BEIJING, April 22-- Ten years ago, the then 5-year-old 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, was officially installed through a ceremony known as sitting on the bed. His secular name is Gyaencaen Norbu.

Now that 10 years have passed, he has received an education¢w even in English. Now he can use English to conduct simple daily conversations and is able to read some easy English articles.

While his daily life remains mysterious to most people, a recent interview with the 11th Panchen Lama by the CCTV program Oriental Horizon may unveil the face of this unique young boy.

During the interview, Gyaencaen Norbu expressed his feeling that as a living Buddha he shoulders great historical responsibility.

Gyaencaen Norbu was born on Feb. 13, 1990 at Lhari County in northern Tibet. His father and mother both received only a primary school education. The name Gyaencaen Norbu, given by his maternal grandfather, means holy streamer of triumph.

There were many auspicious signs that took place soon after the birth of Gyaencaen Norbu.

When he was 5 months old, a baby-sitter found a white holy Tibetan letter on his tongue, a letter representing the incarnation of Buddha.

The parents said the young boy had shown very strong interest in Buddha since early age."Everything he played since he was 2 years old has been related to religion. He was only interested in Buddha-related things," the mother said.

According to Gyaencaen Norbu, the sacred influence of Buddhist sutras on him began even when he was still in his mother's womb when the loyal mother spent much time chanting scripture.

Later on, as a little boy, Gyaencaen Norbu heard his parents chant The Gatha(Hymn) to Great Master Padmasambhava and Buddhist scriptures translated by some eminent Tibetan monks. Then he began to memorize the contents of some works written by eminent Tibetan monks, such as Great Master Tsonghkaha.

"I feel warm and close to Budha when learning scriptures. The feeling is inside me," said Gyaencaen Norbu.

The search for the reincarnation of the late 10th Panchen Lama began in June 1989.

Based on lake observations, divination and identifying objects left behind by the late 10th Panchen as well as a comprehensive analysis of his countenance and auspicious signs, three brilliant boy candidates were eventually picked out.

Through the method of drawing lots from a golden urn, conducted before the statue of Sakyamuni in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Gyaencaen Norbu was selected as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Erdeni.

The young Panchen still retains an impression of the visit of the sacred baby-seeking team despite his young age when it happened. But instead of excitement, he said he felt that"a historical mission had fallen upon me" when he heard that he was identified as the reincarnation of the late 10th Panchen Lama.

After he became the sole boy selected as the reincarnation of a living Buddha, the life of Gyaencaen Norbu changed and he started to receive Buddhist education from an eminent monk from Trashilhunpo Monastery named Benba.

After the young Gyaencaen Norbu switched over to a completely different lifestyle in the lamasery, all sorts of changes took place in his life, such as status, clothing, food and drink as well as other aspects of life.

It is necessary for a person to take a certain period of time to adapt himself to a new lifestyle, and this was certainly the case for the holy boy. It seems that the young Gyaencaen Norbu has already adapted quite well, as he says one becomes more sensible and accustomed to a new lifestyle as one gets older.

Learning is now the most important task for the young Pachen. Gyaencaen Norbu said he found debating on scriptures was most significant and interesting for him when learning various kinds of Buddhist knowledge.

Take philosophy for example. Philosophy is very abstruse. After attending a lecture given by a master of the sutras, one has to remember and comprehend it.

"During the debate, one can air one's own views and engage in an exchange of opinions with others. The more one engages in debate, the more one knows and the deeper one comprehends. The more one knows about scriptures, the more one becomes interested in them," said Gyaencaen Norbu.

He also expressed his gratitude for a golden opportunity to learn as a Living Budha. "Living Buddha is merely a name. However, a real understanding of Buddhism does not lie in whether or not one is a Living Buddha. I'm a Living Buddha, so I'm in a more favorable position to study various kinds of Buddhist knowledge," said Gyaencaen Norbu.

Many Tibetan people still have fresh feelings from the first open service of the 11th Panchen in Tibet in 1999. More than 10,000 people came to the service, in the hope to get a touch on the head and blessing by the Panchen. The queue reached a length of two kilometers.

When seeing so many people waiting and expecting his blessing, Gyaencaen Norbu strongly felt their firm belief. He gave them abhiseca, taught them dharma, and prayed for them to be free from diseases and disasters.

As mankind is faced with many disasters, such as the SARS epidemic that broke out in 2003 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, the 11th Panchen explained what he learned from these catastrophes.

"I often pray for living creatures in misery. When the tsunami disaster happened, I prayed for and donated money to the victims," said Gyaencaen Norbu.

Unlike other children, the little Panchen leads a very busy life learning Buddhism knowledge in addition to other courses such as Chinese and English.

Calligraphy and computer science are also his favorite hobbies. Sometimes he even uses the computer to finish his homework. His Chinese language teacher cited his extraordinary intelligence and hard work as the main reasons for his excellent academic performance.

Gyaencaen Norbu always says there will be no end to study. "From the perspective of a Living Buddha, I am entrusted with a great historical mission. If I didn't study hard, I wouldn't be able to fulfill this mission," said the young Panchen.

In addition to studying, keeping abreast of what is happening in the world is also a must for the Panchen. Now he watches news every evening to keep informed of major international and domestic events.

Apart from that, he also likes to watch historical TV plays. Young Emperor Kangxi is one of his favorite TV series.

When asked to compare himself with Kangxi, the young Panchen said:

"There are differences in many aspects. From an epochal perspective, I am living in a new age and a new China, while Emperor Kangxi, on his part, lived in a feudal age. In terms of identity and status, Kangxi was an emperor while I am a Buddhist monk and a Living Buddha. I pray for the happiness and equality of all living creatures mainly through reciting scriptures."

As a young Panchen Lama, he believes he bears a stronger mission than all the previous Panchen Lamas.

"I must carry forward the glorious traditions of all the previous Panchen Lamas who loved the country and the religion of Buddhism. The biggest difference is that we live in different times and I will work hard to do things in the interests of the country and the people.

"I will strive for the reunification of the motherland, the unity of various nationalities and the happiness of people, as well as for the healthy development of Tibetan Buddhism on the road of compatibility with socialist society," he said.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily)