Dharamsala, HP, India, 20 September2011 - In a letter offering hiscondolences to the Chief Minister ofSikkim, His Holiness the Dalai Lamaexpressed his concern for thedevastation caused by the recentearthquake in the state."I was saddened to learn about theloss of life and damage to propertythat the recent earthquake has causedacross isolated Himalayan regions,particularly in Sikkim. I offer my

Kalon Tripa's Nominated MinistersApproved by Tibetan Parliament

Dharamshala:- The elected politicalleader of the Tibetan Administration, Dr.Lobsang Sangay nominated six peopletoday to be appointed ministers in hiscabinet of the Tibetan administration,mostly former parliamentarians andministers. Two women were included onthe list, with the members of the 15thTibetan Parliament-in-Exileunanimously endorsed all nominationsof the new Kalons or ministers.The Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangayon Friday, 16th September introducedthe nominations of six new Kalons orministers of the cabinet of the CentralTibetan Administration (Kashag)-during the first day of the inauguralsession of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The six nominees were foundto be in compliance with therequirements stipulated in Article 21 ofthe Charter of the Tibetans in Exile.The elected ministers containedexperienced as well as youngermembers. The six new Kalons are MrNgoedup Dongchung, former Kalon ofDepartment of Security, Mr. TseringDhondup, former Kalon of Departmentof finance and Mr Pema Chhinjor, formerMP and former Kalon for Departmentof Security, Ms. Dolma Gyari, formerdeputy speaker of Tibetan Parliament


The Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay on Friday, 16th September introducing hisnominations of six new Kalons or ministers to the 15th Parliament in exile,

Dharamshala, India. Photo: TPI

Dolma of the home department, saying,"She is known to have a unique abilityto connect with Indian people and, tosome extent, Indian leaders," which hesaid she will use to address thecomplexities Tibetan refugees face inthe settlements, under both Tibetan andIndian authorities' administration.He also talked about the variedexperience of Kalon Dicki Chhoyang,of the information and internationalrelations department, who has lived and

worked in Tibet, Beijing, Canada andthe US.Dr Sangay said the Kashag nominationsand voting process had tested therelationship between the parliament andthe Kashag, and that the parliament'sunanimous vote in favour was asignificant example of cooperation,which Tibetans in exile and in Tibetshould welcome."It also sends a message to the Chinesegovernment that both the administration

Kalon Tripa Announces Ministers' Portfolios......... Continues from front Page

sympathy and condolences to allthose families, who have been directlyaffected by what I understand is oneof the worst earthquakes in recentmemory," His Holiness said in hisletter dated 20th September 2011.His Holiness offered his prayers forthose affected by this tragic naturalcalamity and also donated Rs. 500,000from the Dalai Lama Trust towardsrelief work in the affected areas of thestate.

SFT India Outreached Over 2800 IndianStudents and Youths

Delhi: Students for a Free Tibet- Indiasuccessfully concluded a month longChapter visit from 21stAugust to 25thSeptember 2011 in eleven major Indiancities. The main objective of the visit isto strengthen SFT chapters in all themajor Indian cities and to recruit newactive members and Tibet supportersamong the Indian youth and students.Under this chapter visit, SFT-Indiacarried out screening of the Tibetandocumentary 'Leaving Fear Behind' madeby Dhondup Wangchen, which reflectsthe true feeling of Tibetan people insideTibet and the importance of Tibet's issue.The screening and discussion were heldin more than 25 Indian colleges andschools all over India including eliteIndian institutes such as DelhiUniversity, Madras University, M. S.University-Gujarat, Tata Institute ofSocial Science-Mumbai, NationalInstitute of Design-Ahemdabad, Film

and Television Institute of India-Pune,National Law School-Calcutta,Symbiosis college-Pune and MadrasChristian College etc.SFT-India, National Director Mr. DorjeeTseten and Grassroot Coordinator MissTenzin Dolkar undertook this chaptervisit. "We are really inspired by thegrowing number of support and intereston Tibet among the younger generationof Indians. With the growing infiltrationsby the Chinese military along the Indo-Tibet border, more and more Indians areexpressing concern on Tibet's issue andalso calling for Tibet's Independence,"said Dorjee Tseten, National Director ofStudents for a Free Tibet-India, "Theyalso strongly object the ongoing damprojects on Tibet's Rivers and thediversion of river Tsangpo in Tibet, alsoknown as Brahmaputra when flowed inIndia."The discussions and screenings were

organized by SFT chapters and collegestaffs in various departments andfaculties namely Political Science,International Relation, MassCommunication and Legal studies etc."I was always told that India and Tibetshare long history of cultural andtradition. This visit made me furtherunderstand this bond the two nationshave shared for centuries," said TenzinDolkar, Grassroot Coordinator ofStudents for a Free Tibet-India, "I havestrong faith that people of India willcontinue their support till Tibet's issueis resolved."SFT-India succeeded in recruiting manynew members from Udaipur, Rajkot andMadras for setting new chapters in therespective cities. The chapter visitsuccessfully covered Chandigarh, Delhi,Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Baroda,Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai andKolkata and reach out to more than 2800Indian students and young activistsacross the country.

and parliament are united," he said.The new Kashag met His Holiness theDalai Lama upon his arrival atDharamsala airport today. Dr Sangayreported that His Holiness was verypleased about the appointment of theKalons, and parliament's full support ofthe nominations."China and the international communityhave now witnessed that His Holinesshas handed over political power toelected leaders," said Dr Sangay.

in-exile, Ms. Dekyi Chhoeyang, Memberof Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from NorthAmerica, and Mr. Tsering Wangchuk, asenior medical officer at TsojheKhangsar Charity Hospital, Bylakuppe,South India.The elected ministers of the 14thKashag will be administered the oath ofoffice and secrecy this afternoon bythe chief Justice Commissioner MrNgawang Phelgyal at a ceremony at theTibetan Supreme Justice Commissionof the Central Tibetan Administration.

The Charter for Tibetans-in-Exilestipulates the Kashag should havemaximum of eight Kalons, including theKalon Tripa.The Kalon Tripa, who is also knownsas the Chairman of the Kashag, willannounce the portfolios of the newministers at a Press Conference to beheld on Monday, 19th September, at12:30PM.The second session of the 15th TibetanParliament-in-Exile will continue until 1stOctober.

throughout India and Nepal to take partin the debate session. The debatesalways occur in winter and changelocation each year. There are 400 nunsparticipating in the debates; 211 fromMundgod and 189 from elsewhere.Administrator Tenzin Namdoe said thenuns will debate for five hours everyday except for Monday, for two hoursin the morning and three hours in theevening.Nuns have been preparing for thedebates for the last month, and thedebates are on Pramana, one of the fivemeasure of Buddhism. The debatesserve the purpose of helping themimprove their study of Buddhistphilosophy.Tenzin Namdoe says that while housingall of these nuns, the nunnery currentlyhas a problem providing enough food

for the nuns. "We are asking fordonations from different groups andsocieties," she said.The Jangchub Choeling Nunnerystarted in 1987 with just eighteen nuns.Today, there are a limited number ofnuns who are allowed to stay at themonastery, as there is an issue with theamount of food and rooms.Today, the nuns study scripturereadings and philosophy, and engagein debates. They also study Tibetangrammar, English, handwriting andScience. Philosophy is one of the mainsubjects; they study Pramana (logic),Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom),Madhyamika (Middle Way), Abhidhama(Treasure of Knowledge) and Vinaya(Monastic discipline). The nuns receivea certificate upon completion of each ofthe main texts.

Tibetan Nuns' Winter DebateSession Begins in

Mundgod..... Continues from front Page

6 30 September, 2011 Dharamsala The Tibet PostTPI TIBET

China Sentences Three MoreMonks in Self-immolation

Protest

A local Chinese court in Bakham of center Ngaba county of eastern Tibet Monday, 5thSeptember sentenced three monks of Kirti Monastery to lengthy prison terms

Photo: TPI


Dharamshala: - A local Chinese courtin Bakham of center Ngaba county ofeastern Tibet Monday, 5th Septembersentenced three monks of KirtiMonastery to lengthy prison termsafter the officials accusing them oftheir involvement in late Phuntsok'sdeath by self-immolation to protestagainst the Chinese rule, according alatest report."Ven. Tsekho, 30 year old and Ven.Lobsang Dhargye, 22 year old, acousin of late Phuntsok weresentenced to 2-years and 6- monthsimprisonment by a Chinese people'sintermediate court in Bakham ofNgaba, on 5th September 2011, Ven.Kanyak Tsering of India based KirtiMonastery told The Tibet PostInternational."Another Tibetan, a 16 year oldBuddhist monk from Kirti monastery,Ngaba County of eastern Tibet wassentenced to 3 years in prison. Threeof them were sentenced underultimatum to return for Chinesepatriotic education Campaign," said

China Claims Tibet will Benefit from$47 Billion, Plan for 2011-2015

Dharamshala: An official of thecommunist regime has claimed thatChina is planning to spend 300 billionyuan ($47 billion) for development ofthe so called Tibet Autonomous Regionbetween 2011 and 2015, with 90.5 billionyuan to finance roads, railways,hydropower stations and otherinfrastructure.The 226 projects the money will supportare "aimed at achieving rapiddevelopment in Tibet", the Chinesestate controlled media Xinhua newsagency quoted deputy governor HaoPeng as saying at an internal meetingon Wednesday.The projects will cover infrastructureconstruction, environmental protection,housing, health care, social security,vocational training and other areasconcerning the livelihood of theTibetans, he said."By the end of 2015, a total of 193 billionyuan will have been spent on theseprojects," he was quoted by officialXinhua news agency as saying. Nearlyhalf of the investment, or $ 90.5 billionwill be spent on key infrastructureprojects, including a railway linkingTibet's capital city of Lhasa with itssecond largest city Xigaze.Other projects will include newhighways linking Tibet with China'sinterior regions and the construction ofthe Zangmu Hydropower Station, saidHao. About 33 per cent of the investmentwill be used to accelerate social andeconomic growth in Tibet's rural areasby building new roads, homes andirrigation systems, as well as providingtap water, electricity and gas to ruralhomes.The investment will also be used toprovide adequate health care and socialwelfare services for rural residents.About eight per cent of the investmentwill be used to foster the developmentof indigenous industries, includingtourism, mining, agriculture and stock-


Chinese armed military presents at the traditional Jokhang temple in the capital ofTibet, Lhasa. Photo: TPI/File

away to an unknown location.According to eyewitnesses, one of themonks is feared to have died on the spotwhilst the other remains in a criticalcondition.Over the past two months, the Chinesecourt in Ngaba county has sentencedseveral monks from Kirti Monastery tolengthy prison terms after theauthorities accused them ofinvolvement in late Phuntsok's death."Both of the monks joined KirtiMonastery at an early age. The situationin Ngaba county is still highly tense. Alarge number of armed military personnelhave been deployed in Ngaba town andthe area surrounding the monastery.Authorities have also cut off internetaccess and public telephone lines."Several other Tibetans in Ngaba county,including many monks, have beendetained by the Chinese authorities inrecent months and are said to be beingbrutally tortured despite being heldwithout charge.

Tibetan MonkDies in Self-Im-

molation......... Continues from front Page

Tsering."However, the monks denied allallegations made by the Chineseauthorities that they say they weretrying to save Phuntsok from theChinese police beating. Theauthorities also did not allow theirfamily members to engage with otherlawyers, except the one that officiallyprovided," Tsering said in a report."In China, Tibetan Buddhists, UighurMuslims, "house church" Christiansall suffer from government attemptsto restrict their religious practice,"Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton said the release of the recentnew report.The report said "control over religiouspractice and the day-to-daymanagement of monasteries and otherreligious institutions continued to beextraordinarily tight. Monks and nunsreported that government restrictionscontinued to interfere with their abilityto carry out the teaching and practiceof Tibetan Buddhist religioustraditions."Chinese authorities also plans to goafter the monks through bribes. Infact, the authorities have promisedmonks 20,000 yuan, plus a 50,000 loan,to help them “change their lives” ifthey voluntarily leave the monastery.So far, no monk has accepted to giveup their vow for money or benefits.Phuntsok, a 21-year old Tibetan monkfrom Kirti Monastery, self-immolatedin an act of protest against theChinese suppression in Tibet. Eye-witnesses reported that Chineseauthorities beat Phuntsok as they putout the flames. He died atapproximately 3:00am Lhasa Tibet timeon March 17th. A protest by anestimated 1,000 monks and lay peoplewas violently suppressed by thearmed Chinese military troops."As we look around the world, in fact,we see many countries wheregovernments deny their people themost fundamental human rights: theright to believe according to their ownconscience - including the freedom tonot believe or not follow the religionfavored by their government; the rightto practice their religion freely, withoutrisking discrimination, arrest, orviolence; and the right to educatetheir children in their own religioustraditions; and the freedom to expresstheir beliefs," Secretary Clinton saidin her remarks.

breeding.Five per cent of the investment will goto environmental protection, includingthe protection of wetland and pastures,soil erosion reduction programs andurban sewage treatment, he said. Duringthe 2006-2010 period, the centralgovernment had invested 137.8 billionyuan to build 188 key infrastructureprojects in Tibet.Last year, the Chinese governmentpledged to foster "leapfrogdevelopment" and "lasting peace andstability" in Tibet. By 2020, the percapita net income of rural Tibetansshould be close to the national averagelevel, according to a plan for Tibet'ssocial and economic developmentannounced early last year, the reportsaid.Similar projects have been unveiled forneighboring Eastern Turkestan andInner Mongolia, whose people havelikewise chafed at Chinese rule. Chinahas gained a great benefits from Tibet'seconomy, sped by the completion of arailway from China to Capital Lhasa ofTibet and large mining projects in theregion, though much of Tibet still remoteand very poor under name Chinese

economy development in last 60 years.However, political and economicanalysts say that those projects havealso brought thousands of Chinesemigrants to Tibet, leading to manyTibetans' perceptions that they havebeen left out of economic growth.Since 2008 bloody crackdowns in all partsof Tibet, China claimed that thegovernment has boosted trainingprogrammes, subsidies and investmentthere in an implicit recognition of theeconomic roots to the violence.Despite international criticism, China hasruled Tibet with an iron fist sinceCommunist troops occupied theHimalayan region in 1950s. China isfacing world-wide criticism for failing torespect Tibet's unique religion andculture. Tibetans say China issuppressing people in Tibet and aimingat wiping out Tibetan identity under thetool of economy development.The invasion of Tibet began in 1949.Chinese occupation has resulted in thedeaths of over 1.2 million Tibetans, thedestruction of over 6,000 monasteries,nunneries and temples, and theimprisonment and torture of thousandsof Tibetans.

Tibet: A Chinese Solution to a Global Issue

2008 mass peaceful protest against inNgaba county, eastern Tibet. Photo: TPI/

f i l e

By Samuel Ivor, The Tibet Post

London: Until as recently as 2008,authorities in China have assumed astance on the Tibet situation thatverges on alarming indifference to theglobal pleas of addressing thelongstanding issue.Beijing has slowly attempted a culturalgenocide on the Tibetan people,attempting to wash the nation withChinese communist party values,language and ideals, amid growinghuman rights abuses. China haspersistently attempted to push Tibet'sspiritual leader, His Holiness the DalaiLama out of the hearts and minds of notmerely the Tibetan people, but the global

community.As a result, the image of China in the20th and early 21st century is of acountry with a bitter, marred history,littered with suppression, human rightscrimes, bearing a colonialist, introvertedattitude.China's image as an acceptable worldsuperpower is in tatters. In starkcontrast to this however, the vision,wisdom and long-standing peacefulposition of the Dalai Lama of Tibet hasgrown beyond expectation, reachinginto the furthest corners of globalawareness and winning the hearts andminds of the world community. With aNobel peace prize to cement his validityas a serious global voice, and thesympathy of world leaders, His Holinessis an instantly recognisably peacefulfigurehead, in an uncertain world.Yet the stance by Beijing is persistentlyindifferent, seemingly hoping thesituation will simply go away if ignoredlong enough.The problem now is that the Tibet issueis relevant. China knows that it cannotgrow into the economic giant it wishesto be without the support of globaleconomic ties and trading, and for this

to happen smoothly, national powersneed to be persuaded that it is an ethicaltrading partner, and that, mostimportantly, China has stability.Upon a recent trading visit to Europe,Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo saw himselfembarrassingly dogged not just byactivists, but national leaders, on thehuman rights issues within China'sborders.So what is the solution? Many ideashave been put forward, some morerealistic than others. However most ofthese have derived from the West, andoften simply ignore the cultural valuesand ideals of the region.It's all very well and good highlightingthe breakup of the Soviet Union andthe defeat of apartheid in South Africato hope for an independent Tibetimmediately, but the cultural differencein China is stark and unique. This needsto be kept in mind when looking forsolutions for Tibet, and simply throwingWestern ideals into the arena won'tnecessarily work.One means of resolution, as ‘The Times'journalist Malcolm Rifkind highlights,comes from looking at China's own

Continues on Page 7

30 September, 2011 DharamsalaThe Tibet Post TPI TIBET IN EXILE 7CST Mundgod Tops Senior Division of Ti-

betan Cultural Meet

The South Zone Tibetan Cultural andExhibition Meet 2011 took place

September 18 and 19 at the Central Schoolfor Tibetans in Mundgod. Photo: TPI/

C o l l e e n


Mundgod, India: - The South ZoneTibetan Cultural and Exhibition Meet2011 took place September 18 and 19 atthe Central School for Tibetans in

2011 Gelugpa University ExamsConclude at Drepung Monastery

Mundgod, India: - The 2011 GelugpaUniversity exams are finishing this weekat Drepung Monastery in Mundgod.This year, 602 monks are taking the exams,and there are 30 examination controllers.Monks taking these exams have beenrigorously studying a program ofBuddhist philosophy that includes thefive measures of Buddhism: Pramana(logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection ofWisdom), Madhyamika (Middle Way),Abhidhama (Treasure of Knowledge),and Vinaya (Monastic discipline). Theyalso study Tibetan grammar poetry,Tibetan religious and political history,as well as the proper way to write lettersto His Holiness the Dalai Lama and toTibetan government officials like theKalon Tripa (prime minister). Theprogram lasts six years, and monks canjoin only after they have studied atanother monastic university for around18 years.After going through the six year programsuccessfully, monks are awarded theGeshe Lharampa title, the highestacademic title in Tibetan Buddhism.The high-level Buddhist philosophystudied includes doctrines of emptiness,peaceful mind, the middle way,compassion, and right action and howto reach enlightenment. Students muststudy and memorize large ancientBuddhist texts as well as variouscommentaries and teachings on thosetexts. They are required to quote fromthe texts exactly in oral examinations anddebates, as well as to precisely identifywhich text any particular passage is from.Students who have completed their firstand second year must take nine writingand five debate exams; those who havecompleted the third and fourth year musttake five writing and five debate exams;and those who have finished their fifthand sixth year must take a long debateexam on the five measures of Buddhism.Much pressure revolves around the


Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling University taking final examinations, Mundgod,South India. Photo: TPI/Colleen

history for a solution on Tibet.For this, we can look at the Hong Kongsolution.Hong Kong was absorbed into Chinain 1997, when its reign under Britishsovereignty ended. In order to keepHong Kong stable, and economicallystrong, the region kept autonomy, anda capitalist system, yet became part ofthe Chinese ‘motherland'.Rifkind states:‘Instead of insisting that the Hong KongChinese had to accept a communisteconomic system combined withpolitical uniformity, the people of HongKong have been able to continue to liveas a Western, Capitalist enclave withinthe Chinese body. Hong Kong enjoysreal autonomy, a functioning rule of lawand a liberal press and media that haveno equivalent in most of China'.The author stresses that a similartechnique could be used for Tibet:‘A Tibetan province with culturalfreedom and a significant degree ofpolitical autonomy would be no morethan is already enjoyed by Hong Kongand Macao. It would be a Chinesesolution to a Chinese problem, and allthe better for it.'The method is realistic, culturallysensitive, and should appease bothsides. The Dalai Lama and the KalonTripa of Tibet have repeatedly stressedthat they do not seek independence forTibet, and China has used this methoditself in its own very recent history, togreat success.Using the Hong Kong solution for Tibetwould elate Tibetans in Tibet, end therefugee and human rights situation inthe region, and allow China to gain aposition as a worthy, respectable globalsuperpower that it has worked so hardto become.

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Mundgod. Eight schools from Tibetansettlements in southern Indiaparticipated in the event.The Ven. Kundeling Tatsak ChoktrulRinpoche declared the meet open duringthe Opening Ceremony, and Shri PaldenDhundup served as the Chief Guest ofthe Closing Ceremony.The program for the two days includedgroup song, debate, poem recitation,folk dance, declamation, drama, and duetcompetitions for students in their Juniorand Senior years.Students wore traditional Tibetan dressand performed traditional songs anddances during the event. Poems dealtwith themes such as the life of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama and freedomfor Tibet.During the debate competition, students

exhibited their public speaking skills ina spirited debate on the use of theInternet."Many people always forget to do theirprayer and their daily duty," a studentfrom the side against the Internet said."It is not necessary to improveknowledge. In the 18th century, therewas no Internet, mobiles or television,and people still achieved."The other side countered with thisargument: "It's very useful, though, toknow the news and to know situationsaround the world, like the situation inTibet. Also, it helps people developfinancially."CST Mundgod was the overallchampion of the senior group, andBylakuppe, Mundgod and Kollegal alltied for the junior championship.

Exiled Tibetans SendCondolences to SikkimOver Quake Tragedy

All ministers of 14th Tibetan cabinet of CTA and members of the 15th Parliament inexile during the second day of its second session, Dharamshala, India on 17th September

2011. Photo: TPI/Pema Tso

By Tibetan Administration OfficialMedia: Tibet Net

Dharamshala: - The Tibetan Parliamentin Exile today passed a resolution ofcondolence which the membersexpressed sadness over the loss lives inthe earthquake in Sikkim andneighbouring regions and offeredprayers of the speedy recuperation of allthose injured.In a condolence message sent to SikkimChief Minister Pawan Chamling today,Speaker Penpa Tsering said: "TheTibetan Parliament in Exile is very muchsaddened and aggrieved by the loss oflives and property caused by theearthquake that affected your state andother neighbouring states on the 18th ofSeptember 2011.""In the ongoing session of theParliament, the first resolution that weadopted this morning was to express ourgrief and solidarity with the people ofSikkim in this hour of crisis. We pray forthe noble rebirth of all those people wholost their valuable lives in Sikkim, Nepaland in Tibet. We also pray for the speedyrecovery of all those who were injured,"the message noted."...We hope and pray that under yourable leadership the state and your peoplewill recover from this catastrophe very

soon," it noted.The Parliament also observed a minute'ssilence in memory of all those who diedand those who are in hospital.Meanwhile, the Central TibetanAdministration also described whathappened in Sikkim as "tragic and sad"."It is really unfortunate that many peoplehave died not just in Sikkim but alsoinside Tibet as well," Kalon Tripa DrLobsang Sangay told reporters thismorning."Our hearts and prayers go out to allthose who are undergoing very painfulexperiences in their community andfamily," Dr Sangay said.An earthquake measuring 6.8 on theRichter Scale which shook Sikkim onSunday evening has killed 42 people inIndia, five in Nepal and seven in Tibet,and over 100 injured, NDTV reported.Out of 42 deaths in India, 35 people,including two Armymen, were killed inSikkim and many others received injuriesthere.Strong tremors were also felt in parts ofNorth and East India and parts ofBangladesh and Nepal, causingwidespread panic. The epicentre of thequake is said to be just 64 kilometre North-West of Gangtok.

exams; while they get second chancesin their earlier years, if students do notpass the exams on the first try after theirfifth or sixth years, there is no chance toretake the exam, and, explained theadministrator of the Mundgod branchof Gelugpa University, the monk will notget the title of Geshe Lharampa in thislifetime. "It's our rule," he said, smiling.Thus, monks began preparing for theseexams in February, forming small studygroups among themselves to practicedebating and memorization. The programis extremely rigorous. Each year out of aclass of 150 monks, around 70-80 are leftin the sixth year.There are six monasteries of GelugpaUniversity; the three major ones areDrepung, Ganden, and Sera. TheDrepung and Ganden Monasteries arelocated in Mundgod, and Sera is in theBylakuppe settlement. They are allmodeled after the original monasteriesof the same names in Tibet, which wereestablished in the fifteenth century andwhich underwent much damage duringthe Chinese invasion in 1959.The administrator said that most monksstudying at Gelugpa University comedirectly from Tibet; others come fromTibetan settlements in India, often fromthe Himalayan regions like Himachal andLadakh. Yet others come from Nepal,Mongolia and Taiwan to study.After graduating and receiving theirGeshe Lharampa title, some monkscontinue to live in the settlement,teaching the new monks, some return totheir homes, some join the universityadministration, some work as translators,some move to foreign countries, andsome go to the wilderness to meditate.As for future plans of the university, hesaid that there are plans to registerGelugpa University under the UniversityGrants Commission (UGC) of theGovernment of India. "After this, we willbe recognized [by the government] as auniversity, not just a monastery."

traditional provinces, U-Tsang, Khamand Amdo".The keynote speaker was Mr DawaTsering, Representative of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama and professorSun Chi Pan, the president of Chinese-Tibetan Association.Mr Dawa Tsering spoke about thenature, evolution and achievement of

A Talk on How Middle-Way Policy Can Resolve Tibet's Issue..... Continues from front Page

the Middle Way Policy and thehistorical facts of Tibet. The detailswere presented to a gathering of aboutfifty Tibetans and Taiwanese. Themembers of Chinese TibetanAssociation and the members ofTibetan Welfare Association attendedthe talk.Professor Sun Chi Pan gave a brief

introduction about the newly formedChinese-Tibetan Association and hasreaffirmed their support for His Holinessthe Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people'sMiddle Way Policy.He further informed the gathering abouttheir future activity and events to bringcloser the relationship between theChinese and Tibetan people.

8 30 September, 2011 Dharamsala TPI SPECIAL REPORTMundgod Co-Op "Most Important Organization

in Tibetan Settlement:" CEO

Tibetan Farmer from Mundgod Tibetan settlement, Mr. Tashi (also interviewed for theother article) on his farm in Camp No 8. Photo: TPI/Colleen

By Colleen Mckown, The Tibet Post

Mundgod In Focus: Part SixIn a series of special features, TPIjournalist Colleen McKown reports fromIndia's largest Tibetan settlement,Mundgod, in the southern state ofKarnataka.Mundgod, India: - The Tibetan ServiceCo-operative Bank in Mundgod issupported by His Holiness the DalaiLama's Central Tibetan Relief Committeein Dharamshala. The co-operative aimsto help farmers achieve a sustainableliving and ultimately self-sufficiency.It offers farmers seeds, fertilizers andtractors at low prices, as well as cashloans at low interest rates, transport ofproducts, and storage. It also helps thefarmers market their products directlyto end buyers.Karma Dhondup, CEO of the Co-operative Bank, says such services arecrucial. If the farmers were to approach

The Tibet Post

Tibetan Resident of MundgodSettlement on Family and Work

Tibetan settlement resident of Mundgod,Karnataka State, south India. Photo: TPI

By Collen McKown, The Tibet Post

Mundgod In Focus: Part ThreeIn a series of special features, Tibet Postjournalist Colleen McKown reports fromIndia's largest Tibetan settlement,Mundgod, in the southern state ofKarnataka.Mundgod, India: Tenzin Choney (26),lives in Mundgod with her husbandTenzin Choyang (45), her uncle KyapTsering (95), and her two-year-olddaughter Tenzin Dawoe. The Tibet Posttalked with her in her home about herfamily life, views on life in Mundgod andfuture hopes.Choney's mother and uncle came to Indiafrom Tibet in 1959, and Choney was bornin Mundgod. Her mother died in 2002,when she was in tenth class at school.Choney has an older sister who lives inMussorie.Choney spent four years in the Indianarmy, based in Dehra Dun. During herservice, she trained in helicopter jumping,rock climbing and yoga. She enjoyed hertime in the army but now stays at home tocare for her uncle and daughter.Choney’s uncle Kyap has many healthproblems, including poor hearing andeyesight. Choney says she can care forhim better at home and does not want toput him in one of the settlements' oldpeople's homes.Choney has no clear future plans. Whileshe thinks there may be better workopportunities outside Mundgod, heruncle has lived here for much of his lifeand shows no interest in leaving."I want to care for my uncle, so I can't goanywhere else for work. I can't go outsidenow," she said.Choney's husband is from Bylakuppe, andshe says there were more workopportunities when they lived there, butthis not currently a possibility for thefamily.

the Indian national bank for crop loans,he said, they would be charged sevenper cent interest, whereas the co-opgives loans at the low rate of one percent.In Dhondup's view, the co-op is the"most important organization" in thesettlement. "There are many otherNGOs, but we can do business," hesaid. "We can back up farmers - wecan fight. 60-70% of laypeople heredepend on the co-op."This year, because of unusually heavymonsoon rainfall, the farmers were notable to sow their crops. Many nowface financial difficulties, and Dhondupsaid the co-op is planning to hold afund-raiser for the farmers, duringwhich they will approach various NGOsin the area for donations.Another problem faced by the farmersis that there is no irrigation system in

the settlement, leaving them to dependsolely on rainfall.Irrigation was prohibited by formerKalon Tripa (political leader) Prof.Samdhong Rinpoche, who felt thatTibetans in Mundgod should notcontribute to the diminishing watersupply by digging underground tubewells.Dhondup disagrees with this viewpoint,saying that many young people are alsoagainst the policy. "If irrigation wereallowed, 80% of young people wouldbe interested in farming," he said.Dhondup feels that the new KalonTripa, Lobsang Sangay, is aware of thechallenges caused by SamdhongRinpoche’s policy, and believes he willmost likely reverse the rule and allowirrigation.Rice paddy is the most widespread cropin Mundgod and the majority of it issold to coastal areas.Other industry includes handicraftssuch as carpet weaving andwoodworking – the main market beingtourists who visit to see themonasteries. "Foreign tourists arebuying the crafts between Decemberand April. They often come here on theway to or from Goa. From September toNovember, the domestic tourists come,"said Dhondup.Dhondup believes that, although thereare many challenges to agriculture inMundgod, "The people are hard-working and they will overcome."Regarding the situation of Tibetansregugees in India, he said it remains tobe seen what will happen after HisHoliness the Dalai Lama is gone. "Willthe government of Indian still recognizeus as refugees?" he asked. "Will peoplegive us respect?"

Mundgod’s Tibetan Farmers on OrganicMethods and the Monsoon Pattern

Colleen McKown, The Tibet Post

By Colleen Mckown, The Tibet Post

In a series of special features, TPIjournalist Colleen McKown reports fromIndia's largest Tibetan settlement,Mundgod, in the southern state ofKarnataka.Mundgod, India: - Agriculture is themain industry in the Mundgodsettlement. This year, farmers faced adifficulties due to the heavy monsoon.The Tibet Post spoke with some of themabout their farming lifestyle and itsvarious challenges.Six of the nine villages in Mundgodcurrently practise organic farming and,

within the next two years, the plan isfor all nine to go completely organic.The farmers in camp eight of thesettlement have all practised organicfarming since 2008.The move towards organic, explainedCentral Tibetan Administration (CTA)inspector Tenpa and farmer LobsangChodak, is based on the principle that,before moving into exile in India in 1959,Tibetan farmers didn't know aboutmodern farming methods, and thus allfarming in Tibet was organic by default.In India, the farmers learned about

chemical farming practices and beganto implement them. But now HisHoliness the Dalai Lama hasemphasized the need for good, healthyfood. He also says that, when Tibetansreturn to Tibet, they will be able to leavegood pesticide-free land to the Indiangovernment and continue their organicfarming practices back in Tibet.Challenges of the Organic MethodLobsang Chodak has a three-and-a-halfacre organic farm in camp eight, whichhe manages along with his son's wife.He expressed mixed feelings aboutorganic farming. While he understandsthe shift to organic, and while he himselffarmed organically in Tibet beforecoming into exile, he has alsoencountered many problems sincemaking the change.He said that maize and vegetablesresponded particularly poorly to theswitch, as pesticides were a great helpin the production of these crops.Farmed organically, for instance, maizerequires seven tons of manure.Lobsang employs other organicmethods such as ‘live fencing’ - naturalfencing, including planted teak trees,to control cattle. He also uses bio-pesticides, compost, and naturalfertilizer made from a mixture of 5kg cowdung to 1kg cow urine, and 1kg jaggeryto detract pests.Organic farming also involves a lot of

weeding, which is a major effort forLobsang. For this he requires extra helpand asked, "How can I pay so manylaborers when I am not getting properyield?"Tashi, another camp-eight farmer,agreed there are many challenges withthe shift to organic, and said he spendsmore on labor than he earns from hiscrops. He has a six-acre farm and sayspests have gotten out of control inseveral of his crops.Looking to the FutureCTA officials have visited the farms andadvised farmers to begin growing cashcrops such as alphonso mango,coconut, cashew nut and amla (Indiangooseberry). A food processing unit isplanned, to enable fruit-juiceproduction, for which there is a highglobal demand.As to whether the younger generationwill continue the tradition, the farmerssaid they are not very involved. "Nowthey are not coming to the field - theyare just roaming here, there," saidLobsang.

Tashi agreed, saying that although hisson was very involved in setting up apump for him, he no longer visits thefarm, leaving his father with all the work."The young generation, they are busywith football!" he said.Lobsang believes that if moderntechnology were to be implemented inagriculture, many more young peoplewould gravitate toward farming. He saidyounger Tibetans are not interested inwhat they see as antiquated methods,such as using branches to carry bucketson their backs, and want to move tomechanical production.The weather has been extremelyunpredictable in Mundgod for the pastfew years, and continuous rain duringthe last monsoon prevented farmersfrom planting crops.Lobsang said that, while 2010 saw agood crop, the two previous years alsosaw problems with the rainfall pattern.Alluding to the uncertain conditionsMundgod’s farmers face, Tashiconcluded, "I have no specific aim. If Ihave no ambition - I think that's good."

Choney’s uncle needs treatment for hishearing and eyesight, but the family doesnot have the money for the operations,which would cost around Rs 10,000.Choney's husband works as a cook forfunctions at monasteries, parties, andfestivals, and he typically earns aroundRs 1,000 per month.Choney said many families in thesettlement have financial problemsbecause there isn’t a wide range ofopportunities for work in Mundgod. Also,if someone wants to start a business, heor she must have the money to get it offthe ground."You can have a shop, but you have tohave money to buy things to sell," shesaid. "Also, you can have a restaurant,but you have to have the money to rentthe room, to buy the tables, chairs [andother supplies]."Speaking about the agricultural difficultiesthis past season in Mundgod, Choneysaid, "Farmers can't plant this yearbecause of the heavy monsoon. Therewas too much rain. In the past, all peoplein Tibetan settlements could work in thefields."Choney said many of the new generationwant to move out of Mundgod to placeswith more opportunities. Many are alsointerested in going abroad for this reason."If one person can go, they can makemoney and send it to care for theirrelatives," she said. She has noticed thatthose families in Mundgod who have arelative abroad are in a much betterfinancial situation than those who do not.Choney said she would like to gosomewhere like America, but doesn’tknow if it’s a possibility. If she got theopportunity to work abroad, she thinksshe would try to work as a cleaner in arestaurant or in childcare.When asked about Central TibetanAdmintistration (CTA) involvement in thelives of families in Mundgod, she saidevery four months the CTA gives Rs 2,000for the care of her uncle.In the past, she continued, CTArepresentatives have come to her hometo "visit the family and find out thesituation, but these days they don'tcome."Choney has relatives in Tibet, to whomher family send presents. "One day I hopeto go to Tibet and visit them," she said.

TPI SPECIAL REPORTThe Tibet Post 930 September, 2011 Dharamsala

Tibetan Central Adminis-tration Officer on Society,

Economy and Identity

Central Tibetan Administration Mundgod Chairman, Palden Dhondup. Photo: TPI


In a series of special features, TPIjournalist Colleen McKown reportsfrom India 's largest Tibetansett lement, Mundgod, in thesouthern state of Karnataka.The Tibetan settlement at Mundgodwas established in 1966. After theChinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, HisHoliness the Dalai Lama requestedland from Indian Prime MinisterNehru. He envisioned places whereTibetans could live together and keeptheir culture alive. His Holiness sentrequests to each state of India, andthe Chief Minister of Karnatakaaccepted, granting large parcels ofland to Tibetan refugees.While there are many Tibetansett lements throughout India,Karnataka has by far the largestnumber of Tibetans, and Mundgoditself is the largest Tibetansett lement in terms of bothpopulation and land.In 1966, the Mundgod settlement hada population of 4,000. Today, thatnumber has grown to 17,000.

A Monk’s View; Education,Travels in the US and

China-Tibet Talks

In a series of special features, TPIjournalist Colleen McKown reportsfrom India's largest Tibetansettlement, Mundgod, in the southernstate of Karnataka.Tenzin Phenthok is a monk at DrepungLoseling. He has lived his whole lifein Mundgod, and talked with the TibetPost about his life and dreams, theways the settlement could develop,and the importance of dialoguebetween ordinary Tibetans andChinese.Family HistoryTenzin's parents came from westernTibet, near Mount Kailash, andescaped to India in 1960. They livedfirst in Dharamshala and Delhi beforemoving to Karnataka in 1969. Likemany other refugees at the time, theyfound it difficult to adjust to thedrastic difference in climate betweenTibet and south India. They alsoexperienced financial troubles, livingas part of a joint family of twelve, withnever enough money to go around.Both of Tenzin's parents died oftuberculosis when he was very young- his mother when he was two yearsold, his father when he was 13. Hewas raised mainly by his aunt and twoelder sisters.Tenzin began his monastic studies atage eight and, after receiving a basicBuddhist education, entered DrepungLoseling monastery. He hascompleted his Geshe degree and nowserves on the monastery's board andteaches young monks.Importance of EducationRegarding conditions at Mundgod,Tenzin said, "Compared to what theTibetan refugees experienced in thepast, it's much, much better. Mostpeople have their basic needs, unlikein the 1960s and 1970s," but addedthat, "There are still problems, andmany still struggle."Tenzin identified one of the mainproblems as families' financial inabilityto send their children to universityafter they graduate from high school."They have money for their dailyexpenses, but that's all," he said.He has traveled to America many timesas part of a monastic cultural program,Mystical Arts of Tibet, and says thatmany friends and relatives have askedhim to help him find sponsors for theirchildren to attend college.Tenzin agrees completely with bothHis Holiness the Dalai Lama and thenew Kalon Tripa (political leader)Lobsang Sangay on the importance


Tibetan Monk, Tenzin Phenthok from Drepung Loseling University, Mundgod, IndianState of Karnataka. Photo: TPI

The State Department said in astatement it was 'seriously concerned'by the self-immolations on Monday oftwo monks at the Kirti monastery ofNgaba county eastern Tibet, whomedia reports said cried 'Long live HisHoliness the Dalai Lama' as theyattempted suicide."In light of the continuing underlyinggrievances of China's Tibetanpopulation, we again urge Chineseleaders to respect the rights ofTibetans, to address policies inTibetan areas that have createdtension, and to protect Tibetans'unique religious, cultural and linguisticidentity," it said.The two young monks reportedly criedout "return of His Holiness the DalaiLama to Tibet" "free Tibet" "religiousfreedom in Tibet" "human RIghts inTibet" and "long live His Holiness theDalai Lama" as they set themselves onfire, protesting to China's rule and itsharsh policy in Tibet.Over the past two months, the Chinesecourt in Ngaba county has sentenced

several monks from Kirti Monastery tolengthy prison terms after theauthorities accused them ofinvolvement in late Phuntsok's death.According to a Tibet source, "both ofthe monks joined Kirti Monastery atan early age. The situation in Ngabacounty is still highly tense. A largenumber of armed military personnel andpolice have been deployed in Ngabatown and the area surrounding the Kirtimonastery. Authorities have also cutoff internet access, mobile and publictelephone lines."Several other Tibetans in Ngabacounty, including many monks, havebeen detained by the Chineseauthorities in recent months, manyexpelled from the monastery and aresaid to be being brutally tortureddespite being held without charge.The latest protest followed the deathof 29-year-old Tsewang Norbu, whoset fire to himself and shouted forfreedom and return of His Holiness theDalai Lama to Tibet at another easternTibet protest against Chinese rule.

US Urges China to Respectfor Human Rights in Tibet


Economically, the set t lementfunctions under cooperativesocieties, which provide financialsupport and supplies to the farmersand craftspeople.The Central School of Tibet is run bythe Indian government, andcomprises mainly Tibetan students,although ten per cent are localIndians, as are several teachers. Thelanguage of instruction is Tibetanunti l class f ive, and thereafterEnglish. 997 students currentlyattend the school.Mundgod also has several majormonasteries, among them Gandenand Drepung Loseling - two of themost prestigious seats of learning forTibetan Buddhism.Tsotsopon Palden Dhondup is thechairman and representative of theCentral Tibetan Administration (CTA)in Mundgod. He spoke with the TibetPost about the economic and socialstate of the settlement.When asked about the challengesMundgod faces, he said, laughing,

"There will always be problems,because we are suffering untilenlightenment!" That aside, he saidthat better roads and electricity as wellas pure drinking water continue to beareas of difficulty.However, Dhondup said conditionshave greatly improved since thesettlement was established, whenmany settlers had problems adjustingto the hot climate and scarcity of foodwas a major issue.Challenges now often occur across thegeneration gap between parents bornin Tibet and their children born inIndia. "The elder people need tsampaand butter tea, and the young like rice,dal, and sweet tea," he said. "Theywear different clothes."While Tibetans used to marry withinthe Tibetan community, these daysthe community sees many Tibetan-Indian marriages.Further, Dhondup said young peoplearen't interested in staying in thesettlement and working on the farms."The young people, they want tostudy, to work in white collar jobs."Taking these jobs typically meansmoving to urban centers like Mumbai,Bangalore and Delhi. Tibetan youngadults are often interested in workingin places such as call centers, hotelsand private industry. In Mundgod,their only options are working in thefields or opening a shop or restaurant.According to a recent survey, 60% ofTibetans in Mundgod are interestedin going abroad for the prospects ofbetter earnings and a brighter future.Only ten per cent of them get thechance, but the statistic shows theirdesire for increased opportunities."The danger is the sustainability ofthe Tibetan settlement," saidDhondup. Speaking of the decline ofTibetan culture among Tibetan youthand citing the book My VanishingTribe, about the Lepcha people, hesaid he hoped someone wouldn't oneday write "My Vanishing TibetanFellow".The American government has helpedsponsor a re-vitalization program forthe settlement. Dhondup hopes thatas part of this program "we can keepyoung people here and create morejobs and opportunities."He mentioned building moreinfrastructure for young people, suchas football and cricket stadiums.As to the economic situation of farmsin Mundgod, he said many peopleare "fed up with the land." From 2008to 2010, he said, there wasn't much rainand, with global warming, the climatecan be very unpredictable - some yearsit stops raining too early and some yearsthere is too much rain at the end of themonsoon season."The monsoon pattern isdiscouraging," Dhondup said and, toaddress this, farmers get somecompensation from the CTA.The next big project for the farmers is togrow 160 acres of organic mangoes."There is a high demand from Europeand the USA," said Dhondup. "Thejuice companies are demanding it."Last year saw the beginning of thisinitiative and its success has yet to bedetermined. The farmers will also groworganic lychees, cashew nuts andcoconuts.A small number of local workers alsoearn a living from carpet weaving,woodwork, making sweaters andpeanut butter, and other crafts.Referring to the new farming initiatives,Dhondup concluded, "The dream isthat they'll have much success."

of education."We need higher education now -2012 is coming!" he said, laughing."If someone wants to be a doctor, theyshould have the financial support, butif their parents are farmers, how canthey?" he asked, pointing out thatthis past year, farming was "shotbecause of untimely rainfall.""A half century ago, we could havebeen satisfied with basic education.Now we cannot be. We must strugglemore, have more determination, moreconfidence."Tenzin has great hopes that the newKalon Tripa will bring changeregarding higher education policy,saying, "He has a smart viewpoint -he knows the new reality of thesituation."He also believes that LobsangSangay can build bridges between theyounger and older generations, as herecognizes the importance ofpreserving cultural identity whilstincorporating modern education.In Tenzin's view, there should beaffordable colleges and universitiesin Mundgod so students don't needto pay the high fees to study in largeIndian cities such as Bangalore, Delhiand Mumbai."There is a huge gap between us andthe people of the West," he said,speaking about levels of education."We are too much backward. We needto make more efforts - we need politicalleaders, religious leaders.""We can't be satisfied with what wehave. This is why we lost Tibet. Welacked modern education, modernlanguage, and we could notcommunicate with other countries."However, Tenzin also believes in theimportance of retaining traditionalculture, saying, "Many lay peoplehave misunderstood, thinking thatmodern education is enough. This isnot what His Holiness said - this isnot what he meant.""Many people say they are Buddhist,but they do not really understand -they are lacking the knowledge. Manyyoung people have very poor writingin Tibetan. This is sad."Tenzin thinks basic education shouldfocus on traditional values and that,later on, there should be opportunitiesto study at a higher level: "Otherwiseyou lose your identity - you lose themeaning of being Tibetan."Experience in AmericaTenzin has travelled extensively in theUnited States with a group of monks

..... Continues On Page 10

10 30 September, 2011 Dharamsala TPI TIBET IN EXILE The Tibet Post

CST Principal and Students on ChangingTimes, Tibetan Identity

Tibetan Cultural and Exhibition Meet held at CST Mundgod, Indian State of Karnataka,South India. Photo: TPI


In a series of special features, TPIjournalist Colleen McKown reports fromIndia's largest Tibetan settlement,Mundgod, in the southern state ofKarnataka.Mundgod, India: Tharlane Changra isthe principal of the Central School forTibetans (CST) in Mundgod. She hasbeen working for the CST network for35 years and spoke with The Tibet Postabout her views on education and thepreservation of Tibetan identity amongyoung people.CST schools differ from Central TibetanAdministration-run schools in that,while most of their students are Tibetan,they are administered by the Indiangovernment.Changra expressed her gratefulness toHis Holiness the Dalai Lama for "havingsuch a far-sighted vision" in workingwith the Indian government to ensureschools were established in exile whereTibetan culture, language and religioncould be preserved. "Looking back, thiswas the most wonderful decision,

Successful completion of the six-yearprogram earns one the title of GesheLharampa, the highest title in TibetanBuddhism. Before entering GelugpaUniversity, monks must study foraround 18 years at another monastery.During his speech, the abbot ofDrepung Gomang Monastery spokeabout the importance of learningEnglish, and advised the monks to studythe language during their free time.Since the Dharma cannot be spread inTibet under Chinese rule, he said, it isimportant to know modern languagesin order to spread the Buddhism in theoutside world.After the abbots' speeches, the puja forthe dedication of merit was conducted.During the puja, the monks gave awaythe merit they had accumulated whilepreparing for their exams for the benefitof all sentient beings.From Drepung Gomang monastery, 102monks participated in the exams and sixgraduated. The Gomang monks held asmall ceremony after the closing event,during which the graduating monkspresented the others with fruit andsweet bread.Thupten Yarphel, one of the sixgraduating monks, said that he had been

preparing for the exams for manymonths. He usually studied indiscussion and debate sessions withother students for two hours in themorning, two hours in the afternoon andfor up to three hours in the evening. Hespent many additional hours in self-study."I was happy to study," he said. "Ithelps for a peaceful life and a peacefulmind."Thupten came to Drepung Gomang atage 19, after studying in Lhasa for twoyears.He has been teaching students of allages at Gomang for eight years.Teaching on the Pramana (logic),Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom),and Madhyamika (middle way), heteaches eleven classes each day.Now that he has graduated, Thuptenplans to continue teaching at Gomang."All monks have the same ambition--tostudy Buddhism and to help others. Allthe Gelugpa monks want to help otherson the path to enlightenment," he said.After the Dedication of Merit ceremony,those monks studying elsewhere leftMundgod and returned home. Monkswill learn the results of their exams inone to two months.

Final Ceremony Concludes Ti-betan Gelugpa University Exams


on the Mystical Arts of Tibet tours.He has been with the group for sevenyears and has visited 48 of the 50American states. These tours,produced by American actor RichardGere, focus on world healing, peace,and perpetuating and sharing Tibetanculture and identity.To raise awareness about Tibet andfinancial support for Tibetans, themonks perform sacred chanting andspiritual masked dances, demonstratedebating, and hold workshops oncreating mandalas (sand paintings).They also lecture on Tibet andBuddhism.The monks stay with host families andperform mainly at universities. Tenzinsays the support has beentremendous - "People are very kindand supportive."He has found that people are warmand receptive to the monks. "There isa genuine sense of loving andcaring," he said. However, he has beensurprised at how isolating Americanculture can be, giving the example thatin the US it is considered unusual toshow up at a neighbor's houseunannounced, whereas this is normalin Tibetan culture.On the other hand, Tenzin commentedthat in America people have "huge,complete freedom to do whatever theywant." He himself aspires to studyquantum physics and neuroscience inthe US, then return to educateTibetans in modern science.Chinese-Tibetan DialogueDuring his many trips to the US, Tenzinhas had the opportunity to interactwith hundreds of Chinese students.Some have visited Tibet and are opento the realities of the situation there,but he has also encountered hostility.He told one compelling story abouthis time at Tulane University in NewOrleans. After giving his openingspeech there, hundreds of angryChinese students approached himand "some of them were shaking, theywere so upset."Students for a Free Tibet had posted

graphic pictures of the Chineseinvasion of Tibet, and the studentsthought the monks were responsible.Tenzin, who has a calm, monasticdemeanour, suggested they all have adialogue and share their viewpoints.Many Chinese students demandedangrily, "How can you say Tibet wasever independent?" and "How canyou say the economic development inTibet is bad?"Tenzin pointed the students towebsites which address human-rightsviolations committed against theTibetan people. "They had only everheard the government propaganda,"he said. "They brainwash thestudents."Within a few days, the Chinese studentshad researched the Tibetan issue andmany came back to Tenzin, often cryingand saying they had no idea."Many became our friend. ManyChinese students helped us pack and

A Monk’s View.................. Continues from Page 9

converted into a mission, of HisHoliness," she said.She also praised the Indian governmentfor accommodating Tibetan refugees,saying, "They have so many problems,but their heart is so large. I am for evergrateful to India for sharing whateverthey have."Changra emphasized the necessity forTibetans to study hard so that they canwork effectively for the Tibetan cause.She said that many ministers anddeputies in the CTA, including theparliament’s speaker, are a product ofCST schools.Changra said that when she was incollege studying economics, her Indianfriends would ask her why she wasworking so hard. "College is a time forlearning how to talk, how to walk, howto dress," they would say."No," she would tell them, "weTibetans have a big responsibility."Changra served at CST Mundgod from2003-2005, and returned in August 2010.She said that when she came back she

noticed that the students "didn't lookas happy." From talking with students,teachers, and parents, she attributesthis to the stress they feel at school,perhaps due to teachers being too strictwith them."We have to know how to guidewithout making them feel good fornothing," she said. "If we make a bigdeal out of their mistakes, they feeldesperate. We must be loving, caring,and understanding."Speaking on His Holiness the DalaiLama’s mandate to educate children tobe good human beings, Changraemphasized the importance of teachingstudents to respect others, toempathise, and to communicate.On the subject of whether the studentsshould retain their Tibetan identity, shesaid, "There has been a tremendouschange in the past 15 years in the waystudents dress and behave. However,inside they remain Tibetan. They'rementally and physically tough. NoTibetan ever forgets they're Tibetan."

"Some students can be carefree andcareless,” Changra concluded, “butthen you see their true self come out.The Tibetan identity will not die."Student PerspectivesMany students at CST have ambitionsto leave Mundgod after graduation topursue professional degrees. "Manywant to go to Bangalore," said PalchenTsering from class twelve. "They hearit's a good place to enjoy."The students interviewed by the TibetPost expressed an interest in becomingdoctors, dentists, and business people."Most of my friends are interested inscience and medicine," said TenzinGolkar from class eleven, who hasenjoyed studying science at CST andwants to study dentistry in Bangalore.Tenzin Lhandon from class twelvewould like to be a doctor and said thatmost of her friends are interested innursing.The students had different opinionsabout how well Tibetan culture ispreserved among young people.Palchen Tsering said, "These days,people are not that much concernedabout Tibet. They are much moreconcerned with the English subjectsin school."

Lobsang Chondon from class twelvesaid students are "paying moreattention to the Western culture thanto their culture." She added, "It'simportant to preserve Tibetan culture,because Tibetan people are not manyin number."Tenzin Lhanden said young people arenot preserving the culture as much astheir elders, but that "Tibetan cultureis the most unique identity. The cultureis now degrading due to the youngpeople. It is important to preserve it."She is interested in studying politicalpolicy, perhaps in Chennai, and inworking for the government.Tenzin Thinley from class eleven thinksyoung people are doing a good job ofkeeping Tibetan culture alive, citing therecent Culture and Exhibition Meetheld at CST Mundgod, which featuredtraditional dancing and singing as wellas debates, declamations and poetryreadings.Tenzin Golkar said she believes Tibetanculture is being kept alive but that inthe 21st century, with moderntechnology, it is important to to keepworking on its preservation. "It's reallyimportant - it 's the gift of ourforefathers," she concluded.

brought us flowers and fruit when weleft."Tenzin hopes that further suchinteractions between Tibetans andChinese will contribute to Tibet one dayachieving meaningful autonomy."His Holiness also emphasizes moreinteraction - that the best way isreconciliation," he said. He mentionedorganizations such as the China-TibetPartnership and the China-TibetFriendship Society as examples of suchinteractions in progress.Tenzin said that without visiting the‘outside world', he would not have hadthe opportunity to talk with Chinesestudents. "It opens everyone's eyes,"he said."We need to break narrow thoughts,"he added. "We need to be 21st CenturyBuddhists. The Buddha gave usfreedom to analyze and investigate. Youare your own master and your ownenemy."

The Tibet Post InternationalHimalayan Literacy Trust(Head Office)1st Floor, Exile HouseRoad, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, Distt.Kangra H.P 176219 India

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Contributors for this Editon

Keary Huang TaiwanMathew Singh Toor IndiaEvelin Nommiste EstoniaCarly Selby-James AustraliaSamuel Ivo UKColleen McKown USMaggie Knapp USDennis Barbion BelguimYC. Dhardhowa IndiaSangay Dorjee IndiaPema Tso India

I n t e r n a t i o n a l

TPI WORLD PEACEThe Tibet Post 1130 September, 2011 Dharamsala

His Holiness' Statement on the Issue of his Reincarnation

His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, during a special ceremony being held at the mainTibetan temple in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, India on 8th December 2011. Photo: TPI

By Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Statement of His Holiness theFourteenth Dalai Lama, TenzinGyatso, on the Issue of HisReincarnation

Introduction

My fellow Tibetans, both in andoutside Tibet, all those who follow theTibetan Buddhist tradition, andeveryone who has a connection toTibet and Tibetans: due to theforesight of our ancient kings,ministers and scholar-adepts, thecomplete teaching of the Buddha,comprising the scriptural andexperiential teachings of the ThreeVehicles and the Four Sets of Tantraand their related subjects anddisciplines flourished widely in theLand of Snow. Tibet has served as asource of Buddhist and relatedcultural traditions for the world. Inparticular, i t has contributedsignificantly to the happiness ofcountless beings in Asia, includingthose in China, Tibet and Mongolia.In the course of upholding theBuddhist tradition in Tibet, weevolved a unique Tibetan tradition ofrecognizing the reincarnations ofscholar-adepts that has been ofimmense help to both the Dharma andsentient beings, particularly to themonastic community.Since the omniscient Gedun Gyatsowas recognized and confirmed as thereincarnation of Gedun Drub in thefifteenth century and the GadenPhodrang Labrang (the Dalai Lama'sinstitution) was established,successive reincarnations have beenrecognized. The third in the line,Sonam Gyatso, was given the title ofthe Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama,Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso,established the Gaden PhodrangGovernment in 1642, becoming thespiritual and political head of Tibet.For more than 600 years since GedunDrub, a series of unmistakenreincarnations has been recognisedin the lineage of the Dalai Lama.The Dalai Lamas have functioned asboth the political and spiritual leadersof Tibet for 369 years since 1642. Ihave now voluntarily brought this toan end, proud and satisfied that wecan pursue the kind of democraticsystem of government flourishingelsewhere in the world. In fact, as farback as 1969, I made clear thatconcerned people should decidewhether the Dalai Lama'sreincarnations should continue in thefuture. However, in the absence of

clear guidelines, should the concernedpublic express a strong wish for theDalai Lamas to continue, there is anobvious risk of vested politicalinterests misusing the reincarnationsystem to fulfil their own politicalagenda. Therefore, while I remainphysically and mentally fit, it seemsimportant to me that we draw up clearguidelines to recognise the next DalaiLama, so that there is no room fordoubt or deception. For theseguidelines to be fully comprehensible,it is essential to understand thesystem of Tulku recognition and thebasic concepts behind it. Therefore, Ishall briefly explain them below.

Past and future lives

In order to accept reincarnation or thereality of Tulkus, we need to acceptthe existence of past and future lives.Sentient beings come to this presentlife from their previous lives and takerebirth again after death. This kind ofcontinuous rebirth is accepted by allthe ancient Indian spiritual traditionsand schools of philosophy, except theCharvakas, who were a materialistmovement. Some modern thinkersdeny past and future lives on thepremise that we cannot see them.Others do not draw such clear cutconclusions on this basis.Although many religious traditionsaccept rebirth, they differ in theirviews of what it is that is reborn, howit is reborn, and how it passes throughthe transitional period between twolives. Some religious traditions acceptthe prospect of future life, but rejectthe idea of past lives.Generally, Buddhists believe that thereis no beginning to birth and that oncewe achieve liberation from the cycleof existence by overcoming our karmaand destructive emotions, we will notbe reborn under the sway of theseconditions. Therefore, Buddhistsbelieve that there is an end to beingreborn as a result of karma anddestructive emotions, but mostBuddhist philosophical schools donot accept that the mind-stream comesto an end. To reject past and futurerebirth would contradict the Buddhistconcept of the ground, path andresult, which must be explained on thebasis of the disciplined orundisciplined mind. If we accept thisargument, logically, we would alsohave to accept that the world and itsinhabitants come about withoutcauses and conditions. Therefore, aslong as you are a Buddhist, it is

necessary to accept past and futurerebirth.For those who remember their pastlives, rebirth is a clear experience.However, most ordinary beings forgettheir past lives as they go throughthe process of death, intermediatestate and rebirth. As past and futurerebirths are slightly obscure to them,we need to use evidence-based logicto prove past and future rebirths tothem.There are many different logicalarguments given in the words of theBuddha and subsequentcommentaries to prove the existenceof past and future lives. In brief, theycome down to four points: the logicthat things are preceded by things ofa similar type, the logic that thingsare preceded by a substantial cause,the logic that the mind has gainedfamiliarity with things in the past, andthe logic of having gained experienceof things in the past.Ultimately all these arguments arebased on the idea that the nature ofthe mind, its clarity and awareness,must have clarity and awareness asits substantial cause. It cannot haveany other entity such as an inanimateobject as its substantial cause. Thisis self-evident. Through logicalanalysis we infer that a new stream ofclarity and awareness cannot comeabout without causes or fromunrelated causes. While we observethat mind cannot be produced in alaboratory, we also infer that nothingcan eliminate the continuity of subtleclarity and awareness.As far as I know, no modernpsychologist, physicist, orneuroscientist has been able toobserve or predict the production ofmind either from matter or withoutcause.There are people who can remembertheir immediate past life or even manypast lives, as well as being able torecognise places and relatives fromthose lives. This is not just somethingthat happened in the past. Even todaythere are many people in the East andWest, who can recall incidents andexperiences from their past lives.Denying this is not an honest andimpartial way of doing research,because it runs counter to thisevidence. The Tibetan system ofrecognising reincarnations is anauthentic mode of investigation basedon people's recollection of their pastlives.

How rebirth takes place

There are two ways in which someonecan take rebirth after death: rebirthunder the sway of karma anddestructive emotions and rebirththrough the power of compassion andprayer. Regarding the first, due toignorance negative and positivekarma are created and their imprintsremain on the consciousness. Theseare reactivated through craving andgrasping, propelling us into the nextlife. We then take rebirth involuntarilyin higher or lower realms. This is theway ordinary beings circleincessantly through existence like theturning of a wheel. Even under suchcircumstances ordinary beings canengage diligently with a positiveaspiration in virtuous practices in theirday-to-day lives. They familiarisethemselves with virtue that at the time

of death can be reactivated providingthe means for them to take rebirth in ahigher realm of existence. On the otherhand, superior Bodhisattvas, whohave attained the path of seeing, arenot reborn through the force of theirkarma and destructive emotions, butdue to the power of their compassionfor sentient beings and based on theirprayers to benefit others. They areable to choose their place and time ofbirth as well as their future parents.Such a rebirth, which is solely for thebenefit of others, is rebirth throughthe force of compassion and prayer.

The meaning of Tulku

It seems the Tibetan custom ofapplying the epithet ‘Tulku' (Buddha'sEmanation Body) to recognizedreincarnations began when devoteesused it as an honorary title, but it hassince become a common expression.In general, the term Tulku refers to aparticular aspect of the Buddha, oneof the three or four described in theSutra Vehicle. According to thisexplanation of these aspects of theBuddha, a person who is totallybound by destructive emotions andkarma has the potential to achieve theTruth Body (Dharmakaya), comprisingthe Wisdom Truth Body and NatureTruth Body. The former refers to theenlightened mind of a Buddha, whichsees everything directly and precisely,as it is, in an instant. It has beencleared of all destructive emotions, aswell as their imprints, through theaccumulation of merit and wisdomover a long period of time. The latter,the Nature Truth Body, refers to theempty nature of that all-knowingenlightened mind. These two togetherare aspects of the Buddhas forthemselves. However, as they are notdirectly accessible to others, but onlyamongst the Buddhas themselves, itis imperative that the Buddhasmanifest in physical forms that areaccessible to sentient beings in orderto help them. Hence, the ultimatephysical aspect of a Buddha is theBody of Complete Enjoyment(Sambhogakaya), which is accessibleto superior Bodhisattvas, and has fivedefinite qualifications such asresiding in the Akanishta Heaven. Andfrom the Body of Complete Enjoymentare manifested the myriad EmanationBodies or Tulkus (Nirmanakaya), ofthe Buddhas, which appear as godsor humans and are accessible even toordinary beings. These two physicalaspects of the Buddha are termed FormBodies, which are meant for others.The Emanation Body is three-fold: a)the Supreme Emanation Body likeShakyamuni Buddha, the historicalBuddha, who manifested the twelvedeeds of a Buddha such as being bornin the place he chose and so forth; b)the Artistic Emanation Body whichserves others by appearing ascraftsmen, artists and so on; and c)the Incarnate Emanation Body,according to which Buddhas appearin various forms such as humanbeings, deities, rivers, bridges,medicinal plants, and trees to helpsentient beings. Of these three typesof Emanation Body, the reincarnationsof spiritual masters recognized andknown as ‘Tulkus' in Tibet come underthe third category. Among theseTulkus there may be many who aretruly qualified Incarnate Emanation

Bodies of the Buddhas, but this doesnot necessarily apply to all of them.Amongst the Tulkus of Tibet theremay be those who are reincarnationsof superior Bodhisattvas,Bodhisattvas on the paths ofaccumulation and preparation, as wellas masters who are evidently yet toenter these Bodhisattva paths.Therefore, the title of Tulku is givento reincarnate Lamas either on thegrounds of their resemblingenlightened beings or through theirconnection to certain qualities ofenlightened beings.As Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said:"Reincarnation is what happens whensomeone takes rebirth after thepredecessor's passing away;emanation is when manifestations takeplace without the source's passingaway."

Recognition of Reincarnations

The practice of recognizing who iswho by identifying someone'sprevious life occurred even whenShakyamuni Buddha himself wasalive. Many accounts are found in thefour Agama Sections of the VinayaPitaka, the Jataka Stories, the Sutra ofthe Wise and Foolish, the Sutra of OneHundred Karmas and so on, in whichthe Tathagata revealed the workingsof karma, recounting innumerablestories about how the effects ofcertain karmas created in a past lifeare experienced by a person in his orher present life. Also, in the life storiesof Indian masters, who lived after theBuddha, many reveal their previousplaces of birth. There are many suchstories, but the system of recognizingand numbering their reincarnationsdid not occur in India.The system of recognizingreincarnations in TibetPast and future lives were asserted inthe indigenous Tibetan Bon traditionbefore the arrival of Buddhism. Andsince the spread of Buddhism inTibet, virtually all Tibetans havebelieved in past and future lives.Investigating the reincarnations ofmany spiritual masters who upheld theDharma, as well as the custom ofpraying devotedly to them, flourishedeverywhere in Tibet. Many authenticscriptures, indigenous Tibetan bookssuch as the Mani Kabum and theFivefold Kathang Teachings andothers like the The Books of KadamDisciples and the Jewel Garland:Responses to Queries, which wererecounted by the glorious,incomparable Indian master DipankaraAtisha in the 11th century in Tibet,tell stories of the reincarnations ofArya Avalokiteshvara, theBodhisattva of compassion. However,the present tradition of formallyrecognizing the reincarnations ofmasters first began in the early 13thcentury with the recognition ofKarmapa Pagshi as the reincarnationof Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa by hisdisciples in accordance with hisprediction. Since then, there havebeen seventeen Karmapa incarnationsover more than nine hundred years.Similarly, since the recognition ofKunga Sangmo as the reincarnationof Khandro Choekyi Dronme in the15th century there have been morethan ten incarnations of SamdingDorje Phagmo. So, among the Tulkus

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12 30 September, 2011 Dharamsala TPI REINCARNATION The Tibet Post

Conference Supports HisHoliness’ Thoughts on Dalai

Lama Institution

Former Kalon Tripa and newly appointed minister for department of religion and cultureat a press briefing at the Surya Hotel, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, India on 24th

September 2011. Photo: TPI/Sangay Dorjee


Dharamshala: - At a press meeting onSeptember 24 to mark the end of theeleventh conference of the heads andrepresentatives of the four majortraditions and sub-traditions of TibetanBuddhism and the ancient Bon religionof Tibet, former Kalon Tripa (politicalleader) Prof. Samdhong Rinpochereleased two statements on themeeting's findings.His Holiness the Dalai Lama had issueda memorandum for the conference todebate, which included the suggestionthat, when he reaches the age of around90, he should consult the high lamas ofthe Tibetan Buddhist traditions, theTibetan public and other interested

Top Tibetan Religious Lead-ers Meet For 11th Biannual

Conference

Dharamshala: - The three-day 11thbiannual conference of religiousleaders and representatives of the fourschools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bonreligion started this morning in theHimalayan town of Dharamshala.In his opening remarks, Kalon forReligion and Culture, Mr PemaChhinjor said that the Tibetan religiousleaders through the previousconferences have made remarkablecontribution for the sustenance ofTibetan Buddhism and effectiveadministration of the spiritual domain."They have also fostered a strong andhealthy bond between among TibetanBuddhist traditions and strengthenedthe preservation and promotion ofBuddhism through a twin-methodology of teaching andpractice," Kalon Pema Chhinjor said.He expressed his deep gratitude to thereligious leaders for working inaccordance with the wishes of HisHoliness the Dalai Lama and theirefforts and contribution toward thepromotion of Tibet's rich and uniqueBuddhist and cultural heritage to theBuddhists in the Himalayan region,Russia and Mongolia.He urged the religious leaders tostrengthen their efforts as the survivalof Tibet and its unique religioustradition are in danger.

ByTibetan Administration OfficialMedia: Tibet Net

The heads and representatives of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon religionat the inaugural ceremony of the three-day 11th biannual conference in Dharamshala,

India, on 22 September 2011. Photo: TPI

parties to re-evaluate whether theinstitution of the Dalai Lama shouldcontinue or not."If it is decided that the reincarnationof the Dalai Lama should continue," thememorandum read, "and there is a needfor the 15th Dalai Lama to berecognised, responsibility for doing sowill primarily rest on the...Dalai Lama'sGaden Phodrang Trust."Keep in mind that...no recognition oracceptance should be given to acandidate chosen for political ends byanyone, including those in the People'sRepublic of China."The conference accepted andsupported the contents of the

memorandum. However, it alsorequested that His Holiness neverabandon his followers, no matter in howmany incarnations he manifests.The press statements also included thefollowing conclusions:- - The use of modern technology, suchas mobile phones and laptopcomputers, should not be permitted inmonasteries and nunneries, as thesecan hamper the educational processduring debating and classroomsessions.- - More emphasis must be placed onmodern education in monasteries andnunneries, including foreign languages,as well as tradional studies .- - The four Buddhist sects representedat the meeting, together with theinstitutions of the Bon religion, shouldinstate formal titles of qualification fornuns, to bring parity with monks whohave successfully completed theirstudies.- - Promising science students inmonasteries and nunneries should begiven more opportunity to advance theirstudies whilst at school and in highereducation.- - The Kagyu sect, which includes fourmain schools and eight minor schools,should appoint an official leader, so thatit can participate properly in sessionsof the conference. However, this issueneeds to be decided by the TibetanPariament-in-exile.- - The Chinese government was wrongto issue a fifth document on therecognition of the reincarnation oflamas, and Tibetans both inside Tibetand in exile should beware of such falseinformation.Given that not all of the leaders of thefour sects attended the conference, itseems likely that another meeting willwill be called soon, to further debatethe issues raised.

His Holiness' Reincarnation TopsAgenda at 11th Religious Summit

His Holiness the Dalai Lama attending the second day of the 11th Summit of the fourmajor Tibetan Buddhist sects and traditional Bon religion, the 3 day meeting which being

held from 22nd of September in Dharamshala, India, 23 September 2011.Photo: TPI/Sangay Dorjee

By Matthew Singh-Toor, The Tibet Post

Dharamshala: Today, 23rd Septembersaw the second day of the eleventhconference of the heads andrepresentatives of the four majortraditions and sub-traditions of TibetanBuddhism and the ancient Bon religionof Tibet, in Dharamshala, India.This morning, delegates gathered for aone-hour prayer session at the mainTibetan temple, and later adjourned tothe Surya hotel for their meeting, whichwas attended by His Holiness the Dalai

Lama.His Holiness spoke on several topics,including the importance of religiousharmony, the transfer of politicalauthority to elected leaders, and theissue of his own reincarnation."Recently," he joked, "I met a foreignjournalist and he asked me about myreincarnation. I took off my glasses, toldhim to look at my face and said, ‘Tellme, will I be hurried in my nextincarnation?' The journalist said, ‘No!

No! No!'"His Holiness continued in a moreserious vein, "I used to talk a lot aboutmy reincarnation, and it would be goodif there were official religious guidelineson the matter, not only for me but for allsects of Buddhism."Leaders of all the sects gathered heretoday should discuss this issue andreach their decision."I recently distributed a memorandumto you all concerning my reincarnation.After this meeting, some of us will gatherto discuss how it could be amended.We need to reach a decision during thisconference. Tomorrow is the last dayand, after that, we need to make adeclaration to our elected politicalleaders and the public."His Holiness went on to discuss China'sattitudes towards religion andreincarnation."In ancient times, Chinese dynastiesinterfered with the reincarnation ofTibetan spiritual leaders. But themonarchs themselves were religious andsome of them became students of andbuilt relationships with Tibetan lamas."But the Chinese communist party doesnot believe in religion, and views it asfalse. It regards Tibetan Buddhism asvery backward. Sometimes theydenounce me as a demon. If they aresaying demons cannot be reincarnated,that makes sense."On the other hand, they say that they

will take responsibility for finding mynext incarnation, and that does not makesense. If the Chinese government is totake responsibility for naming my nextincarnation, they must accept religionand the concept of the next life.His Holiness added, somewhatsardonically, "Also, they must first findthe reincarnations of Mao Tse-tung andDeng Xiaoping. After that, they can findmy reincarnation. That would bereasonable."In my memorandum, there are twopoints to consider. In 1969, I said thatwhether the institution of the DalaiLama should continue or not shoulddepend on the decision of the Tibetanpeople at any given time."But, on the other hand, maybe weshould now specify a time fordiscussion, maybe when I am in my 90s- the same age as the first Dalai Lama,Gedhun Drubpa, when he died. Fromthat discussion, we could reach a finaldecision on how to recognise the

reincarnation process."Around 27 religious leaders andrepresentatives, are attending theconference, including His EminenceShejen Rabjam Rinpoche, HE KhentrulGyangkhang Rinpoche and MinlingKhenchen Rinpoche from NyingmaSchool; HE Gyalwang KarmapaRinpoche, HE Drukchen Rinpoche'srepresentative Khenpo NgedhoenTenzin and HE Taklung Matrul Rinpochefrom Kagyu School; HE Sakya DagtriRinpoche and HE Ghongkar TrulkuDorje Denpa's representative KhenpoJampel Choedon from Sakya School;H.E Gaden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche, HESharpa Choje Lobsang Tenzin Rinpocheand HE Jangtse Choje Lobsang TenzinRinpoche from Gelug School and HEMenri Trizin Lungtok Tenpae NyimaRinpoche, head of Bon religion.The minister of religion and culture,Pema Chhinjor, will announce themeeeting's conclusions at a pressconference tomorrow at 3pm.

He stressed that special needs to betaken to deal with the Chinesegovernment's machination in devisingdifferent kinds of regulations inrecognising the incarnations of Lamasand Tulkus.Extending his greetings to the religiousleaders, Kalon Tripa Dr LobsangSangay said the 14th Kashag ishonoured to get the opportunity tomeet all the heads and representativesof the Tibetan Buddhist schools andBon faith together.Kalon Tripa spoke about his policiesplanned for the 5 years ahead basedon unity, innovation and self-reliancetowards resolving the issue of Tibet.He said the Tibetan administration willcontinue to work towards resolving theissue of Tibet through dialogue byfirmly adhering to the middle-waypolicy.Describing the religion and culture asa soul and essence of the Tibetanpeople and their civilisation, KalonTripa said despite suffering gravedestruction under the Chinesecommunist rule, the religious headsunder the guidance of His Holiness theDalai Lama have been makingextraordinary efforts to resurrectBuddhist learning centres and promoteTibetan Buddhism across the globe.Kalon Tripa called for the support from

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30 September, 2011 DharamsalaTPI BUDDHISMThe Tibet Post

His Holiness in Argentina to PromoteHuman Values & world Peace

A view of the members of the audience listening to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's lectureon ‘Transforming the Youth for a Better World’ for 2,000 people in Buenos Aires,

Argentina, on 13 September 2011 . Photo:


Buenos Aires, Argentina: The spiritualleader of Tibet, His Holiness the DalaiLama arrived yesterday evening inBuenos Aires, the capital of Argentina,after flying for nine hours from MexicoCity. He was received at the airport bythe protocol officers of the Ministry ofExternal Affairs of Argentina as well asby Prof. Horacio E. Araujo (LamaSangye Dorye), Lama Rinchen, andother members of the Kagyu ThekchenChoeling, one of the two hosts of thevisit in Argentina.Later when His Holiness arrived at FourSeasons Hotel, he was greeted by themembers of the Dongyuling (DrukpaKagyu) Buddhist Center, second hostof the visit, and many well-wishers.This morning (14 September), HisHoliness had an hour long meetingwith the Argentinean media. More than25 media people, representing variousmedia agencies attended the pressmeet. His Holiness told the media thathe has come to Argentina at theinvitation of many of his friends andhis main purpose of the visit was toshare his two commitments in life - topromote basic human values as afellow human being and to promoteharmony among various religioustraditions, as a spiritual person andBuddhist.His Holiness told the members of themedia that they have an equal

Urgent Action: TibetanRefugees in Severe Risk

of Repatriation

Dharamshala: - On 11 September 2011,twenty Tibetans fleeing Tibet wereapprehended at the Tibet-Nepalborder. A few days later three morecaught. It has been almost ten dayssince their detention at theImmigration Center. Members ofHURON (Human Rights Organizationof Nepal) have visited the Tibetansand asked the immigration officials torelease the 23 Tibetans but since theChinese government's heavyintrusion into this issue, there is aserious risk that the 23 refugees ofwhich 20 are teenagers between theages of 16-18 years old, will berepatriated back into the hands of theChinese officials any day.The Chinese Embassy has reportedlysent a letter through diplomaticchannels to the Nepal Governmentclaiming that this is a case of ‘CrossBoarder Human Trafficking', andrequested the NepaleseAdministration to hand them over tothe PRC diplomatic mission. TheChinese mission also claims that thereare legal requests from Tibet by someof the parents of the ‘underage'refugees.The ‘Gentlemen's Agreement'


Hundreds of Nepal polices deployed on 10 March, the Tibetan National Uprising Day,Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: TPI/File

13

the Tibetan religious leaders towardthe realisation of the Kashag's policieson education and environmentalprotection.His Holiness the Dalai Lama willaddress the second day of theconference on 23 September.The conference will discuss ways todevelop academic studies in Buddhistlearning centres, institutionalise aprocess of conferring of existing or newtitles to nuns graduating from Buddhistlearning centres, Bhikshuni ordinationand review of the status of ReligiousAffairs Council of Tibetans in Exileconstituted in accordance withresolutions passed during the 10thconference of religious heads and bythe 14th Tibetan Parliament in Exileduring its 7th session on March 26,2009.It will review the implementation ofteaching science in the Buddhistlearning centres among other agendas.Around 27 participants, comprising of

religious leaders and representatives,are attending the conference, whichinclude His Eminence Shejen RabjamRinpoche, H.E Khentrul GyangkhangRinpoche and Minling KhenchenRinpoche from Nyingma School; H.EGyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche, H. EDrukchen Rinpoche's representativeKhenpo Ngedhoen Tenzin and H.ETaklung Matrul Rinpoche from KagyuSchool; H.E Sakya Dagtri Rinpoche andH.E Ghongkar Trulku Dorje Denpa'srepresentative Khenpo JampelChoedon from Sakya School; H.EGaden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche, H.ESharpa Choje Lobsang TenzinRinpoche and H.E Jangtse ChojeLobsang Tenzin Rinpoche from GelugSchool and H.E Menri Trizin LungtokTenpae Nyima Rinpoche, head of Bonreligion.The religious leaders will take in aprayer service at Tsuglagkhangtomorrow morning in memory of allthose Tibetans who sacrificed their

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responsibility to promote and createawareness about these basic humanvalues and that they should reportunbiasedly, honestly and truthfullyabout social problems in order tobenefit the larger society. He addedthat in many parts of the world,corruption has now become like a newform of cancer and that those whoindulge in such unhealthy practicewould not admit. Therefore, he said, itis the media role to investigate andreport about these unhealthy practicestruthfully and honestly to protect ofthe interest of a society.Later His Holiness attended to variousquestions posed by media persons,ranging from how to incorporateBuddhist values in one's life to how toadapt Buddhism to different culturesettings to democratisation of theTibetan community in exile. Whileanswering the question ondemocratisation of the Tibetancommunity, His Holiness said that henoticed various flaws in the Tibetangovernment system when he was childand therefore he made seriousattempts to reform the system as earlyas 1952. Later after coming into exile in1959, he said, he gradually introduceda democratic system in the Tibetancommunity and then ultimately in 2002,the Tibetans managed to directly electthe chief executive leader (Kalon

Tripa).

For ten years since then the Tibetanpeople have shouldered moreresponsibility and also people becamemore politically matured and then hethought it was right time for him tocompletely devolve his administrativeand political authorities to the electedleaders. Not only did he devolve thepolitical authorities, His Holiness said,he proudly, happily and sincerelyended the temporal leadership of the400 years old institution of the DalaiLamas.Towards the end of his press meet, HisHoliness was joined by ArgentineanNobel Peace Laureate, Mr. PerezEsquivel. After the press meet, HisHoliness had a private meeting withMr Perez Ezquivel. Later, His Holinesshad a lunch with Mr Perez Esquivel andhis family members.His Holiness also met ArgentineanCongresswoman Dr Maria LauraLeguizamon and her family members.In the afternoon, His Holiness departfor Coliseo Auditorium, where hedelivered a lecture on ‘Transformingthe Youth for a Better World' for 2,000people. Majority of audience turnedout to be young people. In his lecture,His Holiness said that the 21st centurybelongs to youth, particularly thosewho are currently in the age group of30s and lower. In order to make the 21stcentury more peaceful, more stable,more harmonious, His Holiness saidthat the responsibility falls on theyoung people. He warned thateducation alone might not bring innerpeace and happiness and added thatwarm-heartedness and compassion arecrucial to bring inner peace andhappiness.In order to make a significantcontribution to the development andprogress of a society, he said, anindividual youth should take moreserious responsibility. He added thatno one from outside was going to cometo clean the society and therefore, onemust take personal initiative in thisdirection. His Holiness answeredquestions posed by people throughInternet as well as by others who werepresent in the auditorium.

between the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)and Nepal government provides forcooperation in the safe transit ofTibetans from the border regionsthrough Nepal onward to India.However, this ‘agreement' is notobserved on many occasions andthose repatriated in the past havesuffered severe torture at the handsof the Chinese officials. Earlier thisyear on 22 February Wikileaksrevealed that the "Chinesegovernment rewards (Nepali forces)by providing financial incentives toofficers who hand over Tibetansattempting to exit China".Nepal and Tibet share 1,414 km ofcommon border with 34 major passesbetween the two. Every yearthousands of Tibetan refugees fleeTibet through these passes includingtoddlers whose parents spent theirentire life savings for the journey. TheTibetans have already risked theirlives to escape the brutal repressionof the Chinese government and byallowing them to be handed back tothe Chinese officials over would meansevere repercussions for the youngteenagers especially the adults in thegroup.

lives for the cause of Tibet. HisHoliness the Dalai Lama will presideover it.

Take Pride in Being a Tibetan;Join the “Lhakar” Movement

Dharamshala: -Regional TibetanYouth Congress (Rohini) will fromnow onwards undertake a project towidespread "Lhakar" movement inDelhi especially among Tibetanyoungsters to promote Tibetanlanguage, culture and identity.Lhakar is a homegrown people'smovement that has emerged in Tibet.Every Wednesday, a growing numberof Tibetans are making a special effortto wear traditional clothes, speak

Tibetan, eat in Tibetan restaurantsand buy from Tibetan ownedbusinesses.

The Tibetan word "lhakar" translatesliterally as "White Wednesday"because Wednesday is consideredspecial by Tibetans as it is that day ofthe week on which His Holiness theDalai Lama was born.It is also very important to understandthat this movement acts as a non-cooperation movement against Chinaby refusing to support Chineseinstitutions and businesses;everybody can be a part of thismovement and celebrate being aTibetan as well as raise awareness

about the current political situationof Tibet.Mr. Palden Sonam, President of RTYCRohini accentuated the importance ofcarrying out this movement byTibetans both inside and outsideTibet."If Tibetans in Tibet can come up withdynamic and innovative newcampaigns to resist illegal Chineseauthority even under so muchrepression then why we can't Tibetansin exile at least stronghold thismovement by taking a resolution toboycott made-in-china products, toread Tibetan newspaper once in aweek, to wear chupa every

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30 September, 2011 Dharamsala TPI TIBET WORLD The Tibet Post14Statement on the Issue of his

Reincarnation .......recognized in Tibet there aremonastics and lay tantricpractitioners, male and female. Thissystem of recognizing thereincarnations gradually spread toother Tibetan Buddhist traditions, andBon, in Tibet. Today, there arerecognized Tulkus in all the TibetanBuddhist traditions, the Sakya, Geluk,Kagyu and Nyingma, as well asJonang and Bodong, who serve theDharma. It is also evident thatamongst these Tulkus some are adisgrace.The omniscient Gedun Drub, who wasa direct disciple of Je Tsongkhapa,founded Tashi Lhunpo Monastery inTsang and took care of his students.He passed away in 1474 at the age of84. Although initially no efforts weremade to identify his reincarnation,people were obliged to recognize achild named Sangye Chophel, whohad been born in Tanak, Tsang (1476),because of what he had to say abouthis amazing and flawless recollectionsof his past life. Since then, a traditionbegan of searching for andrecognizing the successivereincarnations of the Dalai Lamas bythe Gaden Phodrang Labrang andlater the Gaden PhodrangGovernment.

The ways of recognizingreincarnations

After the system of recognizingTulkus came into being, variousprocedures for going about it beganto develop and grow. Among thesesome of the most important involvethe predecessor's predictive letter andother instructions and indications thatmight occur; the reincarnation'sreliably recounting his previous lifeand speaking about it; identifyingpossessions belonging to thepredecessor and recognizing peoplewho had been close to him. Apart fromthese, additional methods includeasking reliable spiritual masters fortheir divination as well as seeking thepredictions of mundane oracles, whoappear through mediums in trance,and observing the visions thatmanifest in sacred lakes of protectorslike Lhamoi Latso, a sacred lake southof Lhasa.When there happens to be more thanone prospective candidate forrecognition as a Tulku, and it becomesdifficult to decide, there is a practiceof making the final decision bydivination employing the dough-ballmethod (zen tak) before a sacredimage while calling upon the power oftruth.Emanation before the passing awayof the predecessor (ma-dhey tulku)Usually a reincarnation has to besomeone's taking rebirth as a humanbeing after previously passing away.Ordinary sentient beings generallycannot manifest an emanation beforedeath (ma-dhey tulku), but superiorBodhisattvas, who can manifestthemselves in hundreds or thousandsof bodies simultaneously, canmanifest an emanation before death.Within the Tibetan system ofrecognizing Tulkus there areemanations who belong to the samemind-stream as the predecessor,

emanations who are connected toothers through the power of karma andprayers, and emanations who come asa result of blessings and appointment.The main purpose of the appearanceof a reincarnation is to continue thepredecessor's unfinished work toserve Dharma and beings. In the caseof a Lama who is an ordinary being,instead of having a reincarnationbelonging to the same mind-stream,someone else with connections to thatLama through pure karma and prayersmay be recognized as his or heremanation. Alternatively it is possiblefor the Lama to appoint a successorwho is either his disciple or someoneyoung who is to be recognized as hisemanation. Since these options arepossible in the case of an ordinarybeing, an emanation before death thatis not of the same mind-stream isfeasible. In some cases one high Lamamay have several reincarnationssimultaneously, such as incarnationsof body, speech and mind and so on.In recent times, there have been well-known emanations before death suchas Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje andChogye Trichen Ngawang Khyenrab.

Using the Golden Urn

As the degenerate age gets worse, andas more reincarnations of high Lamasare being recognized, some of themfor political motives, increasingnumbers have been recognizedthrough inappropriate andquestionable means, as a result ofwhich huge damage has been done tothe Dharma.During the conflict between Tibet andthe Gurkhas (1791-93) the TibetanGovernment had to call on Manchumilitary support. Consequently theGurkha military was expelled fromTibet, but afterwards Manchu officialsmade a 29-point proposal on thepretext of making the TibetanGovernment's administration moreefficient. This proposal included thesuggestion of picking lots from aGolden Urn to decide on therecognition of the reincarnations ofthe Dalai Lamas, Panchen Lamas andHutuktus, a Mongolian title given tohigh Lamas. Therefore, this procedurewas followed in the case ofrecognizing some reincarnations ofthe Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama andother high Lamas. The ritual to befollowed was written by the EighthDalai Lama Jampel Gyatso. Even aftersuch a system had been introduced,this procedure was dispensed with forthe Ninth, Thirteenth and myself, theFourteenth Dalai Lama.Even in the case of the Tenth DalaiLama, the authentic reincarnation hadalready been found and in reality thisprocedure was not followed, but inorder to humour the Manchus it wasmerely announced that this procedurehad been observed.The Golden Urn system was actuallyused only in the cases of the Eleventhand Twelfth Dalai Lamas. However, theTwelfth Dalai Lama had already beenrecognized before the procedure wasemployed. Therefore, there has onlybeen one occasion when a Dalai Lamawas recognized by using this method.Likewise, among the reincarnations of

the Panchen Lama, apart from theEighth and the Ninth, there have beenno instances of this method beingemployed. This system was imposedby the Manchus, but Tibetans had nofaith in it because it lacked anyspiritual quality. However, if it were tobe used honestly, it seems that wecould consider it as similar to themanner of divination employing thedough-ball method (zen tak).In 1880, during the recognition of theThirteenth Dalai Lama as thereincarnation of the Twelfth, traces ofthe Priest-Patron relationship betweenTibet and the Manchus still existed.He was recognized as the unmistakenreincarnation by the Eighth PanchenLama, the predictions of the Nechungand Samye oracles and by observingvisions that appeared in Lhamoi Latso,therefore the Golden Urn procedurewas not followed. This can be clearlyunderstood from the Thirteenth DalaiLama's final testament of the Water-Monkey Year (1933) in which hestates:"As you all know, I was selected notin the customary way of picking lotsfrom the golden urn, but my selectionwas foretold and divined. Inaccordance with these divinations andprophecies I was recognized as thereincarnation of the Dalai Lama andenthroned."

When I was recognized as theFourteenth incarnation of the DalaiLama in 1939, the Priest-Patronrelationship between Tibet and Chinahad already come to an end.Therefore, there was no question ofany need to confirm the reincarnationby employing the Golden Urn. It iswell-known that the then Regent ofTibet and the Tibetan NationalAssembly had followed the procedurefor recognizing the Dalai Lama'sreincarnation taking account of thepredictions of high Lamas, oracles andthe visions seen in Lhamoi Latso; theChinese had no involvement in itwhatever. Nevertheless, someconcerned officials of the Guomintanglater cunningly spread lies in thenewspapers claiming that they hadagreed to forego the use of the GoldenUrn and that Wu Chung-tsin presidedover my enthronement, and so on.This lie was exposed by NgaboNgawang Jigme, the Vice-Chairman ofthe Standing Committee of theNational People's Congress, who thePeople's Republic of China consideredto be a most progressive person, atthe Second Session of the FifthPeople's Congress of the TibetAutonomous Region (31st July 1989).This is clear, when, at the end of hisspeech, in which he gave a detailedexplanation of events and presenteddocumentary evidence, he demanded:"What need is there for theCommunist Party to follow suit andcontinue the lies of the Guomintang?"

Deceptive strategy and false hopes

In the recent past, there have beencases of irresponsible managers ofwealthy Lama-estates who indulgedin improper methods to recognizereincarnations, which have

undermined the Dharma, the monasticcommunity and our society.Moreover, since the Manchu eraChinese political authoritiesrepeatedly engaged in variousdeceitful means using Buddhism,Buddhist masters and Tulkus as toolsto fulfil their political ends as theyinvolved themselves in Tibetan andMongolian affairs. Today, theauthoritarian rulers of the People'sRepublic of China, who ascommunists reject religion, but stillinvolve themselves in religious affairs,have imposed a so-called re-educationcampaign and declared the so-calledOrder No. Five, concerning the controland recognition of reincarnations,which came into force on 1stSeptember 2007. This is outrageousand disgraceful. The enforcement ofvarious inappropriate methods forrecognizing reincarnations toeradicate our unique Tibetan culturaltraditions is doing damage that willbe difficult to repair.Moreover, they say they are waitingfor my death and will recognize aFifteenth Dalai Lama of their choice.It is clear from their recent rules andregulations and subsequentdeclarations that they have a detailedstrategy to deceive Tibetans,followers of the Tibetan Buddhisttradition and the world community.Therefore, as I have a responsibilityto protect the Dharma and sentientbeings and counter such detrimentalschemes, I make the followingdeclaration.

The next incarnation of the DalaiLama

As I mentioned earlier, reincarnationis a phenomenon which should takeplace either through the voluntarychoice of the concerned person or atleast on the strength of his or her karma,merit and prayers. Therefore, theperson who reincarnates has solelegitimate authority over where and

how he or she takes rebirth and howthat reincarnation is to be recognized.It is a reality that no one else can forcethe person concerned, or manipulatehim or her. It is particularlyinappropriate for Chinese communists,who explicitly reject even the idea ofpast and future lives, let alone theconcept of reincarnate Tulkus, tomeddle in the system of reincarnationand especially the reincarnations ofthe Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas.Such brazen meddling contradicts theirown political ideology and reveals theirdouble standards. Should this situationcontinue in the future, it will beimpossible for Tibetans and those whofollow the Tibetan Buddhist traditionto acknowledge or accept it.When I am about ninety I will consultthe high Lamas of the TibetanBuddhist traditions, the Tibetanpublic, and other concerned peoplewho follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of theDalai Lama should continue or not.On that basis we will take a decision.If it is decided that the reincarnationof the Dalai Lama should continue andthere is a need for the Fifteenth DalaiLama to be recognized, responsibilityfor doing so will primarily rest on theconcerned officers of the Dalai Lama'sGaden Phodrang Trust. They shouldconsult the various heads of theTibetan Buddhist traditions and thereliable oath-bound DharmaProtectors who are linked inseparablyto the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. Theyshould seek advice and direction fromthese concerned beings and carry outthe procedures of search andrecognition in accordance with pasttradition. I shall leave clear writteninstructions about this. Bear in mindthat, apart from the reincarnationrecognized through such legitimatemethods, no recognition oracceptance should be given to acandidate chosen for political ends byanyone, including those in thePeople's Republic of China.


Wednesday, to speak in Tibetanlanguage, etc," said Sonam.As a Tibetan we are born into thispolitical struggle and we must dowhatsoever in our potential to upraise

our cry for freedom and justice as wellas we must make every effort tosafeguard our identity and culturewhich the repressive Chinese regimein Tibet is so keen to destroy.

Take Pride in Being aTibetan; Join the“Lhakar” .......

Tibetan youths in Delhi, the capital of India. Photo: TPI/file


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