The Search for the Panchen Lama

The Search for the Panchen Lama
Isabel Hilton
Viking 1999, £20 h/b

The story of the present Panchen Lama sounds like a thriller until one recalls it concerns a real 12-year-old boy who was recognised as the new incarnation of the second most important Tibetan Lama, and is now held incognito by the Chinese. Isabel Hilton is an excellent writer and an expert on China. For several years she followed the secret search by the Tibetan government-in-exile for the new Panchen Lama. She was privy to their plans, and acted as a conduit for information in the complex manoeuvring between them and the Chinese authorities. She also brings a sharp journalistic eye to the murky, politicised history of the tulku system, free of the sentiment that often descends with issues about Tibetans.

As a result her book is informative as well as entertaining. She evokes the complex character of the previous Panchen Lama, who is sometimes perceived as a collaborator, but who she sees as a reformer caught in the Communist nets. She also explores the ironies of Chinese materialists who have chosen their own candidate as the Lama’s rebirth to secure their influence. However, never far off is the tragedy of the boy caught in these Byzantine intrigues.

review by Vishvapani, first published in Dharma Life 12, Spring 2000