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

[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?