Database launched to check identity of Living Buddhas

活佛查询系统上线 可在线确认活佛身份

An online database of legitimate Living Buddhas was launched at a ceremony in Beijing on Monday to help followers of Tibetan Buddhism distinguish between real ones and fakes.

周一，在北京举办的帮助信众辨别真假藏传佛教活佛的仪式上，藏传佛教活佛数据库查询系统正式上线。

The database has been set up amid concerns about fake Living Buddhas defrauding followers.

为什么要打造这个系统?因近些年假冒的活佛招摇撞骗，欺骗信众。

Launched by the Buddhist Association of China at the Guangji Temple in the capital, it will include the names, dates of birth, sect of the religion, the numbers on Living Buddhas’ certificates and photographs of each Living Buddha.

该系统由中国佛教协会发起，佛教界大腕云集北京广济寺，在线查询系统可查询活佛的姓名、出生年月、教派、活佛证号和照片。

The database has initially disclosed information on the 870 Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism. Information about more Living Buddhas will be made public once their status has been certified, the association said.

这次上线的是第一批共870名西藏地区活佛的信息，更多的活佛信息经核查后将很快面向公众，中国佛教协会表示。

It is the first time that China has made such information public.

在中国，此类信息是首次面向公众。

The database will be available on the websites of the association, the State Administration of Religious Affairs and the news portal Tibet.cn. It is available in both Chinese and Tibetan.

在哪儿可以查询?中国佛教协会网站、国家宗教事务局网站和中国西藏新闻门户网三家网站均可查询，有汉语和藏语两个版本。

The database was launched after an incident involving Baima Aose, whose original name was Wu Darong, during which he held what was purportedly a Living Buddha enthronement ceremony for Chinese actor Zhang Tielin.

该活佛查询系统设立的起因是张铁林坐床事件，自称具有活佛资格的白玛奥色为张铁林举办坐床典礼。

He later issued an apology and resigned from all posts after a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Sichuan province refused to certify him as a Living Buddha.

在白玛奥色被揭露被四川藏传佛教寺院拒绝授予活佛后，随后他发表致歉声明，辞去所有职务头衔。

The 7th Drukhang Living Buddha Drukhang Thubten Khedrup, vice-president of the association, said at the launch ceremony that the database will help to prevent similar cases and assist in protecting the interests of both followers and Living Buddhas. “It will also help society to better learn about Tibetan Buddhism and Living Buddhas,” he said.

西藏孝登寺第七世珠康活佛，也是中国佛教协会副会长在启动仪式上表示，查询系统的上线是防止同样事件的发生，有助于保护信众和活佛的权益，同时也有助于社会更好的了解藏传佛教和活佛。

Venerable Master Xuecheng, the association’s president, said it is considering expanding the database soon to cover information about all 72,000 Buddhist monks in Chinese Buddhism.

中国佛教协会会长学诚表示，查询系统将很快扩展，将涵盖72000位中国佛教僧侣的信息。

Tibetan Buddhism holds that the soul of a Living Buddha is reincarnated in a child on death. The reincarnation procedure is strict and lengthy, and a candidate must obtain government approval before the enthronement ceremony.

藏传佛教认为，活佛的灵魂由孩子升天转世而来，转世的程序严格而冗长，在坐床仪式前活佛候选人必须获得政府的批准。