I realize that there's heavy emotions around the Panchen Lama, Dalai Lama, etc.

Isn't it the case that it's a bit of a heavy trip to lay on a kid that he's the emanation of a key Bodhisattva? And then, on top of that, to embroil a kid in a tug of war of geopolitics?

I don't think it was a good idea that the Chinese might have continued this process, and do realize that occasionally these guys - funny how they're all guys - resign their positions and such.

But with all the recent scandals in other religions, and the ongoing scandal in the Catholic Church, can't we at least recognize that the "find the kid who's the incarnation of the dead lama" game is one of those practices we can do without?