[BGB] Too Much Spare Time Dept.

[Jim Barbaro]

Contradictions never seem to bother the PRC (that's China, not Cambridge).
 From Skeptic.com's podcast site 
<http://www.skepticality.info/vboard/showthread.php?t=6117>

Chinese government requires registration for reincarnation
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Not sure if this belongs under "Politics" or "Religion" but we'll go 
with this location.

Reincarnation of Living Buddha needs government approval

All the reincarnations of living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism must get 
government approval, otherwise they are "illegal or invalid," China's 
State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) said in Beijing 
Friday.

The SARA has issued a set of regulations on reincarnation of Tibetan 
living Buddhas, which will take effect as of September 1.

"It is an important move to institutionalize management on 
reincarnation of living Buddhas," the SARA said in a statement issued 
Friday.

The regulations require that a temple which applies for reincarnation 
of a living Buddha must be "legally-registered venues for Tibetan 
Buddhism activities and are capable of fostering and offering proper 
means of support for the living Buddha."

All the reincarnation applications must be submitted to the religious 
affairs department of the provincial-level government, the 
provincial-level government, SARA, and the State Council, 
respectively, for approval in accordance with the fame and influence 
of the living Buddhas in the religious circle, the regulations said.

"The selection of reincarnates must preserve national unity and 
solidarity of all ethnic groups and the selection process cannot be 
influenced by any group or individual from outside the country, " 
SARA said.

Tibet became an administrative district directly under the central 
authorities of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) in the 13th century. 
Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty conferred the title of living Buddha 
on Vphag-pa, a religious leader in Tibet at that time. Since then, 
people began to call eminent monks in Tibet living Buddhas.

SARA said the regulations are favor of guaranteeing normal religious 
activities of Tibetan Buddhism and protecting the religious belief of 
Tibetan Buddhism followers according to law.

"The government only administrate religious affairs related to state 
and the public interests and will not interfere in the pure internal 
religious affairs," SARA says.

The regulations are composed of 14 articles, including the principle, 
conditions, approval procedures, the duties and responsibilities of 
religious groups for reincarnation as well as punishment for those 
violating the regulations.





Reincarnating used to be a lot easier.

Jim
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