The Dalai Lama Discloses Succession Strategy While China Observes

Today, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet confirmed that he will have a successor upon his death, reassuring Buddhist followers worldwide that the 600-year-old institution of the Dalai Lama will endure.

This is a landmark decision for Tibetans, many of whom feared a future without a leader, and for global supporters who view the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion, and the ongoing struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.
Tibetans believe that Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. His followers commend the Dalai Lama for his unflagging efforts to secure greater autonomy for Tibet, a large high-altitude plateau in China that is roughly equivalent in size to South Africa.

Since Chinese forces suppressed a rebellion in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in 1959, he and thousands of other Tibetans have been living in exile in India.

The charismatic Buddhist who won the Nobel Peace Prize had earlier stated that the Dalai Lama institution would persist only if there was a popular demand for it.

He stated today that he had received numerous appeals over the past 14 years from Tibetan diaspora in exile, Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China, “earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue”.

He stated in a video broadcast at the beginning of a meeting with religious leaders in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, where he has lived for many years, that he has received messages via different channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal.

He added, as per an official translation, “With all these requests, I am affirming the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lama.” His old age had also raised worries regarding the future of Tibetan leadership and the sensitive issue of his succession.

It was announced in advance of his 90th birthday on July 6

‘Historic’

China denounces him as a rebel and separatist, whereas the internationally recognized Dalai Lama refers to himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.

A large number of Tibetans in exile are afraid that China will designate its own successor to strengthen its dominance over a region it sent troops into in 1950.

However, the Dalai Lama stated on Wednesday that the responsibility for recognizing the 15th Dalai Lama “will rest exclusively” with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which is the office of the Dalai Lama. He added, “I want to stress again that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust has the authority to recognize the future reincarnation; no one else has any right to interfere in this issue.”

I would like to emphasize once again that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust has the authority to recognize future reincarnations; he added that no one else has such authority to intervene in this issue.

Chemi Lhamo, a 30-year-old Tibetan activist in exile, expressed her belief that continuing the role of the Dalai Lama would benefit the cause of Tibetans.

Lhamo expressed certainty about the continued benefit of the Dalai Lama institution for humanity. She noted that the announcement conveyed a message to Beijing to “unequivocally reject” any involvement in identifying the future leader.

In 2011, the Dalai Lama transferred political power to an exiled government that was democratically elected by 130,000 Tibetans worldwide.

He cautioned that the future of his spiritual position was at an “obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system”.