Following the founding of to people's Republic of
China in 1949, the broad masses of Tibetans and partriotic
members of the region's upper-class people called of the
Central People's Government to immdiately expel imperialist
forces and liberate Tibet. In January 1950, the Bainqen
Kampus Assembly cabled Chairman Mao Zedong and
Commander-in-Chief Zhu De saying: "The fact that Tibet
is an integral part of Chinese territory is known to the
world. All Tibetans regard themselves as members of the
Chinese nation....Speaking with the greatest respect on
behalf of the Tibetan people, we request that you dispatch
troops to liberat Tibet, eliminate reactionaries and drive
out imperialist forces, consolidate national defense in
southwest China, and emancipate the Tibetan people."
Famous patriot Yexei Cuchim presented a speech in Xining
condemning the imperialists for perpetrating crimes such as
invading Tibet and inciting pro-imperialist elements to
murder patriotic Razheng. He demanded that the People's
Liberation Army (PLA) be sent to Tibet. The Living Buddha
Geda went to Lhasa to expound the respect of the Central
Government and PLA for religious belief. Unfortunately, the
patriotic Living Buddha was mudered by the British
imperialists plotting "Tibetan independence."
Their pervasive act touched off strong condemnation
throughtout China.
Soon after the 14th Dalai
Lama came to power, he dispatched, on January 27, 1951,
emissaries to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, India,
asking the embassy to deliver a letter to the Central
Government. They explained the Dalai's emergence to power
and, at the same time, expressed the Dalai's willingness to
enter into peace negotiations with the Central Government.
On February 28, the Dalai Lama dispatched Ngapoi Ngawang
Jigmei and four other delegates to Beijing for negotiations.
The 17-Article Agreement of the Central Government and the
local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful
Liberation of Tibet was signed on May 23,
1951.
Following the signing of the 17-Article
Agreement, the Dalai Lama cabled Chairman Mao Zedong. He
stressed that the local government of Tibet and all Tibetan
people, monks and laymen would unanimously support the May
23, 1951 agreement signed by representatives of the Central
Government and the local government of Tibet on the basis of
friendship. "We will actively assist the People's
Liberation Army entry into Tibet to consolidate national
defense, drive imperialist forces out of Tibet, and
safeguard the unified state territory and soveeignty under
the leadership of Chairman Mao and the Central
Government." While Tibet had suffered from inperialist
invasions for close to half a century, all plots to tear
Tibet from the motherland suffered ignominious
defeat.
On the eve fo the founding of New
China, the Central Government, which carefully considered
the customs of various nationalities and religions, endorsed
the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The said document was held
as the temorpary Constitution of China. Article 53 in
Chapter Six stipulates, "Various minority nationalities
enjoy freedom for developing their own language and writing,
maintaining and reforming their customs and habits, and
developing their respective religious
beliefs."
Article 7 of the 17-Article
Agreement signed on may 23, 1951, includes the clause
"The policy of freedom of religious belief laid down in
the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political
Consulattive Conference shall be carried out. The religious
beliefs, customs and habits of the Tibetan people shall be
respected, and lama monasteries shall be protected. The
central authorities will not effect a change in the income
of the monasteries." On the afternoon of May 23,
Chairman Mao Zedong listened to a report on the negotiatins
and advised that representatives be sent to Tibet with the
instructions:"Representatives must always bear in mind
nationality and religion issues when carrying their duties
in Tibet."
Acting in accordance with the
Common Program, the 17-Article Agreement and the
instructions of Chairman Mao Zedong, the PLA forces and
workers sent to Tibet strictly implemented the Central
Government policy the religious freedom enjoyed by the
Tibetan people, and respecting and protecting the belies and
traditions of various Tibetan Buddhist sects. The PLA
formulated Manuals for Work in Tibet prior to dispatching
its troops. The Manuals included clauses for protecting the
religious freedom enjoyed by the Tibetans and protecting
lamaseries. it strictly banned touching religious objects
out of curiously, speaking against the superstitions of the
masses, or curiosity, speaking against the superstitions of
the masses, or expressing discontent over religion. No one
was allowed to live in monasteries or sutra halls without
special permission. Even during wartime, the PLA strictly
prohibited from stationing troops in monasteries or to
permit visits to lamaseries. Advanced arrangements were
required prior to any visits to monasteries, teries, with
visitors prohibited from touching statues of Buddha at will,
spitting or various other common acts. The PLA troops were
required to follow the Manuals for Work in Tibet to the
letter during the journey to the region. No one was allowed
to live in monasteries, even during the bitterly cold
winters. Troops approaching Mani stone mounds were required
to follow the local tradition of turning left, and no one
was allowed to shoot birds or animals Tibetans consider
holy.
One particular night, the PLA troops
established camp outside a remote monastery in the
wilderness. The rain fell in orrents and the cold and
shivering troops were soaked to the bone. Nonetherless, no
one sought shelter in the monastery. Lamas in the monastery
were deeply touched, and offered hot tea and invited the
wounded and sick into the monastery. The PLA troops finally
arrived in Tibet, with commanders Zhang Jingwu and Zhang
Guohua arranging talks with upper-class lamas in the
Zhaibung, Sera, Gandain and Jokhang monasteries. On October
18, 1951, they issued alms to the three major monasteries,
as well as the Jokhang and Ramoge monasteries and the Upper
and Lower Tantric Seminaries. They also issued alms to all
lamas attending the Grand Summons Ceremony in
1952.
The broad masses of lamas and laymen in
Tibet spoke highly of the behavior of the PLA troops and
workers, fondly referring to them as "soldiers sent by
Buddha."
In September 1954, the 14th Dalai
Lama and the 10th Bainqen Erdeni attended the First Session
of the First National People's Congress (NPC) in their
capacity as NPC deputies. In his speech to the NPC session,
the 14th Dalai Lama said: "Of all the dissension sown
by our enemies, the most vicious rumor is that the Communist
Pasty and the Central Government are destroying religion.
The Tibetan people, who are devoutly faithful, are upset
with the rumors. The rumor that the Communist Party and the
Central Government are destroying religion is a fallacy, and
the Tibetan people truly feel that they enjoy religious
freedom." The 14th Dalai Lama presented several gifts
to Chairman Mao Zedong, including the 1,000-Spoke Gold
Prayer Wheel. The gifts are currently in the collection of
the Cultural Palace for Nationalities in
Beijing.
In 1959, those in Tibet's ruling
upper-class, who opposed the Democratic Reform, staged an
armed rebellion. They did so in a vain attempt to
permanently retain savage and cruel serfdom and defend their
established interests. The conspirators cast aside the
17-Article Agreement and, proceeding with the support of
foreign forces, accelerated efforts to split the motherland.
On the evening of March 17, Galoons soikang, Leushar, Zhazur
and various other rebel leaders spirited the 14th Dalai Lama
out of Lhasa, fleeing to India follwing suppression of the
armed rebellion. Thereafter, the Dalai Lama, a leader
besieged by foreign reactionary forces and Tibetan
separatists, betrayed his avowed patriotic stand and himself
stepped up efforts to split the motherland. Unlike the
religious leader he professed to be, the Dalai became a
political leader engaged in separatist activities. The
Central Government has followed the following consistent
policy with respect to the Dalai Lama: Tibet is an
inseparable part of the Chinese territory, with absolutely
no room for bargaining on the issue. The Central Government
has repeatedly expressed its willingness to hold talks with
the Dalai Lama if the latter refrains from engaging in
activities geared to split the motherland and changes his
stand on "Tibetan independence." All issues with
the sole exception of "Tibetan independence," as
issue that brooks no negotiation, are open to
negotiations.
The Central Government continues
to follow the policy fo respecting the religious beliefs,
customs and habits of the Tibetan people, as well protecting
lamaseries, cultural relics and historical sites. In 1960,
the 10th Bainqen Erdeni introduced the following five
methods for the reform of monasteries in Tibet: First,
abandoning exploitation; second, engaging in democratic
management; third, implementing the statutes of the Central
Government and implementing the Chinese Constitution in
monasteries; fourth, allowing lamas to engage in production;
and finally, the government be responsibil for caring for
the well-being of elderly lamas and lamas assigned with the
sole resonsibility of reciting Buddhist
sutras.
All methods were eventually put into
effect. As a result of reform, all Tibetan people enjoy the
freedom to become lamas and all lamas enjoy the freedom to
resume a secular life; various sects of Tibtan Buddhism are
treated equally without discrimination; and various
monasteries have established Democratic Management
Committees or Democratic Management Groups in democratic
elections. The committees or groups are responsible for the
management of religious affairs and Buddhist activities. All
the aforementioned innovations point to the fact that the
broad masses of lamas and lay people enjoy true religious
freedom, and have established appropriate means for
protecting the protecting the basic human rights of the
broad masses of destitute lamas.
While moving
to suppress the armed rebellion and conduct Democratic
Reform in monasteries, the Central Government placed great
efforts on properly protecting cultural relics, historic
sites and monasteries. The State Council listed the Potala
Palace, three major monasteries in Lhasa, and the Jokhang
and the Tahilhungpo monasteries in Xigaze as cultural relic
units subject to special state protection. In March 1961
alone, more than 110,000 cultural relics were catalogued and
over a dozen historically significant sites were repaired.
Beginning in 1962, the Central Government each year
allocated substantial funding for repair of the Potala
Palace. In additional, in November 1963, the Central
Government allocated funding to refurbish the Gandain
Monastery, the largest project of its kind in the history of
the monastery.
Just like other parts of China,
Tibet reeled from the impact of the chaotic "cultural
revolution" which lasted from 1966 to 1976. Following
the ordeal, the Chinese Government moved to correct mistakes
and set about implementing various policies including the
policy for religious freedom.
As part of an
effort to recoup losses resulting from the "cultural
revolution" and despite being faced with financial
problems, the Central Government has since 1980 earmarked
more than 200 million yuan (US $24 million) for the repair
of Tibetan monasteries, holy stupas and memorial halls. The
three major monasteries in Lhasa, as well as the Tahihungpo,
Sagya, Jokhang, Samye and Xalhu monasteries, and various
other facilities, which were either damaged or had been in
disrepair for years, were refurbished to varying degrees. In
1985, the Central Government allocated more than 6.7 million
yuan (US $810,000), 108.85 kg of gold, 1,000 kg of silver
and 665 kg of mercury to repair the holy stupa for the
5th-9th Bainqen Erdenis. Construction of the Zhaxi Namgyal
Holy Stupa for the Bainqen was completed in the Tashihungpo
Monastery in 1988. The 10th Bainqen Erdeni presided over the
consecration ceremony for the holy stupa and the memorial
hall, which stands 33.17 meters in height and covers 1,9333
square meters. In June 1990, shortly after the death of the
10th Bainqen Erdeni, the State Council approved the
construction of a holy stupa and a memorial hall for the
late master in the Tahihungpo Monastery. The Central
Government earmarked over 64 million yuan (US $7.71 million)
and various materials for the project, including more than
600 kg of gold and over 500 kg of silver. The construction
project was completed in three years and a consecration
ceremony was held in the Tahihungpo Monastery on September
4, 1993. The actions truly reveal the Central Government's
great respect for outstanding leaders of Tibetan
Buddhism.
In October 1988, the State announced
its decision to provide funding to repair the Potala Palace,
a massive complex consisting of Tibetan monasteries, places
of historical interest and ancient palaces. The massive 53
million yuan (US $6.39 million) project, the most expensive
repair project in the history of the People's Republic of
China, got underway with the establishment of a leading
group consisting of specialists and religious figures. The
five-year repair project was carried out under the principle
of respecting science, tradition, national style and
religion, with efforts centering on preserving the original
appearance of the complex. The resplendent Potala Palace now
shines brightly on the Roof of the World. In 1994, the
Central Government annouced its decision to allocate 20
million yuan (US $2.41 million) for ongoing repairs to the
Gandain Monastery, the most extensively damaged monastery in
Tibet.
Over 1,400 monasteries and other
religious centers are now open to the public, with the
number of resident monks and nuns approaching 34,000. As
part of an effort to guarantee normal religious activities,
religious affairs departments of the people's government of
Tibet Autonomous Region and the Tibet's Branch of the
Buddhist Association of China (BAC) are attempting to
recover gold and silver statues of Buddha, religious
objects, jewelry, tangka paintings and scrolls, and Buddhist
scriptures removed from monasteries during the chaotic
"cultural revolution." Thus far, some 30,000
bronze statues of Buddha and various other religious objects
weighing well over 370 tons have been recovered and returned
to appropriate monasteries. In addition, 526 sets of sutras,
including the Ganyur written in the Tibetan language in gold
dust, have been returned to their rightful home in the
Gandain Monastery. Efforts have also been made to collect
and collate Buddhist scriptures belonging to the Potala
Palace. Folk calligraphers have been organized to copy the
Dangyur on high paper with ink prepared from gold, silver,
copper, iron, jade, coral, white conch shell and pearl
powder.
Various monasteries have joined
government efforts and are currently restoring statues of
Buddha, copying tangka paintings and scrolls, and printing
Buddhist scriptures. In 1984, the people's government of the
Tibet Autonomous Region earmarked 500,000 yuan to finance
the establishment of Lhasa Sutra Printing House of the Tibet
Branch of the BAC. In the last few years since its
establishment, the printing house has printed more than
1,000 volumes of the Gangyur in the Tibetan for lamas in
Tibetan Buddhist monasteries both inside and outside the
Tibet Autonomous Region.
In 1990, the Central
Government allocated an additional 500,000 yuan to engrave
the Lhasa-edition printing block fro the Dangyur in the
Tibetan language in the Moru Monastery in Lhasa, a project
which the 13th Dalai Lama planned but failed to
complete.
In 1985, the Tibet Branch of the BAC
launched the Tibetan journal entitled Tibetan Buddhism, a
publication which carries research papers on Tibetan
Buddhism and the histories of various monasteries. The
branch has also collected and collated numerous Buddhist
masterpieces, including Origin of Buddhism by Dewu; The
Exoteric and Esoteric Sutra Treasures and Major Contents;
The Self-Comment on the Work of the Three Vows; A Collection
of Works on Hetuvidya Sastra; The Origin of Buddhism by
Nyang; Tibetan Buddhist Calendar and Pancavidya; Collected
Works on Practicing Buddhism; Catalogue of Ganygur; and
History and Doctrines of Different Buddhist Sects. A
contingent of famous scholars and Buddhist masters have been
organized to collate the Tripitaka, with the Central
Government providing substantial funding for the
comprehensive project.
Famous monasteries of
various Buddhist sects offer 164 sutra classes attended by
some 2,900 diligent lamas studying under the guidance of
sutra teachers. Each study class sponsors several
large-scale public lectures and debates on Buddhist
scriptures throughout the year. The Tibet Branch of the BAC
founded the Tibetan Buddhism College in 1983. In February
1987, the 10th Bainqen Erdeni founded and served as
president of China's Tibetan Language High Institute of
Buddhism in Beijing. Following the master's untimely death,
the Living Buddha Qoggyi from the Tar Monastery and the
living Buddha Nacang from Garze were assigned joint teaching
responsibilites. Dozens of knowledgeable Living Buddhas and
those holding the highest Buddhist Geshi degree have taught
at the institute over the past few years. The institute has
also extended great effort to expand exchanges with overseas
Buddhist organizatins. The Tibet Branch of the BAC sponsors
religious figures for academic exchanges and fact-finding
tours in other contries. In addition, it has hosted more
than 10,000 people from overseas religious circles visiting
Tibet in groups or individually for pilgrimages, tours or
fact-finding missions.
In addition to engaging
in routine studies research of Buddhist classics, various
monasteries hold ceremonies marking famous religious
festivals and historical traditions. Tibetan Buddhism has
numerous religious festivals, including Ritual Walk Around
Sow Mountain in the Tibetan Year of the Horse, the Ritual
Walk Around Holy Nam Co Lake in the Tibetan Year of the
Sheep, the Sagya Dawa Festival (held to mark the birth,
attainment to Buddhism), and the
Sunning-the-Painting-of-Buddha Festival sponsored by a
number of famous monasteries. The Sorcerer's Dance Festival
held by the Samye Monastery, the oldest religious festival
in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, was first held some
1,000 years ago to mark construction of the monastery. The
annual festival, which features numerous religious rituals
followed by mass singing and horse races, has a magnetic
pull on devout Buddhists, as well as domestic and overseas
visitors. The Grand Summons Ceremony sponsored by the three
major monasteries in Lhasa is the grandest of all religious
festivals celebrated in Tibet. The ceremony was introduced
in 1409 during Zongkapa's reformation of Tibetan Buddhism,
but was suspended during the chaotic "cultural
revolution" (1966-76). The ceremony was reintroduced in
1986, with the local government granting alms to lamas and
maintaining order. The 10th Bainqen Erdeni presided over the
1988 Grand Summons Ceremony, money, which ,however, was
interrupted by Tibetan separatist factions. Since then,
various monasteries hold the Grand Summons Ceremony of their
own independently.
The reincarnation of Living
Buddhas constitutes a unique method in the succession of
monastery abbots of Tibetan Buddhism. The reincarnation
system, a unique tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, was
introduced by the Garma Gagyu Sect in the 13th century and
was soon adopted by various other sects. The tradition was
reintroduced to Tibet in 1976 following the end of the
chaotic 10-year "cultural revolution." Various
monasteries conducted searches and confirmed the
reincarnated soul boys of a number of the Living Buddhas,
and in turn reported the results to governments at various
levels for examination and approval.
The 16th
Living Buddha Gamaba of the Black-Hat Line of the Garma
Gagyu Sect passed away in the United States in 1981. His
overseas disciples, including the Living Buddha Situ and the
Living Buddha Gyaichao, informed the Curpu Monastery,
Gamaba's resident monastery, that they had found the will of
the late master, and requested that the monastery search for
his reincarnated soul boy in accordance with religious
rituals and contents of the will. The Central Government
approved the search and provided support. In June 1992, the
abbot of the Curpu Monastery, the Living Buddha Situ and the
Living Buddha Gyaichao found the soul boy of the 16th Living
Buddha Garmaba in Qamdo, Tibet. The Central Government
approved the boy, O'gyain Chilai, as the reincarnated soul
boy of the 16th Living Buddha Garmaba on June
25.
In August 1992, the Saizong Monastery held
a grand ceremony for the enthronement of the 4th Living
Buddha Arabcang of the Huiyuan Monastery in Sichuan. The
Living Buddha A'gyai presided over the
ceremony.
The 7th Living Buddha Xarcang of the
Lungwo Monastery in Qinghai Province was officially
enthroned on October 29.
The 10th Bainqen
Erdeni passed away in Tibet on January 28, 1989. A short
time later, on January 30, 1989, the State Council
promulgated the Decisions on the Funeral Arrangements and
Reincarnation of the 10th Bainqen Erdeni. The document
stipulated that the search and confirmation of the
reincarnated soul boy the 10th Bainqen Erdeni Qoigyi
Gyaincain were to be carried out in accordance with
established religious rituals and historical precedence, and
that the results were to be reported to the State Council
for approval.
On November 29, 1995, following a
six-year effort, six-year-old Gyaincain Norbu, born in Jiali
County in northern Tibet, was determined as the reincarnated
soul boy of the 10th Bainqen Erdeni through the traditional
method of drawing lot from the golden urn in front of the
statue of Sakyamuni in the Jokhang Monastery. The Central
Government approved Gyaincain Norbu as the 11th Bainqen
Erdeni, and a grand enthronement ceremony was held in the
Tahilhungpo certificate of appointment and a golden seal of
authority to the 11th Bainqen Erdeni.
Various
monasteries have resumed normal religious activities, with
the Chinese Constitution and law guaranteeing the rights of
the borad masses of religious faithful to engage in
religious activities of their choice. Many have in fact
established Buddha shrines and sutra halls in their homes
for sutra recitation and prayer. They are also free to
worship Buddhis in monasteries, ritually prostrate
themselves during pilgrimages to holy sites, present alms to
lamas and lead a life based on religion.
A case
in point is Cering Zhoima, a female farmer in the eastern
suburbs of Lhasa. On the third day of the first month of
each Tibetan year, Zhoima will send her sons to the
mountains to plant sutra streamers in worship of the
Mountain God. While her sons are performing their assigned
mission, she and her daughters will burn joss sticks by the
river to worship the Village God. During the Sagya Dawa
Festival in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, Zhoima
visits Lhasa to undertake a ritual walk lasting 10 to 15
days. On October 25, she burns butter lamps and eat dough
drop porridge in memory of Zongkapa, founder of the Gelug
Sect. in addition, Zhoima joins devout fellow villagers in
Buddhist religious activities geared to dispel evil and pray
for good luck. People like Zhoima place sutra streamers and
pile up Mani stone mounds throughout the mountains and along
roads in Tibet.
A constantly improving standard
of living and improved transportation systems have also
enabled Tibetans to join in religious activites. A case in
point is Cering Banzong, a former tralpa serf at the Sera
Monastery. Prioer to the peaceful liberaton of Tibet in
1951, Banzong's family of four lived in a small dark room.
Despite his diligent labor for the monastery, Banzong lacked
the financial ability to build a Buddha shrine in his home.
"Now, however, I have enough money to attend religious
activities," said a happy Banzong. "I can afford
to take the bus to the Zhaibung Monastery, the Gandain
Monastery and the Sera Monastery." In 1988, Banzong
built and donated two houses to the Purongang Monastery.
Another example is Baigar, a resident of Qamdo. While Qamdo
is located quite far from Lhasa, Baigar has been able to
travel along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to worship at
monasteries in Lhasa, Shannan and Xigaze, including the
Samye, Changzhub, Tahilhungpo, Xalhu and Palkor monasteries.
The Jokhang, Gandain, Zhaibung and Sera monasteries in Lhasa
host numerous people like Baigar who visit for ritual walks,
as well as worship and prostrate themselves before the
statues of Buddha. These people number as many as 1 million
each and every year. As part of an effort to satisfy the
needs of such people, the people's government of the Tibet
Autonomous Region increases the supply of butter and meat
for the city of Lhasa, and establishes camp grounds for
worshipers and provides a transportation system which
facilitates their pilgrimages to other parts of the region.
|