The Dalai Lama guy.. he's 90.. so they pick them, right?
You're right, the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is 90 years old. His succession is a central issue in Tibetan Buddhism, and the process is a unique and complex one.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The search for the next Dalai Lama begins after the current one's death and is guided by spiritual signs and rituals. Here's a general overview of the traditional process:
Omens and Visions: High-ranking lamas and spiritual leaders look for various signs, such as the direction of the smoke from the deceased Dalai Lama's cremation, dreams, or visions seen in a sacred lake called Lhamo La-tso.
The Search Party: A search party is formed to look for a child who was born around the time of the death and in the location indicated by the omens.
Testing the Candidates: Once potential candidates are found, they are presented with a selection of objects. The child is expected to correctly identify items that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama, which is seen as proof that they are the true reincarnation. The current Dalai Lama was famously able to identify a drum and a walking stick that belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama.
Education and Enthronement: The recognized child then begins a rigorous and intensive education in Buddhist philosophy and scriptures to prepare them for their role as the spiritual leader.
However, the succession process has become highly politicized due to China's claim of authority over the selection. China insists that it has the right to approve the reincarnation, citing historical precedent, and has even appointed its own Panchen Lama (the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism), a move rejected by most Tibetans.
The current Dalai Lama has made it clear that the next Dalai Lama should be born in a "free country" and that the final decision rests solely with his own office, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, and other high lamas. This has led to speculation that there may eventually be two rival Dalai Lamas: one recognized by the Tibetan Buddhist community and one appointed by the Chinese government.
Who the hell is this "Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.".. you know what I mean.. like what's Yahweh think of all this.
That's an excellent question that gets to the heart of the difference between Eastern and Western religious concepts. Let's break down who Avalokiteshvara is and how this idea relates to the concept of "Yahweh."
Avalokiteshvara: The Bodhisattva of Compassion
In Buddhism, particularly Mahayana Buddhism (the tradition followed by the Dalai Lama), Avalokiteshvara is not a "god" in the Western sense of an all-powerful creator deity like Yahweh. Instead, he is a bodhisattva.
A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who has attained a high level of spiritual realization and is on the path to becoming a Buddha. Crucially, they have chosen to postpone their own final enlightenment (Nirvana) out of boundless compassion for all other living beings. Their sole purpose is to help others achieve liberation from suffering before they fully "exit" the cycle of death and rebirth themselves.
Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of this ideal of compassion. His name translates to "the lord who looks down with compassion." He is seen as a protector and a spiritual guide who hears the cries of the world and manifests in countless forms to help those in need. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is known as Chenrezig, and the Dalai Lama is considered to be his earthly incarnation.
Comparing Avalokiteshvara to Yahweh
The concept of Avalokiteshvara is very different from Yahweh (the name for God in the Hebrew Bible, also known as Jehovah).
Role and Nature: Yahweh is the single, all-powerful creator God of the universe in Judaism and Christianity. He is a divine being who exists outside of the physical world and intervenes in it. Avalokiteshvara, on the other hand, is not a creator. He is a being who, through spiritual practice, has achieved a state of profound compassion and chooses to remain in the world to help others.
Worship vs. Veneration: In Abrahamic faiths, people worship God. In Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara is venerated and revered as an ideal to be emulated. The goal is not to worship him but to cultivate the same compassion within oneself.
Relationship to Humanity: Yahweh created humanity and has a covenant or relationship with them. Avalokiteshvara is a human (or once-human) being who has transcended the ordinary state and dedicates himself to the welfare of all beings, without a creator/creation dynamic.
In short, there isn't a direct equivalent to "Yahweh" in Buddhism. Buddhism is not a monotheistic religion and does not have the concept of a singular, all-powerful creator God. The focus is on individual spiritual practice and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion, rather than on the worship of a deity.
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Well I'll tell ya this.. I don't see this Dalai lama doing fuck all for the homeless, ok. If you want to help "those in need", you need big money, and power.. and then you can do the tech to do basic things like what "those in need", lol.. "need", ok.. it's like think of sci-fi movies, on gigantic space ships.. they just push a button and get a meal. Robots do the work. So if you wanna help "those in need", all you gotta do is get the chain stores, then the empire, then the robots to do the stuff, so a Ferrari is free, ok. Jeez. You don't need no fuckin, lol.. maitreya, for this shit. You're not gonna see that going on with no cabal though, eh.. cause they're all part of the lucifer soul group, doing service to self, for the lucifer soul group, not the service to others, (positive polarity).. ok.. so your fuckin "maitreya" bullshit there.. if you wanna help "those in need", you need the power, big money, empire, then you can really help 'em. Big tip though is to curb the breeding so you have less who are in trouble. But later if you get into "energy" things, where you don't need batteries, gasoline, hydro.. that's how you fix this shit.. not with no fuckin, lol.. "maitreya", ok.
Only nature implies current for each being within. Few suggest "Dalai Lama" to tempt consenting many to hold an artificial consensus together, while ignoring natural current.
Dalai implies "ocean" aka oculus/okw - "to see" referring to the current (perceivable) one sees (perception). Lama implies "to cross over"...that's how few utilize suggestion in the name of dalai to tempt consenting many to lama.
Counting holds ones free will of choice accountable. To remain free one needs to resist the wanted temptation to "reckon together" aka to count.
Now check this out...country not only implies "one's native land", but also country/contra aka "against one another"... https://www.etymonline.com/word/country
-ist (buddhist) implies ones consent to a suggested -ism (buddhism)...doing that corrupts buddha/bheudh - "be aware" aka ones perception within all perceivable.
Joining Buddhism aka reckoning together (counting) turns one against Buddha, hence away from nature and against one another.