Evening star., 1948-10-27
| Panchan Lama, II,
lis Exile Ruled by
Regent, Writer Finds
By A. Dock Bornett
Foreign Correspondent of The Siar and
the Chicago Daily News

the Chicago Daily News
KUMBUM LAMASERY, Ching.
hal, China, Oct. 27.-High on a hill
overlooking this snug valley in
Eastern Chinghai lives lonely, II.
year-old Tibetan who reigns as the
spiritual leader of lamaism.
This small, bright-faced boy, the
Panchan Lama, is an exile from
Tibet and a symbol of the vague
state of -Tibetan relations
Although he was born in the towr
of Hsunhua in Chinghai Province
the Panchan Lama should, accord
ing to tradition and custom, live al
Shigatse, about a weeks journey
south of Lhasa.
When I asked him, in an inter.
view at his present hilltop home
when he planned to 60 to Shigatse
he turned a pair of inquiring, boy.
ish eyes toward the trio of elderly
advisers hoyering around him.
Regent Supeaks for Him.
His regent, shrewd-looking
bearded, old man named Lo Chang
Chen Chan, replied for him: He
has no plans"
The present Panchan Lama, who
was born Kumbutzeden but has
since been renamed Losantinlay
Henjup Chujijendzen, moved from
his home in Hsunhua to kumbun
in 1914. He had been chosen as
"the true reincarnation" of the last
Panchan Lama and was brought
here to assume him official anc
sanctified position.
Kumbum had to serve as a sub.
stitute for Shigatse, because in hi
new position he had rival.
Lamaism is an esoteric mixture
OF Buddhist mysticism, magic, ane
animism. Its spiritual homeland il
Tibet, but it is also spread through.
out Mongolia and Northwest China
There are many sects, including the
yellow sect, the red sect, the black
sect, and the sorcerers sect, but the
yellow sect is predominant ano
might be called orthodox lamaism
Leadership Is Split.
The Dalai Lama is the tempora
leader and the Panchan Lama the
spiritual leader of the millions oi
believers in lamaism.
The division of function between
these two leaders became confused
In the 1920S by the injection OF
political rivalry into their relations
Friction between the Dalai Lama
who was the more powerful of the
two and who stood for pro-British
policy, and the Panchan Lama
who stood for pro-Chinese policy
became acute. The Panchan Lama
left Shigatse in the middle '20s and
began a tour of China where he
became well-known international
figure and gained Chinese SUPPORT
for his cause.
In the middle '3Os the Panchan
Lama started back for Tibet with
a Chinese military escort. On the
way he died mysteriously from
what was believed to be poisoning
Backed by China.
The Panchan Lama is backed by
China's moral if unifficial support
China still claims suverainty over
all Tibet, although Chinese control
there has been virtually nonexistent
since 1911, and in many respects
the. Panchan Lama at Kumbum is
the symbol of Chinese claims.
The 11-year-old boy whom saw
here at Kumbum, however, is prob
ably not aware of the aura OF
intrigue and power politics which
surrounds him. 1t is probable, also
that he does not fully comprehend
his position as the spiritual lead
er of millions of believers in
lamaism.
He lives strictly-supervised
existence which begins every day
at 4 am, and most OF his time is
spent in learning and reciting the
Tfbetan scriptures. He is allowed
no playmates. and the only COM
panions he has are his pet birds