Published by World Tibet Network News - Thursday - November 30, 1995

ORIGIN OF THE TITLES

The Dalai Lama:

The title "Dalai" is a Mongol word meaning ocean, which refers to the depth of the title holder's wisdom. This title was first offered by Mongol Prince Altan Khan to Sonam Gyatso in 1578. Sonam Gyatso then became the third Dalai Lama, while his two previous recognized incarnations came to be known posthumously as the first and second Dalai Lamas.

The Panchen Lama:

The title Panchen is made up of two words, "Pandita" and "Chenpo". Pandita is a Sanskrit word meaning scholar while "Chenpo" is a Tibetan word meaning great. Thus the title Panchen means the great Scholar.

The Fifth Dalai Lama gave Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen, the fourth abbot of Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the ownership of the monastery. Since then the title Panchen came to be applied to the successive reincarnations of Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen, and posthumously to the three preceding Panchens of Tashi Lhunpo monastery.

** Mutual Recognition Between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lamas: **

The relationship between the institutions of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lamas goes back to the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama and his tutor, who came to be known as the Fourth Panchen Lama. Since the one recognized the other, and this has come to be an established custom for either the recognition of the Dalai Lama and panchen Lama.

As regards the gold urn system, it was on of the 29 suggestions made by the Manchu emperor to the 8th Dalai Lama. These suggestions were not mandatory and were based on the priest-patron relationship between the Dalai Lamas of Tibet and the Manchu emperors of China.

This clearly emerges from the statement made by the imperial envoy and commander of the Manchu army, General Fu K'ang-an, to the 8th Dalai Lama: "The emperor issued detailed instructions to me, the Great General, to discuss all the points, one by one, in great length. This demonstrates the emperor's concern that Tibetan come to no harm and that their welfare be ensured in perpetuity. There is no doubt that the Dalai Lama, acknowledging his gratitude to the emperor, will accept these suggestions once all the points are discussed and agreed upon. However, if Tibetans insist on clinging to their age-old habits, the emperor will withdraw the Ambans and the garrison after the troops have been pulled out.

Moreover, if similar incidents occur in the future the emperor will have nothing to do with them. The Tibetans may, therefore, decide for themselves as to what is in their favor and what is not or what is heavy and what is light, and make a choice on their own". Quoted from Ya Han Chang's Biography of the 8th Dalai Lama in Bhod ki LorGyus Rags Rims gYU Phrengba, Vol. II, published by Tibet Institute of Social Sciences, Lhasa, 1991, p. 316.

Tibetans adopted only those points of the 29 suggestions which were perceived to be beneficial to them. As 9th Panchen Choekyi Nyima said, "Where Chinese policy was in accordance with their own views, the Tibetans were ready to accept the amban's advice; but...if this advice ran counter in any respect to their national prejudices, the Chinese emperor himself would be powerless to influence them" (Diary of Captain O'Connor, 4 September 1903)

As the Chinese have alleged, if the system of drawing lots from the golden urn bestows legitimacy on either the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama, then it must be pointed out that only in the recognition of the three of the fourteen Dalai Lamas and two of the ten Panchen Lamas has this system been used.

The fiction of the golden urn bestowing legitimacy on the reincarnations has been put to rest by the late Panchen Lama himself who has been quoted in the official Chinese Publications, China Reconstructs of January 1988 as saying, "According to Tibetan history, the confirmation of either the Dalai or the Panchen Lama must be mutually recognized,"

In 1986 the Panchen Lama said at a large gathering for the Great Prayer Festival in Lhasa in Lhasa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and I are spiritual friends. Some people are trying to cause dissension and discord between us, and this will never succeed. It is not appropriate for me to sit on his throne, but I have always been praying that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will come to Tibet soon and be able to preside over this Great Prayer Festival in the future."

On the other hand, China also pretends that the nationalist China's representative officiated at the enthronement ceremony for the 14th Dalai Lama. On July 31, 1989, Ngabo Nawang Jigme, the vice-chairman of the standing committee of the Chinese People's Congress said, "Last year, at a meeting of the Institute of Tibetology, I spoke about this and my observations concerning KMT documents. I said that we, the Communist Party, need not tell lies based on KMT lies. At that time, Comrade Chang Feng of the United Front Ministry, said, in future, we will not say that Wu Zhongxin officiated at the enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama."

CHINA'S PANCHEN LAMA ACTIVITIES

Based on these well established custom and practice, on May 14, 1995, His Holiness Dalai Lama announced that he recognized the six-year-old boy Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the authentic reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama.

China immediately denounced His Holiness recognition as "invalid" and coerced many of the leading Tibetan Buddhist figures to make similar condemnation. However, the majority of Tibetans refused to do this.

Tempa Tsering, Secretary

Department Of Information & International Relations

Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala, India