Synopsis
The Higher Buddhist Institute's establishment under the CPC reflects a significant shift in Tibetan Buddhist education, emphasizing state-approved religious beliefs aligned with communism. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to assimilate Tibetan Buddhism into the dominant Han identity.Key Takeaways
- Higher Buddhist Institute established by CPC in 1987.
- Focus on cultivating senior Tibetan Buddhist talents.
- Integration of political education into religious training.
- Expansion of state control over Tibetan religious practices.
- Accusations of escalating suppression of religious freedom in Tibet.
New Delhi: The creation of the Higher Buddhist Institute under the oversight of the Communist Party of China (CPC) signifies a pivotal shift in nurturing senior Tibetan Buddhist talent, marking a new era in the history of modern Tibetan Buddhist education. This initiative permits only a level of religious belief that aligns with the complete acceptance of communism in China.
Founded on September 1, 1987, at Xihuang Monastery in Beijing, the Higher Buddhist Institute of the Tibetan Department was initiated with the support of the late 10th Panchen Lama and Zhao Puchu, the then President of the Buddhist Association of China (BAC), under the auspices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The 10th Panchen Lama served as the inaugural President, with Zhao Puchu acting as the Senior Advisor.
This institute stands as the sole full-time higher education institution in China authorized to train and confer the Tuorangpa senior academic title (doctorate), aimed at cultivating high-caliber monks. The current abbot is the 6th Lobsang Jigme Thubten Chokyi Nyima Living Buddha.
Since the implementation of the three-level academic title system for Tibetan Buddhism in 2004, the college has conferred a total of 363 senior titles and 150 intermediate titles of Zhiranpa.
The college has plans to enroll 39 students in the 2025 senior title class, comprising 13 each from Gelugpa, Sakya, and Bon Po across China. The enrollment targets include monks with high comprehensive quality and those who have achieved the intermediate title of Zhiranpa in the Tibetan Department of Buddhism.
The curriculum will primarily feature Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era along with courses like Introduction to the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Modern Chinese History, and Constitution and Legal Foundation. Moreover, students are required to engage in on-site teaching at patriotic education bases, cultural relics, historic sites, museums, and modern enterprises in Beijing's vicinity, as well as participate in academic exchange events such as doctrinal interpretation seminars and Huangsi forums, and engage with both domestic and international religious schools and academic institutions.
The Chinese government, through the BAC, is a crucial instrument in the CPC's strategy to assimilate and reshape Tibetan Buddhism, particularly concerning the search and acknowledgment of reincarnate lamas. This approach aims to undermine the unique characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism and reduce it to a mere 'tool of convenience' for the Chinese State. This process is referred to as Sinification, which is intricately linked to the future of Tibetan Buddhism. In this context, China is attempting to fabricate a deceptive narrative regarding its historical claims over Tibet.
A report from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) indicates that China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) has released a revised version of the Measures for the Administration of Tibetan Buddhist Temples, adopted in September 2024 and effective from January, which significantly enhances state control over Tibetan religious practices by integrating political mandates into their administration. These initiatives are part of broader efforts to assimilate Tibetan Buddhism and its cultural identity into the predominant Han identity, thereby contravening Article 36 of China's 1982 Constitution.
Over the past 15 years, the Chinese State has faced accusations of intensifying its repression of religious freedom in Tibet. The administration of President Xi Jinping has implemented coercive 'patriotic education' campaigns aimed at instilling loyalty, enforcing stringent control over monastic educational institutions, and executing widespread arbitrary arrests and detentions. The BAC plays a crucial role in the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism, functioning as a tool for advancing the CPC's political agenda via the United Front Work Department (UFWD) alongside SARA.
(The author specializes in South Asia and Eurasia and is a former contributor to the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The views expressed here are personal.)
