There are four main schools of Tibetan Buddhist thought, but only the youngest one is headed by the Dalai Lama. Thousands of Tibetan Buddhists made a pilgrimage in September to the Dalai Lama's monastery in northern India to pray for their spiritual leader's longevity. ![]() It's about who truly heads the Tibetans." "The Dalai Lama's reincarnation is a civilizational struggle between China and Tibetans over who controls Tibetan Buddhism," says Amitabh Mathur, a retired adviser to the Indian government on Tibetan affairs. But this time, politics may complicate the search. He's supposed to tell aides where to look for a child who will next embody his essence. Traditionally, the Dalai Lama himself gives instructions before he dies. He is the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's traditional high priest - the same being, faithful believe, that has been reincarnated for more than 600 years. Tibetan Buddhists believe their spiritual leader, now 84 and ailing, will be reincarnated when he dies. They carried fruit baskets as offerings and chanted in unison, all praying for the same thing: the Dalai Lama's longevity. Orange-robed monks with shaved heads huddled cross-legged on the floor, as Tibetan opera singers in multicolored gowns teetered under the weight of giant silver headdresses. Thousands of Buddhists from all over the world made a pilgrimage this fall to a monastery high in India's Himalayas. ![]() ![]() Flanked by Buddhist monks, the Dalai Lama, 84, greets visitors in September at a prayer ceremony at his monastery in Dharamsala, India.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |