Golden Urn
The Golden Urn refers to a method introduced by the Qing dynasty of China in 1793 to prevent cheating and corruption in the selection process of rinpoches or lamas including the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, and other high offices within Tibetan Buddhism. The process includes drawing a lot from names held inside a Golden Urn. It was institutionalized in the 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of Tibet (). Article 1 states that the purpose of Golden Urn is to ensure prosperity of Gelug, and to prevent cheating and corruption in the selection process. In 1792 , the Qianlong Emperor published the article The Discourse of Lama to explain the history of lamas and the cases of cheating and corruption in the reincarnation system, while also explaining why he thought the Golden Urn would be a fair system of choosing reincarnated rinpoches or lamas, as opposed to choosing reincarnated rinpoches or lamas based on private designation, or based on one person's decision and to stop a single family with multiple reincarnated rinpoches or lamas. On 12 August 1927, the Central Government mandated that before the publication of new laws, all laws in history regarding Tibetan Buddhism  should continue unless there were conflicts with new doctrine or new laws of the Central Government. In August 1929, the Supreme Court of the Central Government stated that before the publication of new laws, laws in history regarding Tibet, regarding reincarnation of rinpoches or lamas were applicable In 1935, the Ordinance of Lama Temple Management () was published by the Central Government of China. Article 2 states that reincarnated lamas are limited to those who were reincarnated previously in history, unless it was approved by the Central Government. Article 5 states that all monasteries/temples and lamas must be registered with  Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission. Article 7 states that the methods for reincarnation, appointment, rewards and punishments, registration, etc. of lamas shall be drafted by the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission and submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval. In 1936, based on articles 2 and 7 of the Ordinance of Lama Temple Management (), the Method of Reincarnation of Lamas () was published by the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission of the Central Government. Article 3 states that the death of lamas including the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama should be reported to Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, soul boys should  be found, reported to and checked by Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, and a lot-drawing ceremony with the Golden Urn system should be held separately. Article 6 states that local governments should invite officials from the Central Government to take care of the sitting-in-the-bed ceremony. Article 7 states that soul boys should not be searched for from the current lama families. In 2007, the State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5 () was published by the Central Government. Article 7 states that no group or individual may carry out activities related to searching for and identifying the  reincarnated soul boy of the Living Buddha without authorization. Article 8 states that a lot-drawing ceremony with the Golden Urn is applicable to those rinpoches, or lamas who were reincarnated previously in history. Requests for exemption are handled by State Administration for Religious Affairs, and for those with great impact, requests for exemption are handled by the State Council. History. The Golden Urn originated in a decree issued by the Qianlong Emperor in 1792, after the Qing victory in the Second Invasion of the Sino-Nepalese War. Article One of the decree, the 29-Article Ordinance for the More  Effective Governing of Tibet, was designed to be used in the selection of rinpoches or lamas and other high offices within Tibetan Buddhism, including the Dalai Lamas, Panchen Lamas and Mongolian lamas. In Qianlong Emperor's article The Discourse of Lama () which was published also in 1792, he explained the history of lamas and the reincarnation system, he inferred that the reincarnation system is only man-made, and creating rules is only to facilitate those monks, and to eliminate drawbacks associated with the man-made reincarnation. In the first article of 29-Article Ordinance for the More Effective Governing of  Tibet, it states that the purpose of Golden Urn is to ensure prosperity of Gelug, and to eliminate cheating and corruption in the selection process. Mike Dash argued that the Urn's real purpose was to allow the Qing Emperors of China to control the selection process. Two Golden Urns were issued by the Qianlong Emperor: one is enshrined in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa and is to be used for choosing Dalai and Panchen Lama reincarnations; the other is in Yonghe Temple in Beijing for choosing Mongolian Lama, known as Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, reincarnations. The specific ritual to be followed when  using the Golden Urn was written by the 8th Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso. The names and dates of birth of each candidate were to be written in the Manchu, Han, and Tibetan languages on metal or ivory slips and placed in the golden urn. After prayers before the statue of the Jowo in the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, a slip was drawn. The 7th Panchen Lama, Palden Tenpai Nyima, used the Golden Urn for the first time in 1822 to choose the 10th Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso. Usage. The Dalai Lamas The Panchen Lamas In 2018, historian Max Oidtmann compiled  various sources and concluded that between 1793 and 1825 the Golden Urn was used for approximately half the major reincarnation searches in Tibet and Mongolia, and overall it was used 79 times for 52 different major lineages.