The Panchen Lama, or Panchen Erdeni, is the highest ranking lama after the Dalai
Lama in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the lineage which controlled
western Tibet from the 16th century until the Battle of Chamdo and the
subsequent 1959 Tibetan uprising. There are two candidates for the present
incarnation of the Panchen Lama: one, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was recognized by
the 14th Dalai Lama on 14 May 1995; the alternative, Gyaincain Norbu, was
selected by the Government of the People's Republic of China. Gedhun
Choekyi Nyima vanished from the public eye shortly after being named at aged
six. It has been claimed that Gedhun had been taken into protective custody from
those that would spirit him into exile and is now held in captivity against the
wishes of the Tibetan people, whereas the Chinese government states that he is
living a "normal" private life. Tibetans and human rights groups continue to
campaign for his release. History
The successive Panchen Lamas form a tulku reincarnation lineage which are
said to be the incarnations of Amitābha. The title, meaning "Great Scholar", is a
Tibetan contraction of the Sanskrit paṇḍita and the Tibetan chenpo. The
Panchen Lama traditionally lived in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. From
the name of this monastery, the Europeans referred to the Panchen Lama
as the Tashi-Lama. The recognition of Panchen Lamas has
always been a matter involving the Dalai Lama. Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen
Lama, himself declared, as cited by an official Chinese review that "according
to Tibetan tradition, the confirmation of either the Dalai or Panchen must be
mutually recognized." The involvement of China in this affair is seen by some as
a political ploy to try to gain control over the recognition of the next Dalai
Lama, and to strengthen their hold over the future of Tibet and its governance.
China claims however, that their involvement does not break with
tradition in that the final decision about the recognition of both the Dalai
Lama and the Panchen Lama traditionally rested in the hands of the Chinese
emperor. For instance, after 1792, the Golden Urn was thought to have been used
in selecting the 10th, 11th and 12th Dalai Lamas; but the 14th Dalai Lama,
Tenzin Gyatso, has more recently claimed that this was only really used in
selection of the 11th, and that in the other cases it was only used to humour
the Chinese to confirm a selection that had already been made by traditional
methods. A controversy existed between the
Tibetan government and supporters of Choekyi Gyaltsen. Ma Bufang patronized
Choekyi Gyaltsen and the non-Gelug schools against the Dalai Lama. Qinghai
served as a "sanctuary" for these groups, Ma Bufang allowed Kumbum
Monastery to be totally self-governed by the Panchen Lama. The 10th Panchen Lama,
who was exiled from Tibet by the Dalai Lama's government, wanted to seek
revenge by leading an army against Tibet in September 1949. He asked for help
from Ma Bufang. Ma cooperated with the Panchen Lama against the Dalai Lama's
regime in Tibet. The Panchen Lama stayed in Qinghai. Ma tried to persuade the
Panchen Lama to come with the Kuomintang government to Taiwan when the Communist
victory approached, but the Panchen Lama decided to defect to the Communists
instead. The Panchen Lama, unlike the Dalai Lama, sought to exert control in
decision making. Relation to the Dalai Lama lineage
The Panchen Lama bears part of the responsibility or the monk-regent for
finding the incarnation of the Dalai Lama, and vice versa. This has been the
tradition since the 5th Dalai Lama, recognized his teacher Lobsang Choekyi
Gyaltsen as the Panchen Lama of Tashilhunpo. With this appointment,
Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen's three previous incarnations were posthumously
recognised as Panchen Lamas. The "Great Fifth" also recognized Lobsang Yeshe,
5th Panchen Lama. The 7th Dalai Lama recognized Lobsang Palden Yeshe, 6th
Panchen Lama, who in turn recognized the 8th Dalai Lama. Similarly, the Eighth
Dalai Lama recognised Palden Tenpai Nyima, 7th Panchen Lama.
The 10th Panchen Lama became the most important political and religious figure
in Tibet following the 14th Dalai Lama's escape to India in 1959. In April, 1959
the 10th Panchen Lama sent a telegram to Beijing expressing his support for
suppressing the 1959 rebellion. “He also called on Tibetans to support the
Chinese government.” However, in 1964, he was imprisoned. His situation
worsened when the Cultural Revolution began. The Chinese dissident Wei
Jingsheng wrote in March 1979 a letter denouncing the inhumane conditions of
the Chinese Qincheng Prison where the late Panchen Lama was imprisoned. In
October 1977, he was released but held under house arrest in 1982. In 1979, he
married a Han Chinese woman and in 1983 they had a daughter, which is not
unusual as several Gelug high lamas have chosen a layman's lifestyle, both inside
China and in exile; also, the 6th Dalai Lama, also a Gelugpa, renounced his monk
vows and led not only a layman's but a playboy's lifestyle, but still is highly
revered by Tibetans. In 1989, the 10th Panchen Lama died suddenly in Shigatse
at the age of 51 shortly after giving a speech critical of the Chinese neglect
for the religion and culture of the Tibetans. His daughter, now a young
woman, is Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo, better known as "Renji".
Lineage In the lineage of the Tibetan Panchen
Lamas there were considered to be four Indian and three Tibetan incarnations of
Amitabha before Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, 1st Panchen Lama. The lineage starts
with Subhuti, one of the original disciples of Gautama Buddha. Gö Lotsawa
is considered to be the first Tibetan incarnation of Amitabha in this line.
Political significance Monastic figures had historically held
important roles in the social and makeup of Tibet, and though these roles have
diminished since 1959, many Tibetans continue to regard the Panchen Lama as a
significant political, as well as spiritual figure due to the role he
traditionally plays in selecting the next Dalai Lama. The political
significance of the role is also utilised by the Chinese state. Tibetan
support groups have argued that the Chinese government seeks to install its
own choice of Dalai Lama when Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama, dies and
that for this reason the Dalai Lama's choice of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima went
missing at the age of six, to be replaced by the Chinese state's choice,
Gyaincain Norbu. If this tactic is accurate, the announcement made by the
Dalai Lama on 10 March 2011 that he will step down from his political role.
See also Tibetan Buddhism
Gelug Dalai Lama
List of Panchen Lamas Tashilhunpo Monastery
History of Tibet References
= Citations= = Sources=
Goldstein, Melvyn C. A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the
Lamaist State University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06140-8
Goldstein, Melvyn C. The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai
Lama University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21951-1
Kapstein, Matthew T.. The Tibetans. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford, U.K. ISBN
978-0-631-22574-4. Stein, Rolf Alfred. Tibetan Civilization
Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-0901-7
External links Free the Panchen Lama, a campaigns
website for the Panchen Lama's release Tibet Society UK - The Background To The
Panchen Lama from http:www.tibet-society.org.uk/
China Tibetology No. 03, a series of articles from tibet.cn explaining the
Chinese government's position on the search of reincarnations of the Panchen
Lama. Tibet's missing spiritual guide, a May
2005 article from BBC News 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, a website
about Gedhun Choekyi Nyima