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unixronin: Galen the technomage, from Babylon 5: Crusade (Default)
Unixronin

December 2012

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Thursday, August 30th, 2007 02:49 pm

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?

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Thursday, August 30th, 2007 11:57 pm (UTC)
The irony is that Buddhism thrives when persecuted, because it stands positively in contrast. At least, the ideas do.