The sixth to the twefth Dalai Lamas
Previous Dalai Lamas
Prisoners of the Potala: The Sixth to Twelfth Dalai Lamas
The dominant myth about Tibet that is promulgated in the West is of a peaceful mountain kingdom that has always been led by the human incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. On closer scrutiny it can be seen that the institution of the Dalai Lamas, which effectively began with the violent seizure of power by the Fifth Dalai Lama, showed a conspicuous lack of leadership until the twentieth century.
Because of this one reincarnation [the Sixth Dalai Lama] in the whole chain, there has been some vague scepticism about even the authenticity of this Institution … Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-1706) lived for only 24 years but even during this short span of life he had created a sensation by the kind of life he led which almost shook the very foundation of this unique system.
Dalai Lamas of Tibet: Succession of Births
Inder L. Malik
[After the death of the 7th Dalai Lama] Tibet began a period of 130 years during which none of the Dalai Lamas assumed effective control. During this time, the country was ruled by a succession of regents, all of whom were Gélukpa monks. The eighth Dalai Lama, Jambel Gyatso, was uninterested in worldly affairs, and so although he lived to the age of forty-seven, the administration of the country was handled by regents.
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
John Powers
The Ninth-Twelfth Dalai Lamas played no notable part in the life of Tibet. Their lives are conspicuous for their brevity. Several of them died before they came of age to assume power or write anything.
Dalai Lama: The Institution
Ram Rahul
Many historians suspect foul play in the demise of these Dalai Lamas at such young ages.
The Water-bird and Other Years
K Dhondup
Barely a century ago a regent confessed to three murders and similar events have occurred in later years. The Eleventh Dalai Lama met with sudden unexplained death in Potala Palace at the age of eighteen, the Twelfth died suddenly at the age of twenty. As late as 1947 the father of the present Dalai Lama was poisoned and his first regent strangled in prison in the struggle for power. Much murder has occurred in the high circles around the Dalai Lama as it did in Rome of the Borgia's day.
Tibetan Interviews
Anna Louise Strong
Because the Dalai Lamas kept dying at a young age, the regents ruled Tibet for 160 years under nebulous Manchu protection. Several Western historians have suggested that many of these young Dalai Lamas were poisoned, perhaps by the regents who wanted to maintain their power, or perhaps in collusion with the Manchu emperors, who wanted to maintain a series of pliable regents than risk having a charismatic Dalai Lama in power in Tibet.
The Story of Tibet
Thomas Laird
Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa, Tibet: A Political History (New York: Potala Publications, 1984), 125.
K. Dhondup, Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama, (Dharamsala: LTWA, 1996).
Inder L. Malik, Dalai Lamas of Tibet: Succession of Births (New Delhi: Uppal Publishing House, 1984), 29.
A. Tom Grunfeld, The Making of Modern Tibet (New York & London: M.E. Sharpe 1996), 43.
John Powers, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, (New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007), 173.
Ram Rahul, Dalai Lama: The Institution (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House), 54.
K. Dhondup, The Water-bird and Other Years: A History of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and After (New Delhi: Rangwang Publishers, 1986), 2-3.
Also see...
- Why we are exposing the Dalai Lama
- The Issue of Religious Intolerance
- An Accessory to War and Violence
- The Illusion of Democracy
- Partnership with the CIA
- The Union of Religion and Politics
- The Nazi Connections
- Where has all the Money Gone?
- How Superstition Shaped History
- What has been Achieved for Tibet?
- Collaboration with Communism
- The Politics of Reincarnation
- Torture and Execution Ordered by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama
- Prisoners of the Potala: The Sixth to Twelfth Dalai Lamas
- Wars and Murders ordered by the Fifth Dalai Lama
- The Pure Dharma of the Early Dalai Lamas
The Western Shugden Society has based its research on the works of respected and independent scholars, investigative journalists and on original source material to demonstrate its position. Some of this material is freely available on the internet. Wherever possible we have provided links to the original documents or means to access them. We invite you to investigate them for yourself.