Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, and the Chinese Government

[DonRocks]

You know what?

There won't be five people who read this thread, but it's nothing more than a John Oliver clip - a little weak when it comes to explaining the relationship between Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas (I was paying very close attention, and still had to supplement the viewing with a bit of research), but so much more intelligent than television comedy usually is - watch this, enjoy it, and learn from it.

There is nothing that would make me happier than for this thread to segue into a serious conversation about the (theoretically) kidnapped Panchen Lama, the *counterfeit* (yes, counterfeit) Panchen Lama created by the Chinese government - Gyaincain Norbu - the potential for China to hand-pick the next Dalai Lama, and all the other hypnotically grotesque things that Oliver discusses.

The Dalai Lama could easily stop future self-immolations by saying that it was a noble act looking backward (hence, honoring the families), but going forward, it cannot and should not happen, i.e., it doesn't need to happen, in the era of the internet, and the time has come for it to stop.

What was this about not discussing religion and politics?