China Bans Reincarnation!

[Nicholas Carey]

[from the "You can't make this up" department]

Newsweek reports this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20227400/site/newsweek/


In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."

More at the link.

:D

[skuthorp]

Their scared Mao might come back! Fancy, govt satirising itself!

[Michael s/v Sannyasin]

The irony is that the Chinese government is deadly serious about this. The new incarnation of the Dalai Lama is "recognized" by the second highest ranking lama, called the Panchen Lama. The 10th Panchen Lama died suddenly the day after making a speach critical of the Chinese government. Then, when the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama was "recognized" (traditionally by the Dalai Lama, but not sure about that in this case), he was arrested by the Chinese and has disappeared.

Then, the Chinese appointed their own 11th Panchen Lama, who's role it will be to "recognize" the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama. This will, of course, allow them to choose a politically correct Dalai Lama and officially end this Tibetian embarrassment once and for all.

Some say that the Chinese actually got to the real 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama before he was offically recognized and that child disappeared too. So, the Tibetians had to "recognize" a runner up... which might explain why things haven't gone so well there this generation.

Sounds like something out of The Golden Child!