Dalai Lama Says Boy, 2, Is Not True Reincarnation
The Reting Lama, an important monk in Tibetan Buddhism, has not yet been reborn, and the 2-year-old boy installed by China cannot be the true reincarnation, the Dalai Lama’s office said Tuesday.
The Dalai Lama told followers of the Reting Lama last month that his mystical powers of divination have produced no clues indicating that the soul of the abbot has been reborn, a spokesman said.
On Sunday, members of the Buddhist clergy ordained Soinam Puncog as the seventh Reting Lama at a ceremony in Tibet. An official from the Chinese government attended.
Beijing rejects the Dalai Lama’s authority to recognize reincarnations.
The line of Reting Lamas traditionally has been recognized by the Dalai Lamas and in turn helps in the search for the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. By naming the 7th Reting Lama, Beijing would gain a key foothold in identifying a successor to the current 14th Dalai Lama.
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