Skip to content

Dharma Documentaries

Dharma. Culture. Ecology.

Menu
  • Dharma
  • Culture
  • Ecology
  • Archives
  • About
Menu

The Dalai Lama’s Succession Strategy

Posted on July 16, 2014July 16, 2014 by Dharma Documentaries
A look at the politics behind the succession to the Dalai Lama as spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

Dalai-Lamas-Succession-Strategy

This is an independent report by Eric Campbell made around 6 years ago into the politics behind the succession of the Dalai Lama.

China has sought to control the Tibetan people by controlling their spiritual leaders, this is why when the Dalai Lama identified the reincarnated Panchen Lama in 1995 the Chinese authorities immediately took the boy off.

That boy and his Mother haven’t been seen since, and his position has been given over to a more pliable young man, whom the authorities control.

Initially they did accept the Dalai Lama’s endorsement of the Karmapa, and they sought to control him also, but at age 14 he made a daring escape to India, and into the Dalai Lama’s fold.

One of the interesting things about this is that the two leaders belong to opposing sects, the yellow hats and the black hats, who have often been at odds with each other, but it is clear that the Karmapa is being mentored by the Dalai Lama.

Although he is not mentioned in this report there is also a rival Karmapa, who is not recognised by the Dalai Lama, but is treated as the true reincarnation by his supporters.

Another matter not mentioned here, which may not have been promulgated at the time, is that the Chinese authorities have banned Lamas from reincarnating without Governmental permission, one of the most bizarre promulgations from an atheistic state ever set forth.

It really appears at present that the Karmapa will succeed the Dalai Lama as the spiritual head of the Tibetan people, but no doubt the Chinese will ‘find’ a new Dalai Lama, whom they will want to lead the Tibetan people.

They will hope of course to divide the Tibetan peoples by doing this, but whether they will succeed is not clear.

Meanwhile in this film we get a glimpse at some of the complex politics involved in the succession, and a look at the prospects.

 

if this video is no longer available please leave a comment so I can update the page
(the comment is not published)

 

to see an album of stills click here

 

TAGS:
Culture, China, Politics, Tibet, Vajrayana

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Comments do not appear straight away, but are moderated before publication

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Subscriptions

Follow our Facebook Page Follow our Tweets Subscribe to our Feed

Subscribe by Email

Email


Shortlink and QR

https://dharma-documentaries.net/b/2sy

Donations

This site has taken more than a dozen years and 1000s of hours to build, and has 800+ documentaries on it. If you would like to help, you can do so here. Even small amounts make a difference.

or Bank Transfer to:
Mr. Ng Choon Aun, Public Bank Berhad (Malaysia), Acc. No. 6352323912, Swift: PBBEMYKL

Copyright

If anyone has any copyright claims please contact me at dharmadocus@gmail.com and the posts and films will be immediately removed.

Top Ten Tags

Theravada
Mahayana
Vajrayana

India
Silk Road
China
Tibet

Arts
Lectures
Rights

Popular Posts

  • The Freedom of being a Buddhist Nun
  • Bright and Shining Mind in a Disabled Body
  • The Leshan Giant Buddha Statue
  • The Silk Road Series 7/16: Khotan-Oasis of Silk and Jade
  • David Eckel: Buddhism 3-4 of 24
  • The Tibetan Oracles
  • The Mountain Yogi, Lama Govinda
  • Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: The Untold Truth
  • Indian Roots of Tibetan Buddhism
  • Avalokiteshvara (Chinese Movie)

Recent Posts

  • Passage to Buddha (Hwaomkyung)
  • In the Footsteps of Wonhyo
  • The Children of the Buddha
  • The Heirs of Genghis Khan
  • Morin Khuur, the Mongolian Horse-Head Fiddle
  • Taiga, the Last Nomads of Mongolia
  • The Wizards of Myanmar
  • Buddha’s Lost Children
  • Zen Buddhism – In Search of Self
  • Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the East?

Random Posts

  • Lost Cave Temples Of The Himalaya
  • Unity
  • Women of Fukushima
  • Local Futures, Beyond the Monoculture
  • Living Soil
  • They Call it Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain
  • Thera Stories, Spiritual Journeys of Monks
  • Green – Death of The Forests
  • For God’s Sake (Thailand, Malaysia)
  • Bhutan 4, Thimphu Tsechu, the Kingdom’s Festival

Related Posts

  • Leaving Fear Behind
  • Escape from Tibet 2 (The Dalai Lama)
  • Escape from Tibet 1 (The Dalai Lama)
  • Orphans of Tibet
  • Discovering Tibet 1: Mysterious Map
  • Tibet, What Remains of Us
  • Unheard Voices and Notes to Myself
  • Tea Road to the Skies 3, On the Roof of the World
  • Living Buddha, Searching for the 17th Karmapa
  • Finding Manjushri
© 2023 Dharma Documentaries | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme