Tibetan boy chosen as 6th 'Living Buddha' by China

In a ceremony that took place in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, two slips bearing names of the two candidates were separately sealed in silk bags and put in a golden urn after being carefully examined by their family members, government representatives and senior monks.

Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the Chinese Government- appointed 11th Panchen Lama, picked a silk bag out of the urn, which confirmed Losang Doje as the reincarnation of the fifth Living Buddha.

The lot-drawing process was followed under the guidelines stipulated by the Chinese government. The 20-year old Lama himself was chosen in a similar fashion 15 years ago.
Losang Doje, who was chosen as the sixth 'Living Buddha' today, was born on November 30, 2005 in Lhunze County of Shannan Prefecture to Pema Lacong and her husband Gaesang Wangdue.

Losnag was selected as one of the candidates after several years of search by senior monks as per religious practices and traditions, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The boy would become the sixth 'Living Buddha Dezhub' after the approval of the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The fifth living Buddha, Dezhub Jambai Gaisanggyaco, died in Lhasa on March 11, 2000 at the age of 66.

He used to serve as a member of the Buddhist Association of China and Standing Committee of Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He was also Vice Chairman of the Tibetan Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Association.

He had advocated the leadership of the Communist Party of China unswervingly and supported national unity, the  report said.Tibetan Buddhism has three most important monks, the Dalai Lama (political and spiritual head), Panchen Lama (regarded as second in command) and Karmapa Lama (head of largest Buddhist sub-sect Karma Kagyu).
Besides these three, the Himalayan region has hundreds of living Buddhas regarded as eminent monks, some of whom are heads of various sects of the Tibetan Buddhist schools of thoughts. Today's ceremony to choose the sixth Living Buddha Dezhub came after a senior local ruling Communist Party official told a group of visiting foreign journalists a few days ago that reincarnations of all Tibetan spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, must be approved by the Chinese Central Government.

Hao Peng, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, was quoted by the international media as saying recently that the selection of reincarnations or 'living Buddhas' must follow a process that was rooted in history and culminated by the approval by the central government.

His comments indicated that the successor to the Dalai Lama, currently living in exile in Dharamshala in India should since 1959, should be approved by the Chinese government.

Tibetan officials also defended the appointment of 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, who is now being projected by China as a successor to the Dalai Lama to take over as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Lama, who lives mostly in Beijing, had made his political "debut" by addressing for the first time a congregation recently at Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet, the designated home of successive Panchen Lamas since 14th century.