Gyaincain Norbu - Biography

Biography

Gyaincain Norbu was born on 13 February 1990 in Lhari County in northern Tibet Autonomous Region. He is the son of two Communist Party members. He had been living in Beijing during his early childhood to be educated in a Chinese way, and moved back to Tashilhunpo Monastery for his enthronement, in Shigatse, the official seat of the Panchen Lamas. He developed altitude sickness when he first moved back, but overcame it quickly. Since his selection as Panchen Lama, he has studied Tibetan Buddhism, to his studies he added Tibetan language, sutra, and logic at ten; he is bilingual in both Tibetan and Chinese. He spent most of his later childhood studying Buddhism in Beijing. In a rare appearance for his adolescent age, Norbu delivered a speech in Tibetan for the opening ceremony of the 2006 World Buddhist Forum about Buddhism and national unity. Reportedly, it received a cold reception among delegates, with fellow Buddhists making no attempt to greet Gyaltsen Norbu during greeting ceremonies ahead of the conference on Wednesday Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama had not been invited, because he is viewed by China as "a long-time stubborn secessionist who has tried to split his Chinese motherland and break the unity among different ethnic groups."

Two years later, he denounced anti-Han riots in Lhasa, saying "We resolutely oppose all activities to split the country and undermine ethnic unity". China promotes him as "the public face of Tibetan Buddhism".

On 3 February 2010 Norbu was elected vice president of the Buddhist Association of China. Later that month, Norbu became at 20 the youngest member of the advisory body National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Vice chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Hao Peng praised his appointment, in particular for Norbu's "demonstrating the role of the living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism and encouraging more believers to participate in state affairs". He was not, however, made vice chairman of the CPPCC, as the 10th Panchen Lama was and was widely expected of Norbu. Still, the Tibetan government in exile expressed concern that his appointment could prejudice his position on the next Dalai Lama, who normally requires approval from the Panchen Lama.

On May 2010, he reported to the ethnically Tibetan earthquake zone of the 2010 Yushu earthquake and held prayer services for victims. In June, he gave speeches at Tibet University and Tibet University of Traditional Tibetan Medicine in Lhasa promoting the value of education. In response to the 2010 Gansu mudslide, in which Zhugqu County, a 1/3 Tibetan area was hit, he donated ¥50,000 to relief efforts and prayed for the victims. He pays visits the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, although he does not live there. The Asia Times describes him as "A slight man who wears thick glasses and traditional crimson robes".

In Hong Kong on 26 April 2012 Gyaincain gave his first appearance outside of mainland China to address over a thousand monks at the The Third World Buddhist Forum on the topic of Dharma.