CHINA AND TIBET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 758, 5 March 1910, Page 5

CHINA AND TIBET.

INDIAN BUDDHISTS' PETITION TO PEKING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Calcutta, March 3. Buddhists at Darjeeling, in the Bengal province, have petitioned China to recall the Chinese Ambans (Residents) at Lhassa, to withdraw the Chinese troops, restore tho ruined monasteries, and reinstate the Dalai Lama, who is at present in India. China, in reply to Russia, intimated that the deposition of the Dalai Lama would not affect the Brahmin religion or the internal administration of Tibet. London, March 3. The Earl of Minto, Viceroy of India, in a telegram states that the Dalai Lama fled against the advice of the Council and National Assembly. THE BUDDHA REINCARNATE. Dealing with the theory of the Buddha veincarnate, an exchange says:— . "It is not that tho body of the Dalai Lama never dies. His body dies ofton enough, generally just before he comes of ago. His regent usually soes. to that. But the soul of the Dalai Lama is a phase of tho soul of Buddha, and immediately the Dalai Lama's body dies, that soul is born again in some baby in Tibet, under miraculous circumstances. "In order to find which baby it is they gather together all infants born under miraculous circumstanccs. The babies are shown the different relics of the dead Lama, because it is presumed the right baby will know its own property. And then tho right name is ohosen by lot from a gold vase given by the Chinese Emperor. It is curious that the lot almost always falls upon a ohild of wealthy family. "Tho infant Dalai Lama has to have a regent from one of four monasteries until he ooiues of age, when the regency would cease. Consequently the last four Lamas never came of. age. They died at 11, 18, 18, and 18 respectively. The present Dalai Lama is 33. He took the precaution of poisoning his regent first. "As to how tho orisis will end—thero is a fable in Tibet that the Budawill only reincarnate 13 times in the Dalai Lama. Curiously enough, this is the 13th Dalai Lama."