I thought this was really fun: Boy Believed to be Next Reincarnation..... Whenever great cultures of the past, for example, Egyptian, Roman, or European Monarchies, start to look towards 'special' children as the divine answer for leadership and cultural guidance then more often than not that culture is heading towards decline and failure.
The increase and frequency of young children from Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist backgrounds (not to mention Western countries) - recognized as the supposed incarnation of so and so - is surely becoming alarming.
The Tibetan Buddhist phenomenon of tulku or trulku appears to have really become common place and widespread in the 17th century. The practice of recognizing a lama of the past as reincarnating into numerous individuals (splitting) appears to be a late 19th century phenomena - embraced and welcomed in the 20th century - popular today.
I think it is time for a level headed, measured, sociological study of the Tibetan practice of 'reincarnate teachers' known as tulku - literally 'emanation body' - the same word used for the Sanskrit word nirmanakaya.
1. What are the statistics showing the number of recognized incarnate children growing up to be educated Buddhist teachers?
2. What are the statistics showing the number of children that grow up to be teachers?
3. What are the statistics showing the number of children that remain Buddhist?
4. How many renounce their 'reincarnate status'?
4. How many take up business, or other secular occupations, as their life path?
5. .....convicted of crimes, etc.?
These are just a few of the basic questions which I think are fair game and worth asking.
The most interesting publication I have ever read on the subject of reincarnate Lamas was by Daniel Barlocher. I recommend it highly. The most interesting interviews come from the most unexpected Rinpoches. Testimonies of Tibetan Tulkus; A Research among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile. Daniel Barlocher, Opuscula Tibetana, Rikon-Zurich, August 1982.
From the dozens of interviews see two excerpts from the above publication: Puntsok Podrang Dagchen Rinpoche and another conversation with Drolma Podrang Sakya Trizin both of the Sakya Tradition. I chose these only because they are currently available on line.
