Gyaincain Norbu
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Chökyi Gyalpo, also referred to by his
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
name Gyaincain Norbu or Gyaltsen Norbu (born 13 February 1990), is considered the 11th Panchen Lama by the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
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 ...
(PRC). He is also the vice president of the
Buddhist Association of China 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 ...
. Gyalpo is considered by some to be a proxy of the Chinese government. Gyalpo's position as
Panchen Lama The Panchen Lama () is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition, with its spiritual authority second only to Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas, he ...
is disputed by the earlier recognition of
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born 25 April 1989) is the Dalai Lama appointed 11th Panchen Lama belonging to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Central Government of China rejected such appointment. The 14th Dalai Lama recognized and announce ...
, by the
14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...
. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, along with his family and
Chadrel Rinpoche Chadrel Rinpoche (; born 1940 in Shigatse), also known as his dharma name Jampa Trinley (), is a Gelug lama of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1954, he joined the Tashilhunpo Monastery at the age of 15. He was a close disciple of Choekyi Gyaltsen, the 10 ...
, the then-incumbent Khenpo of
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (), founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, is the traditional monastic seat of the Panchen Lama, and an historically and culturally important monastery in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The monastery was sa ...
, were kidnapped and/or arrested then detained in a series of unknown locations by the Chinese government in the days following the Dalai Lama's official recognition of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The exile government
Central Tibetan Administration The Central Tibetan Administration (, , ), often referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, is a non-profit political organization based in Dharamshala, India. Its organization is modeled after an elective parliamentary government, comp ...
, do not recognize the Chinese government's selection using
Golden Urn The Golden Urn refers to a method for selecting Tibetan reincarnations by drawing lots or tally sticks from a Golden Urn introduced by the Qing dynasty of China in 1793. After the Sino-Nepalese War, the Qianlong Emperor promulgated the 29-Article ...
. Only some monks in Chinese-controlled Tibetan monasteries refer to the Chinese government's proxy selection as the Panchen Lama.


Names

Gyaincain Norbu's full religious name is Jêzün Lobsang Qamba Lhünzhub Qögyi'gyäbo Bäsangbo, although he is generally called Qoigyijabu (). Meaning " Dharma king", this name can also be written Qögyi'gyäbo, Qögyi Gyäbo, Qoigyi'gyaibo, Qoigyi Gyaibo, Chökyi Gyalpo, Choekyi Gyalpo, or, in
Wylie transliteration Wylie transliteration is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English-language typewriter. The system is named for the American scholar Turrell V. Wylie, who created the system and published ...
, ''Chos-kyi Rgyal-po''. The Chinese equivalent is ''Quèjí Jiébù'' (). The secular name, Gyaincain Norbu (), can also be written Gyaencaen Norbu, Gyancain Norbu, or Gyaltsen Norbu.


Biography

Gyaincain Norbu was born on 13 February 1990 in
Lhari County Lhari County (; ) is a small county within the prefecture-level city of Nagqu in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The 11th Dalai Lama was born in Lhari County, as were both of the rival candidates for the position of the current Panchen Lama. Adm ...
in northern
Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a Provinces of China, province-level Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China in Southwest China. I ...
. He had been living in Beijing during his early childhood to be educated in a Chinese way, and travelled to
Tashilhunpo Monastery Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (), founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, is the traditional monastic seat of the Panchen Lama, and an historically and culturally important monastery in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The monastery was sa ...
for his enthronement in November/December 1995, in
Shigatse Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (; Nepali: ''सिगात्से''), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histor ...
, the official seat of the Panchen Lamas. Since his selection by the Chinese government as a proxy Panchen Lama, he has studied
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
, to his studies he added
Tibetan language Tibetan language may refer to: * Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard * Lhasa Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dialect * Any of the other Tibetic languages See also * Old Tibetan, the languag ...
,
sutra ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...
, and
logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...
at ten; he is bilingual in both Tibetan and Chinese. He spent most of his later childhood studying Buddhism in Beijing. In a rare appearance for his adolescent age, Norbu delivered a speech in Tibetan for the opening ceremony of the 2006 World Buddhist Forum about Buddhism and national unity. Reportedly, it received a cold reception among delegates, with fellow Buddhists making no attempt to greet Gyaltsen Norbu during greeting ceremonies ahead of the conference on Wednesday.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4905140.stm China hosts first Buddhism forum
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...
had not been invited, because he is viewed by China as "a long-time stubborn
secessionist Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics lea ...
who has tried to split his Chinese motherland and break the unity among different ethnic groups." Two years later, in 2008, he denounced anti-Han riots in Lhasa, saying "We resolutely oppose all activities to split the country and undermine ethnic unity". China promotes him as "the public face of Tibetan Buddhism". On 3 February 2010, Norbu was elected vice president of the
Buddhist Association of China 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 ...
. Later that month, at 20 years old, Norbu became the youngest member of the advisory body
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...
(CPPCC). Vice chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Hao Peng praised his appointment, in particular for Norbu's "demonstrating the role of the living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism and encouraging more believers to participate in state affairs". He was not, however, made vice chairman of the CPPCC, as
Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen (born Gönbo Cêdän; 19 February 1938 – 28 January 1989) was the tenth Panchen Lama, officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni (), of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, ...
was and was widely expected of Norbu. Still, the
Tibetan government in exile The Central Tibetan Administration (, , ), often referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, is a non-profit political organization based in Dharamshala, India. Its organization is modeled after an elective parliamentary government, compo ...
expressed concern that his appointment could prejudice his position on the next
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 ...
, who normally requires approval from the Panchen Lama. In May 2010, he reported to the ethnically Tibetan earthquake zone of the 2010 Yushu earthquake and held prayer services for victims. In June, he gave speeches at
Tibet University Tibet University (UTibet; ) is a public university in Lhasa, Tibet, China. The university is one of China's key universities and the largest university in the Tibet Autonomous Region. With an internationally renowned department of Tibetan st ...
and Tibet University of Traditional Tibetan Medicine 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 ...
promoting the value of education. In response to the 2010 Gansu mudslide, in which
Zhugqu County Zhouqu County (; ) is a county in the eastern extremity of the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the south of Gansu Province, the People's Republic of China, with the Bailong River flowing through its confines; it borders Sichuan province to ...
, a third of which is populated by Tibetans, was hit, he donated ¥50,000 to relief efforts and prayed for the victims. He pays visits to the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the
Panchen Lama The Panchen Lama () is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition, with its spiritual authority second only to Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas, he ...
, although he does not live there. The ''
Asia Times ''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
'' describes him as "A slight man who wears thick glasses and traditional crimson robes". In Hong Kong on 26 April 2012 Gyaincain gave his first appearance outside of mainland China to address over a thousand monks at the Third World Buddhist Forum on the topic of
Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
.


Selection

Following the death of the
Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen (born Gönbo Cêdän; 19 February 1938 – 28 January 1989) was the tenth Panchen Lama, officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni (), of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, ...
in 1989, both the Tibetan government in exile and the Chinese government started parallel processes in the six-year-long search for the 11th Panchen Lama. The head of the Chinese government's Panchen Lama search committee at the time,
Chadrel Rinpoche Chadrel Rinpoche (; born 1940 in Shigatse), also known as his dharma name Jampa Trinley (), is a Gelug lama of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1954, he joined the Tashilhunpo Monastery at the age of 15. He was a close disciple of Choekyi Gyaltsen, the 10 ...
, was able to secretly communicate with 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 ...
. He planned to submit the Dalai Lama's favored choice to the government. When the government learned of this, they arrested Chadrel in May 1995. The Dalai Lama moved to pre-empt China's choice, and proclaimed his own preferred candidate,
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born 25 April 1989) is the Dalai Lama appointed 11th Panchen Lama belonging to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Central Government of China rejected such appointment. The 14th Dalai Lama recognized and announce ...
, as the 11th incarnation of the Panchen Lama. Four days later, Chinese security forces escorted him from his home in Lhari County, stating that he "was at risk of being kidnapped by Tibetan separatists". China rejects Nyima as being "arbitrarily" chosen, while the Tibetan government in exile similarly insists on its candidate's legitimacy. Chadrel was replaced on the search committee by Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen. The new committee decided to choose the Panchen Lama from a list of finalists by drawing lots from a
Golden Urn The Golden Urn refers to a method for selecting Tibetan reincarnations by drawing lots or tally sticks from a Golden Urn introduced by the Qing dynasty of China in 1793. After the Sino-Nepalese War, the Qianlong Emperor promulgated the 29-Article ...
. The Chinese custom of using the Golden Urn had been introduced in the year 1792 by the
Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...
and used to select the 10th, 11th, and
12th 12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...
Dalai Lamas. Four days before his death, the China Tibet Information Center reports, the 10th Panchen Lama requested that the Golden Urn process be used to select his successor. According to Arjia Rinpoche, an important lama who attended the ceremony,
Ye Xiaowen Ye Xiaowen (; born August 1950) is a Chinese politician who held various top posts relating to state regulation of religion in China from 1995 to 2009. In 1995, Ye became the director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs under the State Council. ...
, the central government official in charge of the Panchen Lama issue, stated privately that the selection had been rigged in favor of Gyaincain Norbu. Six-year-old Gyaincain Norbu was selected on 8 December 1995 with the religious name Qoigyijabu. Exiled Tibetan
abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
Arjia Rinpoche, alleges that an official told him that the ceremony, which he attended, was rigged in favor of Norbu. Gyaincain Norbu was enthroned at Tashilhunpo Monastery and has since assumed the full functions of Panchen Lama. In attendance at the enthronement was the
8th Arjia Rinpoche Lobsang Tubten Jigme Gyatso (bot=བློ་བཟང་ཐུབ་བསྟན་འཇིགས་མེད་རྒྱ་མཚོ་), officially the 8th Arjia Hotogtu(bot=ཨ་ཀྱཱ་ཧོ་ཐོག་ཐུ།), born 1950 in Haiy ...
, who in his book says, "We had to prostrate to the so-called Panchen Lama...we had neither the respect for nor faith in this chosen child... I felt soiled by this gesture."


Diplomatic meetings

On 14 September 2010, the foreign minister of Singapore,
George Yeo George Yeo Yong-Boon ( zh, s=杨荣文, p=Yáng Róngwén; born 13 September 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2004 and 2011. Yeo served in the Singapore Army and ...
, became the first foreign member of government to meet officially with Gyaincain Norbu, at the Xihuang Monastery in Beijing.Wong Yee Fong
"Foreign Minister George Yeo meets 11th Panchen Lama"
''channelnewsasia.com'', Singapore, 14 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.


See also

*
Golden Urn The Golden Urn refers to a method for selecting Tibetan reincarnations by drawing lots or tally sticks from a Golden Urn introduced by the Qing dynasty of China in 1793. After the Sino-Nepalese War, the Qianlong Emperor promulgated the 29-Article ...
* 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of Tibet *
The Discourse of Lama The Discourse of Lama《喇嘛说》is an article written by the Qianlong Emperor in the 57th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty (1792) to elaborate on the policy (Article One of The 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing ...


References


External links


China Tibet Information Center – The 11th Panchen Lama

BBC News article – "Tibet's missing spiritual guide"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norbu, Gyaincain 1990 births Living people Panchen Lama XI People from Nagqu People's Republic of China politicians from Tibet Members of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Members of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Members of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet