China Requires Government Permission to Reincarnate — But Only for Buddhist Lamas
China's State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5 (2007) makes it illegal to recognize a Tibetan Buddhist 'Living Buddha' (tulku) reincarnation without multi-level government approval. The law is real, but the popular claim that it applies to all Chinese citizens reincarnating is false — it targets the institutional recognition of senior lamas.
