Dalai Lama’s confirmation of reincarnation



The procedures of the confirmation include:

(1) Observe the direction the Dalai Lama faced when he passed away; collect his last words or hints.

(2) Consult the living Panchen Lama, with the help from a deity, about the location of reincarnated soul boy.

(3) Call in regents and monk and secular personages, asking Naiqu, Ququ who take charge of inviting the god to cast lots to locate the reincarnation.

(4) Ask Qujiang, the Lama of the Samye Monastery in Shannan to invite the god to cast lots to locate the reincarnation.

(5) Send high monks to Khamo Latso, the Oracle Lake, to watch the vision on it for the features of the reincarnation landform. First, splash into the lake with Hada, treasured bottle, medicine etc. Then, choose a right place to recite Buddhist scriptures, waiting for the vision shown on the surface of the lake. At last, descript the surroundings and features of the reincarnation place.

(6) Regents draw the picture according to the oracles and visions; send high monks to the fixed direction to search for soul boys separately.

(7) After finding the boy at the fixed location who was born when the previous Dalai Lama passed away, observe whether there is any miraculous phenomenon from his looks and actions, his choice of the late Dalai Lama’s possessions from other similar things presenting to him and the intelligence test.

(8) If the boy shows something miraculous and successfully identifies his predecessor’s belongings, the search group should tell his family to take care of him, not admitting strangers to get in touch with him, and, meanwhile, go back to report to the regents.

(9) Regents choose an auspicious day and invite Living Buddhas of the three great monasteries together with secular clergy and monk officials, asking Naiqu and Qujun to invite the god again to cast lots to reconfirm. Once it is confirmed, they will report to the Minister to Tibet, solicit Central Government’s opinion and prepare for welcoming soul boys.

(10) The large greeting group consisting of the three major servants of Dalai Lama, officials and troops will go to receive the soul boy and his family to Lhasa with homage.

(11) If there is only one soul boy, they will report to the Central Government through the Minister to Tibet for dismissing the procedure of “a gold urn lottery”. If there are several soul boys, they will call in regents, great Living Buddhas, hierarchs and officials at the Jokhang Temple, and the Minister to Tibet will preside over the lottery ceremony, sealing the slips with soul boys’ names in the urn and drawing one lot in public after shaking the urn to decide the reincarnated soul boy of Dalai Lama. The chosen boy’s family will be made nobles and the other candidates will also got well arranged.

(12) The confirmed soul boy will be sent directly to the Gongtang or Drepung Monastery to learn Buddhist sutra.

(13) The Panchen Lama will tonsure the boy, initiate him into monkshood, bestowing a religious name upon him and teaching him for a period of time.

(14) When the Central Government’s edict of conferring on the soul boy Dalai Lama is issued, regents, the Minister to Tibet, high monks and officials will accompany the soul boy to go to the Jokhang Temple on a chosen auspicious day, presenting a Hada to the memorial tablet with ”Long live the current Emperor” curved in it then making obeisance to the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

(15) Hold the grant enthronement ceremony at the Sunlight Hall of the Podala Palace. Sine then, a new generation of Dalai Lama is formally confirmed, starting to use the golden seal and the power of Dalai Lama.



