Indeed, what do China's Communists know about reincarnation?

I am back. Well, the Wife finally had a good night's sleep. Amazing what a fitful sleep, if you can call it that, in the Emergency room the night before can do for you on the second night. I am going off the topic of my personal life for today.

I read the funniest article in the Globe and Mail yesterday. I am filing it in my "I Love Totalitarian Regimes" file. It was an article, more of an op-ed piece, on China, Tibet and the next Dalai Lama. Since China now controls Tibet, they have decreed that they get to choose the next Dalai Lama, when he dies and is reincarnated. They have "forbidden" him from reincarnating himself as a non-Chinese. They want a Lama who will accept China's rule of Tibet in perpetuity.

They cite as precedent the approval of the Mongol emporers and the Manchu dynasty. The only difference is both Kublai Khan and the Mongols and the Manchurian emporers respected and revered the religion. They just wanted tacit approval for their empire building. The present Chinese regime is athiestic by design (Marx and his religion is the opiate of the masses comment-type thing). So here they are trying to control that which they cannot control. It is fucking laughable.

There is the dispute, that is ongoing, dealing with a lesser Lama. The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhist claim some non-Chinese boy is the reincarnated Lama, but the Chinese say it is some Chinese kid. I am not sure who to believe in this one...the keepers of the Buddhism or a Communist, totalitarian government intent on trying to control information and the message so that it perpetually spins in their favor and they can say they do no wrong and never make mistakes. Hmmmmm, who can it be?

Apparently, the Dalai Lama can control where he is reincarnated and where that child is born. That is some kind of power. If being truly enlightened allows you to choose when and where you, your soul, comes back, that is pretty cool. I am not sure I buy that but I certainly do not buy the official Chinese way. That one is far worse and twisted.

The Chinese government wants to control it all. In the circular logic that they would use and have the world believe, since they have decreed it, it must be so. They are flawless and can do no wrong. They are some sort of super humans, who do not make mistakes and are not encumbered by human frailties. It is ironic that they are so encumbered by hubris, but would be loath to admit it.

I am not so sure it is a Communist thing. Recall, Vladimir Putin's useless reaction to the tragedy of the Kirkuk, the Russian submarine that experienced an on board explosion and slow, agonizing death of how many sailors surviving the blast. He did not care nor did he show much compassion with Chechen stand off at Beslan. Then again, George W Bush is loathe to admit mistakes in HIS handling of the conflict in Iraq. The big difference is that here in the West, with a free press, the world is more transparent, so the bullshit just does not stick as well or as often.

But there you have it, the Chinese government has the "power" to choose where the Dalai Lama will be reincarnated. Fuck, I almost bust a gut when I read that article.

Here is the opening of Frank Ching's article titled "What do China's Communists know about reincarnation?" from yesterdays Globe and Mail. It was hilarious in how ridiculous it was. It is truly is something straight out of Orwell's "1984". Man, that dude saw it coming.

China has announced new regulations governing Tibetan Buddhism, including a stipulation that senior monks, known as "living Buddhas," cannot be reincarnated without government permission. The regulations, issued by the State Religious Affairs Bureau, stipulate that "living Buddha" reincarnations with a "particularly great impact," presumably such as the next Dalai Lama, "shall be reported to the State Council for approval."

Ciao!