10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu
10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, A. Altannar | |
|---|---|
 The 10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu in 2025 | |
| Title | His Holiness the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu |
| Personal life | |
| Born | A. Altannar[a] c. 2015 (age 9–10) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism |
| School | Gelug |
| Senior posting | |
| Period in office | 8 March 2023 – present |
| Predecessor | 9th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, Jampal Namdröl Chökyi Gyaltsen |
| Mongolian name | |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Алтаннарын А. |
The 10th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (born A. Altannar,[a] c. 2015), also known as the 10th Bogd[1] is the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, the spiritual leader of the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia.[2]
Identification process
[edit]During the 14th Dalai Lama's last visit[3] to Mongolia in November 2016, he held a press conference on 23 November 2016 stating his belief that the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu had just been (re)born in Mongolia.[4]
On 8 March 2023, the 14th Dalai Lama publicly acknowledged the 10th reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutughtu at a ceremony in Dharamshala, India, saying:
"We have the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa [Jebtsundamba] Rinpoché of Mongolia with us today. His predecessors had a close association with the Krishnacharya lineage of Chakrasamvara. One of them established a monastery in Mongolia dedicated to its practice. So, his being here today is quite auspicious."[5]
The week after the Dalai Lama's visit, China imposed tariffs on Mongolia and closed a key border crossing, causing major traffic jams and stranding truck drivers in sub-zero temperatures for days. China also broke off negotiations with Mongolia for a $4.2 billion loan.[6]
The child is one of a pair of identical twin boys and was born in Washington, D.C. to Khalkha Mongolian parents, thereby giving him American citizenship.[7] To protect the identity of the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, the twins, Achildai Altannar and Agudai Altannar, are almost always seen in public together.[7] The name of the 10th Bogd is given only as A. Altannar; neither the parents, nor the Dalai Lama have stated which child was presented at the March 2023 ceremony.
The boy and his brother are the children of Altannar Chinchuluun, a mathematics professor at the National University of Mongolia, and Munkhnasan Narmandakh, CEO of Monpolymet Group, a mining and construction conglomerate founded by her mother, former Mongolian parliament member and founder of Monpolymet Group Tsedengiin Garamjav.[2][7] In July 2025, Telo Rinpoche, former head of the Buddhists of the Republic of Kalmykia and envoy of the Dalai Lama to Russia, Mongolia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, revealed that the influence of the Chinese government on Mongolia is blocking its traditional recognition and enthronement.[8]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "X Богд америкийн иргэншилтэй юу?". mpress.mn. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Ignoring China's displeasure, Dalai Lama names Mongolian boy as new Buddhist spiritual leader". Firstpost. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ "Why the Dalai Lama is no longer welcome in Mongolia". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "The Dalai Lama in Mongolia: 'Tournament of Shadows' Reborn". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Lama, The 14th Dalai (26 March 2023). "Preliminary Procedures for the Chakrasamvara…". The 14th Dalai Lama. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Jones, Victoria (14 May 2023). "The Mongolian Candidate". Modern Diplomacy.
- ^ a b c Pierson, David (4 October 2023). "The 8-Year-Old Boy at the Heart of a Fight Over Tibetan Buddhism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ "Mongolia becoming "Testing Ground" for China's control over Buddhist reincarnation, warns Dalai Lama envoy". Phayul.com. 1 August 2025.
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