Dharamshala, India — The Dalai Lama stated Wednesday that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist establishment will proceed after his demise, ending years of hypothesis that began when he indicated he could be the final particular person to carry the position. His having a successor would imply he could be reincarnated.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning non secular head of Tibetan Buddhism stated at prayer celebrations forward of his upcoming ninetieth birthday that the subsequent Dalai Lama needs to be discovered and acknowledged as per previous Buddhist traditions, whereas signaling that China ought to keep away from the method of figuring out his successor.
SANJAY BAID/AFP through Getty Photographs
The Dalai Lama’s succession plan is politically consequential for many Tibetans who oppose China’s tight management of Tibet and have struggled to maintain their id alive, of their homeland or in exile. It’s also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a dwelling manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion.
The choice, nonetheless, is anticipated to irk China, which has repeatedly stated that it alone has the authority to approve the subsequent non secular chief. It insists the reincarnated determine have to be present in China’s Tibetan areas, giving Communist authorities energy over who’s chosen.
Many observers imagine there ultimately will likely be rival Dalai Lamas – one appointed by Beijing, and one by senior monks loyal to the present Dalai Lama.
Tenzin Gyatso turned the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1940. He fled Tibet when Chinese language troops crushed an rebellion within the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 and has been dwelling within the city of Dharamshala in India since then, serving to set up a democratic government-in-exile whereas additionally touring the world to advocate autonomy for the Tibetan folks.
Tibetan Buddhists imagine the Dalai Lama can select the physique into which he’s reincarnated, as has occurred on 14 events for the reason that creation of the establishment in 1587. He has reiterated previously that his successor could be born outdoors China.
The Dalai Lama laid out his succession plan in a recorded assertion that was televised at a spiritual gathering of Buddhist monks in Dharamshala. He stated the method of discovering and recognizing his reincarnation lies solely with the Gaden Phodrang Belief – a non-profit he based in 2015 that oversees issues associated to the non secular chief and the institute of the Dalai Lama.
“Nobody else has any such authority to intervene on this matter,” he stated, including that the seek for a future Dalai Lama needs to be carried out in “accordance with previous custom.”
The Dalai Lama has typically urged his followers to reject anybody chosen by Beijing. The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile he as soon as headed earlier than relinquishing his political position in 2011 additionally helps this stance.
Penpa Tsering, the president of the government-in-exile, stated Tibetans from around the globe made “an earnest request with single-minded devotion” that the place of the Dalai Lama ought to proceed “for the good thing about all sentient beings on the whole and Buddhist specifically.”
“In response to this overwhelming supplication, His Holiness has proven infinite compassion and at last agreed to just accept our attraction on this special day of his ninetieth birthday,” he stated at a press convention.
Tsering, nonetheless, warned China to not meddle within the strategy of the Dalai Lama’s succession, saying it’s a “distinctive Tibetan Buddhist custom.”
“We not solely strongly condemn the Individuals’s Republic of China’s utilization of reincarnation topic for his or her political acquire, and can by no means settle for it,” he stated.
The seek for a Dalai Lama’s reincarnation begins solely upon the incumbent’s demise.
Prior to now, the successor has been recognized by senior monastic disciples, based mostly on non secular indicators and visions, and it might probably take a number of years after the subsequent Dalai Lama is recognized as a child and groomed to take the reins.
