How will the Dalai Lama's successor be chosen?
In his book "Voice for the Voiceless", released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama said his successor would be born outside China.
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
The Next Dalai Lama: How Tibetan Monks Will 'Confirm' Reincarnation
Last Updated: On his 91st birthday in Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama may reveal his successor—born outside China—defying Beijing's efforts to control Tibetan spiritual leadership Tibetans in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, are preparing for a grand celebration of the Dalai Lama's 91st birthday, amid much speculation that he may designate his successor. Unlike political appointments, the selection of a new Dalai Lama is guided by Buddhism's traditional process of reincarnation. Yet China insists on controlling this process, claiming the right to approve the next Dalai Lama, an assertion many Tibetans view as an attempt to undermine their culture. The succession is not merely a religious matter but one with geopolitical significance, drawing interest from India, the United States, and of course, China. The Nobel Peace Laureate has led the Tibetan community from Dharamshala for 66 years since fleeing Tibet in 1959, and remains revered far beyond Buddhist circles. How The 14th Dalai Lama Was Chosen According to Tibetan tradition, it is believed that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after death. The 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, as Lhamo Dhondup into a farming family in north-eastern Tibet. At the age of two, a search team appointed by the Tibetan government confirmed his identity as the 'reincarnation" when he apparently recognised possessions belonging to the 13th Dalai Lama. In the winter of 1940, Lhamo Dhondup was brought to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, where he was formally enthroned as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. This time, the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, set up by the Dalai Lama in 2015, will head the search and recognition process. The Dalai Lama has stated that his successor will be born outside China, ensuring freedom from political interference. The Selection of His Successor The process of the selection of the successor involves: Ensuring Tibetan Governance In Exile Until a new Dalai Lama emerges, the Tibetan Parliamentary body in Dharamshala will continue managing governance and ensuring continuity of Tibetan leadership. Beijing asserts that its leaders must approve the next Dalai Lama, relying on a Qing-era golden urn method (established in 1793) and insisting that the next incarnation be born within China. The Tibetan exiled government rejects this, arguing China, an officially atheist state, has no place in spiritual matters. Beijing counters by labelling the Dalai Lama a 'separatist' and heavily regulates devotion to him within China. With over 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists in India, China views the Dalai Lama's presence there as contentious. Meanwhile, the US last year passed laws urging China to refrain from interference, framing the issue as one of religious freedom and human rights.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Will China be stumped by Dalai Lama on Sunday?
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A life in exile Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Succession strategy A thorn in China's side The Dalai Lama turns 90 soon — many will celebrate, but not the Chinese government. The man who has been Tibetans' binding force is expected to reveal a plan on July 6, Sunday, his birthday, for deciding his successor. The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious leaders this week. The religious conference, being held for the first time since 2019, will be attended by more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist leaders and will feature a video statement from the Dalai attention — especially from China — is focused on his expected announcement on succession. China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and wants to choose his successor on its own. The Dalai Lama will thwart the Chinese designs if he makes a statement on the issue of his successor on his birthday this Tsering Teykhang, the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamshala, told Reuters it was important for the world to hear directly from the Dalai Lama on the issue because while China "tries to vilify him at every chance ... it is trying to frame rules and regulations on how to have the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in their hand"."China is trying to grab this institution ... for its political purpose," she his famous beaming smile, the Dalai Lama has become a global symbol of peace whose message transcends religion. He is regarded by his many supporters as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. However, the charismatic leader has long been a source of discomfort for into a farming family in the Tibetan village of Taktser on July 6, 1935, he was chosen as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's supreme religious leader at the age of two. He was given the name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso -- Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom -- and taken to Lhasa's 1,000-room Potala Palace to be trained to become the leader of his indulged a precocious scientific curiosity, playing with a watch sent to him by US president Franklin Roosevelt and repairing cars, one of which he crashed into a palace gate. But his childhood ended abruptly at age 15, when he was hastily enthroned as head of state after the Chinese army invaded Tibet in years later, as Chinese troops crushed a popular uprising, he escaped to India. When told the Dalai Lama had fled, Chinese leader Mao Zedong reportedly said: "In that case, we have lost the battle."He was welcomed by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who offered Dharamsala as a base for him and thousands of fellow Tibetan refugees. He set up a government-in-exile in the Himalayan town and launched a campaign to reclaim Tibet, evolving to adopt a "middle way" approach that relinquished demands for independence for calls for greater the Dalai Lama's life, he has been treated as an honoured guest in India -- an official policy stance that has been a source of tension with is unclear how, or even whether, his successor will be named, with his predecessors chosen by monks according to ancient Buddhist Tibetan tradition, the search for a Dalai Lama's reincarnation, who becomes his successor, begins only upon the incumbent's death. After the next Dalai Lama is identified as a baby, there can be a gap of nearly two decades until he is groomed and takes the Dalai Lama has suggested he could break from the tradition to prevent China from using the leadership gap to tighten its grip on Tibetan exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950, and the succession question has become more urgent as the Dalai Lama has become more frail, with his public engagements increasingly his book "Voice for the Voiceless", released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama has already said his successor would be born outside China in a free country, indicating that the next Dalai Lama could come from among Tibetan exiles, who number about 1,40,000, half of them in India. He has also said that his successor could be an adult, and not necessarily a man."The rest of my life I will dedicate for the benefit of others, as much as possible, as extensive as possible," the Dalai Lama told a gathering of his followers on June 30 as they offered prayers for his long life."There will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas," he said, without elaborating on the statement defies Beijing's longstanding claim that it has the sole right to choose the next Dalai Lama. China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a "simple Buddhist monk".In his maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely celebrity. But his sense of mischief -- he once announced he would like to reincarnate as an attractive blonde -- and infectious chuckle have proved irresistible, making him a darling of the world's Chinese government, however, has remained impervious to his charm, branding him a separatist and a "wolf in a monk's robe".China says its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy from imperial times. A selection ritual, in which the names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn, dates to 1793, during the Qing dynasty. Chinese officials have repeatedly said the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be decided by following national laws that decree use of the golden urn and the birth of reincarnations within China's the Dragon, controlling the Dalai Lama's succession is about more than religion—it's about political authority and maintaining control over Tibet. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has long been regarded as a 'separatist' and 'rebel' by Beijing.A blueprint for inserting itself in Tibetan successions has already been prepared by China. After the 10th Panchen Lama , as Tibet's second-highest spiritual figure is known, died in 1989, the boy whom the Dalai Lama recognised as the successor went missing in Tibet when he was 6. He has not been seen since, and China claims that he is now living a "normal life."In his stead, China selected and promoted its own Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, who is seen by many Tibetans as illegitimate. Last month, Norbu met with the country's leader, Xi Jinping , and reaffirmed his allegiance to the Chinese Communist considers the Dalai Lama to be a symbol of Tibetan resistance and fears that an independent successor could fuel separatist sentiments. By controlling the reincarnation process, Beijing hopes to install a Dalai Lama loyal to the Chinese government, ensuring tighter control over current Dalai Lama, however, has made it clear that any successor appointed by China will not be respected by Tibetans. Notably, he is not seeking independence, but a meaningful autonomy within China and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist culture. His goal of returning his people to their homeland remains distant, with the Dragon working to finish the task of crushing the Tibetan movement for autonomy.(With agency inputs)
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
The Dalai Lama, a tireless advocate for Tibet and its people
* The Dalai Lama, a tireless advocate for Tibet and its people Dalai Lama's peaceful advocacy for Tibetans has earned him respect worldwide * He may say more about successor around his 90th birthday * China sees him as a dangerous separatist By Krishna N. Das DHARAMSHALA, India, - The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, has often called himself a simple monk, but for more than 60 years armed with little more than charm and conviction, he has managed to keep the cause of his people in the international spotlight. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into exile in India in 1959 with thousands of other Tibetans after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has advocated for a non-violent "Middle Way" to seeking autonomy and religious freedom for Tibetan people, gaining the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He has met with scores of world leaders, while inspiring millions with his cheerful disposition and views on life such as "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." But his popularity irks China which views him as a dangerous separatist, with one former Communist Party boss describing him as "a jackal" and having "the heart of a beast". The Dalai Lama turns 90 on Sunday, a particularly important birthday as he has flagged that he may say more about a potential successor around then. Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death. In a book, "Voice for the Voiceless", published earlier this year, he said Tibetans worldwide want the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue after his death and specified that his successor would be born in the "free world", which he described as outside China. The statements were his strongest yet about the likelihood of a successor. In previous years, he has also said that his successor might be a girl and it is possible that there might be no successor at all. He has, however, stated that any successor chosen by China, which has piled pressure on foreign governments to shun him, will not be respected. FLIGHT INTO EXILE The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Dhondup in 1935 to a family of buckwheat and barley farmers in what is now the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai. At the age of two, he was deemed by a search party to be the 14th reincarnation of Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader after identifying several of his predecessor's possessions. China took control of Tibet in 1950 in what it called "a peaceful liberation" and the teenage Dalai Lama assumed a political role shortly after, travelling to Beijing to meet Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. Nine years later, fears that the Dalai Lama could be kidnapped fuelled a major rebellion. The subsequent crackdown by the Chinese army forced him to escape disguised as a common soldier from the palace in Lhasa where his predecessors had held absolute power. The Dalai Lama fled to India, settling in Dharamshala, a Himalayan town where he lives in a compound next to a temple ringed by green hills and snow-capped mountains. There, he opened up his government-in-exile to ordinary Tibetans with an elected parliament. Disillusioned with how little he had gained from his efforts to engage with Beijing, he announced in 1988 that he had given up on seeking full independence from China, and instead would be seeking cultural and religious autonomy within China. In 2011, the Dalai Lama announced he would relinquish his political role, handing over those responsibilities to an elected leader for the Tibetan government-in-exile. But he remains active and these days, the Dalai Lama, clad in his customary maroon and saffron robes, continues to receive a constant stream of visitors. He has had a number of health problems, including knee surgery and walks with difficulty. Despite that, he expects to live for a long time yet. "According to my dream, I may live 110 years," he told Reuters in December. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
