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The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Dalai Lama to turn 90 amid succession argument between Tibet, China
DHARAMSALA, India (Kyodo) -- With the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader, soon to turn 90, the issue of how to identify his successor, traditionally viewed as his reincarnation, is a key issue facing Tibet's government-in-exile and China, which took control of the Himalayan region more than 70 years ago. While China has claimed the sole authority to determine the successor, the current 14th Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, has warned that Tibetans will not respect anyone chosen as his reincarnation by the country they see as having invaded their homeland. Amid speculation that the Dalai Lama could identify his successor while still alive, potentially through a process of recognition based on "karmic" connection, the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile has told Kyodo News that selection after the spiritual leader's demise on the basis of reincarnation remains the more likely scenario. "I cannot say for sure, but what we have listened to (from) His Holiness and what has been going around so far indicate (the successor's selection would) more likely (be) by reincarnation" than by identification by the spiritual leader, Penpa Tsering said in a recent interview in Dharamsala, northern India. Dalai Lama has also said in the past that his successor could be a woman. Tsering said the Dalai Lama will make an announcement in a video message at a meeting of representatives of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries on July 2, four days before he turns 90, although he said he did not know whether the succession issue would be touched on. Turning to China, Tsering said the key issue for Chinese government officials is selecting a new Dalai Lama "to fulfill their political needs." The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, assumed the role in 1950 after being identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was 2 years old. He exiled himself to India soon after the failed Tibetan uprising against China's imposition of control in 1959. He later established a government-in-exile in Dharamsala. China considers the current Dalai Lama as a separatist who aims to break Tibet away from China. He, however, has insisted he is seeking autonomy for Tibet, with steps to preserve its religion, culture and language. In 1989, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating peaceful solutions to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Tibetan people. Formal talks between Tibet and China were last held in 2010. Tsering, the second president of the government-in-exile who took office in 2021, said the two sides have since only used unofficial channels to communicate. He said he believes that China's policy on Tibet and other ethnic minorities revolves around "eliminating the identity of the nationalities" of the ethnic groups. "That's why they are striking the very root of every nationality's identity, including Tibetan, by having this colonial style -- holding schools where a lot of restrictions are imposed on teaching the native language," he added. Tsering was recently on a month-long tour to officially visit the United States, Canada and Japan to discuss the Tibetan cause. While Dalai Lama had a knee surgery in the United States in June last year, Tsering said the spiritual leader is in good health. "His Holiness keeps saying 'I will live for two decades (from now) and more and live up to 113 years of age,'" Tsering said. "There are also prophecies that he will live very long." (By Rini Dutta)
Deccan Herald
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Dalai Lama reincarnation: Contest over the soul of Tibet
As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday on July 6, all eyes are on his expected announcement on his reincarnation. He, himself, stated that the 15th Dalai Lama would be found in the 'free world'. China, which 'liberated' Tibet in 1951 with a military invasion, on the other hand, declared its intention to select the next Dalai Lama through a 'golden urn' lottery process. Beijing hopes to create some confusion among the Tibetans on the issue of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It had done the same in the case of Panchen Lama, the second-highest monk after the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. China expects the move will also pave the way for its unbridled influence over Tibet. Earlier, in 1995, when the Dalai Lama recognised Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama, China put him under house arrest and, instead, selected Gyaltsen Norbu for the position through a "golden urn" process. Gyaltsen Norbu today occupies important political positions in communist China. He is a member of the standing committee of China's People's Political Consultative Conference and the vice president of the Buddhist Association of China. He is also seen touring Tibet and meeting political leaders of Lama @90: The monk who still scares the since President Jiang Zemin's time, stated that it will resort to the "golden urn" process in the case of the 15th Dalai Lama as well. Moreover, in August 2020, the Tibet Forum Meeting – one of the highest decision-making bodies in communist China – declared 'sinicisation' of Tibetan Buddhism to convert all aspects in Tibet into Han Chinese practices with socialist interpretations, despite the promises of it made in the 1951 17-point agreement for the autonomy of Tibetans. The Dalai Lama would not like to see Chinese-induced chaos destroying the Tibetan identity and way of life. In 2011, the Dalai Lama transferred his temporal powers to the popularly elected Sikyong (the prime minister). The exiled Tibetans, since then, took part in the elections of the Sikyong thrice, while Tibet under China had never witnessed popular elections. China's concern is also that, despite its seven decades of tight rule over Tibet since 1951 and assimilation policies, an estimated 97% of Tibetans in Tibet still revere the 14th Dalai Lama. China shudders to think of Tibet slipping from its tight embrace. Spiritually, the Dalai Lama's declaration on his 90th birthday is expected to be endorsed by the key head monks from Mongolia (the originator of the Dalai Lama institution) and those now living in India, Nepal, Bhutan and other countries. The Dalai Lama also has significant influence in the United States (which passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020 and Tibet Reciprocity Act of 2018), the European Union, Japan, Australia and other countries. Such a contest over the future Dalai Lama has ramifications for not only the Tibetan community but also to the trans-Himalayan belt. With its $19 trillion GDP, China intends to influence the region through infrastructure connectivity and military mobilisation, while the Dalai Lama wants to protect the soul of Tibet and his Lama says his successor to be born outside India, which had borders with Tibet historically, the Dalai Lama's succession creates uncertainties along the current borders, as the Galwan clashes in 2020 and the current full-scale border mobilisation indicate. India also has to factor China's 628 dual-use 'well-off society' villages in the border areas, as nearly 200 such 'villages' were constructed on the path of the Dalai Lama's flight in 1959. Besides, India is also aware of the irredentist Chinese claims on not only Tawang but also the whole of Arunachal Pradesh. India also has to cope with the fragile trans-Himalayan law and order situation. Despite heavy political and military pressure from China, India has vowed to protect and further the identity of the Tibetans living in India and termed the 14th Dalai Lama as a "spiritual" leader. New Delhi is likely to stick to its position in the case of the 15th Dalai Lama too..(The writer is a Professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University)
The Hill
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
China's threat to Tibet's future should be a global concern
Three decades ago, China abducted the Panchen Lama — then a six-year-old boy — shortly after his recognition by the Dalai Lama, and installed a regime-picked imposter in his place. That abduction, one of the most audacious acts of spiritual and cultural repression in modern history, still haunts the Tibetan people. Yet Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with the false Panchen Lama this month has served only to remind the world of the genuine Panchen Lama's continued disappearance. That makes the Panchen Lama — the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism — arguably the longest-held political prisoner anywhere. Now, Xi is preparing to repeat that sinister act on a much grander scale. He is waiting for the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on July 6, to pass away so that Beijing can impose its own puppet as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. This would be akin to the Italian government installing a state-appointed pope to lead the Catholic Church, a brazen affront to religious freedom and cultural sovereignty. China's ambitions go far beyond symbolism. With Xi's regime intensifying efforts to erase Tibetan culture, language and identity, the looming succession of the Dalai Lama marks a pivotal and dangerous turning point. Although the Dalai Lama has yet to clarify the exact process for selecting his successor, Beijing is zealously laying the groundwork to seize control of Tibetan Buddhism from within. The paradox is stark: The atheistic Chinese Communist Party is preparing to hand-pick the next Dalai Lama, even while escalating its crackdown on Tibetan religion and culture. Xi has called on Communist Party cadres to become 'unyielding Marxist atheists,' effectively elevating communism to the level of a state religion. The goal is clear: to fashion a successor who pledges loyalty not to Tibetan Buddhism, but to the Chinese Communist Party. But Tibet's plight is not just spiritual or cultural — it is also ecological and geopolitical. The Tibetan Plateau, often dubbed the 'Third Pole,' is Asia's primary freshwater source and a cradle of biodiversity. It is the starting point of the continent's major river systems, which sustain over 2 billion people downstream. China's aggressive exploitation of Tibet's natural resources, particularly water and minerals, has created long-term environmental risks for all of Asia. Beijing is building mega-dams and water diversion projects that threaten to destabilize ecosystems and disrupt hydrological flows far beyond its borders. Tibet's high altitude also plays a critical role in shaping monsoonal patterns and global atmospheric circulation. A 2023 scientific study even found an atmospheric connection between the Tibetan Plateau and the Amazon rainforest — proof that the world's environmental fate is tied to Tibet's future. Despite its annexation in 1951, Tibet maintains a vibrant spirit of resistance. The Dalai Lama, viewed by Tibetans as the living embodiment of compassion and wisdom, remains their moral and spiritual leader. His renunciation of political power in 2011 in favor of a democratically elected government-in-exile only reinforced his legacy as a global symbol of nonviolent resistance. That legacy remains untainted by any link to terrorism, even as China continues to militarize and repress Tibet. Under Xi, repression has intensified, with mass surveillance, religious restrictions and the forced assimilation of Tibetan children into Mandarin-language boarding schools — more than a million children are now separated from their families and culture. The unmistakable goal is to breed loyalty to the Communist Party by obliterating the Tibetan identity. Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama's health has declined. Following radiation therapy for prostate cancer in 2016 and knee replacement surgery in the U.S. last year, his international travel has drastically reduced. Adding to the challenge is Beijing's success in pressuring many countries — including Western democracies and Buddhist-majority states in Asia — to deny him entry. Only Japan has held firm. India, to its credit, remains the Tibetan leader's sanctuary and moral ally, with New Delhi referring to him as 'our most esteemed guest.' The Dalai Lama himself calls India his spiritual and cultural home. Against this backdrop, China's strategy to engineer the next Dalai Lama must be met with firm resistance. The stakes could not be higher — the continuity of Tibetan Buddhism as a living spiritual tradition hangs in the balance. To counter Beijing's plan, a coordinated international response is urgently needed to affirm the right of Tibetan Buddhists to determine their own spiritual leadership without interference. Fortunately, the U.S. has taken some meaningful steps. Its 2020 Tibetan Policy and Support Act affirms that the selection of the next Dalai Lama is solely a Tibetan religious matter. It explicitly warns of sanctions against Chinese officials who meddle in the process. In July 2024, President Joe Biden signed into law the bipartisan Resolve Tibet Act, which strengthens American policy in support of Tibetan self-determination and seeks to counter Chinese disinformation campaigns on Tibet. But more must be done. The U.S. and India should forge a united front and rally other democracies to support the Dalai Lama's vision and the Tibetan people's rights. The Dalai Lama's succession should be protected through a multilateral framework that involves Buddhist leaders, legal protections and diplomatic safeguards. China's effort to manipulate the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama is not merely a religious affront. It is a geopolitical gambit designed to consolidate control and extend influence across Asia. If Tibet's voice is silenced and its future dictated by authoritarian fiat, the global costs — in spiritual, ecological and political terms — will be immense. Tibet's imperiled future is not just a Tibetan problem. It is a challenge to the international order, to religious freedom and to the environmental security of an entire continent. And the time to act is now. Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and the author of nine books, including the award-winning 'Water: Asia's New Battleground.'
India Gazette
17 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Dalai Lama's 90th birth anniversary to be celebrated with global event in Delhi
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will hold a special event on Sunday, July 13, at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi to celebrate the 90th birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama. This occasion aims to honour the Dalai Lama's lasting impact, spiritual teachings, and his contributions toward promoting global peace and compassion. The entire day will be dedicated to commemorating the occasion, bringing together a notable array of international scholars, Buddhist leaders, and experts who have had long-standing associations with Dalai Lama. The schedule will include panel discussions covering topics that resonate with His Holiness's principal teachings and his outlook for the future of Buddhism. Significant themes will include the 'Relevance of Buddha Dharma in the 21st Century' and 'The Future of Tibetan Buddhism and the Preservation of its Culture.' A key feature of the day will be a session called 'Quantum Physics, Neurosciences and Buddhism,' which will investigate how modern science intersects with traditional Buddhist philosophy. The event will wrap up with the adoption of a special declaration focused on 'Karuna & Its Relevance in Conflict Avoidance,' highlighting compassion as a core principle for addressing contemporary global challenges. Among the esteemed participants will be Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, a prominent scholar and former Prime Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration, and Richard Davidson, a well-known American psychologist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Other international figures taking part include Most Ven. Phrarat Vajarasuttiwong from Thailand, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi from Emory University, Prof. Ceon Ramon from the University of Washington, and Buddhist scholar Alex Berzin. Also participating in the event are Edi Ramawijaya Putra, Rector of Sriwijaya State Buddhist College in Indonesia; Ven. Nicholas Vreeland, former Abbot of Ratod Monastery and the subject of the documentary Monk with a Camera; Kate Saunders, former head of the International Campaign for Tibet; and Claude Arpi, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence in Delhi. (ANI)
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: A tale of two boys symbolizes the struggle for Tibet's spirit
The 14th Dalai Lama delivers a sermon in Bodh Gaya, a holy site of Buddhism in northern India, in 2022. (Takashi Ishihara) His name is Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Born in 1989 in a poor farming village in Tibet, his life was irrevocably altered at the age of 6. That year, the 14th Dalai Lama—spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism—recognized him as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in the Gelug school, subordinate only to the Dalai Lama himself. Just three days later, the young boy vanished from his village along with his parents. The Tibetan government-in-exile claims he was abducted by Chinese authorities. Chadrel Rinpoche, the abbot of a prominent Tibetan monastery who had played a central role in the search for the reincarnated Panchen Lama, was also detained and later imprisoned. Chinese authorities selected another boy, Gyaincain Norbu, asserting that he was the true 11th Panchen Lama. Over time, this 'officially recognized' figure matured and began appearing at state functions. Earlier this month, he was even received by President Xi Jinping. In photographs and accompanying media coverage, he is seen bowing deeply to Xi and pledging loyalty to the Communist Party. It is a deeply sorrowful and haunting story. To imagine being in the place of either boy is enough to stir anguish. Human freedom is treated with disturbing ease and entire lives are manipulated like pieces on a board. The sheer injustice—and absurdity—of it all is overwhelming. Next month, the 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90. An announcement regarding the selection of his successor—the 15th Dalai Lama—is reportedly imminent. The Chinese government is almost certain to respond with fierce opposition. Will the world soon be confronted with the spiritually and politically charged dilemma of 'two Dalai Lamas,' just as it has been with the Panchen Lama? Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, meanwhile, turns 36 this year. According to Chinese authorities, he graduated from an unnamed university, holds an unspecified job and is 'living a normal life' somewhere. Yet no one has ever seen him. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 27 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
