In reply, the Chinese spokesman Mr Geng noted that as the conversation appeared in an entertainment programme, the Dalai Lama’s comments in the interview perhaps appeared humorous and funny. Certainly very accommodating and friendly of him indeed!

But the catch here is that, Name calling has become the usual norm with the Chinese government when any talks and reference is made of the Dalai Lama. They seem to have a total dislike of him. One would not miss such term as liar, separatist and now, ‘political exile in religious clothing’ labelled on him. I am waiting for the Chinese to call him ‘a wolf in sheep skin’ soon. And oh, no forgetting such term as splitist which at time would make me spit out my saliva unconsciously when pronouncing the word. Luckily for the Dalai Lama, the Chinese have no wish to negotiated with him, otherwise he might just have to physically keep an arm length from them.

Sure as expected, Mr Geng hit back and take a swipe at the Dalai Lama by adding that, quote, ‘these words are all lies that do not accord with the facts’. (What a spoilsport after calling him funny!) By the way, what facts is he referring to? The Dalai Lama in jest, could be just referring to the missing folds on the Grey matter of these Hardliners’ brains.

Well, the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government have been bickering for decades on the fate of Tibet with the unfortunate Tibetans people sandwiched between both parties’ squabbles and disagreements on the issues of autonomy, language, culture, traditions. Unfortunately, as the Tibetan way of life is so intertwined with the Buddhist faith, the religion too has been drag in and become such an important and necessary tool for the control of Tibet and its inhabitants for the Chinese government.

Since both sides are unable to come to any agreement, it has now boil down to the Chinese government trying to isolate the Dalai Lama presents in the international arena by using retaliatory measures against countries that dares to invite him to their countries. Also, it is making use of student bodies in Universities and the Shugden Society to disrupt the Dalai Lama wherever he appears.

As the Dalai Lama is now in his 80’s, it is just a matter of time before he passed away even though he has said that he intent to live to be a centenarian. It certainly did give the Chinese some anxious moment with that statement though. When he passed on, it is going to a sad day for many, but it is certainly going to be a red-letter day for the Chinese government. (Time to break out the champagne bottle or rather the Mao Tai baijiu to celebrate, I presume!) It would also not be too long after that before the search and confirmation of the next reincarnation Dalai Lama would take place.

Beside the facts that the Dalai Lama had said he might not reincarnate again, he has also pointed out earlier that he might come back as a female or that he might reincarnate outside of Tibet itself. I suggest he might like to add another option and tell the Chinese he is going to be reincarnated into three separate physical bodies representing his body, speech and mind. One of this body to be born in Tibet, one outside Tibet and one other for all Vajrayana followers to decide. Let’s add a little bit of ‘spices and pepper’ and some confusion to the whole issue of reincarnation and raise the blood pressure of these hardliners a few millimetres in the process. It would be interesting to see how they will react.

Afterall, it is a foregone conclusion that after his demise, that there will certainly be two Dalai Lama for the believers to choose from. One appointed by the Chinese authority using the Golden Urn method and the other by the Tibetans living in exile presently. Which Dalai Lama is going to be the more popular one will eventually depend on who have more charisma and intelligence. Of course, if one turns out to be mentally handicap or becomes a womaniser, drunkard or refused to be ordained as a monk like the sixth Dalai Lama, the advantage will certainly go to the other party. In any case, there are now two competing Kamapas and Panchen Lamas to choose from. It has certainly not done much damage to the religion as a whole.

Seriously, I believe the Chinese government is pragmatic enough to realised that their future selected Dalai Lama will not be accepted by the majority of the Tibetan people and will not be able to galvanise them to their side and be assimilate into the Chinese society. As it is now, and if time is not a problem for the present Chinese government, it will still require a few more generations down the road before the Tibetans can accept and be proud to be identified as Chinese.

But in order to hasten this process of assimilation, it would certainly be an advantage to take control of the religion itself since Buddhism is a way of life that is intertwined into every facet of the Tibetan way of living. The religion to the Communist government, is a ‘pain in the neck’ if it cannot serve their objectives. The government will try to weakened Buddhism as it has a strong hold on the Tibetans. It will try to cause chaos, confusion, disputes within the religion and undermining it until the people lost faith in it and look elsewhere to satisfied their needs and aspiration.

For the Chinese, it is then hope, from this chaos of the weakened state of the religion, to push through its own reforms to meet with their own objectives. But ironically, as a government with a communist ideology, it chooses materialism and consumerism as a substitute for the religion to uplift and improve the Tibetans standard of living. Most commendable indeed. They hope, when lives are improved, the Tibetans would show their appreciation and thus win over their heart and minds. But what the communists does not seems to believe or forget is that, there is also a spiritual dimension in an individual’s life that needs to be satisfied in most of us.

That in most case, can only be fulfilled by the believes in a religion. Until and unless there is Freedom and Rights not just in allowing people the right to believe in a religion but also allowing them the right to practice it without control and interference. Without that happening, there will always be struggles from the Tibetans people and certainly no peace of mind for the Chinese government.