A hundred years of wind and rain： the life and death hatred between Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama in modern Tibet
There is a proverb in Tibet-"The sun and the moon in the sky, the Dalai Lama Panchen Lama on the earth". Among people interested in Tibetan culture and tourism, the "two living Buddha systems" of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism are no strangers.
As early as the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the two had a long history. There were many stories about helping each other and being "mentors and apprentices" in previous dynasties. However, in the modern century, there have been many cases of different ways, even parting ways.
The Dalai Lama is stationed in the former Tibet and the Panchen Lama is stationed in the latter Tibet.
Due to the special geographical conditions and historical origins, Tibetan Buddhism and Han Buddhism are not only different in style, but also form many factions, among which the "five major factions" are the most influential.
The leaders of their respective factions are often also the leaders of famous temples and eminent monks respected by believers. For the sake of spreading their influence, a unique system of "reincarnated living Buddha" was naturally born.
In the cultural system of Tibetan Buddhism, it is believed that the death of a living Buddha does not mean that its spirit will die with it, and the soul of the previous living Buddha will be reborn to a specific person.
This particular person is the reincarnation of the Buddha who can finally be recognized through strict rituals and complicated procedures. The soul boy must be trained and shaved, and after several years, he will be recognized as the successor of the previous generation of living buddhas, that is, the living buddhas of this generation.
Since Tibetan Buddhism has a large number of sects, there are naturally more than one or two active living buddhas in the same period. Living buddhas usually receive a lot of education, have enough religious prestige and cultural appeal to convince the public, and therefore become the object of worship and follow by local believers.
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Professor Yao Wang, a famous Tibetan scholar, received a lot of help and guidance from Gongga Living Buddha in Gongga Ben Temple when he entered Tibet, paving the way for his team to deeply understand the cultural customs of Tibetan areas.
Among them, only the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are particularly famous, which is directly related to the Gelug Sect they represent, which has grown in momentum and played an important role in history since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
From a sectarian point of view, both the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama originated from Master Zong Kaba, the founder of the Gelug Sect and a famous monk. The history of Tibetan Buddhism speaks highly of this master's achievements and respectfully calls him "the second Buddha".
According to ancient records, Master Zong Kaba received eight disciples, including not only byams-chen-chos-rje, who was awarded the title of "King of Mercy", but also Ke Zhujie, the Panchen Lama, and Gendun Juba, the Dalai Lama.
The meaning of "Dalai Lama" in Tibetan is "wisdom is like the guru of the sea", which originally came from the Tatan Khan of Tumd Department of Mongolia, and later was officially canonized by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which means that the reincarnation system of Dalai Lama was recognized by the central court.
The honorific title "Panchen Erdene" means "a great scholar and a brave man". It was originally obtained from Gushi Khan, the leader of Mongolian Heshuote Department, and was later inscribed by Emperor Kangxi's golden book: the Panchen Lama Department "holds Tashilhunpo Temple forever, and then hides under its jurisdiction".
The Dalai Lama system and the Panchen Lama system, both of which belong to the Gelug Sect, have great influence in Tibet and Mongolia, and most of the past dynasties have close ties with the central court. Political status and cultural status show a rising trend, and the personal prestige of its leader "living Buddha" naturally rises.
Modern times: "rise with fate, intermittent"
Even so, in the era when "I Panchen Lama" and "I Dalai Lama" lived, there were not necessarily many other intersections except the real relationship of the same family.
Not only themselves, but also their respective reincarnated successors, II and III, are basically not closely related. In the final analysis, the reason for this situation lies in the fact that both the "Dalai Lama" and the "Panchen Lama" have their honorific titles traced back and sealed.
When the Panchen Lama IV was active with the Dalai Lama IV and the Dalai Lama V, the "two-generation mentoring" relationship between the three made the relationship between the two systems very close, and even started a certain tradition of "taking the elderly as teachers" between the two systems.
The 4th Dalai Lama once asked for Dharma from Luosang Chagyijianzan (later honored as the 4th Panchen Lama), who was then the Chiba of Zhashbulun Temple in Tibet, and worshipped him as a teacher and received the Bhikkhu precept. This is the origin of the relationship between the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama.
Later, the fourth Dalai Lama passed away. Because of the special situation at that time, it was difficult to even find the ritual of the spiritual child. This change is a great threat to the entire Dalai Lama's inheritance system-the Dalai Lama can't find a spiritual child, which means that the fourth Dalai Lama can't be reincarnated, and the entire Dalai Lama's inheritance system may even be cut off.
Under such a crisis situation, it was the fourth Panchen Lama who used his prestige and influence to take on the overall situation. On the one hand, he personally presided over the temple affairs of Sera Temple in drepung monastery, fulfilling the responsibility of the leader of the gelug sect monasteries Group, and on the other hand, he actively promoted the ritual procedure of finding the Dalai Lama.
Awang Luosang Gyatso, a clever boy, was able to successfully complete a series of ceremonies according to the formal rituals, and was finally honored as the Fifth Dalai Lama. In fact, he relied on the help of the Fourth Panchen Lama. Therefore, when he was old enough to be ordained, he naturally became a teacher of the Fourth Panchen Lama.
Since then, a tacit understanding has gradually formed between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama that "the elders are teachers and the young are disciples". There is also a certain premise for this relationship to be maintained. Both sides must trust and respect each other. According to the doctrine, the status of the two living buddhas is too high, and others are not particularly suitable to be teachers for them.
However, the mentoring relationship between the two sides is only a tacit understanding and possibility, and "starting with fate, intermittent" has not become a statute or religious ritual. There are examples of the close relationship between Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama in the past dynasties, and there are also cases where they are relatively distant and even meet infrequently.
In the modern century, due to various reasons, such as changing times and personal choices, there have been cases of parting ways and even different roads.
Panchen Lama: From IX to X.
Erdene Qujinima, the ninth Panchen Lama, was regarded as an outstanding social activist and patriotic religious figure by later generations because he insisted on anti-imperialist patriotism and supported national unity and national unity all his life.
During the years from the birth of the Ninth Panchen Lama to the monks' precept, the situation in Tibet was not calm. The British army not only coveted Tibet, but also made frequent interventions and aggressions. The Panchen Lama became a living Buddha recognized by the central government during the Guangxu period in the late Qing Dynasty. Since then, as the leader of the Tibetan monks and laymen, he has always stood firm against aggression.
Even though he was kidnapped by the British leader Okono and sent to India, the Panchen Lama still resolutely refused to make any promises that would harm the national interests. Even in the face of the British Crown Prince, he refused to bow down and claimed that he "only bowed down to the great emperor."
However, to some extent, it is precisely because the ninth Panchen Lama's "inward-looking" attitude is not completely consistent with that of the thirteenth Dalai Lama. During the Dalai Lama's departure, the Qing court made the Panchen Lama act as the Dalai Lama's authority, which further strengthened their mutual feelings. In the end, the contradiction between the two sides finally broke out with the Dalai Lama's "New Deal" as the fuse.
During the New Deal of the 13th Dalai Lama, the manors and pastures belonging to Tashilhunpo Monastery were under great pressure, and even a quarter of the military expenditure fell on the head of the 9th Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama was forced to leave the mainland at the end of 1923 because he felt that not only his status was likely to be reduced to a "second-class living Buddha", but even his life safety was threatened.
The Panchen Lama traveled to Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai and other places for several years, and never returned to Tibet after that, and finally died in Jiegu Temple in Yushu, Qinghai. Some researchers believe that this incident represents the openness and intensification of the contradiction between the two living Buddha systems. Since then, although both sides have eased their attitudes and sought the return of the Ninth Panchen Lama to Tibet, they have failed to beat time.
Successors: a completely different path
And their respective successors have finally embarked on a completely different path.
When Japan's war of aggression against China broke out, the Ninth Panchen Lama not only publicly showed his attitude of supporting the central government and "implementing the five-nation republic", but also delivered a speech entitled "Tibet is the territory of China". He also personally mediated the unstable situation among Mongolian nobles for many times, regardless of his own safety, and helped the central government break the plot of "Mongolian autonomy" concocted by Japan.
In view of the master's profound understanding of righteousness and mastery of Buddhism, there are always media reports everywhere he goes, and dignitaries and celebrities from all over the country compete to accompany him, which makes him proud and fashionable.
The National Government appointed him as the "ambassador of Xihuang" and later elected him as a member of the National Government. Although the master nominally received the treatment of "high salary", he never used these possessions for private enjoyment or home purchase. Except for the necessary expenses, most of them were invested in various charitable acts that gave back to the society.
When the Lugouqiao Incident broke out in 1937, the ninth Panchen Lama was seriously ill. However, he still kept in mind his responsibility as a China citizen, spoke loudly for the national war of resistance, and at the same time donated money and materials for practical material support.
At the end of this year, due to overwork, the Panchen Lama died in Yushu, Qinghai, leaving his last words: all the guns and weapons in Hangyuan were dedicated to the central government except for the personal use of the guards, "in order to help the country."
In June, 1949, Li Zongren, then acting president of the National Government, issued an instruction to determine Kampot Cidan, whose legal name was "Que Ji Jian Zan", as the reincarnation child recognized by the central government, and was "exempted from drawing lots". In August of the same year, the grand ceremony of sitting on the bed was successfully held. This spiritual child was the later 10th Panchen Lama.
As for the lineage of the Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama, whose birth name is Lamu Dengzhu, was selected as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1938, and was exempted from the "golden urn lottery" by the National Government at that time. In 1940, he held a bed-sitting ceremony in Lhasa and became one of the leaders of Tibetan Buddhism at the age of 16.
Although there have been many origins of common advance and retreat in history, since the late 1950s, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso has embarked on a completely different road from the previous generation and the Panchen Lama.
Eitinger, a Luxemburg scholar, once wrote a monograph based on his years of research, exposing all kinds of lies about Tibet in the past years, and asserted that "the idea of splitting Tibet from China is a pipe dream".
The 10th Panchen Lama: a widely respected patriot.
The 10th Panchen Lama, on the other hand, inherited the fine tradition of loving the country and teaching from the previous generation of living buddhas. He not only worked hard and devoted his life to promoting Buddhism, but also attached great importance to national unity and constantly carried out various measures of patriotism and benefiting the people.
For example, the Advanced Buddhist College of the Tibetan Department was successfully established with the joint exchange and efforts of Zhao Puchu, president of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The 10th Panchen Lama also devoted a lot of efforts to the economic development and cultural dissemination in Tibet.
In the last few years of his life, the 10th Panchen Lama devoted a lot of energy to the planning and construction of the Tashinan Jieling Pagoda in the Dongling of the Panchen Lama.
1989 is the 40th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 30th anniversary of the abolition of serfdom in Tibet. Tashinan Jieling Pagoda, on the other hand, is the burial tower of the Fifth Panchen Lama to the Ninth Panchen Lama, which is of great significance in the minds of Tibetan monks and laymen.
The Panchen Lama believes that the opening ceremony of the Lingta must be held successfully and successfully at this important time node, which is not only beneficial to promoting Buddhism, but also of great significance to promoting national unity. He called it "the biggest wish", so he went all out to finish it.
Preparations for the opening ceremony were complicated and meticulous. Besides, the Panchen Lama listened to reports, held symposiums, inspected the countryside, and touched the top for believers. When the local Tibetans heard the news, they lined up in front of the door, waiting for his blessing. The Panchen Lama often sat for hours.
Perhaps it was because the opening ceremony consumed too much energy. Shortly after the successful conclusion of this grand event, the 10th Panchen Lama died in the clean room of the new palace.
This unfortunate news has aroused widespread regret from people of all ethnic groups, and his contributions have made him widely respected as a patriot and state activist. So far, every anniversary of his death, temples and Buddhist associations in Tibet and Qinghai still hold various activities to commemorate the master.
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In more than a hundred years in modern times, the two lineages of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama not only have similar growth paths, but also inherit the close relationship handed down from the past. They should have trusted each other and had deep roots.
However, when the tide of the times strikes and faces the critical moment of right and wrong, an individual's choice will inevitably determine the path of fate and his position in historical evaluation.
References:
Chairman of the People's Religious Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: The Dalai Lama said that no reincarnation is a conspiracy; March 11, 2015; people.cn
Foreign scholars reveal the true face of the Dalai Lama: some people want China to disintegrate; 2015-06-26； People's Daily
Special Report on Li Decheng: The Illegal Nature of the Dalai clique and its Government in Exile; Guangming net; 2023-03-30
The origin of the titles of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Erdene and their relationship with the central government; China Tibet Network; 2018-03-21
The death and last words of the 10th Panchen Lama; April 12, 2005; Cctv international network
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