Religious scholars said the Dalai Lama is expected to offer input on search

[Ringo Starr]

Sunday, November 20, 2016
By GANBAT NAMJILSANGARAV

Associated Press

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — The Dalai Lama preached to thousands of Buddhists in Mongolia despite demands from China that the visit by the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader be scrapped, at a time Mongolia seeks a critical aid package from its powerful neighbor.

The Dalai Lama addressed followers at the Gandantegchenlin monastery on Saturday and spoke about materialism at the start of a four-day visit that Mongolia says is purely religious in nature and won’t include meetings with officials.

On Sunday, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to chant special sutras at a large sports facility built by Chinese companies through Chinese aid.

The trip could have repercussions for land-locked Mongolia’s relationship with China, which protested previous visits by the Dalai Lama by briefly closing its border in 2002 and temporarily canceling flights from Beijing in 2006.

China’s Foreign Ministry had demanded that the Dalai Lama’s visit be canceled. Spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday that the Dalai Lama is a “political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China.”

Geng appealed to Mongolia to maintain “the general picture of a sound and steady development of bilateral ties (and) earnestly stick to its commitment on Tibet-related issues.”

The Dalai Lama has been based in India since fleeing Tibet during an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

His visit comes as Mongolian leaders are seeking a $4.2 billion loan from Beijing to pull the country out of a deep recession. With commodity prices slumping, Mongolia is running out of hard currency to repay foreign debts and is seeking help from a neighbor that accounts for roughly 90 percent of its exports.

Mongolian Buddhism is closely tied to Tibet’s strain and many in the heavily Buddhist country revere the Dalai Lama, who made his first visit in 1979.

Mongolian religious figures say the visit could be the last for the 81-year-old spiritual leader, and some of his followers traveled hundreds of miles to see him while braving the coldest November temperatures in a decade.

Daritseren, an ethnic Mongolian from Russian Siberia, said she only heard on Friday that the Dalai Lama was visiting and traveled with 40 other people for 15 hours overnight to make it just in time for the sermon.

Boldbaatar, a 75-year-old herder, said he rushed from 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.

“I’m an old man,” he said. “Maybe I’m seeing His Holiness, the incarnation of Lord Buddha, for the last time.”

Religious scholars said the Dalai Lama is expected to offer input on the search for the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, a top-ranked lama in Buddhism.


Source:
http://www.recorder.com/preaches-in-Mongolia-6275669

[grandmapele]

The aftermath of this visit will be interesting to observe. What stance will the Dalai Lama take? Wil he be hardline and impose his view on the recognition of the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, a top-ranked lama in Buddhism? Will he take the opportunity to condemn Dorje Shugden practitioners or will he continue his softened stance that anyone can practice Dorje Shugden?

And, what will the China address China on this visit? Will he try to coerce Mongolia into taking up Tibet's cause or his cause?

How will China react. Already "China’s Foreign Ministry had demanded that the Dalai Lama’s visit be canceled. Spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday that the Dalai Lama is a “political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China.”

Let's just wait and see?

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Religious scholars said the Dalai Lama is expected to offer input on the search for the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, a top-ranked lama in Buddhism.

This is an interesting note. I am just wondering if it is a traditional practice of getting input from the Dalai Lama when searching for the reincarnation of a high lama, even in Mongolia. Far as I know, there is already much troubles in the recognition of the Panchen Lama and the Karmapa. Hopefully the parties involved would agree on the selected candidate.

It is also very heartening to see that so many people, young and elderly have made the effort to travel great distances to catch a glimpse and receive blessings from HHDL.

[grandmapele]

 ‘The 10th Khutughtu has already been born somewhere in Mongolia but is still too young to be crowned. We need to wait for 2-3 years until he will be 4-5 years old’. - http://www.news.mn/r/318217

So, does this mean that the recognition is final and that the Dalai Lama will enthrone his candidate/ Well, seeing that the enthronement is deferred for another 4, 5 years, how will this play out? Does this mean that there will be a reconciiation and that the Dalai Lama is easing off on this matter and that there, hopefully, will not be more than one Khutughtu, the 10th.

Really wish this is so. And, that Tibetan Buddhist can start the journey of mending the fence.

[michaela]

The aftermath of this visit will be interesting to observe. What stance will the Dalai Lama take? Wil he be hardline and impose his view on the recognition of the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, a top-ranked lama in Buddhism? Will he take the opportunity to condemn Dorje Shugden practitioners or will he continue his softened stance that anyone can practice Dorje Shugden?

And, what will the China address China on this visit? Will he try to coerce Mongolia into taking up Tibet's cause or his cause?

How will China react. Already "China’s Foreign Ministry had demanded that the Dalai Lama’s visit be canceled. Spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday that the Dalai Lama is a “political exile who has long been engaging in splitting China activities in the name of religion with the aim of alienating Tibet from China.”

Let's just wait and see?

Just to add the information to the article above, after the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Mongolia, the CTA applauded the Mongolian government for allowing the visit. However, Mongolia is now suffering from the consequences of this visit. China cancels all diplomatic meetings including negotiation of $4.2 billion loan that can get Mongolia out of recession. The CTA is staying quiet over this whole ordeal… there is no indication that they are giving any form of support at all to Mongolia.

[grandmapele]

Michaela, of course, the CTA will keep very, very quiet. They expect others to take the hit for them. That is a foregone conclusion. Mongolia is also caught in the middle of the conflicts that the Dalai Lama started and the CTA perpetuated.

The Mongolians are essentially Gelugs, so the Dalai Lama is respected as well. But, they are mostly Dorje Shugden practitioners, so they are caught there. With the divide n the Kagyus, Gelugs and the Buddhas only knows what else that has been stirred, the Mongolians are not in an enviable positions too. The CTA is hoping that the Mongolians will be caught in a trap such as this and take their side.

The CTA is creating nothing but strife and conflict in everything they do and touches. They still think the world owes them a living. Well, they better grow up real quick.