Reincarnation and the Dalai Lama

Tibetan Buddhists say the spiritual leader is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. According to centuries-old tradition, monks search for the reincarnation of the lama after a spiritual leader’s death.

Dalai Lama in hospital to have gallstone removed

I love the stories telling the how the a Dalai Lama is chosen. If I remember correctly (a friend who is a Buddhist told me this story), a number of years after one Dalai Lama passes, his monks begin a process whereby they pray and meditate to get an idea where they can find the child who is the reincarnated Dalai Lama. This child will not necessarily look like the previous Dalai Lama because the soul of the old Master reincarnates into a new body.

Eventually, the monks’ receive guidance that tells then where to find the child. They bring with them a box containing personal objects placed in the box by the previous Dalai Lama. Before he died, the Master locked these objects in the box. Only he knows what they are.

When the monks find the child, they question him to make sure he is the reincarnated Dalai Lama. When the monks feel secure that they have found the right child, they ask the child what is in the sealed box. When the monks open the box and see that the child has answered correctly, they know that they have found the reincarnated Dalai Lama.

This process of finding a reincarnated Dalai Lama has occurred 14 times, through 14 generations since the original Dalai Lama died. In effect, his soul has reincarnated in 14 bodies with the conscious memory that he is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists. That’s pretty amazing!

Copyright (c) 2008 Carol Chapman