The daily life of the 11th Panchen Lama is revealed
The Panchen Lama is an important leader of Tibetan Buddhism and has a high status in the world. The current Panchen Lama is the 11th Panchen Lama, who was born in 1990 and has spent 32 years since he was elected as a Panchen in 1995.
How was he elected as the 11th Panchen Lama, and how did he spend his daily life? Let's find out.
In 1989, when the 10th Panchen Lama died, the important task of the religious community became to search for and identify his reincarnated child. A unique system of transmission in Tibetan Buddhism is the reincarnation of a living Buddha, in which a sect leader dies and is reincarnated as a baby, or a reincarnated spirit child.
Once the reincarnated spirit child is found, the sect will enshrine him as the leader of the new generation.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the reincarnation system of living Buddha was established for the first time. This system has played an important role in ensuring the stability of the sect lineage and avoiding the change of sect leaders, and is therefore widely adopted by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Gelug sect occupied a dominant position because of the support of **. The famous ** and Panchen are the representatives of the two major living Buddha reincarnation systems of the Gelug school.
In order to strengthen the control of **, the Qianlong Emperor introduced the golden bottle lottery system during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. In the process of confirming the reincarnation of the spirit child, the minister in Tibet will write the name and birth date of the candidate spirit child on the signature in Manchu, Chinese, and Tibetan, and then put it into a golden vase for the final decision.
The core idea remains the same, but the new copy is more coherent and fluent.
After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, his mother monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, and many **monks raised the question of reincarnation to ***. **In accordance with historical practice, the democratic management committee of Tashilhunpo Monastery is instructed to be responsible, and the Buddhist Association of China and the **branch of the Buddhist Association are requested to assist in finding and identifying the reincarnated spirit child of the 10th Panchen Lama.
After six years of hard work, Tashilhunpo Monastery confirmed three candidates for the spirit child, and they were approved by ***.
On November 10, 1995, the people of the autonomous region submitted to *** the "Request for Instructions on Identifying Three Boys as Candidates for the Golden Vase of the Reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama", which was approved by *** on November 25.
On November 29, 1995, the world-renowned Panchen Reincarnation Spirit Boy Golden Vase Drawing Ceremony was held in front of the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in Jokhang Temple under the auspices and supervision of the first representative and the first special commissioner.
During this sacred ceremony, Bomi Qiangba Lozhu, president of the ** branch of the Buddhist Association of China, solemnly took out a sign with Gyaltsen Norbu written on it from the gold vase, which was written in both Tibetan and Chinese languages.
After the inspection and confirmation of the deputies, commissioners and eminent monks, Commissioner Jiangcun Rob announced that Gyaltsen Norbu had won the lottery and confirmed that the ceremony had been successfully completed.
Subsequently, the request of the Autonomous Region was approved, and Gyaltsen Norbu was recognized as the 11th Panchen Erdeni, and the enthronement ceremony was held at Tashilhunpo Monastery, successfully completing the important Buddhist event of searching for and confirming the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama and the succession of the 11th Panchen Lama.
So, what was the much-talked-about 11th Panchen Lama's life like after he was bedded? Now, how has he grown?
Before the dawn of the morning dawned on the sky, the young 11th Panchen Lama had already gotten up to start a new day's journey. Since his accession to the throne, he has given up the lazy time enjoyed by ordinary children and started his spiritual journey early.
After washing, he walked into the morning prayer room and solemnly bowed to the statue of Shakyamuni three times.
The 11th Panchen Lama's daily spiritual life was orderly, and he always adhered to the etiquette of the three prostrations, and was meticulous, and every prostration was full of respect. Morning recitation was his daily compulsory, and he focused on the fundamentals of Gelugpa, which he memorized by heart, and laid a solid foundation in Buddhist theory.
His breakfast is simple and rich, with traditional Tibetan foods and common foods of the Han people, and every bite is full of the mood of life. Although his life is simple, it is full of tranquility and harmony, and his spiritual world is rich and profound, which is worthy of learning and reference from each of us.
Before the meal, the 11th Panchen Lama presides over a special ceremony. He would recite a passage that Tibetan monks must chant before eating, as a sign of offering these foods to the Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
He also invited everyone present to recite it along. When the ** is over, everyone can start eating. Although the 11th Panchen Lama was the youngest at the table, due to his special religious status, the role of chanting could only be assumed by him.
After the ceremony, he would always politely ask the scripture master to start the meal before he would eat himself. The dining habits of the 11th Panchen Lama were very fixed. Every morning, he would eat tsamba and drink butter tea, a habit that had lasted for many years.
After breakfast, he takes a walk, which is a rare leisure time of the day.
1.Walking in his company were sometimes **, sometimes parents, sometimes monks of his age. After an intense day of studying, a walk after breakfast is a great way to relax.
At half past nine, the formal study began, and he studied Tibetan Buddhism**, cultural courses, and even English. The intense study was over until about twelve o'clock, and then he would take a short break before starting to enjoy lunch.
Although there are many options for lunch, his favorites are Tibetan-style soup dumplings and beef buns, as well as a variety of noodles. 2.Sometimes, he was accompanied on his walks, sometimes by his parents, and sometimes by monks of his age.
At the end of a day of studying, a walk after breakfast is a great time for him to relax. At half past nine, a new day of study begins, and he learns Tibetan Buddhism**, various cultural courses, and even English.
It wasn't until around twelve o'clock that the intense study ended, and then he would take a short break and start his lunch. Although there are many options for lunch, his favorites are Tibetan-style soup dumplings and beef buns, as well as a variety of noodles.
3.Sometimes, he would be accompanied by a scripture teacher, his parents, or a monk of a similar age. After an intense day of studying, a walk after breakfast was a great way for him to unwind.
At half past nine, a new day begins, and he learns Tibetan Buddhism**, various cultural courses, and even English. The intense study would not end until about twelve o'clock, and then he would take a short break before starting to enjoy lunch.
Although there are many options for lunch, his favorites are Tibetan-style soup dumplings and beef buns, as well as a variety of noodles.
The 11th Panchen Lama has his own schedule between lunch and 3:30 p.m. This precious time is usually spent revising on his schoolwork and using the rest of his time to read newspapers and magazines and learn new skills such as computer operation.
At half past three in the afternoon, he will devote himself to the debate of the scriptures, and will have an in-depth discussion of the mysteries of the Buddhist scriptures with many eminent monks who have profound attainments in Buddhism. This process is not only an indispensable way to improve the study of the scriptures, but also the shortcomings of his self-study of the scriptures in his debate, so that he can further improve his understanding and mastery of the Buddhist scriptures when he returns.
At the same time, he also exercised and improved his logical thinking ability and language expression ability in the debate with the monks.
After countless heated debates, the 11th Panchen Lama, with his diligence, diligence and wisdom, made great progress in Buddhism, laying a solid foundation for his future promotion to a degree in Buddhism.
After the debate, he would stroll through the streets as if he had breakfast, and during this time he would often discuss the gains and losses of the debate with his scripture. Every evening, the 11th Panchen Lama will broadcast the news in its entirety, then review the day's homework and practice calligraphy.
In addition to writing Chinese and Tibetan, he also learned to write Sanskrit and Tibetan cursive.
Every evening at 9:15, the 11th Panchen Lama and his monks perform an hour-long collective chanting. After the chanting, he usually rests. During his teenage years, apart from participating in important social activities, he lived such a full and busy life every day.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chokyi Jebu has entered the threshold of 31 years old. Despite his short age, his maturity and wisdom surpassed his years.
Looking back on his upbringing, from childhood to adolescence to his thirties, every step of the way has been full of challenges and opportunities. Recently, he achieved another important achievement, successfully passing the examination and receiving the highest degree of Gelug Buddhism, "Gachen".
This is not only a recognition of his years of hard work, but also an important milestone in his academic career. However, for the 11th Panchen Lama, this was only the beginning.
He will continue to inherit and carry forward the Buddhist culture and make greater contributions to social peace and prosperity.
Tibetan Buddhism has a long history, dating back to the mid-seventh century AD. When Buddhism was introduced, it blended with this special land, unique culture and climatic environment, and gave birth to various sects that have been passed down for thousands of years.
Each school of Tibetan Buddhism attaches great importance to the study and analysis of Buddhist scriptures, and each school has its own system of study and practice. The Gelug sect is certainly no exception, and it has its own highest degree – "Gachin".
The meaning of this degree is that of a person who has studied the Five Great Treatises, and some people have likened it to a modern doctorate, which is enough to show the difficulty and value of "Gachin".
Tashilhunpo Monastery, the holy place of Tibetan Buddhism, has a long history and profound cultural heritage. Here, monks who attain the "Gachin" degree need to go through more than 18 years of diligent study, so when they are fortunate enough to obtain this degree, they are often in their forties.
Since his enthronement in 1995, the 11th Panchen Lama has been studying and practicing rigorously at Tashilhunpo Monastery in order to obtain a "Gachin" degree.
Now, at the age of 31, he has finally ushered in the moment of sprinting towards this highest degree. On October 26, 2021, the 11th Panchen Lama began the defense of the "Gaqin" degree examination, which was an important test of his academic and spiritual achievements, and also an important step for him to launch an attack on the highest degree.
We look forward to his wonderful performance and to the fact that he will be able to obtain this noble degree and make greater contributions to the development of Tibetan Buddhism.
The defense of Tibetan Buddhism is a unique form of assessment, the examiner puts forward a proposition, and the examinee has to distinguish and analyze with the examiner from the two perspectives of argument and refutation, testing the candidate's Buddhist knowledge, logical judgment and language expression ability, and only monks with outstanding performance can obtain the highest degree"Gachin"。
The 11th Panchen Lama's defense of the founding of the sect attracted representatives of various sects and many believers, and more than 800 people gathered at the scene.
After the solemn ceremony, the 11th Panchen Lama rose from his throne and walked to the seat of the high-profile defense of the sect. The whole defense was divided into two rounds, each round had two halves of 30 minutes each, and the examinees spent their time in heated debates, which was very stressful.
Although the 11th Panchen Lama was only in his early thirties, he had studied diligently under the guidance of Buddhist monks for more than 20 years, and he had a profound foundation in Buddhism. After nearly two hours of defense, the 11th Panchen Lama successfully passed the assessment and obtained the highest degree "Gachin".
Representatives from various sects of Tibetan Buddhism presented gifts of blessings to the 11th Panchen Lama, such as Manzha and Hada, and the onlookers also expressed their deep admiration for the 11th Panchen.
In 2021, the 11th Panchen Lama not only obtained the "Gaqin" degree in Buddhism, but also practiced the concept of "reading 10,000 books and traveling 10,000 miles".
During this journey, the 11th Panchen Lama personally experienced the happy life of the Tibetan people in the new era, witnessed the scenes of religious freedom, ethnic unity, and living and working in peace and contentment, and also witnessed the tremendous improvement of the urban and rural appearance of the Tibetan people.
What he saw and heard made the 11th Panchen Lama full of gratitude to the party and the party. On the occasion of the Tibetan New Year, the 11th Panchen Lama extended his most sincere wishes to the Tibetan compatriots on the radio and shared his thoughts and feelings with everyone.
The 11 th Panchen Lama said that the Tibetan people's present happy life has been realized under the leadership of the party and under the protection of the big family of the Chinese nation.
The Chinese nation is a big family, and only when the sons and daughters of China, including compatriots of all ethnic groups, unite as one can they share the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the broadcast, the 11th Panchen Lama promised that he would devote himself to the cause of loving the country and religion, protecting the country and benefiting the people, and make his own contribution to promoting the process of sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism.
In the award"Gachin"After his degree, the 11th Panchen Lama not only conducted in-depth research in the field of Buddhism, but also actively participated in various activities, contributing to the prosperity of the motherland and the spread of Buddhism.
Recently, he visited the historic Natang Monastery in Shigatse in October 2022 to listen to the monks' teachings and inspect their learning on the spot.
He blessed them and said to them that those who become monks should have the belief that they should be universally educated in their Buddhist studies. Therefore, he emphasized that young monks should cherish their time and study diligently, so as to make their lives more exciting.
Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Enthronement of the 11th Panchen Lama, China ** Magazine, January 2016; "The 11th Panchen Lama's Quest for Recognition of Sitting on the Bed" was included in the June 1996 issue of "Chinese Sons and Daughters (Overseas Edition)"; On March 3, 2022, the 11th Panchen Lama extended Tibetan New Year greetings to Tibetan compatriots around the world through international **.