Religion has travelled a rocky road in China. When the Communists took control of the country their philosophy was to ban all forms of religion. This failed miserably - and in the end they changed course and granted permission - provided that they controlled it.
This led to a monumental fight with the Catholic church. The Communist government insisted on appointing priests and bishops - and these owed their allegiance to the Chinese government, not to Rome.
We now have an official Catholic church which worships openly in the country's churches - but is not recognised by the Pope - and an " underground " church which meets secretly in member's homes - and is persecuted by the government.
The religion of Tibet - and of many Chinese - is Buddhism. Based on perpetual reincarnation the Buddhist leader is selected by a complicated process of search which leads to a young child believed to be the reincarnated person of the deceased previous leader. This youth is then groomed for the job ahead.
The exiled present leader - the Dalai Lama - has a problem. When the second ranking Buddhist leader - the Panchen Lama - died the Chinese government muscled in and selected their own candidate as a successor.
The third ranking leader - the Karmapa - fled China for India as a fourteen year old boy and is now being groomed for his place in the hierarchy.
The problem for the Dalai Lama is that when he dies there is every expectation that the Communist government will again muscle in and select it's own candidate to lead Buddhism.
In that case we will probably again see a divided religion with an underground group following what they believe is the reincarnated Dalai Lama - and a government sponsored version answering to his masters in Bejing.
The Communists would be wise to study history. Over centuries religions of various kinds have survived attempts to control them - and they remain long after their persecutors have faded into history.
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