By which method do the buddhist monks determine which child that should be called Dalai Lama?(Or is he randomly chosen?)
Taken from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/dalailama/ Finding a Dalai Lama When a Dalai Lama dies, a successor is usually found through signs and omens. In the case of the present Dalai Lama, the Regent of Tibet went to a sacred lake southeast of Lhasa in 1935 and there saw a vision of a monastery with a green and gold roof and turquoise tiles. A mission set out, in disguise, to find the monastery, where the new Dalai Lama would be found. Near the monastery a small boy recognized a rosary from the previous Dalai Lama. The boy was also able to correctly guess the names of the two monks in the mission. That and other tests confirmed for the mission that the boy was the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama The monk's conclusion was later confirmed by the Nechung Oracle, where the medium in a dance trance communicates with the god Pehar, one of the deities that protects the Dalai Lama.
Kundun is chosen through signs the present carnation gives for his next incarnation. On the passing of the present Dalai Lama, these signs are sought throughout the land of Tibet. However, the present Dalai Lama has vowed not to be reborn in Tibet which makes the entire world the arena for his search on his passing. After they find the signs of his re-birth, a series of tests of recognition are conducted since a Bodhisattva is supposed to have full memory of his previous incarnation(s) ... But that is all I know. And this is not solid truth, only what has been passed to me via word-of-mouth (hearsay). A Bodhisattva is supposed to have full memory of his previous life at the time of birth, and the Dalai Lama is supposed to be the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitashvara (Chenresig/Chenrezig), the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. And Om Mani Padme Hum is the mantra of Chenresig, the mantra of Compassion. By the way, his birth name is Lhamo Dhondrub. His present name (last) was given to him according to the name of the head of the monastary, which happened to be Gyatso. For instance, my lama's name is Sangey Gyatso, as Gyatso was the name of the head of the Monastary he was last in. Which is why you will find a lot of monks with the same last name. Darrell
I read on tibet.com alright that the current Dalai Lamas successor would be found outside Chinese rule, but does the next Dalai Lama necessarily have to be a tibetan?
Not really. One was a Mongolian. Kundun was a name given to Avalokitashvara by the Mongol's. Edit: Actually, I'm wrong here ... Kundun is Tibetan for "The Presence", Dalai is Mongol for "Great Ocean" or "Sea" (of Wisdom)
How: The title "Dalai" was not applied until the fourth incarnation of Bodhisattva Avalokitashvara, Sonam Gyatso, Grand Lama of the Drepung Monastery of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Although the first incarnation was the first Dalai Lama, the title of Dalai was not applied until given by the prince Khan of Mongol, Altan Khan in 1578 where Dalai was meant as "Ocean of Wisdom." And we all know that "Lama" is the same as "Guru" which is the same as "Teacher" ... different languages ... same meaning. Since the first usage of the term Dalai Lama, the title has since been retroactivly applied to all successive incarnations of Bodhisattva Avalokitashvara. Research ... Darrell
I was reading a mountaineering book by Joe Simpson, and was about half way through when I volunteered to man a booth at an anti-apec summit conference. Our booth was promoting a free East Timor. The free Tibet booth next to us had a visit from a tibetan Buddhist monk. I got to meet him. That night I read two pages further in my book, and there he was. His name is Palden Gyatzo or something like that. What are the odds that he would be in Vancouver Canada, right beside me, and then the same day I would turn the page and see him in the book I was reading?
Palden Gyatso was a major political prisoner within tibet/china, held and tortured by the chineese authorities, he is an amazing person with a lot of information and stories to share. that was amazing that you got to meet him, he recently gave a talk to our tibet society at edinburgh university. good for you for having this moment N x
