DHARAMSHALA The Dalai Lama, a Tibetan spiritual leader, put an end to years of speculation that he might be the last person to occupy the position when he announced on Wednesday that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue beyond his death.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who spoke at prayer celebrations on Sunday in advance of his 90th birthday, indicated that China should not become involved in the process of choosing his successor and stated that the next Dalai Lama should be found and acknowledged in accordance with historical Buddhist customs.
Since most Tibetans who reject China’s strict rule over them have battled to maintain their identity, whether in their homeland or in exile, the Dalai Lama’s succession plan has political ramifications. For Tibetan Buddhists, who revere him as a living embodiment of Chenrezig, the Buddhist deity of mercy, it is equally significant.
However, China, which has stated time and time again that it alone has the power to approve the next religious head, is likely to be offended by the choice. It gives Communist officials authority over the selection process and demands that the reborn figure be located in Tibetan regions of China.
There will eventually be dueling Dalai Lamas, according to many analysts, one chosen by Beijing and one chosen by senior monks who support the current Dalai Lama.
In 1940, Tenzin Gyatso became the Dalai Lama’s fourteenth reincarnation. He left Tibet in 1959 after Chinese troops put down an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Since then, he has been residing in the Indian town of Dharamshala, where he has been traversing the world to promote Tibetan autonomy and assisting in the establishment of a democratic government-in-exile.
Tibetan Buddhists hold that, as has occurred 14 times since the institution’s founding in 1587, the Dalai Lama has the ability to select the body into which he is reborn. His successor would be born outside of China, as he has already stated.
At a religious assembly of Buddhist monks in Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama made a message that was broadcast on television, outlining his succession plan. He claimed that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit organization he established in 2015 to manage affairs pertaining to the spiritual leader and the Dalai Lama’s institute, could identify and acknowledge his reincarnation.
He added that the search for a future Dalai Lama should be conducted in line with historical customs and that no one else has the right to meddle in this matter.
At a daily news briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning was questioned about the Dalai Lama’s declaration. She stated that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must follow the guidelines of domestic search in China and “approval by the central government.”
According to Mao, the procedure must adhere to historical contexts and religious rites while also being managed in compliance with national rules and regulations.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, Sarah Brooks, the director of Amnesty International’s China office, claimed that the attempts by Chinese authorities to influence the choice of the next Dalai Lama constituted a clear violation of the right to religious freedom.
According to Brooks, Tibetan Buddhists, like members of other faith communities, must have the freedom to select their spiritual leaders free from governmental influence or compulsion.
The Dalai Lama has frequently exhorted his followers to turn away whomever Beijing selects. This position is also supported by the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile that he previously led before resigning from politics in 2011.
Tibetans from all over the world made a sincere and fervent plea, according to Penpa Tsering, the head of the government-in-exile, that the Dalai Lama’s position be maintained for the sake of all sentient beings in general and Buddhists in particular.
“His Holiness has shown infinite compassion in response to this overwhelming supplication and has finally agreed to accept our appeal on this special occasion of his 90th birthday,” he said during a press conference.
However, stating that the succession of the Dalai Lama is a distinctive Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Tsering cautioned China against interfering.
He declared that we will never tolerate the People’s Republic of China’s use of reincarnation as a political tool and that we strongly reject it.
Only after the incumbent’s passing does the quest for a Dalai Lama’s reincarnation begin.
It might take a number of years after the future Dalai Lama is recognized as a newborn and prepared to assume leadership. Traditionally, senior monastic disciples have chosen the successor based on spiritual signs and visions.
___
This report was written by Christopher Bodeen of the Associated Press in Taipei, Taiwan.
