THE SNOW LION BUDDHIST NEWS & CATALOG

Buddhists—China Is Now in Charge of Your Afterlife

Anyone aspiring to Buddhahood and planning to come back to Earth to help out fellow sentient beings must now register with the Chinese government, according to a new edict from the government. Ratcheting up its control over Tibetan Buddhism, China asserted its sole right to recognize tulkus.

All future incarnations of living Buddhas related to Tibetan Buddhism "must get government approval," the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the State Administration for Religious Affairs.

Anyone outside China is banned from taking part in the process of seeking and recognising a living Buddha, effectively excluding the Dalai Lama, who traditionally can play an important role in giving recognition to candidate reincarnates.