Xi the Savior transforms to Xi the Satan of Buddhism with his rampant policies over religion in Tibet.

Dhamdul

Introduction:

When Xi Jinping came to power in China there was much optimism among many especially the Tibetans and the larger Buddhist community in China because of the President’s strong affinity with this particular religion. Many Tibetans even His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama praised how president Xi Jinping was more realistic than his predecessors and statedhow his administration are gradually embracing spiritualism, when the Chinese leader visited India in 2014. This sparked many debates among the Tibetan community as to how there might finally be a light at the end of the arduousstruggle, we have been going through with regard to being under the suppression of the Chinese Communist government.

Xi Jinping’s affinity to Buddhism:

Xi’s affinity to Buddhism is not a sudden tryst but rather built up gradually through his upbringing with his father, Xi Zhongxun being a strong advocate of Buddhism and other religious institutions when he headed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) religious work. Under such guidance Xi grew close to the Buddhist community with his relationship with a Buddhist monk Shi Youming who headed the Zhengding temples in Hebei province being an epitome of his closeness to the community and his respect towards it whether he was a believer or not.

Dramatic shift after rise in power:

Yet as Lord Acton stated “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Xi Jinping since his rise to power has adhered to this very statement and has done a complete 360 in his view to not only Buddhism but the larger religious community in China. The ones that have been largely impacted by this complete change of persona have been the Tibetan Buddhists and the Uyghur Muslims. The rampant policies implemented in these two regions which by and large remain territories annexed by the current Chinese political party brings to question as to what sort of governance is being implemented here? Is it Socialism with Chinese characteristics or Genocide with holocaust attributes?

Buddhism in Tibet with Xi in power:

After Xi Jinping became the president of China there has been a gradual shift in the CCP’s view and policies over Buddhism in Tibet, which has of recent times been attacked through various channels by the government. This is not to say that the religion has remain untouched during the initial period of his leadership. In fact, many of the polices implemented currently has had their foundations laid then. The root of all being the certification of reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist lamas which undermined centuries of practice and tradition, thereby giving a strong indication of how the CCP under Xi Jinping will not be appeasing the religious community but rather would adopt a hard-handed approach much like the Machiavellian approach of governance, where fear is used to gained obedience.

This was followed up when tangible Buddhist structures became the target. The destruction of Larung Gar in Tibet, the world’s largest Buddhist monastic institution in 2016 was just the beginning of what was to come and this move showcased to the world how under Xi it was not only the spiritual side of side of Buddhism that is targeted but also the physical and tangible edicts of Buddhism in Tibet.

Many monks also committed self-immolation from 2013-2020 because of the dire situation they were facing when it came to practicing the faith, they believed in. One by one several polices were implemented from Beijingthrough the directives of Xi Jinping in demolishing Buddhism in Tibet, bringing a period similar to the times of the Cultural revolution.

Recent policies after consolidation:

Since last year (2021) when President Xi Jinping consolidated his power and signaled an era of dictatorship in China. The project of demolishing Buddhism in Tibet has gained further impetus as every day we hear and witness incidents of how the CCP is not leaving any stones unturned in its ambition of ridding Buddhism out of Tibet eventually.

In late December, 2021 a very prominent 99-foot Buddha statue was completely demolished along with the 45-huge prayers wheels surrounding it in Kham, Drakgo situated in the Sichuan province of Chinese demarcated Tibet.This statue was just completed in 2015 after gaining all the required paperwork and was constructed because the region and its people sought protection from the frequent earthquakes impacting it. However, regardless of the local Tibetans and the religious sentiment tied to it, the CCP and its official demolished this structure with an attitude of difference. And to many observerssignaled the road ahead under the Xi’s confirmed dictatorship. The buck did not stop there as another three-story Maitreya Buddha statue was recently demolished by the CCP in this very region thereby creating a nexus of demolishing Buddhist structures in Kham.

To further highlight the insensitivity of the ruling CCP under Xi there has been a strong move in stopping the propagation of Tibet Buddhism in Tibet and China. This is seen through the recent announcement by the Measures on the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services whereby it gave authorities measures to clamp down online religious activity. This measure was adopted after president Xi in his speech at the National Conference on Work Related to Religious Affairs in Beijing last December called for punishing believers using social networks for religious activities and criticism of the government’s religious policy. This move impacted the online Wechat groups heavily, where the presence of Buddhist groups grewand had gained huge popularity with the advent of the pandemic.

Not stopping there, the most recent attack has been on the Tibetans in Amdo, China demarcated Qinghai province where Chinese officials have now warned and given notice to Tibetans to not keep any portraits of Tibetan religious teachers in exile. It is a known fact that the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is banned in China but now this has even extended to the other religious teachers including the His Eminence the Karmapa, His Eminence the Sakya Trizen and many more prominent teachers in exile.

Conclusion:

The savior Xi has completely morphed into the satan Xi to the Tibetans with his actions speaking for themselves. Since Xi’s consolidation of power, the CCP have been ruthless and have since adopted a two-pronged approach of eradicating and Sinicizing Tibet’s religion. One, destroying the very Buddhist structures and two, eradicating the very means of Buddhist learning be it online as well which had gained traction during the pandemic.

Tibet and Buddhism have remained ever synonymous since the early 7^th century when Buddhism first gained prominence in Tibet with both helping each other and developing a very unique culture, tradition and civilization along the way. Under Xi’ regime and his rampant policies from Beijing this very age-old phenomenon is being threatened. If current trends continue, Buddhism in Tibet would truly be a tale of yesterday and a history.