A laptop and buttered tea are both daily indispensables to 15-year-old Gyaincain Norbu, the officially recognized 11th Panchen Lama, the highest ranking figure of Tibetan Buddhism currently in China.

Receiving a Buddhist education in the Chinese capital Beijing, while learning such modern skills as computers and English, the young Tibetan Buddhist leader, selected by the Chinese central government as the reincarnation of his predecessor in 1995, keeps a typical Tibetan style in his daily life.

The traditional Tibetan drink and food of buttered tea and zanba, or roasted highland barley called qingke by locals, are his favorite breakfast food.

"Every morning His Holiness has zanba and buttered tea for breakfast," said Lobsang Dainta, who has been the Panchen Lama's personal attendant for more than six years.

For lunch and supper the high ranking lama also prefers traditional Tibetan food such as beef dumplings, either steamed or boiled.

"He never treats himself to fish or seafood, but sometimes he has a tin of walnut juice," said Lobsang Dainta.

With an innate talent for Buddhist sutra studying, the boy also finds the modern facility of a notebook computer a great attraction.

The young high lama is now living in Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery, the residence of all previous Panchen Lamas in Xigaze, the second largest city in Tibet. He came to Tibet in early August.

The young lama spends most of his time between lunch and 4:00 p.m. on his laptop and reading, said Lobsang Dainta.

His laptop is supported by software in the Tibetan language and Lobsang said that his swiftness in typing always amazes his visitors.

The young Panchen Lama is also finding English lesson interesting. "He giggles when erring in pronunciation during his lessons," said Lobsang.

His English tutor, Xu Lianbi, a 60 veteran ethnic Han teacher in his 60s, acknowledges the Panchen Lama now can communicate in simple English and can also understand some short readings.

The young lama has two 90-minute English classes each week and spends two evenings on English and Chinese himself.

Studying Buddhist sutras, however, is the main occupation of the Panchen Lama's daily life, noted his acolyte. "Only when he is occupied by religious rituals, can the study be canceled."

"His Holiness shows great wisdom in Buddhism study, and he is very conscientious and diligent," said Salong Punlag, a managing lama in Zhaxilhunbo Lamasery.

Daily sutra study starts at 10:00 a.m. every day and lasts one and half hours. Though highly revered by Tibetan Buddhists, the young Tibetan Buddhism leader prostrates to kowtow his teacher Jamyang Gyamco three times to show his reverence before the lecturing starts.

Jamyang Gyamco became the 11th Panchen Lama's teacher in 2002 after his first teacher, Bomi Qambalozhub, passed away.

Every morning before breakfast, the young high lama kowtows to the portrait of his predecessor, the 10th Panchen Lama, three times in his bedroom and chants a sutra left by Zongkaba, founder of the Gelugpa School, or the yellow sect, of Tibetan Buddhism.

The kowtow signifies the beginning of his daily religious activities.

The 10th Panchen Lama died in 1989 and Gyaincain Norbu was listed as one of three candidates for his reincarnation in 1995.

The boy, born on February 13, 1990 in Lhari county of Nagqu prefecture in northern Tibet, won the approval from the central government of China as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama in November, 1995 after a lot drawing ceremony among three candidates in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

Drawing lots from a gold urn to decide on the final choice of the reincarnation of a high lama has long been a tradition in Tibetan Buddhism, and the approval from the central government on the choice started in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Without any difficulty to understand the spoken Chinese, the young high lama is also an earnest viewer of prime time news on China Central Television. He practices Tibetan handwriting for an hour every evening after watching TV.

(CRI October 8, 2004)