第十四世達賴喇嘛尊者關於轉世的公開聲明 2011/09/24

第十四世達賴喇嘛尊者關於轉世的公開聲明 2011/09/24

持金剛第十四世達賴喇嘛釋迦比丘丹增嘉措致：境內外西藏人民，信奉藏傳佛教之僧俗民眾，與西藏和藏人有關的所有世間眾生。

歷史上，雪域佛土的先輩君臣，以及賢者和成就者們，創立和發揚了以“三乘”“四續”為主的教、證佛法和淵博文化，使西藏成為亞洲乃至世界佛教及其文化的源泉。為藏、蒙、漢等無數眾生的暫時和長遠的利益作出了偉大的貢獻。在護持、弘揚佛法的歷史進程中，形成了西藏特有的“轉世認證”文化傳統，這對佛教的發展及眾生的利樂，尤其對僧團的鞏固，起到了非常有益的作用。

十五世紀，一切遍知根登嘉措，被認證為根敦珠巴的轉世化身，並建立了噶丹頗章喇章（喇章：大喇嘛的私人居室－譯者）。從此，形成了歷代達賴喇嘛的轉世認證制度。第三世索朗嘉措獲得“達賴喇嘛”的尊號；五世達賴喇嘛阿旺‧洛桑嘉措建立噶丹頗章政府，成為西藏政教領袖等。 迄今六百多年，透過轉世認證的方式，準確無誤地找到了歷輩達賴喇嘛的轉世化身。

為了順應當今世界民主發展的趨勢，本人自願地、欣慰地終止了從噶丹頗章政權建立（西元1642年）至今三百六十九年，由歷代達賴喇嘛擔任西藏政教領袖的政治制度。事實上，我已在1969年公開聲明，將來達賴喇嘛的轉世延續與否，應有廣大信眾決定。然而，當信眾表達尋找達賴喇嘛轉世的強烈願望時，如缺乏明確的指導方針，政治勢力或既得利益者，會濫用轉世制度謀取個人的政治利益，這種危險始終存在。因此，為了避免出現對後世達賴喇嘛的猜疑和歪曲，在本人身心健康之際，有必要做出清晰、明瞭的說明。

以下簡要闡述轉世認證的理論和基本概念，以便更清楚理解我的主張。

前後世

承認轉世認證制度之前，必須得承認前後世的存在。印度的古老宗教與哲學思想中，除了順世派外，都一致主張“無有間斷的前後今生”：有情眾生皆由前世投生今世；今世身軀壞滅後，再次投生後世。 現今雖有某些推理者以“沒有看到（前後世）”為由，宣稱沒有“前後世”，但秉持正直態度的科學家們卻不會以“沒有看到”的理由，去決定“沒有”。

雖然很多宗教或教義都一致主張前後世的存在，但對於如何定義投生者、如何投生，以及如何連結前後世等的內容上，卻有著不同的詮釋。其中，也有“主張後世，否定前世”的宗教信仰。

以佛教的整體思想而言，“前世”是沒有開端、開始的；當煩惱被斷除、遠離輪迴的束縛時，由煩惱所帶來的後世將會停止，但意識的續流仍會持續下去。這種教義是被大多數的佛教思想家所認同的。若不認同前後世，將會與佛法教義產生矛盾，如：佛家“根、道、果”之學說，皆由內心有否調伏而成，以及所有情器世間則將無因無緣所生等。此故，凡是佛教徒，必須得承認前後世的存在。

對於回憶前世的人們而言，“前後今生”的道理不是一件難以理解的事實（又稱“隱蔽分”），但對普遍凡夫而言，卻屬隱蔽分，且須透過許多的理由去証實，因為在死有、中有、生有的過程中，通常都會忘失過去的宿命。佛教經論提出了眾多相關前後世的理由，概義可括分為：前同類、前近取、前串習、以及前感受等理由。重點在於，唯明唯知的心只能由與己性質類別相同的近取因（或主因）而有，具有形色的物體不可能成為心的近取因，這點是顯而易見的。無論透過邏輯的思考，或是物理的實驗，都無法証實“唯明唯知的心可由異類的前因，或是無因而成”、以及“細微心識的續流可由某種違緣間斷”；至今沒有任何一人，無論是心理學家、物理學家、或是腦部專家等，可以證實上述所言。更何況無論過去或是現在，無論在西方或是東方，有很多憶念過去宿命，並無謬地指出與前世相關的人和事物等實例。若硬將這些實例扭曲為癲瘋之言，不只有違“科學精神”，更是對現實的否定。

西藏轉世認證之制度，正是“依據前世的憶念或經驗”而建立的一套驗證標準。

如何投生

今生的身軀壞滅後，由無能間斷的意識結生到後世身軀的現象可分為：“由煩惱力結生”和“由悲願力結生”兩種。初者：由無明力，於意識上，安置了善業與惡業的隨眠；在臨終時，由“愛、取”滋潤“有”，引發後世，趨善惡道，隨業投生，無有自主。又如水車輪轉，凡夫們無能自主地輾轉於生死之間。凡夫唯可藉由恆時修善，串習善心之力，於臨終時滋潤善業，投生善道。後者：已獲菩提道之聖者，雖不隨惑業所轉，然由緣取眾生之悲願，自力選擇來世時地、父母等，唯利他人，投生娑婆。

“朱古”詞義

在藏傳的轉世認證制度中，把轉世者稱為“朱古” （中譯：化身或轉世），應該是出自信徒們的一種尊稱。以般若乘的教義而言，所謂的“朱古”，就是佛陀的“三身”或“四身”的其中一者。一位本具煩惱的眾生，由入大乘，集福德與智慧資糧，後淨煩惱惑、除所知障、現證諸法之識，此乃“智慧法身”；彼識的法性則為“自性法身”。此二又稱圓滿究竟自利之身，或稱法身；這種“身”，唯獨成就佛位者能相互看見，他人不能。佛為能利益他人，為使他人能見其身，故有大地菩薩可見的“報身”，以及由此（報身）所化現，示人天相，凡夫可見之“化身”，此二稱為“他利色身”。

化身可分為：具相好莊嚴，示十二相的“勝應身”，如導師釋迦牟尼；為利益工巧技藝之眾生，所化現的“應化身”；為利益有情化現的人天相、水相、橋相、藥相、樹相等的“劣應身”三種。西藏的轉世被譽為“朱古”（化身），應屬於“劣應身”的範圍。

雖然佛陀肯定會化身為“朱古”救渡眾生，這不代表所有“朱古”皆為佛陀的化身。在西藏眾多“朱古”中，會有僅獲“有學聖道位”、“凡夫加行道”，或是“凡夫資糧道”者的“朱古”。 嘉揚欽則旺波曰：前世身軀壞滅之後再次投生，稱“劣應身”；今世身軀未壞滅之前化現不同身相，稱“朱巴（化身）”。總之，根據上述的理由，以相似或相聯而稱為“朱古”。

轉世認證

佛陀在世的時候，早有針對某人指出是某某前世的轉世。尤其是細談業果、經由前世業，感得今世報等內容的《四毗奈耶》、《本生經》、《賢愚經》、《百業經》等無數經續都有記載。同樣的，佛陀涅槃後，從印度的大神通師或成就者的傳記裡，也可看到許多相關前世的記載，只不過沒有西藏轉世制度的“第幾世”之演算法而已。

西藏的轉世認證制度

西藏原始苯波教也主張前後世的理論。佛教傳入西藏之後，藏人普遍相信前後世的存在，也形成對聖者前世不同化身中利益眾生的功德，進行祈願和隨喜的傳統，並出現很多傳頌觀世音菩薩本生故事的經典。如：古代西藏典籍《嘛尼全集》和《五部箴言》，以及阿底夏尊者蒞臨西藏時（十一世紀）的著作：《珠寶之鏈》和《噶當弟子問道錄》等。 然而，當今廣泛的轉世認證傳統，開始於十三世紀初。當時，噶瑪拔喜的弟子們，根據預言認證噶瑪拔喜為噶瑪‧都松欽巴的轉世，至今八百多年，共認證了十七世噶瑪巴轉世；同樣的，十五世紀中，認證貢噶桑姆為堪卓‧卻吉卓瑪的轉世，迄今已認證十幾輩桑頂‧多吉帕姆的轉世。所以，在西藏轉世認證的傳統中，不分僧侶和咒師，男眾或女眾，藏傳佛教各宗派已經接納和延續了這個傳統。當今，在藏傳佛教薩迦、格魯、噶舉、寧瑪、覺囊、珀東等宗派，以及苯波教中，有很多轉世喇嘛肩負著護持教法的重任。

宗喀巴大師的弟子，一切遍知根敦珠巴，在創建札什倫布寺，培養眾多弟子之後，於1474年圓寂，享年84歲。當初沒有人尋找他的轉世，但出生於1476年的日喀則達納小孩－桑吉曲陪，能清晰、準確地回憶他過去的諸多生活，因為他的神奇表現，人們不得不承認他是根敦珠巴尊者的轉世。從此開始，由噶丹頗章喇章和噶丹頗章政府，共同尋訪、認證歷代達賴喇嘛尊者的轉世，延續至今。

轉世認證方法

轉世認證的傳統建立以後，尋訪、認證的方法和途徑也逐步完善和健全。其中最重要的是：前世臨終前的遺囑、指示或特殊跡象；轉世靈童準確無誤地講出前世的生活點滴，能辨認前世的遺物及侍從等。除此之外，還有祈請聖者占卜；祈求世俗護法的神諭；觀察拉姆拉措湖和其他護法之魂湖等很多方法和途徑。當出現一個以上的靈童候選人，難以斷定之時，也有在佛象聖物前，舉行“食團問卜”（或稱“麵團球占卜”－譯者）決定的慣例。

未終朱古

通常所謂的“轉世”意味著“結束了前世，轉生到今世”，因此凡夫們沒有能力作到“未臨終前的朱古”。然而，大地菩薩可於同時間內化現出千百身相，“未終朱古”對大地菩薩而言，是絕對可以辦到的。

在西藏轉世認證制度中，有各種轉世的認證。如：同續轉世、業願轉世、受教或加持轉世等。轉世的用意為：能繼續或完成上世尚未圓滿的傳教利眾事業。有時為能代替同續轉世，未證聖道的上師可採取與自己業願相應的某人作為自己的“朱古”，或受教弟子及他人作為自己的“朱古”。因此，未獲聖道的上師們仍有可能具有“異續的未終朱古”。

另外，由同一位前世的身、語、意，在同一時間內轉世為多位“朱古“，這種現象也是不可否認的。在近代內，較為著名的“未終朱古”如：敦都‧久札耶喜多傑、究給‧赤千阿旺千繞等眾多上師。

金瓶掣簽

隨著濁世衰微時代的來臨，被認證的“轉世”也越來越多。 不少“轉世”的尋找和認證，是因政治需要，採取了不當和欺騙的手段，给西藏教、政事業造成了嚴重損害。

西元1791至1793年之間，廓爾喀（尼泊爾）軍隊入侵西藏，當時，西藏政府請求滿清政府派兵支援；驅逐廓爾喀軍隊之後，滿清官兵以完善西藏行政為藉口，制定所謂的《二十九條章程》，要求以“金瓶掣簽”認定達賴喇嘛、班禪喇嘛和其他呼圖克圖的轉世。八世達賴喇嘛江白嘉措還特別著述金瓶掣簽的修法儀軌。然而，透過金瓶掣簽認證的只有幾位達賴喇嘛和班禪喇嘛，以及部分其他喇嘛。即使頒佈這樣的規則，第九世、十三世，以及十四世達賴喇嘛均未通過金瓶掣簽；十世達賴喇嘛的認定，也未經過金瓶掣簽，但為了照顧滿清政府的面子，對外宣佈以金瓶掣簽認證的消息。

實際上，使用金瓶掣簽認證的只有十一世和十二世達賴喇嘛，其中，十二世達賴喇嘛在金瓶掣簽之前，已經認定確立。所以，真正經過金瓶掣簽認證的達賴喇嘛，其實只有一位。同樣，在班禪喇嘛的傳世系統中，只有第八世和九世班禪經過金瓶掣簽的程序。

金瓶掣簽的規則，只是滿清勢力的強橫表現，而非藏人信賴的宗教儀軌。然而，如能公正實施，也可視作類似於傳統的“食團問卜”方法。

西元1880年，認證十三世達賴喇嘛時，西藏與滿清之間的“供施關係”（藏語稱 “榷蘊關係”，是上師與施主的關係－譯者）尚未斷裂，滿清政府在西藏還有一定的影響。然而，十三世達賴喇嘛的認證，是根據第八世班禪喇嘛的預言和乃穹、桑耶護法的神諭，以及觀察拉姆拉措湖的徵兆等確認的，因此沒有經過金瓶掣簽的程序。十三世達賴喇嘛在水猴年遺囑（西元1933 年）中明言：“本人沒有經過金瓶掣簽，而依據預言、占卜等相同的結果，確立為達賴喇嘛的轉世，並舉行坐床典禮”。

當我在1939年認證為十四世達賴喇嘛轉世靈童時，西藏與中國之間的“供施關係”已經斷裂，因此，沒有必要經過“金瓶掣簽”的程序。

眾所周知，我是由西藏攝政和民眾大會，按照聖者、護法的預言，以及拉姆拉措湖的兆象等尋訪、認證的，當時沒有中方的任何干涉。儘管如此，中華人民共和國的有關官員，在媒體散播謠言，謊稱“免予”達賴喇嘛金瓶掣簽的程序，並派遣吳忠信主持我的坐床大典等。此一謊言，被中國全國人民代表大會副委員長阿沛‧阿旺晉美揭穿。他在1989年7月31日召開的西藏自治區第五屆人民代表大會第二次會議上講話指出：“國民黨這樣撒謊，我們共產黨為什麼也要跟著說假話呢？”

一廂情願的圖謀

在過去，一些富裕喇嘛的管家和侍從，以貪婪和非宗教的手段“認證”不少“轉世”，對宗教、寺院和社會形象造成了傷害。特別從滿清時代開始，中國當權者為了干涉蒙藏事務，將宗教和喇嘛當作政治工具，實施了很多不當政策。

當今，集權專制下的中共領導人，一方面宣稱自己是“無神論”者；另一方面卻干涉宗教，強制執行所謂的“愛國愛教”運動。尤其是中國當局發佈所謂“2007年9月1開始施行《藏傳佛教活佛轉世管理辦法》的第五號法令”，這是一種極其荒謬、可恥的行為。以毀滅西藏獨特文化風俗為目的，對轉世認證的傳統，強加種種不合理的做法， 在全體藏人心中造成難以癒合的創傷。

為了欺瞞藏人和藏傳佛教信眾，以及國際社會，中共等待著我的圓寂，並預謀私自認定我的轉世（即十五時達賴喇嘛）。從近來頒佈的各種規章、公告等，種種跡象明確顯示這種圖謀的存在。為了佛法和眾生的暫時及長遠利益，防止破壞正法的企圖實現，是我不可推卸的職責。因此，作此聲明。

下一世達賴喇嘛的轉世

正如我前面所提，「再次轉世」皆由轉世者本人的力量，或最終的業、福報、以及發願等力量所形成。因此，轉世何處？怎樣轉世？如何認證等，是轉世者自己唯有的不共因緣，絕非由他人強制、壓迫，或是為所欲為的情況下產生。這是不可否認的事實。

暫且不說轉世觀念，就連「前後世的存在」都蓄意否定的政治領導們，以權力干涉轉世認證，尤其是達賴喇嘛和班禪喇嘛的轉世，極為不妥。這種與自己政治理論背道而馳的虛偽惡行，實屬無慚無愧，世人皆會有目共睹。若發生上述所言，所有藏族同胞，以及國際藏傳佛教的信眾團體也堅決不會承認和接受。

當我到了一世達賴喇嘛根敦珠巴的年齡時，我會諮詢各宗派的大喇嘛，以及藏族民眾和相關信眾，檢討並決定是否延續達賴喇嘛的轉世。如果達賴喇嘛的轉世制度必須保留，並且需要認證第十五世達賴喇嘛靈童的時候，尋找轉世之重任將由達賴喇嘛噶丹頗章基金會的董事會負責，由他們請示藏傳佛教各宗派領袖，以及與歷代達賴喇嘛如影隨形般的護法眾等，按照歷史傳統尋訪、認證。還有，我也會留下相關的明確指導文字。除此之外，任何政治權威，包括中華人民共和國的政治領導人，因政治需要，選出所謂達賴喇嘛轉世靈童的時候，誰也不需認可和信仰其孩童。切記！
祈願 吉祥！
藏王2138年，藏曆十七繞迥鐵兔年7月27日
西元2011年9月24日於印度 達蘭薩拉
( 原文為藏文，如有歧義，以藏文為準。)

http://www.dalailamaworld.com/topic.php?t=692&sid=3cde7eab566c33a526103da32e5c7b8a

 

Statement of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, on the Issue of His Reincarnation

Introduction

My fellow Tibetans, both in and outside Tibet, all those who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and everyone who has a connection to Tibet and Tibetans: due to the foresight of our ancient kings, ministers and scholar-adepts, the complete teaching of the Buddha, comprising the scriptural and experiential teachings of the Three Vehicles and the Four Sets of Tantra and their related subjects and disciplines flourished widely in the Land of Snow.  Tibet has served as a source of Buddhist and related cultural traditions for the world.  In particular, it has contributed significantly to the happiness of countless beings in Asia, including those in China, Tibet and Mongolia.

In the course of upholding the Buddhist tradition in Tibet, we evolved a unique Tibetan tradition of recognizing the reincarnations of scholar-adepts that has been of immense help to both the Dharma and sentient beings, particularly to the monastic community.

Since the omniscient Gedun Gyatso was recognized and confirmed as the reincarnation of Gedun Drub in the fifteenth century and the Gaden Phodrang Labrang (the Dalai Lama’s institution) was established, successive reincarnations have been recognized.  The third in the line, Sonam Gyatso, was given the title of the Dalai Lama.  The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, established the Gaden Phodrang Government in 1642, becoming the spiritual and political head of Tibet.  For more than 600 years since Gedun Drub, a series of unmistaken reincarnations has been recognised in the lineage of the Dalai Lama. 

The Dalai Lamas have functioned as both the political and spiritual leaders of Tibet for 369 years since 1642.  I have now voluntarily brought this to an end, proud and satisfied that we can pursue the kind of democratic system of government flourishing elsewhere in the world.  In fact, as far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future.  However, in the absence of clear guidelines, should the concerned public express a strong wish for the Dalai Lamas to continue, there is an obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system to fulfil their own political agenda.  Therefore, while I remain physically and mentally fit, it seems important to me that we draw up clear guidelines to recognise the next Dalai Lama, so that there is no room for doubt or deception.  For these guidelines to be fully comprehensible, it is essential to understand the system of Tulku recognition and the basic concepts behind it.  Therefore, I shall briefly explain them below.

Past and future lives

In order to accept reincarnation or the reality of Tulkus, we need to accept the existence of past and future lives.  Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death.  This kind of continuous rebirth is accepted by all the ancient Indian spiritual traditions and schools of philosophy, except the Charvakas, who were a materialist movement.  Some modern thinkers deny past and future lives on the premise that we cannot see them.  Others do not draw such clear cut conclusions on this basis.

Although many religious traditions accept rebirth, they differ in their views of what it is that is reborn, how it is reborn, and how it passes through the transitional period between two lives.  Some religious traditions accept the prospect of future life, but reject the idea of past lives.

Generally, Buddhists believe that there is no beginning to birth and that once we achieve liberation from the cycle of existence by overcoming our karma and destructive emotions, we will not be reborn under the sway of these conditions.  Therefore, Buddhists believe that there is an end to being reborn as a result of karma and destructive emotions, but most Buddhist philosophical schools do not accept that the mind-stream comes to an end.  To reject past and future rebirth would contradict the Buddhist concept of the ground, path and result, which must be explained on the basis of the disciplined or undisciplined mind.  If we accept this argument, logically, we would also have to accept that the world and its inhabitants come about without causes and conditions.  Therefore, as long as you are a Buddhist, it is necessary to accept past and future rebirth.

For those who remember their past lives, rebirth is a clear experience.  However, most ordinary beings forget their past lives as they go through the process of death, intermediate state and rebirth.  As past and future rebirths are slightly obscure to them, we need to use evidence-based logic to prove past and future rebirths to them.
 
There are many different logical arguments given in the words of the Buddha and subsequent commentaries to prove the existence of past and future lives.  In brief, they come down to four points: the logic that things are preceded by things of a similar type, the logic that things are preceded by a substantial cause, the logic that the mind has gained familiarity with things in the past, and the logic of having gained experience of things in the past.

Ultimately all these arguments are based on the idea that the nature of the mind, its clarity and awareness, must have clarity and awareness as its substantial cause.  It cannot have any other entity such as an inanimate object as its substantial cause.  This is self-evident.  Through logical analysis we infer that a new stream of clarity and awareness cannot come about without causes or from unrelated causes.  While we observe that mind cannot be produced in a laboratory, we also infer that nothing can eliminate the continuity of subtle clarity and awareness.

 As far as I know, no modern psychologist, physicist, or neuroscientist has been able to observe or predict the production of mind either from matter or without cause.

There are people who can remember their immediate past life or even many past lives, as well as being able to recognise places and relatives from those lives.  This is not just something that happened in the past.  Even today there are many people in the East and West, who can recall incidents and experiences from their past lives.  Denying this is not an honest and impartial way of doing research, because it runs counter to this evidence.  The Tibetan system of recognising reincarnations is an authentic mode of investigation based on people’s recollection of their past lives.

How rebirth takes place

There are two ways in which someone can take rebirth after death: rebirth under the sway of karma and destructive emotions and rebirth through the power of compassion and prayer.  Regarding the first, due to ignorance negative and positive karma are created and their imprints remain on the consciousness.  These are reactivated through craving and grasping, propelling us into the next life.  We then take rebirth involuntarily in higher or lower realms.  This is the way ordinary beings circle incessantly through existence like the turning of a wheel.  Even under such circumstances ordinary beings can engage diligently with a positive aspiration in virtuous practices in their day-to-day lives.  They familiarise themselves with virtue that at the time of death can be reactivated providing the means for them to take rebirth in a higher realm of existence.  On the other hand, superior Bodhisattvas, who have attained the path of seeing, are not reborn through the force of their karma and destructive emotions, but due to the power of their compassion for sentient beings and based on their prayers to benefit others.  They are able to choose their place and time of birth as well as their future parents.  Such a rebirth, which is solely for the benefit of others, is rebirth through the force of compassion and prayer.

The meaning of Tulku

It seems the Tibetan custom of applying the epithet ‘Tulku’ (Buddha’s Emanation Body) to recognized reincarnations began when devotees used it as an honorary title, but it has since become a common expression.  In general, the term Tulku refers to a particular aspect of the Buddha, one of the three or four described in the Sutra Vehicle.  According to this explanation of these aspects of the Buddha, a person who is totally bound by destructive emotions and karma has the potential to achieve the Truth Body (Dharmakaya), comprising the Wisdom Truth Body and Nature Truth Body.  The former refers to the enlightened mind of a Buddha, which sees everything directly and precisely, as it is, in an instant.  It has been cleared of all destructive emotions, as well as their imprints, through the accumulation of merit and wisdom over a long period of time.  The latter, the Nature Truth Body, refers to the empty nature of that all-knowing enlightened mind.  These two together are aspects of the Buddhas for themselves.  However, as they are not directly accessible to others, but only amongst the Buddhas themselves, it is imperative that the Buddhas manifest in physical forms that are accessible to sentient beings in order to help them.  Hence, the ultimate physical aspect of a Buddha is the Body of Complete Enjoyment (Sambhogakaya), which is accessible to superior Bodhisattvas, and has five definite qualifications such as residing in the Akanishta Heaven.  And from the Body of Complete Enjoyment are manifested the myriad Emanation Bodies or Tulkus (Nirmanakaya), of the Buddhas, which appear as gods or humans and are accessible even to ordinary beings.  These two physical aspects of the Buddha are termed Form Bodies, which are meant for others.

The Emanation Body is three-fold: a) the Supreme Emanation Body like Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha, who manifested the twelve deeds of a Buddha such as being born in the place he chose and so forth; b) the Artistic Emanation Body which serves others by appearing as craftsmen, artists and so on; and c) the Incarnate Emanation Body, according to which Buddhas appear in various forms such as human beings, deities, rivers, bridges, medicinal plants, and trees to help sentient beings.  Of these three types of Emanation Body, the reincarnations of spiritual masters recognized and known as ‘Tulkus’ in Tibet come under the third category.  Among these Tulkus there may be many who are truly qualified Incarnate Emanation Bodies of the Buddhas, but this does not necessarily apply to all of them.  Amongst the Tulkus of Tibet there may be those who are reincarnations of superior Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas on the paths of accumulation and preparation, as well as masters who are evidently yet to enter these Bodhisattva paths.  Therefore, the title of Tulku is given to reincarnate Lamas either on the grounds of their resembling enlightened beings or through their connection to certain qualities of enlightened beings.

As Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said:

“Reincarnation is what happens when someone takes rebirth after the predecessor’s passing away; emanation is when manifestations take place without the source’s passing away.”