Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is "making a fool" of Tibetan Buddhism with his comments over incarnation, a Chinese official has said.
Writing in state mouthpiece Global Times, Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the top advisory body to China's parliament, said the Dalai Lama has to respect the religious and historic traditions of Buddhism including the concept of reincarnation.
"The Dalai Lama continues to proclaim his reincarnation is a 'purely religious matter' and something only he can decide, but he has no way to compel admiration from the faithful," Zhu wrote.
"He's been proclaiming he'll reincarnate as a foreigner, as a bee, as a 'mischievous blond girl', or even proposing a living reincarnation or an end to reincarnation."
The spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists had fled China after a failed uprising against Beijing in 1959. He has been a vocal critic of the Chinese government since then and has lashed out at China's bid to control Tibetan Buddhism.
Beijing calls the Dalai Lama, who has been living in India in exile, a 'splittist' for his views on Tibetan autonomy. The Lama has denied that he is fomenting independence movement in Tibet.
Zhu wrote the Lama's views on incarnation -- basically the view that he may not reincarnate, or not reincarnate as something inappropriate -- are an insult to the religion.
"All of this, quite apart from making a fool of Tibetan Buddhism, is completely useless when it comes to extricating him from the difficulty of reincarnation," Zhu wrote.
"Anyone getting ready to offend China must first weigh up the consequences," Zhu added.
