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The word “reincarnation” has always been very mysterious. Some people say it is a superstitious feudalism, but there are still many people who claim that they retain the memory of the previous life, and can even tell about the “previous life”, which makes people shudder. And when the “reincarnation” meets the “living Buddha”, its mystery is further strengthened, because every related case makes the believers of Tibetan Buddhism firmly believe that the “reincarnation of the living Buddha” is an ironclad proof of the continuation of life, and this reincarnation It is also known as one of the seven mysterious phenomena in the world.
What is a Living Buddha? Tibetan Buddhist teachings believe that the death of a living Buddha is nothing but the transfer of the soul and the incarnation of another human being. The incarnation appears randomly, so there must be a reincarnation of the soul boy.
In fact, the term “living Buddha” does not exist in standard Tibetan Buddhist terminology. According to research by scholars, this common name first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, and it was made in Han Dynasty. The Tibetan word most corresponding to the word “living Buddha” is “zhige”, which means incarnation.
Believers all call the living Buddha “Rinpoche”, and now Tibetan Buddhism has been worshiped more and more by believers in society, and most of the religious power contained in it is reflected in “Hutuktu”—— — On the body of the Great Living Buddha.
As of 2016, there are more than 1,300 living Buddhas registered in my country. The Qing government also formed a relatively complete system for the management and control of living Buddhas within its jurisdiction.
Tibet has always been a region where religion prevails. Naturally, many living Buddhas will be born as a result. The two major religious leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, namely: Dalai Lama (first-class living Buddha) and Panchen Erdeni (first-class living Buddha).
Some people may ask, who is bigger, the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama?
Before the democratic reform, the state and religion were unified in Tibet. The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama were not only religious leaders, but also leaders of secular local governments. The area under the administration of the Dalai Lama is Qianzang, and the area under the administration of the Panchen Lama is Houzang. They do not belong to each other, and they manage different areas, so there is no such thing as who is big and who is small.
The “Golden Urn Signature” system is used to determine the birth of the Dalai Lama. In fact, this system is the same as lottery, except that the sticks used for lottery are made of ivory, and the bottles containing the sticks are made of gold. Naturally, it can be seen from this that the status of living Buddhas is indeed extraordinary. After believers attach a layer of religious color to their process, it becomes even more mysterious.
Reincarnation——The Ideological Premise for the Generation of Living Buddhas
REINCARNATION: THE IDEOLOGICAL PREREQUISITE FOR THE EMERGENCE OF LIVING BUDDHA
Buddhism believes that the body of a person may perish at any time, but the soul is eternal and continues to reincarnate in the six realms. The reincarnation of the living Buddha is based on this idea, but it is fundamentally different from the reincarnation of ordinary people. The living Buddha transcends reincarnation and voluntarily A bodhisattva who descends to save sentient beings.
▲ Thangka of the Eighth Karmapa, Mijue Dorje, from the 18th to the 19th century
The Buddhist theory of the three kayas is the theoretical basis for the reincarnation of the Buddha. The Buddha has three kayas: the dharma body, the sambaya body, and the incarnation body (response body).
Dharmakaya: Represents the absolute truth of Buddhism, and also refers to the Buddha nature that exists in everyone’s heart, Dharmakaya does not appear.
Sambhogakaya: After arduous practice, he attains the truth and becomes a Buddha. He is an objective existence of the Buddha. His behavior is perfect and blessed. He is extremely tall and often speaks for the Bodhisattvas.
Incarnation: It is the transformed body of Buddha. In order to teach and transform living beings, Buddha can appear as sentient beings of the six realms and appear in various forms of life.
Great Mercy and Great Compassion are the core ideas of Mahayana Buddhism, and its concrete embodiment and practitioners are Mahayana Bodhisattvas, especially Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. A bodhisattva has the ability and qualification to become a Buddha, but because of his compassion for all living beings, he swears before the Buddha to save all living beings. If all living beings are not liberated, he himself will never become a Buddha.
Therefore, in Tibetan Buddhism, living Buddhas are constantly reincarnated in the world. The unique reincarnation yoga is a compulsory method before the reincarnation of the living Buddha. The Tibetan Tantra is mysterious and mysterious. Among the many Tibetan secret practices, there is a kind of practice called reincarnation yoga.
Tantra believes that everyone is mortal, but ordinary people don’t know when to die, why to die, and where to go after death. Practice the secret mantra of reincarnation, but you can freely control your destiny. Appearing in the form of life, you can become a Buddha and leave reincarnation forever.
The reincarnation system of living Buddhas that has been passed down for nearly a thousand years
THE REINCARNATION SYSTEM OF LIVING BUDDHA THAT HAS BEEN SPREADING FOR NEARLY A THOUSAND YEARS
The reincarnation system of living Buddhas originated in the early twelfth century. In 1193 A.D., the founder of the Karma Kagyu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Dusumqinba (meaning three periods of holy consciousness, three periods are the past, present and future), told him on his deathbed that he would be reincarnated. The last words search for and identify the reincarnated soul boy, thus opening a precedent for the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, and have been widely adopted by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. In the long-term development process, the search, identification, and A set of strict and systematic systems such as education.
▲ Thangka of Living Buddha Lecture
When it comes to the reincarnation of living Buddhas, most people think of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. With the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia and Tibet, living Buddha reincarnation systems also appeared in Mongolia and Qinghai. To sum it up, there are mainly four living Buddha reincarnation systems.
1. The reincarnation system of the Dalai Lama [The largest living Buddha of the Gelug Sect, known as the incarnation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. 】
2. Panchen system [Panchen Erdeni. He is also one of the highest living Buddhas of the Gelug Sect and is considered to be the incarnation of the Buddha of Infinite Life. 】
3. Jebtsundamba system [The largest living Buddha system of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the Khalkha Mongolian region (now Outer Mongolia), with a total of eight generations. After the eighth Jebtsundamba passed away in 1924, his reincarnation ceased. 】
4. Zhangjia Living Buddha System [Zhangjia Hutuktu, the largest living Buddha of the Gelug Sect in Inner Mongolia, has been reincarnated for seven times. The seventh Zhangjia Living Buddha, Tenbe Zhongmei, passed away in Taiwan in 1957, and then died. 】
In addition to the above four reincarnation systems of living Buddhas, there are many well-known reincarnation living Buddha systems among the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, and many living Buddhas with high morals and profound knowledge have emerged. Such as the Living Buddha Jia Muxiang in Labrang Monastery and the Living Buddha Quexi in Kumbum Monastery.
Searching for the reincarnated soul boy of the Living Buddha
SEARCHING FOR THE REINCARNATED SPIRITUAL CHILD OF THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF THE LIVING BUDDHA
Living Buddhas have not always existed, but are the result of historical coincidences.
The first officially reincarnated Living Buddha in the history of Tibetan Buddhism is Karma Pakshi. According to Tibetan historical records, the founder of the Karma Kagyu Sect, Dusum Khyenba (1110-1193 A.D.), passed on his will before his death, saying that his incarnation would be reincarnated in the world, and that his disciples should look for him after his death. The “reincarnation” that the disciples found according to his will was named Karma Pakshi. Before his death, Karma Pakshi indicated that he would be reincarnated, thus continuing the tradition of reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.
▲Karma Kagyu Sect Caitang
It is because of the belief that the soul is immortal and transferred in rotation, and later reincarnation is mainly manifested as the process of searching for the reincarnated soul boy. There are four main links:
1. Wills: Some great living Buddhas left a will before their death, especially the Living Buddhas of the Karma Kagyu Sect.
The sixteenth Karmapa left such a will: “He who knows himself is eternally happy, and the Dharma Realm is boundless. From here to the east of the snowy region, one day where the thunder naturally sounds (referring to Latuo), there is wishful thinking (referring to consumption). Ox) dressed up in a beautiful pasture, skillful — father is Dundup, Wisdom — mother is Luoga, born in the year of the Jile construction site.
The far-reaching sound of white snails is incomparably wonderful, and they are all called Karmapas. They are protected by Venerable Dunyongba (referring to Situ Tulku). His impartial and selfless compassion spreads all over the world, and he becomes the supporter of all living beings regardless of distance. The Dharma that benefits all living beings is like The sun will always shine. “The Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje was searched according to this will.
2. Oracles: Oracles are also called seance, which refers to conveying the will of gods when they are attached to people. It is a method commonly used by the Gelug Sect in the process of searching for the reincarnated soul boy. The seance can point out the birth direction of the soul boy and even the names of the soul boy’s parents.
3. Divination: Through divination by eminent monks, one can know the direction of the birth of the soul boy.
4. Watching the lake: Generally, the results of seance or the divination by eminent monks will show that the general direction and attribute of the birth of the soul boy are equal. In this case, many soul boys of the same attribute will appear in the same direction. At this time, the most effective decision-making method It is Guanhu. In Jiacha County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, there is a lake named Ramola Co, which is considered a sacred lake. Through devout prayers, some scenes will appear in the lake, and these scenes will show the specific place where the soul boy was born.
▲ Ramlacuo who can see the previous life
After the thirteenth Dalai Lama passed away, in order to search for his reincarnated soul boy, Rezhen Living Buddha saw a farmer at the end of the road in the reflection of this lake, with a huge tree in front of the door, a white horse tied beside the door, and a woman holding a The child stood under the tree, and searched according to the image, and found the 14th Dalai Lama in Qijiachuan, 20 kilometers away from Qinghai.
Through the above measures, the general direction, time, and family situation of the birth of the soul boy are basically affirmed. Afterwards comes the specific process of searching and confirming. This procedure is complicated and strict: observe the physical appearance, behavior and speech of the soul boy, etc.
Strange signs and strange “spirituality” of soul children
THE BIZARRE SIGNS AND BIZARRE “SPIRITUALITY” OF SPIRITUAL CHILDREN
Through observation, find out the clues or distinctive characteristics related to the living Buddha of the previous life. The 7th Dalai Lama was born in Litang. It is said that he began to do the rubbing pose to people and started talking when he was three months old. When asked who he was, he replied, “I am the incarnation of Buddha.” When asked where he was going, he replied that he was going to a monastery. When asked where the monastery was, he replied, “In the west (referring to Lhasa)”.
Another example is the Eleventh Dalai Lama, who said when he was young, “I am going to pack up and go to my monastery”, and said to everyone, “I see the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is my incarnation.” Tibetans believe that the living Buddha is the incarnation of Bodhisattva, and his behavior , Speech is different from ordinary people, often showing a kind of otherworldly talents and characteristics. These talents and characteristics have been manifested since childhood, so it is an important reference for identifying the reincarnated soul boy of the living Buddha, and it is also an important part of the search work.
▲The Potala Palace under the afterglow
All kinds of strange signs and dreams that appear when the soul child is born. Tibetan Buddhism believes that when an eminent monk and living Buddha is born, there must be some abnormal natural phenomena. Therefore, during the search process, the searcher should ask the family members of the person being searched and the people around him about the various omens that appeared before and after the birth of the soul boy.
When the thirteenth Dalai Lama was born, it was said that a ghee bag suddenly burst and the ghee overflowed, which symbolized auspiciousness. One of the pear trees in front of the door was full of flowers. On the roof of his house, The rainbow is like a pitched tent. Gannan Living Buddha Karsangtu Danwangqu was born in Dege, Sichuan in 1836. Some auspicious omens appeared in the dreams of his parents before he was born. An unprecedented variety of flowers.
▲The ill-fated thirteenth Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhism believes that the soul boy is not only the continuation of the spirit of the living Buddha of the previous life, but also inherits the spirituality of the previous life. Therefore, after he is born, he can remember everything in the previous life and can also identify the objects used in the previous life. In the process of searching, the seeker often brings some relics and imitations of living Buddhas of the previous life and puts them in front of the seeker at the same time, asking him to identify them. If the identification is accurate, he will be identified as the reincarnated soul boy.
When searching for the soul boy of the Sixth Panchen Lama, there were four candidates for “spiritual boy”. Tashilhunpo Monastery sent Suben Khenpo, the close attendant of the Sixth Panchen Lama, to the families of the four soul boys to conduct open and unannounced visits, and took out the teacups used by the Sixth Panchen Lama, Bell, pestle, rosary, etc., let the soul boy escape by himself. As a result, only the soul boy of Jixiong Xika in Bailang County, Shigatse took all the things that belonged to the Sixth Panchen Lama. So Khenpo Suben affirmed that the child was the reincarnation of the sixth Panchen Lama.
A soul boy with a background is the real “spirit”
THE REINCARNATED SPIRITUAL CHILD WITH BACKGROUND IS THE TRUE “EFFICACIOU”
The universal nature of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibetan areas determines that living Buddhas have religious authority and have great political and social influence. This has also become the focus of competition among all parties to control the power to identify reincarnated soul children.
Due to economic and political interests, reincarnated soul children often appear in the same family or are closely related. For example, the reincarnated soul boy of the eighth Dalai Lama came from the relatives of the sixth Dalai Lama, and the seventh Dalai Lama also had a close relationship with the eighth Dalai Lama. Relatives of lamas.
In fact, the selection of the reincarnated soul boy is also full of secret operations by various forces behind the scenes. In a sense, what they choose is not a reincarnation, but a representative of their own forces in front of the stage, just like choosing a prop to cover some of their ulterior secrets.
People are selfish. After becoming living Buddhas, they all hope that there will be more living Buddha reincarnations in their families, because only then will they enjoy extremely high political and life benefits. Therefore, in Tibet at that time, most of the living Buddha reincarnations were children from the same family.
Among them, the sixth Dalai Lama of Tibet was abolished after he failed in the internal struggle because he was controlled by the powerful behind the scenes. And sometimes after the lottery, the elected people were dissatisfied with the local forces, and eventually, the reincarnated Living Buddha died prematurely. Among them, the youngest was only eleven years old. This also reflects the instability of the living Buddha reincarnation system and political environment in Tibet.
The serf owners at that time also colluded with most of the temple monks to collect money from ignorant believers under the guise of Buddhism. Moreover, monks at that time did not need to participate in production activities, and they enjoyed the same treatment as nobles. Therefore, on average, every two ordinary people supported one lama.
Because of the high status and power of the lamas, in order to prevent internal and external collusion and rebellion, the central authorities at that time issued documents similar to today’s passports to foreigners entering the Tibetan border.
The correspondence between the living Buddhas and foreign feudal vassals was always translated by the minister in Tibet, and then sent instead of replying. Even in May and June every year, the ministers stationed in Tibet conduct border inspections and hold military exercises.
According to the teachings of Buddhism, the death of a living Buddha is nothing more than the transfer of the soul and the incarnation of another human being. The incarnation appears randomly, so there must be a reincarnation of the soul boy. Living Buddhas have been passed down endlessly and are maintained by the reincarnation system. Generation after generation is boundless forever.
However, the emergence of living Buddhas should not be related to the interests of the rich and powerful, and should not be used in the name of Buddhism to do things that are actually against Buddhism. Perhaps the most important thing that living Buddhas should do is to teach people to be kind. [Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and have nothing to do with the position of this official account. The picture comes from the Internet]
