The Dalai Lama has confirmed that a successor will be appointed after his death. Previously, it was unclear whether the position would continue to exist. But China also claims the right to appoint a next Buddhist leader.
A few days before his ninetieth birthday, the Dalai Lama spoke for the first time about his succession. According to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a successor can only be appointed by the Gaden Phodrang Foundation. It was founded by the Dalai Lama in exile in India.
Earlier, Tenzin Gyatso, as the current Dalai Lama is called, had said that it was uncertain whether there would even be a successor after him. That would only be the case if there was sufficient demand for it. He now seems convinced of that.
“I confirm that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue to exist,” he said on Wednesday. Gyatso is seen as the fourteenth reincarnation of the first Dalai Lama, who lived in the fifteenth century. He also indicated that his successor could be a woman and does not necessarily have to come from Tibet.
At the same time, there is speculation that China wants to appoint a successor when the Dalai Lama dies. The Chinese government refers to a tradition dating back to the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty.
“The succession must happen according to Chinese laws and regulations and also according to historical conventions,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on Wednesday.
Fear that China wants to be ahead of spiritual leaders too quickly
Critics fear that by appointing a Dalai Lama itself, China wants to exert influence on the Tibetan Buddhist community. China annexed Tibet in 1951 and since then the area has been an autonomous region within the People’s Republic of China.
In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet to Dharamsala in India, where he lives in exile. The Tibetan government in exile is also located there.
Who the successor will be and when he will take office is not clear. Gyatso has previously predicted that he will be 113 years old. According to Tibetan tradition, Tibetan leaders must search for a new reincarnation after the death of the Dalai Lama. That process can take years. They use astrology and base themselves on visions and dreams of spiritual leaders.