Thread by @MoRientalist

I wrote this with an aim of giving a one-stop-shop for all things re Tibetan Buddhist reincarnations & in particular how the battle "for" Mongolia's #Jebtsundamba Khutuktu b/n Dharamsala & Beijing (#Shugden) will impact #DalaiLama & Buddhism' future.

1/n
worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/read/…

Last summer two peculiar fake news made waves in🇲🇳.

One said, "Dalai Lama had died". The other said, "10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu will be enthroned tomorrow".

Both were denied by Dharamsala & Mongolia's main monastery Gandantegchinlen. Let's see what if they were true?

2/n

Authority to identify the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (JK) rests with the Dalai Lama & if he died in his absence, powers friendly to 🇨🇳 (inc Shugden sect) would likely have argued for the religion’s second-highest authority, the Panchen Erdeni, to identify the next Khutuktu.
3/n

On the other hand, if JK was enthroned, it would expose a young & immature deity to cooptation by 🇨🇳 & the Shugdenites in 🇲🇳.

Ideally, Dalai Lama needs to nurture a JK who would in turn provide an institutional anchor for the 15th Dalai Lama to be selected by Dharamsala.
4/n

Why is this happening in Mongolia of all places?

Of all Tibetan Buddhists in🌍, Mongols outnumber the Tibetans & Mongolia is the largest free country w/ Tibetan Buddhism as the main religion.

For us, Tibetan Buddhism carries an identity-forming civilizational importance.
5/n

When founding the Yuan dynasty Kublai Khan's system of legitimacy stemmed from "qoyar yosu" meaning "two laws of state & religion" & his relationship with Tibetan vice-ruler Phagpa is well known.

In 16-17th centuries this informed Mongol khans in their quest for legitimacy.
6/n

Altan Khan of Tumed & Gushi Khan of Khoshuut bestowed the titles of Dalai Lama & Panchen Erdeni, while they entrenched their politico-religious rule of Tibet.

Mongolia's own deity Zanabazar, with a Genghisid lineage, was accepted into Gelug as the 1st Jebtsundamba Khutuktu.
7/n

In 1911, it was no other than the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, who declared independence from the crumbling Qing Dynasty, becoming the ruler of "state & religion".

But the Communist revolutionaries who came to power in 1921, ceased the reincarnations after his death in 1924.
8/n

During WW2 Japanese tried to reincarnate the 9th Khutuktu in Inner Mongolia, which was under its occupation with prince Demchigdonrub as puppet-ruler, but failed in the face of local opposition.

The trio of Tibetan Buddhism's highest authorities seemed to have been broken.
9/n

But at the height of the Sino-Soviet split things started moving again.

In 1970, Indian Ladakh-born Bakula Rinpoche co-founded the Asian Buddhist Conference of Peace in Ulaanbaatar. Among the issues discussed was the issue of Dalai Lama & China's treatment of Buddhists.
10/n

Bakula Rinpoche’s connections later helped arrange for the 14th Dalai Lama to visit Communist Mongolia twice, in 1979 and 1982. 🖼️

In 1989, Bakula Rinpoche was appointed India's ambassador to Mongolia & in the next decade became a standard-bearer of Buddhist revival there.
11/n

In 1991, when Dalai Lama visited Mongolia for the 3rd time, it was revealed that 9th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu has in fact been selected & living with a hidden identity until his recognition by Dalai Lama.

Mongolian nationalists immediately called for his "return home" but ...
12/n

political leadership dithered for the fear of angering China.

In 1999, 9th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu finally made it to Mongolia, & was officially enthroned as a religious leader, before being pushed out back to India amid the demands by Shugden following politicians.
13/n

#Shugden - a sect of Tibetan Buddhism got co-opted by China from the 1970's & is controlled by United Front Work Department.

In 🇲🇳 they present themselves as a "genuinely Mongolian" sect & spread primarily through the politico-economic elites.
14/n
reuters.com/investigates/s…

The key agent of Shugden in🇲🇳 was an Ordos-born monk Guru Deva Rinpoche, who came to Ulaanbaatar in 1991 through Nepal.

He restored the historic Amarbayasgalant monastery, founded a nunnery - Tugsbaysgalant, built a statue of Maitreya near Zaisan hill in Ulaanbaatar.
14/n

While alive he also selected the reincarnation of 19th-century Mongol polymath Zava Damdin Rinpoche.

Educated in🇨🇭Shugden monastery, he is an oligarch-slapping, "Nuclear power plant building", Dalai-Lama denouncing flamboyant excess friendly to Beijing's Panchen Erdeni.
15/n

But apart from religious work, the Shugdenites have also pushed measures that blur the lines between Mongolian & Han Chinese cultures.

Akim Gotov - intellectual who promotes Zava Damdin & Sanjdorj - abbot of Ikh Khuree monastery w/ links to United constantly argue to change
16/n

Mongolia's Lunar New Year festival #TsagaanSar's calendar Tegus-Buyant in favor of the Chinese calendar, presenting it as more "scientific" & are in some ways succeeding.

Tegus-Buyant adopted by 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu carries political & symbolic importance.
17/n

Needless to say that it overlaps with China's assimilationist policies in Inner Mongolia, where the new language policy sidelining Mongolian-language education in favor of Mandarin caused province-wide protests prompting demonstrations of support in Mongolia, Japan & Taiwan.
18/n

In 2020, the 14th Dalai Lama said that his future will be decided by “the Himalayan Buddhists of Tibet & Mongolia.” Between this statement & the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu’s promise to reincarnate in his “homeland,” Mongolians are now crucial to not one reincarnation, but two.
19/n

Dalai Lama suggests that there is likely a set of candidates for the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu that are known to him & the leadership of the Gandantegchinlen monastery. Whenever this new reincarnation is crowned, the power to "approve" the next Dalai Lama will fall to him.
20/n

But if the plan doesn't work out Dalai Lama is likely will again decide not to reincarnate to prevent the Dalai Lama institution from following the fate of the Panchen Erdeni.

Hence for China the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu is a ticking time bomb.
21/n
worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/read/…

One may ask why China is so obsessed w/ reincarnations & insists on "Goldern Urn" system instituted by Qing Dynasty.

Turns out after botching Panchen Erdeni's reincarnation, even it admits only a "Dalai Lama" can fully legitimize its rule in Tibet.
22/n
economist.com/china/2015/03/…

Unfortunately in🇲🇳itself, the discourse around this issue tends to be escapist & telescopic, focusing on purely religious merits.

For this same reason, this thread will get little engagement, since ppl self-censor what they say about Shugden & their influential patrons.
23/n

But in reality, regardless of what Mongolians want, the country is right at the center of the fight to control Tibetan Buddhism.
&
This is where the real battle is taking place: among Buddhists themselves, one monastery & religious festival at a time.
24/n
worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/read/…

+ Info that is not in the article. Shugden ⛪️' in🇲🇳are:
- Tugsbayasgalant nunnery
- Delgeriin choiryn monastery
- Ikh Khuree monastery
- Sain Nomun monastery
& Amarbaysgalant 🖼️ - built by Yongzheng Emperor for Zanabazar, ideal alternative power center vs Gandantegchinlen.

25/n

Examples of Shugden followers in politics are:

⬅️ Deputy PM S.Amarsaikhan - built Sain Nomun monastery in his hometown Nalaikha
➡️ Minister of Edu L.Enkhamgalan
➡️ ex-Mayor of Ulaanbaatar E.Bat-Uul - played key role in chasing out 9th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu in 1999.
26/n

The current Zava Damdin Rinpoche, chosen by Guru Deva, has questionable legitimacy at best.

Turns out in their quest for legitimacy, they've been instrumentalizing foreign academics as well.

⬇️ Matthew King of UC Riverside speaks of his ties w/ both
27/n
thecessblog.com/2020/09/author…

🤏 🌶️ detail:

🇲🇳ian politicians while in-office never meet Dalai Lama, coz supports "One-China". 🙏There🙏is🙏one🙏exception🙏though🙏but🙏you🙏did🙏not🙏read🙏it🙏here🙏 🤫

PS. During Elbegdorj's presidency, 9th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu's Mongolian citizenship was approved.
28/n

Meanwhile, Dalai Lama says that he "intends to be alive for 10+ years and continue offerings his blessings and prayers". This is probably to address more recent rumors about his health.

All I can say is Inshallah 🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿
mn.dalailama.com/news/2022/cele…

There is a rumor that Speaker Zandanshatar met Dalai Lama during his Dec 2021 visit to 🇮🇳. Very unlikely & Parl Secretariat denies.

What is true however is that Zandanshatar is a long-time Dalai+Khutuktu adherent & has stronger ties in 🇺🇸🇮🇳 than others.
gogo.mn/r/5nqyy

The Shugden following abbot of the Ikh Khuree monastery calls for the "reform" of Mongolia's Buddhist governing body, saying the current system is "communist".

It is obviously a lie, since the current system was instituted in 1999 by 9th Jebtsundamba.
ikon.mn/n/2jqb

Ex-president Battulga says that he met Dalai Lama during his India visit (2019) & sent a letter to Xi Jinping via Wang Yi asking the 14th to be allowed to visit Tibet.

For context, in 2019, 14th himself said that he may visit 🇨🇳 coz things "are changing".

🇨🇳-backed Shugdenite & Chinese lunar calendar advocate Sanjdorj claims his car has been bugged.

Lately, he also made corruption allegations against Gandantegchinlen's Khamba Lama Choijamts, whereas some media published rape allegations against Sanjdorj.

https://twitter.com/newsGoGomn/status/1535127647902216192?t=6r2UEcGxlDFmW0P7rG-H_w&s=19

India sending the Buddha relics for Vesak & its minister visiting Bethub monastery is obv part the bigger story.

Also in the absence ex-president Battulga, it suffices to say that Speaker Zandanshatar emerged as Mongolia's "Buddhist in-chief".

https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju/status/1536699037570588672?t=p_4vJJkzROKApjC70YTR8w&s=19

Notice the flag of Bogd Khanate of Mongolia being raised and the flag of Ukraine placed on the altar.

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1537316542114721793?t=wCvJzGNR271IfFaKA8mS_A&s=19