In this deeply researched book by Max Oidtmann, a German professor of Chinese history, we learn that the Golden Urn was used by the Qing dynasty to select reincarnated lamas.
Individual names of persons believed to be reincarnated lamas were written on separate pieces of scrolls, put into a golden urn, and selected by way of drawing out a scroll.
This procedure was conceived by Emperor Qing Long in 1792. See Discourse on Lamas by Emperor Qian Long, written during the waxing days of the first month of winter, water-mouse year, Qian Long fifty-seven (late Dec 1792), p. 239, Oidtmann.
The Golden Urn lottery was used till 1910, just before the fall of the Qing dynasty.
This excellent book lists out the instances of the urn’s use from 1793 to 1910.
From this list, we learn that the 9th and 13th Dalai Lamas were selected directly and exempted from the Golden Urn procedure, and the 10th to 12th were selected using the Golden Urn.
The Golden Urn method of selection was resurrected by China in 1995 when it was used to select the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. (See the Search for the Panchen Lama by Isabel Hilton.)
What we see in the movie Kundun, on the selection by way of seeing which child has more affinity to the toys, etc., of the deceased lama, actually reflects the practice pre the Golden Urn and from 1910 to 1994.
When the present 14th Dalai Lama was selected, China had yet to resurrect the Golden Urn.
The 14th Dalai Lama was selected using the traditional Tibetan reincarnation recognition system, which includes visions, signs, divination, and identification tests to find a child believed to be the rebirth of the previous Dalai Lama.
Lwh @ Datai Langkawi
3 July 2025