On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama reassured followers at a conference in Dharamsala, India, that the tradition of the spiritual leader would continue. The announcement of a succession plan came on the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday in response to Chinese control encroaching on the sacred institution. The plan details that upon his death, he would be reincarnated as the next spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, preserving a centuries-long tradition, and countering China’s insistence that it would choose his successor.
During the week of celebrations in Dharamshala, marking his birthday, the Dalai Lama stated that the non-profit institution he founded, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, in consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions, will have the sole authority of identifying his reincarnation. The Nobel Laureate told reporters at the conference that the successor can be of any gender and their nationality would not be restricted to Tibet, and he urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.
During the conference, the Dalai Lama addressed an audience of monks, long-time followers, and journalists: “They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition […] no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”
China’s foreign ministry was quick to respond, reiterating on Wednesday that it had to approve the reincarnation, and further, it had to be done in China, a legacy from imperial times. China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, after he fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against the government. He sought refuge in India and has lived in exile ever since.
A U.S. spokesperson for the State Department said: “ We will also continue to call on China to cease its interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamas and to respect the freedom of religion or belief of individuals of all faiths.” The spokesperson urged China to return to direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama, in order “to achieve meaningful autonomy for Tibetans.”
Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death. The search for a new Dalai Lama can take years, as leaders follow ancient customs of analyzing mystic visions, clues left by the previous leader, and astrology. The child deemed to be the reincarnation must go through a process of education and preparation for the role.
The announcement reassured thousands of the Dalai Lama’s followers also in exile, and acts as a measure to protect the institution of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is in good health and has not given any written instructions yet on the succession, Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior official of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, reported.
