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9/26/1948 - Kumbum Lamasery Interview with Panchan Lama by A. Doak Barnett

lICIT FOR PLIBLIC TI INSTITUTE OF CUKIIENT WO11LD AFFAIKS ADB Eumbum Lamasery Chirhai September Mailed From Ninghsia City september M Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York N Y Dear Mr Rogers Yesterday I interviewed Panchan Lama loely eleven Tibetan lives Pichly furnfshed hilltop overlooking Kumbum Lamasery This small bright faced exile Tibet Pespects srbol pesent vague state Sino Tibetn relstions Kumbum Lamasery T aersze known Chinese valley Eastern Chinghai village Lushsr Sining provincial capital Although political border Tibet Eumbum along fringe ethnic Tibet territory which belonged Tibetan rovince Ando A miles West Kokonor famous emerald whick Chinghai takes One caravan routes between Tibet China winds through Kumbum Tibetan Chinese fluences their place Lushar small brown colored village compltely devoid distinction plated Chinese roofs Kumbn temples glisten sunlight blood robes lamas multicolored ornamentation lamasery accentuated their setting A monotonous droning Chant rises Kumbum crowded butter lamps fills nauseating pervasiveness Within gloomy interior lamasery thousand lamas Tibetans Chinese Mongols perform their rigily define routine dties under direction stern hierarchy religious leaders The three Living Buddhas Aja Saychr Minah ranking chiefs within lamasery hierarchy exalted personalities handles routine administration The Geitsu olyte lamas servant duties addition learning their religious ABC The Gerun learned basic knowledge require spend their chanting services reciting scriptures twirling prayer wheels performing dutiful prostrations advance along toward Buddhist conception perfection In front temple building lamasery laymen believers lamas prostrate endless regularity Oevout foSlowers fashion having journeyed hundreds miles alternately prostrating walking three steps prostrating walking three steps The gifts pilgrims animals butter precious metals money together Interest loans issued large tracts shops Lushar belonging lamasery Kumbum importsnt zonomic financial center eligious Even importaut however poSitical significance Kumbum Lamasery stands where Tsongkhaba great Tibetan religious leader founde Yellow Sect Lamaiam reputed Tsongkhaba calle Luther Lamalsm eforme restore purity early Buddhism The Yellow Sect which founded predominant through Tibet West China Mongolia homeland Lamaism might calle orthodox Lamalsm The other dlviions Lamaism Black Sect Re Sect Sorceres Sect minor importanee Leadership orthodox Lamaism shared persons Jointly occupy religious hierarchy These leaders Dalai Lama temporal leader maintains headquarters Lhasa Panchan Lama spiritual leader traditionally Shigatse about seven journey Lhasa These exalte posts passe generation generation according Buddhist theory reincarnation unbroken succession During middle relations between Dalai Panchan Lamas severely stralned injection politics their relations The Dalai Lama powerful stood British Tibetan orientation policy The Panchan Lama stand close Sino Tibetan relations popular Central Tibet When friction became acute Panchan Lama Tibet began decade exile China He toure throughout China became known international figure gained Chinese sponsorship support cause In middle Panchan Lama starte Tibet accompanied Chinese military escort reassert rights reoccupy Shlgatse On generally believe poisoned complicate process choosing reincarnate successor began Choosing Panchsn Lama involves esoteric hocus pocus object which identify child exact moment previous Panchan Lama Initially three candidates chosen selected ultimately reincarnation Two these candidates province Chinghi China region which always famous among Tibetans religious leaders horses The other Came Central Tibet Then chaotic place political rivalries again entered picture The first selected reincarnate Panchsn Lama Soon thereafter other selecte rival parties successor spiritual leadership Lamaism One UP protege Lhasa Tibet The other became protege Chinese Tibetan group Kumbum The Panchan Lama Kumbum Hsnhua Chinghai brought Kumbum He lives isolatea strictly supervise existence His begins A M learning ecibing Tibetan scriptures He allowed playmates companions birds especially favorite black puppy called Little Lion He surrounde rathe sinister looking group Tibetan teachers advisors literally Probably important powerful these Regent shrewd bearded named Lo Ch Chien Chan Political Advisor Chl Ch Ing Mel these Chinese forms their Tibetan names The Panchan Lama intelligent doubtful aware intrigue power politics which surrounds I planned Shlgatse turne inquiring boyish toward elderly advisors encircling His Reent replie He plans It almost certain position eleven Psnchan Lama Kumbum plans It obable further advisors definite immediate plans It highly possible however small relations between China Tibet China still claims suzerainty Tibet though Chinese control Central Tibet Tibet Proper virtually existent decades respects Panchan Lama Kumbtn symbol Chinese claims He backea China moral support though largely unofficial The advisors cluster around completely Chinese represent small minority Tibetans respect And Kumbum Lamasery protected special Tibetan People Battalion composed Chinese tralned equipped Tibetans directly under command General Chang Chih chung Northwest Headquarters Lanchuw In China Tibetan affairs responsibility Mongollsn Tibetan Affairs Commiion Executive T This commlss maintains representatives Lhasa control governing Central Tibet which autonomous looked Bitish India moral support during decades The Mohgolisn Tibetan Affairs Commslon Tibetnrepesentatlves regions within China Proper bought Nati0nal Assembly other important national meetings great direct close contacts Tibetan people Tibetans unrepresente inarticulate slzeale minorities China The Tibetan people within boundaries China Proper directly controlled semiautonomous authoritarlan provlncial governors Liu Siang Ma Pu Chlnghal Both Sikang Chinghal recent polltal creations Chinghal became province January I See letter report No Sikang containing slices tert0ry under control Central Tibe contsln important Tibetan minorities about Dm times Sikang West Kangtlng provincial capital Sikang Wai West Lake Eokonor Chinghsi Eou Wai population Tibeah topography economy belong Tibetan Plateau gasslsnds Although Liu Ma combination concilistlon force their dealing urruly Tibetans differing degrees success In Sikang Ehlnese control completely Yangtze River specific Chin Sha River Ts tributary province western Chinese Ma Pu speaks Tibetan suecess establishing maintaining control almost whole province Chinghai including Tibetan regions under tight supervision General Ma first established control bloody military campaign aintaine treating cooperative Tibetans suppressing opposltional elements harshly In neither Chinghai Sikang however Tibetans under Chinese control either effective representation provincial administration autonomy their affairs Government throughout Tibet Proper political xture The oligarchy Lhasa controls region Immediate environs exercises control lesser extent Tibet In West Siang example Tibetans oriente completely toward Lhasa Dalai Lama spiritual matters apparently prestige Panchan Lama In places distant Lhasa however strong degree localism still prevails local government mixtureof secular feudal leadership ecclesiastical Although Tibet Proper small regular modelle British lines British equipment actually Weak semblance political Unity It maintain autonomy ignore Chinese claims suzerainty because nnber factors One these geographical remote inaccessability Anothe internal strife China which pecuded active policy emote eiOns A third important factor moral support which British given Tibet buffer state North India The British withdrawn India foreclosing their stake Tibet It early prsict effect Sino Tibetan relations British drawal certainly removes important props supporting Tibetan autonomy Whether India replace still matter speculstion China interest Tibet combination geographic economic elements together intangible important factor calle national prestige Tibet dlstaut accessable great iportance strategically barier rather passage region peaceful times profitable China Tibet trade possible Chinese cloth miscellaneous manufacture goods grain small quantities exchange Tibetan meIclmm animals wools hides andfurs Most Tibet natural trade routes which follow rivers region natural geographic orientation China rather India The Brahmsputra Himslysn trade route affect outhen Tibet China principal interest Tibet however appears involving trgtion prestige Chinese Tibet belongs China sufficient reason eestablish control Factors national prestige important Chinese policy other countries Tibet still remote however China Civil unlikely China attemp reassert claims Tibet effective manner Imme future If passage changing conditions attempt however political other means small Ktunbtu plans undoubtedly become focus attention allianc Panchan Lama would religious political legitimacy Chinese efforts reassert control Tibet Sincerely yours Doak Barnett Received New York