Word: panchen
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Lamaist Tibet became a godless land nearly nine months ago when death came to the second, and more spiritual, of its "living gods," His Serenity the Panchen (or Tashi) Lama, "Buddha of Boundless Light" (TIME, Dec. 13). Long dead was Tibet's latest temporal god, the Dalai Lama. Last week, according to reports from India, Tibet still lacked living gods, was becoming increasingly embarrassed at having in its midst one god who was extremely dead. From Jyekundo, where the Panchen Lama died, a retinue of 1,000 lamas, Chinese soldiers and relations of the Buddha set out last winter...
Whereas the Dalai Lama had been under British influence, the Panchen Lama cast his lot with China. He entertained and lived well, rode around in a bright yellow motorcar and bright yellow railroad train, and so great became his influence that the Nationalist Government thought it worthwhile to pay him $480,000 a year, give him the title of "Great Wise Priest Who Guards the Nation and Spreads Culture," in an attempt to save Manchuria and North China from Japanese influence...
...such a manner, after the death of a Panchen Lama in 1883, was his successor chosen, one Ch'osgyi-nyima. son of a woodcutter in a remote Tibetan village. In the great monastery of Tashilhunpo for 13 years Lamas trained him in the intricacies of Lamaist ritual. At 18 this "Buddha of Boundless Light" was installed on his yellow satin throne, presumably for the rest of his days to guide the souls of Tibetans, while the Dalai Lama, an older and wilier man, conducted its temporal affairs. The ''Buddha of Mercy" proved to be more sinister than...
Thereafter, while regents ruled Tibet, the Panchen Lama, a paunchy little god with false teeth, sought unceasingly to return to the land of his birth. Last week word reached China that, instead, His Serenity had gone to his Nirvana, aged 54. The thoroughly kindly, intelligent pontiff had died at the Tibetan border town of Jyekundo where, for days, his priestly retinue had twirled prayer wheels, chanted the mystic syllables Om Mani Padme...
Last summer, probably as a political move by anti-Chinese and anti-Panchen Lama groups, an infant Dalai Lama was reported discovered-by no means the first since the old Dalai Lama died. Though such an infant is long overdue. its authenticity had not been confirmed last week. Tibet was presumably, for the first time since anyone could recall, godless...