Latest news with #GadenPhodrangFoundation
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What is the Gaden Phodrang Trust that the Dalai Lama said will find his reincarnation?
The 14th Dalai Lama announced on Wednesday (July 2) 'that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue' and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust shall be the 'sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation'. 'No one else has any…authority to interfere in this matter,' he said. The 'Statement Affirming the Continuation of the Institution of Dalai Lama' came four days before the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists turns 90. It is consistent with the statement that he made on September 24, 2011, that if it was decided at a future date 'that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should continue and there is a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recognized, responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama's Gaden Phodrang Trust'. What is the Gaden Phodrang Trust, and what is its mandate? The term Gaden Phodrang refers to the residential quarters of the Dalai Lama lineage from the second Dalai Lama onward at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. After the Potala Palace was built (by a decree of the fifth Dalai Lama), the Dalai Lamas moved away from these quarters, and stayed at Potala Palace in winter and Norbulingka (built by the seventh Dalai Lama about 100 years after Potala) in summer. This tradition was followed until the 14th Dalai Lama's escape from Lhasa to India in March 1959. One of three institutions The Gaden Phodrang Trust is one of three institutions associated with the Dalai Lama. Penpa Tsering, Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), said: 'There are three registered institutions that are related to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There is Gaden Phodrang Trust, which is a registered body in India and operates from the office of His Holiness, there is another Dalai Lama Trust, which [too] is a non-profit organisation, and the third is Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which is registered in Zurich.' The Gaden Phodrang Trust was registered in 2011 in Dharamshala with the aim of recognising the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It is based in the office of the Dalai Lama, and is managed by the former Kalon Tripa (head of the CTA) Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior monk and a close confidant of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama heads the trust, whose members include some other aides of the spiritual leader. 'What His Holiness reiterated today is that the institution of the Dalai Lama shall continue as per the traditions and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. There will be a 15th Dalai Lama, a 16th Dalai Lama and so on,' Rinpoche said. Gaden Phodrang Foundation The foundation is a tax-exempt Swiss nonprofit with its registered office in Zurich, and is supervised by the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs. It is funded by charitable contributions made by the founder and the public. The Dalai Lama is the founder and president of the foundation, and Tseten Samdup Chhoekyapa (India), Kelsang Gyaltsen (Switzerland), and Jamphel Lhundup (India), are its co-vice presidents. The foundation says on its website that its aim is to maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama, and to promote basic human values, mutual understanding among religions, peace and non-violence, and protection of the environment. While it works to preserve Tibetan culture and support the Tibetan people, the foundation also helps others in need, regardless of nationality or religion. It seeks to promote better understanding between science and religion, supports efforts to provide access to knowledge from Buddhist science and philosophy, and funds a wide range of publications and translations. The Dalai Lama Trust The Dalai Lama Trust is a non-profit charitable organisation founded by the 14th Dalai Lama in 2009. It is headquartered in New Delhi but works with a range of partners internationally, too. The purpose of the trust is to support the welfare of the Tibetan people and to promote human values, interfaith harmony, and world peace, which have been key elements of the Dalai Lama's lifelong mission. The objectives of the trust are to support Tibetan students and scholars and fund schools and educational institutions, particularly those that preserve Tibetan culture and language, and to encourage secular ethics and compassion through global programs and initiatives.
Bangkok Post
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
How will the Dalai Lama's successor be chosen?
DHARAMSHALA — The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons. The Nobel peace laureate, who turns 90 on Sunday, is regarded as one of the world's most influential figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism. How was he chosen? Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his death. The 14th Dalai Lama, born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farming family in what is now Qinghai province, was identified as such a reincarnation when he was just two years old. A search party sent by the Tibetan government made the decision on the basis of several signs, such as a vision revealed to a senior monk, the Dalai Lama's website says. The searchers were convinced when the toddler identified belongings of the 13th Dalai Lama with the phrase, "It's mine, it's mine". In the winter of 1940, Lhamo Thondup was taken to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of today's Tibet Autonomous Region, and officially installed as the spiritual leader of Tibetans. How will his 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. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since 1959, after fleeing a failed uprising against the rule of Mao Zedong's Communists. He wrote that he would release details about his succession around the time of his 90th birthday. On Wednesday, he ended years of waiting by his followers on the issue of his succession, saying the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that the Gaden Phodrang Trust had sole authority to recognise his reincarnation. The Gaden Phodrang Trust is a non-profit organisation set up by the Dalai Lama. It is responsible for all matters related to him and acts on his behalf. Earlier this week, while addressing a gathering in Dharamshala, he said: "There will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas". In a speech in 2011, the Dalai Lama mentioned how highly enlightened Buddhists can "manifest an emanation before death". Some experts have speculated that it might mean the Dalai Lama possibly suggesting he could train a successor in his lifetime, but Tibetan officials say that is unlikely. "He has said this institution will carry on, which means his incarnation will be born," said Dolma Tsering Teykhang, the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile. "Our Dalai Lama will be reborn, and the institution will carry on." The parliament-in-exile, based in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, like the Dalai Lama, says a system has been established for the exiled government to continue its work while officers of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation will be charged with finding and recognising his successor. The current Dalai Lama set up the foundation in 2015 to "maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama" regarding his religious and spiritual duties, it says on its website. Its senior officers include several of his aides. What does China say? 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 borders. But many Tibetans suspect any Chinese role in the selection as being a ploy to exert influence on the community. It is inappropriate for Chinese Communists, who reject religion, "to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama," the Buddhist leader has said. In his book, he asked Tibetans not to accept "a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China," referring to the country by its official name. Beijing brands the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for keeping alive the Tibetan cause, as a "separatist" and prohibits displays of his picture or any public show of devotion towards him. In March 2025, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the Dalai Lama was a political exile with "no right to represent the Tibetan people at all". China denies suppressing the rights of the Tibetan people, and says its rule ended serfdom in, and brought prosperity to, a backward region. What role could India and the US play? Apart from the Dalai Lama, India is estimated to be home to more than 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists who are free to study and work there. Many Indians revere him, and international relations experts say his presence in India gives New Delhi some kind of leverage with rival China. The United States, which faces rising competition from China for global dominance, has repeatedly said it is committed to advancing the human rights of Tibetans. US lawmakers have previously said they would not allow China to influence the choice of the Dalai Lama's successor. In 2024, then US President Joe Biden signed a law that presses Beijing to resolve a dispute over Tibet's demands for greater autonomy.
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Dalai Lama confirms he will have a successor after his death
The Dalai Lama has confirmed that he will have a successor chosen in accordance with 'past tradition', ending years of speculation about the centuries-old office. In a video message on Wednesday, just days before his 90th birthday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established to preserve the institution, will have the power to recognise his future reincarnation. Tibetan Buddhist leaders will search for his successor, he added, stressing that 'no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter'. The 14th Dalai Lama said he had received many messages in recent years from Buddhists calling for the office's continuation. 'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,' he added. He made the comments during a three-day religious conference in Dharamshala, the northern Indian town where he has been based since 1959, when he fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against China. Speaking to Al Jazeera, the Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama's announcement on Wednesday as a 'punch in the face' for China, which governs the Tibet Autonomous Region and which has claimed that it has the power to appoint his successor. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, whom China brands a 'separatist', has previously warned Beijing not 'to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama'. In response to his comments on Wednesday, China said the Dalai Lama's succession must be approved by the central government in Beijing. Thupten Ngodup, a spiritual adviser to the Dalai Lama, said that ordinarily there would not be talk of a successor during the current leader's lifetime. 'But this discussion is happening now mainly because the Chinese government is interfering with the reincarnation of His Holiness,' he told Al Jazeera. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is believed that the spiritual leader will be reincarnated in the body of a child. Born into a farming family on July 6, 1935, the current Dalai Lama was chosen for the role at the age of two. A search party sent by the Tibetan government picked him after he identified items belonging to his predecessor, according to his website. In the winter of 1940, he moved to Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, where he became his people's spiritual leader. His successor can be of any gender and does not have to hold Tibetan nationality, an official at the Dalai Lama's trust said on Wednesday. In 2011, the Dalai Lama handed political authority to a democratically elected Tibetan government-in-exile.
India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Explained: How will the next Dalai Lama be chosen? What is the role of reincarnation in it?
This year, the Dalai Lama's 91st birthday celebration in Dharamshala might be extra special. There are reports that he could announce his successor on this occasion. In Tibetan Buddhism, choosing the next Dalai Lama is a very traditional and spiritual process, often linked to the belief in reincarnation. However, China wants to interfere in this process. Chinese authorities claim that they have the right to approve the next Dalai Lama. But many Tibetans believe this is just a way for China to influence the Tibetan people and their religion. This time, the selection of the next Dalai Lama is not only important for Tibetan Buddhists, but also for countries like India, China, and the United States, because of the political and strategic impact it may have. The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, is seen as one of the most respected spiritual leaders in the world. His followers are spread across many countries, not just in Buddhist communities. After fleeing from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama made Dharamshala in India the base for his government-in-exile. He has been living here and guiding the Tibetan people for the past 66 years, continuing to be their spiritual head from this small town in the Indian Himalayas. Q: Why do people think the Dalai Lama might announce his successor this time? The Dalai Lama has been living in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, since 1959, after fleeing Tibet during a failed uprising against China's communist rule. He recently wrote a book called 'Voice for the Voiceless', published in March 2025. In the book, he said he would share details about his successor around the time of his 90th birthday. That's why many believe he may make the announcement this year, during his 91st birthday celebration. Q: When and how was the current Dalai Lama chosen? According to Tibetan tradition, it is believed that a senior monk's soul is reborn after death. The current Dalai Lama, the 14th, was born on 6 July 1935 in a small farming family in northeast Tibet. His birth name was Lhamo Dhondup. When he was just 2 years old, a search team from the Tibetan government came looking for the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. They found several signs. The final proof came when young Lhamo recognized items that belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama and said, 'This is mine.' In winter 1940, he was taken to the Potala Palace in Lhasa and was formally declared the spiritual leader of Tibet. Q: How will the next Dalai Lama be chosen? In his 2025 book, the Dalai Lama said that his successor will be born outside China. He plans to reveal the location as well. The responsibility to find and recognize the next Dalai Lama will be given to the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he established in 2015. This foundation was created to preserve the Dalai Lama's spiritual tradition and includes many of his close and trusted followers. Q: How is the next Dalai Lama traditionally found? The search follows ancient Tibetan Buddhist customs built on the belief in reincarnation, the idea that the Dalai Lama's spirit is reborn in a new child after he passes away. The main steps are: Senior monks study unusual dreams, omens, or events that happened around the Dalai Lama's death. These clues point them toward the place where the child may be born. A team of trusted monks travels to the likely regions to look for children who fit those clues. Each child is shown everyday items mixed with possessions that belonged to the late Dalai Lama (such as beads, bowls, or prayer tools). If a child confidently picks out or says, 'This is mine,' that is taken as a strong sign of recognition. The monks quietly observe the child's temperament, kindness, and wisdom—qualities expected of a future Dalai Lama. When the search team and senior lamas agree, the chosen child is publicly proclaimed the next Dalai Lama. Q: Can the same process still work now that Tibet is under Chinese control? The current Dalai Lama has said in recent talks and in his 2025 book 'Voice for the Voiceless' that he will leave clear written instructions for picking his successor: He says the next Dalai Lama will be found in a country where China cannot interfere. The successor could be a girl, an adult, or take some new form, whatever best serves the Tibetan people. Any choice must be accepted by Tibetan Buddhist tradition and by the Tibetan community itself, not by outside governments. What happens if there's no Dalai Lama yet? Who will lead the Tibetan people? If there is a time when the current Dalai Lama is no longer there and the next one has not been found yet, the work will still continue. The Tibetan government-in-exile, which is based in Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), has already created a system to keep running smoothly during this gap. This system will take care of both the government and the responsibilities of the Dalai Lama. What does China say about the next Dalai Lama? China says that it has the right to approve the next Dalai Lama. They claim this power comes from a tradition started in 1793 during the Qing dynasty. According to China, the selection must follow Chinese laws, which include using a 'Golden Urn' lottery system and choosing someone born inside China. However, the Tibetan community doesn't accept this. They believe only the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Buddhist tradition should decide who the next spiritual leader is. Why are Tibetans worried about China's role? Many Tibetans fear that China wants to control the Dalai Lama's selection to influence the Tibetan people. A respected Buddhist monk even said that it's wrong for the Chinese Communist Party, which doesn't follow religion, to interfere in something as sacred as choosing the next Dalai Lama. China often calls the Dalai Lama a 'separatist' and bans his photos or any public support for him. In March 2025, China's foreign ministry said the Dalai Lama is just a 'political exile' and doesn't represent the Tibetan people. China also claims that its rule brought development to Tibet by ending 'slavery.' What roles can India and the US Play? India is home to over 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists. They live, study, and work freely in India. But China has always seen the Dalai Lama's presence in India as a problem and considers India a rival. The United States has shown strong support for Tibetan rights. American leaders have said many times that China should not be allowed to interfere in the selection of the next Dalai Lama. In 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law that puts pressure on China to allow more freedom for Tibet and to settle issues peacefully.
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- 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.
