Confirmation of the reincarnated soul boy

　　Tuomo and Luozhu traveled back to the Curpu Monastery day and night without stopping and reported their search of the reincarnated soul boy. The monastery then sent Luozhui together with Tuomo and Luozhu to submit the result to the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government. After discussing with the United Front Work Department and Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, the regional government instructed the Curpu Monastery to follow the rituals of the Karma Kaygu Sect and invite the soul boy to the monastery immediately.

　　At the same time, the Gali Monastery in Bagor held prayer meetings for days, giving out food to celebrate Abu Gaga's confirmation as the reincarnated soul boy of the 16th Karmapa.

　　After Tuomo and Luozhu returned to Chamdo, they visited Dondrub‘s family again in deferential manners and invited the reincarnated soul boy and his parents to Lhasa.

　　"To have the soul boy in Lhasa as soon as possible, we could not talk about it too much. So we only chose to rest in those deserted and remote areas. However, the news spread out anyway. There were people presenting hada all the way and in some places people had already prepared to welcome and see us off. People were queuing up for the soul boy to touch their heads," said Luozhui.

　　On June 15, farmers near the Curpu Monastery paved the dirt path to the monastery voluntarily, turning the bumpy road into a smooth one. Paths leading to the village were also sprinkled with water. With the welcome of a lama guard of honor, the reincarnated soul boy and his entourage arrived at the Curpu Monastery.

　　Starting from his first day in the monastery, the soul boy adopted the Dharma name of Ogyen Trinley given by the Kegyu Living Buddha Situ in Sikkim.

　　With the permission of Luozhui and a senior monk, my colleagues and I went to a room in the rear of the main hall, where the 8-year-old soul boy was waiting for us.

　　The light in the room was soft and the room took a color of orange as its windows were covered with yellow cloth. The soul boy, sitting on a soft cushion, looked at us. With a round face and large and bright eyes, he looked childish and curious. Meanwhile he was also examining us. A 72-year-old senior monk stood beside him. The master helped the boy to stand up and receive our greetings. We then took a couple of photos of the soul boy. Li Zhiyong, then deputy director of the Tibetan Bureau of Xinhua News Agency, passed his camera to the soul boy after noticing that he was staring at it. The soul boy examined the camera repeatedly before pressing the button for the shutter. He then smiled at Li.

　　The master, wearing long, grey and white beard and glasses, followed the 16th Karmapa to Sikkim in 1959 and had been in the company of the Living Buddha since then. In 1991, he returned to Curpu form Sikkim to be the master of the reincarnated soul boy of the 16th Karmapa.

　　The reincarnation of the Living Buddha means the continuation of life and soul. The reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibet, no matter it is Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama, should be approved by the Central Government. The reincarnated soul boy of the 16th karmapa had obtained the approval of the Central Government. The certificate of approval issued by the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council reads:

　　Reply regarding the approval of the reincarnated soul boy of the 16th Karmapa

　　Chinese Buddhists Association: the report on the approval of the reincarnated soul boy of the 16th Karmapa of the Curpu Monastery in Tibet has been received.

　　We agree to approve Ogyen Trinley, son of herdsmen Dondrub and Loga from Bagor, Lhathok County of Tibet Autonomous Region‘s Chamdo Town as the reincarnated soul boy of the 16th Karmapa. We hereby authorize him as the 17th karmapa. The sitting-in-bed ceremony should be held in due course.

　　We hope that the Curpu Monastery should take effective measures to ensure the safety of the soul boy, choose the proper master and entourage, teach the soul boy Buddhism and other knowledge, in order to make the soul boy the 17th Karmapa who is accomplished in Buddhism and loves socialist China.

　　Hereby we reply.

　　The Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State Council

　　June 25, 1992