The Dali Lama is said to be the 14th incarnation of the Buddah of compassion, Avalokiteśvara, anyone who hasn't seen the film, ''Kundanili'' needs to. Understanding their tradition the buddahist priests scour the land of Tibet after the death of each incarnation of Buddah in search for the next incarnation. Again, I had this all thought out the other night, was going to write a short dissertation but don't have the energy right now.

Throughout the film there is a doubt that the child proposed to be Buddah incarnate is. From the start the boy-king seems to be acting ''differently'' sitting in his fathers chair at the head of the table, commandeering his family and so on. The priests soon turn up in search of the next, 'Holies of Holies' and stumble upon the boy and decide to test him to see if he could be the incarnation of Buddha... think the story is of the current 14th Dali Lama come to think of it but I'm not sure. In testing the child the priests are seen oohing and aaahing over the child's choice of toys, ''unconsciously'' giving him clues as to which one to pick, he picks up a pair of glasses and claims that they are his shouting, ''mine! mine!'' this is sen as confirmation of his divinity followed up by his arrival at the precinct wherein the child runs to a cabinet to retrieve an object he left behind in his last incarnation on earth. Later in the film he himself questions his role something perhaps someone who has reincarnated on earth since 1391 c.e would not be prone to doing.

The Dali Lama is part of the Tibetan belief in Buddhism, its a popular religion and has many different variants across the globe all originating from India. What is interesting is that the Tibetan incarnation of Avalokiteśvara, the living aspect of Buddahs compassion, is always Tibetan. I have no understanding of how a person manages to choose a new form after death but it seems all too convenient for him to reincarnate within a certain geographical area over another such as India where the religion started and perhaps where the 14th incarnation will find himself much needed.. if he is the Buddah of compassion then why not choose another ''race'' or peoples? He is on a par with Jesus btw and rather than being how ever old he may be phsyically the theory is that he is 617 years old. Not sure how he will manage to incarnate next time around as the Tibetans have been in exile since China took the country after WWII. In the film he leaves Tibet in disguise and travels to India where he is received by an inquiring solider asking if its true that he is the incarnation of Buddha... the Dali Lama is ultimately the figure head of Buddahism, now.....

Is this an ''attempt'' by the Tibetans to stake claim to the religion?

Is this another case of the, ''whitening'' of black culture/religious theory?

The original buddha was Kushite, had curly hair and was from India he offered the people there relief from the oppressive Hindu caste system, yet he (or an aspect of himself) returns as a Tibetan monk each incarnation rather than return to his homeland and peoples?

Coincidence...?

This is of course written with no disrespect to the religion or anyone who follows it.

Peace