The Dalai Lama has made it clear that his spiritual legacy will not end with his death. In a statement that marks a crucial moment in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, the spiritual leader assured that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue to exist after his death and that China will have no authority in the election of his successor.
“I reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has the sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation. No one else has the same authority to interfere in this matter,” said the Dalai Lama, days before his 90th birthday.
These statements come amid uncertainty about his succession. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in the Indian city of Dharamsala since 1959 after fleeing Tibet, broke with tradition by speaking openly about the future of his office. Traditionally, the search for a new Dalai Lama begins after the death of the previous one, as it is based on the spiritual process of reincarnation.
However, the spiritual leader considers it urgent to make things clear, especially in the face of fears that the Chinese government will try to control the process and appoint its own Dalai Lama. His lifelong translator, Thupten Jinpa, explained that “His Holiness feels the need to reassure people,” ensuring that the Tibetan people will not be left without guidance.
The battle for his successor
The conflict is not new. In 1995, the Dalai Lama recognized a six-year-old boy as the eleventh Panchen Lama, a key figure in validating future reincarnations. The boy was kidnapped by the Chinese government and has not been seen since. China imposed its own version of the Panchen Lama, who is now a figure loyal to the Communist Party and without international recognition among Tibetans.
Now, many fear that the same will happen with the next Dalai Lama. Beijing has already warned that reincarnation must “comply with Chinese laws” and be approved by the government. But the Dalai Lama does not give in: in a book published in March, he stated that his successor will be born in the “free world,” outside of China, to ensure that the Tibetan spiritual leadership continues with integrity.
Beyond the religious, the Dalai Lama is a national symbol for the Tibetan people, a figure who has resisted decades of cultural and political repression. Although since 2011 he retired from his political functions – which are now democratically elected – his spiritual role remains central to the more than 130,000 Tibetans in exile and millions more who still live in Tibet under Chinese control.
