China is set to send what it claims to be the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic to Thailand, a move wrapped in grandeur but steeped in manipulation. From December 5, 2024, to February 14, 2025, Thai devotees will venerate a relic purportedly connected to the Buddha himself. However, a deeper examination reveals this enshrinement is less about reverence and more about China’s soft-power play, weaponizing religion to advance its geopolitical ambitions.
The Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic, enshrined in Beijing’s Lingguang Temple, is presented as one of the Buddha’s four earthly teeth. Theravada Buddhist traditions, however, hold that the Buddha’s true teeth rest in Sri Lanka and other authentic sites of worship. Historical records show that China’s Buddha Tooth Relics often lack credible authenticity. In many instances, animal teeth and fossilized remains have replaced genuine relics, revealing a troubling pattern of fabricated sanctity.
Mahayana Buddhism’s spread in China brought with it a symbolic culture that often prioritized political expedience over spiritual authenticity. Historical Chinese texts even document the use of “shadow bones” or replicas to fill the void of genuine relics. The Lingguang Temple’s tooth, housed in an ostentatious gold pagoda, is no exception.
Adding another layer of artifice, the relic’s accompanying figure is the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu. A stark contrast to the legitimate Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who has been missing since his abduction by Chinese authorities in 1995, Norbu serves as Beijing’s puppet in its campaign to control Tibetan Buddhism.
Norbu’s role in this enshrinement aligns with China’s broader strategy: presenting him as a legitimate spiritual leader to curry favor with Buddhist nations. This attempt to whitewash decades of human rights abuses in Tibet and undermine the Dalai Lama’s global influence is as transparent as it is cynical.
This event coincides with the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese diplomatic relations, a clear indication of its political underpinnings. By bringing the Buddha Tooth Relic to Thailand, China aims to exploit the shared Buddhist heritage to strengthen ties and counter India’s growing influence in the Buddhist world. India, the land of the Buddha’s enlightenment, has been actively promoting its role as the spiritual epicenter of Buddhism, with initiatives like the First Asian Buddhist Summit in New Delhi.
China’s countermeasure is to deploy relics and fabricated figures like Norbu as tools of soft power. This tactic not only distorts Buddhist traditions but also serves to obscure China’s ongoing cultural and religious repression in Tibet.
China’s history of using Buddhism as a political tool is well-documented. From the destruction of Tibetan monasteries to the imposition of state-controlled religious institutions, the Communist Party has consistently sought to control religious narratives. This enshrinement in Thailand is but the latest example of Beijing’s attempts to rewrite religious history in its favor.
While the Thai public may welcome the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic with genuine devotion, they deserve to know the truth. This relic is not a symbol of enlightenment but a tool of propaganda. And the Panchen Lama who escorts it is not a spiritual leader but a state-controlled emissary.
As the world watches the grand procession of this so-called Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic in Thailand, let us remember that true reverence for the Buddha’s teachings lies in honesty, compassion, and authenticity. China’s attempt to manipulate these values for political gain not only dishonors Buddhist traditions but also exposes the lengths to which the Communist Party will go to tighten its grip on religion.
This spectacle is not a celebration of faith—it’s a calculated charade. Thailand and the global Buddhist community must see it for what it truly is: a fake Lama with a fake relic, perpetuating a very real deception.
