Geshe Sherab Gyatso
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Geshe Sherab Gyatso (; ) (1884–1968), was a Tibetan religious teacher and a politician who served in the Chinese government in the 1950s. After living in Lhasa for a period, he fell from favor with the establishment there in the 1930s and returned to his home in
Amdo Amdo ( am˥˥.to˥˥ ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being U-Tsang in the west and Kham in the east. Ngari (including former Guge kingdom) in the north-west was incorporated into Ü-Tsang. Amdo is also the bi ...
, an eastern Tibetan area. He associated himself first with the Nationalist Government of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
and then with the Communists of the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. He held a number of government posts in Tibetan areas under the People's Republic of China. He was also initially the vice-president and later the president of the Buddhist Association of China; the latter position he held until 1966. In 1968, during the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
, Sherab Gyatso's left leg was broken by a Red Guard. On November 1, 1968, he died. After the
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
was arrested, on August 26, 1978, the
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
provincial government rehabilitated him.


Amdo period

Born in what is now
Xunhua Salar Autonomous County Xunhua Salar Autonomous County ( zh, s=循化撒拉族自治县, p=Xúnhuà Sǎlázú Zìzhìxiàn; slr, Gökhdengiz Velayat Yisyr Salyr Özbashdak Yurt) is a Salar autonomous county in the southeast of Haidong Prefecture of Qinghai Province, Ch ...
,
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
. In 1884 (the 15th Year of the Wooden Monkey in the Tibetan Calendar), Sherab Gyatso was born in a poor Tibetan family in Xunhua, Qinghai. When he was about 7 years old, he was taught the novice precepts by Norbu Gesi at the Gurü (Gulei) Monastery, and was officially ordained as a monk. , named "Sherab Gyatso", meaning the sea of wisdom. Sherab Gyatso studied Tibetan grammar, Hetuvidyā, Vinaya, etc. in Gurü (Gulei) Monastery and Lde tsha Monastery, following Tome Geshe and Jiangxia Zugu. During this period, Sherab Gyatso's father died. At the age of 14, he went to the Wensi College of Labrang Monastery for further study. Sherab Gyatso successively studied under Tewu Guanque, Gongtang Luo Zhecang, and Si Shijia Muxiang, etc., and completed Hetuvidyā, Prajna and other courses with excellent grades. His scripture teacher Gongtang Luo Zhecang received full ordination for Sherab Gyatso. The 21-year-old Sheran Gyatso set off for Lhasa with the help of the sutra teacher.


Lhasa period

In the winter of 1904, Shirab Gyatso arrived in
Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...
and entered the Drepung Monastery in
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
Province, where he studied under the tutelage of great scholars such as Chozhi Gabu Geshe, Lobsang Yeshe Tenbe Gyaltsen, and devoted himself to the study of Madhyamika and
Abhidharmakośa-bhāsya The ''Abhidharmakośabhāsya'' ( sa, अभिधर्मकोशभास्य, lit. Commentary on the Sheath of Abhidharma), ''Abhidharmakośa'' ( sa, अभिधर्मकोश) for short (or just ''Kośa'' or AKB), is a key text on t ...
. In the debates of scriptures, the quick-witted Sherab Gyatso was well-known. Due to the rapid progress, Khenpo Guo Mang Zhacang was appointed as the repeater of Zhacang (in various procedures) In 1916, Sherab Gyatso obtained the qualification to pass the examination of Larenpa Geshe in the debate of scriptures in the three major monasteries in Lhasa. At the subsequent Lhasa Great Prayer Conference, the 32-year-old Sherab got the first place Larenpa Geshe. Then Sherab Gyatso entered the upper and lower tantric schools of Drepung Monastery to study. Since 1918, at the invitation of the Dalai Lama XIII, Sherab Gyatso completed the collation and printing of 29 copies of the Complete Works of Butön Rinchen Drub in the NorbulingkaPalace in six years, which was well received. Then, for eight years, he presided over the revision and engraving of the
Potala Palace The Potala Palace is a ''dzong'' fortress in Lhasa, Tibet. It was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959, has been a museum since then, and a World Heritage Site since 1994. The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythica ...
version of the
Tripiṭaka ''Tipiṭaka'' () or ''Tripiṭaka'' () or ''තිපිටක'' (), meaning "Triple Basket", is the traditional term for ancient collections of Buddhist sacred scriptures. The Pāli Canon maintained by the Theravāda tradition in ...
. In addition, Sherab Gyatso also published Diss Sangye Gyatso's book "Sound Temperament". During the period of Norbulingka Palace, Sherab Gyatso wrote more than ten kinds of works such as "Elucidation of Doubtful Definitions", "Immortal Vajra Thunderbolt" and "Ontology of Merit". In addition, he toured the three major monasteries to teach five great treatises. His monk disciples included Chijiang Renboje, Khenpo Qunpei Gyalpo of Komang Dratsang, Geshe Qiangpa Cicheng, Gendun Qunpei, and Gongpa. Tukten Jitak, Gongsang Lobsang Gyaltsen, etc. Others include Dbangchen Dgelegs (དབང་ཆེན་དགེལེགས), Lcanglocan Bsodnams Rgyalpo(ལྕང་ལོ་ཅན་བསོད་ནམས་རྒྱལ་པོ) , Degesai Sonamwangdui, Tsarong Dazang Dradül(ཚ་རོང་ཟླ་བཟང་དགྲ་འདུལ),
Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (; ; February 1, 1910 – December 23, 2009 ) was a Tibetan senior official who assumed various military and political responsibilities both before and after 1951 in Tibet. He is often known simply as Ngapo in English sourc ...
and so on. In the autumn of 1934, the "Tibet Tour Group" organized by Li Dan arrived in Lhasa, and then Li Dan and Yang Zhifu followed Sherab Gyatso to study Buddhism. From the end of 1934 to the end of 1936, at the request of Li Dan, Sherab Gyatso started to review and finalize the "Tibetan-Chinese Dictionary" compiled by the Qinghai Tibetan Language Research Society. Later recommended by Li Dan, the government of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
, through the Ministry of Education and the
Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) was a ministry-level commission of the Executive Yuan in the Republic of China. It was disbanded on 15 September 2017. History The first model was created during the Qing dynasty in 1636 a ...
, hired Sherab Gyatso to go to the Han region to serve as a lecturer on Tibetan culture and a lecturer on Sino-Tibetan culture at the Five National Universities.


Republic of China period

At the end of 1936, Sherab Gyatso, accompanied by Li Dan, Yang Zhifu, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Gongbasa Tutenjiza, etc., passed through
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, passed through
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, and arrived in
Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
in the spring of 1937. Where he was received/met Chaing Kai Shek and other important members of the Kuomintang. In the Central University, China, the Shanghai Great Bodhi Society etc., Sherab Gyatso made many cultural reports, introducing Master Tsongkhapa, the order of the Tao, the history of the
Gelug file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous ...
school, etc., during which Yang Zhifu served as the translator. His lectures in various colleges and universities were well received. In 1937, Sherab Gyatso joined the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
and served as a member of the National Political Council. After the full-scale outbreak of the Japanese Resistance War, Sherab Gyatso went to
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
and
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
in 1939 to actively promote national salvation and resistance to Japan. In many public occasions, Sherab Gyatso enthusiastically encouraged his compatriots to fight against resistance and save the country. In 1940, the Kuomintang named Sherab Gyatso as "Auxiliary Teacher Xuanji Chan Master" because of his "sincere protection of the
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
, deep worthy of Jiashang" (护国精诚,深堪嘉尚), along with two large and small
silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
. In 1941, the political situation in Tibet changed, and the third Daza Awang Songrao (Daza, Tibetan: སྟག་བྲག་ནག་དབང་གསུང་རབ།) replaced Rezhen as regent, and Sino-Tibetan relations from there on, began to deteriorate. In 1942, Sherab Gyatso attended the third National Political Participation Council of the Kuomintang. In 1943,
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
sent Sherab Gyatso to
Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...
, intending to win the favor of the big monastery for the Nationalist government. However, after negotiation by all parties in Tibet, it was decided that only Sherab Gyatso would be allowed to enter Tibet alone. Sherab Gyatso and his fifty followers had to stop at
Nagqu Nagqu (also Naqu, Nakchu, or Nagchu; ; ) is a prefecture-level city in the north of the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet. On May 7, 2018, the former Nagqu Prefecture was officially declared the sixth prefecture-level city in Tibet after Lhasa, ...
on the northern border of Tibet. In 1945, Sherab Gyatso was appointed as a representative of the National Congress. On July 23, 1947, the National Government appointed Sheran Gyatso and
Serengdongrub Serengdongrub (17 February 1894 – 2 August 1980), courtesy name Chü Ch'uan () and also known under the Chinese name of Pai Yün-t'i (), was an Inner Mongolian politician in the Republic of China. An ethnic Mongol, he was a native of Harqin ...
(Bai Yun-ti) as vice-chairmen of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission. In the same year, the fifth generation of the master of the Labrang Monastery in
Xiahe County Xiahe (; ) is a county in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu province, the People's Republic of China, bordering Qinghai province to the west. It is home to the famed Labrang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist ...
,
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
, Jamyang Zhépa passed away, and Sherab Gyatso went to offer condolences on behalf of the National Government.


People's Republic of China period

After the founding of the People's Republic of China , at the invitation of the Qinghai Navy Political Quarterly Committee, Sherab Gyatso returned to Xining from Saizong Temple in , Hainan,
Qinghai Province Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest pop ...
, and began to cooperate with the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
. In December 1949, the Qinghai Provincial People 's Government was established, and Sherab Gyatso served as the vice chairman. In addition, he also successively served as the director of the provincial cultural and educational committee, a member of the Northwest Military and Political Committee, and the deputy director of the Northwest Ethnic Affairs Committee.Before the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet, and the Sino-Tibetan war began, the People's Government had sent a peace mission to Tibet including Sherab Gyatso, hoping that Tibet would return to the motherland. On October 5, 1950, the Battle of Qamdo broke out, the Tibetan Army was defeated, the head of Qamdo
Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (; ; February 1, 1910 – December 23, 2009 ) was a Tibetan senior official who assumed various military and political responsibilities both before and after 1951 in Tibet. He is often known simply as Ngapo in English sourc ...
was captured, and the door to
Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...
was opened. On May 23, 1951, the Tibetan delegation headed by Ngapoi signed the
Seventeen Point Agreement The Seventeen Point Agreement is a short form of the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, ( zh, 中央人民政府和西藏地方政府关于和平解放 ...
in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. This year, Sherab Gyatso went to
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and was received by
Mao Tse-tung Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (P ...
and
Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
.
Mao Tse-tung Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (P ...
also gave him a car and several radios. In the autumn of 1951, Sherab Gyatso personally came to the Jianzhaangla area of
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
to do the work of organizing and settling a thousand Tibetan households. In 1952, when there was a riot in the
Baimai Baimai (Chinese character, Chinese: 八美; Pinyin: Bāměi) is a Township (People's Republic of China), Township in Lhorong County, Qamdo Prefecture in the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It lies at an altitude ...
area of Xikang, Sherab Gyatso published "The Book of the Holy Land Refuting the Bodi Baima", "The Light of the Wisdom of the Sun to Refute the False Prophecy, Sweeping the Darkness and Mist", "The Precursor Letter - Nectar Pearl", etc. Articles to assist the government in advocating policies.
Mao Tse-tung Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (P ...
,
Liu Shaoqi Liu Shaoqi ( ; 24 November 189812 November 1969) was a Chinese revolutionary, politician, and theorist. He was Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee from 1954 to 1959, First Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1956 to 1966 and C ...
and other state leaders have praised Sherab Gyatso for his contribution to national unity. In November 1952, Sherab Gyatso and Xuyun ,
Yuanying Yuanying (; 1878 – 12 September 1953) was a Chinese Chan Buddhist master and the first Venerable Master of the Buddhist Association of China. Biography Yuanying was born Wu Changfa () and Wu Hengchun () into a family of farming background in Pi ...
, Zhao Puchu and others initiated the establishment of the
Chinese Buddhist Association The Buddhist Association of China (BCA; ) is the official government supervisory organ of Buddhism in the People's Republic of China. The association has been overseen by the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since ...
. At the end of May 1953, the inaugural meeting of the Buddhist Association of China was held in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
Yuanying Yuanying (; 1878 – 12 September 1953) was a Chinese Chan Buddhist master and the first Venerable Master of the Buddhist Association of China. Biography Yuanying was born Wu Changfa () and Wu Hengchun () into a family of farming background in Pi ...
was elected as the president, and Sherab Gyatso was the vice president. In September, Yuanying passed away, and Sherab Gyatso was appointed as the acting president of the Chinese Buddhist Association. In 1954, he was elected to the First National People's Congress. In September, he attended the first session of the first National People's Congress to discuss the draft
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
, during which he made a speech. In 1955, at the second council meeting of the Chinese Buddhist Association, Sherab Gyatso officially became the president. In September 1956, the Buddhist Academy of China was established, with Sherab Gyatso serving as the dean and teaching for the students of the Buddhist Academy. In November 1956, Sherab Gyatso led a Chinese delegation to attend the 4th World Buddhist Friendship Association held in Kathmandu, Nepal ">Nepal.html" ;"title="Kathmandu, Nepal">Kathmandu, Nepal , and Sherab Gyatso was elected as the vice-chairman of the World Buddhist Association. From 1956 to 1958, as the Chinese Communist Party carried out large-scale "socialist transformation" in Tibetan areas in
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
, Sichuan ,
Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
, and
Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
, the Sino-Tibetan conflict gradually escalated and gradually spread to Lhasa. In March 1959, the Lhasa incident broke out, and then the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
and tens of thousands of Tibetans went into exile in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. In this regard, Sherab Gyatso delivered a speech, firmly supporting the government and opposing " Tibetan separatist movements ". In 1960, in order to commend Sherab Gyatso's achievements, the State Council of the People's Republic of China specially presented a large bronze bell weighing more than 2,000 kilograms from the
Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
to Sherab Gyatso, and sent a special vehicle to Gulei Temple in Xunhua,
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
. The Qinghai Provincial People's Government allocated 110,000 yuan to build a bell tower. In July 1962, Sherab Gyatso returned to Gulei Monastery and presided over the inauguration ceremony of the bell tower. Sherab Gyatso is also actively engaged in the translation of
Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
, proofreading the " Common Program " of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , guiding the translation of the 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China , and participating in the translation and revision of "Selected Works of Mao Zedong ". In June 1961, the Buddha's Tooth Attendant Group headed by Sherab Gyatso was invited to support the Buddha's tooth to
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and was warmly welcomed by the Sri Lankan government and people. In November 1961, the 6th World Buddhist Fellowship was held in
Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
, the capital of
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. Sherab Gyatso once again led a Chinese Buddhist delegation to attend, and shook hands with the monks and
kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...
of the two Cambodian factions. At the World Buddhist Friendship Conference, the Chinese delegation proposed to revoke the resolution made at the last conference to accept the " Buddhist Association of China " as the regional center, but it was rejected, and the Buddhist Association of China immediately withdrew. In February 1962, the 3rd National Congress of the Buddhist Association of China was held in Beijing, and Sherab Gyatso took over as the chairman. Although Sherab Gyatso supported the government to suppress the rebellion by force if necessary, he was often able to express his views bluntly at public meetings about some major policy mistakes of the government, and some of his words could be described as fierce. is rare. At the National Work Conference held in Beijing from April 21 to May 29, 1962, Sherab Gyatso made a sharp criticism of the leadership of the
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
: "I want to tell the truth today, you have some practices. It's too unpopular . You did what
Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
and
Ma Bufang Ma Bufang (1903 – 31 July 1975) (, Xiao'erjing: ) was a prominent Muslim Ma clique warlord in China during the Republic of China era, ruling the province of Qinghai. His rank was Lieutenant-general. General Ma started an industrialization pro ...
did not do... You always like to avoid substantive issues and play numbers games... I will also learn from you, using a few numbers, to talk about your problems in the past few years: The first is telling lies, the second is not admitting mistakes, the third is messing with people, the fourth is lacking the Buddha’s mind, and there is no humane way…”. (The personnel who translated his words at the Conference were once afraid to do translation work) In October 1964, a conference to criticize Sherab Gyatso was held at the Beijing Buddhist Academy, and Sherab Gyatso was charged with various charges, such as "connecting with foreign countries", "backbone of a treasonous group", "colluding in rebellion", "developing "Reactionary Program" and so on,(he was in fact innocent and these were baseless charges that many other prominent Community Party officials similarly faced during the "Cultural Revolution") Sherab Gyatso protested against this, but the criticism gradually escalated, and Sherab Gyatso was later quarantined and
censored Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
. At the end of 1964, Sherab Gyatso, who was already eighty years old, was sent back to
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
and continued to be criticized in Xunhua. In
Xining Xining (; ), alternatively known as Sining, is the capital of Qinghai province in western China and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. The city was a commercial hub along the Northern Silk Road's Hexi Corridor for over 2000 years, and wa ...
, the "Exhibition on the Crimes of the Anti-Party and Treason Group of Sherab Gyatso" was also held. 0In 1966, when the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
broke out, Sherab Gyatso was beaten and one of his legs was broken. On November 1, 1968, Sherab Gyatso was tortured to death in prison. In 1979, Sherab Gyatso was rehabilitated. On October 6, the Qinghai Provincial Government held a memorial meeting for Sherab Gyatso in
Xining Xining (; ), alternatively known as Sining, is the capital of Qinghai province in western China and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. The city was a commercial hub along the Northern Silk Road's Hexi Corridor for over 2000 years, and wa ...
.


Publication

About fifteen manuscripts of Sherab Gyatso's lectures in Lhasa were brought to
Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
in 1936 and stored in the Ganqingning Hall, but were bombed by Japanese aircraft in 1937. After he came to the mainland, his writings were burned down during the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
. Therefore, the remaining works of Sherab Gyatso are relatively few. -The Collected Works of Master Sherab, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, published from 1982 to 1984 《喜饶大师文集》 -"An Introduction to Tibetan Culture" 《藏族文化概论》


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Chinese communists 1968 deaths People from Haidong Republic of China politicians from Qinghai Political office-holders in Qinghai People's Republic of China politicians from Qinghai Republic of China Buddhists People's Republic of China Buddhists Tibetan Buddhists from China Victims of the Cultural Revolution 1884 births Religious leaders in China {{China-politician-stub