Govt-in-exile flays cataloguing of spiritual leaders by China

DHARAMSALA, Jan 22: Exiled Tibetan leadership has flayed China for its spiritual cataloguing system, terming it an attempt to control the reincarnation system of Lamas in Tibetan Buddhism.

“The Chinese government, particularly the Communist Party of China, has no business in interfering in the religious matters and the cataloguing of spiritual leaders is an attempt to control the reincarnation system,” said Sikyong (Tibetan Prime Minister in Exile) Lobsang Sangay.

China has recently published its first list of “authentic living buddhas”, stating that growing numbers of fraudulent buddhas are using their status to swindle money from believers.

The list published on website of the China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs contains names, photographs and locations of 870 “verified” buddhas.

Meanwhile, Sangay said China was a communist country, which believed that religion is poison.

“Secondly their (China) track record of destroying 98% of monasteries and nunneries in Tibet as well as disrobing and putting behind bars, even causing death of many reincarnate Lamas of Tibet demonstrate that China has nothing to do with religion,” Sangay told Hindustan Times.

Their plans, Sangay said, is to control the reincarnation system and reincarnate Lamas. “But this will not be credible as China has neither legitimacy nor credibility in spiritual matter,” he added.

Meanwhile, activists of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) — a prominent NGO of the exiled Tibetans — started a petition campaign, protesting China’s interference in religious matters.

The SFT activists said they would send the petition to Chinese government as Tibetans inside and outside Tibet don’t except such interference in religious matters and that it was violation of Tibetans’ freedom to religion.

By Naresh K Thakur, Hindustan Times.