Boy to Lead Buddhist Sect in Tibet

An 8-year-old boy has been recognized and confirmed as the new leader of the Kagyu sect, one of the four branches of Tibetan Buddhism.

The recent enthronement in Tibet of the leader, known as the Gyalwa Karmapa, was the first time the Communist government of China has approved such a ceremony. China has controlled the government of Tibet since 1953.

Reincarnations of leaders of Tibetan Buddhism are often identified at very young ages. The best known Tibetan Buddhist, the Dalai Lama, was identified as such a reincarnation at age 2.

The new leader of the Kagyu sect is considered to be the reincarnation of his immediate predecessor, who died in 1981. He has the title Gyalwa Karmapa, a Tibetan expression that roughly means “victorious man of activity related to the teachings of the Buddha,” the Indian spiritual leader who lived in the 6th Century BC.

The new Kagyu leader has the given name of Ugyen Tinley but is sometimes referred to as “Apo Dgavdgav,” a family nickname meaning “especially lovable child.”