Just when you thought nobody could out-stupid Congress...

[unixronin]

In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission.  [...]  By barring any Buddhist monk living outside China from seeking reincarnation, the law effectively gives Chinese authorities the power to choose the next Dalai Lama, whose soul, by tradition, is reborn as a new human to continue the work of relieving suffering.

What exactly does China plan to do, go around arresting newborn babies outside the Chinese border for illegal reincarnation?  Don't they think it's going to be a little suspicious if there's two Dalai Lamas, one of whom goes on teaching Tibetan-style Buddhism and protesting the Chinese annexation of Tibet, while the other walks around quoting from The Collected Sayings of Chairman Mao?

Comments

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

It gives them an excuse to lock up Buddhist leaders. After all, any human Buddhist will have been reborn and already broken the law. Depending on their willingness to prosecute retroactively it gives them carte blanche to arrest people based on their religion.

I will note my amusement that the law implicitly requires, and therefore recognizes and awards legal status to, the religious precept of reincarnation!

[laurarey.livejournal.com]

It does leave one a bit at a loss for words. Of course...I'm bewildered in general by anyone wanting to prosecute Buddhists. Come on...they're ....Buddhists! They literally wouldn't hurt a fly.

Yeesh.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Well, China does have this Stalinist-Maoist thing going that There Is Only The State, and all other ideology is bad....

[fatcook.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed. I didn't that that was possible.
I believe that there a precedent for it, though. Didn't one of the emperors try to forbid the sun to rise or set?

[lpetrazickis.livejournal.com]

As long as the latter one is in the Middle Kingdom behind the Great Firewall, he'll be the one that matters. This is about internal spin, not external spin.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I do wish the whole of Chinese Government Officialdom would take a lesson from Buddhist monks and set themselves on fire.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

If they're unclear of the proper techniques, we could help .... :)


o/" We can dance and jump as the flames roar up / It's the self-immolation ra-a-a-ag... o/"

[smandal.livejournal.com]

The irony is that Buddhism thrives when persecuted, because it stands positively in contrast. At least, the ideas do.