Dalai Lama To Get Z+ Security During Stay In Ladakh Amid Bold Reincarnation Stand Against China
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will be accorded Z+ security during his upcoming visit to Ladakh, where he is scheduled to arrive in Leh on July 12 for a month-long stay. The top-tier security cover will include elite armed personnel and surveillance coordination to ensure his safety throughout the visit.
In preparation, Ladakh Chief Secretary chaired a high-level meeting directing officials to implement robust security protocols and detailed logistical arrangements. The visit is expected to draw significant public and spiritual attention, with local authorities prioritizing seamless execution.
His visit to Ladakh comes at a very crucial time. On July 3, the Dalai Lama made it unequivocally clear that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness, holds the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, a move that directly challenges China's persistent attempts to control the succession of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
In a statement that signals a firm assertion of Tibetan religious autonomy, the Dalai Lama recalled that as far back as 1969, he had declared that the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution should be a decision for the Tibetan people and the followers of Tibetan Buddhism. He reaffirmed a resolution made in 2011, where it was formally stated that the responsibility of identifying the next Dalai Lama rests entirely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, in consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the lineage's spiritual protectors.
'I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter," the Dalai Lama said, clearly drawing the battle lines against Beijing's ambitions to appoint a China-backed successor.
Over the last 14 years, the Dalai Lama has disclosed that he has been consistently urged by Tibetans in Tibet, members of the diaspora, and Buddhist communities across Asia — including in mainland China, Mongolia, and Russia — to preserve and continue the institution of the Dalai Lama.
First Published:
July 04, 2025, 14:31 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Dalai Lama's message ahead of 90th birthday: ‘Important to work for…'
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Saturday released a message to his followers, a day before his 90th birthday, urging them to practice the virtues of being compassionate, promoting human values and religious harmony. Dalai Lama will turn 90 years old on Sunday. The statement comes as celebrations are underway in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, ahead of the 90th birthday of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama said he is a "simple Buddhist monk" and doesn't engage in birthday celebrations. Also Read: On eve of 90th birthday, Dalai Lama hopes to live till 130 years "On the occasion of my 90th birthday, I understand that well-wishers and friends in many places, including Tibetan communities, are gathering for celebrations. I particularly appreciate the fact that many of you are using the occasion to engage in initiatives that highlight the importance of compassion, warm-heartedness, and altruism," the Dalai Lama said in a post on X. "I am just a simple Buddhist monk; I don't normally engage in birthday celebrations. However, since you are organizing events focused on my birthday I wish to share some thoughts. While it is important to work for material development, it is vital to focus on achieving peace of mind through cultivating a good heart and by being compassionate, not just toward near and dear ones, but toward everyone," he added. He also said he will continue to promote human values and religious harmony, adding that he will continue to dispel the miseries of the world. Also Read: Only Dalai Lama can decide on his incarnation: India snubs China "As for myself, I will continue to focus on my commitments of promoting human values, religious harmony, drawing attention to the ancient Indian wisdom which explains the workings of mind and emotions, and Tibetan culture and heritage, which has so much potential to contribute to the world through its emphasis on peace of mind and compassion," he added. The statement comes days after Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, recently announced that the 600-year-old institution a spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists would continue and that the successor would be chosen outside of China. He also asserted that a non-profit trust created by him in 2015 will be the sole authority to recognise his reincarnation, drawing a sharp condemnation from China. Earlier in the day, the 89-year-old Tibetan leader said he hoped to live until he is over 130 years old. "So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara (a Buddhist spiritual protector), I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma," the Dalai Lama said while addressing his followers at a prayer ceremony for his long life. Dalai Lama has been in the Himalayan town ever since 1959 when he fled Tibet in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has sustained Tibet's aspirations for greater autonomy under Chinese Communist Party rule and mobilised Tibetans inside and outside China.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal talks
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday to discuss a potential ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, an Israeli official confirmed, raising hopes for progress in ending the nearly 21-month war. Hamas said it responded 'in a positive spirit' to a US-backed proposal that includes a 60-day truce, following comments from US President Donald Trump that Israel had agreed to the necessary this, significant hurdles remain. A Palestinian official aligned with Hamas cited unresolved issues, including humanitarian aid, control of the Rafah crossing, and the timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expected to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has not publicly addressed the ceasefire proposal and continues to insist on Hamas' disarmament—something the group rejects. The conflict was reignited by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages. Israel's military response has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and displaced nearly the entire population, sparking global outcry and allegations of war crimes, which Israel denies.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
The Trust of Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama's announcement in Dharamshala this week, asserting for the first time that the line will continue after him, was welcomed by followers of Tibetan Buddhism and fans of its Spiritual leader worldwide. However, it was his statement that the succession would be decided by the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which would be the 'sole authority' on the issue, that has sparked a sharp response from Beijing, which believes it must be given the right to 'approve' the candidate. In an ironic twist for the Communist Party-led Chinese government in Beijing, it cites a Qing dynasty tradition, used a few times, of picking the Dalai Lama's successor through lots from a 'Golden Urn', as the method it hopes to follow. For the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since 1959, when he fled Lhasa years after the Chinese annexed Tibet in 1951, it will be the Gaden Phodrang trust he set up in 2011, which he heads, along with an alternate Chairperson, who is also one of the most respected lamas in the community, Samdhong Rimpoche, that will take the call. While the trust was formally set up and registered in Dharamshala in the previous decade, the institution of Gaden Phodrang Labrang goes back hundreds of years, and refers to the office of the Dalai Lama as a continuing institution from the time of the 5th Dalai Lama. Gaden Phodrang was the name of the Tibetan government, established by the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso or 'the Great Fifth', as both the Spiritual and Political head of a unified Tibet. It was coined from the name of the historical estate of the Dalai Lamas at the Drepung Monastery, before the iconic Potala Palace was constructed. Separation of powers In 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama set up the Gaden Phodrang Trust as he decided to separate the Spiritual and Political powers of his post. 'I have now voluntarily brought this [unified power] to an end, proud and satisfied that we can pursue the kind of democratic system of government flourishing elsewhere in the world', he said, handing over the responsibility for the welfare and governance of the Tibetan community worldwide to the Sikyong, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) that are elected every five years. Within his own office, the Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama (OHHDL), he set up the Gaden Phodrang Trust to ensure the continuity of spiritual and traditional issues, and the Dalai Lama Trust that undertakes charitable and welfare initiatives. Another branch, the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, was set up as a 'non-profit, tax-exempt institution registered in the Canton of Zurich and under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs' to promote non-violence and increase synergies between religion and science. 'There should be no confusion, the Gaden Phodrang Trust that His Holiness (Dalai Lama) referred to is an entity in India,' said Dhundup Gyalpo, Secretary of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. According to the Dalai Lama's 2011 statement, which he has now reaffirmed, officers of the Gaden Phodrang Trust would bear the responsibility to recognise the 15th Dalai Lama — by a process he would leave written instructions about. This would include consulting various heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions, seeking advice from them on the procedures required to search for the next Dalai Lama, believed to be reborn or reincarnated from the present one. 'Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognised through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China', the Dalai Lama said in the statement dated September 24, 2011. In his latest statement, dated July 2,2025 the pontiff hasn't directly named China, but repeated the mandate, saying unequivocally that the 'Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter'. In his latest book, Voice for the Voiceless, the Tibetan leader has also said that given the role the next Dalai Lama must fill, it is necessary that his successor be born in the 'free world', meaning outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) in China. At a press conference in Dharamshala ahead of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday that falls on July 6, Prof. Samdhong Rimpoche said that the announcement has clarified the task ahead of the Gaden Phodrang Trust. Mr. Rimpoche added, however, that there may be some time before it needs to fulfil its mandate, particularly as the pontiff, who he said is in 'good health', himself has said he expects to live to 110 years.
