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Dharamshala, India — The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist instauration volition proceed aft his death, ending years of speculation that started erstwhile helium indicated helium mightiness beryllium the past idiosyncratic to clasp the role. His having a successor would mean helium would beryllium reincarnated.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual caput of Tibetan Buddhism said astatine supplication celebrations up of his upcoming 90th day that the adjacent Dalai Lama should beryllium recovered and recognized arsenic per past Buddhist traditions, portion signaling that China should enactment distant from the process of identifying his successor.
Exiled Tibetan spiritual person the Dalai Lama speaks successful a recorded video seen astatine the commencement of the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference, a gathering of spiritual leaders successful Dharamshala, India connected July 2, 2025.
SANJAY BAID/AFP via Getty Images
The Dalai Lama's succession program is politically consequential for astir Tibetans who reason China's choky power of Tibet and person struggled to support their individuality alive, successful their homeland oregon successful exile. It is besides profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him arsenic a surviving manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist deity of compassion.
The decision, however, is expected to irk China, which has repeatedly said that it unsocial has the authorization to o.k. the adjacent spiritual leader. It insists the reincarnated fig indispensable beryllium recovered successful China's Tibetan areas, giving Communist authorities powerfulness implicit who is chosen.
Many observers judge determination yet volition beryllium rival Dalai Lamas - 1 appointed by Beijing, and 1 by elder monks loyal to the existent Dalai Lama.
Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama successful 1940. He fled Tibet erstwhile Chinese troops crushed an uprising successful the Tibetan superior Lhasa successful 1959 and has been surviving successful the municipality of Dharamshala successful India since then, helping found a antiauthoritarian government-in-exile portion besides traveling the satellite to advocator autonomy for the Tibetan people.
Tibetan Buddhists judge the Dalai Lama tin take the assemblage into which helium is reincarnated, arsenic has happened connected 14 occasions since the instauration of the instauration successful 1587. He has reiterated successful the past that his successor would beryllium calved extracurricular China.
The Dalai Lama laid retired his succession program successful a recorded connection that was televised astatine a spiritual gathering of Buddhist monks successful Dharamshala. He said the process of uncovering and recognizing his reincarnation lies solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust - a non-profit helium founded successful 2015 that oversees matters related to the spiritual person and the institute of the Dalai Lama.
"No 1 other has immoderate specified authorization to interfere successful this matter," helium said, adding that the hunt for a aboriginal Dalai Lama should beryllium carried retired successful "accordance with past tradition."
The Dalai Lama has often urged his followers to cull anyone chosen by Beijing. The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile helium erstwhile headed earlier relinquishing his governmental relation successful 2011 besides supports this stance.
Penpa Tsering, the president of the government-in-exile, said Tibetans from astir the satellite made "an earnest petition with single-minded devotion" that the presumption of the Dalai Lama should proceed "for the payment of each sentient beings successful wide and Buddhist successful particular."
"In effect to this overwhelming supplication, His Holiness has shown infinite compassion and yet agreed to judge our entreaty connected this peculiar juncture of his 90th birthday," helium said astatine a property conference.
Tsering, however, warned China not to meddle successful the process of the Dalai Lama's succession, saying it is simply a "unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition."
"We not lone powerfully condemn the People's Republic of China's usage of reincarnation taxable for their governmental gain, and volition ne'er judge it," helium said.
The hunt for a Dalai Lama's reincarnation begins lone upon the incumbent's death.
In the past, the successor has been identified by elder monastic disciples, based connected spiritual signs and visions, and it tin instrumentality respective years aft the adjacent Dalai Lama is identified arsenic a babe and groomed to instrumentality the reins.
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