Tibetan tradition (I will strike thru obvious communist Chinese propaganda)
Following the Buddhist belief in the principle of reincarnation, the current Dalai Lama is believed to be able to choose the body into which he is reincarnated. That person, when found, will then become the next Dalai Lama. According to Buddhist scholars it is the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelgupa tradition and the Tibetan government to seek out and find the next Dalai Lama following the death of the incumbent. The process can take a long time. It took four years to find the 14th (current) Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The search is generally limited to Tibet, although the current Dalai Lama has said that there is a chance that he will not be reborn, and that if he is, it would not be in a country under Chinese rule. To help them in their search, the High Lamas may have visions or dreams, and try to find signs. For example, if the previous Dalai Lama was cremated, they can watch the direction of the smoke to suggest where the rebirth will take place. When these signs have been interpreted and a successor found, there are a series of tests to ensure that they are the genuine reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. They assess the candidate against a set of criteria, and will present the child with various objects to see if they can identify those which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama. If a single candidate has been identified, the High Lamas will report their findings to eminent individuals and then to the Government. If more than one candidate is identified, the true successor is found by officials and monks drawing lots in a public ceremony. Once identified, the successful candidate and his family are taken to Lhasa (or Dharamsala) where the child will study the Buddhist scriptures in order to prepare for spiritual leadership.[4]
In my book, there is a death scene in Chapter One which describes how I imagine Lord Fairfax dies in Winchester, VA. He collapses in the dirt street, after a vigorous journey from his log cabin at the base of the Northern pinnacle of a mountain ridge within which lies the hidden “valley within a valley.” An urgent angelic voice spoke to him during the last night of his life. The 80 year old man suddenly felt a compelling need to set something straight about a particular real estate transaction conducted during his long and colorful life. He felt a trip to his attorney’s office in Winchester was essential before he passed away. Too late, his heart gave out and his soul left his body. I describe a gust of wind picking up a clump of leaves from the street next to his body and carrying them aloft into the sky. They stream on an invisible jet towards the upper reaches of the great Shenandoah Valley. What lies that direction you ask? Why, Harpers Ferry of course. Now, what would his soul be doing flying towards the heights of that old river town?
