The llth Bainqen Lama ascended the holy throne in a formal, solemn ceremony held at the Tashilhungpo Monastery, Xigaze, Tibet, on December 8, 1995. The ceremony was jointly presided over and monitored by State Councillor Li Tieying, the representative of the State Council; Gyaincain Norbu, special commissioner and chairman of the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region; and Ye Xiaowen, special commissioner and director of the State Council's Religious Affairs Bureau.

The consecration ceremony was held in the specious Sunlight Hall of the Lharang Yigequzin Palace in the Tashilhungpo Monastery. On behalf of the State Council, Li read from a gold certificate and presented a gold seal engraved with the characters "Seal of Bainqen Erdeni" in both Chinese and Tibetan. Li also presented the 11th Bainqen Lama with a golden placard given by President Jiang Zemin and read the text whose title was "Safeguard the Motherland and Work in the Interests of the People."

The llth Bainqen Lama expressed his gratitude to the central government, President Jiang Zemin, Premier Li Peng, and representatives of the State Council, and said to Li Tieying that he will study hard, and that he loves his motherland and the Tibetan religion.

Gyaincain Norbu, 6, from Jiali County in Nagqu Prefecture, Tibet, was determined as the reincarnated soul boy of the 10th Bainqen Erdeni through the method of drawing lots from the gold urn on the morning of November 29.

In the afternoon of that same day, the State Council, upon receipt of the special request from the local government of Tibet,issued a document approving Gyaincain Norbu to succeed to the llth Bainqen Erdeni. The document reads as the follows:

"People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region,

This is to acknowledge the receipt of your Apply for State Council Approving the Confirmation by Drawing Lot From a Golden Urn of Gyaincain Norbu to Succeed to the llth Bainqen Erdeni. The State Council hereby approves Gyaincain Norbu, who was born on February 13, 1990 (the 19th day of the l2th month of the Tibelan calendar Year of Earth Snake) in Jiali County, Tibet Autonomous Region, and determined through the method of drawing lots from a golden urn, as the reincarnation of the 10th Bainqen Erdeni to succeed to the llth Bainqen Erdeni."

The lot-drawing ceremony was held in front of the statue of Sakyamuni in the Jokhang Monastery, located in central Lhasa, in strict accordance with the rituals of Tibetan Buddhism.

The ceremony was jointly presided over by Luo Gan, representative of the State Council and state councillor, Gyaincain Norbu, special commissioner of the State Council and chairman of the people's government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Council Religious Affairs Bureau.

Attending the ceremony were leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region and a representative sent by Zhao Puchu, president of the China Buddhist Association and chief advisor for the location and confirmation of the reincarnated boy for the Bainqen Lama.

Hundreds of religious people, including eminent monks and Living Buddhas from Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited areas and representatives of the Han (Chinese) language and Prakrit Vernaculars (a Buddhist language originated from ancient Indian language) sects, witnessed the historic event.

On the morning of November 29, joss sticks and candles were burning in the Jokhang Monastery, which was decorated with colored sutra streamers and brilliantly illuminated with holy lights.

Luo Gan read a State Council document approving three Tibetan boys chosen to be candidates after six-year search. Then, Regional Chairman Gyaincain Norbu declared the opening of the lot-drawing ceremony.

Two young lamas in purple kasaya carried in the urn, which was bestowed by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperor in 1792.

Representatives and special commissioners of the State Council, leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region, eminent monks and Living Buddhas and the parents of the three candidates examined the ivory slips bearing the candidates' names. Then, Ye Xiaowen announced that the writing of the names on the lots was correct.

Lama Cering, director of the Democratic Management Committee of the Tashilhungpo Monastery (the resident monastery of the Bainqen Erdeni) and head of the leading group for the location and confirmation of the reincarnation, placed the ivory slips into the golden urn and shook it several times before placing the urn in front of the statue of Sakyamuni while scores of monks prayed.

Borne Qamba Lozhoi, head of the Tibetan Branch of the China Buddhist Association and a member of the leading group for locating and confirming the reincarnated boy for the 10th Bainqen Lama, prostrated himself before the statue of Sakyamuni and the golden urn and prayed in silence.

The 70-odd-year-old abbot of the Gandain Monastery then drew a lot from the urn and gave it to Regional Chairman Gyaincain Norbu, who allowed the lot to be verified by all participating government officials, senior monks, Living Buddhas present and the parents of the chosen boy.He then announced, "Gyaincain Norbu from Jiali County is chosen as the reincarnation of the 10th Bainqen Lama.

(This article appears on page 11, No. 52, 1995)