(TibetanReview.net, May22, 2016) – China’s top leader for dealing with minority issues has on May 19 ordered Tibet’s new top religious graduates to work to unite religious figures and religious believers with the Party and government, reported the country’s official Xinhua news agency May 20. Meeting with the winners of the 12th Geshe Thorampa degree in Beijing, Sun Chunlan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, has stressed that the important speech of President Xi Jinping at the National Work Conference on Religion was aimed at guiding religious framework documents under new circumstances.
Sun wanted the “lamas” to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the speech. This included the requirements to always adhere to the religious doctrines associated with socialism with Chinese characteristics, to fully implement the Party’s fundamental policies on religion, and to unite religious figures and religious believers with the Party and government.
Sun also stressed the need to promote Tibetan Buddhism through the creation of an interpretation that is in line with the present development requirements of China.
Sun has called on the Geshe Thorampa degree winners to actively engage in the cause to incorporate Tibetan Buddhism into socialist society, and to make due contributions to social harmony and economic development of Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited areas in the PRC.
Thorampa Geshe is the highest academic degree in Tibetan Buddhism, the report said. It added that this year a total of 14 “lamas” had obtained the advanced degree while 22 “lamas” obtained the “Nzhing Ram Ba” intermediate degree at the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China.
Under communist China’s dispensation, those appearing for the religious examinations have to also undergo, as a part of their eligibility, education in patriotism towards the communist party of China and the Chinese state ruled by it.