In the west, we talk about the inevitable by saying it's as sure as death and taxes. In the east, death may be inevitable, but it's not final. It took the government a while to catch up with that loophole, but China's plugged it now.
BEIJING (AFP) - Tibetan living Buddhas are no longer allowed to be reincarnated without permission from the atheist Chinese government, state media reported Friday.
The new rules are "an important move to institutionalise the management of reincarnation of living Buddhas," the Xinhua news agency said.
According to the regulations, which take effect on September 1, all reincarnation applications must be submitted to religious affairs officials for approval, Xinhua said.
China is ruled by the Communist Party, which, despite being officially atheist, maintains strict controls over Tibetan Buddhism and all other religions.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Thanks to John Boston and David Pringle for the heads up on this article.
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