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   I felt that my country has placed an important historic mission on me, answered Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, the 11th Panchen Lama, when reporters from China Central Television asked: What did you think about yourself when people say youre the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama?
    In Tibetan Buddhism, Panchen Lama means a master of great learning, and he is regarded as the incarnation of Amitabha Buddha. As a religious leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama is a highly potent spiritual symbol in the minds of Tibetan Buddhists.
    Ten years ago, Buddhists confirmed Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, then only five years old, as the reincarnation of the late 10th Panchen Lama, by drawing lots from a gold bottle.
    But what is the daily reality of this living deity? CCTV was recently granted an exclusive interview with 11th Panchem Lama, whose religious name is Jizun Losang Qamba Lhunzhub Qoigyijabu Baisangbu. An extract from the interview with the now 15-year-old follows:
    CCTV: Would you tell us about your earliest memory about Buddhism?
    Panchen Lama: I should say that the earliest memory about Buddhism started after my birth, and I have felt the Buddha even without any teaching from others.
    CCTV: Do you feel a surge of warm feeling when you hear the chanting of Buddhist scriptures?
    Panchen Lama: As a pious Buddhist, I am very happy while hearing the scriptures chanted. Why? People can cherish compassion and love while reading aloud the mantra of Mani. Compassion and love are essential for bodhi, a state of enlightenment attained by a Buddhist who has achieved salvation.
    CCTV: Just now I saw you and other monks were debating on Buddhist doctrines. Sometimes, you were thinking over something with your hand scratching your head, and sometimes, you were smiling. Can you tell me it is an interesting process?
    Panchen Lama: It is very significant to debate on Buddhist sutras. For example, we often study philosophy, which is an abstruse subject. After listening to the lecture given by my masters, I should not only keep in mind, but also understand what he said, and express my own point of view during the process of debating on a particular Buddhist sutra.