o check the lots. After examination, he put each name slip into a yellow silk bag. The whole hall was in absolute silence, with everyone staring at Ye Xiaowen's hands.

Then, Gyaltsen Norbu announced: "The name slips are correctly written; please seal up the lots."

After taking over the lots, Lama Tsring, director of the Democratic Management Committee of the Tashilhunpo Monastery, touched them on his forehead and then put them into the lots-tube in the golden urn.

The gold urn was 34 cm tall, with a narrow neck and beer belly. The cap would be put back on the urn after the lots-tube was put in.

Lama Tsring shook the lots-tube several times in the face of the Sakyamuni statue while chanting scriptures. Then he put the lots-tube into the urn and put the cap back on it. After repeating the practice for three times, Lama Tsring carried the urn piously and placed it in front of the Sakyamuni statue.

The chanting lamas of the Tashilhunpo Monastery and eminent monks present on the occasion chanted Ode to the Gold Urn together. Lama Tsring took off his deep-red rope, turned it over, and then took it on with the yellow inside out. Having kowtowed three times, he solemnly put the urn onto the square table in the center of the wooden platform, holding the edge of his rope in mouth.

Gyaltsen Norbu stood up and announced: "Let's invite Living Buddha Bumi Qambalozhub to draw lots from the gold urn."

Living Buddha Bumi Qambalozhub, wearing a pair of glasses, behaved with grace and ease, with a yellow cockscomb on his head. He walked softly onto the wooden platform and bowed to the Sakyamuni statue in namaste.

People in the hall stared at the hands of Living Buddha Bumi, since they would decide a grand Buddhist event in modern history of Tibet. After praying for a while, Bumi stirred the three lots clockwisely with his fingers. Then he drew a lot from the gold urn without hesitation and gave it to Gyaltsen Norbu.

History would record this particular moment.

Gyaltsen Norbu opened the wrapper, glanced at the name slip, and announced aloud: "The lot falls on Gyantsen Norpo from Lhari County!"

People in the hall clapped their hands and cheered "Lhagyalo! Lhagyalo!" (meaning "Oracle has won!") in celebration of the confirmation of the reincarnated soul boy of the 10th Panchen Lama. It was 5:27 a.m.

Lhagpa Phuntshogs took over the name slip from Gyaltsen Norbu and showed it to representatives and special commissioners of the State Council, political and Party leaders of Tibet Autonomous Region, eminent monks of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the parents of the three soul boys. After examination, the name slip was planted in a sacrificial vessel f