Dalai Lama Says He Hopes To Live 40 More Years, Days After Announcing Succession Plan
The Dalai Lama said that he hopes to live 40 more years after confirming that his reincarnation will follow Buddhist traditions.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said he hopes to live another 40 years- until the age of 130- just days after formally announcing that he intends to reincarnate after his death, laying to rest years of speculation about his succession. Speaking at a long-life prayer ceremony in Dharamshala, where thousands of followers gathered, the Dalai Lama said, 'So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara, I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma." The Dalai Lama previously told Reuters in December that he might live to 110.
Dalai Lama's Succession Plan
Just days earlier, in a video message delivered during a three-day religious conference, the Dalai Lama confirmed that his successor will be chosen in accordance with centuries-old Buddhist traditions- a move aimed at quelling speculation and countering China's interference in the process.
He said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, established to preserve the institution of the Dalai Lama, will lead the recognition of his reincarnation.
'Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for the successor," he added, making it clear that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter."
'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," he said, referencing appeals from Buddhists worldwide calling for the continuation of the spiritual office. The 14th Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since 1959, after fleeing Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Beijing responded sharply to Dalia Lama's succession statement as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated that the central government in Beijing must approve any reincarnation and claimed it would be conducted 'by drawing lots from a golden urn"- a Qing dynasty ritual now controlled by the Chinese state.
The Dalai Lama dismissed the legitimacy of this method, warning that when used politically, the golden urn holds 'no spiritual quality." Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama's statement as a direct challenge to Chinese claims, saying, 'It's a punch in the face for China", emphasizing the significance of the spiritual leader reasserting full Tibetan control over the succession process.
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