Communist China has recently developed a great expertise in ‘soul reincarnation’.
The reason why the atheist Party looked into the issue is that ‘Living Buddhas’, as Beijing calls the reincarnated lamas or Tulkus, usually wield a great influence.
They can have political power, but also economic sway: in fact, it is one of the best businesses nowadays, whether in the West or in the Middle Kingdom (in India too, though ‘Indian’ lamas often dream to migrate to greener pastures in the United States). More rarely, they have spiritual authority.[Source]
