In 2015, Gyaltsen Lodro, a freshman in Lhasa middle school, was identified as the reincarnated soul boy of the fifth Monshu Living Buddha at Wutok Monastery, Nagqu Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet, according to historical custom and religious ritual.
Since then, he left the middle school and moved to study in the Living Buddha class at Tibet Buddhist College. This 15-year-old Living Buddha is the oldest and tallest in the class, and is five years older than the youngest in the class. He is slightly chubby and looks simple and honest in a pair of thick rimmed glasses, but he is actually the liveliest and funniest of the six little Living Buddhas in the class. When chatting with him he may say "Lihai le, word tian!" one of the most popular Chinese internet words.
The little Men Xu Living Buddha was born in Lhasa to his parents who are both from Nagqu prefecture, Tibet, and he is the only son of the family. His parents believe that him being identified as a Living Buddha is a blessing and honor for the whole family.
After starting his study at Tibet Buddhist College, the little Men Xu Living Buddha spends as much time studying everyday as in ordinary middle school. They get up at 6am every morning and study until 11pm and they have to read Buddhist scriptures both morning and evening in order to recite. Apart from studying Chinese, Tibetan, mathematics, English and other compulsory cultural courses, they also have to study Tibetan Buddhism's fundamental religious knowledge and the five major theories.
"My favorite is the scripture debating class on the afternoon of Monday, Wednesday and Friday as it always allows me to explore and analyze problems."
The little Living Buddha's parents both live in Lhasa and he returns home once every two weeks to see them. His parents occasionally take him to eat his favorite fast food, KFC. He not only likes fast food, but is also interested in electronic technology products. On weekends when he has no homework he plays virtual football and other games on his ipad.
In school, he has a peer, the Dedruk Living Buddha, one of Tibet's Hutuktus. He is called Kelsang Dorje and is the seventh Dedruk Living Buddha. He is from Luntse County, Lhoka, and was identified as the reincarnated soul boy of the sixth Dedruk Living Buddha's when he was six years old. The little Dedruk Living Buddha has an outgoing personality and always asks some mischievous questions when chatting.
Apart from studying, Dedruk Living Buddha also likes playing basketball and watching Japanese cartoon Naruto. As the Dedruk Living Buddha system has a pivotal position in religious circles in Tibet. So, during summer and winter holidays when other Living Buddhas have gone home, he goes to the Drepung Monastery, one of the three major monasteries in Lhasa , to continue enhancing his religious knowledge and reciting the scriptures.
"When studying at Drepung Monastery during holidays, my grandma sometimes comes to cook for me. She's taught me how to cook and make pancakes." When returning home for Tibetan New Year during winter, Dedruk Living Buddha's happiest moment is when he cooks for his parents using the skills he learned from his grandmother.
