List of high-quality authors 27 years ago, how did the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chokyi Jebu become a living Buddha?
In 1995, an ordinary Tibetan family in Jiali County suddenly welcomed a group of monks. The young Gyaltsen Norbu, who was only four and a half years old, was not afraid to greet the monks when they first met.
You're finally here, and I've been waiting for you for a long time. Gyaltsen Norbu said calmly, looking a little more mature than his years.
When the monks heard this, their expressions were moved. One of them took out three portraits from the package and asked Gyaltsen Norbu if he knew the figures.
Of course I know, the first one is a great leader *** the second one is the current ** lama, and as for the third one ......It is the 10th Panchen Lama. ”
After Gyaltsen Norbu finished answering, he bowed to the portraits of *** and ** lamas in turn, but did not bow down in front of the 10th Panchen Lama.
Why not kneel? The monks asked curiously.
That's me, how can I bow down to myself? Gyaltsen Norbu replied with a calm expression, showing a calmness beyond his years.
On November 29, 1995, after a long and solemn ceremony, Gyaltsen Norbu was officially recognized as the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chokyi Jebu and became a living Buddha.
However, 27 years later, people are still curious about why Gyaltsen Norbu became the 11th Panchen Lama. What are the procedures that need to be gone through to confirm a living Buddha?
The reincarnation of the Living Buddha On January 27, 1989, the 10th Panchen Lama felt that his life was coming to an end. On that day, the sky was clear, but there was a yellow wind outside the temple.
Panchen gently lifted the curtains and felt the yellow breeze blowing**. He had never seen such a strong wind in his life! The Panchen knew that this was a sign that he had come to welcome him into the spirit.
The next day, January 28, the 10th Panchen Lama suddenly suffered a heart attack and fell to the ground with convulsions. Soon, he set out for Elysium.
The monks were deeply saddened by the passing of the 10th Panchen Lama. In his honor, they held a solemn funeral and began to search for the reincarnated spirit child of the Panchen Lama, according to his wishes.
Tradition holds that the soul of the Panchen will re-descend to a newborn baby. The child must be born after 10 months, in line with the saying that the baby is conceived in October.
However, this alone makes countless babies eligible. In the Tibetan community, there are many children who meet the time conditions. However, as a reincarnated spirit child, he must have a unique trait.
In addition, the day of the birth of the child must also be accompanied by an unusual phenomenon, symbolizing the arrival of auspicious fortune. Only children who possess the characteristics of ordinary people and are blessed with auspicious gifts can be the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.
Once a child meets these three conditions, the monks visit him. However, this does not mean that the child is a reincarnated spirit child, and there is a series of tedious procedures that need to be carried out.
Only children who meet these conditions at the same time can become the reincarnated spirit children of the Panchen Lama. These strict conditions doomed the search for the reincarnated spirit child to be a long and laborious task.
Although the monks regard the search for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama as part of their life's practice, the task of confirming the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama is still as daunting as finding a needle in a haystack.
After learning of the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, the Chinese Buddhist circles attracted widespread attention. The search for a reincarnated spirit child is regarded as an extremely solemn matter in Tibetan Buddhism.
After learning of this news, the national leadership upheld the principles of respect, care and support, and specially allocated 5 million funds to the monks looking for the reincarnated spirit child.
The monks are deeply grateful for the state's financial support. Although the Chinese Communist Party is an atheist party, under its leadership, the People's Republic of China is willing to tolerate and understand Tibetan Buddhism.
In June 1989, a group of people led by the Living Buddha Qiongbu were moved to pray for three days. Subsequently, they crossed the mountains and mountains, and finally came to the holy place in their hearts - Yongze Lucuo Lake!
Legend has it that this lake is capable of showing the blessings and misfortunes of this life and the next. In the hearts of these monks and local residents, Yongze Lucuo Lake is like a sacred lake that can "look at the face"!
Every year, countless pilgrims come here to pray. The reincarnation of the Panchen Lama in the past dynasties and the reincarnation of the living Buddha in the temple all need to be indicated by the manifestation of the sacred lake.
This was the first step in the search for the reincarnated spirit child, where the Living Buddha Qiongbu and others prayed devoutly, and finally received a revelation from the heavens, living up to expectations.
They witnessed the sight of the Panchen being prophesied in the northeastern part of Tashilhunpo Monastery. There, a thin red horse and a child stand with a colored hada in his hand and waves to the monks.
Inspired by this revelation, a group of monks embarked on an arduous journey to find the reincarnated spirit child. The path was challenging, and it took them six years of hard work.
For ordinary people, six years is precious. But for these devout monks, the search for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama is not just a formality, but a mission, a responsibility, worthy of their life's work!
Eventually, they found Gyaltsen Norbu, who was only four and a half years old, in Nagqu Jiali County.
A meeting of fates.
Fate is something that cannot be put into words. When the monks saw Gyaltsen Norbu holding hands with his parents from a distance, next to a thin red horse, they felt an inexplicable resonance in their hearts.
Gyaltsen Norbu was born in this small county town in 1990. According to legend, when he was five months old, he opened his tongue to speak Tibetan, which was originally "Weng" and later became "A".
And a black mole on the right side of his face is considered an auspicious omen, symbolizing divine victory.
It is worth mentioning that the name of the 10th Panchen Lama is "Chokyi Gyaltsen", and Gyaltsen Norbu's name also contains the word "Gyaltsen". The monks believed that the child was fundamentally different from the other candidates.
The fate of Buddhism seems to be predestined. When several eminent monks asked why Gyaltsen Norbu did not bow down to the Panchen Lama's portrait, their decision became even more firm and they decided to stay in Gyaltsen Norbu's house for the time being.
In the evening, Gyaltsen Norbu's family brought food to him, and Gyaltsen Norbu stared at the wooden bowl in the monk's hand and said that he also had an identical wooden bowl in the temple.
The mother explained to the monks that Gyaltsen Norbu had a special connection to Buddhism, was interested in religious utensils, and liked to give lectures to people.
Once, he approached his father and asked for discarded batteries, and after putting them in order, he told his father that he would give a lecture on them.
The eminent monks were deeply moved and praised Gyaltsen Norbu's fate with the 10th Panchen Lama. They decided to list him as one of the candidates for the reincarnation of the spirit child.
Although some would question the rigor of this practice, Gyaltsen Norbu was only four and a half years old. He showed composure and maturity far beyond his peers.
In addition to Gyaltsen Norbu, there are 27 other candidates. They will be tested and observed, and meticulously divined and verified.
In the end, Gyaltsen Norbu stood out as the only reincarnated spirit boy among the three boys.
Golden Vase Signature. The Panchen Lama's birth vase, or drawing lots, is the fairest method for Tibetan Buddhists.
During the Qianlong period, the selection of reincarnated spirit children was even more chaotic, and local shamans often carried out ritual selection. However, this method is susceptible to bribery, resulting in the spirit child only appearing in the homes of princes and nobles.
Therefore, the Golden Vase has become the most fair way to choose.
After Emperor Qianlong pacified, he abolished traditional practices that might pose a threat to centralization. In the Qing Dynasty's "Twenty-Nine Articles of Statutes", it is stated:
After the implementation of the new system, the emperor specially presented a gold vase to the temple. All the names chosen by the reincarnated spirit children are put into the tag and then a lot is drawn in front of everyone.
After the draw, all the lots need to be displayed publicly to ensure that the lottery process is fair and no cheating.
The Golden Vase Lottery became a way to select the reincarnated spirit child. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the "Measures for the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism" also clarified this system.
On November 29, 1995, after seven days of chanting and chanting, the golden vase that decided to belong to the reincarnated spirit child was placed in the Buddhist shrine.
At the solemn gold vase lottery, the Buddha shrine was escorted by the monks to the lottery table. **The delegates sent and the presiding monk waited on the sidelines.
In the end, the results of the drawing of lots for the living Buddha monks were announced, and the five-year-old Gyaltsen Norbu became the 11th Panchen Lama.
On December 8, 1995, with the approval of the 11th Panchen Lama, the 11th Panchen Lama held a solemn enthronement ceremony at Tashilhunpo Monastery.
Gyaltsen Norbu must renounce all identities and no longer be the child of his parents, no longer an ordinary teenager. After the ceremony, he changed his name to the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chokyi Jebu.
Gone are the old days. He became a living Buddha respected by countless people, the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, and was no longer the son of his family.
The living Buddha monks gave him the Dharma name: Jizun Lobsang Qiang Balundrup Chokji Jebu Bai Sambu. He officially said goodbye to his old life.
Time flies, and in 2022, the 11th Panchen Lama is already in his thirties.
He gradually adapted to the life of the Panchen Lama and gained his identity with the recognition of China. As the vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, he is committed to spreading his faith.
He has participated in many meetings of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and became China's first post-90s CPPCC member in 2013.
On October 26, 2021, he received the "Gachin" degree, one of the highest degrees in Tibetan Buddhism.
On May 18, 2022, as a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, he solemnly worshipped in front of the statues of the Buddhas.
He led the monks to chant sutras and pray for an early end to the epidemic, and called on the monks to love the country first and then the religion.
The identity of the 11th Panchen Lama marks the inheritance and development of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and also demonstrates the inclusiveness of the culture of the People's Republic of China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
The State is committed to maintaining multicultural heritage and respecting and acknowledging their respective status and differences.
Today, the 11th Panchen Lama has demonstrated the responsibility and mission of the new era with his actions and has become a role model for the world.