Leading through sacrifice and strength

The 14th Dalai Lama [Flickr:christopher]

It would be funny if it weren’t so serious. The New York Times reports that the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, is threatening not to reincarnate after he dies.

In response, the Communist Chinese government is saying, “Oh, yes you will.”

Most of us in the West don’t believe in reincarnation, so on the surface it sounds absurd. Can a man – even one as exalted as the Dalai Lama – control what happens to him after he dies? Can a government – an atheistic one at that – dictate how he exerts that control?

If it sounds absurd to us, it’s deadly serious to the people who are directly involved. And while I don’t believe in reincarnation, I do believe in genuine, sacrificial leadership.