Throwing My Hat In The Ring

Dear Yahoo!:
Who is in line to be the next Dalai Lama?
Michael
Caldwell, New Jersey
Dear Michael:

If you ask this question because you hold holy aspirations, you may want to reassess your life goals. The next Dalai Lama won't be identified until the current Lama passes away.

In Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama is not only the spiritual and secular leader of Tibet, he's the reincarnation of the Tibetan patron deity, Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. Today's Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the 14th reincarnation.

Like the rest of the Dalai Lamas, Tenzin Gyatso was put through a series of tests as a small child before he was officially declared the reincarnation, or tulku, of his immediate predecessor. His Holiness was enthroned as the Dalai Lama in 1950, but has been leading his followers in exile since 1959, when the Tibetan resistance to Chinese occupation collapsed.

In recent years, the Dalai Lama has discussed the possibility of the Tibetan people ending the tulku tradition, and the belief that his own reincarnation will not happen in Tibet while it remains under Chinese control. That leaves some uncertainty as to where and how the next Dalai Lama will arise, and who it will be. If you think it could be you, it might pay to have faith. It worked for Steven Seagal.

I'm not sure who I hand the bribe to, but I think it's pretty clear that I have what it takes to be the next Dalai Lama. Frankly, I look stunning in red and gold robes and I possess a spooky kind of peace, usually after ingesting a deep dish pizza!

So, who do I bribe?

Technorati Tags: Dalai Lama, deep dish pizza, the silly