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Communist Party As Living Buddha: the Crisis Facing Tibetan Religion Under Chinese Control

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Communist Party As Living Buddha: the Crisis Facing Tibetan Religion Under Chinese Control ICT-Europe ICT-Deutschland e.V. ICT-Brussels Vijzelstraat 77 Schönhauser Allee 163 11, Rue de la Linière 1825 Jefferson Place, NW 1017HG Amsterdam 10435 Berlin 1060 Brussels Washington, DC 20036 The Netherlands Germany Belgium T +1 202 785 1515 T +31 (0)20 3308265 T +49 (0)30 27879086 T +32 (0)2 6094410 F +1 202 785 4343 F +31 (0)20 3308266 F +49 (0)30 27879087 F +32 (0)2 6094432 E [email protected] E [email protected] E [email protected] E [email protected] www.savetibet.org The International Campaign for Tibet is a non-profit membership organization that monitors and promotes internationally recognized human rights in Tibet. ICT was founded in 1988 and has offices in Washington, DC, Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels. The Communist Party as Living Buddha: The crisis facing Tibetan religion under Chinese control ©2007 by the International Campaign for Tibet Printed in the USA Design: William Whitehead Design www.WmWhiteheadDesign.com THE COMMUNIST PARTY AS LIVING BUDDHA THE CRISIS FACING TIBETAN RELIGION UNDER CHINESE CONTROL A report by the International Campaign for Tibet Washington, DC l Amsterdam l Berlin l Brussels www.savetibet.org Tibet Autonomous Region Party chief Zhang Qingli recently labeled THE COMMUNIST PARTY AS LIVING BUDDHA the Chinese Communist Party a ‘living Buddha’ and a ‘parent’ to the Tibetan people. (Xinhuanet, March 2, 2007) THE CRISIS FACING TIBETAN RELIGION UNDER CHINESE CONTROL Cover: An image of the 11 th Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, seen in a monastery in eastern Tibet near a photograph of the Dalai Lama. It is relatively rare to see an image of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who was taken into custody at the age of six, in Tibet. This picture is unusual because it portrays him in ceremonial A report by the International Campaign for Tibet religious robes, which have been superimposed onto the only known image of him Washington, DC l Amsterdam l Berlin l Brussels as a child to have been made public. www.savetibet.org THE COMMUNIST PARTY AS LIVING BUDDHA: THE CRISIS FACING TIBETAN RELIGION UNDER CHINESE CONTROL INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 3 THE SUN AND THE MOON: The Dalai Lama and The Panchen Lama . 9 CHINA’S REGULATION OF RELIGION AND ITS IMPACT . 21 A SONG FROM TIBET ABOUT THE 17 TH KARMAPA . 28 FIRST PERSON: “We always have His Holiness in our hearts ” . 29 THE ‘SENSITIVE MONTH OF MARCH ’ . 33 A ‘LIFE OR DEATH STRUGGLE ’ . 37 FIRST PERSON: “Every time His Holiness visited a foreign country, the authorities showed up ” . 43 THE BUREAUCRACY OF REPRESSION . 49 FIRST PERSON: An insight into the ‘Gya Panchen ’ . 53 TREASURE-SEEKERS AND VISIONARIES: The future for Tibet’s religious culture . 57 FIRST PERSON: A Chinese monk’s conversion; a story from the mainland; a Serthar nun’s quest . 65 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF MONASTERIES AND TOURISM . 73 FIRST PERSON: “Monasteries may not promote any learned lamas” . 75 REPRESSION OF ALL RELIGIONS IN CHINA . 81 POEMS FOR THE PANCHEN LAMA . 85 RECOMMENDATIONS . 87 NOTE ON GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS . 89 1. TAR Measures for Implementation of the ‘Regulations for Religious Affairs’ . 89 Tibet was traditionally comprised of three main areas: Amdo (north-eastern Tibet), 2. Statements from the Regional United Front Nationalities Work Conference . 100 Kham (eastern Tibet) and U-Tsang (central and western Tibet). The Tibet Autono- 3. Rules for Monks . 104 mous Region (Chinese: Xizang Zizhiqu ) was set up by the Chinese government in 4. The System of Managing Novice Monks Entering the Monastery . 105 1965 and covers the area of Tibet west of the Yangtse River, including part of Kham, 5. Patriotic Pledge . 105 although it is often referred to now as ‘central Tibet’ in English. The rest of Amdo 6. The Monastery System of Democratic Management . 106 and Kham have been incorporated into Chinese provinces, and where Tibetan 7. Monastery’s System of Political Study . 108 communities were said to have ‘compact inhabitancy’ in these provinces they were 8. What is Religion? . 109 designated Tibetan autonomous prefectures and counties. As a result most of Qinghai and parts of Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces are acknowledged by 9. Written Responses to a General Survey on the Situation of Training the Chinese authorities to be ‘Tibetan’. The term ‘Tibet’ in this report is used to of Professional Teachers and on Education at Kardze Monastery . 111 refer to all these Tibetan areas currently under the jurisdiction of the People’s 10. Reflections on Certain Conditions at the Monastery . 114 Republic of China. 11. Sign at the Karmapa’s Monastery in Tibet . 117 1 THE COMMUNIST PARTY AS LIVING BUDDHA: THE CRISIS FACING TIBETAN RELIGION UNDER CHINESE CONTROL INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET CHAPT1ER EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EDUN CHOEKYI NYIMA , recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11 th reincar nation of the Panchen Lama, marked his 18 th birthday and official adulthood on GApril 25, 2007 following more than a decade in Chinese custody. The Panchen Lama has come to symbolize for many Tibetans the crisis facing the surviva l of their religious culture in Tibet today. This report demonstrates how seriously Beijing takes the enduring influence of the Dalai Lama and, therefore, the need to strengthen its position as the ‘official’ arbiter of Tibetan Buddhist culture. Through official documents obtained from Tibet, analysis of regulatory measures on religion, and first person testimony, the report documents a trend of tightening control over religious practice and scholarship in Tibet today. As Chinese officials and envoys of the Dalai Lama pursue a process of dialogue on core issues related to the future of Tibet, including religious freedom, this report, based in part on nine official documents on religion obtained from Tibet since 2005 and others from public sources, reveals: • Disturbing precedents on restrictions to religious practice in the Tibet Autonomous Region • A stepping up of the patriotic education campaign in religious institutions • A commitment by the government of the People’s Republic of China to strengthen the powers of the Chinese Communist Party’s control mecha - nisms in religious institutions • A renewed determination by Chinese authorities to crack down on the Despite the ongoing political control and patriotic education, His Holiness the Dalai Lama influence of the Dalai Lama in Tibet and the Panchen Lama still inspire Tibetans’ sense of cultural affinity and national identity. Forms of dissent such as the display of photos of the Dalai Lama reflects Tibetans’ unremitting • The severe undermining of traditional systems of monastic education sense of loyalty and hope. This image was taken in a monastery in the Tibetan area of Kham and depicts the Dalai Lama on the left and the 10th Panchen Lama on the right. Photo: ICT • Appropriation by the atheistic Chinese state of authorities necessary for the transmission of teachings and the identification of reincarnate lamas 2 3 THE COMMUNIST PARTY AS LIVING BUDDHA: THE CRISIS FACING TIBETAN RELIGION UNDER CHINESE CONTROL INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET INTRODUCTION of a Buddhist practitioner, whose focus would naturally be to their spiritual path or religion first. Gedun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11 th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, is 18 on April 25, 2007, marking his official coming of age fol - China attempts to convey an image to the world of government tolerance for religion. lowing more than a decade in Chinese custody. The disappearance of the Panchen In Tibet, it may appear that some monastic institutions are thriving, and that Lama, acknowledged as one of Tibet’s most important religious leaders, and the Tibetans are still able to express their devotion through traditional rituals; yet, installation of an alternative candidate by Beijing, has come to symbolize for many the reality behind the appearance is quite different. Monasteries that once housed Tibetans the crisis facing the survival of their religious culture in Tibet today. thousands of monks are now reduced to a few hundred whose main responsibility is no longer religious study but tending to the buildings and tourists. Gedun Choekyi Nyima’s fate is of profound religious, spiritual and political signifi - cance to Tibetans and to Tibet’s future. It exemplifies the Chinese authorities’ current Obtaining a complete religious education in Tibet today remains difficult or systematic approach towards undermining both the authority of the Dalai Lama and impossible, especially in central Tibet. While Beijing has officially promoted the the core belief system at the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. reinvigoration of the traditional ‘Geshe’ degree, the most advanced level of schol - arship possible in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism (typically requiring 20 As the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism gain in popularity and influence worldwide years of intense study), in practice, Beijing has taken measures both to undermine — including among many Chinese — Beijing has entrenched its position on the degree’s status and accessibility to teachers and the course of study. religion, introducing stringent new regulatory measures in an attempt to curb the Dalai Lama’s authority and control religious practice. As part of the tightening control and regulation of religious practice, ‘patriotic education’ campaigns in Tibetan monasteries, nunneries and the wider society have The new restrictions on identification and control of reincarnate lamas (tulkus) been stepped up, and the powers of the Democratic Management Committees also reflect an attempt to deal with the Party’s failure in ensuring the allegiance (DMC), which have long supplanted the traditional role of the abbots and reincar - of key religious leaders, such as the 17 th Karmapa, who escaped into exile in 2000 nate lamas and are responsible to the Party for control of religious institutions, have following Beijing’s attempts to groom him as a ‘patriotic’ figure, and Arjia Rinpoche, been strengthened.
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