Reincarnate Buddhas illegal in China

[I wish I could give an attribution for this art work. I love the way the Buddha icon is coming together from many odds and ends]

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Chinese plans to build a road around Mt. Kailash and about their possibly aborted plan to carry the Olympic torch to the top of Mt. Everest from the Chinese side. I wonder if they have a think tank in Beijing dreaming up ideas to show their insensitivity and sometimes megalomania [WHO would carry the torch up Mt. Everest?]

I just read another bit of dictatorial insanity. After September 1st sencient beigns aspiring to Buddhahood -- and accidentally reincarnating in China or Tibet -- must now register with the Chinese government. The statement was that "the so called reincarnated living Buddhas without government approval is illegal and invalid." So are we to think this Communist, atheistic government believes there ARE reiincarnate sencient beings who are living Buddhas? It is apparently also illegal to pesonally recognize them as reincarnate Buddhas. This is so mind boggling in it's irrationality I don't think I can say anything more about it. Except that quite some time ago the Dalai Lama said he would not reincarnate in Tibet/China.

Sometimes the Chinese government seems intent on bringing the wrath of the world on them and they seem to be succeeding. A recent New Yorker cartoon showed a child in a nearly barren room [no toys of any sort] who said to a friend something like, "my parents threw away everything of mine that was made in China." People are worrying about both their pet food and their own food. I bought some frozen tilapia a couple days ago and felt a serious qualm when I saw in was from China. How much mercury is in it? What other chemicals? They feed the fish antibiotics - as American beef growers and diary farmers do their cattle -- to keep them from sickening from the pollutants they live iin. Many people are thinking about these matters.