Religious Freedom Today (after 1990s )

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.

1. Preface (Brief Introduction)
2. Formation of Tibetan Buddhism
3. Buddhist Sects and Characteristics
4. The Reincarnation of the Living Buddhas
5. Religious Freedom Today (1945-1953)
6. Religious Freedom Today (1954-1960s )
7. Religious Freedom Today ("cultural revolution" - 1980s )
8. Religious Freedom Today (after 1990s )